Low Wing Trainer (oz14801)

About this Plan

Low Wing Trainer. Plan and article detailing how to modify an ARF trainer (the Royalair 40T, or similar).

Note this is not a complete plan. This is a drawing (and article) that shows how to convert a high wing ARF into a low wing trainer.

Quote: "Low Wing Trainer. A quick n simple way to make a neat low wing ARF trainer. By Jim Feldmann.

Why is it that virtually all RC trainer aircraft have the wing on the top? That isn't the case in the world of full-sized aircraft. The Piper Tomahawk and the Beech Skipper were among the last civilian training aircraft manufactured. and both were low wing designs. The Piper Cherokee (low wing) is no more difficult to fly than the Cessna 172 (high wing). And yet when anyone wants to learn to fly R/C his choice of kits is limited to high winged aircraft.

The Royalair 40T [see pic 003] and the nearly identical Hobbico Flightstar and Hobby Shack Right Flyer, are high wing ARF trainer kits, and they all assemble into excellent trainers, but suppose that you just happen to like low wing aircraft. (Or you just want to be different.) Well guess what, the conversion of a high wing trainer to a Low Wing Trainer is easy and inexpensive, and the low wing flies just as well as the high wing.

Actually, the Low Wing Trainer doesn't have the pendulum effect of the fuselage constantly trying to keep the wings level, This is good and bad. It's bad for your first two of three flights while you're fighting to keep the airplane level while you struggle around the field. But it's good from then on because the low wing is much easier to control in the turns. The low wing also has less total side area, so it is less sensitive to crosswinds. When the time comes, the low wing will serve quite well as a basic aerobatic trainer as well.

For the experienced flier, the Low Wing Trainer makes a very enjoyable, low pressure 'Sunday Flier'.

I have attempted to design this conversion so that it is no more difficult than the basic assembly of the kit itself. The instructions are written for someone with no modeling experience, and the materials list has been kept to a minimum. Nevertheless, I strongly recommend that all beginners find an experienced modeler to help with both assembly and flying, (And to loan you the tools you don't already have.)

Construction: Wing: Let's start with the wing. The only changes here are to move the aileron servo and pushrods to the top of the wing, and put a simple landing gear mounting plate in the bottom.

• Cut the aileron horns and their support blocks off the back of the wings. If your kit has a piece of plywood on top of the wing over each aileron horn, use a 'Tuf-Grind' to cut through the plywood. If you're careful with the covering while making the cuts, you won't have to patch it later.

• Remove the wire aileron horns from the blocks and reverse the horns side for Nide. You want the threaded portion of the horn to protrude from the top of the wing instead of the bottom. You will need to notch the blocks and wing to allow the horns to move to the front and rear. With the horns reinstalled, glue (thick CA) the support blocks back in place on the back of the wings.

• Now install the ailerons and join the wings in accordance with the kit instructions, but don't cut the servo hole or install the servo mount yet.

• Cut a 2 x 4 in hole in the bottom of the wing. at the center just behind the spar. Remove the section of the center ribs between the hack of the spar and the rear of the 2 x 4 in hole.

• Make the new gear support ribs from lite ply and glue them in place (epoxy). These ribs should be 3 in apart..."

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