Fox 107 (oz2421)

About this Plan

Fox 107. Radio control power model. SAM 1/2A Texaco design. Wing area 320 sqin. Cox .049 Black Widow shown.

Quote: "On August 1, 1987, at the Western New York Sam Champs held at Grand Island New York, and across from Niagra Falls, Joe Beshar with his Fox 107 captured 1st place in the 1/2A Texaco R/C event.

The history of my original Fox goes back to 1940, the year it was designed, and it has performed admirably in many free flight contests throughout the East Coast. When I left for the military service, I stored it in the attic of my mother's house until 1973, at which time I carefully recovered the model and, with its original Bantam 19 engine (Serial #85), took it to the AMA Nats held that year in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. I flew it in the Free Flight SAM Championships run at the same time in Wisconsin. It performed with its original high performance characteristics but, due to its age, the balsa wood had somewhat deteriorated having lost its strength, and the model was damaged upon landing. This occurred consistently during the trimming flights causing me not to complete my official flights.

Subsequently, I built a completely new model of the Fox, trimmed it, and in 1981 I attended the SAM Championships at Taft, California. The Fox came through by taking first place in the Class A Free Flight event, flying with the original Bantam 19 engine.

During this period, the 1/2A Texaco event was becoming more and more popular in California (where it was conceived). It was added to SAM Championships, an event that interested me. The event basically specified a Cox .049 Black Widow engine, which is of the reed type. It occurred to me that the Fox, with a wing area of 272 square inches and a wingspan of 43-1/4 in, should be competitive in this newly conceived event, which is flown R/C assist.

I again turned to the original Fox model which I had deactivated and stored away. Out of storage, I proceeded to adapt it with RIC assist for the 1/2A Texaco event, This required a new elevator-rudder assembly. In order, to provide the control surfaces in the elevator and rudder, I proceeded to build an entire new tail assembly and completely recovered the model with silkspan and coated it with two coats of dope (never disturbing the pylon covering, his was morn's nylon stocking material). I removed the original Bantam motor mounts and constructed a bulkhead. ahead of the firewall in order to mount. a Cox Black Widow engine as the power plant. This, upon completion, qualified for the Old Timer 1/2A Texaco R/C Assist event.

At the 1982 SAM Championships, held at Westover Field, Massachusetts, the original Fox was in the 112A Texaco event. Lo and behold, it came through by taking first place at that championship. After that time, it was flown in many 1/2A Texaco SAM Old Timer events, maintaining its dignity. I always envisioned that the model could stand to be somewhat larger, as with more wing area it would be even more competitive.

The announcement of the National Lee Renaud Memorial Contest this year (sponsored by Airtronics, Inc), stimulated me to go ahead and increase the size of the unit as I had often thought about. It was there that the Fox 107 was born, representing a 7% increase in the wingspan which becomes 46-1/2 in, thereby increasing the wing area to 320 square inches, An ideal model for competing in the National Lee Renaud Memorial Contest or in any SAM Old Timer 1/2A Texaco event.

The model is not difficult to build, being quite simple and basic in construction, but does result in interesting clean lines with its silk covered pylon wing mounting and double elliptical wing. The rest of the model can be covered with silkspan, plastic heat shrink covering, or if one desires, entirely with silk. The model described in this article is covered with Micafilm, which provides a textured appearance somewhat like silkspan.

The construction of the entire model is straightforward and is detailed in the plans included with the article. The fuselage basic frame is constructed from 1/8 square balsa and a 1/8 sheet balsa filler piece from former C to the front of both sides of the fuselage. The template for these filler pieces are outlined with a solid triangle on the plans. Build both fuselage sides as shown..."

Update 10/05/2017: added missing page to article, thanks to RFJ.

Supplementary file notes

Article pages, text and pics, thanks to AugustaWest & RFJ.

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