Semperfi (oz6389)

About this Plan

Semperfi. Radio control sport model.

Quote: "Semperfi, by Randy Randolph. A .15 to .25 powered semi-tween-the-wars fun type RC model that even those with aging reflexes can handle.

Between the wars was a romantic period in aviation for modelers and, although I have never been a scale buff, some of that romance has rubbed off. Memories of the thirties, when military aircraft participated in airshows along with the stunt flyers, are still fresh. Of course, I was very young then and most of my information came from the pulp magazines that littered the shelves at the drug store. Semperfi is an attempt to capture some of the yellow-winged military mystique of that time in an easy to build and fun to fly airplane.

Since most airplanes of that period had conventional landing gear, so does Semperfi and it is a compromise between scale looks and practical operation. The result is an airplane that these aging reflexes are able to keep on the runway, even in a crosswind. In fact, after a bunch of flying the only prop damage has been slightly round tips from nose-low landings.

In the air it is a solid airplane and not given to bad habits. It will snap and spin but those are controlled maneuvers and not accidental ones. Although inverted passes and loops are comfortable, outside snaps and spins are not its bag. The roll rate is good and makes even the most uncoordinated of us look good. A rolling break to an overhead 360° approach, like the airshow boys did it, is easy and impresses the Sunday Onlookers. Wheel Landings are just as easy as stall landings and look great as the tail comes clown to three point position.

When building Semperfi, or any airplane, think light. There is no way a brick can perform like an airplane, and this is an airplane not a brick.

Construction. Wing: Cut the wing ribs from medium 1/16 sheet balsa (all wood is balsa unless otherwise stated); pin them together and gang sand them to the same outline. Select six from the batch and cut the main spar notches 1/8 wider on each side to accept the dihedral braces and trim 1/16 from the top and bottom of them for the center section sheeting. Call these ribs R1. Cut the the webs for the main spars and the trailing edge from 1/16 sheet; the grain should run vertically..."

Hi Steve - Here is Randy Randolph's Semperfi from RCM magazine issue 12-79.

Direct submission to Outerzone.

Supplementary file notes

Article pages, text and pics.

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