Canova
Certainly not a diamond in the rough. Build this little-known 1935 design for your next scale meet!
PHOTOGRAPHY: LADDIE MIKULASKO T 18
he first time I saw a drawing of the Italian Canova PC-140, I could not believe the timing when this plane first appeared. It was the transition era from biplanes and undercamber wings to more streamlined monoplanes, so the Canova’s diamond shaped design must have appeared to be out of this world. Here was this flying wing plane with a thick symmet- rical airfoil and no fuselage. In their 1935 issue, the Flight Global mag- azine had a description and a small three- view of this strange shaped aircraft. Today, I would classify this plane as a stealth design. In the magazine article there was very little information about the plane and it was never mentioned if it actually ever flew.
The three-view shown in the magazine ar- ticle shows a slightly different shaped plane than the one in this article. The design had a diamond shaped wing, but with one eleva- tor surface, conventional ailerons and wheel pants. That plane was probably the original version.
The magazine article stated that the
wind tunnel tests that were performed on the model of the Canova showed the drag was low and the lift was maintained up to an angle of attack of 30 degrees. The stabil- ity was excellent in all axes. The wing span of a full-size Canova was 16.5 feet with the calculated maximum speed of 105 mph and the landing speed of 40 mph. On the inter- net, I managed to find the color view and
PC-140 By Laddie Mikulasko
AT A GLANCE Type:
Construction: Wing span: Wing area: Length: Weight:
Wing loading: Prop:
Motor: ESC:
Battery: Radio:
Servos:
R/C electric scale balsa and light ply 30 inches 915 sq. in. 30.5 inches 23 ounces
3.6 oz./sq.ft. 6–4
Turnigy 2826 10-amp
3S 2200 mAh Li-Po 4-channel
(5) mini servos JUNE 2013
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