Pulex GM (oz15250)

About this Plan

Pulex GM. Free flight sport model for rubber power.

Quote: "An interesting little design with a good pedigree. Pulex GM, by Peter Fisher.

Introduction & development:The Pulex GM is named from Pulex, which is Latin for a flea and GM, which stands for 'Garden Model'. It has been specially designed for sports free-flight in very limited areas and more specifically domestic gardens. Ifs compact dimensions and a wing span of only 20 in, means it can easily be accommodated in a standard carrying box, well below the maximum size for transit, as cabin luggage, by most airlines.

The Pulex GM has been developed from the well known Performance Kit's Dynos (oz14177) low-wing rubber model kit. It is robust, very stable and possessed of considerable elegance in the air. It has been designed to have a low rate of climb, slow flying speed and flat glide, ideal for limited areas.

Construction: Cover the plan with wax paper for protection. Select medium and soft balsa; sandpaper liberally. Build the fuselage sides over each other; then assemble over the plan view, starting with the parallel section. Check for rectangular section, using a set-square. Laminate the nose-block and drill for the thrust button, before shaping the nose-block to final section, build the wings over the plan and then assemble over the centre section.

Take care to cant the root ribs 'R' using the template shown; this will ensure a dihedral of 1.75 in at each wing tip. Use very light weight 1 in dia wheels. The prototype was covered with Lightweight Modelspan and given one coat of clear dope. The centre of gravity was 1.5/8 in forward of the wing TE. Make up a single loop of 1/8 x 1/ 24 x 14 inch rubber and lubricate. This gives ideal garden performance.

Flying: Test glide to achieve a long flat glide, check the prop is free-wheeling correctly. The prototype used an Inkfish 5.7 in dia white nylon prop and button. Pack the LE of the tailplane if model stalls and the TE if it dives. (Opening the location slot as required.) For maximum performance the motor can be stretch-wound; but for normal flying, and applying turns by hand, a duration of about 22 secs is adequate for most gardens and can provide some very pleasurable and elegant flights.

Some skill is required to trim Pulex to accurately circumvent trees and bushes and ensure a safe-landing on the lawn! A typical flight here involves accurately flying between two branches of a copper beech, around an ornamental cherry tree and landing between a sycamore and a fuchsia hedge an a strip of lawn! Altitude is regulated to a maximum of perhaps 18 feet, and because airspeed is so low, encounters with branches do not cause damage. Happy flying. "

Direct submission to Outerzone.

Quote: "Hi Mary, Please see attached a plan and article, from Aeromodeller, by the late O.F.W. (Peter) Fisher, from Performance Kits for Outerzone. All the best,
Mark Robinson"

Supplementary file notes

Article.

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