Full size printed plans vintage 1981 Peanut Scale "GADFLY" best in the Golden Age

Full size printed plans No material

GADFLY 1979 Grand Peanut

The "GRAND PEANUT" (Overall winner) and best in the Golden Age category of the last (1979) Model Builder Parcel Post Proxy Peanut annual contest series.

Full size printed plans on a sheet 11” x 17”

Four page article with building notes and photos

Peanut Scale

Wingspan 13”

Power Rubber

By SHERMAN GILLESPIE

Construction is rather conventional, as the saying goes, and certainly poses no problems for the experienced builder. For modelers who have not built ships for indoor flying, the old advice "think light" works very well. The finished model weighed 7.5 grams, which is probably a good weight to shoot for. Study the plans and the photos, read through the article, gather the necessary materials, and enjoy some pleasant building!

The Gadfly is one of those obscure, light aircraft that has always appealed to the sport flier, both the pilot of full scale airplanes and the model builder. It would make a fascinating project for the homebuilder if the plans were available today!

Built in England in 1929 by A.P. Glenny and Lt. Col. G.L.P. Henderson, and designed by Capt. K.N. Pearson, it had a wingspan of 25%10", was 7'-10" in length, and had an empty weight of 455 lbs. with a disposable load of 295 lbs. Fitted with a 40 hp A.B.C. Scorpion engine, it was quite a performer with a listed top speed of 91 mph, a cruising speed of 72, ;and a landing speed of 45. An advertisementfor the little machine in the August 15, 1929 issue of Flight magazine stated that it held "the World's Height Record for Single Seater Light Aeroplanes, 4th category (under 200 kilos) at 3021 metres."

The decision to build the model for the 1979 Model Builder Proxy Peanut Contest was based on several years of very successful flying of an 18-inch semi-scale version and the clear knowledge that it was not a commonly seen aircraft. The decision turned out to be a happy one, for the Gadfly earned top static and flight points in the Golden Age category and was named "Grand Peanut."

In the capable hands of proxy fliers Ken Hannan and Jim Lueken, the Gadflyturned in an average flight time of 42.5 seconds. Only seven Peanuts out of the 68 to qualify in all categories posted higher times.

Thank you for looking