Please copy freely for your own personal use. All commercial rights reserved by Retro RC LLC.
Laser cut kits are available at www.retrorc.us.com
shown by the dashed line on the plans, or bend a wire hook as
shown. Drill a 1/32-inch hole up into the fuselage, and epoxy
the hook into the hole. Cut two 1 x 5/8-inch sandpaper grips,
trim them to shape as shown on the plans, and glue them on
each side of the fuselage under the wing root fairings.
Decorate the glider as you want. You can use markers,
paint, etc. Look on the Internet for color schemes from which
to choose. There are many! Cut out the cockpit and other
decal patterns from the plans and glue them on (if you like).
Add weight to the nose (I used washers and clay) to
balance the glider at the front tips of the tailbooms. Test glide
and adjust the balance to achieve the best glide. Turns can be
adjusted by adding a pea-size piece of clay under one wingtip.
Trim the aircraft for a left-hand turn if you are launching with
your right hand.
If you use a catapult, launch the de Havilland with a 45°
bank angle at 45° to 60° from the horizon. With practice, you
can achieve glide times of 20 seconds or more. Don’t forget
to add your name and address to the model in case it gets
away.
If you prefer not to cut out your own parts, a laser-cut
kit is available from Retro RC LLC & Campbell’s Custom
Kits.
—Mark Freeland
retrorc@live.com
SOURCES:
Retro RC LLC & Campbell’s Custom Kits
(248) 212-9666
www.retrorc.us.com
32 Model Aviation MAY 2016
www.ModelAviation.com
