Maple Leaf Design began in 1995 as a cottage industry with a passion for building state-of-the-art radio controlled sailplanes. The team consists of Don Peters and Phil Pearson with over 75 years of combined experience in composite design and construction.

The company's mission is to build the absolute best sailplane models possible. Our design process starts with computer-modeled performance prediction. Airfoils, planforms and moments are then computer-designed and optimized to fit the computer model.

Most parts are built in molds taken from CNC (computer numeric controlled) machined master patterns. All masters, molds and parts are hand-built in the United States using the finest materials available. Our planes are thoroughly field-tested for flight performance and durability. They include comprehensive owner's manuals to assure accurate building and flight setup.

Maple Leaf Design is proud to be one of the leading manufacturers of high quality radio control sailplane models in the world. We're pushing the envelope so our clients can fly and enjoy better sailplanes.

The Icon2 is our newest state-of-the-art unlimited sailplane designed for thermal duration and F3J contest formats. It was designed as a collaborative effort between Dr. Mark Drela of MIT and Phil Pearson and Don Peters, principals in Maple Leaf Design. It has been tested by World Champion pilots Arend Borst and Skip Miller.

Wings, stabs and fuselage parts are built using molds taken from CNC-machined masters to assure accuracy. We have our own CNC router system, which allows us to completely tool the plane in-house.

The Icon2 is hand-built in Arizona of the finest composite materials available. It is delivered complete with carbon pushrods, flush-mounted wing servo covers and pushrod fairings and all hardware including 850 gm (30 ounces) of ballast in the form of square brass slugs. All parts are molded with high performance epoxy, then post-cured in an oven. All parts are painted in the molds with two-component acrylic polyurethane paint. Standard colors are white, yellow, orange, red, dark blue, black, magenta, purple, chartreuse, lime green and forest green.

The wing is capable of full-power winch or hand-tow launches. It is a bolt-on three piece assembly with hollow carbon joiners. Wing construction uses our proven hollow-molded system with all-carbon skins and high-modulus carbon spar caps. It is delivered completely finished with wiring harness installed and ready for servo installation.

The fuselage is compatible with 2.4 ghz radio systems. The fuse parts are pressure-molded of carbon, Kevlar and S-glass. The nose cone is available in an FAI-legal configuration (F3J) or with an integral landing skeg. The tail boom is mandrel-wound carbon. Push rods are thin carbon rods in etched Teflon housings mounted externally on the tail boom.

The tail feathers are hollow-molded using glass skins and foam cores with carbon spar caps. The fin/rudder is complete. It is a tapered socket fit to the tail boom, and it can be permanently installed with a couple of drops of CA or it can be made removable if desired. The stab is a one-piece bolt-on unit with a robust carbon V-mount that attaches with CA.

Final assembly is detailed with large color photos in the owner's manual on CD. The adjustable tow hook and wing mounting system are factory-installed. The fuse requires you to assemble the tail boom, ballast tube, inner nose and push rods. All the holes are cut, and the servo tray is factory-routed for battery and servos.

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The Encore is the latest evolution of our F3K hand launch plane designed specifically for discus launching. It is available in either 4 channel (flaperons) or 6 channel (separate flaps and ailerons) configurations. Over the years, the Encore has probably won more major competitions than any plane in history in the hands of Joe Wurts and many others.

A large part of this success story has been our dedication to accuracy and repeatability. We have experimented with most construction types and materials over the years:

Hollow molded wings can be very accurate (well, some are), but they are heavier than “bagged” wings of comparable structure and durability. While not very significant in an unlimited sailplane, this weight disadvantage really hurts a smaller plane. We like molded wings, but we feel they give away too much in durability and/or weight when used for hand launch planes.

“Bagged” wings have an inherent structural and durability advantage, but the process has some limitations. Most bagged wings are cut with variations of hot wire technology. Foam panels (two or three per side) are cut with hot wire machines, then glued together to form the wing core. Actual airfoil fidelity depends upon the accuracy of the templates, the quality of the hot wire machine and, above all, the skill of the operator. Once the panels are joined, the wing core is hand sanded to blend the various plan form curves and airfoils into a shape that, when covered (bagged) with a composite skin, will become a wing. This process leaves a lot to be desired for accurate duplication, and plan forms are limited to a series of straight tapered panels.

Given our commitment to producing durable hand launch planes, we’re sticking to bagged wings as the current state-of-the-art. In 2004 we purchased a computer numerically controlled (“CNC” or “NC”) router along with the modeling and tool-path software required to drive it. Phil spent over six months developing the process we now use to produce our bagged wings. The result is that we are no longer limited to straight tapered panels – we can cut wings (and stabs and rudders and all kinds of small parts) to within .002” repeatability.

The Encore was extensively modified in 2006. It uses Dr. Mark Drela’s AG series of transition airfoils on a wing plan form designed by Phil Pearson and Joe Wurts. Wings are built with one-piece high-density foam cores skinned with 1.4 ounce glass and carbon spar caps. Stabs and rudders use Phil’s plan forms with Dr. Drela’s low drag airfoils. They are NC-cut from hand selected vertical grain contest balsa, then coated with epoxy.

All composite parts are built by us in-house. Our highly developed pod and removable nose cone are molded of Kevlar and mated to a proprietary mandrel-wound carbon tail boom for unparalleled stiffness. The forward end of the tail boom forms a ballast tube capable of carrying an Icon-type tubular ballast set totaling 3 oz.

These planes are more durable than most hand launch gliders. You can break them, but you have to work at it, and the damage is seldom fatal. They are easier to repair than the average plane, and they are totally modular, so if you destroy a part, we can ship you an exact duplicate.

Planes include all parts required for completion of the airframe, including pushrods with etched Teflon tubes, switch, plugs, fasteners and wiring. An extensive 60 page owners' manual with over 100 large color photographs is included on CD. Wings are completely finished and cut into two panels with the dihedral angle pre-beveled. Ailerons are pre-cut and skin hinged. Assembly requires joining and glass taping the wing panels, jointing the tail boom to the pod, mounting the wing, stab and rudder, and installing radio gear. An experienced intermediate builder should expect to spend approximately 20 hours completing the plane.

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If you are interested in ordering an Encore or an Icon2 or have any questions, please feel free to contact me:

Don Peters - don@mapleleafdesign.com

Maple Leaf Design
9997 E. Morrill Way
Tucson, AZ 85749

520.465.6420