Cut the rib templates free from the plan and tape the templates to suitable balsa blanks. It is much easier to cut the 1/8th slots in the rib ends if you do this BEFORE cutting the rib outline. Rib FOUR is a half rib and is there only to ease the installation of the aileron servos.  NOTE the holes for the paper tubes shown on the plans!

 

 

Cut the fuselage sides from 1/16th sheet using the provided templates.  Using the template cut the two wing saddle doublers from 1/16th sheet. Strip some 3/16th square strips of balsa from 3/16th sheet and apply the fuselage doublers along the fuselage top indicated on the plan. Note the 3/16th square along the nose bottom as well. 

 

Cut some 3/16th strips from 1/16th sheet stock and

apply doublers along the fuselage bottom at the rear

and uprights at the locations of formers F2 and F3 and

F4. ( Formers F2 and F3 built from 3/16th square

sticks glue directly over these.)

 

Glue the wing saddle doublers into place.

We covered the whole aircraft in one color monocote and cut vinyl decals for trim.  All up weight is 14 ounces and the basic power system has been various standard speed 400 motors and APC 4.7 by 4.7 props pushed by eight 1100 mah Hecells.  This seems to be the best combo so far.  Other props gave slightly better performance, climb for instance, but at the expense of decreased run time.  Radio gear in mine is the RCD 555 mini receiver and three GWS pico servos, two for the ailerons and one on the elevator. My son's Stinger has the same servos controlled by an airtronics receiver.  There is plenty of  room for these receivers, but a full sized receiver might be a push weight wise. My speed controller is a pixie 14 with standard motors and a jeti with the brushless.

 

We've  run brushless a lot in this ship, notably the Hacker B20 15L and the Mini AC1215.  The Hacker is slightly faster.  Of course flight time is a real concern here with those motors pulling almost 20 amps (17 for the Mini ac).  They go like heck and in a low pass I have trouble hauling that throttle back.  I just love the sound of the thing singing by!

 

The Stinger launches easily.  There is no need to get a run on for the toss.  You simply have to give it a firm level throw at shoulder height.  The plane will sink a couple of feet for a second or two and then get up on the step and start to fly climbing easily.  Flying in the wind is no problem at all and I've flown the Stinger in 20mph winds at our flying site.  Remember hand launching gives you the advantage of launching where you want, no cross wind takeoffs.  Landing is the same and if it's real rough you can drop it anywhere in the grass.  I've found strong crosswind landings on our single runway to be easily done.

 

If you're not used to small airplanes watch the control surface throws.  Mine for sport flying has 3/16th up and down on the elevator and 1/4 inch up and down on the ailerons.  Small changes make a big difference.

Note the 3/16th square doublers in the nose area and the amount trimmed to fit the firewall and the speed400 motor. Small saw slits on the inside edge aid in bending the doublers. After completing the fuselage a 1/8th sheet balsa nose ring is added and the nose area is carefully planed/sanded to fit a 30mm spinner.

Build formers F2 and F3 over the plans using 3/16th square stock stripped from 3/16th sheet on the top and 1/16th by 3/16th strips on the bottom aft of former F1.

Glue formers F2 and F3 at right angles to one fuselage side, locating them over the 3/16th by 1/16th upright doublers.  Use a square to get them aligned properly.  Then locate that side upright over the plan and pin the two formers securely to the plan top view.  Position the other side noting the alignment at the nose and tail and glue to formers F2 and F3.  Pull the sides together at the tail making sure alignment remains correct and glue together.

The former located at F4 is not a full former but just a 3/16th square stick across the top and bottom of the fusleage.  This makes it easy to accommodate differences in the fuselage curve when pulling the sides together.

Pull the nose sides together and carefully align and glue in the firewall.  Note the two degree downthrust in the firewall.  The firewall in this photo is a prototype and not the shape of the final one on the plans.

NOTE: Before sheeting the fuselage top, ADD TWO PIECES OF 3/16TH SHEET to the wing leading edge to allow support for the wing hold down dowells. Sand the sheet to the airfoil shape. Now place the wing in the wing saddle and plane away the wood to make a flat spot to allow the wing to align properly.  Then use two bamboo skewers (about 1/8th inch thick) from the local supermarket to make mounting dowels for the wing leading edge.  We simply pushed the pointed end carefully through the leading edge using the holes in former F2 as guides.  When satisfied, cut them off and glue permanently into the wing leading edge. Ideally they should continue through to the front spar shear webbing. The wing rear is fastened with a single 4:40 blind nut and bolt through a piece of 3/16th sheet glued into the fuse top at the rear of the wing saddle.

 

After the basic fuse construction and while still pinned to the plan, sheet both the front and rear fuselage sides with 1/16th balsa with the grain running front to back.  The fuselage bottom is NOT sheeted.  Note that the elevator/rudder servos are located just behind former F3 on 3/16th balsa mounts glued to the fuselage sides.  After drilling holes to mount the servos, put a drop of ca in the hole to harden the wood.

 

After setting up my radio I simply covered the fuse bottom sealing in the servo area as well.  If desired a small hatch located behind former F3 could be built to allow servo access without cutting away the covering.

 

Plane/sand the fuselage nose to a nice rounded shape fairing into about a 30 mm spinner. We used one we got from aircraft world in japan.

 

The rear fuselage top is round slightly as well for looks.  Note:  DO NOT round the fuselage top beyond the stab front mounting point.  If you do, there WILL NOT be a flat surface on which to glue the stab.

The stab and fin are simply cut from 1/8th  balsa sheet (firm, but not rock hard) and sanded to a streamlined shape. DO NOT use soft balsa for the stab especially.

The pictures here show lightening holes cut by my son the weight freak.  My personal Stinger does not have these lightening holes and differs very little in weight and performance.

The elevator halves are joined by a hard piece of 3/16th by 1/8th balsa. You must cut an indentation in the rudder large enough to clear this. My aircraft has the rudder glued permanently in place, but if you wish a working rudder it's simply a matter of hinging it and adding the extra servo. We used easy hinges in all control surfaces.

Typical nose shape after carving.  Note the cross piece of 3/16th square just aft of the motor (the covering shows the stress of hundreds of wheelless landings).  This provides something to adhere the covering to.  The area below the motor was left open for cooling.

NOTE: RIB 8 SHOULD BE MADE OF THICKER MATERIAL.  We made

ours from 3/16th sheet, but 1/8th would probably do as well.  If left

at 1/16th, the covering tends to pull the rib center out of line when

shrinking.

Note you will need TWO copies of all ribs with the exception of rib one (one copy).

 

Cut the three small wing jigs now (R1A, R5A, AND R8A).  Use the same method as above and make two of each. These tabs are placed under the wing trailing edge at their appropriate rib locations to set the wing alignment during building.

Strip 3/16th square spars from FIRM 3/16th sheet balsa with a balsa stripper and pin the ONE PIECE bottom spar on the plan. DO NOT use soft balsa for the spars. We are building the wing upside down. The top of the wing is flat and there is no wing dihedral, but the natural taper of the wing makes for a slight bit of dihedral on the bottom side.

 

 

Place all ribs on the spar at their appropriate locations.  DO NOT glue yet.

 

Strip 1/8th strips spars from 3/16th balsa sheet. Cut to the appropriate length and place the bottom forward spar in position.

 

Cut a half inch ONE PIECE trailing edge from 1/8th balsa (firm but not super hard).  Carefully slide the trailing edge into place on all ribs aligning things evenly over the plan.  Take the six wing jigs and pin them to the plan to support the trailing edge.  Place them close to, but NOT
TOUCHING their appropriate ribs so they're not glued to the wing!  Add the ONE PIECE 3/16th square top spar.  This spar will have to be bent slightly to fit the taper of the ribs. Place the 1/8th by 3/16th top forward spar at this time.

 

 

Make sure everything is in alignment and NOW GLUE with

thin CA. Glue 1/16th vertical grain balsa full span on

both spar sets.  Glue a strip of 3/16th balsa  3/8th inch wide

to make the leading edge.  This will be sanded to shape after

removing the wing from the bench.

 

 

 

 

 

                                                    STINGER