X-Pendable (oz2446)

About this Plan

X-Pendable. Control line combat model. James G Saftig, 1953. For .19-.32 engines.

Quote: "X- Pendable, by James G Saftig. This ship has been through the mill and I consider it one of my best efforts for a combat job the pattern is easily done with it, says Jim, internationally known stunt champ

Mayhem in the air - combat flying - has taken over at the U-control circles. The spectators and flyers love it. A fast, maneuverable, strong, easy-to-build ship with some appearance is needed. Not wanting a solid fuselage, we came up with X-Pendable. The job is Zilch (oz265) here and there, but it is a quickie to build. After the wood is chopped to size, a couple of evenings' work will find the model practically finished. This one gets off the ground in a hurry, hangs tight on the lines, and will turn on the proverbial dime, The longer moment arm (nose) added to the stability but didn't cut down on the sharp turns, which are definitely needed in the combat event. She's rugged, and a wad of glue here and there will stick most of her back together in short order in the event of a crash, unless of course there is a head-on splash. When it might take two wads.

The ship can be built right out of the balsa rack. Standard sizes of wood were used for the main part and the few odd-ball sizes were salvaged from the scrap pile, which is usual equipment around any model builder's garage. Everything was kept as simple as possible from layout of the basic structure to the final paint job. Let's get on with the building.

Fuselage. Trim the two 1/8 in sheet sides off as noted on the plan, making sure you check the nose detail drawing before doing so. Mark the sides (outer surface) with a light pencil line where the #2 and #3 formers will go. Cut the 3/8 in tail block and taper it slightly so sides will open enough to take the formers when they are installed. Glue the tall block into position, using a couple of straight pins and a clothespin to hold it in place till the glue is dry.

While waiting, get your plywood gear mount and firewall marked, trimmed, and cut for installation of the motor mounts. Make sure the mounts fit snugly and are lined up straight. Also trim the sides as shown on engine bearer trim and drill template. When these fit the two formers, insert them between the fuselage sides and press the sides against them to see how they align and fit before gluing..."

Supplementary file notes

Article pages, text and pics, thanks to Pit.

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