108 MODEL AVIATION
THIS YEAR MARKED the Toledo R/C
Expo’s 50th anniversary under the leadership
of the Toledo (Ohio) Weak Signals club; a
great committee oversees the yearly April RC
trade show. More than $5,000 was donated to
the AMA Scholarship Fund this year in a
ceremony at the conclusion of the event on
Sunday. AMA President Dave Brown accepted
the check on behalf of all AMA members.
Radio systems and other great prizes were
awarded in a multitude of model classes,
including Scale. I’ll look at some of the classes
and some of the goodies that were available at
Toledo for Scale modelers, such as new kits,
parts, covering, Scale magazines, and Scale
ARFs for Fun Scale or fun-flying.
Toledo sort of reminds me of going to the
Experimental Aircraft Association’s (EAA’s)
Oshkosh Fly-In. It’s indoors, and for good
reason during the first weekend of April! If you
have never been to Toledo, it’s a great place to
see what’s new or what’s hot, or you might
find something you didn’t know existed.
Some of the goodies at Toledo are hard to
find unless you really look for them. These
may be unusual parts or something for your
radio system. I was really impressed with a set of radio-stick extensions
(Transmitter Knobs) which work well with my, or any, radio system.
The stick extensions are 1⁄2 inch in diameter and 11⁄2 inches long.
The ends that are available fit thumb and finger fliers’ needs. They are
roughly $19 plus shipping and are made by Madison Components Inc.,
1059 Valley Crest Dr., Birmingham AL 35226; Tel.: (800) 811-9135;
Web site: www.qualityrcproducts.com.
One of several new kits I saw at Toledo was from Balsa USA; see if
a 1⁄3-scale Ercoupe will fill your shop workbench this winter! This huge
kit comes with plug-in wings with the aluminum-tube spar system, a
formed windshield, and cast-aluminum landing gear with functioning
struts. At an estimated finished weight of 28-32 pounds, it will need
them.
This aircraft spans 10 feet, or 120 inches, has a fiberglass cowl with
panel lines, and scale cutouts. It also features a complete cockpit
interior.
The neat thing about this model is that the full-scale Ercoupe has so
many different color schemes from which to choose. Some of the
Stan Alexander, 3709 Valley Ridge Dr., Nashville TN 37211; E-mail: [email protected]
RADIO CONTROL SCALE
Skyshark R/C President Mike Gray with the company’s new Me 109E at Toledo. The
model comes with decals and fiberglass cowl as well as other accessories.
Great Planes’ attractive new Christen Eagle II is finished in
MonoKote. It can perform any of the aerobatic routines.
Jim Rediske gives a seminar about color and Scale modeling
during the NASA Scale Road Show at the Toledo R/C Expo.
Balsa USA’s 1⁄3-scale Ercoupe is huge. The kit is extremely
complete, including gear and many of the formed parts.
09sig4.QXD 6/23/04 1:02 pm Page 108
110 MODEL AVIATION
Another new Balsa USA kit is the Fokker D.VII. It spans 88 inches
and can be powered by a G-38 or 150 four-stroke.
Great Planes’ Super Stearman ARF spans 71.5 inches and should
weigh 14-15 pounds. The kit includes pilot busts.
earlier and later versions have different cowls,
and you can modify the provided cowl to suit
your particular model.
Great Planes debuted its Christen Eagle II
purpose-built aerobatic biplane. It comes in a
gigantic box with all of the parts neatly
packed. The colorful Christen Eagle color
scheme with the eagle logo on the wings and
fuselage is spectacular.
Fiberglass parts included are the cowl,
wheel pants, and fairings. The model is
designed to fly with an engine such as a 300
four-stroke or a 32-52cc gas burner. You might
think about the larger engines for this biplane,
which is designed to fly any aerobatic routine.
With this color scheme, it will turn heads at the
local field.
Another model that Great Planes had on
display that caught my attention was the
Boeing Super Stearman biplane. It is a bit
smaller than the Christen Eagle II, and it is an
ARF, as most new kit offerings seem to be.
The Stearman spans 71 inches and is built
to fly with an engine most of us already have:
a 120-140 four-stroke. Of course you can use a
two-stroke, but it just wouldn’t sound the
same. The Stearman’s wingspan is a bit longer
than the Christen Eagle’s, but it’s a lighter
model, thus the smaller engine requirements.
It takes five servos to control the Stearman,
with two on the ailerons with a recommended
54 ounces of torque and two of the same
torque for the rudder and elevator.
The model comes precovered with white
MonoKote and red-and-black stripes. I really
like the color scheme, but I would also like to
see an all-white or uncovered version offered.
The scheme can be modified, of course. This
airplane would be a great candidate to cover in
the Red Baron color scheme.
If you are interested in World War I
aircraft, Balsa USA has a large selection of kits
TIRED OF PAYING
$1.29 FOR 6 SCREWS?
Our 4-40x1/2 socket
caps sell for $4.35/100
for alloy steel, or
$6.65/100 stainless, or $7.50/50 aluminum.
For fair prices on sensible quantities of the fasteners
you need for model building, call, write or
fax for our free catalog!
Micro Fasteners 800-892-6917
24 Cokesbury Rd., Suite 2 908-236-8120
Lebanon, NJ 08833 fax 908-236-8721
e-mail: [email protected] Internet: http://microfasteners.com
09sig4.QXD 6/23/04 1:04 pm Page 110
September 2004 111
from that era. New to the lineup and in
stock is the Fokker D.VII. The 1⁄4-scale
fighter spans 88 inches and can be powered
with anything from a 120 four-stroke to a
25-35cc gas engine.
The kit lists for $295.95, and there is a
whole list of accessories you can add to it.
Balsa USA and other suppliers have many
detail parts and scale items available.
Several books offer documentation on this
classic biplane.
Each year the Skyshark R/C booth
catches a lot of attention. The company had
several new kits at Toledo this year; one
was the Val, which I previously reported on.
Another was a 60-size Messerschmitt Me
109E, which just came out. The Emil spans
65 inches and costs less than $300.
The Skyshark kits are complete, and
there isn’t any die-cutting; all parts are
laser-cut. Color three-views, a fiberglass
cowl, intakes, exhaust stacks, a scale
cockpit kit, and an aluminum spinner are
included.
The Me 109 should weigh less than 9
pounds, and a good .60-size two-stroke
engine would be ideal for this model. A
four-stroke could be used, but a two-stroke
is your best bet if you are offended by the
engine sticking out of the cowl.
If you want a warbird to fly on the
weekends at the local field or are just
getting started in RC Scale, many of these
kits would make great additions to your
hangar.
Experimental Aircraft Models is a new
company that has a line of ARF kits. They
are all models of home-built aircraft, many
of which you would see in full scale at
EAA’s Oshkosh Fly-In. A favorite of mine
is the Vans RV-6, or the RV-6A (tricyclegear
version) model, and there are several
RV aircraft out there from which to choose
color schemes.
Some of Experimental Aircraft Models’
other offerings include the Zodiac XL, the
Challenger II, the Glastar, the Europa XS,
the Glasair, and the Velocity XL. These kits
come fairly complete; you only need to add
the engine, the radio, and your own color
scheme. That’s right; these ARFs are
covered in Oracover, which you can paint
any color you like. That’s a great idea for
other manufacturers!
The RV-6 kit comes with the formed
canopy; servo trays; fiberglass cowl, wheel
pants, and wingtips; formed aluminum landing
gear; an aluminum spinner; and Du-Bro and
Sullivan Products hardware.
The Experimental Aircraft Models kits
cost approximately $269-$349 plus shipping,
etc. They vary in size from the 60-inch-span
RV-6 to the new 84-inch-span Glastar. For
more information on these and other kits, call
(800) 297-1707, E-mail info@rchomebuilts.
com, or go to www.rchomebuilts.com. (The
Web site may take a while to load, but it’s
worth it.)
Bookshelf: Keeping with the World War I
theme in the preceding, Fokker D.VII in
Action (Aircraft Number 166) by D. Edgar
Brannon is from the “in Action” series by
Squadron/Signal Publications. This book
(ISBN 0-89747-371-X) is dedicated to Peter
M. Bowers, who provided several of the
photos.
The book covers the aircraft’s beginnings,
with aviation trials in which Fokker had no
less than six different models, one of which
was the D.VII. After acceptance, the Fokker
entered service and received a rainbow of
paint schemes from the pilots and squadrons
in which it served until the end of the war. The
book points out that this was the only airplane
mentioned in the treaty. Many went back to
the USA, and one is in the US Air Force
Museum at Dayton, Ohio.
Color schemes range from Hermann
Goering’s all-white D.VII to the more normal
seven-lozenge-pattern paint scheme. There are
10 color side plates in the middle of the book
that run the gamut of schemes, making this
fighter a good candidate for Scale modelers.
Multiple scale and three-view drawings are
also included.
In-line models such as this seem to fly
better even if they do have the square sides, as
do the Sopwith aircraft. The smaller frontal
area seems to penetrate the wind better, and
although some World War I aircraft are bears
even in the air, in-line models such as the
Fokker D.VII and D.VIII, the Albatros, and
the S.E.5 seem to fly easier in the wind.
Check out this book at your local hobby
shop or bookstore. You can usually find it for
less than $10.
That’s it for this month. Fair skies and
tailwinds. MA
09sig4.QXD 6/23/04 1:05 pm Page 111
Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/09
Page Numbers: 108,110,111
Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/09
Page Numbers: 108,110,111
108 MODEL AVIATION
THIS YEAR MARKED the Toledo R/C
Expo’s 50th anniversary under the leadership
of the Toledo (Ohio) Weak Signals club; a
great committee oversees the yearly April RC
trade show. More than $5,000 was donated to
the AMA Scholarship Fund this year in a
ceremony at the conclusion of the event on
Sunday. AMA President Dave Brown accepted
the check on behalf of all AMA members.
Radio systems and other great prizes were
awarded in a multitude of model classes,
including Scale. I’ll look at some of the classes
and some of the goodies that were available at
Toledo for Scale modelers, such as new kits,
parts, covering, Scale magazines, and Scale
ARFs for Fun Scale or fun-flying.
Toledo sort of reminds me of going to the
Experimental Aircraft Association’s (EAA’s)
Oshkosh Fly-In. It’s indoors, and for good
reason during the first weekend of April! If you
have never been to Toledo, it’s a great place to
see what’s new or what’s hot, or you might
find something you didn’t know existed.
Some of the goodies at Toledo are hard to
find unless you really look for them. These
may be unusual parts or something for your
radio system. I was really impressed with a set of radio-stick extensions
(Transmitter Knobs) which work well with my, or any, radio system.
The stick extensions are 1⁄2 inch in diameter and 11⁄2 inches long.
The ends that are available fit thumb and finger fliers’ needs. They are
roughly $19 plus shipping and are made by Madison Components Inc.,
1059 Valley Crest Dr., Birmingham AL 35226; Tel.: (800) 811-9135;
Web site: www.qualityrcproducts.com.
One of several new kits I saw at Toledo was from Balsa USA; see if
a 1⁄3-scale Ercoupe will fill your shop workbench this winter! This huge
kit comes with plug-in wings with the aluminum-tube spar system, a
formed windshield, and cast-aluminum landing gear with functioning
struts. At an estimated finished weight of 28-32 pounds, it will need
them.
This aircraft spans 10 feet, or 120 inches, has a fiberglass cowl with
panel lines, and scale cutouts. It also features a complete cockpit
interior.
The neat thing about this model is that the full-scale Ercoupe has so
many different color schemes from which to choose. Some of the
Stan Alexander, 3709 Valley Ridge Dr., Nashville TN 37211; E-mail: [email protected]
RADIO CONTROL SCALE
Skyshark R/C President Mike Gray with the company’s new Me 109E at Toledo. The
model comes with decals and fiberglass cowl as well as other accessories.
Great Planes’ attractive new Christen Eagle II is finished in
MonoKote. It can perform any of the aerobatic routines.
Jim Rediske gives a seminar about color and Scale modeling
during the NASA Scale Road Show at the Toledo R/C Expo.
Balsa USA’s 1⁄3-scale Ercoupe is huge. The kit is extremely
complete, including gear and many of the formed parts.
09sig4.QXD 6/23/04 1:02 pm Page 108
110 MODEL AVIATION
Another new Balsa USA kit is the Fokker D.VII. It spans 88 inches
and can be powered by a G-38 or 150 four-stroke.
Great Planes’ Super Stearman ARF spans 71.5 inches and should
weigh 14-15 pounds. The kit includes pilot busts.
earlier and later versions have different cowls,
and you can modify the provided cowl to suit
your particular model.
Great Planes debuted its Christen Eagle II
purpose-built aerobatic biplane. It comes in a
gigantic box with all of the parts neatly
packed. The colorful Christen Eagle color
scheme with the eagle logo on the wings and
fuselage is spectacular.
Fiberglass parts included are the cowl,
wheel pants, and fairings. The model is
designed to fly with an engine such as a 300
four-stroke or a 32-52cc gas burner. You might
think about the larger engines for this biplane,
which is designed to fly any aerobatic routine.
With this color scheme, it will turn heads at the
local field.
Another model that Great Planes had on
display that caught my attention was the
Boeing Super Stearman biplane. It is a bit
smaller than the Christen Eagle II, and it is an
ARF, as most new kit offerings seem to be.
The Stearman spans 71 inches and is built
to fly with an engine most of us already have:
a 120-140 four-stroke. Of course you can use a
two-stroke, but it just wouldn’t sound the
same. The Stearman’s wingspan is a bit longer
than the Christen Eagle’s, but it’s a lighter
model, thus the smaller engine requirements.
It takes five servos to control the Stearman,
with two on the ailerons with a recommended
54 ounces of torque and two of the same
torque for the rudder and elevator.
The model comes precovered with white
MonoKote and red-and-black stripes. I really
like the color scheme, but I would also like to
see an all-white or uncovered version offered.
The scheme can be modified, of course. This
airplane would be a great candidate to cover in
the Red Baron color scheme.
If you are interested in World War I
aircraft, Balsa USA has a large selection of kits
TIRED OF PAYING
$1.29 FOR 6 SCREWS?
Our 4-40x1/2 socket
caps sell for $4.35/100
for alloy steel, or
$6.65/100 stainless, or $7.50/50 aluminum.
For fair prices on sensible quantities of the fasteners
you need for model building, call, write or
fax for our free catalog!
Micro Fasteners 800-892-6917
24 Cokesbury Rd., Suite 2 908-236-8120
Lebanon, NJ 08833 fax 908-236-8721
e-mail: [email protected] Internet: http://microfasteners.com
09sig4.QXD 6/23/04 1:04 pm Page 110
September 2004 111
from that era. New to the lineup and in
stock is the Fokker D.VII. The 1⁄4-scale
fighter spans 88 inches and can be powered
with anything from a 120 four-stroke to a
25-35cc gas engine.
The kit lists for $295.95, and there is a
whole list of accessories you can add to it.
Balsa USA and other suppliers have many
detail parts and scale items available.
Several books offer documentation on this
classic biplane.
Each year the Skyshark R/C booth
catches a lot of attention. The company had
several new kits at Toledo this year; one
was the Val, which I previously reported on.
Another was a 60-size Messerschmitt Me
109E, which just came out. The Emil spans
65 inches and costs less than $300.
The Skyshark kits are complete, and
there isn’t any die-cutting; all parts are
laser-cut. Color three-views, a fiberglass
cowl, intakes, exhaust stacks, a scale
cockpit kit, and an aluminum spinner are
included.
The Me 109 should weigh less than 9
pounds, and a good .60-size two-stroke
engine would be ideal for this model. A
four-stroke could be used, but a two-stroke
is your best bet if you are offended by the
engine sticking out of the cowl.
If you want a warbird to fly on the
weekends at the local field or are just
getting started in RC Scale, many of these
kits would make great additions to your
hangar.
Experimental Aircraft Models is a new
company that has a line of ARF kits. They
are all models of home-built aircraft, many
of which you would see in full scale at
EAA’s Oshkosh Fly-In. A favorite of mine
is the Vans RV-6, or the RV-6A (tricyclegear
version) model, and there are several
RV aircraft out there from which to choose
color schemes.
Some of Experimental Aircraft Models’
other offerings include the Zodiac XL, the
Challenger II, the Glastar, the Europa XS,
the Glasair, and the Velocity XL. These kits
come fairly complete; you only need to add
the engine, the radio, and your own color
scheme. That’s right; these ARFs are
covered in Oracover, which you can paint
any color you like. That’s a great idea for
other manufacturers!
The RV-6 kit comes with the formed
canopy; servo trays; fiberglass cowl, wheel
pants, and wingtips; formed aluminum landing
gear; an aluminum spinner; and Du-Bro and
Sullivan Products hardware.
The Experimental Aircraft Models kits
cost approximately $269-$349 plus shipping,
etc. They vary in size from the 60-inch-span
RV-6 to the new 84-inch-span Glastar. For
more information on these and other kits, call
(800) 297-1707, E-mail info@rchomebuilts.
com, or go to www.rchomebuilts.com. (The
Web site may take a while to load, but it’s
worth it.)
Bookshelf: Keeping with the World War I
theme in the preceding, Fokker D.VII in
Action (Aircraft Number 166) by D. Edgar
Brannon is from the “in Action” series by
Squadron/Signal Publications. This book
(ISBN 0-89747-371-X) is dedicated to Peter
M. Bowers, who provided several of the
photos.
The book covers the aircraft’s beginnings,
with aviation trials in which Fokker had no
less than six different models, one of which
was the D.VII. After acceptance, the Fokker
entered service and received a rainbow of
paint schemes from the pilots and squadrons
in which it served until the end of the war. The
book points out that this was the only airplane
mentioned in the treaty. Many went back to
the USA, and one is in the US Air Force
Museum at Dayton, Ohio.
Color schemes range from Hermann
Goering’s all-white D.VII to the more normal
seven-lozenge-pattern paint scheme. There are
10 color side plates in the middle of the book
that run the gamut of schemes, making this
fighter a good candidate for Scale modelers.
Multiple scale and three-view drawings are
also included.
In-line models such as this seem to fly
better even if they do have the square sides, as
do the Sopwith aircraft. The smaller frontal
area seems to penetrate the wind better, and
although some World War I aircraft are bears
even in the air, in-line models such as the
Fokker D.VII and D.VIII, the Albatros, and
the S.E.5 seem to fly easier in the wind.
Check out this book at your local hobby
shop or bookstore. You can usually find it for
less than $10.
That’s it for this month. Fair skies and
tailwinds. MA
09sig4.QXD 6/23/04 1:05 pm Page 111
Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/09
Page Numbers: 108,110,111
108 MODEL AVIATION
THIS YEAR MARKED the Toledo R/C
Expo’s 50th anniversary under the leadership
of the Toledo (Ohio) Weak Signals club; a
great committee oversees the yearly April RC
trade show. More than $5,000 was donated to
the AMA Scholarship Fund this year in a
ceremony at the conclusion of the event on
Sunday. AMA President Dave Brown accepted
the check on behalf of all AMA members.
Radio systems and other great prizes were
awarded in a multitude of model classes,
including Scale. I’ll look at some of the classes
and some of the goodies that were available at
Toledo for Scale modelers, such as new kits,
parts, covering, Scale magazines, and Scale
ARFs for Fun Scale or fun-flying.
Toledo sort of reminds me of going to the
Experimental Aircraft Association’s (EAA’s)
Oshkosh Fly-In. It’s indoors, and for good
reason during the first weekend of April! If you
have never been to Toledo, it’s a great place to
see what’s new or what’s hot, or you might
find something you didn’t know existed.
Some of the goodies at Toledo are hard to
find unless you really look for them. These
may be unusual parts or something for your
radio system. I was really impressed with a set of radio-stick extensions
(Transmitter Knobs) which work well with my, or any, radio system.
The stick extensions are 1⁄2 inch in diameter and 11⁄2 inches long.
The ends that are available fit thumb and finger fliers’ needs. They are
roughly $19 plus shipping and are made by Madison Components Inc.,
1059 Valley Crest Dr., Birmingham AL 35226; Tel.: (800) 811-9135;
Web site: www.qualityrcproducts.com.
One of several new kits I saw at Toledo was from Balsa USA; see if
a 1⁄3-scale Ercoupe will fill your shop workbench this winter! This huge
kit comes with plug-in wings with the aluminum-tube spar system, a
formed windshield, and cast-aluminum landing gear with functioning
struts. At an estimated finished weight of 28-32 pounds, it will need
them.
This aircraft spans 10 feet, or 120 inches, has a fiberglass cowl with
panel lines, and scale cutouts. It also features a complete cockpit
interior.
The neat thing about this model is that the full-scale Ercoupe has so
many different color schemes from which to choose. Some of the
Stan Alexander, 3709 Valley Ridge Dr., Nashville TN 37211; E-mail: [email protected]
RADIO CONTROL SCALE
Skyshark R/C President Mike Gray with the company’s new Me 109E at Toledo. The
model comes with decals and fiberglass cowl as well as other accessories.
Great Planes’ attractive new Christen Eagle II is finished in
MonoKote. It can perform any of the aerobatic routines.
Jim Rediske gives a seminar about color and Scale modeling
during the NASA Scale Road Show at the Toledo R/C Expo.
Balsa USA’s 1⁄3-scale Ercoupe is huge. The kit is extremely
complete, including gear and many of the formed parts.
09sig4.QXD 6/23/04 1:02 pm Page 108
110 MODEL AVIATION
Another new Balsa USA kit is the Fokker D.VII. It spans 88 inches
and can be powered by a G-38 or 150 four-stroke.
Great Planes’ Super Stearman ARF spans 71.5 inches and should
weigh 14-15 pounds. The kit includes pilot busts.
earlier and later versions have different cowls,
and you can modify the provided cowl to suit
your particular model.
Great Planes debuted its Christen Eagle II
purpose-built aerobatic biplane. It comes in a
gigantic box with all of the parts neatly
packed. The colorful Christen Eagle color
scheme with the eagle logo on the wings and
fuselage is spectacular.
Fiberglass parts included are the cowl,
wheel pants, and fairings. The model is
designed to fly with an engine such as a 300
four-stroke or a 32-52cc gas burner. You might
think about the larger engines for this biplane,
which is designed to fly any aerobatic routine.
With this color scheme, it will turn heads at the
local field.
Another model that Great Planes had on
display that caught my attention was the
Boeing Super Stearman biplane. It is a bit
smaller than the Christen Eagle II, and it is an
ARF, as most new kit offerings seem to be.
The Stearman spans 71 inches and is built
to fly with an engine most of us already have:
a 120-140 four-stroke. Of course you can use a
two-stroke, but it just wouldn’t sound the
same. The Stearman’s wingspan is a bit longer
than the Christen Eagle’s, but it’s a lighter
model, thus the smaller engine requirements.
It takes five servos to control the Stearman,
with two on the ailerons with a recommended
54 ounces of torque and two of the same
torque for the rudder and elevator.
The model comes precovered with white
MonoKote and red-and-black stripes. I really
like the color scheme, but I would also like to
see an all-white or uncovered version offered.
The scheme can be modified, of course. This
airplane would be a great candidate to cover in
the Red Baron color scheme.
If you are interested in World War I
aircraft, Balsa USA has a large selection of kits
TIRED OF PAYING
$1.29 FOR 6 SCREWS?
Our 4-40x1/2 socket
caps sell for $4.35/100
for alloy steel, or
$6.65/100 stainless, or $7.50/50 aluminum.
For fair prices on sensible quantities of the fasteners
you need for model building, call, write or
fax for our free catalog!
Micro Fasteners 800-892-6917
24 Cokesbury Rd., Suite 2 908-236-8120
Lebanon, NJ 08833 fax 908-236-8721
e-mail: [email protected] Internet: http://microfasteners.com
09sig4.QXD 6/23/04 1:04 pm Page 110
September 2004 111
from that era. New to the lineup and in
stock is the Fokker D.VII. The 1⁄4-scale
fighter spans 88 inches and can be powered
with anything from a 120 four-stroke to a
25-35cc gas engine.
The kit lists for $295.95, and there is a
whole list of accessories you can add to it.
Balsa USA and other suppliers have many
detail parts and scale items available.
Several books offer documentation on this
classic biplane.
Each year the Skyshark R/C booth
catches a lot of attention. The company had
several new kits at Toledo this year; one
was the Val, which I previously reported on.
Another was a 60-size Messerschmitt Me
109E, which just came out. The Emil spans
65 inches and costs less than $300.
The Skyshark kits are complete, and
there isn’t any die-cutting; all parts are
laser-cut. Color three-views, a fiberglass
cowl, intakes, exhaust stacks, a scale
cockpit kit, and an aluminum spinner are
included.
The Me 109 should weigh less than 9
pounds, and a good .60-size two-stroke
engine would be ideal for this model. A
four-stroke could be used, but a two-stroke
is your best bet if you are offended by the
engine sticking out of the cowl.
If you want a warbird to fly on the
weekends at the local field or are just
getting started in RC Scale, many of these
kits would make great additions to your
hangar.
Experimental Aircraft Models is a new
company that has a line of ARF kits. They
are all models of home-built aircraft, many
of which you would see in full scale at
EAA’s Oshkosh Fly-In. A favorite of mine
is the Vans RV-6, or the RV-6A (tricyclegear
version) model, and there are several
RV aircraft out there from which to choose
color schemes.
Some of Experimental Aircraft Models’
other offerings include the Zodiac XL, the
Challenger II, the Glastar, the Europa XS,
the Glasair, and the Velocity XL. These kits
come fairly complete; you only need to add
the engine, the radio, and your own color
scheme. That’s right; these ARFs are
covered in Oracover, which you can paint
any color you like. That’s a great idea for
other manufacturers!
The RV-6 kit comes with the formed
canopy; servo trays; fiberglass cowl, wheel
pants, and wingtips; formed aluminum landing
gear; an aluminum spinner; and Du-Bro and
Sullivan Products hardware.
The Experimental Aircraft Models kits
cost approximately $269-$349 plus shipping,
etc. They vary in size from the 60-inch-span
RV-6 to the new 84-inch-span Glastar. For
more information on these and other kits, call
(800) 297-1707, E-mail info@rchomebuilts.
com, or go to www.rchomebuilts.com. (The
Web site may take a while to load, but it’s
worth it.)
Bookshelf: Keeping with the World War I
theme in the preceding, Fokker D.VII in
Action (Aircraft Number 166) by D. Edgar
Brannon is from the “in Action” series by
Squadron/Signal Publications. This book
(ISBN 0-89747-371-X) is dedicated to Peter
M. Bowers, who provided several of the
photos.
The book covers the aircraft’s beginnings,
with aviation trials in which Fokker had no
less than six different models, one of which
was the D.VII. After acceptance, the Fokker
entered service and received a rainbow of
paint schemes from the pilots and squadrons
in which it served until the end of the war. The
book points out that this was the only airplane
mentioned in the treaty. Many went back to
the USA, and one is in the US Air Force
Museum at Dayton, Ohio.
Color schemes range from Hermann
Goering’s all-white D.VII to the more normal
seven-lozenge-pattern paint scheme. There are
10 color side plates in the middle of the book
that run the gamut of schemes, making this
fighter a good candidate for Scale modelers.
Multiple scale and three-view drawings are
also included.
In-line models such as this seem to fly
better even if they do have the square sides, as
do the Sopwith aircraft. The smaller frontal
area seems to penetrate the wind better, and
although some World War I aircraft are bears
even in the air, in-line models such as the
Fokker D.VII and D.VIII, the Albatros, and
the S.E.5 seem to fly easier in the wind.
Check out this book at your local hobby
shop or bookstore. You can usually find it for
less than $10.
That’s it for this month. Fair skies and
tailwinds. MA
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