Pipsqueak (oz6211)

About this Plan

Pipsqueak. Radio control sport model.

Quote: "Outstanding .010 Sportster for Galloping Ghost. Plus Complete Construction Details for Lightweight Actuator. Pipsqueak by Dave Robelen.

The Pipsqueak model is a general purpose small-field airplane, scaled down from the Midwest Esquire (oz384) and designed for the Cox Tee Dee .01. Special emphasis is made on the airplane's ability with a dual proportional system. The author has developed what he feels is the smallest and lightest Galloping Ghost system that will yield smooth, positive control. The heart of any GG system is the actuator, so a special unit was built to meet the following requirements:

(1) High neutral pulse rate to elimi-nate any trace of gallop.
(2) Light weight (25 grams).
(3) Sufficient control movement for stunting and tight turns in severely re-stricted areas.
(4) Enough control power to fly an average .010 or .020 model.

I have flown the Pipsqueak for well over a hundred flights and now feel that all of these goals have been met. Once the system has been installed in the plane and put into operation, no further adjustments need be made. Two additional fringe benefits that have resulted from this actuator are low battery drain (150 Ma. pulsing in neutral), and an excellent fail-safe. Upon loss of signal, the actuator will yield neutral rudder and up-elevator.

The only electric motor that has been found completely satisfactory for our requirements is the Micro-Mo series. I have used the smaller TO-5 for this actuator. For larger ships in the .049 range, the TO-3 should be more than adequate. All actuator dimensions given with this article will be for the smaller unit and the Micro-Mo TO-5. Construction of the actuator itself requires access to a small drill press and some scraps of aluminum, the latter available from any local machine shop. Detailed instructions for building this actuator are given later on in this article, but a few general notes are in order at this time.

The main idea behind this entire project is lightness - remove as much metal as possible without affecting strength. Good gear mesh is important for minimum friction, so take a little care at that point. The foam pad upon which the actuator is mounted is very important - don't leave it out ! The Micro-Mo motor has a very delicate armature and will not tolerate excessive impact shock or vibration.

The balance of the radio system is quite straightforward. I have used several relayless recievers, both super-regen and superhet, and all worked well with the schemetic shown..."

Quote: "If you want a good park size plane from the RCM catalog, check out the Pipsqueak. It was originally for .020. I've built a couple of them, powered by PeeWee 020 engines and 2 channel proportional, and they flew great. Of the tiny planes I've built over the years, this one flew the best..."

Direct submission to Outerzone.

Update 14/09/2016: article pages, text & pics added, thanks to RFJ.

Supplementary file notes

Article pages, text & pics.

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