Span 54.5 cm / 21.5 in
Weight 15 g / 0.53 oz
The concept:
■ Slope soarer
■ Light weight yet stable for good performance
■ Profiled wing
■ Easy to build
■ Few parts
■ Conventional layout
Name is Hebrew and means bird. Related to Tzipor are the feminine names Tzipora andTzipi. Tzipora is associated by many with freedom and grace and Tzipora was also the name of the wife of Moses — so tells us the Book of Exodus. Tzipi is a more affectionate form and very common in nowadays Israel. Remember former Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs and Vice Prime Minister Tzipi Livni. Vejgele / Feigele is the Yiddish equivalent to the modern Hebrew name Tzipi.
Be curious and always try to broaden your personal horizon.
Building the balsa glider Tzipor
Materials
Fuselage: soft B 3; wing: stiff B 1; wing supports: B strips 3 x 3; horizontal stabilizer: B 0.8; fin: B 0.8; horizontal stab supports: B 3 x 3; linen band width 12 mm / ½ in; ballast: small piece of scrap metal or lead or a coin.
Assembly
Cut out balsa parts in accordance to plan. Sand well (photo). Make templates and transfer outlines on fuselage, wings and empennage. Paint your model at this stage (photo).
Wing:
Wing consists of a right and a left wing half. Fix one wing half on building board with pins. Cement corresponding half by paying attention to dihedral (100 mm) given in plan. When dry reinforce center joining area with linen band (photo) and let dry.
If wing has tendency to rest only on one side, then it is too heavy on this side. To compensate the imbalance, disperse a small amount of white wood glue on the opposite wing tip area and let dry. Do it, if necessary, twice until balance is obtained.
Fuselage:
Cement wing support strips and horizontals stab support strips into their given places. Hold with clamps or clothespins or with modelling pins.
Empennage:
Cement fin on fuselage as shown on photos. Check symmetry and hold in place with pins. Let dry.
Fix fuselage on so called ‘third hand’ (photo). Cement horizontal stab into its place using pins to hold. Visual check symmetry from all sides. Let dry.
Final Assembly:
Don’t remove fuselage from ‘third hand’. Cement wing on wing supports using one or two pins to hold in place. Doublecheck visually symmetry. Let dry.
Remember correct center of gravity (CG) is essential for successful flights.
Make your first test glides over tall grass only.
שתהנו והרבה טיסות מוצלחות!
shtahanu veharva tisot mutzlachot!
(May you have fun and many successful flights!)
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