Whitworth Siskin (oz7592)

About this Plan

Armstrong Whitworth Siskin. Scale model fighter sesquiplane for free flight. For .049 McCoy diesel engine. Scale is 1/12.

Quote: "Whitworth Siskin, by Lorne A Williams.

Although many model builders shy away from the free-flight scale class, it can be assumed that a large percentage of this shy type would like to venture into this most fascinating of model aircraft fields. It is to be hoped that the model described here will in-troduce some new fans to free-flight-scale and give diehards something new to chew on.

Not a well known aircraft as glamour goes, the Armstrong Whitworth Siskin filled the gap between wars when biplanes were in their heyday. A standard day and night fighter of the RAF, it was chosen as the first actual fighter plane of the then young RCAF (Royal Canadian Air Force). Oldtimers might recall the Siskin 'flight' that paid its annual visit to the Cleveland Air Races and Canadian exhibitions to display their acrobatic skills.

Classed as a sequi-plane, or wing and one half, it had its own distinctive appearance in the air even in those days. Termed in the manufacturer's handbook as a plane with exceptional stability and maneuverability (an unusual combination for a fighter plane), it has certainly lived up to its reputation on the first count anyway, and the latter could only be proven by experience or radio control.

The model has been designed structurally to withstand a maximum amount of punishment without sacrificing scale too much. The scale of 1 in to 1 ft was used - the tail is increased slightly. Knock-off wings and collapsible landing gear have proven their worth in one or two encounters with trees and such, requiring only fabric patching and re-assembly of the knockoff wings to permit flying again. Full power of a 1/2A diesel really takes her up so be cautious and have ample room to fly.

The plans and detail drawings should be self explanatory but a brief review might be helpful.

UPPER WING: Ribs are cemented in two separate pieces to the front and back of the re-inforced spar which encloses the spar completely. Cap-strip all top and bottom ribs excepting those at the center-section where it is sheeted. Center wing struts are bolted to the plywood bases which permit easy re-moval since the nut is permanently ce-mented to the base inside the wing. 'V' struts push into the slots provided for them, and are for a snug push fit only. The struts pull out if wings are knocked off.

LOWER WINGS: Build the center-section of the lower wing first, making certain that a good fit is made where it fits- into the fuselage cutout, and that front wing dowels engage the holes in former 'C' accurately. The outer pan-els may be made separately and butt-cemented to the center-section along with the dihedral braces.

The upper wing is adjustable forward and backward in the body slots, and is held in place by rubber bands..."

Direct submission to Outerzone.

Supplementary file notes

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