Easy B (oz16002)

About this Plan

Easy B. Indoor rubber duration model.

Quote: "Designed as an introduction to indoor model flying, this slow bird has even gained recognition by the AMA as a class of indoor flying in itself. Simple to build and fly. Easy B, by Bud Tenny.

The Academy of Model Aeronautics recently approved the Easy B model as a special class intended to introduce indoor flying to experienced outdoor flyers and to beginning modelers. A highly simplified Easy B model, shown here in quarter-size, is designed to be built from outdoor grade balsa, The parts are either standard wood sizes or cut from standard sizes. Details also are given for an advanced (lightweight) version, also using outdoor grade wood.

Indoor modeling has often been presented as an 'expert only' type of activity. It does take extra skill to build and fly a model for over ten minutes in the average gymnasium. However, anyone can build a paper-covered model which will exceed four minutes in the same gym, In fact, indoor modeling is an ideal method to teach modeling to beginners. Building indoor models is not more difficult than outdoor modeling, it's just different!

The models shown here have 15 in wing span, about the largest that can be flown in the average living room. If you have access to a small gym or larger hall, increase the wing span by one rib space on each side of the wing to make the full 18 in span permitted by the new Easy B rules. The material sizes shown on the plan are suggested as a guide for your first models. Indoor model parts are made just strong enough to do their intended job, so you build lighter models as you gain experience. The tall especially should be as light as you can handle safely.

Two basic skills used to construct this model are easily learned. First is wood selection, where experience is the best teacher. The idea is to build a model from carefully chosen wood and fly it. If you never break anything, the whole model is too heavy! Select the lightest wood you can find in quarter-grain and 'B' grain. Use straight-grained wood only, with uniform strength along the part you use. To check for uniformity, cut a narrow strip and bend it. Soft spots in the wood will bend too much and defective wood will snap. Another test is to break a thin strip. Choose strips with stringy grain; that is, wood which doesn't break cleanly. The shreds of grain which still hold may make it easier to repair the model when it breaks.

The second skill required is to cut thin strips and ribs. Fig.1 shows how to slice strips for spars. Use a sharp knife and a straight edge. Make several light cuts rather than one grand slash. Keep the knife in a vertical plane, with the blade parallel to the straight edge. Spars shown in Fig.1 were tapered to reduce weight at the wing tips. Fig.2 demonstrates rib slicing. This is done like spar slicing, except you must be very careful to keep the blade tangent to the rib template, and you need a pointed blade..."

Direct submission to Outerzone.

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