In 1989 I had the opportunity to see the first two Russian Sukhois fly at the EAA AirVenture airshow in
Oshkosh, Wisconsin. That day I fell in love with this plane. I have designed two RC models of the Sukhoi, the first was published in Model Aviation in 1994 and the second was published in Model Airplane News in July 1996. I am now flying electric so it seems natural that my next design would be an e-powered Su-26.
I have been flying models in the 3-pound range using my trusty Hacker A30 10L V4 motor, so that is the motor that I designed the plane around. The finished weight of this model came in at 3 lb., 8 oz., ready to fly. It is built mostly of 1/4- and 1/8-in. Depron foam with some internal plywood and balsa structures. I use Clear Gorilla glue, which is very strong and does not foam. It sticks to foam, balsa, and plywood. It is not a fast drying glue, so things need to be pinned in place for a bit to dry. The Sukhoi Su-26 is a fairly quick and easy to build. For the full construction article, see the March/April 2024 issue of Model Airplane News.
Download the free plan here:
Electric Sukhoi PLAN