The final chapter
A plane with a big prop and small wings, then I remembered this, the Martin Baker MB5.

it had been described in the Aero Modeller with a nice 3 view. Fairly well known now but in the early sixties not many people had even head of it.
I guessed a 22" span was about the maximum I could handle but this still gave in effect two 3 blade 8" diameter props!
To look right this could not be stick and tissue (except the rudder and elevator which were fabric covered on the prototype) but had to be all sheet covered.
To keep weight to an absolute minimum it was built as a stressed skin monocoque using 1/32 balsa sheet planks.

Even the formers were 'built up' using the same material.

It would not look right without its contra rotating props so it ended up with two 'slot car' motors geared onto coaxial shafts.

The prop and spinner is all balsa.
The canopy was home moulded and the cockpit fully finished with all the instruments.

I don't 'do' pilots in any of my planes so the harness straps are neatly folded on the seat.
Completed.

In view of its very light weight construction the undercarriage has working telescoping suspension to reduce landing shocks.
It weighs 4.25oz and produces just about that much thrust.
It flies well and compared to my other models is quite fast - actually only about 10mph but on 8' lines it feels much quicker! Landing is the most stressful part trying to keep all those balsa blades from touching the ground.
The hollow stressed skin structure acts as a wonderful sounding board so the gear wine is greatly amplified making it sound like a turbo prop, as this ground run shows. It was securely tied to a lump of lead!
http://vimeo.com/44119026 It is now 45 years old!
At this point I started my career and like others before and since aero-modelling had to take a back seat for many, many years.