The kit contents provide all the wood you will need—laser-cut balsa, ply, strip stock and shaped ailerons (above, at left). Construction of the tail surfaces (above) is straightforward. Laser-cut parts fit perfectly and accurately. The aft fuselage (below) is made up of balsa and ply formers that key together making a straight and strong structure. Accurate laser-cutting and slot-and-tab construction ensure that the forward plywood structure of the fuselage (at left) builds square and true.
The plans are clear and accurate but what I especially liked was the step-by-step illustrated instruction manual. Even if you are a seasoned builder, take the time to read each step and follow the sequence pre- cisely. Little pitfalls will be avoided and great tips are spelled out in the manual. Mr. Bradley obviously poured a lot of time and effort into these instructions and if you fol- low them to the letter your results will be flawless. I actually dropped Paul an e-mail
and mentioned this to him. He confirmed that an extraordinary amount of effort went into this design and manual.
Having built hundreds of model airplanes in the last 40+ years I have come across many instances where I felt compelled to make some sort of change or enhancement to improve the structure. This model is so well engineered that I never felt that some- thing needed improvement. The best word I can use to describe it is to say that this de-
sign is refined. I’m not sure what the history of the design is. Perhaps Paul made dozens of these before finding the secret balance of strength, ease of building, light weight, good looks, and performance. The winner is the modeler as the included photographs should illustrate best what I mean by refined. Some of the highlights in this kit include the attractive lines. This starts right at the nose with the engine cowl. Well secured with rare earth magnets, this item alone is
The nearly completed fuselage is stiff and straight (above left). The refinement of engineering is quite evident. Seen here (above right) is the
FLYING MODELS
business end under construction, the laminated access hatch before shaping and the ingenious cowling taking shape.
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