Victoria Parker (oz2528)

 

Victoria Parker (oz2528) by Vic Smeed 1986 - plan thumbnail

About this Plan

Victoria Parker. Free flight rubber sports model. A design dating from 1939, reprinted in Aeromodeller August 1986.

Quote: "Victoria Parker. Pre-war revival - here's a real charmer of a rubber job for you! Vic Smeed tells us the story behind the model and gives full building instructions.

OLDER READERS WILL REMEMBER when newspaper placards were printed (with wooden type) instead of hand written with a felt pen. For some reason there were always plenty of unused ones stacked in the writing shop of my father's business and I always used them to draw plans. These 20 x 30 in sheets were entirely adequate for most models - and were free! The reason for this reminsicence is that I came across a mouldering fragment of one at the bottom of an old box which, on gingerly unfolding it, took me instantly back forty-odd years.

In the 1930s I used to cycle a couple of miles or so to a flying site on the outskirts of the town for an hour or so of flying on a fine evening, usually meeting a couple of friends of similar enthusiasm. If there was any breeze it was usually offshore, which made it the short way across the field; we usually flew small models of 30 in span or less. From the field, incidentally, I saw both the Hindenburg and the Graf Zeppelin as well as the regular DLH Junkers 52 evening flight heading for Croydon; sometimes, too, a late Vickers Victoria returning to Manston.

However, a few hundred yards from my house was a small open area which housed some grass tennis courts and abutted on a small group of allotments. I have a vague recollection of some financial problem, but in any event the court nettings fell into disrepair and late in 1938 the remnants were removed, leaving the whole space open apart from two large elms on the border with the allotments. It seemed too good an opportunity to miss. The area was dignified, by the way, with the name of Victoria Park.

I drew up and built a model which I felt would fly reasonably in the space available, on perhaps half turns, finger wound, and which would also suit the short way of the usual flying field; and it was the mildewed remnant of this plan which I found recently. I did fly it in the little park on a number of occasions; two chaps who watched several times eventually approached me, both wanting to build a model. Neither had before, but both insisted that it was this model they wanted to build. I drew up tidier plans for them, and both produced very reasonable results. Their delight when the models flew successfully was gratifying!

The model proved to have quite reasonable performance on nearer full turns; it placed 3rd in its class in a local inter-club derby, which I recall only because the results appeared in 'Club News' in October 1939.

I redrew the plan from the rather smelly scrap I'd found, plus memory, and early in 1985 built a replica which flies very happily; vintage enthusiast Alan Wiggs has also built one and is pleased with the performance. It was the latter model which raised the need for a name as I usually hung Andromeda on any new model and this could be confusing. In view of the influence on its origin, Victoria Parker seemed a reasonable choice.

Looking at the structural design today, there are shortcomings, particularly in respect of warping. That 1/8 square flat plate tailplane and the shortage or ribs in the outer wing panels seem to be asking for trouble, but that's how it was originally. The fins are over-elaborate and could well be just cut to outline from 1/16 sheet; which is what Alan Wiggs has done; I believe he has also modified the tailplane to a curved symmetrical section and changed the undercarriage to single tube type with a forward wire frame held by rubber to give a sprung rearward pivot action. There was no DT on the original (we hardly knew what thermals were!) but it is simple to fit one.

Apart from the exercise of building as it used to be, and ending up with a nice flying sport model, construction is very inexpensive. There are no large chunks or sheets of balsa (except for the prop) and the requirements are basically..."

Supplementary file notes

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Victoria Parker (oz2528) by Vic Smeed 1986 - model pic

Datafile:

Victoria Parker (oz2528) by Vic Smeed 1986 - pic 003.jpg
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Victoria Parker (oz2528) by Vic Smeed 1986 - pic 004.jpg
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Victoria Parker (oz2528) by Vic Smeed 1986 - pic 005.jpg
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Victoria Parker (oz2528) by Vic Smeed 1986 - pic 006.jpg
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Victoria Parker (oz2528) by Vic Smeed 1986 - pic 007.jpg
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Victoria Parker (oz2528) by Vic Smeed 1986 - pic 008.jpg
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Victoria Parker (oz2528) by Vic Smeed 1986 - pic 009.jpg
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User comments

This was the model that brought me back in model flying. A lovely build - nice looking model and a terrific flyer, recommended.
mjh - 23/09/2014
Couple of photos of Victoria Parker, OZ 2528 [main pic, 003-005]. Your plan and a Belair parts set. Simple to build, easy to trim, good looking and a great little flyer. Thank you.
TrevorT - 06/02/2019
Hello again, I've also sent a couple of photos of Vic Smeed's Victoria Parker [more pics 006,007], again from your wonderful plan collection. Regards,
Len Bridge - 23/01/2020
I built one with my brother back about 1985 and it’s flown very well many times. Came close to losing it many times but we included a fuse dethermaliser so we get it back. I highly recommend adding one. We still have it with about fifty patches but it still flies fantastic.
Martin Braunlich - 10/02/2020
I recall receiving the plan (Aeromodeller) Friday, started building and flew it at Old Warden on Sunday.
bill dennis - 14/01/2024
Victoria Parker, 40 years old [pic 009].
Martin Braunlich - 19/10/2024
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