X-2D Sharpshooter (oz9890)

About this Plan

X-2D Sharpshooter. Radio control sport model.

Quote: "Most modelers have favorite aircraft, or a favorite period of aviation history. I have always' felt the thirties to be the most interesting era in flying, partly because I was a youthful and active modeler at that time, but mostly because of the wealth of distinctive aircraft produced. During the thirties a Boeing looked like a Boeing, a Fairchild was easy to identify, and a Beechcraft was in a class by itself. Like today's automobiles, many of today's aircraft can be identified only by a search for the manufacturer's name on the brochure. Yesterday a Waco was a slick biplane, the C-3 a cute flying bathtub covered with wire, and even a rank novice could tell the difference.

In the days when it was the Army Air Corp, the ships were often colorful, usually small, and sometimes a real handful. The first two features are appealing, but being a 'handful' is not especially what I like in a model, although I do want quick response and a fairly good top speed.

With the above thoughts in mind, I have designed a small, low-wing airplane that could have been a Boeing, Curtiss, or Consolidated. A pursuit type open cockpit tail-dragger, she is full house, uses a .15 engine (OS Max in the prototype) and has enough power to do just about everything in the book. She is small enough to be built and stored in very limited space, and can be built without completely draining the kitty.

This is a very quick airplane, but also steady and true without nasty habits. She will snap, but you must make her do it. Keep the approach a fairly shallow one and she will slow down enough for easy wheel or stall landings well within the scope of those with only moderate flying experience. She is not, however, intended as a beginner's trainer, so get some solo time on another type before you move on to this one.

Construction is straightforward, more or less standard, and fairly simple. It will take time to build her well, so give up any idea of flying this one next weekend. Take great care to follow the plans closely, especially in regard to placement of ribs, formers, etc. All models get zinged sooner or later, and if care was taken in construction, the rebuilding is then far less difficult.

I am locally famous for my 'nose jobs', having rebuilt this part of model anatomy so often I now consider it only slightly more time-consuming than an engine change. A 'nose job', incidentally, consists of anything needing replacement forward of the rudder post, but most frequently from the trailing edge of the wing to the nut holding the prop..."

Sharpshooter, MAN, September 1973.

Direct submission to Outerzone.

Supplementary file notes

Article pages, thanks to RFJ.

Corrections?

Did we get something wrong with these details about this plan (especially the datafile)? That happens sometimes. You can help us fix it.
Add a correction