92 MODEL AVIATION
THE COVER DATE of this magazine suggests we are nearing the
end of the traditional winter building season. For those of us who
live in colder climates, winter usually means we focus on building
new models and/or we fly indoors.
For some modelers the building season never ends. One such
person is Pat Tritle. Pat is the epitome of a model-airplane “building
machine.” I don’t think his building board is ever empty. Between
developing new designs and then building them, I wonder how he
has time to fly his wonderful creations.
During the past months that we mere mortal model builders set
aside for one new project, Pat has churned out three new designs and
the associated prototype models. If you are a small-field flier, you
have to love the continuous flow of new models from him.
I’ll begin with Pat’s cool Golden Age racer. I have included a
picture of his Brown B-2 Miss Los Angeles in flight. That picture
suggests that he does
actually have time to
fly his models in
between projects!
The Miss Los
Angeles has nice
lines and is a popular
subject within the
modeling community.
Pat’s rendition sports
a 32-inch wingspan
and an area of 200
square inches. It is
powered with a Himax 2802-980 brushless motor turning a 9 x 6
propeller. Its flying weight is 11.4 ounces, which includes a two-cell,
1320 mAh Li-Poly battery pack and four servos. All control
functions are included along with throttle.
Pat commented on the aircraft’s flying qualities.
“The B-2 flies really well and grooves better in the turn than
just about anything I’ve flown. It likes steep banks, a good firm
pull, and it holds its altitude beautifully through the turn. It’s also
steady in the straight away, but the best part is landing. The
rudder holds a good line very nicely, with no roll or pitch
coupling.
“The approach needs a bit of speed, but it slows so well in the
flare that there’s only a short roll out. If you let it get too slow on
Small-Field Flying Paul Bradley | [email protected]
Model-airplane “building machine” Pat Tritle offers some fractured history
Also included in this column:
• Bob Aberle’s 75% profile
Dakota
• New offerings from
contributors
One of Pat Tritle’s newest offerings is the Brown B-2 Miss Los
Angeles—a cool Golden Age racer.
Pat Tritle’s whimsical five-wing model looks as though it came
from the cradle of aviation.
Proving again that larger-size models can be great small-field
flyers is Pat Tritle’s 60-inch-span Standard J-1.
Bob Aberle’s Joe Wagner-designed Dakota inspired this great
smaller-scale 75% profile indoor aircraft.
04sig3.QXD 2/25/08 12:17 PM Page 92
94 MODEL AVIATION
Bill Johnke, originator of the Impulse design, had the opportunity
to fly Bob Aberle’s reduced-size version.
Canadian Phil Alvriez, a past contributor, named his 24-inch-span
model the Colibri.
John Krouse develops innovative indoor aircraft configurations,
including his newest “plug-and-play” model.
the approach it just takes on an extreme sink rate, but with no
tendency toward tip stall.”
Watch Fly RC magazine for a construction article on the model
that will be followed by kits available from Pat’s business. (See the
contact information at the end of the column.)
Going from one extreme to another, Pat’s next model is a
whimsical five-wing airplane that looks as though it came from the
cradle of aviation. The best way to describe this model is to let the
designer offer his words.
“Little known in the aviation world, Quint Cincopelli, Diane
Hedralski, and Cosmo Vennise were turn of the century innovators
and inventors, who in 1904 became interested in aviation.
“Having seen what the Wrights had done, these three geniuses of
invention thought they could build a better and much simpler
machine with less-complicated controls. That’s just what they did.
Their first design, the Cincopelli Fünfling (German for quintuplet),
was a new design with features from the past, as well as a bit of
innovation of their own, much of which is still in use today.
“After seeing the Wrights’ airplane with only two wings, and
only flying a short distance, Quint figured that more wings would be
better for flying longer distances. Diane observed that the Wrights’
wings were droopy, and required a complicated system of cables,
cradles, levers, and pulleys to keep the airplane level, so thought that
if that was the case, angling the wings upward would have a reverse
effect, and the airplane should stay level on its own. They dubbed
this new innovation ‘Di-Hedral,’ which was later shortened simply
to dihedral.
“But the real thinker in all of this was Cosmo Vennise. After the
airplane was built, he gazed upon those five wings and thought, ‘If
we could somehow rotate those slats to a perpendicular plane they
would be impossible to see through, and in a smaller size could be
used to cover windows in the house, making it blind to the outside
world.’ His invention was developed, and later came to be known as
the Venetian blind.”
Now that we know the history (very big smile), here are the
specifications for the model of this little-known bit of aviation
history. The top three wings span 29 inches; the bottom two wings
are 28 inches. The area is 464 square inches. The model’s flying
weight is 6.1 ounces and its wing loading is 1.87 ounces per square
foot. Wow!
The power plant is a 6:1 GWS IPS motor package with a 9 x 7
propeller. Two 700 mAh Li-Poly cells provide the energy. The
three-channel control uses two microservos. A construction article
about the model will appear in an issue of Backyard Flyer, after
which Pat will offer kits.
The third airplane from the winter works of Pat Tritle
demonstrates that a larger model and small field do not have to be
mutually exclusive. Please note the picture of his Standard J-1.
With a 60-inch wingspan, it is a nice size. Sporting a flying
weight of only 23.5 ounces, the aircraft is slow enough to be
comfortable in most small-field venues. Pat’s 60-inch Jenny, which I
featured previously, and this one give us some nice benchmarks
relative to what can be accomplished if we are looking for a larger
small-field model.
The Standard J-1 is powered with a Tower Pro Outrunner on two
2100 mAh Li-Poly cells turning an 11 x 5 propeller. All control
functions are provided, and Pat reports the model to be a joy to fly.
(See the contact information at the end of the column for status on kit
availability.)
The small-field-flying community has another well-known
contributor: MA technical editor and “Frequently Asked Questions”
author Bob Aberle. Bob has been at this game for a while, as
evidenced by his Model Aviation Hall of Fame status, and he turns
out a number of new designs each year.
One of Bob’s new models is based on a true classic design: his
75% profile Dakota. He supplied a nice picture of the reduced-size
profile model beside his larger original FF Dakota.
04sig3.QXD 2/25/08 12:28 PM Page 94
This wonderful Joe Wagner design has
inspired a number of modelers to adapt the
original Dakota to have a model of their
preferred size and features. Bob’s reducedsize
profile version is a great indoor flyer in
addition to being able to fly in small outdoor
venues.
The 75% Dakota is powered with a
Mighty Midget Double Whopper brushless
motor from Bob Selman (see contact info at
the end) that turns a 5 x 3 propeller. The
flying weight is 5 ounces, which includes a
two-cell, 340 mAh Li-Poly battery pack.
The only real change from the original
Dakota outlines is a larger vertical fin. That
change, by the way, was endorsed by Joe
Wagner himself.
Another model that Bob shared is a
reduced-scale Impulse. A photo shows Bob
holding the mini Impulse beside the creator
of the original design: Bill Johnke. At nearly
90 years old and with Bob assisting, Bill
was able to fly his Impulse design once
again using the reduced-size model. Nice
work, Bob!
It is nice when I receive reports of new
projects from people who have shared past
ventures in this forum. Keeping the creative
fires stoked is a great thing.
One of our Canadian friends, Phil
Alvriez, sent me photos of his latest creation
called the Colibri. Others have used the
name for their designs, and when translated
you can see why. Colibri is a hummingbird
found in Central America.
The model has a wingspan of 24 inches
and is powered with an E-flite 180 brushless
motor. The flying weight is 5 ounces, and
Phil reports that the two-cell, 340 mAh Li-
Poly pack provides good punch for the
model to handle some wind. Nice airplane,
Phil.
Another past contributor is John Krouse.
You may remember his nice V-tail model
that uses a differential linkage on a magnetic
actuator for steering.
John is a fan of the precut foam wing
panels from Bob Selman. They are nice if
you are building a model in the smaller size
range. These wing panels come in 16-inch
lengths and are typically used for models
spanning that size or smaller. John was
interested in a larger-span model that still
used the 16-inch Selman wing panels.
The photos show John’s result. It is a
nice 21-inch-span model with elliptical tips.
He cut one of the panels in half and used
each half for the tips. Then he cut the center
panel at the center to allow the resulting
wing halves to be mounted plug-in style.
This feature, along with a plug-in motor
mount and tailboom, makes it easy to
transport the airplane in a 2.5 x 7 x 11-inch
box.
The main fuselage section is 1/8-inchdiameter
aluminum tubing, and the tailboom
is carbon rod. The model is powered by a
green pager motor geared 4:1 turning a 3.2-
inch-diameter propeller. This nice indoor
aircraft’s overall flying weight is 21 grams.
John calls it his “plug-and-play” model.
It looks as though I am out of space. As
always, it is great to hear from you and see
what you have been building and flying.
You can contact me via E-mail at the
address shown in the column header or by
regular mail at 10201 Scarlet Oak Dr.,
Independence KY 41051. MA
Sources:
Pat’s Custom Models
(505) 296-4511
www.patscustom-models.com
Bob Selman Designs
(417) 358-9521
www.bsdmicrorc.com
96 MODEL AVIATION
04sig3.QXD 2/25/08 12:29 PM Page 96
Edition: Model Aviation - 2008/04
Page Numbers: 92,94,96
Edition: Model Aviation - 2008/04
Page Numbers: 92,94,96
92 MODEL AVIATION
THE COVER DATE of this magazine suggests we are nearing the
end of the traditional winter building season. For those of us who
live in colder climates, winter usually means we focus on building
new models and/or we fly indoors.
For some modelers the building season never ends. One such
person is Pat Tritle. Pat is the epitome of a model-airplane “building
machine.” I don’t think his building board is ever empty. Between
developing new designs and then building them, I wonder how he
has time to fly his wonderful creations.
During the past months that we mere mortal model builders set
aside for one new project, Pat has churned out three new designs and
the associated prototype models. If you are a small-field flier, you
have to love the continuous flow of new models from him.
I’ll begin with Pat’s cool Golden Age racer. I have included a
picture of his Brown B-2 Miss Los Angeles in flight. That picture
suggests that he does
actually have time to
fly his models in
between projects!
The Miss Los
Angeles has nice
lines and is a popular
subject within the
modeling community.
Pat’s rendition sports
a 32-inch wingspan
and an area of 200
square inches. It is
powered with a Himax 2802-980 brushless motor turning a 9 x 6
propeller. Its flying weight is 11.4 ounces, which includes a two-cell,
1320 mAh Li-Poly battery pack and four servos. All control
functions are included along with throttle.
Pat commented on the aircraft’s flying qualities.
“The B-2 flies really well and grooves better in the turn than
just about anything I’ve flown. It likes steep banks, a good firm
pull, and it holds its altitude beautifully through the turn. It’s also
steady in the straight away, but the best part is landing. The
rudder holds a good line very nicely, with no roll or pitch
coupling.
“The approach needs a bit of speed, but it slows so well in the
flare that there’s only a short roll out. If you let it get too slow on
Small-Field Flying Paul Bradley | [email protected]
Model-airplane “building machine” Pat Tritle offers some fractured history
Also included in this column:
• Bob Aberle’s 75% profile
Dakota
• New offerings from
contributors
One of Pat Tritle’s newest offerings is the Brown B-2 Miss Los
Angeles—a cool Golden Age racer.
Pat Tritle’s whimsical five-wing model looks as though it came
from the cradle of aviation.
Proving again that larger-size models can be great small-field
flyers is Pat Tritle’s 60-inch-span Standard J-1.
Bob Aberle’s Joe Wagner-designed Dakota inspired this great
smaller-scale 75% profile indoor aircraft.
04sig3.QXD 2/25/08 12:17 PM Page 92
94 MODEL AVIATION
Bill Johnke, originator of the Impulse design, had the opportunity
to fly Bob Aberle’s reduced-size version.
Canadian Phil Alvriez, a past contributor, named his 24-inch-span
model the Colibri.
John Krouse develops innovative indoor aircraft configurations,
including his newest “plug-and-play” model.
the approach it just takes on an extreme sink rate, but with no
tendency toward tip stall.”
Watch Fly RC magazine for a construction article on the model
that will be followed by kits available from Pat’s business. (See the
contact information at the end of the column.)
Going from one extreme to another, Pat’s next model is a
whimsical five-wing airplane that looks as though it came from the
cradle of aviation. The best way to describe this model is to let the
designer offer his words.
“Little known in the aviation world, Quint Cincopelli, Diane
Hedralski, and Cosmo Vennise were turn of the century innovators
and inventors, who in 1904 became interested in aviation.
“Having seen what the Wrights had done, these three geniuses of
invention thought they could build a better and much simpler
machine with less-complicated controls. That’s just what they did.
Their first design, the Cincopelli Fünfling (German for quintuplet),
was a new design with features from the past, as well as a bit of
innovation of their own, much of which is still in use today.
“After seeing the Wrights’ airplane with only two wings, and
only flying a short distance, Quint figured that more wings would be
better for flying longer distances. Diane observed that the Wrights’
wings were droopy, and required a complicated system of cables,
cradles, levers, and pulleys to keep the airplane level, so thought that
if that was the case, angling the wings upward would have a reverse
effect, and the airplane should stay level on its own. They dubbed
this new innovation ‘Di-Hedral,’ which was later shortened simply
to dihedral.
“But the real thinker in all of this was Cosmo Vennise. After the
airplane was built, he gazed upon those five wings and thought, ‘If
we could somehow rotate those slats to a perpendicular plane they
would be impossible to see through, and in a smaller size could be
used to cover windows in the house, making it blind to the outside
world.’ His invention was developed, and later came to be known as
the Venetian blind.”
Now that we know the history (very big smile), here are the
specifications for the model of this little-known bit of aviation
history. The top three wings span 29 inches; the bottom two wings
are 28 inches. The area is 464 square inches. The model’s flying
weight is 6.1 ounces and its wing loading is 1.87 ounces per square
foot. Wow!
The power plant is a 6:1 GWS IPS motor package with a 9 x 7
propeller. Two 700 mAh Li-Poly cells provide the energy. The
three-channel control uses two microservos. A construction article
about the model will appear in an issue of Backyard Flyer, after
which Pat will offer kits.
The third airplane from the winter works of Pat Tritle
demonstrates that a larger model and small field do not have to be
mutually exclusive. Please note the picture of his Standard J-1.
With a 60-inch wingspan, it is a nice size. Sporting a flying
weight of only 23.5 ounces, the aircraft is slow enough to be
comfortable in most small-field venues. Pat’s 60-inch Jenny, which I
featured previously, and this one give us some nice benchmarks
relative to what can be accomplished if we are looking for a larger
small-field model.
The Standard J-1 is powered with a Tower Pro Outrunner on two
2100 mAh Li-Poly cells turning an 11 x 5 propeller. All control
functions are provided, and Pat reports the model to be a joy to fly.
(See the contact information at the end of the column for status on kit
availability.)
The small-field-flying community has another well-known
contributor: MA technical editor and “Frequently Asked Questions”
author Bob Aberle. Bob has been at this game for a while, as
evidenced by his Model Aviation Hall of Fame status, and he turns
out a number of new designs each year.
One of Bob’s new models is based on a true classic design: his
75% profile Dakota. He supplied a nice picture of the reduced-size
profile model beside his larger original FF Dakota.
04sig3.QXD 2/25/08 12:28 PM Page 94
This wonderful Joe Wagner design has
inspired a number of modelers to adapt the
original Dakota to have a model of their
preferred size and features. Bob’s reducedsize
profile version is a great indoor flyer in
addition to being able to fly in small outdoor
venues.
The 75% Dakota is powered with a
Mighty Midget Double Whopper brushless
motor from Bob Selman (see contact info at
the end) that turns a 5 x 3 propeller. The
flying weight is 5 ounces, which includes a
two-cell, 340 mAh Li-Poly battery pack.
The only real change from the original
Dakota outlines is a larger vertical fin. That
change, by the way, was endorsed by Joe
Wagner himself.
Another model that Bob shared is a
reduced-scale Impulse. A photo shows Bob
holding the mini Impulse beside the creator
of the original design: Bill Johnke. At nearly
90 years old and with Bob assisting, Bill
was able to fly his Impulse design once
again using the reduced-size model. Nice
work, Bob!
It is nice when I receive reports of new
projects from people who have shared past
ventures in this forum. Keeping the creative
fires stoked is a great thing.
One of our Canadian friends, Phil
Alvriez, sent me photos of his latest creation
called the Colibri. Others have used the
name for their designs, and when translated
you can see why. Colibri is a hummingbird
found in Central America.
The model has a wingspan of 24 inches
and is powered with an E-flite 180 brushless
motor. The flying weight is 5 ounces, and
Phil reports that the two-cell, 340 mAh Li-
Poly pack provides good punch for the
model to handle some wind. Nice airplane,
Phil.
Another past contributor is John Krouse.
You may remember his nice V-tail model
that uses a differential linkage on a magnetic
actuator for steering.
John is a fan of the precut foam wing
panels from Bob Selman. They are nice if
you are building a model in the smaller size
range. These wing panels come in 16-inch
lengths and are typically used for models
spanning that size or smaller. John was
interested in a larger-span model that still
used the 16-inch Selman wing panels.
The photos show John’s result. It is a
nice 21-inch-span model with elliptical tips.
He cut one of the panels in half and used
each half for the tips. Then he cut the center
panel at the center to allow the resulting
wing halves to be mounted plug-in style.
This feature, along with a plug-in motor
mount and tailboom, makes it easy to
transport the airplane in a 2.5 x 7 x 11-inch
box.
The main fuselage section is 1/8-inchdiameter
aluminum tubing, and the tailboom
is carbon rod. The model is powered by a
green pager motor geared 4:1 turning a 3.2-
inch-diameter propeller. This nice indoor
aircraft’s overall flying weight is 21 grams.
John calls it his “plug-and-play” model.
It looks as though I am out of space. As
always, it is great to hear from you and see
what you have been building and flying.
You can contact me via E-mail at the
address shown in the column header or by
regular mail at 10201 Scarlet Oak Dr.,
Independence KY 41051. MA
Sources:
Pat’s Custom Models
(505) 296-4511
www.patscustom-models.com
Bob Selman Designs
(417) 358-9521
www.bsdmicrorc.com
96 MODEL AVIATION
04sig3.QXD 2/25/08 12:29 PM Page 96
Edition: Model Aviation - 2008/04
Page Numbers: 92,94,96
92 MODEL AVIATION
THE COVER DATE of this magazine suggests we are nearing the
end of the traditional winter building season. For those of us who
live in colder climates, winter usually means we focus on building
new models and/or we fly indoors.
For some modelers the building season never ends. One such
person is Pat Tritle. Pat is the epitome of a model-airplane “building
machine.” I don’t think his building board is ever empty. Between
developing new designs and then building them, I wonder how he
has time to fly his wonderful creations.
During the past months that we mere mortal model builders set
aside for one new project, Pat has churned out three new designs and
the associated prototype models. If you are a small-field flier, you
have to love the continuous flow of new models from him.
I’ll begin with Pat’s cool Golden Age racer. I have included a
picture of his Brown B-2 Miss Los Angeles in flight. That picture
suggests that he does
actually have time to
fly his models in
between projects!
The Miss Los
Angeles has nice
lines and is a popular
subject within the
modeling community.
Pat’s rendition sports
a 32-inch wingspan
and an area of 200
square inches. It is
powered with a Himax 2802-980 brushless motor turning a 9 x 6
propeller. Its flying weight is 11.4 ounces, which includes a two-cell,
1320 mAh Li-Poly battery pack and four servos. All control
functions are included along with throttle.
Pat commented on the aircraft’s flying qualities.
“The B-2 flies really well and grooves better in the turn than
just about anything I’ve flown. It likes steep banks, a good firm
pull, and it holds its altitude beautifully through the turn. It’s also
steady in the straight away, but the best part is landing. The
rudder holds a good line very nicely, with no roll or pitch
coupling.
“The approach needs a bit of speed, but it slows so well in the
flare that there’s only a short roll out. If you let it get too slow on
Small-Field Flying Paul Bradley | [email protected]
Model-airplane “building machine” Pat Tritle offers some fractured history
Also included in this column:
• Bob Aberle’s 75% profile
Dakota
• New offerings from
contributors
One of Pat Tritle’s newest offerings is the Brown B-2 Miss Los
Angeles—a cool Golden Age racer.
Pat Tritle’s whimsical five-wing model looks as though it came
from the cradle of aviation.
Proving again that larger-size models can be great small-field
flyers is Pat Tritle’s 60-inch-span Standard J-1.
Bob Aberle’s Joe Wagner-designed Dakota inspired this great
smaller-scale 75% profile indoor aircraft.
04sig3.QXD 2/25/08 12:17 PM Page 92
94 MODEL AVIATION
Bill Johnke, originator of the Impulse design, had the opportunity
to fly Bob Aberle’s reduced-size version.
Canadian Phil Alvriez, a past contributor, named his 24-inch-span
model the Colibri.
John Krouse develops innovative indoor aircraft configurations,
including his newest “plug-and-play” model.
the approach it just takes on an extreme sink rate, but with no
tendency toward tip stall.”
Watch Fly RC magazine for a construction article on the model
that will be followed by kits available from Pat’s business. (See the
contact information at the end of the column.)
Going from one extreme to another, Pat’s next model is a
whimsical five-wing airplane that looks as though it came from the
cradle of aviation. The best way to describe this model is to let the
designer offer his words.
“Little known in the aviation world, Quint Cincopelli, Diane
Hedralski, and Cosmo Vennise were turn of the century innovators
and inventors, who in 1904 became interested in aviation.
“Having seen what the Wrights had done, these three geniuses of
invention thought they could build a better and much simpler
machine with less-complicated controls. That’s just what they did.
Their first design, the Cincopelli Fünfling (German for quintuplet),
was a new design with features from the past, as well as a bit of
innovation of their own, much of which is still in use today.
“After seeing the Wrights’ airplane with only two wings, and
only flying a short distance, Quint figured that more wings would be
better for flying longer distances. Diane observed that the Wrights’
wings were droopy, and required a complicated system of cables,
cradles, levers, and pulleys to keep the airplane level, so thought that
if that was the case, angling the wings upward would have a reverse
effect, and the airplane should stay level on its own. They dubbed
this new innovation ‘Di-Hedral,’ which was later shortened simply
to dihedral.
“But the real thinker in all of this was Cosmo Vennise. After the
airplane was built, he gazed upon those five wings and thought, ‘If
we could somehow rotate those slats to a perpendicular plane they
would be impossible to see through, and in a smaller size could be
used to cover windows in the house, making it blind to the outside
world.’ His invention was developed, and later came to be known as
the Venetian blind.”
Now that we know the history (very big smile), here are the
specifications for the model of this little-known bit of aviation
history. The top three wings span 29 inches; the bottom two wings
are 28 inches. The area is 464 square inches. The model’s flying
weight is 6.1 ounces and its wing loading is 1.87 ounces per square
foot. Wow!
The power plant is a 6:1 GWS IPS motor package with a 9 x 7
propeller. Two 700 mAh Li-Poly cells provide the energy. The
three-channel control uses two microservos. A construction article
about the model will appear in an issue of Backyard Flyer, after
which Pat will offer kits.
The third airplane from the winter works of Pat Tritle
demonstrates that a larger model and small field do not have to be
mutually exclusive. Please note the picture of his Standard J-1.
With a 60-inch wingspan, it is a nice size. Sporting a flying
weight of only 23.5 ounces, the aircraft is slow enough to be
comfortable in most small-field venues. Pat’s 60-inch Jenny, which I
featured previously, and this one give us some nice benchmarks
relative to what can be accomplished if we are looking for a larger
small-field model.
The Standard J-1 is powered with a Tower Pro Outrunner on two
2100 mAh Li-Poly cells turning an 11 x 5 propeller. All control
functions are provided, and Pat reports the model to be a joy to fly.
(See the contact information at the end of the column for status on kit
availability.)
The small-field-flying community has another well-known
contributor: MA technical editor and “Frequently Asked Questions”
author Bob Aberle. Bob has been at this game for a while, as
evidenced by his Model Aviation Hall of Fame status, and he turns
out a number of new designs each year.
One of Bob’s new models is based on a true classic design: his
75% profile Dakota. He supplied a nice picture of the reduced-size
profile model beside his larger original FF Dakota.
04sig3.QXD 2/25/08 12:28 PM Page 94
This wonderful Joe Wagner design has
inspired a number of modelers to adapt the
original Dakota to have a model of their
preferred size and features. Bob’s reducedsize
profile version is a great indoor flyer in
addition to being able to fly in small outdoor
venues.
The 75% Dakota is powered with a
Mighty Midget Double Whopper brushless
motor from Bob Selman (see contact info at
the end) that turns a 5 x 3 propeller. The
flying weight is 5 ounces, which includes a
two-cell, 340 mAh Li-Poly battery pack.
The only real change from the original
Dakota outlines is a larger vertical fin. That
change, by the way, was endorsed by Joe
Wagner himself.
Another model that Bob shared is a
reduced-scale Impulse. A photo shows Bob
holding the mini Impulse beside the creator
of the original design: Bill Johnke. At nearly
90 years old and with Bob assisting, Bill
was able to fly his Impulse design once
again using the reduced-size model. Nice
work, Bob!
It is nice when I receive reports of new
projects from people who have shared past
ventures in this forum. Keeping the creative
fires stoked is a great thing.
One of our Canadian friends, Phil
Alvriez, sent me photos of his latest creation
called the Colibri. Others have used the
name for their designs, and when translated
you can see why. Colibri is a hummingbird
found in Central America.
The model has a wingspan of 24 inches
and is powered with an E-flite 180 brushless
motor. The flying weight is 5 ounces, and
Phil reports that the two-cell, 340 mAh Li-
Poly pack provides good punch for the
model to handle some wind. Nice airplane,
Phil.
Another past contributor is John Krouse.
You may remember his nice V-tail model
that uses a differential linkage on a magnetic
actuator for steering.
John is a fan of the precut foam wing
panels from Bob Selman. They are nice if
you are building a model in the smaller size
range. These wing panels come in 16-inch
lengths and are typically used for models
spanning that size or smaller. John was
interested in a larger-span model that still
used the 16-inch Selman wing panels.
The photos show John’s result. It is a
nice 21-inch-span model with elliptical tips.
He cut one of the panels in half and used
each half for the tips. Then he cut the center
panel at the center to allow the resulting
wing halves to be mounted plug-in style.
This feature, along with a plug-in motor
mount and tailboom, makes it easy to
transport the airplane in a 2.5 x 7 x 11-inch
box.
The main fuselage section is 1/8-inchdiameter
aluminum tubing, and the tailboom
is carbon rod. The model is powered by a
green pager motor geared 4:1 turning a 3.2-
inch-diameter propeller. This nice indoor
aircraft’s overall flying weight is 21 grams.
John calls it his “plug-and-play” model.
It looks as though I am out of space. As
always, it is great to hear from you and see
what you have been building and flying.
You can contact me via E-mail at the
address shown in the column header or by
regular mail at 10201 Scarlet Oak Dr.,
Independence KY 41051. MA
Sources:
Pat’s Custom Models
(505) 296-4511
www.patscustom-models.com
Bob Selman Designs
(417) 358-9521
www.bsdmicrorc.com
96 MODEL AVIATION
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