Hi Viper Pilot,

I am in the process of building a near-scale model of the Arup S2. I have been looking at this aircraft since I first read an article by Bernard L Rice in the English magazine Aeroplane Monthly of July 1979!

Can't hurry these things!

The measurements in this article are scant but give a wingspan and chord of 16' with a span of 19' over the winglets. Try as I might I couldn't get the shape "right" with those dimensions so I have come up with what looks like a satisfactory compromise.

I am building in roughly 1/4 scale and have come up with a span of 48'' and a root chord of 33" the fuselage width is 4". There are 6 ribs in each wing some will be ply the rest balsa. I am planning a multi-spar construction the spars will be wooden dowels of various diameters.

The winglets/ailerons will run on replaceable c/f arrow shafts and there will be a couple of thin music wire skids under the tips to afford some protection fot their fragile placement. Covering will be Koverall and dope. Control by JR 642.

I am presently mulling over the U/C design. I live on a rural property of 33 acres some 130 kms north-north-west of Brisbane in Queensland, Australia and have my own rather rough landing strip. I have to put oversize wheels on most of my aircraft but even so have constant U/C problems. My current Astro Hog! (I AM 65!) has 4.5 inch airwheels and is just about able to cope so that is likely to be the fitment on the Arup. I am actually toying with the idea making a set of oleos from K&S tubing, just depends on how inspired I get. Happily I have metal shop facilities as I am retired toolmaker. I spent 26 years teaching engineering trades in a Sydney technical college and for the last 12 years had an electronic repair business in Brisbane.

Hope that gives you some help, I have based all my research on the 6 photos which accompany the original article, if you come up with anything else I would appreciate you letting me know.

I don't know if you have seen the article but Bernard Rice has built a full size replica of one of the Arups for a museum in the US just recently. I have not been able to find him on the net but there was an article about the project in a Kentucky newspaper some time in 2002. Also if you have FMS (the flight sim) on your computer a Japanese guy has produced a model of the Arup S2 for it. If the real one flies as well as the sim I will be very happy!!!

Cheers for now,

Joe




I have used the scale section (naca M6) drawn on the program TracFoil available from the net. I have draughted it all onto a slab of craftboard, which will also be the building jig. I am planning to use a Saito .65 for power.