PHOTOS: PAT DAILY
The motor specified has plenty of power to get this parachute laden airplane (above left) off the ground quickly and up to operating altitude. Parachute opening (above center) is reliable providing parachute is packed properly.
the hatches on both sides to prevent warpage. Dope the model three coats clear with 50-50 thinned nitrate, then dope it the color required (all red except for the wing tops white). I used the Krylon H2O paints for the color coats and the finish is very realistic. Install the landing gear fairings and paint
the wire assemblies. Install the landing gear into the fuselage and use a small drop of CyA to secure them in their respective tubes. In the final assembly install the wings
first, being careful that the trailing edges are below the top fuselage longerons as shown. Install the wing struts to firm up the wings. Use the wings to eyeball the horizon- tal stabilizers to the proper angle so they’re parallel. Loosen and reglue the tubes if nec- essary. Install the fin then install the em- pennage struts to stabilize the tail. The prototype model, without chute, bal-
Photo shows initial chute deployment. Parachute (above right) is in full deployment. While the full scale airplane, with a 12-foot span, used a 24-foot parachute, this model uses a stock 48-inch chute and it seems to be adequate.
anced perfectly with the batteries in the mid- wing hatch location. In this case there is no need to open the front hatch. If the para- chute option is used the batteries must go as far forward as possible for best balance. Use ballast if necessary to make the model bal- ance where shown on the plan.
Flying the OQ-2A Full sized OQs were typically launched by
bungee from a track. With the landing gear so far forward the model was thought to prob- ably be tricky to take off, but it proved not to be. The motor specified provides more than adequate power for quick takeoffs and steep climbouts. First flight of the prototype model did not require any trim for the whole flight. This model is perfectly stable and control-
lable in all axes, a testament as to how well the full scale airplane was designed. Stalls were straight ahead and landing was
straightforward. This 50-inch OQ-2A is re- ally a delight to fly.
Rigging for parachute landings The letters herein refer to the drawing ti-
tled “Rigging the 50-inch OQ-2A model for parachute landings” (plan sheet CD445C). It is highly recommended for you to enjoy fly- ing your model before changing it to carry a parachute. The addition of a parachute will require rebalancing of the model by opening the front fuselage hatch and placing the bat- teries as far forward as possible, and then some additional ballast may be needed to make the model balance where shown. A. The 48-inch parachute pack can be purchased from
www.amazon.com. The in- ternet offers several tutorials on how to fold a parachute properly. B. A drogue chute can be used. C. Cut the chute hatch free and make sure
to install quality hinges for smooth operation. D. Make the trice of basswood and be
sure that the hooks are securely installed. E. The strap is made from a 2-liter soft
drink bottle, reversed, so it will spring open when released. See detail. F. Use two #16 rubber bands tied end-to-
end for the elastic opener. G. Use a sturdy nylon cord for the restraint.
Thread this through to tie to the tail skid. H. The release cable is intended to slide from
the strap to release the parachute. This cable can be passed through a hole at the fuselage sta- tion ahead of the front of the tail skid, then it is hooked at the front of the tail skid. This allows you to unhook the cable to let the hatch fully open without releasing the parachute. I. Use 1
⁄8 -inch nylon ties to attach the para-
chute risers to the four eyes on the fuselage. It is also necessary to bunch the shrouds and ap- ply a tie-wrap to hold them tightly together 11 inches above the airframe. This will help the model descend in a level attitude under the parachute. J. Do not forget to rebalance the model
PHOTO: NIC HUNTON
In this remarkable photo by Nic Hunton an OQ-2A seems to go off on an evening misson to train air artillerymen. American coastal defense forces trained on the OQs for a mission that never happened, for fortunately during WW2, the US mainland was never invaded by enemy aircraft.
FLYING MODELS
with the parachute installed. The chute hatch is released for operation by a
servo on a separate channel. Do not hesitate to try to control the model during the descent. The model can be steered somewhat and the rate of descent can be controlled to some degree.
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