(Simple Stuka... pg.4)
Frosting the Cake
A few simple, well-placed details do a lot to
relieve the starkness of this design, and help
to pull the major shapes together in a harmonious
way. Some of these small features are already
completed, like the antenna and gun protruding
from the canopy, the insignia markings, and the
stabilizer struts. Now let's add a few more...
|
Exhaust
stacks can be made from balsa and shaped with a
needle file. Rust brown is a good color to shoot
for, and if you bry-brush the exhaust tips with
a lighter shade of gray they really look burnt.
Radiator cooling fins can be marked with a thin
black marker, at the rear of the radiator scoop.
|
|
| |
|
The Stuka wouldn't look right without a spinner,
so be sure to turn one out of balsa. Don't make
it too heavy - this bird has a long nose moment,
and you don't want much weight up front.
|
|
That huge bomb hanging under the fuse just looks
too good to do without. I fashioned mine from foam,
and the fins are card stock. Two short dowels attach
the bomb to the fuselage (a small piece of sheet
wood is needed on the fuse in this area - not shown
on the plan). Bomb dimensions are shown on the plan.
|
|
Flying
The total weight of this ship (without rubber)
is 15.2 grams. The 3-blade prop you see in these
images didn't provide enough thrust, and was replaced
with a 6-inch Peck prop trimmed down to 5.5 inches.
Huge performance increase.
By adding a little downthrust and down-elevator
(with tabs taped to the stab) I was able to get
a good compromise between climb, cruise, and glide.
It's a pretty dramatic sight on the initial climbout.
So far I've only used a single 10-inch loop of
1/8" rubber, and am getting flights almost
50 seconds long. Very promising for a Stuka -
and for an amateur pilot. There's plenty of potential
for more performance from this model, and I think
I'll try a longer motor next!
|
|
I'd like to thank Gene Smith from Model
Aviation magazine for helping me to sort
out some of the flight trimming problems with
this model.
Your questions and comments are always welcome,
and if you decide to build a "Simple Stuka,"
I'd love to hear how it turns out for you.
Bhagat Dhillon
smallfly@smallflyingarts.com
|
| |
|
|
