Need Plans for Pathfinder Full Fuse

[Peter in Fairfax, VA]

I have a nice laser cut Pathfinder kit, but no plans.  Anyone have a set they can either spare or lend for reproduction?

I'm hoping that the plans, if they exist, include wood density / grain notations, weight and rigidity being important aspects of the result.

thanks,

Peter

[Peter in Fairfax, VA]

Doing a little research, looks like there a lot of Pathfinders.  Not sure which plans match the laser cutting result I have.

[fred cesquim]

I have a nice laser cut Pathfinder kit, but no plans.  Anyone have a set they can either spare or lend for reproduction?

I'm hoping that the plans, if they exist, include wood density / grain notations, weight and rigidity being important aspects of the result.

thanks,

Peter

if you have this kit, send me your email and i may help!
mine was maiden last weekend, a GREAT airplane indeed

[Peter in Fairfax, VA]

Wow, that Pathfinder looks great.  I like the moments of the Pathfinder (long body) and the trike gear.  My profile Pathfinder has been my go-to for several seasons.

[Dan McEntee]

   Who made the kit? That may help the search. I think the full fuse version was called Pathfinder LE for Last Edition and was published in Flying Models magazine.   https://store.flying-models.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=235

    Type at you later,
  Dan McEntee

[Brent Williams]

There are plans available for a rarely seen full body Pathfinder variant. This version is based around the regular profile Pathfinder wing and tail.  This example was built by Roger Kramar.  John Miller can supply the plans.

[John Miller]

I may be able to help. Of the three different full-bodied Pathfinders, only one has been kitted. that one is the Pathfinder L.E., kitted by RSM. The wing ribs are the dead give away. First, the wing doesn't use the Ice-Cream style of airfoil. it uses an Eppler169 symetrical 'foil. Second, the wing is designed to self jig, and is built upside down to allow the gear blocks to be installed early in the build.

If this is the case with your kit, the plans are available from Flyinjg Models, RSM, and if those aren't available, I can supply them.

The 2 other full-body designs are the Pathfinder mk2, which use the wing, stab, and elevator from the Brodak kit, and the Pathfinder 40 which I modified from the first Pathfinder, the one that was published in FM. It has a Faux I-Beam wing, a longer fuselage because of the new tapered wing being longer in chord at the root. I flew it at the 95 Nat's in Advanced. An unfortunate landing incident on roll out, on my last flight, kept me from making the cut, but I did make 16th place on my frirst Nat's.

Since these 2 were never kitted commercially, unless someone got the plans and made their own kit, it's likely you have the RSM kit.

You can tell the above 2 apart readily. They both use the Ice-Cream airfoil. The Mk2 full-bodied uses the constant chord wing, so all the ribs are the same basic size. The PF 40 uses a tapered wing, so the ribs vary in size out to the tip. I do have the plans for both of these though, should yours match either of them.

Just as a side note, I'm currently working on an update to the 95 Nat's Pathfinder 40. I spoke to Gordan, and we agree that there's enough differences between his designs, and my modifications, that I should change the name. But, since they all come from the same tree, the names for my modifications, should closely relate to his Pathfinder name.

The name I'll be using is TrailBlazer. It has the same basic meaning, and shows the close relationship between the 2 designs. I'm cl;ose to fnishing the first in the set of Trailblazer plans. It's an up-date of my Pathfinder 40 modiication, and is a profile designed for IC engines, .46 and up. There's more, but I'll post the complete story later in another section of the forum.

John Miller