Fiat CR.42 Falco (oz16588)

About this Plan

Fiat CR.42 Falco. Free flight scale model for rubber power.

Direct submission to Outerzone.

Quote: "FIAT CR-42 FALCO NEO-DIMER
16” SPAN
DRAWN 19 MAR 2019

CONSTRUCTION:

WINGS: Dimer style construction with 1/16” sq and sheet ribs. Build flat on the building board and cover the plan with wax paper or plastic wrap to keep the glue from sticking to the plans. The upper wing should be joined at the center after dihedral of 3/4” under each tip. The lower sesqui wing has the same amount of dihedral added once it’s built.

FUSELAGE: Build the fuselage box sided one on top of the other to make them as exact as can be done. Build the first side and when dry build the second side over the first. You can use plastic wrap between the sides to aid in separation after they’re dry. The lower wing will be attached to the box fuselage on the wing saddles. Remove the lower stringer at that point for the placement of the lower wing. Once the sides have been joined together with the cross members the formers can be added to the box to give the fuselage more rounded shape on the top and bottom. I usually build a jig for mounting the wings to the fuselage. There are several articles in NFFS’s technical library. Here’s one I’ve found helpful by Dave Stott: https://www.freeflight.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Biplane-Setup.pdf

EMPENNAGE: I usually use the “walk a stick around” method of building vertical stab outlines and wing tips. I usually use 1/16” x 3/16” strips for a light vertical stab and light wing tips. I start at the trailing edge of the stab and walk the strips up around the shape of the stab. Leaving some overhang. Once the strips have been walked around the outline. I bill in the structure and when that’s complete, I copy the shape from the plans and lay that over the strips and draw the correct outline. I then cut close to the line and sand to the line rounding the edges. I hope this makes sense. I do this rather than trying to cut out separate pieces and have the edges match up nice and tight. Horizontal stab is made with 1/16” sq and sheet balsa.

There are many paint schemes for this plane on the internet and I really like the “splosh” pattern, my words. Desert scheme. Hope you find this plan a fun build for a nice looking model.
Regards,
Tom Akery/Sky9pilot"

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