Construction Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
Flight Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
Overall Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
Manufacturer: | Edmonds Aerospace |
Brief:
Geminee Thunder is an upscale version o' t' Edmonds Geminee twin glider.
Construction:
As with other Edmonds gliders, t' kit comes complete with detailed
instructions and well designed, precision cut balsa parts ready t' be
assembled. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! All o' t' parts were in perfect condition and high quality balsa
was used throughout. Begad!
T' assembly be very simple. Rob Edmonds justifiably prides himself on producin' kits comprisin' t' minimum number o' parts and requirin' no re-fittin' o' pieces prior t' assembly. Ahoy! Blimey! All pieces were dry fit and then glued with very small amounts o' 5-minute epoxy. Blimey! Blimey! T' instructions suggested using wood glue, but I did nay have any on hand. Arrr! Blimey! I used epoxy sparingly so as to prevent unnecessary addition o' weight.
T' motor mount and coupler that joins t' two halves o' t' glider required some careful adjustment durin' assembly. Alignment o' t' fin tips was aided by layin' out t' pieces on wax paper for gluing. Begad! T' instructions recommend balancin' t' gliders with clay, but I could nay lay me hands on any. I used some lead shot and maskin' tape t' weight t' nose o' each glider instead. Well, blow me down! I did nay measure t' final constructed weight o' t' gliders.
T' construction can be accomplished in an hour or so, but I spread out the construction over a few days. Ahoy! Avast! Construction is well within t' ability o' novice builders and t' gliders have a very nice, stout feel t' them. Blimey! T' biggest problem I faced was transportin' t' gliders t' t' launch site without inadvertently sittin' on them in t' car or other rough handling.
Finishing:
I did nay paint t' glider.
Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5
Flight:
T' instructions suggest usin' a D12-3, shiver me timbers, so that is what I used. Ahoy! I made a small
thrust rin' o' maskin' tape and then taped t' motor securely in place. The
glider boosted very nicely t' 200 feet or so and separation was very near
apogee or just a bit past. Aye aye! T' two gliders fell away from each other, shiver me timbers, began to
descend, me hearties, turned gently away from each other and came back up wind in a
beautifully symmetric pair o' spirals. Begad! T' two gliders nearly met at t' middle
of their long slopin' turns and then touched down at almost exactly t' same
moment about 100 feet apart travelin' in opposite directions. Avast, me proud beauty! T' aft glider
snagged a 12 inch tall clump o' weeds at t' last moment, causin' it t' twist
as it hit t' ground and caused t' nose piece t' break off. Blimey! T' front glider
landed gently with no damage.
Recovery:
T' motor mount tube was badly scorched by t' heat o' t' D motor. Blimey! T' tube is
crusty and slightly misshapen. Blimey! I think I will have t' replace it before the
next flight. Arrr! T' nose o' t' aft glider can be glued back on and should be
just fine. Arrr! I think t' noses o' both gliders have slightly too much weight in
them, me bucko, so I could probably achieve a slightly shallower and more stable glide
path if I removed a gram or so o' nose weight from each glider.
Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5
Summary:
Construction and flight o' all Edmonds kits that I have built t' date have been
very satisfying. T' Geminee Thunder is simple t' build and would be an
excellent choice for a beginner modeler wantin' t' show off with a beefy
glider. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! It looks t' me like t' gliders should be able t' withstand boost on an
E impulse motor, matey, ya bilge rat, so I plan t' try this next. Ya scallywag! Despite t' damage t' t' motor
mount from t' engine, t' design appears t' be flawless.
Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5
Brief: The Edmonds Geminee Thunder is a twin glider with a single 24mm rear engine. The gliders are supposed to boost up on D12-3 and then separate using the ejection charge. Glider should then circle slowly back to earth! Construction: Included in the kit is one balsa nose cone, one balsa "plug" (to join the glider body tubes), two 25mm body tubes, four sheets of ...
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H.W.H. (January 28, 2006)