Zany Flies Again

Sometime in the last five months in emails with Gary Fogel, he told me of a third scale Ross-Stephens RS-1 Zanonia that the late Tom Augustine had built for a gentleman in Southern California. Gary introduced me via email to Joe Holtzman this week as I've finally found some time to follow up ahead of my planned trip to the West Coast this fall.

Joe actually has several ships designed and built by Mr. Augustine and all are extremely vintage and historical aircraft. I thought I'd share a few photos of them here along with the specs for the Zanonia. Joe says the ship is at 1:4 scale but I looked at the specs and the size of the ship in the photographs and have determined it must actually be 3.5 scale with is 13' - 1" and change or 157.7 feet or near enough to exactly 4 meters. Here are the specs Joe sent along with some of his images:

Area 10 ft.²
Span 13 feet 6 inches
Weight 17 lbs.
Airfoil HQ 3.0-14

 
Ready for Launch.

 
Let do it!

 
In the lift zone.

 
Running the Beach.

 
On the Beach.

  
An impeccable job Mr. Augustine!

Comments

[Paul Love]

Very Cool! I've been waiting to find a scale replica of a Zanonia. In spite of it's beauty, it seems to be a glider that hasn't gotten that much attention in the model world. I built an 18 inch span free flight (catapult launch) version of it earlier this year. Build log with photos is here: http://www.hippocketaeronautics.com/hpa_forum/index.php/topic,1838.0.html

Joe, I live 5 minutes from Torrey Pines, and would love to see you fly that bird one of these days.

Paul

[Thomas Martin]

Paul,

I've seen your posts on the catapult glider. I must have watched the video ten times. Nice work! It's doubtful that the 3.5 scale Zanonia will fly again as Joe tells me that it and his Augustine-built Bowlus Paper Wing will likely be donated to the San Diego Aviation Museum very soon. I am on a mission to CA next week to document the models as well as travel to Tehachapi for the ESA Western Workshop where I will be able to document as many as twenty vintage full scale sailplanes over the labor day weekend (see my blog entry on the trip and follow up photographs in a week or so.

Tom

[Gergory Yanz]

The Zanonia is one of the palnes I have wanted to build but have not been able to find enough on so far. Is there a scale plan out there? Would love it in 1/3 scale, but I will work with a different scale of a well designed plane!

[Tom Martin]

The plan I am drawing is probably the only one available since it was Tom Augustine's habit to destroy each plan he had made after completing a custom build for a client. Sad but true!

Mine is going to be at the same scale as the one shown here which is 3.5 scale or 28.5 percent. Plans could be enlarged and built on by an intrepid scratch-builder once I've completed them. I show all requisite complex part outlines in my plan drawings including wing and tail ribs and fuselage formers and crutches.

Tom

[Gergory Yanz]

Tom,
Its a short trip to the blueprint company and some time in the digital scanner/copier and the 1/3 scale plan is there. granted there will be some consideration as to the thickence and materials used, but all is good. I would be very interested in building the RS-1 along with the sailplane Ross started at Ole Miss. I look forward to reading more, THANKS

[Tom Martin]

Well actually it would require that I lay out the major assemblies on new sheets, otherwise, some objects may get cut off moving from the scanned sheets to the larger size. They would also have to plot on 48" roll stock. Not sure all blueprint shops have that... so I might as well do the enlargment for you as each assembly is grouped and can be easily moved over to longer and more sheets to accommodate.

Tom

[Gergory Yanz]

I agree, it would be better and a more acturate plan if you did the enlargement. Also insuring the assemblies were correct. Is this something you would do?
Greg