Drifter (oz11966)

About this Plan

Drifter. Radio control sailplane model. For 2 channels.

Quote: "I checked and as of last week you did not have the plan files. Just trying to pay back for the one's I've downloaded over the years. Thank you for the service you provide. Mike."

Note this is the original Drifter - the Drifter I, so to speak. For the more famous later 1978 version see Drifter II (oz572)

Update 21/02/2020: Added kit review from RCM, January 1975, thanks to RFJ.

Quote: "RCM tests the Craft-Air Drifter.

The Drifter is a Standard Class sailplane, manufactured by Craft-Air, 5651 Kelvin Avenue, Woodland Hills, California 91364, and designed for general sport flying and competition in Standard Class events, by Tom Williams of Craft-Air.

The construction of the Drifter is conventional utilizing balsa, plywood, and hardwood, and contains a 44 x 29 inch plan sheet and separate ten page construction manual. We recommend that you build this one strong and light. Don't overlook the plywood wing tips since they provide the excellent pylon turns when flying the Drifter on the slope.

With regards to flight performance, this machine is very quick on the Hi-Start at launch and stable enough to get a high climb-out with full up elevator the last half of the travel on the Hi-Start. It is a very stable flier on the slope or in a thermal and fast turns can be made with a minimum loss of altitude. It has a wide speed range and is an all-around sailplane for general sport flying as well as having a potential for Standard Class competition.

Utilizing the Para-Pod manufactured by Craft-Air, the Drifter can be launched with this auxiliary engine system. However, this is a two man operation - one to fly the sailplane while one recovers the Para-Pod.

In our opinion, the wing design could use about 4 to 6 inches more span on both inner panels since, although it flew very well as a standard sailplane, we were fighting for altitude with the added load of a Para-Pod. In addition, we added 1/16 balsa shear webs between the wing spars for added durability.

Overall this is a better than average kit but with the price tag of $24.95 a minimum amount of hardware could have been included to add a little extra sales appeal."

Update 12/6/2023: Added kit review from MAN February 1976, thanks to RFJ.

Quote: "Field and Bench, by William Miller: Craft-Air Drifter, with Power Pod. Cox Golden Bee 049 Engine.

Powered or unpowered, subject is outstanding soaring and thermalling glider with unique breakaway power pod.

To fail would require destructive ingenuity. This definitive statement greets the modeler from the lid of the box in which Craft-Air's standard class sailplane kit, the Drifter, comes. Design and production credits go to Tom Williams of Craft-Air, 5651 Kelvin Ave, Woodland Hills, California 91364.

A preliminary check of the contents of the kit indicated an effort by the manufacturer to supply quality components and well-graded lumber. Small parts were grouped and packaged individually, and as a bonus, particularly for someone new to modeling, a ten-page instruction manual is included.

The first section of the manual deals with basic tools and building surfaces. Another section deals with adhesives, their limitations and advantages. The section on accessories outlines covering material, control rod hardware and other small wares required to complete the kit. The wing, empennage and fuselage section corn pletes a set of instructions invaluable to the novice for successful construction, trimming and flying the Drifter.

Lay-up of the wing panels (two center and two tip) is accomplished in the usual way; leading edge, spruce main spar and trailing edge with all butt joint and center section ribs set at one time. At this point we observed only the slightest inaccuracy in rib cutting. Spar slots were slightly shallow. This was the only point in the entire construction of the kit that any alteration of a pre-cut part was required.

After completion of the four panels, the plywood dihedral joints are epoxied in place. Addition of the turbulator spars, center panel sheeting and tip blocks complete the one-piece wing.

There was some question in our mind as to general wing strength in gusts with straight-up Hi-Start launches or perhaps the heavy-footed winch pilot. Coincidentally, a letter received from Tom Williams the very day the wing was off the board indicated that all future production kits will include 1/16 vertical grain sheeting between main and upper spars. On our test plane, we added glass cloth reinforcement to the under side of the center section sheeting.

The empennage is of sheet stock throughout and required only light sanding to contour. To reduce inherent warp problems of the panels, hard grain balsa tips are added. A short length of birch dowel connects the two elevator halves. Although it seems adequate, perhaps music wire would add some insurance against breakage in landing. (The author's field has its share of stones and scrub brush.)

The fuselage is a rather sturdy envelope, with adequate beam to accommodate any reasonably sized gear. Bulkheads and sheet sides are built over a sheet bottom with the side panels sprung into the nose block. After control rods are installed, the top sheeting buttons it all up into a very strong, rigid unit.

A plywood doubler protects the fuselage from nose block to aft of the tow hook. Addition of servo supports, wing hold-down dowels and tow-hook block ready the fuselage for sanding. Careful sanding of all units in preparation for finish is time well spent.

Super MonoKote was used for all covering as well as for control surface hinges. The installation of the MRC Mark V flight pack in the Drifter was as if made to order and resulted in an all-up flight weight of 21 oz.

Flight tests were made with a regulation length Hi-Start of shock cord and monofilament. Although thermal activity on test day was almost non-existent, several respectable flight times were achieved. The Drifter responds very positively on the Hi-Start and in flight.

For those not able to use a Hi-Start due to space limitations, Craft-Air has an optional engine launch accessory called Para-Pod. As its name implies, it is a power pod; however at the completion of the engine run the entire assembly falls back to earth on its self-contained chute. Tom Williams reports that, during testing, 100 consecutive test flights were made without failure.

The Drifter is certainly the answer for the Sport flyer or beginner. One word of caution to you old pros; that son of yours will probably be finding the thermals for you with his Drifter."

Supplementary file notes

Reviews.

Corrections?

Did we get something wrong with these details about this plan (especially the datafile)? That happens sometimes. You can help us fix it.
Add a correction