As a visitor to Chilliwack in 2010, I think it's only right to bring a model of a Canadian plane. There are some constraints: it has to fit into a box that the airlines will accept, it has to be easy and quick to make and it has to have some originality. Much as I admire the DH Canada Beaver or the Twin Otter, they will be well represented at the weekend.

Last year I made a 6 foot span Canadair CL-415, the turboprop "Super Scooper" and before sending the plan off to RC Model World, I took a 60% copy and have been sketching the piston-engined version, the CL-215 Scooper. It isn't a lot different, just nice fat radial engines and a lot fewer aerodynamic aids to knock off in transit.

At 44" span and 6" chord (the plan was enlarged before construction began to bring the wing to 48" span and 2 sq ft) it will have a wing area of 1.8 sq ft and I would not want it to be heavier than a pound or so. I like working in Depron and built a similar-sized Westland Welkin myself, and followed Rotorheid's Depron build of a 415 a couple of years ago. Some of his ideas are very different from mine, but the basic idea, of having a model that can be taken apart, travel in pieces and be re-assembled and flown at the other end is the same. Except I want to bring mine back to UK at the end of the holiday!

I will be hosted in Canada by the Ivan's community, in particular Frank Jaerschky, and this model is dedicated to them all.

Will it actually scoop water?! That'd be cool if a bit impractical...

James

Mike, I'll be looking forward to seeing your solution to the "travelling waterbomber", and to meeting you there. The last few years, there have not been a lot of Beavers/Otters in evidence at Chilliwack, but there are always at least 1 of each.
Brad

Very cool! I've been waiting years to see a CL415 or 215 at Chilliwack. Can't wait to see it. Seems about the same size as my Beaver which is just under a pound (15oz) with the floats. At that weight a 215 should float well in the air as well as the water.

At that size it would be extreamly impractical to actually scoop water with it and you'd only get a couple oz at best. Sure would love to see your 6' 415.

Looking forward to seeing it Mike!!!

great news...looking forward to seeing that one here...I have only seen two models of a CL 415 here in 16 years.....and only one that flew reasonably successfully......

Frank will make sure you have a great visit.

Here we go then. After a few days of more important stuff (sailing club calender for 2010, various shopping crises, granddaughter day etc) I'm modelling again.

This is the rear of the fuz, built upside down on the roof. The formers and spine are 5mm Depron, the roof is 3mm and will be fretted away to give access to the servos, RX and battery bay. That's what the holes are for, to give a guide for cutting out the excess material. I use an old TX aerial to make these holes.

The rudder and elevator servos are installed on a 5mm plate faced with 0.8mm ply to give some strength and reinforced underneath with 5x5 balsa strip to take the servo screws. The elevator snake (Sullivan GoldnCable) follows the line of the spine and will curve up inside the fin (more pictures later). The rudder snake is a straight run to an internal linkage (no water ingress).

It took me a while to work out how the fuz could be broken in two to fit in the carry-on case, yet still be easily and securely assembled and flown. The obvious break point is the hull step (it is also the UC location, so it's possible that a land version could be flown with wheels fixed down, removeable for water ops), The step formers are backed with 3mm liteply crucifixes, with a hole in the centre for the 5mm nylon bolt and captive nut which holds the two halves together. There is a 3mm dowel stub at each corner to keep the fuz halves in proper alignment.

As a concept, the plane should be hand-launched over grass, and will be able to land (slowly) on it's hull. It should be able to fly off water like any other flying boat.

Frank has got me over the frequency problem by programming one of his TXs to Mode 1 (RH throttle and ailerons) so that I can do all the testing in UK and can just swap RXs in Canada. Many thanks Frank!

Mike

Still upside down, but all the formers and the battery tray are in place, as well as the rear floor.

All the formers and the front floor added (after prising off the front formers in a highly embarrasing error - they were upside down!).

I'm using UHU Por glue, which is designed for foam. It's a contact adhesive and I don't find it terribly easy to work with. They ask you to put a film of glue on each surface, so you have to smooth out the bead of glue each time, otherwise it would just be a 1mm lump getting in the way. Your finger ends get very glue'y. Other glues work well, but take ages to dry. Odorless cyano makes a firm but rather brittle joint.

The fin has to be fitted and elevator and rudder connections have to be made now, before the sides go on. Fiddly stuff. Perhaps I could contract it out?

Very neat the way depron sheet planes come together. The "V" hull will be attached below the fuse?

Originally Posted by Grejen

Very neat the way depron sheet planes come together. The "V" hull will be attached below the fuse?

Grejen, I agree, Depron is a really good modelling material and I have made a number of planes from it. I'm going to leave the "V" until last, so that the hull can rest on its floor while work goes on.

Mike

Mike - just a heads up - When you bring the Scooper this way, make sure you bring a stock of metric hardware with you for spares, just in case. I noticed the 5mm nylon bolt - that may be next to impossible to find here, should you drop it in the lake or something like that!

Originally Posted by vonJaerschky

...should you drop it in the lake or something like that!

Have you been talking to my colleagues Frank?

Originally Posted by vonJaerschky

I noticed the 5mm nylon bolt - that may be next to impossible to find here, should you drop it in the lake or something like that!

Don't worry Frank - As long as none of us tell him, there's no way Mike will be able to get that bolt out once he's put the sides on

Trevor

Ah, modelling is all about the support of friends, isn't it?