ABOUT THIS SITE
This site is maintained by Duane H. Gall. Please direct any comments or correspondence
to stinger4@earthlink.net.
The rights to all materials on this site are reserved to Duane H. Gall under the copyright laws
of the United States. A limited license is granted to the user for personal, noncommercial
use.
The user assumes all risk and all liability associated with the use of any material on this site.
In the case of construction drawings, plans, templates, and instructions, no warranty is
expressed or implied, and the user shall be solely responsible for safe and sound construction
of physical structures, correct installation and operation of engines and radio control
equipment, and flying of aircraft in accordance with the AMA (Academy of Model
Aeronautics) Safety Code and common sense.
ABOUT THE "LITTLE TONI" CONSTRUCTION DRAWINGS
Drawing files are posted in two formats: ".dc" (readable by DesignCAD and ModelCAD
software) and ".DXF" (readable by other computer-aided design software). Each file carries
a revision date, expressed numerically. For example, "031902" means that the drawing was
last modified as of March 19, 2002. Drawings with a revision date prior to June 1, 2002,
should be considered "beta" versions. I used them to build the first prototype "Little
Toni", which flew successfully in May, 2002. Construction and flight testing resulted in
some minor revisions, chiefly in the landing gear position. As I proceed to build and fly the
second prototype, I will refine the drawings accordingly. In the meantime, please double-
check the fit of all parts and let me know about any problems you encounter so I can correct
the drawings for the next person(s).
GENERAL NOTES ON CONSTRUCTION
Construction materials and methods were intentionally selected to be simple and cheap. The
wing is standard foam-core construction, balsa over white foam. Tailfeathers can be built
up if you wish, but the weight and balance came out perfectly using the balsa/glass/balsa
sandwich method shown on the plans.
The fuselage is a basic box below the thrustline, and balsa-covered white foam above the
thrustline. Start by cutting the formers and top-view crutch out of 3/16" foam-core board.
Pin the crutch to your workbench with the front end hanging off the edge (to accommodate
the firewall, which will be the only thing extending above the thrustline until you add the
foam pieces and 1/16" balsa top sheeting) and assemble the box structure upside-down.
You'll want to epoxy the 1/32" ply nose doublers and rear wing hold-down doublers to the
fuselage sides beforehand, but other than that, it's basically a matter of just gluing things
together until you run out of parts.
All the foam you need can come from one piece of 4" thick, 1- or 2-pound density, white
beaded Styrofoam measuring 24" x 48". If you wish, you can use 2" thick foam for the
wings, but you'll need to block up the foam ½" above the workbench as indicated on the
template drawings.
The prototype was built around a standard "cigar"-type tuned muffler, with the engine cylinder
semi-inverted, as shown on the firewall pattern. That turns out to be less than ideal,
so for the future we have amended the rules to require a compact muffler instead.
The Turbo-Jett (TM) works great and adds almost as much power as the cigar style.
I highly recommend you go this route, and install the engine with the cylinder sticking out
90 degrees to the right (starboard) side with the remains of the cheek cowl behind it.
Speaking of cheek cowls, I do have a mold for fiberglass cheek cowls that are the regulation
thickness (2" at base). That's a little cleaner than using an off-the-shelf plastic canopy, if you're really
worried about the last iota of airspeed.
FLYING THE "LITTLE TONI"
Flight testing yielded the following data:
Fore-and-aft center of gravity (CG) with the fuel tank empty should be 3-1/4" behind the
leading edge of the wing. Measure it at any point along the span; the leading edge is straight
and perpendicular to the thrust line. For a rough CG as you're installing the radio gear, pinch
the fuselage between your fingers at a point 3" behind the front of the wing saddle.
Control throws, measured at the trailing edge of each surface at the widest point:
Ailerons and elevators ½" up and ½" down from neutral position (aileron response will be
crisp -- reduce it to 3/8" each way if you prefer it softer).
Rudder 1" to 1-1/4" each way. Use about 3/4" right deflection for a straight takeoff.
Landing gear needed to be moved forward until the front edge of the aluminum strut was
flush with the leading edge of the wing.
ABOUT THE "FORMULA 1 SPORT" PROPOSED RULES
This is an entirely private, grassroots effort to accomplish two purposes simultaneously:
1. To encourage the organized flying of quarter-scale, high-performance sport models that
include, but are not limited to, the Great Planes Shoestring 60 ARF and the World Models
Midget Mustang ARF; and
2. To limit the technology ahead of time so that as the event gains in popularity, it remains
affordable and reasonably sane.
The proposed rules are not official rules of the AMA and are not sponsored or endorsed by
the NMPRA (National Miniature Pylon Racing Association), GSARA (Giant Scale Air
Racing Association), or any other sanctioning body. They are the brainchild of Duane Gall
and Bob Dible, who invite you to join the Yahoo newsgroup established at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Formula_One_Pylon/ or e-mail Formula_One_Pylon-
subscribe@yahoogroups.com. The introductory messages contain more about the rationale
behind this effort.
Based on our experience gathered during the 2002 flying season, we may submit these rules
to the AMA Radio Control Racing Contest Board for inclusion in the AMA's rule book as
a "provisional" event. For a complete copy of the AMA rules, including the items cross-
referenced in this rule proposal, visit http://www.modelaircraft.org/Comp/Competition.htm.