THE STORM KING—A WINNER IN ANY COMPETITION.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 181, 1 August 1936, Page 3 (Supplement)

THE STORM KING—A WINNER IN ANY COMPETITION.

(By PROPELL/ER.)

I have noticed particularly at competitions that the model liver who has a twin pusher up his sleeve can usually run away with most events in the spar class. This twin pusher, the Storm King, will outride any wind tliat you are likely to fly it in, is stable in flight, has good duration, and to cap all can be made easily into a seaplane that will rise off the water with ease. The fuselage is made from two balsa spars 3-Bin by Jin, hollowed out on the inside to a "U" beam section. Just like

a hollow motor stick without the capping piece. The hollow should be filled with small balsa blocks wherte any attachments come. The rear spreader bar is SJiii by 5-lfiiii by l-lfiin balsa (hard) and at the front the two spars come together in a sharp point. The nose hooks are bent from 10 swg. wire, bound with silk thread, and cemented into place. Two propeller bearings of 20 swg steel sheet 3-lttin wide, are next bound and cemented at the rear. Beginners please note that the model fliers with the propellers behind, thus the term "twin pusher" is used to describe it. Xow cut the two small elevator blocks from balsa, and cement to the main spars 2in from the front. Sand all surfaces smooth, and if you want a really good finish dope all wood parts and sand off with very line glasspaper. The central spreader bar is cut to shape from hard l-10in balsa sheet and cemented into place. Cast your eye along the sides of the fuselage spars and see that they are straight. So strong is this fuselage that there is no need for "cans" oil the sides of the spars. The elevator, or front plane, is built up in the usual manner. Note the sweepback and also the dihedral. The elevator is covered on both sides and thoroughly doped. The wing plan must be drawn out on a board and the wing built up right over it. 1 have explained the procedure of this so many times that it is unnecessary for me to repeat the

The Storm King takes to the water. View of flotation gear.

instructions here. However, see that tlie wing is true, and that there is no warp on either side. Before eloping, spray the wing with a fine mist of water {from a scent spray) or hold over the steam of a kettle. When this dries out tlie tissue will shrink and then be ready for a good coat of weak dope. If you make the model as a seaplane it is best

THE TWIN PUSHER IS USED BY EXPERTS ON WINDY DAYS,

to give the tissue parts two coats of dope. The propellers are the standard type of 9in redicut, smoothed and yunded to shape, and matched for weight and pitch. When viewed from the rear the right hand propeller turns clockwise and the left one anti-clock-wise. The Storm King will prove a good flyer right away without landing gear of any kind, for hand-launched flights, but to get the full thrill out of it convert it into a seaplane. The Tear float is made first. Three bamboo stringers, numbered 1, 2 and 3, are 1-lGin square bamboo, tho main former A of 1-16 hard balsa sheet, rear brace C of 1-8 square balsa, and are made up to the shape shown. BBnd the bamboo over steam or a gas flame. Small bushing eyelets are cemented in where shown (these can be made of Jin lengths of 1-1 Cin aluminium tubing), if the floats are intended to be made detachable. Otherwise cement the landing ,struta (1-lCin square bamboo) direct on.to tho top of the float after it has been covered. All the undercarriage struts and"'braces, are made of 1-lCin square bamboo, with thread bracing wires where shown. The floats should be doped with two or three coats of-dope or one of dope and one of banana oil. The wing and elevator are held in place with rubber bands, and placed in the positions shown to test out the model. Six strands of l-Bin flat rubber are used on each propeller and at least four inches of slack should be allowed in each skein. Incidentally the ingenious builder will see the possibility of fitting on wheels instead of floats; if this is done use a pair of ljin hardwood or aluminium wheels in front arid a bamboo skid at the rear.