Pistachio scale planes - under 8" in span, (hopefully) under 2 grams in weight, lots of fun!
This is my first carved-foam model, a P-39 Airacobra. It's very sensitive to trim changes but the flexible surfaces make it easy to trim and even add dihedral. When properly adjusted, it's really impressive in the air. Click on the picture to see it in flight.
This is my first rubber-powered twin - a Yak-2. It goes as fast as it looks; it's really impressive to see such a tiny twin in flight. Covering is inkjet-printed condenser paper from Indoor Model Supply, weight is about a gram without rubber. Click here to download a free plan in jpg format. Click on either picture of it to see it in flight.
This a 6" span model of the Robertson Skylark. Covering is condenser paper (coloring is permanent makrer), weight is 1/2 gram. Click here to download a free plan in jpg format. Click on the pictures to see it in flight. It was a tricky airplane to trim out and get flying; best times are around half a minute.
This is an SE5 in night-fighter colors built from the reduced Walt Mooney peanut plan (can be bought from Peck-Polymers). I used a slightly simpler, heavier construction on this airplane - 1/20" stick (instead of the usual 1/32"), inkjet-printed gampi tissue as covering, and a 4" Peck prop up front. The weight is 2.25 grams, heavy in my opinion, but the plane flies great and looks really delightful in the air; it has that unique biplane romance. Best time so far has been 38 seconds. Click on the pictures to see the SE5 in flight.
Here's another British biplane - an Airco DH2 - that I built a long time ago from a reduction of the Ulises Alavrez peanut plan (available from Dave Livesay's site). It seems to have promise to fly if I fix it up; I'll post an update and inflight photos when that happens.
This is an Ae 270 Ibis biz-turboprop. Fuselage is hollowed white foam; wings and tail are built up from 1/32" square balsa and covered with gampi tissue. Resulting weight is 0.65 grams. Click here to download a free plan in GIF format. Click on the picture to see the Ibis in flight. Best flights so far are around 25 seconds.
This is a BD-4. It uses the usual 1/32" sq. construction, resulting in a weight of 0.7g. This is probably the last model I will build with such frail construction, as handling it can be really frustrating. It did a best time of 1:03, my longest ever with a scale model. Click here to download a free plan in GIF format. Click on the image to see it in flight.
Sources of 3-views for the plans I have drawn
Do you build pistachio scale? Click here to go to the postal contest page - I'm currently running a pistachio scale postal contest (prizes now announced!), set to last till Jan 10, 2005. Email me if you have any pistachio scale photos or plans to share. My hope is that this site will eventually become a clearinghouse of pistachio scale information.
Links
Indoor Gallery - Gert Brendel has some excellent examples and suggestions for pistachio contruction.
Indoor Free Flight - a Belgian page with pistachio plans to build from and photos to inspire.
Mike's Flying Scale Model Pages - Mike Stuart is a talented modeler from the UK, and his pages document many scale contests with great photos and commentary. Among them are some shots of rather astonishing pistachios.
Indoor Flying - Yannick's page has two interesting pistachio scale plans and some good contest photos. While you're there, be sure to check out the video of the F1D if you've never seen such an airplane before.
Books
Hannan, Bill. International Peanuts & Pistachios. Escondido, CA: Hannan, various dates. - a fantastic series - six volumes of "inspiration for builders of small scale flying models." Each volume contains one or more pistachio scale plans, many pictures of pistachio models from around the world, and interesting construction tips. The peanut scale content is equally superb.
Other more recent publications by Bill Hannan are equally rich in pistachio scale content. Check out his website, where you can order these books online.
Koutny, Lubomir. Modely Letadel s Gumovym Pohonem. Brno, Czech Republic:Computer Press, 2003. - an excellent book with two pistachio plans and construction and trimming guidelines. An great book about rubber FF in general, with lots of hilarious stories. It can be purchased online through the Computer Press website.
