Pink Panter (oz3583)

About this Plan

Pink Panter. Free flight sports model.

Quote: "Plan Feature: Pink Panter. A simple CO2 sportster - and a spot of anthropology, by Peter Miller!

This little CO2 powered free flight model is named after an endangered species, the Pink Panter - to be specific, the Panter Kiwis which should not be confused with the Panter Vulgaris although this creature may he a mutation of the former.

The Panter Raris used to be quite common in the '50s and could often be found in its favourite habitat of wide open grassy spaces chasing small flying objects. Sometimes younger creatures might he seen climbing trees in search of their prey while older ones could often he seen peering upwards into the branches with a sad expression

Unfortunately intensive farming, population increases and normal human intolerance combined with a change in the type of prey to a kind which did not tend to wander so far reduced the Panter Raris population until only tiny pockets or even individuals could be found anywhere.

If you want to see a real Pink Panter Raris it is quite easy. Build this model, trim it out and then pick a day with a gentle breeze - about 5 mph is ideal. Using liquid CO2 charges, make as many flights as possible in fifteen minutes, always returning to the starting point. At the end of the time you can see a Pink Panter by looking in a mirror!

THE MODEL: This model was designed when I was given one of the Novoexport CO2 motors that were being sold a few months ago for under £10 by the Manchester Model Shop - needless to say they sold out very qickly! This little motor is quite powerful but the tank is a hit small so, based on an rpm/time ratio, it worked out about the same as a Gasparin 120 and the model was designed to suit both these power plants.

Construction is completely conventional and really needs no instructions from me if you have built a similar model but one or two pointers may help. F1 and F2 are provided to help with the assembly of the fuselage sides, F2 also helps support the gas tank. The ply engine mount bulkhead covers the entire front of the fuselage. The sheet wrapped round the nose can he left off until any thrust line adjustments have been made.

THE MOTOR: The Russian motor has copper pipe which work-hardens very quickly and does tend to kink so be vary careful when installing as quite a little bending is needed. Installing the motor upright or inverted would simplify the pipe bending but would spoil the styling of the nose. The Gasparin pipes bend much more easily.

CRANKSHAFT REPAIR: If you have one of the Russian motors, you will notice that it has an aluminium crankshaft which is hollow and is swaged down to a hexagon section to take the propeller. This is a weak spot and, if the motor is thumped into the ground hard, it will bend at this point. Straightening the shaft will break it but this is not a problem. I repaired mine without removing the motor from the model. I simply epoxied a length of 613A bolt into the hollow shaft, ran a nut down it and then epoxied the nut and a washer in place to act as a prop driver. Another washer and nut, or the original plastic cone-shaped nut tapped out to 6BA, and the motor was repaired.

I have another of these motors and I shall carry out the modification before I fly it.Another advantage of this repair is that standard props will now fit as they no longer rely on the hexagon to drive them.

COVERING: I used fluorescent pink Airspan for the fuselage and orange Litespan for the wings. I did not dope the Airspan as it seemed tight enough and any
slight porosity would not matter on the fuselage.

TRIMMING AND FLYING: Initial flights were not too good, even though the aerodynamic set-up was the same as another of my designs. However, after some modifications to the angles of incidence and thrust line, the model flew very well.The basic trim arrangement that I use for CO2 models is: Left turn under power opening out as the power drops away or even turning to the right on the glide. Right turn under power can he made to work but there is a risk of it tightening up if you haven't got the glide trim right

GO FLYING! This is a nice little model which provides a lot of fun on a quiet day. It looks different in the air and can certainly get you panting very quickly!"

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