Son of Quaker (oz6381)

About this Plan

Son of Quaker. Radio control sport model.

Quote: "Son of Quaker, by Loren Deitrich.

The peripatetic Basset strikes again - this time with a 38 inch span scale model of the famous old timer, the 1937 Quaker (oz5516). For pulse rudder-only, you can set the trim and the Son Of Quaker will find its own thermals, soaring around as long as you want to keep it up there. If this ship strikes a nostalgic chord and you have an affinity for relaxed flying, break out the ED .020 and let's get started.

Remember the old realistic-looking 7 foot monsters of the 1930's as they circled overhead like huge hawks, with the sun shining through the bamboo paper and showing off all that gorgeous lumber inside? That was really modeling!

A 38-1/2 in scale model, including all structure, powered by a TD,020 and steered by puise rudder, with functional landing gear and yummy scallops. Now, here's how we'll build it:

Tail Surfaces: First, you'll have to track down some 3/32 reed at a hobby shop or upholstery store that rebuilds wicker furniture. Be sure to get some stiff reed, not the limp basket-weaving stuff. Reed is a dried swamp-plant stalk, and is an ancient way to make tips on model surfaces. It may be hard to find, so don't be discouraged easily. If you get desperate, you could split some bamboo and form it around a light bulb, another old-timer trick. (If worst comes to worst, you could make conventional 'rubber mode' tips of bent spruce strips, laminated balsa strips, or flat stock; however, the scale romance would be lessened. It had reed tips, man!) Soak the reed in hot water until pliable, pin in place over the plans, and let dry. Glue in the spars, leading edge, and the top of the ribs. Let dry, turn over, shim up the outline, and quickly add the bottom of the ribs. Watch that symmetrical airfoil! After all has dried, sand the surfaces. Finally, glue the fin to the stabilizer.

Wing: Build the wing in three pieces, consist-ing of the flat center section and the two panels. The only tricky part here is to soak, form, and dry the reed tips, then build the upcurving wingtips by careful fastening and forming. It's fussy, but it's the way it was. The little diagonal braces at the reed tips on both the tail and wing are also scale braces to keep the tips from deforming. The 3/16 in square spars and ply dihedral braces may seem like overkill for a small model, but are of scale size. Note that the center section and butt ribs will have to have their spar slots widened slightly to accommodate the dihedral joiners. Measure that dihe-dral carefully when joining. Note that the center section is not sheeted, but, rather, has two extra 1/8 stringers to resist the tension of the hold-down rub-ber bands. Shape the leading edge and block sand all structure. Be careful of those ribs!

Fuselage: Build two sides over the plans, noting that the uprights are 1/8 square aft of the wing trailing edge but are 1/8 x 3/16 forward. Remove from the plans, sand both sides smooth and add ply gussets at the landing gear slot. Cut the crossbraces, join the two sides over the plans at the cabin area. Join the tail-posts, and insert the aft crossbraces. Squeeze the nose together, adding fire-wall F1 and the forward crossbraces..."

Supplementary file notes

Article pages, text and pics, thanks to DavidTerrell.

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