alangranvue

My Feedback: (11)

Hey guys,

I am thinking about ordering the Hobby Lobby Sr. Telemaster. I tried searching on here but I couldn't find a thread for it besides the glow-electric conversion threads. I would like to be able to hover and I want to use a 4-stroke. We have 2 guys in our club who have the sr. telemaster both with a Saito 100. They will almost hover but drops out after a few seconds. Also looking for a way to bolt the wings on rather than using the 30 rubber bands everytime. Any help would be appreciated or just point me to the right thread. Thanks!

NM2K

My Feedback: (14)

It sounds as though you would be better off building the kit than modifying an ARF to do the things that you want it to do. Larger control surfaces are needed for 3D aerobatics, something that is a PITA to do right off the bat with an ARF. Bolt-on wings is another thing that makes the kit route better than the ARF route.

If you still don't want to build the model, how about biting the bullet and offer to pay someone to build the kit for you with the mods you want incorporated? I've done that back when I worked too many hours to build (seventies). Good luck.


Ed Cregger

alangranvue

My Feedback: (11)

Hey Ed, does the kit go together pretty easy? I have only built a set of GP .60 size floats. They were really easy but I don't have a lot of tools at my disposal if they are needed.

Telemaster Sales UK

Hi Alan

Dave Davis here. I have a soft spot for the Telemaster as does Ed Cregger. I even import them into the UK, go to www.telemastersalesuk.co.uk to see what some of my customers have done with their TMs if you like, but let's get one thing straight, the Telemaster was not designed to hover.

Brief History Lesson. Let me take you back to the 1950s when I was a child. Most model aeroplanes then were free flight. That is you "trimmed" the model to glide, you put a little fuel in the tiny fuel tank, started the unthrottled engine and the model climbed until the engine stopped, then it glided back to earth. If you were clever you trimmed it to fly in circles so that you didn't have to chase it too far. Radio Control came in in the late 50's and initially the only flying surface which you could control was the rudder and even then you only had the option of full left, full right and neutral. These early single channel models were more or less free flight designs with a great deal of automatic stability and larger fuel tanks. You started the engine launched the aircraft and guided it round the skies. If you were very brave you held the rudder on to provoke a spiral dive but that was about the extent of the aerobatics. By the early 1960's multi-channel radio was available but prohibitively expensive in England at least and most people flew single channel right into the Seventies.

Enough of history! When the Telemaster was introduced in 1961 or 1963 depending upon which story you believe, it was influenced by the earlier free flight designs, the small rudder, dihedralled wing and that huge lifting-section tailplane give that away. It was designed to fly slowly round the sky powered by a 61 two-stroke as stately as a galleon, it went where you put it and it was robust and very stable indeed so that your extremely expensive radio would stand a chance of remaining undamaged; and that's what it does to this day, and that's why it makes such an excellent trainer.

Oh you can make them loop and roll but to me they don't look right doing that.

And you want to make one hover[X(]

Well you'd need put a huge motor in it and you'd need to increase the size of the rudder quite dramatically and what effect that huge lifting tailplane would have on procedings, I have no idea. Then the ailerons are pretty puny....so what's the point?

Allen, if you want a model which will hover, there are all sorts of fun fliers, foamy toys, shock fliers (whatever they are!) 3D machines and Extras, Sukhois, Edges, CAPs et al which are designed to hover.

The Telemaster is a chill-out machine so why not build one for relaxing with and an aerobatic model for hovering?

As for the ease of the build it is a pretty easy model to build but if it's your first proper kit build, you'd be better off if you had an experienced builder to help you. The ARTF version is, well.. an ARTF..

Happy Landings

DD

alangranvue

My Feedback: (11)

Thanks for the message Dave. I have several planes that will hover. Hovering it is not the intentional use but if I feel froggy I would like to be able to do so. I would likea good sized motor to carry several camera's I have for arial photography. Mostly it will be used just to put around and take pictures. Possibly carry a sailplane later on. Thanks for input though. I will check out your site and see what others have done.

NM2K

My Feedback: (14)

Don't let those stick and glue kits scare you. They look much more ferocious to build than they are. You will need a razor saw and a sanding block. Neither is expensive. Other than that, you'll have a ball putting the Telemaster together. Good luck and enjoy.

I would use a .91 thru 1.30 four-stroke or an .75 thru 1.20 two-stroke for lifting cameras, etc. Yes, it would probably fly on a strong .40, but lifting a payload is another matter.


Ed Cregger

Telemaster Sales UK

Hi Allan

If you decide to build the kit I am writing up some hints and tips for building the STM based on my own experience and that of my customers. It's still a work in progress but PM me if you'd like a copy.

I endorse Ed's remarks about engine sizes. My ARTF is currently powered by an old OS 61 fourstroke but take-offs are a bit like the Spirit of St Louis! I fitted it because a guy from Northern Ireland wanted to know whether his Saito 62 would fly it. He never ordered a kit and it flew much better with the Thunder Tiger 91FS as shown on the website.

Happy Landings

DD

Aerobatx

My Feedback: (1)

A 15-20 mph headwind and the stock Telemaster will fly backwards.

alangranvue

My Feedback: (11)

Thanks Ed,

I think I have decided that I will go with the Kit. I gotta learn sometime! I've got a razor saw and plenty of sanding blocks and a bunch of CA. It will be a good learning experience for me and I am in no rush to get her flying. I would like to build it a little a stronger anyways and make the wings bolt on. I believe I will need to purchase some type of table to work on though as I dont think carpet will do really well for building. While I'm building it I will continue to look at motors and try to find a good used1.20-1.50 saito 4stroke. Thanks for the information so far guys. Ihope to purchase the kit within the next week and I will keep posting updates in this thread as the build goes along.

Telemaster Sales UK

Concerning glues, I'd get some half-hour epoxy for the high stress areas such as the engine firewall and the landing gear mounting plate. I'd also consider using white PVA (PUA in America?) or aliphatic glue in place of the cyano on much of the rest of the structure. These glues will fill small gaps if your joints are less than perfect. ( I did say small gaps!)They also allow you more time to move parts into position before the glue sets. The downside is that you have to allow the glue to set overnight before removing the structure from the plan and excess PVA can prove difficult to sand off the structure. It is as cheap as chips mind

If you can make very good joints however, cyano will be fine. I find myself using medium viscosity cyano much more these days than I used to.

You'll need a building board. I have two: one in made from pinboard stuck to an old Sapaele door which I use for large models; the other is 4'x2' and is made up of pinboard stuck with impact adhesive to a chipboard base. Thick plywood would have made a better base. I'm not sure whether pinboard is called pinboard in the States but you'll know what I'm talking about if I say that you see it in High Schools every day. The notice board in the foyer where students are informed who has been picked for the football team etc is made from pinboard. I believe you can buy building boards ready made in the USA but they are more expensive than the home-made versions.


"Don't let those stick and glue kits scare you. They look much more ferocious to build than they are. You will need a razor saw and a sanding block. Neither is expensive. Other than that, you'll have a ball putting the Telemaster together. Good luck and enjoy."

You will have a ball building it Alan, and you'll be able to choose your own colour scheme so that your model will stand out amidst all of the ARTF clones on the flight line.

On that thought gentlemen, have you ever noticed how many of us finish our STMs in Cub Yellow overall so that they end up looking just like the ARTF?

Er...you do have a modelling knife don't you Alan?









[/quote]

NM2K

My Feedback: (14)

Yep, I have noticed that preference for a yellow finish. With me, it (yellow) is the color that I see the best of all on the widest swings of weather.

If one gets tired ot using plain yellow, try using Cub Yellow as the base color and Dark Red as the trim color. In Monokote, that color combo will knock your eyeballs out. I wouldn't have believed it until a friend showed up with a new RCM Trainer 40 some years ago (hi Lee Hastings). Now Lee is a good builder and that certainly helped win appearance points, but this color combo turned out to be dynamic and inexpensive (no metallic colors). Be sure to use some black 1/8" striping between the two colors. It amplifies the dynamics of the colors.


Ed Cregger

alangranvue

My Feedback: (11)

Yes, I do have several of them.  Plenty of blades also.  I have a hobby shop about 5 miles from my house so if I need anything during the process I will just run and grab it.  I will have to find a bulidng board.  I should be able to come over a free one as my father has tons of wood in one of his warehouses. Just have to find the right size.  I will be using thin, medium, and thick CA where needed to build it and using expoxy for the firewall and landing gear. This will be a fun build I think.  I think it would be neat to use the see through ultracote (not sure of the name) on some places when I am covering it.  It would like nice. Not sure on a color scheme though yet.  It will probably end up being Cub Yellow on most of it (because I need some anyways). Everything is looking good to order on Monday however on Hobby Lobby's site it says they wont be available until Mid May which should be today?... Do either of you know of a hobby store that has one on hand I could order from?  I 've seen several kits on here and eBay but I want a kit that includes all the plans and instructions.

alangranvue

My Feedback: (11)

Just got off the phone with David from Hobby Lobby. They just got the shipment of kits in today and whomever makes the kits for Hobby Lobby doesn't supply the landing gear as of today forward.  They are discounting the price $15 sometime today or tomorrow. I will wait until I see this reflection on the website before I order so I can get the $15 discount for the missing parts. Now it looks like I will have to find a different landing gear setup... Any recommendations?

Telemaster Sales UK

I shall be using a carbon fibre undercarriage on my plan-built STM from a British company known as Carbon Copy. I'm sure there are American equivalents.

alangranvue

My Feedback: (11)

Do you know what size width it will need to be to fit correctly? I may need to go over to a friends and measure his.

alangranvue

My Feedback: (11)

Order placed. I went ahead and got the Replacement gear set for backup. If any of you have a sr tele would you mind measuring the width of the inside of the nose where the motor mounts?  I am hoping there will be enough room I can stuff a saito 1.50 in it.

iliveonlytocrash

My Feedback: (1)

Mine measures 4 inches at the firewall and 3 5/8 inches at the front most part of the cheeks.

Telemaster Sales UK

I should imagine that a Saito 150 is about the same size as a 120 which are widely fitted,just reduce the thickness of the nose so it should fit. Mine measures 3.25 inches between the doublers and I've had to file them out a bit at the firewall to accomodate the Du Bro Quiet Mount which I shall be fitting.

If space is a problem, why not just reduce the thickness of the nose doublers?

alangranvue

My Feedback: (11)

I did a little more research on the motor. The 150 is in the same casing as the 120. It's just basically bored out. The mounting width Igot from the website was 2.72 inches so I should be in good shape. I also heard from another guy last night who has the 120 mounted on his arf and he said it required no modifications to the nose to mount correctly.

alangranvue

My Feedback: (11)

I must say I am not impressed with Hobby Lobby's support. They were suppose to take off $15 for the missing landing gear (like they said they would do originally but now they won't deduct it)... They canceled my first order I placed online for no aparent reason after they charged me... I asked if there was a problem with my credit card, billing or shipping address but they said they didn't see a reason it should have been canceled. I called again on the 18th and placed the order over the phone. Hopefully everything will be ok this time... They won't get any orders from me for anything other than the kit from now on. Just thought i would share my experiences...

Telemaster Sales UK

I have it on excellent authority that they will be reducing the price of the kits without undercarriages by $15. I'd query that decision if I were you.

alangranvue

My Feedback: (11)

My HobbyLobby box came in on Friday.  Box didn't have a sratch on it.  Replacement gear looks good and feels tough. After opening the plans and instructions I realized there were no pictures. YIKES [X(] I don't even understand what all of the lingo means. This will be a slow build for me but it will be an exciting one once it is complete. If anyone knows of a forum where there is a kit build thread please let me know. I will keep this one updated as I continue and will start posting pictures of my progress.

Telemaster Sales UK

If all else fails, Ed and I will help you out.

What are the technical terms you don't unerstanf?

alangranvue

My Feedback: (11)

Thanks for the offer! I may have to take you up on that. I was confused on what spars were and other pieces of the wing and fuselage. I have a better idea now because I took the wing plans out and layed up some of the balsa on it. I'm just measuring every piece to make sure I am getting the correct one's. If i just had a few pictures of a built wing I would be fine doing it on my own. I just don't have anything to go off of besides the plans. Do you happen to have any pictures of the wing or fuselage before it was covered? I can give you my email. Anything would be greatly appreciated!

Telemaster Sales UK

Hi Alan

Go to my website www.telemastersalesuk.co.uk, click on "Your Telemasters" and have a look at Tony's STM, Bryan's Senior and Chris Robson's model. They are all shown in the balsa.

The wing is made up of spars which run from tip to tip and ribs which go from the leading to the trailing edge of the wing. On the STM the main spars are made of spruce and are arranged as a pair, one on top of the other at the thickest point of the wing rib. Tony and Chris have used diagonals to strengthen the wing as shown on the box art. Bryan has used triangular gussets with the grain running across the diagonal on his version. Whichever method you chose to strnthen the wing will require extra balsa wood. The tail plane is also made up of ribs and spars.

The longest strips in the fuselage are called "longerons." They are joined by vertical and horizontal "spacers." "Formers" keep the fuselage square.

While the powered aeroplane first flew in America, much of its subsequent development took place in France, that's why the names of so many of the components are French e.g: fuselage, aileron, longeron, and in the USA empanage for the tail plane.