cymaz

H All

Just a quick post to show what a Bi-Stormer looks like. I bought it on Ebay here in the UK. I am in the process of doing a recover and installing radio and engine as it has never been flown. There are some before and after photos...........

sir crashallot

i used to have the bi stormer, cant find plans for one of those anywhere, there brilliant flyers. oh looking at ur avatar i see you like the texan. im in the process of building one on here.

cymaz

Her she is..........Pictures to follow

psuguru

Nice!
Better looking than the Barnstormer IMHO.

crash bandicoute

is that complete covering job fabric? very nice if so. is it hard to use fabric?

cymaz

Yes all covered with Solartex. The silver needs a little care to apply to stop the finish rubbing off. There are plenty of sites on RCU about covering tuition.

flying pastor

Sir Crashalot. Bi-Stormer plans in both 60 and 72 versions are available from www.dbsportandscale.com u/c's etc are also available.
Chris....UK

cymaz

These pics were taken 19 Dec a our flying club. Two Bi-Stormers built 30 years apart. Mine, red and silver, and Cyrils' built in the 1980's in blue.

flying pastor

Cymaz, thanks for sharing the pic. Are they the 60" or 72" version? Also are they very aerobatic? i.e spins/ inverted spins, as well as loops, inside/out etc. I like my sports models to be fairly agile but at a slowish speed. Vintage aerobatic probably sums it up. Your weather must be better than ours in rural Essex. Had about 4" on Friday and had to dig myself in/out of my drive, now our road is sheet ice...only fun when you're younger or when no-one else is on the roads!
Chris....UK

cymaz

They are both 72". Not much snow not a heavy fall of the white stuff anywhere. Would you believe it but more in Penzance than Bodmin Moor. Not sure about the aerobatics Loops and slow rolls is about its limit I suppose but I haven't flown it more than 10 mins but I will keep this thread open and give regular updates.

The wing struts I put on where lengths of this.......
http://www.modellers-world.com/catal...oducts_id=3345

psuguru

Yeah,
Really Nice day here in South Woodham Ferrers. 'Pity I couldn't get the car out of the ski slope (sorry, "drive-way") to go fly my Mystic.

psuguru

I'm not sure if there's an American equivalent to Solartex.
Solartex is a heat-shrinkable textile with heat-activated glue on one side. It's a modelling equivalent of "Ceconite" as used on full sized planes. It's very tough and you can fill the weave with dope. It goes round corners better than most films. It's main drawback is weight. It is really heavy compared to normal films and I now only use it on open construction "Vintage style" models and then usually only on the wings. I covered a "Super 60" with Solartex after it had been covered with nylon, and the plane has never flown as well since.

planebuilder66

My Feedback: (8)

Solartex can be bought through Balsa usa over here, world tex through horizon is the same stuff as well, bolth miles ahead of 21st century in my mind. It shrinks better, sticks better and doesn't sag at all. The only downfall is you should really clearcoat it with fuel proof paint to help keep the oil out of the weave of the fabric.

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

Agreed!! We have a number of different coverings and if they say TEX in the name they seem to be about the same stuff. My LHS even stocks Solartex plus several other brands so I usually don't need to order it. Too bad all coverings don't work as well as ST!!! Makes me look like I know what I'm doing.

sir crashallot

thanks buddy il make a note of that, i used to have one, that was built before i was born back in the 70's had it a number of years and eventually it disintigrated almost in flight due to the 30+ years of fuel soaked balsa. came in to land about 20ft off the ground the whole fin came off, after that it was splinters, brilliant plane though and very very smooth to fly.

bogbeagle

If I may be permitted to resurrect this thread for a moment, I have a question.

Planning to build a 72" Bi-stormer and wondering about engines. I'd like it to be lively when required.

Choices available to me are ... Laser .90, Enya .90 and Enya 1.20. Would like some opinions, please; preferably those based upon experience with the type.

Bundubasher

This brings back memories - around 1978 somewhere. I had 3 Barnstormers and 2 Bi Stormers. I fitted them Webra 61 Speed engines and they were "funtastic" to fly. Unless you re-inforce them to fit larger engines as you plan, they may suffer structural damage, especially top wing coming of. Need to pay attention to the cabane struts and how they are anchored to the fuse.It happened to one of mine, sending it through a kitchen roof.

But they are best flown slowly and gracefully, makes tremendous touch and go landings - good for camera planes too.

Flying pastor, If you are looking for a classic look plane with very lively performance, look ata Miss Liberty Sport or Acrobolt Sport. Both Bipes are distant forerunners along the lines of the Pitts Special. The Miss liberty probably more classic looking.

cymaz

I have an ASP 61 four stroke in mine....Flies really gracefully on this. The bi-stormer is more of a " gentleman's flying carriage " than a tear-arse round the sky model

bogbeagle

OK, thanks for that.

It'll be the Laser, then. Not hugely powerful and should suit this model.

I'm gonna "kit-bash" it a bit. Wings will plug in to a central cabane structure; or fold. Possibly a folding tailplane. Decent undercarriage and some nice wing bracing. Bit of a styling job on the rudder ... like a Southerner. Pseudo-Cirrus engine. Vintage-looking paint job. Maybe a few other mods as the fancy takes me. I want a pretty aeroplane for evening flying.

I'm not a "tear-arse" sort of flyer. I likes big, open manoeuvres at low speeds ... need a bit of grunt for that.

cymaz

I didn't mean you were a tear-arse, sorry......it's just no 3D machine

Pictures here do mine justice.....THE gentleman's flying carriage. Just bear in mind that mine needed no extra ballast, does NOT like landing x-wind and will float on and on refusing to come down to land as it loves to float on on an approach, just thought you would like a tip............

psuguru

I have a Laser 90 that I'm not using. I keep meaning to put it on Ebay but never get round to it.