Full size Printed Plans Scale 1 1/4" = 1ft control line PIPER Comanche Throttle, Flap and retracting landing gear

Full size Printed Plans & Article

Not a KIT or MODEL No Material

Reproduced Vintage Plan From 1961

PIPER Comanche

WINNER OF THE 13th NEW ZEALAND CHAMPIONSHIPS

Full size printed plans on a 48” x 36” sheet

Four page article with building notes and photos

A superb 1 1/4" equals I' scale

control line model.

15 to .21 Engine

Throttle, Flap and retracting landing gear

Illustration on Plans

designed by Laurie Ackroyd

  SELECTION OF THE Piper Comanche as a detailed CIL scale project was inspired by the publication of photographs of the prototype about the same time as a report in AEROMODELLER on the J. Roberts Flight Control system Construction of a replacement model was due and while a tricycle undercarriage type offered something of a challenge, the way was made clear with Flight Control and some assistance in this direction was given by designer Bob Smurthwaite himself, who fitted a Veco .19 motor with Varispeed slide throttle.Throttle, Flap and u/c control

The obvious construction with a model fitted with working gear for the motor speed, undercarriage and flaps with all their attendant rods, levers, cams and linkages was to have this equipment mounted on a rigid keel of plywood so that operation would not be affected by the stresses to which the model may be subjected. Accordingly, it was designed to utilize the cabin floor as a horizontal keel of 3116 in. ply, on to which ply formers lock and the mechanism is mounted on the underside of this keel.

This model, spanning 45 in., represents all Laurie Ackroyd's model building activity over the past two years, interrupted only by a couple of C/L  stunters and an F.A.I. power model. The greatest portion of time went into the design, experiment and installation of the clockwork-operated retracting and extending under­carriage, flaps, rudder and motor speed controls. Although the photo shows a mass of rods and levers which appear overcomplicated and hard to follow, the result is a self-locking undercarriage which works beautifully. The interconnected motor-speed, flaps and rudder (offset at slow speed) are relatively simple; but it all adds to the seeming jumble of linkages which are housed in a depth of less than once inch beneath the plywood floor of the cabin. Thus the interior is not encumbered by gear which would detract from scale effect. For the modeller who prefers to "simplify", detail is provided for fixed gear.

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