The newly completed Dorand AR.1 model (above left). Dihedral in both wings was increased to that shown on the plan after initial flight testing. This picture
the building board and add the crosspieces moving forward.
Draw the nose sides together and add the remaining crosspieces at the front end. Check for alignment as the cement dries. Cut the fuselage top formers from sheet bal- sa, notch the formers for the center stringer and install the formers at their proper loca- tions. Cement the top center stringer in
place. Carefully notch the aft formers for the 1⁄20-inch square stringers and install these. Using the pattern on the plan, cut the cockpit decking from soft 1⁄32-inch sheet bal- sa. Test fit, trim as needed, then cement in place over the cockpit formers and center stringer. Cut out the rear section of the ob- server’s cockpit deck and cement it in place. Add the 1⁄32-inch sheet fill to the bottom of the nose and install the tail skid mount crosspiece. The fuselage construction is now completed.
Cowl and nose block: In FAC rubber scale events, it is permissible to model an aircraft with slight differences from the 3- view drawing if those differences can be sup- ported with photos and sound logic. I mod- eled the “AR.1 at Salonica” as pictured in the Harleyford reference. This aircraft was clearly Renault-powered with the angular cowl and “car radiator” pictured in the Janes 1919 photos.
On the model, the aluminum cowl is repli-
(above right) shows the unusual staggerwing layout. Cabane struts attached directly to the fuselage sides simplify assembly and alignment.
cated using silver vellum. I used an Irides- cent Silver sheet purchased at a local Michael’s Store. Drafting vellum sprayed a dull aluminum color would work as well. To make the cowl, copy the pattern from the plan onto the silver vellum, cut it out and scribe or emboss the louvers from the back side. Cut away the notches behind the lou- vers with a ruler and sharp razor, then test fit the cowl over the fuselage front. The black centerline hinge on the pattern should be centered over the top stringer, the rear of the cowl vellum should lay just over the instrument panel former and the point of the notches should fall on former 3. Tack glue the cowl vellum in place at spots on the top stringer and the cowl bottom edge, mak- ing sure it is aligned. Sobo glue, also avail- able at Michael’s, works nicely here as well as for the final cowl installation. Trim the cowl vellum to fit and set it aside. Now make the radiator, which ties the front of the model together, and provides the opening for the removable nose block. Cut
the radiator backplate from medium-hard 3⁄32-inch sheet balsa and then carefully cut out the nose plug opening from this using a sharp razor blade. The radiator shell is cut from medium 5⁄32-inch sheet balsa and the nose block opening is carefully cut out from this.
Cement the radiator shell to the radiator
backplate. When dry, tack glue the assem- bly to the fuselage front and shape it to fol- low the fuselage lines. Cut the nose block from 1⁄8-inch sheet and the nose plug from 1⁄4- inch sheet balsa. Cement the plug to the nose block and fine sand the unit so it fits snugly within the radiator shell. Score the radiator fins into the nose block face and drill it out for the thrust bearing. I used a Knight & Pridham adjustable plastic nose button to enable thrust offsets without shimming the inset nose block. Remove the radiator from the fuselage front and add the scrap balsa cap to the top center of the radi- ator shell. The radiator and nose block as- sembly is now complete. Wings and tail: Build the top and bottom wings over the same wing plan using differ- ent center section cutouts. Use hard and straight balsa for the leading edge and wing spars. The scallops are sanded into the trail- ing edge after the wings are constructed and the trailing edge shaped to a tapered sec- tion. Cut all wing ribs from 1⁄16-inch sheet balsa and notch for the spars. Don’t forget to install the landing gear attachment gussets on the underside of the bottom wing center section.
Also note that the soft balsa mounts for the aileron control horns are on the top wing only. After each wing is constructed, block up the wing tips, add the top spar, then gusset
Nylon pins embedded into the laminated balsa landing gear struts plug into gussets in the undersurface of the lower wing (above left). Note the silver sheet vellum cowl panels. Wing struts (above right) are cemented to soft wire loops
FLYING MODELS
installed in the wings making for a resilient wing assembly. Black tissue strips simulate bindings on the real aircraft. Flying wires are replicated with black monofilament hemming thread.
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