Nothing but Legionair Sailplanes 2026 , with a sprinkle on the Shuttle

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L140 Pictured below with blue canopy was built in the early 80’s .

It Flew like a Pen Guin when I first got it and I wasn’t really to impressed . Over the winter a light came on and I made  some changes , the biggie  was  correcting the decalage.

I had added tow hook in correct location, removed old servos , replaced fragile stab covering and setup in 2016

My Post from Aug 2016

My L140 with a 4 cell 2000mah Eneloop flies at 66.8 oz . The box top Label suggests a 3 1/2 – 4 lb Plane

Thats 64 oz at the most, I have often seen unrealistic weights on plans , maybe I need to sand more

cropped-P1180850-001.jpg

Flies as good,  If not better then modern RES Sailplanes, of course it can’t be Launched like one, but when up there in the right hands has a chance along with the best of them

Below a collection of Photos I (stole ) from elsewhere, as well as some of my own

Vintage Legion Air sailplane kit. SPECS

Span 140″                                       ( the 132″ and 100″ versions where also Kitted by Cecil Haga  )
Area 1325 Sq In
Wing loading 7 Oz

Box top states the following:

Exclusive dura-spar construction
Aluminum tubing tail boom and inboard wing spars
EK-Logitrol servo release tow hook
3 piece white gelkote fuselage
4 piece 8% low drag wing
Precision rule cut ribs
Hand cut plywood details
Super size spoilers
37 Sq Ft rolled plans
Serialized kit

The box top also stated that you provide your favorite sheeting and strip stock.

If that was the case , back when this kit was bought, or someone . bought Midwest micro cut contest balsa as listed below.

fleck l140

Extra Lumber in a recently sold Kit, not sure If the spar wood is there, but there is some needed

8 ea 1/16 x 4 x 36 sheets
5 ea 1/16 x 3 x 36 sheets
1 ea 1/4 x 3 x 36 sheet
Large bundle of various size balsa strips

image1 kit texas
Kit # 24 according to the plans that came with this Kit. Who really knows though as these may have passed thru a number of hands over the years, and mixed and matched with other parts from various kits. The left pod half weighs 3.57 Oz and the right 3.66 oz, Kit #24 also includes die cut Ribs
fleck l140 3 2016
Above a Photo of an Unknown Kit #  The formers and bits and pieces for inside the fuse can be seen sitting in the bottom of the box here. The plywood looks like the type one use for paneling walls back in the 70’s , like Kit #24, perhaps not the best but it works. These pieces all looks to be hand cut and sanded
fleck l140 2 2016
Left and right gelcoated pod halves as well as canopy , really nice, in my view that they don’t even need paint, of course the seams when joined would need to be cleaned and dealt with.
fleck l140 1 2016
The lower aluminum tubes are used for the inboard panels, the larger long tube is for the boom. The lower bent aluminum goes thru the fuse to pick up the wings and the two smaller bent tubes are to pick up the tip panels which are removable

L140 Fins and Rudder

These were built slightly different but appear to have the same size. Notice the diagonal ribs. The L134 rudder is different, smaller more sweep at the Leading edge as well

P1180846-001
l140 rud

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L132 Rudder vertical stab

Legionaire 132 t

Here are some Pics of New old Kits     Cottage Industry, Perhaps

Legion Air 5 hosam 2014
Here’s a example of a more recently kitted Legionair ( Cottage Industry, after market? ) The fuse halves are assembled, and the spars and boom are CF (see top in box ). CF was not used in Cecils Kits , Not sure what is included for wing joiners. Have not been able to find an example of a built Legionair from one of these kits

A closer look into the box also shows what appears to be some patchwork done to the pod in the area of the root TE where the fairings meet the wing root,

Original Legionairs had aluminum booms and spars,

CF changes  the wing flex not a Legionair really 🙂

Is this No longer a Legionair?  🙂 (purists might think so)       Ribs are Laser cut with TE notches for sheet, the tip panel ribs are designed for no cap strips. AS well the Tip panel is allegedly designed to glue to the inboard panel, so no aluminum joiners for Plug in Play tip Panels

Cottage Industry Fuse , above (perhaps), or could be later Haga halves with poor root transition from mold at TE, the demarkation line can clearly be seen on both sides. I have seen photos of white gelcoat molded halves as well as green molded halves which I believe where both from Haga Kits.
this appears to be a CI fuse as well note the halves are together, as well there is a taper from the root TE to the pod , unlike the very sharp transition seen in the gel coated fuse halves earlier, Interestingly the box sure seems like the one used by Haga for his Kits and there are aluminum wing tubes in there 🙂
Here an example Lasered Rib Set, I wonder about the accuracy ? Haga Ribs were Die Cut, note these are wrapped with blue tape

Note: some purists feel a true Legionair is one built with “haga” ribs, I have never seen Mr Haga’s ribs drawn on his original plans and to my knowledge he never included any rib drawings in his Kits. When you come across Ribs drawn on Plans you may well be building Building a Prototype Legionair with Ribs of some other Design. The advent of the Laser cutter, and router has enabled many to reproduce Kits or short Kits , which could all be considered Prototype Designs, and when built may never fly right

Green fuse halves, these also appear to be something other then Haga parts, witness the tapered root to pod transition. Or perhaps early Haga pods where white gelcoat, and later halves where green and this change was made and represented in the above photo. That could be actually as I have 2 different pictures of green halves in what I refer to as a Haga Kit with the square section box and aluminum rods, Interesting
Tangerine Contest Florida June 1979

Shuttle

Was the Shuttle a Haga Designed sailplane, kitted to compete with other lower priced Sailplane Kits of the Day ? See here a couple clips from Tower Hobbies

the Shuttle was available in 78, 100 and 132 Inch wingspan versions. Info on the rest of the plane , Huum

I’ve been told Cecil wanted to sell more Kits, the Shuttle was cheaper then the Legionair for sure, and had a look only a mother could love, did it get the pilots of the day looking at Cecils Catalogue later and order up Legionairs? , it gets complicated