OD-17 O.F.F.C. One Design Model For 2017

[kittyfritters]

This year, I am the CD for the O.F.F.C. One Design contest in October. It's usually some very simple model, either an old classic from the 30s or 40s or something the CD dreams up himself.

Some of the members (a few in their 90s) complained that they were beginning to have difficulty building frames with 1/16" square stock. Since I manufacture my own kits and have a laser cutter I decided to design a model with sheet sides, a heavier wing structure, with laminated formers and tail group outlines that could be built more easily, by someone loosing the feeling in their fingertips, while still being a good flier. My intent was to kit some up for the members who wanted to enter. I announced it and showed the prototype at the meeting last Wednesday and, so far, I'm producing a dozen. This model, the OD-17 (One Design 2017) should be an easy and satisfying project for a beginner. I'll be sending a few to selected modelers to get feedback as to whether or not I should make it into a regular production kit.

The photo is the first prototype stuck together for a "bones shot".

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I discovered a couple of weak spots in the fuselage that make the building a little touchy so it has been redesigned slightly but the changes from the one in the photo are slight.

[kittyfritters]

Here are a couple more views with the skin on. Flew it outdoors this evening and it flies better than I hoped. Indoors is another issue. Had to reduce the incidence in the wing to kill the rate of climb and there are some interesting trim issues for such a conventional design. The flying session ended early today due to the air conditioning being on full (Hot day!) so I didn't get it sorted out or get videos. I will try to get videos at the Luther session on Friday evening.

[kittyfritters]

Every summer, when my grandson goes to science camp at the California Science Center, I sit in the food court of the Science Center and build model airplanes while I'm waiting for his class to end. This year I build the definitive version of the OD-17 on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and started on the production version of my Irish Jumping Bean, Bo0stonian, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. I get about two hours of working time each day. Since I also become something of a museum exhibit I am also answering the question of passers by.

The redesign of the OD-17 is subtle (Compare the "bones shot" photos.) but it is now even easier to build and what I consider some weak spots have been eliminated. I don't know how much time I will get to test it at the O.F.F.C. meeting on Wednesday, since there is a contest, but I will attempt a video.

Some of the comments that people make when seeing someone building a stick and tissue model are interesting:

The best millennial comment was, "Doing something like that is like Chitty Chitty Bang Band old!"

One teenage girl asked me how long it would take me to build the model I was working on (Irish Jumping Bean). I told her about 10 hours. She turned to her friends and said, "OMG, ten hours for just one of those? I can't imagine working on anything like that for 10 hours."

The best one was the 8 or 9 year old kid watching me pin down the plans. "What's that?" he said pointing. The kid had never seen a thumb tack!

[staubkorb]

"The best millennial comment was, "Doing something like that is like Chitty Chitty Bang Band old!"

One teenage girl asked me how long it would take me to build the model I was working on (Irish Jumping Bean). I told her about 10 hours. She turned to her friends and said, "OMG, ten hours for just one of those? I can't imagine working on anything like that for 10 hours."

The best one was the 8 or 9 year old kid watching me pin down the plans. "What's that?" he said pointing. The kid had never seen a thumb tack!"

Makes one want to cry, doesn't it... (my actual thought is definitely NOT postable!)

[kittyfritters]

To be fair, those were some of the most outrageous quotes of the week. Maybe I'm just getting used to it since this is the fourth year I have done this. There seemed to be genuine interest from those between the ages of 7 and 13 and those above 40 years old. As for what that means for contemporary, Western society, I have some equally un-postable thoughts. They certainly need to be in a different thread although a forum such as this may be one of the more appropriate places to have such a discussion.

[kittyfritters]

I did manage to get a short video of the OD-17 flying with just enough winds on it to ROG. I was limited in the time I had because the Penny Plane contest was starting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBAZbaCDhok

More next week.

[kittyfritters]

In spite of the suggestion, by one of the more mischievous members of the group, that I should have designed the model and passed out the kits without testing it simply to enjoy the chaos that resulted I spent some time testing it. The flying characteristics of the OD-17 indoors did not satisfy me. For a "generic airplane" (That's what one of the O.F.F.C. members said I should call it.) it required a little too much effort to trim. It had a bit of a tip stall in a tight turn when the power ran down. Suspecting that the 12% airfoil that is used was to blame I redrew the wing with a 10% airfoil and added a little more dihedral. I built the new wing, yesterday, and tested it this morning. Voila! Outdoors and indoors it simply flies. The design is finalized and as soon as I have the instructions edited on the plan the kit will be available. The first dozen kits are for the O.F.F.C. members (The contest is at the end of October.) then it will be available on my web site. There are two more similarly constructed models on the "drawing board".

Keep 'Em Flying!

Howard

[kittyfritters]

Testing it again at the O.F.F.C. meeting this morning. Was acting a bit funny until I realized that the rear of the stabilizer had become unglued from the fuselage. With it glued down had no problem getting it to turn in the room and fly up near the ceiling. One flight it landed on the back of one of the basket ball backstops. I knocked it down with a pole and picked it up while the motor was unwinding. I stopped the prop and it still had a few hundred turns on the motor so I hand launched it and it still had enough power to climb and make several circuits of the room. Flying on a single loop of 1/8" Tan II about 1-1/2 times the hook to peg length. Very satisfying! Unfortunately, no video this week since my "videographer" left the meeting before I discovered the loose elevator.

Howard

[kittyfritters]

The OD-17 now has a name. It will be known as "The Plain Plane". The production kits will come with blue and white tissue.

Howard

[kittyfritters]

Some of the kits provided to the O.F.F.C. members who will participate in the One Design contest at the end of this month have been built. All the kits were provided with a sheet of blue tissue and a sheet of white tissue.