Bebe Jodel (oz760)

About this Plan

Bebe Jodel. Scale French ultralight, rubber power from Veron.

Note main pic of completed Bebe Jodel model is from the excellent ffscale.co.uk website, and shows the model built by Mike Stuart, see http://www.ffscale.co.uk/page2g.htm for more details and pics.

Planfile includes detailed build instructions.

Quote: "BUILDING INSTRUCTIONS: This series of VERON Flying Scale Models of popular and world-famous planes are the essence of simplicity and make ideal beginners' models, giving initial experience in construction and assembly. You need only a VERON Balsa Knife, balsa cement, small half-inch pins (called 'Lillipins' in the shops) and a pair of small round-nose or side-cutting pliers, thread and fine garnet paper. A tube of tissue paste, a small jar of shrinking dope and a soft brush will complete your requirements.

Study the plan carefully and identify all the parts on the printed sheets of balsa. Familiarize yourself with the sequence and method of construction. Cut out all the balsa parts, taking great care when cutting out the 1/16 notches in the formers. Cover the plan with waxed or greaseproof paper and pin both to a flat building board. The fuselage is built by constructing two lower sides of 1/16 spare balsa directly over the plan, these being then joined by two basic formers. This system of construction by inserting formers of a pre-determined width obviates the necessity for a fuselage top view, as the alignment can be checked by sighting along the fuselage. Wings and tailplane are similarly constructed over the plan on the flat.

FUSELAGE: Pin the lower member K1 in place directly over the plan, then build up one complete side of 1/16 sq balsa as in diagram 1. Secure all struts and K2 in place with pins either side of the wood, never through it.

When quite set, move from the building board and build a second identical side, where possible using the same pin-holes to locate strips. The two sides, when complete, are joined together by basic formers F4 and F5. Chamfer inner faces of sides at rear, then partly incise the top longeron and K1 just aft of F5. then pull the two sides together, joining with cement and securing with a clip or spring clothes peg. Fill the two incisions with cement and insert a 1/16 scrap balsa fillet under top longerons and against F5 where shown. Add top formers F6, F7 and F8, then cut lengths of 1/16 sq to sizes shown and cement in place in rear bays below F6, F7 and F8, etc.

Add top stringers with their rear ends resting on the top crosspiece rear bay. Steam front longerons over a kettle spout and gently bend inwards to fit about former F3, which cement in place, securing with a light rubber band around the longerons. Laminate F1 and F2 together and cement in place to form nose block, checking that this is square to the fuselage and vertical. Then add 1/16 sq stringers, five to the top and three to the bottom of the nose. Do not add the windshield until after covering.

Bend the tail skid wire to shape from a 1-1/4 in length, then bind in place to lower longerons and rub with cement. Prepare the 1-1/4 in length of 1/8 round dowel and insert through the 1/8 holes in K2, checking that there is a close-sliding fit in the holes to create rear attachment for the rubber motor. This dowel is not cemented in place, but made removable for motor replacement.

WINGS: The flat centre section is built as a complete unit directly over the plan. Pin the leading edge of 1/16 sq and trailing edge of 1/4 x 1/16 in place. A small spar of 1/8 x 1/16 is set upright between the two central ribs R1. These two ribs are scored just against the rear edge of the rear spar slot, then the cut is filled with cement and the rib positioned with a bend as indicated. This should fit exactly the fuselage keels K1 on the fuselage - checking for fit before pinning the ribs in place to dry. Erect all the other ribs R2 with R3's at the end. Insert top spar in slots in ribs and add 1/16 scrap gussets where indicated.

The outer panels are now built with leading and trailing edges laid first, with tip pieces of 3/16 x 1/16 butted neatly between. Ribs R4, 5 and 6 are erected with R4 canted to permit dihedral of outer panels when joined - check this angle with template given. Add top spars of 1/8 x 1/16 with extensions beyond R4 to permit joint with centre section spar.

When all sections are dry, remove from the board and cement outer panels in place with tips supported on blocks to give 1-1/2 in of dihedral - the width of a standard matchbox will do. Do not cement the wing structure to the fuselage until after covering.

UNDERCARRIAGE: Bend the undercarriage wire to shape. This is in one piece and may be gauged by the plan side, top and front views given. It is bound with thread to the leading edge and spar, being slotted into ribs R1 just in front of the spar. Rub the binding well with cement. The wheels are retained upon the axles with blobs of cement, soldered washers or pieces of rubber tubing off single-strand radio wire. Paper fairings are wrapped around the legs as indicated.

TAILPLANE: All the outline parts are to be found on the printed sheets. Pin the spar T1 and then the tips T2 in place. then the leading edge T3. Next T4's and T5's to form the trailing edge. Insert all the ribs to sizes given, making clean and neat butt joints. Do not remove from the board until quite set, to prevent warps.

COVERING AND ASSEMBLY: Cut tissue into strips about 3/8 in wider all round than the part to be covered. Use tissue paste or photo mountant paste as the adhesive. Apply paste only to the outer edges of the part being covered, covering the fuselage sides and bottom in lengthwise strips with small panels over the stringers. Do not adhere tissue to individual ribs on wings and tail, but only around the edges. When the tail is covered both sides, it is cemented in place over the tailbay, so that the backbone stringers come level with it. Check its alignment very carefully.

All the tissue is now water-shrunk to initially shrink out the wrinkles. Use a modellist's spray (or old scent spray) - never brush water on. When quite dry, cement the wings and fin in place. Check each carefully for squareness and alignment with the fuselage by sighting from in front and above the model. Add the small fin fairing F9. When quite set, give the whole model one coat of clear shrinking dope and then an extra coat to the fuselage only. Check all the flying surfaces for warps whilst drying.

The outline of the red identification letters is given on the plan. These may be painted on, cut-out tissue letters or transfers applied. The nose and backbone fairing, the wing. fin and tail leading edges are all one colour, red - the remainder being silver. As this machine is a French factory-built or home-built design, the colour scheme may be entirely optional. There are no identification letters above or below the wing. The outline of the colour scheme for F-PBXV is given on the plan, but any such scheme must be very lightly applied.

MOTOR AND NOSE ASSEMBLY: The motor is made up of one 9 inch loop of 3/16 wide rubber strip (18 in long) with the ends securely tied with a double knot. The shaft is prepared as shown, ensuring the loop is small enough to pass through the 3/16 hole in the nose. Thread on the plastic bush, cup washer and propeller, then bend the shaft end to engage in the slot in the nose of the propeller boss. Add the tubber motor and secure by closing the wire loop with tightly tied tread. Lubricate the motor with lubricant (available in tubes from your local model shop). Insert the rubber loop down through the fuselage or pull through with thread on a hairpin, and engage with 1/8 dowel through K2. This can be aided by cutting away a small panel of tissue on the underside of the fuselage below the anchor dowel.

FLYING. The model should balance level when supported upon the fingers at the point of the wing tips. If not, add plasticine to nose or tail as required. Test glide over grass in calm windless conditions. Launch forward, slightly nose down, at normal gliding speed. If the model dives, add 1/4 inch wide gummed paper-tape trim tabs to the trailing edge of the tail, and bend up slightly. If the model stalls (noses up, then dives), add tabs, but bend down slightly. Try to achieve a nice even glide. Turns can be similarly achieved. Wind on 50 turns to motor and launch: if satisfactory, increase the turns by 50's to maximum of 350. As power increases, add small pieces of balsa packing above nose bush to give 'down-thrust.'

When you have completed this model, ask your dealer to show you the others in the VERON range of Flying Models and for our latest free illustrated folder."

Update 09/01/2021: Replaced this plan with a clearer copy, which also includes the original full build instructions. The printwood scan is now a supplement file.

Update 11/01/2021: Added transcript of kit instructions, thanks to Eflyer7.

Supplementary file notes

Previous scan version.
Printwood.

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