Super Esquire (oz15184)

 

Super Esquire (oz15184) by Doug Mourer, Jack Walsh 1975 - plan thumbnail

About this Plan

Midwest Super Esquire. Radio control sport trainer model. Wingspan 75 in wing area 1100 sq in, for 40 to 60 engines.

Direct submission to Outerzone.

Quote: "Attached are scans for the Midwest Super Esquire to add to the Esquire family on the website. There are two files - one for the fuselage, and the other for the wing and tail. Other than needing a good clean up [fixed now], I think everything is there. Thank you for all your efforts keeping this website going, it is a really great resource,"

Update 26/6/2024: Added kit review from Flying Models June 1981, thanks to RFJ.

Quote: "FM Product Review: Midwest's Super Esquire, by Fred Koval.

The Super Esquire, kitted by Midwest Products Company, 400 South Indiana, Hobart, Indiana 46342, incorporates a rather interesting design philosophy. By taking a tested and proven aircraft, the Esquire series, and scaling it up to a .60 powered version, the engineers at Midwest have developed a trainer which merits serious consideration by beginner and sport flyer alike.

Developed back in the 1950s when radio equipment lacked the sophistication we enjoy today, the basic Esquire design had to be a stable, easy to fly aircraft with no nasty traits. A trainer of that era had to be able to literally fly itself. The radio control, usually consisting of rudder only, or rudder with crude non proportional throttle control was used to upset the stable flight path of the aircraft resulting in basic flight maneuvers. As radio equipment became more sophisticated and reliable, aircraft design progressed accordingly, until we evolved to the point where we stand today.

Modern model aircraft are capable of duplicating nearly any maneuver which can be performed in a full scale aircraft, assuming the pilot has the necessary proficiency. Pilot proficiency is the key to success in the sport of R/C model flying. While no pilot of a full scale aircraft would even consider climbing into the cockpit of a modern jet and attempting to fly it without first having developed his ability through a proper training program, I have seen numerous beginners to radio control show up at the field with an aircraft so far beyond their ability to fly it that failure is assured. Even with the aid of a qualified instructor, progress is slow and often the flyer loses interest before he really learns to fly. Just as the full scale pilot must begin with a reasonably stable, easy to fly aircraft and dual instruction, so should the R/C flyer.

The Midwest Super Esquire is just such a stable basic trainer. It also possesses several other assets worthy of consideration. Being a large aircraft with a wingspan of 74 inches and almost 1200 square inches of area, it is a slow flying and more importantly, a slow reacting aircraft giving the new pilot time to think and compensate for overcontrol, probably the most common problem encountered by the beginning flyer. Its large size affords the flyer a better sense of orientation, a large, slow flying plane is just that much easier to see than a small, hot ship tearing across the sky. Another virtue of its size is the ease of installing the radio equipment. The equipment doesn't have to be shoe-horned into this baby, it fits with ease.

Once the flyer has progressed to the point of demanding a more challenging aircraft, the Super Esquire makes a fine sport plane for those low pressure moments when one feels like relaxing.

The Super Esquire is relatively easy to build and should present a minimum of difficulty to all except possibly the rank beginner. Just like with pilot proficiency, the modeler should evaluate his ability to undertake a project of this magnitude. Certainly one would not attempt to build a 25 foot cabin cruiser without first having constructed a pram or at least seeking experienced advice and assistance. The beginning modeler likewise should consider obtaining the guidance and supervision of a more experienced builder to insure success. This is not intended to suggest building the Super Esquire is a difficult task, but it does require certain basic skills to insure the finished aircraft is structurally sound with a correct radio installation.

At $99.95 suggested retail, the Super Esquire represents a substantial investment which can result in a strong, nicely finished trainer capable of rewarding the modeler with years of enjoyment, or an ugly eyesore, the source of chronic problems. The flyer who is constantly field repairing his plane or who is regularly experiencing structural failures, is most likely the builder who slapped together the kit, totally ignoring the kit manufacturer's instructions and disregarding the sage advice of more experienced builders who attempt to assist him.

When evaluating a kit for a Product Review I attempt to be as objective as possible. I examine the contents of the kit, review the plans for obvious deficiencies, and then begin the actual construction. If step by step building instructions are provided with the kit, they are followed to the letter. Especially if the kit is intended for construction by an inexperienced builder, I expect the instructions to be clear, concise, and easy to understand.

The six page building instructions supplied with the Super Esquire certainly meet my requirements and should enable the modeler, even with limited experience, to construct the aircraft with a minimum of difficulty. While I find no fault with the procedures outlined in the instructions, there were several instances where the wood sizes called out in the instructions did not agree with the wood supplied in the kit, or indicated on the plans. For example, the instructions called for farmers F1 thru F5 to be constructed from 1/4 x 1 in balsa, while 1/4 x 3/4 stock was provided and indicated on the plans. The instructions call out 1/2 x 1/4 ears on the formers while in fact they should be 1/4 in square. Item 5 on page 2 called for glueing together the various 1/2 in sheet balsa and strip pieces for the fuselage sides. After digging around the kit contents awhile, I realized the fuselage side frames were constructed of 1/4 inch stock not 1/2 inch.

These discrepancies have been pointed out to the manufacturer and I was advised corrected instruction sheets were provided with the next run of kits. Despite these minor errors, the construction procedures were excellent and detailed.

Due to the complete and detailed building instructions provided with the kit, we can dispense with a lengthy 'glue part A to part B' format and discuss the highlights of the kit..."

Supplementary file notes

Review.

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Super Esquire (oz15184) by Doug Mourer, Jack Walsh 1975 - model pic

Datafile:
  • (oz15184)
    Super Esquire
    by Doug Mourer, Jack Walsh
    from Midwest (ref:145)
    1975 
    74in span
    IC R/C Cabin Kit
    clean :)
    formers unchecked
  • Submitted: 29/02/2024
    Filesize: 1167KB
    Format: • PDFbitmap
    Credit*: Mike Bohannan
    Downloads: 583

Super Esquire (oz15184) by Doug Mourer, Jack Walsh 1975 - pic 003.jpg
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Super Esquire (oz15184) by Doug Mourer, Jack Walsh 1975 - pic 004.jpg
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Super Esquire (oz15184) by Doug Mourer, Jack Walsh 1975 - pic 005.jpg
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Super Esquire (oz15184) by Doug Mourer, Jack Walsh 1975 - pic 006.jpg
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Super Esquire (oz15184) by Doug Mourer, Jack Walsh 1975 - pic 007.jpg
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Super Esquire (oz15184) by Doug Mourer, Jack Walsh 1975 - pic 008.jpg
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Super Esquire (oz15184) by Doug Mourer, Jack Walsh 1975 - pic 009.jpg
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Super Esquire (oz15184) by Doug Mourer, Jack Walsh 1975 - pic 010.jpg
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User comments

Am I missing something? Are the stabiliser ribs missing.
Jon Merwin - 22/03/2024
construction blog at https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?4396793-Midwest-Super-Esquire.
pit - 22/03/2024
Hello, Just wanted to send you a few pictures [main pic, 005, 006] of a completed Super Esquire you could use for your outstanding website. Thanks,
John Bergsmith - 23/06/2024
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Notes

* Credit field

The Credit field in the Outerzone database is designed to recognise and credit the hard work done in scanning and digitally cleaning these vintage and old timer model aircraft plans to get them into a usable format. Currently, it is also used to credit people simply for uploading the plan to a forum on the internet. Which is not quite the same thing. This will change soon. Probably.

Scaling

This model plan (like all plans on Outerzone) is supposedly scaled correctly and supposedly will print out nicely at the right size. But that doesn't always happen. If you are about to start building a model plane using this free plan, you are strongly advised to check the scaling very, very carefully before cutting any balsa wood.

 

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