Gull Wing Bipe (oz16204)

About this Plan

Gull Wing Bipe. Radio control sport biplane model. Wingspan 60 in, for .60 engine.

Quote: "A .60 powered sport biplane with a Golden Age flavor. Gull Wing Bipe, by Martin Fallandy.

It all started early last summer. I had just returned from Sepulveda Basin, where we fly here in the San Fernando Valley. As I was unloading my gear, my ever-loving wife handed me a bottle of my favorite vitamins. I was about to twist off the top when my neighbor Felix came running madly over, shouting, Wait Marty, wait, try this first. He extended a half filled glass of clear liquid. Being an adventuresome type I took the glass, I sniffed it, it was odorless, I tasted it, it was tasteless, I poured the rest out on the driveway and handed the empty glass back to Felix saying, I don't know what you call it Felix, but it will never sell. Why it's water Marty, he came right back, folks all over the world drink it. In an instant I knew why the world is in such a mess. Then my ever-loving wife chimed in. That's right dear, I even use it in my cooking. Now this brought me up short, as my wife has got to be the world's best cook, bar none.

Come on in the kitchen, she said, I'm using some right now. I haven't been in the kitchen in years, I figure when you have a good thing going, don't mess with it. But I followed her in. Sure enough, there on the stove she had some potatoes boiling. She stuck a fork in one, and it fell apart. So that's how she makes those creamy mashed potatoes from those rock hard nuggets, I thought. One of life's mysteries solved. It's like those midgets we have running around the house, everytime I ask her about them, she just smiles and says, Why, those are our children dear. Well a dedicated modeler can't be expected to know everything.

What really caught my attention was the aluminum pan she was using. Straight sides, generous radius at the bottom, a perfect cowl for a .60 size engine. Where did you get the pan? I asked. Oh, you can pick them up at any variety store, she answered. Pick one up for me, next time you see one please, I said. No problem, she smiled.

Sure enough, a few days later there on my bench was a bright shiny new Comet 9 quart sauce pan, complete with lid. How she got across the moat and by the dogs I'll never know, but she is clever that wife of mine. I sailed the lid through the open door, knocking one of the crocks back into the moat, and drilled out the three rivets holding on the handle. Next a 3/4 in piece of plywood was chucked up and turned to the ID of the pan, leaving a 1/8 lip on the plywood for the pan to butt up against.

The pan was then secured to the plywood with three sheet metal screws, the base turned out to just short of where it starts to turn up the wall, then parted off at a little past the nine cup mark. Four right angle clips were then pull-riveted to the inside 1/4 in from the base. Some 1/16 sheet balsa contact cemented to the outside covered the graduation marks, rivet holes and pull-rivet heads. A light sanding and fairing the balsa into the curve at the base of the pan and it was ready for paint. I painted it red, I like red.

Now that I had the perfect cowl all I needed was an airplane to drag along behind. I like biplanes, but don't appreciate fooling around with the cabin struts. So from ye old drawing board, designed to Chuck Cunningham's basic design rules, emerged the Gull Wing Bipe.

Construction: Whether you're an experienced scratch builder or this is your first time, if you look over the print thoroughly and cut out the parts accurately you should be successful.

Fuselage: The fuselage is basically an 8 inch diameter cylinder back to the windshield then gradually changing to an elipse back to the tail. This form is built around a box section. First make the two sides of the box. I like to contact cement 1/64 plywood to both sides of a sheet of 3/32 balsa wood. This makes a very strong section. If you decide to use 1/8 balsa sheet instead, I suggest you double with 1/16 plywood back to the middle of the wing saddle and reduce the size of the lightening holes in the after part of the fuselage. Whatever you use, when you have the two slabs ready, glue them together in two or three places with a drop of glue in places that will fall out as lightening holes..."

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