This is a short kit for the Cessna CR3 racer from the late thirties (see video here). This particular kit is the somewhat simplified Dime scale version which spans 16 inches and was designed with the FAC pseudo Dime Scale event in mind. Kit comes with all of the sheet wood (1/16” , and 1/8” ) required to build the model as well as laser cut crosspieces for the fuselage, stab and fi. It also comes with a sheet of a jig patterns that you can attach to a sheet of foam (3 mm deperon foam works great for this) or balsa to make the simple fuselage jig. Lastly the kit also includes some art for the pilot, prop and cockpit and a pre trimmed vacu-formed canopy and all of the plywood parts required for the front end, rear peg and Gizmo Geezer adjustable thrust button (purchase the thrust button and a prop separately here).

Flying Notes:

The prtotoype of this design used a simple 7” plastic prop and really likes to fly right-right (despite my best efforts to make it fly left) so I would build it with symmetrical washout on both wing tips (about 1/16th inch). Flying is very easy. The prototype flew off the board with not significant adjustments and flies exceptionally well. Set the CG and stab as shown on the plan and do your first test flights on low power (200 turns). I used a 4g 4 strand motor made up from 3/32nd FAI tan supersport rubber. This motor should be capable of about 1800 turns max. I have not pushed that far yet but I find that she will do well over a minute on 1600 turns. If you put her in a thermal she is quite capable of going out of sight so you might want to put a DT on her. If you need a DT timer you can get one here.

Ordering:

To simplify ordering I have devised three basic kit purchase options:

1. Kit with tissue - the kit is as described above above but comes with a full printed tissue set that has all of the red trim and race markings included. This option while more expensive is the easiest and quickest way to get a nice result and is what was used in the rendition shown in the pictures.

2. Basic short kit with tissue cals sheet - this is the same basic kit as above but instead of the full printed tissue set this option includes only a sheet of decals (recently number, registration, prop stickers etc.) printed on Japanese tissue that you can cut out and dope onto the model that you have covered in all yellow with red trim. The tissue-cal sheet does not include the red trim. You will need to do this with your own red tissue. This option, while cheaper will require significantly more time and also skill in the cutting out and application of tissue trim.

3. Kit with tissue prop and gizmo - Same as #1 but includes a gizmo thrust button and a 7” plastic prop.