Parakeet
A sporty biplane without attitude
There's just something about a biplane! As the old saying goes, "Real airplanes have two wings and round engines!"
That may be true, but a scale biplane with a radial engine is a project that only a dedicated few will choose to tackle. A better, simpler bet for spirited two-wing fun is a simple .25-size design such as Dave Robelen's Parakeet.
His sporty 42-inch-wingspan biplane appeared in the February 1987 Model Aviation. You can access the construction article by going to the Model Aviation Digital Archives, located in the "Members Only" section of the AMA website (www.modelaircraft.org).
Dave made this model even easier by designing it as a three-channel aircraft with rudder, elevator, and throttle control; there are no tricky aileron pushrods to worry about!
Key features:
- All-sheet-balsa tail surfaces.
- Simple sheet-balsa built-up fuselage.
- Wings with a flat-bottom airfoil section for a quick and accurate build.
- Easily convertible to electric power for those who prefer it.
The Parakeet's full-size plans—listed as set 541C—come complete with a bill of materials, so you can start building right away.
— MA
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
