The molds for the next generation of warbird racing planes have arrived. Earlier this year we started to design a warbird race plane specially for warbird racing. That means it must have a short building time, it also needs to be competitive on the course, and it has to be expendable. We believe that this Miss Ashely short kit will fit that need. In this article we will discuss some of the design features and where we are in the development and production of this kit.



Design features: We have employed a “fishbone and rib” design for the fuselage. Think of it as a profile plane with full length, fiberglass, cheeks attached to it. When building the airframe you will install the tail feathers (balsa wood and covering), servos, control rods, linkages, radio gear, batteries, fuel tank, fuel lines and all other items before attaching the fiberglass cheeks. This will allow you to modify the locations of said items for balance. This also allows you to cut hatches where you need them or even seal everything inside without service access. Once the fiberglass cheeks are installed you can seal the seams, paint or stripe as needed. The engine installs to a double walled firewall and is covered with a fiberglass cowl. The wing is hollow with a triangular 1/8” plywood spar. The ailerons will use a skin hinge. The lower wing skin fits inside the upper wing skin making the assembly easier. There are hard mounts for landing gear. This system also allows you to choose landing gear type and design. You can use fix gear or cut into the lower wing skin and install retractable gear. Wheel wells are provided with the kit. One key feature in the model is that the wing mounts flush and flat to the fuselage. This allows for smaller and lighter wing bolts. It also locks the wing into place to ensure the wing is straight and true to the thrust line of the engine. One last item to note, all if the wood pieces of this kit are laser cut and have pins, keys, or locks. This allows everything to lock into place. There is no need to cut, trim or measure.



Current development stage: After creating a 3d model of the Miss Ashely, we designed and created the laser cut wood and cam cut molds needed. Currently we have the 1st set of laser cut wood pieces and as of this week the molds are in hand. The molds are cut from solid aluminum blocks. Attached are photos of the molds placed on the work benches. We have place some of the wood structure in the molds to check for fit. By the way, the fit is perfect. We will soon have the molds polished, waxed, and ready to produce its first fiberglass skins. It is our plan to have the 1st flying prototype by the end of July 2022. Depending on what changes and updates we will need to make, we are hoping to have kits ready sometime in late August.



As we make progress on the Miss Ashley short kit, we will update you. Pricing, build videos and instructions will also be release soon.