Tipsy Nipper (oz13114)

About this Plan

Tipsy Nipper. Control line stunt model.

Quote: "How'd you like to meet a control line scale plane with proportions just perfect for stunt? Tipsy Nipper, by George Harper.

The Tipsy Nipper, a single seat ultra-light sports plane built by Avions Fairey at Gosselies, Belgium, is fully aerobatic with a 40 hp Volkswagen engine. Wing span is only 19 ft 8in and empty weight 360 lb, with a maximum weight of 660 lb including the pilot's toothbrush. Cruising speed is 90 mph and a football field is all the airport needed, the engine giving about 40 air miles per gallon - without freeway traffic yet.

The 'Tipsy' part of the name has nothing to do with the condition of the pilot, but is taken from the name of the designer EO Tips. This little bug is available ready to fly for less than the price of an average car and can be obtained in kit form for home construction for about half the price.

The prototype, with the obvious registration letters 00-NIP, has an open cockpit and is the version shown in the photographs. Photos of the full size prototype appeared in the Fall 1958 edition of Air Progress. Production aircraft have a bubble canopy and raised rear fuselage, which is also shown on the plans as an alternative if you want to keep your pilot out of the draft.

The proportions of the tiny plane - the control line model is 1/5 full size - seemed to be just right for stunting and are very similar to those of some recent pure stunt designs. I always like to know the general dimensions of a model without having to measure the plans, so here they are: Wing span 47 inches, actual effective wing area 408.5 square inches, length 35 inches, total stabilizer area 76.5 square inches, (18.75% of wing area), elevator area 31.5 square inches, moment arm (wing trailing edge to tailplane leading edge) 9.1 in.

The model has proved to be very acrobatic; stunts are limited mainly by the nerve of the pilot. An attempt has been made to get stunt performance while keeping a realistic scale appearance with details such as engine heads, cockpit fittings and proportions. The only changes from scale are the use of a symmetrical airfoil and the removal of dihedral and incidence. For the purist the scale airfoil and other details are also shown on the plans.

Construction is very simple and is best started with the wing which can be built over the plan, the leading and trailing edges being blocked up to suit. Ailerons are built separately and spaced by 1/16 sheet fillers to leave a gap like the real thing. The doubled tip ribs make a clean end and tie everything together, the ailerons gap being continued around the ends. The ply bellcrank platform and its gusset are cemented to the lower spar, the ribs and anything else near by, the platform being supported by strips of 14 x 1/8 in along the ribs. All sheeting can be added except the top center section between the main spars and rear spar, so that the bellcrank and cockpit interior are accessible.."

Note this is a low resolution plan.

Tipsy Nipper, American Modeler, December 1960.

Direct submission to Outerzone.

Supplementary file notes

Article pages, thanks to RFJ.

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