Wings of Intent: Scratchbuilt 1/72nd scale Fernic FT-10 sport tandem

(The completed model is here:)http://wingsofintent.blogspot.com/2014/04/fernic-ft-10-canard-sport-scratchbuilt.html

History can some times be terribly unjust.

In the field of aviation, innovation and creative ideas were often ridiculed, laughed-at and dismissed, when not blatantly calumniated.

As many of you know I have a special fondness for what most modelers shun as ugly or weird. As I research those strange, arcane, neglected, esoteric types, many times I find inaccurate comments, misleading reports, irresponsible repetitions from shady sources, and even lies. Examples: "That contraption never actually flew". Well, many times the contraption not only flew, but flew very well. The exiguous expression "It crashed" in a context that suggest that it never worked, curiously omits the fact that an airport truck smashed into it after a long time of safe flying.

Ignorant, half-witted journalists and "aviation historians" pass on what they hear or read elsewhere, whatever true or not.

This particular case, the Fernic "tandems", are just another bead in the long string of stupidities written about innovative planes.

Both Fernic designs, the FT-9 (larger) and the FT-10 (smaller, presented here) flew perfectly well. The latter "crashed" only after being flown plenty of times, in different locations, in front of diverse audiences, and just happen to have crashed after performing flawlessly many daring acrobatics for a long time, only because an engine component blew off and struck the pilot -no other than its designer- in the head, with predictable consequences.

To chose to ignore the flying logs of both planes, their impeccable records, their proven capabilities and dismiss everything as "those weird creations of Fernic were doomed" is not only a disservice to aviation, is a lie that still perpetuates after all this time. Not only unorthodox designs were unjustly ridiculed, but also a certain xenophobia was likely a component of that despicable behavior (Fernic was a Romanian immigrant).
As aviation dumb arses laugh at what branches out off the "norm", they not only miss talent, discoveries, creativity, evolution and intelligence, but also and in the same operation reveal their ignorance, prejudice and lack of vision (not to mention respect), because, after all, aviation is weird by itself, and was for a long time an "impossibility".

So, once more, a mostly unknown type never modeled before -that I am aware of-, is researched and brought to life. The colors are to an extent speculative, since no source known to me at this time describes them. The curious amongst you may like to use a search engine to find out more about this designer and his creations, which deserved no doubt a more fair treatment.

Tiny in 1/72 scale with a span of 7.62 meters for the original, is nevertheless a nice model of what could have been -if tragedy had not intervened- a cute little sport two-seat machine with sound aerodynamics, a convenient price and simplicity of operation.
I found a couple plans on the Net, but after my premature excitement of course I noticed a number of gross inaccuracies and a surprising amount of plan BS, so out with the pencil and the photos I could find.
That exercise is always rewarding if properly done, because a lot is learned as one scans for data and images, and many details are brought to attention that otherwise would have been overlooked.
So esteemed aviation buffs, here starts the construction of one of Fernic's planes, the FT-10. The bigger brother is much more complex to scratch, but who knows, one day...

The now customary straightforward methods are applied to produce a "kit":

Assembly begins:

I did not have in my bin such a small prop, so I had to fabricate one:

After a few hours the main components and some details take shape:

The nose wheel fairing is produced:

The Landing gear struts are prepared. The step-in feature is added to the fuselage side:

General disposition of elements:

Relative size:

Drilling locating holes for landing gear parts:

Adding details to the cowl:

the other side:

Preparing the cockpit parts:

Parts installed and last section of the fuselage skin in place:

Tail feathers glued:

The wings and canard surface struts are glued in place:

And then the canard plane is posed temporarily for the photo:

The first color, white, is airbrushed:

White is masked and then yellow is airbrushed. I observed a minute of silence at that moment in honor of the fallen Aztec airbrush nozzle, which ceased to operate after many years of faithful service. It's replacement is seen in a contrite attitude behind: