RM-12 (oz13470)

About this Plan

Radu Manicatide RM-12. Peanut scale rubber model of the Rumanian experimental canard pusher.

Update 30/1/2022: Added article, thanks to RFJ.

Quote: "A canard that will give a Fike or a Lacey a run for their money, if you build it light! RM-12, by Walt Mooney.

Canard configurations are not my favorites; I think they are oversold by their proponents. However, the three-view of this little canard design by Radu Manicatide looked as if it could be made to fly as a model and was interesting. The model might have flown directly off the drawing board, so to speak, except that the first attempt was indoors, and the model flew into a wall. The first canard, the structure of which shows clearly in the skeleton photos, was demolished.

A new canard was constructed using harder balsa and a bamboo leading edge. The second attempt at flying resulted in an impact with a basketball backboard which demolished the second canard.

The third canard was built as shown on the plans and has survived several impacts. The model is a little more stable than on its earlier test flights because the canard is heavier and the model's center of gravity has moved to the position shown on the plans. In spite of the large vertical fins and the deep aft body of the design, it has a slight dutch roll in flight indicating that the real airplane was probably marginal as far as directional stability is concerned.

The R.M.12 makes into an interesting peanut and has enough wing area to make it look like it might be a Fike or Lacey beater. If you can keep yours off the wall, a light propeller and a lightly constructed canard might make it so, but mine did not turn into a Fike beater although it flies quite well.

Construction: In spite of its somewhat different configuration from the more common peanuts, the model construction follows time honored building techniques.

Start the fuselage by building two fuselage side frames exactly alike directly over the plans. When these are dry, remove them from the plans and separate them using a thin razor blade. Then assemble them into the standard fuselage box by adding crosspieces between the top and bottom of each upright. The fuselage cross-sections are essentially rectangular back to the back of the cockpit; behind the cockpit the top longerons are closer together than the bottom ones for two bays, and then the bottom longerons come completely together at the very back end.

Formers F-1 and F-2 are cut from 1/32 sheet and cement in place at the front and back of the cockpit respectively. Soft sheet balsa is used to cover the top of the fuselage forward of the cockpit. Two triangular pieces of 1/32 sheet and a small block are used to cover the top aft of the cockpit.

There are two stringers on each side of the fuselage made from 1/16 squares. They are cemented to the outside of the fuselage box everywhere except at the very last upright where they are butted flush against it. A small carved block forms the very front of the fuselage..."

Supplementary file notes

Article.

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