Well, I got to test the landplane version.  It may be a model of what was once the fastest airplane in the world but it isn't fast.  The best I could get out of it was 12.3 mph.  As an RTP speed model it's a dead end.

It does fly free in completely dead air indoors.  With just to prove the point I flew it the length of the gym, about 100 feet.  Flying outdoors is only possible in the completely dead air of dawn and dusk.  With no dihedral if it gets his by the slightest cross wind gust it flips over on its back. However, it is very cute and I may do a NoCal version or even a 1:16 scale version if I can squeeze in the time.

KF 

KF...I was wondering if some of the teflon tape on the bottom of the floats would have given them some freedom to slide on the gym floor?  Thanks for the update of contest coming up!  Look forward to your reports.

At the first meeting of the O.F.F.C. this year there was extensive discussion of the scheduled RTP Speed event.  There was discussion of adding a new class, NoCal style profile racers.  The idea is to compete with profile scale models of a actual racing planes at NoCal size (16" span).  We couldn't decide between built up, NoCal style models or all sheet LoCal models.

At the next meeting Don Butman brought in a couple of NoCal models he had of Greve Trophy racers that he modified with landing gear and teather anchors.  Bill Watson brought in the timing pylon.  The results were a bit unimpressive with the models floating around the pole at 6 to 12 mph.  Bill Watson made an all sheet Goodyear racer with a 13" span, Peanut size.  It got up to 24 mph but had trouble making the three lap timing because the rubber length was too short.

I decided to take a different approach and although I was very busy with my 1:16 scale prototypes managed to squeeze in a quick and dirty, all sheet, LoCal size Curtiss R3C made from balsa scrap in my shop.  I decided on the floatplane version figuring that it would simply slide off the gym floor and that the floats would keep it in a level takeoff position.  Boy, was I wrong!  I had tested it by flying it free over tall grass and it flew.  What I didn't realize is that the  apparently glossy gym floor is really a non-skid surface.  The model would not even move.  I ended up making some small wheels and putting them at the bottom edge of the floats.  At the next meeting I found that I could get it off the floor but it only flew about 10 mph. 

I decided to make a landplane version of it and try that.  I won't know how well it works until the next meeting and there is a contest so I don't know how much testing will get done.

These quick and dirty prototypes only take a few seconds to cut since they don't have part numbers or gates, the tabs that keep the parts in the sheets after they are cut.  They might not be competitive but they sure are cute.  It was suggested that they might make good 1:16 scale, full fuselage models.  At 1:16 scale they would only be slightly larger since the full sized airplane was quite small (22 foot wing span).  The landplane version might work but the floatplane might be a challenge sort of like making a Guillow's Rufe ROW.  However, that has been done!

More later