Miss Bikini (oz14457)

About this Plan

Miss Bikini. Radio control sport cabin model, for electric power. Wingspan 48 in, wing area 360 sq in.

Direct submission to Outerzone.

Quote: "My wife and favorite flying partner asked me to design something to replace her battered Miss 2 ARF. No ailerons needed, just a simple model to seek thermals with, but still be able to shoot touch & goes. So, I took the opportunity to draw up a model with old-timer proportions (and curves!), whilst also seeking relaxed performance. Hence, the Miss Bikini.

There are a few special bits about the Miss Bikini’s construction.

First, I laminate balsa a bit differently than the old pin-and-bend system. For details, please see the neighboring article on laminating.

Second, I use facing strips. These are thin strips of balsa on the longerons to keep the shrinkfilm covering away from the aft fuse open structure, to avoid awkward stuck-on areas. That’s why the plans note spots where the forward fuse thickness doesn’t match the aft thickness.

Next, those jig plates. I built the fuse on a simple jig, consisting of two parallel 1/8 music wire rods. Wax the rods, to keep the glues from sticking them to the construction and clamp the rods in a scrap wood framework. Tack glue the jig plates to the bulkheads, then pop them off when the fuse is done.

Finally, sew the LG/UC wires to the bulkheads with stranded (not monofilament) fishing line, then soak them with thin CA. Don’t add the gear struts until after the model is covered, then secure them with a few drops of thin CA. This makes covering the fuse a lot easier!

Finally, a word about covering. I covered the model with document laminating film, then sprayed it with transparent plastic model paints. The film ('Doculam') is tricky to put on, but I’ve never had to reshrink it. It can be a pain to find a paint that will stick, though.

Miss Bikini is a fun, relaxing ship. Using a lot of rudder throw, she will do surprisingly axial rolls. Without ailerons, she won’t side-slip, but she is a delight to shoot quiet summer evening touch and goes. Throttled back, she’s an excellent trainer, giving newbies time to think."

Supplementary file notes

Build notes.
Decals.
Lamination notes.

CAD file

This plan is available for download in CAD format.

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