Trainer

[Tom Niebuhr]

My cardiologist wants to learn to fly CL. So I built a Guillows III trainer for him. It still needs clear and control installation.

 The next step will be to convert an old RD-1 to electric. Since he does a lot of surgery, this hopefully will be safer than getting his hands near a prop.

[RknRusty]

Looks like a pretty tough little bird. That horizontal beam mount is interesting. I didn't know Guillows made anything other than stick planes. I'm curious to hear about how quickly a man with a surgeon's hand-eye coordination picks it up.
Let us know how it goes.
Rusty

[john e. holliday]

Those Guillows trainers were just the ticket back in the day.   They influenced the Guillows Rat Racer which was my first successful 35 size plane.   Literally wore it out going round and round.

[peabody]

I think the big Guillows would be a successful kit. A "true" profile frequently suffers a broken nose while training folk.

Years ago (20?) I bought a .35 and a .15 Guillows trainer from Mike Turo...he had them set up as Carrier trainers....I fixed the flaps and redid the controls, put an old OS 15 in the little one and a Fox 35 in the larger.
They were butt ugly, but actually flew pretty well as trainers....the fact that they were so ugly put trainees at ease, I think.
The 15 met it's demise on the deck of the US Carrier Intrepid....that oak wasn't even dented by a straight in shot !
The 35 still exists....with the same nasty Fox with a (10 year) broken needle....it starts and runs and flies the plane in any weather....

Have fun!
 

[Tom Niebuhr]

As many of you know, every one of my airplanes have a tribute to 9-11.  

The decals are ink jet water slide with 3 coats of Crystal clear. They are ready to use.

If anyone is interested, I will send 4 of the decals for $1.00 plus a self addressed self stamped envelope.

Tom Niebuhr
7173 FM 1377
Blue Ridge, TX, 75424

[Randy Cuberly]

Our Club here in Tucson, AZ, The Cholla Choppers, built several of these in the past and have used them for many years as club trainers.  They are very successful as such with a fox 35 or OS25 of either vintage.

They're tough, easy to build and very stable fliers.  Excellent for first flights for anyone!

I suspect the reason they haven't been kitted is because of the airfoil shaping on the slab wing.  It would require some fairly large shaping equipment to make them in quantity.

Randy Cuberly

[Tom Niebuhr]

Here is Dr. Ramanath and his son Nanan and daughter Lila.

The second picture is of me with Nanan

[Randy Powell]

I learned to fly on the II version with the slab wing and a McCoy 19 Redhead in the nose. Splatted that plane a lot and just put on a new prop and went again.

[Jack Pitcher]

I built and learned to fly on a MK III, also with a McCoy Redhead .19. I still have the 4/5 plan sheet and the .19 Redhead. I flew it extensively over the years. Finally gave it away in a household move. I wish I hadn't, I miss it.

[Gary Mondry]

I've started work on a Trainer III from the 4/5 scale original plans.  I'm a little unclear on whether the wing simply slides through a wing-shaped cutout in the fuselage, or if it is keyed to the fuselage somehow.  I can't quite figure it out from the plans.  Can anyone who has built one remember? 

Thanks,
Gary

[john e. holliday]

All the Guillows Trainers had the so called balsa wing slide thru the cut out in the so called balsa fuselage.   The trailing edge pieces were two pieces were glued to the sides of the fuselage with a hardwood dowel to key them to.   Inboard was down a little more than out board.   Engine mounts were some kind of hard wood that was barely harder than the so called balsa.  The Rat Racer was of same construction.  Flew it in my first contest with an engine that people say didn't exist at the time.  Was DQ'd as a wheel fell off during the 25 lap qualifying flight.

[Bill Heher]

They are great trainers, I got one at a yard sale complete with a castor coated Fox .19. Was in A&P school at the time, and I let anyone who wanted fly it - on the condition they fixed what they broke. Had a couple guys tell me that gluing the rudder back on was the first repair they ever performed to an airplane that actually flew.

 Never broke the fuse/ motor mount, but rudder, stab, and wing all had multiple repairs. Finally made a lite ply rudder that just sheared off if you hit inverted. Ended up giving it to a friend son, and I don't think he managed to destroy it either.

I am going to build a similar one, but use the Coro-plast sign material for the wing with a CF tube spar, and some 1/2 ribs for a bit of airfoil.

[Tim Wescott]

I am going to build a similar one, but use the Coro-plast sign material for the wing with a CF tube spar, and some 1/2 ribs for a bit of airfoil.

I'd either get one size bigger CF than you think will slide through the CorePlast easily and then jam it in, or put in two or three spars -- one "slides easily" sized rod is probably about right for 1/2-A, but not for a .19 sized.

I'd also seriously consider making an enlarged ET-1, complete with electric motor and radio.  Not only are touch & goes about the only fun thing an advanced flyer can do with such a basic trainer, but it's a great way to help beginners.

[bob whitney]

All the Guillows Trainers had the so called balsa wing slide thru the cut out in the so called balsa fuselage.   The trailing edge pieces were two pieces were glued to the sides of the fuselage with a hardwood dowel to key them to.   Inboard was down a little more than out board.   Engine mounts were some kind of hard wood that was barely harder than the so called balsa.  The Rat Racer was of same construction.  Flew it in my first contest with an engine that people say didn't exist at the time.  Was DQ'd as a wheel fell off during the 25 lap qualifying flight.
[/quote  the Trainer #2 made a much better Rat the wing was thinner ,3/8 as compared to 1/2 for the rat , u could either make the wing full leengt and taper it or cut it at the leadout guid slots we made a new motor mount out of as and carved it out for the motor and blended it in behind the thrust washer . they were hard to beat until the pan came along

[john e. holliday]

I seem to remember George Lieb saying he had more people trying to fly and keep flying with a plane that had throttle control with three line J-Roberts control.   He stated when they started getting dizzy, they would throttle back and land.   Would work great on the Brodak Flite Streak Trainer or a copy of a Guillows Trainer.

[Tim Wescott]

I seem to remember George Lieb saying he had more people trying to fly and keep flying with a plane that had throttle control with three line J-Roberts control.   He stated when they started getting dizzy, they would throttle back and land.   Would work great on the Brodak Flite Streak Trainer or a copy of a Guillows Trainer.

If you're buying new parts it's actually less expensive to get a cheap car radio than to use a 3-wire system.   

And a radio works even when the lines are slack.

[George Hostler]

Here is Dr. Ramanath and his son Nanan and daughter Lila.

The second picture is of me with Nanan

Doc has a good looking bunch of kids, teaching them this type of activity will give them something unique they will remember for life. Good going Tom, for helping them out.