Condorian (oz15170)

About this Plan

Condorian. Free flight power model.

Direct submission to Outerzone.

Update 15/3/2024: Added article, thanks to RFJ.

Quote: "Powered by any good high speed .15 engine, this is the fastest climbing FAI Power free flight model in the happy business of contest winning. The Condorian, by Roger Simpson.

In January 1959 when I was transferred to Germany, my knowledge of FAI power was very limited. All German contests are flown under FAI rules, and rather than sit around and wait for the one big Air Force meet a year to fly my AMA ships, I started building FAI ships to compete in the German meets. At first I built and flew the typical American-type FAI ships, and later on built and flew some European designs. Although fairly successful with these type models, I wasn't consistent enough.

The last year and a half in Germany I settled on a model patterned after some Finnish designs. This model performed well and really built up my enthusiasm for the FAI power event.

When I returned to California in the fall of 1962, I had no idea what a hotbed of FAI flying I was walking into. The FAI power event in the Northern California Free Flight Council contests are, in my opinion, the stiffest competition in the United States. Consequently, the models I had flown in Germany didn't quite do the job. So, as the old saying goes, "If you can't beat em, join em." Which I did by flying another modeler's design during most of 1963.

A second place at the 1963 Nats and first place in the American Championships in the Western Area, made me realize that you must have the climb as well as the glide.

In the fall of 1963, I got the feeling that I wanted to fly my own design again. So back to the closet and out with the plans for my European-type design again.

I have always prefered the long tail moment arm kind for the superb glide obtained from it. My old design had both wing and stab undercambered airfoils and had a very good glide, but was slow in the climb. Also, it wasn't consistent in its power pattern as it had to be launched perfectly everytime so as to put it in its exact groove for the climb.

I replaced the undercambered airfoils with fairly thin flat bottom sections to obtain a faster climb, relying on the long tail moment arm to give me the glide I wanted. The fuselage was streamlined and the forces rearranged to get a fast climbing model that grooved consistently.

The result was the Condorian, one of the fastest and highest climbing FAI power ships ever flown. It is a machine for the serious experienced FAI power flier to turn a max with consistency. It is not a model for a beginner.

In its first competition, at the 1964 Cal-Western meet in Los Angeles, it was acclaimed to be the highest climbing model there, but unfortunately was down drafted to second place in a hotly contested flyoff. Since then it has been flown in seven contests and placed first in five of them, including a first at the 1964 Air Force World Wide Model Competition, and first place in the Open FAI power event at the 1964 Nats in Dallas.

CONSTRUCTION: WING: Because this model has a tendency to DT very hard, be sure to use all the plywood dihedral braces that are shown, being careful to note the tapered ones shown on the plans. The wing should be covered with silk or nylon, and weigh approximately seven ounces after seven to nine coats of dope..."

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