Easy Riser (oz10924)

About this Plan

Easy Riser. Radio control glider model. Wingspan 86 in, wing area 540 sq in.

Quote: "Steve, I am sending you Ron Wittman’s Easy Riser RC Glider from the late 70’s. Ron has been a long time Glider enthusiast holding the indoor Handlaunch Glider records for several years. Easy Riser was kitted by Sal Taibi’s company Competition Models. I found a NIB kit and was able to scan the plans which were suffering extreme wear from being folded. I removed a rib set from the die cut sheet and added them to the drawings near the title block. Everything needed to successfully complete an Easy Riser should be found on the drawing. Thanks for all you do to preserve our history. Larry"

Direct submission to Outerzone.

Note photo of completed Easy Riser model was found online at https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?1574114-R-C-Soaring-History/page172

Update 22/12/2020: Added kit review from RCM, November 1975, thanks to RFJ.

Quote: "RCM Product Test: Easy Riser, by Competition Models.

The Easy Riser is the first radio controlled sailplane to be offered by Competition Models. Conventional construction is used throughout the aircraft. The two piece polyhedral wing is held together by pre-formed dihedral wires and is attached to the fuselage by rubber bands. The two piece wing, as well as the two piece horizontal stabilizer, are removable for ease of transportaion and storage.

The covering material used on our prototype was Crystal Cover, a transparent heat sensitive covering film also manufactured by Competition Models. This covering material can either be used clear, as shown in the photographs of our model, or as it is primarily intended, can be painted with virtually any of the model paints commonly used today.

Overall this is a good kit. While many of the parts are printed on balsa and have to be cut out by the builder, the die-cut wing ribs were so well cut that the 1/16 balsa sheets were first thought by the reviewer to be plain balsa sheets. Be sure to identify the wing ribs when removing from the die-cut sheets.

Although the instructions are well written, it is wise to read and re-read them for a clear understanding, particularly concerning the empennage assembly. The wing rib balsa used was a bit soft and had a tendency to crack under the pressure needed to cement the 1/16" leading edge balsa sheets in place.

The LSF Contest flier, selecting the Easy Riser for participation in Standard Class events, will want a more positive canopy hold-down than the snap recommended by the manufacturer. Therefore the canopy snap was replaced on our prototype with a 1/16 music wire rod through three matching brass tubes - two in the fuselage sides and one epoxied to the bottom of the canopy midway between the front and the rear. This is very similar to the Windfree (oz1637) canopy hold-down design.

True to its name, the Easy Riser is quite thermal sensitive, has good stability, is level on turns, smooth as silk, flies slow on landing, yet has a good speed range with excellent penetration when needed. This machine will fly well on a light wind as well as on a windy slope.

This is a fine sailplane design which is at home with any of the top Standard Class machines. One word of caution the throw of the flying stabilizer is set for aerobatics, therefore excessive up elevator will cause a stall on the Hi-Start line as well as on the turns - go easy on the elevator."

Update 13/11/2024: Added vector format plan and parts, also dxf format parts zipfile, thanks to theshadow.

Supplementary file notes

Parts cut files (DXF) zipfile.
Review.
VectorPDF plan.
VectorPDF parts.

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