Maiden Flights- Blue Nose Bas%#rd of Bod

On the 13th of July Bill Trumble took to the sky's with his newest "Profile Foamy Warbird", a P-51D. Covering is all Econo-coat and follows the scheme as used by the 352nd-FS "The Blue Nose Bastards of Bodney" as the Germans called them. Ace among aces in the group was George Preddy the pilot of "Cripes-A-Mighty 3rd" with 32 and 1/2 victory's. 27 and 1/2 of these where aerial combat kills.

Bills Stang is 56 inches in span, weighs in at 55oz's and sports a new La-46 in the nose turning a Zinger 11 x 5. In keeping with his foamy building method, there is no wood sheeting on the wing but there are a pair of spruce spars running tip to tip. First flights were uneventful with loops inside and out and some inverted flight. Trim issues are sure to come up as he dials it in. Lots of line tension on the 60ft lines she was on. Looks good in the air. Nice work for a rather quick build.

That is very nice. How about some details about how its made so we others less talented can have one?

“I have never crashed, but I have proven the theory that gravity sucks!” [email protected]
Glenn Reach

>How about some details about how its made so we others less
>talented can have one?

Yes, I second that. Also, looks like it has no flaps.
Very interesting.

Gents,
Sorry for the rather tardy reply. Very busy around the house these days. Canadian Team Trial trip last week (very cool btw. Thanks David Hoover!!!!!!) , the normal weekly work grind, my sons birthday party yesterday, and the LCLF's pending Fun Fly at the fore front of things (Can you say "tomorrow" July 26?). Anyway here's a photo shoot that may save me a pile of words as to the how and why of Bills "Foamy Warbirds" as I call them. This is more combat technology then stunt. Bill's new to stunt in a manner of speaking. His comp roots are combat through and through.

Pictured are a set of foam speed limit combat cores he cut for me at home. Span is 22" to the half, 13" root cord, 11" tip cord. They are only single cored wings (one cut out to lighten the center area's) with a sold foam leading edge area. Spares are 1/4 x 1/4 spruce I cut on the table saw at home in the shop. The bell-crank is mounted to a stout ply gusset which is glued to the fuselage center section. The spars run through the fuselage and are single spans for both top and bottom. (when you cut your own spars you could have them 8ft long if need be ) Only thing missing is the control rod. This would be installed before the inboard wing is glued up to the fuselage center section. A simple slot allows the rod to exit the top of the foam core and connect to the elevator. Clearance can be cut as needed for smooth ops. Although these pictures show a solid fuselage center section you could in fact build the standard profile fuselage with wing cutout and build and join the wings outside the fuselage in normal fashion. Bill relates that you would still need a good wood surface to both mate the wing halves to and to carry the bell-crank mount and resulting line tension loads. The solid fuse (sans cut out) system works very well in this regard.

For wing mounted gear: Hot wire a section of the L.E. out equal to the span of the gear track. Cut a ply mounting plate/spar (equal in span and wing height) and attach the gear leg wires to this spar/plate. 1/8th inch ply stock works for this. Glue the spar/plate-gear legs to the front of the wing, and re-install the L.E. foam material you sectioned out. You will need to shave a 1/8 section from this foam piece so the L.E. lines up across the span of the wings. Sand the rough spots out of the foam and cover the works with low temp heat shrink Coat. Econo-Coat seems to work well. Reg Mono-Coat may take to much heat and thus warp/damage the foam core. Care is needed. A ply tip plate both ends with or without L.O. slider kinda' completes the package. Add a weight box if you like. Rest of the build is very much standard profile stuff. This in #3 for Bill. #1 was a Warhawk, #2 Extra 300 (with flaps). There's a P-47 lurking somewhere I think. (I've seen the wings for it) Hope this helps.