Sassy Saucer (oz11585)

About this Plan

Sassy Saucer. Control line flying saucre model. Fox 29 shown.

Quote: "The flying saucer is by no means a new idea although very few control line models of this type have been successful to date. The circular wing form is recognized as being very efficient in that the entire surface contributes to the lift and such unnecessary items as the fuselage and tail are eliminated, thus reducing weight and drag.

Our Sassy Saucer is the last of a series of circular wing models, the first of which was built in 1946 in England after the designer witnessed a demonstration of a flying saucer at a model meet. The first few models showed promising signs of being highly maneuverable but were all slightly unstable in certain ways. Further experimenting with airfoils and CG positions eliminated the stability problem and resulted in a very successful stunt model, a number of which were built and flown by modelers on the West Coast. This particular design was also in action at the 1952 Nationals when no less than five were flown in one circle. After obtaining a satisfactory performance, attempts were now made to improve the appearance of the model and to clean up a few constructional details. The final result was Sassy Saucer.

The model is stable at all speeds and is very easy to fly, in fact the designer's wife practiced with one while learning to fly.

Due to the absence of a fuselage or other encumbrances the finished ship is exceptionally light for its size and is easily overpowered. A good .19 will pull it through the full stunt pattern with ease, a .29 makes the ideal com-bination, while a .35 turns the ship into a tethered firecracker. Most of the test models were flown with a Fox .29 up front and circulated at about 75 mph.

The main point to remember in building Sassy is that the CG should not be any further aft than the position shown on the plans or the model will make like a wildcat. The forward position is not critical and has varied as much as two inches in some of the models. The further aft the CG is located the more sensitive the model will be, so the posi-tion depends on your flying ability.

The construction is simple and rugged enough to withstand plenty of rough treatment. All the ribs and spars are interlocking and if the slots are cut true the finished structure will automatically be aligned and virtually warp-proof.

The first step is to cut out all the ribs and spars and slot them together in their correct positions as shown on the plans. After cementing all joints carefully, the framework may be laid aside while the circumference sections are cut from 3/16 sheet balsa. The circumference sections are then fitted into place and aligned to form a perfect circle, the elevator being built in place along with the main structure if desired.

The motor mounts are firmly cemented to the ribs R1 and all surrounding structure, care being taken to use a good penetrating cement at this point. Next the bellcrank mounting plate may be added together with the 1/8 x 1/2 in bracing strips. These bracing strips have saved the day on many occasions as it is highly embarrassing to try and loop the control system while the model heads into the wild blue yonder.

The fuel tank is added along with the landing gear which is bolted or bound to the plywood spar FW. All of the test models were fitted with a single wheel gear or with no gear at all, although a conventional two-wheel gear may be used if preferred..."

Sassy Saucer, Air Trails Annual, 1954.

Direct submission to Outerzone.

Update 31/10/2019: Replaced this plan with a clearer copy, scanned from fullsize, thanks to theshadow. Note this scan also includes some additional construction notes, and a bill of materials.

Supplementary file notes

Article pages, thanks to RFJ.
Previous scan version.

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