Trying to remember name of stunt plane, British or Aussie

[Tim Wescott]

I saw it a couple of times, once on the Barton site, once on Model Engine News, but can't find it.  It was from the mid-50's (I think), a bit undersized by American standards (maybe 40-ish inch wingspan?).  The notable thing about it was it had a round fuselage.  Not a round-ish fuselage -- some chap was trying to get inspiration for a fuselage shape, and saw an empty paper towel roll.  Then said "why, that's just the thing!".

Anyone know what I'm babbling about here?

[Air Ministry .]

Icarus ? ? Junior on free download sites . Ive got the senior or non junior , original battered full size unbuilton. Needs Sellotape . if its it .

Ah Ha . The Icarus Senior ( plan )



John W Coasby .

Another very elegant Coasby design which has been generally neglected, probably because it looks difficult to build. This example by Rusty Brown appeared at VSC a couple of years ago.

[John Hammonds]

Possibly an APS Destroyer?

TTFN
john.

[Tim Wescott]

Nope. But those are cool planes. This one was a perfect cylinder, mitered at the back door the tail.

[John Hammonds]

Happy Harold or Musketeer?

That's all I got.

TTFN
John.

[Tim Wescott]

Still no, but thank you very much!

[Russell Shaffer]

Tim, was it cylindrical or more of a cone with the large part at the rear?

[Geoff Goodworth]

Australian Ian Smith designed something as you describe it, Tim. I think the model was published in Flying Models.

If I remember correctly, the fuselage was moulded around a form of some sort.

Since I'm currently cruising down the Rhine and my Flying Models magazines are in Sydney, I can't add any more.

[Tim Wescott]

Tim, was it cylindrical or more of a cone with the large part at the rear?

IIRC it was perfectly cylindrical with a canopy stuck on top somewhere around midship.

[Eric Viglione]

IIRC it was perfectly cylindrical with a canopy stuck on top somewhere around midship.

Ya know Tim, I've often wondered if one could purchase CF tubing in a 3 or 4 inch diameter to make a fuselage for such a project where you plug in wings like with Yatsenko hardware, and firewall mount a radial RC engine mount (ok ok or electric) just for laughs... you know, a real utilitarian quick build stunter that is tough and ugly like an ugly stick or eindecker or even ala-Imitation, with good stunt numbers, using as much "off the shelf" parts as possible. Like get a smaller CF tube like 1-1.5" and use it for the wing LE with balsa ribs using a semi circular cutaway, and another smaller 3/8 CF tube for the TE, etc etc etc. It would a fun exercise just to see how many parts you could grab right out of a catalog to build a competitive stunter. It would prolly end up heavier and more expensive than expected, but would be a hoot to try... at least the LE shape would be accurate...well, accurate to something...well, at least it would be consistently round if nothing else, heh heh. 
EricV

[Paul Allen]

HI, I think there is a picture of Ian's model in an issue of Brodak's Control line world .

[Tim Wescott]

Ya know Tim, I've often wondered if one could purchase CF tubing in a 3 or 4 inch diameter...

I think that to get it light enough it'd need to be a sandwich -- really thin CF, then 1/16 to 3/32 balsa or foam, then really thin CF.  It would be way expensive -- kind of the opposite of what you're looking for.

OTOH, there are places that sell RC sailplane tail booms; I've looked at them as a possibility for a quicky fuselage ("tail holder" may be more accurate) for a foam-winged trainer.

[qaz049]

I saw it a couple of times, once on the Barton site, once on Model Engine News, but can't find it.  It was from the mid-50's (I think), a bit undersized by American standards (maybe 40-ish inch wingspan?).  The notable thing about it was it had a round fuselage.  Not a round-ish fuselage -- some chap was trying to get inspiration for a fuselage shape, and saw an empty paper towel roll.  Then said "why, that's just the thing!".

Anyone know what I'm babbling about here?

Sounds like the UK "Firebrand" stunter design . The original appeared in the June 1950 Aeromodeller. Powered by an ED Hunter 3.5cc (.21 cu) diesel. My clubmate built one back in 2004, and I uploaded my pics of it on a few international c/l websites.  It's most interesting feature, besides the wrapped balsa tube fuselage, was the inboard tank and engine. Ian's successfully flew with another ED Hunter diesel (rear Induction by the way) but I think the consensus was that it was a dud as a stunter. Interestingly 68 years later, the Hunter Diesel is still available new from the UK as a marine engine.












Ian Smith was also responsible for the article published in Flying Models a few years ago of Charles Mackey's Snowbird stunter. I believe that the original was powered by an Oliver Tiger 2.5cc Diesel.  I believe that Ian used a .21 ci glow in his. Different model altogether to the Firebrand.

[Tim Wescott]

Sounds like the UK "Firebrand" stunter design

That's it!  Thank you thank you!  I'd say you're the winner, but then you'd want something.

Edit: I just looked at the plans on Outerzone.  Oh, that airfoil.  My eyes!  My eyes!  I can't un-see that!

[Trostle]

Firebrand, Aeromodeller, June 1950.

Keith

[qaz049]

Apart from the rolled fuselage and the unique engine and tank position it's a design dead end. Interestingly it's designer Ralph Cooke, who was 26 y/o in 1950, had been a Flight Engineer on Avro Lancaster's in the WW2 RAF. That's a lot of experience for someone his age.