Comments
Recent comments
Not all Bostonians look like caricatures. For instance, the Old Howard and the Boston Defender.
Lr : Dorastonian FW-190 D9 : 12/08/2026
Thomas, those dashed blue lines are the dihedral angle and show how much to raise each wing tip.
Bill H : Gumowka : 12/08/2026
Oh very good. I was wondering if I was sending the attachments in the correct format.
I hope you received the updated plan.
RB : Kloud Queen : 12/08/2026
Plans are in Czech, anyone know what the blue dashed lines on the plans indicate? And what dihedral is needed?
Thomas Solinski : Gumowka : 12/08/2026
Kloud Queen [main pic]. Built and flown by James Hainen from plan oz12626.
Rene Belloc : Kloud Queen : 12/08/2026
Attached some pictures of 2 models of Kanja i did long time ago [main pic, 003-007].
Best regards,
Jure : Kanja : 11/08/2026
Fixed now, see update.
SteveWMD : Miss Laura : 11/08/2026
I have a GCSE in biology, and I can confirm that Brian's feet are the wrong way around.
JBP
(Appendectomies are not by appointment only).
John Green : Brian : 11/08/2026
I built a Chris Gold Lanc during lock down from an old 'part kit' that I bought off ebay.
In hindsight I should have fitted electric motors, but instead I went for IC (imagine those four smoke trails!)
It's 99.9% finished and hopefully it'll take to the air soon.
Lance : Avro Lancaster : 10/08/2026
The PDF plans presented here print a 52 inch wingspan. The original design was 56 inch span with equal panels. The prototype was built in 1979 making it super 70’s Legal. The design is based around the full size Cassutt Racer using Bob Hunt Genesis 40 numbers. The Genesis 40 was kitted but never published. Originally powered by the Super tigre G21 / 46 and then the OS Max 40FSR.
Cassutt Racer : Miss Laura : 09/08/2026
The Keener Industries Brat ignition engine was made in 1937/8. Hex head versions are 0.138cu inch and round head version are 0.15cu inch displacement usually.
The Bantam 0.14 is also a very suitable engine for this model. Tony Penhall's best pal - John Kemp, built his model with a Bantam 0.14 and flew it regularly. I have that model.
David H : Eaglet : 09/08/2026
The different versions of the Wock arise from the almost universal habit among modelers of wanting to put their own "touches" on the models the build. See the late Lou Vargo and the Vargowock. But the basic design was just flat out wonderful. I've seen Wocks bouncing around in thermals or in ground lift for years at FF fields.
Mike Myers : Gollywock : 09/08/2026
The version doesn't appear to have a swept wing like the big brother
Rene Belloc : Eaglet : 09/08/2026
So many versions of this model. Why? We've built four of the things and can confirm it's an exceptionally reliable and high performing model. You can build in your usual adjustments and it will fly off the board. Having said that, I never read the instructions and so didn't bother with the wing incidence packing. Is that why they don't need all that downthrust?
bill dennis : Gollywock : 09/08/2026
French article says the cg is at approximately half chord of the top wing.
MHodgson : La Libellule : 08/08/2026
Does anyone know the center of gravity for comparison?
Friedrich S : La Libellule : 08/08/2026
I made pure glider as my first rc airplane. Learn to fly on the slope. It flies really good. I love it.
Jure : Kanja : 07/08/2026
My flying buddy's name is Brian so I plan to do this half scale as a catapult glider to bug him.
Gary : Brian : 07/08/2026
Thank you very much for this plan of an old favorite of mine. There is a plane very similar to the Rainbow. Much lesser known of course, but a plane every Frenchman and every admirer of France as I am one would like to see in planform. I'm talking about the one and only SNCASE SE-1010 four-engined reconnaissance aircraft.
Dear Monsieur Akery if there would be a possibility to draw a plan of this aircraft I would be very, very grateful. Best wishes for your future works!
Robert Schlickewitz : Republic XR-12 Rainbow : 06/08/2026
Thank you, Allen.
John Green : Flying Quaker : 06/08/2026
Doh. My mistake. Hang on. Ok, fixed now, includes all the missing text.
SteveWMD : Tipsy Junior : 06/08/2026
Many thanks for pp2. But the article is still incomplete! There is more, beyond that!
D A : Tipsy Junior : 06/08/2026
Steve n Mary, I am currently building a new sub 250g version [pic 006] of the Smart-e with a 2204-14 motor and 2S 550 lipo. I'll share flight photos and reports soon.
Tom Binkley : Smart-e : 06/08/2026
probably this plan was originated by the Paul Matt's scale plan. This plan with section is on Vol. 2 Matt scale plans book you can download from RC Library of OZ.
Pit : Howard DGA-15 : 06/08/2026
Meanwhile, have uploaded an alternate scan of page 2 for now, thanks to Alexander.
SteveWMD : Tipsy Junior : 06/08/2026
Curious. Which PDF reader are you using?
SteveWMD : Tipsy Junior : 06/08/2026
Hmmm. It fails for me, here. I'm using free Acrobat Reader on a Win 10 PC. I get the error: "Insufficient data for an image" when I try to view page 2.
SteveWMD : Tipsy Junior : 06/08/2026
Looks fine to me
pmw : Tipsy Junior : 06/08/2026
Hi there,
the second page of the article looks scrambled to me.
Cheers
Alex : Tipsy Junior : 06/08/2026
The 2x6 kit uses the same wing parts, only they shortened the wing down to six feet instead of the two meter. In my 2x6 kit, the dowels needed to be cut down as they were the same exact length as the 2x2 wing. I have built both kits and still have the plans for both planes.
Clay James : 2 x 2 : 06/08/2026
The rear of the fuselage is slab sided and formers cam be figured out by transferring a couple of dimensions
Jonathan Noon : Howard DGA-15 : 05/08/2026
Megows named it , I think , when putting the design out in kit form . The factory was in Philadelphia where there may have been a substantial Quaker community . The Quaker reference showed up in many commercial products like " Quaker State Motor Oil " .
Allen Wale : Flying Quaker : 05/08/2026
Unfortunately there are no formers provided with this excellent plan.
DsBerns : Howard DGA-15 : 05/08/2026
Thank you for sharing your pictures of an absolutely beautiful model! Everyone should be sure to watch your YouTube video of it flying. Excellent work and trimming to get such a great flight.
Keep up the great work.
David
David L Hammond : Beech Super King Air 200 : 04/08/2026
Added two pics of the Foo 2 model [main pic, 004 ] built by Andrew Longhurst, showing the 2 different sized wings at 23 in and 39 in span.
SteveWMD : Foo 2 : 03/08/2026
Steve: You were not far off, the OML was traced from the actual wing (and why not) I could have established a datum or wing reference lines, plotted points and connected them with a spline and French curves but that would only provide a close approximation. The outline alone would be a tracing. What I provided was the plan for building the wing, it may not be pretty but its certainly functional.
Ray : Rascal : 03/08/2026
I don't think I could've found it myself but I appreciate you posting the link. And, I think the Airborne Plans folks will too.
Ken : DG 146B Canard : 03/08/2026
SteveWMD: Do you have a link for all your suspended plans? That thumbnail is intriguing and I’ve sent a request to Airborne Plans. I’m just wondering what else I may be missing.
Fully understand you’re trying to keep this legal and honest unlike the clown!
God bless you
Tyson : DG 146B Canard : 02/08/2026
Ah, ok got it. My bad. I thought it was literally traced from the wooden part. Ok. Renamed that file as Wing Plan, now.
SteveWMD : Rascal : 02/08/2026
Mario, you're going to have to take that up with the new owners of the Airborne Magazine Plans List. Not us. Hope you understand. Maybe try using the contact page on that site?
SteveWMD : DG 146B Canard : 02/08/2026
How is this even possible? Airborne has been defunct for decades, there's no online archive, and the link doesn't let you buy anything.
Mario Rios : DG 146B Canard : 02/08/2026
Steve: What you titled a "tracing" is in standard industry practice (actually) reverse engineering as it contains dimensions, stock sizes, and processes NOT contained in any Top Flite kit data. There isn't even an outline of the wing.
Ray : Rascal : 02/08/2026
Hi Steve, Attached is Spad oz 4033 scaled to 9 inch span. I have checked it prints correctly on 4 sheets from Adobe using poster mode.
Cheers
Tony : Spad XIIIG : 02/08/2026
You can make sheet aluminium landing gears out of 6061-T6 sheet. I've bent up to 1/8" thick x 2" wide - about the limit and enough for a 5 lb model. Cut out with a hack-saw if you must but a band saw is a lot quicker. Get a VIXEN file to clean up the edges and remove scratches before bending. Don't bend against the sharp steel jaws of a vise - it will crack. Put a block of wood behind the bend (fir, poplar, pine, etc.) and bend over the wood, which will compress to give a nicely-radiused bend. Machine screws for axles with a nut on each side - tap a thread in the ali for a better fit. Almost as good as Hallco's!
Paul,
Paul : Lil Ghost : 02/08/2026
John:
I panicked when l read your comment. I knew I downloaded it within the past year but I never printed it. It looks like it’s a “suspended plan.” IOW, you have to get it from Airborne https://outerzone.co.uk/plan_details_suspended.asp?ID=15369
I wonder if they’ll be coming after their other plans?
Chet
Chet : DG 146B Canard : 02/08/2026
I'm a real fan of Canards and have thought about this one for years. Last year, I built a NACARD from OZ plans with a Mills1.3 repro on the power pod. That plan has disappeared from the Outerzone listing along with a smaller slope soaring derivative. Name escapes me. Sometimes, they appear on the Wayback Machine.
John Bianco : DG 146B Canard : 01/08/2026
At 50% full size the tiled print should only cover four sheets.
pmw : Spad XIIIG : 01/08/2026
Hmm. Safe to say this plan is not scaled correctly. If someone can resize this to the correct wingspan and submit a better version, we'll replace it. Myself, I don't know how to do that - I'm just a bitmap hack.
SteveWMD : Spad XIIIG : 01/08/2026
I really miss the Hallco sheet aluminum gear, the best there was. They would survive any landing without complaint. If you bent one of these, you had a lot more problems than a bent gear. So many items we can't get anymore. I've been forced to resort to wire gear, a lot more trouble but a reasonable alternative. I had to buy a big vise just to bend the wire. A BMFH helps.
Doug Smith : Lil Ghost : 01/08/2026
It's worse than that. Although the wingspan measured 18" on the PDF plan, when I tried to print it out at 50%, it wanted 15 sheets to do it, clearly not right. The plan sheet size identified as 24.5 x 34.5. I failed to figure it out.
Doug Smith : Spad XIIIG : 01/08/2026
It measures about twice as big as it should be.
pmw : Spad XIIIG : 01/08/2026
Ray described the use of oil pastels to decorate this and other all-sheet models. I took his advice and used oil pastels on both my Long John models - it's easy and quick, and gives a very good finish on this kind of model.
John Park : Long John : 01/08/2026
I built a 3 footer in the 1960's and it was a Mercury kit.
Martin Cox : Three Footer : 01/08/2026
Description states that this is a pistachio scale model, but the plans are not scaled properly and print much larger than pistachio scale.
Jeffrey Greene : Spad XIIIG : 31/07/2026
I have that Aeromodeller magazine.
Gerry Hand : FAI Team Racer : 31/07/2026
Mr. Halls very own “Hallco” gear legs were quite nice.
dave : Lil Ghost : 31/07/2026
The original was 38 inches. Wouldn’t that make this version scaled UP?
Dies Irae : Baby Mercury : 31/07/2026
Hii Mary and Steve, New model [main pic, 003-007]. Oryginal scale 13inch span plan.
Maciej : Fairchild 24 : 31/07/2026
Hallo, Attached is a picture of my Northstar [pic 006] from the Laddie Mikulasko plan.
Many thanks,
RC Tom : North Star : 31/07/2026
Very cool pics and history. Thank you! I still have a kit - it’s got that picture of the girl on the lid. Hmm, I should build it someday. Or let someone else…
Bob : Honker Bipe : 29/07/2026
Thank you Dave!
Ian : Q-Tee : 29/07/2026
Hola amigos de Outerzone, Here is my Rocketeer [pics 015-019] set up for radio-assisted flight. It is equipped with an Italian Movo D2 engine. I hope you like it, and thanks to Outerzone for the magnificent plan.
Best regards, from Buenos Aires, Argentina,
Luis A Piana : Rocketeer A : 29/07/2026
Those booms look very fragile for combat
bill dennis : Mini Nemesis : 29/07/2026
That fake Cox 049 is just terrific!
Dave : Q-Tee : 28/07/2026
Hi Steve and Mary, I'm happy to share photos of my recently completed and maiden flown Q-Tee [pics 054-059]. It's an original kit built model. Instead of an 049 Cox engine, I opted to go electric with a twist. My good friend 3D-printed a Q-Tee dummy engine, so the electric is enclosed in it and it gives off a really neat looking resemblance of the engine. Hoping these photos may find their way to your website. Please continue to grow the Outerzone website, it really is a fantastic site. Thanks and more power to you!
Best Regards,
Ian San Agustin : Q-Tee : 28/07/2026
Diego, in my build for the magazine article, I stayed as per plan, i.e. with the significant wing incidence and dihedral. The aim was to reproduce the model as offered in 1955, not to modify it, with 60 years of radio control hindsight to result in a 21st century flying machine.
I did add a couple of washers to the top of the motor for a little extra downthrust with the more powerful (electric versus glow) motor, but the key changes were in the flying style - use more power to climb (quickly and up to 1950's contest model heights!), modest throttle for stable cruising flight, or back right off to bring it down where you want it (a 1950's luxury!).
The rudder was very effective, rocking the model into a turn, which combined with elevator, allowed the pilot to hold it in a banked turn. The bonus of elevator control allowed the nose to be kept down for speedy penetration in wind, or to slow down and flair for landing. Otherwise, the main flying was hands-off, as befitting the sport free flight design brief of the original Ballerina.
I've posted Mary a copy of the original article which gives the build and flying details which you might find interesting.
Roger
Roger T : Ballerina : 28/07/2026
This is one of the best flying and handling goodyear racing planes out there. My father and I campained one for many year with many wins in the north east. The lower wing loading makes it a joy to fly. Carve the airfoil with some shape on the bottom. If you make a flat bottom airfoil it will fly nose down to stay level. Reinforce the rear fuselage and use a fairlead on the pushrod and you will have a good flying good looking plane.
Walt Gifford : La Jollita : 28/07/2026
"ultimate in maneuverability"!
bill dennis : Meteor : 28/07/2026
Maxfliart's is an 18" version from the designer. His model is brilliant and the video is a good example of the trimming process.
James : De Havilland DH 2 : 28/07/2026
Or any other Supermarine racer for that matter.
DB : Supermarine Racer : 28/07/2026
I think because it does not look like an S5.
Tim Larson : Supermarine Racer : 28/07/2026
I'm curious just how someone determined this was an S5 and not an S6.
Lincoln : Supermarine Racer : 27/07/2026
Back in the day, way back actually, me and my buddies flew small free flight models. RC was outside of our budget and not reliable anyway. My favorite was the Pee Wee 020, just about right for this airplane. I agree it has a LOT of incidence in the wing. We would go ahead and build it that way, then adjust the CG until a hand glide indicated it was about right. A free flight model has to fly by itself, no RC to correct any problems. Usually the engine would need some downthrust to tame the climb before the engine quit. It takes a lot of downthrust to make much difference. A couple of washers behind the bolts was not enough. Once all these adjustments were made, we had a good flyer. Engine run was limited by holding the model sideways while filling the tank, didn't always work. You would be surprised how high a Pee Wee would get after a two minute run. And run we did to retrieve it before it got out of sight. But RC is different. I would take most of the incidence out. If you line up the bottom of the wing airfoil with the stab, it will have just enough. I assume you'll have rudder and elevator control. Probably best to move the CG back a little also, looks too far forward to me. Adding downthrust during construction is easy. You can adjust trim with elevator. If it glides OK but climbs too steeply under power, it's NOSE heavy. If you ever have to give it down elevator on landing, it's tail heavy. Should make a beautiful little model, go for it.
Doug Smith : Ballerina : 27/07/2026
Riser Rider electric [pic 006].
Craig Matsuura : Riser Rider : 27/07/2026
Maxfliart has posted a gorgeous new film of a completed copy of the model in test flights : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8iAvba9T-g
Martin La Grange : De Havilland DH 2 : 27/07/2026
Is the wing incidence maintained even when doing RC?
Diego : Ballerina : 27/07/2026
Thank you for checking it, SteveWMD
John Green : Nieuport 28 : 26/07/2026
Bonjour, Here are two photos of the Multiplex Flamengo III model [main pic, 003]; I notice there are currently no photos available.
Bonne réception
Cordialement,
Christian : Flamengo III : 26/07/2026
I was browsing and noticed you had no recent pics of Don Srull's excellent Gee Bee D, so I thought I'd share [main pic].
I've actually built this one twice from plans I ordered from RCM back in the 90's. The first had a Baby Bee .049 and no ailerons. This one is electric and "full house", as they used to say. It's a wonderfully balanced flier, just a pleasant plane to fly, although fast.
I use a shorty battery that loads through the cockpit and slides to the firewall.
AUW: 26.75 oz, including 3.75oz of ballast on the firewall.
Gforce 2212-2200 motor, 30a ESC, 3s2200-35 battery, 6x4 Prop
Jon : Gee Bee Model D Sportster : 26/07/2026
Not sure where those two pics are from, to be honest. Probably they appeared in Aeromodeller or such. They are not credited or in the gallery, so that means they were not sent in to us direct by the builder.
SteveWMD : Gull : 26/07/2026
Courtesy of Google AI:
'The prominent control-line aeromodeller and designer H. C. Quek came from Singapore. During the 1960s and 1970s, he was an active figure in the region's model aviation community and served as a prominent contributor and writer for the international AeroModeller magazine.
The Singapore Aeromodelling Society (S.A.S.): Quek was a key representative and coordinator for the S.A.S., organising regional quarterly flying competitions and connecting local enthusiasts with British Royal Air Force (RAF) station model clubs based at Seletar, Tengah, and Changi.
He became globally recognised in the hobby for designing simple, durable, and highly capable control-line semi-scale stunt aircraft. His published plans via the AeroModeller Plans Service'
Roger T : Chihuahua : 26/07/2026
Do like the electric R/C twin version. Very nice.
Who takes the credit for this, Steve?
Roger T : Gull : 26/07/2026
What an amazing contraption! I wonder if anyone else besides Mr. Gyford has ever built one. Looks like a real challenge. The wing reminds me of Rupert Moore's Twin Gull Wakefield design. In that case the two props are pushers. It uses the Moore drive, which looks improbable on paper. The Twin Gull is also on Outerzone.
LR : Gull : 26/07/2026
It might be a good idea to mention in the description that the Gypsy was a Wakefield.
LR : Gypsy : 26/07/2026
Just wondering, does anyone know where H C Quek is from?
Pereira Francis : Chihuahua : 25/07/2026
I built a Smoothie in the early 2000's and flew it at Palm Bay Florida. Outstanding design. Very Beautiful. It hooked a boober thermal n a flight where I was rushing the prep-- and forgot to light the DT Fuse. OOS in about 17 minutes, never found...
J. LeBlanc : Smoothie : 25/07/2026
The plan says 1/8" or 5/32", but it's a pretty big airplane. If I were building it, I would go for 3/16", usually the largest size available at hobby shops. You'll need a pretty heavy duty soldering gun to solder three pieces of sturdy wire. I've done it but I have an ancient Weller 250 watt gun, and I used Stay-Brite silver solder with the flux that came with it. You'll need a big vise and a BMFH to hit it with. I would avoid brazing. Mine was for an 80" Stik with double 3/16" wire. Like most old timers, the gear is mounted way out front to protect the expensive prop. It will bounce on every landing unless you move the gear back.
Doug Smith : Falcon : 25/07/2026
Hi All, the gauge for the undercarriage is not shown on the plan does anyone know what the size is ?
Mark Pedwell : Falcon : 25/07/2026
Doh. Yes, you're right. This is a duplicate of Bostonian Pacific Ace (oz15621) Adding a note in the text for now. Will suspend this listing in a bit, and tidy up.
SteveWMD : Bostonian Pacific Ace : 25/07/2026
Hi Steve. This looks suspiciously similar to oz15621.
Skippy : Bostonian Pacific Ace : 25/07/2026
Hi, I'm surprised to see the plans of my design in 1998 being published in Outerzone website! This is a photo of the Deceivers that I'll like to share [main pic].
Joe Yap : Deceiver : 24/07/2026
Here is a pic of the Bill Winter Plan Book the Boomer was reprinted in [pic 004].
Dave : Boomer : 24/07/2026
Beautiful airplane, would love to have one or build. Will put on a USB. Thank you for the information and story. I am an old timer flyer.
Robbin Pichelman : Big Guff : 24/07/2026
That is a very interesting dive into history of the Seabee. And it’s suprising the Spencer Air Car has no presence here on OZ. Republic may have struggled, but the P47 was a home run.
Dave : Seabee : 23/07/2026
This plan is actually for a model of the prototype RC-1 aircraft (originally called "Thunderbolt") which had a tapered cantilever wing,and landing gear that folded up flush into "wells" in the sides of the fuselage/hull. The Seabee that went into production is the RC-3, with constant chord wing (famous for its external, formed stiffeners in the "skins") supported by wing struts. The production landing gear simply rotated "aft and up" on spindles for retraction and did not take up cabin space. This allowed for a roomier back seat that could comfortably seat 2 passengers. The strut braced production wing was much lighter and simpler to build than the tapered strutless wing with its large parts count. For a brief summary of the RC-1 and RC-3 click on the tabs in the header:
https://www.seabee.info/seabee_history_racac.htm
Another Dave : Seabee : 23/07/2026
You have 2 plans for the Republic Seabee attributed to Mr. Mountjoy. I saw this picture [pic 003] in the November 1946 issue of Model Airplane News. MAN did publish a plan (your #948) for the Seabee just the previous January, so perhaps that was his inspiration and I would suggest you post this pic with that plan. 10 months may have been enough time for him to build it and get a picture to MAN for publication.
Dave : Seabee : 23/07/2026
Hello Steve and Mary, here are some photo's of the Q-tee I build using the plan on the Outerzone [pics 051-053]. It was the first time I used a laser to cut the parts for me.
The Q-Tee_RCM-625_oz1350_vector_dfritzke file made learning the new tool easy.
Thanks for hosting the site.
Best regads
Wouter : Q-Tee : 23/07/2026
The last piece of wood is glued, the rudder horns are placed, this is now the home stretch, the time when joy is growing more and more…a few weeks and Piattelli is in the air. :-)
Matze : Piattellissimo : 23/07/2026
Got it. Ok have set the designer as Miroslav Stanek now, also grabbed a copy of that photo. Many thanks :)
SteveWMD : Krkoun : 22/07/2026
Design by Miroslav Stanek.
Wing span 2420 mm, wing area 60 dm2, weight 900 g, wing loading 15 g/dm2.
Photo of the structure:
https://www.sam78.cz/apr_list/images/1945-krkoun.jpg
JanC : Krkoun : 22/07/2026
I built one of these when it came out. I can see it now, flying over the garden hedge before alighting on the pond next door. Rather like a duck but without the waterproofing.
bill dennis : Flutter-By : 22/07/2026
Hi Steve and Mary, I recently finished building the 1939 Guillows Swallow from the plan on Outerzone. I noticed there weren’t any build photos for this model yet, so I thought you might like to add these to the plan page [main pic, 003, 004]. Please feel free to use them if you think they’re useful.
Thanks for all the work you do with Outerzone. It is by far my most favourite Website, I scroll it on brakes to ease my mind.
Best regards,
Jonas Baumhauer : Swallow : 21/07/2026
I imported the PDF drawing into QCAD.
It was immediately converted to DWG, and I was able to import it into Lightburn without any loss of data.
Stefano : Bird of Time HLG : 21/07/2026
Greetings Steve and Mary, as always, thank you for your tireless work! I have attached a couple photos of my RC Special [main pic, 012], built from the Davey Systems, Corp. kit. It is powered by an OS .40 engine.
Cheers,
David L Hammond : RC Special : 20/07/2026
Beautiful looking bird and terrific paint job. It looks like it was worth the extra effort.
Jan Novick : Hansa Brandenburg W29 : 20/07/2026
Dear Steve last Thursday Gero's P80 had its maiden flight. Enclosed some photos [014-021], see the video here: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HPuVEQMtvUo&ra=m
Cheers,
Matzito : P-80 Shooting Star : 20/07/2026
Dear Mary, Finally, please find attached photographs of my Hansa Brandenburg W29 [main pic, 011-015]. Built as per plan with modifications done to the cowl and rear observers decking and also some embellishing and additions to the floats and accompanying struts. It can at best be described as “stand off” scale.
I did not enjoy the build very much but the final aircraft is not so bad if one is looking to model something a little different.
Kind regards, Gino
Gino Franchi : Hansa Brandenburg W29 : 20/07/2026
I seen a peanut stand, heard a rubber band
I seen a needle that winked its eye
But I be done seen 'bout ev'rything
When I see an elephant fly...
(from Dumbo) :)
Les Pingel : Austria Elefant : 19/07/2026
For those wishing to model this I was surprised to see that French aircraft used enamel for metal surfaces and lacquer based coatings for fabric. Powdered aluminum was added to the lacquer for better ultra violet protection. The two types of paint were similar but not matched exactly in color. The Nieu 28 in Udvar-Hazey shows this sheen quite well/
Thomas Solinski : Nieuport 28 : 18/07/2026
Hi Steve&Mary, thanks for this plan. I just finished the artwork of the Sierra Trainer [main pic, 005], the first flights already took place (Thanks to my flying-buddy Udo, who helped me quite a lot). It turned out a bit heavy (2,5kg), powered with a Pichler Boost 40, 4S and 11x7". Still flies great, slow and fast, always controllable and the motor is perfectly suited for this plane. My oldest son made the fuselage-design. The wings are acc. to plan. If I had to do it again the nose would be a lot longer and -all-in-all- I would try to save weight! What the author does not mention is that you have to balance it very well, a few mm make a lot of difference! And also the wings should be in balance perfectly - it is a lot more sensitive to deviations than I expected!
Again, Thanks for your fine site!
Tobias Kettner : Sierra Trainer : 18/07/2026
Mark: No the Mid-wing design does not have a one piece contiguous wing. It is secured by rubber bands in tension and supported by functional lift struts. Its my knock off wing design for FF but for RC with ailerons a one piece wing would be more practical. The wing has a shorter span with a more "Spitfire" plan form and greater depth of chord. I have my layouts and will post a picture.
Ray : Rascal : 18/07/2026
Hii Mary and Steve New model. Oryginal scale 12 inch span [main pic, 003-005].
Maciej : Pipit ROG : 18/07/2026
The Top Banana 200 is a legal Society of Antique Models airplane. It is before the design cut off date. It makes a nice little model for the 36 inch Electric Replica event. J&H Aerospace sells a nice laser cut kit for the Banana.
If you don't want to fly it at a SAM contest, it also is neat little park flyer.
Mike Myers : Top Banana 200 : 18/07/2026
I love the pictures Marcin! I built one for C/L over 40 years ago powered by a soviet 2.5 cc diesel. Lots of fond memories flying it in my primary school althletic field with my friend.
Swav : Wicherek 10 : 17/07/2026
Hi Mary, Attached is a photo of my Boomer [pic 003]. It flies surprising well! Thanks for making the plan available!
Brooke Linford : Boomer : 17/07/2026
Attached are some photos of my completed American Ace 30 [main pic, 007-011]. The most difficult part of building this model was covering the pylon. After several attempts wet-covering with silkspan, I couldn't get it wrinkle-free. A few coats of butyrate dope shrunk it perfectly.
Walter Kiernan : American Ace 30 : 17/07/2026
Hi i redraw and enlarged the Tinker [main pic, 003-005]. As I like the 45" so much.
David Tofton : Super Tinker : 17/07/2026
Hello Mary and Steve, this is my second model [pics 007-011] I built with the plans that you collect and provide to all interests worldwide. Thanks for that.
As I got only a heavier motor 0.7 oz I made some adaptations to improve the stability of the wing and the servo mounting.
The canopy layers has been increased to four cause by the motor.
See attached pictures. May be that I can fly this also on a calm day outside.
Bernd : MD-3 : 17/07/2026
Monfort in 1981 wrote a book "Styro-Flyers Model Airplanes from Hamburger Boxes and Fast Food Containers"
Pit : Spirit of Chernobyl : 17/07/2026
Hello again Outerzone, This is my BoxCar Chief that I built from plans [pic 004]. The picture was taken by Elwyn Aud at the Tulsa Gluedobbers contest, while I was flying in the Old Time Stunt category. Purple tissue trim under clear Ultracoat. Power is a Big Art OS 35. I bolted the wing on, rather than use dowels and rubber bands, but I did make allowances for attaching the wing with rubber bands if the contest judges said it was necessary for authenticity for OTS.
Doug Burright : Box Car Chief : 17/07/2026
Some photos of the Q-Tee [pics 048=050].
Luis Piana : Q-Tee : 17/07/2026
Hello, colleagues! I have assembled Miss Grandin's plane [pics 017-021] based on your drawings. The assembly took place in 2026. I am extremely pleased with the plane, and I would like to thank you for providing the drawings and detailed information about the model. It was a very exciting experience.
Igor Borisov : Miss Grandin : 17/07/2026
A guy named Platt Monfort was using kevlar bracing and fabric covering on boats starting in the early 1980's. You can still find the plans.
Lincoln : Spirit of Chernobyl : 17/07/2026
Sorry... should have specified. I meant the link to the kit put up by Sean Kriegler, not the link to the plan. Anyway, that is working now, so either he fixed it, or there was some kind of an issue from my end that resolved itself.
RC Yeager : De Havilland Tiger Moth : 16/07/2026
Ray: I love the mid wing variant- looks nice. I presume it is a one piece model?
I too am a retired aerospace engineer (graduated in 1976 and retired in 2013 - only 47 years though). I am currently working on a short kit for the Rascal and I might do a mid wing version too. Thanks for the inspiration.
Mark.
Mark Winstanley : Rascal : 16/07/2026
Which link? The Plan File link in the Download section is fine. The log shows 10,397 downloads so far. No issues.
SteveWMD : De Havilland Tiger Moth : 16/07/2026
Ok, sorry for the confusion. The previous plan here in this slot was a duplicate, see Sommer Monoplane (oz7627). Have now replaced it with this Nennig C3 plan.
SteveWMD : Nennig C.3 : 16/07/2026
Doh. My mistake. Just realised the Sommer Monoplane is a duplicate entry (see oz16879). Bear with me, will change this listing around.
SteveWMD : Nennig C.3 : 16/07/2026
it works to me
pit : De Havilland Tiger Moth : 16/07/2026
Link not working... can someone confirm yes or no.
RC Yeager : De Havilland Tiger Moth : 16/07/2026
EDUARDO, Thank you for the apology, we move forward as fellow members of this get hobby in the sprit of cooperation. I will get what information I have to fill in the "blanks" so that you and all modeler's have the necessary patterns to finish this fine airplane. I would be remiss if I didn't suggest that we all thank Steve and Mary for this devotion and OUTSTANDING contribution to this great hobby of ours. Thank you both !!!!!!!!!
Ray : Rascal : 16/07/2026
As Requested:
https://www.varlocity.com/ok-model-pilot-de-havilland-tiger-moth-88-laser-cut-short-kit
The short kit includes the cowling, Tank,oil Cooler and Hub Caps.
Sean Kriegler : De Havilland Tiger Moth : 15/07/2026
I had the original kit back in the day. Wish I still had it now.
terry blackman : Ballerina : 15/07/2026
Hi Steve/Mary, Lovely to see Vic Smeed's Ballerina make it to the archive. Back in 2014, I had the privilege of doing a build and review of an electric Ballerina for Quiet & Electric Flight International (thank you Kevin), supplied as a part kit from The Old School Model Aeroplane Factory. Power was a 1400kv brushless on a 2S LiPo.
I've enclosed a few pictures of the build [main pic, 004-007] for the exclusive use of Outerzone and its true followers to use (not for any pirated clone websites...) and there is a copy of the article, if anyone is interested.
Keep up your excellent work.
Roger T : Ballerina : 15/07/2026
Many thanks Ray Jacobelli for providing this T/F instruction set and Steve and Mary for publishing. Even though it lacks the flying surface parts and outlines, one can go to:
https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?1008310-%2A%2AFoamie-Rascal-27-36-40-with-plans-and-Video%2A%2A
and download the plan and pattern PDFs there. It is a foam version I believe of this same 27-in. R/C Rascal. Use the outlines as a basis for this balsa version.
Some may wonder why earlier plans did not include all patterns or full size plans. The late Joe Wagner, model aircraft designer and engine guru explained a time ago it was because then, kits were extremely competitive in cost. Thus due to printing costs being based on the size of paper. They provided what would allow the modeller to successfully complete the model but keep costs down so they could make money on increased sales over their competitors.
This is why also kit boxes were compact and fully packed to the brim leaving little air space inside. Kit engineering sometimes required splicing fuselage sides, longerons, wing spars, leading edges and trailing edges, and etc. This reduced warehousing space, used as much of the balsa sheets as possible reducing waste and made shipping easier and cheaper. It also allowed hobby shops to keep more kits in stock.
The splicing was still done in a manner to leave a model that was strong enough and could successfully fly. Many children and adults participated. Thus, most were sport modellers, building and flying for the fun of it. (This was before TV watching, Internet, computer and computer devices like cellular phones overtook us.)
Serious competitors may have use a kit for basis, but substituted better quality and lighter weight wood, use solid versus spliced pieces, and etc. It was a different mind set then.
George Hostler : Rascal : 14/07/2026
Hello my friends, My intention was not to be rude or not respectful. To those who were offended, my most sincere apologies. Sometimes I'm just bothered to see situations that might frustrate a would-be builder. But naturally, there is always a solution for everything.
Have a wonderful rest of day, my friends.
EDUARDO
Eduardo : Rascal : 14/07/2026
Some more photos of the Rascal [main pic, 007-010].
Ray : Rascal : 14/07/2026
Steve: I meant to include my mid-wing Rascal adaptation I called the "Red Head" in honor of my Mom [pics 005, 006]. The Cox .020 on it was brand new and still in the sealed packing when I bought it in 1972 at Polk's Hobby shop. I have the layout somewhere, having started in the industry when drafting sets were still required.
Best,
Ray : Rascal : 14/07/2026
Hello Mary, Here are a few photos of my Doubler II [main pic, 005-012]. However, I didn’t build the model myself. I bought it as it was. Unfortunately, the builder was unable to finish this beautiful model. I simply took over the remaining work (remote control, linkages, engine, etc.). In any case, the unknown builder constructed the model with absolute precision and did a particularly fine job on the engine cowling and the rear section of the canopy, which are made from balsa wood.
Regards,
Dieter : Doubler II : 14/07/2026
I agree with Ray. Calling submissions "useless" is rude. Rude and unhelpful. Likely to cause frustration. Likely to cause argument. I think a simple apology would be appropriate.
SteveWMD : Rascal : 14/07/2026
I built my first Sunny in the seventies. It flew a few years and I had to stop for almost 50 years. Now retired, I decided to renew with my passion, and I modified it to add a motor. Here are two photos of the two states, 50 years apart [020, 021].
Didier S. MARCHAND : Sunny : 14/07/2026
Has anyone converted to electric? Pictures?, Specs? Pointers?
Thanks
Bob Dzimbowski : Corky II : 14/07/2026
Eduardo: I don't agree with most everything you said. I shared the box and plans as I received them which were in outstanding shape for their age. The kit was incomplete but it wasn't too difficult to layout and fabricate missing components, IMO any scratch building modelers could do it. Had you asked me for some assistance, instead of being rude I would have been happy to accommodate you. Well that ship as left the port, so to speak and that is all behind us now. BTW I am a retired Aerospace Engineer, 2 years shy of 50 years in the industry
Ray : Rascal : 14/07/2026
Hello Pit, Of course I want to collaborate, especially with a very hard to find plan. That's no problem. The issue is TIME. I am involved in kit production, short kit production and several other tasks that I have to do every day, apart from sleeping, eating, watching Netflix, go out to fly, spend time with Paloma, my daughter and also film photography in my dark room and camera collection which is another of my activities. But I will solve the problem, jusr be a little patient. EDUARDO
Eduardo : Rascal : 13/07/2026
Thanks Eduardo, in the past I had the same problem. Solved. You can scan in parts with your scanner with a sufficient overlap at 300dpi, quick and rapid. Then post it to OZ, then someone else (me or Steve) can stitch and restore the plan. Please give us this opportunity to save this plan. Vern Clements is one of my preferred designer and when I was a boy I dreamed to build this rubber model that only appeared in a American Modeler 1973 cover. Thanks in advance for your effort Pit.
pit : Rascal : 12/07/2026
Hello Pit, are you some sort of a magician or fortune teller? How did you guess I was thinking on how to publish this plan? LOL. I DO HAVE THE VERN CLEMENS' GEEBEE GIANT RUBBER POWERED AIRPLANE. The problem is that he sent it to me way back in 1974 and it consists of EIGHT sheets all different sizes and after 52 years, it has faded a lot because it is an OZALID print and despite the fact that I have kept it very carefully. It can be restored but unfortunately, my scanner is a small letter size home unit. It would take me a lot of time to scan, stitch and restore each sheet of the plan to a high quality copy.
There is a printing store in the town I live and he has a professional big scanner but he charges a lot for scanning the sheets with no restoring. Perhaps there is another solution. I hear suggestions. Regards, EDUARDO
Eduardo : Rascal : 12/07/2026
Hi Eduardo,
from your great collection, have you for OZ the wonderful Vern Clements' Gee Bee Jumbo rubber powered plan? Could be a great addition, thanks for your assistance.
Pit : Rascal : 12/07/2026
Parmodels.org is gone, but it's saved on the Wayback Machine: https://web.archive.org/web/20251216081626/http://www.parmodels.com/jigtime-reproductions.html
Lincoln : Rascal : 12/07/2026
Hello Steve. I agree on your comments, some, not all. I still think that plans available free to download should be as complete as possible in order to be able for any person to build the model. A plan with no wings, designed for kit production is good for those who purchase the kit because the box includes a wing that can be built with no plans. . But if any guy wants to build the model from a plan legally downloaded from the web and not designed for building from the plan, can cause frustration to the would be builder. And if the model is no longer available as a kit and not just discontinued by the manufacturer who is still in business, I agree that the would be modeller should buy the kit, not make from the plans. But Top Flite, our of business for so many years means the kit would be only available from sites like Ebay and others as a collector’s item usually paying very high sums of money. All this said, I think it is perfectly feasible and legal to design the wing or any other part of the model not present on the kit plan in order to build the model, and naturally NOT FOR COMMERCIAL PURPOSES.
Interestingly, the oldest kit manufacturer still in business: Guillows, include on their beautifully drawn plans every part of the airplane AND all formers and parts. They state that they do this in order to make a broken or damaged parts. And 100 years in busines and going strong. The second oldest kit manufcturer in the world, our own Aeromodelos Britannia, 74 years, also include full size plans in every kit. Plans that include all the components of the aircraft.
Best wishes Steve from Colombia.
EDUARDO
Eduardo : Rascal : 12/07/2026
The outline shape of both the wing and stab is here: https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?1008310-%2A%2AFoamie-Rascal-27-36-40-with-plans-and-Video%2A%2A as Pit pointed out. That's a vector format plan drawn up by dz1sfb (for a foamie version) so it could be scaled up or down pretty easily. Have added a thumbnail of that plan here [pic 004].
SteveWMD : Rascal : 12/07/2026
Eduardo: All plans are the intellectual Property of the kit manufacturer and many MFR wisely decided not to include details and views that would allow for duplication. The Non-recurring cost associated with printing the plan sheets, box covers, tooling dies, raw materials would easily run tens of thousands of dollars. Think about how many kits Top Flite would have to sell at $5.99 just to recoup the initial investment. Other manufacturers used the same approach; VECO, Sterling, and Berkeley to name a few and none are in business today. So, in closing I doubt if any of the people at Top Flite cared (50 years later) that you found this inconvenient and neither do I. Best Wishes !
Ray : Rascal : 12/07/2026
Steve:
Here is the Model Aviation article on the Feather Merchant, published around the time of its approval. I have the original eighty inch plan and will submit it as soon as I figure out how!
RB
https://plans.modelaircraft.org/wp-content/uploads/pdf/MA00731MA1.pdf
Rene Belloc : Feather Merchant : 12/07/2026
Eduardo, the word "useless" is not appropriate. It is a bad choice. A better choice would be "incomplete". You have looked over the plan and then asked other people to complete it for you. Not to labour the point too much, but a plan that can be completed is by definition not useless.
SteveWMD : Rascal : 11/07/2026
more on plans in pdf:
https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?1008310-%2A%2AFoamie-Rascal-27-36-40-with-plans-and-Video%2A%2A
pit : Rascal : 11/07/2026
SIG made Rascal in different sizes, from their site you can download instruction with printed parts an layout for every size. The most similar for 049 cox.
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2281/6393/files/sigrc80rascal.pdf?1161818709039042179
don't forget Bradley plan for top flite rubber version http://www.parmodels.com/
Pit : Rascal : 11/07/2026
In my humble opinion, this plan is useless due to an absent wing plan of any type. Not even a three view. I understand why this was done though, since it was drawn to be used with the kit which included the die cut wing sheet and kit manufacturers usually did not encourage would be builders to make the model from the plan and also to reduce printing costs. Who will tackle the job of designing a wing plan? I would like to do it but lack of time prevents me from doing so. Cheers. Eduardo (Colombia)
Eduardo : Rascal : 11/07/2026
It is made for a much bigger puls jet than a Dynajet.
Tomas Leijon : Fieseler Fi 103 Reichenberg IV : 11/07/2026
Would be nice to have plan for wing and stabilizer. They probably weren't included with the kit, but an outline tracing would be very nice to have.
DPlumpe : Rascal : 11/07/2026
Had one of these back about 1964! Cox .010, F&M Pioneer rcvr, Babcock escapement. Two aborted flights to get it trimmed out, launched for the third excellent flight that turned into a untimed FF! Forgot to rewind the escapement rubber.
50+airyears : Rascal : 11/07/2026
As an afterthought I include these two pictures [014, 015] showing my plane with wing gussets coming from the wing all the way almost to the decal.
fonzwolf : P-63 King Cobra : 09/07/2026
Found your page with the Electro Streak. I built one of these around 1989, originally as an electric, but the power systems back then were barely up to the task. After a bad crash I rebuilt it with a glow .15 motor. Photo attached [pic 011]. It had jet like performance.
I appreciate you posting the plans. I may someday build one from scratch, powered by modern electrics.
Cheers!
Bob Osorio : Electro Streak : 09/07/2026
I wasn’t a subscriber to FM, but my dentist was and this issue was in the waiting room.
The model became my first foray into the world of electrics. Three decades ago, equipment wasn’t what it is today and it was probably heavy. I swapped in a PeeWee .020 and it was a hot little model albeit a little rudder sensitive.
Rene Belloc : Skipper : 08/07/2026
I recently built one, but I made it a profile model. Still, it flies beautifully and elegantly—just like a Redskin!
Paulo Conedera de Lucena : Redskin : 08/07/2026
To Paul Richardson: Empty tank to set the CG only when it is forward of the CG. But the tank must be full when it is mounted aft of the CG as it is in this design.
DB : Canard Stick : 07/07/2026
Doh. Electric, yes. Ok got it, have fixed the tags now :)
SteveWMD : Skipper : 07/07/2026
Tagged as IC but clearly an electric model, though you could install a combustion poweplant I guess.
Gary : Skipper : 07/07/2026
Comment to Dave P you need to balance all ic planes with an empty tank otherwise your most critical maneuver landing will be with a tail heavy plane ready to stall at any moment this is the reason all ic aircraft need a touch of down inverted where electric planes can be balanced right on the sweet spot c of g and will fly neutral generally, great plane Dave beautiful build job
Paul Richardson : Canard Stick : 07/07/2026
Jim, I am very interested to learn more about your model. 15.5 oz is just an amazing weight for a model of this size, and I would love to build another copy. I think I would add some ailerons and maybe omit the gear for some nice flying up high, but would still aim for a similar AUW. Have you posted a more detailed build log anywhere? What covering, electronics, thickness of that very nicely made canopy, etc. I’d hate to start guessing and wind up with a heavy plane or a very underpowered one!
Ben Alexander : Fournier RF4 : 07/07/2026
thanks for the Plans Database, this model was an excersise to built using locally processed Balsa wood here in Panama, fun build, the only mod is the removable firewall to easily swap engines
Ernesto Ramirez : Q-Tee : 06/07/2026
Opens for me just fine
RC Yeager : Magic 60 : 06/07/2026
Tom, this is terrific. My intrest in this plane came through my neighbor John who was a P5m crew member in the Navy. He worked for Grumman after his military service. He came to MN from NY where HIS neighbor was Nick Ziroli, who designed many RC airplanes that are posted here on OZ. Both Nick and John have passed on. The only other published design of this plane that I am aware of is a small rubber power by Tony Peters in Flying Models.
https://store.flying-models.com/
Dave : Martin P5M-2 : 06/07/2026
What do you mean by corrupt? Do you mean that it fails to open? If so, that's a problem at your end.
SteveWMD : Magic 60 : 06/07/2026
Hi: the plan of Magic 60 when I download con open please check, I think its corrupt pdf
Fernando : Magic 60 : 06/07/2026
The plan states that the scale is 1/12. The wingspan has been increased but the scale outline of the wings is also shown. 1/12 scale-ish
pmw : Albatros III : 06/07/2026
Looks like it would be 1/10 scale if it has a 34" wingspan?
Cheers
James : Albatros III : 06/07/2026
Does anyone have plans to put in an electric motor like Steve did?
Scott67 : Aeromite : 06/07/2026
I am glad that Duane, an informative poster and gifted builder on the Cox Engine Forum has resurrected these Walt Musciano designed Scientific half-A control line aircraft has submitted this plan and Steve and Mary have made it available through Outerzone.
Back in the late 1960's as a high school student, I made my own F4F Wildcat profile from 3 views in books I borrowed from the public library. In Scientific's repoitare but not available in the hobby stores of the time (Pete's Model Hobbycraft in Ala Moana Shopping Center, Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii and the island's military base hobby sales stores), I have always loved the look of the Wildcat.
This plan will help me to re-live what I did 57 years ago.
George Hostler : Grumman Wildcat : 05/07/2026
Doh. Wingspan is 59 in. Thanks, got it now :)
SteveWMD : HLG-2 TIM : 04/07/2026
39" span????????
Circlip : HLG-2 TIM : 04/07/2026
I have this book. It was conceived as a four issues a year with a subscription coupon for 3.00 USD for the first year. But never reached the second issue. It's a recollection of plans probably published on magazines where Winter was the editor at the time. No article on Australian soaring scene.
Pit : Boomer : 04/07/2026
Way back in Jurassic times, for me the late 50's, Americas Hobby Center published full page ads in the available magazines, featuring most of the hobby items for sale at the time. I expected AHC to be a reputable operation, but I was mistaken. One of their books offered was Bill Winters Model Aircraft Plan Book, on sale for 50 cents, a pretty hefty expense for a kid. I bit, knowing Bill was a known designer and his book would feature some of his plans. Sucker. When it arrived weeks layer, I discovered it was the first issue of a magazine from 1947, hopelessly out of date for the times. Bill was just the Editor, and the magazine was long since defunct. But it was interesting, with a nice article about soaring from Australia, can't remember much more. It certainly was disappointing to a kid from 1958 who just lost 50 cents. This might have been the issue I had, or they may have survived a few more issues. I don't remember the airplane, a long time ago.
Doug Smith : Boomer : 03/07/2026
Perfetto !
Con tolleranze minime
saluti, Fidia.
Fidia alias Matzito : Piattellissimo : 02/07/2026
After a long and judicious perusal of the Oz site, I finally decided on the Mini Viper as my first foray into speedsters [pics 005-007].
The plane is so small that most builders can make it from scraps. That said, this plan is not for beginners. The original Mini Viper was a kit, so not all parts are drawn, further, building the wings requires some skill, and accurately aligning the flying surfaces is critical - as the maiden flights will attest. On the plus side, it doesn't require an expensive powertrain to get it humming, and this bird can hum! I fitted an Emax rs2205/2300kv motor (£10), shod with a 5045 prop, married to a 30amp esc and either a 3s or 4s 1000mah battery. Performance with the 3s is fast, with the 4s... you may require a change of underwear!
The maiden flight was a disaster, I had no control whatsoever. The Viper is very twitchy, and I had far too much throw on my ailerons, which made it all but impossible to control. Worse, my CG was slightly behind the recommendation. Don't go there! The flight lasted 48 seconds, and the only reason it didn't end sooner was the colour scheme, which did its job of helping me orientate the plane. The more top/bottom contrast you can design into your colour scheme the better. You will thank me: this wee beast disappears very quickly!
Having substantially dialled down the throws and sorted the CG, the second flight could be described as better... but also as the most intense five minutes of my aeromodelling life!
Remember my warning about the building and alignment of the wings? I am a competent and conscientious builder, and I used a jig to align the wings, but somewhere there was a gremlin hiding... The result was twofold: the plane wanted to dive and roll hard to the left. These inclinations were so severe that in my struggle to control the plane it became almost impossible to retrim it. Eventually, I succeeded using my left hand, but only just. Trust me when I say this plane is fast and twitchy, and takes barely seconds to cover your flying landscape before it disappears from view. If you have a trusted friend who can operate the trims while you're flying, that would be a good idea. This is not a docile park flyer!
Having established some vague semblance of stability - a rather relative term in this case - I ran a couple of high passes, then brought her in to land before it gave me a heart attack!
I walked away from that flight alive, but only just, and needed a stiff dram just to stop my teeth from chattering. I probably aged a month in that five minutes. I dialled down the controls even further, and adjusted the linkages to the new trim. The next flight was... magical!
The Viper leapt out of my hand, and shot straight into sky like an arrow. It's a sleek ship and flies almost silently, she cuts through the air effortlessly and responds with alacrity to every input from the controls. Surprisingly, you can slow her right down and turn her on a sixpence, the stall is surprisingly benign and easy to catch. (I did sand in some washout to the tips.) Full throttle resulted in a steep climb - a tendency that was eliminated with a washer of downthrust.
If the performance with a 3s is respectable, on a 4s it is terrifying! It will eat up your landscape like a screaming cruise missile, and look fabulous doing it. As for vertical jollies, let's just that the Viper has yet to acknowledge the existence of gravity. The Space Station is well within reach of this wee beast!
In conclusion, the Viper is a fabulous plane for the intermediate builder and flyer. It's as cheap as chips to make, flies on rails when trimmed and, for one YouTuber, hit 174mph! Mine is probably close to 100mph. You can also fly it in the wind, which will help to slow it down for docile landings.
If ever a model deserved the monika of 'pocket rocket' this would be it. I'm 64 years old, but I come away after every flight giggling like a naughty schoolboy! However, never forget, it's not called the Viper for nothing: treat it with unwavering respect and it will reward you, anything less, and it will bite you.
I love it!
Justin Baldwin : Mini Viper : 02/07/2026
Ok, got it now. Apologies for the confusion. The previous plan here in this slot turned out to be a duplicate of the Bean Machine (oz10445). Have now replaced it with this here plan, the Stinson Voyager 125.
SteveWMD : Stinson Voyager 125 : 02/07/2026
Doh. My mistake. Turns out this plan is a duplicate listing. Bear with me, will replace this plan with a new one.
SteveWMD : Stinson Voyager 125 : 02/07/2026
Wow, what a great performer on 8g of rubber [pics 013-017]. Tomy timer and 3D printed wing pivot and DT line guide. Plug in landing gear to comply with club’s V20 contest rules.
Thanks,
Peter Brown : High Performance Sportster : 02/07/2026
Hello, Pics of my Senator [022-027]. Tissue over Mylar, hand carved balsa prop, Tomy based timer with tip up rear fuselage. Is a terrific performer,not dared to wind to max turns, only 600 makes it a dot in the sky!
Thanks,
Peter Brown : Senator : 02/07/2026
Thank you for this.
John Green : Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat : 02/07/2026
An observation: the photos show the tail surfaces having a central core of 1/32" sheet with 1/16" framing on each side. This is at odds with the exploded view showing 1/32" balsa sheet each side of a central frame. (I'd rather believe the photos)
Gerry de Groot : Hi Hawk : 02/07/2026
Are they a compatible couple or will it require marriage counseling?
Jan Novick : Piattellissimo : 01/07/2026
Took the wings off the Helling and made first 'try out marriage' [pics 008-012].
Cheers, Matze
Matthias Moeller : Piattellissimo : 01/07/2026
Photos from Panama of the Q-Tee [pics 044-047].
Ernesto Ramirez : Q-Tee : 01/07/2026
I bought a Sleek Streek in the UK in 1964 or 5 and it had been in the newsagent's window for a year before that. Cost 2/11d (15p) and didn't look worth the money. (Three bob would buy an Airfix Mosquito or a Me110) Red plastic prop assembly and extruded dihedral brace which clipped onto fuselage stick.
john bridle : New Millenium Sleek Streak : 29/06/2026
Hello Mary and Steve - the designer named John O'Sullivan has numerous designs on your site. I have known him for years. Recently I stopped by to visit him. There he was with his building table in his living room with a balsa plane in progress. His apartment has planes everywhere. I just want to publicly thank him for his contributions to model aviation and your site.
Jim Haliburton : Blizzard : 29/06/2026
First main difference to start with is that one is published in Czech and the other in English. I guess that alone makes it worthwhile to leave them both, but that would be up to you.
RC Yeager : Delfin II : 29/06/2026
I saw one of these fly, built by club member Irl Whitten, don't think his had any landing gear, but Irl could make anything fly. Think he used some kind of plastic bag for a wing, was very light and thin. Sleek Streek prop like Irl used no longer available, but I'm sure you can find a substitute.
Doug Smith : Insect : 29/06/2026
Renamed this plan from "Vulcan P17" to "Vulcan P17 Mk2". We have a couple of other different versions of this one coming along.
SteveWMD : Vulcan P17 Mk2 : 29/06/2026
Hi, As there don't appear to be any photos of this model, apart from those in the original article, I wondered if you might like a couple of pictures of my Cook 45 Riser, which I've recently built from the plan you published [main pic, 005].
As you can see, I've used a couple of small outrunner electric motors instead of the Cox glow motors of the original. This did mean that I had to add a bit of extra structure to attach the flight battery, and there were a lot of wires to try and tuck away neatly. Other than that I built it pretty much as designed.
The ready to fly weight, including the flight battery, is about 1oz (30g) lighter than the original.
Thank you for your amazing site.
John : Cook Riser : 29/06/2026
I recently built this plan [main pic, 005, 006] and I highly recommend it. It is a load of fun! Simple to build and surprisingly easy to fly. Passersby love it, too. It gets a lot of comments.
I used 1/8" basswood instead of spruce and for better visibility substituted the cheapest plastic trash bag I could find for the clear plastic dry-cleaning bag. I tried several adhesives for the plastic to wood and the contact cement specified on the plan is the only one that worked. Adding a gusset along the wing leading point and at the top of the pylon helped stiffen it up.
Included are a few pictures and a full size wing layout [see supplement files].
Here is a link to some flight videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9iB2RRMp8Y
This model has a smaller prop than the plans call for and a single loop of 1/8" FAI rubber. I think it might benefit from a larger prop and motor, but it is great for flying at the local park.
Build one, you'll have fun!
Mark Neal : Insect : 29/06/2026
Doh. Have just realised this is almost identical to the plan at Dolphin II (oz10867) I will leave this up here for now, there may be some interesting points of detail that differ.
SteveWMD : Delfin II : 29/06/2026
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