Description

This is a weird plan with some significant drafting errors, but it’s really good airplane that you should seriously consider building.  There are a few things you need to know when you build.

• Ignore the center of gravity location on the plan.  The draftsman made a serious error.  Your center of gravity should be at the rear edge of the spar, which is 30% of the chord.  If you follow the plan, the plane will fly very very poorly.
• The plan shows balsa fuselage sides and plywood top and bottom, or you can choose an alternate fuselage made from lite ply.
• The kit includes lite ply windshield plate, nose plate, chin plate, and bottom plate.  You put balsa on the aft fuselage top and bottom, and on the bottom of the cowl.
• A landing gear plate is included for installation inside the fuselage.   Just build the fuselage, then stick this plate on the inside of the floor with epoxy, then add some triangle stock on top of it.
• You have your choice of full length ribs for 3 channel flying, or trimmed ribs for 4 channel flying.  Please specify which ribs you want when ordering.  If building with ailerons, use a 1/4″ balsa trailing edge stick and tapered balsa stock for the ailerons.
• The stabilizer is 3/16 x 3 x 17.5 balsa.  If this is cut out on a laser cutter it will have to be centered properly and in all likelihood the laser will run off one edge and the piece will end up a little bit small.  It’s much easier to just cut a piece of balsa sheet to length by hand, and hocus pocus, you have the stabilizer. Use the other end of the sheet to make the 1.5 x 17.5 inch elevator.

This plane doesn’t look exciting, but I’ve built it a couple of times in the past and it truly is an impressive flier.  Center of mass is well below the center of lift, so aileron response is good to a 45 degree roll, then it gets a bit reluctant.  But with some piloting skills you can make this plane do anything you want it to, and it will also slow down and let you relax.  I flew both of mine with a 20 FP and it was plenty.  It would also do well with a 26 to 30 four stroke or a 25 FP.