Just before HPA 2.0 (I'm calling this HPA 3.0) disappeared, there was an announcement of a postal comp for old coupe designs.
Could someone get in touch with the poster who was running that (sorry I can't remember his name or username but he was in the US) informing him that HPA 3.0 is alive?
I'm interested in participating in the competition and have started building my entry over the Christmas break.
Bump
So many new members since I posted this. I am still interested in participating in this event
Glenn Grell. I'll email him now
Any response from Glenn, Bill?
As you can see from the attached photo, the model is getting into the final stages - I hope this won't be a case of "all dressed up and nowhere to go..."!
I may posted these in the wrong place yesterday
Here are the rules for the 1960's coupe postal sorry for the delay have fun.
1960s Winter Coupe Postal
Rules
1. Dates of the competition: in keeping with the spirit a winter free flight event those living in the Northern Hemisphere will fly December 1st, 2025, through March 31st, 2026, and those in the Southern Hemisphere will fly June 1, 2026, through September 30th, 2026. Models may be flown on more than one day during the allotted time spans.
2. Models must be built from plans or 3-views published before December 31st, 1969. Models flown before this date but not published may not be flown.
3. In the event that models are built from small 3-views that lack details or clarity the competitor is allowed to improvise for the missing details, but the model should be completed with 1960s or earlier technology. Models must not be modernized with materials that were not in common use in the 1960s. For example, covering should be tissue paper, silkspan or Modelspan.
4. Each competitor is responsible for being able to prove if challenged that the model in question will comply with rule 2.
5. Models must not include VIT, folding wings or other functions and materials common in modern F1G practice, examples carbon fiber, kevlar and mylar or other modern materials.
6. The DT system may be of any type as this has no bearing on the flight itself. This is allowed so that flights may be made on smaller fields.
7. Models originally designed for 90-gram airframes may be lightened to 70 grams.
8. Models must have a minimum weight of 70 grams without motor.
9. The maximum weight of the lubricated motor is 10 grams.
10. Each competitor may fly up to 3 models but may only enter one time each year.
11. Each competitor is on the honor system to fly to the weight requirements.
12. Models shall be hand launched. Jumping is allowed.
13. Each competitor is entitled to 5 official flights the maximum flight time is 120 seconds.
14. Each competitor has 2 attempts to make each official flight, any flight of 20 seconds, or more is official.
15. Each competitor shall declare to his/her timekeeper that an official flight is being attempted and if that flight falls short of 20 seconds it can be declared an attempt. If an attempt is declared the next flight becomes official regardless of time.
16. The timekeeper should be positioned near the point of launching and may not follow the model.
17. The time sheet should have the competitors name the model design and all times listed in seconds. If the total time is 600 seconds, the competitor may put in fly off flights that increase by 30 seconds each 150 180 210 240 until the flight time is not reached.
18. The competitor and timekeeper should sign the time sheet and e-mail to the Contest Director Glenn Grell or another delegated if necessary to fill the roll. By signing the timecard, you are declaring that you have followed all of the above rules.
19. 19 The top three placing competitors will be awarded modest trophies, plaques or medallions provided by the Willamette Modelers Club of Oregon. All entrants are encouraged to engage in friendly competition, make new friends and have fun.
20. 20 Please do not post your scores on this thread or anywhere else on HPA
Thanks for this, Glenn
Many thanks Glenn. I am pleased that we are free to chose any D/T system {item 6}. It means that those of us with small flying fields, bordered by busy roads and/or unsympathic neighbours can now compete.
We are now down to one month for the Northern Hemisphere.
We do have one score from the USA let's wind them up and fly.
We are down to the final week for the Northern Hemisphere to put in there flights. I have 3 sets of scores so far
It should have been 4 but unfortunately a house fire last Friday destroyed ALL my models and associated equipment, so I was unable to fly last Sunday which was of course a very flyable day!
Ron
Oh Ron, what a disaster ! Give Ray Elliott a ring if you would like some pre-owned models (mine) to tide you over.
Peter
Very sorry to hear that Ron, not sure how you overcome something like that!
So sorry to hear that too Ron. Hope you are able to see a way through it and you haven't lost too much else besides
Thanks chaps but the house has severe smoke and heat damage and is uninhabitable. Currently in a Premier Inn! I suspect I am looking at up to a year before I'm back home!
Sorry to hear that Ron.
All the best for the future.
John
Let me add my best wishes to the others, Ron. Were you able to rescue or salvage anything?
I do hope the insurers are generous and timely in dealing with your claim and the cleanup/rebuild proceeds smoothly.
Just as a word of warning following Ron's news of his house fire. A friend of mine had a garage fire a couple of weeks back, started by a LiPo on charge. He left it to go into the house to make a cup of tea and estimates he was away from the garage only 3 to 4 minutes when he returned the fire was already raging and he couldn't get in the garage for sheets of flame and smoke. Many other things like wooden shelves and workbench and stored models were already well ablaze. Fortunately his garage is 30ft away from his house so that wasn't affected. But he has lost all his models and Jeti radio gear etc.. So NEVER leave a LiPo on charge unattended and check all your chargers are working correctly too.
John M
Ron so sorry for your loss
Glenn
The time for the northern hemisphere is over if you no of any flyers that put in time please have them contact me the scores I have are from Mark Sexton,Bruce Hannah, Ted Vernon and myself. The southern hemisphere will start on June 1st
Glenn
Any scores for the 1960's coupe postal can be sent to wmc@peak.org
Glenn
I am a few days behind but southern hemisphere is now open for the 1960's coupe postal good luck and have a great time.
Glenn
I'm a bit late to the party as they say - but starting building a 60s coupe with hope to fly in the Southern Hemisphere flying window. I'm building a 'Coffee' - Polish Coupe - hopefully pretty straight forward. Jeremy yours looks great. I know there are other AUS coupes lurking... ;D
Tim
Hi Tim
Great start, ready for testing next weekend?
I'm really looking forward to seeing it fly. But it's also nice to seeing pictures it being built. Mike.
Thanks Dave & Mike - just a slight hitch. I was excited by the progress I was making and hoping to start flying surface structures today... but when I took the fuselage off the building board I could see a def banana shape! Oh dear! Turns out I built it in line with my drawing - but my plan tracing was a bit... erm... 'casual' in it's accuracy - and the way I stuck the enlarged photocopies together too. I wondered for a while whether I could make a quick fix, but in the end removed the crosspieces in the tail end and redid them. Happier now ;D So now I can think about the wings again!
Quote from: G GRELL on Feb 19, 2026, 11:03 PMI may posted these in the wrong place yesterday
Here are the rules for the 1960's coupe postal sorry for the delay have fun.
1960s Winter Coupe Postal
Rules
1. Dates of the competition: in keeping with the spirit a winter free flight event those living in the Northern Hemisphere will fly December 1st, 2025, through March 31st, 2026, and those in the Southern Hemisphere will fly June 1, 2026, through September 30th, 2026. Models may be flown on more than one day during the allotted time spans.
2. Models must be built from plans or 3-views published before December 31st, 1969. Models flown before this date but not published may not be flown.
3. In the event that models are built from small 3-views that lack details or clarity the competitor is allowed to improvise for the missing details, but the model should be completed with 1960s or earlier technology. Models must not be modernized with materials that were not in common use in the 1960s. For example, covering should be tissue paper, silkspan or Modelspan.
4. Each competitor is responsible for being able to prove if challenged that the model in question will comply with rule 2.
5. Models must not include VIT, folding wings or other functions and materials common in modern F1G practice, examples carbon fiber, kevlar and mylar or other modern materials.
6. The DT system may be of any type as this has no bearing on the flight itself. This is allowed so that flights may be made on smaller fields.
7. Models originally designed for 90-gram airframes may be lightened to 70 grams.
8. Models must have a minimum weight of 70 grams without motor.
9. The maximum weight of the lubricated motor is 10 grams.
10. Each competitor may fly up to 3 models but may only enter one time each year.
11. Each competitor is on the honor system to fly to the weight requirements.
12. Models shall be hand launched. Jumping is allowed.
13. Each competitor is entitled to 5 official flights the maximum flight time is 120 seconds.
14. Each competitor has 2 attempts to make each official flight, any flight of 20 seconds, or more is official.
15. Each competitor shall declare to his/her timekeeper that an official flight is being attempted and if that flight falls short of 20 seconds it can be declared an attempt. If an attempt is declared the next flight becomes official regardless of time.
16. The timekeeper should be positioned near the point of launching and may not follow the model.
17. The time sheet should have the competitors name the model design and all times listed in seconds. If the total time is 600 seconds, the competitor may put in fly off flights that increase by 30 seconds each 150 180 210 240 until the flight time is not reached.
18. The competitor and timekeeper should sign the time sheet and e-mail to the Contest Director Glenn Grell or another delegated if necessary to fill the roll. By signing the timecard, you are declaring that you have followed all of the above rules.
19. 19 The top three placing competitors will be awarded modest trophies, plaques or medallions provided by the Willamette Modelers Club of Oregon. All entrants are encouraged to engage in friendly competition, make new friends and have fun.
20. 20 Please do not post your scores on this thread or anywhere else on HPA
Glad to know this is back in action. My 60's Coupe is waiting in the shaddows. See me back flying it shortly(maybe)
My daughter tells me that machines are taking over not just the boring jobs but some of the satisfying and mindful ones too - I just finished cutting the ribs for the Coffee Coupe wing. Yep - repetitive and enjoyable. We like Philip Glass too :-)
I have to report that Tim's "Coffee" Fuse is repaired and strait as a Die. He paid me a visit yesterday and brought it round for inspection, really nice workmanship, can't wait to see it completed.
Thanks Dave - and made some good progress now on wing - more complicated than I anticipated - mainly as I'm not used to packing up trailing edges and putting in spars without cracking the 1mm ribs. I pre-shaped the TE but will shape the LE once all the spars and gussets are in.
While Tim's building his new Coupe I have decided on an Eco- friendly rebuild of a damaged model. My Drobek has already spent a week in a large tree in the Adelaide Park Lands before it was blown down to a retrievable height. It was repaired and flew again. Then while sitting in an open box with my Deuzio, a drawer with a few tools in it managed to fall into the box causing quite a lot of damage completely destroying the Deuzio fuse.
The main damage to the Drobek was breaking one of the wing panels in half and many large holes in the covering. Photo 1 shows some of the damage done to the wing. I have managed to repair the damage and recovered most of the model. I can't understand what happened to the Black tissue tips as I just gave them a light coat of dope and they came out very shiny, I may recver them yet.
Photo 1 shows the repaired prop assembly.
I decided I would try some metallic sticker for the name this time. Photo 2 I wasn't happy with it and it would not sit down at the thin parts of the letters so I reverted to my original tissue letters Photo 3
The recycled Drobek looks great Dave. Remember very well the anxious couple of weeks wait for the Drobek to drop from the tree - noting the tree was basically in the middle of our city! I also have made some progress with my 'Coffee Coupe' and hope to get myself to flying readiness in the next few weeks.
cheers
Tim
That looks like a lot of progress, Tim ; you havent been hangin' about. Mike.
Nice work Tim, how are you dealing with the size of it ;D
I was going to post a jpg plan for the Ailbass, but the maximum file size seems to be a moving target. First it said the limit was around 1k, so I shrunk the drawing to something like 700k, where it was beginning to blur slightly. Now it says 256k is the max. I also tried a pdf, but that didn't work either. Sigh. Maybe I can post a picture of it from an Aeromodeler cover.
I have a bunch of old CdH plans from here and there. If you're looking for something in particular, just ask. I don't think I have the Hat Band, which someone was looking for.
I remember Dave (dputt7) building an Ailbass on the old HPA site but can't recall what it flew like.
Peter
Hi Peter, I built the Alibass as a sport model and covered it with PolySpan so it was a bit overweight But it flew fine with a 15grm motor. It was a 1950's design but when the Postal Comp arrived it was allowed as it had been published in the 60's. I am just recovering a wing from it that became stained so I may fly it in the Postal again.
There is a sort of plan for the Ailbass here: https://hpa.aeromodelling.gr/plans/details.php?image_id=1759&mode=search (https://hpa.aeromodelling.gr/plans/details.php?image_id=1759&mode=search)
And a more detailed one here:
https://outerzone.co.uk/plan_details.asp?ID=8240 (https://outerzone.co.uk/plan_details.asp?ID=8240)
I'm guessing that someone here knows how to shrink image files to 256k without making them too blurry.
Hello Dave
The news about the re-covered wing is great, I hope that it flies well !
Peter
Dave's Alibass is a nice looking machine - not just a box girder with a square wing. Meanwhile I'm making progress with my own box girder with a square wing ;) ;D No pix worth posting. I have a nose block and a block of 1/2in balsa that needs to be turned into a prop blade. Shavings and balsa dust everywhere...
That's nice steady progress, is it a single blade prop?
The front page of the Aeromodeller posted by Lincoln a few posts ago brought back fond memories. One of the chaps is Peter Michel who organises a monthly get together (Bangers & Mash) near to Epsom racecourse. He in holding an Ailbass but the thing that interested me was the Coupe d'Hiver contest held every year, latterly at Viabon. Alas a recent email from J-P Challine of the PAM club suggests that it won't continue because old age is getting to us ! It's a pity because the nice Channel crossing plus driving to Chartres with French wine and food made late February/early March something to look forward to !
Peter
'Old age is getting to us". Sad but true. You never know some "youngster" in their 50's or 60's might revive it.
Well on this side of the pond we have a couple of youngsters (sub 25ish) flying FF. In France and other European countries there seem to be more but we shall see. My son now 30ish used to fly coupe & CLG in his teens, perhaps to placate his 'old man' :D but girls and work got in the way ! My apologies for taking this topic off course, now back to 1960s coupes !
Peter
Quote from: PeeTee on Jul 11, 2026, 08:35 PMthe nice Channel crossing plus driving to Chartres with French wine and food made late February/early March something to look forward to !
Peter - yes I recall reading about these adventures in AeroModeller - always sounded like heaps of fun.
Dave - yes just a single blade carved prop, but I made a mess of the first one so made a new one. The Google translation of the text also referred to something I didn't understand:
"the (wing) trailing edge is reinforced with a thin glued-on aluminum foil"
I did a bit of research and turns out it was a thing back then to use something equating to heavy duty cooking foil as reinforcement. I've done the centre section - attached with contact adhesive and certainly seems to add strength to a very thin TE. The centre section foil strip only weighed 1g + about 1g of glue. So I'm going with it! Anyone else familiar with this technique??
Covering started of other bits
Tim
I hope the weather is as good as todays when it's ready for test flights!
I've never come across that foil thing. I do remember a snippet in Aeromodeller that said the TE gives hardly any strength and so may as well be as small as possible.
I think you remember correctly Bill. But it's not so long ago, before the age of carbon fibre, that F1C wings for example, were entirely covered with aluminium foil. Special foil though, not kitchen foil. I'd have to reread the 60's Coupe rules again, but I suspect that if the original plan said aluminium foil on the trailing edge, then you put aluminium foil on the trailing edge, as Tim is doing. It's looking good, Tim. Mike.
Covering done - couldn't resist the 'coffee coupe' theme. And I had some coffee-coloured tissue anyway. Sorting through the final bits and pieces with some support and encouragement from Mike. Hopefully will be able to start test flying soon...
Such a beauty! congratulations!
Very nice, love the Beans.
Yes, what a nicely done and aptly chosen decoration!
Now I see the beans! ::) Nice model. 8)
Lastwoodsman
Richard
wonderful!
Thanks guys - yes I wasn't sure about the beans - to bean or not to bean, that was the question :) ;D
- hoping to get some trimming flights in over the next days - and test the brew :) ;D
Tim
Made it out to a local parklands together with dputt7 to test our 60s coupes. Dave got some good flights in with his Drobek. The Coffee Coupe seemed pretty good off the board. Glide a little steep, and a right/left pattern. A rudder tab and some side thrust adjusting produced some sketchy interim flights, but ended up getting a pretty comfortable right pattern that shows promise.
Question: What angle stab do others use in the D/T position? I haven't done one for ages and made a guess at about 50deg from fuselage top to stab underside (literally a stab in the dark! - it was about midnight last night trying to get it finished for testing this morning). The result was a very swoopy D/T descent... would like something a bit more docile!
Anyway, short video of one of the later flights (without D/T) on about 200-230 turns here: https://youtu.be/_btE_yE7Suw
DT angle is always a bit of a suck it and see exercise for me. I start at 45 degrees and if it comes down with one swoop and then flat, then I leave it. If there's no swoop then I increase the angle and if there's more than one I decrease it until I only get one swoop. But the DT angle is always the last thing I do after trimming so long as what I've got running brings it down, it isn't a major issue for me
Btw she looks like a keeper
Tim, that's looking good. Was there any lift about? If not, since you were only on half turns (10 strands?), I reckon 2 minutes is a foregone conclusion. As for t/plane angle for D.T., 45 degrees usually works. The single blade prop obviously works well. Mike.
Looks nice. Don't put it in those trees; I've never seen a wood-coloured model before!
Very nice, and a good glide.
Ron
Thanks for the video Tim, now I don't have to describe just how good it flew. It really did fly straight off the board.
Thanks Jeremy - yes trial-and-error likely to be the best option.
Mike - thanks for your advice with the prop - I'm a single-blade convert now - half the work! No real lift about that morning - too early/cold. Polish designer Juliusz Jaronczyk claims "Coffee" will do 105secs in still air on 6 strands of Pirelli rubber, 6 × 1 mm, wound to a maximum of 320 turns. Mine has 6 strands 3/16in SuperSport. (I do have have some Pirelli - but it is long ago reduced to a crystallised form... I keep it out of nostalgia / a need for authenticity / hoarding issues.)
Bill - Thanks. With the name 'coffee' I couldn't resist doing it in coffee colour. When summer arrives the model will be exactly the colour of our larger field - brown soil and straw grass :-) Dave seems to be able to find his scale models painted in German splinter camouflage in bushland, so I'm up for the challenge!
Ron & Dave - thanks - yes very pleased with the floaty glide. We just need now to get some official flights in for the postal over the next couple of months!
cheers
Tim
Quote from: THB on Aug 01, 2026, 12:26 PMI'm a single-blade convert now - half the work!
The issue that gets a lot of people about the single-bladed prop is the balancing. As well as static balancing (making sure that the counterweight holds the blade horizontal at rest), there is a dynamic balancing issue caused by the blade creating thrust and the counterweight not doing that. While there are theoretical/mathematical ways of calculating this effect and trying to work out the rearward bend in the counterweight arm that will correct for this (there's an article by Martyn Pressnell that calgoddard has referred to elsewhere on HPA 3), the May 1942 issue of AeroModller has a jig to empirically determine the correct angle. I attach a pdf of the AM article
Here's a pdf of the Martyn Pressnell aricle
I remember going through the single blade folder balancing when I built a Pinocchio and then again when I built another after the first was lost on it's fifth flight ;D
Thanks Jeremy - Mike sent me a copy of the Pressnell article but I had not seen the Watson/Aeromodeller one! Dave's Pinocchio(s) never seemed to have balance issues - good to know the theory.
Cheers
Tim
Thanks for the articles - very interesting.
If you are going to replace a two bladed prop with a single bladed one, are there any rules of thumb regarding required changes in blade area, diameter etc.? TIA Steve.
Hi All I am a little behind but there is now 2 months left for the southern hemisphere to put in there flights for the coupe postal Hope the weather is with you have a great time flying
Glenn
PicturesDrilling the dowel 1.JPGDrilling the dowel 2.JPGDrilling the dowel 3.JPGDrilling the dowel 4.JPG
Jeremy, I had a go at using your hub drilling jig to make a backup prop. assembly for my Deuzio. It worked well. I went through the process without taking any photos at the time, and these were taken some weeks later when I thought it might be useful to illustrate the process , The dowel is 1/4" diameter spruce from a bit of leftover violin soundpost. Mike.
I'm glad it worked, Mike