Simple Toy (oz8536)

About this Plan

Simple Toy. Free flight A-2 towline glider model. FAI Nordic glider.

Quote: "For a world-class FF Towline Glider to be given this name must have been with at least a bit of tongue-in-cheek. It's a top model in the class, placing 4th in the 1979 World Championships. Take note of the author's personal preparations, an important factor when ultimate competition is involved.

MY CURRENT F1A Glider 'Simple Toy' is the result of studying other airplanes, and four years of methodical development with seven models. (Editor: F1A is the designation given by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI) for the World Championships class of Free Flight Towline Gliders, also referred to as A-2 or Nordic Glider.) Technically, it is similar to other world-class gliders. Wing airfoils, aspect ratios, stability margins, and turning tend ancies of these models have reached practical optimums. Individuals now use different layouts and structural details just to suit their particular flying styles.

Simple Toy suits the way I like to fly. It parks high on the line without constant attention, follows obediently when towed to lift, and is structurally strong enough to withstand the strongest zoom launches. Gliding free, it can 3-min max with no help, and it stays in a thermal when put there.

Within the restrictions of the class rules, these flight modes demand compromises, but development has produced a strong, stable model that is reliable in competition. Number 6, the original Simple Toy, has well over 1,000 flights, and a second Toy is approaching 500. Both have maxed in still morning air, and also survived Taft's violent trash-moving thermals; Number 6 scored a 240-second max from Pole 13 in the 13th Round at the Team Finals to help me gain a US team place. At the 1979 World Championships Simple Toy contributed to the US's first-ever team win in Towline by maxing out, and then placing fourth in the flyoff.

As far as how Simple Toy was developed, I fly a lot (about 60 days in 1979) and just tried a variety of different ideas; the present collection in this model work pretty good. It wasn't really 'designed,' which I think is a funny word in this Reynolds' number range anyway, but rather the design evolved through playing around with different things, and trying to have a little fun. I do keep asking myself how the ship could be improved, and the new answers are always surprising. My friends and competitors have been helpful, and my SCAT Club mates have really offered a lot of encouragement, which I'd like to acknowledge.

Not much needs to be said about Simple Toy's construction. Bill Blanchard's fine plan is self-explanatory. Here are just a few tips. Take your time. A poorly built model is poorly built forever. It takes me about three months to build a Simple Toy, but these models last a long time..."

Simple Toy, Model Aviation, November 1980

Direct submission to Outerzone.

Supplementary file notes

Article pages, thanks to RFJ.

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