Caudron C.445 Goeland (oz14732)

About this Plan

Caudron C.445 Goeland. Free flight scale model twin, for electric power.

Direct submission to Outerzone.

Quote: "Hello again Steve, I was hoping to give this one the full Levente II treatment, I’ve written the type history document but have yet to draw the illustrations, build the model and complete a build instruction manual.

I spent a lot of time trying to find suitable motors for it and managed to purchase some tiny brushless motors from China that would turn scale counter rotating propellers (the full sized machine had handed engines and propellers). I also intended to have removable undercarriage and fairings to look like closed UC doors that could be fitted for flight.

The intention remains to build it and to include power system information and additional drawings showing the power system installed, I just don’t know when I’ll get around to it! The only intentional deviation from scale is an increased tailplane area and slightly increased dihedral.

The real aircraft served with lots of civil operators and several militaries, both Allied and Axis, so colour scheme choices are plentiful. I think it would make a great lightweight electric twin for RC if scaled up to double size and fitted with light retracts.

I’ll send you the rest of the documents if/when I find the time to construct a prototype. All the best, Pete"

Update 8/9/2024: Added photos of completed model, also build details and flight report, thanks to PeteTheobold, Barry.

Quote: "Dear Steve and Mary, Barry, my friend up in the far north of Scotland, an avid model builder, pilot and exemplary photographer, who recently completed a lovely De Havilland Dragon from oz11640, very kindly agreed to prototype a Caudron C.445 Goeland from the plan I submitted last year. He sensibly enlarged the design by 145%, giving a span of 30", and made it four channel radio control [main pic, 003-013].

The model is powered by a pair of Happymodel ES1103S 6000kV 3.8g brushless outrunner motors, turning 4.5" propellers. Just as with the full-sized Goeland, the propellers are handed and counter rotate. The battery is an 1800mAh 1S 3.7V LiPo, fitted just ahead of the wing, and the ESCs are Walkera brushless helicopter units. It uses four 3g micro servos for the control surfaces and the receiver is a 4 channel Flysky FS2A.

Structural and aerodynamic changes made were as follows - The hollow nose was built up from laminations of balsa sheet, oriented vertically. The fuselage side ladders incorporate a couple more diagonal strips to stiffen the wing saddle area. The wing's incidence was reduced to very near zero to prevent ballooning under power, a sensible change from the original design, which was intended for free flight. The dihedral was reduced to be more scale. The wing leading edge was sheeted all the way to the tips to improve strength and give a more consistent aerofoil section between ribs. The cowl bowls and various cowl and fuselage ducts and vents are vacuum formed from clear plastic. The nacelle bottoms are strip planked as opposed to being made from block/sheet balsa. Structure has been added to allow control surface hinging and the ailerons and elevator have been slightly enlarged from scale to improve control authority, very useful in the blustery Highlands of Scotland. The wingtips, fin and tailplane outlines have been beefed up and made from strip and sheet balsa, instead of the laminated versions shown on the plan.

Covering is matt finish (soft-touch) Doculam, and the paint is sprayed white acrylic, with the blue being brush painted, using Tamiya masking tape for the straight portions and free hand for the curved areas. Decals are home printed onto decal paper and the whole model was given a sprayed coat of matt varnish to seal the decals and give a uniform finish. All up weight is 170g (6oz), a very commendable weight for a model of this size.

Test flights took place on September the 3rd, 2024, in a 10mph wind, which bounced the model around a little, but control authority was more than adequate to compensate for this. Barry reports that the model is very benign at the stall and can be slowed down very nicely, he said it looks amazing in the air, something that I think the photographs more than adequately prove!

Seeing Barry's beautiful model has made me want to build one myself. With best wishes, Pete Theobald"

See also RCGroups thread at https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?4607211-Caudron-C-445-Goeland-at-30-Span for more details, more pics.

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