Ace McCoy's Trainer - 20" span; plans by Dave Stott

2.27.09:

McCoy's is complete. Everything seems to have come together as advertised. It appears to be a bit nose heavy, but not a significant amount. We'll see how trimming goes.

2.21.09:

Wheel pants have been mounted to the landing gear legs, and attached to the wing. The fuselage stripes have been added. The cowl will cover the blunt end of the stripes in the front.

2.20.09:

I've been working on the landing gear and wheel pants. The pants are solid, so the wheels will only be 'half-wheels' glued to the bottom of the pant. The plans include patterns for the striping to be cut from the plan and attached. I don't like the way it looks, so I've made the stripes from tissue and attached them with gluestick.

2.14.09:

Covering mostly complete. Next will be the landing gear and cowl. Model is not asembled yet - just mocked up for photos.

The plans call for stiff paper around the cockpit area. Personally, I don't like the way this tends to bend and crease after handling in the field, so I make my cocpit decking from 1/32 sheet balsa. The headrest however, is made from drafting vellum with black tissue attached, and wrapped around the fuselage formers.

2.12.09:

Mock up shots added.

2.07.09:

Wing complete. Landing gear struts and cowl are next. Then sanding.

2.06.09:

I finished the fuselage and started the wing. The plans call for paper cockpit decking, but I used 1/32 balsa sheet. I just holds up much better.

1.31.09:

I was able to complete the tail feathers and main fuselage box. The rudder and stab have 1/32 x 1/16 cap strips added to both sides.

The fuselage box is built upside down on the magnetic boad. You can see how I use magnets to 'square the box as I build. Typically, I glue the tailpost together, then the front. The in-between sticks are added from the front working towards the rear.

I have added balsa 'gussets' at the cowl area and at the rear bend of the fuselage. These help to keep the box square. The rear set of gussets also help to reinforce the spot I'll hold the plane for launching. Next will be the upper and lower fuselage formers.

1.30.09:

Ace McCoy was a fictional character featured in the Flying Aces magazine of the 1930's. Ace was a flight instructer, and this model is based on the one described in the stories. The plan is by Dave Stott, and is eligible to the FAC "Fiction Flyer" event.