My First Peanut Scale Build: BD-4 by Bill Hannan

[MockwingF]

After building a few simple free-flight models, I have now started my first Peanut Scale project. I chose the BD-4 based on a plan by Bill Hannan.

Although I am generally staying close to the original plan, I have made a few minor modifications in certain areas. These are not major structural changes, but rather small adjustments that give me greater confidence in terms of stability, alignment, and ease of construction.

So far, the wing, horizontal stabilizer, and vertical fin structures are complete. Construction has gone smoothly, and the characteristic lines of the BD-4 are already becoming recognizable.

I am currently working on the fuselage, which is the next major stage of the build. Up to this point, the model has been great fun to build, and I am looking forward to seeing how the project develops.

Scale building is proving to be a real challenge. Scale accuracy and low weight are often in direct conflict with each other, so every construction detail becomes a compromise. It is a constant balancing act between adding detail and keeping the model light enough to remain a practical flyer.

I'm curious to see how the project progresses from here.

To be continued...

Markus

[g_kandylakis]

Hi Markus,

A very good choice...

Two questions, which plan are you using?
The original from the Peanut Power book or the revised one?

Second, why did you leave the nose section from the side panels? It is much easier if you add them flat now.

George

[MockwingF]

Hi George,

the suggestion to build the BD-4 as my first Peanut Scale model came from Christian, a German scale builder, after my visit to the IFI 2025.

I am using the revised plan from this forum. However, before I joined the forum, I had already drawn my own plan because I could not make a decent copy from the book without taking the book apart. Therefore, I am basically building from the original plan, while incorporating some of the revisions such as the longer motor and the adjustable tailplane.

Regarding the nose section, I am currently working on it and plan to add most of it flat, as you suggest. I am simply not at that stage yet. In addition, my chosen prototype has a slightly different nose shape and a distinctive cooling slot, so I am still experimenting a bit to find a solution that captures those features.

Thanks for the advice!

[dputt7]

   That's a very pretty aircraft to model, hope all goes well.

[MockwingF]

Many thanks for your interest!

Attached is my latest build progress. The fuselage side frames are now completed, and I have started working on the nose block.

Markus

[Spiros]

Very clean work and a beautiful airplane! Bravo

[SP250]

That's a very pretty aircraft to model, hope all goes well.

Saves people complaining when Lurk or I build a Lacey M10! 
John M

[dputt7]

Surely vou can't compare the appeal of the BD4 to the offence of the Lacey 

[TheLurker]

Surely vou can't compare the appeal of the BD4 to the offence of the Lacey 

How dare you sir!  Tiddlywinks at dawn and my seconds will wait on yours at their convenience.

Back on topic, the BD4 is coming together very nicely indeed.

[MockwingF]

Thank you all for your kind comments and encouragement. I really appreciate it! 

[Pete Fardell]

Looking really nice. Quite tempting to build a big one. And yes, a very pretty little plane. (No one's seriously suggesting Laceys are in the same attractiveness league are they? Unless they're blind maybe...)

[SP250]

Looking really nice. Quite tempting to build a big one. And yes, a very pretty little plane. (No one's seriously suggesting Laceys are in the same attractiveness league are they? Unless they're blind maybe...)

Well I am -6 and -7 diopters for my glasses prescription. So maybe that's the reason Pete, or could it be just to build one because it winds so many people up!  An engineers function over form, verses an artists visual attraction to the subject.
John M

[Nigel_M]

That's a very pretty aeroplane but in what part of the flight envelope does it need 'that' much tailplane/elevator movement? Is it massively aerobatic, like an Extra or CAP etc? Apologies, I'm not familiar with the full size.
Ta

[pb_guy]

I have flown in a BD-4. It seemed quite cramped with two men of normal size and weight in the front. The landing speed seemed quite high, about 80 knots, as compared to my usual Cessna 172 landings at 65 knots. Some other pilots called it a 'twitchy' airplane. But that has no relation to the model, which is quite nice. Lots of colour schemes available.
ian