Name: Slingsby T31 M Model type: Scale motor glider Designed by: Peter Miller Wingspan: 86” Fuselage length: 47” Wing area: 682 sq. in. All-up weight: 5 lbs Wing loading: 17oz / sq. ft. Functions (servos): Aileron (2); elevator (1); rudder (1); throttle (1) Rec’d engine. 40cu. in. four-stroke Originally featured in the March 2010 issue of RCM&E Back in 1947, Slingsby Sailplanes produced a single-seat powered aircraft by hanging the wings & tail of the pre-war T8 Kirby Tutor (or Cadet Mk.II as the RAF called it) on a new fuselage with either a JAP or Scott engine up front. The result was the T29 Kirby Motor Tutor. You don’t remember it? No, well there’s no reason why you should, really: the Kirby Motor Tutor was a rather half-cocked bid for a share of the power training market. It did fl y, but the little ultralight scarcely made it over the hedge of the CAA’s certification process before settling heavily back to earth with no prospect of ever going into production. Putting this sorry episode behind them, Fred Slingsby & his factory got on with better things
- things like the Slingsby T31 Tandem Tutor, or the Cadet Mk.III as you’ll remember it if PETER MILLER MODELS AN UNUSUAL BUT ODDLY ALLURING PHOENIX you learned to fl y with the Air Training Corps. Given Slingsby’s post-war successes, the T29 might have remained a forgotten familyembarrassment
- Fred apparently described it as a “foolish & wasteful venture”
- if it hadn’t been for the fact that, when the RAF sold off its T31s in the 1980s, home-builders remarked on the similarity of these trainers to the old T29 Motor Tutor, & set about fitting undercarriages & bolting in engines where the front cockpit used to be. All this effort turned the stolid sailplanes into T31M Motor Cadet IIIs whose configurations display all sorts of variations but which share one important common denominator: they all offer large measures of low-cost flying fun. So much for full-size history, then; what’s the background to this model? Well, several years ago I built a 73” span electric-powered T31M for an acquaintance who flew gliders & vintage models but wanted something a little more advanced. It was a lovely model to fl y & inspired me to build one for myself around an old pre-Surpass O.S. FS40. I based my model on G-BSHM (now PH1121) because I liked the look of the angular front deck & its colour scheme. The result is a model that’s accurate in most respects, save for a couple of omissions: I wasn’t sure whether ‘HM has the spoilers that are fitted to some T31 Ms, so I didn’t put any on the model
- which makes the build easier, of course
- & the cowl has been simplified slightly by omitting the bump that hides the self-starter. Building the model is quite straightforward
- very much like a vintage design, in fact
- indeed the only area that calls for care & great accuracy is the strut assembly & wing mounting, but we’ll come to that in the fullness of time.






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First Appeared in: RCM&E Magazine January 2009 Model type: Vintage R/CDesigned by: Dick Schumacher / Peter Miller Wingspan: 58” Wing area: 609 sq. in. All-up weight: 4 lbs 7oz Wing loading: 17 oz / sq. ft. Fuselage length: 46” Power. 15
-. 25cu. in. two-stroke.20
-. 30cu. in. four-stroke Functions (servos): Rudder (1); elevator (1); throttle (1) The Big Ship After a long spell designing & building sports, aerobatic & scale models, I was feeling the need for something more relaxing to fl y, something that I could enjoy cruising around, making low passes & performing the odd touch-&-go. Looking at the SC. 30 four-stroke around which I planned to build this new model, I realised that what I really wanted was something just like a larger version of Dick TIME HONOUREDThe Little Ship is one of the many designs from the drawing board of legendary aeromodeller, Dick Schumacher. With a wingspan of just 44”, it was designed for a. 074 engine & Otarion radio, which operated a ‘ruddervator’
- a rotating, angled vane behind the tail that could be stopped in any of four positions to give either right rudder, down elevator, left rudder, or up elevator. Back in the 1980s, I revisited Dick’s design
- which was published in the January 1951 issue of Model Airplane News
- & drew up a set of plans for a Little Ship of my own. The. 074 engine was replaced with a worn out Mc Coy. 098 & the model was fi tted two standard servos. Test fl ights proved that she fl ew perfectly, so I swapped the Mc Coy for an O.S. 10FSR, which gave the model an impressive turn of speed, & also allowed me to fl y rudder / elevator rolls. That Little Ship really started something: everyone at my club built one. They were powered by an assortment of engines in the 1.5cc range, & covered in film or Solartex; the fact that you could fit three standard servos abreast made radio installation easy, too. Those little models flew & flew, indeed they could be flown in the wind, they found thermals, & they could be slalomed around trees & hedges. One member fl ew his Little Ship every weekend for six years until its fuel soakage fi nally forced it into retirement. We even have an electric-powered version flying on a regular basis.IDEAL CAMERA PLATFORM? The Little Ship has an unusual wing section. The maximum thickness occurs well back from the leading edge, whilst the bottom is fl at right up to the leading edge. The profi le works well, though
- so well, in fact, that I used a scaled-up version of the Little Ship wing for my latest camera plane. Using this wing section & taking into account the Big Ship’s handling characteristics, I’d say this model would make an ideal platform for the Fly Cam One.





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First Appeared in: RCM&E February 2009 Issue Name: Zulu E Model type: Civil style sportster Designed by: Lindsay Todd Wingspan: 48” (1219mm) Fuselage length: 36.6” (930mm) Wing area: 2.9sq. ft. (0.3sq. m) All-up weight: 3 lb (1.4kg) Wing loading: 16.5oz / sq. ft. (5kg / sq. m) Functions (servos): Ailerons (1); elevator (1); rudder (1); throttle (via ESC) Deflections: Ailerons ±0.6” (15mm); elevator ±0.6 (15mm); rudder ±1.4 (35mm) Motor/prop used: E-flite Park 480 / APC 10 x 4.7 ESC used: Tornado 40A Battery used: 3-cell 2100m Ah Li-Po Zulu EWhen penning Zulu E my self-imposed design brief was to produce an electric powered, traditionally built sports model that had the character of a scale light aircraft, trainer-like handling & the strength to cope with everyday flying from a grass strip. The finished article incorporates inspiration from all sorts of full-size aircraft, particularly home-builts. When bouncing the design around in my mind I also had to consider the power system, using the 100W/lb rule of thumb. Moreover, I didn’t want things to get too expensive, so I decided to base the system around a 3-cell 2000m Ah Li-Po. With a target flight duration of 7
- 10 minutes & the complete model hopefully weighing under 3 lb (1.4kg), I calculated that an E-flite Park 480 motor / APC 10 x 4.7” prop combination would be ideal, supplied via a Tornado 40A ESC.
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First Appeared in: RCM&E April 2009 Issue Name: Propellosaurus Model type: Electric-powered pterosaur Designed by: Cyril Carr Wingspan: 39” (991mm) Body length: 41” (1041mm) Wing area: 2.7sq. ft (0.25sq. m) approx. All-up weight: 14oz (0.4kg) Wing loading: 5.2oz / sq. ft. (1.6kg / sq. m) Functions (servos): Elevator (1); rudder (1); throttle (ESC) Deflections: Elevator ±0.6” (15mm) at rear of skin Rudder ±0.8” (20mm) at rearmost point C of G: 2.75” (70mm) behind the joint between body & neck Rec’d powertrain: 1500k V brushless outrunner (50
- 80W), 15A brushless ESC, 3s 1p 350 – 700m Ah Li-Po Materials required: Three sheets of 6mm Depron (1m x 0.8m); 50mm pink foam; UHU Por; carbon fibre rod Pterosaurs (wing reptiles) were close relatives of the dinosaurs & existed over the Mesozoic era, which covers the Triassic, Jurassic & Cretaceous periods, i.e. between 245 & 65 million years ago. Presumably they suffered the same fate as the dinosaurs, with the arrival of a major climatic change. The earliest discoveries of fossil remains date back to 1784 but it wasn’t until the 19th century that the reptilian nature of the creature was established. The skeletal structure showed that the 4th finger was very elongated & supported a wing, & as a result they were called Pterodactylus (wingfinger). Further study has confi rmed that they were remarkable reptiles with large brains & very effective lungs & circulatory systems, making them highly specialised flying creatures. They were able to flap & soar in the turbulent skies of ancient times & would have been quite a terrifying sight. Many varieties have been found, with sizes ranging from the wingspan of a sparrow to Quetzalcoatlus at 50’ (15.2m). Their skulls & teeth evolved to specialise on the type of food that was available, ranging from fi sh to carrion. Many of them had projections from the skull that may have functioned as an aerodynamic balance for the head, or for steering, or possibly making noise. Apparently winged reptiles were very efficient flyers, a characteristic that seems to have been transferred to the model.
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First Appeared in: RCM&E June Issue Name: Beretta Model type: EDF park jet Designed by: Dave Royds Wingspan: 40” (1016mm) Fuselage length: 41” (1041mm) Wing area: 2.1sq. ft. All-up weight: 35
- 45oz (1
- 1.3kg) Wing loading: 16.5
- 21.5oz / sq. ft. (5
- 6.6kg / sq. m) Functions (servos): Ailerons (2); elevator (1); rudder (1); throttle (via ESC) Rec’d powertrain: 70mm We Mo Tec 480 Minifan; HET 2W- 20 motor; 60A ESC; 3s 2500
- 3300m Ah Li-Po (20C min) Beretta EDF Park Jet Advances in brushless motor & Li-Po battery technology have made a huge impact to the popularity of Electric Ducted Fan models. With batteries now capable of providing massive amounts of power for their diminutive size, & motors spinning faster than ever thought imaginable, there’s been no better time to enter the world of the electric jet. Although not aimed at the outright novice, Beretta’s low wing loading offers a wide & safe speed range that’s ideal for sport fl ying. Moreover, the more experienced fl yer can use a hotter powertrain, which will provide unlimited vertical acceleration & ‘seat of the pants’ performance. Constructed from tough EPP foam & utilising full span carbon wing tubes, Beretta should prove a little more robust than your average foamy, whilst its removable wings make it compact enough to fi t inside the smallest family hatchback... a true pocket rocket! Bags of wing area & large control surfaces make this model a real delight to fly. My simple take-off dolly is fabricated from 20mm plastic water pipe & leftover undercarriage assemblies. While a little larger than the average park jet, Beretta dismantles to fi t in a small hatchback.




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First Appeared in: RCM&E July 2009 Issue Name: Roamer Model type: Vintage R/CDesigned by: Cal Smith / Peter Miller Wingspan: 62” Fuselage length: 45.5” Wing area: 666 sq. in. All-up weight: 5 lbs Wing loading: 17oz / sq. ft. Functions (servos): Rudder (2); elevator (1); throttle (1);optional nose wheel steering (1) Rec’d engine. 25 two-stroke;. 30 four-stroke Roamer Peter Miller Rejuvenates One Of Cal Smith’s Classic Designs To Create A Model That’s Perfect For Long Summer Evenings... Better Get Building! Hot Metal You can make ballast blocks by pouring molten lead into moulds carved into blocks of wood. The moulds need to be tapered so you can get the lead out again, but more importantly the wood should be as dry as possible: damp wood will make the lead spit back, & hot lead will cause serious burns. Be warned, then, & protect yourself with thick leather gloves & safety goggles at the very least. If you have any doubts about casting lead weights, you can make up blocks by cutting sheet lead into small pieces & gluing them together. If you need some lead sheet, try scrounging it from your friendly local roofi ng contractor. ...

First Appeared in: RCM&E October 2009 Issue Name: Wave Model type: Seaplane Designed by: Ton van Munsteren Wingspan: 45” (1140mm) Fuselage length: 31” (787mm) Wing area: 2sq. ft. All-up weight: 28oz (790g) Wing loading: 14oz / sq. ft. (4.3kg / sq. m) Functions (servos): Rudder (1); elevator (1); throttle (via ESC) Rec’d motor: Typhoon 15/10 Rec’d ESC: 25
- 30amp Rec’d battery: 3s 1p 1500
- 2000m Ah Li-Po I’ve been flying R/C for over 30 years now, & whilst it’s good fun operating ‘full house’ models I still like to fl y 3-channel rudder / elevator occasionally. When pondering an own-design fl ying boat I decided that this, too, would be a rudder / elevator model, with old timer looks & powered by an electric motor spinning a 9” (or thereabouts) prop. The internet puts such a wealth of information at your fi ngertips, & it didn’t take too long to fi nd a free-flight model upon which to base my design. I used a picture of it as the wallpaper on my PC for continued inspiration, & set about designing the Wave using CAD. With the plan drawn & the prototype quickly built, I was keen to get to the water’s edge to see how she’d perform. I’d given Wave a wide, boat-shaped fuselage with a V-bottom words & photos » Ton Van Munsteren section before the step & a fl at ditto after the step, which hopefully pointed to easy taxiing & fuss-free take-offs. I’m glad to say that I was right; take-offs are as long as you like & as smooth as silk, & on only half power, too. Open the taps, & a full-power ROW only takes about five metres! Once airborne, the lack of ailerons doesn’t spoil the fun for Wave will lift her skirt & loop, roll, stall turn & do a (sort of) half Cuban 8
- just on rudder & elevator. Still interested? Then let’s get building! Article In October 2009 RCM&E


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First Appeared in: RCM&E November 2009 Issue Name: Colomban Luciole Model type: Scale home-built Designed by: Peter Miller Wingspan: 60” Fuselage length: 431/4” Wing area: 348 sq. in. All-up weight: 64oz Wing loading: 261/2oz / sq. ft. Functions (servos): Rudder (1); elevator (1); throttle (1); aileron (2); flap (2) Rec’d engine. 18
-. 21 two-stroke, or possibly a good. 15 for flying in light winds. FAST & FRUGALThe first thing that strikes you about the Luciole is the very high aspect ratio of the wing: with a span of 221/2ft but a chord of just 26in, the wing looks like a ruler. Most of the trailing edge is taken up with very large fl aps, but the wingspan means that the small ailerons out at the tips have plenty of leverage! Between them, the flaps & ailerons take up almost a third of the chord, but the tail does better still since it has all-fl ying surfaces. The construction of the MC30 would look very familiar to most model aircraft builders, with spars, foam ribs, leading edge sheeting, cap strips & a fuselage with ply sides, a ply bottom & a stringered turtle deck. However, the lightness of this construction, when coupled with the Briggs & Stratton 650cc OHV V-twin engine, allows the Luciole to cruise at 105mph while sipping just five litres of fuel every hour. With an endurance of five hours you can do some serious travelling in this aircraft. Richard suggested that I build a model of the Luciole but I took one look at the three views & said, “ No thanks!” That wing just didn’t look suitable for the size of model that I’d build. A couple of evenings later, however, I made a few calculations & realised that it would be possible. Article in November 2009 RCM&E
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First Appeared in: RCM&E December 2009 Issue Name: Ultimate 20-300 Model type: 3D / sport aerobat Designed by: Dave Royds Wingspan: 39” (991mm) Fuselage length: 47” (1194mm) Wing area: 4.3sq. ft. (0.4 sq. m) All-up weight: 35
- 50oz (1
- 1.4kg) Wing loading: 8
- 11oz / sq. ft. (2.4
- 3.3kg / sq. m) Functions (servos): Rudder (1); elevator (1); aileron (2); throttle (via ESC); Rec’d motor: Hacker A30-16M / Tornado 4240 Not content with the performance of his full-size Pitts Special, Canadian Aerobatic Champion Gordon Price decided to modify it like no other. Such was the interest for his bespoke Pitts components, Gordon went into production & the Ultimate Aircraft Company was born. As his product line expanded the next logical step was to produce a complete airframe, & his diminutive 10-100 bipe hit the market. Following the success of the little home-built, Gordon returned his sights to the aerobatic scene & produced a series of high performance aircraft, culminating in the fl agship 300hp, Lycomingpowered muscle bipe
- the Ultimate. Despite the Ultimate gaining in popularity & the order book fi lling up, the company hit diffi culties, forcing its doors to be closed less than a decade after it all began.WILD BLUE Although the day of the maiden dawned with a beautiful blue sky, previous days of torrential rain had turned the runway into a mud bath. Not wanting the risk a nose-over so early in the day, I decided to bite the bullet & go for a h&-launch. Gripping the top wing & with a gentle underarm push, the Ultimate eased skyward. After a few test circuits to adjust the trims, it was time to see what she could do. Throttling up into wind & pulling back on the elevator soon had the Ultimate climbing vertically
- gaining a little height & kicking the rudder & elevator over produces a very scale spin; adding a little opposite aileron levels the wings & reduces the rate of descent as she pulls into a controlled, fl at spin. Releasing the sticks & dipping the nose pulls her straight out without any over-rotation or control surface stall. Very nice. Although not designed as an out-&-out 3D machine, she’ll still handle the basic staple manoeuvres with relative ease. Prop-hanging & torque rolling requires very little in the way of corrective input, whilst walls, harriers & elevators are effortless with minimal signs of wing-rock. Knife-edge & hesitation rolls require a few degrees of top rudder to keep the nose up at low speed, but as speed increases the large side area of the fuselage keeps it tracking on the straight & level. Slow speed manners are quite exemplary; inducing a stall merely slows her to a crawl followed by a gradual, controlled descent, needing only a blip of the throttle to return to fl ying speed. Subsequent to the initial fl ights with the Hacker 16M, substituting the motor for the Tornado 4240 defi nitely upped the Ultimate’s aerobatic performance; while she’s never going to be rocket ship, the difference in acceleration & vertical punch-out were defi nitely noticeable. Article in December 2010 RCM&E





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