XLT (oz13855)

About this Plan

Bridi XLT. Radio control pattern plane. Wingspan 65 in, wing area 845 sq in. For 10 cc engines.

Note this plan is derived from the raw scan as posted on RCGroups by Rougedog (see datafile). This version here has been aligned and given some minor clean up.

Supplement addendum (2 pages) shows replacement elevator horn linkage, notes on cutting ply wing fillet platform, plus modification for conventional gear.

Supplement alternate plan (see pic 004) thanks to JeffGreen, has been stitched together to show complete fuselage layout on a single large sheet. Low res.

Review from Flying Models, Aug 1985.

Quote: "Descendant of a distinguished lineage, Joe Bridi's latest R/C Pattern design continues a long tradition of grace and smoothness.

Radio control pattern history is filled with the legendary names of designers who changed the face of the event at one point or the other during their careers. There are a few, however, who stand out above all the others for the regularity of outstanding innovation in an event where the status quo is a difficult thing to budge.

One such designer is Joe Bridi. Joe's pattern design influence has been felt for a period of over twenty years. Always keeping time with the latest changes in style, rules, and taking advantage of new equipment. Joe has evolved his basic original design, keeping the key factors that have made his planes winners, while at the same time incorporating the necessary changes to keep them current in both aesthetics and performance trends.

Perhaps the most famous Joe Bridi design was the Dirty Birdy (oz4915). Many R/C pilots found the way to competition performance made easier with this 'friendly' design. Seemingly devoid of bad habits, the Birdy is still seen in winners circles in the lower pattern classes today There were a couple of fun pattern spinoffs of the Dirty Birdy, too. The Dirty Birdy 40 (oz10468) and the Tweedy Bird (oz5521) for 25's proved to be excellent practice and maneuver learning machines. Next came the UFO (oz6024). Long and sleek, the UFO retained the basic lines of the Dirty Birdy, but there was no mistaking that this large ship was a totally new design meant to take advantage of the more powerful piped 60's then starting to be produced. With the advent of the enclosed tuned pipe, Joe again hit the board and produced what may be destined to be his best design to date in the XLT.

With a span of 65 inches and an identical length measurement, Joe has produced a 'square' airplane. The wing area calculated out at 845 square inches placing this ship in the very large category. I first saw the original XLT at the 1982 Weak Signals R/C Exposition (Toledo) and then again at the 1982 Nationals in Lincoln, Nebraska. The design had grown on me and I had to have one.

The kit: The XLT is manufactured by Bridi Aircraft Designs, Inc, 23625 Pineforest Lane, Harbor City, California 90710, with Joe at the helm to watch over that ever important ingredient, quality control. The kit is a blend of the three major construction materials for this type craft, with a foam core wing and stab core, built-up balsa and plywood fuselage, and a fiberglass tuned pipe tunnel for the top deck.

The kit is very complete with much of the necessary hardware included. It must be said here that most pattern fliers have their own favorite brands and types of hardware, and will in most cases substitute freely as they build. The quality of the balsa was good with a very few pieces being questionable in weight. The foam cores were excellent and proved to be extremely straight. Just a light sanding readied them to accept the skins which were glued up from supplied 3/32 stock. Hot Stuff Super 'T' was used for this operation and for most of the other construction as well. I feel that a bit of weight could be saved here with the use of 1/16 sheeting and perhaps a Bob Violett Models' Magnalite Carbon Fiber strip on the top and bottom, or in a balsa sandwiched spar.

Instead of the normal 1/4 inch plywood plate, I chose to install the type of retract blocks which Dean Pappas and I used in the Project Pattern EU-1A. Strictly a personal preference.

The fuselage is built-up from 3/16 balsa sides which must be carefully spliced over the excellent full-sized plan. Plywood doublers, a pre-cut 3/8 firewall and a 1/4 in plywood second former assemble into a basic crutch unit that has the correct amount of down and right thrust built-in.

The forward section of the fuselage is formed from some rather robust balsa blocks. These were a touch on the heavy side and did require judicious hollowing with a gouge to achieve an acceptable weight. The nose area of a pattern ship is subjected to a great deal of engine vibration and abuse from the inevitable hard landing. The extra density of the blocks in this area is perfectly acceptable in my judgement and I would not replace them with softer stuff. Nuff said.

The remainder of the fuselage is simply sheeted with 3/8 material on top and 1/4 inch stock on the bottom. The corners of the fuselage have beefy 3/4 inch triangular stock balsa allowing sufficient rounding to enhance the appearance..."

Supplementary file notes

Addendum.
Alternate plan.
Instructions.
Review.

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