Watts Up (oz8939)

About this Plan

Watts Up. Electric powered motor-glider model.

Quote: "If you've been following our series on. Electric, you may be ready to try one. Watts Up is an electric-powered RC glider that not only flies nicely, but is easy on the budget and builds quickly. It's for an 035 electric motor and two-channel controls.

ELECTRIC-POWERED planes offer a relatively new and challenging aspect to the realm of RC flight. Electric-powered gliders in particular offer a unique fascination; a seemingly effortless, almost noiseless, ghost-like powered assent to altitude (go ahead - a little to the left, bank right, sniff out a thermal as you guide your rising craft), then the neat transi-tion to glide as you shut off the motor. Your creation reaches out on its own, to play tag with those elusive currents of rising air.

Electric-powered gliders work, and work very well. They have several advantages over hi-start, winch, and glow engine launches. Ex-amples:

1. Higher launch altitude than hi-start;
2. Much less launching area required;
3. Ability to easily face into the wind on every launch.
4. Ideal for schoolyards and play areas (no lines to trip over).
5. No setup or retreival of lines (great for evening flying).
6. Can hunt for thermals ehile under power.
7. No glow engine noise and mess.

The Watts Up is a good starting place for getting acquainted with electric-powered flight. It's small, easy, and inexpensive bothe to build and fly. Best of all, it performs well. Built around Astro Flight's standard 035 motor and GE 550 mAHh quick charge AA nicad pencells, this little plane gives maximum fun at minimum cost.

Three prototypes exist. The one presented in the plans and pictures has a span of 52 in, 365 sq in of area, and 20-oz weight ready to fly. The weight breakdown: wing, covered, 3.5 oz; fuselage with tail, covered, 3 oz; motor and battery, 7.5 oz; radio, 5 oz with 100 mAh battery pack.

If you have not had much building experi-ence, you should review the article on gluing techniques in the March 1983 MA before getting underway.

Wing construction. Twenty ribs are cut after making a template from 1/16 (or even 1/32 plywood, which can easily be cut with a modeling knife. The template is secured to a sheet of light 1/16 C-grain balsa with pins; a #11 X-Acto blade is then used to cut around the template. Very uniform results are achieved with this method.

Cover the plan with plastic film. Begin building both main panels at the same time, as follows: Pin a straightedge to the plan along the TE, and butt the 5/8-in TE pieces together at the centerline; pin in place. Pin the bottom 1/4 x 3/32 spruce spars on the plan after checking alignment with the notches in the ribs. With a razor plane or sanding block, remove from the bottom of the LE..."

Watts Up, Model Aviation, March 1984.

Direct submission to Outerzone.

Supplementary file notes

Article pages, thanks to RFJ.

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