A6M2-N Rufe Conversion (oz15238)

About this Plan

A6M2-N Rufe Conversion.

Note this is not a plan for a complete airframe. This is plan showing how to convert the Top Flite A6M2 Zero (oz7944) kit into a floatplane. This plan shows only the conversion details.

As requested on the Wanted page.

Quote: "A6M2-N Rufe Conversion, by Ed Westwood. The venerable Zero takes to the sea.

THE A6M2-N originated from the type 11 Zero, which had a 12-meter wing and early blunt cowl with exposed gun troughs. Three hundred twenty-seven were built by Nakajima through September 1943. They were used both in the South Pacific and the Aleutians for medium-range reconnaissance and anti-submarine patrol.

The seaplane version weighed about 1,000 pounds more than the land plane and had a large float V-strutted to the wing rear spar and down-strutted to the front spar. The single-strut tip floats both touched the water when the aircraft was at rest Apparently some early directional stability problems occurred during flight-testing of the prototype since the production. model had both the lower ventral strake and a noticeably higher vertical stabilizer.

The modifications presented were scaled down from the Squadron Signal A6M publication three-views and photos. I selected the Top Flite A6M2 Zero (oz7944) kit because it is the A6M2 version. A Royal Rufe has a nice ring to it but they're A6M5s.

CONSTRUCTION: The fuselage should be built as the plans suggest but with the cockpit floor extending down only far enough to accommodate a 1/6-scale pilot bust. Remember, the seaplane had no roll bar. The reduced-depth cockpit allows the fuselage servos to be positioned right behind the fuel tank. Everything you can do to keep the weight forward will pay off with less nose weight. Install an internal antenna tube during construction.

Don't bother with the fillets until the wing is attached with some plastic wrap between the joint. I made my fillets with 1/64 plywood forward and some built-up pieces aft, and lots of Magic Filler.

The Top Flite wing is more a A6M5 so put the tips back on as shown on the modification drawing. The W-1A ribs are spread by the width of the float crutch so remember to put a temporary spacer during assembly and take it out after the wing is sheeted. The aluminum rear V-strut is epoxied to W-18 prior to sheeting also. Check out the kit-supplied bell cranks; if they're too sloppy, replace them with some tight ones.

The main float is partially sheeted while one side is still attached to the building board. It is then removed, the other half bulkheads attached, chines applied, and the second side sheeted. The front crutch consists of the pieces of 1/8 plywood sandwiching a 3/16 piece of balsa. At the wing, this combination fits over the spar and between wing ribs W1-A.

At the float, the 3/16 sheet is short so the two 1/2-inch sides slip over the float crutch and around the bulkhead 4. The two check blocks are carved to fair the structure to near scale. Remember to install the float servo extension in a slot in the 3/16 center sheet This crutch, the rear V-strut halves, and the water rudder servo assembly are all secured from the bottom.

Incidentally, I precontoured my sheeting by wrapping the damp sheet around any appropriate diameter tube, securing it, and then pouring ammonia over it. You get a much nicer job.

When the equipment is installed and you're satisfied that the servo actuates the water rudder in the same direction as the air rudder, sheet the bottom and attach and carve the nose block.

I built my tip floats the hard way. I sawed a series of 1/2-inch crossgrain blocks and ball-pointed the appropriate right and left bulkhead patterns on them. I cut the blocks just outside of the lines and Sig-Mented them to the keel piece. Carving and sanding to the penned lines gives a pretty nice float. I carefully separated the blocks and hollowed out the insides. Leaving a space in the keel for the downstrut stub, the blocks were all glued back together and given a final sanding.

The outer aluminum stub struts were permanently epoxied in the float with a little extra epoxy at the bottom to insure that the stubs were watertight Stub struts were also installed 12 inches from the tip wings and just touching the back of the wing spar. Be sure during this operation that the down-struts are installed for alignment. Except for display, the down-struts are guyed both to the wing leading edge and to the spar on either side with stranded control-line wire. I soldered small brass clips to the wire, after it was slipped through holes in the down-struts so they could be secured with small sheet-metal screws..."

Direct submission to Outerzone.

Quote: "Hello Steve, I had noticed the other day this plan was on the wanted list. It is from the Sept. 1987 issue of Model Airplane News. Ed Westwood is the designer. Please find the plan and article attached. Love the site, keep up the good work. Richard Madsen"

Supplementary file notes

Article.

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