A 9¹⁄₂-inch Peck-Polymers plastic propeller dominates the front end of the model aircraft (above left). The plastic props on the wing mounted nacelles were cut down, shaped and painted to match. The wing struts can be seen
rudder’s extended front edge in the slot on top of the fuselage. Stretch short rubber- bands from the hooks on the stabilizer to the dowels at the front of the stab mount until the stab tilts forward easily, then connect the DT line to the wire loop at the botton of the stabilizer. I used the smallest swivel clip in my fishing tackle box to connect the DT line to the wire loop. I’ve powered the Inflexible with loops of
¹⁄₄-inch rubber of varying lengths and num- ber of loops. Start with two loops longer than the fuselage for test flights and work toward the rubber motor that works best for you.
Flying Bobby Haight, my flying buddy, had a
model to test fly, too, so we drove several miles to the north of Las Vegas where he had found a large lot with greenery, some grass and a lot of weeds. Bobby held the Beardmore as I cranked in 500 turns for the first test flight. The Inflexible climbed away in a wide right turn, gaining good altitude for the light rubber motor I was using. The
locked firmly to the spruce connector in the fuselage. The landing gear struts are plugged into the wings and rest solidly on the .032 wire projections inboard of the wheels (above right).
transition to glide was imperceptible, mak- ing me more than pleased with the air- plane’s performance. The Inflexible revealed a steady glide, straight ahead. Bobby and I watched the airplane, not where it was going. Suddenly it disappeared behind what looked like a wide shed. As I neared the landing spot I re- alized the plane had glided into a horse cor- ral. I imagined frightened horses trampling my model into a pile of unidentifiable sticks and tissue. I climbed the rails to peer over the high, imposing fence and was thankful to see there were no horses in the corral that day. The Beardmore sat there on the dirt with its small propellers ticking over slowly in the faint breeze. Bobby liked the calm, majestic flight of the Inflexible well enough to build one for him- self from my plan. After flying his Beard- more under rubber power for a while, he con- verted it to compete in the Power Scale event by giving it three electric motors. At the Flying Aces Club Nationals, the Beardmore and I encountered a very hostile weather situation. Dark clouds hung low
over the field and the wind was gusting in unpredictable ways. Don Ross and others stood in a row, laughing and taunting me as I protected the Inflexible from the wind with my body. During our exchange of good natured com-
ments, I must have let the small plastic timer arm slip from my fingers. Tired of waiting for the wind to dissipate, I launched the model between the swirling gusts. It climbed nicely for only a moment before the stabilizer popped up, forcing the Beardmore to turn its nose up sharply into a loop. It was close, but the plane didn’t have enough alti- tude to complete the maneuver. It struck the grassy stubble on the field with its nose and wheels. Fortunately, the only damage was a broken balsa propeller, but that and the wind were enough to end my competition in the Giant Scale event. The full sized Beardmore Inflexible flew
for the first time on March 5, 1928. The test pilot, Squadron Leader Jack Noakes, re- ported the airplane to be “completely stable and virtually viceless”. I think the same can be said of the model.
This tool was made to pull the wing’s connecting rubberband through the fuselage (at left), allowing hassle free assembly at the field. The ¹⁄₄-inch dowel handle is painted red to keep the tool from being lost if dropped on the flying field. The Beardmore Inflexibleagainst the clear, blue Nevada sky (above).
FLYING MODELS 47
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