Hi all,
The new AMA magazine came out. There are plans for the Rodger Dodger, neat little plane I plan to build. It got me curious. Are there any small pattern kits or plans available?
Thanks, Mike

I built a GLOBAL BABY BIRDY, and it was a very neat plane. It had a lifting airfoil at the tips, and more symetric at the root. She flew gracefully, and I got so BORED with it, I sold it.

Thanks CP, Who sells the kit/plans? Why did you get bored with it? Thanks for the input, Mike

I don't know if GLOBAL is still around. I only got bored with it because it was slightly overweight and couldn't maintain a vertical line. What I did was scratch build an undersized version, and it flew much better with 25% less weight. I haven't built a commercial kit for 1/2A yet that was small enough, or light enough for outstanding performance. Commercial kit building led me down a path of excess weight that I couldn't shake off till I swore off commercial kits. The stetched out dimensions of a pattern plane make the handling characteristics boring for me, because what you end up with is a very, very, very, pretty trainer.

http://plans.rcmodell.hu/plansport.html

Look for the Mini Pacer and the Sykosis. Outstanding plans. Even Combatpigg would be impressed!

Ya! Now you're talkin'!! The SYKOSIS looks like a great all around plane, and the RTF weight would allow for true pattern plane performance. This guy has some nice plans over there! New definition of 1/2A came out, it's no longer based on engine size, but the RTF model must weigh less than a pound.

Unfortunately the Global Baby Birdie isn't available anymore. I had one witha Medalion .09.
I still have the plan, instructions plus the templates and could copy them for you.
With a Norvel, todays radio equipmrnt and hand picked timber it would be a lighter, smooth project.
I did scale the plan down for a TD .020 but never got around to do one.

I would be game for a set of those plans, how much would you want to cover the expenses?

I bought a kit and plans for the Baby Birdie. The fuse weighs a ton. I plan on scratch building a complete plane from the plans and see if I can get the weight down. The one I have is for a .10-.15 and if I can get the weight down with the new servos I should have a good ole time.

Dru.

The only small plane I've built is the Simple 400 by Ace. It has the TT .07 engine, weighs ~16.5oz. And the vertical sucks. I know the engine is heavy and down on power compared to the Norvel .074. It was fun when new, I'm learning about it's flight envelope, it lands easy. when I try to knife-edge, I have to use a lot of aileron to keep it on edge, and that is short lived. My 4* and expired Venus were much easier to knif-edge.
Thanks ptulmer, the Skysosis and Minipacer look like what I'm after. Would the Norvel work well with these?

Thanks for the input CP, I always enjoy your posts. Informative, humerous, and many times over my head. Good stuff!

Mr Leffe, Thanks for the offer. I think I'll try the Skysosis or Minipacer if I can figure out how to open the plans. I don't think I can unzip a file.

Thanks all, Mike

[link=http://www.freecad.com/sitesecurity/login.asp?http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Efreecad%2Ecom%2Fsites ecurity%2Fgetfile%2Easp%3FTCAD%5FLE%5Fsetup%5Ffile s%2Eexe]Click here for TurboCAD LE[/link]

Mike,
Those two were designed for the Norvel .061 AME. They should be pretty hot if you follow instructions and don't deviate. Both come in way lless than a pound. TurboCAD will print them one your regular printer and even give you tick marks where the paper should be joined.

Oh wouldnt all the pattern guys at my field have a stinky-fit if I showed up with a 1/2a pattern plane and chased them all over with it..maybe one day ....Rog

Oh yeah, Mike, free ZIP programs can be had from Cnet's www.download.com

Rog, your Hotfoot has pattern-like moments. Get-r-done! Wings too big for most of the manuevers with a sub-11oz AUW, but you could still mess with'em.

I think this qualifies as small, Pilot HydeAway .15. Mine has a TT GP-15.

25 years ago I built a pattern type plane
TD 0.049, 16 oz. 36in span, 200 sq. in.
NACA 0015 airfoil
Flew 2 channel with hugh Kraft Sport series radio
I might be able to dig up plans if you are interested
(last time I flew it, 6-7 years ago, the TD sagged on launch and I totaled it)

Pete

You might take a look at [link=http://www.mountainmodels.com]Mountain Models [/link] Flashback. It is designed for electric but I bet you convert it pretty easily. I have converted the Miniflash to glo (.061 Norvel).

I have built 2 MM kits and found them to be exceptional.

Check in to the Flying Models plans service. They have had a few 049 pattern capable planes over the years. One I remember was the New Angle, I think by Bob Aberle. It was originally designed around a Cannon micro system and a throttled Tee Dee 049, but with some of today's micro radios and a Norvel 049 or 061, and newer retracts, it might really be something.

RCM plan 984: SNIPER

37-1/2" span, 234 sq. in., .051-.10, 3 ch., built-up balsa and plywood

Would probably be an ideal candidate for a NORVEL .074

ptulmer, can you help me open the plans now? I've downloaded Winzip, Turbocad, and the Mini pacer and Sycosis. I can view the text and pictures but haven't found the plans.

piper chuck, nice looking plane. Are plans available for that?

Thanks for all the input everyone!

WMB,

if you can't get the CAD plans to work for you, I still have some sets of full size plans for the Sykosis, Mini-Pacer and TigerSport printed out and ready to go. Send me an email or PM with your postal address.


The plans are free.

Mark D

WMB,
You can't turn down an offer like that! If you want to print out cut sheets, look for the sykprint.dxf file. If you've installed Turbocad, the icon should have TC(version#) on it. All you should need to do is double-click it.

Mark, still lurking around huh? Did the .074 version do good?

Ptulmer,

Yeah, still lurking around. I've been doing mostly gassers for the last year or so, but I still check this forum each day.

The Sykosis 2 hasn't flown yet, as the weather here in Northern Ohio has been weird. For almost 2 weeks it was dry, sunny and about 70 deg. Over the week end we got hit with heavy snow ( some areas over 20"!!!!). I hope Dave will get it in the air in the next 1-2 weeks. I still don't know if he will be releasing the plans for it or not. Even if he does give me the file, it will still take a couple of weeks for me to get them cleaned up and reformatted.

Mark D.

Several Years ago, back in the dark ages (maybe 1996 or so) Model Airplane News printed a pullout plan by Randy Randolf called the Bee-Tween. Power required an 0.020 (???) to 0.049 (more like it.), low winger and kind of cute. I wouldn't call it a pattern model but I wouldn't call Sarpolus's Roger Dodger a pattern plane either.

Some one here may recall the MAN issue or you may have it yourself, have fun ....

HTH - Steve B.

HI WMB,

Man that TT.07 must be a DOG! Here's a pic of my Simple 400 with a Norvel .061. The verticle on this one is fine. It won't go vertical out of a hover or any thing but it will hang on the prop for about 3 seconds befor it starts inching back towards the ground.

Rrrag.

Rrrag, You're right, it is a dog! It has no vertical at all. Using 30%, 6x3 prop, ~16 oz., not near fast enough either. Tried a 6x4 and it was slower. The rudder has weird coupling. I could put the Norvel on it, but that won't help the goofy rudder coupling. So, I thought it was time to look for a plane designed to fly better.

Steve, The Rodger Dodger does look fairly aerobatic with the full length rudder and symmetrical wing. But it doesn't have much of a pattern look. I had a Venus for about 20 minutes of airtime before I drove it into the ground. I want to build a small version of that.

Thanks all for the help!