Playboy (oz6328)

About this Plan

Leisure Playboy. Radio control electric version of the classic Playboy Senior design. Wingspan 67-1/2in, wing area 582 sq in. For Astro 05 power. Plan also shows alternative outline for the Playboy Cabin design.

Quote: "The Leisure Playboy is a scaled down version of the famous Playboy Senior (oz7835) modified especially for 05 electric power. The Leisure Playboy's polyhedral wing and large lifting tail provide inherent stability for 'hands-off' flight.

We designed the installation of electric power and radio gear to be easy to build. Any novice to electric power can build the Playboy, any novice R/C pilot can fly it.

A geared (2.5:1) Leisure 05 stock motor provides a solid 5 minutes of climb power turning a REV-UP 10x6 prop. By using simple on-off switching the Playboy's good thermalling capability will provide you with flights of up to 15 minutes!"

Quote: "Leisure Electronics 67-1/2in span Playboy Senior (scaled from the original 1940-41 80in span model) Designed by Bob Sliff. Drawn by Bob Sliff. Approved by Roland Boucher 1981"

Update 18/04/2017: Added kit instructions, thanks to RFJ.

Update 19/04/2017: Added rib templates, CAD-redrawn, thanks to n0bbyUK who very kindly drew them up from scratch.

Update 24/04/2018: Added kit review from Flying Models, August 1990, thanks to RFJ.

Update 07/06/2018: Added additional kit review, from AMI, April 2005, thanks to RFJ.

Update 21/05/2020: Added kit review from Model Airplane News, June 1983, thanks to RFJ.

Update 08/12/2020: Added kit review from Model Builder, February 1985, thanks to RFJ.

Quote: "MB Review: Leisure's Electric Playboy. By Dixie Cutrone.

For a relaxing, quiet, change of pace, try a Leisure Electric powered Playboy. The Playboy is an 85% reduction of the original 1940 design, powered by a Leisure electric motor with a gear reduction of 2.5 to 1 and six-cell battery pack. You'll be amazed at how the unit turns an 11 x 7 prop. The other plus is the quiet operation. The only noise is the prop spinning.

The kit for the Playboy comes to you very complete, with a rolled set of plans (no creases to iron out), a very well written set of instructions, a formed landing gear, a hardware package, and an excellent supply of selected balsawood. All parts for the wing and stab are sawed and sanded (no die crunching).

The construction of the Playboy is very straightforward, and those of us who remember the old Free Flight days will have many memories brought back while building it. It's quite a bit different from the glass fuselages and foam wings that we are familiar with now. With the advantages of the cyano glues, the construction really moves at a rapid pace. The enclosed instructions take you through the entire construction.

Make sure everything is square while the building is proceeding. I made one deviation from the construction as presented on the plan. I made a removeable firewall that included the mount for the motor and rail that extended inside the fuselage to hold the radio system. This way I could remove the entire radio system from the front of the Playboy. The motor batteries were mounted inside the fuselage and are not removeable with the radio system. While in the process of construction, make sure the pushrods are installed before covering. It makes the radio installation a lot easier.

The wing and stab are straightforward construction. You have your choice of regular dihedral or polyhedral in the wing configuration. I chose the poly because I think it makes the Playboy look better (more like the original). Hinges and horns added to stab and rudder are a slight deviation from a F/F, but in this situation, a must.

Covering and trim was done with transparent Solarfilm. Use some care in handling the structure while covering, it's a little more fragile than a quarter-scaler or a pattern bird.

The radio used in the Playboy project is the Kraft KP4KB System. The Kraft, with its list price of $229.95, is complete with transmitter, receiver, battery pack, four servos, a dual-output charger, switch harness, servo trays, and frequency flags. One of the special interest items in the system is the servo reversing and travel adjustment feature on all four channels.

The transmitter is an all new design, seven inches wide by seven inches high by two inches thick, made of a molded plastic material, with a weight of just under two pounds. Adjustable control stick heights, a slide switch that operates in side-to-side motion, and a removable panel on the front of the transmitter that lets you do your servo adjusting.

The receiver measures 2-1/4 x 1-5/8 x 3/4 inches, with a weight of 1.5 ounces. The crystal is removable from the outside of the receiver. Sensitivity is in the order of 25. microvolts.

Servos are very similar to the existing K-line KPS-25's. They have a new connector and they measure 1-1/2 inches high by 1-1/2 inches long, and 3/4 inch wide. The weight is approximately 1.5 ounces each. Full 90-degrees rotation takes a scant .35 seconds. With a case gasket and degree ring on the output shaft, the servos should be good for boats and off-water flying.

Four 500 mah AA batteries are supplied for the airborne power. The entire weight of the airborne system is 12 ounces.

With the radio system installed in the Playboy, the moment of truth is fast approaching. Ready to fly, the Playboy tipped the scales at 37 ounces.

Getting ready for the first flight I used the Leisure Auto Charger to top off the batteries. This unit uses the car battery as a power source and permits monitoring of batteries under load. It also has a cutoff timer that virtually eliminates the over-charging possibility.

With the full charge in the batteries, we're ready to give it a go. Advance the throttle and the electric motor comes to life. The Playboy was off and climbing with just a touch of up elevator. When I reached an altitude that I thought would be good for soaring, I shut down the motor and began gliding around, just like a glider. The Playboy became a new flying experience; nice slow flying and no noise. The entire flight lasted about fifteen minutes. On the landing approach you can turn the power back on if needed. For that relaxing change of pace, try electric; it's great!"

Supplementary file notes

Kit instructions.
Reviews.
Rib templates.

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