Author: Richard Eaton
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/02
Page Numbers: 54,55,56,58,60,62,64
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Flight of the June Bug

An AMA club's re-enactment of an American first

by Richard Eaton

Turn back the calendar 100 years, to July 4, 1908, at Pleasant Valley, New York (roughly 2 miles south of Hammondsport), known as the "cradle of aviation." That was the planned flight date of the prototype full-scale June Bug, which Glenn Hammond Curtiss built by hand.

Although this was not the first flight in America or Curtiss's first airplane (he had built and flown the White Wing and the Red Wing), it was the first preannounced test flight open to the public and press. It was also Curtiss's attempt to compete for the Scientific American trophy and the financial reward that accompanied it.

Independence Day dawned with unfavorable weather—it was windy and rainy—but conditions improved as the hours passed. Curtiss made his attempt at approximately 7 p.m. The June Bug was rolled out from its hangar, Curtiss climbed into the seat, the engine was started, and the aircraft trotted down the field. After picking up speed and giving a slight bump, it rose into the air and flew down the valley. Cheers rose from the crowd as photographers jostled to capture the moment.

Curtiss flew the June Bug for almost a mile; it rose roughly 25 feet above the ground, cleared the vineyard stakes, and then settled to the ground in an open pasture. Pandemonium broke loose among the crowd. The officials were delighted, and Glenn H. Curtiss was awarded the Aero Club of America's first pilot license.

The original June Bug's fate was less fortunate. It was rebuilt into the Loon, which made an unsuccessful attempt to fly off nearby Keuka Lake using floats. During that flight, the Loon sank. The engine was removed and the airframe was stored in a boathouse where it gradually rotted away.

Fast-forward 99 years, to 2007, at the Glenn H. Curtiss Museum in Hammondsport. Surrounded by artifacts and airplanes, an idea emerged: could a radio-controlled model of the June Bug be built and flown at the centennial?

John contacted Bill Birkett of the Finger Lakes Air Pirates (FLAPS), an AMA Gold Leader Club in Geneva, New York, to gauge interest. After discussing the idea with John and Trafford, Bill and Joe Scott examined its feasibility. The Curtiss Museum agreed to finance materials, and FLAPS would assume responsibility for the project.

By September—nine months before the projected flight on July 5, 2008—Bill and Joe had built an electric-powered foamie rendition of the June Bug to test flight characteristics. On its first attempt in a local high school gym it went straight up and then straight down. Flying something with a pusher propeller, front elevator, triangular ailerons, and high drag presented challenges.

By adjusting the CG, wing incidence, and control surfaces, Bill and Joe achieved a controllable, flyable model. The FLAPS club approved the project and moved forward.

June Bug Model Details

Specifications

  • Wingspan: 10 feet, 4 inches
  • Airfoil: Undercambered
  • Fuselage length: 7 feet, 10 inches
  • Flying weight: 24 pounds, 14 ounces
  • Radio equipment: Futaba 9C transmitter with TM-8 2.4 GHz module; Futaba R60758 receiver; six Hitec HS-645MG servos; Powerizer 2200 mAh, 4.8-volt NiMH receiver battery; VampowerPro.com arming switch
  • Power system: Dualsky XM6360CA-11 outrunner; Castle Creations Phoenix HV-85 ESC; two FlightPower Evo Lite 4270 mAh, 18.5-volt Li-Poly packs in series; APC 19 x 10 propeller
  • Covering: Antique Solartex

Project Patrons

  • All FLAPS members
  • Aldon Hobby
  • Glenn H. Curtiss Museum
  • Academy of Model Aeronautics

Detail of LE-to-rib construction, showing epoxy-and-cloth joints wrapped with string. The pilot is custom-dressed in period costume. The nonfunctional engine closely follows the look of the original power plant. The model is powered with a motor and lithium batteries.

John contacted Bill Birkett and Joe Scott, and a small team began gathering information. On December 29, 22 FLAPS members visited the Curtiss Museum to view the full-scale June Bug and review available documentation. Plans did not exist; the team obtained patent drawings (of dubious accuracy), a few photographs, and measurements from the museum display. They also reached out to organizations including the AMA’s Lee Renaud Memorial Library for additional information.

Joe compiled all information, reverse-engineered details, and used CAD to produce workable plans. FLAPS member Russ Graham offered his large, heated garage as the workshop. Skilled carpenters Mark Johnson and Duane Picchi became principal builders.

Construction began with the wings. Four 10-foot laminated rounded spars were required for the leading edge and center spar. These were built by laminating thin, hand-planed basswood strips with yellow glue on a curved fixture, then routed to shape. Ribs were formed similarly, glued in fixtures to obtain the correct curve, trued on a table saw, and given a convex rounded front edge with a Forstner bit in a homemade drill-press fixture to fit the LE spar.

The LE was fastened in an improvised fixture to hold the correct wing curve; ribs were fastened to the LE using epoxy and fiberglass cloth, with rubber bands holding the assembly until cured. The center spar was added and spaced properly. Tips were built up to match the original silhouette, and the triangular ailerons were mounted.

The wing assembly crew included Chuck Hanzel, Tom Kelly, Scotty Orr, Mark Johnson, Bill Birkett, and others. Scotty designed and built copper parts to attach struts to the wing spars and provide anchor points for the guy wires. Solartex covering was attached to the top surface of both wings; the rear spar was fastened to the ribs using epoxy and bolts. Antique Solartex was chosen because its color best matched the original June Bug, which was yellowish rather than bright white—a practical choice for period photography.

Struts were fabricated to fasten the top wing to the bottom wing. Scotty added reinforcements to prevent strut splitting. A special 12-foot 2 x 10 fixture held the bottom wing at the correct contour while joined to the top wing. Threaded 2-56 rod was cut and modified (flattened and drilled with a #60 hole) on a precision press to form adjustments for 2-56 clevises and swivels to tension the guy wires properly.

Finding correct wheels proved difficult until Bill’s wife located suitable wheels on a child’s doll carriage. Machinist Tom Duszynski refurbished them with new hubs and spokes, polished to a brilliant finish.

Bamboo, used on the original June Bug for the booms supporting the rear rudder and front elevator, proved too heavy and weak at scale. Carbon-fiber arrow shafts were used instead and painted to look like bamboo. The team learned that few off-the-shelf parts would work; most components had to be adapted or fabricated.

Dave Mayne became the undercarriage specialist, using CAD to design and create plans for the landing gear framework, which he and Duane constructed from birch plywood. Dave manufactured metal pieces to support the wheels and replicate a steerable nose wheel—the full-scale June Bug was the first airplane to fly from a tricycle gear arrangement.

Bill built the rear stabilizer box and rudder, first in balsa and then finished in basswood. Hitec HS-645MG high-torque servos were chosen for control surfaces; Don Guerrini of Aldon Hobby provided these and many other components at cost.

The propulsion decision—glow, gas, or electric—settled on electric. The team ordered a Dualsky brushless outrunner motor and a VampowerPro.com high-amp arming switch. A Castle Creations Phoenix HV-85 ESC would control the motor.

Initial plans for a 10-cell battery pack failed when two packs developed bad cells. Aldon Hobby supplied a pair of FlightPower Evo Lite 4270 mAh, 18.5-volt Li-Poly batteries with a V-Balance balancer from Great Planes. Bill loaned his Futaba 2.4 GHz FASST radio system, which worked perfectly during tests and flights.

By the end of April construction was largely complete. Taxi tests in Russ’s driveway were promising—the airplane showed indications it would lift off. Time was tight as June arrived and the July 5 deadline approached.

Joe Scott’s wife, Liz, worked on a 1/4-scale replica of Glenn Curtiss to dress the pilot figure. Bill made a scale seat and steering wheel. Joe built a replica engine from balsa, Great Stuff foam injected into molds, copper tubing, and ballpoint-pen refill tubes to mount between the wings.

Transport was a concern: although the aircraft could break down, the 10-foot wing remained delicate. Bill unloaded his large box trailer to fit the wing for transport.

At the Carter Road field, several taxi tests went well. However, when the elevator was raised the model again exhibited the straight-up-and-straight-down tendency seen with the foamie. The first flight ended in shrubbery at the edge of the field.

Back in the garage, the team repaired damage, readjusted the rear stabilizer angle, moved the CG forward, and adjusted elevator throw. With July 5 three weeks away, further testing revealed other issues. On a high-speed taxi the front wheel collapsed; the scale design couldn’t withstand testing abuse. The team installed a Fultz heavy-duty gear for flights, retaining the scale gear for display.

On or near the fourth high-speed taxi, a broken support rod was discovered on the front elevator assembly—back to the hangar for repairs. The next attempt at Waterloo Airport on June 29 offered a larger field; morning winds prevented full flights, but sheltered test hops indicated more CG and control adjustments were needed.

Saturday, July 5, 2008, arrived. The June Bug was displayed and prepared. Bill, the designated pilot, applied power, the airplane accelerated, bounced twice, and then soared perfectly into the air. It flew the length of the cleared runway and settled gently to the ground. Twenty-two FLAPS members exhaled in one big breath.

The next two flights were flawless. The June Bug rose solidly, flew smoothly and controlled, and landed without damage. The goal had been accomplished.

The Glenn H. Curtiss Museum will allow the model to be flown and exhibited at upcoming events. The team plans to display it at local flying events and, if sponsors are found, possibly at larger shows such as the Toledo R/C Expo. The model was shown at the 2008 NEAT Fair and will likely be displayed at the Curtiss Museum in the future.

The model’s construction consumed approximately 2,500 man-hours over six months and became a club priority. FLAPS is a small group (roughly 41 members), so other activities were deferred. The project required a wide mix of skills—building, research, design, piloting, transportation, and financial management—and FLAPS’s depth and cooperation made success possible. The club emerged stronger for having built the Curtiss June Bug.

Richard Eaton [email protected]

Sources

Contacts:

Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.