AMA Plans Service
Prime Cut (Dick Sarpolus)
Dick Sarpolus's Prime Cut may not have been visually documented had he not taken preflight photos. Dick's friend Lou McGuire built a Prime Cut at the same time, and the two airplanes were flying in the same airspace when they met in midair during a low pass. The radio and engine in Dick's Prime Cut survived; the wing and tail surfaces were reusable, but the fuselage was destroyed and had to be reconstructed.
Preflight, Prime Cut was a sport- and aerobatic-capable aircraft, but it was not designed as a trainer. Construction was straightforward, so capable modelers should have no problems. Building supplies were readily available from manufacturers.
Design and Construction
Prime Cut was based on the earlier scale model Pik-15. Its structure followed a conventional foam-core design, using foam-core wings, tail surfaces, and fuselage top blocks, medium-weight balsa sheeting, and plywood reinforcement.
Covering and Finish
Dick covered the model with Coverite Black Baron film in a basic red-and-white scheme and used Coverite Graphics Trim Sheets press-on red-and-blue stars for trim.
Power, Dimensions, and Performance
- Recommended power: Quadra .35 or .40, or Zenoah G-38 gas engine
- Typical weight: 15–16 lb
- Wing area: 1,200 sq. in.
- Wingspan: 90 in.
- Fuselage length: 62 in.
Despite its size, Dick noted the model fit into his minivan and was not too cumbersome to transport. His flying experience with Prime Cut was short but positive: it was a solid, stable flyer with good response. However, performing aerobatic maneuvers requires careful planning and piloting skill.
Availability
Prime Cut is AMA Plans Service listing 628 and was featured as a construction article in the September 1989 issue of Model Aviation. Members can access the magazine digital archives on the Academy's website for more information.
The plan is available for $24 plus shipping and handling. See page 175 of the issue or order online at www.modelaircraft.org/plans.aspx.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
