A Flying Wing You Can Build
Designed for sport flying, this streamlined pusher model has speed and plenty of range.
By Paul Mueller
WHEN you get through building this flying wing,
you'll have a hot plane to fly. Fast, flat glides, due to
its drag-free, streamlined design, may be
compensated for by a slight right turn in the rudder. If
it shows diving tendencies, bend up the trim tabs. Try
it under power. If it tends to loop, warp the tabs down
a little. Properly adjusted, your flying wing should
climb to the left in a wide circle until the motor cuts,
then swing into a right circle glide.
Start construction with the wing. Use the best
quality balsa you can get. Lay out the parts from the
drawing on the opposite page. You can taper the
leading and trailing edges of the wing by planing.
The spar—mainly for dihedral bracing—also is
tapered by planing. Cut the wing ribs, two of each,
from 1/16" sheet balsa, except the No. 1, center rib,
which should be made of 1/8" stock. Also cut two
1/8" end ribs shaped like No. 9 ribs, but slightly
longer to span the wing edges.
Cut spar notches only in ribs 1 to 4, as shown on
the drawing. Notch the trailing edge of the wing so
the ribs fit tightly in place. This will avoid warping
when the wing is covered. Lay the leading and
trailing edges and the spar in place on a flat surface.
Cement the ends of the spar to the leading edge. Then
cement all the ribs in place except No. 1.
Meanwhile, cut dihedral gussets out of 1/32"
plywood to the angle shown. When the wing cement
has dried thoroughly, cement the plywood gussets in
place to obtain the proper dihedral. Then cement in
the center rib, the corner gussets, and the rudder
POPULAR SCIENCE
supports, and fill in to rib No. 2 with 1/8" sheet balsa
as shown in the photos. Sand the leading edge so it
fairs into the airfoil of the ribs and sand the complete
wing.
Now you're ready to add the tabs and cover the
wing. Run the model-plane tissue with the grain
along the span of the wing, spray with water, and let
it dry. Apply three coats of clear dope and a coat of
fuel proofer.
Two views of the plane—before the wing was covered—show
construction details. All ribs must fit flush at both leading and
trailing edges so that skin will cover the frame smoothly. Note that
inside of both rudders is sanded flat, while outer surfaces are
curved.
Now for the fuselage. First cut the side outline and
top outline. Then round it off. Hollow out the
fuselage by gouging or burning. The top and cabin
are open, so you can work through these to hollow
the interior. Finish the fuselage by fine sanding. Give
it two or three coats of a mixture of clear dope and
talcum powder, sanding between each coat. This
gives a glasslike finish that takes a good paint job.
Next cement the wing to the top of the fuselage and
the rudders to the wing tips.
For power, a Baby Spitfire or similar engine is
bolted to the firewall and cemented to rear of the
fuselage. The 6" pusher prop can be bought at most
model stores. END
AUGUST 1950 205