Also included in this column:
• Bookshelf: Bristol Scouts
• An exceptionally detailed
Fairey Swordfish
IN MOST OF the country it’s time to be
building seriously. The weather is generally
cold or worse, and it’s a great time to hole
up in the shop and build, and wait until it
gets a little warmer to do the painting
outside or in a well-ventilated shop.
How many of you have started your Scale
models without documentation? Do you
have that photo for Fun Scale or a complete
documentation set for Sportsman, Expert,
Designer, or FAI?
I usually shoot 40-60 photos for a Sport
Scale model to use for documentation. I don’t use all those pictures
in the presentation, but they will help you get your pride and joy as
close as you can to the full-scale version. Employ the photos you
can use to prove your skill, and leave the others in the file.
Where do you find the elusive information and photos? In some
cases this can be a quest like something out of the movies. In other
cases it’s as simple as going to your local airport.
There are so many ARFs now that it’s amazingly simple to find
these photos in each kit—or is it? I’ve been amazed by the number
of ARFs that are built claiming to be “scale models” but have no
documentation, source inside the kit, or photo of the full-scale
aircraft on the box top by the sticker confirming that you’ve paid
more than $400 for the kit.
Last year at the Toledo R/C Expo I even saw an ARF kit of a
PT-19 with retracts. Now there’s an idea.
But if you’re building a model yourself, you should know that
visiting aviation museums and seeking out obscure documentation
is a subhobby within the Scale fraternity of modeling. Anywhere my
wife and I travel I do a Google search and check to see if there is a
museum close by. If there is, my wife knows we will stop there at
least one afternoon for a couple hours.
Kids and museum staff enjoy one of the simulators at the Fantasy of Flight Museum.
The interior of the Lockheed Vega, looking forward into the
cockpit.
Laird Super Solution replica at the Fantasy of Flight Museum.
The interior of the Lockheed Vega, looking forward into the
cockpit.
This Vega is painted in the Wiley Post color scheme.
Almost all aviation museums have become kid-friendly and are
now also teaching institutions. Many of these teaching museums
have simulators—some with computer screens with state-of-the-art
programs similar to the ones we modelers use when we can’t go to
the field.
There are many reasons for this, I’m sure, including luring the
interest of the next generation of aviation enthusiasts into the fold.
Tax breaks are probably another reason.
In one museum during spring break three years ago I witnessed the
younger generation completely disregard the “aviation” section of the
museum, while the space-exploration side was packed. The old
biplanes and monoplanes of 1909-1955 didn’t hold the younger
visitors’ interest. This museum didn’t cater to them with simulators and
other kid-friendly activities. There might be a lesson there for us all.
This year we took several trips, and I made it a point to stop at
every aviation museum we could. One of those is located in the
Orlando, Florida, area between Disney World and Lakeland. The
Fantasy of Flight Museum is located west of Orlando in Polk City.
This museum is the dream of Kermit Weeks and, unlike many of the
military museums we visit, is an aviation attraction in a string of
attractions in Central Florida.
We were taken aback at the admission rates, but when you
realize where you are and the pristine condition of this aviation
collection, you understand why. General admission is $26.95 per
The Cierva C.30 Autogiro was built in 1934. Richard Crapp built his Fairey Swordfish from plans.
person and $24.95 per person if you are 55
or older.
When you enter the museum you’ll see
the aviation-themed café to the right and the
gift shop on the left, which, like any other
gift shop, is cleverly designed to catch your
attention before you exit the facility. Two
hangars are currently open, and the
restoration facility is available for tours.
You can also purchase flights in Stearman
biplanes.
This is an active private museum (the
largest) with a collection of historic and
replica aircraft that makes most Scale
modelers drool with anticipation. Many of
the replicas are of aircraft of which the
originals no longer exist. They include the
Gee Bee Model Z, Gee Bee Model R-2,
Ryan NYP “Spirit of St. Louis,” Fokker
Dr.I, and Laird Super Solution.
The list of historic aircraft is much larger,
with more than 44 and several I had never
seen before such as the Focke-Wulf Fw 44
Stieglitz—a 1930s biplane trainer—the Cierva
C.30A Autogiro, and the Curtiss Junior. Many
other aircraft are listed on the museum’s Web
site at www.fantasyofflight.com.
Talking to the staff members at any
museum and letting them know you are not
totally ignorant of the historic value of these
priceless airframes helps sometimes. An
aircraft that interested me in particular was
built by Lockheed in 1929—only two years
after Charles Lindbergh’s New York-to-
Paris flight. It is airframe number 72.
A total of 198 of the historically
significant Lockheed Vegas were built. The
Vega’s sister aircraft were the midwing
Orion and the low-wing Sirius. I have seen
only one Orion, and it’s in a transportation
museum in Switzerland finished in Swiss
colors.
In talking to the staff about the Vega’s
history and taking several walk-around
shots, I asked if it would be possible to “go
inside” and shoot the interior. What the
heck? You never know until you ask, right?
Initially I was told no, to which I replied
that I understood and thanked the supervisor
for his time. He walked off and came back
roughly 10 minutes later to tell me to come
on inside.
So this is how we view the photos of the
interior of an airplane built from molded
wood with the halves glued together; it
worked! But the seat where the pilot sits is a
bench that folds down after the pilot climbs
into the cramped cockpit. I didn’t try that;
I’m 6 foot, 3 inches, tall and just didn’t
think it was made for people my size.
For more information about the Vega, all
the other aircraft, and the museum, contact
the Fantasy of Flight Museum staff at the
Web site. Maps and all other aspects of the
museum are available there.
Bookshelf: Bristol Scouts by J.M. Bruce is
Windsock Datafile 44. Compared to the
Sopwith Pup, the Nieuport 11, and the
Hanriot HD.1, the series of Bristol Scouts
was an evolution of aircraft design in the
making.
The booklet has a cardstock cover, and
the only color drawings are on the front and
back covers. There are 36 pages of blackand-
white photos and scale drawings for
modelers, as well as a short history of the
type.
Bristol had a series of the Scouts from
the A to D models. There were various
changes, and I’ve found little
documentation about this series. I had
hoped there would be a couple pages of
color side views for these aircraft within
the pages, but there isn’t.
However, this book is still worth the
price with all the scale drawings and
photos if you’re interested in World War I
biplanes. Bristol Scouts is available from
Hannan’s Runway at (530) 873-6421 or
www.hrunway.com.
At Top Gun and many other Scale
gatherings, unique aircraft seem to come out
of the woodwork. The story of the Fairey
Swordfish built by Richard Crapp of Great
Britain is one of them. (See photo.)
The full-scale Swordfish was designed in
1934 for the role of Torpedo-Spotter-
Reconnaissance. Between 1934 and 1944
2,391 were built, mostly at the Blackburn
near Leeds in Yorkshire.
The Swordfish you see this month was
modeled after a full-scale version that is
preserved by the Royal Navy Historic Flight
at Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton. Its
nickname was the “stringbag” since you
could put anything in it or on it.
The Swordfish, it is reported, sank more
enemy shipping than any other Allied
aircraft in World War II. These airplanes
were responsible for jamming the rudder of
the battleship Bismarck, allowing the
British fleet to close in on it and sink it.
Swordfish were also responsible for sinking
the Italian fleet at Taranto, which probably
gave the Japanese the idea to attack Pearl
Harbor.
This particular aircraft was built in 1941,
and after many colorful years it was rescued
and restored by British Aerospace after
being purchased by the Swordfish Heritage.
It is painted in the color scheme of the 810
Squadron.
The model is powered by a Laser 300 VTwin
four-stroke. A Futaba nine-channel
radio is used for control. Richard built his
Swordfish from plans by Len Ashdown of
Ontario, Canada. I don’t have any
information about Len, but I wish I did.
The Swordfish weighs 32 pounds, or 15
kilograms, which is the weight limit for FAI
F4C (RC Scale) competition. Richard
scratch-built many of the fittings, including
the wheel hubs, tires, oil cooler, and Bristol
Pegasus engine.
The model has folding wings with scale
hinge and latch mechanisms, as well as a
full cockpit interior down to the flare
cartridge. The seat leather came from the
full-scale aircraft. It took Richard five years
and roughly 5,000 hours to build this model.
Fair skies and tailwinds.
Edition: Model Aviation - 2007/02
Page Numbers: 103,104,105
Edition: Model Aviation - 2007/02
Page Numbers: 103,104,105
Also included in this column:
• Bookshelf: Bristol Scouts
• An exceptionally detailed
Fairey Swordfish
IN MOST OF the country it’s time to be
building seriously. The weather is generally
cold or worse, and it’s a great time to hole
up in the shop and build, and wait until it
gets a little warmer to do the painting
outside or in a well-ventilated shop.
How many of you have started your Scale
models without documentation? Do you
have that photo for Fun Scale or a complete
documentation set for Sportsman, Expert,
Designer, or FAI?
I usually shoot 40-60 photos for a Sport
Scale model to use for documentation. I don’t use all those pictures
in the presentation, but they will help you get your pride and joy as
close as you can to the full-scale version. Employ the photos you
can use to prove your skill, and leave the others in the file.
Where do you find the elusive information and photos? In some
cases this can be a quest like something out of the movies. In other
cases it’s as simple as going to your local airport.
There are so many ARFs now that it’s amazingly simple to find
these photos in each kit—or is it? I’ve been amazed by the number
of ARFs that are built claiming to be “scale models” but have no
documentation, source inside the kit, or photo of the full-scale
aircraft on the box top by the sticker confirming that you’ve paid
more than $400 for the kit.
Last year at the Toledo R/C Expo I even saw an ARF kit of a
PT-19 with retracts. Now there’s an idea.
But if you’re building a model yourself, you should know that
visiting aviation museums and seeking out obscure documentation
is a subhobby within the Scale fraternity of modeling. Anywhere my
wife and I travel I do a Google search and check to see if there is a
museum close by. If there is, my wife knows we will stop there at
least one afternoon for a couple hours.
Kids and museum staff enjoy one of the simulators at the Fantasy of Flight Museum.
The interior of the Lockheed Vega, looking forward into the
cockpit.
Laird Super Solution replica at the Fantasy of Flight Museum.
The interior of the Lockheed Vega, looking forward into the
cockpit.
This Vega is painted in the Wiley Post color scheme.
Almost all aviation museums have become kid-friendly and are
now also teaching institutions. Many of these teaching museums
have simulators—some with computer screens with state-of-the-art
programs similar to the ones we modelers use when we can’t go to
the field.
There are many reasons for this, I’m sure, including luring the
interest of the next generation of aviation enthusiasts into the fold.
Tax breaks are probably another reason.
In one museum during spring break three years ago I witnessed the
younger generation completely disregard the “aviation” section of the
museum, while the space-exploration side was packed. The old
biplanes and monoplanes of 1909-1955 didn’t hold the younger
visitors’ interest. This museum didn’t cater to them with simulators and
other kid-friendly activities. There might be a lesson there for us all.
This year we took several trips, and I made it a point to stop at
every aviation museum we could. One of those is located in the
Orlando, Florida, area between Disney World and Lakeland. The
Fantasy of Flight Museum is located west of Orlando in Polk City.
This museum is the dream of Kermit Weeks and, unlike many of the
military museums we visit, is an aviation attraction in a string of
attractions in Central Florida.
We were taken aback at the admission rates, but when you
realize where you are and the pristine condition of this aviation
collection, you understand why. General admission is $26.95 per
The Cierva C.30 Autogiro was built in 1934. Richard Crapp built his Fairey Swordfish from plans.
person and $24.95 per person if you are 55
or older.
When you enter the museum you’ll see
the aviation-themed café to the right and the
gift shop on the left, which, like any other
gift shop, is cleverly designed to catch your
attention before you exit the facility. Two
hangars are currently open, and the
restoration facility is available for tours.
You can also purchase flights in Stearman
biplanes.
This is an active private museum (the
largest) with a collection of historic and
replica aircraft that makes most Scale
modelers drool with anticipation. Many of
the replicas are of aircraft of which the
originals no longer exist. They include the
Gee Bee Model Z, Gee Bee Model R-2,
Ryan NYP “Spirit of St. Louis,” Fokker
Dr.I, and Laird Super Solution.
The list of historic aircraft is much larger,
with more than 44 and several I had never
seen before such as the Focke-Wulf Fw 44
Stieglitz—a 1930s biplane trainer—the Cierva
C.30A Autogiro, and the Curtiss Junior. Many
other aircraft are listed on the museum’s Web
site at www.fantasyofflight.com.
Talking to the staff members at any
museum and letting them know you are not
totally ignorant of the historic value of these
priceless airframes helps sometimes. An
aircraft that interested me in particular was
built by Lockheed in 1929—only two years
after Charles Lindbergh’s New York-to-
Paris flight. It is airframe number 72.
A total of 198 of the historically
significant Lockheed Vegas were built. The
Vega’s sister aircraft were the midwing
Orion and the low-wing Sirius. I have seen
only one Orion, and it’s in a transportation
museum in Switzerland finished in Swiss
colors.
In talking to the staff about the Vega’s
history and taking several walk-around
shots, I asked if it would be possible to “go
inside” and shoot the interior. What the
heck? You never know until you ask, right?
Initially I was told no, to which I replied
that I understood and thanked the supervisor
for his time. He walked off and came back
roughly 10 minutes later to tell me to come
on inside.
So this is how we view the photos of the
interior of an airplane built from molded
wood with the halves glued together; it
worked! But the seat where the pilot sits is a
bench that folds down after the pilot climbs
into the cramped cockpit. I didn’t try that;
I’m 6 foot, 3 inches, tall and just didn’t
think it was made for people my size.
For more information about the Vega, all
the other aircraft, and the museum, contact
the Fantasy of Flight Museum staff at the
Web site. Maps and all other aspects of the
museum are available there.
Bookshelf: Bristol Scouts by J.M. Bruce is
Windsock Datafile 44. Compared to the
Sopwith Pup, the Nieuport 11, and the
Hanriot HD.1, the series of Bristol Scouts
was an evolution of aircraft design in the
making.
The booklet has a cardstock cover, and
the only color drawings are on the front and
back covers. There are 36 pages of blackand-
white photos and scale drawings for
modelers, as well as a short history of the
type.
Bristol had a series of the Scouts from
the A to D models. There were various
changes, and I’ve found little
documentation about this series. I had
hoped there would be a couple pages of
color side views for these aircraft within
the pages, but there isn’t.
However, this book is still worth the
price with all the scale drawings and
photos if you’re interested in World War I
biplanes. Bristol Scouts is available from
Hannan’s Runway at (530) 873-6421 or
www.hrunway.com.
At Top Gun and many other Scale
gatherings, unique aircraft seem to come out
of the woodwork. The story of the Fairey
Swordfish built by Richard Crapp of Great
Britain is one of them. (See photo.)
The full-scale Swordfish was designed in
1934 for the role of Torpedo-Spotter-
Reconnaissance. Between 1934 and 1944
2,391 were built, mostly at the Blackburn
near Leeds in Yorkshire.
The Swordfish you see this month was
modeled after a full-scale version that is
preserved by the Royal Navy Historic Flight
at Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton. Its
nickname was the “stringbag” since you
could put anything in it or on it.
The Swordfish, it is reported, sank more
enemy shipping than any other Allied
aircraft in World War II. These airplanes
were responsible for jamming the rudder of
the battleship Bismarck, allowing the
British fleet to close in on it and sink it.
Swordfish were also responsible for sinking
the Italian fleet at Taranto, which probably
gave the Japanese the idea to attack Pearl
Harbor.
This particular aircraft was built in 1941,
and after many colorful years it was rescued
and restored by British Aerospace after
being purchased by the Swordfish Heritage.
It is painted in the color scheme of the 810
Squadron.
The model is powered by a Laser 300 VTwin
four-stroke. A Futaba nine-channel
radio is used for control. Richard built his
Swordfish from plans by Len Ashdown of
Ontario, Canada. I don’t have any
information about Len, but I wish I did.
The Swordfish weighs 32 pounds, or 15
kilograms, which is the weight limit for FAI
F4C (RC Scale) competition. Richard
scratch-built many of the fittings, including
the wheel hubs, tires, oil cooler, and Bristol
Pegasus engine.
The model has folding wings with scale
hinge and latch mechanisms, as well as a
full cockpit interior down to the flare
cartridge. The seat leather came from the
full-scale aircraft. It took Richard five years
and roughly 5,000 hours to build this model.
Fair skies and tailwinds.
Edition: Model Aviation - 2007/02
Page Numbers: 103,104,105
Also included in this column:
• Bookshelf: Bristol Scouts
• An exceptionally detailed
Fairey Swordfish
IN MOST OF the country it’s time to be
building seriously. The weather is generally
cold or worse, and it’s a great time to hole
up in the shop and build, and wait until it
gets a little warmer to do the painting
outside or in a well-ventilated shop.
How many of you have started your Scale
models without documentation? Do you
have that photo for Fun Scale or a complete
documentation set for Sportsman, Expert,
Designer, or FAI?
I usually shoot 40-60 photos for a Sport
Scale model to use for documentation. I don’t use all those pictures
in the presentation, but they will help you get your pride and joy as
close as you can to the full-scale version. Employ the photos you
can use to prove your skill, and leave the others in the file.
Where do you find the elusive information and photos? In some
cases this can be a quest like something out of the movies. In other
cases it’s as simple as going to your local airport.
There are so many ARFs now that it’s amazingly simple to find
these photos in each kit—or is it? I’ve been amazed by the number
of ARFs that are built claiming to be “scale models” but have no
documentation, source inside the kit, or photo of the full-scale
aircraft on the box top by the sticker confirming that you’ve paid
more than $400 for the kit.
Last year at the Toledo R/C Expo I even saw an ARF kit of a
PT-19 with retracts. Now there’s an idea.
But if you’re building a model yourself, you should know that
visiting aviation museums and seeking out obscure documentation
is a subhobby within the Scale fraternity of modeling. Anywhere my
wife and I travel I do a Google search and check to see if there is a
museum close by. If there is, my wife knows we will stop there at
least one afternoon for a couple hours.
Kids and museum staff enjoy one of the simulators at the Fantasy of Flight Museum.
The interior of the Lockheed Vega, looking forward into the
cockpit.
Laird Super Solution replica at the Fantasy of Flight Museum.
The interior of the Lockheed Vega, looking forward into the
cockpit.
This Vega is painted in the Wiley Post color scheme.
Almost all aviation museums have become kid-friendly and are
now also teaching institutions. Many of these teaching museums
have simulators—some with computer screens with state-of-the-art
programs similar to the ones we modelers use when we can’t go to
the field.
There are many reasons for this, I’m sure, including luring the
interest of the next generation of aviation enthusiasts into the fold.
Tax breaks are probably another reason.
In one museum during spring break three years ago I witnessed the
younger generation completely disregard the “aviation” section of the
museum, while the space-exploration side was packed. The old
biplanes and monoplanes of 1909-1955 didn’t hold the younger
visitors’ interest. This museum didn’t cater to them with simulators and
other kid-friendly activities. There might be a lesson there for us all.
This year we took several trips, and I made it a point to stop at
every aviation museum we could. One of those is located in the
Orlando, Florida, area between Disney World and Lakeland. The
Fantasy of Flight Museum is located west of Orlando in Polk City.
This museum is the dream of Kermit Weeks and, unlike many of the
military museums we visit, is an aviation attraction in a string of
attractions in Central Florida.
We were taken aback at the admission rates, but when you
realize where you are and the pristine condition of this aviation
collection, you understand why. General admission is $26.95 per
The Cierva C.30 Autogiro was built in 1934. Richard Crapp built his Fairey Swordfish from plans.
person and $24.95 per person if you are 55
or older.
When you enter the museum you’ll see
the aviation-themed café to the right and the
gift shop on the left, which, like any other
gift shop, is cleverly designed to catch your
attention before you exit the facility. Two
hangars are currently open, and the
restoration facility is available for tours.
You can also purchase flights in Stearman
biplanes.
This is an active private museum (the
largest) with a collection of historic and
replica aircraft that makes most Scale
modelers drool with anticipation. Many of
the replicas are of aircraft of which the
originals no longer exist. They include the
Gee Bee Model Z, Gee Bee Model R-2,
Ryan NYP “Spirit of St. Louis,” Fokker
Dr.I, and Laird Super Solution.
The list of historic aircraft is much larger,
with more than 44 and several I had never
seen before such as the Focke-Wulf Fw 44
Stieglitz—a 1930s biplane trainer—the Cierva
C.30A Autogiro, and the Curtiss Junior. Many
other aircraft are listed on the museum’s Web
site at www.fantasyofflight.com.
Talking to the staff members at any
museum and letting them know you are not
totally ignorant of the historic value of these
priceless airframes helps sometimes. An
aircraft that interested me in particular was
built by Lockheed in 1929—only two years
after Charles Lindbergh’s New York-to-
Paris flight. It is airframe number 72.
A total of 198 of the historically
significant Lockheed Vegas were built. The
Vega’s sister aircraft were the midwing
Orion and the low-wing Sirius. I have seen
only one Orion, and it’s in a transportation
museum in Switzerland finished in Swiss
colors.
In talking to the staff about the Vega’s
history and taking several walk-around
shots, I asked if it would be possible to “go
inside” and shoot the interior. What the
heck? You never know until you ask, right?
Initially I was told no, to which I replied
that I understood and thanked the supervisor
for his time. He walked off and came back
roughly 10 minutes later to tell me to come
on inside.
So this is how we view the photos of the
interior of an airplane built from molded
wood with the halves glued together; it
worked! But the seat where the pilot sits is a
bench that folds down after the pilot climbs
into the cramped cockpit. I didn’t try that;
I’m 6 foot, 3 inches, tall and just didn’t
think it was made for people my size.
For more information about the Vega, all
the other aircraft, and the museum, contact
the Fantasy of Flight Museum staff at the
Web site. Maps and all other aspects of the
museum are available there.
Bookshelf: Bristol Scouts by J.M. Bruce is
Windsock Datafile 44. Compared to the
Sopwith Pup, the Nieuport 11, and the
Hanriot HD.1, the series of Bristol Scouts
was an evolution of aircraft design in the
making.
The booklet has a cardstock cover, and
the only color drawings are on the front and
back covers. There are 36 pages of blackand-
white photos and scale drawings for
modelers, as well as a short history of the
type.
Bristol had a series of the Scouts from
the A to D models. There were various
changes, and I’ve found little
documentation about this series. I had
hoped there would be a couple pages of
color side views for these aircraft within
the pages, but there isn’t.
However, this book is still worth the
price with all the scale drawings and
photos if you’re interested in World War I
biplanes. Bristol Scouts is available from
Hannan’s Runway at (530) 873-6421 or
www.hrunway.com.
At Top Gun and many other Scale
gatherings, unique aircraft seem to come out
of the woodwork. The story of the Fairey
Swordfish built by Richard Crapp of Great
Britain is one of them. (See photo.)
The full-scale Swordfish was designed in
1934 for the role of Torpedo-Spotter-
Reconnaissance. Between 1934 and 1944
2,391 were built, mostly at the Blackburn
near Leeds in Yorkshire.
The Swordfish you see this month was
modeled after a full-scale version that is
preserved by the Royal Navy Historic Flight
at Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton. Its
nickname was the “stringbag” since you
could put anything in it or on it.
The Swordfish, it is reported, sank more
enemy shipping than any other Allied
aircraft in World War II. These airplanes
were responsible for jamming the rudder of
the battleship Bismarck, allowing the
British fleet to close in on it and sink it.
Swordfish were also responsible for sinking
the Italian fleet at Taranto, which probably
gave the Japanese the idea to attack Pearl
Harbor.
This particular aircraft was built in 1941,
and after many colorful years it was rescued
and restored by British Aerospace after
being purchased by the Swordfish Heritage.
It is painted in the color scheme of the 810
Squadron.
The model is powered by a Laser 300 VTwin
four-stroke. A Futaba nine-channel
radio is used for control. Richard built his
Swordfish from plans by Len Ashdown of
Ontario, Canada. I don’t have any
information about Len, but I wish I did.
The Swordfish weighs 32 pounds, or 15
kilograms, which is the weight limit for FAI
F4C (RC Scale) competition. Richard
scratch-built many of the fittings, including
the wheel hubs, tires, oil cooler, and Bristol
Pegasus engine.
The model has folding wings with scale
hinge and latch mechanisms, as well as a
full cockpit interior down to the flare
cartridge. The seat leather came from the
full-scale aircraft. It took Richard five years
and roughly 5,000 hours to build this model.
Fair skies and tailwinds.