DeeBee1 Posted September 9, 2018 Share Posted September 9, 2018 Hi, I just bought a copy of David Boddington's Instructor plan (RC1556). It's quite an attractive 57" trainer for a .40 size engine with a tricycle undercarriage. It's similar in looks to the Mascot but with a built-up wing and barn door ailerons. Like all David's tricycle u/c designs that I've seen, it shows a fixed nose-wheel (not sure what he had against steerable nose-wheels!). I've never seen the Instructor mentioned on the internet or in the old magazines. I don't think it was one of his MPA designs. Has anyone come across this plane before? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Former Member Posted September 9, 2018 Share Posted September 9, 2018 [This posting has been removed] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Lee Posted September 9, 2018 Share Posted September 9, 2018 It will have been published in the RCM&E about January 1988. Unfortunately I have a gap in my magazine collection around then, RC1553 was published in November 1987 & the plans followed on numerically. Hopefully someone here will have a copy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatMc Posted September 9, 2018 Share Posted September 9, 2018 The 1994/95 plans handbook lists it as 1987 but doesn't give a month which is unusual. It could have been in a "special" or a 13th mag of that year. OTOH, the price code is quite low for a model of it's size which sometimes indicates that it first appeared as a free plan. The handbook also lists foam wings are/were available. Edited By PatMc on 09/09/2018 22:10:42 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Former Member Posted September 10, 2018 Share Posted September 10, 2018 [This posting has been removed] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kc Posted September 10, 2018 Share Posted September 10, 2018 My thought is it's the Model Pilot Association trainer that was publicised in a booklet attached to RCME' s front cover. . Sarik show it as 57 inch /2286mm which is obviously a wrong metric conversion! Gives you a reason to complain and get your money back if you don't like the plan though..... Boddo seemed to use the same airfoil for all his trainers and Barnstormers so if the chord happens to be 8.75 inches then a set of Tyro Major wing ribs from DB Sport & Scale would be worth getting at about 10 pounds. ( I got a set to be used on a Barnstormer 52 increased to 110 percent = 57 inches. Just the job and beautifully laser cut) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel R Posted September 10, 2018 Share Posted September 10, 2018 I'm guessing it will be the same ribs as a Super 60 which "strongly resembles" most Boddington cabin/trainer types when it comes to aerodynamics, probably 10" or so. 9" was standard for his 0.20 powered 52" ish cabin or parasol designs, as you say Tyro Major, Barnstormer etc. It's not a scaled up Mentor is it? Edited By Nigel R on 10/09/2018 17:50:42 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatMc Posted September 10, 2018 Share Posted September 10, 2018 Posted by kc on 10/09/2018 17:39:40: My thought is it's the Model Pilot Association trainer that was publicised in a booklet attached to RCME' s front cover. . Sarik show it as 57 inch /2286mm which is obviously a wrong metric conversion! Strangely, it's listed in the 1999/2000 handbook as 90" span for a 60 engine. And of course 90" = 2286mm. If it was for the MPA then the person to contact for info would be Max Bradley at Grimsby Model Centre . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeeBee1 Posted September 10, 2018 Author Share Posted September 10, 2018 Thanks for your replies everyone. Percy, I quite like a steerable nose-wheel but given the choice I'd go tail-dragger! At our club we can taxi back to the edge of the strip but not all the way to the pits. I'll ask Richard as you suggest - good idea. John/Pat - Thanks for the info. I also looked at the RCM&E descriptions on Magazine Exchange but it's not mentioned for any issues in those years so maybe it's a a special as you say. KC, I also wondered about that. The lovely looking Fiesta by Boddo was an MPA plan and also didn't appear in a magazine (although it's sister the Carnival did). The wing is built up using the same much-used layout as the Tyro Major, RM Trainer, Pronto, Mini-Pronto etc. The spar sizes are slightly bigger and the LE sheeting is on the top and the bottom, but that's the only structural differences. Thanks for the suggestion but I don't mind making ribs so I'll probably just make them up myself - not sure if that makes me odd in some way. Sanding is the part of a build I dislike the most! Nigel - The wing is similar(ish) to the Super 60 but the fuselage, fin, stab etc. are sheet rather than built-up. Although the Instructor is smaller I expect it will weigh more than the 2.0kg I managed with my Ben Buckle Super 60. Yes, it has the look of a scaled-up Mentor or scaled-down Mascot (but with barn-door ailerons). I have quite a lot of the wood for the Instructor left over from other builds so I think I'll give it a go. 6" wide balsa must have been much easier to obtain in the 70's/80's as I've seen it in a couple of David's designs. It's unobtainable in the UK today in 36" lengths so I'll join some 3" together for the fuselage, but apart from that everything is quite standard. I'll post some build photos if I remember to take some! Pat must have posted (above) while I was writing this! The Instructor is, in fact, 57" span and for a .35-.40 engine. Edited By DeeBee1 on 10/09/2018 19:49:38 Edited By DeeBee1 on 10/09/2018 19:56:02 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Fry Posted September 10, 2018 Share Posted September 10, 2018 Deebee1, what size is your plan? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeeBee1 Posted September 10, 2018 Author Share Posted September 10, 2018 Posted by Don Fry on 10/09/2018 19:48:52: Deebee1, what size is your plan? Hi Don, It's 57" for a .35 to .40 engine. There must have been an error in the RCM&E/MHS/Sarik description at some point. There also used to be an ARTF foam wing available as Pat said above, but this is no longer supplied by Sarik. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Fry Posted September 10, 2018 Share Posted September 10, 2018 Thank you DeeBee. Answers a few questions, above. And, a trainer plan, and a Boddo job, for a 40 is more difficult to pin down that expected. A Boddo plan generally flies just fine. Edit, having built it, that is. Edited By Don Fry on 10/09/2018 20:32:59 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kc Posted September 11, 2018 Share Posted September 11, 2018 It turns out that the Instructor was actually published in a Special called RCME Flight Training Course published 14th December 1987. An advert in RCME Dec 1987 shows this info. Another plan from that Special was Acrocat alow wing aerobatic trainer using the same engine size .30 to .40. Edited By kc on 11/09/2018 00:06:29 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel R Posted September 11, 2018 Share Posted September 11, 2018 I'm making a couple of guess, let me know how I'm doing... 57" span (as you've said already) - with 10.5" chord 45" of fuselage, from back of prop or nosering to back of rudder, split up like so: 4" of cowl front to back, 6" of tank bay, 10.5" of wing saddle, 23" from wing to tailpost, about 1.5" of rudder tailplane about 23", 7" root and 6" tip? I reckon you'll only need a modern 0.32 two stroke in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeeBee1 Posted September 12, 2018 Author Share Posted September 12, 2018 Thanks kc, good detective work there. The build looks straightforward - the plan isn't all that accurate - some of the 'straight' lines not straight, the usual stuff. Might try and get hold of a copy of the article for interest's sake but it won't hold-up the build. Nigel - Not bad, the chord is 10" and the fuselage is a couple of inches shorter but generally a good guesstimate. A few sheets/sticks of balsa I didn't already have arriving tomorrow then I'll get building. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kc Posted September 12, 2018 Share Posted September 12, 2018 This is the advert for the Special so you know what to look for in piles of old magazines....... If you do find the issue perhaps you could let us all know what the Acrocat is like as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel R Posted September 13, 2018 Share Posted September 13, 2018 Looks like a by-the-numbers DB cabin model then I built the smaller RM Trainer (52" - although for a while I was considering scaling it up to around 57" or 60". Surprised to see Sarik are still listing the Acrocat canopy and cowl! Edited By Nigel R on 13/09/2018 10:44:14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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