Cessna208
Caravan
A workhorse of the aviation industry, the 208 is a “sure thing” for your next control line scale model!
By Chuck Felton PHOTOGRAPHY: CHUCK FELTON T
he Cessna 208 Caravan is a single turboprop engine, fixed-gear short- haul regional airliner and utility aircraft that is built in the United States by Cessna. The airplane typically seats nine passengers with a single pilot, al- though with a FAR Part 23 waiver it can seat up to fourteen passengers making it popular for group skydiving events. The air- craft is also used for cargo feeder-line opera- tions. The high wing, long boxy fuselage and numerous cabin windows give it an unmis- takable appearance and make it a natural to model in cardboard.
Like the real airplane, the control line
model Caravan presented here is simple in construction and inexpensive as it uses 1⁄8- inch corrugated cardboard as the primary building material, which greatly reduces both building time and cost. The design makes use of cardboard’s unique features in that it can be used in large sections and fold- ed. For instance, each wing panel is built of a single piece of cardboard scored and folded at the leading edge with cardboard ribs and
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a single balsa spar. The tail surfaces and fuselage are primarily cardboard with little internal bracing required. The result is a low cost fast building model that has good scale like appearance and can take plenty of punishment at the flying field. Cardboard varies in weight, but any 1⁄8- inch corrugated cardboard will do. Sources of this material include box manufacturers and local shopping centers where you can find stacks of discarded boxes. Look for cardboard with brown paper on one side and a white finished Kraft paper on the other side. The white paper on the outside of the model results in a smoother finish and neater appearance. The method of fold- ing the cardboard and the use of gummed paper tape to seal the joints and exposed corrugations is explained in the construc- tion hints.
The model has a wingspan of 60 inches and a length of 43.5 inches. The bottom of the airfoil is flat with a curved upper sur- face, due to the scoring and folding tech- nique employed. Engines of .40 to .50 size
can be used. My model is powered by a .40 engine and has a fully fueled flying weight of 64 ounces. This weight combined with the 381 square inch wing area results in a wing loading of 24.2 ounces/square foot. Its size makes it a very stable sport flying model.
Construction tips
Before we begin, take a look at these spe- cial tips for working with cardboard. Glue: Water base glue, such as white glue or Titebond, is recommended. Contact ce- ment is not recommended since parts cannot be shifted when gluing surfaces. Folding: The scoring of the fold lines is done with a screening tool available at any hardware store. It consists of a handle with a 11⁄2-inch radius wheel at one end, which is run along a metal straightedge on the fold line.
Finishing: Cardboard gives a solid sur-
face with no open areas to cover and is non- porous. The easiest finishing method is to give two coats of clear dope, sanding lightly between coats with #400 sandpaper, fol-
JULY 2013
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