A PROBLEM WE face in trying to recruit
new people into the sport of aeromodeling
is that many of them think model airplanes
are too complicated to understand. As a
result, they are reluctant to become
involved in the hobby.
To help people overcome this
roadblock, I built a few display items a
number of years ago that were to be used
during our club’s annual model-airplane
show. These exhibits help illustrate some
of the RC and CL airplanes’ operating
features, and they give the layman some
insight into how these models are operated
and flown.
Making such display items is not a
difficult task. I suggest that your club try
to come up with similar display pieces to
use during your next public model show.
I have made six small exhibits on wood
bases: an RC control system, a simple CL
system, a throttle-control system for CL
airplanes, various types of propellers, a
mock-up of an engine and fuel system,
and a CL Aerobatics engine that has been
disassembled to show all the working parts.
Accompanying this article is a list of
the types of displays I’ll cover and the
things you will need for each. Those
aren’t the only kinds of exhibits you can
make, but they will help you get started.
To assist you in making similar displays, I
will go through some of the techniques I
found useful.
You might want to start with something
simple, such as the propeller collection
shown in one of the photos. You will need
a base on which to mount your items.
The best type to use is probably
plywood covered with an attractive type
of wood-grain Con-Tact paper. The
wood’s thickness can vary from 1/4 to 3/4
inch, depending on the type of display you
are making and what kind of wood you
have available.
Once you have cut your base to size,
cover it with Con-Tact paper (which is a
misnomer since it is made from vinyl). I
used walnut-grain paper for my displays,
but you can use any kind you want.
Cut a piece of the Con-Tact paper to a
size that will wrap around the base’s
edges and overlap onto the bottom at least
an inch. Remove the backing, lay the
paper on a flat surface, adhesive-side up,
and place the base in the middle of the
vinyl.
Turn the base, with the vinyl stuck to
it, right-side up and press the material
down on the wood. Start from the center
and work outward toward the edges to
remove any trapped air.
When you get to the edges, cut the
vinyl and fold the sides down. Be sure to
overlap the seams at the corners so that
when the Con-Tact paper shrinks with age
(it always does), there won’t be a gap that
shows the plywood underneath.
Fold the vinyl over onto the bottom of
the base and press it down well. When
you turn the base over, you should have
something that looks attractive and
professional.
This CL Supermarine Spitfire uses a throttle-control
setup. The other CL-oriented exhibits are placed in
front of it—within easy reach of spectators.
by Bob Balsie
Making Model-Show Displays
The RC display and transmitter are set up next to a Carl Goldberg Vector trainer.
Operating the transmitter sticks moves the surfaces on the exhibit and the model.
Reveal the inner workings of your hobby to the public
April 2008 51
04sig2.QXD 2/25/08 12:54 PM Page 51
52 MODEL AVIATION
The engine-and-fuel-tank exhibit helps
the observer understand how we store a
model’s fuel and supply it to the engine.
This standard CL control-system
display gives spectators the opportunity
for hands-on experience.
Show-goers enjoy operating the handle
and throttle trigger on this variablespeed
CL engine.
The RC display’s wings are fitted with
aluminum-sheet-stock mounting brackets.
This material is flexible and makes the wings
less susceptible to handling damage.
This RC display’s tail surfaces are covered
with MonoKote and attached to the base
with double-stick foam tape.
This display features the components of a model-airplane engine.
It provides an understanding of the internal workings of our
power plants.
Several types of propellers are showcased. The display consists of
a wood base covered with Con-Tact paper and the propellers
fastened to the base with foam tape.
The center section of the
RC display features a
four-channel radio setup.
Color photos by Jackie Balsie Black-and-white photos by the author
04sig2.QXD 2/25/08 12:54 PM Page 52
April 2008 53
Partial Materials List for Featured Displays
Propeller Standard Bellcrank
Engine Throttle Control
Engine/Fuel System RC
6 x 10-inch base
Model engine
Fuel tank
Fuel tubing
Labels
Placard
9 x 28-inch base
1/8 or 1/4-inch tail surfaces
Two 9 x 2 x 1/4-inch fuselage sides
Four-channel RC system
Two 4 x 9-inch wing panels
Strip aileron horns
RC engine
Labels
7 x 10-inch base
Old model engine
Labels
8 x 20-inch base
1/8 or 1/4-inch tail surfaces
Flexible leadout wire
Three-line bellcrank
Three-line control handle
RC engine
Labels
8 x 13-inch base
Three propellers of various types
Labels
8 x 15-inch base
2-inch bellcrank
1/8 or 1/4-inch tail surfaces
Flexible leadout wire
CL handle
Labels
For this display I chose three
propellers, each of which was 10 inches in
length. One was made from wood, one was
made from plastic, and one was made from
fiberglass-filled nylon. It is easy to affix
these to the base with double-stick foam
tape. It is extremely resilient and will last
for years.
All that remains is to attach labels to
the display to identify the propellers and
give the exhibit a title. A good tool to use
for this is Microsoft Word or another
word-processor program. It features a large
variety of fonts that will fit your needs. If
you do not have access to a computer to do
your “writing,” you can make do with
some careful hand-lettering.
I used rubber cement to attach the
labels to the base. It provides good
adhesion and will not make the paper
wrinkle or bubble. You need only a light
coat of this cement on the back of each
label. If you apply too much, it will bleed
through and discolor the tag. Position the
label carefully, and gently smooth out any
trapped air.
Another tool that will serve you well is
a commercial label maker such as
Brother’s P-touch. You can purchase these
devices in stores such as Staples. They
produce self-adhesive tags and feature a
number of fonts in various sizes to fit your
needs. If I were making my displays today,
I would use the P-touch.
Another simple-to-make display shows
a disassembled model-airplane engine.
You or one of your fellow club members
probably has an old, worn-out engine
somewhere that you can use.
Make a base as before, and then place
the engine pieces on it. Arrange the
components so they fit. Then generate
labels for each piece and a title for the
exhibit.
A slightly more complex display shows
a mock-up of an engine-and-fuel system.
The one I built uses a CL power plant
mounted upright with a muffler and fed by
a profile fuel tank.
Choose an engine and tank, and figure
out the size of base you will need. For
engine mounts try using 3/8 x 3/4 maple
engine-mount stock. Cut pieces that are
slightly longer than the mounting lugs on
the engine, and mark and drill holes for
small screws to be used to mount the
engine. (I used 2-56 servo mounting
screws.)
Paint the blocks black or some other
color of your choosing, and then attach
them to the engine. Get out your roll of
double-stick foam tape and put a piece on
each of the engine mounts. Press the
mounts down onto the base. The foam tape
sticks well to the vinyl and makes the
display pieces more resilient by allowing
them to flex instead of break off if they are
subject to abuse in handling.
If you plan to use a plastic RC-type
tank on the display, all you have to do is
fasten the tank to the base with foam tape
and then attach the fuel lines. If you are
going to use a profile tank, such as the one
on my display, you will need to make a
mounting surface for it.
I used 1/16 plywood to make an Lshaped
tank support, and I used red and
white self-adhesive MonoKote to decorate
it. I attached the support to the base with
foam tape, added hooks, and installed the
tank with a piece of foam and rubber
bands. Then I attached the fuel and muffler
pressure lines.
Regardless of the type of tank you use,
you will want to attach number tags to the
various display components and make a
small placard that identifies and explains
them. You can place that card next to the
engine on your display table.
We’re ready to proceed to something that
04sig2.QXD 2/25/08 12:56 PM Page 53
has a few moving parts. The simplest
display of this type to make is one that
depicts an average CL model’s control
system. You need to make two assemblies:
a bellcrank and mount and a mock-up of
the airplane’s tail surfaces.
You can construct the bellcrank mount
from 1/16 or 1/8 plywood and attach it to 3/8
x 3/4 maple stock. When mounting the
bellcrank, be sure to use a locknut or
Loctite on the mounting screw to prevent
it from coming loose from all the
“exercise” it will get during a show.
Make the tail surfaces from 1/8 or 1/4
balsa, and fasten the elevator to the
stabilizer with Sig Easy Hinges or
something similar. Mount the control horn
on top of the elevator where it can be seen
easily. Glue the rudder to the fin with a
slight offset to the right, as a real CL
model would have. Cement the completed
tail assembly to a piece of the maple stock.
Mount the bellcrank and tail assemblies
to the base with foam tape. Install a
pushrod made from 1/32 or 1/16-inchdiameter
wire, and connect a control
handle to the bellcrank with heavy-gauge
stranded wire. If you use this display in
your show, you should have at least one
CL model on hand.
A display showing a CL throttle
control system is more complex than the
one I just described since it involves a
special bellcrank and an RC engine. The
bellcrank mount shown in the
accompanying photo of this display
depicts a slightly different shape from the
one you just made.
The bellcrank mount is fabricated from
1/16 plywood and attached to maple
mounts. The tail surfaces are made in the
same manner as for the previous display,
but this time you will hinge the rudder as
well as the elevators.
Mount your RC engine as you did for
the fuel-system display. My exhibit shows
1/32-inch-diameter wire pushrods used for
both the rudder and engine controls, and
they are installed in the same hole in the
moving arm of the bellcrank. This is the
easiest way to go.
For the elevator pushrod you can use
any wire size you choose. You will need a
special three-line control handle to go
along with the three-line bellcrank.
Connect the handle to the bellcrank
with three heavy-gauge flexible wires that
are the same length. Attach the two outer
wires on the handle to the bellcrank and
the center wire to the movable arm.
If you have stayed with me this far,
you’re ready to try the most complex
display: one that illustrates an RC
airplane’s internal workings. As you can
see in the photos, this includes four
servos, a receiver, and battery pack, and
even a set of wings.
Fabricating the engine mounts and tail
surfaces are the same as before; the only
difference is that the tail is mounted on a
piece of 1/2 balsa that is covered with
MonoKote to simulate the aft fuselage of
an airplane. The middle “fuselage” portion
is made from 1/4 hard balsa with hardbalsa
beams for servo mounts. This
section is long enough to contain the
servos, the receiver, and the battery.
This display requires you to make a set
of wings. For that you can use a piece of
preshaped airfoil stock, which is available
from your hobby shop. Cut the wings to
size, round the tips, and finish shaping the
airfoil.
Cut ailerons from the wing panels and
mark the location for a couple Easy
Hinges on each panel. Paint the wings and
ailerons, or cover them with MonoKote,
and then hinge the ailerons to the wings.
Make a couple wing-mounting brackets
from thin aluminum sheet (such as K&S
stock you can find at your hobby shop).
This material isn’t particularly rigid, and
you don’t want it to be. If the wing has
something dropped on it or if someone
pushes down on it, the bracket will simply
bend; then you can easily straighten it
again.
Permanently attach the wings to their
brackets with two 4-40 screws and nuts on
each panel. Then you can attach the wing
panels to the fuselage section with short
sheet-metal screws. These small screws
make it easy to remove the wings when
you pack the exhibit for storage.
One thing that can make an RC display
even more interesting is choosing a
receiver frequency that matches one of the
54 MODEL AVIATION
www.modelaircraft.org www.masportaviator.com
ClickOn! Landing Made Easy
Do you have trouble hitting the
runway centerline when landing
your aircraft? Does your model
touch down right in front of you?
Are wind corrections getting
confusing? Are you trying to do
too many things at one time?
Sport Aviator shows you how to break a landing into steps so
you always land your model on the centerline, right in front of
you. Go to the Sport Aviator Web site and click on Pri-Fly to
access “Basic Landing Techniques.”
HobbyZone’s Aerobird Swift
Park flyer RTFs that are designed
for new pilots have to be underpowered,
boring, and have less aerobatic ability
than a Nimitz-class carrier, right? No!
Climb inside with Sport Aviator and
co-pilot the extremely aerobatic yet
easy-to-fly Aerobird Swift. Watch the
videos, and you can decide how boring
it is. It flies great in wind too!
Visit the Sport Aviator Web site at www.masportaviator.com
and then click on Park Pilot Aircraft to see a review.
Get Involved with AMA’s
As part of reaching out
to the membership unlike
with any effort in the past,
the AMA will be seeking its dues payers’ input more
frequently. This new outreach offer will be called
“Membership Dynamic” (MD), with which the AMA
membership will have multiple opportunities to get involved.
The first MD program is a committee-participation
effort. The Academy is inviting its members to participate
in the decision-making processes that shape their
organization by volunteering for a committee of their
choice.
To apply, visit the Members Only section of the AMA
Web site (www.modelaircraft.org) beginning March 31,
2008, and click on “Membership Dynamic Participation.”
Complete the electronic form to be considered for an
AMA committee.
The MD committee questionnaire will list all open
committees and their mission statements. You will be asked
to choose one in which you may be interested and list any
qualifications or special skills you have that can benefit that
committee. Enrollment will end April 30, 2008. ®
04sig2.QXD 2/25/08 12:56 PM Page 54
airplanes that will be used in the show.
Then you can turn on the power to the
exhibit, and when a person moves the
transmitter’s control sticks, the control
surfaces on the display and the model will
move in unison. This will give people a
clear picture of what is going on in the
model when it is flying.
You aren’t limited to airplane displays; if
some of your club’s members are into
model boats or cars, they can make
accompanying exhibits to give spectators a
feel for how these types of models operate.
And with boats and cars you can give safe
demonstrations, even indoors.
Our local model-boat club puts on a
display at the shopping mall at the same
time we have our airplane show. It sets up
around the large fountain in the center
court, where the members can launch and
operate their boats.
When you set up for your show, pick an
area that spectators will find to be easily
accessible. Allow enough room to set up
all the display items without having to
crowd them together.
The RC exhibits contain expensive
components and the CL displays will have
interested people using the control handles
to make the tail surfaces move, so you
want to fasten these displays to the
tabletops in a secure manner. Again, it is
foam tape to the rescue!
Affix three or four 1-inch pieces of
foam tape to the bottom of each display
item you want to secure, and then stick the
object to the tabletop. Even though the
foam tape is exceedingly strong, you will
still be able to pull the items loose at the
end of the show. Be sure to remove the
remaining tape from the tabletop.
In addition to your homemade displays,
have a member bring a personal computer
with flight-simulator software installed.
Every year we include a computer with the
RealFlight simulator running, and it is
always one of the most popular parts of the
show.
Also consider having a small television
and DVD or VCR player set up to show
videos of model airplanes flying. AMA has
a number of videos available, as do several
manufacturers.
The Academy also has a display that is
available to be used in modeling shows. It
consists of a large photo board, a video,
and a large group of brochures that can be
given to interested spectators. You can
request this display, free of charge, by
contacting your AMA district
representative.
In addition, be sure to have a sign-up
sheet available to allow interested people
to request more information about flying
or joining your club.
Having a nice set of displays for your
shows is a good starting point, but the
most important part is the club members
who man the displays and explain them to
the spectators. These exhibits generate a
lot of attention and many questions,
especially from young people. Many of
these questions will seem rudimentary to
an experienced modeler, so staff your
booth with knowledgeable and patient
modelers who like sharing their hobby and
enjoy talking to people.
You will find that upon seeing a Scale
model of a World War II airplane, many
older men will want to share their wartime
experiences. You can learn a great deal
this way, but you can also spend a
considerable amount of time listening. It’s
important to show that you are interested
in what the person is telling you.
Model shows are an excellent way for
members of the general public to get a
glimpse of our hobby. Whether the models
educate them or intimidate them depends
largely on the type of show you present.
Displays that help people understand our
hobby and make them want to get involved
are great tools to help guarantee that we
obtain a good crop of new modelers. MA
Bob Balsie
[email protected]
April 2008 55
04sig2.QXD 2/25/08 1:00 PM Page 55
Edition: Model Aviation - 2008/04
Page Numbers: 51,52,53,54,55
Edition: Model Aviation - 2008/04
Page Numbers: 51,52,53,54,55
A PROBLEM WE face in trying to recruit
new people into the sport of aeromodeling
is that many of them think model airplanes
are too complicated to understand. As a
result, they are reluctant to become
involved in the hobby.
To help people overcome this
roadblock, I built a few display items a
number of years ago that were to be used
during our club’s annual model-airplane
show. These exhibits help illustrate some
of the RC and CL airplanes’ operating
features, and they give the layman some
insight into how these models are operated
and flown.
Making such display items is not a
difficult task. I suggest that your club try
to come up with similar display pieces to
use during your next public model show.
I have made six small exhibits on wood
bases: an RC control system, a simple CL
system, a throttle-control system for CL
airplanes, various types of propellers, a
mock-up of an engine and fuel system,
and a CL Aerobatics engine that has been
disassembled to show all the working parts.
Accompanying this article is a list of
the types of displays I’ll cover and the
things you will need for each. Those
aren’t the only kinds of exhibits you can
make, but they will help you get started.
To assist you in making similar displays, I
will go through some of the techniques I
found useful.
You might want to start with something
simple, such as the propeller collection
shown in one of the photos. You will need
a base on which to mount your items.
The best type to use is probably
plywood covered with an attractive type
of wood-grain Con-Tact paper. The
wood’s thickness can vary from 1/4 to 3/4
inch, depending on the type of display you
are making and what kind of wood you
have available.
Once you have cut your base to size,
cover it with Con-Tact paper (which is a
misnomer since it is made from vinyl). I
used walnut-grain paper for my displays,
but you can use any kind you want.
Cut a piece of the Con-Tact paper to a
size that will wrap around the base’s
edges and overlap onto the bottom at least
an inch. Remove the backing, lay the
paper on a flat surface, adhesive-side up,
and place the base in the middle of the
vinyl.
Turn the base, with the vinyl stuck to
it, right-side up and press the material
down on the wood. Start from the center
and work outward toward the edges to
remove any trapped air.
When you get to the edges, cut the
vinyl and fold the sides down. Be sure to
overlap the seams at the corners so that
when the Con-Tact paper shrinks with age
(it always does), there won’t be a gap that
shows the plywood underneath.
Fold the vinyl over onto the bottom of
the base and press it down well. When
you turn the base over, you should have
something that looks attractive and
professional.
This CL Supermarine Spitfire uses a throttle-control
setup. The other CL-oriented exhibits are placed in
front of it—within easy reach of spectators.
by Bob Balsie
Making Model-Show Displays
The RC display and transmitter are set up next to a Carl Goldberg Vector trainer.
Operating the transmitter sticks moves the surfaces on the exhibit and the model.
Reveal the inner workings of your hobby to the public
April 2008 51
04sig2.QXD 2/25/08 12:54 PM Page 51
52 MODEL AVIATION
The engine-and-fuel-tank exhibit helps
the observer understand how we store a
model’s fuel and supply it to the engine.
This standard CL control-system
display gives spectators the opportunity
for hands-on experience.
Show-goers enjoy operating the handle
and throttle trigger on this variablespeed
CL engine.
The RC display’s wings are fitted with
aluminum-sheet-stock mounting brackets.
This material is flexible and makes the wings
less susceptible to handling damage.
This RC display’s tail surfaces are covered
with MonoKote and attached to the base
with double-stick foam tape.
This display features the components of a model-airplane engine.
It provides an understanding of the internal workings of our
power plants.
Several types of propellers are showcased. The display consists of
a wood base covered with Con-Tact paper and the propellers
fastened to the base with foam tape.
The center section of the
RC display features a
four-channel radio setup.
Color photos by Jackie Balsie Black-and-white photos by the author
04sig2.QXD 2/25/08 12:54 PM Page 52
April 2008 53
Partial Materials List for Featured Displays
Propeller Standard Bellcrank
Engine Throttle Control
Engine/Fuel System RC
6 x 10-inch base
Model engine
Fuel tank
Fuel tubing
Labels
Placard
9 x 28-inch base
1/8 or 1/4-inch tail surfaces
Two 9 x 2 x 1/4-inch fuselage sides
Four-channel RC system
Two 4 x 9-inch wing panels
Strip aileron horns
RC engine
Labels
7 x 10-inch base
Old model engine
Labels
8 x 20-inch base
1/8 or 1/4-inch tail surfaces
Flexible leadout wire
Three-line bellcrank
Three-line control handle
RC engine
Labels
8 x 13-inch base
Three propellers of various types
Labels
8 x 15-inch base
2-inch bellcrank
1/8 or 1/4-inch tail surfaces
Flexible leadout wire
CL handle
Labels
For this display I chose three
propellers, each of which was 10 inches in
length. One was made from wood, one was
made from plastic, and one was made from
fiberglass-filled nylon. It is easy to affix
these to the base with double-stick foam
tape. It is extremely resilient and will last
for years.
All that remains is to attach labels to
the display to identify the propellers and
give the exhibit a title. A good tool to use
for this is Microsoft Word or another
word-processor program. It features a large
variety of fonts that will fit your needs. If
you do not have access to a computer to do
your “writing,” you can make do with
some careful hand-lettering.
I used rubber cement to attach the
labels to the base. It provides good
adhesion and will not make the paper
wrinkle or bubble. You need only a light
coat of this cement on the back of each
label. If you apply too much, it will bleed
through and discolor the tag. Position the
label carefully, and gently smooth out any
trapped air.
Another tool that will serve you well is
a commercial label maker such as
Brother’s P-touch. You can purchase these
devices in stores such as Staples. They
produce self-adhesive tags and feature a
number of fonts in various sizes to fit your
needs. If I were making my displays today,
I would use the P-touch.
Another simple-to-make display shows
a disassembled model-airplane engine.
You or one of your fellow club members
probably has an old, worn-out engine
somewhere that you can use.
Make a base as before, and then place
the engine pieces on it. Arrange the
components so they fit. Then generate
labels for each piece and a title for the
exhibit.
A slightly more complex display shows
a mock-up of an engine-and-fuel system.
The one I built uses a CL power plant
mounted upright with a muffler and fed by
a profile fuel tank.
Choose an engine and tank, and figure
out the size of base you will need. For
engine mounts try using 3/8 x 3/4 maple
engine-mount stock. Cut pieces that are
slightly longer than the mounting lugs on
the engine, and mark and drill holes for
small screws to be used to mount the
engine. (I used 2-56 servo mounting
screws.)
Paint the blocks black or some other
color of your choosing, and then attach
them to the engine. Get out your roll of
double-stick foam tape and put a piece on
each of the engine mounts. Press the
mounts down onto the base. The foam tape
sticks well to the vinyl and makes the
display pieces more resilient by allowing
them to flex instead of break off if they are
subject to abuse in handling.
If you plan to use a plastic RC-type
tank on the display, all you have to do is
fasten the tank to the base with foam tape
and then attach the fuel lines. If you are
going to use a profile tank, such as the one
on my display, you will need to make a
mounting surface for it.
I used 1/16 plywood to make an Lshaped
tank support, and I used red and
white self-adhesive MonoKote to decorate
it. I attached the support to the base with
foam tape, added hooks, and installed the
tank with a piece of foam and rubber
bands. Then I attached the fuel and muffler
pressure lines.
Regardless of the type of tank you use,
you will want to attach number tags to the
various display components and make a
small placard that identifies and explains
them. You can place that card next to the
engine on your display table.
We’re ready to proceed to something that
04sig2.QXD 2/25/08 12:56 PM Page 53
has a few moving parts. The simplest
display of this type to make is one that
depicts an average CL model’s control
system. You need to make two assemblies:
a bellcrank and mount and a mock-up of
the airplane’s tail surfaces.
You can construct the bellcrank mount
from 1/16 or 1/8 plywood and attach it to 3/8
x 3/4 maple stock. When mounting the
bellcrank, be sure to use a locknut or
Loctite on the mounting screw to prevent
it from coming loose from all the
“exercise” it will get during a show.
Make the tail surfaces from 1/8 or 1/4
balsa, and fasten the elevator to the
stabilizer with Sig Easy Hinges or
something similar. Mount the control horn
on top of the elevator where it can be seen
easily. Glue the rudder to the fin with a
slight offset to the right, as a real CL
model would have. Cement the completed
tail assembly to a piece of the maple stock.
Mount the bellcrank and tail assemblies
to the base with foam tape. Install a
pushrod made from 1/32 or 1/16-inchdiameter
wire, and connect a control
handle to the bellcrank with heavy-gauge
stranded wire. If you use this display in
your show, you should have at least one
CL model on hand.
A display showing a CL throttle
control system is more complex than the
one I just described since it involves a
special bellcrank and an RC engine. The
bellcrank mount shown in the
accompanying photo of this display
depicts a slightly different shape from the
one you just made.
The bellcrank mount is fabricated from
1/16 plywood and attached to maple
mounts. The tail surfaces are made in the
same manner as for the previous display,
but this time you will hinge the rudder as
well as the elevators.
Mount your RC engine as you did for
the fuel-system display. My exhibit shows
1/32-inch-diameter wire pushrods used for
both the rudder and engine controls, and
they are installed in the same hole in the
moving arm of the bellcrank. This is the
easiest way to go.
For the elevator pushrod you can use
any wire size you choose. You will need a
special three-line control handle to go
along with the three-line bellcrank.
Connect the handle to the bellcrank
with three heavy-gauge flexible wires that
are the same length. Attach the two outer
wires on the handle to the bellcrank and
the center wire to the movable arm.
If you have stayed with me this far,
you’re ready to try the most complex
display: one that illustrates an RC
airplane’s internal workings. As you can
see in the photos, this includes four
servos, a receiver, and battery pack, and
even a set of wings.
Fabricating the engine mounts and tail
surfaces are the same as before; the only
difference is that the tail is mounted on a
piece of 1/2 balsa that is covered with
MonoKote to simulate the aft fuselage of
an airplane. The middle “fuselage” portion
is made from 1/4 hard balsa with hardbalsa
beams for servo mounts. This
section is long enough to contain the
servos, the receiver, and the battery.
This display requires you to make a set
of wings. For that you can use a piece of
preshaped airfoil stock, which is available
from your hobby shop. Cut the wings to
size, round the tips, and finish shaping the
airfoil.
Cut ailerons from the wing panels and
mark the location for a couple Easy
Hinges on each panel. Paint the wings and
ailerons, or cover them with MonoKote,
and then hinge the ailerons to the wings.
Make a couple wing-mounting brackets
from thin aluminum sheet (such as K&S
stock you can find at your hobby shop).
This material isn’t particularly rigid, and
you don’t want it to be. If the wing has
something dropped on it or if someone
pushes down on it, the bracket will simply
bend; then you can easily straighten it
again.
Permanently attach the wings to their
brackets with two 4-40 screws and nuts on
each panel. Then you can attach the wing
panels to the fuselage section with short
sheet-metal screws. These small screws
make it easy to remove the wings when
you pack the exhibit for storage.
One thing that can make an RC display
even more interesting is choosing a
receiver frequency that matches one of the
54 MODEL AVIATION
www.modelaircraft.org www.masportaviator.com
ClickOn! Landing Made Easy
Do you have trouble hitting the
runway centerline when landing
your aircraft? Does your model
touch down right in front of you?
Are wind corrections getting
confusing? Are you trying to do
too many things at one time?
Sport Aviator shows you how to break a landing into steps so
you always land your model on the centerline, right in front of
you. Go to the Sport Aviator Web site and click on Pri-Fly to
access “Basic Landing Techniques.”
HobbyZone’s Aerobird Swift
Park flyer RTFs that are designed
for new pilots have to be underpowered,
boring, and have less aerobatic ability
than a Nimitz-class carrier, right? No!
Climb inside with Sport Aviator and
co-pilot the extremely aerobatic yet
easy-to-fly Aerobird Swift. Watch the
videos, and you can decide how boring
it is. It flies great in wind too!
Visit the Sport Aviator Web site at www.masportaviator.com
and then click on Park Pilot Aircraft to see a review.
Get Involved with AMA’s
As part of reaching out
to the membership unlike
with any effort in the past,
the AMA will be seeking its dues payers’ input more
frequently. This new outreach offer will be called
“Membership Dynamic” (MD), with which the AMA
membership will have multiple opportunities to get involved.
The first MD program is a committee-participation
effort. The Academy is inviting its members to participate
in the decision-making processes that shape their
organization by volunteering for a committee of their
choice.
To apply, visit the Members Only section of the AMA
Web site (www.modelaircraft.org) beginning March 31,
2008, and click on “Membership Dynamic Participation.”
Complete the electronic form to be considered for an
AMA committee.
The MD committee questionnaire will list all open
committees and their mission statements. You will be asked
to choose one in which you may be interested and list any
qualifications or special skills you have that can benefit that
committee. Enrollment will end April 30, 2008. ®
04sig2.QXD 2/25/08 12:56 PM Page 54
airplanes that will be used in the show.
Then you can turn on the power to the
exhibit, and when a person moves the
transmitter’s control sticks, the control
surfaces on the display and the model will
move in unison. This will give people a
clear picture of what is going on in the
model when it is flying.
You aren’t limited to airplane displays; if
some of your club’s members are into
model boats or cars, they can make
accompanying exhibits to give spectators a
feel for how these types of models operate.
And with boats and cars you can give safe
demonstrations, even indoors.
Our local model-boat club puts on a
display at the shopping mall at the same
time we have our airplane show. It sets up
around the large fountain in the center
court, where the members can launch and
operate their boats.
When you set up for your show, pick an
area that spectators will find to be easily
accessible. Allow enough room to set up
all the display items without having to
crowd them together.
The RC exhibits contain expensive
components and the CL displays will have
interested people using the control handles
to make the tail surfaces move, so you
want to fasten these displays to the
tabletops in a secure manner. Again, it is
foam tape to the rescue!
Affix three or four 1-inch pieces of
foam tape to the bottom of each display
item you want to secure, and then stick the
object to the tabletop. Even though the
foam tape is exceedingly strong, you will
still be able to pull the items loose at the
end of the show. Be sure to remove the
remaining tape from the tabletop.
In addition to your homemade displays,
have a member bring a personal computer
with flight-simulator software installed.
Every year we include a computer with the
RealFlight simulator running, and it is
always one of the most popular parts of the
show.
Also consider having a small television
and DVD or VCR player set up to show
videos of model airplanes flying. AMA has
a number of videos available, as do several
manufacturers.
The Academy also has a display that is
available to be used in modeling shows. It
consists of a large photo board, a video,
and a large group of brochures that can be
given to interested spectators. You can
request this display, free of charge, by
contacting your AMA district
representative.
In addition, be sure to have a sign-up
sheet available to allow interested people
to request more information about flying
or joining your club.
Having a nice set of displays for your
shows is a good starting point, but the
most important part is the club members
who man the displays and explain them to
the spectators. These exhibits generate a
lot of attention and many questions,
especially from young people. Many of
these questions will seem rudimentary to
an experienced modeler, so staff your
booth with knowledgeable and patient
modelers who like sharing their hobby and
enjoy talking to people.
You will find that upon seeing a Scale
model of a World War II airplane, many
older men will want to share their wartime
experiences. You can learn a great deal
this way, but you can also spend a
considerable amount of time listening. It’s
important to show that you are interested
in what the person is telling you.
Model shows are an excellent way for
members of the general public to get a
glimpse of our hobby. Whether the models
educate them or intimidate them depends
largely on the type of show you present.
Displays that help people understand our
hobby and make them want to get involved
are great tools to help guarantee that we
obtain a good crop of new modelers. MA
Bob Balsie
[email protected]
April 2008 55
04sig2.QXD 2/25/08 1:00 PM Page 55
Edition: Model Aviation - 2008/04
Page Numbers: 51,52,53,54,55
A PROBLEM WE face in trying to recruit
new people into the sport of aeromodeling
is that many of them think model airplanes
are too complicated to understand. As a
result, they are reluctant to become
involved in the hobby.
To help people overcome this
roadblock, I built a few display items a
number of years ago that were to be used
during our club’s annual model-airplane
show. These exhibits help illustrate some
of the RC and CL airplanes’ operating
features, and they give the layman some
insight into how these models are operated
and flown.
Making such display items is not a
difficult task. I suggest that your club try
to come up with similar display pieces to
use during your next public model show.
I have made six small exhibits on wood
bases: an RC control system, a simple CL
system, a throttle-control system for CL
airplanes, various types of propellers, a
mock-up of an engine and fuel system,
and a CL Aerobatics engine that has been
disassembled to show all the working parts.
Accompanying this article is a list of
the types of displays I’ll cover and the
things you will need for each. Those
aren’t the only kinds of exhibits you can
make, but they will help you get started.
To assist you in making similar displays, I
will go through some of the techniques I
found useful.
You might want to start with something
simple, such as the propeller collection
shown in one of the photos. You will need
a base on which to mount your items.
The best type to use is probably
plywood covered with an attractive type
of wood-grain Con-Tact paper. The
wood’s thickness can vary from 1/4 to 3/4
inch, depending on the type of display you
are making and what kind of wood you
have available.
Once you have cut your base to size,
cover it with Con-Tact paper (which is a
misnomer since it is made from vinyl). I
used walnut-grain paper for my displays,
but you can use any kind you want.
Cut a piece of the Con-Tact paper to a
size that will wrap around the base’s
edges and overlap onto the bottom at least
an inch. Remove the backing, lay the
paper on a flat surface, adhesive-side up,
and place the base in the middle of the
vinyl.
Turn the base, with the vinyl stuck to
it, right-side up and press the material
down on the wood. Start from the center
and work outward toward the edges to
remove any trapped air.
When you get to the edges, cut the
vinyl and fold the sides down. Be sure to
overlap the seams at the corners so that
when the Con-Tact paper shrinks with age
(it always does), there won’t be a gap that
shows the plywood underneath.
Fold the vinyl over onto the bottom of
the base and press it down well. When
you turn the base over, you should have
something that looks attractive and
professional.
This CL Supermarine Spitfire uses a throttle-control
setup. The other CL-oriented exhibits are placed in
front of it—within easy reach of spectators.
by Bob Balsie
Making Model-Show Displays
The RC display and transmitter are set up next to a Carl Goldberg Vector trainer.
Operating the transmitter sticks moves the surfaces on the exhibit and the model.
Reveal the inner workings of your hobby to the public
April 2008 51
04sig2.QXD 2/25/08 12:54 PM Page 51
52 MODEL AVIATION
The engine-and-fuel-tank exhibit helps
the observer understand how we store a
model’s fuel and supply it to the engine.
This standard CL control-system
display gives spectators the opportunity
for hands-on experience.
Show-goers enjoy operating the handle
and throttle trigger on this variablespeed
CL engine.
The RC display’s wings are fitted with
aluminum-sheet-stock mounting brackets.
This material is flexible and makes the wings
less susceptible to handling damage.
This RC display’s tail surfaces are covered
with MonoKote and attached to the base
with double-stick foam tape.
This display features the components of a model-airplane engine.
It provides an understanding of the internal workings of our
power plants.
Several types of propellers are showcased. The display consists of
a wood base covered with Con-Tact paper and the propellers
fastened to the base with foam tape.
The center section of the
RC display features a
four-channel radio setup.
Color photos by Jackie Balsie Black-and-white photos by the author
04sig2.QXD 2/25/08 12:54 PM Page 52
April 2008 53
Partial Materials List for Featured Displays
Propeller Standard Bellcrank
Engine Throttle Control
Engine/Fuel System RC
6 x 10-inch base
Model engine
Fuel tank
Fuel tubing
Labels
Placard
9 x 28-inch base
1/8 or 1/4-inch tail surfaces
Two 9 x 2 x 1/4-inch fuselage sides
Four-channel RC system
Two 4 x 9-inch wing panels
Strip aileron horns
RC engine
Labels
7 x 10-inch base
Old model engine
Labels
8 x 20-inch base
1/8 or 1/4-inch tail surfaces
Flexible leadout wire
Three-line bellcrank
Three-line control handle
RC engine
Labels
8 x 13-inch base
Three propellers of various types
Labels
8 x 15-inch base
2-inch bellcrank
1/8 or 1/4-inch tail surfaces
Flexible leadout wire
CL handle
Labels
For this display I chose three
propellers, each of which was 10 inches in
length. One was made from wood, one was
made from plastic, and one was made from
fiberglass-filled nylon. It is easy to affix
these to the base with double-stick foam
tape. It is extremely resilient and will last
for years.
All that remains is to attach labels to
the display to identify the propellers and
give the exhibit a title. A good tool to use
for this is Microsoft Word or another
word-processor program. It features a large
variety of fonts that will fit your needs. If
you do not have access to a computer to do
your “writing,” you can make do with
some careful hand-lettering.
I used rubber cement to attach the
labels to the base. It provides good
adhesion and will not make the paper
wrinkle or bubble. You need only a light
coat of this cement on the back of each
label. If you apply too much, it will bleed
through and discolor the tag. Position the
label carefully, and gently smooth out any
trapped air.
Another tool that will serve you well is
a commercial label maker such as
Brother’s P-touch. You can purchase these
devices in stores such as Staples. They
produce self-adhesive tags and feature a
number of fonts in various sizes to fit your
needs. If I were making my displays today,
I would use the P-touch.
Another simple-to-make display shows
a disassembled model-airplane engine.
You or one of your fellow club members
probably has an old, worn-out engine
somewhere that you can use.
Make a base as before, and then place
the engine pieces on it. Arrange the
components so they fit. Then generate
labels for each piece and a title for the
exhibit.
A slightly more complex display shows
a mock-up of an engine-and-fuel system.
The one I built uses a CL power plant
mounted upright with a muffler and fed by
a profile fuel tank.
Choose an engine and tank, and figure
out the size of base you will need. For
engine mounts try using 3/8 x 3/4 maple
engine-mount stock. Cut pieces that are
slightly longer than the mounting lugs on
the engine, and mark and drill holes for
small screws to be used to mount the
engine. (I used 2-56 servo mounting
screws.)
Paint the blocks black or some other
color of your choosing, and then attach
them to the engine. Get out your roll of
double-stick foam tape and put a piece on
each of the engine mounts. Press the
mounts down onto the base. The foam tape
sticks well to the vinyl and makes the
display pieces more resilient by allowing
them to flex instead of break off if they are
subject to abuse in handling.
If you plan to use a plastic RC-type
tank on the display, all you have to do is
fasten the tank to the base with foam tape
and then attach the fuel lines. If you are
going to use a profile tank, such as the one
on my display, you will need to make a
mounting surface for it.
I used 1/16 plywood to make an Lshaped
tank support, and I used red and
white self-adhesive MonoKote to decorate
it. I attached the support to the base with
foam tape, added hooks, and installed the
tank with a piece of foam and rubber
bands. Then I attached the fuel and muffler
pressure lines.
Regardless of the type of tank you use,
you will want to attach number tags to the
various display components and make a
small placard that identifies and explains
them. You can place that card next to the
engine on your display table.
We’re ready to proceed to something that
04sig2.QXD 2/25/08 12:56 PM Page 53
has a few moving parts. The simplest
display of this type to make is one that
depicts an average CL model’s control
system. You need to make two assemblies:
a bellcrank and mount and a mock-up of
the airplane’s tail surfaces.
You can construct the bellcrank mount
from 1/16 or 1/8 plywood and attach it to 3/8
x 3/4 maple stock. When mounting the
bellcrank, be sure to use a locknut or
Loctite on the mounting screw to prevent
it from coming loose from all the
“exercise” it will get during a show.
Make the tail surfaces from 1/8 or 1/4
balsa, and fasten the elevator to the
stabilizer with Sig Easy Hinges or
something similar. Mount the control horn
on top of the elevator where it can be seen
easily. Glue the rudder to the fin with a
slight offset to the right, as a real CL
model would have. Cement the completed
tail assembly to a piece of the maple stock.
Mount the bellcrank and tail assemblies
to the base with foam tape. Install a
pushrod made from 1/32 or 1/16-inchdiameter
wire, and connect a control
handle to the bellcrank with heavy-gauge
stranded wire. If you use this display in
your show, you should have at least one
CL model on hand.
A display showing a CL throttle
control system is more complex than the
one I just described since it involves a
special bellcrank and an RC engine. The
bellcrank mount shown in the
accompanying photo of this display
depicts a slightly different shape from the
one you just made.
The bellcrank mount is fabricated from
1/16 plywood and attached to maple
mounts. The tail surfaces are made in the
same manner as for the previous display,
but this time you will hinge the rudder as
well as the elevators.
Mount your RC engine as you did for
the fuel-system display. My exhibit shows
1/32-inch-diameter wire pushrods used for
both the rudder and engine controls, and
they are installed in the same hole in the
moving arm of the bellcrank. This is the
easiest way to go.
For the elevator pushrod you can use
any wire size you choose. You will need a
special three-line control handle to go
along with the three-line bellcrank.
Connect the handle to the bellcrank
with three heavy-gauge flexible wires that
are the same length. Attach the two outer
wires on the handle to the bellcrank and
the center wire to the movable arm.
If you have stayed with me this far,
you’re ready to try the most complex
display: one that illustrates an RC
airplane’s internal workings. As you can
see in the photos, this includes four
servos, a receiver, and battery pack, and
even a set of wings.
Fabricating the engine mounts and tail
surfaces are the same as before; the only
difference is that the tail is mounted on a
piece of 1/2 balsa that is covered with
MonoKote to simulate the aft fuselage of
an airplane. The middle “fuselage” portion
is made from 1/4 hard balsa with hardbalsa
beams for servo mounts. This
section is long enough to contain the
servos, the receiver, and the battery.
This display requires you to make a set
of wings. For that you can use a piece of
preshaped airfoil stock, which is available
from your hobby shop. Cut the wings to
size, round the tips, and finish shaping the
airfoil.
Cut ailerons from the wing panels and
mark the location for a couple Easy
Hinges on each panel. Paint the wings and
ailerons, or cover them with MonoKote,
and then hinge the ailerons to the wings.
Make a couple wing-mounting brackets
from thin aluminum sheet (such as K&S
stock you can find at your hobby shop).
This material isn’t particularly rigid, and
you don’t want it to be. If the wing has
something dropped on it or if someone
pushes down on it, the bracket will simply
bend; then you can easily straighten it
again.
Permanently attach the wings to their
brackets with two 4-40 screws and nuts on
each panel. Then you can attach the wing
panels to the fuselage section with short
sheet-metal screws. These small screws
make it easy to remove the wings when
you pack the exhibit for storage.
One thing that can make an RC display
even more interesting is choosing a
receiver frequency that matches one of the
54 MODEL AVIATION
www.modelaircraft.org www.masportaviator.com
ClickOn! Landing Made Easy
Do you have trouble hitting the
runway centerline when landing
your aircraft? Does your model
touch down right in front of you?
Are wind corrections getting
confusing? Are you trying to do
too many things at one time?
Sport Aviator shows you how to break a landing into steps so
you always land your model on the centerline, right in front of
you. Go to the Sport Aviator Web site and click on Pri-Fly to
access “Basic Landing Techniques.”
HobbyZone’s Aerobird Swift
Park flyer RTFs that are designed
for new pilots have to be underpowered,
boring, and have less aerobatic ability
than a Nimitz-class carrier, right? No!
Climb inside with Sport Aviator and
co-pilot the extremely aerobatic yet
easy-to-fly Aerobird Swift. Watch the
videos, and you can decide how boring
it is. It flies great in wind too!
Visit the Sport Aviator Web site at www.masportaviator.com
and then click on Park Pilot Aircraft to see a review.
Get Involved with AMA’s
As part of reaching out
to the membership unlike
with any effort in the past,
the AMA will be seeking its dues payers’ input more
frequently. This new outreach offer will be called
“Membership Dynamic” (MD), with which the AMA
membership will have multiple opportunities to get involved.
The first MD program is a committee-participation
effort. The Academy is inviting its members to participate
in the decision-making processes that shape their
organization by volunteering for a committee of their
choice.
To apply, visit the Members Only section of the AMA
Web site (www.modelaircraft.org) beginning March 31,
2008, and click on “Membership Dynamic Participation.”
Complete the electronic form to be considered for an
AMA committee.
The MD committee questionnaire will list all open
committees and their mission statements. You will be asked
to choose one in which you may be interested and list any
qualifications or special skills you have that can benefit that
committee. Enrollment will end April 30, 2008. ®
04sig2.QXD 2/25/08 12:56 PM Page 54
airplanes that will be used in the show.
Then you can turn on the power to the
exhibit, and when a person moves the
transmitter’s control sticks, the control
surfaces on the display and the model will
move in unison. This will give people a
clear picture of what is going on in the
model when it is flying.
You aren’t limited to airplane displays; if
some of your club’s members are into
model boats or cars, they can make
accompanying exhibits to give spectators a
feel for how these types of models operate.
And with boats and cars you can give safe
demonstrations, even indoors.
Our local model-boat club puts on a
display at the shopping mall at the same
time we have our airplane show. It sets up
around the large fountain in the center
court, where the members can launch and
operate their boats.
When you set up for your show, pick an
area that spectators will find to be easily
accessible. Allow enough room to set up
all the display items without having to
crowd them together.
The RC exhibits contain expensive
components and the CL displays will have
interested people using the control handles
to make the tail surfaces move, so you
want to fasten these displays to the
tabletops in a secure manner. Again, it is
foam tape to the rescue!
Affix three or four 1-inch pieces of
foam tape to the bottom of each display
item you want to secure, and then stick the
object to the tabletop. Even though the
foam tape is exceedingly strong, you will
still be able to pull the items loose at the
end of the show. Be sure to remove the
remaining tape from the tabletop.
In addition to your homemade displays,
have a member bring a personal computer
with flight-simulator software installed.
Every year we include a computer with the
RealFlight simulator running, and it is
always one of the most popular parts of the
show.
Also consider having a small television
and DVD or VCR player set up to show
videos of model airplanes flying. AMA has
a number of videos available, as do several
manufacturers.
The Academy also has a display that is
available to be used in modeling shows. It
consists of a large photo board, a video,
and a large group of brochures that can be
given to interested spectators. You can
request this display, free of charge, by
contacting your AMA district
representative.
In addition, be sure to have a sign-up
sheet available to allow interested people
to request more information about flying
or joining your club.
Having a nice set of displays for your
shows is a good starting point, but the
most important part is the club members
who man the displays and explain them to
the spectators. These exhibits generate a
lot of attention and many questions,
especially from young people. Many of
these questions will seem rudimentary to
an experienced modeler, so staff your
booth with knowledgeable and patient
modelers who like sharing their hobby and
enjoy talking to people.
You will find that upon seeing a Scale
model of a World War II airplane, many
older men will want to share their wartime
experiences. You can learn a great deal
this way, but you can also spend a
considerable amount of time listening. It’s
important to show that you are interested
in what the person is telling you.
Model shows are an excellent way for
members of the general public to get a
glimpse of our hobby. Whether the models
educate them or intimidate them depends
largely on the type of show you present.
Displays that help people understand our
hobby and make them want to get involved
are great tools to help guarantee that we
obtain a good crop of new modelers. MA
Bob Balsie
[email protected]
April 2008 55
04sig2.QXD 2/25/08 1:00 PM Page 55
Edition: Model Aviation - 2008/04
Page Numbers: 51,52,53,54,55
A PROBLEM WE face in trying to recruit
new people into the sport of aeromodeling
is that many of them think model airplanes
are too complicated to understand. As a
result, they are reluctant to become
involved in the hobby.
To help people overcome this
roadblock, I built a few display items a
number of years ago that were to be used
during our club’s annual model-airplane
show. These exhibits help illustrate some
of the RC and CL airplanes’ operating
features, and they give the layman some
insight into how these models are operated
and flown.
Making such display items is not a
difficult task. I suggest that your club try
to come up with similar display pieces to
use during your next public model show.
I have made six small exhibits on wood
bases: an RC control system, a simple CL
system, a throttle-control system for CL
airplanes, various types of propellers, a
mock-up of an engine and fuel system,
and a CL Aerobatics engine that has been
disassembled to show all the working parts.
Accompanying this article is a list of
the types of displays I’ll cover and the
things you will need for each. Those
aren’t the only kinds of exhibits you can
make, but they will help you get started.
To assist you in making similar displays, I
will go through some of the techniques I
found useful.
You might want to start with something
simple, such as the propeller collection
shown in one of the photos. You will need
a base on which to mount your items.
The best type to use is probably
plywood covered with an attractive type
of wood-grain Con-Tact paper. The
wood’s thickness can vary from 1/4 to 3/4
inch, depending on the type of display you
are making and what kind of wood you
have available.
Once you have cut your base to size,
cover it with Con-Tact paper (which is a
misnomer since it is made from vinyl). I
used walnut-grain paper for my displays,
but you can use any kind you want.
Cut a piece of the Con-Tact paper to a
size that will wrap around the base’s
edges and overlap onto the bottom at least
an inch. Remove the backing, lay the
paper on a flat surface, adhesive-side up,
and place the base in the middle of the
vinyl.
Turn the base, with the vinyl stuck to
it, right-side up and press the material
down on the wood. Start from the center
and work outward toward the edges to
remove any trapped air.
When you get to the edges, cut the
vinyl and fold the sides down. Be sure to
overlap the seams at the corners so that
when the Con-Tact paper shrinks with age
(it always does), there won’t be a gap that
shows the plywood underneath.
Fold the vinyl over onto the bottom of
the base and press it down well. When
you turn the base over, you should have
something that looks attractive and
professional.
This CL Supermarine Spitfire uses a throttle-control
setup. The other CL-oriented exhibits are placed in
front of it—within easy reach of spectators.
by Bob Balsie
Making Model-Show Displays
The RC display and transmitter are set up next to a Carl Goldberg Vector trainer.
Operating the transmitter sticks moves the surfaces on the exhibit and the model.
Reveal the inner workings of your hobby to the public
April 2008 51
04sig2.QXD 2/25/08 12:54 PM Page 51
52 MODEL AVIATION
The engine-and-fuel-tank exhibit helps
the observer understand how we store a
model’s fuel and supply it to the engine.
This standard CL control-system
display gives spectators the opportunity
for hands-on experience.
Show-goers enjoy operating the handle
and throttle trigger on this variablespeed
CL engine.
The RC display’s wings are fitted with
aluminum-sheet-stock mounting brackets.
This material is flexible and makes the wings
less susceptible to handling damage.
This RC display’s tail surfaces are covered
with MonoKote and attached to the base
with double-stick foam tape.
This display features the components of a model-airplane engine.
It provides an understanding of the internal workings of our
power plants.
Several types of propellers are showcased. The display consists of
a wood base covered with Con-Tact paper and the propellers
fastened to the base with foam tape.
The center section of the
RC display features a
four-channel radio setup.
Color photos by Jackie Balsie Black-and-white photos by the author
04sig2.QXD 2/25/08 12:54 PM Page 52
April 2008 53
Partial Materials List for Featured Displays
Propeller Standard Bellcrank
Engine Throttle Control
Engine/Fuel System RC
6 x 10-inch base
Model engine
Fuel tank
Fuel tubing
Labels
Placard
9 x 28-inch base
1/8 or 1/4-inch tail surfaces
Two 9 x 2 x 1/4-inch fuselage sides
Four-channel RC system
Two 4 x 9-inch wing panels
Strip aileron horns
RC engine
Labels
7 x 10-inch base
Old model engine
Labels
8 x 20-inch base
1/8 or 1/4-inch tail surfaces
Flexible leadout wire
Three-line bellcrank
Three-line control handle
RC engine
Labels
8 x 13-inch base
Three propellers of various types
Labels
8 x 15-inch base
2-inch bellcrank
1/8 or 1/4-inch tail surfaces
Flexible leadout wire
CL handle
Labels
For this display I chose three
propellers, each of which was 10 inches in
length. One was made from wood, one was
made from plastic, and one was made from
fiberglass-filled nylon. It is easy to affix
these to the base with double-stick foam
tape. It is extremely resilient and will last
for years.
All that remains is to attach labels to
the display to identify the propellers and
give the exhibit a title. A good tool to use
for this is Microsoft Word or another
word-processor program. It features a large
variety of fonts that will fit your needs. If
you do not have access to a computer to do
your “writing,” you can make do with
some careful hand-lettering.
I used rubber cement to attach the
labels to the base. It provides good
adhesion and will not make the paper
wrinkle or bubble. You need only a light
coat of this cement on the back of each
label. If you apply too much, it will bleed
through and discolor the tag. Position the
label carefully, and gently smooth out any
trapped air.
Another tool that will serve you well is
a commercial label maker such as
Brother’s P-touch. You can purchase these
devices in stores such as Staples. They
produce self-adhesive tags and feature a
number of fonts in various sizes to fit your
needs. If I were making my displays today,
I would use the P-touch.
Another simple-to-make display shows
a disassembled model-airplane engine.
You or one of your fellow club members
probably has an old, worn-out engine
somewhere that you can use.
Make a base as before, and then place
the engine pieces on it. Arrange the
components so they fit. Then generate
labels for each piece and a title for the
exhibit.
A slightly more complex display shows
a mock-up of an engine-and-fuel system.
The one I built uses a CL power plant
mounted upright with a muffler and fed by
a profile fuel tank.
Choose an engine and tank, and figure
out the size of base you will need. For
engine mounts try using 3/8 x 3/4 maple
engine-mount stock. Cut pieces that are
slightly longer than the mounting lugs on
the engine, and mark and drill holes for
small screws to be used to mount the
engine. (I used 2-56 servo mounting
screws.)
Paint the blocks black or some other
color of your choosing, and then attach
them to the engine. Get out your roll of
double-stick foam tape and put a piece on
each of the engine mounts. Press the
mounts down onto the base. The foam tape
sticks well to the vinyl and makes the
display pieces more resilient by allowing
them to flex instead of break off if they are
subject to abuse in handling.
If you plan to use a plastic RC-type
tank on the display, all you have to do is
fasten the tank to the base with foam tape
and then attach the fuel lines. If you are
going to use a profile tank, such as the one
on my display, you will need to make a
mounting surface for it.
I used 1/16 plywood to make an Lshaped
tank support, and I used red and
white self-adhesive MonoKote to decorate
it. I attached the support to the base with
foam tape, added hooks, and installed the
tank with a piece of foam and rubber
bands. Then I attached the fuel and muffler
pressure lines.
Regardless of the type of tank you use,
you will want to attach number tags to the
various display components and make a
small placard that identifies and explains
them. You can place that card next to the
engine on your display table.
We’re ready to proceed to something that
04sig2.QXD 2/25/08 12:56 PM Page 53
has a few moving parts. The simplest
display of this type to make is one that
depicts an average CL model’s control
system. You need to make two assemblies:
a bellcrank and mount and a mock-up of
the airplane’s tail surfaces.
You can construct the bellcrank mount
from 1/16 or 1/8 plywood and attach it to 3/8
x 3/4 maple stock. When mounting the
bellcrank, be sure to use a locknut or
Loctite on the mounting screw to prevent
it from coming loose from all the
“exercise” it will get during a show.
Make the tail surfaces from 1/8 or 1/4
balsa, and fasten the elevator to the
stabilizer with Sig Easy Hinges or
something similar. Mount the control horn
on top of the elevator where it can be seen
easily. Glue the rudder to the fin with a
slight offset to the right, as a real CL
model would have. Cement the completed
tail assembly to a piece of the maple stock.
Mount the bellcrank and tail assemblies
to the base with foam tape. Install a
pushrod made from 1/32 or 1/16-inchdiameter
wire, and connect a control
handle to the bellcrank with heavy-gauge
stranded wire. If you use this display in
your show, you should have at least one
CL model on hand.
A display showing a CL throttle
control system is more complex than the
one I just described since it involves a
special bellcrank and an RC engine. The
bellcrank mount shown in the
accompanying photo of this display
depicts a slightly different shape from the
one you just made.
The bellcrank mount is fabricated from
1/16 plywood and attached to maple
mounts. The tail surfaces are made in the
same manner as for the previous display,
but this time you will hinge the rudder as
well as the elevators.
Mount your RC engine as you did for
the fuel-system display. My exhibit shows
1/32-inch-diameter wire pushrods used for
both the rudder and engine controls, and
they are installed in the same hole in the
moving arm of the bellcrank. This is the
easiest way to go.
For the elevator pushrod you can use
any wire size you choose. You will need a
special three-line control handle to go
along with the three-line bellcrank.
Connect the handle to the bellcrank
with three heavy-gauge flexible wires that
are the same length. Attach the two outer
wires on the handle to the bellcrank and
the center wire to the movable arm.
If you have stayed with me this far,
you’re ready to try the most complex
display: one that illustrates an RC
airplane’s internal workings. As you can
see in the photos, this includes four
servos, a receiver, and battery pack, and
even a set of wings.
Fabricating the engine mounts and tail
surfaces are the same as before; the only
difference is that the tail is mounted on a
piece of 1/2 balsa that is covered with
MonoKote to simulate the aft fuselage of
an airplane. The middle “fuselage” portion
is made from 1/4 hard balsa with hardbalsa
beams for servo mounts. This
section is long enough to contain the
servos, the receiver, and the battery.
This display requires you to make a set
of wings. For that you can use a piece of
preshaped airfoil stock, which is available
from your hobby shop. Cut the wings to
size, round the tips, and finish shaping the
airfoil.
Cut ailerons from the wing panels and
mark the location for a couple Easy
Hinges on each panel. Paint the wings and
ailerons, or cover them with MonoKote,
and then hinge the ailerons to the wings.
Make a couple wing-mounting brackets
from thin aluminum sheet (such as K&S
stock you can find at your hobby shop).
This material isn’t particularly rigid, and
you don’t want it to be. If the wing has
something dropped on it or if someone
pushes down on it, the bracket will simply
bend; then you can easily straighten it
again.
Permanently attach the wings to their
brackets with two 4-40 screws and nuts on
each panel. Then you can attach the wing
panels to the fuselage section with short
sheet-metal screws. These small screws
make it easy to remove the wings when
you pack the exhibit for storage.
One thing that can make an RC display
even more interesting is choosing a
receiver frequency that matches one of the
54 MODEL AVIATION
www.modelaircraft.org www.masportaviator.com
ClickOn! Landing Made Easy
Do you have trouble hitting the
runway centerline when landing
your aircraft? Does your model
touch down right in front of you?
Are wind corrections getting
confusing? Are you trying to do
too many things at one time?
Sport Aviator shows you how to break a landing into steps so
you always land your model on the centerline, right in front of
you. Go to the Sport Aviator Web site and click on Pri-Fly to
access “Basic Landing Techniques.”
HobbyZone’s Aerobird Swift
Park flyer RTFs that are designed
for new pilots have to be underpowered,
boring, and have less aerobatic ability
than a Nimitz-class carrier, right? No!
Climb inside with Sport Aviator and
co-pilot the extremely aerobatic yet
easy-to-fly Aerobird Swift. Watch the
videos, and you can decide how boring
it is. It flies great in wind too!
Visit the Sport Aviator Web site at www.masportaviator.com
and then click on Park Pilot Aircraft to see a review.
Get Involved with AMA’s
As part of reaching out
to the membership unlike
with any effort in the past,
the AMA will be seeking its dues payers’ input more
frequently. This new outreach offer will be called
“Membership Dynamic” (MD), with which the AMA
membership will have multiple opportunities to get involved.
The first MD program is a committee-participation
effort. The Academy is inviting its members to participate
in the decision-making processes that shape their
organization by volunteering for a committee of their
choice.
To apply, visit the Members Only section of the AMA
Web site (www.modelaircraft.org) beginning March 31,
2008, and click on “Membership Dynamic Participation.”
Complete the electronic form to be considered for an
AMA committee.
The MD committee questionnaire will list all open
committees and their mission statements. You will be asked
to choose one in which you may be interested and list any
qualifications or special skills you have that can benefit that
committee. Enrollment will end April 30, 2008. ®
04sig2.QXD 2/25/08 12:56 PM Page 54
airplanes that will be used in the show.
Then you can turn on the power to the
exhibit, and when a person moves the
transmitter’s control sticks, the control
surfaces on the display and the model will
move in unison. This will give people a
clear picture of what is going on in the
model when it is flying.
You aren’t limited to airplane displays; if
some of your club’s members are into
model boats or cars, they can make
accompanying exhibits to give spectators a
feel for how these types of models operate.
And with boats and cars you can give safe
demonstrations, even indoors.
Our local model-boat club puts on a
display at the shopping mall at the same
time we have our airplane show. It sets up
around the large fountain in the center
court, where the members can launch and
operate their boats.
When you set up for your show, pick an
area that spectators will find to be easily
accessible. Allow enough room to set up
all the display items without having to
crowd them together.
The RC exhibits contain expensive
components and the CL displays will have
interested people using the control handles
to make the tail surfaces move, so you
want to fasten these displays to the
tabletops in a secure manner. Again, it is
foam tape to the rescue!
Affix three or four 1-inch pieces of
foam tape to the bottom of each display
item you want to secure, and then stick the
object to the tabletop. Even though the
foam tape is exceedingly strong, you will
still be able to pull the items loose at the
end of the show. Be sure to remove the
remaining tape from the tabletop.
In addition to your homemade displays,
have a member bring a personal computer
with flight-simulator software installed.
Every year we include a computer with the
RealFlight simulator running, and it is
always one of the most popular parts of the
show.
Also consider having a small television
and DVD or VCR player set up to show
videos of model airplanes flying. AMA has
a number of videos available, as do several
manufacturers.
The Academy also has a display that is
available to be used in modeling shows. It
consists of a large photo board, a video,
and a large group of brochures that can be
given to interested spectators. You can
request this display, free of charge, by
contacting your AMA district
representative.
In addition, be sure to have a sign-up
sheet available to allow interested people
to request more information about flying
or joining your club.
Having a nice set of displays for your
shows is a good starting point, but the
most important part is the club members
who man the displays and explain them to
the spectators. These exhibits generate a
lot of attention and many questions,
especially from young people. Many of
these questions will seem rudimentary to
an experienced modeler, so staff your
booth with knowledgeable and patient
modelers who like sharing their hobby and
enjoy talking to people.
You will find that upon seeing a Scale
model of a World War II airplane, many
older men will want to share their wartime
experiences. You can learn a great deal
this way, but you can also spend a
considerable amount of time listening. It’s
important to show that you are interested
in what the person is telling you.
Model shows are an excellent way for
members of the general public to get a
glimpse of our hobby. Whether the models
educate them or intimidate them depends
largely on the type of show you present.
Displays that help people understand our
hobby and make them want to get involved
are great tools to help guarantee that we
obtain a good crop of new modelers. MA
Bob Balsie
[email protected]
April 2008 55
04sig2.QXD 2/25/08 1:00 PM Page 55
Edition: Model Aviation - 2008/04
Page Numbers: 51,52,53,54,55
A PROBLEM WE face in trying to recruit
new people into the sport of aeromodeling
is that many of them think model airplanes
are too complicated to understand. As a
result, they are reluctant to become
involved in the hobby.
To help people overcome this
roadblock, I built a few display items a
number of years ago that were to be used
during our club’s annual model-airplane
show. These exhibits help illustrate some
of the RC and CL airplanes’ operating
features, and they give the layman some
insight into how these models are operated
and flown.
Making such display items is not a
difficult task. I suggest that your club try
to come up with similar display pieces to
use during your next public model show.
I have made six small exhibits on wood
bases: an RC control system, a simple CL
system, a throttle-control system for CL
airplanes, various types of propellers, a
mock-up of an engine and fuel system,
and a CL Aerobatics engine that has been
disassembled to show all the working parts.
Accompanying this article is a list of
the types of displays I’ll cover and the
things you will need for each. Those
aren’t the only kinds of exhibits you can
make, but they will help you get started.
To assist you in making similar displays, I
will go through some of the techniques I
found useful.
You might want to start with something
simple, such as the propeller collection
shown in one of the photos. You will need
a base on which to mount your items.
The best type to use is probably
plywood covered with an attractive type
of wood-grain Con-Tact paper. The
wood’s thickness can vary from 1/4 to 3/4
inch, depending on the type of display you
are making and what kind of wood you
have available.
Once you have cut your base to size,
cover it with Con-Tact paper (which is a
misnomer since it is made from vinyl). I
used walnut-grain paper for my displays,
but you can use any kind you want.
Cut a piece of the Con-Tact paper to a
size that will wrap around the base’s
edges and overlap onto the bottom at least
an inch. Remove the backing, lay the
paper on a flat surface, adhesive-side up,
and place the base in the middle of the
vinyl.
Turn the base, with the vinyl stuck to
it, right-side up and press the material
down on the wood. Start from the center
and work outward toward the edges to
remove any trapped air.
When you get to the edges, cut the
vinyl and fold the sides down. Be sure to
overlap the seams at the corners so that
when the Con-Tact paper shrinks with age
(it always does), there won’t be a gap that
shows the plywood underneath.
Fold the vinyl over onto the bottom of
the base and press it down well. When
you turn the base over, you should have
something that looks attractive and
professional.
This CL Supermarine Spitfire uses a throttle-control
setup. The other CL-oriented exhibits are placed in
front of it—within easy reach of spectators.
by Bob Balsie
Making Model-Show Displays
The RC display and transmitter are set up next to a Carl Goldberg Vector trainer.
Operating the transmitter sticks moves the surfaces on the exhibit and the model.
Reveal the inner workings of your hobby to the public
April 2008 51
04sig2.QXD 2/25/08 12:54 PM Page 51
52 MODEL AVIATION
The engine-and-fuel-tank exhibit helps
the observer understand how we store a
model’s fuel and supply it to the engine.
This standard CL control-system
display gives spectators the opportunity
for hands-on experience.
Show-goers enjoy operating the handle
and throttle trigger on this variablespeed
CL engine.
The RC display’s wings are fitted with
aluminum-sheet-stock mounting brackets.
This material is flexible and makes the wings
less susceptible to handling damage.
This RC display’s tail surfaces are covered
with MonoKote and attached to the base
with double-stick foam tape.
This display features the components of a model-airplane engine.
It provides an understanding of the internal workings of our
power plants.
Several types of propellers are showcased. The display consists of
a wood base covered with Con-Tact paper and the propellers
fastened to the base with foam tape.
The center section of the
RC display features a
four-channel radio setup.
Color photos by Jackie Balsie Black-and-white photos by the author
04sig2.QXD 2/25/08 12:54 PM Page 52
April 2008 53
Partial Materials List for Featured Displays
Propeller Standard Bellcrank
Engine Throttle Control
Engine/Fuel System RC
6 x 10-inch base
Model engine
Fuel tank
Fuel tubing
Labels
Placard
9 x 28-inch base
1/8 or 1/4-inch tail surfaces
Two 9 x 2 x 1/4-inch fuselage sides
Four-channel RC system
Two 4 x 9-inch wing panels
Strip aileron horns
RC engine
Labels
7 x 10-inch base
Old model engine
Labels
8 x 20-inch base
1/8 or 1/4-inch tail surfaces
Flexible leadout wire
Three-line bellcrank
Three-line control handle
RC engine
Labels
8 x 13-inch base
Three propellers of various types
Labels
8 x 15-inch base
2-inch bellcrank
1/8 or 1/4-inch tail surfaces
Flexible leadout wire
CL handle
Labels
For this display I chose three
propellers, each of which was 10 inches in
length. One was made from wood, one was
made from plastic, and one was made from
fiberglass-filled nylon. It is easy to affix
these to the base with double-stick foam
tape. It is extremely resilient and will last
for years.
All that remains is to attach labels to
the display to identify the propellers and
give the exhibit a title. A good tool to use
for this is Microsoft Word or another
word-processor program. It features a large
variety of fonts that will fit your needs. If
you do not have access to a computer to do
your “writing,” you can make do with
some careful hand-lettering.
I used rubber cement to attach the
labels to the base. It provides good
adhesion and will not make the paper
wrinkle or bubble. You need only a light
coat of this cement on the back of each
label. If you apply too much, it will bleed
through and discolor the tag. Position the
label carefully, and gently smooth out any
trapped air.
Another tool that will serve you well is
a commercial label maker such as
Brother’s P-touch. You can purchase these
devices in stores such as Staples. They
produce self-adhesive tags and feature a
number of fonts in various sizes to fit your
needs. If I were making my displays today,
I would use the P-touch.
Another simple-to-make display shows
a disassembled model-airplane engine.
You or one of your fellow club members
probably has an old, worn-out engine
somewhere that you can use.
Make a base as before, and then place
the engine pieces on it. Arrange the
components so they fit. Then generate
labels for each piece and a title for the
exhibit.
A slightly more complex display shows
a mock-up of an engine-and-fuel system.
The one I built uses a CL power plant
mounted upright with a muffler and fed by
a profile fuel tank.
Choose an engine and tank, and figure
out the size of base you will need. For
engine mounts try using 3/8 x 3/4 maple
engine-mount stock. Cut pieces that are
slightly longer than the mounting lugs on
the engine, and mark and drill holes for
small screws to be used to mount the
engine. (I used 2-56 servo mounting
screws.)
Paint the blocks black or some other
color of your choosing, and then attach
them to the engine. Get out your roll of
double-stick foam tape and put a piece on
each of the engine mounts. Press the
mounts down onto the base. The foam tape
sticks well to the vinyl and makes the
display pieces more resilient by allowing
them to flex instead of break off if they are
subject to abuse in handling.
If you plan to use a plastic RC-type
tank on the display, all you have to do is
fasten the tank to the base with foam tape
and then attach the fuel lines. If you are
going to use a profile tank, such as the one
on my display, you will need to make a
mounting surface for it.
I used 1/16 plywood to make an Lshaped
tank support, and I used red and
white self-adhesive MonoKote to decorate
it. I attached the support to the base with
foam tape, added hooks, and installed the
tank with a piece of foam and rubber
bands. Then I attached the fuel and muffler
pressure lines.
Regardless of the type of tank you use,
you will want to attach number tags to the
various display components and make a
small placard that identifies and explains
them. You can place that card next to the
engine on your display table.
We’re ready to proceed to something that
04sig2.QXD 2/25/08 12:56 PM Page 53
has a few moving parts. The simplest
display of this type to make is one that
depicts an average CL model’s control
system. You need to make two assemblies:
a bellcrank and mount and a mock-up of
the airplane’s tail surfaces.
You can construct the bellcrank mount
from 1/16 or 1/8 plywood and attach it to 3/8
x 3/4 maple stock. When mounting the
bellcrank, be sure to use a locknut or
Loctite on the mounting screw to prevent
it from coming loose from all the
“exercise” it will get during a show.
Make the tail surfaces from 1/8 or 1/4
balsa, and fasten the elevator to the
stabilizer with Sig Easy Hinges or
something similar. Mount the control horn
on top of the elevator where it can be seen
easily. Glue the rudder to the fin with a
slight offset to the right, as a real CL
model would have. Cement the completed
tail assembly to a piece of the maple stock.
Mount the bellcrank and tail assemblies
to the base with foam tape. Install a
pushrod made from 1/32 or 1/16-inchdiameter
wire, and connect a control
handle to the bellcrank with heavy-gauge
stranded wire. If you use this display in
your show, you should have at least one
CL model on hand.
A display showing a CL throttle
control system is more complex than the
one I just described since it involves a
special bellcrank and an RC engine. The
bellcrank mount shown in the
accompanying photo of this display
depicts a slightly different shape from the
one you just made.
The bellcrank mount is fabricated from
1/16 plywood and attached to maple
mounts. The tail surfaces are made in the
same manner as for the previous display,
but this time you will hinge the rudder as
well as the elevators.
Mount your RC engine as you did for
the fuel-system display. My exhibit shows
1/32-inch-diameter wire pushrods used for
both the rudder and engine controls, and
they are installed in the same hole in the
moving arm of the bellcrank. This is the
easiest way to go.
For the elevator pushrod you can use
any wire size you choose. You will need a
special three-line control handle to go
along with the three-line bellcrank.
Connect the handle to the bellcrank
with three heavy-gauge flexible wires that
are the same length. Attach the two outer
wires on the handle to the bellcrank and
the center wire to the movable arm.
If you have stayed with me this far,
you’re ready to try the most complex
display: one that illustrates an RC
airplane’s internal workings. As you can
see in the photos, this includes four
servos, a receiver, and battery pack, and
even a set of wings.
Fabricating the engine mounts and tail
surfaces are the same as before; the only
difference is that the tail is mounted on a
piece of 1/2 balsa that is covered with
MonoKote to simulate the aft fuselage of
an airplane. The middle “fuselage” portion
is made from 1/4 hard balsa with hardbalsa
beams for servo mounts. This
section is long enough to contain the
servos, the receiver, and the battery.
This display requires you to make a set
of wings. For that you can use a piece of
preshaped airfoil stock, which is available
from your hobby shop. Cut the wings to
size, round the tips, and finish shaping the
airfoil.
Cut ailerons from the wing panels and
mark the location for a couple Easy
Hinges on each panel. Paint the wings and
ailerons, or cover them with MonoKote,
and then hinge the ailerons to the wings.
Make a couple wing-mounting brackets
from thin aluminum sheet (such as K&S
stock you can find at your hobby shop).
This material isn’t particularly rigid, and
you don’t want it to be. If the wing has
something dropped on it or if someone
pushes down on it, the bracket will simply
bend; then you can easily straighten it
again.
Permanently attach the wings to their
brackets with two 4-40 screws and nuts on
each panel. Then you can attach the wing
panels to the fuselage section with short
sheet-metal screws. These small screws
make it easy to remove the wings when
you pack the exhibit for storage.
One thing that can make an RC display
even more interesting is choosing a
receiver frequency that matches one of the
54 MODEL AVIATION
www.modelaircraft.org www.masportaviator.com
ClickOn! Landing Made Easy
Do you have trouble hitting the
runway centerline when landing
your aircraft? Does your model
touch down right in front of you?
Are wind corrections getting
confusing? Are you trying to do
too many things at one time?
Sport Aviator shows you how to break a landing into steps so
you always land your model on the centerline, right in front of
you. Go to the Sport Aviator Web site and click on Pri-Fly to
access “Basic Landing Techniques.”
HobbyZone’s Aerobird Swift
Park flyer RTFs that are designed
for new pilots have to be underpowered,
boring, and have less aerobatic ability
than a Nimitz-class carrier, right? No!
Climb inside with Sport Aviator and
co-pilot the extremely aerobatic yet
easy-to-fly Aerobird Swift. Watch the
videos, and you can decide how boring
it is. It flies great in wind too!
Visit the Sport Aviator Web site at www.masportaviator.com
and then click on Park Pilot Aircraft to see a review.
Get Involved with AMA’s
As part of reaching out
to the membership unlike
with any effort in the past,
the AMA will be seeking its dues payers’ input more
frequently. This new outreach offer will be called
“Membership Dynamic” (MD), with which the AMA
membership will have multiple opportunities to get involved.
The first MD program is a committee-participation
effort. The Academy is inviting its members to participate
in the decision-making processes that shape their
organization by volunteering for a committee of their
choice.
To apply, visit the Members Only section of the AMA
Web site (www.modelaircraft.org) beginning March 31,
2008, and click on “Membership Dynamic Participation.”
Complete the electronic form to be considered for an
AMA committee.
The MD committee questionnaire will list all open
committees and their mission statements. You will be asked
to choose one in which you may be interested and list any
qualifications or special skills you have that can benefit that
committee. Enrollment will end April 30, 2008. ®
04sig2.QXD 2/25/08 12:56 PM Page 54
airplanes that will be used in the show.
Then you can turn on the power to the
exhibit, and when a person moves the
transmitter’s control sticks, the control
surfaces on the display and the model will
move in unison. This will give people a
clear picture of what is going on in the
model when it is flying.
You aren’t limited to airplane displays; if
some of your club’s members are into
model boats or cars, they can make
accompanying exhibits to give spectators a
feel for how these types of models operate.
And with boats and cars you can give safe
demonstrations, even indoors.
Our local model-boat club puts on a
display at the shopping mall at the same
time we have our airplane show. It sets up
around the large fountain in the center
court, where the members can launch and
operate their boats.
When you set up for your show, pick an
area that spectators will find to be easily
accessible. Allow enough room to set up
all the display items without having to
crowd them together.
The RC exhibits contain expensive
components and the CL displays will have
interested people using the control handles
to make the tail surfaces move, so you
want to fasten these displays to the
tabletops in a secure manner. Again, it is
foam tape to the rescue!
Affix three or four 1-inch pieces of
foam tape to the bottom of each display
item you want to secure, and then stick the
object to the tabletop. Even though the
foam tape is exceedingly strong, you will
still be able to pull the items loose at the
end of the show. Be sure to remove the
remaining tape from the tabletop.
In addition to your homemade displays,
have a member bring a personal computer
with flight-simulator software installed.
Every year we include a computer with the
RealFlight simulator running, and it is
always one of the most popular parts of the
show.
Also consider having a small television
and DVD or VCR player set up to show
videos of model airplanes flying. AMA has
a number of videos available, as do several
manufacturers.
The Academy also has a display that is
available to be used in modeling shows. It
consists of a large photo board, a video,
and a large group of brochures that can be
given to interested spectators. You can
request this display, free of charge, by
contacting your AMA district
representative.
In addition, be sure to have a sign-up
sheet available to allow interested people
to request more information about flying
or joining your club.
Having a nice set of displays for your
shows is a good starting point, but the
most important part is the club members
who man the displays and explain them to
the spectators. These exhibits generate a
lot of attention and many questions,
especially from young people. Many of
these questions will seem rudimentary to
an experienced modeler, so staff your
booth with knowledgeable and patient
modelers who like sharing their hobby and
enjoy talking to people.
You will find that upon seeing a Scale
model of a World War II airplane, many
older men will want to share their wartime
experiences. You can learn a great deal
this way, but you can also spend a
considerable amount of time listening. It’s
important to show that you are interested
in what the person is telling you.
Model shows are an excellent way for
members of the general public to get a
glimpse of our hobby. Whether the models
educate them or intimidate them depends
largely on the type of show you present.
Displays that help people understand our
hobby and make them want to get involved
are great tools to help guarantee that we
obtain a good crop of new modelers. MA
Bob Balsie
[email protected]
April 2008 55
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