After a few rather stressful builds over the last few months, I decided to tackle something small, simple and which might be capable of flying in my driveway

The Pfalz EI was superficially similar to the more effective Fokkers. But I liked distinctive Pfalz white-with-black-trim scheme and the build looked very simple so with a plan in hand, off we go.

After printing out the plan, the parts sheets were isolated and stuck to various scraps of balsa and ply with lo-tack adhesive. I'd run my stocks of balsa right down after the Potez and Albatros builds and was determined not to restock just yet so almost all parts were from the scrap bin.

A couple of hours with the scalpel yielded a small pile of parts and a few minutes using the stripper gave me all the stripwood needed.

Pat

Construction of this little model is very simple and vintage Peter Rake.

This is my second Rake IPS design but my very first successful rc model was also IPS - a GWS Pico-Stick. If that hadn't worked, I was ready to give it all away as being impossible to learn at my age

Firm 3/32 sq balsa was used for the rear fuselage frame which was build in the flat with the sheet front sides. Medium CA holds it all together.

After each side is finished, carefully mark out all the former, strut positions and most importantly, the engine plate position on the inside of each side part. Then the two side can be glued together using the various formers and bass UC mounting plates as spacers and a square to ensure they are in alignment.

It is important to locate the little ply sockets for the top and bottom struts before any sheeting is done. Also the motor mounting plate and GWS 'stick' should be epoxied while still accessible.

With the internal bits done, the various bits of 1/16 balsa sheeting can be done top and bottom and the whole lot sanded smooth.

Now, 24 hours later, we have an embryonic fuselage. How relaxing!

Pat

SWEET, Pat this will be a very nice & relaxing change of pace! Thanks for sharing all you darlings with us.

Dale

You will love it.

My 280 sized Fokker EIII actually flies on IPS 'B' 3s LIPO and an 8x6: This looks like a 7x6 and 'A' gears jobby.

It used to glitch badly (bad servos I think), but I now may have a 2.4Ghz setup that would fix that...

Nice choice of model, Pat - I have Pete's 45" plan and it looks most attractive. As for being a 'less stressful' build...every part of the early Pfalz's seem to be edged in black!! *passes Pat the valium*

Look forward to another little gem.

Steve (taking advantage of some lovely flying weather lately)

Simple.. Hah! We'll see about that!

Vint,

You have a 2.4 radio? No more glitch flights? You'll finally be able to fly a plane under control for a whole flight!

Pat,

Nice choice. Never mind those other guys. Putting a simple black outline on everything is so much easier than what you have been doing.

charlie

Simple yes, but still some thinking to do - I'm trying to decide the best (easiest) way of making all those black outlines!

The cowl is made from a few cut parts and a strip of 1/32 ply. I wondered why not use 1/64 ply but weight up front will be important in this machine so 1/32 it is.

The wings are extremely simple. No ailerons (not even if you wanted them - the real thing was a wing warper), simple single spar and most ribs the same. As usual with such designs, the centre panel is sheeted to give extra strength at the root.

The pictures show the reinforcing around the ribs carrying the rigging loads (loads ), the rigging blocks of hard balsa, and the locating pegs in the root rib - bits of bamboo skewer.

To avoid breaking or over-sanding ribs while tapering the trailing edge, I stick a length of masking tape over the ribs and use the long sanding bar. When the bar starts rubbing the tape, its almost time to stop. The tape also supports the ribs when sanding span-wise. Saves lots of swearing

With everything cleaned up, obviously we have to see if it looks an aeroplane yet - getting closer.

Pat

Originally Posted by maltone

Simple yes, but still some thinking to do - I'm trying to decide the best (easiest) way of making all those black outlines!

Pat

i used water slide decal paper. sprayed it black and stripped it with a picture stripper. iron crosses are water slide decals too.

Thanks for that suggestion - it's certainly a possibilty. Since this model is so small, it poses a few problems like the width of whatever strips are use.


The tail feathers turned out to be the most difficult parts so far! Especially the rudder. It is so tiny, the laminated outline was bound to be tricky but when I found I'd no soft 1mm sheet left, it was even more so.

Three laminations of 1mm strip were soaked in windex and worked around the fin outline. Some of the curves are VERY tight and a softer balsa would have been so much easier. But once sanded back and covered, it will look fine.

The pfalz has an all-moving tailplane and fin and so some sort of rod-in-a-tube arrangement is needed. I will use as Pete suggests - thin CF rod in an aluminium tube bearing. These parts make the assembly sequence for the tail a little complex, as covering, fitting the hinge and assembly are inter-related. I'll do it early in the day when my brain is working

So, apart from a tailskid (which forms part of the fin assembly), the major woodwork is done.

Next should be the wire bits. Upper and lower rigging bipods, and the undercarriage frame. I'm unsure of whether to try cladding these items at this scale - maybe just paint them black. Since most of the front-end seems to be black anyway, the painted wire shouldn't be too obvious - I hope.

Another little thing I'm pondering is whether a dummy free-wheeling Oberusal rotary would be feasible. Hmmm.....

Pat

Peter's hinging works VERY well, but DO use a bit of glass cloth and epoxy or CA to make it stay put. otherwise you will have everything go loose after a heavy landing.

Thanks Vintage - I'll find something very lightweight.

Peter, avert your eyes, I am removing the Rx and servos from the little Duigan. It hasn't flown for while so it will become a decor item! I didnt assemble it to be dissembowelled unfortunately

But where there is a will.........

Pat

Receivers are worth disembowelling, but servos?

The wood costs more, these days..

No problemo - they all came out easy! LHS doesn't stock 5gm servos and I want them NOW. Actually the $25 rx cost less than two little servos IIRC.
Pat

Dunno what teh xchange rate is but £5.50 is the 5gm servo price here..