1/72 Aircraft Carrier that Lands and Launches RC Bi-Planes

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Expand view Topic review: 1/72 Aircraft Carrier that Lands and Launches RC Bi-Planes

Lexington will be in SIMI, CALIF. June 24

by Nathan » Thu Jun 15, 2006 11:59 am

I will be bringing the Lexington to the next SIMI INDOOR FLYERS event:

EVENT DATE: June 24, saturday, 7:30pm-10:30pm Inside Gym

Site is: Rancho Santa Susana Recreation Center 5005 Los Angeles Ave, Simi Valley, CA 93063, near Stearns Street. Exit 118 Fwy at Stearns Street, go south around 3 blocks, right on Los Angeles, and then around a half block on the right side.

There is no charge to fly or watch.

aircraft carrier flight opps

by timslocum » Sun May 28, 2006 12:33 pm

How about making the carrier out of blue foam?? You could make it in two pieces if you want for transport. It would float and be more studier than cardboard.This is really neat stuff.but I really dont need another project!!!

by Amy Tobol » Fri May 26, 2006 8:25 pm

ARH wrote:Lateral thinking TIMMY C
Nathan's thinking outside the cardboard box.

Timmy C wrote:No room =P
It folds up! The carrier and our three Aero Aces fit neatly in the trunk, and there's still room to spare, for the spare. (sorry :roll: )
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by JIM BAUMANN » Fri May 26, 2006 5:46 pm

Excellent idea and concept!!

As a (closet!) part time RC electric modelplane flier... I think this can only develop until such time as you have nearscale aircraft landing and taking off from nearscale carriers.. AFLOAT...

great stuff!!

welcome to the board and sharing your ( tangentia!) l experiences!!

For anyone who doubts the abilties of modern electric indoor flight...

contact me at ... jbys1@tiscali.co.uk

I can fwd you an indoor flying sequence file that will make your jaw drop!!


Jim Baumann

by Timmy C » Fri May 26, 2006 5:46 pm

No room =P

by Victorious » Fri May 26, 2006 5:43 pm

ARH wrote:
Timmy C wrote:Very innovative! When I read the cost of $10.00, I thought, No way in heck will they be able to do it. But then as I saw the pics, I was amazed at the results! Just wonderful! :thumbs_up_1: :thumbs_up_1:


Lateral thinking TIMMY C, :woo_hoo: :woo_hoo: :thumbs_up_1:
No excuse now Timmy, you too can build your own Cardboard Carrier. :lol_3: :lol_3: :lol_3: :lol_3:

by ARH » Fri May 26, 2006 5:36 pm

Timmy C wrote:Very innovative! When I read the cost of $10.00, I thought, No way in heck will they be able to do it. But then as I saw the pics, I was amazed at the results! Just wonderful! :thumbs_up_1: :thumbs_up_1:


Lateral thinking TIMMY C, :woo_hoo: :woo_hoo: :thumbs_up_1:

by Timmy C » Fri May 26, 2006 5:31 pm

Very innovative! When I read the cost of $10.00, I thought, No way in heck will they be able to do it. But then as I saw the pics, I was amazed at the results! Just wonderful! :thumbs_up_1: :thumbs_up_1:

by Amy Tobol » Fri May 26, 2006 1:41 pm

Victorious wrote:Interesting Nathan. the catapult is something I am working on for my model of the Victorious, although I have devised a slightly different method to the one you are using.
Hi there, Victorious. Nathan and I were following your thread. I posted in it, praising your boat and telling you we had a similar project going.

Thought we'd see you here sooner or later. : )

by Victorious » Fri May 26, 2006 12:01 pm

Interesting Nathan. the catapult is something I am working on for my model of the Victorious, although I have devised a slightly different method to the one you are using.

Mine works similar to the real thing, by using a skid running on rails along the deck. the skid is coupled to a small model railway bogie by a short length of brass rod, (through a slot cut in the deck), with the bogie running on another track, underneath the deck. this bogie will have another short rod attached to it at right angles and will act as the firing pin. An elastic band acts as the firing mechanism, which is attached to the bogie pin and a screw eye fixed at the front of the track. A servo arm will hold back the bogie, under tension and released by radio from the transmitter, to fire off the skid.

The Vic is slightly smaller than your model of the Lexington and is of course built for radio control. I need yet, to perfect my method of launching a 1/96 scale plane and although I don't think it will fly too far, it was just something to amuse the kids, who are attracted when ever they see a few warships sailing.
Once I get it sorted, my plane will be attached to the ship by a length of nylon fishing line, so that the ship can tow the aircraft back to the lakeside, for repositioning on the cat, ready for another launch, out on the lake. The plane used for launching will be made from thin ply and balsa, for lightness, but with a wing span of only about 4 inches, I doubt whether it fly much further than ten to twenty feet.

Obviously I cannot perform a landing, as there are no aircraft suitable in this small scale, but I do intend to attach a plane to a short length of piano wire fasted to the after end of the flight deck, so that appears that a plane is coming in to land on the deck.

by kennylibben » Fri May 26, 2006 9:40 am

Wow! welcome to the site nathan, and let me be the first to say that is AMAZING!


i've always wanted to see r/c planes launched off a model.... your next goal should be an R/C carrier!

I cant believe how amazing it looks for being something made out of cardboard! Congratulations, hope you experiment more and keep us informed!

1/72 Aircraft Carrier that Lands and Launches RC Bi-Planes

by Nathan » Fri May 26, 2006 8:49 am

My wife and I were in the car driving one day and talking about what things might make flying our Air Hogs Aero Aces (RC slow flight bi-planes) even more fun. We came up with the idea of making a model aircraft carrier. We thought that it would be a fun thing to do precision landings on and guessed the indoor flying group to which we belong would also enjoy it.

Being an engineer, I started of by putting together in my head a list of design criteria for the project:
1) Large enough to land an Aero Ace.
2) Able to be easily disassembled into pieces small enough to fit into the back seat of a car.
3) Very inexpensive (target cost about $10.00).
4) Good appearance (at least from a distance).
5) Quick and easy to build.

I then added to my wish list for the model a list of secondary design criteria (stretch goals):
1) Able to launch an Aero Ace.
2) Model of a US navy aircraft carrier that really carried bi-planes.
3) Able to land and launch other slow flight RC airplanes.

Based on the above criteria, we decided to build a 10 feet long (which works out to 1:72 scale) cardboard model of the Lexington (CV-2) as she was in 1928 (when she carried bi-planes). The first very rough version was built in less than a week and was a total success at our indoor flying group. It met all the primary criteria (although �Good appearance� was definitely only from a distance) and most of the secondary criteria (it lacked the ability to launch an Aero Ace).
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The first version of the aircraft carrier did, however, have some problems and limitations:
1) It took two people to setup.
2) It was not as �solid� as I would have liked.
3) The appearance left a great deal to be desired.
4) It was not very accurate to the Lexington.
5) It had had no way to launch a plane.

So, I decided to rebuild the model.
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I found a toy at 99� Store that I converted into the catapult.
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It is come out much better this time.
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The catapult works very well and most people who tried it were able to do a successful launch on the first or second try.
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The aircraft carrier disassembles and folds. In its folded state it fits easily in the trunk or backseat of a car.
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