FHHuber

I'm looking for someone who can sscan and e-mail me the plans for "The Answer" from 1940 Model airplane News. I believe it was the August issue.

I built one from the original magazine in 1977 with the aid of my father. (his old magazines) We put a Kraft 4 channel radio suetem in it. with a Enya .19 Turned out the engine was WAY too much. so it didn't last very long... I want to try eletric drive and mini/micro servos this time around.

I have a small stack of 1936 to 1943 magazines (appx 50 issues M.A.N. and Flying Aces and the first issue of FLying Models ) the Aug 1940 is missing (apparently didn't get put back where it belonged after I finished with copying and enlarging th plans...)

Gollywock

Fred- Klarich Custom Kits offers a short kit of a 44" and a 55" Answer. There was also a 66" version designed by Scotty Murray. I have a Ben Buckle 'Super Scorpion' which is the 66"version. But because it uses a different airfoil section, its not elegible for Sam events. Its a great flyer with an OS .26 four cycle. Jim

FHHuber

I could ALMOST reproduce it from memory... I'd get the wing elipse wrong (the instructions in the magazine said place pins and use a string to make the elipse for the wing plan..) but close... I'd end up with the tailplanes a bit the wrong shape... and the triangle crosssection fuselage... It would be close, but incorrect.

Also... there were at least 5 different designs called the Answer over the years... the one I want has an airfoil made by bending the 1/4 inch thinck sheet balsa to shape... then you cut out the middle and install ribs.

Flicker

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Hi FH,
John Pond had plans for a Bay Ridge Topper (same plane, different name) designed by Murray. Has the AMA gotten his stuff ready to go yet? The Answer is a future project for me - beautiful plane! There was one in Johnny Clemens' shop before the fire years ago, that's when it caught my eye.
I hope to build one someday in the near future, I'm thinking geared speed 400, etc. I may go w/ a Klarich short kit. Keep us posted :-)
Good luck,
Bob

Gollywock

Didn't the Topper have an elliptical dihedral while thr Answer used a straight dihedrat with a Ritz airfoil section? Jim

FHHuber

The version I want... had a single, at center dihedal break.

The airfoil is a formed curve of the 1/4 inch sheet. (not sure its any "specific" airfoil...) then the bottom of the TE is tapered off and the LE is rounded. The cut ribs that got fit in after the interior of the formed wing was cut out... were a constant radius curve top and bottom.

I cheated on the one I bult... and pieced the wing together with the large cut-outs in place.... then formed the wing around a piece of household vent duct. (big round stuff) I think I saved 2 sheets of 1/4 X 3 X 36 balsa doing it this way.

papermache

My Feedback: (35)

FHH,
The Answer/ Hell Razor combo plan is number fsp07831 from RCstore.com (Airage plans). Cost is $24.95.

papermache

FHHuber

Well that led me to the correct one anyway... Its the one directly under the one listed above. (they are different airplanes... different airfoils, different wingspans)

fsp09792
The Answer
A Class-A classic free-flighter, reprinted from the MAN August 1940 issue. The Gordon Murray design features an unusual single-surface elliptical wing and built-up fuselage. WS: 43 in.; L: 31 in.; Engine: .19; 3 channels; 1 sheet. LD4
$ 19.95

Flicker

My Feedback: (1)

The Topper also has the elliptical dihedral, sliced ribs etc. I have a copy of Pond's plan, plus Al Lidberg's plan of the Answer reduced way down for co2 f.f. The airplanes look the same. Sorry for the confusion. I was under the impression that Bay Ridge Models changed the name for some reason; possibly marketing or royalties?
Either way, 'tis the best looking old-timer in my eyes :-)
Bob

FHHuber

I found someone kind enough to e-mail a reproduction set of planes. (from a newsletter for a SAM club)

The drawing, with the correct dimensions and the experience of having built one before... adequate information to build one within specs for SAM competition.

Decided... maybe i shouldn't post the drawings... [&:]

Flicker

My Feedback: (1)

Aw heck post 'em :-) My Topper has no firewall pattern (there's a 1/2 scale view of the front that I'll "interpolate"
I would have copied plan etc. as per original request, but no way of scanning here.
Bob

FHHuber

OK... but if the moderator sees a problem with potential copyright infringement... it will dissapear quick.

Flicker

My Feedback: (1)

Hi Fh,
Same airplane...the Model Builder copy is a cleaned up version of the original plan...Ritz wing, same wing construction, & no firewall pattern :-) Remember please, that the Ritz wing was designed to be built a certain way...sliced ribs, w/ the upper & lower sheeted L.E & T.E. taking the place of the main spar. Doping the flat wing's covering forms the elliptical dihedral.
Bob
ps the elliptical dihedral makes this plane.
pps thanks for the scan also.

FHHuber

There is no firewall plan because... there is no firewall.

The only former in the original is the ply plate the landing gear are affixed to. The hardwood engine rails go back to that ply plate. The original's ignition components go between the ply and the engine. (where most of the RC equipment ended up in my model in 1977.)

My plane didn't end up with an eliptical dihedral... Maybe the Butyrate dope didn't shrink as much as the Nitrate that would have been used when the plane was designed...

The wings are not sheeted... that's solid 1/4 inch balsa for the wing outline, with short rib sections inserted.

Flicker

My Feedback: (1)

Got it...I looked at the plans earlier...you are correct. After the Rascal is done, this is next!
Bob

ps the model mentioned previously in Johnny Clemens' shop was silked, orange & black w/an ignition engine.

FHHuber

BTW... fuselage construction is a bit odd (compared to modern)

You build the thrustline crutch, then build the lower crutch. (If you build sides and try to assemble it just won't fit.)

Then you attach the curved forward parts to the lower crutch, and affix the front of the lower frame using the LG plate for primary alignment. Get the forward 1/4 firmly glued and the glue set up before pulling the rear 3/4 in place and gluing in the angle braces. (the thrustline crutch must be FIRMLY mounted to the building board of the fusealage warps here)

Once all the glue is cured, you remove the fuselage from the building board and add the upper formers and finish it up.
If you want a firewall... it gets installed after the fuselage is framed up. (because there isn't one drawn for you on the plans..) You can extrapolate the firewall from the upper former just under the windshield plus the width of the LG plate at top and bottom, and the height of the fuselage at the former. (thats where the firewall would go) You can also use MS paint to strech/skew the LG plate to be shorter and you will have the firewall.

Gremlin Castle

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I still have a scaled up Answer in my fleet. Ten years old 66" span OS FS-26 power and hundreds of flights. It was pictured in Flying Models several years back and has been an ongoing favorite at the Littlerock SMALL STEPS flyin.
I took a different approach in laying up the wing. Rather than try to force the balsa perimeter into a compound curve (camber and elliptical dihedral), I spent about two hours making a fixture out of masonite and plywood. Anchoring the masonite in the middle and propping up the ends to the tip dihedral measurement forms a perfect elliptical dihedral setup. I cut 12 identical 1/4 balsa jig ribs and glued them in line on the fixture. After that I cut the wing perimeter out of 3/32 balsa and laminated the wing to thickness using titebond and some ca for fast tacking. After the ribs were installed I rough sanded the leading and trailing edge before cutting the tack bond loose from the fixture. The finished wing never moved a fraction when it was freed from the fixture. After ten years it is as straight as the day it was built.
I am thinking about taking out the 26 and doing an electric conversion but who knows.