Hi.

If if anyone could spare some time and advice I'd be very great full.

A little while ago my partners grandfather gave our son one of his first ever planes he built that has seen better days. He wasn't very well at the time and my son accepted the plane as a gift.

Sadly he has since passed and I've said to my son and partner I'd like to refurb it to its former glory in memory of her grandfather.

This is where I plead for help.... I've never built a plane before. I'm very good with my hands and woodworking etc. I'd like to keep it as original as possible and will be hopefully using his motors etc.

As as you can see from the pictures the body is not in the best condition. How do I repair the bulk of the body as this seems to have started to crack and very thin. How do I re make the rear flaps and fix in the little hinges.

Basically i need to give the plane a full referb.

again please excuse my lack of knowledge as I've not done this Before.

Many thanks matt

A good place to start is with reading the beginners forums on this site. It looks like a project that was begun and never completed. The first step would be to stabilize what you have. The hinges for the control surfaces (flaps) are probably glue in hinges. They are just little plastic tabs that have fuzzy sides that Cyano glue will adhere to. If you can find a local R/C flyer who can actually look directly at the model he can give you more advice.

I assume you are wanting to just refinish the model and then perhaps "display" it? I don't suggest flying it as I wouldn't know what state the wood is in plus, it would take someone who is a competent pilot to help a new person anyways. It is missing the cowl which covers the area where the engine would be......perhaps it didn't come with one I don't know. It might be worth your time to find a good builder and ask if they would cover the plane for you and then just display it as is. If you are wanting to tackle that job yourself, then watch as many YouTube vids on covering an RC plane as you can.....you will learn.

Honestly, it is not worth it. A skilled modeler would take hours to restore it. The pictures indicate it is in very bad shape. The balsa I can see on the fuse has deteriorated. I understand nostalgia, but sometimes the time invested just isn't worth it. I'm sorry, but some one needed to say this before you waste a bunch of time and money..

my thoughts

without seeing it in person, I would question the airworthiness if you were looking to fly gain. as far as restoring for display, certainly can be done. I would reach out to local lying club. Look for a "builder" generation who loves to build. I am a builder at heart. I think it is a wonderful project. If just display, the fuse could be glassed in 3/4 oz cloth, sanded and painted. That would be one way to handle the thin cracking balsa. To me, half the beauty of this hobby is creating something from a box of sticks. Your plane has history and a special meaning. I gather by your post you would love to see her restored. I say keep pushing forward. It's a wonderful hobby. keep looking for a resource. In my opinion, builders in the hobby love to create/build and love helping others.

For what it's worth...

Ok, the condition of this bird is pretty rough, but it is restorable. You would however need to have a considerable amount of skill and knowledge to do it properly in order for it to be a safe plane to fly.

My recommendation is to go ahead and restore this plane, but to use this as an exercise of "how to" : rehinge, replace damaged wood areas, using different types of adhesives, covering, etc... with the intention of not flying but for display. You have an opportunity here to see how things are done, acquiring the necessary tools to get the job(s) done, and more importantly to find out how enjoyable it is to build (and fly) a model plane.

Find a RC club nearby, find out who in the club builds. Ask if they could look at the plane and prioritize what needs to be done as well as giving you the guidance that you need. Good luck and have fun with this opportunity...