Laird Super Solution - 2009/05

LAIRD
SUPER SOLUTION
[A CL 1/2A-powerhouse version of the Bendix race favorite]
by Frank W. Beatty
After shaping, the wing assembly can be
dry-fitted with the plywood struts. A penny
makes a perfect tip weight.
The wings are made from 3/32 basswood
blanks. Centerlines, various cutouts, and
trim lines have been marked. The airfoil
shape is sculpted by hand.
The author completed his finished model with
Brodak dope and handmade markings.
JIMMY DOOLITTLE RACED a tiny
Laird Super Solution biplane across the US,
making a record-setting flight to win the
1931 Bendix Trophy race. In the Thompson
Trophy race several days later, Doolittle
was forced to drop out with the Laird after
leading the pack for six laps, because of a
failing engine that was trailing a stream of
heavy black smoke. Being the magnificent
pilot that he was, he landed the aircraft
safely in front of the grandstands.
The Super Solution has long been a
favorite of mine, so I chose to build a model
of it for the 2003 edition of the 1/2A Golden
Age Speed contest. The competition is held
annually by the Lafayette Esquadrille club
in Saint Louis, Missouri.
In 1995, the late Carl Geary formulated
rules for a 1/2A Golden Age Speed class, and
it was included in the SAM (Society of
Antique Modelers) N-X-211 Old Time CL
contest schedule. From the beginning,
Golden Age Speed was to be an entry-level,
fun-type event. Only models of 1929-1939
Thompson Trophy racers were eligible to
compete.
The rules were simple, and competitive
aircraft could be built inexpensively and
easily in just a few evenings. The event
caught on with area fliers. Fifteen racers
were entered that first year, and the average
number of entries every year since then has
been 12.
Carl wrote the rules so that hotshots with
deep pockets and high-tech equipment could
not take over and ruin the event, as has
happened in so many other entry-level fun
classes. The rules were amended once, to
reduce the minimum wingspan of biplane
racers to 12 inches; that was done so that
they could be competitive against monoplane
racers. Biplane lover that I am, my
competing with a Laird Super Solution was
inevitable.
A great variety of airplanes has been built
and entered. But, as happens in all
competition events, a certain configuration
preference evolves that is considered more
likely to ensure success. Airplanes with a
midwing design—the Laird Turner Racer,
the Folkerts family of racers, the Mr.
Smoothie, and the Chester Goon—are
considered prime choices for a good contest
model.
Still, no individual or model is ever
considered to have a lock on the event. Bad
engine runs, a mishap on the takeoff run, or
mechanical failure can knock a leader out of
contention.
I am amazed by how well these tiny racers
can handle winds and gusts. When there are
upsets or even crashes, the models often
survive with minor scratches and bruises.
May 2009 31
05sig1.QXD 3/25/09 9:46 AM Page 31
The brass ram air intake is the secret to
good 1/2A engine performance. It’s shown
epoxied to the 1/4 plywood firewall.
As are the fuselage and wings, the
horizontal tail components are made
from basswood sheets. All surfaces
should be smoothly contoured.
The model should be assembled before finishing, for
testing the control system. The wire loop in the center of
the top wing is used to check the CG.
The ready-to-fly prototype’s all-up weight is 6.1 ounces.
No ballast was required to properly balance the airplane.
32 MODEL AVIATION
1/2A Golden Age
Speed Rules
1. Any Cox .049 reed-valve
engine with standard (low
compression) glow head and Cox
tank only (except for Space
Hopper) may be used with 15%-
nitromethane fuel (supplied). A
Cox propeller, unmodified except
for balancing (5 x 3) may be
used.
2. Racers must be a fullprofile,
built-up, solid, or
combination structure of a 1929
through 1939 Thompson Trophy
racer. (A photo and/or three-view
should be available for proof.)
3. A racer’s minimum
wingspan is 18 inches. (Biplanes
have a minimum top wingspan of
12 inches; the total span of both
upper and lower wings is 18
inches minimum.) The minimum
leadout length is 12 inches.
4. A Racer must look like the
full-scale aircraft, to include
color, markings, and wing struts,
if used. No scale judging or scale
points will be awarded.
5. Takeoff and landing gear is
required, since all flights will be
ROG (rise-off-ground).
Photos by the author
6. Three attempts are allowed to
make two official flights. The fastest
time of the two will be used for
scoring.
7. A speed run will be timed for
six laps (1/4 mile), beginning one lap
after a signal by the pilot.
8. Whipping, leading, or towing is
prohibited.
9. 34-foot Kevlar control lines
will be supplied by the contest
committee.
10. Only one model per entrant is
allowed.
11. Proxy fliers are permitted. MA
Hinging is
c o m p l e t e d
using Berkley
fishing line and
figure-eight stitching.
A coat of cyanoacrylate
seals the assembly.
05sig1.QXD 3/25/09 9:48 AM Page 32
the elevator, to accept the horn wire ends.
Remove the elevators from the vise, and use
cyanoacrylate to adhere the horn assembly
into them.
The hinges are figure-eight stitched
using Berkley FireLine 6-pound-testfilament
fishing line. Swab these stitchings
with cyanoacrylate to harden, and set them
in place. Align and cement the horizontal
tail assembly into the slot at the rear of the
fuselage.
Temporarily bolt a Perfect Parts
Company bellcrank—item P233—to the
mount. Make a 1/32-inch-diameter musicwire
elevator pushrod, and install it
temporarily so that the pushrod guide can be
located and installed on the fuselage.
Remove the bellcrank and pushrod, and set
them aside until final assembly.
Wings: Cut two rectangular blanks, from
3/32 sheet basswood, to the correct widths
and approximately 1/2 inch longer than
required for each wing panel. Carefully
draw symmetrical airfoil sections on the
ends of each blank. Carve or sand the blanks
to an airfoil shape.
Lay out the centerlines on each blank.
Lay out and cut the slots for the
interplane struts. I used an X-Acto
knife and steel rule to make these
slices.
The wingtips can be sawed to
outline and sanded to shape. I used a 3/4-
inch-diameter Forstner drill bit to create a
clean hole for the Lincoln-head penny
outboard wingtip weight. Epoxy the penny
May 2009 33
Each year, four to six new designs are
entered. But we also see models that were in
the competition in 1995 that are still flying
and still putting up stiff competition.
Golden Age Speed aircraft are simple to
design and build. Copy centers can enlarge
a suitable three-view to the required 18-inch
minimum wingspan, and you can take it
from there. With this article’s publication,
MA and Flying Models magazines combined
will have published a half dozen
construction articles for these racers, if you
would rather go that route.
The event’s rules are included with this
article in a sidebar. This is a great club-type,
fun competition that is enjoyable for
competitors and spectators. You may have
heard the pitch, Give it a try; what have you
got to lose?
CONSTRUCTION
Nearly all of the Super Solution’s wood
parts are made from basswood. The finished
model, less engine and propeller, weighs
just 3.5 ounces. You might be able to
achieve a slight weight savings by
substituting balsa for some members.
However, I recommend that the fuselage
consist of basswood, and basswood
horizontal tail members are a must. The
elevator hinging system might not hold up if
a softer wood such as balsa were used.
Fuselage: Cut the fuselage parts from 1/8
basswood. I represent the window and
canopy openings with actual cutouts.
Use cyanoacrylate glue to adhere the 1/32
plywood doublers, to reinforce the area
where the undercarriage will be mounted.
Clamp the fuselage upside-down and
vertical in a drill-press vise, and drill two
3/32-inch-diameter holes in the fuselage
bottom, to receive the undercarriage struts at
a later stage in construction.
Make the engine mount from 1/4
plywood, and set four 2-56 blind nuts as
required. Make the air scoop from 1/4-inchdiameter
square brass tubing. Notice how
the openings in the scoop are fashioned
and how the ends are capped.
Epoxy the scoop into the
engine mount. Make sure that
the scoop is flush or below
the engine-mount surface
to which the Cox engine
will be bolted.
Use epoxy to
adhere the engine
mount to the
fuselage. Make and
install the 1/8
basswood
bellcrank mount.
Reinforce the
engine-mount-tofuselage
joint
with balsa block
fairings, as shown
on the drawing.
Make and
install the 1/32-inchdiameter
music-wire
tail skid. The 1/8
basswood supports are
used to join the upper
cowling segment to the
fuselage. This support will
have a 1/4-inch-diameter
hole drilled through it for the
Cox needle-valve access.
Stabilizer and Elevator: Cut these
components to outline from 1/16 sheet
basswood. A series of 1/32-inch-diameter
holes are drilled in them.
Make your elevator horn from 1/32-inchdiameter
music wire and 0.010-inch sheet
brass. Silver solder the horn to the wire.
These homemade assemblies will be smaller
and lighter than any commercially available
units.
Trim the elevator LE as required to
accommodate the horn and wire. Clamp the
elevators vertically, hinge-side up, in a drillpress
vise. Use a 1/32-inch-diameter drill in a
press to carefully align and make holes in
Type: CL club racing
Skill level: Intermediate
Wingspan: 12 inches
Weight: 6.1 ounces
Wing area: 38 square inches
Length: 11.125 inches
Engine: Cox .049 (modified)
Construction: Basswood and
plywood
Covering/finish:
Brodak dope
LAIRD
SUPER SOLUTION
Part of the author’s Golden Age Speed fleet of
contest models. Clockwise from the top are
the Art Chester Special, 14.5-inch Laird
Solution, Israel’s Redhead, and a
14.5-inch Laird Super
Solution.
05sig2.QXD 3/25/09 10:37 AM Page 33
in place, and then fill and smooth the
depressed area with Brodak Aeropoxy Lite.
Sand all surfaces smooth to satisfaction and
set the wings aside.
Interplane Struts: These are cut from 1/16
plywood. Note that the port strut includes
the control-line guide. Dry-fit the struts and
the two wings together. Any trimming
required to properly align the wings is much
easier to achieve now than later, during final
assembly.
Slide the lower wing into the slot in the
fuselage, align it properly, and use
cyanoacrylate to permanently affix it to the
fuselage. I would also use cyanoacrylate to
adhere the interplane struts into the lower
wing at this time. It is easier to paint these
small parts when they are attached to a
larger assembly than when they are separate
units.
Undercarriage: Make the five parts for the
undercarriage, using the full-size patterns on
the drawings. Bind the assembly with 24-
gauge soft copper wire, and solder the
mating pairs of struts together. Bend the
bound ends of these struts to the approximate
angle and test-fit them in the fuselage.
Eyeball, tweak, and bend these struts so
that the axle will be properly aligned when
the axle spreader bar is bound to these struts.
This is so that the model will sit level and the
axle will be at right angles to the fuselage.
When satisfied, epoxy the struts into the
fuselage and solder the bound joints at the
axle. I also slip small brass disks onto the
axles and solder them to the wire struts. This
will provide additional gluing surface when
you install the wheel pants.
Wheel Pants: These are made from 3/8 balsa
cores with 1/64 plywood sides. I find it easier
to carve the core to shape, use cyanoacrylate
to adhere the plywood sides to the core, drill
the 1/16-inch-diameter hole for the axle, and
then use a Dremel tool to grind out the balsa
core to accommodate the wheel.
To install the pant and wheel on the axle,
slip one side of the pant onto the axle. Cock
it at an angle so that you can slip on two #2
washers, the wheel, and then two more #2
washers, and push the axle through the
outside of the pant.
Solder a 1/16-inch-inside-diameter brass
grommet to the axle against the pant, to
retain the wheel. Epoxy anchors the wheel
pant to the brass disk. Snip off any excess
axle length. Triangular bits of 1/32 plywood
fairings are fitted between the struts and
covered with 0.5-ounce fiberglass.
Two kinds of 1-inch-diameter wheels are
available. One type has gray plastic hubs,
and the other has clear plastic hubs. The
clear hubs seem brittle, and failures in them,
caused by cracks, have led me to prefer and
use the gray plastic wheels.
Finishing and Painting: It is easier to paint
and apply trim to the model before the upper
wing is permanently attached. I use Brodak
dopes throughout the finishing process, and
they are thinned to at least a 1:1 ratio.
I brushed three coats of clear onto all
components, which I wet- or dry-sanded. I
sprayed on two coats of white primer and
wet- or dry-sanded it. Then I sprayed three
coats of yellow onto the wings, tail, wheel
pants, and rear fuselage. I masked the Laird
as required and then sprayed on three coats
of green.
I drew the registration numbers on the
wings and rudder using a black Top Flite
Panel Line Pen. I masked off and sprayed
the red flamingos and laid on the black
feathers with the Top Flite pen.
The canopy was masked off and sprayed
with aluminum paint. The aileron outlines
were drawn on with the Top Flite pen.
After all trim was applied, I sprayed on
four coats of clear. Rubbing compound and
a wax job followed. The paint added
approximately 1.1 ounces of weight to the
model.
Final Assembly: Create the 0.015-inchdiameter
music-wire leadouts and attach
them to the bellcrank. Bolt the bellcrank to
its mount. Permanently hook up the elevator
pushrod.
Epoxy the top wing to the fuselage and
interplane struts. From experience, I’ve
learned to use two small wood screws to
reinforce the fuselage-to-wing joint. Bolt the
engine and propeller to the firewall.
The model, complete and ready to fly,
weighs 6.1 ounces. We are ready to go
racing!
Engine Stuff: Sport pilots have the
opportunity to fly their models using any
combination of 1/2A engine, propeller, and
fuel that works for them. Competitors in
Golden Age Speed must comply with the
rules, but a racer’s performance can be
enhanced by taking a few suggestions.
The engine of choice (if you can find
one) is a Cox .049 Venom; however, a
Cox .049 Black Widow will do. A metal
backplate from one of the older,
discontinued Cox engines is substituted
for the Venom’s plastic backplate. The
backplate and fuel-tank openings need to
be reamed out with a 0.094-inch-diameter
drill.
You must use the standard (low
compression) glow head, but you can
remove the head gasket. This will raise the
cylinder compression and improve engine
performance. It is widely believed that the
metal air scoop that rams air into the engine
will improve performance, and several fliers
have begun installing them on their aircraft.
Cox Super Fuel (No. 550) is the fuel of
choice. The propeller is spelled out in the
rules, so you must use a Cox 5 x 3. Balance
it for best results.
Flying: Once these Golden Age racers are
in the air, most will settle out into a nice,
groovy flight pattern. Although some are
prone to tumbling, if a sloppy landing is
executed, most will glide smoothly to a
two- or three-bounce landing with a nice
rollout.
Even if the airplanes do tumble, they are
tough. Except for a few scratches, they are
likely to be none the worse for it.
Let’s discuss the takeoff. These small
aircraft are prone to nosing over on long
takeoff runs. If they do so, they will usually
charge along with the propeller thrashing
the pavement, but the models will
eventually take to the air and complete an
official flight.
This doesn’t do the propeller any favors,
and performance does suffer. So takeoffs
are a bit of an art.
You want sufficient up-elevator to get
the racer into the air as quickly as possible,
but you don’t want to overdo it and see the
dreaded wingover with subsequent dive into
the turf. Not to worry; most takeoffs are
uneventful, and we rarely see an airplane
totaled in a crash.
Happy Ending: My little Laird was
clocked at 58.59 mph, which was good for
a third-place trophy in the 2003 1/2A
Golden Age Speed event. Tim Pansic’s
Mr. Smoothie aced us all with a 63.03
mph first place, and Alan van Artsdalen’s
Pesco Special was on Tim’s heels at 62.98
mph.
My Laird flew with the nose yawed out
enough to adversely affect its top speed.
Yaw out can be reduced by moving the
leadout-wire guides forward. You must do
this carefully, in small increments, lest
you overdo it and have a model that flies
into the circle. That’s a no-no.
So, what’s for next season? A Howard
Pete? A Chester Goon? A Caudron? So
many choices! MA
Frank W. Beatty
2608 Pontoon Rd.
Granite City IL 62040
Sources:
Frank W. Beatty
(618) 931-5436
Perfect Parts Company
(410) 327-3522
www.perfectpartscompany.com
Brodak
(724) 966-2726
www.brodak.com
Top Flite
(800) 637-7660
www.top-flite.com
Lafayette Esquadrille:
Robert Arata
561 Goldwood Dr.
Ballwin MO 63021
(636) 391-0272

LAIRD
SUPER SOLUTION
[A CL 1/2A-powerhouse version of the Bendix race favorite]
by Frank W. Beatty
After shaping, the wing assembly can be
dry-fitted with the plywood struts. A penny
makes a perfect tip weight.
The wings are made from 3/32 basswood
blanks. Centerlines, various cutouts, and
trim lines have been marked. The airfoil
shape is sculpted by hand.
The author completed his finished model with
Brodak dope and handmade markings.
JIMMY DOOLITTLE RACED a tiny
Laird Super Solution biplane across the US,
making a record-setting flight to win the
1931 Bendix Trophy race. In the Thompson
Trophy race several days later, Doolittle
was forced to drop out with the Laird after
leading the pack for six laps, because of a
failing engine that was trailing a stream of
heavy black smoke. Being the magnificent
pilot that he was, he landed the aircraft
safely in front of the grandstands.
The Super Solution has long been a
favorite of mine, so I chose to build a model
of it for the 2003 edition of the 1/2A Golden
Age Speed contest. The competition is held
annually by the Lafayette Esquadrille club
in Saint Louis, Missouri.
In 1995, the late Carl Geary formulated
rules for a 1/2A Golden Age Speed class, and
it was included in the SAM (Society of
Antique Modelers) N-X-211 Old Time CL
contest schedule. From the beginning,
Golden Age Speed was to be an entry-level,
fun-type event. Only models of 1929-1939
Thompson Trophy racers were eligible to
compete.
The rules were simple, and competitive
aircraft could be built inexpensively and
easily in just a few evenings. The event
caught on with area fliers. Fifteen racers
were entered that first year, and the average
number of entries every year since then has
been 12.
Carl wrote the rules so that hotshots with
deep pockets and high-tech equipment could
not take over and ruin the event, as has
happened in so many other entry-level fun
classes. The rules were amended once, to
reduce the minimum wingspan of biplane
racers to 12 inches; that was done so that
they could be competitive against monoplane
racers. Biplane lover that I am, my
competing with a Laird Super Solution was
inevitable.
A great variety of airplanes has been built
and entered. But, as happens in all
competition events, a certain configuration
preference evolves that is considered more
likely to ensure success. Airplanes with a
midwing design—the Laird Turner Racer,
the Folkerts family of racers, the Mr.
Smoothie, and the Chester Goon—are
considered prime choices for a good contest
model.
Still, no individual or model is ever
considered to have a lock on the event. Bad
engine runs, a mishap on the takeoff run, or
mechanical failure can knock a leader out of
contention.
I am amazed by how well these tiny racers
can handle winds and gusts. When there are
upsets or even crashes, the models often
survive with minor scratches and bruises.
May 2009 31
05sig1.QXD 3/25/09 9:46 AM Page 31
The brass ram air intake is the secret to
good 1/2A engine performance. It’s shown
epoxied to the 1/4 plywood firewall.
As are the fuselage and wings, the
horizontal tail components are made
from basswood sheets. All surfaces
should be smoothly contoured.
The model should be assembled before finishing, for
testing the control system. The wire loop in the center of
the top wing is used to check the CG.
The ready-to-fly prototype’s all-up weight is 6.1 ounces.
No ballast was required to properly balance the airplane.
32 MODEL AVIATION
1/2A Golden Age
Speed Rules
1. Any Cox .049 reed-valve
engine with standard (low
compression) glow head and Cox
tank only (except for Space
Hopper) may be used with 15%-
nitromethane fuel (supplied). A
Cox propeller, unmodified except
for balancing (5 x 3) may be
used.
2. Racers must be a fullprofile,
built-up, solid, or
combination structure of a 1929
through 1939 Thompson Trophy
racer. (A photo and/or three-view
should be available for proof.)
3. A racer’s minimum
wingspan is 18 inches. (Biplanes
have a minimum top wingspan of
12 inches; the total span of both
upper and lower wings is 18
inches minimum.) The minimum
leadout length is 12 inches.
4. A Racer must look like the
full-scale aircraft, to include
color, markings, and wing struts,
if used. No scale judging or scale
points will be awarded.
5. Takeoff and landing gear is
required, since all flights will be
ROG (rise-off-ground).
Photos by the author
6. Three attempts are allowed to
make two official flights. The fastest
time of the two will be used for
scoring.
7. A speed run will be timed for
six laps (1/4 mile), beginning one lap
after a signal by the pilot.
8. Whipping, leading, or towing is
prohibited.
9. 34-foot Kevlar control lines
will be supplied by the contest
committee.
10. Only one model per entrant is
allowed.
11. Proxy fliers are permitted. MA
Hinging is
c o m p l e t e d
using Berkley
fishing line and
figure-eight stitching.
A coat of cyanoacrylate
seals the assembly.
05sig1.QXD 3/25/09 9:48 AM Page 32
the elevator, to accept the horn wire ends.
Remove the elevators from the vise, and use
cyanoacrylate to adhere the horn assembly
into them.
The hinges are figure-eight stitched
using Berkley FireLine 6-pound-testfilament
fishing line. Swab these stitchings
with cyanoacrylate to harden, and set them
in place. Align and cement the horizontal
tail assembly into the slot at the rear of the
fuselage.
Temporarily bolt a Perfect Parts
Company bellcrank—item P233—to the
mount. Make a 1/32-inch-diameter musicwire
elevator pushrod, and install it
temporarily so that the pushrod guide can be
located and installed on the fuselage.
Remove the bellcrank and pushrod, and set
them aside until final assembly.
Wings: Cut two rectangular blanks, from
3/32 sheet basswood, to the correct widths
and approximately 1/2 inch longer than
required for each wing panel. Carefully
draw symmetrical airfoil sections on the
ends of each blank. Carve or sand the blanks
to an airfoil shape.
Lay out the centerlines on each blank.
Lay out and cut the slots for the
interplane struts. I used an X-Acto
knife and steel rule to make these
slices.
The wingtips can be sawed to
outline and sanded to shape. I used a 3/4-
inch-diameter Forstner drill bit to create a
clean hole for the Lincoln-head penny
outboard wingtip weight. Epoxy the penny
May 2009 33
Each year, four to six new designs are
entered. But we also see models that were in
the competition in 1995 that are still flying
and still putting up stiff competition.
Golden Age Speed aircraft are simple to
design and build. Copy centers can enlarge
a suitable three-view to the required 18-inch
minimum wingspan, and you can take it
from there. With this article’s publication,
MA and Flying Models magazines combined
will have published a half dozen
construction articles for these racers, if you
would rather go that route.
The event’s rules are included with this
article in a sidebar. This is a great club-type,
fun competition that is enjoyable for
competitors and spectators. You may have
heard the pitch, Give it a try; what have you
got to lose?
CONSTRUCTION
Nearly all of the Super Solution’s wood
parts are made from basswood. The finished
model, less engine and propeller, weighs
just 3.5 ounces. You might be able to
achieve a slight weight savings by
substituting balsa for some members.
However, I recommend that the fuselage
consist of basswood, and basswood
horizontal tail members are a must. The
elevator hinging system might not hold up if
a softer wood such as balsa were used.
Fuselage: Cut the fuselage parts from 1/8
basswood. I represent the window and
canopy openings with actual cutouts.
Use cyanoacrylate glue to adhere the 1/32
plywood doublers, to reinforce the area
where the undercarriage will be mounted.
Clamp the fuselage upside-down and
vertical in a drill-press vise, and drill two
3/32-inch-diameter holes in the fuselage
bottom, to receive the undercarriage struts at
a later stage in construction.
Make the engine mount from 1/4
plywood, and set four 2-56 blind nuts as
required. Make the air scoop from 1/4-inchdiameter
square brass tubing. Notice how
the openings in the scoop are fashioned
and how the ends are capped.
Epoxy the scoop into the
engine mount. Make sure that
the scoop is flush or below
the engine-mount surface
to which the Cox engine
will be bolted.
Use epoxy to
adhere the engine
mount to the
fuselage. Make and
install the 1/8
basswood
bellcrank mount.
Reinforce the
engine-mount-tofuselage
joint
with balsa block
fairings, as shown
on the drawing.
Make and
install the 1/32-inchdiameter
music-wire
tail skid. The 1/8
basswood supports are
used to join the upper
cowling segment to the
fuselage. This support will
have a 1/4-inch-diameter
hole drilled through it for the
Cox needle-valve access.
Stabilizer and Elevator: Cut these
components to outline from 1/16 sheet
basswood. A series of 1/32-inch-diameter
holes are drilled in them.
Make your elevator horn from 1/32-inchdiameter
music wire and 0.010-inch sheet
brass. Silver solder the horn to the wire.
These homemade assemblies will be smaller
and lighter than any commercially available
units.
Trim the elevator LE as required to
accommodate the horn and wire. Clamp the
elevators vertically, hinge-side up, in a drillpress
vise. Use a 1/32-inch-diameter drill in a
press to carefully align and make holes in
Type: CL club racing
Skill level: Intermediate
Wingspan: 12 inches
Weight: 6.1 ounces
Wing area: 38 square inches
Length: 11.125 inches
Engine: Cox .049 (modified)
Construction: Basswood and
plywood
Covering/finish:
Brodak dope
LAIRD
SUPER SOLUTION
Part of the author’s Golden Age Speed fleet of
contest models. Clockwise from the top are
the Art Chester Special, 14.5-inch Laird
Solution, Israel’s Redhead, and a
14.5-inch Laird Super
Solution.
05sig2.QXD 3/25/09 10:37 AM Page 33
in place, and then fill and smooth the
depressed area with Brodak Aeropoxy Lite.
Sand all surfaces smooth to satisfaction and
set the wings aside.
Interplane Struts: These are cut from 1/16
plywood. Note that the port strut includes
the control-line guide. Dry-fit the struts and
the two wings together. Any trimming
required to properly align the wings is much
easier to achieve now than later, during final
assembly.
Slide the lower wing into the slot in the
fuselage, align it properly, and use
cyanoacrylate to permanently affix it to the
fuselage. I would also use cyanoacrylate to
adhere the interplane struts into the lower
wing at this time. It is easier to paint these
small parts when they are attached to a
larger assembly than when they are separate
units.
Undercarriage: Make the five parts for the
undercarriage, using the full-size patterns on
the drawings. Bind the assembly with 24-
gauge soft copper wire, and solder the
mating pairs of struts together. Bend the
bound ends of these struts to the approximate
angle and test-fit them in the fuselage.
Eyeball, tweak, and bend these struts so
that the axle will be properly aligned when
the axle spreader bar is bound to these struts.
This is so that the model will sit level and the
axle will be at right angles to the fuselage.
When satisfied, epoxy the struts into the
fuselage and solder the bound joints at the
axle. I also slip small brass disks onto the
axles and solder them to the wire struts. This
will provide additional gluing surface when
you install the wheel pants.
Wheel Pants: These are made from 3/8 balsa
cores with 1/64 plywood sides. I find it easier
to carve the core to shape, use cyanoacrylate
to adhere the plywood sides to the core, drill
the 1/16-inch-diameter hole for the axle, and
then use a Dremel tool to grind out the balsa
core to accommodate the wheel.
To install the pant and wheel on the axle,
slip one side of the pant onto the axle. Cock
it at an angle so that you can slip on two #2
washers, the wheel, and then two more #2
washers, and push the axle through the
outside of the pant.
Solder a 1/16-inch-inside-diameter brass
grommet to the axle against the pant, to
retain the wheel. Epoxy anchors the wheel
pant to the brass disk. Snip off any excess
axle length. Triangular bits of 1/32 plywood
fairings are fitted between the struts and
covered with 0.5-ounce fiberglass.
Two kinds of 1-inch-diameter wheels are
available. One type has gray plastic hubs,
and the other has clear plastic hubs. The
clear hubs seem brittle, and failures in them,
caused by cracks, have led me to prefer and
use the gray plastic wheels.
Finishing and Painting: It is easier to paint
and apply trim to the model before the upper
wing is permanently attached. I use Brodak
dopes throughout the finishing process, and
they are thinned to at least a 1:1 ratio.
I brushed three coats of clear onto all
components, which I wet- or dry-sanded. I
sprayed on two coats of white primer and
wet- or dry-sanded it. Then I sprayed three
coats of yellow onto the wings, tail, wheel
pants, and rear fuselage. I masked the Laird
as required and then sprayed on three coats
of green.
I drew the registration numbers on the
wings and rudder using a black Top Flite
Panel Line Pen. I masked off and sprayed
the red flamingos and laid on the black
feathers with the Top Flite pen.
The canopy was masked off and sprayed
with aluminum paint. The aileron outlines
were drawn on with the Top Flite pen.
After all trim was applied, I sprayed on
four coats of clear. Rubbing compound and
a wax job followed. The paint added
approximately 1.1 ounces of weight to the
model.
Final Assembly: Create the 0.015-inchdiameter
music-wire leadouts and attach
them to the bellcrank. Bolt the bellcrank to
its mount. Permanently hook up the elevator
pushrod.
Epoxy the top wing to the fuselage and
interplane struts. From experience, I’ve
learned to use two small wood screws to
reinforce the fuselage-to-wing joint. Bolt the
engine and propeller to the firewall.
The model, complete and ready to fly,
weighs 6.1 ounces. We are ready to go
racing!
Engine Stuff: Sport pilots have the
opportunity to fly their models using any
combination of 1/2A engine, propeller, and
fuel that works for them. Competitors in
Golden Age Speed must comply with the
rules, but a racer’s performance can be
enhanced by taking a few suggestions.
The engine of choice (if you can find
one) is a Cox .049 Venom; however, a
Cox .049 Black Widow will do. A metal
backplate from one of the older,
discontinued Cox engines is substituted
for the Venom’s plastic backplate. The
backplate and fuel-tank openings need to
be reamed out with a 0.094-inch-diameter
drill.
You must use the standard (low
compression) glow head, but you can
remove the head gasket. This will raise the
cylinder compression and improve engine
performance. It is widely believed that the
metal air scoop that rams air into the engine
will improve performance, and several fliers
have begun installing them on their aircraft.
Cox Super Fuel (No. 550) is the fuel of
choice. The propeller is spelled out in the
rules, so you must use a Cox 5 x 3. Balance
it for best results.
Flying: Once these Golden Age racers are
in the air, most will settle out into a nice,
groovy flight pattern. Although some are
prone to tumbling, if a sloppy landing is
executed, most will glide smoothly to a
two- or three-bounce landing with a nice
rollout.
Even if the airplanes do tumble, they are
tough. Except for a few scratches, they are
likely to be none the worse for it.
Let’s discuss the takeoff. These small
aircraft are prone to nosing over on long
takeoff runs. If they do so, they will usually
charge along with the propeller thrashing
the pavement, but the models will
eventually take to the air and complete an
official flight.
This doesn’t do the propeller any favors,
and performance does suffer. So takeoffs
are a bit of an art.
You want sufficient up-elevator to get
the racer into the air as quickly as possible,
but you don’t want to overdo it and see the
dreaded wingover with subsequent dive into
the turf. Not to worry; most takeoffs are
uneventful, and we rarely see an airplane
totaled in a crash.
Happy Ending: My little Laird was
clocked at 58.59 mph, which was good for
a third-place trophy in the 2003 1/2A
Golden Age Speed event. Tim Pansic’s
Mr. Smoothie aced us all with a 63.03
mph first place, and Alan van Artsdalen’s
Pesco Special was on Tim’s heels at 62.98
mph.
My Laird flew with the nose yawed out
enough to adversely affect its top speed.
Yaw out can be reduced by moving the
leadout-wire guides forward. You must do
this carefully, in small increments, lest
you overdo it and have a model that flies
into the circle. That’s a no-no.
So, what’s for next season? A Howard
Pete? A Chester Goon? A Caudron? So
many choices! MA
Frank W. Beatty
2608 Pontoon Rd.
Granite City IL 62040
Sources:
Frank W. Beatty
(618) 931-5436
Perfect Parts Company
(410) 327-3522
www.perfectpartscompany.com
Brodak
(724) 966-2726
www.brodak.com
Top Flite
(800) 637-7660
www.top-flite.com
Lafayette Esquadrille:
Robert Arata
561 Goldwood Dr.
Ballwin MO 63021
(636) 391-0272