For Beginners Too
The 4B2 was designed with a larger than usual frontal area. Streamlined like a brick you might say. The reason was that the fledgling flyer wouldn't suddenly find himself in a Mach-two dive if he let the nose drop. The profile decided upon is reminiscent of some early monoplanes. This allowed the large firewall to be integrated into the rest of the design. The design is simple. There is no carving to do except when shaping the wing leading edge. The headrest "fairing" is simply a 3/16" thick piece of balsa. This looks good even close-up and provides that "something extra" to the model profile. The wing has a Clark Y airfoil which is simple to build yet provides excellent lift. Too many beginners get tied down building their first model when they could be learning to fly it. This model can be ready for finishing in a very few hours. An easy model to build is also an easy model to repair. Also, most modelers shy away from scratch-building because it looks complicated. This design can be carboned, cut out, and assembled faster than some models that I know of can be assembled from kits.
The P-3
WHAT IS A P-3? Simply speaking, it is Pastor's third design. Not a very imaginative name, but when someone asks you what it is, you won't get tongue-tied trying to say "P-3." The P-3 was designed as a logical progression from the 1/2A pattern ship. I don't normally agree with the Detroit syndrome that bigger is better. However, in this case, the advantages justify the changes. The power-to-weight ratio is better, and the flight will not be a disaster if the engine is not running perfectly. There is plenty of room for a third servo for rudder control. This means that there are very few maneuvers that can't be done. Knife-edge flight, stall turns, four-point rolls, and slow rolls are all within the capabilities of this ship. For all of you who have larger radios, there is still plenty of room for two channels. Now you too can get out there and show up all of those 1/2A pattern fliers.
Willit
This RC airplane is an interesting change of pace from more complex and conventional subjects. A Cox Black Widow engine, Ace Pacer foam wing, two-channel radio, two sheets of 1/8-in. balsa, covering film, and a few hours of your time are the main ingredients. Carefully remove the center pages for the full-size plan. The Claifornia rain kept falling, and the snow pack was approaching 30 ft. in the mountains. The skiers were in their heaven, and I was looking for a project to take my mind off the weather. It had to be something that I had not done before, something unusual. The result was the Willit, an inexpensive model that can be built in just a few hours.
