McDonnell XP-67 Moonbat (oz2000)

About this Plan

McDonnell XP-67 Moonbat. Free flight rubber scale twin model. Twin engined prototype fighter.

Quote: "Try Dick Howard's rubber-powered McDonnell XP-67 for twin fun.

THE XP-67 was developed in the early 1940s as the McDonnell Aircraft Corporation's introduction to aircraft design and construction. Its first flight was in 1944, but poor performance of the two Continental X1-1430-1 engines caused cancellation of the project.

Let's go! Construction of the model is, by necessity, different from the norm, as it is built on the plan view outline. Trace, photocopy or cut from the plan and glue into position to create the whole outline. My first model used laminated balsa for the outer frame, while the second used 1/16 x 1/8 strip and 1/16 sheet balsa. Laminated construction is stronger and lighter but it is more difficult to arrange, for the Moonbat is of complicated shape.

Since the fuselage, wings and vertical tail are built as one unit, this is the logical place to start. Begin by pinning down and glueing the frame outline, leaving it unglued at the tail. Do not fit the leading edge of the wing yet. Glue the 1/16 sq cross pieces at stations 2,3,6 and 7, and fix the 1/6 sq rib bottom to the trailing edge, cutting them off slightly beyond the leading edge, to be trimmed to exact length later. Add the 1/16 sq nacelle side stringers, which extend to the trailing edge, and fit the cross pieces at stations N1 and N2.

Glue the 1/8 sq leading edge on top of the rib bottoms. Leave them over-length at the wing tips. Next, add the front and rear spars, making sure that the rib bottoms and nacelle stringers fit correctly in the notches. Secure with cyano. Add the rib tops, cracking them at the spar location.

When all has set, crack the fuselage cross pieces at the centre line by pressing with your thumb nail and raise one side of the structure 1.7/8 in to give 15/16 in dihedral at each tip. Glue the spar ends together, adding short lengths of 1/l6in x 1/4in. as reinforcement across the joints. Now glue the frame at rear of fuselage... "

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