Solidiflier (oz4591)

About this Plan

Stephanies's Solidiflier. Free flight all-sheet Nordic A/1 glider model.

Direct submission to Outerzone.

Update 05/04/2020: Added article, thanks to RFJ.

Quote: "No, it's not a big hand launch glider, but the construction is very similar. If you have a cravin' for carvin' and cringe at cutting ribs, then here is your painless Nordic A/1. Stepahie's Solidiflier, by George Perryman.

In this computer age that sometimes makes our head swim with complexities, here is a little model which is an escape from turmoil. I remember when I was just a boy (Gad, what a memory), that an old country blacksmith told me a great truth. I used to play checkers with him, since he always kept a cool jug of fresh apple cider, complete with a gourd dipper, down in a spring which ran by his shop. I learned at an early age that his generosity with that cider, was directly proportional to how many checker games he beat me. Needless to say, my winning efforts were very sparse. He was designing, while he built, some tractor parts, and he let me in on his secret for success, and Old Calip was a great blacksmith. He said: Boy, you know hits easy to design something hard to build, but hits hard to design something easy to build. Ponder that just a moment and you can appreciate Old Calip's wisdom.

When broken down in simplest terms, all models from a peanut scale to a half scale Graf Zeppelin, are built one stick at a time. I've had the pleasure to work with young modelers for many years, and when they first view plans their comment is usually: Look at all them parts! When I show them that only one stick is put in at a time it becomes fun and easy.

My little granddaughter, Stephanie, age 6, and my pride and joy, has been gluing one stick to another for over half of her young life. One of my greatest pleasures is watching her develop into a competitor. Stephanie had been bugging 'Big Daddy' for quite some time to let her build a little towline glider. How many of you have helped a kid fly a glider? Most kids go by the theory that if a little running does a little good, a lot of run ning does a heap of good. This may be true in part, except most glider wings are weaker than the speed kids can attain. Usual sequence is: 1. High speed run. 2. Screams from older helper to slow down. 3. Loud crack accompanied by fluttering sounds. 4. Second loud and agonizing noise when pieces strike 'terra firma' from vertical descent. (The firma the terra the greater the terror). 5. Anguishing sobs from young builder who sees long hours of stick gluing lying inert in an embarrassing pile. 6. Either scolding from older helper or: Hey this mess will be easy to fix, mix the epoxy.

Stephanie and I have tried to make a 'kid proof' wing. There is no such thing as fool proof, as I will attest by having hanging in my shop several aft parts of fuselages, wings with no tips, wakefield props only 2 inches long, and flat stabs - with polyhedral forcibly removed.

By using a piece of Sig 1/4 x 1-1/4 inch TE stock for wing LE, and also TE, with a good piece of soft Sig 3/8 x 3 inch wide balsa, a simple, strong, and efficient wing resulted. This wing is basically 3 pieces of wood, and 6 glue joints for the entire structure. Caution: Use light 3/8 balsa for center and the piece of TE stock for TE, or wing will be heavy. LE can be firmer balsa, but here again, not hard. The spruce strip on LE will help keep down nicks.

Begin building the wing by making the world's simplest wing jig. It consists of a flat piece of 1/8 balsa 3 inches wide for the center section, and tapered to fit 3/8 wing tips. Lay saran wrap over it and place on table. Pin 3/8 x 3 x 30 in long, soft balsa through 1/8 wood beneath, and into table. Glue edge of TE stock to 3/8 piece to form leading edge. Repeat for trailing edge. Trailing edge stock is beveled, naturally, which forms undercamber of a sort. For tips, repeat steps above except 3/8 wood is cut on a taper before you glue on front and aft pieces.

Stephanie sanded the lower surface first, using a vibrator sander. A paper towel, folded and slipped under the sandpaper, will form curved undercamber easily. Upper surface is formed using vibrator sander with spanwise strokes. Make 1/16 plywood templates off the plan to check sanding progress, and avoid taking off too much wood and make flats in the airfoil. When center section and tips are sanded to shape, glue dihedral in..."

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