This is a semi scale model of a French standard class sailplane designed by J Cayla in 1950, it was available in kit form as well as complete. On June 12th 1959, Rear Admiral N. Goodhat set a UK distance record in a 905 by flying 625km (337nm)

WING SPAN 1.8m (72") WING AREA 35.9sq.dm (558 sq.in) L.O.A. .99m (39") Av' WEIGHT 1.42kg (3lb 2oz) PRICE: £48.50

Available from The Cambrian Model Company

As to the model from Cambrian Direct this is a very well designed and thought out kit, the contents of which start with a good set of foam wing panels. The fuz sides are 1/8" ply with a ¼" balsa bottom and an abs plastic top, as to the ABS parts there are some others in the kit namely the nose cone the wing tips a tail cone, wing centre cover, canopy base and frame and a fairing to cover the wheel. The instructions are very good giving a complete step by step account of the construction and a full list of all the parts. You also get a plan showing the fuz at full size and the wing reduced size, all over the plan there are little drawings showing how some of the parts go together all very helpful.

I started the construction with the fuz marking the position of the formers to one side then I gluing the two main formers to one side then the other side to this, next the fuz was placed over the plan and all the other formers added, after that the bottom was added and the nose built up, after fitting the two control snakes and the tube for the receiver ariel the plastic moulded fuz rear was added, I then fitted the front sheeting and the nose cone and that was about it.

2 servos in the wing	Installation of wing servo	Pilot to complete it

As to the wings I had decided to go with two servos instead of the one shown on the plan, this is because I was keen to try flaps and as I was going to be flying this model on my Multiplex Cockpit transmitter I could experiment with the flap/spoiler settings.

With the wings I cut out the servo box's and a channel for the servo wire's, I then fitted the LE and TE and cut the ailerons once the panels had been sanded to shape I glued them together, the plan shows the ailerons hinged with those in the kit but me will I had decided to go with top hinging. The fibreglass bandage was then wrapped around the centre and the wing tips added. A word about these they are made up from ply plates that you have to glue into the plastic moulded ends, the fit of these parts was excellent only needing a very little sanding to make them fit.

The tail plane on this model is a "V" tail with the angle set at 90 degrees at first this looks very odd because if you look at other V tail gliders about to day you see they are all 100 to 120 degrees, but then you have to remember you are building a semi scale model. The tail parts are made from ¼" balsa each half being made up from 3 parts as is the elevator half's. Again the elevators I top hinged as per the ailerons.

Tail and V-Tail connections	Inside of front section	Installation of servos

When it came to the finishing of the model it was all rubbed down with fine wet and dry, I then fitted the plastic wing centre section and cut the canopy base to fit before this was all glued I fitted a pilot. the wings and tail I covered with cream solarfilm, as to the fuz I had decided from the start to paint mine, but before I did that I covered it with wing skinning fibreglass cloth that I put on with a water based varnish, this was rubbed down once dry and painted. All the gear was installed and the balance checked, it needed 3oz of lead in the nose to get this right so this put the all up weight to 3lb 7oz, I put some of this increase down to the fact I painted the fuz! All controls I set as per the instructions but because I like a lot of movement I increased then with the rate switch, the set up is as follows.

Ailerons as per instructions 8mm up 5mm down (my high rate 15 up 10 down)
Elevator ---------:------------ 12mm up 10mm down (me 15 up 15 down)

Now if you have just joined me because you like to read the flying first then go back and read the construction because you don't know about the mods I've made do you!!

The day of the test flight was not the best of days because we'd had some rain in the morning but it did clear up and by the time I got up the slopes it was bright with a nice blow onto the site called "the gate". After having a first flight with one of my foamies, like I always do (don't I Mark!!). I decided to have a go with the Breguet, so with photos in the can and a range check completed it was now or never.

I picked up the model, stood on the edge and just launched it. Now I know you have read this next bit before but in this case it was true, it just flew on it's own going up and out at a nice steady pace with no trim change. I flew up and down the ridge just getting myself accustomed to the handling for about 10 mins and then I decided to try the stall. The stall test is importnant to do first just in case you have to land in a rush so you get to know what to expect. As to the stall, well if it did I would like to have seen it because before I knew it I was holding in full up with no sign of it dropping a wing, in fact I could still steer it with the ailerons.

So I put the nose down to try some aerobatics, one thing that struck me doing this is the turn of speed this model as you don't have to hold the down in for long before you have enough speed to do a loop or roll, with the rates on it will loop and roll in a very sedate manner but flick the rates out and it will loop in a very small amount of sky and as for the roll it will roll as fast as some of the aerobatic models up at the same time. Inverted only needs a very small amount of down in to hold it and if you go up with one wing a little low you can get away with a nice looking stall turn.

Next I tried the flaps or should that be flaperons these do make a difference and you can see the model start to climb when you deploy them but it doesn't drop out of the sky if you tuck them away, I also had these coupled to work as spoilers to help slow the model down for landing, and talking of landing when I decided to land I was in for a surprise! As I came round the back to land I was slowly loosing height so that once I had lined up with my approach I could just slow the model down and land - wrong I lined up and it just kept coming and coming and before I knew it I was sailing off out over the valley again, so the next time round I tried the spoilers and that did the trick the flight ended with a very smooth landing not far from my feet.

The Breguet 905 Fauvette is and very nice model to build and fly, the kit is complete with all fitting and some very nice moulded parts, the instructions are precise and with there being a lot of helpful information on the plan, all in all you would have to try very hard to go wrong! The one thing I would like to see is some information about fitting two servos in the wing as I did and may be some information about top hinging of the control surfaces, but this is only because if you have learnt to fly with one of the many fomey model then the Breguet 905 Fauvette would in my mind make a good second model and the above information would be helpful to some one building this as a second model plus it's scale to boot.

Going back to the flying I have made subsequent flights and now I don't need to use the spoilers for landing because you can slow the model up without, like a lot of other things you need some time to get used to this, a very nice model and if there are any more like this in the pipe line I for one will be in the queue.

Article by Wayne Haycock from Bumpy Green Model Aerodrome
September 2002

Comment by Tim Whitcombe on 00000000000000. Rating none

Hi, I am currently undergoing the flight testing of Cambrian Directs yet to be released ASK-13 semi scale two seat glider. All I can say is that it flies like a dream, looks simply gorgoeus and also we also be at a very competitive price. The kit is of a very high standard and is a pleasure to fly every time. So look out on a slope near you as I am sure there will be a number of these high quality gliders gracing our slopes and club fields. Happy flying!!!

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