Philly Whiz (oz11555)

About this Plan

Philly Whiz. Free flight power model, for .049 Torp engine.

Quote: "When you first look at the Philly Whiz you will probably say that the wing and tail construction is too complicated to build. It is an optical illusion. Less time is required to build this type than the conventional job with the solid ribs and spars.

The large leading and trailing edges give the wing and stab plenty of strength and yet the sliced ribs make it extra light. The 'semi-geodetic' bottom ribs help to prevent warps, while the closely spaced top ribs cut down on the sag between ribs.

The wing should be made in one piece. Use two medium-hard 3/16 x 3/4 ready-cut trailing edges. Slice 1/16 off of the tapered end of the leading edge and sand to an airfoil shape. Pin the leading edge and trailing edge in place. Use hard 1/16 sheet and cut 1/16 square strips. Fit these strips in place and glue. (The novel idea about this method is that if you cut a strip too short you can use it on the wing tip or stab. You also save on wood. Every good builder uses up the scraps.)

Next cut the spars and glue in place on the ribs. Note: do not glue the spars at the dihedral joints. Make a template for the upper camber of the wing. Use hard quarter-grained 1/16 sheet and cut the ribs 1/16 thick. Fit and glue in place. Remove the wingtips from the plans and cut the bevel for the dihedral angle and glue. Cut and glue the gussets.

Follow the same procedure for the center dihedral, joint. Cut three solid 1/16 ribs for the dihedral joints, notch for the spars, and glue in place. Cover the wing with Jap tissue. Note: cut and glue 1/16 thick wingtip plates before wetting and doping the wing. This will prevent the end ribs from warping because of the tissue strain. I used two coats of plasticized dope and one coat of fuel proofer.

The stab is constructed exactly as the wing, and because there are no tapers it is easier to build. The leading edge is 5/8 wide cut down to 3/8. The only difference is the two solid center ribs. They are glued 1/32" away from each side of the center line..."

Philly Whiz, Air Trails, July 1952.

Direct submission to Outerzone.

Supplementary file notes

Article pages, thanks to RFJ.

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