Bushwacker (oz5826)

About this Plan

Bushwacker. Radio control sport model.

Quote: "Here is one you don't have yet: 69in span, .15 power, 4 channel RC. The Bushwacker was a very interesting plane, and has quite a few fans. Essentially a glider type adapted to .15 glow power. I have a scan of the manual somewhere, it is a veritable treatise on model airplane construction. This is a kit plan, so it lacks much in the way of parts layouts..."

Direct submission to Outerzone.

Added full kit manual.

Quote: "Steve, Here is that manual (54 pages!) for the Bushwacker ...the manual has a parts ID page, which should help a scratch builder draw necessary parts. BTW this kit has been off the market for about 30 years."

Quote: "BUSHWACKER INSTRUCTION MANUAL. INTRODUCTION: Bushwacker is designed to be a transition trainer and fun flier. With this airplane the fledgling pilot can make the transition from sailplanes or high wing, boxy trainers, to high performance, heavy, fast and expensive pattern ships powered by .60 cubic inch ingines.

The experienced R/C pilot, who is tired of driving 20 miles to the crowded flying field, will find a welcome change of pace in Bushwacker flying. This plane is capable of all the aerobatic maneuvers that her big brothers can perform, and she can perform them in less space, with less noise and fuss. At full throttle the ship flies like a high performance stunt plane, but when the engine is throttled back she soars like a sailplane. If you find your plane out of fuel and a long way from the field don't despair, find a thermal and hitch a ride home. We have thermaled her for 15 minutes after the fuel was exhausted.

If you don't have access to a fancy runway and the weeds in the vacant lot down the street are too high to permit takeoff, Bushwacker will adapt. Remember, the high weeds which prevent take-off can serve to cushion a landing without wheels. Simply turn the landing gear retainer 180 degrees and the gear will drop out into your hands. And, without the drag of the wheels the plane will really 'turn on!' If the grass is to high to permit take-off with the wheel pants in place, they may be removed merely by taking out 4 machine screws. When the 'fire goes out,' Bushwacker will float in so slowly that you can catch it in your hand or let it land in the weeds, (whack a bush).

Let's take a minute and look at the philosophy behind the design of Bushwacker: Years ago, when most R/C aircraft were BIG, Harold 'Poppy' DeBolt was the chief proponent of light weight, low powered planes. His design philosophy is still valid today. Big heavy planes need big powerful engines that need bigger heavier planes. One thing leads to another, and soon the R/C pilot can find himself 'herding' a heavy .60 cubic inch powered, fuel gobbling, snap rolling, self destructing monster. But happily, there is an alternative! With a Bushwacker, you can relax and really enjoy R/C flying.

Please don't install any engine larger than .19 cubic inches. With a larger engine you will defeat the whole purpose of the design, and may tear the wings off in the process. If you don't feel confident about your knowledge of engines, send for the book entitled 'The R/C Engine' by Clarence Lee, available from R/C Modeler Corp, PO Box 487, Sierra Madre, Calif 91024. If you send for the book now, you will have it by the time you are ready to install the fuel system, select a prop and all the other things required in the care and feeding of the 'little monster' up front.

Please don't leave off the muffler and let us down. If you fly out of the vacant lot down the street, then you owe it to your neighbors, your fellow modelers and yourself to use a muffler. We have developed an excellent muffler for use on any .15 or .19 cubic inch engine. This muffler is included in your kit; please build it and use it.

These instructions are intended to be used along with the plans so that you can build your plane step-by-step. Each step is numbered and the operation is defined in the first sentence; then the detailed information is presented. In our terms, 'cement' means Ambroid and glue means Titebond. We do not suggest using 5-minute epoxy for any basic structure, except in special cases, which are noted, such as the wooden muffler and motor mounts.

Now, if you are ready for some real modeling fun, let's get out the tools, dust off the work bench and get to work. Maybe you could call your 'Ol flying buddy' and challenge him to a Bushwacker race but that can wait; let's enjoy the building fun first..."

Update 11/01/2016: Added ribs zipfile, with 4 different ribs files, thanks to dfritzke.

Quote: "Steve, OK, since you got a special request, here are ribs for the Mark's Models Bushwacker generated using Compufoil. (A very impressive little program, by the way.) I am sending a .dwg file for those who like to play with lasers, a pdf for the x-acto crowd and a screenshot of the wing plan saved as a pdf. I approximated the aileron hinge line with some spars on the outer panel trailing edge. There is probably a spiffy way to do that in Compufoil, it seems to be able do anything else you may want to do."

Update 17/08/2022: Added .dat file (text co-ords) to the ribs zipfile, thanks to Jonathan Noon.

Supplementary file notes

Manual.
Ribs zipfile (dwg, dxf, pdf, dat).

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