When I recently joined RC Groups and posted a short blog entry, I happened to mention I was building a Mark's Wanderer from scratch using an original kit to reproduce the parts, and I got a surprising number of responses. So, I thought I would take this opportunity to start a thread and see what happens.

I know there were several versions - the original 72", which I am building, the 99", which I happen to have stashed away, the Dynaflite version that I believe was stretched to 76" and , I think, an ARF version sold by Tower or Dynaflite back in the day.

Who's building and/or flying and/or rebuilding any version of the Wanderer? I built my first maybe 25 or so years ago. Had a World Engines Expert radio, and launched with an upstart or using a power pod/.049.

Let's see some pictures and hear stories.....

I'm still flying the Wanderer 76 I built around 1986, even though it's had its share of crashes. It's been in 3 midairs, is on its third fin, and has had the whole nose replaced due to a servo failure causing a crash straight into the rock face of our slope. After the first midair, all that was left of one outboard wing panel was the spar and tip block! After all this it still flies as well as any 2 meter woodie around here.

You asked for it . . . .
I have a Wanderer 72" with a bit of history. The original wing was built by my Dad in the late 70', early 80's. I schelped it around with me for five or so years then finally finished the build. It finally flew in 1987, being tossed off a small hill overlooking a football field while I was building an Oly II. About the time the Oly was done I was getting a couple of laps around the field with the Wanderer.
I started beating the Oly while the Wanderer collected dust. I still have mixed emotions about which plane got the raw end of the deal.
About 1996 after having developed some fairly good flying skills with a Falcon 880 I was looking at the Wanderer and remembering it's flying abilities so I rehabed it and started flying it off a winch once in a while.
Came across a Wanderer 99 kit which I gave to a buddy as his first build, we did a pretty good job of it if I say so myself. Two years later he gave up R/C and the 99 was mine.
I flew it more often than the 72 until I totaled the 99 fuselage. While building a new one I dusted off the 72 and got out the high start.
Stetched it 70 steps, that was a whimpy launch. Go for 80 steps, that's better. Let's try 90 steps, helloe left wing tip, I am the right wing tip!
Both the 72 and the 99 have been repaired and see the skies often. The 72 is completly scratch built with .014 carbon in the middle of the spar, it can take 110 steps no and not think anything of it. The 99 fuselage has holes in the sides ala the Windfree which I think are pretty cool.

Joe

I built a couple back in 1977 and '81, and a third in 1991. Had I known the kit was going to be discontinued, I would have kept the plans. I've also had three Windwards since 1974, and always liked them better than the Wanderer. That said, the Wanderer can probably be credited with teaching more beginners the basics of soaring than any other design from that era. Our LHS was selling the kit for something like $16.95. Toss in a cheap two-channel radio and a couple rolls of Monokote, and you could be in the air in a weekend--and for less than $100. My only real complaint about the Wanderer was its irritating tendency to blow up on hi-starts.

When I first got into RC gliders, a friend gave me an unfinished Wanderer that had a completed two-piece wing. There was no tail so I copied a Vista tail and it seemed to work very well. I cartwheeled a landing and broke the outer panel which I repaired. The Wanderer is one of my favorite floaters and was the lightest glider that I owned.

I was able to locate a PDF of the plan but need a clean copy of the ribs.

The photos of the two-piece wing were posted on this thread: http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showt...4#post24175421

I started scratch building a new Wanderer several months ago.
My third in many years

Will post pics of the frame soon.

I don't know if anybody knew this but there is a short kit available for the 99. You will Need plans though. If I ever find plans I would build it for sure.

http://lazer-works.com/list.html

I have seen plans somewhere around here.
Let me check.

Proof that I've been working hard on my winter builds.
76" span scratchbuilt Wanderer. W/mods.

Originally Posted by Alard

Proof

That is one of the Wanderer's (72", 76" or 78") wing design stretched to 99. A 99 has a built up spar with shear webbing, the three little Wanderer's used a single stick of spruce.
Whomever is building this one has the rudder wrong also.
Still a nice looking build, is there a link???

Joe

The vertical fin has the original shape, but the rudder area has been increased. Looks like a very nice build.

I have a 72" Wanderer that I built from a kit in the late 80s. It has been crashed and repaired and it is a little ragged now, but it still flies decently.

I found PDF plans on RC universe for the wanderer 72. I just had them copied at a blue print shop for $3.00. I tried to find original ribs but could not so I used my cad program and replicated a set of ribs. I think they are pretty accurate. I am amazed at the quality of the wanderer pic I see. I am starting to scratch my wanderer. Just for grins does any one know about rib patterns for this? I would love to see how close to original I am. I plan to up loading pics

Originally Posted by Chris Carson

I found PDF plans on RC universe for the wanderer 72. I just had them copied at a blue print shop for $3.00. I tried to find original ribs but could not so I used my cad program and replicated a set of ribs. I think they are pretty accurate. I am amazed at the quality of the wanderer pic I see. I am starting to scratch my wanderer. Just for grins does any one know about rib patterns for this? I would love to see how close to original I am. I plan to up loading pics

Do you have a link to the page?

I have the plastic fuse that my dad bought back in the 70's.