High Flight Articles

Volume V No. 1 Page 16 1985

DEHAVILLAND DHC-1 CHIPMUNK - Jim Pepino

Review by Chuck Spencer 821

Here is another excellent offering from Jim Pepino SPPS, Greensboro, NC. This plans set is for the De Havilland Chipmunk DHC-1... 103 1/4 inch span and a length of 76 1/2 inches. Power is by a Quadra or better. Wing loading 39 ounces at 26 lbs., (with foam wing) Deduct 2 lbs. for a built-up wing. All dimensions, cross sections and airfoil are scale. The plan shows a one piece bubble canopy version, but the standard canopy can also be built. The plans are $32.00, rolled and in a mailing tube in U.S.A. Photo Packs of this airplane are also available. Send for his catalogue listing... which is $3.00.

The plans set consists of three sheets, the first being the fuselage, fin and rudder. Fuselage is built up-side-down over the plan, using 1/4" x 1/2" balsa crutch. Formers are from 1/4" ply and or balsa, and is planked with 1/8" sheet balsa. Fin and rudder are built up with fin being sheet covered and rudder fabric covered. The canopy separates from the windshield and slides back on a track attached to the long dorsal fin.

Engine is mounted on a built-up box, which is an integral part of the fuselage and has three (3) degrees right thrust built in! I particularly like the scale position, construction, of the rudder and tailwheel linkage. The tailwheel looks really neat. The cowl for this in-line version of the Chipmunk is available from Fibreglass Master (Rt. 1, Box 530, Goodview, VA 24095).

Plans sheet number two is for the Wing, Wing is from 1/4" x 1/2" spruce spars with 1/4" balsa in between forming a very substantial beam spar!

Ribs are from 1/8" sheet balsa and the wing tips are formed from balsa blocks. Low and behold, the ailerons are FREISE type on this job, and the flaps are of similar construction. The linkage hook-up for the flaps and ailerons are left up to the builder, but I'm sure that anyone tackling something of this sort can and will come up with his own system. It appears to me that a torque rod system can be worked out. I can understand the foam wing version on this plan as there are quite a few ribs and they are all different. There is a huge 1/8" ply dihedral brace. Also the wing root fairing or fillet template is on this plan sheet. This sheet contains the landing gear construction set up made from hardware store items. It is fully shock absorbing and should function very well and look very scale. Also there is a scale prop shown on this sheet and it would be very easy to make, as it is only twisted aluminum. The wing is substantially beefed up to take the landing gear, and distribute shock loads very well.

Plans sheet number three: This sheet contains the Stab and Elevator. The Stab is built up and sheet covered with the Elevator being fabric covered. There is also a built-in trim tab on the right elevator, which can be made functional. On this sheet there is also two three-views and a cut-a-way view of the straight canopy version, the three-views are for both versions. I almost forgot, the CG range is also shown on sheet one. This has been shown to be a very well performing airplane and should be aerobatic as any Chipmunk model that I've flown, however, I think I would opt for more power, to achieve the desired results.

This is an excellent set of plans as I stated and Jim Pepino has done it again. If anyone is interested: send to Scale Plans and Photo Service, 3209 Madison Avenue, Greensboro, NC 27403.