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GP Super Sportsters - 12/15/2005 7:35:20 PM   
Teachu2


 

Posts: 846
Joined: 12/5/2001
From: Bakersfield, CA, USA
Status: offline 		I've loved these planes as long as I can remember. I guess they're gone forever, tho. Too much carving!

Great flying sport planes. I have had all five, and they all look and fly great. I'm in the process of acquiring a complete set. Currently have: 3 .20's, all built, 2 Bipe kits, 1 60 half-built, and a 90/120 kit. The 40 size is pretty common, I might even get the ARF.....

The 90/120 is getting pricey: see here

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Fly 'em until the last piece stops!
       Post #: 1

RE: GP Super Sportsters - 12/15/2005 9:57:24 PM   
Steve Campbell


 

Posts: 4126
Joined: 12/8/2001
From: Zachary, LA, USA
Status: offline 		I built the 60, and later the 40 MK II. Yup, you needed to buy stock in the 3M company (sandpaper!) for these puppies.

Ya know, this has got to reflect a serious down-turn in kit sales. Most GP kits are very builder-friendly, and the Sportsters have been popular for as long as I've been in the hobby (since 1986). The Empire isn't going to discontinue a product that is selling well.

So, that begs the question. Is this indicative of a shift in interest toward other types of kits? Or a general lessening of kit sales as a whole, and this is one that was put on the block due to its age?

I know that balsa is getting more difficult to come by, as the the Asian baby-factory ARF builders scarf up everything they can.

Looks like I'll be paying eBay scalper prices for kits in my declining years... If I began stockpiling them, Fate would drop me dead before I got to build any of them.

(in reply to Teachu2)
       Post #: 2

RE: GP Super Sportsters - 12/15/2005 10:50:32 PM   
tsands


 

Posts: 370
Joined: 12/28/2004
From: Erie, KS, USA
Status: offline 		I don't think people have an interest in building because they are too busy and/or too lazy. Most people seem to have to be around other people all the time to be happy (can't find joy within themselves)so the time spent in the shop building alone could be spent with other people flying. That's just my opinion. Not meant to offend anyone just the way I see it. I'm relatively new to this hobby but my greatest enjoyment is building and covering KITS. If I cover my own plane there is little chance I will see one like mine. ARF's ALL look the same. I have the .40 size MK II Super Sportster and I would just be sick to crash it and have to pay scalper prices to obtain another. Only other option is to buy the ARF and strip it down since it is UGLY. Super Sportsters are great looking and great flying birds.

(in reply to Steve Campbell)
       Post #: 3

RE: GP Super Sportsters - 12/16/2005 4:10:51 AM   
RCKen



Posts: 14034
Joined: 7/10/2002
From: Lawton, OK, USA
Status: offline 		I disagree. Sometimes a manufacturer will discontinue a kit because the sales drop off, that doesn't mean that it's completely dead. I have a thread going in the kit building forum right now trying to judge how much interest there is in a re-release of the Ultra Sport 60 kit. You can find the thread here http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_3631074/mpage_1/key_/tm.htm Great Planes has done a limited release of the Ultra Sport 1000 in the past, and I'm hoping that if I can show the interest in it they will consider doing a release of the Ultra Sport.

As far as the Sportster goes, just because the sales have dropped doesn't mean that the kit is completely dead. Right now everybody that wants one has one. But as time rolls by those planes will crash or no longer be flyable, and then there will be a demand for it again. If it's a good kit, then the builders will want it later. I'd say to let GP know that you don't want to see this kit go.

Ken

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(in reply to tsands)
       Post #: 4

RE: GP Super Sportsters - 12/19/2005 2:11:56 AM   
jmps



Posts: 49
Joined: 8/2/2003
From: Naperville, IL, USA
Status: offline 		I, too, really like the looks and flying characteristics of the Sporster. I have the 40 and just today took delivery of a 60 from the Buy&Sell. I can hardly wait to fly it in the spring. What sort of differences, if any, will I find when I take it up?

(in reply to RCKen)
       Post #: 5

RE: GP Super Sportsters - 12/19/2005 4:23:57 AM   
MrMulligan


 

Posts: 728
Joined: 2/11/2002
From: Keyport, NJ, USA
Status: offline 		I just scored a .20 size kit on RCU. I had one when they first came out and it was a great flyer. Lost it when the radio failed or rather the aileron servo.

(in reply to jmps)
       Post #: 6

RE: GP Super Sportsters - 12/19/2005 4:34:10 AM   
PilotFighter



Posts: 1923
Joined: 10/9/2002
From: Houston, TX, USA
Status: offline 		The 40 size is the truely magic one. The power to wieght and the wing loading are amazing. Plus 40's twist up so much higher than 60's. Not only is the plane pretty fast, it is capable of amazing slow flight and aerobatics right on the deck. IT is extremely forgiving and recovers instantly. The others come close, but only close.
As for the kit requiring too much carving, I suppose some might think that. But after building mostly scale for the last 6 years, I can almost laugh at that. The landing gear blocks tend to give way fairly soon. I recommend using maple. Check to make certain the grain is perpendicular to the wire. If I remember correctly, (its been nearly 20 years) the blocks are cut with the grain the wrong way. And seal up the firewall area good. My nose section was a wrotten sponge after 7 years. Otherwise, I think it is a just about a perfect airplane. I don't have any pics, but they make a half way decent looking fun scale Spitfire.

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(in reply to jmps)
       Post #: 7

RE: GP Super Sportsters - 12/23/2005 5:52:04 AM   
hogflyer



Posts: 1393
Joined: 3/23/2005
From: Wichita, KS, USA
Status: offline 		I built the SS-20 with a K&B 3.5cc (.21). Looks great with the muffler off the back of the engine, and the exhaust outlets barely protruding past the fuselage sides (but requires cutting the firewall down a lot, and using the engine mount inverted to allow for the stock muffler to clear). Also makes a mess to clean up as the exhaust is trailing down both sides of the fuselage .

How many remember or have built the orginal RCM Sportster, or the Bridi kit? I've built 2 of the original Bridi RCM Sportsters, one with the flat bottom airfoil and one with the semi-symmetrical airfoil (both are shown on the plans). Not nearly as aerobatic as the GP version, but they slow down really nice and don't want to snap out on landing if you get too slow.

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(in reply to MrMulligan)
       Post #: 8

RE: GP Super Sportsters - 12/28/2005 12:57:55 AM   
MrMulligan


 

Posts: 728
Joined: 2/11/2002
From: Keyport, NJ, USA
Status: offline 		I had the Bridi Sportster .20 with the flat-bottomed airfoil. Flew it with an OS.20, a converted C/L motor with a Perry carb. I had a Pro-Line radio in it, the Sport one. Lost it when the servo centering adjustment in the aileron servo let loose on landing. I wonder how many remember that adjustment? It was something you could really swear at. Sometimes it took longer to center the servo than to go flying. I remember a recall on those servos and the centering adjustment taken out. These were KPS-15's based on the Kraft servo. I really missed that plane.

(in reply to hogflyer)
       Post #: 9

RE: GP Super Sportsters - 12/28/2005 8:30:23 AM   
hogflyer



Posts: 1393
Joined: 3/23/2005
From: Wichita, KS, USA
Status: offline 		MrMulligan - Haven't heard Pro-Line or Kraft radio's mentioned in years. I had a Kraft Signature Series - on great radio in it's day. Most fliers today wouldn't know how to set up an older radio today - they'd probably freak out with all the wires that ran out of the receiver in those days, and no servo reversing. Remember the old EK Logitrol with the brick airborn system? Made the mistake of getting rid of that one too - wish I could have both radio's in my collection today. Oh well, we all learn by 20/20 rectal vision .

How did your Sportster fly with the flat wing?

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Flight Training Coordinator - Wichita Radio Control Club - AMA Intro Pilot
www.wichitaradiocontrolclub.org AMA 4731

(in reply to MrMulligan)
       Post #: 10

RE: GP Super Sportsters - 12/29/2005 1:19:52 AM   
MrMulligan


 

Posts: 728
Joined: 2/11/2002
From: Keyport, NJ, USA
Status: offline 		I had an old EK brick system. It was the three channel system with the third servo. I usually flew it in an RCM Quikstik, .20 powered. I liked it a lot. My little Sportster was a beautiful flyer. I was just getting comfortable with flying and it was my first low-wing. I wanted to get a new one with a symmetrical wing but couldn't after I destroyed the first. Speaking of old systems, how about World Engines Blue Max. I had to assemble my TX and send it out for calibration. I had an extra crystal and asked the Tech about it. I thought I had goofed somewhere in the assembly. He gave me a nice piece of wisdom. He told me it was a receiver crystal and that when I crashed, and I would crash, that it would come in handy as the RX crystals at the time were often destroyed in crashes. Of all the old systems, I like the Kraft best. I especially liked the Kraft Sport Series, the first one. I paid $185 for a basic 5 ch system no reversing switches, no adjustments like dual-rates. That was expensive at the time.

(in reply to hogflyer)
       Post #: 11

RE: GP Super Sportsters - 12/29/2005 1:45:06 AM   
hogflyer



Posts: 1393
Joined: 3/23/2005
From: Wichita, KS, USA
Status: offline 		From what I remember of the World systems, weren't they somewhat unreliable? Kraft and MRC where great, but I think the older Cannon systems also had a poor reputation at the time. Remember the old Heatkit systems? I knew a few guys on the ham band would fly them so they could repair them. My first radio's where the MRC 765 and Sanwa 8084 (with small servo's it worked great in the Bridi Sportster and Airtronics Q-Tee which now resides hanging from my ceiling). My first attempt at installing the MRC almost cost me my Kadet - I hooked up the rudder in reverse. Luckily there is plenty of room in a Kadet MkI so all I had to do was swap the pushrod over to the other side of the servo arm. Still have my Futaba FP-4FN but it needs the throttle gimble and batteries. I wore out the gimble and the stick fell out on my Scat Cat with well over 2500 flights on this plane alone, and the radio has to have had well over 1000 flights on other planes. I think I got close to 5 years out of the original batteries. Know of anybody with a spare FP-4FN transmitter they want to part with so I can replace the gimble?

I getting ready to move to Wichita in a couple of weeks - after I'm settled I think I'm going to scratch another Bridi Sportster and a GP SS 20 just to run a side by side comparison. Not sure on the power, but probably an OS .25 or .32. I believe the SS 20 structure is robust enough to handle the .32 as long as the center section is glassed 6" to 8" wide. I will modify both to run an open cockpit since I don't feel like trying to mold new canopies until I have a good shop with a dedicated oven set up.

_____________________________

Flight Training Coordinator - Wichita Radio Control Club - AMA Intro Pilot
www.wichitaradiocontrolclub.org AMA 4731

(in reply to MrMulligan)
       Post #: 12

RE: GP Super Sportsters - 12/29/2005 4:55:51 AM   
MrMulligan


 

Posts: 728
Joined: 2/11/2002
From: Keyport, NJ, USA
Status: offline 		Be sure to show those planes in a thread here on RCU. I'll bet there'll be a few interested people. As I said earlier, I have scored a Super Sportster .20 and it should be here tomorrow or the next day. I have a variety of engines for it. I'm not interested in it being the fastest plane at the field. I have an OSFP.25, a Magnum .25 and an OS.26FS, and each is looking for a plane. I may use the .26FS just to see how it flies. I like the little four-strokes. I have an OS.30FS in a small Cub now and it is surprisingly fast. It is also a sweet-handling motor. You mentioned the Q-Tee. I have one in the box I scored on RCU last year. Not sure how I want to power it. I have a beautiful SR Cutie that's electric powered with a geared MEGA. It's a fun flier.

(in reply to hogflyer)
       Post #: 13

RE: GP Super Sportsters - 12/29/2005 2:55:46 PM   
Al Lewis


 

Posts: 1791
Joined: 7/5/2005
From: Port Orchard WA, USA
Status: offline 		I just re-covered a 20 year old .60 super sportster my neighbor built and it looks and flys great! I can't believe they don't sell this plane as an arf. Sales would skyrocket.

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