High wing model aircraft used for sport flying and camera work

Known as the camera plane this high wing model aircraft of around 70 inch span is built to my own design.
A truely excellent flyer and fairly aerobatic.

The camera plane flying a low and slow pass.

Enlarged view of the model aircraft.
The large square tread wheels really help landing and taking off on this rough un-mown sheep field.

The 'camera plane' as it has become known started out as a development project for an intended kitting manufacture business that never came to be. The aircraft is fairly conventional in structure using a D-box wing, 1/4 square spruce spars with a clark Y aerofoil and a wooden fuselarge built with 1/8 balsa sides with forward 1/16 ply doublers. The rear formers are from lite-ply as is the rear top and bottom sheeting. No longerons are used, the sheet wood acting as a stressed skin.
Tail surfaces were originally cut from 1/4 sheet but after an unintended tree landing (right at the top of a really big one!) and the subsequent violent recovery (read 40ft drop!) they are now sheeted built up structures.

The model is covered is solarfilm.

That big tree is the one where this model once 'landed'.

The power plant for most of this models life was a Merco 61 two stroke motor. This is an under-rated old model aircraft engine in my opinion and has proven a stalwart performer in this aircraft over many flights. On getting one of the excellent SC52 four stroke engines however the plane was refitted with the new motor and this now powers the aircraft (plenty of power for short take offs).

The aerobatic capabilities of the model plane are pretty good. Inverted flight is no problem, proper neat circuits can be flown upside down with ease, this is with a moderate thickness flat bottom clark Y aerofoil. All thats needed is a little extra power and some forward pressure on the elevators. Loops either way no messing, big and wide or tight, rolls are a little slow but still positive, stall turns etc. are easy. It's no match for the mid-winger model aircraft featured elsewhere on this site for aerobatics though!

The model is now powered by the excellent SC52 four stroke motor. Has plenty of power to get the aircraft airborne in a short distance on this rough field.

Controls are closed loop to the rudder, pushrod to the elevator, double servos mounted in the wings for ailerons and a bowden cable for throttle operation.
No flaps are fitted but this model could really use them.

Amongst the exploits of this model was a brief floatplane period of operation. Floats were constructed from white polystyrene foam and sheeted with thin balsa the whole lot then being covered with solarfilm.
Most of the water take off flights were made from flooded fields during some rather wet periods a few years ago. The experience was quite interesting, the plane would quickly aquaplane up on the floats and with a little up elevator unstick itself and away it went into the wild blue yonder (actually usually wild grey yonder!).
Flying characteristics with two big floats hanging underneath were much different to the wheeled configuration. The model aircraft would get tossed around more by gusts and turbulence and was predictably slower and more cumbersome. It still remain capable of aerobatics however.
Landing was a breeze, the only tricky thing was taxying the model back to myself with a tail wind blowing the model around. At least when the engine cut sometimes the model blew my way!
Operating a pva glued model aircraft from water for any period of time is not in the aircrafts best long-term interests so after a short while the wheels were put back on and it was back to terra-firma.

As mentioned this is the aircraft I use for aerial photography, take a look at some of the pictures elsewhere on this site. I will be sticking in my digital camera next (cool!)