How to Make Laminated Prop Blades
HAVE YOU ever been tempted to try rubber power but were put off by the job of carving the prop? In the past I have carved a number of props but, as I became more serious at competition flying, I began to hit the ground under power on occasion. With carved props this is a soul-shattering experience. After a couple of such disasters and near-misses I began to look for a better way. In 1969 I built a Coupe d'Hiver from magazine plans which called for sheet balsa blades made up on a coffee can as a form. The blade roots were of dowel rod and the hub was of music wire. This prop was a dramatic reduction in construction time but a few problem areas remained. For one thing, the blade twist did not give uniform pitch.
Sir Rodney
IF THE bulbous nose and skinny rear end of Jim O'Reilly's latest creation look vaguely familiar in profile, you need only look in the comic section of your local newspaper for the resemblance. Jim's latest bird is named after his favorite character, Sir Rodney, of the syndicated "Wizard of Id." However, rather than being a comical foil for a sawed-off king with, ego problems, Jim's Sir Rodney is a serious foil for any A-1 Towline Glider competitor. Built to meet the new FAI rules, Sir Rodney is a sturdily-constructed ship with a relatively high wing loading. It came into being out of necessity late this past summer, when Jim's ballasted-up
Tubestake OMT
WHETHER YOU'RE BETTING money, marbles, or chalk, blood lines count if you're looking for a winner. Jim O'Reilly's Tubestake OMT can trace its lineage back more than a decade to what was then a Category II "Unlimited" design literally flown by the entire O'Reilly family. The design evolved from the original 245 sq. in. Tubestake published in Flying Models in 1975 through a geodetic 300 sq. in. version with improved torsional strength (in a 1979 Flying Models) to the model presented here. The TS OMT has increased wingspan, warp-resistant Union Jack construction, and a new carved prop featuring less blade area but improved blade angle distribution.
