Cabruler (oz4509)

About this Plan

Cabruler. Free flight cabin power model. Wingspan 52 in.

Quote: "Here's a model that will even make hardened old timers do a double-take. Never previously published, it's a Class A cabin version of the famous New Ruler by its equally famous designer, Hank Struck.

Based upon the proportions of the New Ruler (oz534), this Class A cabin was built to enjoy the advantages of the sensational new Bantam 19 engine. The Bantam was developed by Ben Shereshaw, creator of many beautiful aircraft of the early days of gas modeling. The Class A category of up to .20 cu in had just been established, chiefly due to the remarkable performance of Ray Arden's Atom engine.

To actually get one of these new Benny's Beauties was not easy. In fact it took about a year. Ben was building these first engines at his home in Nutley, NJ. One day, a word-of-mouth message reached me that one was ready. So early in the morning, onto the subway in Jackson Heights LI, to the Hudson tubes and under the river to Newark NJ. There to the Bamberger store, sponsor of the famous Bamberger Aero Club, in which Ben was a leading light - but he was in Nutley, they said, and so onto a bus - but he wasn't there either. Nor was there any more than 5c in the engine seeker's pocket. Now it came down to the feet to get the pilgrim to where 5c would get him back to his far-away work bench. This was accomplished eight miles later, after crossing the George Washington Bridge back into Manhattan. Another subway ride and the end of a great day, and the inspiring memory of a trek across those empty Jersey meadows.

One day, however, Serial No. 294 arrived by mail! And it was all worthwhile, because it was in a class by itself. Today, several airplanes and many years later, it still runs, though its magnesium crankcase is darkened, plastic tank dissolved, needle valve replaced, and slight play has developed in its journals - a treasure.

After emigrating to Connecticut to work in the Ludington/Griswold Smoke tunnel as a model maker and smoke generator, evenings were put to building a model for the new Bantam. When demonstrated to aero engineers, its steep altitude-grabbing climb was not too impressive - a too-light unrealistic airplane! Of course, today, the F-15 reaches 39,000 feet in 59 seconds from a standing start. Now it's real!

Away from history and humor. The 'Cabruler' is along the constructional lines of most of my ships of this period. The fuselage is erected on a basic crutch frame, and finished free-handed off the plan. Wing features the NACA 6409 section, with sheet balsa top leading edge to maintain the airfoil shape to the high point, and to stiffen the wing against bending.

The motor mount assembly is removable from the fuselage for inspection and clean up, and now provides an obvious way to add simple RC gear for directed free flight. The actuator can be left in the airplane for free flight, or removed through an access panel in the fuselage.

The original was covered with white silk on the fuselage, and red cross-grained double tissue on the wing and stab. If Monokote is to be used, diagonals should be fitted between the spars, and between the leading edge and the lower spar, to box in the leading edge and increase torsional rigidity.

The ship was adjusted for a right climbing pattern, with right glide. This requires some slight left thrust shims between the motor mount and the firewall. Glide circle was controlled by the rudder tab setting. A further development of this design, the Connecticut Yankee (oz2841), flew well in right climb and left glide. Using stabilizer tilt, unknown to me at the time, will no doubt help obtain either flight pattern, if you can stand crooked airplanes - but they admittedly are better than cracked airplanes.

For R/C flying, the glide should be trimmed just a little faster than free flight, as much rudder action as possible should be employed, in order to roll rapidly from one circling direction to the opposite without stalling in the cross over."

Direct submission to Outerzone.

Update 31/10/2025: Replaced this plan with a clearer copy, scanned at 400 dpi from fullsize, thanks to JJ.

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