Prowler

[Paul Taylor]

While looking for the U-Key info for a new guy, I found that Jim also has a profile plane with a foam wing called a Prowler.
Anybody know anything about this plane or have a picture of one?

Thanks
Paul

[Lee Thiel]

Here is a pic of Rick "Catdaddy" Blankenships Prowler. Real good flyer.

[Bill Little]

The Prowler was designed by Bob Hunt, kitted by Scott Smith (does antyone remember "AeroSmith", not the band!!)  and was the next plane in line up from the RD-1.  Basic difference being a swept leading edge with the Prowler versus the straight wing RD-1.  Basically the same otherwise.  The 40 FP was a popular choice on several I saw.

Great flying design!

[Willie Johnson]

I have it in my plans stash.


Willie

[Paul Taylor]

Willie,
After my figure 9 yesterday I may need to get a copy from you.

Paul

Dang iiitt!

[Rob Duckering]

Built this prowler 4 years ago.....Make sure you build as light as you can, easy on the epoxy on the skins on the wing.....vaccuum bag if possible. They always seem to come out on the heavy side......but, they fly very good. Brodak 40 on this one at the time.....

Cheers

[Leo Mehl]

When you deside to build a builtup full bodied plane I will send you a set of plans for my Arctic Fox. Prowler is good pic for an all out pattern plane. Dave Royer is flying one with a FP-40. Does the patternwith ease.

[Leester]

Where can you get the plans for the Prowler ?

[Paul Taylor]

When you deside to build a builtup full bodied plane I will send you a set of plans for my Arctic Fox. Prowler is good pic for an all out pattern plane. Dave Royer is flying one with a FP-40. Does the patternwith ease.

Thanks Leo,
I will keep you posted fer sure.

[Dave Royer]

Thanks Leo,
I will keep you posted fer sure.

Actually, the Prowler Leo refers to is Alice's and she built it from one of Scott Smith's kits. It has a Tom Dixon reworked 35FP in it. She used that airplane to tie for second place with me in her first ever PA contest back in about '92. The tie was broken by the time honored Norhwest tradition of the "Glo Plug Spit."  Alice beat me handily at that and the rest, as they say, is history.

Dave Royer

[Bob Hunt]

I still have the plans for that ship, and I guess I can have them copied and make them available. I also have the foam wing templates for the  Prowler and can supply cored out cores and also fully sheeted and cored wings on request. Please call for price quotes. 610-746-0106.

The Prowler came into being in a very strange way. Scott Smith visited my home one day with a mutual friend. I had not yet met Scott at that point. He stepped into my shop and saw an RD-1 fuselage hanging on the wall and before we were even introduced he pointed at the fuselage and said, "I'm going to kit that model!" I said, "Hey, it's nice to meet you too!" After we got to know each other pretty well, Scott told me that he wasn't kidding; he wanted to kit the RD-1. I told him that I thought that a tapered wing version that was just a bit larger would be a better plane and have more uses as not only a trainer, but also as a competition model for Intermediate and Advanced fliers. He agreed and I drew up the Prowler. I didn't name it, however; that honor went to Steve Buso who inked the pencils that I drew for Scott. I had penciled in the name RD-2 on the drawing, but Steve insisted that the model needed a better identity and came up with the Prowler moniker. Hey, it sounded fine to me and Scott liked it better as well! By the way, the "RD" stands for Robert David - my oldest son's name!

I have always thought that the Prowler would be a much better flying model if built with a built-up wing. I can easily make Lost-Foam Wing Building System fixtures for this one. The built-up wing should be at least 2 to 3 ounces lighter than the foam wing and on a model this size it will make a dramatic difference in flight performance. This is not to say that the foam winged Prowlers are dogs. I've seen and flown many that were in the 38 to 40 ounce range that were excellent flyers.

The Prowler wing could easily be put into a light built-up fuselage and be even better. The rigid stab mount and upright engine mount would circumvent many of the normal profile model problems.

If you are just starting out and are looking for a really good profile with which to learn the pattern, let me strongly suggest the RD-1 design that predated the Prowler. It is a constant chord wing model and is extremely easy to build. My son, Robby, flew two RD-1s in his early days of learning the pattern, and even used one to place second in the Junior class at his first Nats in 1990. It is a fantastic flying ship and handles a wide range of weather conditions well. Flying Models still has the plan for the RD-1 available and I still produce foam cores and fully sheeted and cored out foam wings for that design. It is listed in the Carstens Flying Plans Directory as plan #CF 858.

Bob Hunt         

[Leester]

Thanks for run down on the Prowler Bob. I would like a set of plans for it and I would prefer the built up wing, just cause I like building them. Please let us know when the plans might be available.
Thanks

[Paul Taylor]

Bob,
Do you have a picture of the RD-1. And what the cost of the wing would be sheeted?

Thanks
Paul

[Bill Little]

Bob,
Do you have a picture of the RD-1. And what the cost of the wing would be sheeted?

Thanks
Paul

Hi Paul,

At least until Bob gets back, and maybe corrects me, The RD-1 looks like the Prowler except it has a constant chord wing.

The RD-1 was my son Aaron's first "contest plane".  Sheeted foam wings and a Webra 28.

[Jim Pollock]

Golly Gee Whitakers,

Anyone for a kit of the Europa???  Can someone? (Bob maybe) post a picture of your son's Europa?
Bet there would be some takers.....Maybe.....?

Jim Pollock     I just can't get over this li'l tricky Richard smiley.

[Bill Little]

Golly Gee Whitakers,

Anyone for a kit of the Europa???  Can someone? (Bob maybe) post a picture of your son's Europa?
Bet there would be some takers.....Maybe.....?

Jim Pollock     I just can't get over this li'l tricky Richard smiley.

Just take a UHP Saturn kit and shrink it a *little*. 

[Ward Van Duzer]

The Prowler was my first "real" stunt ship when I came back to the hobby. With Bob living right up the street from me it was kind of inevitable. We had just gotten into "the pipe" at that point so mine wound up with an OS .32 on the pipe. Aaron wound up with that engine when I discovered the Magnum .36. I've always thought that the models with the smaller wings were not suited for foam construction, so (I think) perhaps a built up wing would be an advantage, weight wise.

Regarding the Europa, I chose to build a Saturn, reduced to 92.5 %, powered by a Randy TT .36 on a .40 sized pipe. It's thrilling! The reduced Saturn has a somewhat longer tail moment than the Europa. You pays your money, and make your choices.

 

[Willie Johnson]

I just started working on templates for the RD-1.  I plan to have some cores cut late tonight or tomorrow.  I'll let you know how they come out.  My goal is to build one with an ASP .25 and one with a LEO .25.  I like challenges. This will be my first build of a flapped plane but the design is very good and straight forward.  I tore my home office up looking for my misplaced 6/91 issue of F.M. with the build article (My wife thinks I need mental help).  I do have the stunt column issues where Mr. Hunt goes thru the construction.  I also ordered the back issue yesterday.  If I can keep my cost down by cutting my own cores I'll continue with the plan of building 2, if I have to buy a set of cores, I'll build just one.  I think the RD-1 will be good pane for me after more time on the U-Key.

The plans show a 3 inch bellcrank.  I've noticed that most people favor 4 inch bellcrank.  Has anyone put a 4 inch bellcrank in the RD-1?  Also the plans have the wing as being triple cored.  Would double coring be too much weight gain?

Thanks,

Willie

[Bob Hunt]

Okay, there are a number of questions here to answer:

1: The cost of Prowler foam cores with the spar installed and two section coring is $35.00 per set, plus shipping.

2: The same is true for RD-1 cores ($35.00 per set, plus shipping). Yes the RD-1 cores are a bit smaller but the amount of work and time is the same...

3. Sheeted wings for either model (This includes the core, spars installed, two or three section coring, molded leading edge, sheeting and finish sanding) is $160.00 per set, plus shipping.

4. I may be willing to make up a "short kit" for the Europa which would include a Lost-Foam or sheeted foam core wing, built-up fuselage crutch assembly, molded top and bottom blocks, and either a built-up or foam core stabilizer and elevator. Of course the price for supplying all these components would be a bit on the pricey side. If there is interest I will start engineering this short kit and come up with pricing for the various options.

5. In either case the foam cores, sheeted foam wings (with landing gear systems installed),  Lost Foam System sets and fully built-up Lost Foam wings (with landing gear systems installed) are currently available through Robin's View Productions. Please call for price quotes (610-746-0106).

6. Before I can "sell" copies of the plans for the Europa with a clear conscience, I need to speak with Scott Smith, to whom I sold the rights to the design. Please bear with me on this as there is too much "pirating" of other peoples work and belongings going on in the hobby/sport these days and I don't want to contribute to it in any way. I will get on this right away. In a worst case scenario I will make a few changes to the Prowler that I've been wanting to anyway, and design a Prowler MkII version. That would solve any potential copyright problems and yield what I think would be a better design in the process. I've always thought that a slightly longer tail moment arm and just a bit more span would make the Prowler a better flying ship.

I will try to dig out a few good shots of each of these ships and scan them and post them here. No time for that right now, however!   

Thanks for all the interest in these designs!

Bob Hunt
 

[Randy Cuberly]

For any of you folks that have never built a wing using Bob's "Lost Foam" system, you're missing out on the best thing that ever happened to modeling.  This is without question the best and most accurate way to build a wing.  Do it and You'll never look back.  It also makes it very easy to build "Geo" construction which is lighter and stiffer than conventional and maybe even easier to build as there are typically fewer parts.  It lends itself directly to formed balsa leading edges that are easy to do and also lighter than conventional.  I built a 53 oz 740 sq in Geo XL using this technology, and I think that probably could not be done using another method.

 

Randy C.

[Willie Johnson]

Here are a couple of images of one the RD-1 cores I cut and a template.  This is before cutting out the internal sections.  Not the best but useable.

[Willie Johnson]

This should have been the 2nd image.

[Paul Taylor]

WOW Willie,
Not only to you build some nice planes from kits, now you are cutting your own foam wings. Make your own vents too.

Your wife is right you need help.

Keep in touch.
Paul

[john e. holliday]

Here are a couple of images of one the RD-1 cores I cut and a template.  This is before cutting out the internal sections.  Not the best but useable.

Them cores look good to me.  As any thing else it takes practice to get them right.   Now do you sheet the cores before coring out the unwanted foam.  I usually put a hole in the core for the wire to go thru.  Then sheet the cores.  Then coring out the unwanted foam is last.  I have not done wing mounted gear yet.  DOC Holliday

[Willie Johnson]

Thanks for the kind words.  I'm just learning and having fun.  I've been reading and wanting to do some of this stuff since I was a kid.  I wish I could fly half as good as you guys.  My current plan is to cut the spar slots, sheet the cores and then cutout the unwanted foam.

Thanks,