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<\/a>at the 2012 FAC Nats<\/p><\/div>\n
This model has a 13″ wingspan!\u00a0 It is classified today as a “Victory” model – one of several diminutive sport planes published during those war years and now recognized by the FAC through the Pinkham Field Handbook rules.<\/p>\n
I have had much fun with the yellow model over the years but it was never a real performer.\u00a0 I managed to get one 60-second flight with it once, but my second version looks to have much more potential, already logging 30 seconds on just 500 turns.\u00a0 Here are some photos of this build – which took me 24 hours from parts to flying (video at the end)!<\/p>\n
Finally, here is the test flight video.\u00a0 I did several test flights, tweaking the CG and the thrust.\u00a0 This one was the last as it finally did that nice right climb.\u00a0 As you can see, any more turns and I will be out of my yard and into the trees (again) – or lost!<\/p>\n<\/a>Here is the redrawn plan, traced from the original, and the laser-cut wood.\u00a0 In building, I discovered that a couple of pieces needed to be reworked.\u00a0 This ALWAYS happens to me and is one reason why I never release anything that hasn’t been built and successfully flown.<\/p>\n<\/a>One reason this took a few years to get to production was the concern of how to help the modeler build the triangular fuselage.\u00a0 I decided to include the two jigs that would hold the keel at the proper height while the side pieces were added.\u00a0 I also include approximate shapes for each side piece on the plan (see the red box in the photo of the plan).<\/p>\n<\/a>All parts built and ready to cover.<\/p>\n<\/a>All parts covered and ready to assemble.<\/p>\n<\/a>The wing cabanes bent and installed.\u00a0 the V shape needs to be the same as the V of the fuselage (or close).\u00a0 Patterns provided on the plan.\u00a0 I did change the plan a little – the original had these the same length and incidence was set by adjusting the tail.\u00a0 I chose to make these different heights and have the tail fixed.<\/p>\n<\/a>Ready to fly, without rubber.\u00a0 This is pretty light considering the sticks are all 3\/32″ and all of the ribs are 1\/16″.\u00a0 This model was over-engineered – 1\/16″ square sticks would easily support the model.\u00a0 But that’s not how it was done so we have a robust model that will take a lot of abuse.\u00a0 Use the lightest 3\/32″ wood you can find – it will be plenty strong.<\/p>\n<\/a>My two Shafts.\u00a0 The original plans call for a 5″ diameter single blade folder.\u00a0 A couple years ago, the FAC rules stated that the props for OT models had to have the same number of blades as shown on the plan.\u00a0 So I made a single blade (not a folder) from a 6″ Czech, cut down to 5″.\u00a0 It worked, but a 2-blade plastic is so much easier.\u00a0 Again, a cut-down Czech prop is on the new one.<\/p>\n<\/a> <\/a>One test flight flew out of my back yard, over a 40 foot high row of trees, around to the front yard, finally landing on the back side of the house.\u00a0 More trimming was obviously necessary!\u00a0 Another landed in a little cherry tree in the back yard – I could just reach up and rescue that one.\u00a0 IT also went up into trees in the back yard.\u00a0 My 35′ pole got a workout 3 times fetching that plane.<\/p>\n