Has anyone ever seen, built, flown or heard of the Bill Evans designed Super-Hatchet? Span appears to be about 74" with a 7" chord. Power E.D. 2cc comp special, Arden 199 (glow?), or ?? Winner of the 1948 Australian ff nationals. I have internet plans from two sources; neither is very readable, and neither source had any commentary about the plane.

Is this a U.S. or Aussie design, and is it by the same Bill Evans who did the r/c Simitar series in the 1970s?

Jim

SUPER-HATCHET is indeed an Aussie model designed by Bill Evans an Australian living in Adelaide South Australia at that time.

Bill and Gordon Burford of Taipan/Sabre engine fame built engines in the late 40s into the early 50s until a falling out between them.
Bill produced a model hobbies magazine also at the time called AUSTRALIAN MODEL HOBBIES. SUPER-HATCHET is in the July 1949 issue of that magazine.
Bill was also involved in Speedway motor racing that was very big at that time.

The plan you show here is as the plan in the magazine that I have here and by scaling it up it should be buildable if you wish to. What can't you read on it?
I make the span as a little under 70in using the scale on the very bottom of the plan, and it does say on the top right hand side it's 512 squ. inches.
On the top left we are told SUPER-HATCHET won the Freeflight event at the 1948 Australian Nationals.

Gossie, thanks for the information.

On the scan I have it is nearly impossible to read the text on the left side of the plan. Most of the other text is distorted, but I can get most of it. The details on how to sheet the nose are unclear as is the text about the firewall. There may be some distortion, too, because I get 74,5 inches and 7" chord. Any chance you could scan the nose details at hi res?

Thanks, Jim

I just measured it properly and agree the chord is 7in. but make the span from tip to tip @ 75in.

The fuselage is diamond fashion and up the front from the cabin forward you build it up with soft 1/2in sheet glued onto the 1/16th sheet that covers the fuselage.
The front former is a circle of 1/8th ply with a 1/4 balsa circle behind it all glued to the front. Is that clear?

Let me know if this scan helps?

Jim,

Another place to find the plan is the SAM 600 website. Their newsletter is called the Thermaleer. Go to their archives and look up issue 59. It is the Jan/Feb 1990 addition. You'll find a scan of it there.

Chuck

Gossie, yes, I can get the details from your scan, thanks. My scans were not clear enough to see how the nose was finished off.

Chuck, thanks. I did get my scans from Sam 600 and from another Australian SAM newsletter. Both were about the same quality. The basic construction was fairly clear, but the text was bad.

This plane is really intriguing to me. I like the odd undercambered airfoil and the very high aspect ratio wing (for an old-timer [well, nostalgia]). The fuse shape is also unconventional, as is the location of the stab. So, I guess I will build the Super Hatchet. I did find a short writeup in one of the newletters that indicated the original had a Arden .199 for power. That diesel thread has lured me in though. My Super Hatchet will get a vintage diesel for power.

Jim