The first plan for the spring issue of HIGH-FLIGHT is one I did a year ago, but was published only as a plan peek. This airplane deserves much more than that. Its the Monocoupe 110 special from that prolific designer of quarter scale round engine classics, Lynn Lockrow, who calls his business "Classic Airplans". Lynn has moved from Indiana, Pennsylvania. His new address is 723 Mercer Circle, Auburn, Alabama 36830. This plan is available, rolled in a tube from Lynn for $32.00. Fibreglas Cowl and Wheel Pants are available from T&D Fibreglas, of Garden City, Michigan. Just to divert from the plan for a minute here, I was speaking of Round engined Classics. You know there is a full sized round engine Classic being built right here in good old Lansing, Michigan. Its the Waco YMF-5 I've been through the factory and its a thrill, at least for some of us old Timers...

Since I'm the Events Director for the 1986 IMAA festival which will be held here and am aquainted with the man who is the president of the company building the Waco, I prevailed to him to have one fly in and be on display at the festival. The answer was "no Problem" just let me know when. There will be an article in the Summer issue of HIGH-FLIGHT on this airplane, with pictures, so stay tuned and run out and buy Pica's fifth scale kit, I did.

So much for that, back to the Monocoupe. The plan comes on four sheets with a very comprehensive instruction booklet and two large sheets of construction photographs. Lynn tells me that his prototype weighed in at 12 pounds and he used an OS 120 four stroke for power. Flight characteristics were very good. Wing span is 70" and weight is projected at 12 to 15 pounds depending on covering and finish. At twelve pounds, wing loading is 26.33 ounces per square foot. This is with 1050 square inches of wing area. Comes out just right.

Sheet one shows fuselage and rudder side view, and top view with the instrument layout on the panel drawing. Fuselage construction is of quarter square balsa or spruce longerons, uprights, crosspieces and diagonals, with 1/8 x 1/4 stringers. The firewall former is 1/4 ply with a 1/4" ply firewall glued to it. The cabin door is made to open and the landing gear is formed from three pieces of 5/32 music wire, and anchored to a very substantial plywood anchor in the fuselage. A scale built up tail wheel is shown and could be constructed from a CB unit or use the CB unit as is. Fin and rudder are built up from balsa with laminated balsa leading and trailing edges. Also on sheet one is a run down by number of all seven of the 110 specials built.

Sheet two shows the wing and stab-elevator layout, along with the wing struts. Wing ribs show the scale Clark y section and are made from 1/8 balsa. Spars are quarter square spruce, leading edge is sheeted with 1/16 balsa and the shear webbing makes a D section, very strong. Ribs are cap stripped with 1/16 x 3/16 and all ribs are in scale locations. Wing tips are built from sheet balsa and the cabin window frame is ply. The bracing that shows through the wing window is made functional from brass tubing and clevises. Ailerons are built up and use scale diagonal ribs. Wing struts are from 1/4 x 3/4 clear pine or spruce. The stab and elevator are constructed the same as the fin and rudder.

Sheet number three shows fuselage cross sections from the firewall to the rear of the cabin area and a full sized front view of the airplane. Scale dihedral is 0 degrees. A wind- shield pattern is also shown.

Sheet number four shows isometric views of construction detail, the landing gear bending layout, empennage bracing, tailwheel construction and wing panel attachment to the center section. There is also a good three view on this sheet. This is a super plan, very detailed and very scale and yet not cluttered. If I didn't want to build this airplane and my wife would let me I'd wall paper the wall of my den or office with this plan. In fact if it weren't for her I'd probably do several rooms of the house in plans.

Some like Jets, some like WW2, or WW1 fighters, but to me and airplane with a round engine and wheel pants or landing gear fairings is like a woman in high heels. Very easy to look at and admire. And that's the way it is this snowy February day in Michigan. Lynn you really out did yourself with the Monocoupe.