Conference vmszoo::rc

1623.0. "Saphir I pattern plane" by 35989::BLUMJ () Mon Aug 22 1994 11:09

    Last Thursday night I saw my clubmate, Todd Sheehan's, R/C City Punch
    pattern plane for the first time. This plane has a fiberglass fuselage
    and is powered by a .60 rear exhaust 2-stroke motor.  The plane was
    very nicely finished, but Todd commented that he preferred balsa 
    construction.  After calling for Todd while practicing the Masters
    Pattern routine, he was demonstrating the capabilities of the plane
    when the motor died.  On the subsequent landing he caught a tip in the
    high grass on the edge of the runway and the fiberglass fuselage ripped
    in several places.  The landing was not that hard, but these fuselages
    are constructed of very light fiberglass and cannot take much abuse.
    
    The Punch weighed 8.2 lbs and the unfinished fuselage and a set of
    wing and stab cores(unsheeted) cost $250 from R/C City.  The plane
    flies very well.  It appears to be a big building job, however, as
    wing sheeting is required, cutouts for ailerons, servos, and retracts
    etc., plus painting the fuselage is a big job(filling pin holes).
    Todd also felt that ther paint on the fuselage addes a lot of weight.
    
    Given Todd's penchant for 2-stroke .60 powered balsa pattern planes,
    I immediately thought of the Robbe Saphir I that I had seen in my
    Robbe Catalog.  This plane listed for $449 in the catalog and has the
    following specs/features:
    
    FUSELAGE:
    -Prebuilt, lightweight, facory-sanded of hybrid balsa/ply construction
    -Curved fuselage turtle deck and underside formed as balsa-skinned
     foam components, factory fitted
    -Wing mount and profiled tailplane slot accurately cut; pre-set
     incidence angles
    -Factory finished tailplane mount
    -Finished motor cowl, pre-cut tuned pipe fairing and factory-trimmed
     epoxy/glass wing fairing
    -clear, vacuum-moulded canopy
             
    WINGS:
    -Factory-finished, balsa-skinned foam wings, sanded leading edges and
     tips in place
    -retract servo well cut and factory lined
    -accurately cut slots for dihedral brace
    -separate ailerons cur, lining strips fitted, ready to install
    -factory-lined and cut aileron servo wells
    -glass tape reinforcements for wing root
    
    TAIL SURFACES:
    -balsa skinned foam core tailplane, factory-sanded with leading edges
     and tips installed
    -finished, sanded elevator panels
    -Balsa-skinned foam fin, sanded, with leading edge, trailing edge and
     tip in place
    -finished,sanded sheet balsa rudder
    
    ACCESORIES:
    -Metal parts for steerable tailwheel unit
    -Installation plates for retracable undercarriage
    -Plywood reinforcements sawn to shape
    -Fixing blocks for tuned pipe
    -Decals
    
    SPECIFICATIONS:
    -Wingspan - 1780mm
    -Fuselage length - 1600 mm
    -Wing area - 55 sq dm
    -All-up weight - 3700 g(minimum)
    
    *The Robbe Saphir I is a thoroughbred aerobatic model designed by
    Wolfgang Matt, the highly successful competition pilot and multiple
    European and World Champion.  The oval section fuselage of the mid-wing
    Saphir 1, together with its long tail moment arm, fully symmetrical
    wing and tail sections and lightweight construction, mark out this
    model as a pure F3A contest model.
      
    
    The picture of the kit in the Robbe catalog bears out the above
    description.  The model is highly prebuilt with only assembly of the
    major sub-assemblies required and covering with film.  About what you
    would expect from a $450 kit, right?  
    
    I happened to notice that one of the mail order houses is offering the
    Saphir I design under the name Model-Tech at the sale price of $199.
    The Saphir II which is the 1.20 4-stroke version(larger) is offered at
    $249.  I called the tech support line, and as best as I can discern
    this is the same kit that Robbe offered.
    
    I have built 3 Robbe kits and they are very high quality.  Does anyone
    know anything about the Saphir I?  I am tempted to buy it even though
    I don't fly pattern because this seems like an incredible deal.

    Jim,
    	Dan Snow has the Modeltech Saphire with a YS120 in it.  It is a
    nice plane but I hate the wing tips.  The kit is good quality but I
    don't like the cowl and belly pan very much.  It flies nicely and it is
    very light for such a large plane.  I would highly recommend this as a
    first pattern ship because it is pre-built and reasonably priced.
    	I saw Todd's Punch at the Glen contest.  It flew well and I think
    someone flew it in FAI - and Todd flew it in Advanced.   I agree with
    Todd that balsa fuses are preferred.  I damaged my Conquest fuse in a
    similar dead stick accident last summer.  I also HATE to paint.  All
    pattern planes are a major building job if they don't come mostly
    pre-built.  Getting everything perfectly straight is very important. 
    It takes patience and experience to do it right.  I have built three
    pattern ships and am about to start another one.  Each one has been
    easier than the previous one and the quality has also improved.
    
    Charlie
    

    >>				              The kit is good quality but I
    >> don't like the cowl and belly pan very much.  
    
    Yea, these are a bi*ch. I built two Saphir II's and the pans were a
    serious pain to get right.
    
    Eric.
    

    Re: -2
    
    Charlie,
    
           I agree with you about hating to paint!  I used to hate covering
    with film until I tried painting.  Without a full blown paint rig
    and temperature/humidity/dust controlled paint booth, film is the
    way to go(Al Casey would roll over in his grave - but this ain't
    scale).
    
    BTW - I just ordered the O.S. 1.08 for my towplane, thanks for all the
    help with my questions.
    
    
    Regards,
    
    Jim

    Jim,
    	I think you'll be very happy with the OS 1.08 for your towplane.  I
    have never owned one but I've seen several in action and they are
    great.
    	I have the same complaints about painting.  I don't really mind
    doing it but having a usable and safe setup is a big problem.  It's
    either too cold, too moist, too dusty, etc to get a good result.  A
    film covering job is lighter as well.  Since I'm not into scale, I am
    much more interested that than the finish.  I view a pattern ship as a
    tool to fly pattern and though I would like my plane to look like a
    work of art, I am satisfied to have a film covering job that is easy to
    do and maintain.
    
    As I recall in all of the years Al was in the notes file, he did not
    even build 1 plane!
    
    Charlie