Hawker Typhoon (oz7478)

About this Plan

Hawker Typhoon. Control line stunt model.

Quote: "Slick semi-scale Nats winner was designed, described and pencil-drawn by 14-year-old Junior Stunt Champion. Hawker Typhoon, by Dennis Adamisin.

IT certainly separates the men from the boys! Such was one pilot's evaluation of the Typhoon. When it proved to be an ineffective high-altitude fighter, the Typhoon seemed doomed. However, it later saw action as a ground-attack support fighter.

This model represents a phase of stunt design which has featured jets, Goodyears and originals. The Typhoon is the first semi-scale airplane in this group, but it has many of the features of earlier models. It is definitely the best ship I have had, and I am building another one for a spare.

The paint scheme is semi-scale, different, flashy, and easy to do. The camouflage is green and brown; the green sprayed first and the brown air-brushed on later. The bottom is yellow with black diagonal stripes. The first two letters of the identification are red, the last letter is yellow and the letters on the rudder and the nose are white. The band on the back of the body is light blue. The white letters on the cowl read: 'If this engine catches fire on starting, don't just wave your arms at the pilot, try putting the bloody thing out as well.' The letters on the side of the body just ahead of the elevator read, 'If fate decrees that I should fail, then fate will not have watched my tail.' These two tidbits were on the real Typhoon.

My best flights were made with this airplane when it was flown slow and smooth. Not to say that it won't fly any other way - but who knocks success? The Nats' victory was mine after only one official flight! The advantages of flying smooth, instead of by the book, are several. It's easier to fudge in at the right altitudes, especially at the bottoms of everything. Most important, bobbles or 'bombing out' on the bottoms of the square maneuvers can be avoided. Less practice is needed and one can stay in prac-tice longer. A smooth pattern impresses the judges because, without all the bobbles and imperfections of a square pattern, a smooth pattern just naturally looks better.

A few general comments on Stunt should be made. First, many fliers are unhappy with the AMA method of scoring. Some would like to change the point values or adopt FAI scoring; others have their own systems. All these proposals have the same fault: they depend on humans to operate them. As long as this is true, the end result will be the same. Second, many people disagree with appearance points. Some want to halve their values; others want to double them. I feel increasing these values emphasizes them too much. If values are decreased, too many people will be content with a kit, because realism and originality wouldn't be enough to work for. If anything, I'd like to see a fifth category for gen-eral appearance. The total point value would remain at 40, with each category being worth three to eight points. Third, I don't favor iron-on finishes, but I do feel that if a builder does a nice job of putting one on, he deserves credit.

A problem which has plagued stunt models for years is that nasty little word, weight! The general consensus is to avoid using hard balsa and hope for the best. We, and there are five of us here who build and fly stunt, have discovered a new method which allows us to build airplanes with fully-sheeted wings as light or lighter than the conventional 'open-bay' configuration. Unfortunately, this technique was not used in the Typhoon because I had not realized its potential. My model is 48 oz, four or five oz heavier than it could have been.

I refer to the idea of using a gram scale in the selection of the wood. A sheet of 1/16 x 3 x 36 inches should weigh less than ten grams. The difference between 10 and 14 grams may not sound like much, but if four grams are saved per sheet on the ten pieces of wood needed to sheet the wing, 40 grams or roughly one and a half oz are eliminated on the sheeting alone! Apply this to the ribs, spars, tips, and flaps, and two and a half to three oz are saved just in the wing. The fact that stunt planes are already overbuilt allows this to be used to a weight-saving advantage. Hard, heavy wood need not be used in building the fuselage. Light wood in the tail section cuts down on ballast needed in the nose. The three to four, or even five, oz are the difference between an average airplane and an excellent competition stunt ship! Listed is a table of weights which should help in the selection of light balsa. This chart gives the approximate weight for 36-in lengths.

Lighter wood would be great; but avoid using wood heavier than this. With light wood, you are halfway home. Sensible techniques in gluing add to weight savings. Use only enough glue to hold the joint, not the world. The joint is only as strong as the wood. In areas which have to endure severe strains, use epoxy.

Construction. Since it is the heart of the airplane, begin with the wing. Its construction is different but simple. The 1/16 x 1/4 in pieces help line up the ribs and are cut with a Woodruff key-cutter in a drill press set at the proper height. This allows the wing to be built in a jig, which helps prevent building warps into it. Begin by cutting notches about 1/16 in deep into the leading and trailing edges. The ribs are made by cutting the center and the end rib templates out of 1/16 plywood. Sandwich 13 pieces of 1/16 medium soft balsa between them for each wing. Carve and sand them and then repeat the procedure for the other wing.

Cut the notches for the leading and trail-ing edges and for the spar; hollow as shown. Use the front of the rib templates for mak-ing the half-ribs. These will be cut to length later. Cut the spar out of medium to soft 1/16" sheet, making sure that the outboard spar is one inch shorter. The ribs are then slipped onto the spar. On a large flat board, the leading and trailing edges then are blocked up high enough to clear the ribs..."

Hi Mary/Steve - Here is Dennis Adamisin's Hawker Typhoon from American Aircraft Modeler magazine issue 09-70.

Direct submission to Outerzone.

Supplementary file notes

Article pages, text and pics.

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