Europa finally started

[Steve Bakac]

G/Day guys,
                  Finally find time to get my Europa started.Thought you guys might like to see some pics.
The foam wings are Bob Hunts.Hope these work .

Regards Steve

[Leester]

Lookin good Steve  Whats the span on it, and what engine are you going to use  add more pictures any time.

[Allen Brickhaus]

You have chosen a very nice model to build.

Allen Brickhaus

[john e. holliday]

Looking great.  Had me worried that you were building in your living room until I seen the photo with the shavings on the floor.  Keep us posted.   

[Neville Legg]

Looking great.  Had me worried that you were building in your living room until I seen the photo with the shavings on the floor.  Keep us posted.  

What's wrong with building in the living room? I used to drive my mother around the bend building in the house, (1960's) until I got a shed at the end of the garden!
Please tell me you are going to put an aerofoil section on those elevators and flaps on that lovely looking model?

Cheers    

[Matt Colan]

Very cool so far!!  Keep us posted!

[Steve Bakac]

Thanks guys
                 Leester wing span is close to 52in and around 585sq ,motor at this stage  super tiger 46 going into it .Allen I have a ultra hobby buccaneer 740 next might be my first electric. John the room was the shed we lived in for a while until I built our house with a bonus of my flying field right next to it.Neville not sure yet I not good at shaping so its easy for me round the edges  (lazy sorry ha ha)Matt thanks

 Regards Bucky

[Allen Brickhaus]

Good choice for your first electric model.  The Buccaneer is a very competitive stunter and its simple lines lets you concentrate on your internals.  The Europa, I believe, is a smaller version of Bob Hunt's Saturn.

Allen Brickhaus

[Bob Hunt]

Close Allen...

The Saturn is actually a larger version of the Europa! The Europa came first and was a design exercise with input from my son Robby, Dean Pappas, Bill Werwage and me. Quite litterally we passed the drawing pencil around to each of the aforementioned people and each of us added in our thoughts right on the drawing! Of course when everyone left at the end of the exercise Robby and I did a bit of erasing and redrawing...

I liked the shapes of the Europa so much that I drew up the Saturn with virtually the same side view aesthetics. Almost everyone thinks that the Saturn came first, but now you know the real story!

Bob Hunt

[Allen Brickhaus]

I happily stand corrected.

Allen Brickhaus

[Neville Legg]

Bucky,  putting a section on flaps, elevators, fins etc. is not difficult, just put a centre line around the edge. Having a dad who was a carpenter (my mums name is Mary too )! taught me how to do this, (he's a very good modeller too) sharp pencil, finger on one side of the elevator, pencil in the middle and slide! Or you can fix the pencil at the right height on the bench and run the part along it, so long as you have a centreline to work from! A sharp Zip plane and sanding blocks and there you have it! Think of the weight you can save aswell  

[Aaron Little]

I have thought about building one of these for a long, long time, since I first read the magazine article way back in what 1991?
Robby had two of them, the yellow one and a white one with purple umm well i dont know what they are called for sure but it was gorgeous, I think Robby never flew that one much.
I also remember Joey (who's last name escapes me) built a plane called a _____ forgot name but I think it started with an A that looked similar but had a more square tail (at the '92 nats?)
I built a prowler which was from what I remember a Bob Hunt designed profile to the Europa look, called it a Nexus, it was a good plane.
Having become friends with Robby I ended up building the Geo Star shortly after and the rest as they say is history.
I was actually thinking just the other day about re-visiting the Europa with one of those new Enyas or something similar in it (probably a Aero Tiger).

I really hope to see more pictures as it gets closer to being done and of course actually finished.

Aaron

[Bob Hunt]

Hi Aaron:

Actually Robby flew the white, purple, red and yellow one quite a bit. In fact he won two Nats with each of them and then a fifth Nats with his Geo-Star. The Geo-Star wing, by the way is what I am using in my Genesis Extreme. I liked the way the Geo-Star flew so much that I "borrowed" the wing design...

It was Joey Perovich you were thinking about. His model was called the Aerodesy (Not sure what that means either...), and it flew extremely well. It was basically a Europa with different aesthetics.

I'll try to find and post some photos of these planes.

Later - Bob Hunt

[Bob Hunt]

I found and scanned a few Europa photos. Hope these come out okay.

Robby won the 1991 and 1993 Nats flying the yellow Europa and won the 1992 and 1994 Nats flying the white one.

Later - Bob Hunt 

[Aaron Little]

Cool, thanks for taking the time to post those Bob!
Kinda neat to see those old ones again, also neat to catch a glimpse of the Lexicon which I had sort of forgot about and the Crossfire that I love!

[Allen Brickhaus]

Bob,

Thanks for the pictures, they are great.

Allen Brickhaus

[Tom Niebuhr]

Bob,

That brings a lot back. It was just yesterday wasn't it?

As a side note, I sure wish that people would use fill flash when taking outdoor pictures of people with hats on. That will make the faces visible.

[john e. holliday]

Three very fine gentlemen.  I still remember the look on Robby's face when I asked him to launch for me at the NATS one year.  Has he ever got back to flying again?

[Bob Hunt]

Hi Doc:

Robby is making overtures about coming back, but at the moment he is busy with work and school. The thing that really annoys me is that he can go for a year without flying and then pick up the handle on my plane and fly it better than I can! He started a new electric ship a while back; I hope he can find the time to finish it...

To Tom Niebuhr: Yes, that was yesterday... and almost 20 years ago! Ouch. Where does the time go? Fill in flash? Some would say that one photo of me with the Saturn looks better just the way it is!

The Europa was, and still is a great flying ship. I have one semi-started (?) that is slated for electric power.

Later - Bob Hunt

[Randy Powell]

But will you paint it bronze?   

[Bob Hunt]

Hey, when I won my Gold Medal I had it bronzed!

Here are a few more Europa photos that I found and scanned.

Bob

[PJ Rowland]

"Robby is making overtures about coming back, but at the moment he is busy with work and school"

I chat to robbie on facebook every now and then.. and he's made this threat before.. ( its hard to compete again college girls.. ! )
! Now that his arm/hand is getting better. Maybe we can coax him out for a few days in 2011 !!!


I'll have to have a go at him about those glasses!  

Ohh BTW the new model looks really nice.

[Bill Little]

Hi Steve,

I hope the Europa is all you want it to be!  It has a superb "bloodline".

I can't help to continue the hijack, the Hunt's have always been special people to me.  In more ways than one!

It's great to see the old*er* pictures and I, too, hope Robby can return to flying real soon.  The days are slowly passing, but the years have flown by!

Mongo

[Aaron Little]

I'll have to have a go at him about those glasses!  

Dude check out one Mr. Todd Lee rocking the mullet, I am going to have to talk to him about this!
That was what 1992 or 1993 Nats?
I want to say 1993

[Matt Colan]

Robby has told me on facebook that he lifting weights to hopefully alleviate the problems he's had with his arm/wrist.

[John Sunderland]

  The Europa is the last plane my father built...46 oz with an Aero 36...tons of power but a bit light in the nose. Showed lots of promise until the ill fated hangar accident of 2010. The lost foam wing jig is making the rounds in our club at the moment but cant wait to do another....every bit as good as it looks.

[Bob Hunt]

Aaron:

That was the 1991 Nats in Lawrenceville!

Bob

[Aaron Little]

Aaron:

That was the 1991 Nats in Lawrenceville!

Bob

OK
I know we met you guys in 93 and Rob was flying the Yellow Europa so that is why I was thinking maybe '93, did Paul fly that Impact again in '93?  OR wait he flew the one that Howard's looks like I think with the Checkboard on the side etc.  Todd always has a Magnunstang! 
There are a lot of pictures from that nats at Dad's house I need to thumb through them again.

[Bob Hunt]

Yeah, Robby flew the yellow Europa to wins in 1991 and in 1993, both times at Lawrenceville.

Bob

[Aaron Little]

Yeah, Robby flew the yellow Europa to wins in 1991 and in 1993, both times at Lawrenceville.

Bob

Well I am way off I guess...
Maybe we met you guys first in '92?
I thought we were at Vincenes (sp?) then...

I don't know now, I am to young to forget stuff!

[Bob Hunt]

We met you guys in 1993 at Lawrenceville. Our motels were across the Red Skelton river in Vincennes...

[Bill Little]

We met you guys in 1993 at Lawrenceville. Our motels were across the Red Skelton river in Vincennes...

Exactly.  When we pulled up to the field the first time, Aaron said, "Dad, that is Bob Hunt".  I had no clue as to how he knew that.

I still remember crossing the Red Skelton Bridge for the first time.  And helping Al Reed change a speedometer cable at night at the motel, and Bob Gieseke being out there (before he took off the outboard wing on the runway light).  Steve Buso and I were trying to come up with a way to get Bounty paper towels to make a commercial with us in it...... loooong story.  And Paul doing a good impersonation of a rain dance during a practice flight...

Gads to be young(er) again..........

Bill

[Bob Hunt]

Yup, and the very first thing you and Aaron did after we first met was to help us carry our stuff from the practice circle to the competition circle pit area! How's that for a memory?

Bob

[Allan Perret]

I was actually thinking just the other day about re-visiting the Europa with one of those new Enyas or something similar in it (probably a Aero Tiger).
Aaron

When you say "new Enyas" are you talking about the 32's.  I have a couple of the 32 RE's looking for a home.  Would the Europa accommodate a pipe, and would that be a good power package ?  I am not familiar with that design..

[Bob Hunt]

Hi Allen:

Yes, the Enya .32 or .36 would be a great choice of power for the Europa. And it will accomodate a tuned pipe. In fact the two original Europas had tuned pipes fitted. I'm attaching a photo that was posted in an earlier reply. It's a flight shot of Robby's original yellow, red and black Europa and if you look close you can see the tuned pipe and the exhaust coming out of the rubber fitting at the end of the pipe.

Later - Bob Hunt

[Allan Perret]

Hi Allen:

Yes, the Enya .32 or .36 would be a great choice of power for the Europa. And it will accomodate a tuned pipe. In fact the two original Europas had tuned pipes fitted. I'm attaching a photo that was posted in an earlier reply. It's a flight shot of Robby's original yellow, red and black Europa and if you look close you can see the tuned pipe and the exhaust coming out of the rubber fitting at the end of the pipe.

Later - Bob Hunt

Hey Bob: 
I take it you sell the plan ?

[Bob Hunt]

Hi Allan:

Actually the plan for the original Europa is available from Carstens Publications (Flying Models Plans Service). It is listed in the plans directory as plan CF-971.

I do have the fuselage and stab. & elev. plan for what we call the Europa Mk.II. It has a slightly longer tail moment and can be built using either a built-up wing or a foam wing. The original one that was published in FM showed a foam wing, which was what both of Robby's Europas had. The original can also be built with a built-up wing. I do provide cores, covered foam wings, Lost-Foam building fixtures and even fully built built-up wings for both versions. I'm sure that there are other foam cutters out there who could also provide the needed cores for this model.

Later - Bob  

[Bill Little]

Yup, and the very first thing you and Aaron did after we first met was to help us carry our stuff from the practice circle to the competition circle pit area! How's that for a memory?

Bob

Very good memory!  I vividly remember telling Aaron to grab a box.  He was a bit tentative at first.   Of course, his trepidation was soon overcome by your, and Robby's, graciousness.  Doesn't seem like it was 17 years ago..............

I suspect a Europa, a Caprice, and another unmentioned plane (2nd time) might get built by Aaron before too long in his quest to go to a bit smaller plane.  Storage and transportation make it tough for planes like the Geo XL, etc..

Bill

[Allan Perret]

Hi Allan:

Actually the plan for the original Europa is available from Carstens Publications (Flying Models Plans Service). It is listed in the plans directory as plan CF-971.

I do have the fuselage and stab. & elev. plan for what we call the Europa Mk.II. It has a slightly longer tail moment and can be built using either a built-up wing or a foam wing. The original one that was published in FM showed a foam wing, which was what both of Robby's Europas had. The original can also be built with a built-up wing. I do provide cores, covered foam wings, Lost-Foam building fixtures and even fully built built-up wings for both versions. I'm sure that there are other foam cutters out there who could also provide the needed cores for this model.

Later - Bob  

So is the plan you have for the MKII complete enough to build the plane from ?  
Edit: just realized your plan lacks the wing, correct.  If I got a foam wing core from you with your plan, would that work ?

[Bob Hunt]

Hi Allan:

Yes, the MkII Europa plan is by far complete enough from which to build the ship with either a Lost-Foam built-up wing or a foam core wing.

Later - Bob

[Air Ministry .]

Id think it'd depend on the Aircraft total  WEIGHT more than anything , and might be better in light air ,(  without the pipe set up . So should build lighter )?

[Steve Bakac]

Motorman la46 should been a good match
Cheers

[Dwayne]

Is an OS LA 46 too much or too heavy for the Europa? Can't imagine it would be since it works so good on my smaller Twister.


Thanks,
Motorman

I believe one of the originals had a HP 40 in it which weighs about the same as a LA 46 so the LA should  be a good choice.