Apple Bipe (oz15570)

About this Plan

Apple Bipe. Simple whip-power sport model. Wingspan 15 in

Quote: "The first time we took the Applebox Bipe out to the flying field, we immediately met The Heckler. You've probably met The Heckler yourself: he's the guy who knows a little bit about model airplanes, but is too lazy to build them - he'd rather just hang around the real modelers and criticize everything he sees. This Heckler lost no time in making himself obnoxious. Hey, where's the motor on that thing? was his first question.

There isn't any. It's a 'whip control' - that means you fly it by swinging it on a string. The prop spins as it flies and makes that motor sound you heard.

Hecklers can never admit to learning anything. Yeah, yeah, I know all that. But whadd'ya mean it flies? I could tie a rock to a string and swing it around like that. Think so? Try flying it without the nosewelght, then.

The Heckler couldn't resist a challenge, as long as It was simple; besides, I could see he'd been itching to fly the little plane. He took a screwdriver and removed the bipe's two dummy cylinders (really stacks of heavy washers held in place with wood screws). Then he picked up the string and held it up close to the plane and began swinging it around his head, as he'd seen me do. But the little bipe just rolled and flopped like a dead fish at the end of the line. Even he could see there wasn't any use in letting out the rest of the string - it wasn't going to fly. It was my turn to do some heckling.

Hey, man, looks like your center of gravity's too far back. You see, the plane has to balance about an inch and a half back from the leading edge of the upper wing if it's going to fly. Now, I just happen to have some heavy washers here. Awright, so never mind, the Heckler mumbled. But you could see he was getting interested.

How much that thing cost'ya to build? Just the price of a pair of wheels - I pirated the plastic prop from an old Sleek Streek. Well, that's cheap enough, he admitted, but I ain't got the time to build a neat model like that. Why not? I challenged. It only takes a couple of hours. Just salvage a wooden apple box from the grocer's and a couple of coathangers from the closet. You can put the whole thing together with white glue and finishing nails. Ask your Dad to help - he'll be overjoyed.

The only tricky part is bending the landing gear and wing wires: you have to paint the fuselage first, and then insert the wires through the 1/8 holes and bend them right on the plane. Oh, yes, you've also got to be sure that the whole plane is put together solidly, because it has to be able to stand a lot of G forces when it flies. One of mine came apart in the air and almost hit a Heck... I mean a spectator. I didn't have the top wing bradded to the wing mount solidly enough.

You coulda run the string through that hole in the wingtip and on in to the wing mount before you tied it off, the Heckler observed. Say, that's a good idea, I said, trying not to sound too surprised. Why don't you build one and we'll fly some formation flights together? Mebbe I will, mebbe I will, he said. By the way, is that dope or just paint? The yellow on the wings is house paint, I admitted, but the black on the fuselage is dope. You can use whatever you have handy, since weight isn't a problem. But the finish you get depends on the sanding you do beforehand. I round the edges of all the flying surfaces with heavy sand-paper, then smooth them with a sanding block and fine paper before painting. The decals are just colored paper glued to the plane with model cement.

Well, I dunno about all that sanding. I hate to sand much. How about using an electric sander? he asked. Fine, if you've got one. But it really doesn't take that long to do It by hand - and the nicer the finish, the nicer the plane. Yeah, well, I dunno - I think I'd rather have a World War I plane, maybe an S.E. 5.

Great, I said. You don't have to follow these outlines. The model books are full of three-views. I've got a twin-engine B-25 at home, built the same way. You ought to hear the roar of two propellers. Or mebbe a Dornier flying boat, one of those that has 12 engines, the Heckler muttered. Good, good, I said, beginning to swing the bipe again. Why don't you hustle home and get started on it? Mebbe I will, said the Heckler, mebbe I will."

Direct submission to Outerzone.

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