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High Flight Articles

Volume VIII, No. 2, Page 49 1987



DEHAVILLAND DH-53 - Jim Pepino
Review by Chuck Spencer

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This set of plans is on the very rare bird and is also by Jim Pepino. If you were to build this plane and take it to a Giant Flyin, there is almost 100 percent chance you will have the only one there! I guess I would class it almost with the Fly Baby. It is a low wing single place, open cockpit job that Jim has done in quarter scale. Span is 91 inches and the wing area is 1150 squares. Weight is given at 15-18 pounds, but I think it would be lighter than that. At 15 pounds the wing loading is 30 ounces.

Sheet Number One:

This sheet shows the left side of the fuselage as well as a top view. Construction is built up of quarter inch square hard balsa longerons, uprights and cross members, with plyback to the rear of the cockpit. Only the turtle deck has formers on it. Engine shown is a Saito .90 twin four cycle. Landing gear is typical DeHavilland and with the drag strut in front of the main strut rudder is typical DeHavilland shape and is built up. The main member of the tailskid is typical WW-I, being hardwood which pivots with a spring on the tip and a steel shoe on the bottom.

Sheet Number Two:

This sheet shows the full size front view, the right wing panel and stab/elevator construction, the wing spar in thickness similar to the Chester "Jeep" and the Stinson Reliant series. Stab and elevator are build-up similar to the fin/rudder with adjustable incidence mechanism.

The cost of this plan set is $30.00 from Scale Plans-Photo Service. Also available is a very comprehensive Photo-pack. At first glance I didn't care for this plane, but after studying the plans, I really like it. It is different and looks to be very easy to fly.



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