Mooney M-18 Mite (oz4981)

About this Plan

Mooney M-18 Mite. Peanut scale model.

Quote: "Mooney M-18 Mite, by Walt Mooney. First of all - no relation. Walt's full-size creation was the 'Honey Bee.' This is a nine-inch-fuselage-rule Peanut. Clean lines and no gear means long outdoor flights.

IP Here is a 'Miami Rules' Peanut model of the first airplane bbilt by the Mooney aircraft corporation after World War II. It was not the first airplane designed by Al Mooney, but it was one of the earliest to bear his name. It was followed by a large number of slightly different production Mooney Mites and then a lot of follow on Mooneys, such as the Mark 20, Mark 21, 201, etc.

The prototype Mite lends itself well for a free flight scale model effort, especially if the event, like Peanut, allows hand launched flights so that it can be built with its landing gear 'retracted.' The prototype was powered by a four-cylinder Crosley automobile engine, which results in a long narrow nose. Production versions had Lycoming or Continental aircraft engines, with their four cylinders exposed, two on either side of the cowl,which would add a lot of complexity to the front end as well as weight and drag.

The model in the photos will average about thirty seconds in flight and has proven to be very stable. It is slightly nose-heavy with the plastic propeller shown, which helps the stability, but requires about an eighth-inch of up-elevator to trim out, lifting the aft end of the horizontal tail also tilts the vertical tail slightly forward but this is OK on this model. The whole back end of the fuselage of the real Mites, including the horizontal and vertical tails, tilted for pitch trim. The model with a seventeen-inch loop of 3/32 rubber, weighs 11 grams and balances at the point shown. A lighter, larger balsa propeller (that I'm going to have to carve some day), would probably make the model fly significantly longer.

Although the model Mooney Mite is relatively simple, there are a few areas that need to be discussed. The main fuselage structure is built over the plans with two sides being constructed one above the other so they are identical. Note that there is only a single member at the bottom aft end. This is because when the two side frames are being built into a box by the addition of one-sixteenth square cross pieces, there is none at the bottom of the last upright where the fuselage frame has a triangular cross-section.

Because of the rather sharp bend in the aftmost bottom member, it is best made by laminating three pieces of 1/16 by 1/64 balsa over a form.

Top and bottom formers are added to the fuselage frame in the conventional manner. Top and bottom sheeting is then applied, as well as the fillingsof the first two bays of the fuselage sides..."

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