Very Windy (oz15931)

About this Plan

Very Windy. Radio control sport model, for electric power. Uses foam construction.

Note this plan is listed here as 38 in wingspan, but what it actually says on the drawing is: "Wingspan 38-1/2 to 48-1/4 in," and "Cut wing cores for whatever wingspan you want".

Quote: "Technology sure changes things, model airplanes among them. When our engines went from ignition to glow plug, our RC gear got smaller, lighter, and more reliable. Efficient electric motors and super capable batteries were introduced. Different building materials came along and all those things impacted the way we build our models.

For many many years I was a balsa wood chips and sawdust guy. When foam core wings arrived they were okay as the sheeting was still balsa, but as the plastic foams arrived balsa wood was seen less and less.

With the electric power revolution came the widespread use of a variety of plastic foams, and today many modelers are comfortable working with a several different building materials. Sheet foam is now a staple at the hobby shops, alongside the balsa wood and plywood.

For park flyer sized electric airplanes these days I enjoy working with the foams for their ease and speed of construction, light weight, and easy to repair characteristics.

Some years ago I made a new airplane, an electric R/C aerobatic profile foamy, calling it the Too Windy, as it was intended to be flown when it was too windy for most other aircraft to fly. One of the things done to get better windy weather capability was to go from a sheet foam flat plate wing to a hot wire cut foam wing core with a 'real' airfoil.

I figured I’d update that airframe, using the same well proven wing along with some better construction techniques and some new styling. A new airplane has to have a new name, so now it’s the Very Windy.

Still an easy to build and fly electric profile foamy, with a 36” wingspan, 350 square inches of wing area, and a 150 watt electric motor power system. It’s aerobatic, low cost, and can be flown almost anytime. This stuff is fun.

Profile models have long been popular as a construction technique. The realism lost with the slim profile fuselage is a good trade for the ease and speed of building the model.

This profile foamy is easy to build using any of the commonly available sheet foam materials and the hotwire-cut foam wing panels.

Several 5mm or 0.25 in thick sheet foams can be used. Depron is available by mail order from a number of suppliers. Midwest Cellfoam 88 can be had at many hobby shops or outlets. The blue or pink house insulation foam, sold by your local Home Depot, Lowe’s or Menards. Or the construction foam sold by BP Hobbies.

I’ve used all of these foams and they work. If you don’t hot wire cut your own foam wing cores, there are many foam cutters out there to do it for you. The Core House, Phil Cartier, offers a box of four sets of these wing cores, computer hot wire cut, at a good price.

I cut the sheet foam parts out using a sharp scalpel-type modeling knife and with the aid of a metal straightedge. The profile fuselage is reinforced with a strip of 1/4 x 1/2 basswood and 1/32 plywood doublers on the forward section.

I use 5 and 15 minute epoxy for most of my building because it seems I’m always in a hurry. Epoxy sticks well to most sheet foams, but the types with thin sheet plastic covering on them will need to have a bunch of pinholes punched through the platic skin so the epoxy can get to the foam underneath..."

Direct submission to Outerzone.

Note this plan is stamped as Archive #003291 from the Cooperative Plans Service. See their website at www.co-op-plans.com

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