The Famous Whammy Series of Science Olympiad Planes!

 
Double Whammy

A good beginner's model designed by Chuck Markos.  This model is an excellent beginner's model and would make a great first model for anyone entering indoor rubber duration flying..  It can be built by modelers of all ages and can achieve very satisfying flight times in excess of one minute in local gyms.  Though this model is a bit under the maximum sizes allowed for the current Science Olympiad (SO) Wright Stuff event, it still makes a very good first model for new students who have never built an indoor rubber band duration model.  This basic model has also been used successfully by clubs while conducting both beginner's programs and one-design events.  

Build one and have fun!

 
Double Whammy - PennyPlane

This is the follow on article by Chuck Markos that shows how simple modifications of the Double Whammy like a cambered airfoil and a balsa prop make it a very good beginners PennyPlane model capable of flights over 5 minutes in a local gym.  This article explains how to build a model that will help transition the beginner into the ranks of indoor rubber duration flying by way of the PennyPlane event.  

Build one for the next AMA contest and enter it in the AMA PennyPlane event!

 
Triple Whammy

This is an adaptation of Chuck Markos' original Double Whammy by Bucky Servaites for students in the Dayton Ohio area.  The original Double Whammy was modified as follows for the specific Science Olympiad (SO) "Wright Stuff"  rules (including those for 2001-2002).  The original model was photographically blown up to the maximum allowable SO wingspan of 50 cm (19.68 inches).  The wing chord was then modified to reflect the maximum SO chord of 12 cm (4.72 inches).  Camber was added to the wing and stab ribs to improve performance. Wood sizes were kept constant, and the fuselage length, tail moment, stab and fin areas were simply those that resulted from the original plan enlargement.  For the high school division, the model was fitted with music wire landing gear and balsa wheels so the model could perform the required Rise off Ground (ROG) takeoff.  Several different plastic props (maximum diameter of 20 cm (7.87 inches)) were used with the maximum 2 gram SO rubber band each achieving good results.  This model was flown successfully by students in the Dayton Ohio area to times of over 2 minutes in local gyms.  It has done well at local, regional and Ohio State competitions.   It is a good first SO mode, yet is competitive with some of the best designs of today.   Though the SO rules have changed slightly over the past 3 years, the basic maximum dimensions have remained constant.  Last year (2000-2001 school year) the minimum weight of the model was decreased to 8 grams for both middle and high school divisions.  This year the minimum weights were again changed with the middle school models needing to weigh 10 grams while the high school division has again used the 8 gram minimum.  Careful selection of wood will allow this sound design to be built to these weight minimums and be a competitive SO model.  Construction techniques are similar to those for the Double Whammy and Double Whammy - PennyPlane.

Build one for the Science Olympiad "Wright Stuff" event!

Plans being converted to digital format, but not yet completed.  If you would like them soon,  send me your address and I'll send a hard copy of them to you in the mail for free.  joemek@aol.com

Webmaster