Flight of the June Bug - 2009/02

February 2009 55
Duane Picchi trims the sides of the laminated wing ribs on a
table saw. More than 2,500 man-hours were spent on the June
Bug project.
Below: The June Bug replica on the ground at the NEAT Fair in
Downsville NY. A demonstration hop was performed on
September 13 during the event.
Right: Front view of the June Bug at the 2008 NEAT Fair, showing
pilot and steering-gear detail. More than 2,000 spectators
marveled at the project.
TURN BACK THE calendar 100 years, to July 4, 1908, at Pleasant
Valley, New York (located roughly 2 miles south of
Hammondsport, New York), which is known as the “cradle of
aviation.” That was the planned flight date of the prototype fullscale
June Bug, which Glenn Hammond Curtiss built by hand.
Although this was not the first flight in America or the first
airplane for Curtiss (he had built and flown the White Wing and the
Red Wing), it was the first preannounced test flight that was open to
the public and press. It was also to be Curtiss’s attempt to compete
for the first leg of the Scientific American trophy and the financial
reward that went with it.
Independence Day dawned with unfavorable weather—it was
windy and rainy—but the conditions improved as the hours passed.
Curtiss would make his attempt at approximately 7 p.m.
The June Bug was rolled out from its hangar, and Curtiss
climbed into the seat. The engine was started, and the aircraft trotted
down the field, picking up speed and giving a slight bump until it
rose into the air and flew down the valley. Cheers went up from the
crowd, and photographers jostled each other to capture that perfect
moment.
Curtiss flew the June Bug for almost a mile; it rose roughly 25
feet above the ground, over the vineyard stakes, and then settled to
the ground in an open pasture. Pandemonium broke loose among
the crowd. The officials were delighted with the results. And Glenn
H. Curtiss was awarded the Aero Club of America’s first pilot
license.
The original June Bug’s fate was not as fine. It was rebuilt into
the Loon, which made an unsuccessful attempt to fly off of nearby
Keuka Lake using floats. During the flight, the Loon sank into the
lake. 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 beautiful Glenn H. Curtiss
Photos by Bill Birkett
02sig2.QXD 12/22/08 11:42 AM Page 55
56 MODEL AVIATION
A foamie model built and flown by Bill Birkett was created to learn something about
the flight characteristics a 1/4-scale model June Bug might have.
Joe Scott, Chuck Hanzel, and Tom Kelly
fasten ribs to the wing LE. Epoxy and
fiberglass cloth were used with rubber
bands to hold the assembly until cured.
The 1/4-scale June Bug is regularly on display next to the fullscale
replica at the Glenn H. Curtiss Museum.
Identical to the system the original June Bug used in 1908, pitch
is controlled by elevator mounted ahead of the pilot on the
front of the aircraft.
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.
Detail of LE-to-rib construction,
showing epoxy-and-cloth joints
wrapped with string.
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
June Bug
Model Details
02sig2.QXD 12/22/08 11:59 AM Page 56
Museum in Hammondsport. We are
surrounded with artifacts, airplanes,
motorcycles, and other memorabilia
commemorating his life and
accomplishments, and we are discussing
how to celebrate the centennial of his
remarkable June Bug flight.
John Baldwin and Trafford Dougherty
are planning a re-enactment of the event.
The museum has a full-size June Bug
replica that Mercury Aircraft built, but it is
much too valuable to risk in flight; the
museum’s agreement with Mercury was that
the airplane would be displayed but not
flown.
An idea emerged. Could a radiocontrolled
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 ask if
the group would be interested in building and
flying the model. After some discussion with
John and Trafford, Bill and Joe Scott started
looking at the idea’s feasibility. The Curtiss
Museum would finance the cost of materials,
and the FLAPS would assume the rest of the
responsibility for the project.
By this time it was September: nine months
before the projected flight, which would take
place July 5, 2008. Bill and Joe built an
electric-powered foamie rendition of the
June Bug to test the design’s flight
characteristics.
On its first attempt, at a local high school
gym, it went straight up and then straight
down. Flying something with a pusher
propeller, front elevator, triangle ailerons, and
more drag than a box of rocks was going to
present some challenges.
Adjusting the CG and angle of incidence
for the wings and other control surfaces, Bill
and Joe came up with a reasonable,
controllable, and—more to the point—flyable
model. They were ready to present the project
to the FLAPS members to see where it would
go from there. The club approved the project
and decided to move ahead.
On December 29, 22 of us FLAPS
members went to the Curtiss Museum to
view the full-size June Bug and review what
information was available for construction.
We learned that plans, as such, did not exist.
We found that we could get patent
drawings, which were of dubious accuracy,
and a few photographs, and we could refer
to the full-scale airplane on display. A few
of us contacted various organizations across
the country, including the AMA’s Lee
Renaud Memorial Library, and gathered
what additional information was available.
Joe collected all the information and
used reverse engineering and what plans
were available to get his CAD program to
produce a set of workable plans. In the
meantime, the rest of us worked out other
details, such as where to build the model.
FLAPS member Russ Graham had a large,
heated garage and workshop, so we agreed
on that location.
The next issue was deciding how we
would build the June Bug and who would do
what. This was when Mark Johnson and
Duane Picchi came into their own; as skilled
carpenters who make their living doing
finish carpentry, they have become excellent
model builders.
Working with Joe, Bill and others
decided to construct the wings first and the
rest of the airplane around them. The first
item of business was the main wing spars.
We needed four 10-foot-long, laminated,
rounded spars to be the LE and center spar
for the wings. These spars were built by
laminating thin strips of basswood—handplaned
to the proper thickness—with yellow
glue and fastening them to a fixture to
obtain a curve approximating that on the
original. Then Duane used a router to round
the spars.
Rib assembly was similar to the layup of
the spars. Thin strips of wood were glued
together and dried in a separate fixture to get
the correct curve.
The ribs were run through a table saw to
true the edges and achieve a uniform width.
Then a Forstner bit in a handmade drillpress
fixture was used to give the ribs a
convex rounded front edge to fit on the LE
spar.
The LE was fastened into an improvised
fixture, to hold the proper wing curve, and
the ribs were fastened to the LE using epoxy
and fiberglass cloth. Rubber bands held the
parts in place until they were dry.
The wing assembly crew included Chuck
Hanzel, Tom Kelly, Scotty Orr, Mark
Johnson, Bill Birkett, and others. During
wing construction, Scotty designed and built
the copper parts that would attach the struts
to the wing spars and provide the anchor
points for the guy wires.
Once the ribs were in place, Solartex
covering was attached to the top surface of
both wings, and the rear spar was fastened to
the wing ribs using epoxy and bolts through
the ribs. We chose Antique Solartex,
because it was as close as possible to the
original covering material. The full-scale
June Bug was made the memorable
yellowish color, since white did not
photograph as well against the sky with the
cameras of the day.
During this period of the model project,
many discussions were taking place about
materials, construction, power systems, and
all phases of construction problems. Struts
were being fabricated to fasten the top wing
to the bottom. Scotty was making special
reinforcements to strengthen the bottom and
top of the struts, to prevent splitting.
A special fixture was devised from a 12-
foot 2 x 10, to hold the bottom wing at the
correct contour while it was joined to the top
wing. Threaded 2-56 rod was cut to 1-inch
lengths and had one end flattened so that a
#60 hole could be drilled on a special
instrument-maker’s drill press. This would
be the adjustment for the 2-56 clevises and
swivels, to allow proper tensioning of the
guy wire supports.
Finding the correct wheels was an issue
until Bill’s wife located some on a child’s
doll carriage that appeared to be the right
size. They needed work, so we sent them to
our resident machinist, Tom Duszynski, who
made new hubs, put in new spokes, and
polished them to a brilliant finish.
We tried to use bamboo—as was used on
the original June Bug—for the booms to
support the rear rudder assembly and front
elevator. Although it looked nice, it was
heavy and too weak in scale size for our
purposes.
The solution was to use carbon-fiber
arrow shafts, which Joe painted to look like
bamboo. We gradually came to realize that
little in this project was standard and that we
could not purchase parts and components
from the hobby shop wall.
Dave Mayne became our undercarriage
specialist, using his skills as a CAD program
operator to design and create plans for
constructing the gear that would get the
project off the ground. He and Duane Picchi
constructed the framework from birch
plywood.
Dave manufactured the metal pieces to
support the wheels and replicate the
steerable nose wheel. The full-scale June
Bug was the first airplane to fly from a
tricycle gear, which continues to be popular
to this day.
Bill built the rear stabilizer box and
rudder, first from balsa and then in a
finished form from basswood. Hitec HS-
645MG high-torque servos were chosen to
actuate the control surfaces. Don Guerrii,
who owns Aldon Hobby Shop in Geneva,
provided these vital control-system elements
and many other components at cost.
We began to understand the problems
and appreciate what must have transpired at
Glenn Curtiss’s original shop. Marching
ever closer was the July 5, 2008, deadline.
And there was still the big question: “Would
this thing fly?”
The question of propulsion system was
settled after much thought about whether to
use a glow four-stroke, electric, or gas for
power; we agreed on an electric system. We
ordered a Dualsky brushless outrunner
motor with a VampowerPro.com high-amp
arming switch. A Castle Creations Phoenix
HV-85 ESC would control the motor.
The first plan to make our 10-cell power
source was to use one battery borrowed from
Duane and order a second battery. Both
packs developed bad cells. Aldon’s Hobby
Shop came to the rescue again and supplied
a pair of FlightPower Evo Lite 4270 mAh,
18.5-volt Li-Poly batteries and V-Balance
balancer from Great Planes. Bill loaned us
his new Futaba 2.4 GHz FASST radio
system, which worked perfectly during the
June Bug’s tests and flights.
Construction was largely complete by the
end of April. We did some taxi tests in
Russ’s driveway. All seemed to go well, and
the airplane showed indications that it would
rise off the ground.
By the time the battery problems were
resolved, it was the first of June; the clock
and calendar were no longer our friends.
Time was growing short, and we still lacked
a successful flight.
There were still several details to take
care of. Joe Scott’s wife, Liz, worked on our
1/4-scale replica of Glenn Curtiss; we needed
to get him painted and dressed in appropriate
clothes. Bill made a scale seat and steering
wheel. Joe used balsa, Great Stuff foam
injected into homemade molds, copper
tubing, and ballpoint-pen refill tubes to
construct the replica engine to mount
between the wings.
We were ready to cross the threshold of
flight. There was much discussion about how
to transport the finished model. Even though
it could break down into two pieces, the
wing was still 10 feet long and the whole
thing was delicate. We convinced Bill to
unload his large box trailer, which would just
fit the wing.
The time had come to load up the June
Bug and take it to our Carter Road field.
Several taxi tests went well. But as soon as
the elevator was raised, the model left the
ground and exhibited the straight-up-andstraight-
down tendency that we saw in the
foamie. The first flight ended up in the
shrubbery on the edge of our flying field.
It was back to the garage for several latenight
sessions spent repairing the damage.
We readjusted the angle of the rear stabilizer,
moved the CG forward, and adjusted the
elevator throw. At this point, July 5 was
three weeks away.
After several taxi runs, the front wheel
collapsed. The scale design was not strong
enough to hold the model and take the
testing abuse.
After some experimentation and
discussion, we ordered and installed a Fultz
heavy-duty gear. The plan was to replace the
scale front gear with the Fultz for flight,
since the scale gear was pretty but not strong
enough to withstand hard landings. With two
weeks to go, we returned to the field.
On or near the fourth high-speed taxi, a
broken support rod was discovered on the
front elevator assembly. Back to the hangar
again.
Our next attempt was on Saturday June
29 at Waterloo Airport, which gave us a
bigger, longer, and wider field from which to
fly. The morning dawned gray and windy, so
no flights were possible that day. However, a
few sheltered test and short hops revealed
that more adjustments were needed to the
CG, elevator, and wings.
Saturday July 5, 2008, arrived; the magic
moment was at hand. The June Bug was
carefully transported to the field and put on
display. I am sure Bill, our designated pilot,
did not get a wink of sleep the night before.
A few minutes before the 2:00 scheduled
takeoff, the flight crew descended on the
June Bug and substituted the flight front
wheel for the scale front gear. We set up at
the end of the field and were joined by
people in period dress, representing Glenn
Curtiss and other notables of the day. Signals
were exchanged that all was in readiness.
Bill applied power, and the June Bug
accelerated down the field, bounced twice,
and soared perfectly into the air. Among
cheers and applause, the airplane flew the
length of the cleared runway and settled
gently to the ground. Twenty-two FLAPS
members exhaled simultaneously in one
big breath.
The next two flights were flawless,
with the June Bug rising solidly and
majestically over the field. All flights were
smooth and controlled, and all landings
fine. No damage was done to the aircraft.
We had accomplished our goal!
The Glenn H. Curtiss Museum will allow
us to fly and exhibit the model at several
upcoming events. We plan to put it on
view at some local flying events and, if we
find sponsorship, possibly at one of the big
shows such as the Toledo R/C Expo. You
may have seen us if you attended the 2008
NEAT Fair. The model will probably be
displayed at the Curtiss Museum in the
future.
The June Bug model’s construction
consumed approximately 2,500 man-hours
during six months and became a priority
over many things that the club usually did.
Because we are a small group (of roughly
41 members total), some other things
suffered. However, it was a wonderful
project. FLAPS weathered it well, and we
hope that we are asked to do another,
similar project.
I strongly doubt that a club lacking the
depth and mix of skills ours had could have
successfully completed this project.
Members with building, research, design,
piloting, transportation, and financial
knowledge had to interact and cooperate to
reach the successful conclusion that we did.
I am sure we are a better, stronger club for
having built the Curtiss June Bug. MA
Richard Eaton
[email protected]
Sources:
Finger Lakes Air Pirates
http://flapsrc.com
June Bug video, additional photos:
http://flapsrc.com/JuneBug.htm
Glenn H. Curtiss Museum
(607) 569-2160
www.glennhcurtissmuseum.org
Aldon Hobby Shop
(315) 781-0630
www.aldonhobby.com
Hitec RCD
(858) 748-6948
www.hitecrcd.com
Dualsky
(800) 517-3810
www.2dogrc.com
VampowerPro.com
(850) 525-7472
www.vampowerpro.com/store
Castle Creations
(913) 390-6939
www.castlecreations.com
FlightPower
(800) 637-7660
www.bestrc.com/flightpower
Great Planes
(217) 398-3630
www.greatplanes.com
Futaba
(800) 637-7660
www.futaba-rc.com
Gary Fitch
[email protected]
Bill Birkett
[email protected]

February 2009 55
Duane Picchi trims the sides of the laminated wing ribs on a
table saw. More than 2,500 man-hours were spent on the June
Bug project.
Below: The June Bug replica on the ground at the NEAT Fair in
Downsville NY. A demonstration hop was performed on
September 13 during the event.
Right: Front view of the June Bug at the 2008 NEAT Fair, showing
pilot and steering-gear detail. More than 2,000 spectators
marveled at the project.
TURN BACK THE calendar 100 years, to July 4, 1908, at Pleasant
Valley, New York (located roughly 2 miles south of
Hammondsport, New York), which is known as the “cradle of
aviation.” That was the planned flight date of the prototype fullscale
June Bug, which Glenn Hammond Curtiss built by hand.
Although this was not the first flight in America or the first
airplane for Curtiss (he had built and flown the White Wing and the
Red Wing), it was the first preannounced test flight that was open to
the public and press. It was also to be Curtiss’s attempt to compete
for the first leg of the Scientific American trophy and the financial
reward that went with it.
Independence Day dawned with unfavorable weather—it was
windy and rainy—but the conditions improved as the hours passed.
Curtiss would make his attempt at approximately 7 p.m.
The June Bug was rolled out from its hangar, and Curtiss
climbed into the seat. The engine was started, and the aircraft trotted
down the field, picking up speed and giving a slight bump until it
rose into the air and flew down the valley. Cheers went up from the
crowd, and photographers jostled each other to capture that perfect
moment.
Curtiss flew the June Bug for almost a mile; it rose roughly 25
feet above the ground, over the vineyard stakes, and then settled to
the ground in an open pasture. Pandemonium broke loose among
the crowd. The officials were delighted with the results. And Glenn
H. Curtiss was awarded the Aero Club of America’s first pilot
license.
The original June Bug’s fate was not as fine. It was rebuilt into
the Loon, which made an unsuccessful attempt to fly off of nearby
Keuka Lake using floats. During the flight, the Loon sank into the
lake. 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 beautiful Glenn H. Curtiss
Photos by Bill Birkett
02sig2.QXD 12/22/08 11:42 AM Page 55
56 MODEL AVIATION
A foamie model built and flown by Bill Birkett was created to learn something about
the flight characteristics a 1/4-scale model June Bug might have.
Joe Scott, Chuck Hanzel, and Tom Kelly
fasten ribs to the wing LE. Epoxy and
fiberglass cloth were used with rubber
bands to hold the assembly until cured.
The 1/4-scale June Bug is regularly on display next to the fullscale
replica at the Glenn H. Curtiss Museum.
Identical to the system the original June Bug used in 1908, pitch
is controlled by elevator mounted ahead of the pilot on the
front of the aircraft.
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.
Detail of LE-to-rib construction,
showing epoxy-and-cloth joints
wrapped with string.
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
June Bug
Model Details
02sig2.QXD 12/22/08 11:59 AM Page 56
Museum in Hammondsport. We are
surrounded with artifacts, airplanes,
motorcycles, and other memorabilia
commemorating his life and
accomplishments, and we are discussing
how to celebrate the centennial of his
remarkable June Bug flight.
John Baldwin and Trafford Dougherty
are planning a re-enactment of the event.
The museum has a full-size June Bug
replica that Mercury Aircraft built, but it is
much too valuable to risk in flight; the
museum’s agreement with Mercury was that
the airplane would be displayed but not
flown.
An idea emerged. Could a radiocontrolled
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 ask if
the group would be interested in building and
flying the model. After some discussion with
John and Trafford, Bill and Joe Scott started
looking at the idea’s feasibility. The Curtiss
Museum would finance the cost of materials,
and the FLAPS would assume the rest of the
responsibility for the project.
By this time it was September: nine months
before the projected flight, which would take
place July 5, 2008. Bill and Joe built an
electric-powered foamie rendition of the
June Bug to test the design’s flight
characteristics.
On its first attempt, at a local high school
gym, it went straight up and then straight
down. Flying something with a pusher
propeller, front elevator, triangle ailerons, and
more drag than a box of rocks was going to
present some challenges.
Adjusting the CG and angle of incidence
for the wings and other control surfaces, Bill
and Joe came up with a reasonable,
controllable, and—more to the point—flyable
model. They were ready to present the project
to the FLAPS members to see where it would
go from there. The club approved the project
and decided to move ahead.
On December 29, 22 of us FLAPS
members went to the Curtiss Museum to
view the full-size June Bug and review what
information was available for construction.
We learned that plans, as such, did not exist.
We found that we could get patent
drawings, which were of dubious accuracy,
and a few photographs, and we could refer
to the full-scale airplane on display. A few
of us contacted various organizations across
the country, including the AMA’s Lee
Renaud Memorial Library, and gathered
what additional information was available.
Joe collected all the information and
used reverse engineering and what plans
were available to get his CAD program to
produce a set of workable plans. In the
meantime, the rest of us worked out other
details, such as where to build the model.
FLAPS member Russ Graham had a large,
heated garage and workshop, so we agreed
on that location.
The next issue was deciding how we
would build the June Bug and who would do
what. This was when Mark Johnson and
Duane Picchi came into their own; as skilled
carpenters who make their living doing
finish carpentry, they have become excellent
model builders.
Working with Joe, Bill and others
decided to construct the wings first and the
rest of the airplane around them. The first
item of business was the main wing spars.
We needed four 10-foot-long, laminated,
rounded spars to be the LE and center spar
for the wings. These spars were built by
laminating thin strips of basswood—handplaned
to the proper thickness—with yellow
glue and fastening them to a fixture to
obtain a curve approximating that on the
original. Then Duane used a router to round
the spars.
Rib assembly was similar to the layup of
the spars. Thin strips of wood were glued
together and dried in a separate fixture to get
the correct curve.
The ribs were run through a table saw to
true the edges and achieve a uniform width.
Then a Forstner bit in a handmade drillpress
fixture was used to give the ribs a
convex rounded front edge to fit on the LE
spar.
The LE was fastened into an improvised
fixture, to hold the proper wing curve, and
the ribs were fastened to the LE using epoxy
and fiberglass cloth. Rubber bands held the
parts in place until they were dry.
The wing assembly crew included Chuck
Hanzel, Tom Kelly, Scotty Orr, Mark
Johnson, Bill Birkett, and others. During
wing construction, Scotty designed and built
the copper parts that would attach the struts
to the wing spars and provide the anchor
points for the guy wires.
Once the ribs were in place, Solartex
covering was attached to the top surface of
both wings, and the rear spar was fastened to
the wing ribs using epoxy and bolts through
the ribs. We chose Antique Solartex,
because it was as close as possible to the
original covering material. The full-scale
June Bug was made the memorable
yellowish color, since white did not
photograph as well against the sky with the
cameras of the day.
During this period of the model project,
many discussions were taking place about
materials, construction, power systems, and
all phases of construction problems. Struts
were being fabricated to fasten the top wing
to the bottom. Scotty was making special
reinforcements to strengthen the bottom and
top of the struts, to prevent splitting.
A special fixture was devised from a 12-
foot 2 x 10, to hold the bottom wing at the
correct contour while it was joined to the top
wing. Threaded 2-56 rod was cut to 1-inch
lengths and had one end flattened so that a
#60 hole could be drilled on a special
instrument-maker’s drill press. This would
be the adjustment for the 2-56 clevises and
swivels, to allow proper tensioning of the
guy wire supports.
Finding the correct wheels was an issue
until Bill’s wife located some on a child’s
doll carriage that appeared to be the right
size. They needed work, so we sent them to
our resident machinist, Tom Duszynski, who
made new hubs, put in new spokes, and
polished them to a brilliant finish.
We tried to use bamboo—as was used on
the original June Bug—for the booms to
support the rear rudder assembly and front
elevator. Although it looked nice, it was
heavy and too weak in scale size for our
purposes.
The solution was to use carbon-fiber
arrow shafts, which Joe painted to look like
bamboo. We gradually came to realize that
little in this project was standard and that we
could not purchase parts and components
from the hobby shop wall.
Dave Mayne became our undercarriage
specialist, using his skills as a CAD program
operator to design and create plans for
constructing the gear that would get the
project off the ground. He and Duane Picchi
constructed the framework from birch
plywood.
Dave manufactured the metal pieces to
support the wheels and replicate the
steerable nose wheel. The full-scale June
Bug was the first airplane to fly from a
tricycle gear, which continues to be popular
to this day.
Bill built the rear stabilizer box and
rudder, first from balsa and then in a
finished form from basswood. Hitec HS-
645MG high-torque servos were chosen to
actuate the control surfaces. Don Guerrii,
who owns Aldon Hobby Shop in Geneva,
provided these vital control-system elements
and many other components at cost.
We began to understand the problems
and appreciate what must have transpired at
Glenn Curtiss’s original shop. Marching
ever closer was the July 5, 2008, deadline.
And there was still the big question: “Would
this thing fly?”
The question of propulsion system was
settled after much thought about whether to
use a glow four-stroke, electric, or gas for
power; we agreed on an electric system. We
ordered a Dualsky brushless outrunner
motor with a VampowerPro.com high-amp
arming switch. A Castle Creations Phoenix
HV-85 ESC would control the motor.
The first plan to make our 10-cell power
source was to use one battery borrowed from
Duane and order a second battery. Both
packs developed bad cells. Aldon’s Hobby
Shop came to the rescue again and supplied
a pair of FlightPower Evo Lite 4270 mAh,
18.5-volt Li-Poly batteries and V-Balance
balancer from Great Planes. Bill loaned us
his new Futaba 2.4 GHz FASST radio
system, which worked perfectly during the
June Bug’s tests and flights.
Construction was largely complete by the
end of April. We did some taxi tests in
Russ’s driveway. All seemed to go well, and
the airplane showed indications that it would
rise off the ground.
By the time the battery problems were
resolved, it was the first of June; the clock
and calendar were no longer our friends.
Time was growing short, and we still lacked
a successful flight.
There were still several details to take
care of. Joe Scott’s wife, Liz, worked on our
1/4-scale replica of Glenn Curtiss; we needed
to get him painted and dressed in appropriate
clothes. Bill made a scale seat and steering
wheel. Joe used balsa, Great Stuff foam
injected into homemade molds, copper
tubing, and ballpoint-pen refill tubes to
construct the replica engine to mount
between the wings.
We were ready to cross the threshold of
flight. There was much discussion about how
to transport the finished model. Even though
it could break down into two pieces, the
wing was still 10 feet long and the whole
thing was delicate. We convinced Bill to
unload his large box trailer, which would just
fit the wing.
The time had come to load up the June
Bug and take it to our Carter Road field.
Several taxi tests went well. But as soon as
the elevator was raised, the model left the
ground and exhibited the straight-up-andstraight-
down tendency that we saw in the
foamie. The first flight ended up in the
shrubbery on the edge of our flying field.
It was back to the garage for several latenight
sessions spent repairing the damage.
We readjusted the angle of the rear stabilizer,
moved the CG forward, and adjusted the
elevator throw. At this point, July 5 was
three weeks away.
After several taxi runs, the front wheel
collapsed. The scale design was not strong
enough to hold the model and take the
testing abuse.
After some experimentation and
discussion, we ordered and installed a Fultz
heavy-duty gear. The plan was to replace the
scale front gear with the Fultz for flight,
since the scale gear was pretty but not strong
enough to withstand hard landings. With two
weeks to go, we returned to the field.
On or near the fourth high-speed taxi, a
broken support rod was discovered on the
front elevator assembly. Back to the hangar
again.
Our next attempt was on Saturday June
29 at Waterloo Airport, which gave us a
bigger, longer, and wider field from which to
fly. The morning dawned gray and windy, so
no flights were possible that day. However, a
few sheltered test and short hops revealed
that more adjustments were needed to the
CG, elevator, and wings.
Saturday July 5, 2008, arrived; the magic
moment was at hand. The June Bug was
carefully transported to the field and put on
display. I am sure Bill, our designated pilot,
did not get a wink of sleep the night before.
A few minutes before the 2:00 scheduled
takeoff, the flight crew descended on the
June Bug and substituted the flight front
wheel for the scale front gear. We set up at
the end of the field and were joined by
people in period dress, representing Glenn
Curtiss and other notables of the day. Signals
were exchanged that all was in readiness.
Bill applied power, and the June Bug
accelerated down the field, bounced twice,
and soared perfectly into the air. Among
cheers and applause, the airplane flew the
length of the cleared runway and settled
gently to the ground. Twenty-two FLAPS
members exhaled simultaneously in one
big breath.
The next two flights were flawless,
with the June Bug rising solidly and
majestically over the field. All flights were
smooth and controlled, and all landings
fine. No damage was done to the aircraft.
We had accomplished our goal!
The Glenn H. Curtiss Museum will allow
us to fly and exhibit the model at several
upcoming events. We plan to put it on
view at some local flying events and, if we
find sponsorship, possibly at one of the big
shows such as the Toledo R/C Expo. You
may have seen us if you attended the 2008
NEAT Fair. The model will probably be
displayed at the Curtiss Museum in the
future.
The June Bug model’s construction
consumed approximately 2,500 man-hours
during six months and became a priority
over many things that the club usually did.
Because we are a small group (of roughly
41 members total), some other things
suffered. However, it was a wonderful
project. FLAPS weathered it well, and we
hope that we are asked to do another,
similar project.
I strongly doubt that a club lacking the
depth and mix of skills ours had could have
successfully completed this project.
Members with building, research, design,
piloting, transportation, and financial
knowledge had to interact and cooperate to
reach the successful conclusion that we did.
I am sure we are a better, stronger club for
having built the Curtiss June Bug. MA
Richard Eaton
[email protected]
Sources:
Finger Lakes Air Pirates
http://flapsrc.com
June Bug video, additional photos:
http://flapsrc.com/JuneBug.htm
Glenn H. Curtiss Museum
(607) 569-2160
www.glennhcurtissmuseum.org
Aldon Hobby Shop
(315) 781-0630
www.aldonhobby.com
Hitec RCD
(858) 748-6948
www.hitecrcd.com
Dualsky
(800) 517-3810
www.2dogrc.com
VampowerPro.com
(850) 525-7472
www.vampowerpro.com/store
Castle Creations
(913) 390-6939
www.castlecreations.com
FlightPower
(800) 637-7660
www.bestrc.com/flightpower
Great Planes
(217) 398-3630
www.greatplanes.com
Futaba
(800) 637-7660
www.futaba-rc.com
Gary Fitch
[email protected]
Bill Birkett
[email protected]

February 2009 55
Duane Picchi trims the sides of the laminated wing ribs on a
table saw. More than 2,500 man-hours were spent on the June
Bug project.
Below: The June Bug replica on the ground at the NEAT Fair in
Downsville NY. A demonstration hop was performed on
September 13 during the event.
Right: Front view of the June Bug at the 2008 NEAT Fair, showing
pilot and steering-gear detail. More than 2,000 spectators
marveled at the project.
TURN BACK THE calendar 100 years, to July 4, 1908, at Pleasant
Valley, New York (located roughly 2 miles south of
Hammondsport, New York), which is known as the “cradle of
aviation.” That was the planned flight date of the prototype fullscale
June Bug, which Glenn Hammond Curtiss built by hand.
Although this was not the first flight in America or the first
airplane for Curtiss (he had built and flown the White Wing and the
Red Wing), it was the first preannounced test flight that was open to
the public and press. It was also to be Curtiss’s attempt to compete
for the first leg of the Scientific American trophy and the financial
reward that went with it.
Independence Day dawned with unfavorable weather—it was
windy and rainy—but the conditions improved as the hours passed.
Curtiss would make his attempt at approximately 7 p.m.
The June Bug was rolled out from its hangar, and Curtiss
climbed into the seat. The engine was started, and the aircraft trotted
down the field, picking up speed and giving a slight bump until it
rose into the air and flew down the valley. Cheers went up from the
crowd, and photographers jostled each other to capture that perfect
moment.
Curtiss flew the June Bug for almost a mile; it rose roughly 25
feet above the ground, over the vineyard stakes, and then settled to
the ground in an open pasture. Pandemonium broke loose among
the crowd. The officials were delighted with the results. And Glenn
H. Curtiss was awarded the Aero Club of America’s first pilot
license.
The original June Bug’s fate was not as fine. It was rebuilt into
the Loon, which made an unsuccessful attempt to fly off of nearby
Keuka Lake using floats. During the flight, the Loon sank into the
lake. 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 beautiful Glenn H. Curtiss
Photos by Bill Birkett
02sig2.QXD 12/22/08 11:42 AM Page 55
56 MODEL AVIATION
A foamie model built and flown by Bill Birkett was created to learn something about
the flight characteristics a 1/4-scale model June Bug might have.
Joe Scott, Chuck Hanzel, and Tom Kelly
fasten ribs to the wing LE. Epoxy and
fiberglass cloth were used with rubber
bands to hold the assembly until cured.
The 1/4-scale June Bug is regularly on display next to the fullscale
replica at the Glenn H. Curtiss Museum.
Identical to the system the original June Bug used in 1908, pitch
is controlled by elevator mounted ahead of the pilot on the
front of the aircraft.
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.
Detail of LE-to-rib construction,
showing epoxy-and-cloth joints
wrapped with string.
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
June Bug
Model Details
02sig2.QXD 12/22/08 11:59 AM Page 56
Museum in Hammondsport. We are
surrounded with artifacts, airplanes,
motorcycles, and other memorabilia
commemorating his life and
accomplishments, and we are discussing
how to celebrate the centennial of his
remarkable June Bug flight.
John Baldwin and Trafford Dougherty
are planning a re-enactment of the event.
The museum has a full-size June Bug
replica that Mercury Aircraft built, but it is
much too valuable to risk in flight; the
museum’s agreement with Mercury was that
the airplane would be displayed but not
flown.
An idea emerged. Could a radiocontrolled
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 ask if
the group would be interested in building and
flying the model. After some discussion with
John and Trafford, Bill and Joe Scott started
looking at the idea’s feasibility. The Curtiss
Museum would finance the cost of materials,
and the FLAPS would assume the rest of the
responsibility for the project.
By this time it was September: nine months
before the projected flight, which would take
place July 5, 2008. Bill and Joe built an
electric-powered foamie rendition of the
June Bug to test the design’s flight
characteristics.
On its first attempt, at a local high school
gym, it went straight up and then straight
down. Flying something with a pusher
propeller, front elevator, triangle ailerons, and
more drag than a box of rocks was going to
present some challenges.
Adjusting the CG and angle of incidence
for the wings and other control surfaces, Bill
and Joe came up with a reasonable,
controllable, and—more to the point—flyable
model. They were ready to present the project
to the FLAPS members to see where it would
go from there. The club approved the project
and decided to move ahead.
On December 29, 22 of us FLAPS
members went to the Curtiss Museum to
view the full-size June Bug and review what
information was available for construction.
We learned that plans, as such, did not exist.
We found that we could get patent
drawings, which were of dubious accuracy,
and a few photographs, and we could refer
to the full-scale airplane on display. A few
of us contacted various organizations across
the country, including the AMA’s Lee
Renaud Memorial Library, and gathered
what additional information was available.
Joe collected all the information and
used reverse engineering and what plans
were available to get his CAD program to
produce a set of workable plans. In the
meantime, the rest of us worked out other
details, such as where to build the model.
FLAPS member Russ Graham had a large,
heated garage and workshop, so we agreed
on that location.
The next issue was deciding how we
would build the June Bug and who would do
what. This was when Mark Johnson and
Duane Picchi came into their own; as skilled
carpenters who make their living doing
finish carpentry, they have become excellent
model builders.
Working with Joe, Bill and others
decided to construct the wings first and the
rest of the airplane around them. The first
item of business was the main wing spars.
We needed four 10-foot-long, laminated,
rounded spars to be the LE and center spar
for the wings. These spars were built by
laminating thin strips of basswood—handplaned
to the proper thickness—with yellow
glue and fastening them to a fixture to
obtain a curve approximating that on the
original. Then Duane used a router to round
the spars.
Rib assembly was similar to the layup of
the spars. Thin strips of wood were glued
together and dried in a separate fixture to get
the correct curve.
The ribs were run through a table saw to
true the edges and achieve a uniform width.
Then a Forstner bit in a handmade drillpress
fixture was used to give the ribs a
convex rounded front edge to fit on the LE
spar.
The LE was fastened into an improvised
fixture, to hold the proper wing curve, and
the ribs were fastened to the LE using epoxy
and fiberglass cloth. Rubber bands held the
parts in place until they were dry.
The wing assembly crew included Chuck
Hanzel, Tom Kelly, Scotty Orr, Mark
Johnson, Bill Birkett, and others. During
wing construction, Scotty designed and built
the copper parts that would attach the struts
to the wing spars and provide the anchor
points for the guy wires.
Once the ribs were in place, Solartex
covering was attached to the top surface of
both wings, and the rear spar was fastened to
the wing ribs using epoxy and bolts through
the ribs. We chose Antique Solartex,
because it was as close as possible to the
original covering material. The full-scale
June Bug was made the memorable
yellowish color, since white did not
photograph as well against the sky with the
cameras of the day.
During this period of the model project,
many discussions were taking place about
materials, construction, power systems, and
all phases of construction problems. Struts
were being fabricated to fasten the top wing
to the bottom. Scotty was making special
reinforcements to strengthen the bottom and
top of the struts, to prevent splitting.
A special fixture was devised from a 12-
foot 2 x 10, to hold the bottom wing at the
correct contour while it was joined to the top
wing. Threaded 2-56 rod was cut to 1-inch
lengths and had one end flattened so that a
#60 hole could be drilled on a special
instrument-maker’s drill press. This would
be the adjustment for the 2-56 clevises and
swivels, to allow proper tensioning of the
guy wire supports.
Finding the correct wheels was an issue
until Bill’s wife located some on a child’s
doll carriage that appeared to be the right
size. They needed work, so we sent them to
our resident machinist, Tom Duszynski, who
made new hubs, put in new spokes, and
polished them to a brilliant finish.
We tried to use bamboo—as was used on
the original June Bug—for the booms to
support the rear rudder assembly and front
elevator. Although it looked nice, it was
heavy and too weak in scale size for our
purposes.
The solution was to use carbon-fiber
arrow shafts, which Joe painted to look like
bamboo. We gradually came to realize that
little in this project was standard and that we
could not purchase parts and components
from the hobby shop wall.
Dave Mayne became our undercarriage
specialist, using his skills as a CAD program
operator to design and create plans for
constructing the gear that would get the
project off the ground. He and Duane Picchi
constructed the framework from birch
plywood.
Dave manufactured the metal pieces to
support the wheels and replicate the
steerable nose wheel. The full-scale June
Bug was the first airplane to fly from a
tricycle gear, which continues to be popular
to this day.
Bill built the rear stabilizer box and
rudder, first from balsa and then in a
finished form from basswood. Hitec HS-
645MG high-torque servos were chosen to
actuate the control surfaces. Don Guerrii,
who owns Aldon Hobby Shop in Geneva,
provided these vital control-system elements
and many other components at cost.
We began to understand the problems
and appreciate what must have transpired at
Glenn Curtiss’s original shop. Marching
ever closer was the July 5, 2008, deadline.
And there was still the big question: “Would
this thing fly?”
The question of propulsion system was
settled after much thought about whether to
use a glow four-stroke, electric, or gas for
power; we agreed on an electric system. We
ordered a Dualsky brushless outrunner
motor with a VampowerPro.com high-amp
arming switch. A Castle Creations Phoenix
HV-85 ESC would control the motor.
The first plan to make our 10-cell power
source was to use one battery borrowed from
Duane and order a second battery. Both
packs developed bad cells. Aldon’s Hobby
Shop came to the rescue again and supplied
a pair of FlightPower Evo Lite 4270 mAh,
18.5-volt Li-Poly batteries and V-Balance
balancer from Great Planes. Bill loaned us
his new Futaba 2.4 GHz FASST radio
system, which worked perfectly during the
June Bug’s tests and flights.
Construction was largely complete by the
end of April. We did some taxi tests in
Russ’s driveway. All seemed to go well, and
the airplane showed indications that it would
rise off the ground.
By the time the battery problems were
resolved, it was the first of June; the clock
and calendar were no longer our friends.
Time was growing short, and we still lacked
a successful flight.
There were still several details to take
care of. Joe Scott’s wife, Liz, worked on our
1/4-scale replica of Glenn Curtiss; we needed
to get him painted and dressed in appropriate
clothes. Bill made a scale seat and steering
wheel. Joe used balsa, Great Stuff foam
injected into homemade molds, copper
tubing, and ballpoint-pen refill tubes to
construct the replica engine to mount
between the wings.
We were ready to cross the threshold of
flight. There was much discussion about how
to transport the finished model. Even though
it could break down into two pieces, the
wing was still 10 feet long and the whole
thing was delicate. We convinced Bill to
unload his large box trailer, which would just
fit the wing.
The time had come to load up the June
Bug and take it to our Carter Road field.
Several taxi tests went well. But as soon as
the elevator was raised, the model left the
ground and exhibited the straight-up-andstraight-
down tendency that we saw in the
foamie. The first flight ended up in the
shrubbery on the edge of our flying field.
It was back to the garage for several latenight
sessions spent repairing the damage.
We readjusted the angle of the rear stabilizer,
moved the CG forward, and adjusted the
elevator throw. At this point, July 5 was
three weeks away.
After several taxi runs, the front wheel
collapsed. The scale design was not strong
enough to hold the model and take the
testing abuse.
After some experimentation and
discussion, we ordered and installed a Fultz
heavy-duty gear. The plan was to replace the
scale front gear with the Fultz for flight,
since the scale gear was pretty but not strong
enough to withstand hard landings. With two
weeks to go, we returned to the field.
On or near the fourth high-speed taxi, a
broken support rod was discovered on the
front elevator assembly. Back to the hangar
again.
Our next attempt was on Saturday June
29 at Waterloo Airport, which gave us a
bigger, longer, and wider field from which to
fly. The morning dawned gray and windy, so
no flights were possible that day. However, a
few sheltered test and short hops revealed
that more adjustments were needed to the
CG, elevator, and wings.
Saturday July 5, 2008, arrived; the magic
moment was at hand. The June Bug was
carefully transported to the field and put on
display. I am sure Bill, our designated pilot,
did not get a wink of sleep the night before.
A few minutes before the 2:00 scheduled
takeoff, the flight crew descended on the
June Bug and substituted the flight front
wheel for the scale front gear. We set up at
the end of the field and were joined by
people in period dress, representing Glenn
Curtiss and other notables of the day. Signals
were exchanged that all was in readiness.
Bill applied power, and the June Bug
accelerated down the field, bounced twice,
and soared perfectly into the air. Among
cheers and applause, the airplane flew the
length of the cleared runway and settled
gently to the ground. Twenty-two FLAPS
members exhaled simultaneously in one
big breath.
The next two flights were flawless,
with the June Bug rising solidly and
majestically over the field. All flights were
smooth and controlled, and all landings
fine. No damage was done to the aircraft.
We had accomplished our goal!
The Glenn H. Curtiss Museum will allow
us to fly and exhibit the model at several
upcoming events. We plan to put it on
view at some local flying events and, if we
find sponsorship, possibly at one of the big
shows such as the Toledo R/C Expo. You
may have seen us if you attended the 2008
NEAT Fair. The model will probably be
displayed at the Curtiss Museum in the
future.
The June Bug model’s construction
consumed approximately 2,500 man-hours
during six months and became a priority
over many things that the club usually did.
Because we are a small group (of roughly
41 members total), some other things
suffered. However, it was a wonderful
project. FLAPS weathered it well, and we
hope that we are asked to do another,
similar project.
I strongly doubt that a club lacking the
depth and mix of skills ours had could have
successfully completed this project.
Members with building, research, design,
piloting, transportation, and financial
knowledge had to interact and cooperate to
reach the successful conclusion that we did.
I am sure we are a better, stronger club for
having built the Curtiss June Bug. MA
Richard Eaton
[email protected]
Sources:
Finger Lakes Air Pirates
http://flapsrc.com
June Bug video, additional photos:
http://flapsrc.com/JuneBug.htm
Glenn H. Curtiss Museum
(607) 569-2160
www.glennhcurtissmuseum.org
Aldon Hobby Shop
(315) 781-0630
www.aldonhobby.com
Hitec RCD
(858) 748-6948
www.hitecrcd.com
Dualsky
(800) 517-3810
www.2dogrc.com
VampowerPro.com
(850) 525-7472
www.vampowerpro.com/store
Castle Creations
(913) 390-6939
www.castlecreations.com
FlightPower
(800) 637-7660
www.bestrc.com/flightpower
Great Planes
(217) 398-3630
www.greatplanes.com
Futaba
(800) 637-7660
www.futaba-rc.com
Gary Fitch
[email protected]
Bill Birkett
[email protected]