Cricket (oz7150)

About this Plan

Cricket. Radio control sport model for .049 power. Uses the Ace foam wing.

Quote: "Quick to build and fun to fly .049 powered, using Ace R/C foam wing. Cricket, by Art Bigelow.

We see articles and editorials in just about all of the model magazines about how to get more people, both young and old, interested in this great sport. Some of us are living on Social Security, and some are going to school and can't afford the high priced models on today's market. There is a lot of talk about this problem, but not much action.

I see kids and also oldsters go out and buy models for fifty to seventy-five dollars, and work a week or two building them or putting them together, whichever the case may be, and take it out and demolish it the first flight. Not many in the class I just mentioned can afford this and very soon become disgusted and give up.

Well, here is a plane (I can call it a plane because it flies, but it surely isn't a model of anything) that can be built for about $20.00 and in about two evenings by almost anyone. It is very docile with any of the reed valve Cox .049 engines, and quite hot with a TD or a Medallion. It weighs about 20 oz all-up flying weight. If crashed, it can be repaired in one evening and ready to fly the next day. It is hand launched and slides in on the grass on its belly. If crashed so badly that it can't be repaired (and I can't imagine that happening) some of the parts will still be usable and the loss will not be so great.

Construction. Begin construction by carefully laying out all the parts to be cut from the 1/8 balsa sheets before you begin cutting. There is plenty of wood if you are careful. Next, cut out all of the balsa parts, the two fuselage formers (F-1 and F-2) from the 1/8 birch plywood, and the four boom support pieces from the 3/8 balsa. We're now ready to assemble the parts.

Because the Cricket is so simple and easy to assemble, we are going to keep the construction notes to a minimum. If you get to a point where you have a question, refer to the notes on the plans and the photo captions, and you shouldn't have any problems.

Fuselage: When cutting out the fuselage sides, note that the sides are tapered for the proper wing incidence (small end to the front). Also, you will find it's easiest to cut two left hand sides first; then simply trim 1/8 from the front of one and you will have a left and right. Be sure to mark the sides left and right, and when adding the 1/8 x 1/4 balsa reinforcement pieces..."

Hi Mary/Steve - Here is Art Bigelow's Cricket from RCM magazine issue 06-90. Regards,

Direct submission to Outerzone.

Note this plan used the Ace Foam wing. For a plan showing how to construct a replacement wing in balsa (both tapered and straight-chord) see Ace Foam Wing (oz8557) thanks to AndyKunz.

Supplementary file notes

Article pages, text and pics.

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