Blueboy (oz2543)

 

Blueboy (oz2543) by Hal Roth 1954 - plan thumbnail

About this Plan

Blueboy. Free flight power model. National Clipper Cargo Champion. Air Trails, February 1954, by Hal Roth.

Quote: "National Clipper Cargo Champion. This, folks, is the Half-A job that lifted an incredible 23-1/4 ounces to win Pan Am crown. Blueboy, by Hal Roth.

Blueboy was designed with three requirements in mind: a good engine, an extremely large wing, and a rearward-placed landing gear with metal wheels. When it was designed, we felt the Cargo Clipper models fully capable of lifting 30 ounces of dead weight. The 500-square-inch wing was made about equal to a small Class B gas model so the glide would be slow and the land-ings easy. A flat-bottomed 10% section was used in the wing to speed take-offs. The structure of the model was made as light as practicable, commensurate with good Wakefield practice.

On the first flight at the Philadelphia Nationals, Blueboy lifted 23-1/4 ounces for 42 seconds, establishing a new AMA record. On a later attempt, Blueboy lifted 26-1/2 ounces for 2:40 but was disqualified for a motor overrun. Gr-r-r!

The Clipper event is a real challenge because no one has flown a gas model on its wings since the days of Maxwell Bassett. Twenty-four ounces of dead weight inside a Half-A model slows it considerably. However, the weight catalyst introduces two interesting by-products: (1) no long chases and (2) the ships fly at slow speed (estimated at 10 mph) and can be tested with the engine wide open with no crash danger (assuming you start with 20 or 24 ounces of ballast).

Best of all - you may call it sentimental hogwash - all the Clipper ships must take off under their own power. The little models really work to get off the deck and it is a genuine thrill to see them lift their load and fly off.

Cut 30 wing ribs from soft 1/32 in sheet. The tip ribs can be formed as the tips are built. Use light wood for the spars and leading edge sheeting. The center section has three 1/32 plywood dihedral braces. Hollow out the balsa tips on the bottom. Put gauze reinforcements at every dihedral break.

Cut six stabilizer ribs from soft 1/16 sheet and 12 ribs from 1/32 sheet. Use a square to make certain the tips are perpendicular to the center of stabilizer so the rudders will go on straight. Install gauze reinforcements at the trailing edge center. The rudders are cut from soft 1/8 sheet.

For the fuselage select a straight-grained piece of 3/32 x 3 x 36 inches and cut diagonally in two. The fuselage sides are cut from these triangles - insuring the same bend on each side..."

Update 16/04/2017: Replaced this plan with a clearer scan, thanks to dfritzke.

Supplementary file notes

Previous scan version (inc article).

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Blueboy (oz2543) by Hal Roth 1954 - model pic

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