Volmer VJ-22 Sportsman (oz13629)

 

Volmer VJ-22 Sportsman (oz13629) by Paul Kohlmann 2020 - plan thumbnail

About this Plan

Volmer VJ-22 Sportsman. Radio control scale seaplane model. For electric power using L2210A 1,650 Kv motor with 3S Lipo.

Note this plan is a free download available from the Model Aviation site at https://www.modelaviation.com/infield-engineering-kohlmann where it appears along with full build text and some great build pics. Also a free download of the plan in tiled format.

Quote: Infield Engineering 50-inch Volmer VJ-22 Sportsman, by Paul Kohlmann.

Flying from water is one of my favorite things about RC. There are few sights prettier than a silky landing on the mirrored surface of a mill pond.

I was contemplating this while I was flying my prototype Grumman Goose from the May 2012 issue of Model Aviation. That airplane was still going strong, but after seven seasons, it was time to think about a replacement - just in case.

The Goose is an elegant model of stick-framed construction. It wasn’t a difficult build, but there were many parts, most of which were complex in shape. The resulting model is lightweight, but too fragile to simply throw in a trunk without care.

This time around, simplicity would be the order of the day. The design requirements were that it be scale, use a single motor, have a low parts count, could easily be cut by hand, and it needed to be durable. The resulting model has a 50-inch wingspan and is built from balsa and a little light plywood. For even faster building, a laser-cut kit is available from Manzano Laser Works.

The Sportsman Story: After a little searching, an unexpected subject popped up. The VJ-22 Sportsman was a homebuilt amphibian designed by Volmer Jensen in 1956. Volmer, well known in the sailplane and hang-gliding worlds, built the first Sportsman for himself as a means of accessing diving spots.

After fielding numerous requests, Volmer began selling plans to pilots who wanted to build their own waterplanes. Approximately 1,000 plans have been sold throughout the years, and more than 100 aircraft have been completed.

The qualities that made the full-scale Sportsman successful were aligned with the goals of my smaller project - it was inexpensive and easy to build. The full-scale Sportsman was designed around the rectangular wing of an Aeronca Champion or Chief. The fuselage lines are simple and smooth. A small motor housed in a simple cowling is perched on struts overhead and is out of the vicinity of the water spray.

Also attractive are the myriad modifications that full-scale builders have applied to their Sportsman aircraft. Most feature pusher-props while others are tractors. Tail feathers vary in shape, with some having T-tails. The standard configuration has hand-operated landing gear, but skiing Sportsman can be found. And, of course, the paint scheme on every hand-built Sportsman is unique.

Building the Tail Group: The plans show the original Sportsman outlines, but with one significant modification - the bottom of the rudder has been extended so that it functions as a water rudder. As with full-scale Sportsman fans, builders should feel free to customize their tail feathers as they see fit.

Get started by pinning the parts that make up the tail group outlines to the building board. The outlines are composed of simple strip-stock in three different widths. Don’t worry about shaping the parts perfectly before assembly. Just make sure that the joints are tight and let the strips run long for now.

Note that the fin and the horizontal stabilizer are made from 3/32-inch balsa while the rudder and elevators are made from 3/16-inch stock. That’s because the fin and stabilizer will be built out by sheeting them with 1/16-inch balsa.

When the sheeting is in place, sand the outlines into shape then sand a radius at the leading edges (LEs) of all of the tail group parts and a taper at the trailing edges (TEs) of the rudder and the elevators. Join the elevators with a bit of music wire. Connect the rudder and elevators with your favorite hinges. I used 1/8-inch pinned hinges from Robart Manufacturing on the prototype..."

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Volmer VJ-22 Sportsman (oz13629) by Paul Kohlmann 2020 - model pic

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