38 MODEL AVIATION
Above: A top view of the airplane
shows the wing, stabilizer, and
elevator.
Author and designer Tim Bailiff is
from Riverside CA.
Front Yard
Canard CANARDS ARE distinctive airplanes.
Unlike most aircraft, the horizontal
stabilizer and elevator are mounted in
front of the wings. That’s uncommon
to see flying today; however, the
Wright brothers’ airplane had such a
design.
For this project, I used two Revell
Super Stratosphere kits to build a
single tricycle-gear, pusher canard.
Utilizing a tiny Spektrum AR6400
DSM2 receiver brick, I kept this little
model lightweight, easy to control, and
a blast to fly!
My only real problem was what to
name it. Flying the airplane in my front
yard, I had an epiphany and it came to
be called the Front Yard Canard.
Gathering the Goods
Locate and purchase two Revell
Super Stratosphere rubber-powered
glider kits, available at many hobby
and toy stores or readily available
by Tim Bailiff
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September 2011 39
A view from behind shows the 2.3-gram motor and motor-mount details.
Simple to build and
fun to fly
A close fly-by shows the detailed
underside of the aircraft.
online. Generally they are offered in red and
blue, still packaged in their traditional
plastic bags.
Try to buy only those that have nice, firm
balsa, without any noticeable warps, breaks,
or cracks. One trick I use is to pick from the
back of the rack where they are less likely to
have been mishandled or possibly dropped. I
buy more kits than needed to help increase
my odds of getting sound pieces, and maybe
have more parts for another project!
Once you’re securely locked into your
work lair, open the plastic packages and
inspect them. If an essential piece is broken,
use fast or thin CA to mend it. Use a light
spray of kicker as well.
From this point on, the printed
instructions on the kits are useless. You are
going to build a different airplane. Any
reference to “the plan” will mean the “Front
Yard Canard” plan.
Landing gear: Once you have chosen the
nicest fuselage from your kits, cut off the
wire rubber-band hook from the underside.
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40 MODEL AVIATION
The underside of the forward fuselage showing the Spektrum AR6400 ultramicro
receiver, Li-Poly battery, three-wire lead, carbon-fiber pushrod, and nose gear
attachment.
The underside of wing shows the aileron
linkage with servo arm bell crank, .032-inch
music wire pushrods, and 1/16 plywood
aileron horns.
Carefully remove the remaining wire from the topside
with a pair of pliers. From here on, the rear of the
fuselage is the front.
Take one of the kit’s landing gear and using the plan,
straighten the wire and cut to length. Leave a single
blue wheel attached. Push the wire up several inches
through the bottom of the fuselage, using the same hole
the rubber band hook occupied.
Align the wheel with the fuselage then bend the wire
protruding from the top, as indicated on the plans so it
resembles the top portion of the rubber band hook wire
you removed. Pull the nose gear wire back down so the
bent portion nests neatly into the top of the fuselage.
Check the alignment and when satisfied, soak both
top and bottom with thin CA. Allow it to absorb into the
balsa before using a light spray of kicker. Check the
blue wheel itself and bend the axle portion of the wire
as necessary to align vertically.
To make the main landing gear, use the entire
remaining gear from your kits. Change the bend slightly
by gently squeezing the wire together at the top leaving
a slight gap. Slightly beyond where the wire bends from
horizontal to vertical, hold the wire together with six
tight wraps of Kevlar or upholstery thread. Use a drop
of the CA to secure the thread as shown in the photos.
Locate the spot on the fuselage to which the main
gear will attach as shown in the plans. The top faces
forward and is located on the bottom ahead of the wing.
To secure the gear in place I used a small piece of
nylon servo arm and This gentle left turn is set against the clear, blue California sky. two #0 x ¼ screws.
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September 2011 41
Main landing gear detail shows the Kevlar wrap, servo arm hold down, and #0 x ¼
screws.
Two Revell Super Stratosphere rubber-powered
glider kits are combined to construct the Front Yard
Canard.
The Front Yard Canard is an ingenious
little airplane and we asked Tim to provide us
a video to allow readers to fully appreciate his
See the
Canard fly!
Again, strengthen this area of the
fuselage by saturating it with thin CA.
Mount the main gear then remove it before
using the CA to help strengthen the screw
hole.
After reattaching, spread the main gear
out so that the fuselage sits level with your
workbench. Bend the axle portions down so
the wheels remain vertical.
Wing: Note that the wing has one edge
swept, while the other edge is straight. Turn
it so that the straight edge is facing back,
print side up, and slide it into the wing slot,
giving your wings a slightly swept-back
appearance. The fuselage is now reversed
with the single nose wheel toward the front.
Slide the wing all the way back. When it
is centered and straight, glue it in place
using thin CA.
Now cut your ailerons from the other
remaining wing. Measure and mark ½ inch
back from the tapered side of the wing at the
wingtips. Carefully cut from one marked
wing tip to the other using a straightedge.
This narrow piece will be 1¼-inch wide at
the center and taper to ½ inch at the tips.
Cut the two ailerons from it following
the plans. You will be hinging the straight
edge of the ailerons with the wing’s straight
TE. Try to align the printed patterns on each.
Sand a 45° angle into the underside of the
ailerons’ LEs, allowing them to move freely
creation. The video is located on the Model Aviation Online website; just click on
“Exclusive Online Features” to find it.
Enjoy the show! MA
—MA Staff
Sources:
Model Aviation Online
www.modelaviation.com
09sig2.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 7/22/11 10:00 AM Page 41
and not bind. Cut two 9- x ½-inch strips of
Blenderm tape to hinge them to the wing.
Leave a 1/32-inch gap between the wing and
aileron.
It’s time to give your wing its airfoil
shape. Begin by lightly dampening the top
and bottom with water. Hold a slight
undercamber bend in the wing as it dries.
Refer to the plans airfoil template for the
proper shape and bend location.
You may find it helpful to use a hair
dryer to decrease the drying time, but don’t
overdo the heat. Make sure the LE and TE
remain straight. Ensure each wing has the
same shape and amount of airfoil.
Stabilizer and elevator: The distinctive
feature about a canard is that the horizontal
stabilizer and elevator are in the front. Use
the stabilizer slot as provided in the front.
Note that the slot is cut at an angle. The
Front Yard Canard requires the stabilizer to
have that same positive angle of attack.
Turn the stabilizer around so that the
straight edge faces back so that the elevator
will have a straight edge on which to hinge.
Make sure the stabilizer is centered and
straight and then glue into place.
The elevator is constructed from the
remaining stabilizer taken from the second
Revell kit. Use the plans to cut the elevator
to size and then in half. When cutting the
two elevator halves to length, remove
roughly ¼ inch of balsa from the center.
Ensure that the tips are flush so the printed
patterns line up.
Temporarily tape the two elevator
halves to the stabilizer. Make sure neither
one touches the fuselage. You want
roughly 1/16-inch clearance, so trim as
necessary. Now remove them and set aside.
The two halves will be connected by
using a ¾-inch toothpick bridge. Cut a hole
through the fuselage using a small hobby
knife. Refer to the plans for the proper size,
location, and shape. Temporarily tape the
elevator halves back onto the stabilizer and
position them carefully as if ready to hinge.
Cut the toothpick to length and pass it
through the hole as shown in the plans.
Trim enough balsa from the elevator LEs to
fit the toothpick into place and glue the
toothpick in place with medium CA. Cut
and place the 1/16-inch balsa doublers on
the underside of the elevator halves. After
gluing is complete, hinge your elevator
using ½-inch strips of Blenderm tape
leaving a 1/32-inch gap to allow the elevator
to move easily.
Fin: When you mount the fin, leave
enough room behind it for the motor
mount to slide on. Place one of the blue
plastic propeller units onto back of the
airplane, sliding it all the way on. Cut a
shallow slot for the fin on top of the
fuselage, just ahead of the blue plastic
propeller unit. Use the bottom of the fin to
determine the length.
Remove enough balsa to allow for a
snug fit, position correctly, remove the
plastic unit, and glue it into place using
fast CA.
Fuselage: Now you want to reinforce the
front of the fuselage. The slit in the top of
the fuselage is where the fin was originally
designed to fit. Because you removed
additional balsa, it has become a weak
spot.
To reinforce this area, insert a 2½-inch
piece of .080-inch carbon-fiber rod
lengthwise into this slot. Test-fit and trim
as necessary then glue into place using fast
CA. Allow the glue to slowly wick in
under the rod, saturating the wood without
letting it drip.
Motor mount: To modify the motor
mount, use the same blue plastic propeller
unit that you used during the fin
placement. Cut the propeller shaft supports
off flush to remove the propeller, leaving a
small, hollow plastic box. The front of the
unit angles down; you want that same
downthrust for your motor.
Employing a piece of 1/8 plywood,
make a ¾- x ¼-inch crossbar at the top of
the plastic unit. Refer to the plans and
pictures for the proper shape.
Lightly sand the top of the plastic unit
for better adhesion and squarely glue the
crossbar in place. Tilt it slightly to keep
the same downthrust and slide the entire
unit onto the back of the fuselage and glue
in place with thin CA.
Micro motor: I chose an AP-02 7000kV
2.3-gram brushless micro motor from
HobbyKing.com. It has a three-point
mount built onto the motor housing. Use
two mounting points for the top crossbar
and the third in the center of the plastic
unit. Mount the motor with three #0 x ¼
screws. Drill small pilot holes to avoid
possible splitting.
I used a GWS 3020 3 x 2 propeller.
Turn it backward and press it directly onto
the propeller shaft so that the writing on
the propeller faces forward. Don’t bend the
propeller shaft or damage the micro motor
by pressing too hard. Use a needle-size
drill to enlarge the hole in the propeller if
necessary. It should fit snugly, but not
extremely tight.
Electronics: The main electronic
component is the Spektrum AR6400
DSM2. The AR6400 is a tiny receiver, two
tiny linear servos (rudder and elevator),
and a micro brushed speed control built
onto one circuit board. I paired this “brick”
with a DP-3A 1-gram, single-cell Li-Poly
brushless speed controller.
I taped a Turnigy Nano-Tech 160 mAh,
1S Li-Poly single-cell battery to the
fuselage behind the front landing gear with
a strip of blue painter’s tape.
Mounting the AR6400: Make a servo
mount from a 2- x ¼-inch piece of 1/16
plywood and sand the ends round. Glue it
to the back (flat), center of the AR6400
lengthwise. I used 5-minute epoxy because
it gave me time to center and align the
plywood mount. After the glue has dried,
drill one 1/16-inch mounting hole in each
protruding end.
Mount the brick to the bottom of the
fuselage under the front stabilizer, slightly
in front of the landing gear. Mount the
plywood to the balsa fuselage with the
AR6400 suspended underneath following
the plans. Temporarily screw it into place
with two #0 x ¼ screws.
Remove it and coat the bottom of the
fuselage at this location with thin CA.
Allow some glue to seep into the screw
holes, but keep them from sealing by
piercing with a pin. Use a light spray of
kicker to set the CA.
Replace the brick and screw it into
place. It should feel solid and be parallel
with the underside of the stabilizer.
The speed control: First, verify which end
of the 1-gram DP-3A controller will plug
into the brick. It will have three pins: one
with a positive symbol, one with a
negative symbol, and one with a signal.
The pins will need to be bent slightly to fit
into the three-position throttle jack at the
rear of the brick, facing backward. Plug in
the controller accordingly using a small
piece of Blenderm tape to secure it into the
jack.
The controller comes with a separate
three-pin plug. Solder a small-gauge,
three-wire lead long enough to reach and
likewise solder it onto the motor’s three
wire lead.
Insulate all six solder joints with 3/64-
inch heat-shrink tubing. Only apply heat to
the tubing at the motor end of the lead for
now, leaving the plug end simply in place.
Plug the three-pin plug onto the three
remaining pins protruding from the
controller.
Beginning at the motor and working
forward, secure the wire to the side of the
fuselage with ¼-inch strips of Blenderm,
repositioning the wire to the bottom of the
fuselage when you reach the LE. As you
pass the nose gear, loop the wire down to
take up any excess wire.
Control horns: You will need to cut two
control horns for the ailerons and one for
the elevator from 1/16 plywood. Check the
plans for the correct shapes and locations.
Use medium CA to glue the elevator
horn in place first. Note its placement with
regard to the hinge line and the elevator
servo on the brick.
Next glue the aileron control horns in
place. Place them slightly behind and
angling away from their hinge lines to
produce a differential movement in the
ailerons. You want each to move up more
than the other moves down. This causes
more drag on the up aileron side and helps
create a coordinated (rudderless) turn.
Cut a small piece of 3/16 plywood to
guard the AR6400 brick. Sand it to shape
and glue the guard to the bottom side of
the airplane’s nose. This small protrusion
will help protect the brick.
Pushrods: Make and install four pushrods
and one bellcrank and your Front Yard
Canard will be finished! You are going to
use a nylon servo arm as a bellcrank for
your ailerons. Use the lightest two-arm, 1-
inch servo arm you can find. Install it on
the fuselage under the wing as shown in
the plans.
Install it temporarily then remove and
saturate the area with CA, using kicker to
set the glue. Place a small washer down
then install bellcrank socket side facing
away from the fuselage bottom using a
#0 x ¼ screw. The head of the screw
should fit into the center of the servo arm.
Following the plans, cut and bend two
.032-inch piano wire pushrods to connect
the bellcrank to the aileron horns. Bend a
small V into each to help with final
adjustments. Enlarge the holes in the
bellcrank as needed.
When the pushrods are connected
properly the ailerons should be even and
in line with the wing’s bottom. The
bellcrank should be perpendicular with the
fuselage.
Cut the carbon-fiber pushrod as
indicated in the plans. At one end secure a
short piece of .032-inch piano wire that
has a Z bend in it. Bend a small V to help
with final adjustments. Use eight wraps of
Kevlar or upholstery thread for reinforcement
and secure it all with a drop of fast CA.
On the other end, attach a short piece of
wire that fits the hole on the rudder servo
arm on the brick. I used a thin pin bent into
a Z and secured with thread to the carbonfiber
rod. You can also use .032-inch
music wire, but you will need to enlarge
the hole on the brick’s rudder servo arm
slightly.
Use a thin pin or music wire for the
elevator pushrod. The plans show the
appropriate bend.
Attach the pushrods to the aileron
bellcrank and elevator horn first.
Temporarily unscrew the AR6400. After
they are attached, you can easily screw the
brick back down.
Setup: My Spektrum DX7 2.4 GHz
transmitter is compatible with any DSM2
receiver. Mix the rudder function with the
aileron function to make the servos move
properly.
Now reprogram the function of the
brushed motor jack on the AR6400,
enabling the brushless motor controller to
operate properly.
With the transmitter on, move the
throttle level full forward and to the left
corner. Hold the stick in that position and
plug the battery into the AR6400. The
receiver will blink three times indicating
the setup change has been accepted.
Release the stick and return it to the low
throttle position.
Check the CG: While the battery is
plugged in, place it at the location
indicated on the plans using blue painter’s
tape to hold it in place. The CG is shown
on the plan. Check your CG starting with
the battery 1¼ inch ahead of the wing, on
the fuselage. Move the battery slightly
forward or aft to attain the right balance.
Checklist: It’s time for your final check.
Hold the canard, slowly advancing the
throttle to verify the engine is running
properly. If you find it runs backward,
resolder two of the three wires at the threepin
plug that is plugged onto the speed
controller and shrink the remaining heat
shrink tubing at that end.
Check the elevator next. The canard’s
elevator works in reverse from that of a
conventional airplane. It should move down
when the stick is pulled back and move up
when the stick is pushed forward. If this is
not the case, correct it using your
transmitter’s reverse menu.
Adjust the elevator throw’s end points in
your transmitter as well. It should move up
and down approximately ½ inch. It can
barely touch the aileron pushrod when in
the full down (up-elevator) position.
Finally check your ailerons. At the
fuselage, these should move about 3/8 inch
up and ¼ inch down. This “differential” is
already built in. The right aileron moves up
and the left moves down when the stick is
moved right and the opposite holds true.
Use the transmitter to electronically reverse
your ailerons if necessary.
Let’s go fly: It’s time to fly your Front
Yard Canard. Expect some attention at the
flying field. It’s not every day that
someone flies a canard. When your friends
realize you’re flying a converted rubberband
balsa glider, they will flip. Most of
them played with these when they were
kids, too.
I prefer to set up dual rates before I fly
any airplane for the first time. I keep the
high rate at 100% and set the lower rate at
60%. If it’s too touchy, it can be fixed
quickly with the flip of a switch.
When you are ready for takeoff, line
your airplane up with the runway center
line and smoothly advance the throttle to
full. Although you have no rudder, when
trimmed properly, it’s no problem.
Your little Front Yard Canard will
quickly accelerate in a straight line. With
a touch of up-elevator, it’s off the ground
in roughly 8 to 10 feet with a nice brisk
climbout.
Get the feel of your new airplane.
Based on how you fly, the battery will
give you between 5 and 10 minutes of
flight time. Your Front Yard Canard will
fly as well or better than most airplanes its
size. Try some shallow S turns and a few
Figure Eights.
After you have the feel, try some full
throttle maneuvers. I like to fly “three
mistakes high.”
For rolls, begin in level flight. When
ready, pull the nose up slightly and then
lay the stick all the way over. You will be
surprised at how nicely it will roll.
For loops, again use full throttle. Let
the nose drop to build a little speed, and
then smoothly pull the stick all the way
back. The canard will climb straight up
and smoothly over the top. I usually cut
the throttle on the back side just to be
safe.
Landing: Landing is a breeze: line up
with the runway and ease back on the
throttle. Because it’s so light, a touch of
power will keep you moving nicely. Keep
the nose pointed down slightly as you
make your final approach, and fly it all the
way in. Although distinctly different, it
feels light and responsive all the way
down. Just before you touch down, pull
the throttle off and gently add up-elevator.
Debriefing: Driveways make excellent
runways, too! If you have room, try flying
the canard in your own front yard. Using
partial throttle, this spirited little park flyer
is capable of handling light wind. With full
throttle, it is aerobatic and can loop, roll,
and perform all the maneuvers that a
conventional aileron/elevator airplane can.
Try it inside as well. The Front Yard
Canard is agile enough to maneuver easily
in any indoor venue using half throttle.
You will have loads of fun performing
Figure Eights and executing perfect touchand-
gos.
With all the fun you’ll soon be having,
don’t hesitate to buzz the tower!