Snoopy (oz10125)

About this Plan

Snoopy. Radio control slope or thermal soarer, for 2 channels.

Quote: "Beginners Glider. A simple introduction to silent flight. Dave Parson's Snoopy. Slope or thermal soarer for 2 function RC systems.

SNOOPY wasn't the original name for this open cockpit model, but came about when I decided that there had to be a pilot to sit behind that windscreen. So I did a 'head and shoulders' job on a clockwork walking Snoopy toy that was about the right scale, and that smile on his face says everything as he does a low slow fly past. You must paint on the flying goggles to complete the effect.

Snoopy is quite versatile, mildly aerobatic when flown from the slope in light airs and also makes a pleasant thermal type model when flown from the flat, launched by tow line or bungee, and a power pod has been used to provide the urge for plenty of height gain. A beginner should find it an easy and forgiving model, especially when the control surface throws are reduced to those shown on the plan, which I prefer, to give smoother and more realistic flight characteristics.

I suspect Snoopy could also be flown single channel, rudder only, as I had to do when photographing the model in flight, camera in my right hand and transmitter in the left, with thumb on the rudder stick, I arrived in a gorse bush on one low pass, unable to dab in up elevator in time. Left to itself the model is quite happy to fly 'free flight' for long periods. Do put your name and address on it as it is a very efficient lightweight thermal soarer. I once had a heck of a job getting it down out of a strong thermal. I wound it into a tight spin but it was still climbing - tail first. But I prefer to fly Snoopy from the slope on a summer evening when the last of the day's breeze has dropped away to almost nothing, and scraping around just above the stall, trimmed right back, with a minimum of stick waggling to keep it flying - that's where the skill comes in.

Covered in doped tissue the finished all up weight including radio came to 27 oz, a wing span 82 in, gave a wing loading of 7oz per sq ft. A Futaba Medallion 2 transmitter fitted with re-chargeable cells, and a 225 rnAH button cell Ni-Cad for the receiver, plus two home assembled kit servos has proved to be an ideal and relatively inexpensive radio control gear, giving about four hours flying.

A power pod consisting of a DC Wasp .049 cu. in. glow motor and tin tank, bolted to a simple flat plate ply/dural pylon can be installed above the wing over the CG. Two holes drilled in the bottom of the pylon coincide with the 8 SWG wing joiners, the pylon being slid onto the joiners when assembling the two wing halves, a couple of extra rubber bands crossed over help reduce any vibration. Up thrust is recommended when installing the engine.

Snoopy is an easy model to build, nearly all the wing is built on the building board, only being removed for fitting leading edges and tips, etc and joining of the outer to inner wing sections at the dihedral breaks, and it won't cost you a lot to build.

Building. First place carbon paper under the plan, carbon side up, draw over the fuselage side elevation, and port wing, thus a port fuselage and starboard wing will appear on back of plan. First lay clear polythene sheet over plan. Cut 3/32 medium hard balsa sheet to outline of arrows and pin down over plan, pin down the 3/16 in sternpost. Using white PVA adhesive, glue and pin down the 3/16 square longerons, verticals and diagonals. Mark the positions of the formers and glue in place the fillets for F1 and F2, these are a great help in locating accurately these formers when drawing together the fuselage sides..."

Snoopy, Silent Flight, September 1984

Direct submission to Outerzone.

Supplementary file notes

Article pages, thanks to RFJ.

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