Cannon Ball 1/2A (oz11741)
About this Plan
Cannon Ball 1/2A. Radio control sports aerobatic model.
Quote: "Hi Mary, Here's another one from the distant past, a 1/2 A type of model from RCME December 1977: Cannon Ball. Probably would go very well with today's light weight equipment. The plan was originally in two colours to clarify the overlay of wing and fuselage, but I don't think there should be a problem with the monochrome scan attached. Also attached are the article and magazine's front cover too. Thanks again to you and Steve for the brilliant website. Best wishes,"
Quote: "Your Free Plan. Cannon Ball 1/2A, by Kevin Flynn. Design for 2 function RC and Cox TD .049 / .051 power.
WARNING This is not a beginners model! I say this because Cannon Ball was built for only one purpose - to fly fast, and be very responsive to control movements.
I have always been interested in pylon racing, but after watching these beautiful and exotic machines fly, then calculating the cost, I decided to set this idea to one side for a while. A visit to Bill Cannon of Cannon Electronics revealed his lastest Tini-Block radio: 'Very nice' I said. (To myself I thought, Boy would I like to get my hands on that!) 5 days later I was rewarded - I had my own, and with Bill's agreement I decided on the appropriate name of Cannon Ball for the model.
Construction: Building is quite easy, starting with the wing, pin down the bottom spar, then add ribs TE and LE and top spar. The wing fairing is built after the fuselage is complete for a good match. Add the plywood webs to the centre section and cover overall with soft 1/16 sheet balsa except for the centre panel. This has a 1/16 plywood floor added when the wing fairing is constructed. Soft block tips were fitted to the originals, but they could be built up to save weight. Cut the tailplane, elevator, fin and rudder from sheet and noting the grain direction, join elevator halves with 1/8 dowel and sand to streamline section.
Cut fuselage sides from medium 1/16 sheet balsa, add 1/8 sq longerons. When the sides are complete, assemble with formers F1, F2 and F3 over the plan. Pull in the rear end of the fuselage and add the remaining formers and top decking plus the already shaped tailplane. When dry, glue the tailplane fairing blocks in place and the 3/8 block between F1 and F3. You may have to hollow this out a little for correct tank fit. Cut out the motor mount from 6mm plywood and fit into the slots in F1 and the lower fairing block.
Cover the top between F1 and F3 with 1/16in sheet balsa. Temporarily attach the engine to be used, add the front block, then fit the spinner on the engine and mark the front of the cowl block. Remove the engine and sand the nose block to shape. Aim for a smooth curve transition to the spinner. Gaps and holes can be filled with car body putty then sanded smooth.
When the fuselage is complete cut a slot for the fin and glue into place. Cut the pilots head from a small commercial pilot, paint and glue in place. The cockpit interior can be cut from black self adhesive shelf paper, such as Fablon. The radio was installed on servo tape with formers 3 and 4 cut out to fit and the radio aerial exits from the rear end of the fuselage..."
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(oz11741)
Cannon Ball 1/2A
by Kevin Flynn
from RCME
December 1977
28in span
IC R/C LowWing
clean :)
all formers complete :)
got article :) -
Submitted: 18/11/2019
Filesize: 1348KB
Format: • PDFbitmap
Credit*: PaulD
Downloads: 1216
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User comments
Hi Steve and Mary. I'm a second generation modeler. There was always a pile of old RCM&E magazines in the workshop. My Dad would only buy a magazine if it had a plan in it. So RCM&E was in the majority. As a teen, still flying .25 size trainers, I found the Cannonball plan.. The The article started with, "This is not a beginners model" That's a red flag to a bull. Also the picture with the possible acrobatics was amazing (Back then). So the plane was built. The Black-widow .049 was a little bit old, so a 600 can with a 6x4 prop and an on/off switch sticking out the side was added. Retrospectively, this was perhaps a poor idea. The Old Man just laughed. Kinda messed the CG up a little by shortening the nose to compensate for the heavy motor. I was the first guy at our club to do 3D in 1985. It survived the "landing". After some lead was added, the Cannonball flew like a rocket. Could only land when the battery was flat. Had to drop it out the sky for a landing before all power was used otherwise the servos would quit. It did everything the acrobatic sheet said it would. What an awesome little plane. With the modern brushless motor, ESC, micro servo and LiPo should be a little better. I would recommend that only pilots with lightning fast reflexes and 20/20 vision fly this plane. I'm 42... Waaay too old..Bryan - 23/11/2019
Your pdf files of the "Cannonball" are very good. Should you find some additional photos useful, here goes [main pic, 005 006]. Photos from 1979. They can also be found at http://tmfk.org/ under the "Nostalgia" heading in the menu. Sincerely,
Staffan Ahlstrom - 13/11/2020
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- Cannon Ball 1/2A (oz11741)
- Plan File Filesize: 1348KB Filename: Cannon_Ball_oz11741.pdf
- Supplement Filesize: 1871KB Filename: Cannon_Ball_oz11741_article.pdf
- help with downloads
Notes
* Credit field
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Scaling
This model plan (like all plans on Outerzone) is supposedly scaled correctly and supposedly will print out nicely at the right size. But that doesn't always happen. If you are about to start building a model plane using this free plan, you are strongly advised to check the scaling very, very carefully before cutting any balsa wood.
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