Multiplex Fun Ray

Mike first told me about this glider a month or so back, and this is the first slope video I've seen of it... It's Foam... but looks like a lot of fun!

I watched the video of the Multiplex Fun Ray, I found out how much it costs, I lost interest. Searching for an inexpensive and easy to build model, turned up this slope soarer by Chris Foss. Two channel and mostly balsa sheet construction.

I agree the cost of the Fun Ray puts it out of contention for me too when there are other gliders that can be built. But I do love the shape, and they have thought about toughening it up for slope use with hard plastic leading edges, and it's fully aerobatic.

The Force Four looks like a fairly simple build and should be fun for mooching about on the slopes. Are you thinking of building one Brian? If I were looking for a two channel model I might look to a slightly later design like the Middle Phase, but that's only based on the youtube videos I've seen, and they might be the advanced version with Ailerons.

The Force Four wouldn't win a beauty contest, but its a Chris Foss design, and his stuff always seems to "fly right". I was thinking about time available when I got down to looking at the Force Four. It looks as though it would be a really easy and fast build, and I've the bonus of enough balsa sheet and a few servos looking for a home. Years ago I bought the plan of Chris's Phase 5. I never made a start on it, but sometimes I'd lay the plan out on the floor and just look at it. In my opinion, the lines of the Phase 5 are splendid. I passed the plan on to a fellow modeller. Now I wish I hadn't, there's an enterprising chap on eBay who sells sets of ribs, not just any old ribs, he includes ribs for Phase 5. Think I'll stick with the Force Four, easy and cheap. Has to be, I'm saving up for some big batteries.

The Force Four was my first radio model, attempted to fly it on regen bang, bang. No success. Eventually converted to two channel Swan. It did fly, but was a bit quick. This due to heavy wood in tail and short nose needing lot of nose weight.
Make sure you keep the back end light.
Best of luck

Stuart

I've agree that the Funray is very expensive for what it is if you just consider it to be a piece of foam. However, when you see how it performs...?

Brian wrote: The Force Four wouldn't win a beauty contest, but its a Chris Foss design, and his stuff always seems to "fly right".

If you were particularly fond of the Force Four I'd say go for it. But you admit that it's no beauty, and don't forget that it was designed when servos, receivers and batteries were huge and heavy. Aerofoil sections also tended to be hand drawn and the one of the FF looks like a generic 'flat bottomed' TLAR section. Yes, it will fly, but I'm sure that must be better candidates if all you wanted was a 2-channel glider.

Thanks for your comments Mike. I never gave the wing section a second thought, I assumed it was suitable, although on reflection, performance has improved tremendously in the many years that the design has been around. So far I've only idled around with the prospect of building the model. I've watched videos of slope soaring, and I've seen that a good breeze that would keep conventional models grounded, is welcomed by the flyers on the hills. I assumed that the Force Four wouldn't be too fussy about the aerodynamics and the finished weight, as long as the C of G is in the right place and the model ended up heavy enough to "penetrate" without needing too much down trim to achieve it. The fact that I have a lot of balsa sheet left from abandoned projects, would make the build a cheap one. It could be easy to plot some more ribs, although I've no idea what section to use, I expect good old Google will be able to suggest something suitable, although I do have an airfoil program called "Profili" that probably has something suitable in it.

Hi

As you are not a beginner, I think you would be fairly disappointed with a rudder/elevator only model, they are extremely limited in performance and steering by rudder will not be as crisp as with ailerons.

I would be looking for a 3 channel model if i were you.

Brian,
I built this Mijet many years ago, 5ft span, it would take very little TLC to get it in the air. As you can see from the image it lost it's balsa canopy in a house move but is otherwise intact.
Come over and have a look at it if it's the sort of thing you're looking for you'd be welcome to it to make a bit of room in my rather crowded hangar.