SPAD GPS (Gutter Pipe Scale)

 In the summer of 1998, we had several drawings on a paper napkin, 10 feet of  gutter pipe, and a sheet of corrugated plastic sign board.   With a very basic  aerodynamic knowledge and some creativity, we built our first SPADMany planes and lots of trial and error later, we have seen  the SPAD go from the ultra-simple 3-channel Dogfighter (not available any  longer), To the hot flying 4-channel Dominator and Demon and the even-hotter 3  channel Dagger & Dart!   Now it is your turn to be creative! You've got  "stand off scale" and "sport scale" and the latest craze "profile scale". We  would like to introduce you to "gutter pipe scale!" When we developed the Demon,  we noticed it had the sleek lines of a WWII era fighter. It didn't take us long  to take our basic Demon design, Do a little re-shaping, and the GPS was born!  The possibilities are endless, so we decided to offer you several suggestions,  and let your preferences and imagination take it from there!

Creating a SPAD GPS from Demon plans:

1. Choose your favorite WWII fighter aircraft, and choose  the Coroplast ® color(s) that you think will do it justice.

2. Shape the elevator and rudder to resemble the real plane.  You may wish to reshape the entire tail feathers, making sure the total square inches remains approximate to the original Demon tail feathers.

3. Using the dimensions shown on drawing 8, taper the lower  wing trailing edge, when laying out the wing. Also shape the wing tips to your desires. Since the wing top panels are trimmed to match during construction, they will take care of themselves, when following the building procedure.

NOTE: The spar location remains the same IN RELATION TO THE WING LEADING  EDGE!

4. If you are building a GPS with a squared off type wing  tip (such as a P-51) simply add a Coroplast ® "cap" to the tips upon completion of the wing.

5. Trim the ailerons to match the contour of your  wing.

6. Now for the most important step! Upon completion of your  GPS, add as many stickers as possible specific to your chosen aircraft! You may even want to add a Pop bottle cowl!

You now have a really cool looking airplane, with the same  hot performance of the original Demon! If you have access to a scanner or  digital camera, please e-mail us a picture of your GPS, and we may use it on our  web site!

May we some day meet in the skies over the Pacific, or  perhaps over the English Channel on D-Day!

Collin McGinnis & Dean Tuinstra