Squeeze Banger (oz15856)

About this Plan

Squeeze Banger. Control line combat model.

Quote: "Squeeze-Banger. FAI (15) Combat grew in popularity last flying season in our area and it promises to be an even more popular event in the upcoming one. Last summer I decided to design a 15 combat ship to have a good flying plane for this season. I modified the original version five times - some changes being drastic, some only minor. The result of my efforts is the Squeeze-Banger.

I realized a few things were going to be different as compared to the 35 machines, because of the smaller motors. Scaling down wasn't going to work. To perform it had to be light. Smaller engines have less power, so the lighter the airplane, the less speed lost in maneuvers.

I wanted a plane strong enough to hold together under normal circumstances (whatever that is in Combat), but not so strong as to affect the weight. I have used light wood for everything but the leading edge which is medium hard. The completed model without motor should weigh a little over eight ounces.

My theory is based on the old saying that the heavier they are, the harder they fall. If a light plane hits the ground there is less inertia; instead of penetrating into the earth and shattering into splinters it just bounces around a little. Fortunately because of its excellent maneuverability it doesn't hit too often. I flew the Squeeze-Banger in a contest last year; in the middle of the match it went straight in, but it held together and I got back up again. And it was only covered with Silkspan!

Most fliers seem to like this model's flying characteristics. Its loops are about eight ft. in diameter and it flies quite fast. I've never clocked it, but I would approximate the Squeeze-Banger's speed to be about 80 to 90 mph. Of course, it all depends on the motor used.

One good point about 15-size Combat ships is that they are inexpensive to build, mainly because the motors cost less. This enables Juniors to participate in the event. Everything is on a slightly smaller scale, but don't be surprised to find that these smaller planes are just as exciting as their bigger brothers.

The contest flier can build several of these models in no time at all; because they are faster to build and cheaper, a modeler can take a few more risks that he might not ordinarily take.

Construction: Begin construction by cutting out fourteen 1/16 ribs, two 1/8 center ribs and two 1/16 ply center ribs. Notch them for the 1/8 square spruce spars and cut out leadout holes in seven of them. Make sure the center ribs are 1/8 narrower to allow for the 1/16 center sheeting top and bottom. Pin the bottom trailing edge piece to the plan. Block up the leading edge, so the ribs can be glued to it, and the trailing edge at the same time.

The leading edge can be either carved from a piece of 3/4 in square balsa or purchased preformed approximately to shape. A bit of sanding will get it exactly to what you need - check the cross section with a template. Glue in all ribs except the four center ribs..."

Direct submission to Outerzone.

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