Spooky (oz12330)

About this Plan

Spooky. Radio control sport-scale model.

Quote: "Dereck Woodward' based this pleasing little sports flier on the American MiniMax home-build design. Flies well on an .049, is quick and cheap to make and you'll still have room in the car for your mates.

Some aircraft demand to be modelled - just look at the numbers of Tiger Moth models around. When I first saw a photo of the Tennessee Engineering and Manufacture (TEAM for short) MiniMAX, I was convinced the skies would soon be full of them - in all sizes. Over a year later, the entire collection of miniMAX models amounts to one 1/4 scale American plan. Time to move!

Well, I moved - house - thus I managed to lose an excellent Bill Hannan three-view (anyone have a copy?). Eventually, I collected some photos, TEAM's info pack and even a set of construction plans for the full-size.

That should be enough for a scale 1/3 size replica, right? Wrong! I doodled up this look-alike 36 in span version, for Cox 049 and rudder/elevator control. So 'stand - way - off', she's known as 'MicroMAX' before Sue, my lovely American wife, decided that a model in Halloween's traditional orange and black Just had to be called 'Spooky'. So now you know!

I reckon she captures the cheeky charm of TEAM's single seater. She builds quick and cheap, flies just right for a little light hearted patch buzzing and doesn't needs the trailer that 1/3 scale replica would, a corner of the car boot is sufficient to get her to the field. There are some UK built MiniMAXes about now, so she could either be dressed up as a real one, or finished as what you'll build yourself when you move up to true 'realism in flight'.

As a caring designer: This is the flying bit. So, as everyone reads it first. I've just saved you turning pages. Spooky is designed for flying as a rest from pattern and hot 'fun' ships, cruising around low and as close in as safety allows. Never mind aeros. I've models that take care of those whimsies, this is for figure eights and circles round the patch, maybe the odd low fly-by with a tad of bank. so we can see the topsides.

As our 'patch' is a touch lumpy for ROG (rise off ground) with a little model, I usually hand launch her myself, transmitter in right hand, model in left. A step and push sees her away. I let her fly straight just to establish that the Cox is happy with life before turning or climbing.

On a smooth surface, ROG is a drama free affair. There's little swing and she'll be off quick enough. The climb is adequate, there's little fun in going up high anyway So from there on, it's all about puttering about. Well, 'puttering' is not the word to describe a Cox at 11,000 rpm, but you get the picture.

So Spooky is smoothly controllable on two channels, she'll go from one bank to the other fast and smooth, like flying with ailerons. As the inspiration is a slow ultralight. true aerobatic ability should be a lazy chandelle turn.

I did persist in the interests of checking the envelope, though - honest! Aerobatics are really limited to a loop, maybe a roll off the top and I have persisted to a full barrel roll, which involved rather a lot of the considerable height we started off with. Now who's looking at four channel micro R/C gear and a PAW 80 with a throttle, then?

When it all goes quiet up front, remember that a light, fat model won't penetrate far. Keep the nose down and head for the patch, leaving the flare 'til you're there.

Let's build: An ounce or so was saved by using glue as the wing mounting system. A one-piece airframe means starting off with the wing, so cut out one rib accurately, from ply if you like to keep templates, or balsa if you feel up to carefully cutting around a balsa master. I usually do it that way, in a hurry as usual.

A tip for accuracy is to select the hard balsa mainspars, mark them as 'top' and, surprise, 'bottom', then cut out the spar notches to match. Not all 1/8 x 1/4 is created equal. All ribs are cut to the same profile, the centre ribs being trimmed for 1/16 sheeting. 'Quarter grain' or 'ribstock' sheet in a medium weight is the ribs.

Selecting the trailing edge pieces from medium grade and some harder stock for the leading edge leaves you to find some light, flexible 1/16 sheet for the LE and centre section sheeting. Now build two panels.

To ensure stable washout, glue ribs to lower spar, add the TE and LE then leave to set. Now pack up the TE, using scrap balsa as shims. The top spar and LE sheet will lock the washout in when all is dry. What's this 'dry off' business then? I'm too careful with the budget to use pricey instant glues for entire projects, yellow aliphatic woodworkers' glue is my usual choice. Setting time? I think I build much faster than most anyway.

Here's where the 1/8 thick root ribs come in. Block each wing half up to the correct tip dihedral and sand the root rib back to vertical. I use one of Balsa Cabin's 12 x 1 x 3 in sanding blocks. By resting it on edge, the abrasive face is vertical..."

Direct submission to Outerzone.

Update 05/08/2020: Added vectorPDF and CAD (dxf and dwg) versions of this plan, thanks to Valeria367.

Quote: "Hi, Steve and Mary. Good afternoon. How are you? I hope all are fine. Today, I want to share with you - and all friends from Outerzone, of course - my latest CAD work: the redraw of the Dereck Woodward's "Spooky" plan (oz12330). As usual, I send you the draw in PDF format, and in both CAD vector formats: DWG and DXF. Enjoy it. Best wishes, from your friend."

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