Small-E (oz16055)
About this Plan
Small-E. Radio control sport model for electric power. Low wing layout. Wingspan 25-1/2 in, wing area 160 sq in.
Direct submission to Outerzone.
Note this plan is stamped as Archive #003257 from the Cooperative Plans Service. See their website at www.co-op-plans.com
Update 31/5/2025: Have re-scaled this plan to correct fullsize at wingspan 25-1/2 in, thanks to TomBinkley.
Update 31/5/2025: Added article, thanks to TomBinkley.
Quote: "Steve, I'm so happy to see the Small e on outerzone. Here are pictures and the construction notes."
Quote: "Small-e by Torn Binkley.
Everyone likes a model that is quick and easy to build. But I also want an attractive looking, compact size, low wing model that flies with the smoothness of a bigger pattern ship, but that has the self-righting qualities and stability of a trainer.
The first small-e, completed in 2004, was powered by an anemic brushed motor, and while it was stable and smooth, it lacked the power needed to enjoy aerobatics. When my generous Sidekick, Enabler and Wife bought me one of the first CD ROM motors, I adapted it to my small-e and it really came to life!
For simplicity and lightness, I chose aileron and elevator for control. For those who prefer full-house control, a friend built a smart-e with rudder control added. It worked very well.
You will need a small, light, brushless motor and matching ESC The 2204-14T weighs only 19g and has a built-in mount and prop-saver. It is light, smooth and rugged. A light 300-370 mAH 2S battery weighing 25g or less, a micro receiver and two 4 gram servos complete the flight pack.
Test servos to see that they center well before using them. Servos that do not center accurately should not be used.
Each gram you save in choosing light components adds up to one of small-e's most delightful virtues, its wide speed range, from slow to fast. The more weight you add, the less of the slow flight sweetness you'll get, so keep it light.
I start construction by cutting out the parts to make a wing 'kit'. Cut the spars and trailing edge out of 1/16 balsa using a straight edge or balsa stripper.
Glue a photo copy of the wing rib to 1/16 ply and cut slightly oversize for a rib template. Use the template to cut the ribs out of 1/16 balsa. Stack ribs together and sand them to final shape with a sanding stick made from a paint stir stick and 120 git sandpaper.
With a razor saw, notch the stack of ribs for spars and trailing edge Then using a rat tail file, shape the leading edge notch. The whale process only takes a few minutes.
Cover the plans with wax paper and pin the trailing edge to plans and lay the lower spar in place. Then add ribs, then upper spar and turbulator spar, gluing as you go if using white glue.
Remember to cant the center rib at the dihedral angle. Cut 1/8 dowel leading edge to length and glue in place. Cut wingtip slightly oversize, sand a bevel on the wingtip and glue in place..."
Supplementary file notes
Article.
Previous scan version.
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-
(oz16055)
Small-E
by Tom Binkley
from RCMW
February 2012
25in span
Electric R/C LowWing
clean :)
all formers complete :)
got article :) -
Submitted: 24/04/2025
Filesize: 473KB
Format: • PDFbitmap
Credit*: theshadow, TomBinkley
Downloads: 600
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User comments
Not sure of the scaling on this one at all. The border is dimensioned as 21 x 33 in, giving wingspan 30 in. But the text on the plan says wingspan 25-1/2 in. Also the mainwheel is dimensioned as 1 in but actually measures 1-1/4 in. Looks like a mistake happened in the printing.SteveWMD - 30/05/2025
I think the 30" is correct. Wing measures just slightly over 30". It's just cute as hell.
doug smith - 30/05/2025
Steve, The correct size is, as the plans state, 25 1/2" span, 160 sq. in. area, 22 1/4" long. It currently weighs 121g thanks to a micro FS-2A AFHDS receiver and light weight battery. With the 2204-14 brushless motor spinning a GWS 6050 prop it draws 36W at 4.9A from a Nano-Tech 0.46 2S battery. That's ample power for a respectable Vertical 8, or simply, unlimited vertical. And while it is unrealistic to think that any 4 1/4 ounce model could perform pattern style aerobatics like a .60 powered Super Kaos, the Small e can put on a delightful airshow in a small space.
Tom Binkley - 31/05/2025
There are a couple of different ways to solve this problem, both of which I've done. If you don't like the original size, just print out the plan in "tiles". You can choose to either enlarge or reduce the original size when you print. For such a small model, pasting the tiles is easy, just be sure to print the "cut marks". Another way, which has also worked for me, is to import the file into GIMP, then enlarge or reduce the plan size to whatever you choose. Export the file with a different file name and take it to a printer, such as Kinkos to get it printed full size. I prefer the TILES method, quicker and easier than taking it to a printer. Enlarging up to 3 times the original size works OK. Any larger and the lines get too fat.
doug smith - 31/05/2025
The problem was simply bad printing by the publisher. They printed the plan at the wrong scale. But here on Outerzone, the PDF we have here is now fixed. Corrected. See update. It is full size, at correct wingspan of 25-1/2 in. I've also deleted the incorrect and unhelpful "21 x 33" text in the top RH corner.
SteveWMD - 31/05/2025
Steve, update the wingspan under the Datafile from 30.
Bill H - 31/05/2025
Got it, thanks. Done now :)
SteveWMD - 31/05/2025
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- Small-E (oz16055)
- Plan File Filesize: 473KB Filename: Small-e_oz16055_.pdf
- Supplement Filesize: 702KB Filename: Small-e_oz16055_article.pdf
- Supplement Filesize: 542KB Filename: Small-e_oz16055_previous.pdf
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Notes
* Credit field
The Credit field in the Outerzone database is designed to recognise and credit the hard work done in scanning and digitally cleaning these vintage and old timer model aircraft plans to get them into a usable format. Currently, it is also used to credit people simply for uploading the plan to a forum on the internet. Which is not quite the same thing. This will change soon. Probably.
Scaling
This model plan (like all plans on Outerzone) is supposedly scaled correctly and supposedly will print out nicely at the right size. But that doesn't always happen. If you are about to start building a model plane using this free plan, you are strongly advised to check the scaling very, very carefully before cutting any balsa wood.
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