John D’Ottavio seems to have been
flying CL Aerobatics (Stunt)
forever. He has been a Nats judge
and an FAI Team Trials judge. He
has mentored and coached the likes
of Ed Elasick, Dawn Cosmillo, Bill
Simons, Windy Urtnowski, me, and many
others. At 80+ years of age, John is still
active as a judge, coach, and competitor. It
is safe to say that Windy Urtnowski and I
consider him our second father.
John’s published designs include the
J.D. Falcon and the Topper profile model
that Ed Elasick used to win the 1961 Air
Youth Championships. In his heyday, John
was one of the most competitive fliers on
the East Coast. Throughout the years he has
designed many airplanes. The Jerseyan is
perhaps his most well-known design that
has not been published until now.
When Stunt fliers get together, they
discuss everything from aerodynamic
theories and
opinions to
what they will
name their
next creation.
These
discussions are
long, and they
often result in
designs that
will be used
the following season. Such was the case
with the Jerseyan.
The discussions about it were with,
among others, Art Meyers, who mentioned
that he had a new design for his son Art Jr.
that he would call the “New Yorker.” (Artie
won Senior Stunt at the 1960 Dallas, Texas,
Nats with that aircraft.)
Although the dominant engine of the day
was the Fox .35, the design considerations
were no different in the early 1960s from
what they are today. Competitors agreed
and disagreed on airfoils, aspect ratios, and
moments.
John D’Ottavio’s new design for the
1961 season was named the “Jerseyan,”
obviously as an answer to the Meyers’ New
Yorker. The rest of the aircraft was a blend
of old and new ideas that resulted in a
28 MODEL AVIATION
Jerseyan design by John D’Ottavio
article by Tom Niebuhr
Top: The original Jerseyan,
resplendent in its second paint
job, had distinctive upright
engine with helmet cowl. John
D’Ottavio photo. Bottom: Tom
Hampshire (L) reprised John’s
design a few years ago to fly
in Classic Stunt, and John
seems to approve of Tom’s
work. Bob Hunt photo. [
09sig1.QXD 6/24/04 11:31 am Page 28
model that dominated the Northeast Stunt
arena for the next five years!
The Jerseyan’s first contest was on Long
Island, New York. Art Meyers Sr. was quick
to praise the new Stunter; after all, it took
first place that day! The Jerseyan racked up
a record that is impressive for any era. From
1961 to 1964, John recorded 23 firsts, seven
seconds, and three thirds with the model!
The Jerseyan has many features that were
uncommon until years later. The wing had a
relatively high aspect ratio for the period,
with a root chord of only 9 inches (less
flaps), with an LE taper of 1 inch over a
span of 54 inches. The airfoil was a blend of
ideas from Red Reinhart, Larry Scarinzi, and
himself. The aircraft was also greatly
influenced by the Classic Thunderbird, with
the upright engine and elliptical elevator TE.
However, the design’s great departure
from most people’s thinking in the late
1950s and early 1960s was the long nose
and tail moment. Most people are shocked
when they learn that the Jerseyan’s nose
moment is 10 inches and the tail moment
measures 16 inches from the flap hinge to
the elevator hinge! After all, these
dimensions were not “discovered” until
almost 20 years after the Jerseyan came onto
the scene, when people were flying .40 cu.
in. and larger engines!
John built two Jerseyans, but he flew
only one in competition. He sold the other to
a friend, and it was crashed soon after.
Those who remember the Jerseyan might
have thought that more than one was flown
in contests, but the original airplane was
refinished two times.
The original metallic-blue paint scheme
had an outline of New Jersey on the wing
and ornamental rhinestones in the front of
the cowl, just below the “hood.” People
remember the rhinestones 40 years later
AeroGloss orange was the primary color
in the second and third paint schemes. The last
makeover also included a fuselage-mounted
landing gear and a slightly different cowl
without the “hooded” shape and cheeks that
are shown on the
drawing.
The plans presented here were drawn in
roughly 1967 and traced from John’s
original pencil drawings. The intent was to
publish the airplane at that time, but the
article was never written. With John’s
permission, I built a Jerseyan in 1988 for use
in Fox .35 and Classic Stunt events, and
interest in the venerable design was
resurrected.
Tom Hampshire, of the Garden State
Circle Burners, has flown his Jerseyan at the
huge Brodak Fly-In. It is an excellent-flying
model and is powered by an HP .40, giving
it modern performance!
The original Jerseyan was lost in 1987,
but John D’Ottavio has graciously helped
prepare this article for the much overdue
publication of the design. The drawing has
not been updated in any way; it shows the
construction exactly as it was on the original
aircraft.
Consider making an engine-mount crutch
assembly with 1⁄2 balsa between the 3⁄8 x 1⁄2-
inch engine bearers. You should also
consider using an adjustable leadout guide
and a tip weight box. Remember that these
adjustments were made during the “Classic”
era, but they were executed with an X-Acto
knife! Also, as with many of the larger
Classic Stunters, a modern .40 engine will
really make it talk.
John’s Jerseyan was heavy, but since he
was a master of trim, he was successful with
the airplane at an unmentionable 58 ounces
with a strong Fox .35 in the nose. The
design’s ideal weight is roughly 43 ounces.
CONSTRUCTION
The “cheeks” on the sides of the nose
were inspired by the Macchi and
Supermarine Schneider Cup racers of the
1920s and early 1930s, and they make the
distinctive nose’s construction slightly
different. For this reason we will start with
the fuselage construction.
Use slow-drying epoxy for all plywood
and hardwood parts, and use the glue of
your choice for all balsa joints.
It may seem unusual to
use 1⁄4 balsa for the
September 2004 29
With its long
moments and
helmet cowl,
this CL Stunt
model was a
radical departure
for its time
n
09sig1.QXD 6/24/04 11:32 am Page 29
30 MODEL AVIATION
Jerseyan
Tom Niebuhr decided to add metal engine-mount plates to his
Jerseyan remake. These help ensure great motor runs.
Tom used a razor plane and X-Acto No. 26 Whittling Blade to
shape top block. Fuselage sides will blend into it smoothly.
Tom prefers the Lost Foam wing-construction technique, but
other fixturing methods also work. Rib sets are available.
Balsa turtledeck block has been tack-glued to fuselage crutch
and is ready for carving. Note step in fuselage side.
Cowling blocks are tack-glued on and are ready for shaping. This
is a focal point of the model, so work carefully.
Type: CL Classic Stunt
Wingspan: 54 inches
Engine: .35-.40
Flying weight: 43 ounces (suggested)
Construction: Balsa and plywood
Covering/finish: Silkspan and modeling dope
Photos courtesy the author except as noted
09sig1.QXD 6/24/04 11:36 am Page 30
side panels, but doing so will result in a beautifully contoured
fuselage with no weight penalty. Glue the fuselage doublers to the 1⁄4
balsa sides, and then glue the 3⁄8 x 1⁄2-inch engine mounts in place.
Glue the 1⁄8 plywood F1 and F2 formers to the fuselage sides.
Mark a centerline on your building table, and denote the centerline
of the F1 and F2 plywood formers to align with the mark on the
table.
Using the mark on the table as a reference, add the 1⁄8-inch
formers and glue the aft end of the sides together. (A good fuselage
building fixture will make this job fast and easy and is well worth
the money.)
Mark the centerline on the top and bottom edges of the fuselage
sides. This will provide a reference when you are sanding to the final
contour.
Mount the engine, and use a 13⁄4-inch-diameter spinner backplate
to align the 1⁄8 plywood nose ring. Use 1⁄16-inch shims to leave a
uniform gap between the spinner and the nose ring.
Construct the cheeks by cutting 1-inch square balsa at a 10° angle
and then tapering it lengthwise as shown on the plans.
I suggest that you tack-glue the sides of the cowl to the lower
fuselage, and then glue the top cowl block to the short cowl side
section. Add the front cowl block. Tack the aft end of the top block
to the top of the fuselage.
Trim the blocks to the proper width, making sure that the sides of
the top nose block are sanded flat and in the same plane as the
fuselage sides. Mark the outline of the cheeks on the side of the top
block. Round the top block to shape, taking care to leave the cheek
mating surface flat. Now the cheeks can be glued to the sides of the
top block over its full length.
Tack-glue the bottom nose block, the turtledeck block, and the
1⁄4-inch bottom sheeting in place, and carve and sand the assembly to
shape. Remember that the sides will be contoured to the guidelines
that you have put on the top and bottom of the fuselage sides.
Cut through the cheeks at the aft vertical cowl split line, and
remove the cowl assembly. Remove all other blocks, and hollow
them out to approximately 1⁄8 inch wall thickness.
The cowl air exits are slots cut under each cheek. A generoussize
cutout can be made for the engine head since the “hood” covers
this area. The sides of the hood are located at the mating line of the
fuselage sides and the cheeks.
The stabilizer and elevator consists of 1⁄2-inch hinge-line spars
and 1⁄4 x 1⁄2-inch LEs and TEs. Use 1⁄8-inch shims to locate the LEs
and TEs, as shown on the drawing.
The plans show a built-up center-section, but you can use 1⁄2
balsa for this. Leave the center-section flat in the area where it
contacts the fuselage sides. This will help attain proper alignment.
Draw centerlines on the LEs, TEs, and hinge-line spar as a guide
for shaping and to locate the hinges. The 1⁄2-inch spars will taper to
approximately 1⁄4 inch at the tips. Use a sanding block for final
shaping.
Wing construction is conventional, so I will not provide all
construction details. However, I suggest that you use the rod method
or the Lost Foam method of fixturing. These will almost guarantee a
straight wing. Laser-cut ribs are available from Blue Sky Models,
and they will allow for either construction method. Lost Foam
cradles are available from Robin’s View Productions.
Remember that the wing center-section is double-planked with
1⁄16 sheet, assuring a strong center-section.
The following tips will help you with this project.
• Use a damp sponge to lightly moisten the outside of the sheeting.
This will allow it to curve naturally to the shape of the ribs. If you
are using the Lost Foam method of wing construction, you can
purchase a set of LE mold bucks that allow you to mold perfectfitting
LE shells.
• Cut sheets of balsa will relieve internal stresses and bow slightly.
You can true these bows by trimming a minute amount of balsa
from the edge of each sheet using a long straightedge and an XActo
knife fitted with a #11 blade. Ignore the bow if it is not
excessive (See the next item.)
September 2004 31
A good look at the cowl openings shows that the venturi is easily
accessible, and the balsa “cheeks” are visible.
The cheek pieces are easy to see in this view from the top. They
add character to the model and should not be omitted.
Designer John D’Ottavio proudly holds Tom Niebuhr’s tribute
model. John is a legendary figure in the CL Stunt world.
09sig1.QXD 6/24/04 11:39 am Page 31
September 2004 33
• When installing the LE, use thin
cyanoacrylate glue at the main spar first. It is
recommended that you leave a small amount
of the rear of the spar exposed. This will
allow for slight bowing of the sheeting and
leave a small area for better bonding of the
capstrips that will be installed later.
• Never pull slightly bowed sheeting to align
with the spars. This will induce a warp!
Final Assembly: Take your time when
aligning the wing and tail surfaces. Hours
you spend here will be rewarded with a greatflying
airplane!
A number of finishing methods are
available today. This subject can fill volumes,
so I will leave it up to you.
Please let me know how you like your
Jerseyan. MA
Tom Niebuhr
7173 FM 1377
Blue Ridge TX 75424
Sources:
Blue Sky Models
7173 FM 1377
Blue Ridge TX 75424
(972) 736-3780
[email protected]
Robin’s View Productions
Box 68
Stockertown PA 18083
(610) 746-0106
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09sig2.QXD 6/24/04 9:02 am Page 33