AMA Plans Service Showcase
Larry Katz drew inspiration for ITSA BIRD, which he designed for indoor flight, from the Etrich Taube. The Taube’s wing shape was itself inspired by the seed leaf of the Zanonia palm tree for its gliding properties.
Design inspiration
The airplane’s basic layout follows the Taube-derived planform that promotes stable, sustained gliding — a good fit for indoor flying.
Construction
The construction of ITSA BIRD is simple and emphasizes light materials to keep overall weight low.
- Wing: constructed using laminations for the leading edge (LE) and trailing edge (TE).
- Spar: a 1/16" wing spar supports the ribs.
- Dihedral: wingtip dihedral is set at 30°.
- Fuselage and tail: fuselage and tail feathers are equally simple to construct.
Covering and weight
Larry used Litespan for the aircraft’s covering. To save weight, he left the bottom of the wing and the elevator uncovered. The design focuses on minimizing materials weight to keep the model light.
Power and performance
- Wingspan: 45 inches
- Motor: GWS A geared motor
- Propeller: 10 x 4.7
- Battery: eight-cell, 280 mAh NiMH
- Flying weight: about 6–8 ounces (can be reduced further with a brushless motor and a Li-Poly battery)
ITSA BIRD took to the air quickly and easily performed tight turns and figure eights.
Plans and ordering
The design was featured in a construction article published in the July 2004 issue of Model Aviation. Its AMA Plans Service listing is No. 961. The plan is available for $15 plus shipping and handling. See page 175 of the issue or go to www.modelaircraft.org/plans.aspx for ordering information.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
