My “Build of the Month” (BOTM) Series was created to help those who are trying to get started in scratch building their own Radio Controlled (RC) Model Aircraft from plans.

  "Aerofred.com" and "Outerzone.co.uk" are two of my favorite web sites to obtain free RC model airplane plans for my new builds. Additionally, they like to post images of Builder's models, and both sites have posted my RC model images and build descriptions under the heading of the associated aircraft model. Other good sources for free plans are: "Hip Pocket Aeronautics Builders' Plan Gallery", "Vintage & Old-Timer RCM Free Plans", "James Hatton Blog Free Plans and Articles", "Hlsat Blog RCModeler Free Plans and Articles", and "Don Dewey Memorial RCM Plans Collection."

  If you are currently not an active builder, and you would like to be, my BOTM Series is a great place to start. If you have an RC model aircraft that you would like to see featured in this section or feel others may find interesting, please let me know and I will make every attempt to find scratch build plans, photos, and maybe even a published build article, which I will then post in one of my future BOTM editions. Just send me an email @: Build of the Month.

Build of the Month Series - August 2026 Edition

  I hope you enjoyed last months BOTM Edition on the MQ-9 Reaper. If you have an RC model that you would like to see featured in this section or feel others may find interesting, please let me know and I will make every attempt to find scratch build plans, images, and maybe even a published build article, which I will then post in a future edition. Just send me an email @: Build of the Month.

  Ok, now lets see what I have for the month of August 2026.This month I want to start another “BOTM Mini-Series” that will run over the next 4-6 months and feature several 1900's early pioneer aircraft. For the 1st Edition of this “Early Pioneers” Mini-Series, how about something that I have experience with in an actually scratch build. Given these requirements, this month features an RC model of the 1911 Voisin Canard, a truly different aircraft.

Images Source: Wikipedia, and All-Aero

  First, as I normally do with many of my BOTM Editions, some background on the actual 1911 Voisin Canard aircraft. The Voisin Canard (called the French Ghost) was a pioneering French pusher biplane developed by the Voisin brothers (Gabriel and Charles) in late 1910 and first flown in early 1911. It was named the “Canard” because of the resemblance of its forward fuselage to that of a duck's long neck while in flight. The Canard was, even by the standards of 1910, a curiously regressive design, its layout reminiscent of Alberto Santos-Dumont's 14-bis of 1906. It was originally flown as a landplane but with the addition of floats it became one of the first seaplanes used by the French Navy.

  As first flown at Issy-les-Moulineaux by Maurice Colliex, the aircraft had an uncovered fuselage of wire-braced wood construction with the 50 hp (37 kW) Rossel-Peugeot rotary engine at the rear and the front-mounted control surfaces consisting of an all-moving elevator divided into two halves, one either side of the fuselage, a rectangular balanced rudder mounted above the elevator, and a pair of short-span fixed horizontal surfaces with a high angle of attack mounted behind and below the elevators. Voisin's characteristic side-curtains were fitted to the outermost pair of interplane struts and roll control was achieved using trailing-edge ailerons on both upper and lower wings.

  The aircraft was judged a success and Voisin manufactured a number of examples. There are variations between the individual production aircraft: the two examples flown in the French military aircraft trials in 1911 had a wingspan of 15 m (49 ft 3 in); one was powered by a 56 kW (75 hp) Renault and the second by a 97 kW (130 hp) Gnome. The number of sets of side curtains varied, some aircraft having two or even three sets.

  The seaplane variant, fitted with floats designed by Henri Fabre, was initially built to the order of Prince Bibesco, who intended to use it make a flight across the Black Sea. It was first successfully flown from water on 25 April 1911. One example was bought by the French navy in March 1912 to equip the seaplane tender La Foudre, the first seaplane carrier in history. A second example was delivered to the Navy in December 1913. Forty-seven of the 1911 Voisin Canard (amphibian) were built.

• Full Scale 1911 Voisin Canard General Characteristics:
• Manufacturer: Frères Voisin
• Crew: One
• Seats: Two
• Wingspan: 12 m (40 ft)
• Wing Area: 43.9 m sq. (473 sq. ft)
• Length: 7.9 m (26 ft)
• Power Plant: 1 × Gnome 7-cylinder air-cooled radial, 52 kW (70 hp)
• Gross weight: 549 kg (1,210 lb)
• Maximum speed: 90 km/h (56 mph, 49 kn)

  The RC model of the 1911 Voisin Canard featured this month and shown below was designed by Martin Maloy. Gabriel Voisin built and flew a number of pusher biplane canards in various configurations between 1911 and 1912. Martin's model is very much like the 1911 layout of the so-called French Ghost. The only departures from scale are in the forward landing gear (for rudder steering) and use of a cylindrical upper wing fuel tank to hide the aileron servo.

Images Source: Myself.

• 1911 Voisin Canard RC Model Specifications:
• Aircraft Type: Scale Military Biplane
• Flight Performance Category: General Sport
• Scale: 1/10th approx.
• Wing Span: 45″
• Wing Chord: 8.5″
• Wing Area: 750 sq.in.
• Canard (Elevator) Span: 22″
• Canard Chord: 5.75″
• Total Length: 49″
• Center of Gravity Location: 5″ forward of wing LE
• Required No. of Channels: 4 - Throttle, Rudder/NLG Steering, Elevator (Canard), and Ailerons
• Landing Gear: Tri-cycle Gear
• Glow Fuel Engines: .29 2-stroke or .40 4-stroke

  The 1911 Voisin Canard RC model in this months BOTM Edition can be built from a set of free full size plans, and the Martin Maloy article from a September 1995 edition of Flying Models, which are both available @: Aerofred, and Outerzone.

  The 1/10th sport scale Voisin Canard RC model is designed for .40 CID glow engines installed in a pusher configuration at the rear of the aircraft; a .40 CID four stroke engine is shown on the plans and propeller-to-ground clearance should be carefully monitored to avoid a propeller “ground strike” on takeoff or landing. I used an old Thunder Tiger .54 4-cycle for my scratch build. This model is for those who are up to a modeling challenge. This build was not only my first encounter with an under-camber airfoil, but also my first, and last, canard model with a pusher engine. I would highly recommend you NOT attempt this model build unless you have a lot of scratch build experience.

  While not difficult to build, there are several areas that are “a little tricky” and you need to pay very close attention to everything in the plans. The first one being the canard. The canards are an under-camber airfoil, which makes for interesting build with shims. Both canards are attached at the very front of the fuselage, one on each side of the nose, using three concentric sizes of brass tubing for the pivot mechanism, and controlled using a servo that drives a pull-pull linkage from each side of the bottom of the fuselage up to the custom-made canard control horns (laminated brass sheet and very thin ply). There is a similar arrangement used for the rudder/nose landing gear. Yes, these two are linked together using brass tubing for the pivot mechanism, which is controlled using a servo that drives a pull-pull linkage inside the forward fuselage. Both of these can be seen in the image below.

  As with the canards, both wings are also under-camber airfoils. This means you must use 7/16″ shims under the main spar to hold the ribs in the correct position above the building board during both wing builds. This can be seen in the left image below. Also, as can be seen in the right image below, I replaced the aileron control cable/bell crank system used in the plan with Sullivan Flex Cables.

  Between the wings are six side curtains which makes the wing assembly look like an old box kite. How many of you made a box kite when you were a kid? They fly great. While the plans do not call for them, I installed small 90-degree brass brackets at the back of each wing fin to help hold them in place. The front of each fin fits into a notch cut into the leading edge of each wing.

  A couple other item to note are the engine installation and establishing the correct center of gravity (CG). Opposite from what is done on most RC models, this model requires a 3-5 degree reverse down thrust. And while most RC model aircraft require a CG somewhere approximately 1/3 chord aft of the wing leading edge, this model requires a CG 5 inch forward of wing LE. This can be obtained with correct positioning of the rudder/elevator control servos and fuel tank within the fuselage. I used multiple 1/16″ plywood access hatch along the underside of the fuselage for easy access to everything.

  My Voisin Canard Build Description and a link to all the images taken during my scratch build can be found on the “Balsa RC Model Builders Page” of my website. If you plan to try this scratch build I would highly recommend you review my build, carefully study the plans, and read the Martin Maloy article. There also is a link to a short video of my Voisin Canards' first, and only, flight. She was a wild five minute ride, until the engine quite!

  I hope you have enjoyed this months selection, and just maybe, I have spurred some interest in trying your hand at building an RC model airplane.

Until next month - Keep the Balsa Dust Flying!!

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