Yellow Bird 13 (oz3479)
About this Plan
Yellow Bird 13. High performance chuck glider model. Wingspan 13 in.
Quote: "With instructions just as I recall them. Launch flight-pattern is an elongated half loop with the model reaching gliding speed from inverted position just before the high-point of the half loop. Direction of roll is clockwise, viewed from the rear."
Quote: "Do you want a contest model you can fly on the village green and not end up in jail? Then Yellow Bird's the answer.
The aim at all stages of development has been to obtain a safe launch in rough weather, have ability to recover from gusts and eddies and maintain sufficient altitude to catch thermals, rather than rely upon fresh patches of low-level lift.
This might be expected to produce poor calm-air duration, but that is not the case..."
Note as John points out (see comments) the full size Yellow Bird 13 plan was in Aeromodeller October 1961. The larger version Yellow Bird 20 (oz7648) as mentioned in the article was only available through APS.
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Planfile includes article.
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(oz3479)
Yellow Bird 13
by Alan J Webber
from Aeromodeller
October 1961
13in span
Glider F/F
clean :)
all formers complete :)
got article :) -
Found online 05/10/2012 at:
http://www.colinusher.info/Aeromodeller%20Mags/am_zip/...
Filesize: 247KB
Format: • PDFbitmap
Credit*: essem
Downloads: 3448
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User comments
Hi Mary, Regards the Yellowbird 13 the full size plan was provided in the Aeromodeller October 1961 edition and Aeromodeller also provided a 20” version from their plan service [pic 003]. I built the 20” version but I could never get it to fly as well as the smaller version. Here's a picture of my wife holding it back then [pic 004].I liked the look of the Yellowbird design in my teenage years and the rear fin reminded me of some F1D designs at that time. I built one and was surprised how well it flew for its small size and area. Years later I built one for my eldest son but after he lost interest I passed it down to my youngest son who managed to launch it into a thermal and it was lost. I then helped my young son to build his own Yellowbird 13” which he also lost the same way. Strangely some 40 years later I met up with a past Free flight enthusiast who had found some hand launch gliders in the paddock where we flew years ago with our names on them and had kept them. Two of which where the old battered Yellowbird 13 models lost by my young son. Must admit I have a lot of difficulty throwing hand launch gliders now but I thought if an 8 year could throw the 13” models into a thermal surely I could still do that at 78. So I recently built a new one but so far I haven't been able to lose it. The old and the new here [pic 005]
I thought the 20” model may have been too big for my limited strength so I did experiment with a 17" version I have recently restored [pic 006].
Still waiting for some calm weather to see if I can match an 8 year olds throwing ability.
John Lewis - 29/04/2026
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- Yellow Bird 13 (oz3479)
- Plan File Filesize: 247KB Filename: Yellow_Bird_oz3479.pdf
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