September 25, 2023

My planes: Hanno Prettner Calypso

I’m gradually converting the old content from my old website.
First in line is the Hanno Prettner Calypso made by ModelTech:

Hanno got it right. This is the mother of all current pattern ships, originally laughed at as being a trainer, Hanno Prettner won the 1983 Championships in Pensacola Florida with this “trainer” using a Super Tigre engine and flying procedure turns when everyone else was doing cuban 8’s.
The Calypso is one of my best flying planes ever. It can fly rock steady in extreme winds and it locks on to a heading in a way that appeals to my flying style. It must be flown fast and smooth and it does so mostly on it’s own, I just tell it where to go and it does so in style. My best scores to date has been achieved flying this beauty.

Completed in winter 2002 and lovingly cared for ever since. Rebuilt undercarriage and fitted with pipe in 2003. Currently undergoing a bearing change. The engine committed suicide when shedding prop, spinner, propnut, driver washer AND front bearing in flight!

More pictures will be added to Flickr shortly

Engine: O.S 61 FX – non pumped!
Header: Just Engines
Pipe Just Engines Purple Pipe (Hatori 650 repclia)
Servos Standard Hitec and Graupner Servos, HS300, HS422 and some other very old servos that really need a break…
Finish Monokote
Wings Foam/balsa
Fuselage balsa and ply
U/C Fixed, piano wire
Weight 3500+ grams
Wingspan 170
Prop APC 12×10

5 thoughts on “My planes: Hanno Prettner Calypso

  1. Hi..i was looking desparately for the plan of Calypso…i have the model..but it recently crashed it and need the plans to rebuild my fuselage..but the problem is ive missed place my plans and can’t find them if could you provide me with the plans i would be willing to pay you for them..plz.consider..i really need the plans…ive put my email address in the place given for name…if you could..then plz get in touch with me..

  2. Hi, sorry to hear your calypso crashed!

    I don’t have any plans I’m afraid, this was a ready-built kit and it only came with an instruction manual.

  3. Hi Jon,

    Nice Calypso you have there!

    I am currently building a Calypso from Modeltech too. I am wondering how you placed your elevator & rudder servos. From your pictures, it looks like its installed in the rear, am I right?

    Cheers!!
    Rajoo

    BTW: you can find my build thread in http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=5425983

    To date: completed covering of the wing only.

  4. Hi Rajoo, thanks for the link your calypso will be beautiful!

    I have a centrally mounted rudder servo and kevlar pull-pull wire. I have also made a new bigger and lighter rudder. The elevator servo is a Hitec HS225BB which is a miniservo of about 4 kg pulling power that is mounted on the side of the fuse under the elevator on one side. The elevator halves are joined with 4mm wire. The setup is not really very good and it looks strange to have the servo sticking out of the thin fuse so I’m not happy with it. I recommend a sentrally mounted servo with a wooden elevator pushrod with split wire ends.

  5. Hi Jon,

    Thanks for the reply and sharing your setup. I have decided to use one Hitec 645MG servo mounted centrally and wooden rod with Y ends for elev control.

    Cheers!
    Rajoo

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