A change of pace: RWD-1

Do a search for balloon tank. Easy, reliable and put whatever amount of fuel you like. Consistant runs too.

Sorry, I just noticed my post is only showing two of the three photos I uploaded, one of them twice. I tried reuploading 3 times now, the only thing that changes is which photo is repeated. Not sure what's that about. It looks fine in the source. Here are the photos again:

Very nice! I love those 20's and 30 's designs. Should be a fun flyer.

Looks lite and floatable , should make a god flier // whats ur power?

Power will come either from my Cox QRC or my brand new Sure Start, if I can figure out a tank for it. The Sure start has the advantage that the needle is proud of the fuselage, so I wouldn't have to make a cutout to reach it.

Here's how it's coming along:



I'm going to shoot for less than 200g AUW.

Looking Good Dirk !

I don't really mind short flights. I just refuel and go back in the air

Dirk,

Love the old designs, and this is a beautiful example!

You have retained the spirit of the original, and the structure looks strong enough where it matters.

The Sure Start engine is highly underrated, but has many nice features to it's advantage.

Be sure to check the upper ball joint for play, as these seem to be less carefully fitted in the last days of Cox manufacturing. I've run mine a few short runs to let the ball socket take shape, before reseating with the proper Cox tool. Chances are the re-seating will not have to be repeated.

Performance is second only to the high performance race engines such as the TD, and Venom. The stock intake stack provides the ability to hand choke the engine to ensure initial fuel flow. They were sold by Estes (who purchased Cox) for well under $10 many years ago. I took advantage of that low price as much as I could afford at the time.

Looking forward to your progress, and hopefully more nice pictures and building tips.

Best regards,

Bill Adair

I'm close to finishing this model.

The front of the fuselage came out a bit blotchy after I fuel-proofed it, but that's where the fake scale engine will eventually go, so it will hide some of the mess. It looks much worse in the photos than in person anyway.

I used japanese tissue on the wings, a decision that I'm regretting, as I'm sure I would've been able to get better results using domestic tissue, to which I am much more accustomed. I got severe blushing, even on the inside of the wings(!) which I wasn't really able to get rid of. I used nitro thinner to thin out the dope for one of the wings which gave severe blushing, and acetone for the other wing, which was much better but still not perfect. I bought some cream paint for the wings to hide the blushing and get closer to the colour of the full-scale, but I'm not sure if I want to add any more weight to the wing. The only reason I used japanese tissue was to save weight, but the tissue soaked up so much dope that I'm sure it's heavier than it would've been with plain tissue. I guess I have plenty of time to ponder on whether I want to paint the wing or not, the maiden won't be until March or thereabouts.

Speaking of weight, the "200g AUW" ship has sailed, I think I will end up with 220-230g, which I reckon should still be OK considering the large wing area of the model.

For the first time ever I used a program to calculate the required GC. It came out just ahead of the wing spar. The model balances slightly nose-heavy even without the battery, so we're fine there.

Does look a little rough on the wing , if you paint i would suggest yellow since it is already going that way . What's up with the right side wing ? setting in the driver's seat looks like almost a flap but sequered .

double post Duh !

And here's the finished model.

An excellent model. Which fuel proofer did you use?

The reason I ask is that the fuel proofers I use tend to impart their own finish. They remain “tacky’ for 24 hrs and take a week to harden off. I have not managed to achieve a smooth finish with any yet.

Applying finishes over my fuel proofers has been disastrous.

I like your model very much the way it is and would be reluctant to add more weight to it.

For me, another reason for not adding more weight to it is to keep it under 250g where it will not be subject to requiring registering for an operators ID and a flyers ID.

I use epoxy thinned with epoxy thinner (xylene+isobutane). I only cover the nose of the model (seen as a slightly blotchy area on the photos - they appear less blotchy in person) or areas that I think are susceptible to getting oil on them, like wing roots. If I paint any part of the model (like the engine cowl in some models), I found the paint I use is fuel-resistant enough. The epoxy gives a glass-like finish if it's thinned down enough, which is kind of nice, but not really adequate for a model airplane, what can you do.

Luckily, I don't need to worry about any regulations as long as I don't exceed 25kg (about 55lb) of flying weight

Thanks for the update. I am glad that you are not subject to the draconian laws introduced here in the UK.

Once again, superb model - I like the vintage look.

You did a nice job.. and the model-subject is very interesting to me also. One the things I like MOST about this forum, is when someone documents' the build of a flying scale-model that I'm unfamiliar with. I still have a whole lot to learn regarding international civilian aircraft.. particularly single-engine designs. I have a few great coffee-table books on the the worlds' aircraft.. but I only open them if I have a question.. or need a visual.

I look forward with you; to the maiden in March! It will be here.. shortly.

Plane looks really good Dirk , should fly well for you .Yea come on March , i ready to plant some veggies and get out there and fly/tear up something !!

Here's the maiden:


I can't really say it's a very good flyer. It likes to turn left, but tends to slip into the turn and loses lots of altitude that way. Doesn't want to turn right at all, just banks and stays flying straight. To turn right at all I need to bank it close to 90 degrees and pull hard on the elevator, which looks clumsy. A movable rudder and a smaller prop would probably help.
The glide rate is poor, but landing tend to be soft anyway due to the generous wing area.
The engine is a good performer.

Very well done! From Sticks and glue to a flying machine, makes you feel good to watch it fly! Thanks for showing us the flight video!

Gee, when it comes to maiden flights you don't muck about! Fire it up and pitch it straight into the air. That shows a lot of confidence in your own flying ability. Well done.

What other way is there?