Flying Pie Plate (oz13929)

About this Plan

Flying Pie Plate. Rubber sport model, with push-pull layout.

Quote: "The Flying Pie Plate, by Bill Tyler. If stereotyped models have you in a rut, try this novel all-balsa push-puller. It's different both to build and to fly. Speeds up to 40 mph will make every flight a thriller.

For the benefit of the fellows who are tired of the everyday model designs, and those who are the experimentally minded, Air Trails presents this thirteen-inch all-balsa model. Designed as an experimental ship for speed contests, it can be built for twenty cents. The two propellers turning in opposite directions eliminate all torque problems, while the short wing of low aspect ratio and symmetrical airfoil reduce wing resistance to a minimum. These features, combined with a clean design, make for an exceptionally fast model possessing a high degree of stability that often is lacking in ships of this type.

Weighing slightly over three ounces complete with motors, it has exceptional flying ability and speed. Outdoor flights of well over 200 feet are easily obtained by using a winder. Testing for speed in an armory revealed that the ship was traveling around forty miles per hour, which is some speed for a model of this size. An enlarged model of the same proportions would hold its own with the best of the speedsters.

To bring this model up to the sixty-mile-per hour class it will be necessary to enlarge the drawings at least one third, increase the power, and carefully dope and wax all the surfaces. Eliminating the landing gear will also increase the performance. By using this design as a base, many adaptations will be apparent to the contest-minded modeler. The author contemplates a stick model built along these lines. Remember, the push-pull offers the most efficient way of reaching a high power-to-weight ratio which is one of the important factors governing climb. So think about push-pulls for that next trophy winner.

Construction: Study plans carefully before attempting construction. Select a sheet of very light 1/8 quarter-grained balsa for the wing. Enlarge the wing drawing to full size; the squares around the outlines represent 1/2 inch. It will probably be necessary to laminate the wing in three pieces, since this size of stock is usually cut only in three-inch widths. Be careful of the seams and precoat well before assembling.

When the wood has been laminated to the desired width, transfer the wing outline to the wood. (Note that the wing is constructed in two halves and is held to the fuselage by wing clips.) Cut wing outlines to shape and sandpaper to the streamlined section shown on the drawing. Finish the sanding with 00 paper and apply several coats of glider polish (made from one ounce of clear dope, one ounce of clear lacquer, and several drops of castor oil to prevent warping). Add the dihedral of 1-1/2 in under each tip, precoating all joints before joining. Allow at least one hour for drying.

Bend the wing clips from .022 piano wire to shape shown on plan. The wing is set at zero degrees incidence, so both clips are the same size. Note how the hooked part of the clip goes through the wood to the underside of the wing, where elastic bands hold the wing and tail unit to the fuselage. Extreme care must be taken in bending the clips, as the flying ability of the model depends greatly on their alignment.

Cut tail booms, or outriggers, from 1/16 x 5/16 hard balsa tapering as shown on drawing. Round off the corners and glue to the wing. Be careful to see that they line up with the angle on plans..."

Supplementary file notes

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