Liberty Belle (oz15595)

About this Plan

Liberty Belle. Radio control sport model. Wingspan 40 in, wing area 290 sq in, for electric power with BL-2212/6 brushless motor.

Note the original Liberty Belle (oz2485) was a Dick Schumacher design first published in Air Trails, May 1953. This here is a later redesigned version for electric power.

Quote: "Liberty Belle turns 60. By Tom Binkley.

In many endeavors in life, we enjoy a look back into the past. The model airplane hobby has a rich and well documented history. Let's look back 60 years to 1953. How were radio control models made sixty years ago? What kind of equipment guided them? What was it like to fly an R/C model in 1953?

Presented here is Liberty Belle, designed by Dick Schumacher, published in May 1953 Air Trails magazine. It was powered by a glow engine that had a dual needle valve arrangement for throttle control.

It carried six battery cells to power it's vacuum tube receiver, which was suspended on rubber bands in the airplane's large cabin, protecting the fragile tubes from vibration and shock. An escapement, similar in principle to the mechanism in a (non digital) watch or clock, powered by a twisted rubber band, moved the rudder to the right or left when the pilot pressed a button on the transmitter. Yes, the 'controls' consisted of one button.

Early radio control models were developed from free flight models. Free flight models are designed to be inherently stable in flight; in other words they can fly themselves. And although free flight models are a delight to fly and to watch, they can be problematic to retrieve.

So, in addition to the sheer joy of guiding the model around the sky, the radio control modeler hoped to impress everyone at the flying field by guiding his model to land at his feet! Think about how magical that must have seemed in 1953! It must have been the envy of those tired of chasing their models after every flight.

What was it like to fly a radio control model in 1953? It involved a measure of preparation to manage all the dry cell batteries and tube radio components the night before flying. Once at the flying field, the radio control modeler would first wind the escapement rubber and fuel and prep the engine. The transmitter sat on the ground with a flexible cable going to a hand held control.

With radio system turned on and checked, he would start the engine, tune it to its best RPM and while holding the control in one hand, would launch the model into the breeze.

The model would climb gently under power for a minute or more until fuel ran out, then it would gently glide for another minute or more, while the pilot guided the model to make big, gentle turns to keep it nearby.

He hoped to land close to where it took off, but there was no flare as it landed, and sometimes it flipped over in the grass. A You-Tube video of a single channel escapement model flight can be seen here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zJabGF_XoI

Like models today, Liberty Belle was constructed of balsa wood. The fuselage, a simple box, and the fin and stabilizer are all sheet balsa. The wing had rib and spar construction and was covered with light weight silk and painted with model airplane dope.

To build a faithful historical replica 1953 Liberty Belle, a purist would have to obtain an original type engine, no doubt by now quite rare and valuable. Finding a functioning early radio control system may be nearly impossible, and finding the needed batteries to power the system may also be impossible. Even the silk and dope for covering (not to mention the skill to apply it) are not likely to be found in your local hobby shop. But there is little doubt that building and flying a faithful reproduction Liberty Belle would be the ultimate retro R/C experience.

For our Liberty Belle, we will use the technology we have today, including a clean, quiet brushless electric motor, an electronic speed control, light weight rechargeable Lithium Polymer battery, a micro receiver and a micro servo. These items are remarkably inexpensive, readily available and very reliable, simply a dream come true.

To make things even easier, our 2013 Liberty Belle is built using a laser cut wing kit and components from Stevens Aero Model and it is covered with iron-on covering film.

The motor is an SA Park BL 400 2200 kV brushless and the speed controller is a Castle Creations Thunderbird 18. A Hitec HS-55 servo operates the rudder via a torque rod. The model has a great vintage look and feel. Let's build one.

Construction begins with the wing. The Sport Stik wing kit is a perfect fit and is highly recommended. Just follow the excellent instructions with the kit, but do not include the aileron servo pockets, or the ailerons. The notes and details of the wing on the plan do not apply to the kit wing..."

Direct submission to Outerzone.

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