Sunday Sportster
WHEN I WAS ASKED by Model Aviation to design a rudder-only pulse job for all the modelers who are still enjoying this least costly phase of RC flying, it was suggested that I might try a low-wing design, just for something different. So I sketched out a nice looking little job, put it together, and test flew it. It confirmed an opinion that I had formed a long time ago; low-wing models and rudder-only control don't mix well. Oh yes, you can get them to fly-lots of them have flown, but for a good rudder-controlled aircraft, you just can't equal a high-wing design. So, I discarded the low-wing idea (but the design will be used later for rudder and elevator control) and started over.
The Blue Birds
NO, THEY'RE not the Blue Angels. The Blue Angels fly the A4D. The Navy likes them best for precision flight demonstrations. And they're not the Thunderbirds. The Air Force prefers the T-38 for their shows. So what are they? Well, sort of a hybrid between the two service teams, so I called them the "Blue Thunder Angel Birds." But that's kinda hard to remember, so I shortened it to the "Blue Birds." Then I went and gave them the color markings of the Blue Angels, so no matter what I call them, when they come flying overhead, everybody says "Hey, look! The Blue Angels!" Everyone who talks to me seems to agree that this "formation plane," as the editor calls it, is the most unusual design in RC to come along for some time, ranking right along with the Flying Doghouse, Flatiron, and Lawn Mower as a show stopper. Then, the next thing that comes up is "How'd you get the idea, and get it to balance and fly?"
Drake II
Benny Howard's DGA (Damn Good Airplane) applies to all of Ken's designs. They perform very well. This .15 powered flying boat adds a new feather to his cap. Fly it off land, too, with detacheable wheel gear. Some 28 years ago I designed a free flight flying boat named the Drake. Bill Winter was the editor of Model Airplane News at the time, and bought the design for publication. It was one of the most popular designs of the time. (Editor's note: Top on the plans list for years.) Bill even got a letter from a racer telling how his flew out of site over the Atlantic, and three weeks later was returned by a fisherman who found it floating some 50 miles offshore!
Seamaster Sport 40
Everybody loves Ken Willard's wet and wonderful RC seaplane designs; his Drake II remains one of our best-selling plans. Here's his latest, a sporty, good-sized ship capable of Pattern maneuvers...and it even has a strap-on landing gear for days when there's no water around! Hey, why don't you take a break from designing all those pipsqueak 1/2A seaplanes like the Poolboy, the Duckling, the Simple Sunday Seaplane, and all those little jobs, and come up with a design for us guys who like .40 and .60 size models?" The modeler, a friend of mine, sounded dead serious. I bristled a bit. "Look, there's nothing wrong with little airplanes; I happen to like them. Besides, it wasn't too long ago that Model Aviation published the Drake II, which had a .15 in it. Another thing, ol' buddy, the little ones are a lot harder to fly than the big ones, and more challenging."
Regent
If there's an RC bipe in your future, you should consider this one for .40-.60 engines and four-channel controls. As you might expect from the master of RC sport plane designers, it has good looks and is well-behaved. This is the latest design in a series of trainers for beginners and intermediate sport fliers. The Schoolmaster, Headmaster II, Headmaster Sport 40, and Seamaster Sport 40 were all monoplane designs that were intended for training and sport flying. They have all been quite popular.
