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Antoinette VII 

early 1912 French 

Pioneer Aeroplane 

Assembly Manual 

for ARF stand-off display scale model 

in 1:5 scale. 

Historical data and presentation. 

Model design and drawing by 

Göran Kalderén © 

Rev. 2002-02-03 

Antoinette VII ARF 1

An all most original Antoinette resides in 

Muse de f’air et Espace, Le Bourget, Paris. 

An original Antoinette VII is on display 

in Science Museum in London. 

Close up of engine 

on British Antoinette VIII 


Details of the AntoinetteVII in the British 

Museum of Science in London. 

1 - 2. Undercarriage with suspension. 

3. Radiator along the fuselage sides. 

4. Tailskid, elevator and rudder assemblies. 

5. Wing structure and lower wing king posts. 

6. Propeller protection front skid 

7. AntoinetteVII water cooled V-8 engine. 

8. The french Antoinette, left side view. 

1 

2 

3 

4 

6 

5 

7 

8 



The prototype of the Antoinette was designed 

by Leon Levavasseur and constructed and built by 

Gastanbide and Mengin in 1906. These two gentlemen 

had long experience in building marine engines. The 

marine influence is clearly noticable in the aircraft 

fuselage design. The aircraft were named after the 

company director Jules Gastanbide's daughter. There 

were eight different designs of which the models from 

number IV and up, were good flyers. Allready in 1909 

Hubert Latham made an attempt to cross the English 

Channel using an Antoinette type IV. In 1911 Mr 

Latham made a second unsuccesful attempt to cross 

the English Channel this time in an Antoinette VII. 

The engine was a fuel injected, liquid cooled 

50 hp V-8, with a very low weight/hp output rate. The 

radiators for cooling were sidemounted on the fuselage 

and of original design. The engine was started with a 

handcrank and the propeller shaft output was 1200 

rpm. The airfoil used was created to give maximum 

penetration and had a high lift factor. The wingarea 

was 50 m² and wing and control surfaces were covered 

with varnished linen fabric, rubberized and waterproofed. 

Horizontal control was conventional with rudder and 

elevator. The rudder was actuated via a rudder bar and 

the elevator with the starbord control wheel. Lateral 

control was obtained by wing-warping using the port 

control wheel. 

The maximum speed was 55 mph and the 

Antionette held many records for speed, duration and 

altitude. At one time an Antionette held the world 

record for distance. The range was approx. 100 miles. 

Our model is in details based on the aircraft 

on display in Science Museum in London. This is 

Hubert Lathams original aircraft. 

There is another aircraft exhibited in Musée 

de L’air in Paris. This specimen is not truly original as 

the wings and control surfaces have been built after 

WW2, but using original construction drawings and 

documentation from the period. The engine and 

fuselage were used 1909/1910 for research at l’lnstitut 

Aerodynamique de Saint-Cyr and was donated to the 

museum in 1921. 

A third aircraft exists in Krakow in Poland but 

is presently not available for viewing or photography. 

A replica was built in the US and was aquired 

by the Owls Head Transportation Museum in Maine, 

USA. This aircraft is still lacking engine and covering 

and has a highly modified airfoil. 

Note that photographs of the same aircraft on 

different occasions show varied constructional details. 

At Reims 1912 it was fitted with external ailerons in 

lieu of wingwarping. 

Antoinette VII replica built for the Owls Head Transportation Museum in Maine, USA. 

Hubert Lathams Antoinette at Reims 1909. Note the temporarily added ailerons. 


Artist's rendition of the Reims air contest. The Antoinette 

can be seen just to the right of the pylon. 

Hubert Latham at the controls of his Antoinette VII. The 

elevator was controlled with the starboard wheel. Visible 

above is the throttle control. 

Above the unhappy ending of the first 

attempt to cross the Channel. Latham 

is smoking a cigarette while waiting to 

be picked up. Below the ending of the 

second attempt. This time he had a 

narrow escape from drowning. 

At Reims, in 

August 1909 

Latham had 

success with 

the Antoinette VII 

and won the 

altitude prize. 

Well earned and 

some comfort 

for earlier 

failures. 



Specification: 

Wingspan: 39 ft 11.7 m 

Length: 39 ft 11.7 m 

Gross weight 1500 lbs 680 kg 

Engine: 50 hp Antoinette 

water-cooled V-8. 


The Model 

I have chosen the scale 1:5, as it gives a 

reasonable big airplane but small enough to handle in a 

car. 

As you can see from the documentation the 

variations of the Antionette VII are numerous and your 

choice can be any one of the depicted aircrafts. Also, 

the same aircraft has different appearances at different 

occasions. 

The airplane comes with the fuselage in two 

parts with the landing gear attached to the front section 

and the tail feathers attached to the rear section. It 

remains only to join the two sections and hook up the 

control wires from the tail section. The wings are pushed 

into the fuselage in holes located on the sides and the 

wing supporting wires attached with the kwick links 

"turmbuckles. Attach the wing warping wires. It may be 

necessary to adjust the tension of the wires. 

Specification 

Wingspan 234 cm 92.1 inch 

Length 234 cm 92.1 inch 

Weight 5400 g 11lb 9oz. 

Wing surface 200 dm² 3200 Sq inch 

Wing load 25g/dm² 9 oz/sq foot 

Engine 4-cycle 15 - 20 cc .90 - 1.20 (RCV) 

Installation of engine. 

A suitable engine for this model is the British 

RCV .90 (15 cc 4-cycle) engine. A vertical firewall 

adjusted for this engine has been installed and the 

dummy engine fits around and adjacent after this 

engine. If you feel more comfortable with more power, 

Nylon 

screws 

you may chose the RCV 120 but bearing in mind that 

the extra weight has to be compensated. 

This type of engine has several advantages on 

this type of aircraft. It is slim and follows the profile of 

the real aicraft. Access to starting is away from the 

propeller and with the reduction of 2:1 on the propeller 

shaft it has a torque that allows a 18"x12 propeller to 

be used, all in the interest of the scale flying. 

1. Remove the dummy propeller shaft. If you have 

to relocate the engine mounts, you can do so and the 

blind nuts are not secured with glue. 

2. Drill the holes from the tank to the carburator, 

preassure tap and the filling cap. 

3. Install the engine and connect the throttle 

servo. 

4. Make cut outs in the dummy engine so that 

this will fit around and behind your engine. You may 

have to remove some part of the dummy crankcase 

and the front rows of cylinders. This "surgery" is 

executed by removing a little at the time and checking. 

When you are satisfied with the fit and openings, screw 

the dummy engine onto the engine mounts using 3 

mm screws and washers. We have supplied an 

installation sketch for you conveniance. 

Install a round fuel tank in lieu of the dummy 

tank or us a serie of 5 oz tanks in line. The fuel 

consumption of the RCV 1.20 engine is approximately 

.75 oz. per minute For the RCV 90 the fuel 

consumption is lower but we have no details at this 

moment.. For a 15 minute flight you would need a 12 

oz. tank capacity. Keep the centerline of the tank in 

line with the carburator of the engine for best fuel 

supply. 

Assembly of the two fuselage sections 

Locating pin 

Tail part 

Holes with 

4 mm 

threads 

Front part 

Push the locating pins in the tail 

part in the 3 holes in the front 

part. 

Secure with 3 pcs 4 mm diam. 

nylon screws from the front end 

into the tail section. 

Locating pins 

This bracket is secured with 

3 #1x 1/4" screws from both 

sides. 


Removal of seat for access to the 

lower part of 

the cockpit 

Installation of elevator servo 

Push the 

seat gently 

forward and lift up. 

The seat slides on the cockpit deck rails. 

Radio installation 

The radio gear is all installed in the center of 

the fuselage under the decking with the two tanks. 

The front tray is intended for the receiver, the battery 

and the switch. Make compartments on the tray to 

suit your equipment. The rear tray is the servo tray, 

rudder and elevator servos horizontal and the 

wingwarping servo vertical close to the center pylon. 

The elevator is actuated via the left steering wheel on 

the side of the cockpit. The wingwarping servo is 

connected directly to the lower actuating bar on the 

landing gear. See details in installation sketches. The 

throttle servo is facing forward and has a pushrod to 

the throttle on the left hand side of the engine. Make 

sure to run the arial away from or not paralell with the 

wires! You can let it hang out from below and hook it 

to the tail skid. 

Installation of rudder servo 

Installation of 

wing warping 

servo 

Installation of servos, tank, battery and 

receiver. 

The wing warping servo is installed in the lower 

part of the fuselage. 

The trottle servo is installed in the forward tray. 

The tank is positioned at the side of this servo. 

The elevator servo and rudder servos are 

installed rear servo tray. 

Battry pack and receiver are positioned under 

the front tray tray. 

The switch is mounted on the decking between 

the two tanks. 

1. Attach a ball link head to the rudder bar in the 

appropriate hole. You may have to enlarge the holes 

to take the screw from the ball link (Dubro #189 set of 

2). 

2. Install the servos for rudder and elevator and 

temporarily connect the servo arms to the ball links. 

Deflection for elevator is 20° up and down and for rudder 

30° right and left.. 

3. Install and connect the throttle servo in the 

fashion you prefer. 

4. Install the tank in the available space in front 

of the radio and throttle servos.. 

5. Install the wingwarping servo in the lower part 

of the fuselage. The servo arm attaches to the Kwicklink 

allready installed on the wingwarping connection 

wires. Deflection should be 1 inch up and down 

measured at the wingtip. 

6. Fasten the upper servo tray and make the 

final connections. 

7. Install the radio switch on the decking board. 

8. Place the receiver and the battery pack in the 


upper tray, wrapped in foam rubber and secure with 

rubber bands. 

Assembly of the Antoinette VII 

All parts have been assembled at the factory 

and only disassembled for packing and transportation. 

The fuselage is manufactured in 2 parts, the front 

and the rear. The rear part has the tail feathers attached 

and the control wires ready to be hooked up with the 

corresponding levers in the front fuselage. Rudder and 

elevator wires are factory adjusted but may need some 

tensioning adjustment after a while. 

To access the cockpit flooring and to join the 

fuselage parts it is necessary tp temporarily remove 

the pilot's seat. See sketch. 

1. Join the fuselage halves by pushing the rear 

part with the protruding pegs into the front part. Secure 

with 3 nylon screws from the front part side and tighten 

so that the rear part is firmly attached. Don't over 

tighten. This will break the nylon screws. In the event 

of a crash, these screwes are intended to brake and 

can easliy be replaced. See sketch. 

3. Attach the elevator wires and the rudder wires. 

Check the action of elevator and rudder. The elevator 

is actuated with the right side steering wheel and the 

rudder with the rudder bar. 

Suggestion for dummy engine installation in 

combination with RCV 90. Note the extension of the 

propeller shaft, made of aluminum. As the front of the 

Antoinette is rather pointed this engine alternativ is 

the most suitable if you wish to hide the engine 

reasonably well. 

4. Push the wing halves into the holes in the 

fuselage. 

5. Attach the upper wing wires by inserting the 

screws in the upper pylon and securing them with the 

2 mm nuts. Install the lower (flying) wires and secure 

the kwick-links. See sketch. 

6. Install the upper wing warping wires and make 

sure that they run freely through the pulley. Now attach 

the lower wing warping wires and make sure that they 

make half a loop on the pulley. Check the wing warping 

with the warping actuator. 

7. Install the wheels on the shaft and secure 

with the stoppers. 

Balancing 

The center of gravity / balancing point should be approx. 

4" = 10 cm from the leading edge of the wing at the 

wing root. This aircraft has a very long nose moment 

and tends to be nose heavy. Make adjustments by 

moving battery and other parts towards the rear. Add 

lead in the tail if necessary. 

Dummy engine 

A dummy of the Antionette 50 hp water cooled V-8 engine 

is supplied. Also a scale propeller is attached to the 

dummy engine for display. 

Flying 

Flying characteristics are very special and no 

aerobatic manoeuvers suggested. Set the elevator at 

zero angle for the first flight but be prepared to give 

down elevator if the model climbs out too steep. This 

model should fly of the ground and not be pulled by 

the propeller. The climb out is shallow and the landing 

approach should also be shallow. 

Take-off should be done straight into the wind 

and the take-off run is relatively short. Make corrections 

with elevator and rudder. The wing-warping during takeoff 

is slow and not so effective but in flight responsive 

enough. Turns should be executed using coordinated 

wing-warping and rudder/elevator. 

Use gentle handling during approach and 

make the landing straight into the wind. On the ground, 

taxing, unless very calm weather, should only be 

attempted with assistance at the wing tips (as per 

prototype). 

Happy landings! 


The wooden airframe with the RCV 120 

engine temporarily in place. 

The tail feathers with 

edges of stainless 

steel wire. 

The landing gear has internal 

spring cushioning, wing 

warping actuator bar and 

wooden alignment guide. 

The wire wheels 

are uncovered as per 

original. 


The Antoinette VII comes complete with elevator actuation from the right side (starboard) wheel 

and the wing warping from the left side (port) wheel. For the flying option it will be required to add 

wires from the actuator bar on the landing gear to the servo in the fuselage (crossed wires). See 

sketches on page 8 for servo installation details 


What is in the box: 

The kit contains the parts shown in the 

picture below but all covered and painted. All the 

rigging wires are supplied in the correct lengths 

and need only to be clipped to their positions. 

3 

1 

4 

7 

1 

4 

5 

2 

1. Front of fuselage with wing warping pylon, 

dummy engine and landing gear with spoked 

wheels. 

2. Rear of fuselage with stabilizer/elevator, fin/ 

rudder and tail skid assy. 

3. Left wing panel 

4. Right wing panel 

5. Scale propeller 

6.Wires, turnbuckles and hardware for 

assembly (not shown) 

7. Assembly manual with scale documentation 

Shown above are the uncovered parts 

K&W 

Model 

Airplanes Inc. 

P.O.Box 1229, Cebu City Centrl. Postoffice 

Cebu City 6000, Philippines 

Visiting address: 

3343 Gun-Ob, Kinalumsan, 

Lapu-Lapu City 6015, PHILIPPINES 

Phone +63 32-340 7147, Cellular +63 917-3200 985 

Telefax +63 32-340 7131, E-mail: kwmairpl@gsilink.com 

Website: www.kwmairpl.com.ph

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