Shen-Ven (oz14207)

About this Plan

Shen-Ven. Radio control glider model.

Quote: "Shen-Ven. Learn a magic craft with Mike White's versatile soarer.

On the Isle of Man, local legend has it that the ridge of Carraghan is the haunt of a red cloaked fay, Shen-Ven, who flies around the countryside in a fiery wheel. I didn't like the idea of a fiery wheel too much so I substituted wings on my Shen-Ven, red ones and she flies around the countryside pretty well too!

We are very lucky , those of us who live on the Island, in that we have more than 15 hill sites from which to fly and the furthest is only about 40 minutes away. With wind from any direction a site is always available. Flat field flying is also possible at the old RAF airfield at Jurby and I am lucky enough to have a 40 acre field from which to fly at my back door - well 20 feet from it! Each year we have the Manx Model Flyers Festival which is held at the beginning of July. You have just missed this year's bash so why not plan on coming over next time. I can find you B&B accommodation and you can use my workshop for repairs. You can contact me on 0624 813654 or I'm sure your Editor would put you in touch when the time comes - he comes over every year!

Shen-Ven was designed in 1990 as a HLG and has since had a hook added for mini bungee launches and has been flown from the slope in very light winds most successfully. In Ramsey we have a sea wall about 3ft high with a drop of 3ft down to the beach. When the breeze is right this 'ridge' has provided enough lift to keep the model airborne until the batteries went down. She also thermals well from a hand launch over tarmac runway lift on a warm day and has made several 1-1/2 minute flights and one of two minutes, and I don't have a strong arm any more. Mini-bungee launches are no problem, she goes up straight and the construction will take all you can give it. Winch launching though? I don't know!

Get building: Fuselage construction is fairly straightforward although it will have to be built in the hand rather than on a board. Another method of construction would be to shape a pod from blue foam and cover it with epoxy resin and cloth. When it has cured, scrape away the foam or dissolve it with thinners or petrol, using this method the boom then would have to be set in by eyeballing the alignment although this would not be too difficult. You have a choice of arrowshaft, Rony tube or fishing rod for the boom. On my two models I used a 33 in long arrow shaft 1/4 in diameter which provided the two booms required. Use epoxy glue to set the boom into the F3 and F4 after having roughed up the end to give it a good key.

Elevator and rudder are operated by lightweight snakes. I only used the inners, which were hollow, gluing them in place inside the boom. I then inserted 20 swg piano wires as the push rods. When installing the servos use a good quality double sided tape, Tessa do a good one, and take time to align them in such a way that the pushrods make a fairly straight line into the tube without rubbing together. Before fixing the double sided tape in place, seal the wood with paint or clear dope. My servos have been in position now for four years proving that this system does work..."

Direct submission to Outerzone.

Quote: "Hi Mary & Steve, I have another plan for you, sooner than expected. Please find attached plan and article for Shen-Ven, designed by Mike White. Details as follows:

Name: Shen-Ven
Span: 58" (1473mm)
Designer: Mike White
Publisher: Silent Flight (No. 18)
Date: Oct/Nov 1994
Description: 2 Channel HLG/Sailplane

This was a pretty clean plan, apart from minor water damage (see the pink on the article pages) so didn't take long at all to clean up. More coming soon hopefully. Kind regards, Ian Salmon."

Supplementary file notes

Article.

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