Eastwind Designs
PF-CRUISER PARK FLYER Plans
$12.99 U.S. per set
(plus $3.00 shipping)
Each 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 access to an online instruction sheet with photographs detailing construction methods.
Our newest design, 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.
Most of the flying has been done with an Expert Electronics motor/gearbox/prop combination which has proven to be excellent. A second trip to our local shop found none of these gearboxes left, but we were able to find a generic version which appears to be exactly the same thing. Our source is www.greathobbies.com on Prince Edward island, Canada. The part number at great hobbies is HLISFMS.
The three bladed 9-7 prop is especially nice. It is very flexible which has resulted in no damage from dozens of belly landings on grass and quite a few groundloops on pavement. The gearbox ratio is 4:1. It's available from Hobby Lobby, but I get it from www.greathobbies.com here in Canada. Hobby Lobby appears to be their supplier. Hobby Lobby's part number is jh28043 for motor/gearbox/prop combo. The complete prop assembly and single blades are also available. check http://www.hobby-lobby.com/gear280.htm (at the bottom of the page)
I've also used another gearbox which is essentially the same except that the prop hub is designed to use the APC park flyer props. Both gearboxes were 4:1 ratio. However, the two bladed apc props did not fly as aggressively as the three bladed ones. Probably more because I didn't test enough to find the correct APC prop. I used 10 by 4.5 and a 9/6, both of which flew the plane ok, but not as strongly. I suspect a 9/7 or even a 10/7 would be better.
Greathobbies also has the radio system we use (futaba compatable). The flight pack is a GWS "for indoor and slow flyers" GW/CB200/F. There is also a scanner code on the package which says GWS2005 that is also the code for it at www.greathobbies.com. Just do a search for the part number. The included 6 cell 270 mah nicad pack will fly the Pf_cruiser in slowflyer mode. It will give you about 5 minutes full throttle flight. I much prefer the 7 cell NIMH pack though, longer flights, and more power. Greathobbies has these as well. The included 2 amp GWS speed controller is being flown by several builders here and so far it has worked out fine even though all my designs are pulling 4 amps on the 7 NIMH cells. You will also need a crystal for this receiver on your frequency. It is not the normal crystal, much smaller and sells for $20.00 here in Canada. The flight pack above is about $130 Canadian if I remember correctly.
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.
Each plan set is $12.99 in US funds plus $3.00 shipping and handling (folded).
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