Biplane build required

[Andy Hall]

Hi !

I would like to build a biplane, problem is I have some particular requirements that are holding me back........

- 40" to 50" wingspan

- Traditional balsa build (from a kit or a plan)

- Electric power

- Round cowl fronted (Dumas Spad XIII or Waco YMF-5 style)

I feel like I've looked everywhere - online shops, free plans.....

I'm contemplating building this months free plan from RCM&E but that nose is just not pretty. I've even thought about adding an extra wing to Peter Miller's Tequila Sunrise which I am currently building again from the plan (and converting to electric) - now that is a nice shaped plane.

Can anyone point me in the right direction ?

Cheers

[Robin Colbourne]

How about Don Stothers Jabberwock III, 44" span? You would need to sort out your won electrical installation. Sarik Hobbies do plans, laser-cut parts, cowl, spats and even floats: Jabberwock III

There are four Jabberwocks in all, if you wanted to go larger: Jabberwock range

Edited By Robin Colbourne on 05/08/2020 23:17:38

Edited By Robin Colbourne on 05/08/2020 23:18:08

[trevor wood 2]

What about Peter Rake's 42 " span Nieuport 11 that's available from Sarik. It first appeared as a free plan in Q & EFI about 10 years ago. As with all of Peter's designs, it's a really nice flyer.

[Richard Clark 2]

There are plenty on Outerzone. The 'Der Jager' is particularly pretty and the 'real' yellow one has a radial looking cowl though it actually had a flat four engine,

However.

You will only ever build one biplane as you will quickly find it's too much of a faff taking the wings on and off for transport .

[Nigel R]

Airmeister...

**LINK**

[dan h]

How about lindsay todds skywriter.

[Eric Robson]

Posted by Richard Clark 2 on 06/08/2020 05:42:21:

There are plenty on Outerzone. The 'Der Jager' is particularly pretty and the 'real' yellow one has a radial looking cowl though it actually had a flat four engine,

However.

You will only ever build one biplane as you will quickly find it's too much of a faff taking the wings on and off for transport .

I dis-agree with that Richard, I always make sure they will fit in the car fully rigged before I build one. My last biplane the Dennis Bryant Hawker Fury was touch and go 60" span it is a shoehorn job but fortunately I don't have to take anything off.

[kc]

Gordon Whitehead's Bucker Jungmeister perhaps? free plan on Outerzone

Or Gordon's Great Lakes Special

or his  Krier Kraft

WacoE  for electric.

Waco AGC

Lots of work in a scale biplane though plus the assembly at field. Consider some simple bipes like those from DB Sport & Scale- Tinker, Richtofen ( can be clipped wing like the Mannock if 60 inch is too big.

 

Edited By kc on 06/08/2020 13:05:05

Edited By kc on 06/08/2020 13:10:23

Edited By kc on 06/08/2020 13:11:58

[Bob Cotsford]

Posted by Eric Robson on 06/08/2020 10:34:15:

Posted by Richard Clark 2 on 06/08/2020 05:42:21:

There are plenty on Outerzone. The 'Der Jager' is particularly pretty and the 'real' yellow one has a radial looking cowl though it actually had a flat four engine,

However.

You will only ever build one biplane as you will quickly find it's too much of a faff taking the wings on and off for transport .

I dis-agree with that Richard, I always make sure they will fit in the car fully rigged before I build one. My last biplane the Dennis Bryant Hawker Fury was touch and go 60" span it is a shoehorn job but fortunately I don't have to take anything off.

Similarly the GreatPlanes Super Skybolt is incredably quick to assemble at the field - 2 bolts then everything else clips together. The Panic, WotsWot and Flair SE5 all fit in my car fully rigged.

Jabberwock III at 44" would also go in fully rigged, the IV 54" version I had flew a treat but the short nose would mean getting inventive for battery access.

Flair Legionaire kits come up now and then. Otherwise most bipe's could be converted to radials easily enough.

Edited By Bob Cotsford on 06/08/2020 12:58:13

[kc]

If you want a biplane and round engine then build a Tinker and also Miss Lizzy! I bet most people could build both quicker than one scale biplane! With a little ingenuity though you could put a radial cowl on any biplane - a Tinker could easily have a radial cowl added in the same way Tequila Sunrise or Miss Lizzie has the cowl built.

Miss Lizzy  is a Peter Miller plan and a larger version of of Tequila or one of his other plans ( similar but different wing sections perhaps )

Edited By kc on 06/08/2020 13:28:13

Edited By kc on 06/08/2020 13:36:54

[Richard Clark 2]

Posted by Eric Robson on 06/08/2020 10:34:15:

Posted by Richard Clark 2 on 06/08/2020 05:42:21:

There are plenty on Outerzone. The 'Der Jager' is particularly pretty and the 'real' yellow one has a radial looking cowl though it actually had a flat four engine,

However.

You will only ever build one biplane as you will quickly find it's too much of a faff taking the wings on and off for transport .

I dis-agree with that Richard, I always make sure they will fit in the car fully rigged before I build one. My last biplane the Dennis Bryant Hawker Fury was touch and go 60" span it is a shoehorn job but fortunately I don't have to take anything off.

I could just get a fully assembled Flair SE5 in my previous car so I didn't buy the bigger and lovely ARTF silver and yellow Great Planes Stearman which I very much liked. and I know flies very well.

Now I've got a 'spur of the moment' purchased two seat car with an engine where the planes should go so everything has to go disassembled where a passenger would sit. Thankfully my wife, though supportive, isn't interested in watching toy planes.

And assembly of a biplane at the field is too much of a faff. Taking it apart afterwards when you want to go to the pub is even worse

[Nigel R]

I'm aiming for just three wing bolts and one servo plug on my current build. I think that's probably an ok level of faff.

I did consider going with elastic bands for the wings, they're also low on faff.

[Richard Clark 2]

Posted by Nigel R on 06/08/2020 14:01:04:

I'm aiming for just three wing bolts and one servo plug on my current build. I think that's probably an ok level of faff.

I did consider going with elastic bands for the wings, they're also low on faff.

I find struts are the main hassle. Even if they are not required for strength they have to be bolted on so they don't fall off or come loose and poke a hole in the wing.

The only biplane I have so far made is the Flair SE5 and I didn't think to hinge them on the lower wing so there would be less bolts and they would fold.

[Nigel R]

Simple answer - no struts!

[Andy Stephenson]

I built a DB Tinker in 1973 it had no struts at that time but I have seen more recent versions that do have them. There is no real need for struts if both wings are securely mounted, rubber bands were always enough.

Of course there is always the Avicraft Panic, this one does have struts but they just snap on to the wing tips using oversized dress poppers.

A.

[Richard Clark 2]

Posted by Nigel R on 06/08/2020 14:32:09:

Simple answer - no struts!

I personally don't see any point building non-scale biplanes and most have struts.

If ever I build another one it will be a Sopwith Camel. Because the author of the best war flying book ever written, 'Winged Victory',  an anti-war semi-autobiography,  flew a Camel.

Edited By Richard Clark 2 on 06/08/2020 15:24:39

[kc]

Struts can just slot into place. It is common to see struts made of a central core of plwood with balsa fairings.The ply forms a tenon that fits into a piece of slotted ply on the wing and the balsa the shoulders. When placed in position the wings keep the struts in place without any other fixings.