Double Trouble (oz7861)

About this Plan

Double Trouble. Radio control sport model. An aerobatic sport biplane for .40 engines.

Quote: "Double Trouble is a sport biplane for Sunday flying that features high performance and simple construction for .40 sized engines.

Our intrepid, prolific designer of things that occasionally fly, is back with an easy to build, easy to fly .40 size sport biplane that will provide you with several seasons of flying pleasure. Double Trouble, by Fred Reese.

Double Trouble is a sport biplane for Sunday flying that features high performance and simple construction for .40 sized engines.

Over the years, most of the biplanes that I built were light, low powered, gentle flying machines and though I still enjoy flying slowly, now I prefer a design with more capabilities. I rarely fly in pattern competition but during a Sunday flying session, if I feel like trying a four point roll or knife edge flight, it is more fun to be flying a model that is capable of these maneuvers. Double Trouble is a biplane that is capable of these maneuvers and of any others you might think of.

With ailerons on each wing, the rolls are truly axial and smooth like a single winged pattern airplane. The model flies smoothly and remains docile at low speed and is very easy to land. Think about it: This is a biplane without struts that has pattern performance, tricycle landing gear and really is easy to build.

The wing span may appear too short at first glance: but the combined wing area is 548 square inches, which results in a wing loading of only 16.8 ounces per square foot. Double Trouble only weighs four pounds ready to fly. This is the third .40 powered biplane I have built of this size and it seems to be just right since mufflers, fixed landing gear and frontal area drag take their toll of the available power.

The result is an airplane that is not super fast, but has the power to pull up through 'top hat-like' maneuvers, yet does not build up excessive speed coming downhill. I mentioned that I rarely fly in pattern contests, however I did fly the Double Trouble at a local Sport Biplane Pattern Event hosted by the RC BEES in Riverside, California and placed second simply because the airplane could do all of the maneuvers easily and I got points for every maneuver on each flight.

Construction. Fuselage: Make a pair of fuselage sides from 1/8 x 3 x 36 in balsa sheets as one piece runs full length down the middle with a 2 in section added to form the top of the cabin and upper wing saddle and a 1-1/2in section is added to complete the bottom outline and lower wing saddle. Glue the 1/4 in balsa nose doublers onto the fuselage sides. Use contact cement to bond the 1/32 plywood doublers to the fuselage sides aft..."

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