Andrew Moorhouse

 16 February 2022

I found this designer of model airplanes on Outerzone.

His designs uses, in particular, his Luton Minor:

• laminated curved parts are from 1/32" thick strips, wetted and formed around cardboard templates and pinned to a plastic film covered building board to dry.
• 2 layers of 1/32" balsa sheet propeller blades, formed around a can, sanded while on can. When completed, they are glued to the 1/4"x1/4" propeller hub.
• 1/4"x1/4" balsa propeller hub and shaft, cross cut at ends, and uses tin plates with holes in the centre glued to the hub/shaft for bearing surfaces. Brass or alloy tube is also mentioned as an alternative.
• Uses nylon button nose. 
• His motor shaft has a square loop at the front so it can be winded with a winder. A small piece of wire acts as the catch that locks onto the loop while it is pivoted with a pin on the lighter side of the propeller. This pivoting catch disengages when the rubber tension is released and allows the propeller to become free-wheeling.

His plans are handwritten and complete patterns (including colour scheme) and printed parts are also pdf for printing. His kit consists of 1/16" and 1/32" sheets for strip wood, formers and ribs. Makes me want to find some 1/32" sheets. Very inspiring.

Brass or alloy tubes are mentioned as an alternative to tin plates. I think I will not because I may have to buy various tubing to get the appropriate size and I can't cut the ends squarely without lots of sanding. Even if I managed to find one that fits, I wouldn't use tubing as a button bearing replacement because it seems I will be relying on the fit and glue on the noseblock. A button bearing has a flange support to spread the compressive load to the fuselage frame. 

Tin plates are not so common now, I can still find them but aluminum cans are so easily at hand. I think it will be a good idea to substitute with small pieces of aluminum sheets cut from aluminum cans. I don't have his nylon thrust button, again, maybe I can substitute it with aluminum pieces as well. After all, while they may be thin and light, they will experience only minimal side forces and ought to be stiff enough to spread the compressive load from tensioned rubber to the fuselage structure. If 4 pcs of 1/16" can withstand the compressive load, I don't see why aluminum pieces can't when they are glued to a much thicker balsa base (nose block).

To make the 4 pieces (2 pairs) of aluminum bearing plates:

1. cut a strip off the side of an aluminum can with a pair of scissors/shears;
2. uncurl and flatten strip;
3. use a thumb tack to pierce the aluminum material against a wooden block; and
4. trim to shape and size with a pair of scissors/shears.
5. glue the 2 pairs to the solid balsa hub and noseblock, the burrs from the piercing faces each other so that no cleaning up on the outside is needed.