Two Cents Plain (oz9683)

About this Plan

Two Cents Plain. Simple rubber stick model. An indoor model conforming to the "Pennyplane" rules.

Quote: "WITH TONGUE-in-cheek apologies to Harry Golden, who authored the book about his Jewish boyhood in New York wherein the 'two cents plain' phosphate soda beverage became famous, we would like to present our two cents worth. This little Pennyplane will provide twice as much enjoyment as any other type of indoor endurance rubber model. The class was originally developed by Captain Pennyplane (Shazam!) himself, Erv Rodemsky of American Airlines. Back in 1969, when Erv was flying jets out of O'Hare and flying models with the famous Chicago Aeronuts club, he began to study the problems encountered by beginners in indoor modelling. The result was a concise set of rules focused on a model that would be easy to build, sturdy, and fly well enough to encourage the neophyte to progress to more complicated, fragile craft like microfilm models. Design limits included a maximum 18in wingspan, max 18in length, max 10in motor stick but no other stringent limits (except weight) which might encourage 'look-alike' designs.

Most models evolving from these rules had solid motor sticks, fairly wide wing chords, no bracing, and solid balsa propellers. With the weight rule (model must weigh one US pennyweight without motor) the processing is simple: just weigh the ship on a beam balance with a hook on one end for the prop shaft and a copper penny or 3 gram weight on the other. Such a simple, universal parameter as the penny can also be carried to other countries, even those using the metric system. Pennyplane is popular in Britain, where weight is calculated in grams; it is also the rage in Scandanavia, where it is '25 Ore Plane' to the Danish and Swedish.

If this model is going to be your introduction to indoor flying, you should have some other modelling experience, such as building other simple rubber power free fighters. Surprisingly, the skills involved in indoor modelling are not hard to acquire; actual structures are very simple. Pennyplanes are the sturdiest of craft and will survive rough handling, hangups and even crashes..."

Scan from DBHL, cleanup by theshadow.

ref DBHL-6246.

Direct submission to Outerzone.

Update 17/01/2018: added article, thanks to RFJ.

Supplementary file notes

Article.

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