Pattern Pusher (oz7335)

About this Plan

Pattern Pusher. Radio control pattern plane. For 1.20 4-stroke engine.

Quote: "If you are looking for an out-of-the-ordinary, sleek looking pattern airctraft that is maneouverable and honest to fly, the Pattern Pusher is for you. By Tom Prescott.

A number of years ago I had visions of the beauty and lines of a pusher pattern aircraft. As is typical in the pattern world, there is never enough power and, therefore, the requirement today for a tuned pipe and a 2-stroke engine. Finally, the 4-stroke engine has come of age and thus allows a dream to come true.

Back in those early days of dreaming I conjured up rationale as to why a pattern pusher would have some definite advantages. These first thoughts included: improved control effectiveness by eliminating the propeller and, therefore, smaller control throws could be used; improved stability because of increased effectiveness of the surfaces; improved pitch stability with smaller perturbation with power changes; improved stall turns because rudder effectiveness does not change as significantly with reduced airspeed; improved noise levels and a different sound, I might add, by allowing use of four-bladed propellers; and, last but certainly not least, to many of us it would be nice to get the gooey oil away and off of the airplane.

As in any aircraft design, there are trade-offs. With the Pusher there are two important ones. First is weight control. 4-stroke engines are heavy and weight aft cannot be tolerated. Weight control is critical and one must not be squeamish about adding lead weight to his beauty. The second trade-off is a propeller clearance. Long gear legs are required which make for a squishy ground handling characteristic. Prop tips are eaten on a regular basis, so get used to it! Again, the four-bladed propeller helps tremendously.

Construction. Fuselage: The fuselage is designed to be constructed upside down on a flat building surface. Start construction by making the required bulkheads and fuselage sides. Note: the fuselage sides are made from 1/4 x 4 x 48 in balsa sheets. The top surface of both sides must be straight. A centerline and bulkhead location should be marked on the fuselage sides to help with alignment. Also, F-5a is glued to F-5. F-5a gives F-5 enough thickness to accommodate the T nuts provided with the O.S. 120 4-stroke engine. If other T nuts are used, F-5a may not be needed. Install F-3, F-4, and F-5/F-5a, and the triangular stock on one side. Note: The engine is installed with 2 degree downthrust and no side..."

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