Planet-Hobby Bowlus Baby BA-100 Albatross wooden kit vintage glider model, albatross

The original:
Bowlus BA-100 Baby Albatross is an American high-wing strut-braced open cockpit, fuselage boat and outrigger sailplane designed by Hawley Bowlus and introduced in 1938.

The BA-100 is a mixed design.

The wings and tailplane are made of wood and covered with aircraft cloth. The tail boom is made of a metal tube and the cockpit capsule of moulded plywood.

The aircraft has no landing aids, although some were later modified with spoilers.

Technical data of the original:
Wing span: 44 ft 6 in (13.56 m).
Wing area: 14 m (150 sq ft)
Aspect ratio: 13.2
Wing profile: modified Gö 535
Empty weight: 136 kg
Gross weight: 229 kg
Maximum glide ratio: 20:1
Rate of descent: 135 ft/min (0.69 m/s)
Wing loading: 16 kg/m (3.3 lb/sq)

The RC flying model:
A beautiful model from the hand of Pietro (Peter) Tescari, the designer of many excellent flying models.

The model replica is on a scale of 1:6.6 and thus still has manageable dimensions with a wingspan of a good 2m.

The construction is mainly made of balsa and plywood, only the tail tube and the wing joints are made of carbon for strength reasons. Like later conversions of the original, the model has spoilers and is controlled via all axles.

The wing, wing struts as well as the tailplane are pluggable and thus facilitate transport due to their small packing size.

The flight characteristics are quite oldtimer like and can be described as good-natured and simple.

The Baby Albatross model will certainly cause a stir at any airfield, especially since the original is a rather unknown aircraft and also has a very successful design language.

Construction1013.