Designed by Andy Reynolds. Free plans from Summer 2012 Park Pilot.
As a change of pace from the quick and agile warbirds I have designed in the past, I wanted to try my hand at something relaxing to putter around with when the wind is low. What I came up with is the EZ-Cruiser, a simple, three-channel, high wing model that’s a nice- and easy-flying floater. The slow speed of the model, as well as its self-righting quality imparted by the dihedral, also make it an ideal choice as a primary RC trainer. Based on the good results of the original 39-inch, 8-1/2-ounce model made with 5mm blue foam, I scaled the Cruiser down to 26 inches and used 3mm Depron for a smaller version. The resulting Mini-Cruiser weighs only 3.4 ounces, and should work well for indoor or outdoor flying. I fly both versions outdoors, and even the small one can handle a bit of wind without a problem. Read the entire build process in the Summer 2012 issue of Park Pilot.
Carbon-fiber rod is used to make the wing struts. A dab of hot glue at each end holds them securely.
Struts are temporarily mounted, and pressure is applied over the wing while the epoxy cures.
The EZ-Cruiser is painted and close to ready to fly. Note the clamps securely holding the fuselage while measurements are checked.
From the first toss, I could tell that the EZ-Cruiser was going to be a gentle, relaxing flyer. It pulled away in a smooth climb with hardly any control input. Taking it up high and cutting the power, the airplane glides well and can catch an occasional thermal. It’s a very stable model, even in moderate wind. It’s slow, so it can’t make much progress in a strong headwind, but there is plenty of pull to go vertical for as long as you like. The Mini-Cruiser is an equally good flier and can also handle a bit of a breeze. It’s easy to fly in a tight space, so it should work well indoors as well as out.
The EZ-Cruiser and Mini-Cruiser are gentle flyers that can deal with reasonable wind conditions. Either one makes an excellent primary trainer — and they’re fun to build.
The EZ-Cruiser and Mini-Cruiser pull away in a smooth climb with hardly any control input.
The EZ-Cruiser and Mini-Cruiser are great indoor or outdoor slow flyers/trainers.
Download full-size plans (30.58 x 23.03")
Download tiled-plans (Nine 8.5 x 11" pages )
Download full-size plans (12.00 x 9.15")
Download tiled plans (Two 8.5 x 11" pages")
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