Viper II (oz798)

About this Plan

Viper II. Classic design for a contest-winning rubber model. Styled to look like a 1930s British fighter.

Quote: "FLASH BACK When Rupert Moorer' Viper was first revealed to Aeromodeller's readers on October and November issues 1937, he could hardly have foreseen the lifelong connection which Rupert was to have with this magazine. Rupert's-paintings have become world famous. His flying scale models are equally well known by their extreme popularity through Aeromodeller Plans Service. But there always has been one particular design which the old'ns well remember and that is the 'Viper'.

Occasionally over the years we have discovered versions of the Viper being flown just for fun, not always with the original geared rubber drive arrangement, sometimes with a Mills .75 or even a Mill 1.3, maybe a DC Merlin - but always with the same degree of appreciative enthusiasm for this classic concept of an interceptor fighter.

Now we have great pleasure in reintroducing this classic and including it in celebration on our cover some 42 years after it was first published. We are sure it is going to be well received, and look forward to seeing many more Vipers on the club flying grounds in the coming months.

IN ITS ORIGINAL FORM Viper II, K-2715, took off under its own power on its first flight, from Ventnor Golf Course in June 1938, just forty years ago, After twenty-two years flying and eighteen in retirement she still hangs in my studio, a little decrepit but still handsome.

Trimmed for glide and short power hops before setting out, she was given half turns and left to her own devices. The ensuing flight was successful, adding some 35 feet or so to the altitude of the golf course, which itself was at the top of the highest hill in the district, she broke away for a prolonged glide down the valley to be retrieved by some of the hospital staff of which I was then a patient.

That this was not a fluke was demonstrated by the fact that the replica, built by Leonard Taylor, (also a patient) K-2716, built at the same time as the original, almost repeated the performance a few minutes later.

In retrospect, these two models, in their original form were named Viper I, to differentiate from the slightly improved version which won the Coronation Cup in 1937.

During 1938 a number of improvements were incorporated, the first being a new airscrew carved from a block of satin walnut to replace the original one. Owing to lack of carving facilities in the hospital, this was built up from steam bent blades, glued and screwed to a hardwood boss, the blade roots and spinner being built up with hard balsa laminations. With a new and improved undercarriage and greatly reduced tail areas, she became Viper II.

This model is in a class which was rare enough pre-war and I believe non-existant today, it is a Free Lance Scale Model, that is, a flying scale model of an original idea for a full sized aircraft. I felt so strongly about the antiquated 'new types' of biplanes being issued to the RAF Fighter Squadrons at that time, that I thought I'd have a go myself, in model form.

The side view of a Rolls Royce 'Kestrel' was drawn to scale (with a scale diameter airscrew behind which was drawn the seated side view of Flight Lieutenant Balsa-Woodhead, NBG, and two Baas, also to scale. Around these, the outline was developed to include guns, tankage and all other necessities, as done in full sized practice. Designed as an interceptor fighter where a high rate of climb was more important than all-out speed (which should naturally be high) a shoulder wing layout was chosen..."

Update 10/03/2014: Cleaned this plan up a little, also have split it into 2 pages for easier printing.

Note barebones pic [see more pics 005] is from January 1944, Aeromodeller.

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