Model Airplane News Cover for October, 1961
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Here is what the blurb about the cover has to say:

"...Cover photo by commercial photographer is made of his radio-controlled Tipsy Nipper made from Jim Noonan's plans in the December, 1960 issue of MAN. The Nipper was scaled to a 58" wingspan, weighs not quite six pounds, complete, has a Merco 0.35 [engine] and uses 10 channel Min-X super het R/C equipment..."

About the Model

The article in December, 1960 provides plans and suggestions for building eithe an R/C version or control-line version of the Nipper in scale. The author says:

"...Nipper is most intreresting as a model project because of its versatile nature which makes no deviation from scale outline for exhibition scale, for rubber power (fair), or a small engine (excellent, slow flying, single channel R/C. By adhering to the outline and building the model like a government packing case it will make a scale control-line model that will stunt with the best..."

You may read the aricle by clicking to enlarge the photos below.

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Building the Nipper
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About the Full Size Airplane

The Tipsy Nipper T.66 is a light aircraft, developed in 1952 by Ernest Oscar Tips of Avions Fairey at Gosselies in Belgium. It was designed to be easy to fly, cheap to buy and cheap to maintain. It was designed for both factory production and homebuild. "Nipper" was the nickname of Ernest Tip's first grandchild. The first aircraft flew in December 1957. It featured an open cockpit and had a length of 15 feet, a span of 20 feet and a range of 200 miles extendable with tip tanks. On later models, a canopy was added.

  

The Tipsy Nipper
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Here is a video of a restored Nipper

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