Eastwind Designs
ROBIN 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 acess to an online instruction sheet detailing construction methods.
Based loosely on the Curtis Robin, this is a 39 inch span park flyer powered by a geared 280 motor on 7 NIMH cells. A smooth and agile little flyer, this airplane routinely makes 12 minute full throttle flights on 720 mah cells. Hand launched with the wheels removed over our grass field, the plane is a delight in calm morning or evening air. Hand launching is a breeze, just a slight push and the Robin is accelerating away from you. No need to run with this 12 ounce model, just hold it up and give it a shove.
It's not just a calm day flyer as we routinely fly it in 10-15 mph winds with no problems. Flying in wind seems to be more related to the actual site itself than the size and weight of the model. Flying downwind of a treeline or other objects will result in turbulent air and a more difficult time with a light model. Fly in an open area with few obstructions and things get much better. We've flown this small plane dozens of times in winds so strong it can barely make any headway and have landed it easily every time with no damage.
It's a fairly aggressive and quite fast little airplane on 7 cells. Flying on six cells results in a plane that is more like a slow flyer, laid back and relaxing.
The robin is shown here hovering in 15 mph winds. I was literally able to walk out almost under the airplane and make these close up pictures. In this wind landings were almost straight down with almost no forward movement. The Robin was able to fly upwind at full throttle no problem and backward with just enough throttle to maintain altitude. Note the uncovered part of the fuselage ahead of the wheels.
Builder Dave Parsons omitted the holes in the nose top, substituting this one for motor cooling. He also added a 1/16th balsa sheet back of the motor on the diagnol nose stringer to deflect incoming air down and out the fuselage bottom. Dave is flying the Robin here using two lithium cells and makes numerous flights on each battery pack. Total time exceeds 35 minutes! Dave has made his parkflyer wheels with 1/8th liteply centers and the "rubber" is from pipe insulation.
Wheels on, the Robin is a fun touch and go machine from pavement in any open parking lot. Flying down final with 25-30 percent power makes for effortless no bounce touch and goes and we frequently touch down on one wheel and then the other before accelerating away again. We get an easy 12 minutes of this kind of flying every flight.
The Robin has been flown extensively under the lights in parking lots at night and the transparent yellow covering on the prototype shows up in the dark for a surprising distance.
Electric airplanes are an ideal winter airplane for snowbound flyers. Charge a couple battery packs and slip out for a flight or two in the local school yard. No fuel or starting problems, no cold hands, just flying fun followed by a hot cup of coffee.
The Robin is capable of mild aerobatics. Put the nose down for a bit to build speed and it pulls nice tight loops that look pretty impressive when started from about two feet off the ground. Stall turns are also pretty slick as long as you enter them with the speed up. You can fly it right in your face and maneuvering it tightly within the confines of an average club's runway certainly gets the attention of other flyers. Because of it's dihedral the Robin flies smoothly with rudder, elevator and throttle controls.
Shown naked in the above pictures, the complete airframe at this point weights 2.5-3 ounces. Finished flying weight of the prototype is 12 ounces hand launched without wheels, and 13.5 ounces when flown with the wheels in place.
This Robin built by Dave Parsons of Halifax, Nova Scotia leaves the concrete in a 15 MPH wind. It literally took off in a couple of feet.
The fuselage sits on a bench at our flying site. You can see the tiny GWS servos and receiver and the back portion of the 7 cell NIMH battery pack.
Most of the flying has been done with an Expert Electronics motor/gearbox/prop combination which has proven to be excellent. The three bladed 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.
The tiny 16the plywood control horns are glued into slots cut in the rudder and elevator leading edges. Both the elevator and rudder are attached with clear cellophane tape.
One of our beta testers Dave Parsons of Halifax, Nova Scotia with his Robin. Dave calls his park flyer "KOLIBRI" which is Austrian for "hummingbird". A good name for any of these small electrics!
Each plan set is $12.99 in US funds plus $3.00 shipping and handling (folded).
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