Northern Arrow (oz11653)

About this Plan

Northern Arrow. Rubber competition model (arguably elligible as a Wakefield design, see below).

Quote: "FR Bernard Premier Aeromodel Supplies, 2A Hornsey Rise, London N19. This drawing was made by Terry Rose from a copy of the original. No changes were made TR 30.10.86. Redrawn in CAD by Gene Rock 9/25/2019. Removed swg callouts."

Scan from DBHL, cleanup by rchopper56.

ref DBHL-6010.

Direct submission to Outerzone.

Note see supplement file for a copy of the raw scan that Gene drew this up from. I mention this here just because I think every so often it's worth noting what a sterling job Gene (and others) do here working on these incomplete, hard to read, scans of torn old plans. Steve.

Note photo of completed Northern Arrow model [main pic] was found online at http://www.vintagemodelairplane.com/pages/Downloa...

Update 25/10/2019: Added (modern) article, by Ramon Alban, thanks to Pit who found this online at http://www.vintagemodelairplane.com/pages/Downloa...

Quote: "The Northern Arrow was designed in 1936 to compete in contemporary 4 oz Wakefield competitions by Mr IW Hall of Northern Heights Model Flying Club. It was not published at the time. The following year, the weight rule changed to 8 oz and the model was forgotten. Time moved on, war broke out and international competitions ceased.

However, F/F demand was still there. Premier Kits obtained details of the plane from Mr Hall and marketed a kit for sale in 1941, advertised freely in the model press. Problem was, the draughtsman (Mr J Calderbank) copied the wing chord incorrectly and made it 4.75 in instead of 5 in. The rib outline on the plan measured 5 in. People bought the kit and flew the plane. End of story, or so it seemed. Except, time moves on again. 40 years later, in the early '80's, Fred Chapman built a replica from the original negative blueprint.

Of course it was not a 'Wakefield' anymore, because the wing area was now approx 181 sq inches - too low to meet the rules of 190 to 210. Fred persisted and Mike Kemp then decreed, unilaterally, that it was a Wakefield and could be flown in Sam35 competitions. Rules were amended accordingly. His reasoning? There were so few British wakes of the era we could not afford to lose one. And why not? Bravo! After all, Mike was the centre of the known universe for British rubber flyers and what he said was Gospel.

In the meantime I built the red one seen here and still alive today but with black fuselage..."

Update 8/6/2024: Added (another) article, thanks to AndySnelson. This is a chapter from the book "Models for Flying" by Rippon and Sparey, circa 1938.

Quote: "Chapter XII: The Northern Arrow High Wing Duration Monoplane.

It has been mentioned earlier in this book that the application of modern methods of line-up and trim to the ordinary simple model aeroplane has resulted in a performance hardly to be imagined a few years ago. That model flyers, who have not already done so, may have an opportunity of proving this statement for themselves, we give here drawings and description of just such an aeroplane.

The Northern Arrow, designed and built by Mr JW Hall of the Northern Heights Model Flying Club, although embodying constructional methods of the simplest, has a truly remarkable performance. It has many times flown out of sight; in fact, the original machine, after being frequently chased and retrieved over wide areas of Middlesex and Hertfordshire, was eventually lost. A second machine having been constructed, the chase continues, to the benefit we hope, of the health and fitness of Mr Hall and his fellow club members.

Fuselage: A more simple fuselage structure can hardly be imagined ; it consists of four balsa longerons, held together by balsa cross-struts. A slight departure from usual practice is formed by the use of cross-struts of two sizes, that is, 1/8 x 3/32 balsa alternating with 1/8 x 1/16 in balsa. The top longerons are built straight, from the wing seating to the tail, thus enabling the fuselage to be made very accurately, upside-down upon a plan drawing.

No bracing is used, beyond a diagonal bracing strut at the tail end, and balsa corner blocks at the points of the undercarriage fixing. The first fuselage bay is filled in with 1/16 sheet balsa on the sides only..."

Supplementary file notes

Article (1938).
Article (modern).
Raw scan.

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