Vultee Vanguard (oz3412)

About this Plan

Vultee Vanguard. Scale fighter model for rubber power.

Quote: "THE Vultee Vanguard 48C is one of the most beautiful airplanes ever designed and looks like what a pursuit plane 'should look like.' Although never given the opportunity to prove itself in battle it will always be a favorite design for the model builder. The AAF has purchased several known as the Vultee P-66.

Upon its introduction it was one of the fastest and most heavily armed fighters in the world and it was designed expressly for 'serviceability,' with large panels, easily removable, giving access to armament, controls and installations. It can be stripped down for servicing in two minutes flat, and gun barrels can he changed without removing the guns. In addition to heavy armament, a series of small bombs may be carried, making it one of the world's first fighter-bombers.

When powered by a double row Pratt and Whitney Wasp engine this single seater has a maximum speed of 358 mph. Its cruising speed is 316 mph, and it lands at 73. The fuel load of 240 gallons is sufficient to keep the plane in action about 2-1/2 hours.

The model has been accurately reproduced and is worthy of any effort expended on its construction. It is not only attractive as a display model but it is also a speedy, stable flyer. A small amount of wing area and the large fuselage naturally limit the model's capacity for making flights of long endurance; however, it will afford real satisfaction with the many realistic flights it is sure to make.

Fuselage: Begin the construction by making the keel pieces. Trace the top and bottom outlines of the side view to get the correct shape; the bottom keel is a continuous piece extending from nose to tail and the top keel is two separate pieces. Average depth of the keels is about 3/16; they are cut from 1/16 sheet balsa. Bulkheads are shown full size on the plan and they, too, are cut from medium grade 1/16 balsa sheet. Two of each are required. It will be noticed that only a few of the bulkheads have notches for all of the stringers. Cut out the notches shown and mark the positions of the others which will be cut later,

Pin the keel pieces into position over the plan and begin actual assembly of the fuselage. Temporarily cement a piece of 1/16 x 3/16 balsa between the top keels to join them at the opening created by the cockpit. Cement half of the bulkheads to their respective positions and when dry remove from the plan and attach the remaining ones to the other side. Align the bulkheads accurately so they are exactly perpendicular to the keels. Cement the two 1/16 square stringers to each side where the notches are provided, being careful not to draw the fuselage out of line. Place the remaining stringers, cutting the notches as required with a sliver of a razor blade. Once a stringer is attached to one side, always place another in the corresponding position of the other side. After the stringers are all attached, the temporary brace at the cockpit as well as the portion of the bottom keel between section 2 and section 5 should be removed.

The engine cowl and top of the fuselage back to the cockpit are covered with 1/32 sheet. Make a paper pattern of the cockpit shape and cut the sheet balsa accordingly before cementing to place. Pins and rubber bands will help keep the sheeting in place until the cement is dry.

The cowl front is made from four discs of 1/8 thick balsa which are cemented together. The back disc, adjacent to bulkhead No. 1, is solid except for the 5/8 hole for the nose plug; other discs have the centers removed to the extent indicated on the plan. Cement together with the grain of each opposite that of the adjacent discs. Attach the unit to the first bulkhead and when dry, roughly cut to shape. Finish by sandpapering the cowl and sheet balsa covering. Details of the nose plug are indicated. The removable nose plug should be made to fit neatly to the crank case which is cemented within the cowl front.

Tail Surfaces: Construction of the tail surfaces is easy. Both the stabilizer and rudder are built in a similar manner. In the interest of greater strength the stabilizer is built in one piece. Outlines are cut from 1/16 sheet and the ribs and spars are 1/16 square strips. When dry, the frames are removed from the plan and very soft pieces of 1/16 square cemented to both sides of the ribs. These are cut to a streamline shape when the adhesive has hardened. Trim and sandpaper the surfaces to the final shape. Surfaces constructed in this manner are light yet sturdy.

Wing: It is necessary for the wing to be of strong construction since the landing gear is attached to it. Make a left wing plan so both halves of the wing can be assembled directly over full-size plans. Ribs W1 to W4 are cut from medium grade 1/16 sheet while W5 to W8 are 1/32 sheet. Pin the ribs to place over the plan and attach the spars and leading and trailing edges; however, the spar to which the landing gear struts are attached is not placed in position until the dihedral has been added. Center ribs W1 should be slanted so the dihedral will be correct when the wings are joined. Tips are cut from 3/32 sheet. Join the wings solidly using plenty of cement; dihedral should be 2-1/16 at each tip. Attach the 1/16 x 3/16 hard balsa spar and re-enforce the joint necessitated by the dihedral. Trim and sandpaper the entire wing.

Landing Gear: A landing gear of the type used on the Vanguard always presents a problem to the model maker. However, the landing gear developed for this model is easy to make, accurate in appearance and it will take all the abuse the model can give. .040 music wire is used and the top is bent in such a manner as to join the lower wing spars and rib No. 4. Make a right and left strut. With thread bind the struts to the spars and then use a needle and sew right through rib No. 4 and about the wire. Apply several coats of cement to the thread wrapping..."

Supplementary file notes

Article, thanks to GTHunter.

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