82 MODEL AVIATION
TO FOLLOW UP on my October 2004
column, the Santa Barbara Radio Control
Modelers club has completed and
successfully flown its 1⁄4-scale Loughead F-
1 Flying Boat. Club members have been
building this flying replica for the past
seven years as a public-service project for
the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum.
The museum wants to preserve a
rendition of the famous Loughead brothers’
successful F-1 Flying Boat that was first
constructed in Santa Barbara in 1918. It has
provided the funding for the construction,
while club members have donated their
labor. The model has an 18.5-foot upper
wingspan, and the fuselage is 9 feet long.
This historic preservation project is one
fine example of what modeling and
modelers can accomplish. I have included a
couple of sneak-peak photos of the 1⁄4-scale
Loughead F-1’s first flight; however, a
more comprehensive story will appear in a
future issue of MA. Keep an eye out for it.
It’s no secret that one of the fastestgrowing
areas of RC Giants is aerobatic
models. As are their RC Giant
counterparts—military, Golden Age, and
civil-aviation models—the larger
Aerobatics aircraft are scale miniatures that
have found a home with the big gas-burning
engines.
Their appeal is easy to grasp. Unlike the
military miniatures with retracts, gear doors,
and higher wing loadings, the Aerobatics
models usually max out at four channels—
or a fifth if you include a smoke system—
and have a much lighter wing loading and a
greater power-to-weight ratio. Most have
Sal Calvagna, 1335 Broadway Ave., Holbrook NY 11741; E-mail: [email protected]
RADIO CONTROL GIANTS
The Loughead F-1 Flying Boat comes in for a perfect landing. It’s powered by two
electric geared motors. Club members spent seven years building the model.
Members of the Santa Barbara (CA) RC Modelers carry the 1⁄4-scale Loughead F-1 Flying
Boat into Lake Cachuma, giving perspective to the large model.
Daniel Edwards’ 1⁄4-scale Balsa USA Sopwith Pup is powered by
a Zenoah G-23. This is his first RC Giant.
The Aces of Iron pilot nicely complements the Pup. The Vickers
machine gun has a belt chute that Daniel Edwards made.
what is called “unlimited vertical
performance.”
This doesn’t mean that a typical fourchannel
Aerobatics model is simple. Since the
airplanes range in size from approximately
25% to more than 40% and sport huge
ailerons, elevators, and rudders, they often
have more than one servo per movable
surface. In some of the extreme models such
as the Hangar 9 46% TOC Ultimate 10-300, I
have seen four digital servos ganged to
provide the necessary torque.
Their real appeal becomes apparent when
flying. These models are typically easier to
fly and land than many other types of scale
models. Landings are usually “gentle
arrivals.” However, although it may be easy
to fly a typical racetrack pattern or simple
maneuvers such as a roll or a loop, precision
and 3-D maneuvers that they were designed
for take practice, practice, practice.
Just as with the rest of the modeling
world, Aerobatics models can be found in
kit and ARF form. Whatever your RC
pleasure, if you have the opportunity to see
one of these models fly—especially when in
competent hands—you’re certain to be
impressed.
Cassar’s Carden: Effie Cassar of Miller
Place, New York, built a 40% Carden
Aircraft Extra 330. The model spans 118
inches and has a fuselage length of 115
inches. Effie powers his Extra with a Desert
Aircraft DA-150 twin-cylinder gas engine
that turns a Mejzlik 32 x 10 propeller.
Effie Cassar’s 40% Carden Extra 330 spans 118 inches, has a
115-inch fuselage, and weighs 38 pounds.
Frank Pace’s Golden Age Gee Bee Model Y racer has a wingspan
of 90 inches and is powered by a Brison 3.2 gas engine.
The Extra weighs 38 pounds, is
controlled by a Futaba radio system using
JR 8411 digital servos, uses NoBS batteries,
and features Wildmann’s graphics. For
more information on Carden model aircraft,
please visit the company’s Web site at
www.carden-aircraft.com.
Edwards’ Pup: I have included a photo of
a great-looking Balsa USA 1⁄4-scale
Sopwith Pup that Daniel Edwards of
Topeka, Kansas, built. Daniel is a member
of the Capitol City Radio Control Club and
has been flying RC for seven years. This is
his first RC Giant project.
The Pup is covered with Solartex fabric
that Daniel sprayed with Top Flite clear.
The rudder and elevators were covered with
red, white, and blue MonoKote film. The
model is powered by a Zenoah G-23 gas
engine.
To finish this project, Daniel decided to
try his hand at scale details. The instrument
panel was built from scraps and sports
switches and a nonfunctional turn
coordinator. The pilot is from Aces of Iron,
and the machine gun is a 1⁄4-scale Vickers
from Williams Bros.
Daniel also made ammunition chutes for
the Vickers gun and individually painted
the rounds on the ammunition belt. The
finished weight is barely more than 15
pounds, and the model needed little lead in
the nose to achieve the proper balance
point.
Daniel had fellow club member Greg
Inkman take the model up for the first
flight. On a subsequent flight, Dan had the
opportunity to fly the Pup and was surprised
by how stable it was. He was really nervous
on final approach, but his fears were
unfounded. With some reduced throttle, the
Sopwith descended slowly, wings level, and
touched down gently on the mains with the
tail settling down shortly after.
He readily admits that his Pup is easier
to fly and land than any of his smaller
glow airplanes. Now he is a devout RC
Giants believer! Good for you, Daniel,
and welcome aboard.
Love Those Gee Bees: Frank Pace of
Islip, New York, built his Gee Bee Model
Y from an Ikon N’wst kit. The model
spans 90 inches, is powered by a Brison
3.2 gas engine, and weighs 24.5 pounds.
In the accompanying photo you can see
the eye-catching, attractive paint scheme.
The scallop pattern was common to all
Granville brothers racers.
After the success of the earlier Model
X, the Granville brothers began to market
a new series of Sportster models. They
were advertised as “The fastest and most
maneuverable licensed airplane for its
horsepower in the United States.”
The Gee Bee Sportsters were
frequently shown off at air shows by their
owners, attracting much attention
wherever they appeared. The Granville
brothers retained the early Sportsters—
Model D and E—for sometime. The
Model Y was designed for aviation
enthusiasts but was also successful in
competition.
There’s no doubt that the Great
Depression took its toll on all aircraft
sales and hurt the fledgling civil-aviation
industry. Although their aircraft designs
remain controversial even today, there is
no doubt that the Granville brothers and
their magnificent Gee Bee aircraft will
live on in Golden Age lore.
I am working on a 30% Gee Bee
Model D and hope to have it done this
spring. If you have a Golden Age model
that you’re currently working on or have
recently completed, send me a photo and
I’ll do my best to include it in a future RC
Giants column. MA
Edition: Model Aviation - 2005/02
Page Numbers: 82,83,84
Edition: Model Aviation - 2005/02
Page Numbers: 82,83,84
82 MODEL AVIATION
TO FOLLOW UP on my October 2004
column, the Santa Barbara Radio Control
Modelers club has completed and
successfully flown its 1⁄4-scale Loughead F-
1 Flying Boat. Club members have been
building this flying replica for the past
seven years as a public-service project for
the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum.
The museum wants to preserve a
rendition of the famous Loughead brothers’
successful F-1 Flying Boat that was first
constructed in Santa Barbara in 1918. It has
provided the funding for the construction,
while club members have donated their
labor. The model has an 18.5-foot upper
wingspan, and the fuselage is 9 feet long.
This historic preservation project is one
fine example of what modeling and
modelers can accomplish. I have included a
couple of sneak-peak photos of the 1⁄4-scale
Loughead F-1’s first flight; however, a
more comprehensive story will appear in a
future issue of MA. Keep an eye out for it.
It’s no secret that one of the fastestgrowing
areas of RC Giants is aerobatic
models. As are their RC Giant
counterparts—military, Golden Age, and
civil-aviation models—the larger
Aerobatics aircraft are scale miniatures that
have found a home with the big gas-burning
engines.
Their appeal is easy to grasp. Unlike the
military miniatures with retracts, gear doors,
and higher wing loadings, the Aerobatics
models usually max out at four channels—
or a fifth if you include a smoke system—
and have a much lighter wing loading and a
greater power-to-weight ratio. Most have
Sal Calvagna, 1335 Broadway Ave., Holbrook NY 11741; E-mail: [email protected]
RADIO CONTROL GIANTS
The Loughead F-1 Flying Boat comes in for a perfect landing. It’s powered by two
electric geared motors. Club members spent seven years building the model.
Members of the Santa Barbara (CA) RC Modelers carry the 1⁄4-scale Loughead F-1 Flying
Boat into Lake Cachuma, giving perspective to the large model.
Daniel Edwards’ 1⁄4-scale Balsa USA Sopwith Pup is powered by
a Zenoah G-23. This is his first RC Giant.
The Aces of Iron pilot nicely complements the Pup. The Vickers
machine gun has a belt chute that Daniel Edwards made.
what is called “unlimited vertical
performance.”
This doesn’t mean that a typical fourchannel
Aerobatics model is simple. Since the
airplanes range in size from approximately
25% to more than 40% and sport huge
ailerons, elevators, and rudders, they often
have more than one servo per movable
surface. In some of the extreme models such
as the Hangar 9 46% TOC Ultimate 10-300, I
have seen four digital servos ganged to
provide the necessary torque.
Their real appeal becomes apparent when
flying. These models are typically easier to
fly and land than many other types of scale
models. Landings are usually “gentle
arrivals.” However, although it may be easy
to fly a typical racetrack pattern or simple
maneuvers such as a roll or a loop, precision
and 3-D maneuvers that they were designed
for take practice, practice, practice.
Just as with the rest of the modeling
world, Aerobatics models can be found in
kit and ARF form. Whatever your RC
pleasure, if you have the opportunity to see
one of these models fly—especially when in
competent hands—you’re certain to be
impressed.
Cassar’s Carden: Effie Cassar of Miller
Place, New York, built a 40% Carden
Aircraft Extra 330. The model spans 118
inches and has a fuselage length of 115
inches. Effie powers his Extra with a Desert
Aircraft DA-150 twin-cylinder gas engine
that turns a Mejzlik 32 x 10 propeller.
Effie Cassar’s 40% Carden Extra 330 spans 118 inches, has a
115-inch fuselage, and weighs 38 pounds.
Frank Pace’s Golden Age Gee Bee Model Y racer has a wingspan
of 90 inches and is powered by a Brison 3.2 gas engine.
The Extra weighs 38 pounds, is
controlled by a Futaba radio system using
JR 8411 digital servos, uses NoBS batteries,
and features Wildmann’s graphics. For
more information on Carden model aircraft,
please visit the company’s Web site at
www.carden-aircraft.com.
Edwards’ Pup: I have included a photo of
a great-looking Balsa USA 1⁄4-scale
Sopwith Pup that Daniel Edwards of
Topeka, Kansas, built. Daniel is a member
of the Capitol City Radio Control Club and
has been flying RC for seven years. This is
his first RC Giant project.
The Pup is covered with Solartex fabric
that Daniel sprayed with Top Flite clear.
The rudder and elevators were covered with
red, white, and blue MonoKote film. The
model is powered by a Zenoah G-23 gas
engine.
To finish this project, Daniel decided to
try his hand at scale details. The instrument
panel was built from scraps and sports
switches and a nonfunctional turn
coordinator. The pilot is from Aces of Iron,
and the machine gun is a 1⁄4-scale Vickers
from Williams Bros.
Daniel also made ammunition chutes for
the Vickers gun and individually painted
the rounds on the ammunition belt. The
finished weight is barely more than 15
pounds, and the model needed little lead in
the nose to achieve the proper balance
point.
Daniel had fellow club member Greg
Inkman take the model up for the first
flight. On a subsequent flight, Dan had the
opportunity to fly the Pup and was surprised
by how stable it was. He was really nervous
on final approach, but his fears were
unfounded. With some reduced throttle, the
Sopwith descended slowly, wings level, and
touched down gently on the mains with the
tail settling down shortly after.
He readily admits that his Pup is easier
to fly and land than any of his smaller
glow airplanes. Now he is a devout RC
Giants believer! Good for you, Daniel,
and welcome aboard.
Love Those Gee Bees: Frank Pace of
Islip, New York, built his Gee Bee Model
Y from an Ikon N’wst kit. The model
spans 90 inches, is powered by a Brison
3.2 gas engine, and weighs 24.5 pounds.
In the accompanying photo you can see
the eye-catching, attractive paint scheme.
The scallop pattern was common to all
Granville brothers racers.
After the success of the earlier Model
X, the Granville brothers began to market
a new series of Sportster models. They
were advertised as “The fastest and most
maneuverable licensed airplane for its
horsepower in the United States.”
The Gee Bee Sportsters were
frequently shown off at air shows by their
owners, attracting much attention
wherever they appeared. The Granville
brothers retained the early Sportsters—
Model D and E—for sometime. The
Model Y was designed for aviation
enthusiasts but was also successful in
competition.
There’s no doubt that the Great
Depression took its toll on all aircraft
sales and hurt the fledgling civil-aviation
industry. Although their aircraft designs
remain controversial even today, there is
no doubt that the Granville brothers and
their magnificent Gee Bee aircraft will
live on in Golden Age lore.
I am working on a 30% Gee Bee
Model D and hope to have it done this
spring. If you have a Golden Age model
that you’re currently working on or have
recently completed, send me a photo and
I’ll do my best to include it in a future RC
Giants column. MA
Edition: Model Aviation - 2005/02
Page Numbers: 82,83,84
82 MODEL AVIATION
TO FOLLOW UP on my October 2004
column, the Santa Barbara Radio Control
Modelers club has completed and
successfully flown its 1⁄4-scale Loughead F-
1 Flying Boat. Club members have been
building this flying replica for the past
seven years as a public-service project for
the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum.
The museum wants to preserve a
rendition of the famous Loughead brothers’
successful F-1 Flying Boat that was first
constructed in Santa Barbara in 1918. It has
provided the funding for the construction,
while club members have donated their
labor. The model has an 18.5-foot upper
wingspan, and the fuselage is 9 feet long.
This historic preservation project is one
fine example of what modeling and
modelers can accomplish. I have included a
couple of sneak-peak photos of the 1⁄4-scale
Loughead F-1’s first flight; however, a
more comprehensive story will appear in a
future issue of MA. Keep an eye out for it.
It’s no secret that one of the fastestgrowing
areas of RC Giants is aerobatic
models. As are their RC Giant
counterparts—military, Golden Age, and
civil-aviation models—the larger
Aerobatics aircraft are scale miniatures that
have found a home with the big gas-burning
engines.
Their appeal is easy to grasp. Unlike the
military miniatures with retracts, gear doors,
and higher wing loadings, the Aerobatics
models usually max out at four channels—
or a fifth if you include a smoke system—
and have a much lighter wing loading and a
greater power-to-weight ratio. Most have
Sal Calvagna, 1335 Broadway Ave., Holbrook NY 11741; E-mail: [email protected]
RADIO CONTROL GIANTS
The Loughead F-1 Flying Boat comes in for a perfect landing. It’s powered by two
electric geared motors. Club members spent seven years building the model.
Members of the Santa Barbara (CA) RC Modelers carry the 1⁄4-scale Loughead F-1 Flying
Boat into Lake Cachuma, giving perspective to the large model.
Daniel Edwards’ 1⁄4-scale Balsa USA Sopwith Pup is powered by
a Zenoah G-23. This is his first RC Giant.
The Aces of Iron pilot nicely complements the Pup. The Vickers
machine gun has a belt chute that Daniel Edwards made.
what is called “unlimited vertical
performance.”
This doesn’t mean that a typical fourchannel
Aerobatics model is simple. Since the
airplanes range in size from approximately
25% to more than 40% and sport huge
ailerons, elevators, and rudders, they often
have more than one servo per movable
surface. In some of the extreme models such
as the Hangar 9 46% TOC Ultimate 10-300, I
have seen four digital servos ganged to
provide the necessary torque.
Their real appeal becomes apparent when
flying. These models are typically easier to
fly and land than many other types of scale
models. Landings are usually “gentle
arrivals.” However, although it may be easy
to fly a typical racetrack pattern or simple
maneuvers such as a roll or a loop, precision
and 3-D maneuvers that they were designed
for take practice, practice, practice.
Just as with the rest of the modeling
world, Aerobatics models can be found in
kit and ARF form. Whatever your RC
pleasure, if you have the opportunity to see
one of these models fly—especially when in
competent hands—you’re certain to be
impressed.
Cassar’s Carden: Effie Cassar of Miller
Place, New York, built a 40% Carden
Aircraft Extra 330. The model spans 118
inches and has a fuselage length of 115
inches. Effie powers his Extra with a Desert
Aircraft DA-150 twin-cylinder gas engine
that turns a Mejzlik 32 x 10 propeller.
Effie Cassar’s 40% Carden Extra 330 spans 118 inches, has a
115-inch fuselage, and weighs 38 pounds.
Frank Pace’s Golden Age Gee Bee Model Y racer has a wingspan
of 90 inches and is powered by a Brison 3.2 gas engine.
The Extra weighs 38 pounds, is
controlled by a Futaba radio system using
JR 8411 digital servos, uses NoBS batteries,
and features Wildmann’s graphics. For
more information on Carden model aircraft,
please visit the company’s Web site at
www.carden-aircraft.com.
Edwards’ Pup: I have included a photo of
a great-looking Balsa USA 1⁄4-scale
Sopwith Pup that Daniel Edwards of
Topeka, Kansas, built. Daniel is a member
of the Capitol City Radio Control Club and
has been flying RC for seven years. This is
his first RC Giant project.
The Pup is covered with Solartex fabric
that Daniel sprayed with Top Flite clear.
The rudder and elevators were covered with
red, white, and blue MonoKote film. The
model is powered by a Zenoah G-23 gas
engine.
To finish this project, Daniel decided to
try his hand at scale details. The instrument
panel was built from scraps and sports
switches and a nonfunctional turn
coordinator. The pilot is from Aces of Iron,
and the machine gun is a 1⁄4-scale Vickers
from Williams Bros.
Daniel also made ammunition chutes for
the Vickers gun and individually painted
the rounds on the ammunition belt. The
finished weight is barely more than 15
pounds, and the model needed little lead in
the nose to achieve the proper balance
point.
Daniel had fellow club member Greg
Inkman take the model up for the first
flight. On a subsequent flight, Dan had the
opportunity to fly the Pup and was surprised
by how stable it was. He was really nervous
on final approach, but his fears were
unfounded. With some reduced throttle, the
Sopwith descended slowly, wings level, and
touched down gently on the mains with the
tail settling down shortly after.
He readily admits that his Pup is easier
to fly and land than any of his smaller
glow airplanes. Now he is a devout RC
Giants believer! Good for you, Daniel,
and welcome aboard.
Love Those Gee Bees: Frank Pace of
Islip, New York, built his Gee Bee Model
Y from an Ikon N’wst kit. The model
spans 90 inches, is powered by a Brison
3.2 gas engine, and weighs 24.5 pounds.
In the accompanying photo you can see
the eye-catching, attractive paint scheme.
The scallop pattern was common to all
Granville brothers racers.
After the success of the earlier Model
X, the Granville brothers began to market
a new series of Sportster models. They
were advertised as “The fastest and most
maneuverable licensed airplane for its
horsepower in the United States.”
The Gee Bee Sportsters were
frequently shown off at air shows by their
owners, attracting much attention
wherever they appeared. The Granville
brothers retained the early Sportsters—
Model D and E—for sometime. The
Model Y was designed for aviation
enthusiasts but was also successful in
competition.
There’s no doubt that the Great
Depression took its toll on all aircraft
sales and hurt the fledgling civil-aviation
industry. Although their aircraft designs
remain controversial even today, there is
no doubt that the Granville brothers and
their magnificent Gee Bee aircraft will
live on in Golden Age lore.
I am working on a 30% Gee Bee
Model D and hope to have it done this
spring. If you have a Golden Age model
that you’re currently working on or have
recently completed, send me a photo and
I’ll do my best to include it in a future RC
Giants column. MA