fooofighter

Hi Group! I have a chance to get a 4 meter altina. 1980 kit.nib. I think Multiplex made it? I looked @ the multiplex today. looks like a differant Co. Because i don't see any larger scale sailplanes.has anyone had any time with one.or maybe a pic? Hummm? Thanks Fooofighter

slopemeno

My Feedback: (2)

Thats an "Alpina". THATS a great sailplane. I flew with a couple of guys who had them that would fly near-formation aerobatics with them, and they retain energy really well. If yours is the early one that doesnt have spoilers they can be hard to land if your LZ is small. They are also really good for slope flying on themally days where you can fly well away from the hill, as they cover ground well. All in all a classic.

You should be able to find pics of the Alpina on the "Tangent" website. Look it over closely and if its actually a real one, grab it.

daveosoar

If it is an Alpina its certainly a classic. The VERY early ones it were configured for a fuz, mounted single servo for the ailerons. If it is, cut the underside of the wings just enough to get an extention lead to a poz for a servo. Way back I did this witha bass wood/epoxy infill. Today I'd use carbonfibre. After 12 years I sold it for £150!!
Dave.

MTT

My Feedback: (8)

Get it !
The Alpina by multiplex is a great flying sailplane, be it on the slope, off the winch, or electrified.
My first "big" sailplane was an Alpina, back around 1985. At that time, the kit came with spoilers, to be actuated by a single servo in the fuselage. Ailerons could be actuated either by a single servo in the fuse, or by individual servos in the wings.

On mine, I opted for servos in the wings, and later also modified the setup for the spoilers, cut pockets in the wings and installed individual spoiler servos, because it was always a hassle to connect them to the central servo when assembling the plane.
And some time late again, I even modified it for camber-changing flaps.
I had a lot of fun with that sailplane !

The wings were destroyed in a crash sometime in the 90's, but I never could bring myself to throw away the fuse and tailfeathers.
A few years ago, I became interested in e-powered sailplanes. At the time, I had a brand new late model Alpina 4001, and having no experience at all with electrics, of course I was very hesitant to cut off the nose off the fuse of my beautiful new sailplane...
So I took the fuselage from the old Alpina, modified it to accept the new Alpina's wings, and installed an electric powerplant...
Worked out very well, so a little later the electric drive went into the new Alpina.
I still have the old fuselage and tailfeathers in my workshop, waiting for the next experiment....

The early Alpinas used a flat steelblade for wing joiner, and had a Ritz airfoil. the Ritz is very good for thermal flying, not so good for speed and aerobatics.
The newer ones use a round steel wing joiner , 12mm dia., I believe, and a modified RG15 airfoil, which is better for dynamic flying and aerobatics, but not quite as good as the Ritz for thermal flying, but this is compensated by the camber changing flaps, which are standard on the newer Alpinas.

jooNorway

Yes, the Alpina is a good plane
I have one of them still "new" in the box, the "Magic" version. The 4001 came later I think. I often see Alpinaes flying although it is that "old". And it really works. Both on slope and for towing and thermal duration.
Mine have not been built yet because I have too many sailplanes and haven`t given priority to it, but hope to get some time leftover to assemble mine soon.
I have flown the smaller (3,4mtr) Schampus for more than 17 years, slope and aereotowing, and it still works great. Also have the scaleship ASW27B form MPX/Tangent. Great bird which two of my clubmates also have.

fooofighter

Hey Guys Thanks for the response to my questions. (ALPINA) I was able to aquire it! It dose have the airbrake/spoiler slot.I am very happy to hear that you guys like them ... it really helps with the ever present and dread ( Buyers remores)HA HA .As discribed it is an early model /airbrake opt. I was wondering about the addhisive used to lam.SOGUM /WHITE Glue not sure what Multiplex used in assymbly of the obichie vanier to the foam maybe not a bad idea to get the wing ready to cover/paint and then 1/4 oz. glass and bag the wing? or am I going over board?HUMMM. Yes it has the flat wing joiner. do you like this assy.W/clamping arangment I guess that is not something that can't be changed W/ the wing root finished. Also the plans show that the dihedral is [email protected] to 4.0 per side. by the brass spar holders in the fuse. I would like to set it up for TD and slope. i think i'll set it up fairly flat. Yes the plans show all servos in the fuse. as you advise new dig. servo in the wing will be the M.O... I also have some reservations to use the 27 yr.old plastic bell crank @ the elevator. in your oppinion is the small wire rod for the rear surfaces ok to use or is there a better way to drive the tail after a quarter century. Geeez. did I say that? At this point I have the option to apply changes suggested by you guys that know this plane and some times we wish we had done something different after the fact and can't get to that part of the plane after the build.any feedback would be openly accepted and used!!!!Thanks for all the great feedback! Jeff in modesto.A.K.A. Fooofighter!

daveosoar

Mine had the veneer already attached to the foam. I thought all MPx models did. If not use slow epoxy and vacuum. If you still have the outer foam blanks you can use them instead if weighted well and evenly. The wing joiner system works fine. Do NOT reduce the dihedral!
Just put 4 servos in the wings and go! You'll really enjoy it. I've just done the same with a 1974-5 Robbe 3.2M ASW 19. A grand classic also. Check my thread on RC Groups - Scale.
David.

fooofighter

Hi Dave. Yes the veneer is already on the fom cores. I wonder how the glue is after 20+ years? no change of dihedral from org. specs .Thanks! Jeff

MTT

My Feedback: (8)

The flat steel blade wing joiner is OK. Only make sure to install a good sized compression strut in the fuselage, between the LE's of the wing. ( I think the plans show this )
With this kind of wing joiner, on a rough landing, the joiner will bend in the horizontal plane, and the wings will swing forward and crush the fuselage at the LE, if there is no compression strut installed there.

I wouldn't worry about the glue between the foam and the veneer. The wings on my Alpina showed no signs of delamination, and they were around 15 years old when I crashed the plan and destroyed them.
A few years before that, I had a mishap in which one of the wings broke in 2 pieces, approximately at mid-span, where the aileron starts. Repaired it and flew for several years more.

The push-pull (bowden type) rod supplied in the kit for the elevator drive worked fine on my Alpina, showed no sign of being too small.
Same goes for the elevator bellcrank, but if you feel that the plastic is brittle, just replace it, that would be cheap insurance..

My Alpina came with the slots for the spoilers routed in the wings, but the spoilers had to be bought separately. Which I did, and then just glued them into the wing with some 5 min epoxy. Just be very careful not to get any epoxy into the spoiler mechanism.


Glassing/bagging the wings is overkill, IMHO, in the sense that the wings are strong enough, they don't need any reinforcements.
Of course, if you want to glass them to achieve a better finish, that would be another matter.
The Alpina will take added weight and still be a great thermal ship.

daveosoar

MTT is right - the wings are strong. The veneer is epoxied onto the foam so age should nt present a problem.
David.

fooofighter

Hi Group Thanks for the heads up on the leading edge support in the fuse! and the info on the glue/epoxyed vener.I guess its time to start building and stop talking!!! I got the tail group finished last night. moving to wing and fuse Thanks again Micheal and Dave for your help with this build!Jeff A.K.A Fooofighter

fooofighter

Hi Group. I do have bays in the apina wing for spoilers dose anyone know of a site to get a set for the sailplane? New or used! the bay is 14 in.long. Jeff

slopemeno

My Feedback: (2)

Hobby Lobby has some, but check the measurements. They run around $60 a set for the longer ones.

daveosoar

If possible get the genuine MPX units. If not, and a generic copy, check the actuation carefully - I got some that did not operate fully as the servo arm would have to be about 50mm long!
David.