Astro Oink (oz16255)

About this Plan

Astro Oink. Free flight sport model for electric power.

Quote: "A one-third scale version of the Astro Hog, suitable for electric power with KP01. Prototype model weighed 100g all up."

Direct submission to Outerzone.

Update 8/5/2026: Added article, thanks to RFJ.

Quote: "Your Free Premium Plan. Astro Oink, by Robin Woodhead.

The Astro O'ink plan is a 1/3 scale model of the original Astro and Hog, and whilst not an exact copy of the originals structure, there are significant similarities to keep the purist happy.

The original drive to produce this model came from two sources, my first radio control model was a Smog Hog way back in the mid 1950's, hardly a success story due to my limited skills and even more so, my limited financial resources as a apprentice meant that home made radio systems were employed. I can still hear the sizzle of the old soft valve with its odd purple glow sitting inside the fuselage.

When the plan for the Astro Hog was published I immediately wanted to make it, but the previous experience with the Smog Hog tempered my enthusiasm to wait until I could get some reliable radio equipment.

It was to be some thirty odd years later when I eventually achieved my ambition to build an Astro Hog and a picture of this model appeared on the cover of Radio Modeller in the January 1985 edition.

The second event that precipitated this model was whilst I was helping to man the BARCS stand at one of the M.E exhibitions held at Alexander Palace. Other members of our happy band were busy building models throughout the weekend. This was an opportunity that I planned to use next year, so what to build? Inspiration, a small Astro Hog, such are the birth pains that led to this design.

I am sure there will be many who will say that the structure is far too robust for a pure indoor model, and I will be the first to agree with this view, however, the original concept was a dual role airframe for both indoor and outdoor use. One of the intents was to fit a small glow engine and two channel sub-miniature radio system, which would have expanded the scope for both outdoor use and at the annual ME exhibition, Efforts to date to achieve this have been thwarted by family pressures and the need to complete large models.

As drawn, and fitted with the HP01 electric motor unit, the model should be around 3-1/2 oz ready to fly and with a wing area of approximately 96 sq inches (0.6 sq foot) the loading is roughly 5.8 ozs/sq ft.

I do not feel there is a need to provide a blow-by-blow building sequence, the model construction is very simple and few modellers should find any great difficulty in maldng a reasonable job to achieve an acceptable flying model. However, a few hints and tips are probably more appropriate as guidelines, you will no doubt have your own preferred methods of building..."

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