KK Chief - 64" Replica Balsa Kit

This is an excellent kit with a few oddities and flaws. If these can be ironed out, the kit will be absolutely superb.

As with the other VMC kits, the laser-cut parts are crisp and fit cleanly. With a few exceptions (vide infra), the instructions are clear, and, if followed faithfully, will give a good, straight model. Having read the horror stories of Chiefs suffering catastrophic centre-section failure, I deviated somewhat from the plan by reinforcing said centre-section with plywood rather than balsa, and converting the sideframes to a Warren truss by installing diagonal elements. Covering the compound curves of the upper and lower fuselage with tissue paper defeated me utterly, however. Whatever I did, the results were horrible. After three attempts, I simply planked these areas in, and I'm glad I did. It was a ton of work, but the results look fantastic. Furthermore, the fuselage is now effectively a monocoque and thus vastly stronger and more rigid than before.

The kit has two features which definitely need modification or deletion. The dethermaliser employs a strange wire device projecting from the rear fuselage to restrain the tailplane when it tips up. I could foresee the entire tail section coming adrift with this, so I replaced it with a simple cotton thread. I couldn't make head or tail of the autorudder on the plan, and the instructions didn't help. After some experimentation, I found that the simple system on the KK Caprice worked admirably.

The Chief has attracted criticism for its weak wing box and "crashproof" wings, but it seems to work perfectly for me. I have towed it up into a fairly strong headwind without problems, and a heavy landing caused the wings to detach without damage, as intended.

In summary, this kit is quite demanding, requiring a substantially investment in time and effort, and the ability to plank and sheet with balsa. However, the result is worth it as the plane is a thing of beauty. I found it enormously satisfying to build, and I can't wait to fly it again on Davidstow Moor.

So glad to see this still available. I loved this glider, building one in the early 60s. In central London, I could only test glide it in Kensington Gardens from the slope near the Round Pond. Test glided it once in Holland Park. It landed near some kids playing football. One of them picked it up, threw it straight up it the air and broke the box as it stalled and crashed! TWERP. As an adult in the 80s, I built a replica in Newcastle upon Tyne. Managed to tow it up on Town Moor!! Then made the mistake of letting my inexperienced friend have a go. He pulled too hard on the line and snapped the box at a great height. End of that one. Now in Florida, but don't think I'll be building another. Don't let me put anyone off though. The glide was rock solid. One of the joys of my life to see it.

The pop out wings are a problem. despite this it is a great slope soarer. Once in a lift it can be difficult to bring down! Even when weight is increased by making a 1/16th ply fuselage it still soars.

As a 70+ year old I remember building this huge model glider in the early 1960's. Laser cut parts? Surely, half the fun was cutting out all the bits with a Keil Kraft knife and getting "high" on the dope? However, in my day getting "high" meant actually flying the thing!
lol

Bought the model from the Vintage Model Co about a month ago.
It arrived relatively quickly considering the kits are made to order.
Laser cut parts an absolute god send. So far it appears to have plenty of balsa wood. The celluloid for the windscreen was cut wrong so it didn't fit, but after a quick email, they sent out a new piece with no quibbles - good service.
Building the balsa frame is easy enough. I have not got to the rudder control or dethermaliser yet. The plans are not particularly clear so we will have to see how we go with the instructions. This is an issue with the original KK plans.
So far pretty pleased with it. Take special care in setting up the wing box so the wing tongues are a tight fit and reinforce it as the instructions state.
I would class myself as a novice and apart from a few school boy errors on my part which I managed to save, it's pretty easy to build.

This is a superb kit, much the same as it was in the 'fifties', please see my blog 'Electric Chief'. DW

Built the around 1964 after some success with the caprice. The wings were fitted to the fuselage by means of a plywood tongue about 1.5".wide by 1" deep. These plugged into a box arrangement in the fuselage roof made from balsa wood. It was suggested that the be held there by strips of adhesive tape. I modified this to use elastic bands making it more secure and easier to remove. With hand launched test flight the aircraft flew very well. On the tow line it rose very well but as I was about to release it the bow into which the wings were plugged collapsed. The wings flutter to earth safely but the fuselage was rendered into match wood. If the problem of the wing fixings could be solved I think it would make a fine aircraft.