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 An article about Fred Reese's Simple Citabria appeared in the November 1984 issue
of R/C Modeler magazine. It is a balsa model that uses the constant chord Ace foam wing,
with a span of 35 inches and a flying weight of around 20 ounces when powered with an
.049 engine (Black Widow or TeeDee) and a miniature 2-channel radio. The foam wing
panels were until recently available on eBay, but not at the moment.
Laser Design Service offers a short kit of the Ace Simple Citabria if
you are not into cutting your own parts from balsa sheets, and they also offer a
balsa built-up version of the foam wing. The
RCM
article can be found here. You can look for a copy of the
November 1984 R/C Modeler on eBay.
Steven Swinamer, who has provided similar photos for a few of his other creations*, sent along these photos of the building
process of his Ace Simple Citabria. If you haven't figured it out by now, Steve has a
penchant for scratch-built, 1/2A-sized R/C model airplanes. Says Steven about his Simple Citabria:
"I have the original magazine and plans ordered back in the day from
RCM. Now they are available on the Internet. It is a pretty simple and quick building
design hence its name, but flies remarkable well and can take a lot of abuse without
damage because they are so light. Every landing is dead stick and sometimes you don't
quite judge it right and go in the bushes which is half the fun of it. But eventually
you get good at it. You want to seal the wood around the nose as the castor oil in
the fuel will lift the covering after a while. A simple 2 or 3 channel radio is all
you need. I like seeing the antenna trailing out the back. It is amazing how
responsive it is in turns and rolls with just rudder and elevator. I actually dialed
the throws way down after the first flights. The guys with the big planes get a kick
out of it being refueled with an eye dropper."
Plans for the Ace Simple Citabria can be downloaded free from the Outerzone
website.
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R/C Modeler Magazine Article
Airframe Covered
Side View of TeeDee.049 Engine Mount
Cox TeeDee .049 Installed
Rudder & Elevator Control Horns
Control Surface Pushrods
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Uncovered Fuselage
Fuselage Halves
Fuselage Bottom Sheeting
Engine Mount Bolts & Blind Nuts
Vertical Fin & Rudder
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Check out the Price of the Balsa!
Ace Foam Wing Airfoil
Foam Wing Halves Joined w/Epoxy
Wing Airfoil Fitted to Fuselage
Horizontal Stabilizer & Elevators
Tailwheel Installation
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* See Steven's Bee-Tween,
Ace Whizard,
Simple Citabria,
Simple Duster,
Quarter Pint,
So-Long, and
Ace Pacer models.
Posted December 22, 2018
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