Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Graupner Amateur

Built by using parts from an original kit found on EBay.



Wingspan 110 cm
Area 18dm2
Weight 650g
Motor Atlas AM2312/26
Prop 9x6
Battery 3cell LiPo, 2200 mAh

Started building just before Christmas 2013, first flight on 1st of March 2014.
Compared to the original, built as tail-dragger and with electric motor. Hood and front window are held by magnets, removed to access battery. Completed weight matches what original estimated for the free-flight configuration, without radio!

Flying it couldn't be better in no-wind conditions. Current draw is up to 10Amp, but plane still slightly climbs at 1/3 power, so full throttle is rarely necessary.

I happened to have grey Monokote around, so I tried to cover it as shown on the kit's box art. I'm surprised how pleasant the color combination turned out. The lettering and "Graupner" logo were cut from Monokote based on copies from the plans.