1/3 Bowlus Super Albatross

[Alexis Scott]

I built this model approaching 20 years ago and it hasnt flown for around 15 years, during that time it has traveled around the countryside looking for love and a while ago it came back to me,this week I decide it was time to give her the love she deserves.
The original model was built to represent this prototype as it now is in the National Soaring Museum at Elmira, I did it that way as at the time I could not find any reliable images of it in its original form of clear varnished mahogany ply strips, so I went with what I had the documentation for, I've since tracked down a couple reasonable pics of it in its early life and so have decided thats how I want her to look when I'm finished. the pictures below include the other of the two fullsize that were built and the one I'm modelling(mine is the Kelsey owned one), the predominant difference being the all flying tail and no flap,

[ARUP]

Neat sailplane!

[Swiss1]

I acquired a Bolus Albatross "Falcon" at the Cumberland event, there is a video and pictures in the event thread.

Jeremy and Ben
SCCAAA TT TN

[lenb]

Believe it or nor, here is a picture of mine coming in for a landing

[Alexis Scott]

[Fantastic Len, where is yours now?what scale is/was it?
QUOTE=lenb;n2662]Believe it or nor, here is a picture of mine coming in for a landing[/QUOTE]

[lenb]

I still have it, I purchased it from a guy in CA
It's 4+ meters
Really well done

Len

[Alexis Scott]

That would make it the same size as mine, I'd love each to see more pictures of it if that's at all possible ?[QQUOTE=lenb;n2669]I still have it, I purchased it from a guy in CA
It's 4+ meters
Really well done

Len[/QUOTE]

[Alexis Scott]

Quick progress shot of the planking

[ARUP]

You're really going all out on the rebuilding. If you haven't sourced mahogany strips then check the ship model supply houses. Mahogany sure is pretty varnished.

[Alexis Scott]

I've been pretty busy with work of late so not progressing as quick as I'd like but here is some progress on the new, original style canopy replacing the blown bubble that was on it before, so far the rear parts sit in a folded channel that is the retained by a screwed down strip that clamps it in place, the front half will be attached to the hatch that lifts off the fuselage but I've run out of the clear sheet I'm using so it will be a couple days before I can finish this and then it will be on with the filling staining then clear coating before I get into rebuilding the wings

[ingrahal]

Very cool plane!!! I'm watching with interest.

[Alexis Scott]

Thanks for the kind words, I wasn't totally happy with the direction the canopy was going so I've removed it and am starting again with a different method, new pics of will come when I get to it again in the next few days, I've been filling and sanding whilst contemplating the changes so progress still happening just not much to show at the moment.

[Alexis Scott]

Sorry I haven't added much here lately but work, family and a few other projects to have slowed progress a little of late. Anyway I'm now upto my third version of the new canopy and getting good close to what I want now, because the front end of the boom is now visible on both the real and model I have manufactured a bell crank system for the elevator I have no details on how the real one is but logic tells me that it had to have something to take the control run down under the seat and then forward to the stick, what you'll see in the pictures has been made out of my model helicopter spare parts bin, I'm happy with the result I still need to remove the top portion of the inboard end but other than that I'm not planning much more there for now.

[Alexis Scott]

Just small amount of canopy progress so far but I figured better to update now whilst its still fresh in y mind

[Alexis Scott]

Here is the fuselage now almost finished and also the wings in their tired tatty state before I start the rebuild of those