Star Interceptor (oz13231)

About this Plan

Star Interceptor. Control line profile stunt model. Wingspan 34 in, wing area 255 sq in, for TD .049 - .051 engines.

Note this plan also includes a bonus alternative fuselage layout with P-51 styling, dubbed the "Mustangceptor".

Quote: "1/2A Stunt, by Felipe Alvirez. Winner of Senior 1/2A Stunt at the 1976 Nationals, in the hands of Leonardo Silva. A popular new event.

Having talked to many friends about their needs or wishes about control line aerobatic planes, I have found that most of them look for, or would like to have a plane with the following features:

1. Inexpensive
2. Easy to build
3. Easy to get, unsophisticated corn ponents
4. Easy to handle and carry to the fying field
5. Low operating costs
6. Strong, to take great punishment
7. Can be flown almost any place
8. Capable of flying the complete competition pattern.

That's too much for a plane, isn't it? Wrong! When I sat down, trying to find if it could be done, I chose the TD .049 (or .051) for being an incredibly powerful engine, very light, easy to get, and with availablity of all spares. After several calculations of lift, drag and weight, emerged a plane of 34 in. wingspan, with 255 sq in of wing area, weighing 8 oz, and that flew the pattern easily. Not only that, it is the only plane that I have seen that, while performing the pattern, has crashed vertically against the grass, coming from that without damage.

You have to watch this plane flying to believe it, from both positions; outside the circle, as spectator, or at the handle, to see that I am not kidding. And you will enjoy it a lot by the way. Since 1968, when I designed the basic plane, and just making a few modifications to date, I have seen this craft in the hands of youths (from eleven up) who had a background of only a Baby Flite Streak (oz4540) or similar plane, enjoying it and learning the entire pattern with ease. Of course, I taught them how to build and fly it, but what they got in a very short time was tremendous skill, comparable only to what many men who I know have acquired several years and many planes later.

Even if the plane was designed with the purpose of popularizing advanced stunt in a nutshell, for everybody, I am certain it will catch more with youngsters, as their budgets and preference of not so big planes put it in a favored place.

As in any plane, the most important thing is the wing - it was designed with an airfoil thick enough for generating all the lift necessary for tight consecutive loops and corners, and enough drag for slowing down the plane sufficiently for thinking what you are doing, and allowing a very strong but light structure. The sweepback was embodied to eliminate the tendency to yaw and shake into a corner, that is often found with constant chord wings.

The inner panel is 1 inch longer than the outer, for added line tension in overhead maneuvers, and the flaps help a lot in tightening the figures. The positioning of the stabilizer allows extra-short takeoffs in very rough fields without nosing over, when you give it full 'up' signal momentarily (it flies in practically any grass field). One extra bonus - most of the boys fly it with standard dacron lines of 43 ft (cheap!)

CONSTRUCTION: Building the plane does not represent a difficult task. It was designed to build quickly and does not demand any particular skill. Although it is very simple to build and employs standard techniques, it is advisable to have some previous experience building and flying model airplanes - if you have built planes like the Top Flite Junior Aces or Sterling Baby Ringmaster (oz5652) you are OK - for this little bomb will outmaneuver you if you have not tried basic stunt before. Remember that it flies like the big ones, but its response is much faster..."

Direct submission to Outerzone.

Supplementary file notes

Article.

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