Ordered my kit 9 days ago by regular mail and it arrived today. I consider that prompt considering it also had to cross the U-S Canada border into Ontario.
I haven't flown RC for 40 years and wanted a balsa kit.
I am not disappointed.
The kit was well packaged and seems very complete. The laser cut parts look excellent and the plans and instructions seem just as good. I know simply by looking at the parts and the plans that this little beauty will be an efficient and quick build. I am also confident that the Mini Telemaster is probably just right for someone who hasn't built or flown and RC model for two generations. Looking forward to building and flying it.
Ed

I built the Mini as my first venture into electric flying.Was flying a .40 powered trainer previously and have built many kits over the years.The mini t/master goes togather well,the wing is prone to warp and the fuselage longerons are flimsy.The cover should not be shrunk really tight..Mine flew really well right off the building board.I scratch built another one from the plans,more power,ailerions ,stiffer wing and fuselage,less dihedral,3/32 sheet stabilizer.It weighs 25 ounces with a 1500mah 3cell.Larger wheels.This version has been the most flown aircraft in my collection and when it is worn out I will build another.A great small airplane.

I have built 2 of these. Had a little trouble with the first because the horizontal stab is a bit weak. Never the less I wore the thing out. On the second build I doubled the H Stab leading edge. This really beefed up the tail and made the plane more stable and durable. I lost the plane when I let it fly so high I lost sight of it and it flew away.

I am starting on my third soon.

Great kit, I really enjoyed building it and it flies great.

I added ailerons and flaps to mimic the setup I have on my Telemaster 40 (my all-time favorite plane). It gave me something like the Telemaster 40 that I can fly in a fairly small field near the house which is cool. I added a battery hatch on the bottom, I think that's a must-have. Every now and then I strap a pair of floats to it and really have a blast, nothing like a Telemaster on floats doing touch-and-goes on water. I should have made the wings bolt-on, one day I'll modify it to eliminate the rubber bands which are taking their toll on the trailing edge. I used Nelsen Lightfilm for covering which worked great, it is light enough not to warp the structure.

I built mine back in 2003 and use a Mini-Olympus gear drive and speed 400 6V motor I had laying around. I originally used 8 cell NiCads and NiMH (1100mAh), but now I'm using 2-cell LiPolys (2000 mAh). It flies great for me with this set-up, although most people these days would probably want more power.

Thanks,
Steffen

Pleasant kit to build. Would make the following suggestions.
1. Break plans up into 2 or 3 sheets. The one large sheet is clumsy.
2. Provide a chart identifying the many abbreviations used.
3. An elevation view of the tail assemble would be helpful.

Just let me say that this is a very good balsa kit. But not for the first time builder,Just because the instructions lack any pictures to go by. But if you have building time in it should be easy to build.The other thing is the wing will warp if covered to tight. But if you have never built a kit you can download a pdf file for the mini telemaster arf from hobby - lobby web site. thanks & happy building HH.Mote

With my telemaster, i have slight problems taking off the ground with the suggested power system...I am considering purchasing a more powerful setup. Also, as already mentioned, watch out for the elevator warping when you cover it. The plane is very easy to fly, and doesn't seem to want to land it glides so well. If you are thinking about purchasing this plane, take it from me, an expert at crashing, to buy it.

I purchased the kit about five months ago and had a blast building it. It took close to a month of off and on evenings. I discovered I really enjoy building from a kit. Before purchasing this kit I had flying experience with a plane that didn’t fly too well so technically this is my second plane. However, before flying this plane I had probably only flown my other plane five to ten times. The Telemaster flies so much better than my other plane that I do think a beginner can fly it. I would recommend some time on a PC trainer first but for someone who enjoys building and repairing, I think this would make a good first plane. (I have actually only needed to make one repair so far due to crash damage.)

After about a month of flying it I decided to build a second wing from scratch with ailerons. I used the same design as the wing in the kit, just added aileron strips and installed servos in the wings. I also reduced the dihedral to 3 or 4 percent. By the way, this is my first aileron plane. It flew so well I have yet to crash - after installing ailerons. One thing I really like about this kit is when I do crash and destroy something I know I can easily rebuild it since I built it in the first place. This was also my first kit build. If you have no experience building balsa kits you will need to do some reading or talk to someone with experience as the instructions assume a basic understanding of the building process.

I have also mounted a camera to the nose of the Telemaster. Not a micro camera but a normal pocket digital Sony camera. Even with the weight of the camera, it will take off in the grass in less than ten feet!

The Telemaster is an amazing plane. If you think you might enjoy building, I would highly recommend this kit.

If you have the patience and attention span to build the Mini-Telemaster, it is a pretty easy build. There are a few minor points in the manual that need careful reading and comparing between manual and plans. Another complaint is the lack of a battery hatch which requires the owner to remove the wing between each flight in order to access the battery. Neither are problems that are too hard to overcome. Watch out for the horizontal stabilizer. It can warp easily which can cause some nasty tendencies to roll. The plane will still fly, but it will hardly be the relaxing aircraft it should be.

There are two big points in favor of this plane. Firstly it is very forgiving in how heavy you build it, mine carries a flycamone2 and a heavy 6cell 1500mah NIMH pack. For a beginner, this leeway in weight is nice. You do not need to buy the latest and lightest equipment to power this plane. Secondly it is easy to repair. Having had several rough landings and one crash into a fence, the plane has rarely been grounded for any length in time. Most of the time a little CA in the field is enough to get the plane back into the air.

If you have the patience and attention span to build the Mini-Telemaster, it's a pretty easy build. There are a few minor points in the manual that need careful reading and comparing between manual and plans. Another complaint is the lack of a battery hatch which requires the owner to remove the wing between each flight in order to access the battery. Neither are problems that are too hard to overcome. Watch out for the horizontal stabilizer. It can warp easily which can cause some nasty tendencies to roll. The plane will still fly, but it will hardly be the relaxing aircraft it should be.

There are two big points in favor of this plane. Firstly it is very forgiving in how heavy you build it, mine carries a flycamone2 and a heavy 6cell 1500mah NIMH pack. For a beginner, this leeway in weight is nice. You don't need to buy the latest and lightest equipment to power this plane. Secondly it is easy to repair. Having had several rough landings and one crash into a fence, the plane has rarely been grounded for any length in time. Most of the time a little CA in the field is enough to get the plane back into the air.

I bought this kit some time ago. It is a fine building project, not very hard, and the results are very good. The plane is large enough for just about any motor/battery combination you care to use, the looks are classic, and it is hard to go wrong with a Telemaster. The only thing I would change is to put on ailerons. Adding the extra control surfaces, taking a bit out of the dihedral, and putting a "hot" motor on the plane and you will have a blast. The kit is built strong enough where it can take a bit of rough handling so could be used as a second plane or even a first plane with some practice. Being small, learning on such a plane will be a bit harder as you need to fly in closer than a .40 sized trainer.

Highly recommended for someone with a kit or two under their belt and wants something different than the run-of-the-mill ARF. It build quickly, and if you use some of the light covering material available and a good motor, this will sure to please.

This kit was a pleasure to build. It reminded me of some early kits I built as a boy. Really brought back great memories! I highly recommend it as a parent-child building project.

This kit is wonderful and a breeze to build. This could be considered a build for the first time balsa kit builder and even one for the seasoned modeler who just wants to put one together for the great flying characteristics. With this kit, it is like going back to the basics of stick and tissue modeling as there are very few laser cut parts and all you really receive is a pile of sticks and balsa sheets. The plans are also drawn out in a manner that is easy to follow with power and electronic recommendations right at hand for easy reference.

I powered mine with a BP 9Y outrunner, 20A ESC, some mini servos, a 3s 750mAh lipo, and I even put a camera on to get some great aerial video. That may be the best thing about this model-its aerial video/aerial photography capability. The airframe could lift a horse if needed, and it may open you to the world of AP flight if you so choose to build this wonderful kit. I would recommend this kit to anyone looking for a great build, and an even better flying airplane.

I was given the Mini Telemaster kit by a nice guy at my club field. It was my first kit, and I was excited to get started on it. I began building it last year, and am still working on it today. With some help from the good folks on RCGroups.com, the build is going great. I wouldn't recommend this kit for a beginner builder, but for anyone who has prior experience building kits, this kit is great! It is very complete, and even comes with pre-bent landing gear. The laser cut parts are excellent, and all other parts were in great shape. The plans and instructions are also very helpful and well written in my opinion. This is a great kit for any modeler who wants to build a great flying parkflyer. I can't wait to finish mine. And I especially can't wait to fly it. Because you know what they say. ''Nothing flies like a Telemaster''.