Skipjack (oz13756)

About this Plan

Skipjack. Sport floatplane model, for either free flight or control line.

Quote: "This model in the air with floats looks for all the world the light seaplanes that fly about on a Sunday afternoon at the local seaplane base. No, this ship isn't that hot contest job that takes off like a frightened rabbit; it takes off as if there was a pilot at the controls, and when the engine cuts the ship goes into a nice glide without a dip, truly making a smooth flight.

The ship can be flown with the Mite diesel and with the Arden .099 converted to use the diesel head; these engines will be excellent for free flight. The U-Control fans will find the Arden .199 packs plenty of power for their needs. The ship can be flown U-Control from the edge of a pool, as in this manner the pilot has better footing and if the engine cuts out over the land he can swing the ship around until it is again over the water, then bring the ship in nose high.

If the model is to take off and alight with ease, the angle at which this is accomplished must be determined with the rear strut. If the float angle is too small the takeoff may be long or even impossible, and if too great the ship will fly too slowly due to the drag set up by the floats, so the rear strut will be the main consideration in adjusting the takeoff. The model is a fine stable flier with or without the floats, so if there are no small ponds near you the ship is still a honey with a set of air wheels; however, if it rains hard and you can find a small puddle, slip on the floats because this airplane will take of in a small space, and landing on the good old earth will not hurt the floats.

Fuselage: Enlarge the side view of the fuselage four times the size shown on the plans. Begin construction by laying the sides out one atop the other as in this way they will be alike. While these are drying, cut out the formers and cement in place. The stringers should now be fastened to the frame. Next the landing gear is bent to shape and bound to the crosspieces, then cemented well. The sides are covered with sheet balsa as shown on the plan. If the Mite engire is to be used, cut the cowl to accept the hardwood bearers which must be firmly fastened. Since the Arden engines are bolted to the firewall, bearers are not necessary for them.

Wing: Cut the ribs and spars to shape, along with the leading and trailing edges. Assemble the whole wing in one piece as in this way it will fit better when cut in two halves at the center to form the dihedral. The wing halves are held to the correct angle with the aid of ply wood gussets which are cemented to the wing spar. The wing tips can now be cut roughly from soft balsa blocks and cemented in place, after which they should be carved and sanded to shape..."

Direct submission to Outerzone.

Supplementary file notes

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