Skylon (oz5759)

About this Plan

Skylon. Free flight power model .

Quote: "55in wingspan free flight power model by R Amor. Only three fuselage formers are shown on the plan, but one can assume the rest are all circular. From Model Aircraft, July 1951."

Quote: "Power Duration Contest Model. Skylon, by Bob Amor.

GAS-HOPPER is the third in a series of models designed around the Arden engine. Other motors between 2.5 cc and 3.5 cc have been used, and the Amco 3.5 is particularly suitable. It should be mounted on 1 in square hardwood bearers extending through formers 1, 2 and 3, and the position altered until CG position is correct. A cowling and spinner can be incorporated if desired, but the frontal area must not be greatly increased.

Fuselage: Select four strips of medium 3/16 square balsa and mark out the former positions on two of them from the plan. Then mark out the formers with a compass, cut out and slot them for the four longerons making the slots 3/32 deep so that the planking comes flush with the longerons. Cement the two longerons together and add the formers right up to the nose. The WC is now bolted on and the engine bolts added. The front former is cemented in with 3 deg down, and 2 deg right thrust. Cut out the pylon from hard 1/4 sheet and slot into the front formers cementing well. Now add the top and bottom longerons. If an Arden or other make of ignition engine is to be used now install the ignition components in the positions shown on the plan. The battery box is 1/8 sheet and is also slotted into the formers so that the pen-cell battery is flush with the outside of the fuselage. In the case of a diesel a timer and cut-out should be installed.

Next, sheet the pylon with hard 1/16 sheet with the grain running across that of the central core and add all the gussets. Wire up and test the ignition circuit. Plank with 5/16 wide strips of soft 3/32 sheet tapering to about 1/16 in at the tail. Bevel the insides of the strips to get a better fit and fill in any gaps with a filler made of clear dope and talcum powder. Add the 1/8 sheet wing platform and fair into the pylon with soft sheet. Cut out the tailplane platform to the camber of the section and then sand down the whole of the fuselage. Cover the front former with nylon and overlap it about 3/4 in all the way round.

Wing: Cut out the formers from 1/16 sheet and commence by building the top main spar for the whole of the wing. Splice the joints to the dihedral angles and taper the spar on the outer panels to 3/16 in. Slot the ribs on to the spar and add the leading and trailing edges, building the wing in four separate stages (do the two inner panels first) then sheet the leading edge of the wing with 1/16 sheet. Finally, add the bottom spar but use only1/2 in square for the tips where no extra strength is needed. Add the dihedral braces and gussets then sheet the centre of the wing top and bottom and sand the whole wing well.

Tailplane and Fin: These are built in the normal manner using the grades of wood specified on the plan. The 1/32 in sheeting on the tailplane must be hard otherwise it will sag when covered and doped. Sheet the centre section top and bottom. Add the underfin and the fairing. The fin should be sanded to a slightly symmetrical section, covered and cemented on to the fuselage with a slight amount of left turn. This prevents the trim tab being put over an excessive amount to get a tight glide circle.

Covering and Doping: The original was covered entirely with Japanese tissue and given two coats of full strength Titanine glider dope on the flying surfaces and three on the fuselage. Modelspan will be just as good as Japanese tissue. The fuselage is covered with strips of tissue doped on. The original model weighs 19-3/4 oz. The weight with the Amco 3.5 should be 18 oz. Keep the weight below 21 oz or the performance will suffer.

Flying: Before taking the model out to the flying field make sure the wing is lined up with the tailplane..."

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Supplementary file notes

Planfile includes article.

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