Senior Telemaster Airplane Kit (OVERSIZE)

i recently bought a senior telemaster. when i received the kit i found that the magnets in the fuel door were missing. there was a hole in the covering, a bulk head was broke and the bottom of the rudder was not covered. i contacted hobby lobby and they made it right. i really appreciate them correcting the problem in a timely manor. thank you hobby lobby.

Having built and flown R/C aircraft for 35 years, I remember the Telemasters from my early years. The wood quality in the current kit is good and it is very much like building an "old timer"; lots of sticks; lots of sanding, cutting, and fitting. If you like traditional, old school building like when you were a kid, this kit is for you. Overall, the kit is satisfactory. However, I would like to note several things: 1) rib diecutting is accurate but all ribs required some trimming to release from the sheets; 2) the included aileron hardware is undersized as compared to the plans and is cheaply constructed without brass tubing bushings; 3) no main landing gear is provided in the kit; and 4) the plans need reworking; all the reproduction has decreased the accuracy. Other than that, it's a Telemaster, and it is probably one of the best flying designs ever and definitely worth the extra effort. Don't be lazy, skip the ARF version and build the kit.

was very disappointed with the kit it did not include the landing gear when I called about it they said they were no longer getting them from supplier they have modified the kit to be less than it used to be to save money I had to buy extra material to bring it back up to what it was 25 years ago very disappointed in hobby-lobby for not telling that they no longer include the landing gear since it is still a part of the parts list

Not sure how old my senior telemaster is but I know it is more then 30 years old and still flys like a charm. I just completed a glider with 10' wing span and I plan on doing a pigie back airlift this spring. I have a OS 61 engine it. I started flying RC in the early 70 and I like my Telemaster the best I cant tell how many flights it has made but has never had a bad landing. I have had a camera on board for air photos, It has been used for candy air drops and towing gliders. My sons call it big Yellow and I call it my old work horse. I'm 80 years old and I still love to fly it.

I built my senior telemaster with flaps and also built it with bolt on wing. I fly it as a sail plane and have flown it for over an hour in one great thermal. I enjoy this plane more than I do my others.
I had some problems with bad balsa wood in the kit but it was no big thing they were small pieces. I also replaced the spars with bass wood for more strength, and built special wing tips for the main wing which in turn lengthened the wing to 97 inches., I balanced the main wing before covering. enjoyed building the kit and adding my own special designs to it.

Went together quickly and flawlessly. Instructions were pretty good. Flies amazing and very SLOW.

Although the Senior Telemaster is well known as a good basic trainer, I wanted to add that it is a lot of fun for experienced pilots as well. The very traits that make it great for learning - large, easily visible size and very slow flight - actually present a challenge for sport pilots like me.
The Senior Telemaster really is an aerobatic plane - it just does it in slow motion, and that's where the challenge (and fun!) lies. For example, say you want to roll your regular sport plane. Most guys, me included, push the aileron stick, complete the roll, and let go. With the Senior Telemaster, you gotta work for it! Build the necessary airspeed, use full rudder and aileron, all the while modulating throttle and elevator to help make it axial looking. The whole thing happens so slowly that you almost can't believe it will do it. Performing aerobatics gives you a real sense of accomplishment!
It is also an extremely relaxing plane to fly if you just want to de-stress. Flaps down in a 10 mph headwind will almost allow the plane to hover in place. Watching it fly over the runway at barely a walking pace, one of the fine upstanding modelers I fly with (better known as a "goofball") named it the "Flying School Bus", since it is covered in Cub yellow.
If you do decide to put it through its paces, be sure to build wing struts for it. They are easily attached to the longerons on the fuse and spar in the wing, and provide a lot more resistance to having the wing move in the saddle. Hobby Lobby carries very cool looking airfoil shaped stock I used for these. Remember, too, that the C.G. ends up way back because of that big lifting stab. Balancing at the normal 1/4 to 1/3 M.A.C. will make for a poor handling plane. Trust the instructions. Last, although I'm sure a .45 would fly it, a .61 seems about perfect to me. I'd rather have a reserve of power if I need it. Eventually I hope to upgrade to electric power.
There is a good reason this plane has been in Hobby Lobby's catalog for decades. I look forward to every chance I get to fly it.