Vagabond (oz1114)

About this Plan

Vagabond. Free flight gas pylon model. From Model Airplane News, 1943.

Quote: "HERE at long last is a model that has been so simplified that there is no beginner who need be afraid to undertake its construction and yet every experienced modeler will find it well worth his while to build.

About a year ago the author decided to design a gas model. which would come within the capacities of a new modeler. The first requisite would have to be simplicity. Taking this into consideration work began on a highly simplified plane. In so designing, all thoughts of super performance were cast aside in favor of simple, down-to-earth construction.

Upon completion of this job a few test flights were required for adjustments and then the plane was given a real trial. Seeing its possibilities, it was entered in a local club contest at Creedmore, Long Island. Its potentialities were realized when it took first place in this contest.

Thinking that even this could be bettered the author then attempted to combine the same construction with a better performance. Drag was considerably lowered by streamlining and a new airfoil was used in the wing. This proved to be better than expectations. At Creedmore the following month, after an hour of adjustments and low-powered flights, she was opened up wide. On a 20-second motor run the plane vanished after 4:09, but luckily was later returned.

Now, after almost a year of constant designing, building, testing and re-designing this is the final product and by all means it not only combines simplicity of design and top-notch performance, but also that all important eye appeal.

But, far from being just a contest model, this rugged little ship often provided a day of sport for the mere price of a pair of pen cells by combining a short motor run and a folding prop.

Knowing the model builders' love for enlarging plans this has been eliminated as much as possible. The only odd shaped unit is the rudder and fellows it's given full size in the diagrams, so why worry? Arm yourself with a few sheets of paper, a pencil, a compass, ruler and the required building materials, hibernate to a secluded spot and in a few short days you can blossom forth with a model which will guarantee you success.

Construction begins with the fuselage which has been simplified to the nth degree. The only plan required for its construction is the plan of the crutch. This can easily be made by following the dimensions given on the top view in the construction plan of plate one. The 3/16 by 1/2 pine crutch is constructed directly on this plan. While the crutch is drying the formers, which are given full size on Plate 2, may be traced and cut out..."

Update 29/07/2014: Replaced this plan with a clearer copy on a single sheet, thanks to Planeman.

Quote: "Hello Steve, Here is another old plan from the early years that was chopped up and spread over multiple pages. It is the Vagabond by Charles Zeihl from Model Airplane News (1943). It is all on one sheet now and in a condition to build from. Absolutely nothing fit from one plate in the magazine to the next so there was a lot of re-scaling to do. The plan is now full size too. Also, I left out one of the 'printwood' parts plates as nothing even followed the actual outline on the plan. As these parts are shown on the plan itself, I recommend using the actual part from the plan as the part pattern. I hope this one gets built one day."

Supplementary file notes

Original scan. Includes article text in full, along with original drawings as printed in the magazine.

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