Dervish (oz2951)

About this Plan

Dervish. Control line stunt model. Cyril Shaw design, semi-scale stunt for Mills 1.3 diesel engine, 28in span, AUW 8oz.

Quote: "Mind the Lines. Andy Brough picks up the vintage control-line handle.

Back in the late 40s one of the few British control line stunt models notable for good looks was Cyril Shaw's Dervish (not to be confused with the French biplane of the same name). Cyril's Dervish was designed aruund a Mills 1.3 (what else?) and with an all up weight of eight ounces the 28 inch span model had a wing loading of only 8.6 oz - a remarkably low figure even for its day when light wing loadings were vital for performance.

The design was published in lan Model Aviation series. A reduced drawing was accompanied by some full-sized parts. A copy of the original article would enable a replica to be quite easily built, and performance would be guaranteed if a Modern 1.5 cc diesel is fitted. Where a Mills is used the inevitable problem of prop sizes is with us; an 8 x 8 being quoted in the 1949 Aeromodeller Annual. These high-pitched props are required to campensate for the slow rpm of the Mills when compared with the modern diesels, although some vintage diesels run very well on props with low pitch; Elfins, Javelins and the ED Hornet, for example. At a pinch an 8 x 6 would probably do because my 8-1/4 oz Small Fry flies OK on 40ft lines, its Mills thus equipped.

The bubble canopy looks quite modern so a visit to one's local model shop would probably provide a suitable sample without having to resort to moulding. A nice touch is the (typical for the era) optional or drop-off undercarriage..."

Update 25/05/12: Added a clearer plan scan and new sheet with formers, thanks to perttime.

Supplementary file notes

Planfile includes article (a later nostagia piece, Mind the Lines, by Andy Brough).

Corrections?

Did we get something wrong with these details about this plan (especially the datafile)? That happens sometimes. You can help us fix it.
Add a correction