EDIT January 5, 2022: This thread originally concerned the construction of a Sherman Gillespie Square Bird, a sport rubber model from the 1950's, for the ABAK 2021 build off. Having not quite finished in time, and with thanks to Sundancer for once again administering the Complete-A-Project, the Square Bird has been rolled into the newly launched CAP2022 build.

What follows below are the original Square Bird posts from 2021 through December 30, 2021, at which time I ran out of steam and, starting with #19, new postings focused on the completion of the Square Bird.

If you haven't built a free flight rubber powered stick and tissue model before, or if it's been awhile, I encourage you to have a go at it. I've all but left RC behind in the last couple years and am thoroughly enjoying myself - and the hobby - as I explore the fascinating world of vintage and old time small-field free flight rubber powered models.

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I started building a 19" Sherman Gillespie Square Bird last weekend - just for fun - after clearing the decks of several stalled projects. The Square Bird was part of an informal series of relatively simple rubber powered sport models designed and published by Sherman Gillespie in Flying Models and Model Airplane News during the 1950's. Gillespie's designs struck a chord and have enjoyed a following through the decades. The Square Bird has been modified for the FAC Embryo Rubber event by (I think) widening the fuselage to create the necessary cube volume.

Thanks again to RFG who responded a while back to my request for the magazine construction articles for both Square Bird and Yard Bird, now readily accessible along with the plans on Outerzone.

The Oakland Cloud Duster's club has a nice page on Gillespie with plans and photos. Link here:
http://oaklandclouddusters.org/Gillespie-Collection

I've become a fan of Sherman Gillespie and identify myself, as did he, as a simple sport flyer. Sherman was quite the man - B17 pilot in WWII, shot down on his 17th mission if I recall, interred in Sweden for the balance of the war, full career as a high school Spanish teacher following the war, civilian/light plane pilot, participated in military reunions/pilots associations, active modeler most of his life.

Okay - having set the stage with a little background, now onward we go to the matter at hand: building and flying a free flight.

I framed both fuselage sides over the Labor Day weekend and took a short break. As I was getting back to the model this morning, I reminded myself that this model qualifies for the current ABAK build-off. With my other project stalled, I've now decided to add this one to the list and hopefully finish quickly. Good flying weather is at hand, and a decent-sized field near my locale may now be available for a bit of unobtrusive rubber power flying.

This morning I started framing the horizontal stab. Almost the entire model is built of 1/16" sq. strip along with a bit of 1/8" by 1/16," with sheet balsa used just for the ribs and, in my case, for the noseblock, which I will laminate per my normal procedure.

I'll use Esaki tissue and Sig Lite Coat non-taughtening butyrate dope for the finish, yellow wood glue for the fuse and tail feathers, but for nostalgia's sake, I'll break out the Ambroid for the wing. Love that old-time cement smell...

Link to plan and construction article on the Outerzone sight:

https://outerzone.co.uk/plan_details.asp?ID=7205

After a morning of leisurely on-and-off building, I finished the stab. It's gotta dry before I can build the fin, as the parts overlap, and I gotta build the fin before I can jig the fuselage sides over the top view for the same reason - overlap.

Now, an early taste of Fall has come to the Southern Appalachians, but it will be short lived before the late summer heat returns. So after lunch and a quick trip to a big box home supply store for a lamp switch/socket, I am determined to get out for a light hike on one of the few trails open on nearby public lands, most having been closed indefinitely due to landslides and flooding associated with the remnants of Hurricane Ida.

Then I'll see what's happening in the world of college football, and after a simple spaghetti dinner, maybe I'll get back to the model......or, like any self-respecting middle-aged man, simply fall asleep....

..... but then to each his own and after all the one who needs to be satisfied is, of course you, & not me! So, have at it, & enjoy! Laramie.

Laramie, it's to each their own of course. But there's a lot of fun at close range to be had from a small sport rubber power model flown at the local sports field on a calm morning or evening where one does not have to worry a lot about wind drift.

Pulse', how's the Junior Miss coming along? I didn't see any updates on the thread since back in June.

Bruce, as I think I alluded to in the main ABAK thread when I entered this model, Junior Miss effectively on hold for the foreseeable future.

And lately, all building (and flying) has been on hold as a variety of issues (leaky roof, etc...) have come up....

I missed or forgot that part.

Still, lots of time yet before the finish. And either way you're still getting in some bench time.

Building progress may well pick up again come November...

Originally Posted by pulserudder

Building progress may well pick up again come November...

Or possibly not until late December.....

With the clock ticking, I've roughed in a set of wing ribs and have begun adding the cross members to the fuselage.

....and here we are, with just three days to go after tonight until the whistle blows on the ABAK. I've added most of the cross members and started covering the surfaces. Of course I still don't have a wing, but maybe I'll get somewhat close to finishing on time.

Meanwhile, I've been laying down some balsa on a little ABAK legal model from the late Bill Hannan's drafting board. I think it's highly likely she'll taste the sky before Midnight on New Year's Eve. I'll start a little build log Friday morning and run it through the day.

I'm waving the pennant for you to succeed! ! ! Just a test glide in the dark before midnight will qualify it as finished and FLOWN ! ! ! !

I might well be doing the same with my last minute Garami Commando

Originally Posted by BMatthews

I'm waving the pennant for you to succeed! ! ! Just a test glide in the dark before midnight will qualify it as finished and FLOWN ! ! ! !

I might well be doing the same with my last minute Garami Commando

Bruce, your model will forever be known as the "last minute commando." Sounds like the title of a tv series from the 1960's.

Okay. Early morning progress. The ribs have been pinned in a stack, sanded and notched. The left hand wing panel has been laid out awaiting Ambroid, while the parts for the center section and right hand panel - leading edge, trailing edge, and pinned rib stack -await their turn.

My rib blanks ended up 1/32 longer than the spacing shown on the plan, and there is no way I am nit picky enough to trim them down. Besides, the plan is a little off, so I used a straight edge and triangle to lay out the wing. I'll also note I eyeballed the spar notch, which I demarcated with swipes from a very thin razor saw blade while the whole stack of ribs was pinned together, and it ended up a little to the rear of that shown on plan.

A quiet and rainy morning along with the freedom of the time in between holidays is working to my advantage, I've completed the left wing panel. As only 1/2 the wing is shown on the plan, I'll let the Ambroid dry through the day and hopefully lay up the right hand side in reverse tonight.

Managed to get the left hand wing panel off the board and have framed up the right hand side, minus the spar which I'll get to later in the evening.

56 hours to go. I don't know, maybe?

5:00 pm update 12/30/21, with just 31 hours to go - the wing panels are joined with abundant dihedral, and gussets are in progress. I've completed the fiddly tasks of sanding and shaping the leading and trailing edges, so the wing is nearly ready for covering.

The fuselage is up on her landing legs, a process that always takes longer than it should.

Not sure I'll be able to do much more on this bird tonight apart from a bit of sanding on the fuse and the remaining wing gussets.