Sterling kit of a Mini Mambo

Anything with a propeller
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MJF
Posts: 81
Joined: 12 Jun 2018, 15:22
Location: Ontario Canada

Sterling kit of a Mini Mambo

Post by MJF »

My first RC plane was a Sterling Mini Mambo equipped with a Cox .049, Controlaire 5 single channel receiver and an Elmic Commander escapement. I will never forget what a thrill it was to be able to actually steer the model back to the flying field and not have to run after it all of the time.

I came across a NIB kit of one 30 plus years ago at a swap meet intending on building and flying it. Better late than never I guess.
Mini Build 1 A.jpg
I built up the airframe over the past winter.
mini build 5.jpg
I covered the fuselage with "00" silk span and dope. The wings are covered in Coverite CoverLite a synthetic tissue like material. The package says "Made In England"

The entire plane received several coats of clear dope followed red & white dope.
The rudder uses sewn hinges which are very strong and friction free. All up weight 17 ounces
Sewn Hinges.jpg
ready to fly.jpg
Power is a Cox .049 equipped with a muffler and an 8 cc fuel tank.
Cox 049 with Muffler.jpg
E-Challenged
Posts: 5
Joined: 09 Apr 2018, 19:57

Re: Sterling kit of a Mini Mambo

Post by E-Challenged »

Hope you Mini flies as well as my electric powered full size Mambo built from Outerzone plans and patterns.

I tried a Tobe GG actuator but it didn't have enough "grunt" for my full sized Mambo. I installed two HS-55 servos and enlarged the added-on elevators and it is amazingly maneuverable, loves to thermal, great minutes per milliamp. Uses old Thunder Power .10 brushless motor and 2200 mah 3S lipo, stays airborne at 1/4 throttle, gets very lively on full throttle. Only problem is ground steering with only wire tail skid, need to blast model with full rudder to sorta steer it to return to the pits.
IMG_0015.JPG
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Shaun
Posts: 1049
Joined: 15 Feb 2018, 21:49
Location: West Yorkshire

Re: Sterling kit of a Mini Mambo

Post by Shaun »

Great to see you building up old kits mjf. I do it as well to upset the collectors. 😁😁😁
I actually prefer the mini mambo to it's bigger brother.
Same with the Veron Cardinal and Deacon, the smaller Cardinal some how looks better to me. Strange reasoning when I also love to build 1/3rd scale WW1 models :?

Like the colour scheme..
Shaun.
MJF
Posts: 81
Joined: 12 Jun 2018, 15:22
Location: Ontario Canada

Re: Sterling kit of a Mini Mambo

Post by MJF »

Thanks for the kind words Shaun.

The color scheme is pretty well off the box lid as was my original one way back when. After the original Mini Mambo I built a Mambo which I tried to teach myself to fly proportional using a Controlaire MAN 2-3-4 radio. Unfortunately the magic smoke would come out of the components at the most inopportune time turning the Mambo back into a project - several times. Either version would fly virtually hands free using the radio to interrupt direction.

Never been much for "collecting" kits. One of my upcoming projects (there are too many!) is an original Kiel Kraft kit of a Senator which I intend to have as RC rubber power (rudder only). Probably upset collectors and purist with that one! My brother gave me the kit as a birthday present back in the early 70's.

Keep up the good work. It's both your fault and Phil's that I got back into this old stuff - and its great!!!

Mike
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Wayne_H
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Joined: 17 Feb 2018, 05:26
Location: Temora, NSW. Australia
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Re: Sterling kit of a Mini Mambo

Post by Wayne_H »

Well done Mike ;)
Shaun wrote: 04 Dec 2018, 23:28 .......Same with the Veron Cardinal and Deacon, the smaller Cardinal some how looks better to me.....

Like the colour scheme..
Shaun.
Have to agree with you Shaun, on both counts! :) :P
Cheers,

Wayne
Once a Retrobate, always a Retrobate............ ;)
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Sundancer
Posts: 122
Joined: 07 Jun 2018, 09:28
Location: Limousin, France

Re: Sterling kit of a Mini Mambo

Post by Sundancer »

Funny thing this scaling up and down. I almost always find that the scaled down version of a design gains in "cuteness" over the original, for example Smeed's "Tom Thumb" is cuter than the Tomboy. Conversely scaling up can sometimes "coarsen" a model, although not always, the double size Frog Senior series models like my own Tom Tit x2 and Widgeon x2 and the very nice versions of the other models in the series I have seen hold up well appearance wise. The scaling down thing can even work with a classic such as the Junior 60; the Just Junior and various other versions in the 3 - 4 foot span range look OK, but the 2/5th (24" span) one I built directly from a photo reduction of the 1945 plan finished up looking so cute it made my teeth hurt!
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Shaun
Posts: 1049
Joined: 15 Feb 2018, 21:49
Location: West Yorkshire

Re: Sterling kit of a Mini Mambo

Post by Shaun »

The only models that I've ever thought looked great when scaled up by a silly factor was my behemoth 300% Pulstar last year; this had great presence in the air and looked the business. Also years ago I did a similar thing to a Wingamagic - a 48" span flying wing by Pete Holland from Radio Modeller 1982 that I built at around 120" and my 80" wingspan Simplex was a double up of the reduced 40" Aeromodeller plan.

The one that I never really liked was the KeilKraft Southerner (Cabin Version) that I made to a stupid 13 foot. but in my eyes didn't look right. Somebody did though as I exchanged it for lots of modelling tokens with the happy new owner who bit my hand off. I still prefer my Mills 0.75 powered Pylon version of the Southerner Mite though for looks.

Shaun
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