Pilatus PC-6 Porter (oz3118)

About this Plan

Pilatus Porter. Rubber scale model.

Update 04/01/2020: Added article, thanks to 50+AirYears.

Quot: "Pilatus Porter, by Walt Mooney. Our old professor of rubber=powered scale free flight for indoor/outdoor, has a winner in his latest design of one of the better priavte aircraft.

Once in a while an airplane is destined by its design to be a great success. Not always, however, does it have the most graceful shape. Such an airplane is the Pilatus Porter. It also happens to be an ideal subject for a simple rubber-powered flying scale model. Several models have been built to these plans and all of them have flown extremely well, so you can be assured of a successful model if you decide to construct a Porter. The plans are presented full-sized so the model can be built directly from the magazine pages. At this size, the model has consistantly exceeded 60 seconds duration outdoors, and has done 36 seconds under a 25 foot ceiling. (I was fourth in a local contest behind 3 Porters built by Fudo Takagi, Plut Shimazu, and Gene Wright).

The model is built up of standard sizes of balsa sticks, mostly 1/16 square, 1/16 by 1/8, and 1/16 sheet balsa. No difficulty obtaining these sizes should be found. Structure is quite conventional, and with reasonable care a good model will result. Try to select light wood as weight is important for maximum duration. The structure is more than sufficient for all flight loads and collision with walls, etc. Handling this model is likely to give it the severest of wear.

Use a piece of wax paper over the plans to protect your copy of Model Airplane News, and let's get started.

Your author has a reputation around San Diego modeling circles, to be a rapid builder. It's not that I do anything in a rapid manner but generally, do not waste time, but plan things ahead with a given sequence. Try following the sequence in this article and see if it doesn't help construction time.

First, cut out all the pieces made from 1/16 sheet balsa. Ribs, formers, rudder bottom, and nose block laminations. Cement nose block laminations together now as they should have maximum time to dry prior to shaping. Now, make the two fuselage sides directly over the plans so that they are exactly the same. Sides are cross-hatched on plans to make them stand out. While sides are drying, build the wings and tail parts also over the plans. Note wing ribs that attach to the fuselage are slightly slanted towards the tips to allow for dihedral angle. The procedure for all the above parts is to pin the outside pieces in the correct place on the plan, and then fit and cement the cross pieces in place. It is important that the pins are used only at the sides of the pieces, and not through them, to keep from splitting the small balsa sections. By the time wings and tail are set down, fuselage should be dry enough to remove from plan. Do this carefully using a thin razor double-edged blade to separate from the paper if required. Then use a thin blade to separate fuselage sides.

Bevel inside of aftmost crosspiece and cement fuselage sides together at back end, leaving front side ends separated by about 3 or 4 inch and block up on the board carefully with books, old bottles, or something that will hold sides exactly vertical as they dry. While fuselage is drying, remove wings and tail from plans.

Next cut out all the fuselage cross pieces shown in top view. Note, that in most places there are two required, one top, and one bottom. Install them in fuselage, work-ing from the back to the nose. Small rubber bands can be used to hold sides together while cement is drying. Take particular care that fuselage is held in perfect alignment while drying.

Bend landing gear wire, and tail wheel wire. Install formers, A, B, C, D, E, and F, on fuselage. Landing gear wire is a little unusual in that it is cemented to a former on top of fuselage. Add cowling cover on top of forward fuselage. This can be 1/32 sheet balsa or heavy bond paper. Most of the models I mentioned at the start of this article used bond paper and it looks fine.

Fit back rectangle of noseblock in front of fuselage and carefully carve laminated nose block to shape in order that it fits fuselage shape. Drill a 1/16th hole through noseblock and install a short length of aluminum tubing as a bearing.

If you have trouble carving or shaping a prop, a commercially produced wood or plastic will do perfectly well for this model. If not, carve one from the balsa block indicated on the plan. Bend a propeller hook and install propeller on nose block. Use a couple of washers between nose block and propeller as a thrust bearing. No free wheeling device is shown and none is re-quired if model is flown indoors only but outdoors model duration can be increased by using a free wheeler so install your favorite...

Now, prepare structure for covering. This requires lots of careful sandpapering - very careful - and very much. Round leading edges of tail and taper trailing edge of wings to a sharp edge. Sand fuselage roundings longerons as shown in typical fuselage section..."

Supplementary file notes

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