Para-Cola-Sol (oz14284)

About this Plan

Para-Cola-Sol. Radio control sport model, for .10 engine.

Quote: "The idea for this R/C project was born a couple of years ago when I read an ad for a kit, suggesting the use of the bottom of a 2 liter soft drink bottle as a cowling. I had just acquired a Futaba radio with mini servos and the thought crossed my mind, why not use the whole bottle? The Futaba flight pack looked like it would fit easily and, after all, there once was a pretty, good airplane known as the flying Jug.

From that point on, I began to mentally solve the problems involved. It started with spending more than the ordinary amount of time on the soft drink aisle in the grocery store. I am sure many a shopper thought I was being far too picky in my selection of a soft drink as I turned it over carefully, examining it from all angles, finally holding it parallel to the floor at arm's length (to envision profile). What I discovered is that there is more than one type of bottle. Some have a large neck and some small. Some have rounded, almost dome-like tops, while others slope rapidly away from the neck.

I already had my power picked. I had been wanting an OS 10 FSR and this was the perfect excuse. The biggest remaining problem was how to connect the bottle to the tail group. My first thought was the plastic aerator tubes used in aquariums but I couldn't find any long enough. I experimented with the cardboard tubes that music wire is stored in but found them too heavy. I was beginning to think I was going to have to fabricate my own out of fiberglass when I discovered plastic shower rod covers. They were light, came in several colors and, best of all, the diameter was adjustable. I was now ready to start.

Construction: Fuselage: This is the obvious challenge in this model and little time was spent on the wing or tail group. As a matter of fact, the wing is from a Flyline Fairchild 22 which I was in the process of repairing. The tail group is straight Gypsy Moth because it seemed to fit the model.

The first step is to mark the bottle right where it meets the plastic bottom. The bottom is then removed by cutting around the inset portion with an X-Acto knife. Since this is the only portion of the bottom glued to the bottle, the remainder will fall off in your hand. Set it aside for use later and re-mark the bottle 1/4 in lower than the first mark. This is to allow for the 1/4 in firewall.

The bottom of the bottle is then cut off with an ordinary pair of scissors. The bottle will appear very flimsy at this point but the 1/4 inch plywood firewall and mid-section former will take care of this. The diameter of these is critical as they must fit snugly in order to offer proper support. The best practice is to cut them slightly large and sand to fit

The holes for the cabanes and landing gear wire are predrilled. Once aligned properly inside the bottle, an ordinary ice pick was used to punch through the bottle into these holes. The rear servo tray support offered a special challenge in order to make it conform to the dome shape. This was solved by first cutting the neck off a bottle right where this piece fits. Plaster patching compound was then used to form a plaster dummy of this part. After drying, it was removed and used as a model for shaping one out of spruce with an X-Acto and sandpaper. These wood parts all serve dual purposes. The rear servo support also provides the rear anchorage for the landing gear. In addition to supporting the bottle, the firewall and mid-section former also provide anchorage for the wire cabanes. The mid-section former also serves as a servo rail and the front support for the landing gear..."

Direct submission to Outerzone.

Scan by MarkD, cleanup by Circlip.

Update 29/12/2022: Replaced this plan with a clearer copy, thanks to DavidTerrell, see his RCGroups post at https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showpost.php?p=39468361&postcount=301

Update 8/1/2023: Replaced this plan (again) with a clearer copy, thanks to theshadow.

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