Skoda-Kauba V4 (oz16802)

About this Plan

Skoda-Kauba V4. Free flight scale model for rubber power. Wingspan 16 in.

Quote: "SKODA-KAUBA V4: In early 1942, Austrian engineer Otto Kauba had interested the RLM (Reichsluftfahrtministerium or German Ministry of Aviation) in the design of a flying bomb. The RLM founded the Škoda-Kauba Flugzeugbau in German-occupied Prague, Czechoslovakia to produce the aircraft. Kauba was assigned to work out of the Škoda Auto Works, and the aircraft were to be built by the Czech company Avia. Although the flying bomb project was unsuccessful, Škoda-Kauba continued to design a series of small aircraft for the RLM, all of which were built by Avia.

The Škoda-Kauba V4 was designed to be a single-seat advanced trainer. It was an exceptionally clean low wing aircraft with retractable, wide-track main gear. The V4 employed simple construction and used non-strategic materials, such as steel, wood, and canvas. The wing’s leading edge was swept back and its tubular main spar tapered toward the rounded wingtip. Ribs were welded onto the main spar to form the basic frame of the wing, which was then covered with plywood. The fuselage had a welded steel-tube frame skinned with plywood. The V4 had a variable incidence horizontal stabilizer that was adjusted by the pilot via an electric motor for trim control. The V4 was powered by a 240 hp (179 kW) Argus As 10C-3 inverted, air-cooled, V-8 engine. Provisions were made to mount a single 7.9 mm machine gun.

CONSTRUCTION:

WING:
The wing is constructed using the cracked rib technique. The leading edge and trailing edge is layed out over the covered plans. In this case a 16” span model uses primarily 1/16” sheet and 1/16” lsq balsa strips. Once the 1/16”SQ leading edge is pinned in place, pin the 1/16”x1/8” balsa strip trailing edges. With the leading edges and trailing edges in place it’s time to add the bottom of the wing ribs in place using 1/16” sq strips of balsa. When all the bottom rib pieces are glued in place it’s time to add the spar. The spar is a tapered sheet of 1/16” balsa ¾” at the root and tapering to 1/16” at the tip. Glue and pin this spar in place till dry. Once the spar is dry, it’s time to add the top of the ribs using 1/16” sq strips. I use thin super glue for this but white/carpenters glue will work, just as well by pinning the strips to the leading edge till dry. Make sure you don’t pin through the balsa strips, I use “T’ pins and cross them over the strip at the leading edge holding the strip tight against the leading edge. Once this is dry gently crack the strip over the spar down to the trailing edge. You can cut it off even with the front of the trailing edge or glue on top of the trailing edge and trim even with the back of the trailing edge. Once this is dry the spar can be cut at the dihedral breaks and sanded to the proper angle to raise the tips to the specified amount. I use small strips of balsa or 1/32” ply strips to reinforce the joints of the spars.

FUSELAGE:
The fuselage is constructed using the half shell method of construction. The dorsal and ventral spines are pinned in place and the ½ formers are added in the proper places and held in place with right triangles to keep them vertical till dry. Once dry add the horizontal spines to hole the formers in place while the stringers are added to the side of the fuselage. Once all the stringers have been added it’s time to remove from the building board and add the second half of the formers to the other side making sure to keep them aligned with the opposite side formers. Add the horizontal spine first to assist in keeping the formers aligned and once dry continue adding the stringers for this side.

EMPENNAGE:
The horizontal and vertical stabs are built over the plans using 1/16” sq and sheet balsa. I like to use the “walk around the form” method of constructing the wing tips and trailing edge of the rudder. I cut strips of 1/16” sheet in appropriate width to allow me to cut the angles and walk the balsa strips around the outline of the stab tip or vertical stab trailing edge with balsa hanging over the outline. Once the strips have dried I cut out the stab outline and lay it over the built tip or trailing edge and with a pencil draw the outline and cut close to the line. Then I sand down the edge to the line leaving a nice smooth rounded edge.

I don’t think you’ll be finding this sweet little aircraft on the flying field in other modelers hands. She’s a unique Czech aircraft with a different wing planform.
Regards,
Tom Akery"

Direct submission to Outerzone.

Quote: "Steve and Mary, Here's another plan. Still haven't been able to get into my building area since moving to a new home. So I've been keeping busy drawing plans.

Here's my latest, the Skoda-Kauba V4 at 16" span Czech aircraft that only 5 were built before the close of WW2.

Regards,
Tom Akery/Sky9pilot"

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