Trainer IFO

Eric builds and flies his Trainer IFO (T-IFO) model airplane.

The IFO Trainer is an easy to build, rugged RC airplane which is good for beginners. I.E. I can take a heck of a beating and is slow and easy to fly. It is made mostly from carbon fiber rods!Here is the complete plane, modeled by my lovely wife, Sylvia.


One of the first things you construct is the rudder. This, basically, is a carbon fiber rod bent in on itself, wrapped with kevlar thread and glued (CA - super glue). Two more short rods serve as the post for attaching the rudder and a tail skid.I super glued my fingers together while making the plane. Nail polish remover took care of this!


This is where the "fuselage" and the "leading edge" come together. The kevlar thread is remarkably strong!Here you can see the trailing edge as well. There are pieces on the fuselage to hang various electronics.


Here are the elevator/aileron hinges. It's pretty clever how they are constructed.The whole airframe before the wing material is put on.


This tube will hold the rudder.Here is the servo cluster. I chose to put three servos on so that I could control the rudder and have elevons. I shortened the servo wires.


Here are the linkages for the elevons.Mounting the motor was interesting. First I glued two strips of wood to the fuselage rod. Then, I cut some white tubing to provide an opposite surface to the motor spindle. Zip ties are used to hold the motor in place. What I need to do is get a rubber stip between the motor and the carbon to give better traction.


Some kevlar thread is used to give the wing some dihedral. This makes the plane more stable in flight.The underside of the plane.


Kenny likes airplanes too!My landing was not the best (it was rather gusty :-).