Piney (oz14540)

About this Plan

Piney. Free flight sport model.

Originally published in Air Trails, June 1943. This here is a reprint from RCMW-FSP, Nov 2015. As hosted on the mac34.fr site [see datafile].

Note this plan is stamped as Archive #003686 from the Cooperative Plans Service. See their website at www.co-op-plans.com

Quote: "WHAT! Build a gas job with white pine? Now wait a minute, pine isn't heavy. As a matter of fact, it's a soft wood, while balsa, as probably few of you know, is classed as a hard wood (all trees that shed their leaves in the fall are hard woods).

After some experimentation and the building of one gas job with pine, it was decided that pine was satisfactory; in fact many people prefer it to balsa.

Construction time was about the same as with balsa, although it was a little more difficult to work with until we learned the different tricks. For instance, on the first attempt we used Weldwood in preference to model airplane cement, thinking the latter would not do.

However, when it dried it was so tough it could not be cut with a razor blade. We then had recourse to casein glue, which while satisfactory in other ways, took too long to dry.

As a last-ditch resort, model airplane cement was tried but it did not work very well until a fillet of cement was added (much the same procedure every model builder uses for square fuselages). This did the trick; the cement held so well that the wood broke before the cement.

Wood in sizes up to 1/16 can easily be cut with a single-edged razor blade. The ribs were cut around a tin can template in this manner. Curved parts were eliminated wherever possible because pine splits very easily. But wherever they were used, they were glued together in straight sections and then cut to shape.

Two tools that proved priceless in making this model were a Syncro Jr saw and a variety of sandpaper blocks bearing rough, medium and smooth sandpaper. Remember, the only difference between the beginner and the expert is that the expert uses sandpaper.

As for the weight, pine when properly used will cause the ship to weigh no more than the old type of balsa ship, while possessing the advantage of great strength..."

Update 5/5/2023: Added article, thanks to Pit.

Supplementary file notes

Article.

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