Thingamabob
A multimode trainer for .25 glow or electric power
Okay — it's not pretty! But sometimes beauty is in the function of a model design and not in line or form, as with Bob Underwood's Thingamabob.
Extremely easy to build, this model disguises a wide envelope of flight possibilities. It can be used as a basic three-channel RC trainer, an aerobatic trainer, a tethered RC model, or even a CL (control-line) model — with no significant changes!
Originally designed for .25-size glow engines or geared .05 electric motors, the 51-inch span Thingamabob features a flat-bottom wing that builds up accurately on a flat workbench.
The boxlike fuselage is made from simple sheet balsa. The tail feathers are also crafted from sheet balsa, making this a simple first-time project for those who are interested in making their own models.
If you want to exercise your aesthetic talents, add a canopy and maybe curved tips for the flying surfaces. It doesn't have to be ugly, you know!
Plans — set 649 — are available through the AMA Plans Service. See page 183 for ordering details. As an AMA member, you can access the Thingamabob construction article via AMA's Digital Archives. It was published in the April 1990 issue.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
