Curtiss Robin (oz10387)

About this Plan

Curtiss Robin. Rubber scale model.

Quote: "Have you made a stick-and-tissue model recently? Here's a simple scale rubber job of a great old plane from the golden age of aviation. Curtiss Robin by Ted Daigle.

The Curtiss Robin was the first closed cabin, three-piece airplane to appear on the market within the moderate price range. It was developed early in 1928 and sold for less than $4,000. The first models that appeared featured the famous Curtiss OX-5 engine; for construction simplicity, this is the plane we are presenting. Later design improvements included the Curtiss Challenger six cylinder radial air-cooled engine. The square fuselage makes it a snap to build and its generous wing area makes it a fine flyer.

Construction. Cover the plans with waxed paper and pin 3/32 square medium hard balsa stringers to the plan for the fuselage sides. Build one side directly over the other so they will be identical; when the glue is dry, lift them from the plan and gently slice them apart using a single-edge razor blade. Cut the rear motor supports from 1/16 plywood, drill a 1/8 hole in each and then glue them into place. Cut the top and bottom spacers from the same stock used on the fuselage sides. Now glue the fuselage halves together at the tail and then glue in the spacers starting at the rear and working toward the nose. Work very carefully here to make sure the fuselage cross section will be square.

Bend the main landing gear strut from 1/16 in piano wire and the tail skid from 1/32 piano wire. Fasten them into place as shown on the plan. Use thread wrapping and then apply glue liberally. Glue the balsa shock onto the tail skid. Finish the main landing gear after the wing and the wing struts have been assembled. Cut eight triangles from 3/32 balsa and notch them for 3/32 stringers. Glue these to the top edge of the fuselage nose section and glue in the stringers to simulate the engine cowling. Now glue the windshield supports and the landing gear strut supports in place. These parts are 3/32 stringers and balsa scrap.

Cut 16 wing ribs from 1/16 balsa and two from 1/8 balsa. Cut the wing-tips from 1/8 soft balsa and pin them to the wing plan. Pin down the leading edge (1/8 square hard balsa), the wing spar (1/4 x 3/32 hard balsa), and the trailing edge (1/4 x 3/32 hard balsa). Fit the wing ribs and spar supports into place and glue the whole works.

When the glue is dry, remove the wing from the workbench and gently taper the trailing edge and round the leading edge and the wingtips. Score the leading and trailing edges and the spar just outside the two 1/8 center ribs and prop the wingtips up 1-1/8 from the table. Glue the cracked joints liberally and let them them dry. Now build the skylight into the top of the wing center section..."

Curtiss Robin, American Aircraft Modeler, March 1973.

Direct submission to Outerzone.

Supplementary file notes

Article pages, thanks to RFJ.

Corrections?

Did we get something wrong with these details about this plan (especially the datafile)? That happens sometimes. You can help us fix it.
Add a correction