Eastwind Designs PF-CRUISER PARK FLYER Plans
Each plan set includes a 30 by 45 inch plan, a separate computer printout of all airframe pieces other than stick wood that the builder can attach to balsa to easily make parts, and acess to an online instruction sheet detailing construction methods.
The PF-Cruiser is a 41 inch span park flyer reminiscent of 40's and 50's aircraft. This 12.5 ounce model is a full house park flyer, operating on ailerons,elevator, rudder and throttle. Four channels are not necessary though, and the PF-Cruiser can be flown with aileron, elevator and throttle simply by gluing the rudder permanently in place.
This new design is a smooth and agile little flyer you can operate in some pretty confined spaces. We are flying the PF-Cruiser in these pictures from a paved turnaround at the end of a long lane in our local school yard. A high bank with higher trees skirts three sides of this site making some tight turns necessary almost immediately after takeoff. Park flyers handle this kind of environment with ease. In fact tight flying sites add to the fun of flying these little birds.
The PF-Cruiser makes low passes on the outer edge of our schoolyard flying site. Touch and goes with these little park flyers is an absolute delight. You can actually set them down on one wheel if you want, accelerating away again for another circuit. Touch and goes seem almost to be in slow motion.
My son and I often chase each other around the circuit with a couple of our planes. I couldn't believe my son's enthusiasm the first time we did this. He's a hard core pattern/acrobatic flyer and yet he was back the next day for some park flyer fun. Above left he's heading for a touch and go, and right, he hand launches the PF-Cruiser just to see how easy it is.
Here The PF-Cruiser is just touching the left wheel during a touch and go. I'm not sure if my son did this deliberately or if he's just banking away from the snowbank which is quite close in this picture.
Shown naked in the above pictures, the complete airframe at this point weights 2.5-3 ounces. Finished flying weight of the prototype is 11 ounces hand launched without wheels, and 12.5 ounces when flown with the wheels in place.
I built the whole plane from one piece of 1/8th by 4 by 48 and one piece of 3/16th by 4 by 48 balsa and have some wood left over. I used a balsa stripper to strip the 3/16th square and 1/8th by 3/16 stringer pieces. One sheet of 1/16th by 4 by 48 is more than enough for all ribs and the few other 1/16th bits needed. There are also a few pieces of 1/32nd aircraft ply used for the landing gear mount and dihedral braces. These are not necessary if you don't use wheels, and the dihedral brace would probably be ok with a firm piece of 1/16th or 1/8th balsa substituted provided the ribs at the dihedral joints are aligned properly and there is a good glue joint there (not heavy, just close tolerances). I also made my own control horns from 1/16th aircraft plywood. Lighter might also be ok. Covering was clear monocote. About 2/3 of a roll covers the whole plane.
Eastwind Designs PF-CRUISER Plans
$15.99 U.S. per set
(pricing includes $3.00 shipping to worldwide destinations)
To purchase plans for any of these parkflyers using paypal, simply access my paypal account using my email address astroflyer@eastlink.ca and indicate which plan you wish shipped.
We also accept checks or money orders in US dollars. Contact us
for more information.
