Citabria Pro (oz5996)

About this Plan

Citabria Pro. Scale model for RC. 69in span, 724-1/2 sq in area, for .25 to .40 power and 4 channel radio. Model # pl-1083. Designed by Floyd Manly. Featured in RCM 1-91.

Quote: "A quick building sport scale acrobatic model for .25-.40 engines. By Floyd Manly.

This aircraft's name alone places it out of the realm of ordinary fly on Sundays only airplanes. Citabria is Airbatic spelled backwards, so what we have here is an aerobactic aircraft that is a Pro!

It you compare it to a standard Citabria, or its twin sister, the Decathlon, you'll find a very striking resemblance to both. The cowl, wing, tail feathers, landing gear, and wheel pants are all interchangeable. Almost, anyway. The Pro is an open cockpit version of the other two, built for those pilots that would rather have the wind in their faces.

In R/C aircraft, just as in full size ones. there are pilots who don't feel they're really flying unless it's necessary to wear a leather jacket, and a pair of goggles. They need the roar of the wind, and the tears in their eyes, before it's right!

This Citabria Pro is for just that kind of a flier. It has an open cockpit, it has struts that whistle and roar in the wind. It needs a pilot who has a pair of goggles, and wants to go up to bore holes in the sky, just for the sheer joy of it. The R/C Pro is .40 size (a .25 would carry her up too), but a 2-stroke .40 will haul her around with authority. I have a .46 4-stroke that may be given a try also, if it doesn't require too much work to fit under a cowl.

An attractive feature of this size is that some of the Pro's components are available at your dealer, or through Sig Mfg. It's not accidental that these parts are a perfect fit. The Pro was designed with them on the drawing board. The cowl, landing gear, and wheel pants are shelf items. I'd betcha that the Sig wing could be modified to fit, although ours is much lighter. In fact, without too much work, the entire Sig could be used to build a Pro.

Construction. If you've read this far let's get right into construction. Fuselage: Cut the sides from 3/32 x 4 in balsa, Or glue together a couple of 3 in pieces. Glue 1/4 in balsa stringers to the inside of each panel. Leave out the area at the LG block. Cut F-1 from 1/8 ply, and glue into position. Add the gussets shown on the plans. Cut the LG block and glue to the sides, Cut F-2 from 1/8 ply, and glue to the sides and the LG nick. Add gussets. Make up the pieces necessary for F-3. and glue together.

Cut the cabane floor from 1/8 ply to fit, but don't glue it just yet. It'll be easier to install the J-bolts after you've made up the wire cabanes.

Pull the tail together and sand the bevel where they touch. Glue in the 1/4 in cross pieces. Cut them in matching pairs for the top and bottom. Add the vertical 1/4 square balsa. Use an Adjusto-jig, or carefully eyeball the fuselage after each piece to ensure that you don't build in a twist.

We can get it up on its wheels now. Unless your fingers are 6 in long and doubled jointed, it is so much easier to install the blind nuts for the landing gear now. We can also install the belly stringers and the radio hatch..."

Direct submission to Outerzone.

Supplementary file notes

Article pages, text and pics, thanks to hlsat.

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