Mini Peacemaker (oz6853)

About this Plan

Mini Peacemaker. Control line combat model. PAW 1.49 diesel shown.

Direct submission to Outerzone.

Update 15/4/2025: Added article, thanks to RobinLewis.

Quote: "Fun for the young - and the not-so-young! A mini classic for 1.5cc motors. Mini Peacemaker, by Ian Peacock.

WITHIN the history of control-line several distinctive models really stand out. Some for being particularly innovative, or those which made a specific impact. Some laid the very cornerstone of a specific category; others were to portray a design configuration that has never been bettered. Not always have these models come from the 'names' within the sport, although there are a small number where both designer/pilot and model formed such an unbeatable combination that they will be with us forever.

Such a combination would be George Aldrich and the Nobler (oz6212). The Nobler was a world-beater right from the start. It has won more competitions than any other model. It was produced and widely sold in kit form and was even kitted as a radio model. Even today, the Nobler can hold its own against many other current designs, which is not surprising for most of these are Noblers in disguise, the design being honed and finely tuned by a succession of successful modellers.

George Aldrich is also well known for another all-time classic, the Peacemaker (oz1633). When this design was first published in March 1958 it was to establish the pattern for combat flying for many years to come. Granted that as the class developed and rules became amended, the Peacemaker was to become outclassed as a top competitive machine but as a flying machine in its own right, it has never been bettered.

In recent years, it received a face lift from John Stroud, whose update allowed more modern trends to be incorporated, although there would be many who would agree that the Peacemaker was so correct in the first place that no amount of updates could improve it. Few would disagree, however, that as a 'flying' design, George Aldrich got it right - right from the start.

Amazingly, the Peacemaker was never kitted in the UK (although its 'design' is essentially British). It was commissioned for Aeromodeller who even supplied George with a 2.5cc diesel to put in it! (Remember - the diesel, as an aeromodelling motor, was a long time coming in the USA where modellers preferred the glow). In the States, however, the story was different, with Top Flight producing the Peacemaker in kit form, under the title Flite Streak (oz2652).

Senior Flitestreaks, Flitestreaks and Junior Flitestreaks proliferated, and George, being somewhat taken by the compactness and high performance of the Oliver Tiger diesel, went on the publish the Peacemaker Stunt (oz6455). This was a fully-fledged stunter with built-up fuselage, proper undercarriage and coupled flaps. Several of my colleagues built it (from the Model Aeroplane News plan) and certainly none of us found it wanting!

Here in the UK, kit manufacturers felt that the 1.5cc diesel was the 'right' size, and consequently the Frog Talisman (oz4399) and Keil Kraft Gazelle (oz92) were produced, both of which apparently owed a lot to George's Peacemaker. There must have been many a young lad (and perhaps the not so young) who cut his aerobatic teeth on these fine models. In fact I well remember presenting my newly-acquired wife with a finished Talisman for Christmas, but that is another story!

Over the years I've built many Peacemakers (eagle-eyed readers a few years ago will have noticed that I was flying one in the Bob Symes Model Magic TV programme.) Yet, I too still have a hankering for the smaller version. So, presented here is the Mini Peacemaker for all you budding 1/2A circulators.

Construction: This is a singularly uneventful model to build but for the first timers I'll run quickly through the sequence. Wing ribs are cut by the 'sandwich' method. Two master ribs are cut from a relatively hard material. 1/8 ply will do but 1/16 aluminium or offcuts of formica are preferable. Clamp 15 rectangles of 1/16 balsa between them and carve and sand the entire block to shape, cutting the slots for the wing spars at the same time. Separate the ribs and remove 1/16in from around the edge of three ribs (W1,W1a and W1b) to allow for the 1/16in sheet centre section covering..."

Supplementary file notes

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