Bellanca (oz14267)

About this Plan

Bellanca. Free flight semi-scale model for rubber power.

Quote: "Semi-Scale Bellanca, by Cristo Russo.

She looks like the real thing, yet has contest type performance.

Free flying scale jobs are fairly hard to make and seldom in the same league with contest models as far as performance is concerned. Contest rubber jobs do not resemble real planes. But there is one way to have your cake and eat it too. How about a big sport design, meant primarily for performance but laid out along the lines of some popular real aircraft? This 'Bellanca' for instance.

It has good proportions for fly-ing, slimmed out as it is, with big prop and stilt-like landing gear. While there is nothing scale about it, every line - the wing tips, the stabilizer tip rudders, the cabin - shouts Bellanca. In the air it looks a lot like the real ship.

Since the fuselage sides are parallel back to the trailing edge of the wing, the forward bulkheads are cemented in first; the sides are then drawn together at the rear and the remaining formers put in place. The stringers are fairly hard and eliminate all bowing of the contours due to paper pull. The nose is extra strong with cross-pieces on all four sides. The heavy leading edge of the stab prevents easy breakage and gives a nicely rounded edge. Ribs are fairly soft.

To assemble, lay down the edges, then the bottom spar of hard 1/8 square; put the ribs in place, being careful not to make force fits (which may cause warps), and finish with the top anti-warp spar.

Cut all wing ribs identical to the center section rib, then trim to fit the taper as shown in the detail. The wing tip can be cut ready to go from 1 inch wide triangle stock, other-wise shaped from 1/4 x 1 in wood. First lay down the edges, next the bottom spar of 1/8 square hard balsa. Trim the ribs to fit and slide into place without forcing. Add the top spar. Be sure to note that the two panels are made separately, then joined in the middle when dihedral is incorporated. In other words, the center section is added last. The center section consists of filling in the connecting leading and trailing edge pieces, a full depth piece of 1/8 sheet..."

Bellanca, Air Trails, January 1951.

Direct submission to Outerzone.

Supplementary file notes

Article pages, thanks to RFJ.

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