Jrs Pride (oz2726)

About this Plan

Jr's Pride (Junior's Pride). Hand launch glider. From the 'For the Tenderfoot' series.

Quote: "Very real-looking toss glider is all balsa and made from one sheet of wood. Junior's Pride, by Herb Clukey.

Off on the right foot? You bet! Success in the first venture of a young man's modeling career, whatever it might be, is most important. In model aviation, Jr's Pride can provide such success.

The little ship is built ultra light and with its cambered airfoil, a majestic slow floating-type glide is produced. All flights are hand launched and if you are fortunate enough to be near a nice up-wind slope, try a little slope soaring, as this gem has a glide ratio of 8:1 in calm air and will give you a lot of fun for the pennies invested.

Construction: In designing Jr's Pride, parts were kept to a minimum to facilitate construction. Cut out two fuselage sides, one each of No.1 and No.2 formers, one rudder, one stabilizer, two wing panels and four ribs. All parts are cut from one sheet of 1/32 x 3 x 36 in medium balsa. Nose block is one piece of 3/8 square balsa. Be sure to follow wood grain as indicated on drawing.

Glue fuselage sides directly to nose block and also glue No.1 in place. When dry, glue rear fuselage sides together, then add No.2. Check your work for alignment as you progress. Add top and bottom covering as illustrated in drawing. Cement stabilizer in place, then the rudder. The addition of a windshield is optional. Glue ribs as indicated in each wing panel. When dry, join panels together and prop up each tip 3/4 in. Cement wing to fuselage when dry.

Look at your Jr's Pride - it is finished and beautiful from any angle. Now let's preserve it with a coat of clear dope. When dry, sand with fine sand paper. This will cut down on surface drag and make the model more durable. Trim with color dope, but keep it to a minimum.

Flying: Now the real fun begins. Balance the baby by adding weight to the nose until a long floating glide is obtained. Trial and error is the best method. Remember that only a gentle toss is required. When ready, round up your pals and have an airplane 'ball game.' With a little practice you can stand about 30 feet apart and pass it to each other. The first one to drop it (it won't break) is 'out.' After this they might want to build their own Jr's Pride and have their own 'ball,' just as I am certainly having with mine - and I am a 45-year-old Junior!"

Quote: "I built one of these as a kid, had it trimmed in a few flights, then promptly lost it in a very mild thermal."

Update 20/08/2012: Replaced this plan with a better quality scan that also includes article page text and some pics, thanks to Kees.

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