The cabane struts and outboard “N” struts (above) are both made from sturdy plastic and are attached by screws to anchor plates embedded in the wings (above, at right) and the fuselage. The author found it useful to “pre-tap” the anchor holes using the required screws before attaching the struts to the wings and the fuselage. The pre-formed aileron pushrods have a clevis on the top and a “Z” bend on the bottom. It was necessary to drill out the bottom aileron control horns (at right) to readily accept the “Z” bend wires.


stalling the bottom wing. It fits very nicely and the two machine screws used to attach it front and back went into their respective em- bedded hard plastic fastenings accurately without having to fish for the correct angle. Assembly is completed by attaching the ca- bane struts to the fuselage followed by the top wing. The outboard “N” struts are next and are clearly marked to show which end goes up and which one down in order to keep the wing unwarped and at the correct angle of attack. The aileron pushrods have a shallow “Z” bend on one end and a clevis on the other. It was necessary to do a bit of enlarging of the control horn holes on both bottom ailerons to get them to accept the pushrod wires. Finally, I couldn’t stand to see two empty cockpits in the air, so I glued a foam pilot who had flown other missions into service behind the front windscreen. You may see him in several of the photos, but he didn’t come with the WACO.


Flying the WACO I was very concerned that we would not


get a good flight opportunity here in the dead of winter in order to meet the magazine deadline, but almost magically a very pleas- ant and acceptable window of opportunity presented itself between two of the Polar Vortex sessions we’ve had to endure in the last month or so. When it became evident that Providence had come through, I quickly called Paul Phillips, my photo-shoot pilot and off we went to our local field. I was pleased to find that the model has more than adequate power, the scale prop functions very well, and the WACO is both nimble and stable. The nimbleness was so ev- ident that I had to mechanically adjust all control surfaces at their lowest rate at the servo arms and the control horns. Even then, the plane has ample aileron, rudder and ele- vator authority. To smooth it out just a bit more, I used 40% expo on all surfaces. It takes off smoothly with little need for right rudder input, thanks to the thrust angles built into the motor mount, and the stability shows up in the landings that are simply a matter of reducing the throttle to zero as it


touches down. All standard maneuvers are easily accomplished.


One anomaly that did show up (and is typ- ical of many biplanes with a lot of wing area and lift) was the need to crank in a signifi- cant amount of down elevator when the model was balanced at the recommended c.g. As the weather improves and WACO gets more flight time, I’ll begin moving the balance point in small increments to get the positive trim out. My kit-built Sopwith Pup, S.E.5, and even my Phaeton II all required the same adjustments, so it’s not at all un- usual. You may be able to see that elevator position in several of the flight photos. Not having owned a Hobby People model previously, I had no preconceptions as to what I might find. I’m pleased to say that the plane offers the visual poetry you can only get with a bipe, whether it’s on the ground or in the air. Regardless of its loca- tion, the Hobby People WACO is a pleasant addition to my stable of bipes. It is a keeper, and will see a lot more air time when winter turns into a new flying season.


The Hobby People WACO is striking on the ground (at left) and in flight (above, at left). The model really evokes a feeling of nostalgia in the air (above) with its graceful planform and stable flight characteristics, whether taking off or showing its classic profile in a slow fly-by.


FLYING MODELS 57


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