The MiG’s characteristic farto-
the-rear cockpit location,
which was placed to
balance the heavy engine,
resulted in a poor forward
view. Some improvements were
made, but the heavier armament
needed couldn’t be added with
the heavy engine. More than
3,000 MiGs were built in
roughly 1941, but they were quickly replaced
with better Lavochkin LaGG-1 and Yakovlev
Yak-1 fighters.
Regardless of the full-scale MiG-3’s fighting
performance, it is an interesting aircraft, and its oftenseen
all-white finish with red stars and lightning bolts makes
for an attention-getting model.
These airplanes were also finished in the typical brown/green
camouflage scheme, but the white finish makes it more unusual. I
assume that the white topsides and light-blue bottom were for winter
camouflage in the snow-covered Russian countryside of the early
1940s, but the red stars and red wing panels don’t exactly go along with
that.
This is not an exact-scale effort; I go for easy construction and good
sport aerobatic performance with at least a Fun Scale appearance. The
size is determined by the power plant to be used, and for many years
I’ve been building models such as this one around the Cheetah 42/US
Engines/Quadra 42 gas engines because of their low cost, reliability,
and ease of use.
But today in the 40cc/2.5 cu. in. displacement size, there are many
more choices than there used to be. If you prefer a glow engine, I think
the Moki 2.10 would do a good job. For a gas engine, you could try the
ZDZ 40, the Zenoah G-45, the Taurus 42, the 3W-38, the Brison 2.4,
the FPE 2.4, other even larger engines, and some I’m sure I missed.
Pick your power plant, and remember that light weight is an asset
and that this fuselage is 6 inches wide at the cowl area. This model has
an 88-inch wingspan, approximately 1,240 square inches of wing area,
and is 66 inches in length. Weight should come out at 16-17 pounds, as
long as you don’t go overboard on the detailing and finish.
LARGE-AIRPLANE MODELERS usually like to use World War II
fighters as subjects, as can be seen at most International Miniature
Aircraft Association fly-ins. It’s easy to spot P-51s, P-47s, F4Us, Fw
190s, Me 109s, Zeros, and so on, but where are the MiGs and the
Yaks?
During World War II, the Russians cranked out scores of darn good
fighter aircraft that make fine RC projects, but they’re rarely seen.
Information about the World War II Russian fighters and their threeview
drawings are readily available. There are Mikoyan-Gureviches,
Yakovlevs, Lavochkins, and Ilyushins, so I decided to try modeling
one of those: the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-3.
Although it featured the typical fighter’s streamlined and aggressive
appearance, the MiG-3 was a weak performer. The problem was its
heavy engine. Even with the lightweight, mostly wood construction, the
airplane still didn’t perform up to competitive standards.
by Dick Sarpolus
Mikoyan-Gurevich fighter
design translates into
delightful model
30 MODEL AVIATION
MiG-3
11sig1.QXD 8/23/04 3:10 pm Page 30
November 2004 31
Lou McGuire’s (L) and Pete Mularchuk’s MiGs. Lou did a bit more surface detailing, but both models look terrific!
If you want a true Scale MiG-3, plans are available from Roamin’
Research, 37137 Clubhouse Dr., Sterling Heights MI 48312. It sells a
larger model that uses larger engines. If you are interested in a Fun
Scale, quickly and easily built MiG-3 with foam-core surfaces, a
somewhat boxy fuselage, fixed gear, and sporty aerobatic flight,
consider this one.
I prefer to use a fully symmetrical airfoil section on these types of
models because I try to keep them light, with minimum detailing, and
fly them for fun aerobatic performance. But since so many modelers
build them with added scale detailing, retracts, better finishing, etc.,
I’ve gone to a semisymmetrical airfoil.
This model uses cut-foam wing cores, wingtip cores, fuselage topblock
cores, and tail-section foam cores. I’ve found foam-core
construction to be quick, simple, economical, and reasonably light for
these sport projects.
A plastic canopy is available. It was made for a larger Scale MiG
and can be cut down a bit for this design. A fiberglass cowl specifically
for this sporty model, along with the plastic canopy, is available from
Fiberglass Specialties Inc., 15715 Ashmore Dr., Gilmore AK 72732;
Tel.: (479) 359-2429; Web site: www.fiberglassspecialtiesinc.com.
New owner Craig Schmidt will carry on the good quality and wide
selection of fiberglass parts for our modeling use.
Although retractable landing gear could be used, it doesn’t go with
my low-cost-fun type of building, so I went with the usual bent 1⁄4-inch
music-wire fixed gear. You can easily add Robart RoboStruts for good
ground handling and a scale appearance. I think retracts could be used
and installed similarly to the fixed gear, but, again, remember the
weight and consider living with the fixed gear.
A Fun Scale design approach usually means scale compromises.
The MiG has a wing with a flat center-section and dihedral in the outer
wing panels, which makes for a more complex wing-building job. In
this case it meant a longer plywood spar and wing joiner along with
two dihedral joints in the wing. I felt it was an important enough design
feature to be built that way.
If your scale feelings are different, you could save weight, time, and
construction effort by going to the more common dihedral joint only in
the center of the wing. It’s up to you. Your scale desires will also
determine how much work you put into the canopy, interior, instrument
panel, pilot figure, exhaust stacks, air scoops, machine guns, wing
fillets, etc. Even a Fun Scale project should have most of that detailing.
Lou McGuire and Pete Mularchuk each built a prototype for this
article. Both used the Cheetah 42cc gas engine for power. Lou finished
his model with MonoKote, and it weighed 16.5 pounds.
Pete finished his airplane the old-fashioned way—with silk and
dope—and he built a cowl from balsa. He also did a great deal of detail
work on the engine air scoops, wing fillets, etc., and he used a larger 5-
inch-diameter spinner along with a three-blade Zinger propeller for
more scale realism. His aircraft weighed 20 pounds.
Both MiGs balanced nearly as shown on the plans and both fly
well, but I urge you to keep the model light for more aerobatic flying.
CONSTRUCTION
The construction is basic and straightforward. All materials used
are standard balsa and plywood. I cut out all the pieces before I begin
building. I work with paper templates of the parts, drawing around
them with a ballpoint pen onto the plywood or balsa, and then cutting
them out with my band saw or scroll saw.
I cut the grooved hardwood landing-gear blocks on a small table
saw, and someone in your club may have a wire bender for the 1⁄4-inchwire
fixed landing gear.
You will need to cut the foam cores for the wing, tail surfaces, and
fuselage top blocks. Someone in your club may be able to cut the foam
for you if you’re not a foam-core scratch builder.
If you’re a plans builder, you know all this and will probably be
writing up a wood order; I’ve been extremely happy with wood from
Lone Star Balsa in Texas. If you want to try scratch building, this is not
a bad project with which to start.
Wing: Cut each of the two foam-core panels at the dihedral-break
location. You must also cut the cores for the full-depth plywood spar,
the additional plywood dihedral-break joiners, the plywood ribs, and
the landing-gear blocks.
I suggest that you carefully mark all the cuts to be made on the
foam before you make them. You can do the cutting with a band saw
or a hot-wire cutter. As the foam blocks “fall apart,” trim them for the
landing-gear blocks and then reassemble them with the plywood parts
and epoxy before sheeting. If you’re unfamiliar with foam-core
construction, this may seem strange, but all the pieces go back
together.
I glue the grooved landing-gear blocks in place, protruding from the
foam core by 3⁄32 inch, and cut the balsa sheeting as I contact-cement it
in place to fit around the landing-gear blocks. Sheet the three wing
11sig1.QXD 8/23/04 3:12 pm Page 31
Wingtips carved, sanded from foam-core blocks and covered
with fiberglass and epoxy. You could also use balsa blocks.
Basic fuselage with sheeted tail surfaces, foam top blocks, and
cowl taped in place on top of foam wing-core parts.
Plywood templates required for cutting the MiG’s foam parts.
They’re used with a hot-wire cutter to make the components.
Two top fuselage foam-core blocks. This is a quick, easy way to
achieve proper shape and form for this type of model.
Shaped right-side wing fillet made from balsa blocks glued in
place and shaped. Sliding canopy section can also be seen.
The wing foam-core center-section has all of the parts glued in
and is ready for sheeting. This is a bottom view.
32 MODEL AVIATION
Shown are the balsa and plywood parts that have to be cut out for the aircraft.
Additional sheet and strip stock along with foam cores are required.
Lou and Pete molded fiberglass cowls for
their models, but one is currently
available from Fiberglass Specialties.
Photos by the author
11sig1.QXD 8/23/04 3:14 pm Page 32
November 2004 33
Fiberglass cowl is bolted in place. Hole in the cowl is for
carburetor. Notice shaped balsa-block air scoop.
A 2.4 cu. in.-displacement Cheetah 42 gas engine powers Pete’s
MiG. He carved his model’s cowl from balsa blocks.
Pete’s model shows clean craftsmanship and neat pushrod
routing. This aircraft’s finish is silk and modeling dope.
Pete used a 5-inch-diameter spinner and three-blade propeller
for more realism. Lou’s MiG-3 featured MonoKote panel lines.
MiG-3
Type: RC Fun Scale
Wingspan: 88 inches
Engine: Cheetah 42, 2.4 cu. in., Quadra
42, or others (See text.)
Flying weight: 16-17 pounds
Construction: balsa, plywood, foam
Covering/finish: Modeling dope and
silk or MonoKote
sections—the center-section and the two outboard panels—separately,
and then join them at the dihedral breaks.
The wingtips are also made from foam cores. Although it may not
be exact scale, it sure is easier than carving large balsa blocks for tips.
Templates are provided for the upper and lower wingtip sections, and
the foam sections are glued to a center balsa core, top and bottom, then
sheeted, and added to the sheeted wing cores. Don’t forget to burn the
holes through the cores for the aileron extension cables before joining
the cores.
Make the wing sheeting from 3⁄32 balsa, edge-glued to obtain the
necessary width. I use 3- or 4-inch-wide balsa, sanding the edges as
needed to get a good fit, and use aliphatic resin glue because it’s easier
to handle and to sand for a smooth surface.
Tape the balsa sheets together to get the width, flip the wood over,
open the taped joint like a hinge over the edge of the workbench, and
apply the glue. With the wood flat on the workbench, scrape the excess
glue from the joint with a putty knife, and weight the wood down until
the glue dries. Take the masking tape off, and use the taped side as the
outer surface of the sheeting. Sand the sheeting before you apply it to
the cores.
I’ve been using Dave Brown Products’ Southern Sorghum for years
to contact-cement balsa sheeting to foam cores, but there are other
ways to go, such as thinly spread epoxy, spray contact cements, and
more. Experiment on scrap foam if you try anything that isn’t sold
specifically for this purpose; some adhesives will dissolve the foam.
Sheet the center-section, which is slightly tougher because of the
plywood spars protruding from each end. Sheet the outer wing panels,
trim the sheeting from all edges, check for a good fit at the dihedral
joint by sliding the outer panels over the stub plywood spars, and epoxy
the whole wing together. Epoxy the wingtips in place.
I sand the LE square, glue on an oversize balsa LE strip, and plane
11sig2.QXD 8/23/04 1:39 pm Page 33
34 MODEL AVIATION
and sand it to shape. Then I cut a slot
through the LE for the plywood wingmounting
tab and epoxy it in place after the
wing has been fitted to the fuselage saddle.
I recommend wrapping the two wing
dihedral joints with medium-weight
fiberglass cloth and epoxy. Be sure to scrape
off excess epoxy with a piece of cardboard,
leaving just enough to saturate the cloth for
strength without much weight. I’d also use
some fiberglass cloth and epoxy at the wing
center by the TE where the wing bolts attach
the wing to the fuselage.
Cut the ailerons from the sheeted wing
panels, trim them down to allow for the balsa
edging to be glued on, and sand them to
shape. They are hinged along the centerline.
Cut recesses in the wing’s lower surface for
the aileron servo mountings.
Fuselage: Use firm-to-hard balsa for the two
sides, edge-gluing and splicing to get the size
that is required. Glue the plywood doublers,
balsa wing-saddle doublers, stabilizer-saddle
doublers, and lower rear edge strips to the
two fuselage sides.
I like a good, thick firewall, so I epoxy a
piece of 1⁄8 and a piece of 1⁄4 plywood
together. With one fuselage side flat on the
workbench, epoxy the firewall and the next
three plywood bulkheads perpendicular to
that side. Glue the second side to those
bulkheads; the sides are parallel from the
firewall to the wing TE position.
Add triangle stock and fiberglass cloth
behind the firewall to reinforce its joint with
the sides. I also add several small screws
through the sides into the firewall.
Add the plywood wing-bolt plate, and
then pull the tail end together and install the
rear bulkheads. Fit the top foam blocks to the
fuselage structure, sanding them if necessary
so that they will be flush with the sides when
the sheeting has been applied. Don’t add the
bottom sheeting until you have installed the
tail pushrods later.
Final Assembly: Build the tail surfaces flat
on a workbench surface. Cut the flat foam
cores to shape, add the balsa framing, and
apply the balsa sheeting with contact cement.
Align the wing to the fuselage, adjusting the
fit of the wing-mounting tab through the
fuselage bulkhead.
Drill and tap the plywood wing-mounting
plate for the two nylon bolts that will hold
the wing in place. With the wing mounted to
the fuselage, add the horizontal stabilizer and
align it with the wing.
Add the vertical fin perpendicular to the
horizontal stabilizer. I recess the control
surfaces to accept 1⁄4 plywood mounting pads
for the nylon horns going onto the ailerons,
elevators, and rudder. Epoxy the plywood
mounts into the surfaces, and mount the
nylon horns with self-tapping screws.
Use 4-40 threaded rods and clevises for
all linkages. Use fiberglass tube pushrods for
the two elevator linkages. Use two separate
servos for the elevators, each with its own
pushrod and linkage, allowing the two
pushrods to be straight. Since the pushrods
cross inside the fuselage, mount one servo a
bit higher than the other so the pushrods
don’t rub together.
Make aileron extension cables into a Y
harness for the two aileron servos mounted
in the wing. Another short Y harness is
needed for the two elevator servos. I use a
1200 or 1800 mAh battery pack, wrapped in
foam rubber and positioned behind the
firewall.
I bent the main landing gear to shape with
a large K&S wire bender. Nylon straps and
screws are used to retain the gear in the
grooved blocks. Plywood landing-gear doors
are held onto the gear with small metal straps
soldered to the gear legs. I like Robart’s
scale wheels, but be sure to order the internal
foam tire “doughnuts” directly from the
company to adequately support the aircraft.
I used a 16-ounce tank, with plenty of
room inside the fuselage. An ignition-cutoff
switch can be mounted with a sheet-metal
bracket on the firewall near the bottom, and
it will be accessible through the cowl cutout.
With three-layer plywood pads behind
them, the Cheetah engines mounted easily on
the firewalls with clearance for their
effective mufflers.
The available fiberglass cowl is cut for
engine and muffler clearance and carburetor
access. You can mount the cowl by
overlapping it slightly on the fuselage and
using nylon bolts to retain it, which is the
easiest way. Or for a flush fit, you can cut the
cowl to length and mount it to hardwood
blocks epoxied to the front of the firewall.
I’d do it the easier way.
Finish: Pete and Lou finished their aircraft
in the white-top-and-blue-bottom color
scheme, which is seen in many aircraft
reference books, along with the Russian star
insignia. It’s a welcome change from the
more typical brown-and-green camouflage
seen on so many World War II fighters.
Flying: The only problem we ran into with
the test flights was a tendency for both MiGs
to tip forward while taxiing.
This was easy to solve by removing the
wire landing gears and bending them
forward to get the wheel axles closer to the
LE position.
We’re certainly pleased with these MiG-3
warbirds; they build up quickly and easily,
and they’re just plain fun to bring out to the
field for some active flying. MA
Dick Sarpolus
32 Alameda Ct.
Shewsbury NJ 07702
[email protected]
Additional Specifications:
Length: 67 inches
Wing area: 1,230 square inches
Wing loading: 28-32 ounces per square foot
Radio: Four-channel
Controls: Ailerons, elevator, rudder, throttle
(six servos)
Propeller: 18 x 10 or three-blade 16 x 8
PlanetHobby.com, Inc.
(901) 755-1536
7477 Wood Rail Cove • Memphis, TN 38119
www.planethobby.com
[email protected]
Catalogs Upon Request • Dealers Welcome.26 Different Glow Plugs in Stock.
Specifications supplied by manufacturer.
Muffled and
Tuned Pipes
Turbo
Crank
Optional Exhaust
Manifolds
SALE ends 9/ 20/’04
NOVAROSSI
Performance Innovations
C60V2H5WC Hilocopter
World Champion Engine.
.60 c.i. inflight adjustable mixture
control. 4 intake ports. 2.5 HP at
18,000 RPM. Weight. 22oz.
List $415 Sale $189
SUMMER SALE!
C60F .60 c.i. 8 intake ports 2.3 HP at 16,500 RPM. Weight. 22oz.
List $415.00. Sale $189
C60F01 Same as C60F with double balanced shaft for critical
applications. List $450.00 Sale $209
C60F4T Same as C60F Aircraft engine .60 c.i.
4 intake ports List $350.00. Sale $169
Nelson ultra thrust muffler $69
C50F .50 c.i. 4 Ports
2.2 HP at 18,000
RPM. Weight. 16.7oz.
List $385
Sale $159
Nelson ultra thrust muffler
$69
NOVAROSSI Engines
11sig2.QXD 8/23/04 1:40 pm Page 34
Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/11
Page Numbers: 30,31,32,33,34,35
Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/11
Page Numbers: 30,31,32,33,34,35
The MiG’s characteristic farto-
the-rear cockpit location,
which was placed to
balance the heavy engine,
resulted in a poor forward
view. Some improvements were
made, but the heavier armament
needed couldn’t be added with
the heavy engine. More than
3,000 MiGs were built in
roughly 1941, but they were quickly replaced
with better Lavochkin LaGG-1 and Yakovlev
Yak-1 fighters.
Regardless of the full-scale MiG-3’s fighting
performance, it is an interesting aircraft, and its oftenseen
all-white finish with red stars and lightning bolts makes
for an attention-getting model.
These airplanes were also finished in the typical brown/green
camouflage scheme, but the white finish makes it more unusual. I
assume that the white topsides and light-blue bottom were for winter
camouflage in the snow-covered Russian countryside of the early
1940s, but the red stars and red wing panels don’t exactly go along with
that.
This is not an exact-scale effort; I go for easy construction and good
sport aerobatic performance with at least a Fun Scale appearance. The
size is determined by the power plant to be used, and for many years
I’ve been building models such as this one around the Cheetah 42/US
Engines/Quadra 42 gas engines because of their low cost, reliability,
and ease of use.
But today in the 40cc/2.5 cu. in. displacement size, there are many
more choices than there used to be. If you prefer a glow engine, I think
the Moki 2.10 would do a good job. For a gas engine, you could try the
ZDZ 40, the Zenoah G-45, the Taurus 42, the 3W-38, the Brison 2.4,
the FPE 2.4, other even larger engines, and some I’m sure I missed.
Pick your power plant, and remember that light weight is an asset
and that this fuselage is 6 inches wide at the cowl area. This model has
an 88-inch wingspan, approximately 1,240 square inches of wing area,
and is 66 inches in length. Weight should come out at 16-17 pounds, as
long as you don’t go overboard on the detailing and finish.
LARGE-AIRPLANE MODELERS usually like to use World War II
fighters as subjects, as can be seen at most International Miniature
Aircraft Association fly-ins. It’s easy to spot P-51s, P-47s, F4Us, Fw
190s, Me 109s, Zeros, and so on, but where are the MiGs and the
Yaks?
During World War II, the Russians cranked out scores of darn good
fighter aircraft that make fine RC projects, but they’re rarely seen.
Information about the World War II Russian fighters and their threeview
drawings are readily available. There are Mikoyan-Gureviches,
Yakovlevs, Lavochkins, and Ilyushins, so I decided to try modeling
one of those: the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-3.
Although it featured the typical fighter’s streamlined and aggressive
appearance, the MiG-3 was a weak performer. The problem was its
heavy engine. Even with the lightweight, mostly wood construction, the
airplane still didn’t perform up to competitive standards.
by Dick Sarpolus
Mikoyan-Gurevich fighter
design translates into
delightful model
30 MODEL AVIATION
MiG-3
11sig1.QXD 8/23/04 3:10 pm Page 30
November 2004 31
Lou McGuire’s (L) and Pete Mularchuk’s MiGs. Lou did a bit more surface detailing, but both models look terrific!
If you want a true Scale MiG-3, plans are available from Roamin’
Research, 37137 Clubhouse Dr., Sterling Heights MI 48312. It sells a
larger model that uses larger engines. If you are interested in a Fun
Scale, quickly and easily built MiG-3 with foam-core surfaces, a
somewhat boxy fuselage, fixed gear, and sporty aerobatic flight,
consider this one.
I prefer to use a fully symmetrical airfoil section on these types of
models because I try to keep them light, with minimum detailing, and
fly them for fun aerobatic performance. But since so many modelers
build them with added scale detailing, retracts, better finishing, etc.,
I’ve gone to a semisymmetrical airfoil.
This model uses cut-foam wing cores, wingtip cores, fuselage topblock
cores, and tail-section foam cores. I’ve found foam-core
construction to be quick, simple, economical, and reasonably light for
these sport projects.
A plastic canopy is available. It was made for a larger Scale MiG
and can be cut down a bit for this design. A fiberglass cowl specifically
for this sporty model, along with the plastic canopy, is available from
Fiberglass Specialties Inc., 15715 Ashmore Dr., Gilmore AK 72732;
Tel.: (479) 359-2429; Web site: www.fiberglassspecialtiesinc.com.
New owner Craig Schmidt will carry on the good quality and wide
selection of fiberglass parts for our modeling use.
Although retractable landing gear could be used, it doesn’t go with
my low-cost-fun type of building, so I went with the usual bent 1⁄4-inch
music-wire fixed gear. You can easily add Robart RoboStruts for good
ground handling and a scale appearance. I think retracts could be used
and installed similarly to the fixed gear, but, again, remember the
weight and consider living with the fixed gear.
A Fun Scale design approach usually means scale compromises.
The MiG has a wing with a flat center-section and dihedral in the outer
wing panels, which makes for a more complex wing-building job. In
this case it meant a longer plywood spar and wing joiner along with
two dihedral joints in the wing. I felt it was an important enough design
feature to be built that way.
If your scale feelings are different, you could save weight, time, and
construction effort by going to the more common dihedral joint only in
the center of the wing. It’s up to you. Your scale desires will also
determine how much work you put into the canopy, interior, instrument
panel, pilot figure, exhaust stacks, air scoops, machine guns, wing
fillets, etc. Even a Fun Scale project should have most of that detailing.
Lou McGuire and Pete Mularchuk each built a prototype for this
article. Both used the Cheetah 42cc gas engine for power. Lou finished
his model with MonoKote, and it weighed 16.5 pounds.
Pete finished his airplane the old-fashioned way—with silk and
dope—and he built a cowl from balsa. He also did a great deal of detail
work on the engine air scoops, wing fillets, etc., and he used a larger 5-
inch-diameter spinner along with a three-blade Zinger propeller for
more scale realism. His aircraft weighed 20 pounds.
Both MiGs balanced nearly as shown on the plans and both fly
well, but I urge you to keep the model light for more aerobatic flying.
CONSTRUCTION
The construction is basic and straightforward. All materials used
are standard balsa and plywood. I cut out all the pieces before I begin
building. I work with paper templates of the parts, drawing around
them with a ballpoint pen onto the plywood or balsa, and then cutting
them out with my band saw or scroll saw.
I cut the grooved hardwood landing-gear blocks on a small table
saw, and someone in your club may have a wire bender for the 1⁄4-inchwire
fixed landing gear.
You will need to cut the foam cores for the wing, tail surfaces, and
fuselage top blocks. Someone in your club may be able to cut the foam
for you if you’re not a foam-core scratch builder.
If you’re a plans builder, you know all this and will probably be
writing up a wood order; I’ve been extremely happy with wood from
Lone Star Balsa in Texas. If you want to try scratch building, this is not
a bad project with which to start.
Wing: Cut each of the two foam-core panels at the dihedral-break
location. You must also cut the cores for the full-depth plywood spar,
the additional plywood dihedral-break joiners, the plywood ribs, and
the landing-gear blocks.
I suggest that you carefully mark all the cuts to be made on the
foam before you make them. You can do the cutting with a band saw
or a hot-wire cutter. As the foam blocks “fall apart,” trim them for the
landing-gear blocks and then reassemble them with the plywood parts
and epoxy before sheeting. If you’re unfamiliar with foam-core
construction, this may seem strange, but all the pieces go back
together.
I glue the grooved landing-gear blocks in place, protruding from the
foam core by 3⁄32 inch, and cut the balsa sheeting as I contact-cement it
in place to fit around the landing-gear blocks. Sheet the three wing
11sig1.QXD 8/23/04 3:12 pm Page 31
Wingtips carved, sanded from foam-core blocks and covered
with fiberglass and epoxy. You could also use balsa blocks.
Basic fuselage with sheeted tail surfaces, foam top blocks, and
cowl taped in place on top of foam wing-core parts.
Plywood templates required for cutting the MiG’s foam parts.
They’re used with a hot-wire cutter to make the components.
Two top fuselage foam-core blocks. This is a quick, easy way to
achieve proper shape and form for this type of model.
Shaped right-side wing fillet made from balsa blocks glued in
place and shaped. Sliding canopy section can also be seen.
The wing foam-core center-section has all of the parts glued in
and is ready for sheeting. This is a bottom view.
32 MODEL AVIATION
Shown are the balsa and plywood parts that have to be cut out for the aircraft.
Additional sheet and strip stock along with foam cores are required.
Lou and Pete molded fiberglass cowls for
their models, but one is currently
available from Fiberglass Specialties.
Photos by the author
11sig1.QXD 8/23/04 3:14 pm Page 32
November 2004 33
Fiberglass cowl is bolted in place. Hole in the cowl is for
carburetor. Notice shaped balsa-block air scoop.
A 2.4 cu. in.-displacement Cheetah 42 gas engine powers Pete’s
MiG. He carved his model’s cowl from balsa blocks.
Pete’s model shows clean craftsmanship and neat pushrod
routing. This aircraft’s finish is silk and modeling dope.
Pete used a 5-inch-diameter spinner and three-blade propeller
for more realism. Lou’s MiG-3 featured MonoKote panel lines.
MiG-3
Type: RC Fun Scale
Wingspan: 88 inches
Engine: Cheetah 42, 2.4 cu. in., Quadra
42, or others (See text.)
Flying weight: 16-17 pounds
Construction: balsa, plywood, foam
Covering/finish: Modeling dope and
silk or MonoKote
sections—the center-section and the two outboard panels—separately,
and then join them at the dihedral breaks.
The wingtips are also made from foam cores. Although it may not
be exact scale, it sure is easier than carving large balsa blocks for tips.
Templates are provided for the upper and lower wingtip sections, and
the foam sections are glued to a center balsa core, top and bottom, then
sheeted, and added to the sheeted wing cores. Don’t forget to burn the
holes through the cores for the aileron extension cables before joining
the cores.
Make the wing sheeting from 3⁄32 balsa, edge-glued to obtain the
necessary width. I use 3- or 4-inch-wide balsa, sanding the edges as
needed to get a good fit, and use aliphatic resin glue because it’s easier
to handle and to sand for a smooth surface.
Tape the balsa sheets together to get the width, flip the wood over,
open the taped joint like a hinge over the edge of the workbench, and
apply the glue. With the wood flat on the workbench, scrape the excess
glue from the joint with a putty knife, and weight the wood down until
the glue dries. Take the masking tape off, and use the taped side as the
outer surface of the sheeting. Sand the sheeting before you apply it to
the cores.
I’ve been using Dave Brown Products’ Southern Sorghum for years
to contact-cement balsa sheeting to foam cores, but there are other
ways to go, such as thinly spread epoxy, spray contact cements, and
more. Experiment on scrap foam if you try anything that isn’t sold
specifically for this purpose; some adhesives will dissolve the foam.
Sheet the center-section, which is slightly tougher because of the
plywood spars protruding from each end. Sheet the outer wing panels,
trim the sheeting from all edges, check for a good fit at the dihedral
joint by sliding the outer panels over the stub plywood spars, and epoxy
the whole wing together. Epoxy the wingtips in place.
I sand the LE square, glue on an oversize balsa LE strip, and plane
11sig2.QXD 8/23/04 1:39 pm Page 33
34 MODEL AVIATION
and sand it to shape. Then I cut a slot
through the LE for the plywood wingmounting
tab and epoxy it in place after the
wing has been fitted to the fuselage saddle.
I recommend wrapping the two wing
dihedral joints with medium-weight
fiberglass cloth and epoxy. Be sure to scrape
off excess epoxy with a piece of cardboard,
leaving just enough to saturate the cloth for
strength without much weight. I’d also use
some fiberglass cloth and epoxy at the wing
center by the TE where the wing bolts attach
the wing to the fuselage.
Cut the ailerons from the sheeted wing
panels, trim them down to allow for the balsa
edging to be glued on, and sand them to
shape. They are hinged along the centerline.
Cut recesses in the wing’s lower surface for
the aileron servo mountings.
Fuselage: Use firm-to-hard balsa for the two
sides, edge-gluing and splicing to get the size
that is required. Glue the plywood doublers,
balsa wing-saddle doublers, stabilizer-saddle
doublers, and lower rear edge strips to the
two fuselage sides.
I like a good, thick firewall, so I epoxy a
piece of 1⁄8 and a piece of 1⁄4 plywood
together. With one fuselage side flat on the
workbench, epoxy the firewall and the next
three plywood bulkheads perpendicular to
that side. Glue the second side to those
bulkheads; the sides are parallel from the
firewall to the wing TE position.
Add triangle stock and fiberglass cloth
behind the firewall to reinforce its joint with
the sides. I also add several small screws
through the sides into the firewall.
Add the plywood wing-bolt plate, and
then pull the tail end together and install the
rear bulkheads. Fit the top foam blocks to the
fuselage structure, sanding them if necessary
so that they will be flush with the sides when
the sheeting has been applied. Don’t add the
bottom sheeting until you have installed the
tail pushrods later.
Final Assembly: Build the tail surfaces flat
on a workbench surface. Cut the flat foam
cores to shape, add the balsa framing, and
apply the balsa sheeting with contact cement.
Align the wing to the fuselage, adjusting the
fit of the wing-mounting tab through the
fuselage bulkhead.
Drill and tap the plywood wing-mounting
plate for the two nylon bolts that will hold
the wing in place. With the wing mounted to
the fuselage, add the horizontal stabilizer and
align it with the wing.
Add the vertical fin perpendicular to the
horizontal stabilizer. I recess the control
surfaces to accept 1⁄4 plywood mounting pads
for the nylon horns going onto the ailerons,
elevators, and rudder. Epoxy the plywood
mounts into the surfaces, and mount the
nylon horns with self-tapping screws.
Use 4-40 threaded rods and clevises for
all linkages. Use fiberglass tube pushrods for
the two elevator linkages. Use two separate
servos for the elevators, each with its own
pushrod and linkage, allowing the two
pushrods to be straight. Since the pushrods
cross inside the fuselage, mount one servo a
bit higher than the other so the pushrods
don’t rub together.
Make aileron extension cables into a Y
harness for the two aileron servos mounted
in the wing. Another short Y harness is
needed for the two elevator servos. I use a
1200 or 1800 mAh battery pack, wrapped in
foam rubber and positioned behind the
firewall.
I bent the main landing gear to shape with
a large K&S wire bender. Nylon straps and
screws are used to retain the gear in the
grooved blocks. Plywood landing-gear doors
are held onto the gear with small metal straps
soldered to the gear legs. I like Robart’s
scale wheels, but be sure to order the internal
foam tire “doughnuts” directly from the
company to adequately support the aircraft.
I used a 16-ounce tank, with plenty of
room inside the fuselage. An ignition-cutoff
switch can be mounted with a sheet-metal
bracket on the firewall near the bottom, and
it will be accessible through the cowl cutout.
With three-layer plywood pads behind
them, the Cheetah engines mounted easily on
the firewalls with clearance for their
effective mufflers.
The available fiberglass cowl is cut for
engine and muffler clearance and carburetor
access. You can mount the cowl by
overlapping it slightly on the fuselage and
using nylon bolts to retain it, which is the
easiest way. Or for a flush fit, you can cut the
cowl to length and mount it to hardwood
blocks epoxied to the front of the firewall.
I’d do it the easier way.
Finish: Pete and Lou finished their aircraft
in the white-top-and-blue-bottom color
scheme, which is seen in many aircraft
reference books, along with the Russian star
insignia. It’s a welcome change from the
more typical brown-and-green camouflage
seen on so many World War II fighters.
Flying: The only problem we ran into with
the test flights was a tendency for both MiGs
to tip forward while taxiing.
This was easy to solve by removing the
wire landing gears and bending them
forward to get the wheel axles closer to the
LE position.
We’re certainly pleased with these MiG-3
warbirds; they build up quickly and easily,
and they’re just plain fun to bring out to the
field for some active flying. MA
Dick Sarpolus
32 Alameda Ct.
Shewsbury NJ 07702
[email protected]
Additional Specifications:
Length: 67 inches
Wing area: 1,230 square inches
Wing loading: 28-32 ounces per square foot
Radio: Four-channel
Controls: Ailerons, elevator, rudder, throttle
(six servos)
Propeller: 18 x 10 or three-blade 16 x 8
PlanetHobby.com, Inc.
(901) 755-1536
7477 Wood Rail Cove • Memphis, TN 38119
www.planethobby.com
[email protected]
Catalogs Upon Request • Dealers Welcome.26 Different Glow Plugs in Stock.
Specifications supplied by manufacturer.
Muffled and
Tuned Pipes
Turbo
Crank
Optional Exhaust
Manifolds
SALE ends 9/ 20/’04
NOVAROSSI
Performance Innovations
C60V2H5WC Hilocopter
World Champion Engine.
.60 c.i. inflight adjustable mixture
control. 4 intake ports. 2.5 HP at
18,000 RPM. Weight. 22oz.
List $415 Sale $189
SUMMER SALE!
C60F .60 c.i. 8 intake ports 2.3 HP at 16,500 RPM. Weight. 22oz.
List $415.00. Sale $189
C60F01 Same as C60F with double balanced shaft for critical
applications. List $450.00 Sale $209
C60F4T Same as C60F Aircraft engine .60 c.i.
4 intake ports List $350.00. Sale $169
Nelson ultra thrust muffler $69
C50F .50 c.i. 4 Ports
2.2 HP at 18,000
RPM. Weight. 16.7oz.
List $385
Sale $159
Nelson ultra thrust muffler
$69
NOVAROSSI Engines
11sig2.QXD 8/23/04 1:40 pm Page 34
Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/11
Page Numbers: 30,31,32,33,34,35
The MiG’s characteristic farto-
the-rear cockpit location,
which was placed to
balance the heavy engine,
resulted in a poor forward
view. Some improvements were
made, but the heavier armament
needed couldn’t be added with
the heavy engine. More than
3,000 MiGs were built in
roughly 1941, but they were quickly replaced
with better Lavochkin LaGG-1 and Yakovlev
Yak-1 fighters.
Regardless of the full-scale MiG-3’s fighting
performance, it is an interesting aircraft, and its oftenseen
all-white finish with red stars and lightning bolts makes
for an attention-getting model.
These airplanes were also finished in the typical brown/green
camouflage scheme, but the white finish makes it more unusual. I
assume that the white topsides and light-blue bottom were for winter
camouflage in the snow-covered Russian countryside of the early
1940s, but the red stars and red wing panels don’t exactly go along with
that.
This is not an exact-scale effort; I go for easy construction and good
sport aerobatic performance with at least a Fun Scale appearance. The
size is determined by the power plant to be used, and for many years
I’ve been building models such as this one around the Cheetah 42/US
Engines/Quadra 42 gas engines because of their low cost, reliability,
and ease of use.
But today in the 40cc/2.5 cu. in. displacement size, there are many
more choices than there used to be. If you prefer a glow engine, I think
the Moki 2.10 would do a good job. For a gas engine, you could try the
ZDZ 40, the Zenoah G-45, the Taurus 42, the 3W-38, the Brison 2.4,
the FPE 2.4, other even larger engines, and some I’m sure I missed.
Pick your power plant, and remember that light weight is an asset
and that this fuselage is 6 inches wide at the cowl area. This model has
an 88-inch wingspan, approximately 1,240 square inches of wing area,
and is 66 inches in length. Weight should come out at 16-17 pounds, as
long as you don’t go overboard on the detailing and finish.
LARGE-AIRPLANE MODELERS usually like to use World War II
fighters as subjects, as can be seen at most International Miniature
Aircraft Association fly-ins. It’s easy to spot P-51s, P-47s, F4Us, Fw
190s, Me 109s, Zeros, and so on, but where are the MiGs and the
Yaks?
During World War II, the Russians cranked out scores of darn good
fighter aircraft that make fine RC projects, but they’re rarely seen.
Information about the World War II Russian fighters and their threeview
drawings are readily available. There are Mikoyan-Gureviches,
Yakovlevs, Lavochkins, and Ilyushins, so I decided to try modeling
one of those: the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-3.
Although it featured the typical fighter’s streamlined and aggressive
appearance, the MiG-3 was a weak performer. The problem was its
heavy engine. Even with the lightweight, mostly wood construction, the
airplane still didn’t perform up to competitive standards.
by Dick Sarpolus
Mikoyan-Gurevich fighter
design translates into
delightful model
30 MODEL AVIATION
MiG-3
11sig1.QXD 8/23/04 3:10 pm Page 30
November 2004 31
Lou McGuire’s (L) and Pete Mularchuk’s MiGs. Lou did a bit more surface detailing, but both models look terrific!
If you want a true Scale MiG-3, plans are available from Roamin’
Research, 37137 Clubhouse Dr., Sterling Heights MI 48312. It sells a
larger model that uses larger engines. If you are interested in a Fun
Scale, quickly and easily built MiG-3 with foam-core surfaces, a
somewhat boxy fuselage, fixed gear, and sporty aerobatic flight,
consider this one.
I prefer to use a fully symmetrical airfoil section on these types of
models because I try to keep them light, with minimum detailing, and
fly them for fun aerobatic performance. But since so many modelers
build them with added scale detailing, retracts, better finishing, etc.,
I’ve gone to a semisymmetrical airfoil.
This model uses cut-foam wing cores, wingtip cores, fuselage topblock
cores, and tail-section foam cores. I’ve found foam-core
construction to be quick, simple, economical, and reasonably light for
these sport projects.
A plastic canopy is available. It was made for a larger Scale MiG
and can be cut down a bit for this design. A fiberglass cowl specifically
for this sporty model, along with the plastic canopy, is available from
Fiberglass Specialties Inc., 15715 Ashmore Dr., Gilmore AK 72732;
Tel.: (479) 359-2429; Web site: www.fiberglassspecialtiesinc.com.
New owner Craig Schmidt will carry on the good quality and wide
selection of fiberglass parts for our modeling use.
Although retractable landing gear could be used, it doesn’t go with
my low-cost-fun type of building, so I went with the usual bent 1⁄4-inch
music-wire fixed gear. You can easily add Robart RoboStruts for good
ground handling and a scale appearance. I think retracts could be used
and installed similarly to the fixed gear, but, again, remember the
weight and consider living with the fixed gear.
A Fun Scale design approach usually means scale compromises.
The MiG has a wing with a flat center-section and dihedral in the outer
wing panels, which makes for a more complex wing-building job. In
this case it meant a longer plywood spar and wing joiner along with
two dihedral joints in the wing. I felt it was an important enough design
feature to be built that way.
If your scale feelings are different, you could save weight, time, and
construction effort by going to the more common dihedral joint only in
the center of the wing. It’s up to you. Your scale desires will also
determine how much work you put into the canopy, interior, instrument
panel, pilot figure, exhaust stacks, air scoops, machine guns, wing
fillets, etc. Even a Fun Scale project should have most of that detailing.
Lou McGuire and Pete Mularchuk each built a prototype for this
article. Both used the Cheetah 42cc gas engine for power. Lou finished
his model with MonoKote, and it weighed 16.5 pounds.
Pete finished his airplane the old-fashioned way—with silk and
dope—and he built a cowl from balsa. He also did a great deal of detail
work on the engine air scoops, wing fillets, etc., and he used a larger 5-
inch-diameter spinner along with a three-blade Zinger propeller for
more scale realism. His aircraft weighed 20 pounds.
Both MiGs balanced nearly as shown on the plans and both fly
well, but I urge you to keep the model light for more aerobatic flying.
CONSTRUCTION
The construction is basic and straightforward. All materials used
are standard balsa and plywood. I cut out all the pieces before I begin
building. I work with paper templates of the parts, drawing around
them with a ballpoint pen onto the plywood or balsa, and then cutting
them out with my band saw or scroll saw.
I cut the grooved hardwood landing-gear blocks on a small table
saw, and someone in your club may have a wire bender for the 1⁄4-inchwire
fixed landing gear.
You will need to cut the foam cores for the wing, tail surfaces, and
fuselage top blocks. Someone in your club may be able to cut the foam
for you if you’re not a foam-core scratch builder.
If you’re a plans builder, you know all this and will probably be
writing up a wood order; I’ve been extremely happy with wood from
Lone Star Balsa in Texas. If you want to try scratch building, this is not
a bad project with which to start.
Wing: Cut each of the two foam-core panels at the dihedral-break
location. You must also cut the cores for the full-depth plywood spar,
the additional plywood dihedral-break joiners, the plywood ribs, and
the landing-gear blocks.
I suggest that you carefully mark all the cuts to be made on the
foam before you make them. You can do the cutting with a band saw
or a hot-wire cutter. As the foam blocks “fall apart,” trim them for the
landing-gear blocks and then reassemble them with the plywood parts
and epoxy before sheeting. If you’re unfamiliar with foam-core
construction, this may seem strange, but all the pieces go back
together.
I glue the grooved landing-gear blocks in place, protruding from the
foam core by 3⁄32 inch, and cut the balsa sheeting as I contact-cement it
in place to fit around the landing-gear blocks. Sheet the three wing
11sig1.QXD 8/23/04 3:12 pm Page 31
Wingtips carved, sanded from foam-core blocks and covered
with fiberglass and epoxy. You could also use balsa blocks.
Basic fuselage with sheeted tail surfaces, foam top blocks, and
cowl taped in place on top of foam wing-core parts.
Plywood templates required for cutting the MiG’s foam parts.
They’re used with a hot-wire cutter to make the components.
Two top fuselage foam-core blocks. This is a quick, easy way to
achieve proper shape and form for this type of model.
Shaped right-side wing fillet made from balsa blocks glued in
place and shaped. Sliding canopy section can also be seen.
The wing foam-core center-section has all of the parts glued in
and is ready for sheeting. This is a bottom view.
32 MODEL AVIATION
Shown are the balsa and plywood parts that have to be cut out for the aircraft.
Additional sheet and strip stock along with foam cores are required.
Lou and Pete molded fiberglass cowls for
their models, but one is currently
available from Fiberglass Specialties.
Photos by the author
11sig1.QXD 8/23/04 3:14 pm Page 32
November 2004 33
Fiberglass cowl is bolted in place. Hole in the cowl is for
carburetor. Notice shaped balsa-block air scoop.
A 2.4 cu. in.-displacement Cheetah 42 gas engine powers Pete’s
MiG. He carved his model’s cowl from balsa blocks.
Pete’s model shows clean craftsmanship and neat pushrod
routing. This aircraft’s finish is silk and modeling dope.
Pete used a 5-inch-diameter spinner and three-blade propeller
for more realism. Lou’s MiG-3 featured MonoKote panel lines.
MiG-3
Type: RC Fun Scale
Wingspan: 88 inches
Engine: Cheetah 42, 2.4 cu. in., Quadra
42, or others (See text.)
Flying weight: 16-17 pounds
Construction: balsa, plywood, foam
Covering/finish: Modeling dope and
silk or MonoKote
sections—the center-section and the two outboard panels—separately,
and then join them at the dihedral breaks.
The wingtips are also made from foam cores. Although it may not
be exact scale, it sure is easier than carving large balsa blocks for tips.
Templates are provided for the upper and lower wingtip sections, and
the foam sections are glued to a center balsa core, top and bottom, then
sheeted, and added to the sheeted wing cores. Don’t forget to burn the
holes through the cores for the aileron extension cables before joining
the cores.
Make the wing sheeting from 3⁄32 balsa, edge-glued to obtain the
necessary width. I use 3- or 4-inch-wide balsa, sanding the edges as
needed to get a good fit, and use aliphatic resin glue because it’s easier
to handle and to sand for a smooth surface.
Tape the balsa sheets together to get the width, flip the wood over,
open the taped joint like a hinge over the edge of the workbench, and
apply the glue. With the wood flat on the workbench, scrape the excess
glue from the joint with a putty knife, and weight the wood down until
the glue dries. Take the masking tape off, and use the taped side as the
outer surface of the sheeting. Sand the sheeting before you apply it to
the cores.
I’ve been using Dave Brown Products’ Southern Sorghum for years
to contact-cement balsa sheeting to foam cores, but there are other
ways to go, such as thinly spread epoxy, spray contact cements, and
more. Experiment on scrap foam if you try anything that isn’t sold
specifically for this purpose; some adhesives will dissolve the foam.
Sheet the center-section, which is slightly tougher because of the
plywood spars protruding from each end. Sheet the outer wing panels,
trim the sheeting from all edges, check for a good fit at the dihedral
joint by sliding the outer panels over the stub plywood spars, and epoxy
the whole wing together. Epoxy the wingtips in place.
I sand the LE square, glue on an oversize balsa LE strip, and plane
11sig2.QXD 8/23/04 1:39 pm Page 33
34 MODEL AVIATION
and sand it to shape. Then I cut a slot
through the LE for the plywood wingmounting
tab and epoxy it in place after the
wing has been fitted to the fuselage saddle.
I recommend wrapping the two wing
dihedral joints with medium-weight
fiberglass cloth and epoxy. Be sure to scrape
off excess epoxy with a piece of cardboard,
leaving just enough to saturate the cloth for
strength without much weight. I’d also use
some fiberglass cloth and epoxy at the wing
center by the TE where the wing bolts attach
the wing to the fuselage.
Cut the ailerons from the sheeted wing
panels, trim them down to allow for the balsa
edging to be glued on, and sand them to
shape. They are hinged along the centerline.
Cut recesses in the wing’s lower surface for
the aileron servo mountings.
Fuselage: Use firm-to-hard balsa for the two
sides, edge-gluing and splicing to get the size
that is required. Glue the plywood doublers,
balsa wing-saddle doublers, stabilizer-saddle
doublers, and lower rear edge strips to the
two fuselage sides.
I like a good, thick firewall, so I epoxy a
piece of 1⁄8 and a piece of 1⁄4 plywood
together. With one fuselage side flat on the
workbench, epoxy the firewall and the next
three plywood bulkheads perpendicular to
that side. Glue the second side to those
bulkheads; the sides are parallel from the
firewall to the wing TE position.
Add triangle stock and fiberglass cloth
behind the firewall to reinforce its joint with
the sides. I also add several small screws
through the sides into the firewall.
Add the plywood wing-bolt plate, and
then pull the tail end together and install the
rear bulkheads. Fit the top foam blocks to the
fuselage structure, sanding them if necessary
so that they will be flush with the sides when
the sheeting has been applied. Don’t add the
bottom sheeting until you have installed the
tail pushrods later.
Final Assembly: Build the tail surfaces flat
on a workbench surface. Cut the flat foam
cores to shape, add the balsa framing, and
apply the balsa sheeting with contact cement.
Align the wing to the fuselage, adjusting the
fit of the wing-mounting tab through the
fuselage bulkhead.
Drill and tap the plywood wing-mounting
plate for the two nylon bolts that will hold
the wing in place. With the wing mounted to
the fuselage, add the horizontal stabilizer and
align it with the wing.
Add the vertical fin perpendicular to the
horizontal stabilizer. I recess the control
surfaces to accept 1⁄4 plywood mounting pads
for the nylon horns going onto the ailerons,
elevators, and rudder. Epoxy the plywood
mounts into the surfaces, and mount the
nylon horns with self-tapping screws.
Use 4-40 threaded rods and clevises for
all linkages. Use fiberglass tube pushrods for
the two elevator linkages. Use two separate
servos for the elevators, each with its own
pushrod and linkage, allowing the two
pushrods to be straight. Since the pushrods
cross inside the fuselage, mount one servo a
bit higher than the other so the pushrods
don’t rub together.
Make aileron extension cables into a Y
harness for the two aileron servos mounted
in the wing. Another short Y harness is
needed for the two elevator servos. I use a
1200 or 1800 mAh battery pack, wrapped in
foam rubber and positioned behind the
firewall.
I bent the main landing gear to shape with
a large K&S wire bender. Nylon straps and
screws are used to retain the gear in the
grooved blocks. Plywood landing-gear doors
are held onto the gear with small metal straps
soldered to the gear legs. I like Robart’s
scale wheels, but be sure to order the internal
foam tire “doughnuts” directly from the
company to adequately support the aircraft.
I used a 16-ounce tank, with plenty of
room inside the fuselage. An ignition-cutoff
switch can be mounted with a sheet-metal
bracket on the firewall near the bottom, and
it will be accessible through the cowl cutout.
With three-layer plywood pads behind
them, the Cheetah engines mounted easily on
the firewalls with clearance for their
effective mufflers.
The available fiberglass cowl is cut for
engine and muffler clearance and carburetor
access. You can mount the cowl by
overlapping it slightly on the fuselage and
using nylon bolts to retain it, which is the
easiest way. Or for a flush fit, you can cut the
cowl to length and mount it to hardwood
blocks epoxied to the front of the firewall.
I’d do it the easier way.
Finish: Pete and Lou finished their aircraft
in the white-top-and-blue-bottom color
scheme, which is seen in many aircraft
reference books, along with the Russian star
insignia. It’s a welcome change from the
more typical brown-and-green camouflage
seen on so many World War II fighters.
Flying: The only problem we ran into with
the test flights was a tendency for both MiGs
to tip forward while taxiing.
This was easy to solve by removing the
wire landing gears and bending them
forward to get the wheel axles closer to the
LE position.
We’re certainly pleased with these MiG-3
warbirds; they build up quickly and easily,
and they’re just plain fun to bring out to the
field for some active flying. MA
Dick Sarpolus
32 Alameda Ct.
Shewsbury NJ 07702
[email protected]
Additional Specifications:
Length: 67 inches
Wing area: 1,230 square inches
Wing loading: 28-32 ounces per square foot
Radio: Four-channel
Controls: Ailerons, elevator, rudder, throttle
(six servos)
Propeller: 18 x 10 or three-blade 16 x 8
PlanetHobby.com, Inc.
(901) 755-1536
7477 Wood Rail Cove • Memphis, TN 38119
www.planethobby.com
[email protected]
Catalogs Upon Request • Dealers Welcome.26 Different Glow Plugs in Stock.
Specifications supplied by manufacturer.
Muffled and
Tuned Pipes
Turbo
Crank
Optional Exhaust
Manifolds
SALE ends 9/ 20/’04
NOVAROSSI
Performance Innovations
C60V2H5WC Hilocopter
World Champion Engine.
.60 c.i. inflight adjustable mixture
control. 4 intake ports. 2.5 HP at
18,000 RPM. Weight. 22oz.
List $415 Sale $189
SUMMER SALE!
C60F .60 c.i. 8 intake ports 2.3 HP at 16,500 RPM. Weight. 22oz.
List $415.00. Sale $189
C60F01 Same as C60F with double balanced shaft for critical
applications. List $450.00 Sale $209
C60F4T Same as C60F Aircraft engine .60 c.i.
4 intake ports List $350.00. Sale $169
Nelson ultra thrust muffler $69
C50F .50 c.i. 4 Ports
2.2 HP at 18,000
RPM. Weight. 16.7oz.
List $385
Sale $159
Nelson ultra thrust muffler
$69
NOVAROSSI Engines
11sig2.QXD 8/23/04 1:40 pm Page 34
Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/11
Page Numbers: 30,31,32,33,34,35
The MiG’s characteristic farto-
the-rear cockpit location,
which was placed to
balance the heavy engine,
resulted in a poor forward
view. Some improvements were
made, but the heavier armament
needed couldn’t be added with
the heavy engine. More than
3,000 MiGs were built in
roughly 1941, but they were quickly replaced
with better Lavochkin LaGG-1 and Yakovlev
Yak-1 fighters.
Regardless of the full-scale MiG-3’s fighting
performance, it is an interesting aircraft, and its oftenseen
all-white finish with red stars and lightning bolts makes
for an attention-getting model.
These airplanes were also finished in the typical brown/green
camouflage scheme, but the white finish makes it more unusual. I
assume that the white topsides and light-blue bottom were for winter
camouflage in the snow-covered Russian countryside of the early
1940s, but the red stars and red wing panels don’t exactly go along with
that.
This is not an exact-scale effort; I go for easy construction and good
sport aerobatic performance with at least a Fun Scale appearance. The
size is determined by the power plant to be used, and for many years
I’ve been building models such as this one around the Cheetah 42/US
Engines/Quadra 42 gas engines because of their low cost, reliability,
and ease of use.
But today in the 40cc/2.5 cu. in. displacement size, there are many
more choices than there used to be. If you prefer a glow engine, I think
the Moki 2.10 would do a good job. For a gas engine, you could try the
ZDZ 40, the Zenoah G-45, the Taurus 42, the 3W-38, the Brison 2.4,
the FPE 2.4, other even larger engines, and some I’m sure I missed.
Pick your power plant, and remember that light weight is an asset
and that this fuselage is 6 inches wide at the cowl area. This model has
an 88-inch wingspan, approximately 1,240 square inches of wing area,
and is 66 inches in length. Weight should come out at 16-17 pounds, as
long as you don’t go overboard on the detailing and finish.
LARGE-AIRPLANE MODELERS usually like to use World War II
fighters as subjects, as can be seen at most International Miniature
Aircraft Association fly-ins. It’s easy to spot P-51s, P-47s, F4Us, Fw
190s, Me 109s, Zeros, and so on, but where are the MiGs and the
Yaks?
During World War II, the Russians cranked out scores of darn good
fighter aircraft that make fine RC projects, but they’re rarely seen.
Information about the World War II Russian fighters and their threeview
drawings are readily available. There are Mikoyan-Gureviches,
Yakovlevs, Lavochkins, and Ilyushins, so I decided to try modeling
one of those: the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-3.
Although it featured the typical fighter’s streamlined and aggressive
appearance, the MiG-3 was a weak performer. The problem was its
heavy engine. Even with the lightweight, mostly wood construction, the
airplane still didn’t perform up to competitive standards.
by Dick Sarpolus
Mikoyan-Gurevich fighter
design translates into
delightful model
30 MODEL AVIATION
MiG-3
11sig1.QXD 8/23/04 3:10 pm Page 30
November 2004 31
Lou McGuire’s (L) and Pete Mularchuk’s MiGs. Lou did a bit more surface detailing, but both models look terrific!
If you want a true Scale MiG-3, plans are available from Roamin’
Research, 37137 Clubhouse Dr., Sterling Heights MI 48312. It sells a
larger model that uses larger engines. If you are interested in a Fun
Scale, quickly and easily built MiG-3 with foam-core surfaces, a
somewhat boxy fuselage, fixed gear, and sporty aerobatic flight,
consider this one.
I prefer to use a fully symmetrical airfoil section on these types of
models because I try to keep them light, with minimum detailing, and
fly them for fun aerobatic performance. But since so many modelers
build them with added scale detailing, retracts, better finishing, etc.,
I’ve gone to a semisymmetrical airfoil.
This model uses cut-foam wing cores, wingtip cores, fuselage topblock
cores, and tail-section foam cores. I’ve found foam-core
construction to be quick, simple, economical, and reasonably light for
these sport projects.
A plastic canopy is available. It was made for a larger Scale MiG
and can be cut down a bit for this design. A fiberglass cowl specifically
for this sporty model, along with the plastic canopy, is available from
Fiberglass Specialties Inc., 15715 Ashmore Dr., Gilmore AK 72732;
Tel.: (479) 359-2429; Web site: www.fiberglassspecialtiesinc.com.
New owner Craig Schmidt will carry on the good quality and wide
selection of fiberglass parts for our modeling use.
Although retractable landing gear could be used, it doesn’t go with
my low-cost-fun type of building, so I went with the usual bent 1⁄4-inch
music-wire fixed gear. You can easily add Robart RoboStruts for good
ground handling and a scale appearance. I think retracts could be used
and installed similarly to the fixed gear, but, again, remember the
weight and consider living with the fixed gear.
A Fun Scale design approach usually means scale compromises.
The MiG has a wing with a flat center-section and dihedral in the outer
wing panels, which makes for a more complex wing-building job. In
this case it meant a longer plywood spar and wing joiner along with
two dihedral joints in the wing. I felt it was an important enough design
feature to be built that way.
If your scale feelings are different, you could save weight, time, and
construction effort by going to the more common dihedral joint only in
the center of the wing. It’s up to you. Your scale desires will also
determine how much work you put into the canopy, interior, instrument
panel, pilot figure, exhaust stacks, air scoops, machine guns, wing
fillets, etc. Even a Fun Scale project should have most of that detailing.
Lou McGuire and Pete Mularchuk each built a prototype for this
article. Both used the Cheetah 42cc gas engine for power. Lou finished
his model with MonoKote, and it weighed 16.5 pounds.
Pete finished his airplane the old-fashioned way—with silk and
dope—and he built a cowl from balsa. He also did a great deal of detail
work on the engine air scoops, wing fillets, etc., and he used a larger 5-
inch-diameter spinner along with a three-blade Zinger propeller for
more scale realism. His aircraft weighed 20 pounds.
Both MiGs balanced nearly as shown on the plans and both fly
well, but I urge you to keep the model light for more aerobatic flying.
CONSTRUCTION
The construction is basic and straightforward. All materials used
are standard balsa and plywood. I cut out all the pieces before I begin
building. I work with paper templates of the parts, drawing around
them with a ballpoint pen onto the plywood or balsa, and then cutting
them out with my band saw or scroll saw.
I cut the grooved hardwood landing-gear blocks on a small table
saw, and someone in your club may have a wire bender for the 1⁄4-inchwire
fixed landing gear.
You will need to cut the foam cores for the wing, tail surfaces, and
fuselage top blocks. Someone in your club may be able to cut the foam
for you if you’re not a foam-core scratch builder.
If you’re a plans builder, you know all this and will probably be
writing up a wood order; I’ve been extremely happy with wood from
Lone Star Balsa in Texas. If you want to try scratch building, this is not
a bad project with which to start.
Wing: Cut each of the two foam-core panels at the dihedral-break
location. You must also cut the cores for the full-depth plywood spar,
the additional plywood dihedral-break joiners, the plywood ribs, and
the landing-gear blocks.
I suggest that you carefully mark all the cuts to be made on the
foam before you make them. You can do the cutting with a band saw
or a hot-wire cutter. As the foam blocks “fall apart,” trim them for the
landing-gear blocks and then reassemble them with the plywood parts
and epoxy before sheeting. If you’re unfamiliar with foam-core
construction, this may seem strange, but all the pieces go back
together.
I glue the grooved landing-gear blocks in place, protruding from the
foam core by 3⁄32 inch, and cut the balsa sheeting as I contact-cement it
in place to fit around the landing-gear blocks. Sheet the three wing
11sig1.QXD 8/23/04 3:12 pm Page 31
Wingtips carved, sanded from foam-core blocks and covered
with fiberglass and epoxy. You could also use balsa blocks.
Basic fuselage with sheeted tail surfaces, foam top blocks, and
cowl taped in place on top of foam wing-core parts.
Plywood templates required for cutting the MiG’s foam parts.
They’re used with a hot-wire cutter to make the components.
Two top fuselage foam-core blocks. This is a quick, easy way to
achieve proper shape and form for this type of model.
Shaped right-side wing fillet made from balsa blocks glued in
place and shaped. Sliding canopy section can also be seen.
The wing foam-core center-section has all of the parts glued in
and is ready for sheeting. This is a bottom view.
32 MODEL AVIATION
Shown are the balsa and plywood parts that have to be cut out for the aircraft.
Additional sheet and strip stock along with foam cores are required.
Lou and Pete molded fiberglass cowls for
their models, but one is currently
available from Fiberglass Specialties.
Photos by the author
11sig1.QXD 8/23/04 3:14 pm Page 32
November 2004 33
Fiberglass cowl is bolted in place. Hole in the cowl is for
carburetor. Notice shaped balsa-block air scoop.
A 2.4 cu. in.-displacement Cheetah 42 gas engine powers Pete’s
MiG. He carved his model’s cowl from balsa blocks.
Pete’s model shows clean craftsmanship and neat pushrod
routing. This aircraft’s finish is silk and modeling dope.
Pete used a 5-inch-diameter spinner and three-blade propeller
for more realism. Lou’s MiG-3 featured MonoKote panel lines.
MiG-3
Type: RC Fun Scale
Wingspan: 88 inches
Engine: Cheetah 42, 2.4 cu. in., Quadra
42, or others (See text.)
Flying weight: 16-17 pounds
Construction: balsa, plywood, foam
Covering/finish: Modeling dope and
silk or MonoKote
sections—the center-section and the two outboard panels—separately,
and then join them at the dihedral breaks.
The wingtips are also made from foam cores. Although it may not
be exact scale, it sure is easier than carving large balsa blocks for tips.
Templates are provided for the upper and lower wingtip sections, and
the foam sections are glued to a center balsa core, top and bottom, then
sheeted, and added to the sheeted wing cores. Don’t forget to burn the
holes through the cores for the aileron extension cables before joining
the cores.
Make the wing sheeting from 3⁄32 balsa, edge-glued to obtain the
necessary width. I use 3- or 4-inch-wide balsa, sanding the edges as
needed to get a good fit, and use aliphatic resin glue because it’s easier
to handle and to sand for a smooth surface.
Tape the balsa sheets together to get the width, flip the wood over,
open the taped joint like a hinge over the edge of the workbench, and
apply the glue. With the wood flat on the workbench, scrape the excess
glue from the joint with a putty knife, and weight the wood down until
the glue dries. Take the masking tape off, and use the taped side as the
outer surface of the sheeting. Sand the sheeting before you apply it to
the cores.
I’ve been using Dave Brown Products’ Southern Sorghum for years
to contact-cement balsa sheeting to foam cores, but there are other
ways to go, such as thinly spread epoxy, spray contact cements, and
more. Experiment on scrap foam if you try anything that isn’t sold
specifically for this purpose; some adhesives will dissolve the foam.
Sheet the center-section, which is slightly tougher because of the
plywood spars protruding from each end. Sheet the outer wing panels,
trim the sheeting from all edges, check for a good fit at the dihedral
joint by sliding the outer panels over the stub plywood spars, and epoxy
the whole wing together. Epoxy the wingtips in place.
I sand the LE square, glue on an oversize balsa LE strip, and plane
11sig2.QXD 8/23/04 1:39 pm Page 33
34 MODEL AVIATION
and sand it to shape. Then I cut a slot
through the LE for the plywood wingmounting
tab and epoxy it in place after the
wing has been fitted to the fuselage saddle.
I recommend wrapping the two wing
dihedral joints with medium-weight
fiberglass cloth and epoxy. Be sure to scrape
off excess epoxy with a piece of cardboard,
leaving just enough to saturate the cloth for
strength without much weight. I’d also use
some fiberglass cloth and epoxy at the wing
center by the TE where the wing bolts attach
the wing to the fuselage.
Cut the ailerons from the sheeted wing
panels, trim them down to allow for the balsa
edging to be glued on, and sand them to
shape. They are hinged along the centerline.
Cut recesses in the wing’s lower surface for
the aileron servo mountings.
Fuselage: Use firm-to-hard balsa for the two
sides, edge-gluing and splicing to get the size
that is required. Glue the plywood doublers,
balsa wing-saddle doublers, stabilizer-saddle
doublers, and lower rear edge strips to the
two fuselage sides.
I like a good, thick firewall, so I epoxy a
piece of 1⁄8 and a piece of 1⁄4 plywood
together. With one fuselage side flat on the
workbench, epoxy the firewall and the next
three plywood bulkheads perpendicular to
that side. Glue the second side to those
bulkheads; the sides are parallel from the
firewall to the wing TE position.
Add triangle stock and fiberglass cloth
behind the firewall to reinforce its joint with
the sides. I also add several small screws
through the sides into the firewall.
Add the plywood wing-bolt plate, and
then pull the tail end together and install the
rear bulkheads. Fit the top foam blocks to the
fuselage structure, sanding them if necessary
so that they will be flush with the sides when
the sheeting has been applied. Don’t add the
bottom sheeting until you have installed the
tail pushrods later.
Final Assembly: Build the tail surfaces flat
on a workbench surface. Cut the flat foam
cores to shape, add the balsa framing, and
apply the balsa sheeting with contact cement.
Align the wing to the fuselage, adjusting the
fit of the wing-mounting tab through the
fuselage bulkhead.
Drill and tap the plywood wing-mounting
plate for the two nylon bolts that will hold
the wing in place. With the wing mounted to
the fuselage, add the horizontal stabilizer and
align it with the wing.
Add the vertical fin perpendicular to the
horizontal stabilizer. I recess the control
surfaces to accept 1⁄4 plywood mounting pads
for the nylon horns going onto the ailerons,
elevators, and rudder. Epoxy the plywood
mounts into the surfaces, and mount the
nylon horns with self-tapping screws.
Use 4-40 threaded rods and clevises for
all linkages. Use fiberglass tube pushrods for
the two elevator linkages. Use two separate
servos for the elevators, each with its own
pushrod and linkage, allowing the two
pushrods to be straight. Since the pushrods
cross inside the fuselage, mount one servo a
bit higher than the other so the pushrods
don’t rub together.
Make aileron extension cables into a Y
harness for the two aileron servos mounted
in the wing. Another short Y harness is
needed for the two elevator servos. I use a
1200 or 1800 mAh battery pack, wrapped in
foam rubber and positioned behind the
firewall.
I bent the main landing gear to shape with
a large K&S wire bender. Nylon straps and
screws are used to retain the gear in the
grooved blocks. Plywood landing-gear doors
are held onto the gear with small metal straps
soldered to the gear legs. I like Robart’s
scale wheels, but be sure to order the internal
foam tire “doughnuts” directly from the
company to adequately support the aircraft.
I used a 16-ounce tank, with plenty of
room inside the fuselage. An ignition-cutoff
switch can be mounted with a sheet-metal
bracket on the firewall near the bottom, and
it will be accessible through the cowl cutout.
With three-layer plywood pads behind
them, the Cheetah engines mounted easily on
the firewalls with clearance for their
effective mufflers.
The available fiberglass cowl is cut for
engine and muffler clearance and carburetor
access. You can mount the cowl by
overlapping it slightly on the fuselage and
using nylon bolts to retain it, which is the
easiest way. Or for a flush fit, you can cut the
cowl to length and mount it to hardwood
blocks epoxied to the front of the firewall.
I’d do it the easier way.
Finish: Pete and Lou finished their aircraft
in the white-top-and-blue-bottom color
scheme, which is seen in many aircraft
reference books, along with the Russian star
insignia. It’s a welcome change from the
more typical brown-and-green camouflage
seen on so many World War II fighters.
Flying: The only problem we ran into with
the test flights was a tendency for both MiGs
to tip forward while taxiing.
This was easy to solve by removing the
wire landing gears and bending them
forward to get the wheel axles closer to the
LE position.
We’re certainly pleased with these MiG-3
warbirds; they build up quickly and easily,
and they’re just plain fun to bring out to the
field for some active flying. MA
Dick Sarpolus
32 Alameda Ct.
Shewsbury NJ 07702
[email protected]
Additional Specifications:
Length: 67 inches
Wing area: 1,230 square inches
Wing loading: 28-32 ounces per square foot
Radio: Four-channel
Controls: Ailerons, elevator, rudder, throttle
(six servos)
Propeller: 18 x 10 or three-blade 16 x 8
PlanetHobby.com, Inc.
(901) 755-1536
7477 Wood Rail Cove • Memphis, TN 38119
www.planethobby.com
[email protected]
Catalogs Upon Request • Dealers Welcome.26 Different Glow Plugs in Stock.
Specifications supplied by manufacturer.
Muffled and
Tuned Pipes
Turbo
Crank
Optional Exhaust
Manifolds
SALE ends 9/ 20/’04
NOVAROSSI
Performance Innovations
C60V2H5WC Hilocopter
World Champion Engine.
.60 c.i. inflight adjustable mixture
control. 4 intake ports. 2.5 HP at
18,000 RPM. Weight. 22oz.
List $415 Sale $189
SUMMER SALE!
C60F .60 c.i. 8 intake ports 2.3 HP at 16,500 RPM. Weight. 22oz.
List $415.00. Sale $189
C60F01 Same as C60F with double balanced shaft for critical
applications. List $450.00 Sale $209
C60F4T Same as C60F Aircraft engine .60 c.i.
4 intake ports List $350.00. Sale $169
Nelson ultra thrust muffler $69
C50F .50 c.i. 4 Ports
2.2 HP at 18,000
RPM. Weight. 16.7oz.
List $385
Sale $159
Nelson ultra thrust muffler
$69
NOVAROSSI Engines
11sig2.QXD 8/23/04 1:40 pm Page 34
Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/11
Page Numbers: 30,31,32,33,34,35
The MiG’s characteristic farto-
the-rear cockpit location,
which was placed to
balance the heavy engine,
resulted in a poor forward
view. Some improvements were
made, but the heavier armament
needed couldn’t be added with
the heavy engine. More than
3,000 MiGs were built in
roughly 1941, but they were quickly replaced
with better Lavochkin LaGG-1 and Yakovlev
Yak-1 fighters.
Regardless of the full-scale MiG-3’s fighting
performance, it is an interesting aircraft, and its oftenseen
all-white finish with red stars and lightning bolts makes
for an attention-getting model.
These airplanes were also finished in the typical brown/green
camouflage scheme, but the white finish makes it more unusual. I
assume that the white topsides and light-blue bottom were for winter
camouflage in the snow-covered Russian countryside of the early
1940s, but the red stars and red wing panels don’t exactly go along with
that.
This is not an exact-scale effort; I go for easy construction and good
sport aerobatic performance with at least a Fun Scale appearance. The
size is determined by the power plant to be used, and for many years
I’ve been building models such as this one around the Cheetah 42/US
Engines/Quadra 42 gas engines because of their low cost, reliability,
and ease of use.
But today in the 40cc/2.5 cu. in. displacement size, there are many
more choices than there used to be. If you prefer a glow engine, I think
the Moki 2.10 would do a good job. For a gas engine, you could try the
ZDZ 40, the Zenoah G-45, the Taurus 42, the 3W-38, the Brison 2.4,
the FPE 2.4, other even larger engines, and some I’m sure I missed.
Pick your power plant, and remember that light weight is an asset
and that this fuselage is 6 inches wide at the cowl area. This model has
an 88-inch wingspan, approximately 1,240 square inches of wing area,
and is 66 inches in length. Weight should come out at 16-17 pounds, as
long as you don’t go overboard on the detailing and finish.
LARGE-AIRPLANE MODELERS usually like to use World War II
fighters as subjects, as can be seen at most International Miniature
Aircraft Association fly-ins. It’s easy to spot P-51s, P-47s, F4Us, Fw
190s, Me 109s, Zeros, and so on, but where are the MiGs and the
Yaks?
During World War II, the Russians cranked out scores of darn good
fighter aircraft that make fine RC projects, but they’re rarely seen.
Information about the World War II Russian fighters and their threeview
drawings are readily available. There are Mikoyan-Gureviches,
Yakovlevs, Lavochkins, and Ilyushins, so I decided to try modeling
one of those: the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-3.
Although it featured the typical fighter’s streamlined and aggressive
appearance, the MiG-3 was a weak performer. The problem was its
heavy engine. Even with the lightweight, mostly wood construction, the
airplane still didn’t perform up to competitive standards.
by Dick Sarpolus
Mikoyan-Gurevich fighter
design translates into
delightful model
30 MODEL AVIATION
MiG-3
11sig1.QXD 8/23/04 3:10 pm Page 30
November 2004 31
Lou McGuire’s (L) and Pete Mularchuk’s MiGs. Lou did a bit more surface detailing, but both models look terrific!
If you want a true Scale MiG-3, plans are available from Roamin’
Research, 37137 Clubhouse Dr., Sterling Heights MI 48312. It sells a
larger model that uses larger engines. If you are interested in a Fun
Scale, quickly and easily built MiG-3 with foam-core surfaces, a
somewhat boxy fuselage, fixed gear, and sporty aerobatic flight,
consider this one.
I prefer to use a fully symmetrical airfoil section on these types of
models because I try to keep them light, with minimum detailing, and
fly them for fun aerobatic performance. But since so many modelers
build them with added scale detailing, retracts, better finishing, etc.,
I’ve gone to a semisymmetrical airfoil.
This model uses cut-foam wing cores, wingtip cores, fuselage topblock
cores, and tail-section foam cores. I’ve found foam-core
construction to be quick, simple, economical, and reasonably light for
these sport projects.
A plastic canopy is available. It was made for a larger Scale MiG
and can be cut down a bit for this design. A fiberglass cowl specifically
for this sporty model, along with the plastic canopy, is available from
Fiberglass Specialties Inc., 15715 Ashmore Dr., Gilmore AK 72732;
Tel.: (479) 359-2429; Web site: www.fiberglassspecialtiesinc.com.
New owner Craig Schmidt will carry on the good quality and wide
selection of fiberglass parts for our modeling use.
Although retractable landing gear could be used, it doesn’t go with
my low-cost-fun type of building, so I went with the usual bent 1⁄4-inch
music-wire fixed gear. You can easily add Robart RoboStruts for good
ground handling and a scale appearance. I think retracts could be used
and installed similarly to the fixed gear, but, again, remember the
weight and consider living with the fixed gear.
A Fun Scale design approach usually means scale compromises.
The MiG has a wing with a flat center-section and dihedral in the outer
wing panels, which makes for a more complex wing-building job. In
this case it meant a longer plywood spar and wing joiner along with
two dihedral joints in the wing. I felt it was an important enough design
feature to be built that way.
If your scale feelings are different, you could save weight, time, and
construction effort by going to the more common dihedral joint only in
the center of the wing. It’s up to you. Your scale desires will also
determine how much work you put into the canopy, interior, instrument
panel, pilot figure, exhaust stacks, air scoops, machine guns, wing
fillets, etc. Even a Fun Scale project should have most of that detailing.
Lou McGuire and Pete Mularchuk each built a prototype for this
article. Both used the Cheetah 42cc gas engine for power. Lou finished
his model with MonoKote, and it weighed 16.5 pounds.
Pete finished his airplane the old-fashioned way—with silk and
dope—and he built a cowl from balsa. He also did a great deal of detail
work on the engine air scoops, wing fillets, etc., and he used a larger 5-
inch-diameter spinner along with a three-blade Zinger propeller for
more scale realism. His aircraft weighed 20 pounds.
Both MiGs balanced nearly as shown on the plans and both fly
well, but I urge you to keep the model light for more aerobatic flying.
CONSTRUCTION
The construction is basic and straightforward. All materials used
are standard balsa and plywood. I cut out all the pieces before I begin
building. I work with paper templates of the parts, drawing around
them with a ballpoint pen onto the plywood or balsa, and then cutting
them out with my band saw or scroll saw.
I cut the grooved hardwood landing-gear blocks on a small table
saw, and someone in your club may have a wire bender for the 1⁄4-inchwire
fixed landing gear.
You will need to cut the foam cores for the wing, tail surfaces, and
fuselage top blocks. Someone in your club may be able to cut the foam
for you if you’re not a foam-core scratch builder.
If you’re a plans builder, you know all this and will probably be
writing up a wood order; I’ve been extremely happy with wood from
Lone Star Balsa in Texas. If you want to try scratch building, this is not
a bad project with which to start.
Wing: Cut each of the two foam-core panels at the dihedral-break
location. You must also cut the cores for the full-depth plywood spar,
the additional plywood dihedral-break joiners, the plywood ribs, and
the landing-gear blocks.
I suggest that you carefully mark all the cuts to be made on the
foam before you make them. You can do the cutting with a band saw
or a hot-wire cutter. As the foam blocks “fall apart,” trim them for the
landing-gear blocks and then reassemble them with the plywood parts
and epoxy before sheeting. If you’re unfamiliar with foam-core
construction, this may seem strange, but all the pieces go back
together.
I glue the grooved landing-gear blocks in place, protruding from the
foam core by 3⁄32 inch, and cut the balsa sheeting as I contact-cement it
in place to fit around the landing-gear blocks. Sheet the three wing
11sig1.QXD 8/23/04 3:12 pm Page 31
Wingtips carved, sanded from foam-core blocks and covered
with fiberglass and epoxy. You could also use balsa blocks.
Basic fuselage with sheeted tail surfaces, foam top blocks, and
cowl taped in place on top of foam wing-core parts.
Plywood templates required for cutting the MiG’s foam parts.
They’re used with a hot-wire cutter to make the components.
Two top fuselage foam-core blocks. This is a quick, easy way to
achieve proper shape and form for this type of model.
Shaped right-side wing fillet made from balsa blocks glued in
place and shaped. Sliding canopy section can also be seen.
The wing foam-core center-section has all of the parts glued in
and is ready for sheeting. This is a bottom view.
32 MODEL AVIATION
Shown are the balsa and plywood parts that have to be cut out for the aircraft.
Additional sheet and strip stock along with foam cores are required.
Lou and Pete molded fiberglass cowls for
their models, but one is currently
available from Fiberglass Specialties.
Photos by the author
11sig1.QXD 8/23/04 3:14 pm Page 32
November 2004 33
Fiberglass cowl is bolted in place. Hole in the cowl is for
carburetor. Notice shaped balsa-block air scoop.
A 2.4 cu. in.-displacement Cheetah 42 gas engine powers Pete’s
MiG. He carved his model’s cowl from balsa blocks.
Pete’s model shows clean craftsmanship and neat pushrod
routing. This aircraft’s finish is silk and modeling dope.
Pete used a 5-inch-diameter spinner and three-blade propeller
for more realism. Lou’s MiG-3 featured MonoKote panel lines.
MiG-3
Type: RC Fun Scale
Wingspan: 88 inches
Engine: Cheetah 42, 2.4 cu. in., Quadra
42, or others (See text.)
Flying weight: 16-17 pounds
Construction: balsa, plywood, foam
Covering/finish: Modeling dope and
silk or MonoKote
sections—the center-section and the two outboard panels—separately,
and then join them at the dihedral breaks.
The wingtips are also made from foam cores. Although it may not
be exact scale, it sure is easier than carving large balsa blocks for tips.
Templates are provided for the upper and lower wingtip sections, and
the foam sections are glued to a center balsa core, top and bottom, then
sheeted, and added to the sheeted wing cores. Don’t forget to burn the
holes through the cores for the aileron extension cables before joining
the cores.
Make the wing sheeting from 3⁄32 balsa, edge-glued to obtain the
necessary width. I use 3- or 4-inch-wide balsa, sanding the edges as
needed to get a good fit, and use aliphatic resin glue because it’s easier
to handle and to sand for a smooth surface.
Tape the balsa sheets together to get the width, flip the wood over,
open the taped joint like a hinge over the edge of the workbench, and
apply the glue. With the wood flat on the workbench, scrape the excess
glue from the joint with a putty knife, and weight the wood down until
the glue dries. Take the masking tape off, and use the taped side as the
outer surface of the sheeting. Sand the sheeting before you apply it to
the cores.
I’ve been using Dave Brown Products’ Southern Sorghum for years
to contact-cement balsa sheeting to foam cores, but there are other
ways to go, such as thinly spread epoxy, spray contact cements, and
more. Experiment on scrap foam if you try anything that isn’t sold
specifically for this purpose; some adhesives will dissolve the foam.
Sheet the center-section, which is slightly tougher because of the
plywood spars protruding from each end. Sheet the outer wing panels,
trim the sheeting from all edges, check for a good fit at the dihedral
joint by sliding the outer panels over the stub plywood spars, and epoxy
the whole wing together. Epoxy the wingtips in place.
I sand the LE square, glue on an oversize balsa LE strip, and plane
11sig2.QXD 8/23/04 1:39 pm Page 33
34 MODEL AVIATION
and sand it to shape. Then I cut a slot
through the LE for the plywood wingmounting
tab and epoxy it in place after the
wing has been fitted to the fuselage saddle.
I recommend wrapping the two wing
dihedral joints with medium-weight
fiberglass cloth and epoxy. Be sure to scrape
off excess epoxy with a piece of cardboard,
leaving just enough to saturate the cloth for
strength without much weight. I’d also use
some fiberglass cloth and epoxy at the wing
center by the TE where the wing bolts attach
the wing to the fuselage.
Cut the ailerons from the sheeted wing
panels, trim them down to allow for the balsa
edging to be glued on, and sand them to
shape. They are hinged along the centerline.
Cut recesses in the wing’s lower surface for
the aileron servo mountings.
Fuselage: Use firm-to-hard balsa for the two
sides, edge-gluing and splicing to get the size
that is required. Glue the plywood doublers,
balsa wing-saddle doublers, stabilizer-saddle
doublers, and lower rear edge strips to the
two fuselage sides.
I like a good, thick firewall, so I epoxy a
piece of 1⁄8 and a piece of 1⁄4 plywood
together. With one fuselage side flat on the
workbench, epoxy the firewall and the next
three plywood bulkheads perpendicular to
that side. Glue the second side to those
bulkheads; the sides are parallel from the
firewall to the wing TE position.
Add triangle stock and fiberglass cloth
behind the firewall to reinforce its joint with
the sides. I also add several small screws
through the sides into the firewall.
Add the plywood wing-bolt plate, and
then pull the tail end together and install the
rear bulkheads. Fit the top foam blocks to the
fuselage structure, sanding them if necessary
so that they will be flush with the sides when
the sheeting has been applied. Don’t add the
bottom sheeting until you have installed the
tail pushrods later.
Final Assembly: Build the tail surfaces flat
on a workbench surface. Cut the flat foam
cores to shape, add the balsa framing, and
apply the balsa sheeting with contact cement.
Align the wing to the fuselage, adjusting the
fit of the wing-mounting tab through the
fuselage bulkhead.
Drill and tap the plywood wing-mounting
plate for the two nylon bolts that will hold
the wing in place. With the wing mounted to
the fuselage, add the horizontal stabilizer and
align it with the wing.
Add the vertical fin perpendicular to the
horizontal stabilizer. I recess the control
surfaces to accept 1⁄4 plywood mounting pads
for the nylon horns going onto the ailerons,
elevators, and rudder. Epoxy the plywood
mounts into the surfaces, and mount the
nylon horns with self-tapping screws.
Use 4-40 threaded rods and clevises for
all linkages. Use fiberglass tube pushrods for
the two elevator linkages. Use two separate
servos for the elevators, each with its own
pushrod and linkage, allowing the two
pushrods to be straight. Since the pushrods
cross inside the fuselage, mount one servo a
bit higher than the other so the pushrods
don’t rub together.
Make aileron extension cables into a Y
harness for the two aileron servos mounted
in the wing. Another short Y harness is
needed for the two elevator servos. I use a
1200 or 1800 mAh battery pack, wrapped in
foam rubber and positioned behind the
firewall.
I bent the main landing gear to shape with
a large K&S wire bender. Nylon straps and
screws are used to retain the gear in the
grooved blocks. Plywood landing-gear doors
are held onto the gear with small metal straps
soldered to the gear legs. I like Robart’s
scale wheels, but be sure to order the internal
foam tire “doughnuts” directly from the
company to adequately support the aircraft.
I used a 16-ounce tank, with plenty of
room inside the fuselage. An ignition-cutoff
switch can be mounted with a sheet-metal
bracket on the firewall near the bottom, and
it will be accessible through the cowl cutout.
With three-layer plywood pads behind
them, the Cheetah engines mounted easily on
the firewalls with clearance for their
effective mufflers.
The available fiberglass cowl is cut for
engine and muffler clearance and carburetor
access. You can mount the cowl by
overlapping it slightly on the fuselage and
using nylon bolts to retain it, which is the
easiest way. Or for a flush fit, you can cut the
cowl to length and mount it to hardwood
blocks epoxied to the front of the firewall.
I’d do it the easier way.
Finish: Pete and Lou finished their aircraft
in the white-top-and-blue-bottom color
scheme, which is seen in many aircraft
reference books, along with the Russian star
insignia. It’s a welcome change from the
more typical brown-and-green camouflage
seen on so many World War II fighters.
Flying: The only problem we ran into with
the test flights was a tendency for both MiGs
to tip forward while taxiing.
This was easy to solve by removing the
wire landing gears and bending them
forward to get the wheel axles closer to the
LE position.
We’re certainly pleased with these MiG-3
warbirds; they build up quickly and easily,
and they’re just plain fun to bring out to the
field for some active flying. MA
Dick Sarpolus
32 Alameda Ct.
Shewsbury NJ 07702
[email protected]
Additional Specifications:
Length: 67 inches
Wing area: 1,230 square inches
Wing loading: 28-32 ounces per square foot
Radio: Four-channel
Controls: Ailerons, elevator, rudder, throttle
(six servos)
Propeller: 18 x 10 or three-blade 16 x 8
PlanetHobby.com, Inc.
(901) 755-1536
7477 Wood Rail Cove • Memphis, TN 38119
www.planethobby.com
[email protected]
Catalogs Upon Request • Dealers Welcome.26 Different Glow Plugs in Stock.
Specifications supplied by manufacturer.
Muffled and
Tuned Pipes
Turbo
Crank
Optional Exhaust
Manifolds
SALE ends 9/ 20/’04
NOVAROSSI
Performance Innovations
C60V2H5WC Hilocopter
World Champion Engine.
.60 c.i. inflight adjustable mixture
control. 4 intake ports. 2.5 HP at
18,000 RPM. Weight. 22oz.
List $415 Sale $189
SUMMER SALE!
C60F .60 c.i. 8 intake ports 2.3 HP at 16,500 RPM. Weight. 22oz.
List $415.00. Sale $189
C60F01 Same as C60F with double balanced shaft for critical
applications. List $450.00 Sale $209
C60F4T Same as C60F Aircraft engine .60 c.i.
4 intake ports List $350.00. Sale $169
Nelson ultra thrust muffler $69
C50F .50 c.i. 4 Ports
2.2 HP at 18,000
RPM. Weight. 16.7oz.
List $385
Sale $159
Nelson ultra thrust muffler
$69
NOVAROSSI Engines
11sig2.QXD 8/23/04 1:40 pm Page 34
Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/11
Page Numbers: 30,31,32,33,34,35
The MiG’s characteristic farto-
the-rear cockpit location,
which was placed to
balance the heavy engine,
resulted in a poor forward
view. Some improvements were
made, but the heavier armament
needed couldn’t be added with
the heavy engine. More than
3,000 MiGs were built in
roughly 1941, but they were quickly replaced
with better Lavochkin LaGG-1 and Yakovlev
Yak-1 fighters.
Regardless of the full-scale MiG-3’s fighting
performance, it is an interesting aircraft, and its oftenseen
all-white finish with red stars and lightning bolts makes
for an attention-getting model.
These airplanes were also finished in the typical brown/green
camouflage scheme, but the white finish makes it more unusual. I
assume that the white topsides and light-blue bottom were for winter
camouflage in the snow-covered Russian countryside of the early
1940s, but the red stars and red wing panels don’t exactly go along with
that.
This is not an exact-scale effort; I go for easy construction and good
sport aerobatic performance with at least a Fun Scale appearance. The
size is determined by the power plant to be used, and for many years
I’ve been building models such as this one around the Cheetah 42/US
Engines/Quadra 42 gas engines because of their low cost, reliability,
and ease of use.
But today in the 40cc/2.5 cu. in. displacement size, there are many
more choices than there used to be. If you prefer a glow engine, I think
the Moki 2.10 would do a good job. For a gas engine, you could try the
ZDZ 40, the Zenoah G-45, the Taurus 42, the 3W-38, the Brison 2.4,
the FPE 2.4, other even larger engines, and some I’m sure I missed.
Pick your power plant, and remember that light weight is an asset
and that this fuselage is 6 inches wide at the cowl area. This model has
an 88-inch wingspan, approximately 1,240 square inches of wing area,
and is 66 inches in length. Weight should come out at 16-17 pounds, as
long as you don’t go overboard on the detailing and finish.
LARGE-AIRPLANE MODELERS usually like to use World War II
fighters as subjects, as can be seen at most International Miniature
Aircraft Association fly-ins. It’s easy to spot P-51s, P-47s, F4Us, Fw
190s, Me 109s, Zeros, and so on, but where are the MiGs and the
Yaks?
During World War II, the Russians cranked out scores of darn good
fighter aircraft that make fine RC projects, but they’re rarely seen.
Information about the World War II Russian fighters and their threeview
drawings are readily available. There are Mikoyan-Gureviches,
Yakovlevs, Lavochkins, and Ilyushins, so I decided to try modeling
one of those: the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-3.
Although it featured the typical fighter’s streamlined and aggressive
appearance, the MiG-3 was a weak performer. The problem was its
heavy engine. Even with the lightweight, mostly wood construction, the
airplane still didn’t perform up to competitive standards.
by Dick Sarpolus
Mikoyan-Gurevich fighter
design translates into
delightful model
30 MODEL AVIATION
MiG-3
11sig1.QXD 8/23/04 3:10 pm Page 30
November 2004 31
Lou McGuire’s (L) and Pete Mularchuk’s MiGs. Lou did a bit more surface detailing, but both models look terrific!
If you want a true Scale MiG-3, plans are available from Roamin’
Research, 37137 Clubhouse Dr., Sterling Heights MI 48312. It sells a
larger model that uses larger engines. If you are interested in a Fun
Scale, quickly and easily built MiG-3 with foam-core surfaces, a
somewhat boxy fuselage, fixed gear, and sporty aerobatic flight,
consider this one.
I prefer to use a fully symmetrical airfoil section on these types of
models because I try to keep them light, with minimum detailing, and
fly them for fun aerobatic performance. But since so many modelers
build them with added scale detailing, retracts, better finishing, etc.,
I’ve gone to a semisymmetrical airfoil.
This model uses cut-foam wing cores, wingtip cores, fuselage topblock
cores, and tail-section foam cores. I’ve found foam-core
construction to be quick, simple, economical, and reasonably light for
these sport projects.
A plastic canopy is available. It was made for a larger Scale MiG
and can be cut down a bit for this design. A fiberglass cowl specifically
for this sporty model, along with the plastic canopy, is available from
Fiberglass Specialties Inc., 15715 Ashmore Dr., Gilmore AK 72732;
Tel.: (479) 359-2429; Web site: www.fiberglassspecialtiesinc.com.
New owner Craig Schmidt will carry on the good quality and wide
selection of fiberglass parts for our modeling use.
Although retractable landing gear could be used, it doesn’t go with
my low-cost-fun type of building, so I went with the usual bent 1⁄4-inch
music-wire fixed gear. You can easily add Robart RoboStruts for good
ground handling and a scale appearance. I think retracts could be used
and installed similarly to the fixed gear, but, again, remember the
weight and consider living with the fixed gear.
A Fun Scale design approach usually means scale compromises.
The MiG has a wing with a flat center-section and dihedral in the outer
wing panels, which makes for a more complex wing-building job. In
this case it meant a longer plywood spar and wing joiner along with
two dihedral joints in the wing. I felt it was an important enough design
feature to be built that way.
If your scale feelings are different, you could save weight, time, and
construction effort by going to the more common dihedral joint only in
the center of the wing. It’s up to you. Your scale desires will also
determine how much work you put into the canopy, interior, instrument
panel, pilot figure, exhaust stacks, air scoops, machine guns, wing
fillets, etc. Even a Fun Scale project should have most of that detailing.
Lou McGuire and Pete Mularchuk each built a prototype for this
article. Both used the Cheetah 42cc gas engine for power. Lou finished
his model with MonoKote, and it weighed 16.5 pounds.
Pete finished his airplane the old-fashioned way—with silk and
dope—and he built a cowl from balsa. He also did a great deal of detail
work on the engine air scoops, wing fillets, etc., and he used a larger 5-
inch-diameter spinner along with a three-blade Zinger propeller for
more scale realism. His aircraft weighed 20 pounds.
Both MiGs balanced nearly as shown on the plans and both fly
well, but I urge you to keep the model light for more aerobatic flying.
CONSTRUCTION
The construction is basic and straightforward. All materials used
are standard balsa and plywood. I cut out all the pieces before I begin
building. I work with paper templates of the parts, drawing around
them with a ballpoint pen onto the plywood or balsa, and then cutting
them out with my band saw or scroll saw.
I cut the grooved hardwood landing-gear blocks on a small table
saw, and someone in your club may have a wire bender for the 1⁄4-inchwire
fixed landing gear.
You will need to cut the foam cores for the wing, tail surfaces, and
fuselage top blocks. Someone in your club may be able to cut the foam
for you if you’re not a foam-core scratch builder.
If you’re a plans builder, you know all this and will probably be
writing up a wood order; I’ve been extremely happy with wood from
Lone Star Balsa in Texas. If you want to try scratch building, this is not
a bad project with which to start.
Wing: Cut each of the two foam-core panels at the dihedral-break
location. You must also cut the cores for the full-depth plywood spar,
the additional plywood dihedral-break joiners, the plywood ribs, and
the landing-gear blocks.
I suggest that you carefully mark all the cuts to be made on the
foam before you make them. You can do the cutting with a band saw
or a hot-wire cutter. As the foam blocks “fall apart,” trim them for the
landing-gear blocks and then reassemble them with the plywood parts
and epoxy before sheeting. If you’re unfamiliar with foam-core
construction, this may seem strange, but all the pieces go back
together.
I glue the grooved landing-gear blocks in place, protruding from the
foam core by 3⁄32 inch, and cut the balsa sheeting as I contact-cement it
in place to fit around the landing-gear blocks. Sheet the three wing
11sig1.QXD 8/23/04 3:12 pm Page 31
Wingtips carved, sanded from foam-core blocks and covered
with fiberglass and epoxy. You could also use balsa blocks.
Basic fuselage with sheeted tail surfaces, foam top blocks, and
cowl taped in place on top of foam wing-core parts.
Plywood templates required for cutting the MiG’s foam parts.
They’re used with a hot-wire cutter to make the components.
Two top fuselage foam-core blocks. This is a quick, easy way to
achieve proper shape and form for this type of model.
Shaped right-side wing fillet made from balsa blocks glued in
place and shaped. Sliding canopy section can also be seen.
The wing foam-core center-section has all of the parts glued in
and is ready for sheeting. This is a bottom view.
32 MODEL AVIATION
Shown are the balsa and plywood parts that have to be cut out for the aircraft.
Additional sheet and strip stock along with foam cores are required.
Lou and Pete molded fiberglass cowls for
their models, but one is currently
available from Fiberglass Specialties.
Photos by the author
11sig1.QXD 8/23/04 3:14 pm Page 32
November 2004 33
Fiberglass cowl is bolted in place. Hole in the cowl is for
carburetor. Notice shaped balsa-block air scoop.
A 2.4 cu. in.-displacement Cheetah 42 gas engine powers Pete’s
MiG. He carved his model’s cowl from balsa blocks.
Pete’s model shows clean craftsmanship and neat pushrod
routing. This aircraft’s finish is silk and modeling dope.
Pete used a 5-inch-diameter spinner and three-blade propeller
for more realism. Lou’s MiG-3 featured MonoKote panel lines.
MiG-3
Type: RC Fun Scale
Wingspan: 88 inches
Engine: Cheetah 42, 2.4 cu. in., Quadra
42, or others (See text.)
Flying weight: 16-17 pounds
Construction: balsa, plywood, foam
Covering/finish: Modeling dope and
silk or MonoKote
sections—the center-section and the two outboard panels—separately,
and then join them at the dihedral breaks.
The wingtips are also made from foam cores. Although it may not
be exact scale, it sure is easier than carving large balsa blocks for tips.
Templates are provided for the upper and lower wingtip sections, and
the foam sections are glued to a center balsa core, top and bottom, then
sheeted, and added to the sheeted wing cores. Don’t forget to burn the
holes through the cores for the aileron extension cables before joining
the cores.
Make the wing sheeting from 3⁄32 balsa, edge-glued to obtain the
necessary width. I use 3- or 4-inch-wide balsa, sanding the edges as
needed to get a good fit, and use aliphatic resin glue because it’s easier
to handle and to sand for a smooth surface.
Tape the balsa sheets together to get the width, flip the wood over,
open the taped joint like a hinge over the edge of the workbench, and
apply the glue. With the wood flat on the workbench, scrape the excess
glue from the joint with a putty knife, and weight the wood down until
the glue dries. Take the masking tape off, and use the taped side as the
outer surface of the sheeting. Sand the sheeting before you apply it to
the cores.
I’ve been using Dave Brown Products’ Southern Sorghum for years
to contact-cement balsa sheeting to foam cores, but there are other
ways to go, such as thinly spread epoxy, spray contact cements, and
more. Experiment on scrap foam if you try anything that isn’t sold
specifically for this purpose; some adhesives will dissolve the foam.
Sheet the center-section, which is slightly tougher because of the
plywood spars protruding from each end. Sheet the outer wing panels,
trim the sheeting from all edges, check for a good fit at the dihedral
joint by sliding the outer panels over the stub plywood spars, and epoxy
the whole wing together. Epoxy the wingtips in place.
I sand the LE square, glue on an oversize balsa LE strip, and plane
11sig2.QXD 8/23/04 1:39 pm Page 33
34 MODEL AVIATION
and sand it to shape. Then I cut a slot
through the LE for the plywood wingmounting
tab and epoxy it in place after the
wing has been fitted to the fuselage saddle.
I recommend wrapping the two wing
dihedral joints with medium-weight
fiberglass cloth and epoxy. Be sure to scrape
off excess epoxy with a piece of cardboard,
leaving just enough to saturate the cloth for
strength without much weight. I’d also use
some fiberglass cloth and epoxy at the wing
center by the TE where the wing bolts attach
the wing to the fuselage.
Cut the ailerons from the sheeted wing
panels, trim them down to allow for the balsa
edging to be glued on, and sand them to
shape. They are hinged along the centerline.
Cut recesses in the wing’s lower surface for
the aileron servo mountings.
Fuselage: Use firm-to-hard balsa for the two
sides, edge-gluing and splicing to get the size
that is required. Glue the plywood doublers,
balsa wing-saddle doublers, stabilizer-saddle
doublers, and lower rear edge strips to the
two fuselage sides.
I like a good, thick firewall, so I epoxy a
piece of 1⁄8 and a piece of 1⁄4 plywood
together. With one fuselage side flat on the
workbench, epoxy the firewall and the next
three plywood bulkheads perpendicular to
that side. Glue the second side to those
bulkheads; the sides are parallel from the
firewall to the wing TE position.
Add triangle stock and fiberglass cloth
behind the firewall to reinforce its joint with
the sides. I also add several small screws
through the sides into the firewall.
Add the plywood wing-bolt plate, and
then pull the tail end together and install the
rear bulkheads. Fit the top foam blocks to the
fuselage structure, sanding them if necessary
so that they will be flush with the sides when
the sheeting has been applied. Don’t add the
bottom sheeting until you have installed the
tail pushrods later.
Final Assembly: Build the tail surfaces flat
on a workbench surface. Cut the flat foam
cores to shape, add the balsa framing, and
apply the balsa sheeting with contact cement.
Align the wing to the fuselage, adjusting the
fit of the wing-mounting tab through the
fuselage bulkhead.
Drill and tap the plywood wing-mounting
plate for the two nylon bolts that will hold
the wing in place. With the wing mounted to
the fuselage, add the horizontal stabilizer and
align it with the wing.
Add the vertical fin perpendicular to the
horizontal stabilizer. I recess the control
surfaces to accept 1⁄4 plywood mounting pads
for the nylon horns going onto the ailerons,
elevators, and rudder. Epoxy the plywood
mounts into the surfaces, and mount the
nylon horns with self-tapping screws.
Use 4-40 threaded rods and clevises for
all linkages. Use fiberglass tube pushrods for
the two elevator linkages. Use two separate
servos for the elevators, each with its own
pushrod and linkage, allowing the two
pushrods to be straight. Since the pushrods
cross inside the fuselage, mount one servo a
bit higher than the other so the pushrods
don’t rub together.
Make aileron extension cables into a Y
harness for the two aileron servos mounted
in the wing. Another short Y harness is
needed for the two elevator servos. I use a
1200 or 1800 mAh battery pack, wrapped in
foam rubber and positioned behind the
firewall.
I bent the main landing gear to shape with
a large K&S wire bender. Nylon straps and
screws are used to retain the gear in the
grooved blocks. Plywood landing-gear doors
are held onto the gear with small metal straps
soldered to the gear legs. I like Robart’s
scale wheels, but be sure to order the internal
foam tire “doughnuts” directly from the
company to adequately support the aircraft.
I used a 16-ounce tank, with plenty of
room inside the fuselage. An ignition-cutoff
switch can be mounted with a sheet-metal
bracket on the firewall near the bottom, and
it will be accessible through the cowl cutout.
With three-layer plywood pads behind
them, the Cheetah engines mounted easily on
the firewalls with clearance for their
effective mufflers.
The available fiberglass cowl is cut for
engine and muffler clearance and carburetor
access. You can mount the cowl by
overlapping it slightly on the fuselage and
using nylon bolts to retain it, which is the
easiest way. Or for a flush fit, you can cut the
cowl to length and mount it to hardwood
blocks epoxied to the front of the firewall.
I’d do it the easier way.
Finish: Pete and Lou finished their aircraft
in the white-top-and-blue-bottom color
scheme, which is seen in many aircraft
reference books, along with the Russian star
insignia. It’s a welcome change from the
more typical brown-and-green camouflage
seen on so many World War II fighters.
Flying: The only problem we ran into with
the test flights was a tendency for both MiGs
to tip forward while taxiing.
This was easy to solve by removing the
wire landing gears and bending them
forward to get the wheel axles closer to the
LE position.
We’re certainly pleased with these MiG-3
warbirds; they build up quickly and easily,
and they’re just plain fun to bring out to the
field for some active flying. MA
Dick Sarpolus
32 Alameda Ct.
Shewsbury NJ 07702
[email protected]
Additional Specifications:
Length: 67 inches
Wing area: 1,230 square inches
Wing loading: 28-32 ounces per square foot
Radio: Four-channel
Controls: Ailerons, elevator, rudder, throttle
(six servos)
Propeller: 18 x 10 or three-blade 16 x 8
PlanetHobby.com, Inc.
(901) 755-1536
7477 Wood Rail Cove • Memphis, TN 38119
www.planethobby.com
[email protected]
Catalogs Upon Request • Dealers Welcome.26 Different Glow Plugs in Stock.
Specifications supplied by manufacturer.
Muffled and
Tuned Pipes
Turbo
Crank
Optional Exhaust
Manifolds
SALE ends 9/ 20/’04
NOVAROSSI
Performance Innovations
C60V2H5WC Hilocopter
World Champion Engine.
.60 c.i. inflight adjustable mixture
control. 4 intake ports. 2.5 HP at
18,000 RPM. Weight. 22oz.
List $415 Sale $189
SUMMER SALE!
C60F .60 c.i. 8 intake ports 2.3 HP at 16,500 RPM. Weight. 22oz.
List $415.00. Sale $189
C60F01 Same as C60F with double balanced shaft for critical
applications. List $450.00 Sale $209
C60F4T Same as C60F Aircraft engine .60 c.i.
4 intake ports List $350.00. Sale $169
Nelson ultra thrust muffler $69
C50F .50 c.i. 4 Ports
2.2 HP at 18,000
RPM. Weight. 16.7oz.
List $385
Sale $159
Nelson ultra thrust muffler
$69
NOVAROSSI Engines
11sig2.QXD 8/23/04 1:40 pm Page 34