Heston Phoenix (oz2448)

About this Plan

Heston Phoenix. Free flight scale model for rubber power. Wingspan 36 in.

Originally designed by Eric Fearnley and first published in 1938. This here is a later redrawn version of the plan by Don Knight, published in Aeromodeller, May 1993.

Update: Added alternate version of the same plan. This is a tracing done by Dick Gleason 2/4/80, uploaded to HPA by mikewight.

Update 27/5/2025: Added article, thanks to RFJ.

Quote: "This slightly revised version by Don knight was made from full size plans published in theJuly 1938 issue of Aeromodeller.

WHEN SOMEONE passed on to me the plan of the Heston Phoenix, I just knew I had to build it. Published in the June 1938 Aeromodeller, it was a design by Eric Fearnley. The Heston Aircraft Company produced about six of these quite advanced light planes with retracting undercarriage and monocoque fuselage. G-ADAD was light green with silver wings. G-AESV was yellow and silver. The others were G-AEHJ; G-AEMT and G-AEYX. One other had a foreign registration.

Build is quite straightforward, but having said that I must add that it isn't a model for the absolute beginner. If you have built a few models, you won't meet anything that you can't overcome.

Starting with the fuselage, cut out and pin down the keel. Then cut out two sets of half formers and glue one set to the keel. Add the stringers and allow to dry thoroughly. Remove the half fuselage, glue the formers on to the other side and complete the stringers, making sure as you do so that the fuselage remains straight. Fill in between the stringers at the nose with soft 1/8 sheet and sand smooth. I should use some extra sheet around the rear motor peg fixing and I also sheeted in between the stringers where the tailplane is eventually to be glued.

The wing is straightforward enough. I used four laminations of 1/32 sheet to replace the 1/16 square bamboo at the wingtips. Hard balsa is needed for the main spar to overcome the tendency of the wing to curve upwards when covered. You might even try a slightly deeper spar.

The tail is simplicity itself. All the ribs and spars are made from fairly light '/tin. x 1/16jn. sheet and sanded to a streamline shape when dry. One word is the key to the back end of almost all scale models - lightness.

Do not be put off by the thought of having to carve your own prop. It is quite easy if you take the trouble to cut an accurate blank. Use hard straight grained balsa for prop and nose block. You need a piece 10 in x 1/2 x 1/4 in. If you like you may laminate it from 1/4 in sheet. Mark out the blank as shown. (It is easier to drill the hole for the prop shaft at this stage while the block is square) and cut it out as carefully as you can. Cut away the back of the blade first so that it has about 3/32 in of undercamber. Then turn your attention to the front and thin the blade down so that you produce a nice smooth airfoil. Round off the tips and start to smooth the whole thing down. At this stage make sure that the prop balances exactly by lightening the heavy blade. This is most important - nothing looks worse than a model with an unbalanced prop shaking so much it is just a blur.

Drill the nose block so that you have 3° or 4° downthrust and a couple of degrees of right thrust built in. Commercial thrust washers are available but I have found that those little nylon wheels from old-fashioned curtain runners serve very well. Look in the cupboard under the stairs - you are bound to find some! Only the type with mini ball races are any good.

I had the wings of my model 'knock-off' to save damage and make it easier to transport. The wing is located by two short 1/16 dowels that slot into brass bushes in the wing roots. A band passes through an aluminium tube in the fuselage and over a small hook under each wing holding them both in place. A similar arrangement holds the struts to the stub wings with a band passing from a hook underneath over the strut to another hook on top and then to the undercarriage. The outer ends of the struts attach to the wing with press studs stolen from my wife's work box. The whole system seems to work well.

When you come to fit all these bits of acetate to the cabin go along to your model shop and buy some R/C modeller's PVA type glue. My life has been transformed by this miracle invention after years of trying acetone, dope, cement, cyano, etc. Even the cat stays in the same room now when I am doing windscreens!

Flying should present no problems. With a CG about 1/3 chord, test glide with about 20 winds on the motor. Cure any tendency to stall with more nose weight. Increase winds, gradually adding downthrust if stalling develops on power. Aim at a nice gentle right hand climb.

My model weighs 5-1/2 oz with 6 strands of 1/4 in rubber. Remember - keep it light, but not at the expense of strength where it is needed. Rubber strip can be obtained from suppliers who advertise in these pages.

Come on chaps, let's see a few more scale rubber powered models about. It really is one of the most satisfying and demanding facets of aeromodelling."

Supplementary file notes

Alternate plan.
Article.

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