Poco (oz2147)

About this Plan

Poco. Free flight power model, for Pee Wee .020 power. Pylon design with all-sheet construction.

Quote: "Woody Blanchard, only modeler to win the National Championship crown three times, developed this husky, high-climbing 'Quarter-A' free flight, a one-evening project for even the novice!

'Poco' was designed around the Cox Pee Wee engine with several factors in mind: simple, rapid construction, durability, and consistent performance. Anyone who has ever built a hand-launched glider will be able to complete the plane easily in one evening.

Begin construction by selecting a soft piece of 3/32 x 3 x 24 in balsa for the wing. Taper the tips, and cement 3/8 in trailing-edge stock to the leading and trailing edges as on the drawing. (Note that both edges should 'droop' approxi-mately 1/32 in). When dry, sandpaper the wing roughly to the cross-section shown. Cut the wing at the dihedral breaks, bevel the cuts, and re-assemble with 7/8" dihedral at the first breaks, and 31/4" at the tips.

Cut the fuselage from medium 1/4 in sheet. Add the 3/8 pod blocks and the
1/16 plywood firewall which has down-thrust, and no side thrust. Add the sheet pylon, the 1/16 birch keying dowels, and the 1/16 birch dowel. Use at least two coats of cement on all joints (for a fast job that is amply strong, I suggest you try the new extra-fast-drying Ambroid). When the fuselage is dry, carve and sand to the cross-section shown.

Sand the leading edge of the pylon round, taper its trailing edge. Cement the wing in position atop the pylon. Cut the horizontal and vertical tails from soft 1/16 sheet, sand to airfoil shape (note that the sub-rudder is made of two pieces; follow the grain direction). Cut the horizontal tail to separate the ele-vator from the stabilizer, then hinge the two pieces together with over-and-under 'control-line' type cloth hinges. Cement the horizontal and vertical tails in place. When viewed from the rear, the right-hand stab tip is 5/8 in higher than the left-hand (for the benefit of the new-corners to free-flight, this induces a right-hand circle in the glide).

Cement the dethermalizer hooks in place, and the model is ready for final sanding and finishing. Aero Gloss clear dope (about 4 coats) is recommended, since in addition to being fuel-proof, Aero Gloss is very 'dead' (that is, it has very little tendency to shrink, and therefore will not warp the structure, nor will it make the wood brittle). If desired, your craft may be trimmed with colored dope. It is not recommended, however, that the entire model be painted with colored dope. We do not recommend wood filler for this ship, since it tends to make the wood too brittle.

The engine is held in place by small rubber bands wrapped tightly around the 1/8 birch dowel and the fuel tank. Elevator is held down in flying position by a rubber band wrapped around the two dethermalizer hooks. When this band is burned by the dethermalizer fuse, the elevator is held in the full up position by a second rubber band which loops around the rudder..."

Update 11/06/2019: Added article, thanks to RFJ.

Supplementary file notes

Article.

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