Solo (oz2444)

About this Plan

Solo. Full house RC trainer for .19-40cc engines. MB 09-76.

Direct submission to Outerzone.

Update 03/04/2020: Added full article, thanks to RFJ.

Quote: "A full house R/C trainer for .19 to .40 size engines. Unusual feature is the use of cardboard tubes for wing spars [see pic 004] - easy to build, warp-proof, and very sturdy.

The Solo is a sport trainer with the look of a full-size aircraft and many features that make it ideal for the student R/C pilot. It is lots of fun for the Sunday flyer too.

The Solo is a stable and gentle four channel trainer that you can learn to fly on. Once you've mastered the basics, the symmetrical wing section and shoulder wing design allow the Solo to be a responsive but gentle aerobatic trainer.

The tube spar wing construction is a unique feature of the Solo. This type of construction is fast and easy to build. It is more resistant to warping, and very strong. The airfoil is more consistent that on wings built with conventional spars, because the covering material is allowed to dip in a uniform manner between the ribs.

The wide stance of the Solo's main gear really smooths out rough landings. You can fly it onto the ground in a 30° bank without dragging a wing tip. That's a real plus for the novice R/C pilot.

The Solo is not just another box with wings. It looks good, and flies great. Build one; I know you will like it.

GENERAL CONSTRUCTION You can use any 7/8 to 1-1/8 inch diameter cardboard tube with about 1/16 wall thickness for the spars. K&S piano wire tubes, 1 inch mailing tubes, or Solarfilm roll tubes will all work. Just be sure they are straight. You will need two tubes 24 inches long. The wing is built on jig blocks. The height of these blocks is determined by the diameter of the spar (1/2 inch tall for 1-1/8 inch diameter spar, 9/16 inch tall for 1 inch diameter spar, 5/8 inch tall for 7/8 inch diameter spar, etc.).Cut the jig blocks out of 1/4 inch or thicker sheet balsa to the height required for the size spar you use.

Sig Manufacturing's 1/8 inch Lite Ply is used for the one-piece fuselage sides. Lite ply is strong and light and eliminates the need for fuselage doublers in the nose.

The three-views of the cowl shown on the plans can be used as a guide to carve a mold to vacuform a cowl. You can also mold a cowl from fiberglas. The Solo flies fine without the cowl. It is not a mandatory item, but the model has much more eye appeal with one installed. If you don't care to fabricate one, a vacu formed cowl for the Solo is available from Solution Aeromodel Company, 6112 McKinney NE Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87109.

The basic structure of the Solo is strong and simple to build, but since the plane is intended for the novice, we will go through the building instructions step-by-step.

WING CONSTRUCTION: Glue 4/8 square balsa strips to the edges of the dihedral brace as shown on the plans. Draw a reference line on one end of one of the tube spars. Glue the 1/8 ply dihedral brace into this spar so that the brace coincides with the refe-rence line. You will have to sand a radius on the 1/8 square balsa strips on the dihedral brace so that it will fit snugly in the tube spar. When the glue sets (use Titebond or equivalent), glue the other spar on the dihedral brace and set it on a flat surface to keep it straight and true. Be sure that the ends of the tube meet squarely at the joint.

Sand or plane a taper on the mating edges of the trailing edges as shown on the plans. Lay the plans on your work-bench with wax paper or plastic film over the wing plan. Pin the trailing edge and jig blocks to the plans.

Place the center ribs on the plans and mark reference lines where indicated. (Note, the center rib is 3/16 balsa.) Slide the 3/16 center rib, the 3/32 ribs numbered 1 and 2, and the eight 3/32 main ribs numbered 3, onto the spar..."

Supplementary file notes

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