.15 size planes
 

There's been a lot of talk around here about .15 size planes and how some of us have an interest in them, even though they're not strictly speaking 1/2A material. For those who like really fast models, I thought I'd mention a design from the late '70s that has recently been resurrected. The designer is an RCU member and has posted in a thread that I started a while back. He's even made the plans available again. It's called the Peppermint Pattie and I plan to build one this summer. I thought some here might be interested:

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_5532053/tm.htm

RE: .15 size planes
 

RD - Nice looking plane! Clean lines, classic shape, and I like the mid-wing. I've got a couple of Norvel .15s that are intended for a PICA FW190 and PICA F4u, but maybe I'll build one of these too!

EG

RE: .15 size planes
 

Looks like a good plane for your K&B .21! Interesting to see so many classic pattern guys chime in with knowledge of the designer and of the plane.

RE: .15 size planes
 

If you want a fast .15 try a Speedo by Dick Sarpolous, very fast turns on a dime.

RE: .15 size planes
 

I never heard of the Peppermint Pattie (except for the Peanuts character) before. That is a nice looking plane.

Reminds me of Sarpolus's Hammer series of planes. I particularly liked his 1/2A Tack Hammer design. I have the plans taped to the wall of workshop for inspiration. It is underneath something else at the moment. I might just have to move to the front again and perhaps build one up this year.

I will have to find out a bit more about the Peppermint Pattie as well.

Thanks for the pointer.

cheers, Graham in Embrun near Ottawa Canada.

RE: .15 size planes
 

This thread had me looking at the Flying Models listing of plans. I made mention of Dick Sarpolus's Hammer series and made particular reference to his Tack hammer. That was in mistake I am afraid - Sarpolus did design the Hammer series but it was Leon Schnitzspahn who designed the Tack Hammer version.

Now, the Speedo - the only listing in Flying Models plans is for a 40 size plane. Perhaps it was published by a different magazine or as a kit? I have no recollection of this one but then again it would be very difficult for anyone including Dick Sarpolus to keep track of all of his designs - on the Flying Models plans listing alone there are 77 entries! A most prolific desinger indeed.

I will have to dig out my back issues of Flying Models and see if I can find the Speedo.

cheers, Graham

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Graham, I'd like to see those Tack Hammer plans.

Here's what the PP plans look like. It has a Jim Martin Banshee-esque fin.

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cool, me like :)

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Does anyone have a picture of Hal De Bolts Equalizer" This was a bipe for between .15-.23 size engines.

Robert

RE: .15 size planes
 

I will dig out the old magazine and scan a couple of pictures - later today time permitting.

cheers, Graham

RE: .15 size planes
 

My first plane was a .15 size, the Sig Scamp. I've currently got one .15 plane, a Pilot HydeAway. I also happen to have Sig Scamp and Sig Colt kits that I'll build eventually.

RE: .15 size planes
 

BobHH or his dad one probably have some info on it.....Rog

and if you'd rather do kit than plans, House of Balsa has several nice .10-.15 size planes to build....

RE: .15 size planes
 

Dick has them all! If you want his email PM me. He has a binder about an inch thick of just cover shots of his models!

The Speedo might have been in the other little mag Model Aircraft News. We had a racing series and it cleaned up, very fast, very easy to built and handled really well. I've bought one at an auction, I'll try to get a decent picture off, I never built one I design my own stuff, but I got beat by a lot of them.[:@]

RE: .15 size planes
 

This is my favorite ..15 powered plane.

Quickie Bipe, I had one in the 70's then built these two around'98.

RE: .15 size planes
 

A Sig Colt was my first RC plane. It had an Enya .15. It says a lot for the plane that it survived seven or eight flights as I tried to teach myself to fly (I later learned on a buddy box with an Eagle 63). There are a lot of 1/12 scale combat designs floating around. The smaller ones with inline engines (mustangs spitfires, messerschmitts, migs ect) can make nice flyers on a .15. I still have a Colt wing someplace but couldn't find it the last time I looked for it.

RE: .15 size planes
 

The "Wildfire" is a cute RC cabin bipe for .09 - .15, 36 inch, from a long-extinct kit maker in the 50s-69s. AMA Pond collection has the plans. It was a popular plane during the escapement era.

There was a nice 38 inch .19 powered bipe in FM in the 70s that had a classic look. I could look up the name.

I had no idea DeBolt did a small bipe--I'd love to see plans or a pic.

There was a terrific looking 24 inch bipe for .10 in one of the British mags called "Jean Machine", a Pitts like design but even cuter, but the plans service that used to carry the British plans from 70s, 80s etc. does exist anymore.

Jim

RE: .15 size planes
 

I really would like to expand this forum to cover the "S.M.A.L.L." size range, up to .25. Or have another separate forum for them. I really like the .09 - .25 (or .30) size range but very few in our club fly under size .46, so having a group for this range would be very welcome.

Actually I would advocate a .09 to .30 forum - there aren't any four strokes under .30 made anymore (except the HP .21 that very few want). That range would really cover a neglected but very appealing size. Jim

RE: .15 size planes
 

Looking back in time at the published plans it seems that there was way more interest in .15 and under stuff back then.......at a time when the radio gear was mostly too heavy for small planes. Any of those old designs, even the big, over built 1/2A designs would be good stuff for a cheap .15 and light weight radio gear.

RE: .15 size planes
 

I have been switching over slowly to .15 size stuff , but still have plenty of 1/2A stuff, I dont think anyone would mind the .09 to .30 stuff brought up in here.. my 1/2A flyins include up to .15 for the events, except of course the races where one is the .049 reedy class and the unlimited class is up to a .061.....so what is an HP .21 4 stroke..case in point , Ive never heard of that one, sounds cool, got a link to it....sounds like one of those engines that probably cant get out of it own way but I'd still like to look at it....Rog

RE: .15 size planes
 

rog, the HP .21s are very meek. Bipe Flyer owns at least one of them. But, they have a very high cool factor score. They are also about as quiet as a CO2 engine.

http://www.mecoa.com/hp/vt/21.htm

RE: .15 size planes
 

Too bad they are $223[X(]

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Wow, 10 oz at .35 hp...thats like using dental floss on your weedwhacker!....but it is a cool small engine,,,,Rog

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Wow, I thought you must have made a mistake on the price--until I checked--when did that happen? They used to advertise for about $150.

I saw one on a 6 ft old timer and it flew the plane surprisingly well, including successive loops from level flight. But I would guess that plane was very light. David is not exaggerating when he compares them to CO2 for sound. But they must have the lowest powoer/wt ratio money can buy.

Yes, CP, I have noticed that .15s used to be really populat--their seem to have been in their glory in the 70s. There are many really nice designs from that time. More recently, Randy Randolph used to crank out designs for those engines at a rate of about one a month.

Jim

RE: .15 size planes
 

I wish I could pick stocks like this, I've got 3or 4 HP21VTs and a couple 49VTs, I just thought they where cool. The 49VT flew a LT-40 well.

RE: .15 size planes
 

My 2 cents worth....... perfect plane for a .15 is a 1/2A Shrike. :D