Big thanks to George for getting this forum up and running here. Great effort!
This is my latest indoor scale project, started when I came back from the IIFI feeling inspired to start on a new Indoor Nats model. It'll be 25" inch span,1/16 scale for rubber.
It's a Short S.42 which was very much based on the Bleriot XI, the main difference being it had a beefier undercarriage that dispensed with the Bleriot sprung 'bedstead' system. It was flown in the early days of the RNAS by the legendary Charles Rumney Sansam.
Some pics and two 3-views can be found here: https://flyingmachines.ru/Site2/Crafts/Craft28639.htm
Mine is based on the drawing from the Putnam book:'Short Aircraft since 1909'by C. Barnes.
(The other drawing on that webpage is from the Peter Lewis Putnam book:'British Aircraft 1809-1914' but to my eyes it's not quite as accurate as the other one.)
I only have the makings of a fuselage so far, with quite a lot of rigging done in the open section. I'll be using the same aerofoil as on my Bleriot, as plotted for me by Toon Verbruggen.
Great subject Pete I shall look forward to following this one.
Hopefully this will some of the wonderful flying characteristics of your Bleriot, the fuselage is looking pretty good already . Interesting that the Short appears to be a larger aircraft than the Bleriot given the different scales between your two models. I had always assumed it was more of a copy but clearly not
Sorry, should've said 1/14 scale, not 1/16. Span of original aircraft was 29' 3".
I now have wings! I used the same Toon Verbruggan aerofoil as on my Bleriot, which is quite drastically undecambered and a bit of a faff to make as none of the spars can be laid flat on the board. Done now though, so hopefully the effort will be worth it. Tips were laminated round a form.
The tailplane on this aircraft was also undercambered. I'm not sure how closely to replicate this on my model. I suspect such lifting tailplanes are a bit of a pain when it comes to trimming so am tempted to tone it down a bit, or maybe even flatten it completely. Does anyone have thoughts or experience with this?
Quote from: Pete FardellThe tailplane on this aircraft was also undercambered. I'm not sure how closely to replicate this on my model. I suspect such lifting tailplanes are a bit of a pain when it comes to trimming...
I built the Mooney peanut one with a reflex tail as per the plan, but didn't get enough intact landings out of it before I gave up repairing it to be able to tell whether or not I should have gone for a flat tail. However the flights it did make were quite...
swoopy which
suggests to me there was an up elevator effect giving a climb / soft stall cycle.
I may be able to tell you more when I finally finish my "big" Chiribiri, see pic. :)
Why not use the same section as you did on the Bleriot. You know it worked!
Ron
Hi Pete,
Very nice, clean, accurate woodwork! I always enjoy your builds.
Stephen.
Quote from: cvasec on Jan 11, 2026, 12:41 PMWhy not use the same section as you did on the Bleriot. You know it worked!
Ron
My thoughts too. The real Channel Bleriot had a more or less flat tailplane though, so although mine is of thinner section I didn't have to worry so much about it looking unscale. I think it'd be more obvious on this one.
I think I might do it flat and put 'cheat ribs' at each end to sort of suggest a bit of undercamber.
Quote from: TheLurker on Jan 11, 2026, 10:57 AMQuote from: Pete FardellThe tailplane on this aircraft was also undercambered. I'm not sure how closely to replicate this on my model. I suspect such lifting tailplanes are a bit of a pain when it comes to trimming...
I built the Mooney peanut one with a reflex tail as per the plan, but didn't get enough intact landings out of it before I gave up repairing it to be able to tell whether or not I should have gone for a flat tail. However the flights it did make were quite... swoopy which suggests to me there was an up elevator effect giving a climb / soft stall cycle.
I may be able to tell you more when I finally finish my "big" Chiribiri, see pic. :)
It's a masterpiece! Very clean job!! Bravo!
QuoteWhy not use the same section as you did on the Bleriot. You know it worked!
Ron
Sounds like a good plan. My co2 Bleriot had a lifting tail but it has a modest undercamber rather than the deep undercamber you can see in the photo's. I think you are right to compromise on the section and you know the Bleriot one works
Thanks for the thoughts on the lifting tail. I really both Lurk's Chiribiri one and the Brainwood Bleriot's. However, I've now built mine with a flat underside and just a bit of camber on the top. Hopefully it won't misbehave.
I've also made the tailskid and rudder. I'm slightly worried the rudder is a bit small, but it is to scale dimensions. It would be a very quick job to make a larger one though, so I'll leave it for now.
I've made the wheels now too using a patent "lolly stick" method which worked out rather well. The stick was removed after the first round of spokes were threaded on, then I cut more grooves in the rim and added another lot of spikes to fill in the gaps. Just two lengths of thread were used for each wheel.
Tyres are just rings of 1/32 balsa stuck together and glued onto the rims.
They still need painting of course, but here they are in situ and also a mock-up shot of all the bits now made. Dummy engine next.
I didn't know Sir Michael Caine built model aeroplanes. Live and learn, live and learn.
Oooh that's looking very evocative already. Wheels look great too
I've gnow made a Gnome. I might still decide to dirty it up a bit.
For winding, the whole thing comes off but the front part also unplugs to enable static prop fitting and thrust adjustments. The cylinders are plastic tubes wrapped in paper, but I hid a bit of lead in each one as they're a good place to hide some of the inevitable gnose-weight.
More progress...
Covering went well, by my standards. Tissue is, I think, almost the last of my white Esaki. I'd already run out but must've got two more sheets from somewhere. It was possibly from the stock of the late Ralph Sparrow. (Thanks, Ralph, if it was!)
Anyway, there were fewer wrinkles than usual especially after being steamed twice. Two coats of thinned non-shrinking dope applied.
It's not all been plain sailing though. I noticed the aircraft was standing too tall, and the reason was that the u/c legs weren't splayed enough. Some fairly drastic surgery rectified this, and I'm happier now (last pic). The resulting wider track will maybe help with its ground handling too?
Colour spraying also went okay, although my airbrush keeps losing pressure so it was all a bit stop-start. Paint is the good old Xtracolor "RFC Doped Natural Fabric" from Hannants. Rib tapes are tissue strips glued on afterwards. A light spray of clear satin acrylic varnish took the shine off.
Nearly ready for rigging now.
That is looking very nice, Pete!
Same as wot George wrote
Stephen.
Yep as above... Looking very lovely
Beautiful Pete!
Hi Pete
What tissue did you use for the rib tapes? More Esaki? Did you colour it?
Quote from: Jmk89 on Feb 13, 2026, 09:05 AMHi Pete
What tissue did you use for the rib tapes? More Esaki? Did you colour it?
It was grey tissue from VMC but before cutting the strips I coloured it with a brown colouring pencil. I'm guessing on the colour really- the tapes show up on most of the photos of the real aircraft but are not all that dark.
Thanks for the info, Pete
Well I'm calling this one done. Rigging is thread, and the pilot is carved blue foam.
Weight as seen is 84g. 26g of this is the prop and dummy engine/noseblock assembly, with a lot of lead incorporated. It'll need a bit more yet I fear, but maybe it'll still be under 100g at flying weight. My Bleriot balances at about 37% chord, so I'm hoping this will utilise a similarly rearward CG.
Some pics..
And I couldn't resist doing a few comparison with the real McCoy shots...
Great model Pete and I love the comparison shots. That's looking pretty good, best of luck with the trimming. I doubt you've tried a test glide yet in our soggy windy conditions ?
Lovely.
Wonderful Pete. I really enjoy your pioneer-era builds - the Bleriot in flight always makes me inexplicably happy. This looks like it will be another good one.
Cheers,
Mike
Loads of period charm there Pete. Good luck with the trimming.
John
Really great, certainly looks the part.
Thanks all for the nice comments.
I made a start trimming it today, at the Manchester Velodrome. I did actually set out to try it in my field last week, but when the first test glide went three feet forwards from my hand, and then three feet backwards back INTO my hand I decided it was maybe too windy.
No wind at the Velodrome though...
It was as a bit stally at first but this is how it went after even more noseweight was added. (It even qualified in the competition!)
Ooh, they were very, very promising flights indeed. Can't wait to see it in action come April.
Lovely!
That has turned out very well!
I wonder whether it is a little over scale speed (I'm comparing it in my mind with the film I've seen of the Shuttleworth's Bleriot and Blackburn). But that's really nit-picky.
I love your renditions of the early planes.
Ron
Superb Pete. Who needs Keil Kraft grass, looks the Bleriot may have a rival
That's a lovely model and seems to fly as well as it looks! It really evokes the slow flight of these pioneering machines.
Very promising, are you sure that's not a power stall?
I feel Dave is right here. It looks like it is flying very close to the stall and may cause issues with more power if needed. It looks lovely flying though.
John