Lockheed Sirius (oz10119)

About this Plan

Lockheed Sirius. Radio control scale model for Veco .61 power.

Quote: "Well-detailed and perfect scale RC version of the Lindbergh inspired Lockheed design uses foam wings and a glass fuselage. A docile flyer, too. Scale Sirius by Maurice F Philips.

The search for a suitable model to scale and to construct gets more difficult as modelers continually dig through the files of civilian and military aircraft. It was surprising to find that the Sirius hasn't recently been built. Many older modelers remember the famous plane that Lindbergh used to map out some of Pan Am's early airways. Admiration for the model of this grand old aircraft of the golden era was expressed by many of the spectators at the '72 Chicago Nats. Several mentioned that the model flew just like the full-sized plane they had seen fly in the 30s. It was pleasantly surprising to find spectator appeal so high.

There were two friends that influenced my decision to build the Lock-heed Sirius - Monty Groves and Bob Palmer. Both, although separated geographically, have a common interest in Lockheed aircraft.

The Sirius model results from the combined unique talents of the three of us. Monty and his wife Patty have researched Lockheed aircraft for years and has a large file of photographs and technical data to support their documentation. Bob Palmer, a professional modeler, has produced several fiberglass fuselage kits of very high quality. This airplane was a natural for him due to his ability to reproduce the scale details in epoxy. In making the decision to combine our efforts, it was decided that fiberglass would more closely represent the original plywood mold construction than conventional balsa planking over formers. My contribution was to do the scaling, drawing, and inking as well as to design the construction characteristic to fiberglass and polystyrene foam.

The model can be flown in Super-Scale or in Stand-off Scale contests. The Sirius does not have either retractable landing gear or flaps, thus giving other models a slight advantage in regular AMA or FAI contests. However, its ability to perform contest stunt maneuvers does tend to be equalizing. Almost every author attests to his model's ability to fly on a string. A detailed description of the first few flights will follow later in the text.

Construction. In building the fuselage, a Dremel tool is used to cut out the cockpit openings and the openings for the horizontal stabilizer of the fuselage. The tail cone should be cut off using the minimum cerf. When fitting the stab, it will be necessary to file the opening slightly. The fuselage tail cone will be epoxied back after the stab is installed. Mount the radial engine mount using blind nuts. Note that dimples indicate the centerline. Do not tap the mount for the engine until the engine is positioned at 0 degrees sidethrust and 0 degrees downthrust. A propeller was used to assist in the measurement. Measure the drawing to see how far the thrust washer protrudes past the cowl. Don't forget the spinner back plate. Construct the plywood brackets that hold the cowl to the fuselage. Use an extra strong epoxy such as 3-M Structural Adhesive. With an alignment jig position the cowl while allowing the epoxy to set.

After the brackets have been attached to the cowl, fuel-proof them by coat-ing with Hobbypoxy II glue. The battery and fuel tank location worked out well on my model. Cut out two wind-shields using the patterns. A strong material can be obtained by removing the copper from a thin fiberglass circuit board .030 inches thick for the wind-shield frames. Several jigsaw blades will be dulled cutting them out..."

Lockheed Cirius, American Aircraft Modeler, April 1973.

Direct submission to Outerzone.

Supplementary file notes

Article pages, thanks to RFJ.

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