Traveler (oz1547)

About this Plan

Traveler. 1/2A RC model designed to fold up and pack into hand luggage size box for traveling by plane. Wing span: 33.75in.

Note this here is a later redrawn plan by rchopper56.

Quote: "Original drawing in the magazine had a simulated gray background so I decided to redraw in CAD. I started the CAD file in 2005 and forgot to finish it then. The file is 9 pages, it includes the article, the full size plan, and is also tiled for those of us too lazy (including me) to run to a print shop."

Quote: "Traveler, by Ken Willard. A dandy design for the travelin' man and home-lovin' R/C fans, too.

One of the most frustrating experiences for the dyed-in-the-wool R/C enthusiast is to have to go on a weekend business trip, and while in a distant city have nothing to do on Saturday and Sunday. So, you go to a hobby shop, find out where the R/C gang flies, and head for the field. Once there, you watch the local boys as they test their new ships or wring out the old ones. And that's the frustrating part, because you'd like to do a little flying too.

Ordinarily an R/C job is too big to take along on a trip, and besides you'd never trust it to the baggage smashers. However, on today's airliners like TWA's Constellations and United's DC-6s and DC-7s, you are permitted to take into the passenger cabin any small case which will fit under your seat. Maximum size has been set at 21 x 13 x 8 inches. That gave me an idea. Why not make a little R/C job, using a lightweight receiver like the Deltron, Babcock's Magic Carpet, or EC's new transistorized tone job - one that would fit in a small traveling case? Then, when a trip is necessary, just stick the model in the case and take it along.

Of course you could design a model with folding wings, detachable nose etc, and make it fairly good-sized when assembled. I decided to go the other route - make it small, simple, with only the wing folding. That meant limiting fuselage length, which in turn limited wing span. However, you want to have your transmitter along too, and with the small model there's also room for the transmitter. You do have to cut the antenna in half and make a sleeve fitting, but it's nice to have your own equipment. Also, if you use a diesel engine for power you don't have to worry about batteries. Thus the Traveler was designed. First version had a built-up wing, but later experiments showed a sheet-balsa wing was just as good if not better, and a lot easier to build.

The amazing thing about all this is that the Traveler is a real job to fly. It's not critical to trim, and with the short moment arm it's a stunting fool - does tighter loops than a U-control!

Traveler can be built in a couple of days, and if you don't need folding-wing feature you can make spare wings about one an hour, omitting the time spent waiting for glue to dry. So let's get started, and be prepared for the biggest surprise in your R/C experience when you discover how easy it is to build and fly the Traveler.

Fuselage: Cut out two sides and glue 1/8 square reinforcers in place. Note 1/8 square members against which firewall mounts are set to give down-thrust and right thrust. Due to each model's individual characteristics, you may have to adjust thrust line slightly, but amount shown will be pretty close.

Glue battery compartment bulkhead and escapement bulkhead in place, being careful to line up two sides so bulkheads are at right angles to sides. When dry, pinch sides together at tail and glue tailblock in place. Then glue cross braces at leading edge of stab position. Note fuselage is pulled together here slightly. This is only for appearances - I prefer the narrower look.

Mount firewall: Here again two sides are pulled together slightly for streamlined effect. Be sure firewall butts solidly against 1/8 sq braces. Add reinforcing skin doublets both ahead and behind firewall; those forward are of 1/4 sheet, those behind 1/8..."

Supplementary file notes

Planfile includes article.

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