Maricardo

[Mick Cayton]

I built one of these back in 1977 or 78. It was my first "big" model powered by an Enya 40. I built it as per plan and flew it on three channel - rudder, elevator, motor - with the dihedral, of course. Radio was very expensive then - I had just built the RCM&E proportional gear (when the "E" in RCM&E meant electronics, rather than electric) and could only afford three servos.

 

I remember it flew very well on three channels and was a major step up for me from the 1.5 - 2.5cc R/C models I was flying at the time. I am tempted to try one with an Irvine 53 - I know it will be a great flyer.

 

Mick.

[Eck]

Sorry to hijack this old thread, but if it's there, why start a new one?

Earlier this year, I was given a Maricardo by a clubmate, which had been crashed and was in desperate need of some TLC. It was my intention to electrify this model, as that's what I do . I stripped off the covering and removed the control surfaces, as it looked as though it had been covered with whatever Solarfilm the builder had lying about. (I should point out that my generous clubmate had not built the model - he had paid £20 for it complete with an Irvine 40 Mk2), Unusually, it seems to have been built from a kit, as the turtledeck , tank hatch, wings and canopy base are veneered foam, and the fuselage sides are ply (not liteply) with lightening holes. I was unaware that the Maricardo was ever kitted!

Anyway, I'd always said that the only way I would be tempted back to the I.C. "dark side" would be via an affordable 4-stroke (it's the sound....), and two weeks ago I was offered an O.S. 52 Surpass at a price it would have been criminal to ignore. Suffice it to say, the Maricardo has a new power plant, some nice Spektrum 2.4 radio, a 6v battery pack and a fresh yellow and blue colour scheme. All it needs now is a nice safe place to put this Cof G thing.... Any ideas, chaps?

[Tim Mackey]

To quote from the article in the header

 

"Mr de Felice obviously got his sums right, because none of the 32 Maricardos I’ve built so far have needed any lead ballast to balance at the stated C of G, which is 31/4” back from leading edge. Experienced aerobatic pilots may wish to experiment with this, once correct flying has been achieved"

[Eck]

Whoops! That'll teach me to read the article AS WELL AS THE POSTS! Thanks, Tim!

[kc]

The article does not seem to give the plan number.  It is MAG 1529 from MyHobbyStore. 

This was originally a kit, then a RM plan and later republished as a free plan in RCME April 2004. This plan was updated as mentioned in the article, so any kit built one might vary.

I found adverts in old RCME for the kits which were ( not now? ) available from Marionville Models if I remember correctly.

[Eck]

Mr. de Felice is/was the proprietor of Marionville Models,and the model was apparently named after his children, Maria and Ricardo, I was informed by a club member. Thanks for the info, kc, I'll try 3 1/4" and work from there.

[Hamish]

Marco is still behind the counter and is his usual bouncy self.  I have one of his originals although its in the corner waiting a total rebuild, new wing etc... Will probably make a conventional wing as I am not in to cutting foam.  Hopefully this winter along with????? 

Edited By Hamish McNab on 17/09/2010 12:51:13

[Steve W-O]

I have wanted to build one for a while now, I have the plans from the April 2004 RCM&E, but the plans don't match the article!

 

I haven't had a detailed look,  the things I can see are not a major problem to overcome, but my only worry is what I may have not seen until too late.

 

Any advice, or even a list of known mistakes on the plan would be helpful.

 

OK, while typing this I just found an article on here highlighting the same problems.

 

 

Still leaves a couple of questions though, are the ribs shown the new ones? If so it is easy to change the saddle to fit. And where is the rudder enlarged?

 

I agree with the OP on that thread, very disappointing that the plans should have been published wrong, for me the plans included in a magazine are probably the most important feature, that are kept well after the rest is recycled.

Edited By Steve W-O on 18/09/2010 05:52:41

[i12fly]

This brings back happy memories. I built one from the free plan in 2004. Can't remember any problems but I tend to check the fit of anything and everything before I cut. Invariably rib shapes come out a bit different after sanding etc so I always make a few extra ribs and use one to get the shape onto the fuselage, allowing for the sheeting thickness.

As my first low wing plane, it flew beautifully in all sorts of wind conditions. I enjoyed it for many hours with either an Irvine 46 or SC 46 up front. After a couple of years the ailerons started to warp such that I couldn't trim it properly as it changed with speed. As the covering was getting tired it is now retired.

[Ian Ross 1]

  I also have built a Maricardo, I fly it most weekends, I have  a Irvine 53 up front, flys inverted just as well as upright, only problem with it is it will not flat spin!!! Other than that it is great fun and perfect for those days when the wind is too gusty for less able models.

Happy days.

[David Turner 5]

It is a good flying machine.

 

My mate has one which he flies a good bit. 

 

It looks well, too.

 

Me, I have the plan for the Maricardo. It's in "the system". Might have to tweak the undercarriage design a bit.

 

The question remains as to whether I shall live long enough to finish all the projects which I have in mind.

 

I guess that's better than the alternative, though ... living a long life with nowt to interest you.

[Djay]

Built mine when the plan was first published in RCME, has an OS 46FX in it and it is still flying today.

Such a joy to fly and inspires you with so much confidence to try out all those new manouveres, at high or low speed.

Build one, you will not be disapointed.

 

Darryl

[Ian Bradshaw]

Afternoon all,

 

I've just received the plans for one of these and whilst studying the fuselage make up I realised that it's marked up with white, grey and black triangles.

 

I've haven't seen these on a plan before so, erm.........could you tell me what these denote please?

 

Ta very much

 

Ian

[kc]

The triangles normally indicate the extent of the fuselage sides, the ply doubler and any doubler, trebler etc ( extra layer of balsa etc )  Often this varies, the fus sides go out further than the ply etc. 

In this instance the fus sides are to the black triangles, the 1/16 ply to the grey and the 1/4 sheet doubler to the white.  It says so in notes on the fus plan.

Edited By kc on 29/09/2010 13:06:11

[Ian Bradshaw]

Excellent, thank you.

 

I've just looked at the plan and was yet another case of not being able to see the wood for the trees if you excuse the pun.

 

Thanks again

 

Ian

[kc]

After posting I noticed this a good  example of what I said, that the ply does not goe past F1 only the balsa does. So a recess is formed to locate F1.

 

Always pays to sudy this sort of thing on any new plan BEFORE cutting wood.

 

Note. There are two online articles about the Maricardo one by Alex Whittaker  and another by Paul Strawson which is the  (later ) build article.  see http://www.modelflying.co.uk/news/article.asp?a=5800

Edited By kc on 30/09/2010 15:57:05

[Junior 60]

I built this model when it first appeared in RCM&E but never quite finished it to flying stage. It has moved house 3 times with me over the intervening years and I could not remember it's name when I dusted it down recently and decided to do an electric conversion. So, it is now next in line for completion after I comission a Rapier Delta (with mods) and again, electric conversion. It has done well to escape any damage over the last 20 odd years and I am glad to rediscover it's name! Hope that it flies as good as it still looks.

[fly boy3]

Hi all, I read the article on updates etc by Paul Strawson  who gives a glowing account of the Maricardo. The plan is sold by My Hobby Store I am told.   Can any one tell me if I purchase this plan now ,would it be the updated one or the original.  Thanks FB3 

[fly boy3]

Hi all, I have had the plan,and it is the updated one.lol    It states that the front few inches of the wing to be sheeted top and bottom with 1/16 balsa.  Does this mean that the l/e is 1/16 larger than front of the rib and the sheeting butts up against it, or does the sheet wrap around the l/e.  Any hints on this procedure will be gratefully received.  Thanks FB3

[kc]

You could butt up against LE or you could do it the way advocated Philip Kent in some of his designs.  This is to fit a false LE of say 1/8 balsa and put the sheeting over the top, trim flush and cover with actual LE ( obviously reduced by the 1/8 amount ).  This avoids a weakness at the joint,  only snag is you need to use a sandable glue for actual leading edge e.g cyano, aliphatic or  balsa cement.  The other snag for this design is you need over 3 inches for LE sheet so you need to cut from 4 inch sheet.  But this is the best way.

My drawing shows what I mean.

Edited By kc on 12/11/2010 17:43:40

[fly boy3]

Hi kc,that sound s like a pefect solution. Also this way I can buy propietery leading edge to fit, which is much easier than planing and sanding a  square section of balsa as I had to do on my last model.  Thank you, FB3

[kc]

The 1/2 inch x 3/4 now becomes 3/8  x 3/4 and you could produce this from 3 layers of 1/8 each narrower than the first, so reducing the amount of wood to be planed.  Also the layers make it easier to judge where to remove balsa.

Note that you need a LE which fits the shape shown on the plan, which might be a 'sharper' curve than a commercial LE.

[fly boy3]

Thanks kc, What you are recommending, is that it would be better to form my own le from laminated 1/8th balsa, so that i would end up with le, that conforms more closely to the drawing.?   Cheers,  also I am using the sandwich method for the ribs.Any tips on cutting out the slots.  Are they cut undersized and opened out afterwards. or carefull and slow is the way to go.  Thanks.

[i12fly]

My preferred method for ribs is to cut them slightly long at leading and trailing edges (about 1mm) and keep on the waste side of the profile line to allow for minor inaccuracies when sandwiching. Number them as you sandwich them. Sand the profile to shape then cut the slots out for the spars with a fine saw making sure that the spar is a tight fit (it always comes out a more loose fit when you've separated the ribs -guess how I know  . Trim the leading and trailing edges, use a file if it helps. One perfect set of ribs then. Assemble them as the numbered order BUT use odds on one wing and evens on the other, working from the centre. That way it will make two identical wings even if your cutting and sanding isn't perfect. Yes I know I'm being a bit finnicky, but I like to get it perfectly matched without spending the rest of my life on it. Hope this helps...

[kc]

I agree with the above but I use an oversize template to cut the ribs out first.  This saves balsa as you can intreleave these thick ribs and get more out of a sheet.  Only a 1/16th or 1/8 oversize but a bit more on LE & TE. This template has the holes for the threaded rod to holld the pack together.  Holes are punched in at this stage.  Make a few spares in case of accident in building or in flying!

When finished I mark the pack with a diagonal line with  felt tip pen to indicate the order.  Much the same as numbering but quicker.

I find that if you cut with a razor saw down the vertical cuts then the baseline can be snapped out by careful use of a file ( smaller than the width of course ) when the whole pack is together. Maybe a corner to corner cut with the saw to help remove waste on deep slots.

The photo shows this held in a carpenters vice or a Workmate . Also shows the Permagrit tool which is great for shaping after removing as much as possible with a razor plane.

Edited By kc on 14/11/2010 11:48:00