Phoenix 100 (oz14412)

 

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User comments

Interesting model. Seems like the slope models for back then must have often been superior for thermal flying than the thermal models were. At least if there was any wind. If I interpret the drawing correctly, the wing was originally covered with nothing more than tissue and plastic film? The plan has a note about the "competition airfoil". I'm wondering if that means the cores were supplied with some other airfoil. If the shapes shown are the modified E 176 that the plans refer to, I'm a bit skeptical. I'm also wondering what sort of foam was originally supplied.
Maybe I'm just dense, but I didn't see much about wood sizes. I guess those can be guessed.
LR - 02/03/2023
The phoenix was aimed (I believe) at thermal soaring, particularly the 100" class, and it was a kit, which is probably why the thickness of the parts is not mentioned.
It was a Bluefoam wing that you could cover in tissue first for extra strength or just solarfilm.
I think the idea was to provide a basic wing section that the more advanced build could them modify into a more accurate/advanced performing section.
It was, if I recall, a popular kit here in the UK and was a reliable performer.
mhodgson - 03/03/2023
Fair point. I think the use of 'slope soarer' in the descrip was just my mistake. Have changed this now to say 'sailplane'. Thanks.
SteveWMD - 03/03/2023
The wings were blue foam with spruce spars.. I covered it with brown paper.. You can see the details at my build blog link above.
I use it for slope soaring.. Regards Murat
Murat Kece - 03/03/2023
I saw a few of these flying "Back in the day". As stated above the wings were Blue foam but had a design flaw in that if the craft was flown too fast the wings went anhedral, control was lost resulting in a high speed crash and, usually, a complete write off. I saw it on a slope and from a flat field. Keep it slow and they are a decent glider.
Tony P - 04/03/2023
FYI I have extended the nose in my second build from the battery position by 50mm. This helped the CG balancing very much. In the short version I ended up using 250 gr nose ballast to balance it. I covered the fuselage with 30 gr/m2 fiber glass cloth and PVA glue.
Muharrem Murat Kece - 05/03/2023
The Nev Mattingly designed Phoenix 100, kitted by Wonderwings, enjoyed enormous popularity in the '70's and early '80's as a 100S - standard class - thermal soarer and had a very successful contest record. The model was based around a blue foam wing, fore and aft sections of which were assembled to a spruce spar. The prototypes were all covered in varnished wrapping paper which provided a stressed skin, sometimes with film over this. Misunderstanding of the importance of this wrapping paper skin initially lead to some structural failures when builders omitted it and simply covered in film. If the wing was built as intended the result was a good, rugged, reliable thermal soarer capable, in the hands of a good pilot, of competing with the best. It did not have enormous "still air" duration potential but was a very good thermal riding machine. There was initially another minor issue in that the all moving tailplane, if assembled as recommended in the kit, could suffer from blow-back at higher speeds, resulting in the dreaded "tuck under". Reversing the pivot and drive tubes and using a stiffer linkage than the cable supplied with the kit solved this. All-in-all a good example of how a relatively simple design can produce a very satisfactory competition model, as well as one which is a very satisfying every day sport thermal and light wind slope performer.
George Stringwell - 14/09/2023
George, sir, lovely to see your name here.
My father Ken Jones flew a Phoenix 100 very successfully for a number of years in the early 80s, a wonderful robust design. Being brought up in Doncaster he always wanted to beat his old rival from Rotherham.
Greth Jones - 04/11/2023
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