Reader's Gallery

Kosciuszko's Squadron's Biplane Fan

comments (1) October 25th, 2011 in Reader's Gallery

docwriter, member

4 users recommend

Add Comment
Print

I am a student of early aircraft, especially WWI (1916-1918) and the Polish–Russian War (1919-1921)… Two American flying squadrons of those wars were, the “Lafyette Escadrille” and the “Kosciuszko Escadrille”…Some American pilots that flew in one, flew in both…

Now to change the subject... One of the smaller fans in my shop is a box fan that fell over last month and broke a fan blade…My design area in the house is in an corner space that needs a fan, so I thought, why not take this 3 speed fan motor and build a bi-plane whose prop wash will be that areas fan…Also, my lady Trish, has a beautiful old hat rack that she doesn’t want and I could use it for a pivoting mounting stand for plane…

To build the plane around the fan motor, I used scrap wood stored in my shop…I used paneling and ¾” for the body, oak for the prop, struts and landing supports, ¾” plywood circles for the engine cowling and wooden fencing for the wings…I found a young “Anakin Skywalker” upper body at a yard sale for 50 cents and bought the rubber tires with individual spokes from Tower Hobbies for $34…

The rest was gluing, shaping, sanding, spackling, priming and painting…Next, I used my computer to collect or draw the decals I needed…When it was finished I had a 3 speed mounted fan that on high at 15 feet away, blew papers off my drawing board and when the plane is on the floor, it taxies away till it runs out of electrical cord…

Level of difficulty=medium…materials cost=$75…hours=55…Also, I have an order for a second plane that I’m building for $850 (my building time should be cut at least 10 hours)…This has been a fun project…

Design or Plan used: My own design

posted in: Reader's Gallery, questions contact Doc at docwriter43@yahoo.com

Add Comment Print