Plato (oz13996)

About this Plan

Plato. Radio control flying saucer model.

The Plato (oz11576) design was first published in American Modeler, October 1960. This here is a later reprint (and article) from MB, in 1983.

Quote: "Plato, by Ernest Houslander. Preface by Bill Northrop.

The Plato (pronounced, play-toe) is an interesting flying wing for R/C combat or just having fun. Plato is as easy to fly as it is to build.

Here's another interesting and unusual R/C model originally published in the now defunct American Modeler, alias American Aircraft Modeler, alias Hobbies For Young Men alias Air Trails, alias etc, etc.

About a half dozen Platos were built and flown by members of the Delaware R/C Club shortly after it was published in October, 1960. All were flown using single-channel Galloping Ghost (pulse rudder and elevator), with engines ranging from K&B .15s, to Cameron and Veco .19s, to Super Tigre .23s.

Developed in an era when most R/C aircraft flown from grass fields had to be hand-launched, the Plato had outstanding ground handling. It looked kinda comical as it hippity-hopped across the field on takeoff, but it never nosed over or ground-looped, and landings were almost impossible to mess up. Always being dead-stick (Throttle? What's throttle? In those days, you flew until the engine quit and then landed - simple as that!), landing was just a matter of aiming the model at the landing area and controlling glide speed (and distance) with the elevator. Even at full up stick, the Plato would just flatten out and land with almost no run-out.

Just one problem - with the stick all the way back, and the model flying nose high, directional control was sluggish at best, as the rudder was blanketed by the huge wing platform. But no big deal - let the stick move forward to neutral elevator (slightly up, to follow the normal shape of the reflex airfoil) and the nose would drop, speed would pick up, and full directional control would return.

The original article is reproduced as first published, as a matter of historical information, but please remember how long ago it was written. Don't send letters asking where to buy Mighty Midget motors, ESSCO receivers, and Crescent pulse boxes! Obviously, a small-to-medium three-channel modern radio will do the job now, along with most any .19 R/C engine. We've indicated suggested hinge lines for rudder and elevator. Other than that, everything can remain the same.

Well, we'd suggest one construction modification that would simplify matters. Instead of trying to install the top and bottom cross-grain planking between the sides of the top and bottom fuselage halves, trim another 1/8-inch from the sides and glue the planking to the outside, as is normally done in building all-sheet balsa fuselages.

Incidentally, several of us in the Delaware club may have been among, if not the very first, to fly R/C combat, using Platos. With a crepe ribbon tied on, the model looked like a huge poly-wog 'swimming' through the air. We did manage a few cuts, and fortunately, no mid-airs. Combat or no, it's a fun airplane - easy to build, easy to fly, and certainly not just another run-of-the-mill high wing cabin sport model..."

Direct submission to Outerzone.

Supplementary file notes

Article.

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