Brodak super clown w/o movable flaps

[DanielGelinas]

Hello all,

Has anyone build the plane without movable flaps? I'm assuming it should fly as well as a ringmaster?
Thanks for your imput!

-Danny 

[john e. holliday]

Well the one I seen without flaps flew mucho better than the old Ringmaster at the time.   But with trimming and flying It became a moot point as to which was better.  It is all in the flying and trimming.   

[John Stiles]

Prolly fly better w/o the flaps.....

[Alan Buck]

I like my with out flaps it still turns will without them

[dennis lipsett]

 I've had 2 of them, both without flaps. I can't see any advantage to adding them with this design. it is an excellent flyer without them.
Dennis

[DanielGelinas]

Thanks for the Info! I also used the search option and found similar responses.
So...its going to be flapless for me. Simple is beautiful!
-Danny

[Bill Little]

Thanks for the Info! I also used the search option and found similar responses.
So...its going to be flapless for me. Simple is beautiful!
-Danny

HI Danny,

"Flaps or not" was an option on the Super Clown when PDQ brought the kit out.  Same as the Yak 9 and P-51 from Sterling.  Matt  Kania designed the Ringmaster , and AFAIK, the other three, also.   He designed for PDQ and Sterling.  I like them all better without flaps.

Big Bear

[afml]

"Has anyone build the plane without movable flaps?"

Shore nuff!







"Tight Lines!"

Wes

[Terrence Durrill]

My Super Clown was an original PDQ kit.  I bought it at the Norfolk, VA Naval Station hobby shop in 1965.  I brought it home when I left active duty and ended up selling it to a flying buddy in 1967.  He built it with movable flaps, covered it with parachute nylon I had co-opted while on board the USS Opportune (ARS-41).  Anyhow, he flew it with an early Super Tigre Combat engine.  One day, he unfortunately hit the ground and rekited the plane.  He threw it in the park trash can, so I rescued it and rebuilt it, still with movable flaps.  Over the next 10 years, I used it as a sport plane and trainer for local kids who wanted to try C/L.  We flew it with the K&B .29 greenhead and sometimes with the K&B .35 greenhead.  It got rekitted by a student pilot again in 1977, but I rebuilt it with new wing flaps, stab, elevator, rudder, motor mounts, plywood on the front end and new parachute nylon wing covering.  All these years later (46 years), it is a little heavier, but I still enjoy flying the old Super Clown with movable flaps.......never had one without movable flaps so I can't make a comparison.  I am a nostalgia person and am today flying the Clown with a 1955 era K&B .29 greenhead.  I think is flys just fine and is an exellent trainer.        

[Bill Little]

Hi Terrence,

The one I have now was built for a Product Review in my Products Column back in Stunt News..

It HAS movable flaps, as does the recent ARF ELECT.Super Clown Aaron picked up.  We haven't flown the ARF ELEC. yet, but will soon.

They fly fine with flaps, of course, but there is a difference with out them.  I saw no real improvement over the old flapless one I had...  In fact I , personally, liked the one with out flaps better.  A bit smoother but no loss of turn.  It's all just a "preference thing"! LOL!!

Big Bear

[Richard Fleming]

I have built three Super Clowns. One Brodak kit with out flaps and two PDQ versions with flaps. The flaps look neat but to me they are not worth the extra work. The non-flap flew great!    Fox .35 for power and I set the CG a little nose heavy. It did nice squares too. The non-flapped versions do fly like the Ringmasters and you will love your Super Clown. 

[Bob Johnson]

Heres a couple of shots of my Super Clown with fixed flaps. Started out as an ARF, but I couldn't leave it alone. OS 20 BBTU up front.