Whistler (oz4855)

About this Plan

Whistler. Catapult glider.

Quote: "Whistler by PAUL E DEL GATTO. Catapult glider does 2-1/2 minutes - effortlessly. Just be sure to keep eye on it!

The larger gliders are fun and really fly, but are too hard to throw high. The solution? A rubber catapult! The rubber catapult never complains. The Whistler is the outgrowth of several successful hand-launched designs, large and small; redesigned to the requirements of a successful catapult design. It is completely 'debugged,' and capable of top notch performance with little skill required. Flights of two to 2-1/2 minutes are average with a modest catapult launch; but once acclimated you can average around three minutes with a more powerful, catapult.

Whistler is susceptible to out-of-sight flights. After losing an earlier model we have since made use of a fuse-operated, nose-ballast drop-off. This or other similar methods to bring the model down before it leaves the county is heartily recommended.

Construction is beefier than a conventional hand-launched type. In selecting the balsa stock, the wing and tail surfaces should be medium hard, while the fuselage is cut from very hard balsa. Other than the proper selection of wood, strongly cemented joints are important. During the launch on a catapult, there is a terrific strain put on the joints, and poorly joined surfaces will not stay together..."

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