Sequel is a follow-on to my Sassy and Senior Sassy designs (252 sq. in. and 432 in. sq, respectively). For the Sequel, I set the wing area at 360, but the big change, is that the Sassies are wooden designs whilst the Sequel is all foam (pink Owens-Corning insulation (POC) and white Model Plane Foam (MPF)). Two other, minor changes include making the Sequel a trike gear model and moving the elevator hinge line slightly aft. Now the elevator and rudder hinges line up, making for easier foam construction.

This isn’t a step-by-step explanation of how to build the model. Instead, I’m trying to cover the high points and explain why I do some things the way I do.

My primary adhesive for covering and hardening the foam is an (approximately) 50/50 mix of Titebond II and tap water. For construction, I used both clear Gorilla Glue and Bob Smith’s Foam Cure. Covering papers are brown Dollar Store parcel wrapping paper (at $1.00 for a 15’ roll), and blank newsprint paper (from Wal-Mart, although I should go to U-Haul so I can get large enough sheets to do a fuselage without having to overlap sheets).

All surfaces to be papered got a coat of thinned Titebond, then were sanded with 200 grit sandpaper. After that came the paper, wetted with tap water and coated with thinned Titebond (Yes, it is messy). After the paper dried, everything got another coat of thinned Titebond (except the wing, which didn’t get the second coat until after the spars were on and dried).

Key points...Continue Reading

I like the KFM2 airfoil’s performance and easy construction, but I don’t like its looks. Trying to smoothly fair military insignia over the abrupt step is a pain. Getting rid of the step, whilst preserving the wing thickness and stall-gentling airfoil front, is my target.

So, I decided to build a simple test model with rubber-banded-on wings, switching between a KFM2 wing and a KFM2 with the area aft of the step filled in (i.e., a ‘fastback’ modification). For that testbed, I picked Ken Willard’s Schoolboy.

Of course, I’m trying to kill a flock of birds with one stone. I’m trying several new (to me, at least) building and finishing ideas with the one model. Plus, having just finished a LASER-cut balsa kit, I want to compare my build results with the kit (I wasn’t impressed with the kit, so I’m going to refrain from identifying the manufacturer).

I’m not new to building and flying R/C; I’ve been building and flying models for over 60 years. A few years ago, I realized I’ve developed an allergy to balsa, so I’ve switched over to foam. We’ve also moved to a newer, smaller home, with the resultant smaller workshop. That, plus the FAA’s possible actions, has led me to build smaller models (happily, my wife is good with flying 8 to 10 ounce models).

I used Schoolboy plans from Outerzone, converted the .pdf to a .jpg, traced the outlines in LibreCAD, then resized them to a 216 in. sq. wing area. As I’ll be using a modern radio, not the escapement Ken Willard...Continue Reading