Micro Sport (oz14401)

About this Plan

Micro Sport. Radio control sport model for electric power. Wingspan 22 in, wing area 88 sq in.

Quote: "Small plane, big performance. Micro Sport, by Dave Robelen.

Not so long ago, I was looking for a small model to use as a test bed for some new equipment. I planned to fly this model with fairly low power setups in several cases, and I wanted it to be able to accommodate standard micro equipment, including micro cables and plugs. I also wanted the model to be capable of being flown indoors in a space no larger than a single basketball court.

The low power requirement led me to design a respectably efficient wing. I chose to go with a proven airfoil combined with a light, strong structure. The remainder of the airframe needed to be as light and simple as was practical. I did include landing gear, since much of my flying takes place off hard surfaces; besides, I enjoy the takeoffs and landings.

An efficient, light wing is most easily achieved with a balsa framework and light covering. I chose to use Solite, but any number of light films or tissue would have worked as well. A simple balsa stick was adequate for the fuselage, and I found that I could cut the tail surfaces out of the centers of foam picnic plates. By using a sheet-balsa pylon to mount the wing, I gained stability along with a place to mount most of the RC gear. I fastened the wire landing gear to the fuselage with a wrapping of dental floss and CA. I made balsa wheels out of two layers of 1/22-inch sheet assembled cross-grain with an aluminum tube for a bearing.

For the power system, I selected the MPS-1 from DJ Aerotech; it's both economical and well made. Since this unit includes the propeller, it is especially well suited to this sort of project. My controls are essentially the GWS Pico package with the R4P receiver and 2A ESC. I have used both the GWS Pico servos and Hitec HS-50s with excellent results. All of this gets its signal from my trusty Hitec Prism 7X with Spectra module. This is more trans-mitter than is strictly necessary, but I have been spoiled by its reliability and features. I used a 6-cell, 50mAh Ni-Cd battery, but the 'Double-Time' NiMH cells from Cloud 9 would do a fine job, as well.

Would you like one, too? Read on for a really easy construction job.

Construction: The Micro Sport is small, and as a result, it is sensitive to excess weight. This means that the wood you use should be reasonably light yet stringy and tough enough for the fuselage and wing spars. I get the best results when I purchase a sheet of wood of the desired thickness and then slice off strips of the required size.

The wing is the only part to be built on a work surface, so choose a work board that is nice and flat and that you can stick pins into.

When cutting the wing ribs, I use plywood templates as a guide, and I highly recommend that you do the same. That all 14 ribs are alike makes this job fairly simple. I also trim the taper into the trailing-edge strip before I begin assembly. The rest of the ribs should be left rectangular during assembly.

I am fond of using wax paper to protect the plan during construction, but you can use any transparent material as long as the glue does not stick to it (hint: CA glue bonds to Saran Wrap).

When you pin the trailing edge into place, be sure to use the shims to tilt it to match the airfoil shape. The leading edge comes next; then glue the ribs into place.

When this much is dry, cut through the edges and prop the outer panels into place to set up the required dihedral..."

Direct submission to Outerzone.

Supplementary file notes

Article.

Corrections?

Did we get something wrong with these details about this plan (especially the datafile)? That happens sometimes. You can help us fix it.
Add a correction