by Laddie
Mikulasko
An electric-powered RC version of the French light home-built
October 2009 25
As is the full-scale version, this 1/4-scale
Jodel D-9 Bebe is a sweetheart on landing.
FOR MANY YEARS, I set my sights on building a
scale model of the famous French home-built Jodel
D.9 Bébé. It has a long history. Eduardo Joly and
Jean Delemontez began building the prototype in
1946. The name “Jodel” was derived from a
combination of their names.
The pair started constructing the airplane
without plans; they drew the individual parts’
shapes directly onto the wood. The D.9 was first
flown in 1948 with an old 19-horsepower Poinsard
engine and showed excellent flying qualities. It
soon became the most popular home-built in
Europe, and then its popularity spread around the
world.
More than 5,000 D.9s have been built from plans
or kits, and many are constructed to this day. The
D.9 was a starting point in the series of the
manufacturers’ designs. The Jodel Company was
eventually formed, and all of the additional designs
were produced. A Volkswagen engine powered
most of the early airplanes.
A beautifully painted D.9 that Bernard
Schacknowski of Paris, Illinois, built in 1963
motivated me to build the model. His was one of the
first, if not the first, of those aircraft constructed in
the US. He streamlined the airplane’s nose by
enclosing the Continental A-40 engine.
10sig1.QXD 8/24/09 10:25 AM Page 25
26 MODEL AVIATION
Above: All ribs are cut out, and the main and auxiliary spars are in the process
of construction. The wing is built with a left and right half.
Right: The ribs for the left half of the wing are glued to the spars. Drill holes for
the aileron flexible cable or for pulling the extension cable for the aileron servo.
Bottom aileron sheeting is glued to the ribs and the spar. The
wingtip’s top LE is adhered to the ribs and to the LE.
The wing halves are joined with plywood joiners. Notice that the
location of the ribs is marked onto the spars.
Left: Hardwood blocks for wing bolts are glued in. Sand the edge
on this spar so that it follows the contour of the ribs.
Above: The top TE is glued to the ribs. The hardwood landing
gear block is glued to the ribs. Predrill the block for the 5/32-
inch-diameter piano wire.
Photos by the author
10sig1.QXD 8/24/09 10:27 AM Page 26
October 2009 27
Above: The fuselage is built upside-down and then top
formers are glued on. Some formers are in two sections.
Left: Longerons and uprights are glued to the fuselage
sides. The doubler is glued to the fuselage side. To get
the bend, place shims under the fuselage sides while
the glue is drying.
Use your favorite method to soften the
sheeting in preparation for molding
around the formers. It’s time well spent.
Notice the large opening in front for the
motor to go through. Consult the plans for
the correct contour shape of the nose block.
The cheeks for the engine cowl are
fabricated from balsa blocks. Making them
identical can be tricky; take your time and
use the plans as a template.
Stabilizer construction is simple, with ribs between the hinge
spar and LE with sheeting top and bottom.
Once the stabilizer is glued to the fuselage, the rudder subfin
can be constructed. Fill with sheeting and sand to a contour.
10sig1.QXD 8/24/09 10:29 AM Page 27
28 MODEL AVIATION
The model is ready for covering. Lightweight filler is used to
finish the shape of the cowl cheeks.
Wheel pants are made from
several balsa layers. The landing
gear wire passes through the pant
and recesses into a carved groove.
The author constructed a homemade tail
wheel assembly to replicate the full-scale
aircraft’s. Conventional pushrods make
radio setup easy.
An AXI 4120/18 outrunner motor
running on a 6S pack is equivalent to a
.46-size two-stroke engine. An
approximately 12 x 8 propeller works for
this setup.
A 1/4-scale pilot can be trimmed to suit
the open cockpit. A full canopy is another
option. The open version hides a motor
arming plug.
The battery platform best accommodates a series pack
installation. The large fuselage has provided enough cooling
for the electronics.
The attractive color scheme makes this
model stand out. The author used
MonoKote for everything, including the
complex wheel pants. It’s pretty!
10sig1.QXD 8/24/09 10:32 AM Page 28
I decided to build the model to 1/4 scale.
It is of simple construction, using balsa,
plywood, and spruce. I powered my version
with a motor. I knew that the airplane
would fly great, and I was not disappointed.
Steering on the ground is excellent.
When power is applied, the model tracks
straight and becomes airborne in no time.
Only a bit of down-trim on the first flight
was required. My D.9 is stable and is
capable of loops and rolls. On landing, it
responds well to necessary corrections. I
am extremely pleased with it.
CONSTRUCTION
All the pieces on the plans are
numbered from 1 to 71, and the ribs and
formers are identified with letters.
Wing: The wing is built in a left and a right
half. Cut all the ribs; do W3, W4, and W5
in one piece.
Drill holes for the aileron flexible cable
or for pulling the extension cable for the
aileron servo. Cut out the main spar and
rear spar. To reinforce the main spar (1),
glue the spruce spars (3 and 4) to it. To
reinforce the main spar tip (2), adhere the
spruce spar (5) to it. Bond the tip spar to
the main spar. Glue the tip (7) to the rear
spar (6).
Mark the location of the ribs onto the
spars. Slide ribs W1 and W2 onto the spars.
Place the 1/8-inch shim under the rear spar.
Pin and adhere the ribs to the spars. Attach
the LE to the ribs. Lift the wing, and pin
the wingtip spars to the building board.
Glue ribs W3, W4, and W5 to the spars.
Adhere the wingtip LE to the ribs. Bond
the 1/4 x 1/4 balsa tip (8) to the spar and to
the LE. Slide the aileron bottom sheet (16)
under the ribs, and slide the wingtip
washout guide under that sheet.
32 MODEL AVIATION
Glue the ribs to the bottom sheeting
(16). Attach the top LE and TE sheeting to
the wingtip. Glue the capstrips (22) to ribs
W3-W5, where the aileron hinge spar and
aileron LE spar are going to be adhered.
Separate the aileron from the wingtip by
cutting it off at the marked lines drawn on
ribs W3-W5. Join the hinge spar (14) to the
ribs. Glue the LE (15) to the aileron. Glue
the capstrips to the ribs.
Attach the plywood plate (23) between
ribs W3 and W4, to support the aileron
horn. Slide flexible rod for the aileron
control into the holes in the ribs. Remove
the wing from the building board.
Use the same steps to build the other
wing half. When both are completed, pin
them to the building board so that the spars
are touching. Adhere the plywood joiner
piece (24) to the main spars and the joiner
piece (25) to the rear spars.
Glue both the bottom and top TE
sheeting (12) to all W1 and W2 ribs.
Adhere the LE spar (10) to ribs W1 and
W2. Sand the edge of this spar so it follows
the ribs’ contour. Bond the top LE sheeting
(13) to all of the ribs.
Insert and glue the landing gear
hardwood blocks (20) to ribs W1. Attach
the bottom LE sheeting to all of the ribs.
Glue in the wing-bolt-support plywood
piece (19) to the W1 ribs. Adhere the servo
tray in the center of the wing. Join sheeting
(18) to the W1 ribs. Glue on the LE capstrip
(11).
Sand the wing. Insert and glue in the
dowel (21).
Stabilizer and Elevator: Pin the hinge spar
(26) to the building board. Pin and glue
all stabilizer ribs to the spar. Bond the
LE spar (27) to the ribs. Glue the 1/4
balsa square stick (29) between the hinge
spar and the LE at the tips.
Attach the top sheeting (30). Glue on the
bottom sheeting (30). Adhere the LE
capstrip (31) to the stabilizer. Sand the
stabilizer.
Cut the elevators (32) from 1/16 balsa.
Glue the LE (33) and TE (36) to one side of
the elevator sheet (32). Glue in the ribs and
1/4 balsa sheet (34 and 35). Sand that side.
Flip the elevator, and glue the same items to
that side; sand that side.
Fuselage and Rudder: Cut out as many
parts as possible; notice that some formers
are in two sections. The bottom is plywood
and the top is balsa. This was done so that
when the fuselage is being built upsidedown,
formers F2, F3, F4, F7, and F8 can
touch the building board.
Former F2 is showing the motor
mounting holes for the AXi, from Hobby
Lobby, that I am using. You might need to
modify the mounting to suit your setup.
Adhere the doublers (41) to the fuselage
side (40). Glue on the longeron (42 and 43)
and all of the uprights (44) to the fuselage
sides. Pin the fuselage sides to the building
board.
Insert and glue in formers F4 and F8.
Use the squares to position everything
accurately. Glue in former F8 and all
crossbraces (45).
At the aft end, glue in the rudder-hinge
support block (48). Glue in formers F3, F2,
and F1.
Adhere the battery floor (56) and the
cockpit floor (57). In the nose section, attach
the fuselage bottom (51) and the balsa block
(53). Glue the plywood plate (58) between
the fuselage sides.
Flip the fuselage right-side up, and glue
on formers F2A, F3A, F4A, F5, F7A, F8A,
and F9-F14. Adhere the top longerons (46
and 47). Glue the top sheeting (50) over
formers F1-F5. Glue on the rear top sheeting
(49). Join the nose block (54) to the
fuselage, and then sand that structure.
Cut the cowl’s cheeks (55) from the
balsa blocks. Sand them and then adhere
them to the fuselage sides. Bond the air
scoop (52) to the bottom of the cowl. Fill in
imperfections with lightweight filler and
sand them.
Glue the stabilizer to the fuselage. Glue
subfin former F15 to the stabilizer, and then
attach the balsa sides (65) to this former and
to the stabilizer.
Cut the rudder from 1/16 sheet (59); glue
the hinge spar (60) to it. Adhere the LE (61)
and TE (62) to the rudder sheet. Glue in ribs
R1-R5. Sand this side of the rudder. Flip the
rudder onto the other side, and glue in the
identical parts to that side.
At the bottom, glue in the plywood plate
(63). Glue in a plywood plate (64) to one side
of the rudder, to hold the rudder control horn.
Bend 1/16- or 3/32-inch-diameter piano wire
to make the leg for the tail wheel. Drill the hole
in the hinge spar (60) and insert the tail-wheel
wire. Wrap a piece of fiberglass around the
wire and the rudder spar. Use instant glue to
bond the fiberglass to the hinge spar.
Wheel Pants and Landing Gear: The wheel
pants are made from four parts, one of which
(66 and 67) has the shape of wheel pants,
including the leg. The second pair of parts (66
and 67) has the shape without the legs.
Cut the shapes of the wheel pants. In the
part (66), cut out the wheel well. Glue two (66)
parts and glue them to each other. Adhere parts
(67) to both sides of (66) parts.
Drill a hole for the landing gear axle. Sand
the wheel pants to the shape as shown on the
drawing. At the back of the wheel pants part
(67) cowl, cut and make the groove for
accepting landing gear wire (69).
Bend and cut the 5/32-inch-diameter piano
wire to the proper shape and length. Insert the
wire into the groove in the wheel pants for a
trial fit. If satisfied, remove the wire from the
wheel pants. The landing gear wire will be
permanently installed after the wheel pants are
finish-covered.
Final Assembly: Cover the model with your
favorite material; I used MonoKote. Install the
hinges, controls, and motor. I mounted my
AXi with four Allen-head screws that hold it in
from the back, using a long-handle
screwdriver.
When installing the motor, the speed
controller is already connected to it. I used a
Jeti 77 Opto ESC from Hobby Lobby,
modified with a Castle Creations CC BEC.
For safety’s sake, I installed an arming plug
in series with the battery that is accessible from
the cockpit. Without this plug in, there is no
power to the speed controller and motor. I urge
you to use this setup for the D.9 and all other
larger models you have.
I reviewed this model’s flight at the
beginning of the article.
Good luck! MA
Laddie Mikulasko
[email protected]
Sources:
The Jodel Company
www.jodel.com
Hobby Lobby International
(866) 512-1444
www.hobby-lobby.com
Top Flite MonoKote
(217) 398-8970
www.monokote.com
Castle Creations
(913) 390-6939
www.castlecreations.com
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/10
Page Numbers: 25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/10
Page Numbers: 25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33
by Laddie
Mikulasko
An electric-powered RC version of the French light home-built
October 2009 25
As is the full-scale version, this 1/4-scale
Jodel D-9 Bebe is a sweetheart on landing.
FOR MANY YEARS, I set my sights on building a
scale model of the famous French home-built Jodel
D.9 Bébé. It has a long history. Eduardo Joly and
Jean Delemontez began building the prototype in
1946. The name “Jodel” was derived from a
combination of their names.
The pair started constructing the airplane
without plans; they drew the individual parts’
shapes directly onto the wood. The D.9 was first
flown in 1948 with an old 19-horsepower Poinsard
engine and showed excellent flying qualities. It
soon became the most popular home-built in
Europe, and then its popularity spread around the
world.
More than 5,000 D.9s have been built from plans
or kits, and many are constructed to this day. The
D.9 was a starting point in the series of the
manufacturers’ designs. The Jodel Company was
eventually formed, and all of the additional designs
were produced. A Volkswagen engine powered
most of the early airplanes.
A beautifully painted D.9 that Bernard
Schacknowski of Paris, Illinois, built in 1963
motivated me to build the model. His was one of the
first, if not the first, of those aircraft constructed in
the US. He streamlined the airplane’s nose by
enclosing the Continental A-40 engine.
10sig1.QXD 8/24/09 10:25 AM Page 25
26 MODEL AVIATION
Above: All ribs are cut out, and the main and auxiliary spars are in the process
of construction. The wing is built with a left and right half.
Right: The ribs for the left half of the wing are glued to the spars. Drill holes for
the aileron flexible cable or for pulling the extension cable for the aileron servo.
Bottom aileron sheeting is glued to the ribs and the spar. The
wingtip’s top LE is adhered to the ribs and to the LE.
The wing halves are joined with plywood joiners. Notice that the
location of the ribs is marked onto the spars.
Left: Hardwood blocks for wing bolts are glued in. Sand the edge
on this spar so that it follows the contour of the ribs.
Above: The top TE is glued to the ribs. The hardwood landing
gear block is glued to the ribs. Predrill the block for the 5/32-
inch-diameter piano wire.
Photos by the author
10sig1.QXD 8/24/09 10:27 AM Page 26
October 2009 27
Above: The fuselage is built upside-down and then top
formers are glued on. Some formers are in two sections.
Left: Longerons and uprights are glued to the fuselage
sides. The doubler is glued to the fuselage side. To get
the bend, place shims under the fuselage sides while
the glue is drying.
Use your favorite method to soften the
sheeting in preparation for molding
around the formers. It’s time well spent.
Notice the large opening in front for the
motor to go through. Consult the plans for
the correct contour shape of the nose block.
The cheeks for the engine cowl are
fabricated from balsa blocks. Making them
identical can be tricky; take your time and
use the plans as a template.
Stabilizer construction is simple, with ribs between the hinge
spar and LE with sheeting top and bottom.
Once the stabilizer is glued to the fuselage, the rudder subfin
can be constructed. Fill with sheeting and sand to a contour.
10sig1.QXD 8/24/09 10:29 AM Page 27
28 MODEL AVIATION
The model is ready for covering. Lightweight filler is used to
finish the shape of the cowl cheeks.
Wheel pants are made from
several balsa layers. The landing
gear wire passes through the pant
and recesses into a carved groove.
The author constructed a homemade tail
wheel assembly to replicate the full-scale
aircraft’s. Conventional pushrods make
radio setup easy.
An AXI 4120/18 outrunner motor
running on a 6S pack is equivalent to a
.46-size two-stroke engine. An
approximately 12 x 8 propeller works for
this setup.
A 1/4-scale pilot can be trimmed to suit
the open cockpit. A full canopy is another
option. The open version hides a motor
arming plug.
The battery platform best accommodates a series pack
installation. The large fuselage has provided enough cooling
for the electronics.
The attractive color scheme makes this
model stand out. The author used
MonoKote for everything, including the
complex wheel pants. It’s pretty!
10sig1.QXD 8/24/09 10:32 AM Page 28
I decided to build the model to 1/4 scale.
It is of simple construction, using balsa,
plywood, and spruce. I powered my version
with a motor. I knew that the airplane
would fly great, and I was not disappointed.
Steering on the ground is excellent.
When power is applied, the model tracks
straight and becomes airborne in no time.
Only a bit of down-trim on the first flight
was required. My D.9 is stable and is
capable of loops and rolls. On landing, it
responds well to necessary corrections. I
am extremely pleased with it.
CONSTRUCTION
All the pieces on the plans are
numbered from 1 to 71, and the ribs and
formers are identified with letters.
Wing: The wing is built in a left and a right
half. Cut all the ribs; do W3, W4, and W5
in one piece.
Drill holes for the aileron flexible cable
or for pulling the extension cable for the
aileron servo. Cut out the main spar and
rear spar. To reinforce the main spar (1),
glue the spruce spars (3 and 4) to it. To
reinforce the main spar tip (2), adhere the
spruce spar (5) to it. Bond the tip spar to
the main spar. Glue the tip (7) to the rear
spar (6).
Mark the location of the ribs onto the
spars. Slide ribs W1 and W2 onto the spars.
Place the 1/8-inch shim under the rear spar.
Pin and adhere the ribs to the spars. Attach
the LE to the ribs. Lift the wing, and pin
the wingtip spars to the building board.
Glue ribs W3, W4, and W5 to the spars.
Adhere the wingtip LE to the ribs. Bond
the 1/4 x 1/4 balsa tip (8) to the spar and to
the LE. Slide the aileron bottom sheet (16)
under the ribs, and slide the wingtip
washout guide under that sheet.
32 MODEL AVIATION
Glue the ribs to the bottom sheeting
(16). Attach the top LE and TE sheeting to
the wingtip. Glue the capstrips (22) to ribs
W3-W5, where the aileron hinge spar and
aileron LE spar are going to be adhered.
Separate the aileron from the wingtip by
cutting it off at the marked lines drawn on
ribs W3-W5. Join the hinge spar (14) to the
ribs. Glue the LE (15) to the aileron. Glue
the capstrips to the ribs.
Attach the plywood plate (23) between
ribs W3 and W4, to support the aileron
horn. Slide flexible rod for the aileron
control into the holes in the ribs. Remove
the wing from the building board.
Use the same steps to build the other
wing half. When both are completed, pin
them to the building board so that the spars
are touching. Adhere the plywood joiner
piece (24) to the main spars and the joiner
piece (25) to the rear spars.
Glue both the bottom and top TE
sheeting (12) to all W1 and W2 ribs.
Adhere the LE spar (10) to ribs W1 and
W2. Sand the edge of this spar so it follows
the ribs’ contour. Bond the top LE sheeting
(13) to all of the ribs.
Insert and glue the landing gear
hardwood blocks (20) to ribs W1. Attach
the bottom LE sheeting to all of the ribs.
Glue in the wing-bolt-support plywood
piece (19) to the W1 ribs. Adhere the servo
tray in the center of the wing. Join sheeting
(18) to the W1 ribs. Glue on the LE capstrip
(11).
Sand the wing. Insert and glue in the
dowel (21).
Stabilizer and Elevator: Pin the hinge spar
(26) to the building board. Pin and glue
all stabilizer ribs to the spar. Bond the
LE spar (27) to the ribs. Glue the 1/4
balsa square stick (29) between the hinge
spar and the LE at the tips.
Attach the top sheeting (30). Glue on the
bottom sheeting (30). Adhere the LE
capstrip (31) to the stabilizer. Sand the
stabilizer.
Cut the elevators (32) from 1/16 balsa.
Glue the LE (33) and TE (36) to one side of
the elevator sheet (32). Glue in the ribs and
1/4 balsa sheet (34 and 35). Sand that side.
Flip the elevator, and glue the same items to
that side; sand that side.
Fuselage and Rudder: Cut out as many
parts as possible; notice that some formers
are in two sections. The bottom is plywood
and the top is balsa. This was done so that
when the fuselage is being built upsidedown,
formers F2, F3, F4, F7, and F8 can
touch the building board.
Former F2 is showing the motor
mounting holes for the AXi, from Hobby
Lobby, that I am using. You might need to
modify the mounting to suit your setup.
Adhere the doublers (41) to the fuselage
side (40). Glue on the longeron (42 and 43)
and all of the uprights (44) to the fuselage
sides. Pin the fuselage sides to the building
board.
Insert and glue in formers F4 and F8.
Use the squares to position everything
accurately. Glue in former F8 and all
crossbraces (45).
At the aft end, glue in the rudder-hinge
support block (48). Glue in formers F3, F2,
and F1.
Adhere the battery floor (56) and the
cockpit floor (57). In the nose section, attach
the fuselage bottom (51) and the balsa block
(53). Glue the plywood plate (58) between
the fuselage sides.
Flip the fuselage right-side up, and glue
on formers F2A, F3A, F4A, F5, F7A, F8A,
and F9-F14. Adhere the top longerons (46
and 47). Glue the top sheeting (50) over
formers F1-F5. Glue on the rear top sheeting
(49). Join the nose block (54) to the
fuselage, and then sand that structure.
Cut the cowl’s cheeks (55) from the
balsa blocks. Sand them and then adhere
them to the fuselage sides. Bond the air
scoop (52) to the bottom of the cowl. Fill in
imperfections with lightweight filler and
sand them.
Glue the stabilizer to the fuselage. Glue
subfin former F15 to the stabilizer, and then
attach the balsa sides (65) to this former and
to the stabilizer.
Cut the rudder from 1/16 sheet (59); glue
the hinge spar (60) to it. Adhere the LE (61)
and TE (62) to the rudder sheet. Glue in ribs
R1-R5. Sand this side of the rudder. Flip the
rudder onto the other side, and glue in the
identical parts to that side.
At the bottom, glue in the plywood plate
(63). Glue in a plywood plate (64) to one side
of the rudder, to hold the rudder control horn.
Bend 1/16- or 3/32-inch-diameter piano wire
to make the leg for the tail wheel. Drill the hole
in the hinge spar (60) and insert the tail-wheel
wire. Wrap a piece of fiberglass around the
wire and the rudder spar. Use instant glue to
bond the fiberglass to the hinge spar.
Wheel Pants and Landing Gear: The wheel
pants are made from four parts, one of which
(66 and 67) has the shape of wheel pants,
including the leg. The second pair of parts (66
and 67) has the shape without the legs.
Cut the shapes of the wheel pants. In the
part (66), cut out the wheel well. Glue two (66)
parts and glue them to each other. Adhere parts
(67) to both sides of (66) parts.
Drill a hole for the landing gear axle. Sand
the wheel pants to the shape as shown on the
drawing. At the back of the wheel pants part
(67) cowl, cut and make the groove for
accepting landing gear wire (69).
Bend and cut the 5/32-inch-diameter piano
wire to the proper shape and length. Insert the
wire into the groove in the wheel pants for a
trial fit. If satisfied, remove the wire from the
wheel pants. The landing gear wire will be
permanently installed after the wheel pants are
finish-covered.
Final Assembly: Cover the model with your
favorite material; I used MonoKote. Install the
hinges, controls, and motor. I mounted my
AXi with four Allen-head screws that hold it in
from the back, using a long-handle
screwdriver.
When installing the motor, the speed
controller is already connected to it. I used a
Jeti 77 Opto ESC from Hobby Lobby,
modified with a Castle Creations CC BEC.
For safety’s sake, I installed an arming plug
in series with the battery that is accessible from
the cockpit. Without this plug in, there is no
power to the speed controller and motor. I urge
you to use this setup for the D.9 and all other
larger models you have.
I reviewed this model’s flight at the
beginning of the article.
Good luck! MA
Laddie Mikulasko
[email protected]
Sources:
The Jodel Company
www.jodel.com
Hobby Lobby International
(866) 512-1444
www.hobby-lobby.com
Top Flite MonoKote
(217) 398-8970
www.monokote.com
Castle Creations
(913) 390-6939
www.castlecreations.com
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/10
Page Numbers: 25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33
by Laddie
Mikulasko
An electric-powered RC version of the French light home-built
October 2009 25
As is the full-scale version, this 1/4-scale
Jodel D-9 Bebe is a sweetheart on landing.
FOR MANY YEARS, I set my sights on building a
scale model of the famous French home-built Jodel
D.9 Bébé. It has a long history. Eduardo Joly and
Jean Delemontez began building the prototype in
1946. The name “Jodel” was derived from a
combination of their names.
The pair started constructing the airplane
without plans; they drew the individual parts’
shapes directly onto the wood. The D.9 was first
flown in 1948 with an old 19-horsepower Poinsard
engine and showed excellent flying qualities. It
soon became the most popular home-built in
Europe, and then its popularity spread around the
world.
More than 5,000 D.9s have been built from plans
or kits, and many are constructed to this day. The
D.9 was a starting point in the series of the
manufacturers’ designs. The Jodel Company was
eventually formed, and all of the additional designs
were produced. A Volkswagen engine powered
most of the early airplanes.
A beautifully painted D.9 that Bernard
Schacknowski of Paris, Illinois, built in 1963
motivated me to build the model. His was one of the
first, if not the first, of those aircraft constructed in
the US. He streamlined the airplane’s nose by
enclosing the Continental A-40 engine.
10sig1.QXD 8/24/09 10:25 AM Page 25
26 MODEL AVIATION
Above: All ribs are cut out, and the main and auxiliary spars are in the process
of construction. The wing is built with a left and right half.
Right: The ribs for the left half of the wing are glued to the spars. Drill holes for
the aileron flexible cable or for pulling the extension cable for the aileron servo.
Bottom aileron sheeting is glued to the ribs and the spar. The
wingtip’s top LE is adhered to the ribs and to the LE.
The wing halves are joined with plywood joiners. Notice that the
location of the ribs is marked onto the spars.
Left: Hardwood blocks for wing bolts are glued in. Sand the edge
on this spar so that it follows the contour of the ribs.
Above: The top TE is glued to the ribs. The hardwood landing
gear block is glued to the ribs. Predrill the block for the 5/32-
inch-diameter piano wire.
Photos by the author
10sig1.QXD 8/24/09 10:27 AM Page 26
October 2009 27
Above: The fuselage is built upside-down and then top
formers are glued on. Some formers are in two sections.
Left: Longerons and uprights are glued to the fuselage
sides. The doubler is glued to the fuselage side. To get
the bend, place shims under the fuselage sides while
the glue is drying.
Use your favorite method to soften the
sheeting in preparation for molding
around the formers. It’s time well spent.
Notice the large opening in front for the
motor to go through. Consult the plans for
the correct contour shape of the nose block.
The cheeks for the engine cowl are
fabricated from balsa blocks. Making them
identical can be tricky; take your time and
use the plans as a template.
Stabilizer construction is simple, with ribs between the hinge
spar and LE with sheeting top and bottom.
Once the stabilizer is glued to the fuselage, the rudder subfin
can be constructed. Fill with sheeting and sand to a contour.
10sig1.QXD 8/24/09 10:29 AM Page 27
28 MODEL AVIATION
The model is ready for covering. Lightweight filler is used to
finish the shape of the cowl cheeks.
Wheel pants are made from
several balsa layers. The landing
gear wire passes through the pant
and recesses into a carved groove.
The author constructed a homemade tail
wheel assembly to replicate the full-scale
aircraft’s. Conventional pushrods make
radio setup easy.
An AXI 4120/18 outrunner motor
running on a 6S pack is equivalent to a
.46-size two-stroke engine. An
approximately 12 x 8 propeller works for
this setup.
A 1/4-scale pilot can be trimmed to suit
the open cockpit. A full canopy is another
option. The open version hides a motor
arming plug.
The battery platform best accommodates a series pack
installation. The large fuselage has provided enough cooling
for the electronics.
The attractive color scheme makes this
model stand out. The author used
MonoKote for everything, including the
complex wheel pants. It’s pretty!
10sig1.QXD 8/24/09 10:32 AM Page 28
I decided to build the model to 1/4 scale.
It is of simple construction, using balsa,
plywood, and spruce. I powered my version
with a motor. I knew that the airplane
would fly great, and I was not disappointed.
Steering on the ground is excellent.
When power is applied, the model tracks
straight and becomes airborne in no time.
Only a bit of down-trim on the first flight
was required. My D.9 is stable and is
capable of loops and rolls. On landing, it
responds well to necessary corrections. I
am extremely pleased with it.
CONSTRUCTION
All the pieces on the plans are
numbered from 1 to 71, and the ribs and
formers are identified with letters.
Wing: The wing is built in a left and a right
half. Cut all the ribs; do W3, W4, and W5
in one piece.
Drill holes for the aileron flexible cable
or for pulling the extension cable for the
aileron servo. Cut out the main spar and
rear spar. To reinforce the main spar (1),
glue the spruce spars (3 and 4) to it. To
reinforce the main spar tip (2), adhere the
spruce spar (5) to it. Bond the tip spar to
the main spar. Glue the tip (7) to the rear
spar (6).
Mark the location of the ribs onto the
spars. Slide ribs W1 and W2 onto the spars.
Place the 1/8-inch shim under the rear spar.
Pin and adhere the ribs to the spars. Attach
the LE to the ribs. Lift the wing, and pin
the wingtip spars to the building board.
Glue ribs W3, W4, and W5 to the spars.
Adhere the wingtip LE to the ribs. Bond
the 1/4 x 1/4 balsa tip (8) to the spar and to
the LE. Slide the aileron bottom sheet (16)
under the ribs, and slide the wingtip
washout guide under that sheet.
32 MODEL AVIATION
Glue the ribs to the bottom sheeting
(16). Attach the top LE and TE sheeting to
the wingtip. Glue the capstrips (22) to ribs
W3-W5, where the aileron hinge spar and
aileron LE spar are going to be adhered.
Separate the aileron from the wingtip by
cutting it off at the marked lines drawn on
ribs W3-W5. Join the hinge spar (14) to the
ribs. Glue the LE (15) to the aileron. Glue
the capstrips to the ribs.
Attach the plywood plate (23) between
ribs W3 and W4, to support the aileron
horn. Slide flexible rod for the aileron
control into the holes in the ribs. Remove
the wing from the building board.
Use the same steps to build the other
wing half. When both are completed, pin
them to the building board so that the spars
are touching. Adhere the plywood joiner
piece (24) to the main spars and the joiner
piece (25) to the rear spars.
Glue both the bottom and top TE
sheeting (12) to all W1 and W2 ribs.
Adhere the LE spar (10) to ribs W1 and
W2. Sand the edge of this spar so it follows
the ribs’ contour. Bond the top LE sheeting
(13) to all of the ribs.
Insert and glue the landing gear
hardwood blocks (20) to ribs W1. Attach
the bottom LE sheeting to all of the ribs.
Glue in the wing-bolt-support plywood
piece (19) to the W1 ribs. Adhere the servo
tray in the center of the wing. Join sheeting
(18) to the W1 ribs. Glue on the LE capstrip
(11).
Sand the wing. Insert and glue in the
dowel (21).
Stabilizer and Elevator: Pin the hinge spar
(26) to the building board. Pin and glue
all stabilizer ribs to the spar. Bond the
LE spar (27) to the ribs. Glue the 1/4
balsa square stick (29) between the hinge
spar and the LE at the tips.
Attach the top sheeting (30). Glue on the
bottom sheeting (30). Adhere the LE
capstrip (31) to the stabilizer. Sand the
stabilizer.
Cut the elevators (32) from 1/16 balsa.
Glue the LE (33) and TE (36) to one side of
the elevator sheet (32). Glue in the ribs and
1/4 balsa sheet (34 and 35). Sand that side.
Flip the elevator, and glue the same items to
that side; sand that side.
Fuselage and Rudder: Cut out as many
parts as possible; notice that some formers
are in two sections. The bottom is plywood
and the top is balsa. This was done so that
when the fuselage is being built upsidedown,
formers F2, F3, F4, F7, and F8 can
touch the building board.
Former F2 is showing the motor
mounting holes for the AXi, from Hobby
Lobby, that I am using. You might need to
modify the mounting to suit your setup.
Adhere the doublers (41) to the fuselage
side (40). Glue on the longeron (42 and 43)
and all of the uprights (44) to the fuselage
sides. Pin the fuselage sides to the building
board.
Insert and glue in formers F4 and F8.
Use the squares to position everything
accurately. Glue in former F8 and all
crossbraces (45).
At the aft end, glue in the rudder-hinge
support block (48). Glue in formers F3, F2,
and F1.
Adhere the battery floor (56) and the
cockpit floor (57). In the nose section, attach
the fuselage bottom (51) and the balsa block
(53). Glue the plywood plate (58) between
the fuselage sides.
Flip the fuselage right-side up, and glue
on formers F2A, F3A, F4A, F5, F7A, F8A,
and F9-F14. Adhere the top longerons (46
and 47). Glue the top sheeting (50) over
formers F1-F5. Glue on the rear top sheeting
(49). Join the nose block (54) to the
fuselage, and then sand that structure.
Cut the cowl’s cheeks (55) from the
balsa blocks. Sand them and then adhere
them to the fuselage sides. Bond the air
scoop (52) to the bottom of the cowl. Fill in
imperfections with lightweight filler and
sand them.
Glue the stabilizer to the fuselage. Glue
subfin former F15 to the stabilizer, and then
attach the balsa sides (65) to this former and
to the stabilizer.
Cut the rudder from 1/16 sheet (59); glue
the hinge spar (60) to it. Adhere the LE (61)
and TE (62) to the rudder sheet. Glue in ribs
R1-R5. Sand this side of the rudder. Flip the
rudder onto the other side, and glue in the
identical parts to that side.
At the bottom, glue in the plywood plate
(63). Glue in a plywood plate (64) to one side
of the rudder, to hold the rudder control horn.
Bend 1/16- or 3/32-inch-diameter piano wire
to make the leg for the tail wheel. Drill the hole
in the hinge spar (60) and insert the tail-wheel
wire. Wrap a piece of fiberglass around the
wire and the rudder spar. Use instant glue to
bond the fiberglass to the hinge spar.
Wheel Pants and Landing Gear: The wheel
pants are made from four parts, one of which
(66 and 67) has the shape of wheel pants,
including the leg. The second pair of parts (66
and 67) has the shape without the legs.
Cut the shapes of the wheel pants. In the
part (66), cut out the wheel well. Glue two (66)
parts and glue them to each other. Adhere parts
(67) to both sides of (66) parts.
Drill a hole for the landing gear axle. Sand
the wheel pants to the shape as shown on the
drawing. At the back of the wheel pants part
(67) cowl, cut and make the groove for
accepting landing gear wire (69).
Bend and cut the 5/32-inch-diameter piano
wire to the proper shape and length. Insert the
wire into the groove in the wheel pants for a
trial fit. If satisfied, remove the wire from the
wheel pants. The landing gear wire will be
permanently installed after the wheel pants are
finish-covered.
Final Assembly: Cover the model with your
favorite material; I used MonoKote. Install the
hinges, controls, and motor. I mounted my
AXi with four Allen-head screws that hold it in
from the back, using a long-handle
screwdriver.
When installing the motor, the speed
controller is already connected to it. I used a
Jeti 77 Opto ESC from Hobby Lobby,
modified with a Castle Creations CC BEC.
For safety’s sake, I installed an arming plug
in series with the battery that is accessible from
the cockpit. Without this plug in, there is no
power to the speed controller and motor. I urge
you to use this setup for the D.9 and all other
larger models you have.
I reviewed this model’s flight at the
beginning of the article.
Good luck! MA
Laddie Mikulasko
[email protected]
Sources:
The Jodel Company
www.jodel.com
Hobby Lobby International
(866) 512-1444
www.hobby-lobby.com
Top Flite MonoKote
(217) 398-8970
www.monokote.com
Castle Creations
(913) 390-6939
www.castlecreations.com
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/10
Page Numbers: 25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33
by Laddie
Mikulasko
An electric-powered RC version of the French light home-built
October 2009 25
As is the full-scale version, this 1/4-scale
Jodel D-9 Bebe is a sweetheart on landing.
FOR MANY YEARS, I set my sights on building a
scale model of the famous French home-built Jodel
D.9 Bébé. It has a long history. Eduardo Joly and
Jean Delemontez began building the prototype in
1946. The name “Jodel” was derived from a
combination of their names.
The pair started constructing the airplane
without plans; they drew the individual parts’
shapes directly onto the wood. The D.9 was first
flown in 1948 with an old 19-horsepower Poinsard
engine and showed excellent flying qualities. It
soon became the most popular home-built in
Europe, and then its popularity spread around the
world.
More than 5,000 D.9s have been built from plans
or kits, and many are constructed to this day. The
D.9 was a starting point in the series of the
manufacturers’ designs. The Jodel Company was
eventually formed, and all of the additional designs
were produced. A Volkswagen engine powered
most of the early airplanes.
A beautifully painted D.9 that Bernard
Schacknowski of Paris, Illinois, built in 1963
motivated me to build the model. His was one of the
first, if not the first, of those aircraft constructed in
the US. He streamlined the airplane’s nose by
enclosing the Continental A-40 engine.
10sig1.QXD 8/24/09 10:25 AM Page 25
26 MODEL AVIATION
Above: All ribs are cut out, and the main and auxiliary spars are in the process
of construction. The wing is built with a left and right half.
Right: The ribs for the left half of the wing are glued to the spars. Drill holes for
the aileron flexible cable or for pulling the extension cable for the aileron servo.
Bottom aileron sheeting is glued to the ribs and the spar. The
wingtip’s top LE is adhered to the ribs and to the LE.
The wing halves are joined with plywood joiners. Notice that the
location of the ribs is marked onto the spars.
Left: Hardwood blocks for wing bolts are glued in. Sand the edge
on this spar so that it follows the contour of the ribs.
Above: The top TE is glued to the ribs. The hardwood landing
gear block is glued to the ribs. Predrill the block for the 5/32-
inch-diameter piano wire.
Photos by the author
10sig1.QXD 8/24/09 10:27 AM Page 26
October 2009 27
Above: The fuselage is built upside-down and then top
formers are glued on. Some formers are in two sections.
Left: Longerons and uprights are glued to the fuselage
sides. The doubler is glued to the fuselage side. To get
the bend, place shims under the fuselage sides while
the glue is drying.
Use your favorite method to soften the
sheeting in preparation for molding
around the formers. It’s time well spent.
Notice the large opening in front for the
motor to go through. Consult the plans for
the correct contour shape of the nose block.
The cheeks for the engine cowl are
fabricated from balsa blocks. Making them
identical can be tricky; take your time and
use the plans as a template.
Stabilizer construction is simple, with ribs between the hinge
spar and LE with sheeting top and bottom.
Once the stabilizer is glued to the fuselage, the rudder subfin
can be constructed. Fill with sheeting and sand to a contour.
10sig1.QXD 8/24/09 10:29 AM Page 27
28 MODEL AVIATION
The model is ready for covering. Lightweight filler is used to
finish the shape of the cowl cheeks.
Wheel pants are made from
several balsa layers. The landing
gear wire passes through the pant
and recesses into a carved groove.
The author constructed a homemade tail
wheel assembly to replicate the full-scale
aircraft’s. Conventional pushrods make
radio setup easy.
An AXI 4120/18 outrunner motor
running on a 6S pack is equivalent to a
.46-size two-stroke engine. An
approximately 12 x 8 propeller works for
this setup.
A 1/4-scale pilot can be trimmed to suit
the open cockpit. A full canopy is another
option. The open version hides a motor
arming plug.
The battery platform best accommodates a series pack
installation. The large fuselage has provided enough cooling
for the electronics.
The attractive color scheme makes this
model stand out. The author used
MonoKote for everything, including the
complex wheel pants. It’s pretty!
10sig1.QXD 8/24/09 10:32 AM Page 28
I decided to build the model to 1/4 scale.
It is of simple construction, using balsa,
plywood, and spruce. I powered my version
with a motor. I knew that the airplane
would fly great, and I was not disappointed.
Steering on the ground is excellent.
When power is applied, the model tracks
straight and becomes airborne in no time.
Only a bit of down-trim on the first flight
was required. My D.9 is stable and is
capable of loops and rolls. On landing, it
responds well to necessary corrections. I
am extremely pleased with it.
CONSTRUCTION
All the pieces on the plans are
numbered from 1 to 71, and the ribs and
formers are identified with letters.
Wing: The wing is built in a left and a right
half. Cut all the ribs; do W3, W4, and W5
in one piece.
Drill holes for the aileron flexible cable
or for pulling the extension cable for the
aileron servo. Cut out the main spar and
rear spar. To reinforce the main spar (1),
glue the spruce spars (3 and 4) to it. To
reinforce the main spar tip (2), adhere the
spruce spar (5) to it. Bond the tip spar to
the main spar. Glue the tip (7) to the rear
spar (6).
Mark the location of the ribs onto the
spars. Slide ribs W1 and W2 onto the spars.
Place the 1/8-inch shim under the rear spar.
Pin and adhere the ribs to the spars. Attach
the LE to the ribs. Lift the wing, and pin
the wingtip spars to the building board.
Glue ribs W3, W4, and W5 to the spars.
Adhere the wingtip LE to the ribs. Bond
the 1/4 x 1/4 balsa tip (8) to the spar and to
the LE. Slide the aileron bottom sheet (16)
under the ribs, and slide the wingtip
washout guide under that sheet.
32 MODEL AVIATION
Glue the ribs to the bottom sheeting
(16). Attach the top LE and TE sheeting to
the wingtip. Glue the capstrips (22) to ribs
W3-W5, where the aileron hinge spar and
aileron LE spar are going to be adhered.
Separate the aileron from the wingtip by
cutting it off at the marked lines drawn on
ribs W3-W5. Join the hinge spar (14) to the
ribs. Glue the LE (15) to the aileron. Glue
the capstrips to the ribs.
Attach the plywood plate (23) between
ribs W3 and W4, to support the aileron
horn. Slide flexible rod for the aileron
control into the holes in the ribs. Remove
the wing from the building board.
Use the same steps to build the other
wing half. When both are completed, pin
them to the building board so that the spars
are touching. Adhere the plywood joiner
piece (24) to the main spars and the joiner
piece (25) to the rear spars.
Glue both the bottom and top TE
sheeting (12) to all W1 and W2 ribs.
Adhere the LE spar (10) to ribs W1 and
W2. Sand the edge of this spar so it follows
the ribs’ contour. Bond the top LE sheeting
(13) to all of the ribs.
Insert and glue the landing gear
hardwood blocks (20) to ribs W1. Attach
the bottom LE sheeting to all of the ribs.
Glue in the wing-bolt-support plywood
piece (19) to the W1 ribs. Adhere the servo
tray in the center of the wing. Join sheeting
(18) to the W1 ribs. Glue on the LE capstrip
(11).
Sand the wing. Insert and glue in the
dowel (21).
Stabilizer and Elevator: Pin the hinge spar
(26) to the building board. Pin and glue
all stabilizer ribs to the spar. Bond the
LE spar (27) to the ribs. Glue the 1/4
balsa square stick (29) between the hinge
spar and the LE at the tips.
Attach the top sheeting (30). Glue on the
bottom sheeting (30). Adhere the LE
capstrip (31) to the stabilizer. Sand the
stabilizer.
Cut the elevators (32) from 1/16 balsa.
Glue the LE (33) and TE (36) to one side of
the elevator sheet (32). Glue in the ribs and
1/4 balsa sheet (34 and 35). Sand that side.
Flip the elevator, and glue the same items to
that side; sand that side.
Fuselage and Rudder: Cut out as many
parts as possible; notice that some formers
are in two sections. The bottom is plywood
and the top is balsa. This was done so that
when the fuselage is being built upsidedown,
formers F2, F3, F4, F7, and F8 can
touch the building board.
Former F2 is showing the motor
mounting holes for the AXi, from Hobby
Lobby, that I am using. You might need to
modify the mounting to suit your setup.
Adhere the doublers (41) to the fuselage
side (40). Glue on the longeron (42 and 43)
and all of the uprights (44) to the fuselage
sides. Pin the fuselage sides to the building
board.
Insert and glue in formers F4 and F8.
Use the squares to position everything
accurately. Glue in former F8 and all
crossbraces (45).
At the aft end, glue in the rudder-hinge
support block (48). Glue in formers F3, F2,
and F1.
Adhere the battery floor (56) and the
cockpit floor (57). In the nose section, attach
the fuselage bottom (51) and the balsa block
(53). Glue the plywood plate (58) between
the fuselage sides.
Flip the fuselage right-side up, and glue
on formers F2A, F3A, F4A, F5, F7A, F8A,
and F9-F14. Adhere the top longerons (46
and 47). Glue the top sheeting (50) over
formers F1-F5. Glue on the rear top sheeting
(49). Join the nose block (54) to the
fuselage, and then sand that structure.
Cut the cowl’s cheeks (55) from the
balsa blocks. Sand them and then adhere
them to the fuselage sides. Bond the air
scoop (52) to the bottom of the cowl. Fill in
imperfections with lightweight filler and
sand them.
Glue the stabilizer to the fuselage. Glue
subfin former F15 to the stabilizer, and then
attach the balsa sides (65) to this former and
to the stabilizer.
Cut the rudder from 1/16 sheet (59); glue
the hinge spar (60) to it. Adhere the LE (61)
and TE (62) to the rudder sheet. Glue in ribs
R1-R5. Sand this side of the rudder. Flip the
rudder onto the other side, and glue in the
identical parts to that side.
At the bottom, glue in the plywood plate
(63). Glue in a plywood plate (64) to one side
of the rudder, to hold the rudder control horn.
Bend 1/16- or 3/32-inch-diameter piano wire
to make the leg for the tail wheel. Drill the hole
in the hinge spar (60) and insert the tail-wheel
wire. Wrap a piece of fiberglass around the
wire and the rudder spar. Use instant glue to
bond the fiberglass to the hinge spar.
Wheel Pants and Landing Gear: The wheel
pants are made from four parts, one of which
(66 and 67) has the shape of wheel pants,
including the leg. The second pair of parts (66
and 67) has the shape without the legs.
Cut the shapes of the wheel pants. In the
part (66), cut out the wheel well. Glue two (66)
parts and glue them to each other. Adhere parts
(67) to both sides of (66) parts.
Drill a hole for the landing gear axle. Sand
the wheel pants to the shape as shown on the
drawing. At the back of the wheel pants part
(67) cowl, cut and make the groove for
accepting landing gear wire (69).
Bend and cut the 5/32-inch-diameter piano
wire to the proper shape and length. Insert the
wire into the groove in the wheel pants for a
trial fit. If satisfied, remove the wire from the
wheel pants. The landing gear wire will be
permanently installed after the wheel pants are
finish-covered.
Final Assembly: Cover the model with your
favorite material; I used MonoKote. Install the
hinges, controls, and motor. I mounted my
AXi with four Allen-head screws that hold it in
from the back, using a long-handle
screwdriver.
When installing the motor, the speed
controller is already connected to it. I used a
Jeti 77 Opto ESC from Hobby Lobby,
modified with a Castle Creations CC BEC.
For safety’s sake, I installed an arming plug
in series with the battery that is accessible from
the cockpit. Without this plug in, there is no
power to the speed controller and motor. I urge
you to use this setup for the D.9 and all other
larger models you have.
I reviewed this model’s flight at the
beginning of the article.
Good luck! MA
Laddie Mikulasko
[email protected]
Sources:
The Jodel Company
www.jodel.com
Hobby Lobby International
(866) 512-1444
www.hobby-lobby.com
Top Flite MonoKote
(217) 398-8970
www.monokote.com
Castle Creations
(913) 390-6939
www.castlecreations.com
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/10
Page Numbers: 25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33
by Laddie
Mikulasko
An electric-powered RC version of the French light home-built
October 2009 25
As is the full-scale version, this 1/4-scale
Jodel D-9 Bebe is a sweetheart on landing.
FOR MANY YEARS, I set my sights on building a
scale model of the famous French home-built Jodel
D.9 Bébé. It has a long history. Eduardo Joly and
Jean Delemontez began building the prototype in
1946. The name “Jodel” was derived from a
combination of their names.
The pair started constructing the airplane
without plans; they drew the individual parts’
shapes directly onto the wood. The D.9 was first
flown in 1948 with an old 19-horsepower Poinsard
engine and showed excellent flying qualities. It
soon became the most popular home-built in
Europe, and then its popularity spread around the
world.
More than 5,000 D.9s have been built from plans
or kits, and many are constructed to this day. The
D.9 was a starting point in the series of the
manufacturers’ designs. The Jodel Company was
eventually formed, and all of the additional designs
were produced. A Volkswagen engine powered
most of the early airplanes.
A beautifully painted D.9 that Bernard
Schacknowski of Paris, Illinois, built in 1963
motivated me to build the model. His was one of the
first, if not the first, of those aircraft constructed in
the US. He streamlined the airplane’s nose by
enclosing the Continental A-40 engine.
10sig1.QXD 8/24/09 10:25 AM Page 25
26 MODEL AVIATION
Above: All ribs are cut out, and the main and auxiliary spars are in the process
of construction. The wing is built with a left and right half.
Right: The ribs for the left half of the wing are glued to the spars. Drill holes for
the aileron flexible cable or for pulling the extension cable for the aileron servo.
Bottom aileron sheeting is glued to the ribs and the spar. The
wingtip’s top LE is adhered to the ribs and to the LE.
The wing halves are joined with plywood joiners. Notice that the
location of the ribs is marked onto the spars.
Left: Hardwood blocks for wing bolts are glued in. Sand the edge
on this spar so that it follows the contour of the ribs.
Above: The top TE is glued to the ribs. The hardwood landing
gear block is glued to the ribs. Predrill the block for the 5/32-
inch-diameter piano wire.
Photos by the author
10sig1.QXD 8/24/09 10:27 AM Page 26
October 2009 27
Above: The fuselage is built upside-down and then top
formers are glued on. Some formers are in two sections.
Left: Longerons and uprights are glued to the fuselage
sides. The doubler is glued to the fuselage side. To get
the bend, place shims under the fuselage sides while
the glue is drying.
Use your favorite method to soften the
sheeting in preparation for molding
around the formers. It’s time well spent.
Notice the large opening in front for the
motor to go through. Consult the plans for
the correct contour shape of the nose block.
The cheeks for the engine cowl are
fabricated from balsa blocks. Making them
identical can be tricky; take your time and
use the plans as a template.
Stabilizer construction is simple, with ribs between the hinge
spar and LE with sheeting top and bottom.
Once the stabilizer is glued to the fuselage, the rudder subfin
can be constructed. Fill with sheeting and sand to a contour.
10sig1.QXD 8/24/09 10:29 AM Page 27
28 MODEL AVIATION
The model is ready for covering. Lightweight filler is used to
finish the shape of the cowl cheeks.
Wheel pants are made from
several balsa layers. The landing
gear wire passes through the pant
and recesses into a carved groove.
The author constructed a homemade tail
wheel assembly to replicate the full-scale
aircraft’s. Conventional pushrods make
radio setup easy.
An AXI 4120/18 outrunner motor
running on a 6S pack is equivalent to a
.46-size two-stroke engine. An
approximately 12 x 8 propeller works for
this setup.
A 1/4-scale pilot can be trimmed to suit
the open cockpit. A full canopy is another
option. The open version hides a motor
arming plug.
The battery platform best accommodates a series pack
installation. The large fuselage has provided enough cooling
for the electronics.
The attractive color scheme makes this
model stand out. The author used
MonoKote for everything, including the
complex wheel pants. It’s pretty!
10sig1.QXD 8/24/09 10:32 AM Page 28
I decided to build the model to 1/4 scale.
It is of simple construction, using balsa,
plywood, and spruce. I powered my version
with a motor. I knew that the airplane
would fly great, and I was not disappointed.
Steering on the ground is excellent.
When power is applied, the model tracks
straight and becomes airborne in no time.
Only a bit of down-trim on the first flight
was required. My D.9 is stable and is
capable of loops and rolls. On landing, it
responds well to necessary corrections. I
am extremely pleased with it.
CONSTRUCTION
All the pieces on the plans are
numbered from 1 to 71, and the ribs and
formers are identified with letters.
Wing: The wing is built in a left and a right
half. Cut all the ribs; do W3, W4, and W5
in one piece.
Drill holes for the aileron flexible cable
or for pulling the extension cable for the
aileron servo. Cut out the main spar and
rear spar. To reinforce the main spar (1),
glue the spruce spars (3 and 4) to it. To
reinforce the main spar tip (2), adhere the
spruce spar (5) to it. Bond the tip spar to
the main spar. Glue the tip (7) to the rear
spar (6).
Mark the location of the ribs onto the
spars. Slide ribs W1 and W2 onto the spars.
Place the 1/8-inch shim under the rear spar.
Pin and adhere the ribs to the spars. Attach
the LE to the ribs. Lift the wing, and pin
the wingtip spars to the building board.
Glue ribs W3, W4, and W5 to the spars.
Adhere the wingtip LE to the ribs. Bond
the 1/4 x 1/4 balsa tip (8) to the spar and to
the LE. Slide the aileron bottom sheet (16)
under the ribs, and slide the wingtip
washout guide under that sheet.
32 MODEL AVIATION
Glue the ribs to the bottom sheeting
(16). Attach the top LE and TE sheeting to
the wingtip. Glue the capstrips (22) to ribs
W3-W5, where the aileron hinge spar and
aileron LE spar are going to be adhered.
Separate the aileron from the wingtip by
cutting it off at the marked lines drawn on
ribs W3-W5. Join the hinge spar (14) to the
ribs. Glue the LE (15) to the aileron. Glue
the capstrips to the ribs.
Attach the plywood plate (23) between
ribs W3 and W4, to support the aileron
horn. Slide flexible rod for the aileron
control into the holes in the ribs. Remove
the wing from the building board.
Use the same steps to build the other
wing half. When both are completed, pin
them to the building board so that the spars
are touching. Adhere the plywood joiner
piece (24) to the main spars and the joiner
piece (25) to the rear spars.
Glue both the bottom and top TE
sheeting (12) to all W1 and W2 ribs.
Adhere the LE spar (10) to ribs W1 and
W2. Sand the edge of this spar so it follows
the ribs’ contour. Bond the top LE sheeting
(13) to all of the ribs.
Insert and glue the landing gear
hardwood blocks (20) to ribs W1. Attach
the bottom LE sheeting to all of the ribs.
Glue in the wing-bolt-support plywood
piece (19) to the W1 ribs. Adhere the servo
tray in the center of the wing. Join sheeting
(18) to the W1 ribs. Glue on the LE capstrip
(11).
Sand the wing. Insert and glue in the
dowel (21).
Stabilizer and Elevator: Pin the hinge spar
(26) to the building board. Pin and glue
all stabilizer ribs to the spar. Bond the
LE spar (27) to the ribs. Glue the 1/4
balsa square stick (29) between the hinge
spar and the LE at the tips.
Attach the top sheeting (30). Glue on the
bottom sheeting (30). Adhere the LE
capstrip (31) to the stabilizer. Sand the
stabilizer.
Cut the elevators (32) from 1/16 balsa.
Glue the LE (33) and TE (36) to one side of
the elevator sheet (32). Glue in the ribs and
1/4 balsa sheet (34 and 35). Sand that side.
Flip the elevator, and glue the same items to
that side; sand that side.
Fuselage and Rudder: Cut out as many
parts as possible; notice that some formers
are in two sections. The bottom is plywood
and the top is balsa. This was done so that
when the fuselage is being built upsidedown,
formers F2, F3, F4, F7, and F8 can
touch the building board.
Former F2 is showing the motor
mounting holes for the AXi, from Hobby
Lobby, that I am using. You might need to
modify the mounting to suit your setup.
Adhere the doublers (41) to the fuselage
side (40). Glue on the longeron (42 and 43)
and all of the uprights (44) to the fuselage
sides. Pin the fuselage sides to the building
board.
Insert and glue in formers F4 and F8.
Use the squares to position everything
accurately. Glue in former F8 and all
crossbraces (45).
At the aft end, glue in the rudder-hinge
support block (48). Glue in formers F3, F2,
and F1.
Adhere the battery floor (56) and the
cockpit floor (57). In the nose section, attach
the fuselage bottom (51) and the balsa block
(53). Glue the plywood plate (58) between
the fuselage sides.
Flip the fuselage right-side up, and glue
on formers F2A, F3A, F4A, F5, F7A, F8A,
and F9-F14. Adhere the top longerons (46
and 47). Glue the top sheeting (50) over
formers F1-F5. Glue on the rear top sheeting
(49). Join the nose block (54) to the
fuselage, and then sand that structure.
Cut the cowl’s cheeks (55) from the
balsa blocks. Sand them and then adhere
them to the fuselage sides. Bond the air
scoop (52) to the bottom of the cowl. Fill in
imperfections with lightweight filler and
sand them.
Glue the stabilizer to the fuselage. Glue
subfin former F15 to the stabilizer, and then
attach the balsa sides (65) to this former and
to the stabilizer.
Cut the rudder from 1/16 sheet (59); glue
the hinge spar (60) to it. Adhere the LE (61)
and TE (62) to the rudder sheet. Glue in ribs
R1-R5. Sand this side of the rudder. Flip the
rudder onto the other side, and glue in the
identical parts to that side.
At the bottom, glue in the plywood plate
(63). Glue in a plywood plate (64) to one side
of the rudder, to hold the rudder control horn.
Bend 1/16- or 3/32-inch-diameter piano wire
to make the leg for the tail wheel. Drill the hole
in the hinge spar (60) and insert the tail-wheel
wire. Wrap a piece of fiberglass around the
wire and the rudder spar. Use instant glue to
bond the fiberglass to the hinge spar.
Wheel Pants and Landing Gear: The wheel
pants are made from four parts, one of which
(66 and 67) has the shape of wheel pants,
including the leg. The second pair of parts (66
and 67) has the shape without the legs.
Cut the shapes of the wheel pants. In the
part (66), cut out the wheel well. Glue two (66)
parts and glue them to each other. Adhere parts
(67) to both sides of (66) parts.
Drill a hole for the landing gear axle. Sand
the wheel pants to the shape as shown on the
drawing. At the back of the wheel pants part
(67) cowl, cut and make the groove for
accepting landing gear wire (69).
Bend and cut the 5/32-inch-diameter piano
wire to the proper shape and length. Insert the
wire into the groove in the wheel pants for a
trial fit. If satisfied, remove the wire from the
wheel pants. The landing gear wire will be
permanently installed after the wheel pants are
finish-covered.
Final Assembly: Cover the model with your
favorite material; I used MonoKote. Install the
hinges, controls, and motor. I mounted my
AXi with four Allen-head screws that hold it in
from the back, using a long-handle
screwdriver.
When installing the motor, the speed
controller is already connected to it. I used a
Jeti 77 Opto ESC from Hobby Lobby,
modified with a Castle Creations CC BEC.
For safety’s sake, I installed an arming plug
in series with the battery that is accessible from
the cockpit. Without this plug in, there is no
power to the speed controller and motor. I urge
you to use this setup for the D.9 and all other
larger models you have.
I reviewed this model’s flight at the
beginning of the article.
Good luck! MA
Laddie Mikulasko
[email protected]
Sources:
The Jodel Company
www.jodel.com
Hobby Lobby International
(866) 512-1444
www.hobby-lobby.com
Top Flite MonoKote
(217) 398-8970
www.monokote.com
Castle Creations
(913) 390-6939
www.castlecreations.com
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/10
Page Numbers: 25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33
by Laddie
Mikulasko
An electric-powered RC version of the French light home-built
October 2009 25
As is the full-scale version, this 1/4-scale
Jodel D-9 Bebe is a sweetheart on landing.
FOR MANY YEARS, I set my sights on building a
scale model of the famous French home-built Jodel
D.9 Bébé. It has a long history. Eduardo Joly and
Jean Delemontez began building the prototype in
1946. The name “Jodel” was derived from a
combination of their names.
The pair started constructing the airplane
without plans; they drew the individual parts’
shapes directly onto the wood. The D.9 was first
flown in 1948 with an old 19-horsepower Poinsard
engine and showed excellent flying qualities. It
soon became the most popular home-built in
Europe, and then its popularity spread around the
world.
More than 5,000 D.9s have been built from plans
or kits, and many are constructed to this day. The
D.9 was a starting point in the series of the
manufacturers’ designs. The Jodel Company was
eventually formed, and all of the additional designs
were produced. A Volkswagen engine powered
most of the early airplanes.
A beautifully painted D.9 that Bernard
Schacknowski of Paris, Illinois, built in 1963
motivated me to build the model. His was one of the
first, if not the first, of those aircraft constructed in
the US. He streamlined the airplane’s nose by
enclosing the Continental A-40 engine.
10sig1.QXD 8/24/09 10:25 AM Page 25
26 MODEL AVIATION
Above: All ribs are cut out, and the main and auxiliary spars are in the process
of construction. The wing is built with a left and right half.
Right: The ribs for the left half of the wing are glued to the spars. Drill holes for
the aileron flexible cable or for pulling the extension cable for the aileron servo.
Bottom aileron sheeting is glued to the ribs and the spar. The
wingtip’s top LE is adhered to the ribs and to the LE.
The wing halves are joined with plywood joiners. Notice that the
location of the ribs is marked onto the spars.
Left: Hardwood blocks for wing bolts are glued in. Sand the edge
on this spar so that it follows the contour of the ribs.
Above: The top TE is glued to the ribs. The hardwood landing
gear block is glued to the ribs. Predrill the block for the 5/32-
inch-diameter piano wire.
Photos by the author
10sig1.QXD 8/24/09 10:27 AM Page 26
October 2009 27
Above: The fuselage is built upside-down and then top
formers are glued on. Some formers are in two sections.
Left: Longerons and uprights are glued to the fuselage
sides. The doubler is glued to the fuselage side. To get
the bend, place shims under the fuselage sides while
the glue is drying.
Use your favorite method to soften the
sheeting in preparation for molding
around the formers. It’s time well spent.
Notice the large opening in front for the
motor to go through. Consult the plans for
the correct contour shape of the nose block.
The cheeks for the engine cowl are
fabricated from balsa blocks. Making them
identical can be tricky; take your time and
use the plans as a template.
Stabilizer construction is simple, with ribs between the hinge
spar and LE with sheeting top and bottom.
Once the stabilizer is glued to the fuselage, the rudder subfin
can be constructed. Fill with sheeting and sand to a contour.
10sig1.QXD 8/24/09 10:29 AM Page 27
28 MODEL AVIATION
The model is ready for covering. Lightweight filler is used to
finish the shape of the cowl cheeks.
Wheel pants are made from
several balsa layers. The landing
gear wire passes through the pant
and recesses into a carved groove.
The author constructed a homemade tail
wheel assembly to replicate the full-scale
aircraft’s. Conventional pushrods make
radio setup easy.
An AXI 4120/18 outrunner motor
running on a 6S pack is equivalent to a
.46-size two-stroke engine. An
approximately 12 x 8 propeller works for
this setup.
A 1/4-scale pilot can be trimmed to suit
the open cockpit. A full canopy is another
option. The open version hides a motor
arming plug.
The battery platform best accommodates a series pack
installation. The large fuselage has provided enough cooling
for the electronics.
The attractive color scheme makes this
model stand out. The author used
MonoKote for everything, including the
complex wheel pants. It’s pretty!
10sig1.QXD 8/24/09 10:32 AM Page 28
I decided to build the model to 1/4 scale.
It is of simple construction, using balsa,
plywood, and spruce. I powered my version
with a motor. I knew that the airplane
would fly great, and I was not disappointed.
Steering on the ground is excellent.
When power is applied, the model tracks
straight and becomes airborne in no time.
Only a bit of down-trim on the first flight
was required. My D.9 is stable and is
capable of loops and rolls. On landing, it
responds well to necessary corrections. I
am extremely pleased with it.
CONSTRUCTION
All the pieces on the plans are
numbered from 1 to 71, and the ribs and
formers are identified with letters.
Wing: The wing is built in a left and a right
half. Cut all the ribs; do W3, W4, and W5
in one piece.
Drill holes for the aileron flexible cable
or for pulling the extension cable for the
aileron servo. Cut out the main spar and
rear spar. To reinforce the main spar (1),
glue the spruce spars (3 and 4) to it. To
reinforce the main spar tip (2), adhere the
spruce spar (5) to it. Bond the tip spar to
the main spar. Glue the tip (7) to the rear
spar (6).
Mark the location of the ribs onto the
spars. Slide ribs W1 and W2 onto the spars.
Place the 1/8-inch shim under the rear spar.
Pin and adhere the ribs to the spars. Attach
the LE to the ribs. Lift the wing, and pin
the wingtip spars to the building board.
Glue ribs W3, W4, and W5 to the spars.
Adhere the wingtip LE to the ribs. Bond
the 1/4 x 1/4 balsa tip (8) to the spar and to
the LE. Slide the aileron bottom sheet (16)
under the ribs, and slide the wingtip
washout guide under that sheet.
32 MODEL AVIATION
Glue the ribs to the bottom sheeting
(16). Attach the top LE and TE sheeting to
the wingtip. Glue the capstrips (22) to ribs
W3-W5, where the aileron hinge spar and
aileron LE spar are going to be adhered.
Separate the aileron from the wingtip by
cutting it off at the marked lines drawn on
ribs W3-W5. Join the hinge spar (14) to the
ribs. Glue the LE (15) to the aileron. Glue
the capstrips to the ribs.
Attach the plywood plate (23) between
ribs W3 and W4, to support the aileron
horn. Slide flexible rod for the aileron
control into the holes in the ribs. Remove
the wing from the building board.
Use the same steps to build the other
wing half. When both are completed, pin
them to the building board so that the spars
are touching. Adhere the plywood joiner
piece (24) to the main spars and the joiner
piece (25) to the rear spars.
Glue both the bottom and top TE
sheeting (12) to all W1 and W2 ribs.
Adhere the LE spar (10) to ribs W1 and
W2. Sand the edge of this spar so it follows
the ribs’ contour. Bond the top LE sheeting
(13) to all of the ribs.
Insert and glue the landing gear
hardwood blocks (20) to ribs W1. Attach
the bottom LE sheeting to all of the ribs.
Glue in the wing-bolt-support plywood
piece (19) to the W1 ribs. Adhere the servo
tray in the center of the wing. Join sheeting
(18) to the W1 ribs. Glue on the LE capstrip
(11).
Sand the wing. Insert and glue in the
dowel (21).
Stabilizer and Elevator: Pin the hinge spar
(26) to the building board. Pin and glue
all stabilizer ribs to the spar. Bond the
LE spar (27) to the ribs. Glue the 1/4
balsa square stick (29) between the hinge
spar and the LE at the tips.
Attach the top sheeting (30). Glue on the
bottom sheeting (30). Adhere the LE
capstrip (31) to the stabilizer. Sand the
stabilizer.
Cut the elevators (32) from 1/16 balsa.
Glue the LE (33) and TE (36) to one side of
the elevator sheet (32). Glue in the ribs and
1/4 balsa sheet (34 and 35). Sand that side.
Flip the elevator, and glue the same items to
that side; sand that side.
Fuselage and Rudder: Cut out as many
parts as possible; notice that some formers
are in two sections. The bottom is plywood
and the top is balsa. This was done so that
when the fuselage is being built upsidedown,
formers F2, F3, F4, F7, and F8 can
touch the building board.
Former F2 is showing the motor
mounting holes for the AXi, from Hobby
Lobby, that I am using. You might need to
modify the mounting to suit your setup.
Adhere the doublers (41) to the fuselage
side (40). Glue on the longeron (42 and 43)
and all of the uprights (44) to the fuselage
sides. Pin the fuselage sides to the building
board.
Insert and glue in formers F4 and F8.
Use the squares to position everything
accurately. Glue in former F8 and all
crossbraces (45).
At the aft end, glue in the rudder-hinge
support block (48). Glue in formers F3, F2,
and F1.
Adhere the battery floor (56) and the
cockpit floor (57). In the nose section, attach
the fuselage bottom (51) and the balsa block
(53). Glue the plywood plate (58) between
the fuselage sides.
Flip the fuselage right-side up, and glue
on formers F2A, F3A, F4A, F5, F7A, F8A,
and F9-F14. Adhere the top longerons (46
and 47). Glue the top sheeting (50) over
formers F1-F5. Glue on the rear top sheeting
(49). Join the nose block (54) to the
fuselage, and then sand that structure.
Cut the cowl’s cheeks (55) from the
balsa blocks. Sand them and then adhere
them to the fuselage sides. Bond the air
scoop (52) to the bottom of the cowl. Fill in
imperfections with lightweight filler and
sand them.
Glue the stabilizer to the fuselage. Glue
subfin former F15 to the stabilizer, and then
attach the balsa sides (65) to this former and
to the stabilizer.
Cut the rudder from 1/16 sheet (59); glue
the hinge spar (60) to it. Adhere the LE (61)
and TE (62) to the rudder sheet. Glue in ribs
R1-R5. Sand this side of the rudder. Flip the
rudder onto the other side, and glue in the
identical parts to that side.
At the bottom, glue in the plywood plate
(63). Glue in a plywood plate (64) to one side
of the rudder, to hold the rudder control horn.
Bend 1/16- or 3/32-inch-diameter piano wire
to make the leg for the tail wheel. Drill the hole
in the hinge spar (60) and insert the tail-wheel
wire. Wrap a piece of fiberglass around the
wire and the rudder spar. Use instant glue to
bond the fiberglass to the hinge spar.
Wheel Pants and Landing Gear: The wheel
pants are made from four parts, one of which
(66 and 67) has the shape of wheel pants,
including the leg. The second pair of parts (66
and 67) has the shape without the legs.
Cut the shapes of the wheel pants. In the
part (66), cut out the wheel well. Glue two (66)
parts and glue them to each other. Adhere parts
(67) to both sides of (66) parts.
Drill a hole for the landing gear axle. Sand
the wheel pants to the shape as shown on the
drawing. At the back of the wheel pants part
(67) cowl, cut and make the groove for
accepting landing gear wire (69).
Bend and cut the 5/32-inch-diameter piano
wire to the proper shape and length. Insert the
wire into the groove in the wheel pants for a
trial fit. If satisfied, remove the wire from the
wheel pants. The landing gear wire will be
permanently installed after the wheel pants are
finish-covered.
Final Assembly: Cover the model with your
favorite material; I used MonoKote. Install the
hinges, controls, and motor. I mounted my
AXi with four Allen-head screws that hold it in
from the back, using a long-handle
screwdriver.
When installing the motor, the speed
controller is already connected to it. I used a
Jeti 77 Opto ESC from Hobby Lobby,
modified with a Castle Creations CC BEC.
For safety’s sake, I installed an arming plug
in series with the battery that is accessible from
the cockpit. Without this plug in, there is no
power to the speed controller and motor. I urge
you to use this setup for the D.9 and all other
larger models you have.
I reviewed this model’s flight at the
beginning of the article.
Good luck! MA
Laddie Mikulasko
[email protected]
Sources:
The Jodel Company
www.jodel.com
Hobby Lobby International
(866) 512-1444
www.hobby-lobby.com
Top Flite MonoKote
(217) 398-8970
www.monokote.com
Castle Creations
(913) 390-6939
www.castlecreations.com
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/10
Page Numbers: 25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33
by Laddie
Mikulasko
An electric-powered RC version of the French light home-built
October 2009 25
As is the full-scale version, this 1/4-scale
Jodel D-9 Bebe is a sweetheart on landing.
FOR MANY YEARS, I set my sights on building a
scale model of the famous French home-built Jodel
D.9 Bébé. It has a long history. Eduardo Joly and
Jean Delemontez began building the prototype in
1946. The name “Jodel” was derived from a
combination of their names.
The pair started constructing the airplane
without plans; they drew the individual parts’
shapes directly onto the wood. The D.9 was first
flown in 1948 with an old 19-horsepower Poinsard
engine and showed excellent flying qualities. It
soon became the most popular home-built in
Europe, and then its popularity spread around the
world.
More than 5,000 D.9s have been built from plans
or kits, and many are constructed to this day. The
D.9 was a starting point in the series of the
manufacturers’ designs. The Jodel Company was
eventually formed, and all of the additional designs
were produced. A Volkswagen engine powered
most of the early airplanes.
A beautifully painted D.9 that Bernard
Schacknowski of Paris, Illinois, built in 1963
motivated me to build the model. His was one of the
first, if not the first, of those aircraft constructed in
the US. He streamlined the airplane’s nose by
enclosing the Continental A-40 engine.
10sig1.QXD 8/24/09 10:25 AM Page 25
26 MODEL AVIATION
Above: All ribs are cut out, and the main and auxiliary spars are in the process
of construction. The wing is built with a left and right half.
Right: The ribs for the left half of the wing are glued to the spars. Drill holes for
the aileron flexible cable or for pulling the extension cable for the aileron servo.
Bottom aileron sheeting is glued to the ribs and the spar. The
wingtip’s top LE is adhered to the ribs and to the LE.
The wing halves are joined with plywood joiners. Notice that the
location of the ribs is marked onto the spars.
Left: Hardwood blocks for wing bolts are glued in. Sand the edge
on this spar so that it follows the contour of the ribs.
Above: The top TE is glued to the ribs. The hardwood landing
gear block is glued to the ribs. Predrill the block for the 5/32-
inch-diameter piano wire.
Photos by the author
10sig1.QXD 8/24/09 10:27 AM Page 26
October 2009 27
Above: The fuselage is built upside-down and then top
formers are glued on. Some formers are in two sections.
Left: Longerons and uprights are glued to the fuselage
sides. The doubler is glued to the fuselage side. To get
the bend, place shims under the fuselage sides while
the glue is drying.
Use your favorite method to soften the
sheeting in preparation for molding
around the formers. It’s time well spent.
Notice the large opening in front for the
motor to go through. Consult the plans for
the correct contour shape of the nose block.
The cheeks for the engine cowl are
fabricated from balsa blocks. Making them
identical can be tricky; take your time and
use the plans as a template.
Stabilizer construction is simple, with ribs between the hinge
spar and LE with sheeting top and bottom.
Once the stabilizer is glued to the fuselage, the rudder subfin
can be constructed. Fill with sheeting and sand to a contour.
10sig1.QXD 8/24/09 10:29 AM Page 27
28 MODEL AVIATION
The model is ready for covering. Lightweight filler is used to
finish the shape of the cowl cheeks.
Wheel pants are made from
several balsa layers. The landing
gear wire passes through the pant
and recesses into a carved groove.
The author constructed a homemade tail
wheel assembly to replicate the full-scale
aircraft’s. Conventional pushrods make
radio setup easy.
An AXI 4120/18 outrunner motor
running on a 6S pack is equivalent to a
.46-size two-stroke engine. An
approximately 12 x 8 propeller works for
this setup.
A 1/4-scale pilot can be trimmed to suit
the open cockpit. A full canopy is another
option. The open version hides a motor
arming plug.
The battery platform best accommodates a series pack
installation. The large fuselage has provided enough cooling
for the electronics.
The attractive color scheme makes this
model stand out. The author used
MonoKote for everything, including the
complex wheel pants. It’s pretty!
10sig1.QXD 8/24/09 10:32 AM Page 28
I decided to build the model to 1/4 scale.
It is of simple construction, using balsa,
plywood, and spruce. I powered my version
with a motor. I knew that the airplane
would fly great, and I was not disappointed.
Steering on the ground is excellent.
When power is applied, the model tracks
straight and becomes airborne in no time.
Only a bit of down-trim on the first flight
was required. My D.9 is stable and is
capable of loops and rolls. On landing, it
responds well to necessary corrections. I
am extremely pleased with it.
CONSTRUCTION
All the pieces on the plans are
numbered from 1 to 71, and the ribs and
formers are identified with letters.
Wing: The wing is built in a left and a right
half. Cut all the ribs; do W3, W4, and W5
in one piece.
Drill holes for the aileron flexible cable
or for pulling the extension cable for the
aileron servo. Cut out the main spar and
rear spar. To reinforce the main spar (1),
glue the spruce spars (3 and 4) to it. To
reinforce the main spar tip (2), adhere the
spruce spar (5) to it. Bond the tip spar to
the main spar. Glue the tip (7) to the rear
spar (6).
Mark the location of the ribs onto the
spars. Slide ribs W1 and W2 onto the spars.
Place the 1/8-inch shim under the rear spar.
Pin and adhere the ribs to the spars. Attach
the LE to the ribs. Lift the wing, and pin
the wingtip spars to the building board.
Glue ribs W3, W4, and W5 to the spars.
Adhere the wingtip LE to the ribs. Bond
the 1/4 x 1/4 balsa tip (8) to the spar and to
the LE. Slide the aileron bottom sheet (16)
under the ribs, and slide the wingtip
washout guide under that sheet.
32 MODEL AVIATION
Glue the ribs to the bottom sheeting
(16). Attach the top LE and TE sheeting to
the wingtip. Glue the capstrips (22) to ribs
W3-W5, where the aileron hinge spar and
aileron LE spar are going to be adhered.
Separate the aileron from the wingtip by
cutting it off at the marked lines drawn on
ribs W3-W5. Join the hinge spar (14) to the
ribs. Glue the LE (15) to the aileron. Glue
the capstrips to the ribs.
Attach the plywood plate (23) between
ribs W3 and W4, to support the aileron
horn. Slide flexible rod for the aileron
control into the holes in the ribs. Remove
the wing from the building board.
Use the same steps to build the other
wing half. When both are completed, pin
them to the building board so that the spars
are touching. Adhere the plywood joiner
piece (24) to the main spars and the joiner
piece (25) to the rear spars.
Glue both the bottom and top TE
sheeting (12) to all W1 and W2 ribs.
Adhere the LE spar (10) to ribs W1 and
W2. Sand the edge of this spar so it follows
the ribs’ contour. Bond the top LE sheeting
(13) to all of the ribs.
Insert and glue the landing gear
hardwood blocks (20) to ribs W1. Attach
the bottom LE sheeting to all of the ribs.
Glue in the wing-bolt-support plywood
piece (19) to the W1 ribs. Adhere the servo
tray in the center of the wing. Join sheeting
(18) to the W1 ribs. Glue on the LE capstrip
(11).
Sand the wing. Insert and glue in the
dowel (21).
Stabilizer and Elevator: Pin the hinge spar
(26) to the building board. Pin and glue
all stabilizer ribs to the spar. Bond the
LE spar (27) to the ribs. Glue the 1/4
balsa square stick (29) between the hinge
spar and the LE at the tips.
Attach the top sheeting (30). Glue on the
bottom sheeting (30). Adhere the LE
capstrip (31) to the stabilizer. Sand the
stabilizer.
Cut the elevators (32) from 1/16 balsa.
Glue the LE (33) and TE (36) to one side of
the elevator sheet (32). Glue in the ribs and
1/4 balsa sheet (34 and 35). Sand that side.
Flip the elevator, and glue the same items to
that side; sand that side.
Fuselage and Rudder: Cut out as many
parts as possible; notice that some formers
are in two sections. The bottom is plywood
and the top is balsa. This was done so that
when the fuselage is being built upsidedown,
formers F2, F3, F4, F7, and F8 can
touch the building board.
Former F2 is showing the motor
mounting holes for the AXi, from Hobby
Lobby, that I am using. You might need to
modify the mounting to suit your setup.
Adhere the doublers (41) to the fuselage
side (40). Glue on the longeron (42 and 43)
and all of the uprights (44) to the fuselage
sides. Pin the fuselage sides to the building
board.
Insert and glue in formers F4 and F8.
Use the squares to position everything
accurately. Glue in former F8 and all
crossbraces (45).
At the aft end, glue in the rudder-hinge
support block (48). Glue in formers F3, F2,
and F1.
Adhere the battery floor (56) and the
cockpit floor (57). In the nose section, attach
the fuselage bottom (51) and the balsa block
(53). Glue the plywood plate (58) between
the fuselage sides.
Flip the fuselage right-side up, and glue
on formers F2A, F3A, F4A, F5, F7A, F8A,
and F9-F14. Adhere the top longerons (46
and 47). Glue the top sheeting (50) over
formers F1-F5. Glue on the rear top sheeting
(49). Join the nose block (54) to the
fuselage, and then sand that structure.
Cut the cowl’s cheeks (55) from the
balsa blocks. Sand them and then adhere
them to the fuselage sides. Bond the air
scoop (52) to the bottom of the cowl. Fill in
imperfections with lightweight filler and
sand them.
Glue the stabilizer to the fuselage. Glue
subfin former F15 to the stabilizer, and then
attach the balsa sides (65) to this former and
to the stabilizer.
Cut the rudder from 1/16 sheet (59); glue
the hinge spar (60) to it. Adhere the LE (61)
and TE (62) to the rudder sheet. Glue in ribs
R1-R5. Sand this side of the rudder. Flip the
rudder onto the other side, and glue in the
identical parts to that side.
At the bottom, glue in the plywood plate
(63). Glue in a plywood plate (64) to one side
of the rudder, to hold the rudder control horn.
Bend 1/16- or 3/32-inch-diameter piano wire
to make the leg for the tail wheel. Drill the hole
in the hinge spar (60) and insert the tail-wheel
wire. Wrap a piece of fiberglass around the
wire and the rudder spar. Use instant glue to
bond the fiberglass to the hinge spar.
Wheel Pants and Landing Gear: The wheel
pants are made from four parts, one of which
(66 and 67) has the shape of wheel pants,
including the leg. The second pair of parts (66
and 67) has the shape without the legs.
Cut the shapes of the wheel pants. In the
part (66), cut out the wheel well. Glue two (66)
parts and glue them to each other. Adhere parts
(67) to both sides of (66) parts.
Drill a hole for the landing gear axle. Sand
the wheel pants to the shape as shown on the
drawing. At the back of the wheel pants part
(67) cowl, cut and make the groove for
accepting landing gear wire (69).
Bend and cut the 5/32-inch-diameter piano
wire to the proper shape and length. Insert the
wire into the groove in the wheel pants for a
trial fit. If satisfied, remove the wire from the
wheel pants. The landing gear wire will be
permanently installed after the wheel pants are
finish-covered.
Final Assembly: Cover the model with your
favorite material; I used MonoKote. Install the
hinges, controls, and motor. I mounted my
AXi with four Allen-head screws that hold it in
from the back, using a long-handle
screwdriver.
When installing the motor, the speed
controller is already connected to it. I used a
Jeti 77 Opto ESC from Hobby Lobby,
modified with a Castle Creations CC BEC.
For safety’s sake, I installed an arming plug
in series with the battery that is accessible from
the cockpit. Without this plug in, there is no
power to the speed controller and motor. I urge
you to use this setup for the D.9 and all other
larger models you have.
I reviewed this model’s flight at the
beginning of the article.
Good luck! MA
Laddie Mikulasko
[email protected]
Sources:
The Jodel Company
www.jodel.com
Hobby Lobby International
(866) 512-1444
www.hobby-lobby.com
Top Flite MonoKote
(217) 398-8970
www.monokote.com
Castle Creations
(913) 390-6939
www.castlecreations.com
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/10
Page Numbers: 25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33
by Laddie
Mikulasko
An electric-powered RC version of the French light home-built
October 2009 25
As is the full-scale version, this 1/4-scale
Jodel D-9 Bebe is a sweetheart on landing.
FOR MANY YEARS, I set my sights on building a
scale model of the famous French home-built Jodel
D.9 Bébé. It has a long history. Eduardo Joly and
Jean Delemontez began building the prototype in
1946. The name “Jodel” was derived from a
combination of their names.
The pair started constructing the airplane
without plans; they drew the individual parts’
shapes directly onto the wood. The D.9 was first
flown in 1948 with an old 19-horsepower Poinsard
engine and showed excellent flying qualities. It
soon became the most popular home-built in
Europe, and then its popularity spread around the
world.
More than 5,000 D.9s have been built from plans
or kits, and many are constructed to this day. The
D.9 was a starting point in the series of the
manufacturers’ designs. The Jodel Company was
eventually formed, and all of the additional designs
were produced. A Volkswagen engine powered
most of the early airplanes.
A beautifully painted D.9 that Bernard
Schacknowski of Paris, Illinois, built in 1963
motivated me to build the model. His was one of the
first, if not the first, of those aircraft constructed in
the US. He streamlined the airplane’s nose by
enclosing the Continental A-40 engine.
10sig1.QXD 8/24/09 10:25 AM Page 25
26 MODEL AVIATION
Above: All ribs are cut out, and the main and auxiliary spars are in the process
of construction. The wing is built with a left and right half.
Right: The ribs for the left half of the wing are glued to the spars. Drill holes for
the aileron flexible cable or for pulling the extension cable for the aileron servo.
Bottom aileron sheeting is glued to the ribs and the spar. The
wingtip’s top LE is adhered to the ribs and to the LE.
The wing halves are joined with plywood joiners. Notice that the
location of the ribs is marked onto the spars.
Left: Hardwood blocks for wing bolts are glued in. Sand the edge
on this spar so that it follows the contour of the ribs.
Above: The top TE is glued to the ribs. The hardwood landing
gear block is glued to the ribs. Predrill the block for the 5/32-
inch-diameter piano wire.
Photos by the author
10sig1.QXD 8/24/09 10:27 AM Page 26
October 2009 27
Above: The fuselage is built upside-down and then top
formers are glued on. Some formers are in two sections.
Left: Longerons and uprights are glued to the fuselage
sides. The doubler is glued to the fuselage side. To get
the bend, place shims under the fuselage sides while
the glue is drying.
Use your favorite method to soften the
sheeting in preparation for molding
around the formers. It’s time well spent.
Notice the large opening in front for the
motor to go through. Consult the plans for
the correct contour shape of the nose block.
The cheeks for the engine cowl are
fabricated from balsa blocks. Making them
identical can be tricky; take your time and
use the plans as a template.
Stabilizer construction is simple, with ribs between the hinge
spar and LE with sheeting top and bottom.
Once the stabilizer is glued to the fuselage, the rudder subfin
can be constructed. Fill with sheeting and sand to a contour.
10sig1.QXD 8/24/09 10:29 AM Page 27
28 MODEL AVIATION
The model is ready for covering. Lightweight filler is used to
finish the shape of the cowl cheeks.
Wheel pants are made from
several balsa layers. The landing
gear wire passes through the pant
and recesses into a carved groove.
The author constructed a homemade tail
wheel assembly to replicate the full-scale
aircraft’s. Conventional pushrods make
radio setup easy.
An AXI 4120/18 outrunner motor
running on a 6S pack is equivalent to a
.46-size two-stroke engine. An
approximately 12 x 8 propeller works for
this setup.
A 1/4-scale pilot can be trimmed to suit
the open cockpit. A full canopy is another
option. The open version hides a motor
arming plug.
The battery platform best accommodates a series pack
installation. The large fuselage has provided enough cooling
for the electronics.
The attractive color scheme makes this
model stand out. The author used
MonoKote for everything, including the
complex wheel pants. It’s pretty!
10sig1.QXD 8/24/09 10:32 AM Page 28
I decided to build the model to 1/4 scale.
It is of simple construction, using balsa,
plywood, and spruce. I powered my version
with a motor. I knew that the airplane
would fly great, and I was not disappointed.
Steering on the ground is excellent.
When power is applied, the model tracks
straight and becomes airborne in no time.
Only a bit of down-trim on the first flight
was required. My D.9 is stable and is
capable of loops and rolls. On landing, it
responds well to necessary corrections. I
am extremely pleased with it.
CONSTRUCTION
All the pieces on the plans are
numbered from 1 to 71, and the ribs and
formers are identified with letters.
Wing: The wing is built in a left and a right
half. Cut all the ribs; do W3, W4, and W5
in one piece.
Drill holes for the aileron flexible cable
or for pulling the extension cable for the
aileron servo. Cut out the main spar and
rear spar. To reinforce the main spar (1),
glue the spruce spars (3 and 4) to it. To
reinforce the main spar tip (2), adhere the
spruce spar (5) to it. Bond the tip spar to
the main spar. Glue the tip (7) to the rear
spar (6).
Mark the location of the ribs onto the
spars. Slide ribs W1 and W2 onto the spars.
Place the 1/8-inch shim under the rear spar.
Pin and adhere the ribs to the spars. Attach
the LE to the ribs. Lift the wing, and pin
the wingtip spars to the building board.
Glue ribs W3, W4, and W5 to the spars.
Adhere the wingtip LE to the ribs. Bond
the 1/4 x 1/4 balsa tip (8) to the spar and to
the LE. Slide the aileron bottom sheet (16)
under the ribs, and slide the wingtip
washout guide under that sheet.
32 MODEL AVIATION
Glue the ribs to the bottom sheeting
(16). Attach the top LE and TE sheeting to
the wingtip. Glue the capstrips (22) to ribs
W3-W5, where the aileron hinge spar and
aileron LE spar are going to be adhered.
Separate the aileron from the wingtip by
cutting it off at the marked lines drawn on
ribs W3-W5. Join the hinge spar (14) to the
ribs. Glue the LE (15) to the aileron. Glue
the capstrips to the ribs.
Attach the plywood plate (23) between
ribs W3 and W4, to support the aileron
horn. Slide flexible rod for the aileron
control into the holes in the ribs. Remove
the wing from the building board.
Use the same steps to build the other
wing half. When both are completed, pin
them to the building board so that the spars
are touching. Adhere the plywood joiner
piece (24) to the main spars and the joiner
piece (25) to the rear spars.
Glue both the bottom and top TE
sheeting (12) to all W1 and W2 ribs.
Adhere the LE spar (10) to ribs W1 and
W2. Sand the edge of this spar so it follows
the ribs’ contour. Bond the top LE sheeting
(13) to all of the ribs.
Insert and glue the landing gear
hardwood blocks (20) to ribs W1. Attach
the bottom LE sheeting to all of the ribs.
Glue in the wing-bolt-support plywood
piece (19) to the W1 ribs. Adhere the servo
tray in the center of the wing. Join sheeting
(18) to the W1 ribs. Glue on the LE capstrip
(11).
Sand the wing. Insert and glue in the
dowel (21).
Stabilizer and Elevator: Pin the hinge spar
(26) to the building board. Pin and glue
all stabilizer ribs to the spar. Bond the
LE spar (27) to the ribs. Glue the 1/4
balsa square stick (29) between the hinge
spar and the LE at the tips.
Attach the top sheeting (30). Glue on the
bottom sheeting (30). Adhere the LE
capstrip (31) to the stabilizer. Sand the
stabilizer.
Cut the elevators (32) from 1/16 balsa.
Glue the LE (33) and TE (36) to one side of
the elevator sheet (32). Glue in the ribs and
1/4 balsa sheet (34 and 35). Sand that side.
Flip the elevator, and glue the same items to
that side; sand that side.
Fuselage and Rudder: Cut out as many
parts as possible; notice that some formers
are in two sections. The bottom is plywood
and the top is balsa. This was done so that
when the fuselage is being built upsidedown,
formers F2, F3, F4, F7, and F8 can
touch the building board.
Former F2 is showing the motor
mounting holes for the AXi, from Hobby
Lobby, that I am using. You might need to
modify the mounting to suit your setup.
Adhere the doublers (41) to the fuselage
side (40). Glue on the longeron (42 and 43)
and all of the uprights (44) to the fuselage
sides. Pin the fuselage sides to the building
board.
Insert and glue in formers F4 and F8.
Use the squares to position everything
accurately. Glue in former F8 and all
crossbraces (45).
At the aft end, glue in the rudder-hinge
support block (48). Glue in formers F3, F2,
and F1.
Adhere the battery floor (56) and the
cockpit floor (57). In the nose section, attach
the fuselage bottom (51) and the balsa block
(53). Glue the plywood plate (58) between
the fuselage sides.
Flip the fuselage right-side up, and glue
on formers F2A, F3A, F4A, F5, F7A, F8A,
and F9-F14. Adhere the top longerons (46
and 47). Glue the top sheeting (50) over
formers F1-F5. Glue on the rear top sheeting
(49). Join the nose block (54) to the
fuselage, and then sand that structure.
Cut the cowl’s cheeks (55) from the
balsa blocks. Sand them and then adhere
them to the fuselage sides. Bond the air
scoop (52) to the bottom of the cowl. Fill in
imperfections with lightweight filler and
sand them.
Glue the stabilizer to the fuselage. Glue
subfin former F15 to the stabilizer, and then
attach the balsa sides (65) to this former and
to the stabilizer.
Cut the rudder from 1/16 sheet (59); glue
the hinge spar (60) to it. Adhere the LE (61)
and TE (62) to the rudder sheet. Glue in ribs
R1-R5. Sand this side of the rudder. Flip the
rudder onto the other side, and glue in the
identical parts to that side.
At the bottom, glue in the plywood plate
(63). Glue in a plywood plate (64) to one side
of the rudder, to hold the rudder control horn.
Bend 1/16- or 3/32-inch-diameter piano wire
to make the leg for the tail wheel. Drill the hole
in the hinge spar (60) and insert the tail-wheel
wire. Wrap a piece of fiberglass around the
wire and the rudder spar. Use instant glue to
bond the fiberglass to the hinge spar.
Wheel Pants and Landing Gear: The wheel
pants are made from four parts, one of which
(66 and 67) has the shape of wheel pants,
including the leg. The second pair of parts (66
and 67) has the shape without the legs.
Cut the shapes of the wheel pants. In the
part (66), cut out the wheel well. Glue two (66)
parts and glue them to each other. Adhere parts
(67) to both sides of (66) parts.
Drill a hole for the landing gear axle. Sand
the wheel pants to the shape as shown on the
drawing. At the back of the wheel pants part
(67) cowl, cut and make the groove for
accepting landing gear wire (69).
Bend and cut the 5/32-inch-diameter piano
wire to the proper shape and length. Insert the
wire into the groove in the wheel pants for a
trial fit. If satisfied, remove the wire from the
wheel pants. The landing gear wire will be
permanently installed after the wheel pants are
finish-covered.
Final Assembly: Cover the model with your
favorite material; I used MonoKote. Install the
hinges, controls, and motor. I mounted my
AXi with four Allen-head screws that hold it in
from the back, using a long-handle
screwdriver.
When installing the motor, the speed
controller is already connected to it. I used a
Jeti 77 Opto ESC from Hobby Lobby,
modified with a Castle Creations CC BEC.
For safety’s sake, I installed an arming plug
in series with the battery that is accessible from
the cockpit. Without this plug in, there is no
power to the speed controller and motor. I urge
you to use this setup for the D.9 and all other
larger models you have.
I reviewed this model’s flight at the
beginning of the article.
Good luck! MA
Laddie Mikulasko
[email protected]
Sources:
The Jodel Company
www.jodel.com
Hobby Lobby International
(866) 512-1444
www.hobby-lobby.com
Top Flite MonoKote
(217) 398-8970
www.monokote.com
Castle Creations
(913) 390-6939
www.castlecreations.com
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/10
Page Numbers: 25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33
by Laddie
Mikulasko
An electric-powered RC version of the French light home-built
October 2009 25
As is the full-scale version, this 1/4-scale
Jodel D-9 Bebe is a sweetheart on landing.
FOR MANY YEARS, I set my sights on building a
scale model of the famous French home-built Jodel
D.9 Bébé. It has a long history. Eduardo Joly and
Jean Delemontez began building the prototype in
1946. The name “Jodel” was derived from a
combination of their names.
The pair started constructing the airplane
without plans; they drew the individual parts’
shapes directly onto the wood. The D.9 was first
flown in 1948 with an old 19-horsepower Poinsard
engine and showed excellent flying qualities. It
soon became the most popular home-built in
Europe, and then its popularity spread around the
world.
More than 5,000 D.9s have been built from plans
or kits, and many are constructed to this day. The
D.9 was a starting point in the series of the
manufacturers’ designs. The Jodel Company was
eventually formed, and all of the additional designs
were produced. A Volkswagen engine powered
most of the early airplanes.
A beautifully painted D.9 that Bernard
Schacknowski of Paris, Illinois, built in 1963
motivated me to build the model. His was one of the
first, if not the first, of those aircraft constructed in
the US. He streamlined the airplane’s nose by
enclosing the Continental A-40 engine.
10sig1.QXD 8/24/09 10:25 AM Page 25
26 MODEL AVIATION
Above: All ribs are cut out, and the main and auxiliary spars are in the process
of construction. The wing is built with a left and right half.
Right: The ribs for the left half of the wing are glued to the spars. Drill holes for
the aileron flexible cable or for pulling the extension cable for the aileron servo.
Bottom aileron sheeting is glued to the ribs and the spar. The
wingtip’s top LE is adhered to the ribs and to the LE.
The wing halves are joined with plywood joiners. Notice that the
location of the ribs is marked onto the spars.
Left: Hardwood blocks for wing bolts are glued in. Sand the edge
on this spar so that it follows the contour of the ribs.
Above: The top TE is glued to the ribs. The hardwood landing
gear block is glued to the ribs. Predrill the block for the 5/32-
inch-diameter piano wire.
Photos by the author
10sig1.QXD 8/24/09 10:27 AM Page 26
October 2009 27
Above: The fuselage is built upside-down and then top
formers are glued on. Some formers are in two sections.
Left: Longerons and uprights are glued to the fuselage
sides. The doubler is glued to the fuselage side. To get
the bend, place shims under the fuselage sides while
the glue is drying.
Use your favorite method to soften the
sheeting in preparation for molding
around the formers. It’s time well spent.
Notice the large opening in front for the
motor to go through. Consult the plans for
the correct contour shape of the nose block.
The cheeks for the engine cowl are
fabricated from balsa blocks. Making them
identical can be tricky; take your time and
use the plans as a template.
Stabilizer construction is simple, with ribs between the hinge
spar and LE with sheeting top and bottom.
Once the stabilizer is glued to the fuselage, the rudder subfin
can be constructed. Fill with sheeting and sand to a contour.
10sig1.QXD 8/24/09 10:29 AM Page 27
28 MODEL AVIATION
The model is ready for covering. Lightweight filler is used to
finish the shape of the cowl cheeks.
Wheel pants are made from
several balsa layers. The landing
gear wire passes through the pant
and recesses into a carved groove.
The author constructed a homemade tail
wheel assembly to replicate the full-scale
aircraft’s. Conventional pushrods make
radio setup easy.
An AXI 4120/18 outrunner motor
running on a 6S pack is equivalent to a
.46-size two-stroke engine. An
approximately 12 x 8 propeller works for
this setup.
A 1/4-scale pilot can be trimmed to suit
the open cockpit. A full canopy is another
option. The open version hides a motor
arming plug.
The battery platform best accommodates a series pack
installation. The large fuselage has provided enough cooling
for the electronics.
The attractive color scheme makes this
model stand out. The author used
MonoKote for everything, including the
complex wheel pants. It’s pretty!
10sig1.QXD 8/24/09 10:32 AM Page 28
I decided to build the model to 1/4 scale.
It is of simple construction, using balsa,
plywood, and spruce. I powered my version
with a motor. I knew that the airplane
would fly great, and I was not disappointed.
Steering on the ground is excellent.
When power is applied, the model tracks
straight and becomes airborne in no time.
Only a bit of down-trim on the first flight
was required. My D.9 is stable and is
capable of loops and rolls. On landing, it
responds well to necessary corrections. I
am extremely pleased with it.
CONSTRUCTION
All the pieces on the plans are
numbered from 1 to 71, and the ribs and
formers are identified with letters.
Wing: The wing is built in a left and a right
half. Cut all the ribs; do W3, W4, and W5
in one piece.
Drill holes for the aileron flexible cable
or for pulling the extension cable for the
aileron servo. Cut out the main spar and
rear spar. To reinforce the main spar (1),
glue the spruce spars (3 and 4) to it. To
reinforce the main spar tip (2), adhere the
spruce spar (5) to it. Bond the tip spar to
the main spar. Glue the tip (7) to the rear
spar (6).
Mark the location of the ribs onto the
spars. Slide ribs W1 and W2 onto the spars.
Place the 1/8-inch shim under the rear spar.
Pin and adhere the ribs to the spars. Attach
the LE to the ribs. Lift the wing, and pin
the wingtip spars to the building board.
Glue ribs W3, W4, and W5 to the spars.
Adhere the wingtip LE to the ribs. Bond
the 1/4 x 1/4 balsa tip (8) to the spar and to
the LE. Slide the aileron bottom sheet (16)
under the ribs, and slide the wingtip
washout guide under that sheet.
32 MODEL AVIATION
Glue the ribs to the bottom sheeting
(16). Attach the top LE and TE sheeting to
the wingtip. Glue the capstrips (22) to ribs
W3-W5, where the aileron hinge spar and
aileron LE spar are going to be adhered.
Separate the aileron from the wingtip by
cutting it off at the marked lines drawn on
ribs W3-W5. Join the hinge spar (14) to the
ribs. Glue the LE (15) to the aileron. Glue
the capstrips to the ribs.
Attach the plywood plate (23) between
ribs W3 and W4, to support the aileron
horn. Slide flexible rod for the aileron
control into the holes in the ribs. Remove
the wing from the building board.
Use the same steps to build the other
wing half. When both are completed, pin
them to the building board so that the spars
are touching. Adhere the plywood joiner
piece (24) to the main spars and the joiner
piece (25) to the rear spars.
Glue both the bottom and top TE
sheeting (12) to all W1 and W2 ribs.
Adhere the LE spar (10) to ribs W1 and
W2. Sand the edge of this spar so it follows
the ribs’ contour. Bond the top LE sheeting
(13) to all of the ribs.
Insert and glue the landing gear
hardwood blocks (20) to ribs W1. Attach
the bottom LE sheeting to all of the ribs.
Glue in the wing-bolt-support plywood
piece (19) to the W1 ribs. Adhere the servo
tray in the center of the wing. Join sheeting
(18) to the W1 ribs. Glue on the LE capstrip
(11).
Sand the wing. Insert and glue in the
dowel (21).
Stabilizer and Elevator: Pin the hinge spar
(26) to the building board. Pin and glue
all stabilizer ribs to the spar. Bond the
LE spar (27) to the ribs. Glue the 1/4
balsa square stick (29) between the hinge
spar and the LE at the tips.
Attach the top sheeting (30). Glue on the
bottom sheeting (30). Adhere the LE
capstrip (31) to the stabilizer. Sand the
stabilizer.
Cut the elevators (32) from 1/16 balsa.
Glue the LE (33) and TE (36) to one side of
the elevator sheet (32). Glue in the ribs and
1/4 balsa sheet (34 and 35). Sand that side.
Flip the elevator, and glue the same items to
that side; sand that side.
Fuselage and Rudder: Cut out as many
parts as possible; notice that some formers
are in two sections. The bottom is plywood
and the top is balsa. This was done so that
when the fuselage is being built upsidedown,
formers F2, F3, F4, F7, and F8 can
touch the building board.
Former F2 is showing the motor
mounting holes for the AXi, from Hobby
Lobby, that I am using. You might need to
modify the mounting to suit your setup.
Adhere the doublers (41) to the fuselage
side (40). Glue on the longeron (42 and 43)
and all of the uprights (44) to the fuselage
sides. Pin the fuselage sides to the building
board.
Insert and glue in formers F4 and F8.
Use the squares to position everything
accurately. Glue in former F8 and all
crossbraces (45).
At the aft end, glue in the rudder-hinge
support block (48). Glue in formers F3, F2,
and F1.
Adhere the battery floor (56) and the
cockpit floor (57). In the nose section, attach
the fuselage bottom (51) and the balsa block
(53). Glue the plywood plate (58) between
the fuselage sides.
Flip the fuselage right-side up, and glue
on formers F2A, F3A, F4A, F5, F7A, F8A,
and F9-F14. Adhere the top longerons (46
and 47). Glue the top sheeting (50) over
formers F1-F5. Glue on the rear top sheeting
(49). Join the nose block (54) to the
fuselage, and then sand that structure.
Cut the cowl’s cheeks (55) from the
balsa blocks. Sand them and then adhere
them to the fuselage sides. Bond the air
scoop (52) to the bottom of the cowl. Fill in
imperfections with lightweight filler and
sand them.
Glue the stabilizer to the fuselage. Glue
subfin former F15 to the stabilizer, and then
attach the balsa sides (65) to this former and
to the stabilizer.
Cut the rudder from 1/16 sheet (59); glue
the hinge spar (60) to it. Adhere the LE (61)
and TE (62) to the rudder sheet. Glue in ribs
R1-R5. Sand this side of the rudder. Flip the
rudder onto the other side, and glue in the
identical parts to that side.
At the bottom, glue in the plywood plate
(63). Glue in a plywood plate (64) to one side
of the rudder, to hold the rudder control horn.
Bend 1/16- or 3/32-inch-diameter piano wire
to make the leg for the tail wheel. Drill the hole
in the hinge spar (60) and insert the tail-wheel
wire. Wrap a piece of fiberglass around the
wire and the rudder spar. Use instant glue to
bond the fiberglass to the hinge spar.
Wheel Pants and Landing Gear: The wheel
pants are made from four parts, one of which
(66 and 67) has the shape of wheel pants,
including the leg. The second pair of parts (66
and 67) has the shape without the legs.
Cut the shapes of the wheel pants. In the
part (66), cut out the wheel well. Glue two (66)
parts and glue them to each other. Adhere parts
(67) to both sides of (66) parts.
Drill a hole for the landing gear axle. Sand
the wheel pants to the shape as shown on the
drawing. At the back of the wheel pants part
(67) cowl, cut and make the groove for
accepting landing gear wire (69).
Bend and cut the 5/32-inch-diameter piano
wire to the proper shape and length. Insert the
wire into the groove in the wheel pants for a
trial fit. If satisfied, remove the wire from the
wheel pants. The landing gear wire will be
permanently installed after the wheel pants are
finish-covered.
Final Assembly: Cover the model with your
favorite material; I used MonoKote. Install the
hinges, controls, and motor. I mounted my
AXi with four Allen-head screws that hold it in
from the back, using a long-handle
screwdriver.
When installing the motor, the speed
controller is already connected to it. I used a
Jeti 77 Opto ESC from Hobby Lobby,
modified with a Castle Creations CC BEC.
For safety’s sake, I installed an arming plug
in series with the battery that is accessible from
the cockpit. Without this plug in, there is no
power to the speed controller and motor. I urge
you to use this setup for the D.9 and all other
larger models you have.
I reviewed this model’s flight at the
beginning of the article.
Good luck! MA
Laddie Mikulasko
[email protected]
Sources:
The Jodel Company
www.jodel.com
Hobby Lobby International
(866) 512-1444
www.hobby-lobby.com
Top Flite MonoKote
(217) 398-8970
www.monokote.com
Castle Creations
(913) 390-6939
www.castlecreations.com