NOTE: the computer printout of airframe parts cut out with a sharp knife and the pieces taped to appropriate balsa blanks to facilitate the easy formation of pieces needed. Note that all parts are laid out on these printouts with the wood grain running horizontally.

FUSELAGE
With a balsa stripper, strip 1/8-inch wide strips from 3/16th by 36 or 48-inch balsa and pin fuse top and bottom strips to the plan. Note the extra 1/8 by 3/16 strip glued at the wing saddle area. Cut and glue the former and diagonal strips in place. Take care to fit these as closely as possible to get a good joint. Remember there is a 3/16th sheet firewall/nose block to be glued onto the nose, so don't confuse this piece as a fuselage sidepiece in the plan side view.

While the fuselage side is on the building board, fill the nose sides and the area under the stabilizer with 1/16th sheet balsa as shown on the plans. The sheeting at the rear will support the pushrod exit points. Also install the 1/8th balsa wing hold down supports after drilling the holes for the wing dowels. I used skewers from the local supermarket, which have worked well. NOTE: the hole sizes shown on the plans are approximate and should be determined by the type of dowels you will be using. Some people are using stiff nyrod and other types of plastic rod as hold down dowels.

Remove the first fuselage side from the plan and build the second with the same methods. The finished fuselage side will feel pretty flimsy at this point, but when assembled with cross pieces it makes for a strong and light structure.

Build formers F3 and F5 over the plans using 3/16th square balsa stripped from 3/16th sheet. Glue both formers to one fuselage side aligning carefully with a square. Glue directly on top of the F3 and F5 1/8th sidepieces already in place. Remove this side from the plan and place it (and the glued F3 and F5 formers) upside down over the plan top view. Lightly pin both F3 and F5 formers in place on the plan. Align the other built up side over the plans and glue to formers F3 and F5.

Cut the nose/firewall from 3/16th sheet and drill the motor and cooling holes. I used forstner bits for this. The motor hole should be cut slightly undersized and sanded gradually to fit your motor's gearbox. The whole firewall should also be cut from the sheet slightly oversized to allow a bit of extra area for alignment purposes when installing. Pull both fuse sides together, aligning carefully over the plans and glue the firewall in place. Pull the sides together at the tail and glue. Cut and fit the 1/16th balsa sheet bottom nosepiece, which is installed between the sides from former F1 to F2.

Cut 3/16th square balsa pieces to fit across the fuselage bottom at formers F2, F4, F6 and F7, sanding the slight fuselage curvature as necessary into the ends before gluing. Note that formers F6 and F7 consist of 3/16th square pieces added during final assembly unlike F3 and F5, which are built up separately. The upright sidepieces of F6 and F7 are actually the fuse side formers built into the fuselage earlier. Remove the fuselage from the plan and turn upright. Cut and glue 3/16th square sticks in place at formers F2, F6 and F7 on the topside also. Note that there is no cross member at F4 on the fuselage top.

Sheet the front windshield area with 1/16th cross grain balsa, beveling the bottom so it fairs into the nose top stringers. Do the same for the rear window area in the cabin. Now sheet the whole nose top from the windshield to the firewall F1 with 1/16th sheet balsa. Bevel the rear portion of this sheet so it fairs into the windshield. Note the cooling holes in this top sheeting which are necessary for motor cooling. I used 7/8th forstner bits to cut the holes. Operating without these holes and those shown in the firewall F1 will result in hotter running motors and shorter motor life. While not necessary for winter flying, some builders operating in warmer temperatures have been leaving a section of covering off the fuselage bottom immediately in front of the landing gear and former F3 to provide an exit for the cooling air.

If you will always hand launch the Swallow, there is no need to install landing gear. However, if you wish to enjoy it in a paved parking lot (under the lights at night is great fun) now is the time to install ¾ inch strips of 1/32nd ply across the fuselage as shown on the plans.

WING CONSTRUCTION

Note: the wing is built in three pieces; the center section to both polyhedral breaks first and the outer polyhedral pieces last. When building the outer panels, remove the center section from the plan to avoid gluing problems.

Cut 15 1/16th balsa wing blanks, align them in a stack and tape lightly together. Tape the wing outline from the computer printout to the rib stack and cut the ribs using the hacker of your choice. Sand the ribs in a stack to remove saw irregularities.

Strip wing spars (3/16th square) from 3/16th balsa, ensuring the grain is pretty straight and there are no imperfections, which could compromise spar strength. Cut two spars to the exact length of the center section (24 inches) and pin the two lower spars to the plan just to the polyhedral breaks. Cut a piece of 1/8th balsa one inch wide by 24 inches long and pin to the plans as shown to form the wing trailing edge, again only to the polyhedral breaks. . Align the ribs for the center section over the plan, and glue in place. It is particularly important that the outer ribs on the center panel be glued in place at 90 degrees to the building surface and 90 degrees to the leading edge. This will help greatly in joining the outer panels later. A misalignment here will result in a crooked wing

Install and glue the top center section spar. Use a strip of 3/16th balsa to make the leading edge. When everything has been added and glued in place, remove the center section from the plan and carve the leading edge to the section shown on the plan.

The one difficult spot in the wing construction is the sanding of the wing trailing edge to an airfoil shape. I removed each panel from the plan and placed them close to the edge of my workbench so a sanding block could be more easily used. Be careful not to damage the rear of the ribs when sanding. The trailing edge does not need much removed; in fact a final thickness of about 1/16th inch is fine.

Now build both outer panels using the same method. NOTE: DO NOT GLUE the inner rib on either panel at this point. These ribs will be aligned and glued into place (flush with the outer rib on the center panel) when joining the wing with the proper polyhedral. I made both spars in these panels about 1/8th inch longer than shown on the plans to allow some extra wood for sanding the polyhedral angle. Using the computer printout cut the wing tips from 1/8th sheet balsa. The lightening holes probably don't remove much weight, but they look cool and should be used. Sand the tips smooth and glue to the outer rib on each wing panel. Install the tip supports (1/8th balsa). Once both panels are completed, remove from the plan and carve both the leading and trailing edges exactly as done with the center section.

To join the wing sections use blocks 1.75 inches thick placed under the wingtips. First locate the center panel back over the drawing. Sand the spars, leading edge and trailing edge of both outer panels so that they line up with a tight fit with the 1.75-inch block directly under the wingtip. Use care in sanding so that too much wood is not removed. When a perfect fit has been realized, glue the panels together. You should now have a pretty strong joint at each polyhedral break with a flush and tight fit between the two ribs at each joint. In fact the joint on the prototype was probably strong enough to get away without a dihedral brace. However, I elected to use the braces made from 1/64th plywood. A firm piece of 1/16th or 1/8th balsa would probably be strong enough as well.

To install the dihedral braces, cut through the doubled up ribs at both polyhedral breaks immediately in front of the spars using a razor saw or similar. Then gently twist the rib fronts back and forth to break them away from the wing leading edge. Sand the cut flush with the spars. Glue the dihedral braces in place. Carefully sand the rear of the rib halves to reflect the thickness of the dihedral braces. Glue both rib halves back into the wing. They should have a nice close fit.

TAIL FEATHERS

Build both the stabilizer and fin over the plans using the computer printout to cut out the sheet pieces. Do the same for the rudder and both elevator halves. Note that the elevator leading edge is actually one continuous piece of 3/16th balsa and is the easiest and lightest way to allow both elevator halves to work with one pushrod. Sand all assembled elevator and fin parts before assembly. On the prototype I sanded to a thickness slightly over 1/8th inch. Align the fin on the stabilizer to that it is 90 degrees to the vertical as well as 90 degrees to the stabilizer trailing edge. The whole assembly can now be trial fitted and glued in place on the fuselage. You may opt to cover these assemblies before gluing into place. In this case mark the fuselage outline on the stab bottom and cover just to this line, leaving bare balsa areas for gluing on final assembly.

Bevel both elevator halves on the bottom to allow a hinge movement. I didn't bevel both sides of the rudder; just one and this has worked perfectly. Clear cellophane tape over the entire rudder and elevator hinge lines after final assembly and covering makes for a simple and foolproof hinging system.

Make two control horns from 1/6th ply as shown on the plan and cut 1/16th slots in the rudder and elevator at the appropriate spots (in alignment with the pushrod exit holes). Glue both pushrods into place with Ca.

FINAL ASSEMBLY
Before covering the fuselage install the radio gear. Doing so now makes it much easier as you can reach things through the uncovered sides. Glue a 3/16th square balsa "spar" along each fuse side as shown on the plans. These pieces make up the base for a 1/16th cross grain balsa plate, which will hold the receiver and battery pack near the fuselage floor. The servos are installed on two 3/16th square balsa rails as shown. Wick a drop of ca into the holes drilled to accept the servo screws. Location of the radio gear shown on the plan has worked well. Larger heavier servos might want to be installed in a more forward position. Simply placing the gear on the balsa plate can give a pretty good idea of where things should go.

I use either thick ca (wrap your finger in wax paper) or epoxy (sparingly) smeared over the balsa plate, which seals the wood and allows Velcro to stick strongly. Moving the flight battery fore and aft can easily change the center of gravity. The CG shown on the plans will make for a stable airplane. I personally like the CG a bit further to the rear making the plane more agile in loops etc.

The motor installation is pretty simple. The gearbox is held to the nose block with two small screws. I installed two half-inch pieces of yellow nyrod in the nose block to support the screws. The extra length extending from the nose block inside the fuselage allows the motor to flex slightly which is good if you're belly landing the plane on grass. There is a two-degree down thrust built into the fuselage during construction.

Cover the airframe with a lightweight covering. The prototypes are using clear monocote.

After the wing is covered, using a heat gun twist two degrees of washout into each wingtip.

After covering the complete airframe, run the two pushrods. I use a z-bend at the control surface and an easy connector on the servo. Trial fit without hinging the elevator and rudder and determine the location of the plywood control horns. Cut a 1/6th slit in the leading edge of both surfaces and glue the control horns in place. Now you can actually install the rudder and elevators using clear cellophane tape. I was surprised the first time I saw this used, but it is ideal for these small models. Some brands of tape have finishes, which makes it virtually impossible to see on your nice covering job.

Now is the time to install the landing gear. Bend 1/16th music wire as shown and install using small plastic straps cut from a margarine container or similar. Use very small lightweight screws. Use lightweight foam wheels designed for park flyers. The wire and wheels I use add 1.5 ounces to the airframe, which is about a ten percent increase in weight, about the same as adding a pound to a ten-pound airplane. The addition of wheels in a small lightweight plane like the Swallow is noticeable in performance and general flight characteristics. The plane is more agile hand launched without wheels. At the same time it is a different but very enjoyable airplane on wheels, especially if you, like me, enjoy touch and goes. If you use the wheels small plywood or wire skid should be glued to the fuse bottom as shown on the plans.

FLYING

Motor input in my setup is 28 watts (four amp static draw by 7 cells), which results in 12 minutes at full throttle on 720 MAH NIMH cells. I've gotten 16 several times this summer (full throttle) on calm days with just cruising around. My personal Swallow has .5 inch up and down and .5 inch of rudder throw both ways. That may seem like a lot, but it's a pussycat to fly with those throws. I don't find it twitchy at all, but keep in mind that I don't necessarily use all that, just enough for whatever I'm doing. I would use full up in a loop at times, especially if I'm right down on the deck and I want to make sure it comes out before it hits the ground....I do a lot of low looping. That gets people's attention. When you realize that a plane always comes out a loop higher than it goes in (given you don't relax the elevator) it's not very scary.

It'll fly right out of your hand with a slight shove. Obviously you can't just drop it and expect it to fly off, but you do not need a hefty throw either. It'll loop from level flight early in the battery but might need some nose down to gain speed later on. It lands very slowly and I pull a lot of elevator at the very end of the landing approach (when just a foot or so off the ground) to keep the nose up and slow it a lot so it's easier on the three bladed prop. I've had no damage to the prop despite some faster harder landings than necessary.

I attach the wing with four #33 rubber bands, two on each side. No more are necessary. Without wheels, just pick this little plane up, raise it over your head and give it a little shove straight ahead. It should be released level or slightly nose down as in all hand launches. There is plenty of power and the plane will just fly off. Landings are slow and easy and just a matter of removing throttle as needed and flaring just before touchdown.

Taking off with wheels from pavement is another matter, and is difficult in any wind as even a slight breeze can upset this light airframe when it starts to move, particularly in any crosswind. The trick is to ease on throttle VERY gently and get the tail up and flying. From that point the plane tracks straight and takes off briskly. What is really neat flying from pavement is the touch and goes. I find about 30 percent throttle works well when on final and it's almost like flying in slow motion. Taking off again during a touch and go is not the same as starting from a dead stop. The tail is still up and flying and the plane behaves like it's on rails as long as the flight path is close to being into the wind.

Any questions may be directed to me at astroflyer@rushcomm.ca