Windfree (oz1637)

About this Plan

Windfree. Radio control glider. Wingspan 99.25 in, wing area 555 sq in. Weight 29 oz (ready to fly).

Full size plan, this improved quality copy of this plan was submitted direct by JPM.

Quote: "Mr James Gray, contributing editor to Model Airplane News, has this to say about Windfree: It will perform extremely well in your hands and it will improve as you improve - all the way to the top! It is the 'winningest' sailplane of all time: the Windfree, by Mark's Models. Here again, the price is only about 1/3 that of the fiberglass sailplanes, and, true, it isn't a scale model of any real, full-size bird, but, oh, how it flies! That is the criterion anyway - peformance. You'll find the Windfree a somewhat slender and dainty lass and not as easy to build as some of the others you've tried. it's not as rugged as some of the others, either, but then, you're expected to be able to fly well enough so 'crash-proofness' shouldn't be a major consideration. Use, yes, but not abuse! If your rhythm and timing are honed to a keen edge, you and your Windfree can win more trophies against tough competition than any other sailplane you may ever own. As for me, I prefer the Windfree to anything I have ever owned. "

Quote: "The Windfree has been successfully flown in competition against all types of R/C sailplanes. With this sailplane the expert can win contests or the flier who has reached the intermediate level can practice the finer points of the art.

Construction of the airframe is conventional, since all materials are standard sizes and readily available. Even th canopy can be replaced with materials available at your hobby shop. The attachment of the wings and stabilizer to the fuselage us solid and simple with no grommets, hooks or rubber bands to wear, shift or fail at the crucial moment.

Wing construction. Prepare a flat surface five feet long and at least one foot wide. Use a material tht will not bend or warp, and one in which pins can be inserted. The completed wing will only be as straight as the surface on which it is built.

Cut the drawing of the right wing panel from the plans and tape it to the work surface. Tape a sheet of wax paper over the plans..."

Update 18/03/2020: Added review from RCM May 1978, thanks to RFJ.

Supplementary file notes

Article pages, text and pics, thanks to PaulBizard.
Review.
Quote: "Here are the Windfree sailplane building instructions I have extracted from RCM June 1972."

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