Avro Vulcan

avrovulcan

Written by Larry Kruse
Build your own park-ready delta wing
Free plans and bonus content
Read the full tutorial in the October 2015 issue of Model Aviation.

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Click here for full plans 36.18" x 26.00"
Click here for tiled plans 8.5" x 11"

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Introduction

With simple and economical construction, the Avro Vulcan has a high enjoyment-to-cost ratio. Little time investment is needed to get it from a flat foam board to a good-flying model. I was recently introduced to the world of flat-foam flying, and I’ve found it much like trying to eat just one potato chip. After constructing and flying two manufacturer-produced flat-foam airplanes (one Depron and the other foam board), I wondered what else might lend itself to a flat-foam presentation. Noting that many flat-foam jet-like models take their inspiration from modern-day fighter aircraft such as the F-22 Raptor, the F-15 Eagle, and the Russian MiG series, I began looking at an earlier era of jet aircraft—particularly those designed during the Cold War era, spurred along by the new nuclear age. Scanning the aircraft of that time brought me to the Avro Vulcan (now called the Hawker-Siddeley Vulcan) and its delta-wing planform that lends itself well to mid-fuselage motor placement in a pusher configuration. Development of the full-scale Vulcan began back in 1947, shortly after World War II. The nuclear age required an entirely different platform for high-altitude delivery of nuclear ordnance. Built to mission specifications, the Vulcan went through several iterations before arriving at the “kinked-and-drooped” wing shape of the production version. Using several three-views and photos of the prototype, I sketched a model that would fit a 99-foot wingspan onto two 30 x 20-inch sheets of 3/16-inch polystyrene foam core board. I used inexpensive paper-backed foam board rather than the more costly Depron. This generic 6mm foam board could be purchased for roughly $1 per sheet at Dollar Tree or craft-supply stores. The airplane could be powered by an inexpensive outrunner motor and ESC, making it a low-cost project with a minimal time investment that still provides the illusion of a jet aircraft in the air. Although the word scale and the phrase “flat-foam construction” are not mutually exclusive terms, their relationship can be described as loose at best. Flat foamies provide a scalelike impression in the air, achieved with a minimal investment of effort, time, and money.

Construction Sequence

Free plans for the Avro Vulcan can be downloaded at www.ModelAviation.com. Two sheets of 6mm foam board, a 2826/10 size motor (or similar), a 35-amp ESC, a 7 x 4 electric propeller, two 9-gram servos, a hot glue gun, and 5-minute epoxy will get you on your way to putting your own Vulcan in the air in no more than a couple of evenings. Any radio with elevon mixing capabilities will work as the control unit for the airplane. All foam parts should be carefully cut out before assembly begins. A disposable #11 scalpel was the perfect tool for cutting cleanly through the foam board laminate, but a sharp #11 hobby knife blade will suffice. Make sure that you make all cuts with the knife held vertically. If you happen to cut an edge that ends up slightly slanted, it can be quickly squared using a T-bar sander faced with medium-grade sandpaper. Two characteristics of foam board that make it attractive are that it cuts like butter, and if you mess up a piece, you can easily and economically cut another one! Use the following sequenced assembly process as a checklist as you complete of your Avro Vulcan. 1) You will need to back each template with lightweight poster board. Any type of rubber cement or spray adhesive can be used to attach the patterns to the poster board. After they are glued down, the final template shapes can be cut out with scissors and a hobby knife. After the templates have been made, trace all of the parts onto the foam board using a soft lead pencil. A pencil is recommended for tracing around the parts because you can erase it if you stray from the template lines.

 

The modestly priced powertrain chosen was a Turnigy 2826/10 1,400 Kv motor, a HobbyKing 35-amp ESC, and an APC electric propeller. The 6 x 4 propeller shown was later change to a 7 x 4 for greater efficiency. The 3S batteries, ranging from 1,000 to 1,300 mAh, require only a slight shifting of position on their hook-and-loop mounts to achieve the required CG.


 

There are only five fuselage pieces. Use 5-minute epoxy to laminate the bottom fuselage center pieces. Although only one wiring hole is shown in the photo, the plans template has additional wiring crossover holes.


2) Place the bottom front plate flat on your work surface and apply a bead of hot glue to the top of one outside edge. You need to work quickly before it sets up. Stand one of the fuselage side rails on edge and attach it to the bottom front plate at the notch. Repeat for the other rail. The rails should be squarely installed so they will align with the outside edges of the propeller clearance slot in the wing. You might want to use a scrap piece of foam board as a spacer at the back of the rails to ensure they maintain a constant width from front to back.

Step 2 The fuselage front bottom plate is hot glued into the notches of the two fuselage side rails. An extra bead of hot glue will increase its strength.


3) Epoxy the bottom curved fuselage center pieces together to make a double-thickness laminated fuselage former. Apply a thin coat of epoxy to one side and keep the two pieces aligned while the epoxy cures. 4) Place a piece of waxed paper on your work surface large enough to extend beyond the joint in the two wing pieces. Spread a thin bead of 5-minute epoxy on the rear of the front wing piece and slide it into contact with the main wing panel. If any epoxy oozes out of either side, wipe it off immediately using a dry paper towel. Weight the two pieces down to keep them flat, and allow the joint to cure.

Step 4 The wing is constructed from two pieces epoxied together and weighted to maintain a flat, warp-free flying surface. Sheets of 6mm foam larger than the 30 x 20-inch foam specified in the text will allow you to cut out the wing in one piece.


5) Mark a centerline in pencil on the top and bottom of the wing, using a long straightedge. These two lines will be the reference points for joining the remaining parts to the completed wing panel. If you need to enlarge the cutout to use a larger motor and firewall, now would be the time to do it. 6) Glue the laminated fuselage former to the bottom centerline of the wing with hot glue, reinforcing it with additional beads of glue on both sides.

Step 6 The bottom fuselage center laminate is glued to the bottom of the wing using a centerline drawn as suggested in the construction notes. A bead of glue should be applied to the full length of the joint on both sides.


7) Place the fuselage side rails and bottom front piece unit over the bottom of the wing and mark a line on each side for their respective locations. Glue the unit in place by running a bead of glue down the lines you marked and placing a bead of glue into the notch in the laminated fuselage former. Reglue the side rail joints on the inside and outside for additional strength.

Step 7 The front bottom plate and fuselage side rail assembly fits into the notch in the fuselage center laminate and the rails are glued to the bottom of the wing. An extra bead of glue should be added to the wing/rail joints on both sides.


Step 8 After cutting out the main wing panel, the ailerons can be separated using a steel-edge ruler and a scalpel or sharp hobby knife with a #11 blade.


The top of each elevon is hinged with a strip of Blenderm tape across the full length of the piece.


The elevon is then bent flat over the top of the wing and two pieces of Blenderm tape are placed 90° to the wing/elevon joint, spaced at an even distance from each end. Note that the elevon’s LE has been sanded to a triangular or chisel shape to allow the joint to bend and not bind against the back edge of the wing.


8) Turn the wing over so the top side is facing up. Sand the bottom of each elevon to a wedge shape to taper the leading edge (LE). Hinge the pieces with a piece of 3M Blenderm tape or Scotch Magic Mending Tape placed over the top seam of each elevon and wing joint. Fold both elevator/aileron pieces back flat against the wing surface. Put two pieces of tape at right angles to the elevon and wing seam on each side, spacing out the tape for strength and flexibility. 9) Glue the front top piece (cockpit area) of the fuselage in place, reinforcing it with additional beads of glue on the side. Now glue the rudder piece in place in back of the propeller clearance slot. Make sure it is both vertically and horizontally straight, and then add an additional bead of glue along each side seam. 10) The final fuselage piece is the bottom fairing aft of the propeller slot and directly beneath the rudder. This piece adds strength to the aft fuselage tail cone. Because it is well away from the propeller, it can be used as a grip for launching the airplane. It should receive an extra bead of glue on both sides.

Step 10 The rudder and the bottom fuselage piece both have a notch at the front to clear the propeller spinner. The tapered tail cone shapes add strength to the aft end so it can be gripped to launch the airplane.


11) I found it easiest to bolt the motor to the motor mount and then install the entire unit to the cruciform mounting surface using 5-minute epoxy. The epoxy allows tweaking during the curing process to make sure the thrustline remains at 0-0. After the epoxy sets up, I used a second coat to build up fillets between the back of the motor mount and the foam board cruciform.

Step 11 The motor mount is glued in place using 5-minute epoxy. A second coat is applied to build up a fillet all around the back of the motor mount where it joins the fuselage/ wing juncture. It’s easiest to epoxy the complete assembly in place in order to assure a 0-0 thrust angle.

 

 

Radio Installation

The area between the main laminated fuselage former and the fuselage side rails on both sides allows ample space to mount the receiver, ESC, and battery using industrial-grade hook-and-loop material. It’s easiest to do a mockup of the layout before attaching the hook-and-loop material.

 

 

Radio Installation This view shows the placement of the receiver and servos. The ESC is mounted under the front bottom plate, with the battery attached to the side of the fuselage as far forward as necessary to achieve the CG.


Hot gluing it to the foam board works better than trying to use the self-sticking variety. The cutouts in the main fuselage former allow the wires to be moved to whichever side of the fuselage is required. It’s wise to move the ESC as far forward as the length of the motor wires allows, to achieve proper center of gravity (CG) without needing to place the battery too far out on the nose area. The two 9-gram servos are slipped into their respective cutouts and hot glued in place. Center the servos before attaching the pushrods to them and to the control horns. GWS servo keepers, along with Du-Bro Micro Control Horns and Micro E/Z Links, work well with the .047-inch music wire pushrods. The control horns should align with the servo arms. I drilled pilot holes for the control horn pins and used foam-safe CA glue to lock them in place. Because I was using my trusty Futaba T6J transmitter and R2006GS receiver, it was simply a matter of going through approximately five screens to set up the elevon mix. My starting point for initial test flights was 80% control throws and 40% exponential.

Servo Installation The servos are hot glued in place and the control horns are glued in place using foam-safe CA. A Dubro mini-keeper is used to lock the pushrods to the control horns.

 

 

Preparing for Flight

After the electronics were installed, I finished the model in the color scheme and markings of the prototype high-altitude Avro Vulcan—an easy task because the airplane was all white with few markings! I did a Google search for “Royal Air Force roundels” to find the fuselage and wing roundels. I printed them on plain paper and used spray adhesive to attach them to the foam board. All other markings were cut from MonoKote trim sheet and adhered to the foam board as you can see in the photos.

 

 

Markings for this version of the Vulcan are minimal. The cockpit markings are from a MonoKote trim sheet and the RAF roundels were printed and attached with Elmer’s spray adhesive.


Foam board does not like moisture—including high humidity—so you might want to seal it. Some modelers have found that Minwax oil-based polyurethane (not the water-based formula) works well.

The delta-wing planform is distinctive in the air, providing the in-flight illusion of a complex, scalelike Vulcan bomber.


One of our club members had success with brushing Minwax on and wiping it off with paper towels before it dried. He then sprayed his airplane with rattle-can paint without causing any warping. Sealing in such a manner would have to be done after the airplane is constructed because hot glue won’t stick to Minwax polyurethane. Although the model presented here doesn’t have any finish on it, the later low-altitude version of the Avro Vulcan has a striking green and gray camouflage scheme that could be applied after sealing the foam board. I used a 3S 1,000 mAh battery for my first flights with the prototype, moving the battery forward as needed to attain the CG, and checking all of the control throws to make sure they were equal and moving in the correct direction. Make sure the motor is turning in the right direction by removing the propeller and attaching a small piece of double-sided masking tape to the motor shaft. Slowly run the throttle lever up. If it’s rotating backward, simply switch any two of the motor wires in their ESC sockets. When reinstalling the propeller, the pitch numbers on the front of the propeller should be facing the motor case to achieve the greatest efficiency.

 

The Avro Vulcan in Flight

Control surface deflections were set to 1/2 inch up and down, and the airplane was launched with roughly four clicks of up-elevator to indicate which way it needed to go. That proved to be the right amount, with some of the up-elevator removed when the desired airspeed was reached. The tailcone in back of the rudder was intended as a convenient object to grip to launch the Avro Vulcan with your hand aft of the propeller and out of harm’s way. Using that technique, the model can be pointed upward at approximately 45°. When the motor is brought up to nearly full power, the model will simply leave your hand with no need to throw it.

 

The Vulcan’s glide is slower than walking pace with no tendency to tip stall. Note the nose-up angle of attack and the position of the elevons as it sets up for a landing.


From the first launch, it proved to be a stable, fully acrobatic model capable of achieving high speeds and less-than-walking-speed landing approaches. It never showed a tendency to tip stall. When it was throttled back to stall speed in the air, it dropped its nose slightly and mushed straight ahead. It is a comfortable, visually exciting airplane while in the air. I want to thank fellow club member Paul Phillips for his steady hand at the controls so I could capture flight photos, and Chase Watkins for his construction techniques that I adapted to the Avro Vulcan to make it a lightweight, but sturdy design. I’m pleased with this foam-board project. Given its minimal cost and quick construction, I think you will be, too. —Larry Kruse

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76 comments

There are instructions and photos about the receiver under the section titled "Radio Installation" near the end of the article.

I took the 8 1/2 X 11 template page to Office Depot and the largest they could enlarge it to was a 28" wingspan. Since everything was increased in size in proportion I figured it would be fine. I bought the foam at the Dollar Tree. Having never worked with foam before I peeled all the paper off and started gluing. The wing was a bit flimsy so I put two pieces of strapping tape on the bottom. I used a 1200kv motor I had and a 6.5X5 prop. Under full power it drew 6 amps. My battery was a 450mah 70C Thunder Power. Ready to fly weight 10oz. There was a slight dip on the launch as the Vulcan came up to speed otherwise performance was very good and slow flight is good enough for indoor flying. I've completed a second one, "I didn't remove the paper" but am using lighter servos and it looks like it will be 10oz. also. I used 30 min. epoxy everywhere. Very nice flying airplane, Thank's

Great to hear you're enjoying the Vulcan! If you would like to send us photos, we'd love to post them here and maybe in Focal Point. Upload your photos at http://modelaviation.com/focalpoint. Thanks.

I got my Vulcan Plans copied to the right size on the second try at my local FedEx/Kinko's. I had the file on a thumb drive, and it seems that the file needed to be transferred to their computer before the actual size plan came up on their Adobe print screen. The second time, I brought a ruler to make sure. Larry has the wingspan marked on the plan, so I used that to prove the scale when it printed. It's 14 7/8 inches from centerline to tip at the trailing edge, half the span Larry marked. Made my templates and looking good. Thanks for posting the article, so I see how the parts fit.

My build is complete a little rough but finished. On my way to the field and my club members are helping me with the electronics. My first build so I want to learn and get it right. Keep you posted.

Good luck with the build. Be sure to send us photos when you are done!

just got done flying my Avro Vulcan wow a lot of fun to fly and it was a nice build Thank You !!

I have a 480-size, 960Kv BL outrunner motor, and a 18A brushless ESC, installed Kv motor from an old Parkzone Sport Cub. Would these work for this plane? Or, do I definitely need a 1400 Kv?

I used a 400 on mine, I would like to see if you squeezed that 480 in there! If you are still thinking about it, you may want to increase the plan size to make extra room for the larger prop. Also don't forget your surface control rods have to go around the prop. :)

After running my Vulcan into a wall indoor flying I found that adding rudder control makes tight turns possible. Also reshaping the nose "it's more rounded now" gives it a space shuttle look. I had the local Office Depot shrink the plans to a 14" wingspan version and have built and flown the Micro Vulcan. With an Eflite Park 180 and a 360mah 3S battery it weighs 3.5oz. I took the prop off my Inum. Current draw is 1.8 amps. I had about 15 failed launches before I got it in trim but after that it flew well. Well it's a handful for an old guy but once I got used to it I was having fun. I have a 20" wingspan version built and as soon as the motor shows up I'll see how it flys.

They say you can put a large enough engine on a rock and it will fly. Well, I built this Avro. First launch into the wind and a dive to the pavement and a busted prop to show. Back to the drawing board and a new prop. Being a real aviation Engineer/ mechanic, I thought of everything I could think of for a successful flight fix. Found a large grassy park and with full throttle and into the wind, I had to hold a stall just to keep her flying at a level altitude. It would not climb due to Newtons theory, and any bank movement made the Avro slip into the low side. I do rather like the look of the Avro. So I'm going to modify the wing to function on Bernoulli's principle. I'm looking at using a light, thin balsa grid to create a camber on top of the wing. Then use ultra lite mono-coat to skin the top wing formers. This way the low pressure will be laminar and not turbulent. Ergo: Bernoulli's will create lift without the Avro flying in a stalled attitude. I'm going begin the mod tomorrow. I'll make illustrations and pictures as it goes along. It shouldn't take more than a few bucks more than the total cost of the materials for the Avro. It might take a week or two, so stay tuned for the progress. Larry, not trying to horn in on you. But this is just the Aerospace Engineer in me. It's in our nature to modify and improve things. BTW......I love building and designing models more than the real ones.

Can I use a four channel receiver for this project?

Yes, This project is perfect for a 4 channel reciever!

I'm on my third build of this plane and I still haven't been able to get it in the air. Every time I launch it, it takes a nose dive to the left. I have the battery mounted on the left side of the fuselage bottom plate and I wonder if that is the problem but I don't know anywhere else to mount it. Thinking it might be the CG but I've tried moving the battery forward and aft without any improvement. Does anyone have any idea of what I've done wrong? I'll try almost anything at this point. Bill V.

I posted this question yesterday but I don't see it so here I go again. I'm on my third build of this model. The first two would not fly. I assume I'm doing something wrong in the build. I thought I followed the plans and instructions carefully but evidently I missed something along the way. Every time I launch it, it dives to the left. I'm launching it according to the suggestion in the plans. I've mounted the battery on the left side of the "Fuselage Bottom Template". I've tried moving the battery fore and aft with no change in the results. I'm using the battery called for in the plans along with all the other suggested parts. Does anyone have any idea as to what I'm doing wrong? If it would be helpful I think I can email pictures to demonstrate the position of everything. I'd appreciate any suggestions. Bill V

It sounds like a trim issue or maybe a slow hand launch? Make sure your stabilization on the receiver is turned off if you have a reciever out of a safe plane or an AS3x reciever out of another plane. Also are you using thick enough control wire between the horns? Let us know how it's going. My first hand launch was a dud, but funny. https://youtu.be/ltQ-iewA3QA

Is it me, or does it look a bit short, and the tail fin a bit big, Is this to make it more stable?

This is a great plane for fun! I can see use with it as a combat for sure! Personally I am running an 40 amp esc, Eflite 400 with a 8x6 prop, and a 1300 or 2200 3 cell. Great plans, I recommend it for anyone looking to have simple fun!

I had so much fun with the first build, I decided to bump the build up a notch. I increased the plan size by 150% Used paper covered foam board comes in at about 46 oz ready to fly. 44" wingspan 2300 4s with a 1250kv motor and a 9x6 pusher prop. This build Rips across the sky with plenty of power to roll loop and climb vertical. I know it's outside of your purpose for this build to be cheap, quick build. Just thought I would share :) https://youtu.be/zmBVXVp226o

Great plan Works like heaven

where to put the battery, and how much is the battery capacity.

I printed out the tiles and none of them align properly and I don't have enough skill to determine how much to compensate for the gaps. Am I the only person that is having this problem and I was hoping maybe there's a new revised version. Thanks for all your help and work your doing for all us beginning this journey. I don't want to come across ungrateful or anything. I don't know what to do to get it done right Thanks for everything

Using AMA plan configuration, have built & flown an EDF powered model with landing gear. It takes off, fly's and lands great! Photo's e-mailed on request. Rod

Built one several yeas ago, still flys great although a little worn. I kept the plans so another will be following soon. Thanks Larry

Hi, thanks for this simple but amazing model. It was my first build and I made some modifications and thought I'd share those and radio settings to help others. Plan modifications: a) I cut 5mm from all of the fuselage formers across the bottom or top to make it more scale looking (i.e. less fat vertically). The cut-outs for the servos were moved approx 1cm forward, and 260mm servo rods were used (watch for flex, these will need to go straight back to the elevons with no angle).__ b) For the rear-most lower fuselage piece the plan shows a 90-degree angle at the front. This will catch the grass when at a landing nose-up AoA so cut that at a 45 with smooth transition backwards.__ c) Added a KF-2 stepped wing with length 50% of total wing cord but would suggest for others to do 40%.__ d) For leading edges, cut the top paper back 1cm and about 0.5cm for lowers. Then use sanding block to sand desired shape and finish by vacuuming and packing tape application. Can also do this for trailing edges especially the vert fin.__ e) Used two carbon spars across span, probably not needed since did a thicker wing with KF design.__ f) Battery placement will be FAR FORWARD as this model is tail heavy (could be my motor selection). Made battery cut-out as follows: Cut 4 additional lower front fuselage former pieces but only partial length (approx 15-18cm). Place 2 on each side of the doubled front lower fuselage after cutting rectangular hole the shape of your battery. Also cut same shape through the lower fuselage of original design. Once glued together and shaped with sanding block this set of 6 board thicknesses will form an aerodynamic battery box and allow the battery to be on centerline, and adds some nose weight.__ Powertrain: Turnigy Graphene 1000mAh 3S 45C LiPo/ APC 7 x 4E Prop (APC07040E)/ 30A ESC/ 3530 1700Kv brushless motor/ Adept AD002 9g micro servo metal gears/ CG: rear-most 30.8cm measured from REAR wing edge next to elevon, better is 32.5cm.__ Transmitter/ flight control settings:__ Servo 2 are reversed (elevator)/ Endpoints: 100%/ Subtrim: default/ Dual rate: Servo 1 (aileron): Rate 55 Expo 70 Servo 2 (elevator): Rate 100 Expo 80/ Mix: OFF/ Elevon: ON with Ch1 at 100%, Ch 2 at 80%/ __Happy building and flying!!__

I have made two of these . the first I fitted with a 2212 / 2200kv motor pushing a 6x6 prop. it flys great and is pretty fast. the second I built for a friend. that is still learning to fly. built it with a 1806 1200kv with a 6x4.5 prop. not near the speed or performance but very easy to fly stable plane. great design easy to build and flys great.

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