Majestic Major build

[eflight-ray]

I know vintage is not really about modellers ages, but when it comes to building one, I must admit that now I’m in my sixties, (early sixties, I’ll have you know), I feel I have at last got that reason to start building one.

This won’t be a quick build, so please don’t keep asking for an update, though I will try to add something fairly regularly.

So here’s the start, I decided on a Majestic Major as I fancied something quite big, (88" span), for doing the occasional aerial photos, and for some fun just cruising around, plus I have liked the Junior 60, (it’s baby? brother), for many, many, years.

It’s being built to a Ben Buckle plan. Now I like hacking wood, so I didn’t want to get the kit, plus I had recently stocked up on balsa. Must admit I don’t think I would recommend the plan to anyone who hasn’t got quite a bit of building experience behind them, there are a few areas where you have to make your own decisions on just how to do it.

The fuselage is 90% done in the photo, I need to sort out the nose and u/c mounts.
Now the u/c wire bending was perhaps the most frustrating job I have had a go at for a long time. I build my models in the spare small bedroom, (my den), but bending the wire had to be done in the garage, so there was a lot of to and froe between the two to keep checking if I had got it to fit, (I was also surprised just how much swearing it also took :confused:).

It will be electric powered of course, but I haven’t yet decided on just which of my motors to use, it will depend on just how heavy I feel it's getting, also that very short nose may also influence my decision. I’m not looking for aerobatics, and I do love building and flying on fairly minimum power.

So here is the first photo, more to come, one day…….;)

[flyranger]

Very pretty, the way the open framework catches the light! I also build "from scratch". Just maidened my Kadetito and working on my pseudo Cleveland Air Racer!

[eflight-ray]

Well here's another pic or two.

Managed to get the u/c installed, boy is that wire heavy, I think just the u/c weighs more than some of my lighter ships.

Next on my list was it's tail feathers, feathers?, the tailplane alone would make a nice flying wing. The picture show it all ledged together, there's still quite a bit to do to finish them off.

The wing is going to empty my balsa wood store when I start on it, it looks like I will get 3 ribs to the sheet, so it might be a while before I get round to any photo's of it.

Here's the pics, the Tx is there for scale, (my good old Futaba Challenger, almost vintage itself). Still got that nose to sort as well.

[eflight-ray]

Sorry for the long delay before posting again, but there doesn't seem to be a lot of action on this site.

The basic structure is now complete, just a bit of 'where do I hang this, and where shall I put that' to sort out.

As it looks in the photo, the wing weighs 1lb - 3/4oz (475 grams)
the fuselage weighs 1lb - 11 1/2oz (780 grams)

So that makes 2lb - 12 1/4oz (1255 grams) :)

Still all the radio gear, battery mount, motor/gearbox?, covering, trim etc so still some time to wait before it flies.

[Sky Sharkster]

Hi, Eflight-Ray, thanks for the "build" photos, good job! That will be a beautiful model when it's covered! I think the converted "Free Flight" models look great in the air, they have a style and grace all their own. Maybe it's the nostalgia factor too, but they look like they're supposed to float around in a stately manner, no hurry, no pressure to impress anyone. The ideal "Park" flyer, if the park is big enough!
Keep us posted !
Ron

[eflight-ray]

Another long delay, sorry.

She has flown.

At long last some free time and good weather came together, (a very rare occasion), so just a short run and the nose went skyward. Full down trim just about held it at full throttle, (more down thrust required), once at a safe height, throttle could be pulled back to about 1/3, (motor/esc could only just be heard whining).

On the glide it still needed some down trim, so I will re-cut the tailplane seat to drop the T.E. about 1/16", (don't want to add any more weight to the nose).

Biggest problem was getting it back down, it just wanted to float for ever.

Here's the final set-up -

AXI 2820/10, JETI 40 Advance ESC, APCe 11 x 7 prop, GP3300 7 cell Nimh.

Finished weight - 4lb - 6oz (now get ready for the ouch! bit) :)
Flying weight - 6lb - 7oz (includes 2lb - 1oz of batteries). :eek:

To get the CG in the right area it needed two 7 cell packs in the nose, I don't mind really as they could be paralleled and that would give me 6600mAh, or to put it another way, very long flights. :D


She does look Majestic in flight. I forgot to take my camera with me so the pic's below are on my drive.

[eflight-ray]

Need to update the power supply.

I needed the AXI for my Liz-E, which it came out of, as there was more than enough power from an AXI, I decided I could use a brushed motor.

So now she flys quite happily on a Magnetic Mayhem turning an APC-e 12x8 through a 2.3:1 belt drive, on the same 7 cell pack.

Plus she is also carrying a small digital camera as well for a few aerial shots.

Slightly slower take-off and climb with the MM motor but still flies great.

[Dereck]

Hi Ray
Does a MM fit into Wales :D ?

What you need now is a dummy spark ignition petrol engine cylinder!

Desperately looking for inspirational photos, but suspect the ones I took last year are somewhere in the paper photos file. But I came across a Telemaster with a dummy "Brown Junior" sort of jug and it looked great!

Am impressed by a 2820/10 flying that much model - I have a 'spare' one of those someplace in a corner of the shop. Also love your 'nose ballast' - think how much extra lead and money it would have cost you to fit LiPo batteries :eek:

Isn't it ironic that models that would once have been touted as suitable for novices take a real serious long time builder to tackle them?

Regards

Dereck