White Monoplane (oz4132)

About this Plan

White Monoplane. Peanut rubber scale model. Here is Don Assel's White Monoplane from Model Builder magazine issue 10-83.

Direct submission to Outerzone.

Quote: "White Monoplane, by Don Assel. Here is a really lightweight Peanut that's really different-looking. It's a canard, it has an open framework fuselage, and it flies really well! Give it a try, you won't be disappointed.

Scale model canards are gaining popularity these days, due in no small part to Flying Ace club rules and the efforts of Burt Rutan. But canards have been with us for a great many years. The White Monoplane canard was discovered in a 1917 issue of Aerial Age Weekly. A small ad invited readers to try it, and I decided to do just that - but as a Peanut scale model.

A plan of the original plane was acquired from Gordon Codding, of Kingman, Arizona, and as it was studied, some interesting things appeared. Over the years, a number of canards had taken shape on my building boards, but the White was slightly different from the others. It became obvious that the zero degrees incidence in the canard wing and the nine or ten degree incidence in the main wing separated the plane from others encountered. Previous models had been marked by high canard incidence. Further, these models featured a good deal of area in the fin, which was located as far back on the fuselage as possible. The White's fin, by comparison, is small, and is located up front, just behind the canard wing. There were enough contradictions here to create the challenge, and the first White peanut was constructed. It provided a learning experience.

Mini-flights on the first model showed promise - until full turns were applied. A nano-second prior to launch there was a sudden and dramatic fore-shortening of the fuselage. It had failed because it has no covering and few uprights to provide strength. The second model was built with spruce longerons, and it is strongly suggested that you use spruce or basswood to provide the strength required.

Construction is simple, generally, but a few points deserve mention. The wing spar and leading edge are raised to fit the airfoil during construction through the use of thin wedges. When the glue has dried, the leading edge is placed off the edge of the building board, and the aft part of the wing is constructed. Note that both the canard and main wing have movable surfaces. These have been trouble-free, and it is suggested that they be incorporated in your model for the ease in trimming they provide.

Wing dihedral is accomplished by simply cracking and gluing, but note that the spar has 1/4-inch more dihedral than does the leading edge. This provides built-in wash out on both wings (both sides of the main wing, that is). The original plane had spoked wheels, and Hungerford wheels were used on the model. They blend perfectly with the overall appearance of the model, as do the two Williams Bros engine cylinders.

The main wheels are on an axle under the pilot's seat. The axle is held in place with wrapped rubber, as on the original plane. The aft wheel arrangement is somewhat more difficult..."

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