Scratch-built 1/72 Canova all-wing By Gabriel Stern

Introduction

We are talking arcane here.

Like a strange moth, or flying ravioli, or piloted manta-ray, or perhaps a motorized cookie, the Canova flying wing glides across the sky. Or does it?

Little can be found on this one. A “Flight” magazine article states that Mr. Canova’s all-wing design has been tested in wind tunnels at Milan and Rome and that no less than 5 scales models were built. This model is based on the project figures given in the article. It is not clear if the plane was built, at least in this configuration, though. But in the murkiest waters of the net’s deepest oceans there is a photo of a plane of very similar design by the same author that seems to point to the fact that at least one full scale machine was built. Maybe in the near future I will build a model of that one too.

Nihil novum sub sole, as they say. When we see the “new” designs that populate the skies nowadays, it is interesting to compare and see how really new they are.

Time and time again, neglected, laughed-at strange concepts of earlier periods are re-hashed and re-presented as cutting edge. Makes you wonder about the things that are laughed-at today and will be state-of-the-art tomorrow.

Minute cute little model in 1/72, not really complicated to scratch, guaranteed to raise many an eyebrow. I used the well known Larsen/Stevanovitch/Schuberius/Gilbert-de-la-Cautchouct thirtyfour-step technique to deal with the unusual shape of this subject, as can be seen in the accompanying photos

Styrene sheets of diverse thicknesses were used and Aeroclub Models wheels, engine and prop completed the model.

A disfruttare