Evolution (oz8587)

About this Plan

Evolution. Radio control sport trainer/soarer. Variable configuration. Plan shows two alternate wing layouts, at 51in and 74in wingspan.

Also kitted by Dumas.

Quote: "Seven aircraft in one, the Evolution is one of the most versatile and gentle aircraft you'll ever fly. Ideal for the R/C Tyro. Evolution, by Bob Brugger.

Laziness is the mother of expediency. Poverty is the father of economy. The combination of the above produced 'EVOLUTION'. (You archaeologists and paleontologists, please don't throw stones at this theory. It was rock-bustin' that caused my need for a new airplane!)

Living in Tucson, the sun city, where it can get quite windy (as well as nice and calm and hot, hot, hot!), and having a mountain top, with a beautiful amphitheater about one-half mile across, just ten minutes away (go ahead and weep, you lovers of the green and snow country) I wanted to be able to fly any way, with one airplane, and not have to change radio gear back and forth. A friend of mine, Bill Painter, who now lives in Stockton, California, built a very nice flying seven foot glider with .049 power assist that not only had appealing lines, but showed great possibilities for other types of flying.

Plans of composite or multi-purpose planes had been published before, but I didn't know of any that could be set up for the wide range of configurations I desired without each one looking like a compromise of another. The next step, therefore, was to see what correlation there was between the proportions of various designs of the desired types.

Four tested designs of shoulder wing trainer-sport planes and three soaring type gliders were chosen for review. All dimensions of each category were mathematically correlated and then the two categories cross-proportioned. It was surprising to see how narrow the dimensional gap was between the two. After several hours of engineering (that's the word for 10% design calculation and 90% doodling) the result was 'EVOLUTION'. a machine with seven configurations. Start out with a powered sport plane and a few parts, and in five minutes or less you can be set up to fly a very stable trainer (try to stall out your plane our feet off the ground and recover to a smooth landing or go around again), a slope soarer (or put it up with tow-line or high-start and fly the thermals). If that's too much trouble, leave the engine in the nose, or strap on the power pod, and reach for the thermals the easy way.

Basically, this airplane is for beginners. Yet, when you tire of its gentle-ness and want something hotter, you don't have to start all over building again. You just change parts.

So choose your pleasure. Build one set-up and have a ball flying while you're trying to find time to build the other parts. If you are new at 12/C start out with the six foot wing on the sport configuration and an .09 or .10 up front. Please accept this as a challenge to find another design as gentle to help you learn. Then, as your prowess develops, change to the short wing. Then try a .15 engine. Follow the same procedure until you graduate to using a .19.

But if you want some real flying, then unbolt that dirty, noisy old engine and jerk off that ugly landing gear. Strap on that gracefully long wing. give her a streamlined nose up front, and toss her off the top of a hill. Ah, such quiet serenity! All this and just one air plane!

But, times a-wastin'. Let's get with it. Most of the construction is fundamental, but some of the following information may help you save time and prevent your working yourself into a corner..."

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