The Envoy design is a pleasant-looking design from the January 1952 issue of Aeromodeller magazine. That makes the design ten years and one month older than I am...

You can download the plan HERE at Outerzone.

Since I can't start mangling balsa until January 1, I'm only going to work up the construction plans right now. The original Envoy was a free-flight model, and I want to set mine up for RET controls, so I needed to re-draw the elevator and rudder plans to fit the control surfaces into them. The wings and fuselage plans are fine as they are. I don't see the need to purchase a full-sized plan sheet for this, which would be an expense of $8 or $9 USD, and I can spend that money better on balsa or some other important item. GIMP and INKSCAPE to the rescue...

I am also seriously considering using electric power for this model, so I'll be looking around for a suitable power package. When I know which one I'll be using, I'll post the modified plans in this thread.

Originally Posted by cpmcgraw

The Envoy design is a pleasant-looking design from the January 1952 issue of Aeromodeller magazine. That makes the design ten years and one month older than I am...

You can download the plan HERE at Outerzone.

Since I can't start mangling balsa until January 1, I'm only going to work up the construction plans right now. The original Envoy was a free-flight model, and I want to set mine up for RET controls, so I needed to re-draw the elevator and rudder plans to fit the control surfaces into them. The wings and fuselage plans are fine as they are. I don't see the need to purchase a full-sized plan sheet for this, which would be an expense of $8 or $9 USD, and I can spend that money better on balsa or some other important item. GIMP and INKSCAPE to the rescue...

I am also seriously considering using electric power for this model, so I'll be looking around for a suitable power package. When I know which one I'll be using, I'll post the modified plans in this thread.

Fine looking cabin model What's the wingspan?

Originally Posted by pomroyj

Fine looking cabin model What's the wingspan?

Original size, 40". Should be just right for flying in the schoolyard near my home...

Good choice - it was on my shortlist too!

Be following with interest!!

My preparation work for the build involves generating individual patterns for all the ribs and other balsa pieces. The original plans called for using the "sandwich method" to cut the ribs, and it works if you're careful (shouldn't we be, anyway?). I've taken the time to measure and scale out the ribs with Inkscape, export them as PNG files, and cleaned them up with GIMP for printing to #110 cardstock to produce the tracing patterns.

Balsa mangling commences January 1...

And, of course, pictures of the build will be posted...

Originally Posted by Colonel Blink

Good choice - it was on my shortlist too!

Be following with interest!!

Since I'm not as familiar with Who designed What and When as most of you, both my "long list" and my "short list" consisted of a grand total of... ONE!

...Although I'm picking up on a few names, and I'm beginning to appreciate those early designs more. They sure beat the pablum being offered these days in the commercial kit realm...

Subscribed and looking forward to seeing the "balsa mangling" start! Happy New Year

Day 1 -- Introduction:...

The starter's gun has sounded, and the build sessions begin.

The Envoy is a 40" FF cabin model designed in 1949-1950 by Cyril Shaw, and published in Aeromodeller in 1952. Having no active controls, the design is about as simple as it could be, with traditional balsa construction. But because large, open fields with no trees, houses, or cars to interfere with the model's flight have become more scarce than hens' teeth, for practical reasons I need to convert this design to 3-channel RET radio control.

I am also planning to use electric power for this model, instead of the as-designed 0.5 to 1.0 cc diesel of the original. This means yet another modification to allow for access to the battery and radio compartments.

Attached below are my first photos, showing the plans as I have printed them out. They also show the modifications needed to add control surfaces to the rudder and stabilizer.

Photo 1 is a general overview of the project, showing some of the pattern sheets. Photo 2 shows the rudder plan a little closer, overlaying the fuselage profile. Photo 3 shows a full profile image, and the alignment marks to piece the smaller sheets together. The fuselage was done with one 14" and two 11" sheets. Photo 4 shows the stabilizer plan and an early pattern sheet for the ribs.

Because the rudder hinge line is well ahead of the stabilizer trailing edge, and in fact is ahead of the elevator hinge line, I had to fix a large center section between the two elevator halves.

Nice looking model, good choice.
John

Day 1 -- First Blood:

Let the mangling commence!

Photo 1 is my first piece of balsa for the project, and represents the fuselage sides and the rudder. Just needs a few sticks to complete those subassemblies.

Photo 2 shows the individual pieces.

Photo 3 is my "proof of attack" shot, with my first pile of scrap. No project is official without a scrap pile...

Off to a fine start cp.

Good choice for both build and flyability - the Envoy is still on my list to build again the first built about the 70's and flew free ( too free in fact ) with an ED Bee 1cc diesel up front on idle.

In case you haven't seen an Envoy, I have attached an old photo from the pre digital days and touched up to remove the rusty colour the photo had gone. My model was finished with tissue and clear dope which was coloured silver by the addition of very fine aluminium powder which gave the clear dope the colour with no weight penalty. The model alongside is a Carl Goldberg 42" span Cessna Skylane.

enjoy your build

john

Day 1 -- Some Ribs:

The first really tedious cutting is complete, that of chopping the stabilizer ribs out of 1/16" sheet. Rib "S7" is a killer...

Photo 1 -- A rack of ribs...

Photo 2 -- The waste pile...

Originally Posted by John38

Good choice for both build and flyability - the Envoy is still on my list to build again the first built about the 70's and flew free ( too free in fact ) with an ED Bee 1cc diesel up front on idle.

In case you haven't seen an Envoy, I have attached an old photo from the pre digital days and touched up to remove the rusty colour the photo had gone. My model was finished with tissue and clear dope which was coloured silver by the addition of very fine aluminium powder which gave the clear dope the colour with no weight penalty. The model alongside is a Carl Goldberg 42" span Cessna Skylane.

enjoy your build

john

Thanks for the comparison, John. Until finding this forum (and Outerzone...) I had never heard of the Envoy before.

Here's a question for the EP flyers listening in: My initial pass through the land of electric motors suggests a [Tower Hobbies] "RimFire 250" with a 2C LiPo and an 8A ESC. The numbers seem to indicate this would be in the ballpark with the old TD .051 or .074 engines, and that appears to be "roughly" in the same range as the ED Bee's listed on the plan. Does this sound realistic, or do I need to go higher on the power?

cpmcgraw, The plan you are using looks like the earlier version of the plan.
The Envoy plan at outerzone has since been cleaned and "straightened" a bit.
If you stay with that plan check longerons and spars to be sure they are straight.

Paul