I AM NOT a famous Indoor-model flier. As
have Dave Rees and Bob Aberle, who wrote
the “State of the Sport” articles before me, I
have been active in all forms of the hobby
since I was a kid growing up in New Jersey
in the 1950s. Unlike them, I am a sport flier,
a writer, and a newsletter editor, and I have
worked hard at staying a novice when it
comes to competition.
According to other writers, we take turns
and detours in our lives that change us
forever. This happened for me in May 1998.
On a lark, I drove the 712 miles from New
Orleans, Louisiana, to the East Tennessee
State University campus in Johnson City,
Tennessee, where the US Indoor
Championships is held each year in a
covered football stadium called the Mini-
Dome.
I walked through the outer doors to a
gymnasium hallway, complete with locker
rooms and showers, and then through a
second set of inner doors to the running
track and playing field, which was 400 feet
long and 116 feet high. I stood transfixed, as
they say, and my mouth stood open as I
watched these beautiful airplanes circle
slowly and majestically over my head.
I was hooked then, and I am hooked
now. But don’t believe me; to learn what is
so great about “Indoor,” as it is called, I’ll
quote Ron Williams.
“Indoor model building and flying is an
innocent sport. There is little profit to be
made, if any, in the commerce it engenders,
though some enterprising indoor
entrepreneur could find ways, I’m sure.
“Because it tends to be so low key and
deceptively complex, it has never enjoyed
the attention that noisier, more dynamic
forms of modeling have received. The
consequence is that there has never been
enough information in any one place to get a
good start with this part of the hobby.”
Therefore, Ron wrote and illustrated the
first definitive how-to on the subject. His
1984 book Building and Flying Indoor
Model Airplanes was a milestone then and a
classic now, but I think it is out of print.
Returning to Johnson City a few years
later as editor of the fancy Indoor News and
Views (INAV) magazine, numerous people
came up to shake my hand and offered
compliments, good wishes, and occasional
war stories while I was trying to count the
winds in my motor or time a flight.
But by Day Two I learned not to be
annoyed—that something larger was going
on. I was part of a community.
As in all facets of our hobby, many types of
models are flown in Indoor. Any Outdoor
rubber-powered FF design can be made
lighter and smaller and flown inside. Heavy
and strong are no longer requirements when
there are no wind gusts or tree limbs in the
way.
A good example of this is the Bostonian.
These little 16-inch-wingspan cuties are
flown outdoors with a 14-gram-minimum
weight requirement and indoors with a 7-
gram-minimum weight requirement.
Although it’s hard to get down to 7 grams
the first few times you try, flight duration
goes from two minutes for an outdoor
Bostonian to five and six minutes or more
for the lighter indoor versions. In a place
like Johnson City, with some of the “best
air” anywhere, after all that time, your
model will land about where it started.
It’s all about duration. As do the Scale
models of the Flying Aces Club, some
Indoor events award charisma points and
appearance points, but the ability to outfly
everyone else’s aircraft is the key to Indoorcontest
success.
Origins—the Baby ROG: The first modelairplane
clubs started in the New York City
area as early as 1907. The famous Frank
Zaic flew in that city’s Central Park in the
1920s and 1930s. Balsa wood wasn’t used
until roughly 1911, so most early models
were made from pine, bamboo, and spruce.
Rubber motors were cut from tire inner
tubes, and plans were drawn on wrapping
paper. For more about this and Indoor
modeling history in general, see Bill Kuhl’s
site; the address is at the end of this article.
Our hobby can be clearly divided into
two times: before 1927 and after 1927. That
year a shy, handsome private pilot named
26 MODEL AVIATION
State of thIe nSpordt: oor Flight
b y C a r l B a k ay
Free
Steve Gardner’s drawings on the
cover of INAV Issue #106 show one
route to more serious Indoor fun.
Text has details.
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 3:51 pm Page 26
Charles Lindbergh flew a highly modified and overloaded Ryanbuilt
monoplane nonstop across the Atlantic Ocean. The effect on
the youth of the era was nothing less than galvanic, and modeling as
a hobby followed the groundswell. The number of kit manufacturers
went from perhaps 20 in 1927 to more than 2,000 in 1928.
Let’s go back to modeling in the Depression years of the 1930s.
We are in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it’s wintertime. A group
of clubs is making something called the “Philadelphia Model
Airplane Association.”
They are giving out plans for a Baby ROG—not full-scale, of
course. Part of your apprenticeship (if you want to join) is to scale
up the plans on the back of some brown paper or, if you know a
paperboy, a sheet of blank newsprint from the pressroom.
Then you have to build your own model, carve your own
propeller, and get the aircraft to rise off the ground and fly indoors
for 30 seconds. This is quite an achievement (especially if you use
strips cut from automobile inner tubes to power it), although flights
of more than a minute are possible. You then make it to the rank of
“grease monkey” and can fly in Saturday contests.
John Walker wrote about his modeling origins with the Baby
ROG in the July 1981 R/C Model Builder magazine. Send me an
SASE, and I’ll send you free plans for the Baby ROG from that
issue.
(Did you notice that the Baby ROG was in R/C Model Builder?
Dave Rees mentioned in his July 2001 “State of the Sport: Free
Flight Scale” article that after getting into Scale models, he was
amazed by how many great building and finishing tips he gleaned
from old CL, FF, and RC articles in his magazine collection. The
same is true for Indoor.)
There were many versions of the Baby ROG, but it was a
milestone in any of its forms. Why? Because it flew! Of all those
Nickel Scale, Dime Scale, and quarter-scale models that the 2,000
kit makers offered, most would fly from your hand to the ground if
they flew at all. The early clubs knew this and started you out with
something realistic and flyable. Today we have something even
better.
Begin With a Delta Dart: Bill Kuhl has to be the Delta Dart’s
biggest fan. Read the following from his Web site and you’ll see
why.
“The Delta Dart appeared in the April 1967 issue of American
Modeler. It was designed by AMA’s [then] Technical Director Frank
Ehling and promoted by Dick and Ruth Meyer.
“Why is it so great? With the exception of the motorstick, the
AMA Dart is made entirely from 1⁄16 x 1⁄8-inch balsa strip. Some
beginners’ models such as the Peck ROG utilize 1⁄16-inch square
balsa, which although lighter, is difficult for the beginner to handle
without breaking, and the structure will more easily warp.
“Also, the one-piece motorstick comes with the correct stabilizer
incidence built in. The joints used at the tips of the wing, stabilizer,
and vertical fin can be less than perfect and still be adequately strong
because the covering material reinforces the joint.
“With materials donated by Sig, Dick and Ruth made up 300 kits
on their kitchen table, some of which were taken by Frank Ehling to
the 1966 Nats. Although some people thought the airplane too
simple and heavy, kids found it easy to build and fly. It was thought
that with the pointy wingtips, warps would have less effect because
most of the wing area was closer to the center of the wing.
“Sig decided to sell the same basic airplane as a kit called the
‘AMA Racer.’ The biggest change in the AMA Racer from the
original Delta Dart is that the wing is movable, so center of gravity
adjustments are easy. Another change is that the tailboom is made
from spruce instead of balsa.
“Frank Ehling designed another airplane known as the “AMA
Cub,” but it is sold by Midwest Products as the Delta Dart.
According to the Sig catalog, this is the airplane that has been used
in beginners’ promotions since 1968 and is the most-produced
model airplane of all time.”
The Dart and various rise-off-ground (ROG) stick models are
available in most good hobby shops and many toy stores. If you
October 2004 27
Senior Doug Schaefer (Centerville OH) qualified for the US
Indoor FF team to compete in Slanic, Romania.
Parker Parrish (Alpharetta GA) works on his F1D model. This
high-school student bested many Senior fliers at Akron OH.
Photos by the late Richard Doig.
Photos by the author except as noted
r
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 4:05 pm Page 27
28 MODEL AVIATION
Indoor rubber-powered Scale offers unlimited opportunities
for Outdoor fliers. This 1912 Fokker A was seen at last
year’s Nats at Johnson City TN.
Bostonians ready for charisma judging feature the latest
lifting-body design and wide, slow-turning propellers.
Limited Pennyplanes are capable of flights exceeding 15
minutes. Wingtip plates—a recent innovation—add stability
during high torque at launch. Gardner photo.
The Baby ROG, shown in
one of its original forms,
started many on the road
to successful building and
flying.
Author’s P-24 Mace Models Condor is intended for
beginners but has turned into a design for a hotly contested
one-design mass-launch event. It will do six minutes with a
54-inch single loop of 3⁄32-inch rubber. Steve Gardner photo.
The same skills used in building Outdoor Scale models can
be used in Indoor flying if careful attention is paid to weight.
Indoor Scale models may weigh one-third or more less than
Outdoor models. Gardner photo.
Not only is he a consistent winner, but Larry Cailliau flies
models that are true works of art. Gardner photo.
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 1:17 pm Page 28
don’t know where to go in your area, order a
catalog from Indoor Model Supply, Midwest
Products, or Peck-Polymers.
It is a good idea to build your first few
models exactly according to the instructions,
and even a little heavier than needed, with
extra glue joints and reinforcing fillets in the
corners. This will help it survive all the
banging around it is sure to do at first. You
might take part in or help run an AMA
make-and-take program at one of the
Muncie meets.
A natural question is, What do I build
after the Delta Dart? The answer is, Another
Delta Dart. As you learn to build with
lighter and thinner wood and replace the
heavy plastic propellers with lighter balsa
propellers, you will be building models that
fly much slower and longer, and they suffer
less damage if they hit something.
The world-class endurance models
shown seem to float through the air at
walking speed, or slower, and are most in
danger of being damaged by careless
handling or a sneeze. But their owners will
tell you they had to make several before they
got it just right.
The best thing you can do on your
second, third, and fourth Delta Dart is build
with lighter wood, tissue covering, and a
rubber motor at least twice as long as the
loop that comes with the kit. Bob Warmann
of the Chicago Aeronuts had a Delta Dart
mass launch at the Midwest Championships
this past April, and several flew up to the
94-foot ceiling.
Science Olympiad: The Delta Dart and the
AMA make-and-take programs are great,
but the participants are young—maybe 8, 9,
or 10 years of age—and most do not
continue with the hobby.
Sometimes, though, a parent will catch
the modeling bug along with the youngster,
and great things can happen. That is
especially true with a new wave that has
come along, and there has been nothing like
it since the post-Sputnik catch-up days in
education when I was a kid.
Few events have had as positive an effect
on bringing young people into Indoor
modeling as the Science Olympiad in our
schools. SO, as it’s called, encompasses a
host of biology, chemistry, physics, and
engineering competitions, starting at the
local level, and then moving on to state and
national championships.
It uses a team approach, with an adult
mentor providing guidance and support for a
group of young people. The finale of a
bridge-building exercise can galvanize an
entire class when the time comes to hang
weights on everyone’s creation to see how
much they can hold before they break. The
cheering, jeering, and just plain excitement
are seldom seen outside of sporting events.
SO has an event called The Wright Stuff,
with apologies to author Tom Wolfe and his
book of almost the same name. The rules for
2004 C Division require that the rubberpowered
airplanes have 52cm (20.5-inch)
wingspans and commercially available
October 2004 29
Bill Gowen shows off his composite Hand Launched Glider. This model was
constructed with carbon rod and Mylar covering. Photo by Chuck Markos.
These young fliers competed in the Science Olympiad portion of the Midwest States
Indoor Championships, hosted by the Chicago Aeronuts. Markos photo.
Jim Richmond, with his new Limited Pennyplane, waits his turn to fly at the
University of Illinois Armory. Markos photo.
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 4:07 pm Page 29
plastic propellers no bigger than 24cm (10 inches). The motors can
be any thickness or length but are limited to one loop of 2 grams
maximum weight. The models have a minimum weight limit too; for
2004 it is 8 grams for senior and junior high, without the motor.
Are you confused by the units? Don’t be surprised if you see US
and metric units mixed together like this. The SO originators wanted
to give students a taste of international science. Our country is one
of the few that doesn’t use the metric system every day, although
most scientists and some engineers use it all the time.
Indoor modelers use metric and US units interchangeably,
generally depending on which one allows the use of whole numbers.
It is easier to say 20 centimeters than 77⁄8 inches, and it’s easier to
say your model weighs 10 grams than 0.3527 ounce. But rubber
motors are sold in boxes by the pound, weighed in grams, and the
length of the motor loop is in inches. You get used to it. But flight
time is what it’s all about, and that is minutes and seconds the world
over.
The SO and its twin the Technology Student Association (TSA)
have exploded in popularity in the last few years. There are many
different kits available for the Wright Stuff event, and more than a
dozen plans available, from simple to elegant. The Cleveland
Clowns Web site even offers a tutorial video for sale. Many SO and
TSA mentors are active modelers who belong to clubs, and
“invitational” SO competitions have become common at club meets.
Bill Gowen and Gary Baughman are SO mentors of multiple
teams in the Atlanta, Georgia, area. Gary designed the Spartan,
named after the school mascot, which is a robust model using 1⁄8
square wood similar to the Delta Dart and is designed to take a great
deal of punishment from young hands, gym walls, and ceilings, and
still fly.
Bill designed the Finny Plane, which uses 1⁄16 square wood, as
does the Peck-Polymers ROG, and can be built to 8 grams without
too much effort and puts in long flights as a result.
Both designers are active Thermal Thumbers of Metro Atlanta
members, bringing many of their students to meetings and events.
This is so popular that we “big kids” get into the act with such SO
variants as Senior and Unlimited Rubber.
Duration times here in the south are approximately four minutes,
but a brilliant mentor in California named Cezar Banks designed his
Leading Edge model with a wing so advanced that times exceed six
minutes.
30 MODEL AVIATION
A 1⁄8-inch strip of Tan II rubber is being stripped into smaller
widths, which are checked with a micrometer.
Dave Haught takes Indoor Scale to the max with his flying B-
17. He writes “Scale Matters” for INAV. Tim Goldstein photo.
The Akron Air
Dock hangar in
Ohio was the site
of record
qualification trials
several times a
year. Although big,
it was cluttered
and often drafty.
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 1:19 pm Page 30
32 MODEL AVIATION
And I can’t forget Wayne Johnson, who
had 7:37 when Bill Gowen hosted the Open
SO event in the huge Johnson City Mini-
Dome. That is a long time for a flier—
young or old—and the best thing is that
being indoors, after all those minutes in the
air, your airplane lands at your feet! People
around you sometimes even break out in
applause and cheers. Unlike when you are
outdoors, your beverage is still cold and you
haven’t been bitten by any bug—except that
of Indoor flight.
If you have never made an Indoor model
and you’d like to start with a kit, you can do
no better than the Bambino or the Dipper by
Ray Harlan of Indoor Model Specialties.
You can build two models from one kit.
Another good choice is the Sci Oly 1 by
Lew Gitlow of Indoor Model Supply, but I
have not built it.
If you feel comfortable building from
plans, Gary Baughman’s Spartan is at the
top of my list. After being asked the same
questions by so many people, he decided to
write it all down. Gary offers a complete,
hand-illustrated, step-by-step manual for
building and flying the Spartan, plans
included. Equal in quality but different in
design is the Olympus by Don Slusarczyk.
His Web site contains photos and details.
One-Design Events: Don’t let contest
names such as the “Midwestern States
Indoor Championships” and “US Indoor
Championships” frighten you into not going.
Delta Dart and Double Whammy mass
launches are held at the Midwestern States
Indoor Championships in Champaign,
Illinois, and the last one down is the winner.
The Double Whammy was featured in the
November 1999 MA, and there was a
follow-up article about how to make it more
competitive.
The US Indoor Championships at
Johnson City, Tennessee, features a P-24
Condor mass launch. The Condor is a greatflying
model that was used for years at the
Air Force Academy to teach flight
principles. It is available from Mace
Models.
The Thermal Thumbers in Atlanta,
Georgia, have events for the Butterfly—a 7-
inch-span indoor ARF—and Laurie Barr’s
Hangar Rat design.
If you are already pretty good at Outdoor
Hand Launched Glider, Outdoor Catapult
Glider, or Flying Aces Club Scale Rubber,
you can use the same skills in Indoor, except
with lighter materials.
An added benefit of going to contests is
that the larger meets often have vendor
booths where they sell specialty Indoor
items that are not available in your hobby
shop.
Not into traveling? There are postal
events for many of these same models, in
which you fly in your local gym and send
your times in to compete with others from
around the world.
Indoor Today—the Pennyplane, Easy B,
and International F1D: The cover of the
March 2002 INAV was my idea but Steve
Gardner’s artistry. Steve preceded me as
editor, and he filled each issue with great
plans and original illustrations. I arranged
his artwork for four models—the Delta Dart,
Pennyplane, Easy B (EZB), and F1D—from
top to bottom on the cover of Issue #106.
All subscribers received a black-andwhite
version, but the original shows in
striking color one way you can move up in
building skill and flight duration by
graduating from model to model, each more
advanced than the one before. There are
dozens of paths to take; this is just one. I
have already covered the Delta Dart and SO
models, so let’s move on to a possible next
step.
If you weigh a modern penny, it will be
almost 2.50 grams. But before 1984, you got
more for your money; a penny weighed 3.20
grams. That was settled on at the time as the
Pennyplane model’s minimum weight.
There were also restrictions of an 18-inch
span, a 5-inch chord, a 12-inch propeller,
and other guidelines.
This makes it great for the step from SO
to serious Indoor competition. Anyone who
can build a Finny Plane and do four minutes
in a gymnasium can make a 4.0- or 5.0-gram
Pennyplane the first time, and start doing
10+ minutes in a large site.
My first Pennyplane weighed 5.0 grams,
my second one weighed 4.1 grams, and my
current model weighs 3.4 grams. It takes a
great deal of practice, but you can expect to
double your flight times by going from a
5.0-gram to a 3.2-gram airplane.
This design comes in two flavors: the
original version and a Limited Pennyplane.
Both have 18-inch wingspans and can weigh
no less than 3.2 grams, but the Limited rules
allow only a monoplane configuration and a
sheet-balsa propeller with a 12-inch
maximum diameter.
Indoor Model Supply makes a nice
novice kit called the Time Machine. One of
the two I built straight from the package did
six minutes right off the building board in
the 34-foot Tampa Armory. Building lighter
from the same plans, it is possible to do
eight to 10 minutes or more. Those aren’t
contest-winning times, but they give the
builder a great deal of satisfaction and the
confidence to move further along.
A possible next step is the EZB design
invented by Wally Miller. It is a small 18-
inch-span monoplane Rubber model with a
2-inch maximum chord and all-wood
construction. Micro-X makes a nice
beginner’s kit of this model and even
provides the cardboard template around
which the wing is built. Substituting lighter
wood and smaller motor sizes on successive
models will take your duration times into
the double digits.
The attraction of the EZB is that
Pennyplane kit: Time Machine 11-inch propeller 0.070 x 13-inch loop Fast climb
12-inch propeller 0.080 x 14-inch loop Slow climb
Experiment with 0.085 and 0.090 inch.
Pennyplane plans: No-Non-Cents 3.3-gram loop of 21.5 inches
Easy B kit: Micro-X Suggested 12- to 14-inch loop of 0.065-0.046 inch
Easy B plans: Ron Williams Suggested 12- to 14-inch loop of 0.065-0.046 inch
Competition 1.0-gram loop of 15 inches
A-6: Clarence Mather Novice 0.040-0.050 x 10-inch loop
A-6: Slugger Competition 0.037 x 14 inches
MiniStick kit: I.M.S. Suggested 0.025-0.030 x 10 inches
MiniStick plans: MiniQuark Competition 0.025-0.028 x 13 inches
Butterfly RTF Indoor 0.040 x 12 inches
Outdoor 0.055 x 10 inches
P-24 kit: Mace Condor 7-inch N. Pacific 3⁄32 x 36-inch loop (Suggested for sport)
plastic propeller 3⁄32 x 50-inch loop (Competition)
Suggested Models and Motor Sizes for Beginning Indoor Fliers
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 1:20 pm Page 32
34 MODEL AVIATION
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beginners and experts can enjoy it, and
beginners can become experts in a short
time. The most popular contest design is
the Hobby Shopper EZB by Larry Coslick,
which, as the name implies, can be built
from hobby-shop wood and still weigh
only .7 gram and fly for more than 20
minutes. You can download the plans and
construction article for free from Indoor
Duration at www.indoorduration.com.
The bottom model on the cover is the
most challenging and most amazing: the
F1D. It is a world-class airplane, and the
Time Traveler by Steve Brown has done
63 minutes on a tiny .6-gram rubber loop.
Others, who are braver than I am, say it
is the most rewarding model since even
your first F1D will fly longer than
anything you have built previously. But if
you are going to follow me this far, it’s
time to take a detour and get out your
wallet.
Stripping and Weighing Your Own
Materials: Up to a point, you could build
and fly Indoor with common supplies
found in any good hobby shop or general
model catalog. By this I mean that the
propellers could be plastic and all the
wood and rubber motors used could come
in standard sizes.
However, for the Pennyplane, and even
lighter models such as the EZB and
MiniStick, you will want to strip your own
wood and rubber and weigh the finished
pieces more accurately than you have
needed to before this. If serious
competition is in your future, think
seriously about a micrometer balsa
stripper, a rubber stripper, and a precision
pan balance.
The one-piece molded-plastic balsa
strippers used for Outdoor FF models and
use a #11 X-Acto blade aren’t good
enough. Although they are fine for 1⁄8 and
1⁄16 wood sheets, they tend to split thinner
balsa and give wavy and uneven cuts. I am
not referring to fractions of an inch
anymore, but thousandths of an inch. An
EZB’s wing spars and ribs are .020-.030
inch (or 20-30 mil), and this requires a
different approach.
Ray Harlan and Tim Goldstein offer
quality balsa strippers with micrometer
adjustments for the fine tolerances needed.
If you are handy, plans are available so
you can build your own. These tools really
shine when it comes to cutting many LE
and TE spars the same thickness. They are
also used to move a rib template down on
the workpiece the same amount after each
cut to give uniform ribs.
An added advantage is that by angling
the wood, or pushing the piece up in the
middle to bow it, tapered spars and strips
can be cut so more of the weight and
strength is on the inside than on the tips.
Many wing spars and almost all propeller
spars call for tapered stock.
The cutting blocks use carbon-steel,
single-edge razor-blade pieces or surgicalsteel
blades, which are half as thick as XActo
knives and don’t split the wood. (You
can still buy the older carbon-steel, doubleedged
blades, which are brittle and snap to
a fresh, clean edge. Modern stainless
varieties bend rather than break.)
Next comes stripping your own rubber
to make custom-width motors. In Outdoor
flying with multistranded motors, you
change the motor’s cross-section by
increasing or decreasing the number of
strands. But with these light models, we
are down to a single loop. One can do well
in SO and novice Pennyplane with 3⁄32-
inch rubber strip (93-94 mil) from FAI
Supply just as it comes out of the box.
Wind a few motors to the breaking
point so you’ll know what 100% is.
Practice winding to just fewer than
maximum turns, finding the right motor
loop length and the best trim for your
model for that particular site. This could
take several flying sessions or maybe a
whole winter season.
After getting to the point at which no
further improvement in duration is seen
with a single size of rubber, buy your own
rubber stripper. Ray Harlan makes one of
the better ones on the market. When you
get a rubber stripper, you can simplify the
rubber stock in your inventory and only
10sig2.QXD 7/23/04 11:29 am Page 34
buy 1⁄8- or 1⁄4-inch widths.
It’s not a waste either, because when
you cut 1⁄8-inch rubber strip to get .085
inch for your Pennyplane, you can save the
thinner piece for EZB or MiniStick flying.
Keep all your stripped motors in plastic
envelopes, and write the rubber batch,
weight, and thickness on the outside with a
felt-tip pen.
Last, an electronic pan balance that
measures to at least .01 gram, and
preferably to .001 gram, will be a welcome
addition to your shop. Indoor plans give
target weights for model pieces, as well as
the whole, so you need to be able to
accurately weigh a wing or a stabilizer to
see if you are building in the right
ballpark. Get in the habit of weighing
everything and keeping good records.
Weigh your tissue and condenser paper,
and convert it to grams or ounces per 100
square feet to find the lightest available.
Mylar plastic comes in thicknesses that are
much lighter (and much stronger) than
tissue coverings. WES-Technik sells a 2-
micron film used in built-up Hand-
Launched Gliders. For Duration Rubber
flying, the best is a cellulose acetate film
only 0.6 micron thick called OS film. It is
available from Alan Cohen.
Apply these films by spraying the
framework with 3M Super 77 contact
cement and laying the work facedown on
the film. Weigh the balsa you use in sheet
and strip form, and convert it to poundsper-
cubic-foot (ppcf) density. Indoor
applications use 4-6 ppcf wood for most
applications, with 8 and 10 ppcf wood for
the more stressed propeller spars, wing
posts, and motorsticks.
Cut your own sticks too. They will be
much lighter, and you will save a great
deal of money compared with buying
precut spars. And of course, weigh all your
motors and keep a record of that. I have
two three-ring binders to keep my notes in,
with dividers according to model class.
One has building records and plans I keep
at home, and one for flying I take to
contests and practice sessions to keep track
of what worked and what did not.
You are looking at $45-$75 for a
micrometer balsa stripper, $160 for a good
rubber stripper, and $50-$300 (or more)
for a balance.
If you ask me if this kind of cash outlay
is necessary, I will tell you about my brief
foray into robotics. A reader wrote to one
of the electronics magazines I subscribed
to at the time and questioned whether an
oscilloscope purchase was necessary. The
editors answered that it was “the price of
entry into the hobby,” meaning that you
could do without it but not do well.
The accompanying table lists some
motor choices to get you started, whether
you choose a kit version, plans, or build
from scratch. Each kit comes with full-size
plans and complete instructions, so the kit
could be your first effort, with lighter,
more advanced models from the plans
provided as a next step.
Always build several of the same
design, because each model will be better
and different from the one before. Indoor
fliers seldom tell you how many of a
particular airplane they have brought to a
contest, but they will tell you that they
have six or seven propellers, three wings,
two tails, and four motorsticks.
This advice goes in spades for motors.
You might cut some 62, 64, and 66 mil
rubber and have it ready to tie into
different-size loops at the contest, stored in
carefully labeled envelopes or plastic bags.
Some of the competition motors in the
table are described by weight rather than
thickness. That’s because the rubber strip’s
thickness and density varies from batch to
batch, so weight is much more constant
than size. Another reason is that weight
indicates the total energy potential that can
be expected from a motor.
The Future of Indoor: Some in the Indoor
community, fine people though they are,
would make this a short section because
they say there is no future to Indoor
modeling. Participation decreases each
year, and there will be no one to fill the
ranks as the great ones pass on to that great
site in the sky.
36 MODEL AVIATION
10sig2.QXD 7/23/04 11:30 am Page 36
That is baloney (as we used to say in
New Jersey, where we ate a lot of it). As
editor of INAV, I’ve seen the subscription
rolls climb from 550 when I started two
years ago to more than 700 today.
Jim Buxton, Dave Linstrum, Bud
Tenny, Don Ross, Bob Warmann, John
Worth, and many others continue to write
about Indoor FF and contribute articles and
columns, so we get our fair share of
coverage.
I saw 10 Juniors and Seniors at the last
contest—many from SO beginnings—and
a few already flying at a world-class level.
Sure, the great Doc Martin passed away,
and with it his Miami Indoor Aircraft
Model Association Indoor club, but the
Florida Flyers have emerged like a
phoenix from their own ashes, thanks to
the efforts of Bill Carney in Jacksonville
and others. To prove it, they just held a
successful meet in the Tampa Armory. I
was there, and it was a hoot.
The fastest-growing segment is indoor
micro RC. Such pioneers as Bob Wilder of
Wilder Winder fame, MA “Micro-Flying”
columnist Dave Robelen, and John Worth
of RC MicroFlight magazine are at the
leading edge of incredible growth in this
area of the hobby.
RC components have shrunken in size
so much in the last few years that any
small, light, electric-powered FF model
can be modified and flown successfully.
Open to debate is how indoor electric RC
will be compatible with classic pure
Rubber models.
The answer has to be equal but
separate. Except for the lightest electricpowered
models used in AMA events
221—Free Flight Electric Power—and
627—Indoor Electric Duration (and even
inclusion of these is at the CD’s
discretion)—everyone will be happiest if
rubber and RC keep their separate ways,
just as all good contests are separated into
“heavies” and “lights” flying in different
time slots.
The National Indoor Remote-controlled
Aircraft Council (NIRAC) knows this and
has its contests in such places as the
Oakland Yard Athletics dome in
Waterford, Michigan. If this commonsense
approach continues, it will be good for the
hobby.
We are seeing what the future holds
with the introduction of smaller and lighter
receivers and servos, geared pager motor
drives weighing a gram or less, and Li-
Poly cells that double and triple flight
times. But the innovations are not limited
to radio; carbon rod and tubes are standard
building materials now, as are Depron
foam sheets and Mylar and polyester
covering films.
Bill Gowen’s composite Carbon Copy,
a Hand Launched Glider, uses carbon rod
and tough Mylar covering, and it wins.
Tungsten wire used to be the main
bracing material for ultralight F1D models,
but the current trend seems to be more
toward unbraced wings and motorsticks.
Instead of tungsten-wire rigging, the
pieces are reinforced by laying down
carbon and boron fibers and running a tiny
amount of cyanoacrylate along the whole
length for stiffness. Laurie Barr of England
uses boron fiber on four sides of his
hollow motorsticks, and he says they come
out “as stiff as a pool cue.” The fibers are
so thin that the weight penalty is small.
Florida Flyer Jake Larson is famous for
his balsa-sheet Scale models, which he
often converts to electric-powered FF
aircraft. Now he is into doing the same
thing with foam sheet. Although the foam
is not as strong as balsa, his airplanes are
so light that it doesn’t matter. He brought
quite a selection to the Tampa Armory,
and they all flew well.
We will see more and more of all these
new materials and techniques in the
seasons to come.
Perhaps the best thing for our hobby in
the future is the growing list of supplies
and information available on the Internet.
No matter what your interest or specialty,
you will be able to download plans,
instructions, and articles, and then order
almost anything you can think of while
sitting at a keyboard.
The addresses and sites at the end of
At Your Hobby Shop or
Online.
Specializing in
Scale ARFs of
‘Homebuilt’ Aircraft.
800-297-1707
Farmington Hills, MI
Check out the rest of our incredible fleet online!
RV-6/6A, Zodiac XL, Challenger II, Europa XS, Glastar, Velocity XL
Scale: 1:5.0
Wingsapn: 75" or 59" ‘Clippable’
Length: 43" Wing Area: 881in2 or 693in2
Flying Weight: 7 - 8 lbs
Wing Loading: 21 oz/ft2 or 25 oz/ft2
Radio: 4 CH 5 Servos Engines: .40 - .46 in3
EAM Quad City Ulralight’s
Challenger ll
Great Electric and Float Conversion!
www.RCHomebuilts.com™
A Sport Scale Plane that’s
...One of a Kind!
10sig2.QXD 7/23/04 11:30 am Page 38
40 MODEL AVIATION
this article are by no means definitive, but
most of them have links to other sites, to
take you as far as you care to go. It is an
exciting time to be in the hobby, and I
hope you will try Indoor modeling and
come fly with us.
Indoor FF Manufacturers and Suppliers:
In the almost 20 years since Ron
Williams’ lament that I included at the
beginning of this article, quite a few brave
souls have ventured into supplying the
Indoor market.
At least two things have helped this
along, the first of which is the increasing
use of exotic, non-hobby-shop materials
such as tungsten wire and boron and
carbon fiber. Second is the recent
explosion of E-mail and Web sites, giving
equal opportunities to modelers living
anywhere on the globe.
The following list will be more than
enough to get you started. But if this
article has generated more questions than
answers, write or E-mail me. MA
Carl Bakay
1621 Lake Salvador Dr.
Harvey LA 70058
[email protected]
Manufacturers and Suppliers:
MA magazine, AMA insurance and
services:
AMA
5161 E. Memorial Dr.
Muncie IN 47302
(765) 287-1256
www.modelaircraft.org
Spartan (Send $10 for the Spartan building
guide):
Gary Baughman
470 Hardage Farm Dr. NW
Marietta GA 30064
Tan II rubber, indoor ARFs, kits:
FAI Model Supply
John Clapp
Box 366
Sayre PA 18840
(570) 882-9873
www.faimodelsupply.com
Winder/counters, bearings, supplies:
Geauga Precision Models
W. D. Johnson
9113 Robinson Rd.
Chardon OH 44024
[email protected]
Wood, hardware, kits:
House of Balsa
Winner R/C Hobbies
ONLINE STORE
12368 Valley Blvd. #109, El Monte, CA 91732
ORDERS ONLY 800-780-0100
Information 626-618-0300
ONLINE ORDER AND MORE INFORMATION AT
www.winnerrc.com
All In One Power Panel (with a built-in field charger)
Pacific Aeromodels took the proven high quality technology of its quarter scale
Laser to the next level by adding the new 27% Edge 540 T to its mid sized lineup.
Designed for IMAC and 3D type aerobatics, as well as sport flying, the Edge’s
light weight and sophisticated aerodynamic design give it the unique ability to
wring truly outstanding performance from smaller and less expensive engines
and radio equipment than the competition. The 27% Edge offers top-of-the-line
quality, ease of assembly and unlimited performance in the air without the nasty
habits of some other scale aerobatics.
Wingspan: 82" • Wing Area: 1,139 Sq. In. • Overall Length: 67 1/2" • Weight:
14.5 lbs. • Wing Loading: 29.3 Oz./Sq. Ft • Engine: 1.60-2.10 Glow, 40c.c. Gas
• Radio: 4 CH (1 std and 5 high torque servos)
Aero Shark 40 ARF
Radio: Requires 4 Ch (6 servos) • Wing Span: 72 in. • Wing Area: 857
sq. in. • Flying Wt: 7.9-9.5 lbs • Engine: .60-1.08 (2C), .90-1.20 (4C),
Gas 24cc • Color: Red, Blue
Combo W/ Saito FA-100 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $559.99
Combo W/ Saito FA-120 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $609.99
Wingspan: 63" • Wing Area: 596 Sq. In. • Overall Length: 54 1/2"
• Weight: 5.5 lbs. • Engine: .40 - .53 2C or .52 - .72 4C
A swept-back shoulder wing? A fuselage that reminds you of a
fish? You either like it’s looks, or you don’t, but you’ll LOVE the
way it flies. Pacific’s new 40 size Aero Shark is big, fast, smooth
and very aerobatic, yet it’s slow speed handling is superb and it
lands like a trainer. As a second or third airplane, an aerobatic
trainer or a Sunday sport flyer, you can’t beat the high quality
AERO SHARK ARF.
Combo: w/TT Pro-46 engine.................$189.99
SALE! $119.99
Field Equipment Field Box (pre-built)
Two Drawer Field Box
• Fully assembled
• Painted and fuel proof
• Light weight
• Adjustable cradle
• Removable power compartment
Combo: Two Drawer Field Box (prebuilt) • 12v
7 amp maintenance free battery • 12V 500
mAh charger (AC) • Starter 150 • Standard
Power Panel • Electric Fuel Pump • Glow
starter w/charger • 4 way wrench . . $139.99
$39.99
Radio: Requires 4 Ch • 5 servos (3 standard, 2 Micro) •
Wing Span: 50 in. • Wing Area: 723 sq. in. • Length 40
in. • Flying Wt: 3.7-4.1 lbs • Engine: .25 - .35 cu.in. (2C)
or .30 - .40 (4C) • Color: Military, Red/Silver, Yellow
Radio: 4Ch (5 servos (3 standard, 2 micro)
Combo: w/Saito 40 engine ............$379.99
Tiger Moth ARF .30 Size • All wood construction.
• 95% ready to fly.
• Balsa Built-up upper and
lower wing plug in for
easy assembly.
• Pre-covered with real
iron-on film.
• Fiber glass cowl already
painted.
• Factory installed pull-pull
controls system on
rudder and elevator.
• Comes with all hardware
and accessories.
• Flies like a trainer.
• Both sizes come with
Flying Wire.
• Ready to fly in just 15
hours.
Radio: Requires 4 Ch • 5 servos • Wing Span: 78 in. •
Wing Area: 1841 sq. in. • Length 65.7 in. • Flying Wt:
10-11 lbs • Engine: .90 cu.in. (2C) or 1.20 (4C) • Color:
Military, Red/Silver, Yellow
Combo: w/Saito 120 engine...........$699.99
$219.99
$399.99
Tiger Moth ARF 1.20 Size
Radio: Requires 4 Ch • 6 servos • Wing Span: 82 in. •
Wing Area: 1175 sq. in. • Length 62.5 in. • Flying Wt:
12-13 lbs • Engine: 1.08-1.60 cu.in. (2C), 1.20-1.80
(4C) or 26cc (Gas)
“Gee Bee-Y” 120 size ARF • All Wood Construction.
• Pre-Covered in real iron
film.
• Fiberglass cowling (10
in. dia.) and wheel pants
already painted.
• Dummy engine included.
• 95% Factory Assembled.
• Ready to fly in just 12
hours.
• All hardware is included.
• Easy to fly.
• Plug in wing.
Combo: w/Saito 150 engine...........$733.99
Combo: w/Saito 180 engine...........$763.99
Combo: w/Zenoah G-26 engine.......$643.99
SALE! $379.99
1/4 Scale 3D Capable Laser 200
ARF
Laser 200 .40 size ARF
$319.99
• All wood construction
• 95% ready to fly
• Covered with real ironon
film. • Fiberglass cowl
and wheel pants. • Plug in
wings. • Ready to fly in
12 hours. • Double
beveling on both wing
and tail feathers.
Radio: Requires 4 Ch (5 servos) • Wing Span: 55 in. • Wing Area: 564
sq. in. • Flying Wt: 5.7 lbs • Engine: .40-.47 (2C), .50-.70 (4C) • Red
Combo W/ Saito FA-72. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $389.99
Combo W/ Thunder Tiger-46 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $259.99
$189.99
This light weight Starter has a comfortable size
that fits very well in one hand. The 3:1 geared
reduction design for starting engines up to 1.8
cu. in. The big cup and double side rubber cone
will fit from 1/2” prop nuts to 5” spinners.
PAM-1002B Starter . . . . . . . . . $44.99
• Functions as a regular power panel
and as a field charger for your Tx
(9.6V), Rx (4.8V or 6.0V) and glow
starter (1.2V).
• Never miss as day's flying because
of low batteries.
• Digital peak-detection, pulsecurrent
charger for Rx
(4.8V and 6.0 V).
• Charges NiCd and Ni-Mh batteries.
Power Panel PAC-MF0502 . $44.99
Portable Super Starter
(Assembled)
Super Starter with battery holder and 2 x
7.2V 1500 mah battery pack also including
1x charging adapter (Tamiya - Dean). We put
it together for you. Will start engines up to
2.1 cu. in.
PAM-1002PP Starter ..........$89.99
Super Starter
Small size but high torque.
Wingspan: 59" • Wing Area: 620 Sq. In. • Overall Length: 52 1/2" •
Weight: 6 lbs. • Wing Loading: 22.3 Oz./Sq. Ft. • Engine: .40 - .53 2C
or .56 - .72 4C • Radio: 4 Ch (6 standard servos)
Combo W/ Saito FA-72 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $419.99
Edge 540T 40/72 ARF
$209.99
Pacific’s new 40 and 60 size Edge
540T ARFs have all the big plane
features like plug-in wings, dual
aileron servos, tail mounted elevator
servos and a pull–pull rudder, and
they use normal sport engines and
standard radio equipment. Best of
all, they are specially designed to fly
with the smoothness and precision
of a much larger airplane.
Wingspan: 65" • Wing Area: 765 Sq. In. • Overall Length: 58 1/2" •
Weight: 8 lbs. • Wing Loading: 24.1 Oz./Sq. Ft • Engine : .61-.91(2C),
.80-1.00(4C) • Radio: 4 Ch (6 standard servos)
Combo W/ Saito FA-100 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $519.99
Edge 540T
60/100 ARF
$264.99
$439.9927% Edge 540T ARF
Pacific Aeromodel’s Edge 540T Series
For 3000mAh
battery
add $30.00.
10sig2.QXD 7/23/04 11:31 am Page 40
10101 Yucca Rd.
Adelanto CA 92301
(760) 246-6462
www.houseofbalsa.com
Scales, rubber strippers, coverings, kits:
Indoor Model Specialties
Ray Harlan
15 Happy Hollow Rd.
Wayland MA 01778
(508) 358-4013
Novice kits, SO materials, all supplies:
Indoor Model Supply
Lew Gitlow
Box 2020
Florence OR 97439
www.indoormodelsupply.com
The Indoor newsletter (one year for $15 in
US, $19 in Canada), articles, plans:
Indoor News and Views
Tim Goldstein, subscription editor
13096 W. Cross Dr.
Littleton CO 80127
www.indoorduration.com
(Download a free issue and subscribe)
P-24 kits, plans, supplies:
Mace Model Aircraft Co.
Don Mace
359 S. 119th East Ave.
Tulsa OK 74128
Scale kits, rubber, supplies:
Micro-X
Box 1063-A
Lorain OH 44055
(440) 282-8354
[email protected]
Classroom kit packs, SO, Delta Dart,
gliders:
Midwest Products Co., Inc.
Educational Products Division
Box 564
Hobart IN 46342
(800) 348-3497
www.midwestproducts.com
OS Film:
42 MODEL AVIATION
Alan Cohen
2115 State Route 31
Glen Gardner NJ 08826
Fax: (908) 537-0111
[email protected]
Kits, supplies:
Peck-Polymers
Box 710399
Santee CA 92072
(619) 488-1833
www.peck-polymers.com
Precision-cut balsa, basswood:
Specialized Balsa Wood
Jake Zimmer
1656 Carol Dr.
Loveland CO 80537
[email protected]
www.specializedbalsa.com
Supplies:
WES-Technik
Klosterstr. 12
D-72644 Oberboihingen
Germany
[email protected]
www.wes-technik.de/
Sites Containing More Information:
Cleveland Clowns Indoor page
www.indoorfreeflight.com
Bill Kuhl’s Delta Dart site
www.luminet.net/~bkuhl/rubber.htm
NFFS home page
http://freeflight.org/
Martin’s worldwide links
www.ivyandmartin.demon.co.uk/page
2.htm
Michael J. Woodhouse supplies
www.freeflightsupplies.co.uk
Tim Goldstein’s Indoor balsa
www.f1d.biz
Ed Wiley’s Web page
www.sunflower.com/~edwiley/
NIRAC Indoor RC
www.nirac.org
Tim Goldstein’s INAV site
www.indoorduration.com
Del Ogren’s Indoor site
www.n-lemma.com
Glen Davison’s Indoor site
http://people.ne.mediaone.net/indoor
Daniel Hartstein’s Indoor site:
http://w1.871.telia.com/~u87106779/
Thayer Syme’s FF site:
www.sirius.com/~thayer/modelhp.html
Mr. NiCd’s BATTERIES AMERICA
www.batteriesamerica.com
Autumn 2004 Specials (Order ONLINE too)
PLATINUM POLYMER
2-Cell Lithium Polymer Packs – with JST-BEC red conn.
Other connectors are available – please see our website or call us for details.
#2LP300* 7.4v 300mAh Li-POLY pk (13 gms/0.46oz) $20.95
#2LP400 7.4v 400mAh Li-POLY pk(18 gms/ 0.64oz) $18.95
#2LP650 7.4v 650mAh Li-POLY pk (28 gms/ 1 oz) $20.95
#2LP800* 7.4v 800mAh Li-POLY pk (34 gms/ 1.2oz) $27.95
#2LP900 7.4v 900mAh Li-POLY pk (38 gms/ 1.35oz)$23.95
#2LP1200 7.4v 1200mAh Li-POLY pk (48 gms/1.7oz) $25.95
#2LP1500*7.4v 1500mAh Li-POLY pk (62 gms/2.2oz) $39.95
#2LP1700 7.4v 1700mAh Li-POLY pk (68 gms/2.4 oz) $31.95
#2LP1900 7.4v 1900mAh Li-POLY pk (76 gms/2.7oz) $34.95
#2LP2200 7.4v 2200mAh Li-POLY pk (88 gms/3.3 oz) $38.95
*300, 800, & 1500mAh are HIGHER-AMP packs ( 5C discharge!)
QN-012BC charger QN-012DC charger VR5.4 / VR6.0
#QN-012BC Fast-Smart Charger (AC) for Li-POLY pk. $19.95
#QN-012DC Fast-Smart 12VDC charger for Li-POLYpk. $19.95
#VR5.4 Voltage Regulator –limits output to 5.4V max $19.95
#VR6.0 Voltage Regulator –limits output to 6.0V max $19.95
NEW Lithium Polymer cells – with E-Z solder tabs !
#P145 3.7v 145mAh Li-POLYcell (4 gms / 0.13 oz)$ 5.95ea
#P300* 3.7v 300mAh Li-POLYcell (6.5 gms /.23 oz)$ 7.95ea
#P400 3.7v 400mAh Li-POLYcell (9 gms / 0.32oz) $ 6.95ea
#P650 3.7v 650mAh Li-POLYcell (14 gms / 0.5 oz) $ 7.95ea
#P800* 3.7v 800mAh Li-POLYcell (17 gms / 0.6 oz) $10.95ea
#P900 3.7v 900mAh Li-POLYcell (19 gms/ 0.67oz) $ 9.95ea
#P1200 3.7v 1200mAh Li-POLY cell (24 gms/0.85oz) $10.95ea
#P1500*3.7v 1500mAh Li-POLY cell (31 gms/1.1oz) $15.95ea
#P1700 3.7v 1700mAh Li-POLY cell (34 gms/1.2oz) $12.95ea
#P1900 3.7v 1900mAh Li-POLY cell (38 gms/1.35oz)$13.95ea
#P2200 3.7v 2200mAh Li-POLY cell(44 gms/1.65oz)$14.95ea
*300, 800, & 1500mAh are HIGHER-AMP packs ( 5C discharge!)
Motor packs, R/C packs, TX packs, & more!
New HiCell electric flight Ni-MH packs!
For park flyers, etc. Shapes: A=Flat; B=twin-stick; C=two rows;
D=four sticks. JST conn.=add $3.00. Deans Ultra conn.=add $5.
Cell # size / mAh / $ each 7.2v 8.4v 9.6v 10.8v 12.0v
AP-350 1/3AA, 350mAh $2.50 $23.95 $26.95 $29.95 $32.95 $35.95
AP-700 2/3AA, 700mAh $2.50 $23.95 $26.95 $29.95 $32.95 $35.95
AP-1000 2/3A,1000mAh$3.00 $24.95 $27.95 $30.95 $33.95 $36.95
MOTOR PACKS w/ SANYO Ni-Cd cells (no connector):
Shapes (see above). Add deans ULTRA connector for $5.00 xtra
Cell # size /mAh / $ each 7.2v 8.4v 9.6v 10.8v 12.0v
N-500AR(2/3A 500mA) $2.50 $20.00 $24.00 $28.00 $32.00 $36.00
KR600AE(2/3A 600mA) $1.95 $17.00 $20.00 $23.00 $26.00 $29.00
SANYO Receiver Packs w/ Connector! (Flat or Square)
Choose Futaba J, JR-HITEC-Z, or AIRTRONICS(old) plug!
4.8 volt 700mAh (Standard AA NiCd, w/conn.) $ 9.95ea.
4.8 volt 1100mAh (long-life AA NiCd, w/conn.) $13.95ea.
4.8 volt 1700mAh (KR-1700AU Ni-Cd, w/conn.)$17.95ea.
4.8 volt 2100mAh (ULTRA AA Ni-MH, w/conn.) $19.95ea.
New & improved HEAVY 22-guage Connectors !
Specify Futaba J (FM), JR-HiTEC-Airt. Z, or AIRTRONICS(old)
Male or Female (1 conn):$2.00 / 3”or 6” Extn:$3.25
12” Extn: $ 3.50 / 24” Extn: $ 4.00 / 36” Extn:$ 4.50
Y-connector:$5.50 ea / Switch Harness:$6.50ea
SANYO Transmitter Packs w/leads. Shapes shown above
Choose SQUARE(D) or Side-by-Side (A). Add TX plug for $3.00.
9.6 volt 700mAh (square or SxS, w/ leads) $16.95ea.
9.6 volt 1100mAh (square or SxS, w/ leads) $22.95ea.
9.6 volt 1650mAh (Ni-MH square or SxS, w/ leads )$29.95ea.
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E-mail to us at: [email protected] S&H: $7.00 min.
DIVERSIFIED SOLUTIONS, LLC.
5932 Chicago Ave. South, Minneapolis, MN 55417
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For Color Chart and Information, Send SASE
Don’t Delay – Order Yours Today!
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10sig2.QXD 7/23/04 11:31 am Page 42
Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/10
Page Numbers: 26,27,28,29,30,32,34,36,38,40,42
Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/10
Page Numbers: 26,27,28,29,30,32,34,36,38,40,42
I AM NOT a famous Indoor-model flier. As
have Dave Rees and Bob Aberle, who wrote
the “State of the Sport” articles before me, I
have been active in all forms of the hobby
since I was a kid growing up in New Jersey
in the 1950s. Unlike them, I am a sport flier,
a writer, and a newsletter editor, and I have
worked hard at staying a novice when it
comes to competition.
According to other writers, we take turns
and detours in our lives that change us
forever. This happened for me in May 1998.
On a lark, I drove the 712 miles from New
Orleans, Louisiana, to the East Tennessee
State University campus in Johnson City,
Tennessee, where the US Indoor
Championships is held each year in a
covered football stadium called the Mini-
Dome.
I walked through the outer doors to a
gymnasium hallway, complete with locker
rooms and showers, and then through a
second set of inner doors to the running
track and playing field, which was 400 feet
long and 116 feet high. I stood transfixed, as
they say, and my mouth stood open as I
watched these beautiful airplanes circle
slowly and majestically over my head.
I was hooked then, and I am hooked
now. But don’t believe me; to learn what is
so great about “Indoor,” as it is called, I’ll
quote Ron Williams.
“Indoor model building and flying is an
innocent sport. There is little profit to be
made, if any, in the commerce it engenders,
though some enterprising indoor
entrepreneur could find ways, I’m sure.
“Because it tends to be so low key and
deceptively complex, it has never enjoyed
the attention that noisier, more dynamic
forms of modeling have received. The
consequence is that there has never been
enough information in any one place to get a
good start with this part of the hobby.”
Therefore, Ron wrote and illustrated the
first definitive how-to on the subject. His
1984 book Building and Flying Indoor
Model Airplanes was a milestone then and a
classic now, but I think it is out of print.
Returning to Johnson City a few years
later as editor of the fancy Indoor News and
Views (INAV) magazine, numerous people
came up to shake my hand and offered
compliments, good wishes, and occasional
war stories while I was trying to count the
winds in my motor or time a flight.
But by Day Two I learned not to be
annoyed—that something larger was going
on. I was part of a community.
As in all facets of our hobby, many types of
models are flown in Indoor. Any Outdoor
rubber-powered FF design can be made
lighter and smaller and flown inside. Heavy
and strong are no longer requirements when
there are no wind gusts or tree limbs in the
way.
A good example of this is the Bostonian.
These little 16-inch-wingspan cuties are
flown outdoors with a 14-gram-minimum
weight requirement and indoors with a 7-
gram-minimum weight requirement.
Although it’s hard to get down to 7 grams
the first few times you try, flight duration
goes from two minutes for an outdoor
Bostonian to five and six minutes or more
for the lighter indoor versions. In a place
like Johnson City, with some of the “best
air” anywhere, after all that time, your
model will land about where it started.
It’s all about duration. As do the Scale
models of the Flying Aces Club, some
Indoor events award charisma points and
appearance points, but the ability to outfly
everyone else’s aircraft is the key to Indoorcontest
success.
Origins—the Baby ROG: The first modelairplane
clubs started in the New York City
area as early as 1907. The famous Frank
Zaic flew in that city’s Central Park in the
1920s and 1930s. Balsa wood wasn’t used
until roughly 1911, so most early models
were made from pine, bamboo, and spruce.
Rubber motors were cut from tire inner
tubes, and plans were drawn on wrapping
paper. For more about this and Indoor
modeling history in general, see Bill Kuhl’s
site; the address is at the end of this article.
Our hobby can be clearly divided into
two times: before 1927 and after 1927. That
year a shy, handsome private pilot named
26 MODEL AVIATION
State of thIe nSpordt: oor Flight
b y C a r l B a k ay
Free
Steve Gardner’s drawings on the
cover of INAV Issue #106 show one
route to more serious Indoor fun.
Text has details.
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 3:51 pm Page 26
Charles Lindbergh flew a highly modified and overloaded Ryanbuilt
monoplane nonstop across the Atlantic Ocean. The effect on
the youth of the era was nothing less than galvanic, and modeling as
a hobby followed the groundswell. The number of kit manufacturers
went from perhaps 20 in 1927 to more than 2,000 in 1928.
Let’s go back to modeling in the Depression years of the 1930s.
We are in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it’s wintertime. A group
of clubs is making something called the “Philadelphia Model
Airplane Association.”
They are giving out plans for a Baby ROG—not full-scale, of
course. Part of your apprenticeship (if you want to join) is to scale
up the plans on the back of some brown paper or, if you know a
paperboy, a sheet of blank newsprint from the pressroom.
Then you have to build your own model, carve your own
propeller, and get the aircraft to rise off the ground and fly indoors
for 30 seconds. This is quite an achievement (especially if you use
strips cut from automobile inner tubes to power it), although flights
of more than a minute are possible. You then make it to the rank of
“grease monkey” and can fly in Saturday contests.
John Walker wrote about his modeling origins with the Baby
ROG in the July 1981 R/C Model Builder magazine. Send me an
SASE, and I’ll send you free plans for the Baby ROG from that
issue.
(Did you notice that the Baby ROG was in R/C Model Builder?
Dave Rees mentioned in his July 2001 “State of the Sport: Free
Flight Scale” article that after getting into Scale models, he was
amazed by how many great building and finishing tips he gleaned
from old CL, FF, and RC articles in his magazine collection. The
same is true for Indoor.)
There were many versions of the Baby ROG, but it was a
milestone in any of its forms. Why? Because it flew! Of all those
Nickel Scale, Dime Scale, and quarter-scale models that the 2,000
kit makers offered, most would fly from your hand to the ground if
they flew at all. The early clubs knew this and started you out with
something realistic and flyable. Today we have something even
better.
Begin With a Delta Dart: Bill Kuhl has to be the Delta Dart’s
biggest fan. Read the following from his Web site and you’ll see
why.
“The Delta Dart appeared in the April 1967 issue of American
Modeler. It was designed by AMA’s [then] Technical Director Frank
Ehling and promoted by Dick and Ruth Meyer.
“Why is it so great? With the exception of the motorstick, the
AMA Dart is made entirely from 1⁄16 x 1⁄8-inch balsa strip. Some
beginners’ models such as the Peck ROG utilize 1⁄16-inch square
balsa, which although lighter, is difficult for the beginner to handle
without breaking, and the structure will more easily warp.
“Also, the one-piece motorstick comes with the correct stabilizer
incidence built in. The joints used at the tips of the wing, stabilizer,
and vertical fin can be less than perfect and still be adequately strong
because the covering material reinforces the joint.
“With materials donated by Sig, Dick and Ruth made up 300 kits
on their kitchen table, some of which were taken by Frank Ehling to
the 1966 Nats. Although some people thought the airplane too
simple and heavy, kids found it easy to build and fly. It was thought
that with the pointy wingtips, warps would have less effect because
most of the wing area was closer to the center of the wing.
“Sig decided to sell the same basic airplane as a kit called the
‘AMA Racer.’ The biggest change in the AMA Racer from the
original Delta Dart is that the wing is movable, so center of gravity
adjustments are easy. Another change is that the tailboom is made
from spruce instead of balsa.
“Frank Ehling designed another airplane known as the “AMA
Cub,” but it is sold by Midwest Products as the Delta Dart.
According to the Sig catalog, this is the airplane that has been used
in beginners’ promotions since 1968 and is the most-produced
model airplane of all time.”
The Dart and various rise-off-ground (ROG) stick models are
available in most good hobby shops and many toy stores. If you
October 2004 27
Senior Doug Schaefer (Centerville OH) qualified for the US
Indoor FF team to compete in Slanic, Romania.
Parker Parrish (Alpharetta GA) works on his F1D model. This
high-school student bested many Senior fliers at Akron OH.
Photos by the late Richard Doig.
Photos by the author except as noted
r
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 4:05 pm Page 27
28 MODEL AVIATION
Indoor rubber-powered Scale offers unlimited opportunities
for Outdoor fliers. This 1912 Fokker A was seen at last
year’s Nats at Johnson City TN.
Bostonians ready for charisma judging feature the latest
lifting-body design and wide, slow-turning propellers.
Limited Pennyplanes are capable of flights exceeding 15
minutes. Wingtip plates—a recent innovation—add stability
during high torque at launch. Gardner photo.
The Baby ROG, shown in
one of its original forms,
started many on the road
to successful building and
flying.
Author’s P-24 Mace Models Condor is intended for
beginners but has turned into a design for a hotly contested
one-design mass-launch event. It will do six minutes with a
54-inch single loop of 3⁄32-inch rubber. Steve Gardner photo.
The same skills used in building Outdoor Scale models can
be used in Indoor flying if careful attention is paid to weight.
Indoor Scale models may weigh one-third or more less than
Outdoor models. Gardner photo.
Not only is he a consistent winner, but Larry Cailliau flies
models that are true works of art. Gardner photo.
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 1:17 pm Page 28
don’t know where to go in your area, order a
catalog from Indoor Model Supply, Midwest
Products, or Peck-Polymers.
It is a good idea to build your first few
models exactly according to the instructions,
and even a little heavier than needed, with
extra glue joints and reinforcing fillets in the
corners. This will help it survive all the
banging around it is sure to do at first. You
might take part in or help run an AMA
make-and-take program at one of the
Muncie meets.
A natural question is, What do I build
after the Delta Dart? The answer is, Another
Delta Dart. As you learn to build with
lighter and thinner wood and replace the
heavy plastic propellers with lighter balsa
propellers, you will be building models that
fly much slower and longer, and they suffer
less damage if they hit something.
The world-class endurance models
shown seem to float through the air at
walking speed, or slower, and are most in
danger of being damaged by careless
handling or a sneeze. But their owners will
tell you they had to make several before they
got it just right.
The best thing you can do on your
second, third, and fourth Delta Dart is build
with lighter wood, tissue covering, and a
rubber motor at least twice as long as the
loop that comes with the kit. Bob Warmann
of the Chicago Aeronuts had a Delta Dart
mass launch at the Midwest Championships
this past April, and several flew up to the
94-foot ceiling.
Science Olympiad: The Delta Dart and the
AMA make-and-take programs are great,
but the participants are young—maybe 8, 9,
or 10 years of age—and most do not
continue with the hobby.
Sometimes, though, a parent will catch
the modeling bug along with the youngster,
and great things can happen. That is
especially true with a new wave that has
come along, and there has been nothing like
it since the post-Sputnik catch-up days in
education when I was a kid.
Few events have had as positive an effect
on bringing young people into Indoor
modeling as the Science Olympiad in our
schools. SO, as it’s called, encompasses a
host of biology, chemistry, physics, and
engineering competitions, starting at the
local level, and then moving on to state and
national championships.
It uses a team approach, with an adult
mentor providing guidance and support for a
group of young people. The finale of a
bridge-building exercise can galvanize an
entire class when the time comes to hang
weights on everyone’s creation to see how
much they can hold before they break. The
cheering, jeering, and just plain excitement
are seldom seen outside of sporting events.
SO has an event called The Wright Stuff,
with apologies to author Tom Wolfe and his
book of almost the same name. The rules for
2004 C Division require that the rubberpowered
airplanes have 52cm (20.5-inch)
wingspans and commercially available
October 2004 29
Bill Gowen shows off his composite Hand Launched Glider. This model was
constructed with carbon rod and Mylar covering. Photo by Chuck Markos.
These young fliers competed in the Science Olympiad portion of the Midwest States
Indoor Championships, hosted by the Chicago Aeronuts. Markos photo.
Jim Richmond, with his new Limited Pennyplane, waits his turn to fly at the
University of Illinois Armory. Markos photo.
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 4:07 pm Page 29
plastic propellers no bigger than 24cm (10 inches). The motors can
be any thickness or length but are limited to one loop of 2 grams
maximum weight. The models have a minimum weight limit too; for
2004 it is 8 grams for senior and junior high, without the motor.
Are you confused by the units? Don’t be surprised if you see US
and metric units mixed together like this. The SO originators wanted
to give students a taste of international science. Our country is one
of the few that doesn’t use the metric system every day, although
most scientists and some engineers use it all the time.
Indoor modelers use metric and US units interchangeably,
generally depending on which one allows the use of whole numbers.
It is easier to say 20 centimeters than 77⁄8 inches, and it’s easier to
say your model weighs 10 grams than 0.3527 ounce. But rubber
motors are sold in boxes by the pound, weighed in grams, and the
length of the motor loop is in inches. You get used to it. But flight
time is what it’s all about, and that is minutes and seconds the world
over.
The SO and its twin the Technology Student Association (TSA)
have exploded in popularity in the last few years. There are many
different kits available for the Wright Stuff event, and more than a
dozen plans available, from simple to elegant. The Cleveland
Clowns Web site even offers a tutorial video for sale. Many SO and
TSA mentors are active modelers who belong to clubs, and
“invitational” SO competitions have become common at club meets.
Bill Gowen and Gary Baughman are SO mentors of multiple
teams in the Atlanta, Georgia, area. Gary designed the Spartan,
named after the school mascot, which is a robust model using 1⁄8
square wood similar to the Delta Dart and is designed to take a great
deal of punishment from young hands, gym walls, and ceilings, and
still fly.
Bill designed the Finny Plane, which uses 1⁄16 square wood, as
does the Peck-Polymers ROG, and can be built to 8 grams without
too much effort and puts in long flights as a result.
Both designers are active Thermal Thumbers of Metro Atlanta
members, bringing many of their students to meetings and events.
This is so popular that we “big kids” get into the act with such SO
variants as Senior and Unlimited Rubber.
Duration times here in the south are approximately four minutes,
but a brilliant mentor in California named Cezar Banks designed his
Leading Edge model with a wing so advanced that times exceed six
minutes.
30 MODEL AVIATION
A 1⁄8-inch strip of Tan II rubber is being stripped into smaller
widths, which are checked with a micrometer.
Dave Haught takes Indoor Scale to the max with his flying B-
17. He writes “Scale Matters” for INAV. Tim Goldstein photo.
The Akron Air
Dock hangar in
Ohio was the site
of record
qualification trials
several times a
year. Although big,
it was cluttered
and often drafty.
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 1:19 pm Page 30
32 MODEL AVIATION
And I can’t forget Wayne Johnson, who
had 7:37 when Bill Gowen hosted the Open
SO event in the huge Johnson City Mini-
Dome. That is a long time for a flier—
young or old—and the best thing is that
being indoors, after all those minutes in the
air, your airplane lands at your feet! People
around you sometimes even break out in
applause and cheers. Unlike when you are
outdoors, your beverage is still cold and you
haven’t been bitten by any bug—except that
of Indoor flight.
If you have never made an Indoor model
and you’d like to start with a kit, you can do
no better than the Bambino or the Dipper by
Ray Harlan of Indoor Model Specialties.
You can build two models from one kit.
Another good choice is the Sci Oly 1 by
Lew Gitlow of Indoor Model Supply, but I
have not built it.
If you feel comfortable building from
plans, Gary Baughman’s Spartan is at the
top of my list. After being asked the same
questions by so many people, he decided to
write it all down. Gary offers a complete,
hand-illustrated, step-by-step manual for
building and flying the Spartan, plans
included. Equal in quality but different in
design is the Olympus by Don Slusarczyk.
His Web site contains photos and details.
One-Design Events: Don’t let contest
names such as the “Midwestern States
Indoor Championships” and “US Indoor
Championships” frighten you into not going.
Delta Dart and Double Whammy mass
launches are held at the Midwestern States
Indoor Championships in Champaign,
Illinois, and the last one down is the winner.
The Double Whammy was featured in the
November 1999 MA, and there was a
follow-up article about how to make it more
competitive.
The US Indoor Championships at
Johnson City, Tennessee, features a P-24
Condor mass launch. The Condor is a greatflying
model that was used for years at the
Air Force Academy to teach flight
principles. It is available from Mace
Models.
The Thermal Thumbers in Atlanta,
Georgia, have events for the Butterfly—a 7-
inch-span indoor ARF—and Laurie Barr’s
Hangar Rat design.
If you are already pretty good at Outdoor
Hand Launched Glider, Outdoor Catapult
Glider, or Flying Aces Club Scale Rubber,
you can use the same skills in Indoor, except
with lighter materials.
An added benefit of going to contests is
that the larger meets often have vendor
booths where they sell specialty Indoor
items that are not available in your hobby
shop.
Not into traveling? There are postal
events for many of these same models, in
which you fly in your local gym and send
your times in to compete with others from
around the world.
Indoor Today—the Pennyplane, Easy B,
and International F1D: The cover of the
March 2002 INAV was my idea but Steve
Gardner’s artistry. Steve preceded me as
editor, and he filled each issue with great
plans and original illustrations. I arranged
his artwork for four models—the Delta Dart,
Pennyplane, Easy B (EZB), and F1D—from
top to bottom on the cover of Issue #106.
All subscribers received a black-andwhite
version, but the original shows in
striking color one way you can move up in
building skill and flight duration by
graduating from model to model, each more
advanced than the one before. There are
dozens of paths to take; this is just one. I
have already covered the Delta Dart and SO
models, so let’s move on to a possible next
step.
If you weigh a modern penny, it will be
almost 2.50 grams. But before 1984, you got
more for your money; a penny weighed 3.20
grams. That was settled on at the time as the
Pennyplane model’s minimum weight.
There were also restrictions of an 18-inch
span, a 5-inch chord, a 12-inch propeller,
and other guidelines.
This makes it great for the step from SO
to serious Indoor competition. Anyone who
can build a Finny Plane and do four minutes
in a gymnasium can make a 4.0- or 5.0-gram
Pennyplane the first time, and start doing
10+ minutes in a large site.
My first Pennyplane weighed 5.0 grams,
my second one weighed 4.1 grams, and my
current model weighs 3.4 grams. It takes a
great deal of practice, but you can expect to
double your flight times by going from a
5.0-gram to a 3.2-gram airplane.
This design comes in two flavors: the
original version and a Limited Pennyplane.
Both have 18-inch wingspans and can weigh
no less than 3.2 grams, but the Limited rules
allow only a monoplane configuration and a
sheet-balsa propeller with a 12-inch
maximum diameter.
Indoor Model Supply makes a nice
novice kit called the Time Machine. One of
the two I built straight from the package did
six minutes right off the building board in
the 34-foot Tampa Armory. Building lighter
from the same plans, it is possible to do
eight to 10 minutes or more. Those aren’t
contest-winning times, but they give the
builder a great deal of satisfaction and the
confidence to move further along.
A possible next step is the EZB design
invented by Wally Miller. It is a small 18-
inch-span monoplane Rubber model with a
2-inch maximum chord and all-wood
construction. Micro-X makes a nice
beginner’s kit of this model and even
provides the cardboard template around
which the wing is built. Substituting lighter
wood and smaller motor sizes on successive
models will take your duration times into
the double digits.
The attraction of the EZB is that
Pennyplane kit: Time Machine 11-inch propeller 0.070 x 13-inch loop Fast climb
12-inch propeller 0.080 x 14-inch loop Slow climb
Experiment with 0.085 and 0.090 inch.
Pennyplane plans: No-Non-Cents 3.3-gram loop of 21.5 inches
Easy B kit: Micro-X Suggested 12- to 14-inch loop of 0.065-0.046 inch
Easy B plans: Ron Williams Suggested 12- to 14-inch loop of 0.065-0.046 inch
Competition 1.0-gram loop of 15 inches
A-6: Clarence Mather Novice 0.040-0.050 x 10-inch loop
A-6: Slugger Competition 0.037 x 14 inches
MiniStick kit: I.M.S. Suggested 0.025-0.030 x 10 inches
MiniStick plans: MiniQuark Competition 0.025-0.028 x 13 inches
Butterfly RTF Indoor 0.040 x 12 inches
Outdoor 0.055 x 10 inches
P-24 kit: Mace Condor 7-inch N. Pacific 3⁄32 x 36-inch loop (Suggested for sport)
plastic propeller 3⁄32 x 50-inch loop (Competition)
Suggested Models and Motor Sizes for Beginning Indoor Fliers
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 1:20 pm Page 32
34 MODEL AVIATION
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beginners and experts can enjoy it, and
beginners can become experts in a short
time. The most popular contest design is
the Hobby Shopper EZB by Larry Coslick,
which, as the name implies, can be built
from hobby-shop wood and still weigh
only .7 gram and fly for more than 20
minutes. You can download the plans and
construction article for free from Indoor
Duration at www.indoorduration.com.
The bottom model on the cover is the
most challenging and most amazing: the
F1D. It is a world-class airplane, and the
Time Traveler by Steve Brown has done
63 minutes on a tiny .6-gram rubber loop.
Others, who are braver than I am, say it
is the most rewarding model since even
your first F1D will fly longer than
anything you have built previously. But if
you are going to follow me this far, it’s
time to take a detour and get out your
wallet.
Stripping and Weighing Your Own
Materials: Up to a point, you could build
and fly Indoor with common supplies
found in any good hobby shop or general
model catalog. By this I mean that the
propellers could be plastic and all the
wood and rubber motors used could come
in standard sizes.
However, for the Pennyplane, and even
lighter models such as the EZB and
MiniStick, you will want to strip your own
wood and rubber and weigh the finished
pieces more accurately than you have
needed to before this. If serious
competition is in your future, think
seriously about a micrometer balsa
stripper, a rubber stripper, and a precision
pan balance.
The one-piece molded-plastic balsa
strippers used for Outdoor FF models and
use a #11 X-Acto blade aren’t good
enough. Although they are fine for 1⁄8 and
1⁄16 wood sheets, they tend to split thinner
balsa and give wavy and uneven cuts. I am
not referring to fractions of an inch
anymore, but thousandths of an inch. An
EZB’s wing spars and ribs are .020-.030
inch (or 20-30 mil), and this requires a
different approach.
Ray Harlan and Tim Goldstein offer
quality balsa strippers with micrometer
adjustments for the fine tolerances needed.
If you are handy, plans are available so
you can build your own. These tools really
shine when it comes to cutting many LE
and TE spars the same thickness. They are
also used to move a rib template down on
the workpiece the same amount after each
cut to give uniform ribs.
An added advantage is that by angling
the wood, or pushing the piece up in the
middle to bow it, tapered spars and strips
can be cut so more of the weight and
strength is on the inside than on the tips.
Many wing spars and almost all propeller
spars call for tapered stock.
The cutting blocks use carbon-steel,
single-edge razor-blade pieces or surgicalsteel
blades, which are half as thick as XActo
knives and don’t split the wood. (You
can still buy the older carbon-steel, doubleedged
blades, which are brittle and snap to
a fresh, clean edge. Modern stainless
varieties bend rather than break.)
Next comes stripping your own rubber
to make custom-width motors. In Outdoor
flying with multistranded motors, you
change the motor’s cross-section by
increasing or decreasing the number of
strands. But with these light models, we
are down to a single loop. One can do well
in SO and novice Pennyplane with 3⁄32-
inch rubber strip (93-94 mil) from FAI
Supply just as it comes out of the box.
Wind a few motors to the breaking
point so you’ll know what 100% is.
Practice winding to just fewer than
maximum turns, finding the right motor
loop length and the best trim for your
model for that particular site. This could
take several flying sessions or maybe a
whole winter season.
After getting to the point at which no
further improvement in duration is seen
with a single size of rubber, buy your own
rubber stripper. Ray Harlan makes one of
the better ones on the market. When you
get a rubber stripper, you can simplify the
rubber stock in your inventory and only
10sig2.QXD 7/23/04 11:29 am Page 34
buy 1⁄8- or 1⁄4-inch widths.
It’s not a waste either, because when
you cut 1⁄8-inch rubber strip to get .085
inch for your Pennyplane, you can save the
thinner piece for EZB or MiniStick flying.
Keep all your stripped motors in plastic
envelopes, and write the rubber batch,
weight, and thickness on the outside with a
felt-tip pen.
Last, an electronic pan balance that
measures to at least .01 gram, and
preferably to .001 gram, will be a welcome
addition to your shop. Indoor plans give
target weights for model pieces, as well as
the whole, so you need to be able to
accurately weigh a wing or a stabilizer to
see if you are building in the right
ballpark. Get in the habit of weighing
everything and keeping good records.
Weigh your tissue and condenser paper,
and convert it to grams or ounces per 100
square feet to find the lightest available.
Mylar plastic comes in thicknesses that are
much lighter (and much stronger) than
tissue coverings. WES-Technik sells a 2-
micron film used in built-up Hand-
Launched Gliders. For Duration Rubber
flying, the best is a cellulose acetate film
only 0.6 micron thick called OS film. It is
available from Alan Cohen.
Apply these films by spraying the
framework with 3M Super 77 contact
cement and laying the work facedown on
the film. Weigh the balsa you use in sheet
and strip form, and convert it to poundsper-
cubic-foot (ppcf) density. Indoor
applications use 4-6 ppcf wood for most
applications, with 8 and 10 ppcf wood for
the more stressed propeller spars, wing
posts, and motorsticks.
Cut your own sticks too. They will be
much lighter, and you will save a great
deal of money compared with buying
precut spars. And of course, weigh all your
motors and keep a record of that. I have
two three-ring binders to keep my notes in,
with dividers according to model class.
One has building records and plans I keep
at home, and one for flying I take to
contests and practice sessions to keep track
of what worked and what did not.
You are looking at $45-$75 for a
micrometer balsa stripper, $160 for a good
rubber stripper, and $50-$300 (or more)
for a balance.
If you ask me if this kind of cash outlay
is necessary, I will tell you about my brief
foray into robotics. A reader wrote to one
of the electronics magazines I subscribed
to at the time and questioned whether an
oscilloscope purchase was necessary. The
editors answered that it was “the price of
entry into the hobby,” meaning that you
could do without it but not do well.
The accompanying table lists some
motor choices to get you started, whether
you choose a kit version, plans, or build
from scratch. Each kit comes with full-size
plans and complete instructions, so the kit
could be your first effort, with lighter,
more advanced models from the plans
provided as a next step.
Always build several of the same
design, because each model will be better
and different from the one before. Indoor
fliers seldom tell you how many of a
particular airplane they have brought to a
contest, but they will tell you that they
have six or seven propellers, three wings,
two tails, and four motorsticks.
This advice goes in spades for motors.
You might cut some 62, 64, and 66 mil
rubber and have it ready to tie into
different-size loops at the contest, stored in
carefully labeled envelopes or plastic bags.
Some of the competition motors in the
table are described by weight rather than
thickness. That’s because the rubber strip’s
thickness and density varies from batch to
batch, so weight is much more constant
than size. Another reason is that weight
indicates the total energy potential that can
be expected from a motor.
The Future of Indoor: Some in the Indoor
community, fine people though they are,
would make this a short section because
they say there is no future to Indoor
modeling. Participation decreases each
year, and there will be no one to fill the
ranks as the great ones pass on to that great
site in the sky.
36 MODEL AVIATION
10sig2.QXD 7/23/04 11:30 am Page 36
That is baloney (as we used to say in
New Jersey, where we ate a lot of it). As
editor of INAV, I’ve seen the subscription
rolls climb from 550 when I started two
years ago to more than 700 today.
Jim Buxton, Dave Linstrum, Bud
Tenny, Don Ross, Bob Warmann, John
Worth, and many others continue to write
about Indoor FF and contribute articles and
columns, so we get our fair share of
coverage.
I saw 10 Juniors and Seniors at the last
contest—many from SO beginnings—and
a few already flying at a world-class level.
Sure, the great Doc Martin passed away,
and with it his Miami Indoor Aircraft
Model Association Indoor club, but the
Florida Flyers have emerged like a
phoenix from their own ashes, thanks to
the efforts of Bill Carney in Jacksonville
and others. To prove it, they just held a
successful meet in the Tampa Armory. I
was there, and it was a hoot.
The fastest-growing segment is indoor
micro RC. Such pioneers as Bob Wilder of
Wilder Winder fame, MA “Micro-Flying”
columnist Dave Robelen, and John Worth
of RC MicroFlight magazine are at the
leading edge of incredible growth in this
area of the hobby.
RC components have shrunken in size
so much in the last few years that any
small, light, electric-powered FF model
can be modified and flown successfully.
Open to debate is how indoor electric RC
will be compatible with classic pure
Rubber models.
The answer has to be equal but
separate. Except for the lightest electricpowered
models used in AMA events
221—Free Flight Electric Power—and
627—Indoor Electric Duration (and even
inclusion of these is at the CD’s
discretion)—everyone will be happiest if
rubber and RC keep their separate ways,
just as all good contests are separated into
“heavies” and “lights” flying in different
time slots.
The National Indoor Remote-controlled
Aircraft Council (NIRAC) knows this and
has its contests in such places as the
Oakland Yard Athletics dome in
Waterford, Michigan. If this commonsense
approach continues, it will be good for the
hobby.
We are seeing what the future holds
with the introduction of smaller and lighter
receivers and servos, geared pager motor
drives weighing a gram or less, and Li-
Poly cells that double and triple flight
times. But the innovations are not limited
to radio; carbon rod and tubes are standard
building materials now, as are Depron
foam sheets and Mylar and polyester
covering films.
Bill Gowen’s composite Carbon Copy,
a Hand Launched Glider, uses carbon rod
and tough Mylar covering, and it wins.
Tungsten wire used to be the main
bracing material for ultralight F1D models,
but the current trend seems to be more
toward unbraced wings and motorsticks.
Instead of tungsten-wire rigging, the
pieces are reinforced by laying down
carbon and boron fibers and running a tiny
amount of cyanoacrylate along the whole
length for stiffness. Laurie Barr of England
uses boron fiber on four sides of his
hollow motorsticks, and he says they come
out “as stiff as a pool cue.” The fibers are
so thin that the weight penalty is small.
Florida Flyer Jake Larson is famous for
his balsa-sheet Scale models, which he
often converts to electric-powered FF
aircraft. Now he is into doing the same
thing with foam sheet. Although the foam
is not as strong as balsa, his airplanes are
so light that it doesn’t matter. He brought
quite a selection to the Tampa Armory,
and they all flew well.
We will see more and more of all these
new materials and techniques in the
seasons to come.
Perhaps the best thing for our hobby in
the future is the growing list of supplies
and information available on the Internet.
No matter what your interest or specialty,
you will be able to download plans,
instructions, and articles, and then order
almost anything you can think of while
sitting at a keyboard.
The addresses and sites at the end of
At Your Hobby Shop or
Online.
Specializing in
Scale ARFs of
‘Homebuilt’ Aircraft.
800-297-1707
Farmington Hills, MI
Check out the rest of our incredible fleet online!
RV-6/6A, Zodiac XL, Challenger II, Europa XS, Glastar, Velocity XL
Scale: 1:5.0
Wingsapn: 75" or 59" ‘Clippable’
Length: 43" Wing Area: 881in2 or 693in2
Flying Weight: 7 - 8 lbs
Wing Loading: 21 oz/ft2 or 25 oz/ft2
Radio: 4 CH 5 Servos Engines: .40 - .46 in3
EAM Quad City Ulralight’s
Challenger ll
Great Electric and Float Conversion!
www.RCHomebuilts.com™
A Sport Scale Plane that’s
...One of a Kind!
10sig2.QXD 7/23/04 11:30 am Page 38
40 MODEL AVIATION
this article are by no means definitive, but
most of them have links to other sites, to
take you as far as you care to go. It is an
exciting time to be in the hobby, and I
hope you will try Indoor modeling and
come fly with us.
Indoor FF Manufacturers and Suppliers:
In the almost 20 years since Ron
Williams’ lament that I included at the
beginning of this article, quite a few brave
souls have ventured into supplying the
Indoor market.
At least two things have helped this
along, the first of which is the increasing
use of exotic, non-hobby-shop materials
such as tungsten wire and boron and
carbon fiber. Second is the recent
explosion of E-mail and Web sites, giving
equal opportunities to modelers living
anywhere on the globe.
The following list will be more than
enough to get you started. But if this
article has generated more questions than
answers, write or E-mail me. MA
Carl Bakay
1621 Lake Salvador Dr.
Harvey LA 70058
[email protected]
Manufacturers and Suppliers:
MA magazine, AMA insurance and
services:
AMA
5161 E. Memorial Dr.
Muncie IN 47302
(765) 287-1256
www.modelaircraft.org
Spartan (Send $10 for the Spartan building
guide):
Gary Baughman
470 Hardage Farm Dr. NW
Marietta GA 30064
Tan II rubber, indoor ARFs, kits:
FAI Model Supply
John Clapp
Box 366
Sayre PA 18840
(570) 882-9873
www.faimodelsupply.com
Winder/counters, bearings, supplies:
Geauga Precision Models
W. D. Johnson
9113 Robinson Rd.
Chardon OH 44024
[email protected]
Wood, hardware, kits:
House of Balsa
Winner R/C Hobbies
ONLINE STORE
12368 Valley Blvd. #109, El Monte, CA 91732
ORDERS ONLY 800-780-0100
Information 626-618-0300
ONLINE ORDER AND MORE INFORMATION AT
www.winnerrc.com
All In One Power Panel (with a built-in field charger)
Pacific Aeromodels took the proven high quality technology of its quarter scale
Laser to the next level by adding the new 27% Edge 540 T to its mid sized lineup.
Designed for IMAC and 3D type aerobatics, as well as sport flying, the Edge’s
light weight and sophisticated aerodynamic design give it the unique ability to
wring truly outstanding performance from smaller and less expensive engines
and radio equipment than the competition. The 27% Edge offers top-of-the-line
quality, ease of assembly and unlimited performance in the air without the nasty
habits of some other scale aerobatics.
Wingspan: 82" • Wing Area: 1,139 Sq. In. • Overall Length: 67 1/2" • Weight:
14.5 lbs. • Wing Loading: 29.3 Oz./Sq. Ft • Engine: 1.60-2.10 Glow, 40c.c. Gas
• Radio: 4 CH (1 std and 5 high torque servos)
Aero Shark 40 ARF
Radio: Requires 4 Ch (6 servos) • Wing Span: 72 in. • Wing Area: 857
sq. in. • Flying Wt: 7.9-9.5 lbs • Engine: .60-1.08 (2C), .90-1.20 (4C),
Gas 24cc • Color: Red, Blue
Combo W/ Saito FA-100 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $559.99
Combo W/ Saito FA-120 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $609.99
Wingspan: 63" • Wing Area: 596 Sq. In. • Overall Length: 54 1/2"
• Weight: 5.5 lbs. • Engine: .40 - .53 2C or .52 - .72 4C
A swept-back shoulder wing? A fuselage that reminds you of a
fish? You either like it’s looks, or you don’t, but you’ll LOVE the
way it flies. Pacific’s new 40 size Aero Shark is big, fast, smooth
and very aerobatic, yet it’s slow speed handling is superb and it
lands like a trainer. As a second or third airplane, an aerobatic
trainer or a Sunday sport flyer, you can’t beat the high quality
AERO SHARK ARF.
Combo: w/TT Pro-46 engine.................$189.99
SALE! $119.99
Field Equipment Field Box (pre-built)
Two Drawer Field Box
• Fully assembled
• Painted and fuel proof
• Light weight
• Adjustable cradle
• Removable power compartment
Combo: Two Drawer Field Box (prebuilt) • 12v
7 amp maintenance free battery • 12V 500
mAh charger (AC) • Starter 150 • Standard
Power Panel • Electric Fuel Pump • Glow
starter w/charger • 4 way wrench . . $139.99
$39.99
Radio: Requires 4 Ch • 5 servos (3 standard, 2 Micro) •
Wing Span: 50 in. • Wing Area: 723 sq. in. • Length 40
in. • Flying Wt: 3.7-4.1 lbs • Engine: .25 - .35 cu.in. (2C)
or .30 - .40 (4C) • Color: Military, Red/Silver, Yellow
Radio: 4Ch (5 servos (3 standard, 2 micro)
Combo: w/Saito 40 engine ............$379.99
Tiger Moth ARF .30 Size • All wood construction.
• 95% ready to fly.
• Balsa Built-up upper and
lower wing plug in for
easy assembly.
• Pre-covered with real
iron-on film.
• Fiber glass cowl already
painted.
• Factory installed pull-pull
controls system on
rudder and elevator.
• Comes with all hardware
and accessories.
• Flies like a trainer.
• Both sizes come with
Flying Wire.
• Ready to fly in just 15
hours.
Radio: Requires 4 Ch • 5 servos • Wing Span: 78 in. •
Wing Area: 1841 sq. in. • Length 65.7 in. • Flying Wt:
10-11 lbs • Engine: .90 cu.in. (2C) or 1.20 (4C) • Color:
Military, Red/Silver, Yellow
Combo: w/Saito 120 engine...........$699.99
$219.99
$399.99
Tiger Moth ARF 1.20 Size
Radio: Requires 4 Ch • 6 servos • Wing Span: 82 in. •
Wing Area: 1175 sq. in. • Length 62.5 in. • Flying Wt:
12-13 lbs • Engine: 1.08-1.60 cu.in. (2C), 1.20-1.80
(4C) or 26cc (Gas)
“Gee Bee-Y” 120 size ARF • All Wood Construction.
• Pre-Covered in real iron
film.
• Fiberglass cowling (10
in. dia.) and wheel pants
already painted.
• Dummy engine included.
• 95% Factory Assembled.
• Ready to fly in just 12
hours.
• All hardware is included.
• Easy to fly.
• Plug in wing.
Combo: w/Saito 150 engine...........$733.99
Combo: w/Saito 180 engine...........$763.99
Combo: w/Zenoah G-26 engine.......$643.99
SALE! $379.99
1/4 Scale 3D Capable Laser 200
ARF
Laser 200 .40 size ARF
$319.99
• All wood construction
• 95% ready to fly
• Covered with real ironon
film. • Fiberglass cowl
and wheel pants. • Plug in
wings. • Ready to fly in
12 hours. • Double
beveling on both wing
and tail feathers.
Radio: Requires 4 Ch (5 servos) • Wing Span: 55 in. • Wing Area: 564
sq. in. • Flying Wt: 5.7 lbs • Engine: .40-.47 (2C), .50-.70 (4C) • Red
Combo W/ Saito FA-72. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $389.99
Combo W/ Thunder Tiger-46 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $259.99
$189.99
This light weight Starter has a comfortable size
that fits very well in one hand. The 3:1 geared
reduction design for starting engines up to 1.8
cu. in. The big cup and double side rubber cone
will fit from 1/2” prop nuts to 5” spinners.
PAM-1002B Starter . . . . . . . . . $44.99
• Functions as a regular power panel
and as a field charger for your Tx
(9.6V), Rx (4.8V or 6.0V) and glow
starter (1.2V).
• Never miss as day's flying because
of low batteries.
• Digital peak-detection, pulsecurrent
charger for Rx
(4.8V and 6.0 V).
• Charges NiCd and Ni-Mh batteries.
Power Panel PAC-MF0502 . $44.99
Portable Super Starter
(Assembled)
Super Starter with battery holder and 2 x
7.2V 1500 mah battery pack also including
1x charging adapter (Tamiya - Dean). We put
it together for you. Will start engines up to
2.1 cu. in.
PAM-1002PP Starter ..........$89.99
Super Starter
Small size but high torque.
Wingspan: 59" • Wing Area: 620 Sq. In. • Overall Length: 52 1/2" •
Weight: 6 lbs. • Wing Loading: 22.3 Oz./Sq. Ft. • Engine: .40 - .53 2C
or .56 - .72 4C • Radio: 4 Ch (6 standard servos)
Combo W/ Saito FA-72 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $419.99
Edge 540T 40/72 ARF
$209.99
Pacific’s new 40 and 60 size Edge
540T ARFs have all the big plane
features like plug-in wings, dual
aileron servos, tail mounted elevator
servos and a pull–pull rudder, and
they use normal sport engines and
standard radio equipment. Best of
all, they are specially designed to fly
with the smoothness and precision
of a much larger airplane.
Wingspan: 65" • Wing Area: 765 Sq. In. • Overall Length: 58 1/2" •
Weight: 8 lbs. • Wing Loading: 24.1 Oz./Sq. Ft • Engine : .61-.91(2C),
.80-1.00(4C) • Radio: 4 Ch (6 standard servos)
Combo W/ Saito FA-100 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $519.99
Edge 540T
60/100 ARF
$264.99
$439.9927% Edge 540T ARF
Pacific Aeromodel’s Edge 540T Series
For 3000mAh
battery
add $30.00.
10sig2.QXD 7/23/04 11:31 am Page 40
10101 Yucca Rd.
Adelanto CA 92301
(760) 246-6462
www.houseofbalsa.com
Scales, rubber strippers, coverings, kits:
Indoor Model Specialties
Ray Harlan
15 Happy Hollow Rd.
Wayland MA 01778
(508) 358-4013
Novice kits, SO materials, all supplies:
Indoor Model Supply
Lew Gitlow
Box 2020
Florence OR 97439
www.indoormodelsupply.com
The Indoor newsletter (one year for $15 in
US, $19 in Canada), articles, plans:
Indoor News and Views
Tim Goldstein, subscription editor
13096 W. Cross Dr.
Littleton CO 80127
www.indoorduration.com
(Download a free issue and subscribe)
P-24 kits, plans, supplies:
Mace Model Aircraft Co.
Don Mace
359 S. 119th East Ave.
Tulsa OK 74128
Scale kits, rubber, supplies:
Micro-X
Box 1063-A
Lorain OH 44055
(440) 282-8354
[email protected]
Classroom kit packs, SO, Delta Dart,
gliders:
Midwest Products Co., Inc.
Educational Products Division
Box 564
Hobart IN 46342
(800) 348-3497
www.midwestproducts.com
OS Film:
42 MODEL AVIATION
Alan Cohen
2115 State Route 31
Glen Gardner NJ 08826
Fax: (908) 537-0111
[email protected]
Kits, supplies:
Peck-Polymers
Box 710399
Santee CA 92072
(619) 488-1833
www.peck-polymers.com
Precision-cut balsa, basswood:
Specialized Balsa Wood
Jake Zimmer
1656 Carol Dr.
Loveland CO 80537
[email protected]
www.specializedbalsa.com
Supplies:
WES-Technik
Klosterstr. 12
D-72644 Oberboihingen
Germany
[email protected]
www.wes-technik.de/
Sites Containing More Information:
Cleveland Clowns Indoor page
www.indoorfreeflight.com
Bill Kuhl’s Delta Dart site
www.luminet.net/~bkuhl/rubber.htm
NFFS home page
http://freeflight.org/
Martin’s worldwide links
www.ivyandmartin.demon.co.uk/page
2.htm
Michael J. Woodhouse supplies
www.freeflightsupplies.co.uk
Tim Goldstein’s Indoor balsa
www.f1d.biz
Ed Wiley’s Web page
www.sunflower.com/~edwiley/
NIRAC Indoor RC
www.nirac.org
Tim Goldstein’s INAV site
www.indoorduration.com
Del Ogren’s Indoor site
www.n-lemma.com
Glen Davison’s Indoor site
http://people.ne.mediaone.net/indoor
Daniel Hartstein’s Indoor site:
http://w1.871.telia.com/~u87106779/
Thayer Syme’s FF site:
www.sirius.com/~thayer/modelhp.html
Mr. NiCd’s BATTERIES AMERICA
www.batteriesamerica.com
Autumn 2004 Specials (Order ONLINE too)
PLATINUM POLYMER
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#2LP300* 7.4v 300mAh Li-POLY pk (13 gms/0.46oz) $20.95
#2LP400 7.4v 400mAh Li-POLY pk(18 gms/ 0.64oz) $18.95
#2LP650 7.4v 650mAh Li-POLY pk (28 gms/ 1 oz) $20.95
#2LP800* 7.4v 800mAh Li-POLY pk (34 gms/ 1.2oz) $27.95
#2LP900 7.4v 900mAh Li-POLY pk (38 gms/ 1.35oz)$23.95
#2LP1200 7.4v 1200mAh Li-POLY pk (48 gms/1.7oz) $25.95
#2LP1500*7.4v 1500mAh Li-POLY pk (62 gms/2.2oz) $39.95
#2LP1700 7.4v 1700mAh Li-POLY pk (68 gms/2.4 oz) $31.95
#2LP1900 7.4v 1900mAh Li-POLY pk (76 gms/2.7oz) $34.95
#2LP2200 7.4v 2200mAh Li-POLY pk (88 gms/3.3 oz) $38.95
*300, 800, & 1500mAh are HIGHER-AMP packs ( 5C discharge!)
QN-012BC charger QN-012DC charger VR5.4 / VR6.0
#QN-012BC Fast-Smart Charger (AC) for Li-POLY pk. $19.95
#QN-012DC Fast-Smart 12VDC charger for Li-POLYpk. $19.95
#VR5.4 Voltage Regulator –limits output to 5.4V max $19.95
#VR6.0 Voltage Regulator –limits output to 6.0V max $19.95
NEW Lithium Polymer cells – with E-Z solder tabs !
#P145 3.7v 145mAh Li-POLYcell (4 gms / 0.13 oz)$ 5.95ea
#P300* 3.7v 300mAh Li-POLYcell (6.5 gms /.23 oz)$ 7.95ea
#P400 3.7v 400mAh Li-POLYcell (9 gms / 0.32oz) $ 6.95ea
#P650 3.7v 650mAh Li-POLYcell (14 gms / 0.5 oz) $ 7.95ea
#P800* 3.7v 800mAh Li-POLYcell (17 gms / 0.6 oz) $10.95ea
#P900 3.7v 900mAh Li-POLYcell (19 gms/ 0.67oz) $ 9.95ea
#P1200 3.7v 1200mAh Li-POLY cell (24 gms/0.85oz) $10.95ea
#P1500*3.7v 1500mAh Li-POLY cell (31 gms/1.1oz) $15.95ea
#P1700 3.7v 1700mAh Li-POLY cell (34 gms/1.2oz) $12.95ea
#P1900 3.7v 1900mAh Li-POLY cell (38 gms/1.35oz)$13.95ea
#P2200 3.7v 2200mAh Li-POLY cell(44 gms/1.65oz)$14.95ea
*300, 800, & 1500mAh are HIGHER-AMP packs ( 5C discharge!)
Motor packs, R/C packs, TX packs, & more!
New HiCell electric flight Ni-MH packs!
For park flyers, etc. Shapes: A=Flat; B=twin-stick; C=two rows;
D=four sticks. JST conn.=add $3.00. Deans Ultra conn.=add $5.
Cell # size / mAh / $ each 7.2v 8.4v 9.6v 10.8v 12.0v
AP-350 1/3AA, 350mAh $2.50 $23.95 $26.95 $29.95 $32.95 $35.95
AP-700 2/3AA, 700mAh $2.50 $23.95 $26.95 $29.95 $32.95 $35.95
AP-1000 2/3A,1000mAh$3.00 $24.95 $27.95 $30.95 $33.95 $36.95
MOTOR PACKS w/ SANYO Ni-Cd cells (no connector):
Shapes (see above). Add deans ULTRA connector for $5.00 xtra
Cell # size /mAh / $ each 7.2v 8.4v 9.6v 10.8v 12.0v
N-500AR(2/3A 500mA) $2.50 $20.00 $24.00 $28.00 $32.00 $36.00
KR600AE(2/3A 600mA) $1.95 $17.00 $20.00 $23.00 $26.00 $29.00
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Choose Futaba J, JR-HITEC-Z, or AIRTRONICS(old) plug!
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4.8 volt 1100mAh (long-life AA NiCd, w/conn.) $13.95ea.
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Y-connector:$5.50 ea / Switch Harness:$6.50ea
SANYO Transmitter Packs w/leads. Shapes shown above
Choose SQUARE(D) or Side-by-Side (A). Add TX plug for $3.00.
9.6 volt 700mAh (square or SxS, w/ leads) $16.95ea.
9.6 volt 1100mAh (square or SxS, w/ leads) $22.95ea.
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10sig2.QXD 7/23/04 11:31 am Page 42
Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/10
Page Numbers: 26,27,28,29,30,32,34,36,38,40,42
I AM NOT a famous Indoor-model flier. As
have Dave Rees and Bob Aberle, who wrote
the “State of the Sport” articles before me, I
have been active in all forms of the hobby
since I was a kid growing up in New Jersey
in the 1950s. Unlike them, I am a sport flier,
a writer, and a newsletter editor, and I have
worked hard at staying a novice when it
comes to competition.
According to other writers, we take turns
and detours in our lives that change us
forever. This happened for me in May 1998.
On a lark, I drove the 712 miles from New
Orleans, Louisiana, to the East Tennessee
State University campus in Johnson City,
Tennessee, where the US Indoor
Championships is held each year in a
covered football stadium called the Mini-
Dome.
I walked through the outer doors to a
gymnasium hallway, complete with locker
rooms and showers, and then through a
second set of inner doors to the running
track and playing field, which was 400 feet
long and 116 feet high. I stood transfixed, as
they say, and my mouth stood open as I
watched these beautiful airplanes circle
slowly and majestically over my head.
I was hooked then, and I am hooked
now. But don’t believe me; to learn what is
so great about “Indoor,” as it is called, I’ll
quote Ron Williams.
“Indoor model building and flying is an
innocent sport. There is little profit to be
made, if any, in the commerce it engenders,
though some enterprising indoor
entrepreneur could find ways, I’m sure.
“Because it tends to be so low key and
deceptively complex, it has never enjoyed
the attention that noisier, more dynamic
forms of modeling have received. The
consequence is that there has never been
enough information in any one place to get a
good start with this part of the hobby.”
Therefore, Ron wrote and illustrated the
first definitive how-to on the subject. His
1984 book Building and Flying Indoor
Model Airplanes was a milestone then and a
classic now, but I think it is out of print.
Returning to Johnson City a few years
later as editor of the fancy Indoor News and
Views (INAV) magazine, numerous people
came up to shake my hand and offered
compliments, good wishes, and occasional
war stories while I was trying to count the
winds in my motor or time a flight.
But by Day Two I learned not to be
annoyed—that something larger was going
on. I was part of a community.
As in all facets of our hobby, many types of
models are flown in Indoor. Any Outdoor
rubber-powered FF design can be made
lighter and smaller and flown inside. Heavy
and strong are no longer requirements when
there are no wind gusts or tree limbs in the
way.
A good example of this is the Bostonian.
These little 16-inch-wingspan cuties are
flown outdoors with a 14-gram-minimum
weight requirement and indoors with a 7-
gram-minimum weight requirement.
Although it’s hard to get down to 7 grams
the first few times you try, flight duration
goes from two minutes for an outdoor
Bostonian to five and six minutes or more
for the lighter indoor versions. In a place
like Johnson City, with some of the “best
air” anywhere, after all that time, your
model will land about where it started.
It’s all about duration. As do the Scale
models of the Flying Aces Club, some
Indoor events award charisma points and
appearance points, but the ability to outfly
everyone else’s aircraft is the key to Indoorcontest
success.
Origins—the Baby ROG: The first modelairplane
clubs started in the New York City
area as early as 1907. The famous Frank
Zaic flew in that city’s Central Park in the
1920s and 1930s. Balsa wood wasn’t used
until roughly 1911, so most early models
were made from pine, bamboo, and spruce.
Rubber motors were cut from tire inner
tubes, and plans were drawn on wrapping
paper. For more about this and Indoor
modeling history in general, see Bill Kuhl’s
site; the address is at the end of this article.
Our hobby can be clearly divided into
two times: before 1927 and after 1927. That
year a shy, handsome private pilot named
26 MODEL AVIATION
State of thIe nSpordt: oor Flight
b y C a r l B a k ay
Free
Steve Gardner’s drawings on the
cover of INAV Issue #106 show one
route to more serious Indoor fun.
Text has details.
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 3:51 pm Page 26
Charles Lindbergh flew a highly modified and overloaded Ryanbuilt
monoplane nonstop across the Atlantic Ocean. The effect on
the youth of the era was nothing less than galvanic, and modeling as
a hobby followed the groundswell. The number of kit manufacturers
went from perhaps 20 in 1927 to more than 2,000 in 1928.
Let’s go back to modeling in the Depression years of the 1930s.
We are in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it’s wintertime. A group
of clubs is making something called the “Philadelphia Model
Airplane Association.”
They are giving out plans for a Baby ROG—not full-scale, of
course. Part of your apprenticeship (if you want to join) is to scale
up the plans on the back of some brown paper or, if you know a
paperboy, a sheet of blank newsprint from the pressroom.
Then you have to build your own model, carve your own
propeller, and get the aircraft to rise off the ground and fly indoors
for 30 seconds. This is quite an achievement (especially if you use
strips cut from automobile inner tubes to power it), although flights
of more than a minute are possible. You then make it to the rank of
“grease monkey” and can fly in Saturday contests.
John Walker wrote about his modeling origins with the Baby
ROG in the July 1981 R/C Model Builder magazine. Send me an
SASE, and I’ll send you free plans for the Baby ROG from that
issue.
(Did you notice that the Baby ROG was in R/C Model Builder?
Dave Rees mentioned in his July 2001 “State of the Sport: Free
Flight Scale” article that after getting into Scale models, he was
amazed by how many great building and finishing tips he gleaned
from old CL, FF, and RC articles in his magazine collection. The
same is true for Indoor.)
There were many versions of the Baby ROG, but it was a
milestone in any of its forms. Why? Because it flew! Of all those
Nickel Scale, Dime Scale, and quarter-scale models that the 2,000
kit makers offered, most would fly from your hand to the ground if
they flew at all. The early clubs knew this and started you out with
something realistic and flyable. Today we have something even
better.
Begin With a Delta Dart: Bill Kuhl has to be the Delta Dart’s
biggest fan. Read the following from his Web site and you’ll see
why.
“The Delta Dart appeared in the April 1967 issue of American
Modeler. It was designed by AMA’s [then] Technical Director Frank
Ehling and promoted by Dick and Ruth Meyer.
“Why is it so great? With the exception of the motorstick, the
AMA Dart is made entirely from 1⁄16 x 1⁄8-inch balsa strip. Some
beginners’ models such as the Peck ROG utilize 1⁄16-inch square
balsa, which although lighter, is difficult for the beginner to handle
without breaking, and the structure will more easily warp.
“Also, the one-piece motorstick comes with the correct stabilizer
incidence built in. The joints used at the tips of the wing, stabilizer,
and vertical fin can be less than perfect and still be adequately strong
because the covering material reinforces the joint.
“With materials donated by Sig, Dick and Ruth made up 300 kits
on their kitchen table, some of which were taken by Frank Ehling to
the 1966 Nats. Although some people thought the airplane too
simple and heavy, kids found it easy to build and fly. It was thought
that with the pointy wingtips, warps would have less effect because
most of the wing area was closer to the center of the wing.
“Sig decided to sell the same basic airplane as a kit called the
‘AMA Racer.’ The biggest change in the AMA Racer from the
original Delta Dart is that the wing is movable, so center of gravity
adjustments are easy. Another change is that the tailboom is made
from spruce instead of balsa.
“Frank Ehling designed another airplane known as the “AMA
Cub,” but it is sold by Midwest Products as the Delta Dart.
According to the Sig catalog, this is the airplane that has been used
in beginners’ promotions since 1968 and is the most-produced
model airplane of all time.”
The Dart and various rise-off-ground (ROG) stick models are
available in most good hobby shops and many toy stores. If you
October 2004 27
Senior Doug Schaefer (Centerville OH) qualified for the US
Indoor FF team to compete in Slanic, Romania.
Parker Parrish (Alpharetta GA) works on his F1D model. This
high-school student bested many Senior fliers at Akron OH.
Photos by the late Richard Doig.
Photos by the author except as noted
r
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 4:05 pm Page 27
28 MODEL AVIATION
Indoor rubber-powered Scale offers unlimited opportunities
for Outdoor fliers. This 1912 Fokker A was seen at last
year’s Nats at Johnson City TN.
Bostonians ready for charisma judging feature the latest
lifting-body design and wide, slow-turning propellers.
Limited Pennyplanes are capable of flights exceeding 15
minutes. Wingtip plates—a recent innovation—add stability
during high torque at launch. Gardner photo.
The Baby ROG, shown in
one of its original forms,
started many on the road
to successful building and
flying.
Author’s P-24 Mace Models Condor is intended for
beginners but has turned into a design for a hotly contested
one-design mass-launch event. It will do six minutes with a
54-inch single loop of 3⁄32-inch rubber. Steve Gardner photo.
The same skills used in building Outdoor Scale models can
be used in Indoor flying if careful attention is paid to weight.
Indoor Scale models may weigh one-third or more less than
Outdoor models. Gardner photo.
Not only is he a consistent winner, but Larry Cailliau flies
models that are true works of art. Gardner photo.
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 1:17 pm Page 28
don’t know where to go in your area, order a
catalog from Indoor Model Supply, Midwest
Products, or Peck-Polymers.
It is a good idea to build your first few
models exactly according to the instructions,
and even a little heavier than needed, with
extra glue joints and reinforcing fillets in the
corners. This will help it survive all the
banging around it is sure to do at first. You
might take part in or help run an AMA
make-and-take program at one of the
Muncie meets.
A natural question is, What do I build
after the Delta Dart? The answer is, Another
Delta Dart. As you learn to build with
lighter and thinner wood and replace the
heavy plastic propellers with lighter balsa
propellers, you will be building models that
fly much slower and longer, and they suffer
less damage if they hit something.
The world-class endurance models
shown seem to float through the air at
walking speed, or slower, and are most in
danger of being damaged by careless
handling or a sneeze. But their owners will
tell you they had to make several before they
got it just right.
The best thing you can do on your
second, third, and fourth Delta Dart is build
with lighter wood, tissue covering, and a
rubber motor at least twice as long as the
loop that comes with the kit. Bob Warmann
of the Chicago Aeronuts had a Delta Dart
mass launch at the Midwest Championships
this past April, and several flew up to the
94-foot ceiling.
Science Olympiad: The Delta Dart and the
AMA make-and-take programs are great,
but the participants are young—maybe 8, 9,
or 10 years of age—and most do not
continue with the hobby.
Sometimes, though, a parent will catch
the modeling bug along with the youngster,
and great things can happen. That is
especially true with a new wave that has
come along, and there has been nothing like
it since the post-Sputnik catch-up days in
education when I was a kid.
Few events have had as positive an effect
on bringing young people into Indoor
modeling as the Science Olympiad in our
schools. SO, as it’s called, encompasses a
host of biology, chemistry, physics, and
engineering competitions, starting at the
local level, and then moving on to state and
national championships.
It uses a team approach, with an adult
mentor providing guidance and support for a
group of young people. The finale of a
bridge-building exercise can galvanize an
entire class when the time comes to hang
weights on everyone’s creation to see how
much they can hold before they break. The
cheering, jeering, and just plain excitement
are seldom seen outside of sporting events.
SO has an event called The Wright Stuff,
with apologies to author Tom Wolfe and his
book of almost the same name. The rules for
2004 C Division require that the rubberpowered
airplanes have 52cm (20.5-inch)
wingspans and commercially available
October 2004 29
Bill Gowen shows off his composite Hand Launched Glider. This model was
constructed with carbon rod and Mylar covering. Photo by Chuck Markos.
These young fliers competed in the Science Olympiad portion of the Midwest States
Indoor Championships, hosted by the Chicago Aeronuts. Markos photo.
Jim Richmond, with his new Limited Pennyplane, waits his turn to fly at the
University of Illinois Armory. Markos photo.
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 4:07 pm Page 29
plastic propellers no bigger than 24cm (10 inches). The motors can
be any thickness or length but are limited to one loop of 2 grams
maximum weight. The models have a minimum weight limit too; for
2004 it is 8 grams for senior and junior high, without the motor.
Are you confused by the units? Don’t be surprised if you see US
and metric units mixed together like this. The SO originators wanted
to give students a taste of international science. Our country is one
of the few that doesn’t use the metric system every day, although
most scientists and some engineers use it all the time.
Indoor modelers use metric and US units interchangeably,
generally depending on which one allows the use of whole numbers.
It is easier to say 20 centimeters than 77⁄8 inches, and it’s easier to
say your model weighs 10 grams than 0.3527 ounce. But rubber
motors are sold in boxes by the pound, weighed in grams, and the
length of the motor loop is in inches. You get used to it. But flight
time is what it’s all about, and that is minutes and seconds the world
over.
The SO and its twin the Technology Student Association (TSA)
have exploded in popularity in the last few years. There are many
different kits available for the Wright Stuff event, and more than a
dozen plans available, from simple to elegant. The Cleveland
Clowns Web site even offers a tutorial video for sale. Many SO and
TSA mentors are active modelers who belong to clubs, and
“invitational” SO competitions have become common at club meets.
Bill Gowen and Gary Baughman are SO mentors of multiple
teams in the Atlanta, Georgia, area. Gary designed the Spartan,
named after the school mascot, which is a robust model using 1⁄8
square wood similar to the Delta Dart and is designed to take a great
deal of punishment from young hands, gym walls, and ceilings, and
still fly.
Bill designed the Finny Plane, which uses 1⁄16 square wood, as
does the Peck-Polymers ROG, and can be built to 8 grams without
too much effort and puts in long flights as a result.
Both designers are active Thermal Thumbers of Metro Atlanta
members, bringing many of their students to meetings and events.
This is so popular that we “big kids” get into the act with such SO
variants as Senior and Unlimited Rubber.
Duration times here in the south are approximately four minutes,
but a brilliant mentor in California named Cezar Banks designed his
Leading Edge model with a wing so advanced that times exceed six
minutes.
30 MODEL AVIATION
A 1⁄8-inch strip of Tan II rubber is being stripped into smaller
widths, which are checked with a micrometer.
Dave Haught takes Indoor Scale to the max with his flying B-
17. He writes “Scale Matters” for INAV. Tim Goldstein photo.
The Akron Air
Dock hangar in
Ohio was the site
of record
qualification trials
several times a
year. Although big,
it was cluttered
and often drafty.
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 1:19 pm Page 30
32 MODEL AVIATION
And I can’t forget Wayne Johnson, who
had 7:37 when Bill Gowen hosted the Open
SO event in the huge Johnson City Mini-
Dome. That is a long time for a flier—
young or old—and the best thing is that
being indoors, after all those minutes in the
air, your airplane lands at your feet! People
around you sometimes even break out in
applause and cheers. Unlike when you are
outdoors, your beverage is still cold and you
haven’t been bitten by any bug—except that
of Indoor flight.
If you have never made an Indoor model
and you’d like to start with a kit, you can do
no better than the Bambino or the Dipper by
Ray Harlan of Indoor Model Specialties.
You can build two models from one kit.
Another good choice is the Sci Oly 1 by
Lew Gitlow of Indoor Model Supply, but I
have not built it.
If you feel comfortable building from
plans, Gary Baughman’s Spartan is at the
top of my list. After being asked the same
questions by so many people, he decided to
write it all down. Gary offers a complete,
hand-illustrated, step-by-step manual for
building and flying the Spartan, plans
included. Equal in quality but different in
design is the Olympus by Don Slusarczyk.
His Web site contains photos and details.
One-Design Events: Don’t let contest
names such as the “Midwestern States
Indoor Championships” and “US Indoor
Championships” frighten you into not going.
Delta Dart and Double Whammy mass
launches are held at the Midwestern States
Indoor Championships in Champaign,
Illinois, and the last one down is the winner.
The Double Whammy was featured in the
November 1999 MA, and there was a
follow-up article about how to make it more
competitive.
The US Indoor Championships at
Johnson City, Tennessee, features a P-24
Condor mass launch. The Condor is a greatflying
model that was used for years at the
Air Force Academy to teach flight
principles. It is available from Mace
Models.
The Thermal Thumbers in Atlanta,
Georgia, have events for the Butterfly—a 7-
inch-span indoor ARF—and Laurie Barr’s
Hangar Rat design.
If you are already pretty good at Outdoor
Hand Launched Glider, Outdoor Catapult
Glider, or Flying Aces Club Scale Rubber,
you can use the same skills in Indoor, except
with lighter materials.
An added benefit of going to contests is
that the larger meets often have vendor
booths where they sell specialty Indoor
items that are not available in your hobby
shop.
Not into traveling? There are postal
events for many of these same models, in
which you fly in your local gym and send
your times in to compete with others from
around the world.
Indoor Today—the Pennyplane, Easy B,
and International F1D: The cover of the
March 2002 INAV was my idea but Steve
Gardner’s artistry. Steve preceded me as
editor, and he filled each issue with great
plans and original illustrations. I arranged
his artwork for four models—the Delta Dart,
Pennyplane, Easy B (EZB), and F1D—from
top to bottom on the cover of Issue #106.
All subscribers received a black-andwhite
version, but the original shows in
striking color one way you can move up in
building skill and flight duration by
graduating from model to model, each more
advanced than the one before. There are
dozens of paths to take; this is just one. I
have already covered the Delta Dart and SO
models, so let’s move on to a possible next
step.
If you weigh a modern penny, it will be
almost 2.50 grams. But before 1984, you got
more for your money; a penny weighed 3.20
grams. That was settled on at the time as the
Pennyplane model’s minimum weight.
There were also restrictions of an 18-inch
span, a 5-inch chord, a 12-inch propeller,
and other guidelines.
This makes it great for the step from SO
to serious Indoor competition. Anyone who
can build a Finny Plane and do four minutes
in a gymnasium can make a 4.0- or 5.0-gram
Pennyplane the first time, and start doing
10+ minutes in a large site.
My first Pennyplane weighed 5.0 grams,
my second one weighed 4.1 grams, and my
current model weighs 3.4 grams. It takes a
great deal of practice, but you can expect to
double your flight times by going from a
5.0-gram to a 3.2-gram airplane.
This design comes in two flavors: the
original version and a Limited Pennyplane.
Both have 18-inch wingspans and can weigh
no less than 3.2 grams, but the Limited rules
allow only a monoplane configuration and a
sheet-balsa propeller with a 12-inch
maximum diameter.
Indoor Model Supply makes a nice
novice kit called the Time Machine. One of
the two I built straight from the package did
six minutes right off the building board in
the 34-foot Tampa Armory. Building lighter
from the same plans, it is possible to do
eight to 10 minutes or more. Those aren’t
contest-winning times, but they give the
builder a great deal of satisfaction and the
confidence to move further along.
A possible next step is the EZB design
invented by Wally Miller. It is a small 18-
inch-span monoplane Rubber model with a
2-inch maximum chord and all-wood
construction. Micro-X makes a nice
beginner’s kit of this model and even
provides the cardboard template around
which the wing is built. Substituting lighter
wood and smaller motor sizes on successive
models will take your duration times into
the double digits.
The attraction of the EZB is that
Pennyplane kit: Time Machine 11-inch propeller 0.070 x 13-inch loop Fast climb
12-inch propeller 0.080 x 14-inch loop Slow climb
Experiment with 0.085 and 0.090 inch.
Pennyplane plans: No-Non-Cents 3.3-gram loop of 21.5 inches
Easy B kit: Micro-X Suggested 12- to 14-inch loop of 0.065-0.046 inch
Easy B plans: Ron Williams Suggested 12- to 14-inch loop of 0.065-0.046 inch
Competition 1.0-gram loop of 15 inches
A-6: Clarence Mather Novice 0.040-0.050 x 10-inch loop
A-6: Slugger Competition 0.037 x 14 inches
MiniStick kit: I.M.S. Suggested 0.025-0.030 x 10 inches
MiniStick plans: MiniQuark Competition 0.025-0.028 x 13 inches
Butterfly RTF Indoor 0.040 x 12 inches
Outdoor 0.055 x 10 inches
P-24 kit: Mace Condor 7-inch N. Pacific 3⁄32 x 36-inch loop (Suggested for sport)
plastic propeller 3⁄32 x 50-inch loop (Competition)
Suggested Models and Motor Sizes for Beginning Indoor Fliers
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 1:20 pm Page 32
34 MODEL AVIATION
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beginners and experts can enjoy it, and
beginners can become experts in a short
time. The most popular contest design is
the Hobby Shopper EZB by Larry Coslick,
which, as the name implies, can be built
from hobby-shop wood and still weigh
only .7 gram and fly for more than 20
minutes. You can download the plans and
construction article for free from Indoor
Duration at www.indoorduration.com.
The bottom model on the cover is the
most challenging and most amazing: the
F1D. It is a world-class airplane, and the
Time Traveler by Steve Brown has done
63 minutes on a tiny .6-gram rubber loop.
Others, who are braver than I am, say it
is the most rewarding model since even
your first F1D will fly longer than
anything you have built previously. But if
you are going to follow me this far, it’s
time to take a detour and get out your
wallet.
Stripping and Weighing Your Own
Materials: Up to a point, you could build
and fly Indoor with common supplies
found in any good hobby shop or general
model catalog. By this I mean that the
propellers could be plastic and all the
wood and rubber motors used could come
in standard sizes.
However, for the Pennyplane, and even
lighter models such as the EZB and
MiniStick, you will want to strip your own
wood and rubber and weigh the finished
pieces more accurately than you have
needed to before this. If serious
competition is in your future, think
seriously about a micrometer balsa
stripper, a rubber stripper, and a precision
pan balance.
The one-piece molded-plastic balsa
strippers used for Outdoor FF models and
use a #11 X-Acto blade aren’t good
enough. Although they are fine for 1⁄8 and
1⁄16 wood sheets, they tend to split thinner
balsa and give wavy and uneven cuts. I am
not referring to fractions of an inch
anymore, but thousandths of an inch. An
EZB’s wing spars and ribs are .020-.030
inch (or 20-30 mil), and this requires a
different approach.
Ray Harlan and Tim Goldstein offer
quality balsa strippers with micrometer
adjustments for the fine tolerances needed.
If you are handy, plans are available so
you can build your own. These tools really
shine when it comes to cutting many LE
and TE spars the same thickness. They are
also used to move a rib template down on
the workpiece the same amount after each
cut to give uniform ribs.
An added advantage is that by angling
the wood, or pushing the piece up in the
middle to bow it, tapered spars and strips
can be cut so more of the weight and
strength is on the inside than on the tips.
Many wing spars and almost all propeller
spars call for tapered stock.
The cutting blocks use carbon-steel,
single-edge razor-blade pieces or surgicalsteel
blades, which are half as thick as XActo
knives and don’t split the wood. (You
can still buy the older carbon-steel, doubleedged
blades, which are brittle and snap to
a fresh, clean edge. Modern stainless
varieties bend rather than break.)
Next comes stripping your own rubber
to make custom-width motors. In Outdoor
flying with multistranded motors, you
change the motor’s cross-section by
increasing or decreasing the number of
strands. But with these light models, we
are down to a single loop. One can do well
in SO and novice Pennyplane with 3⁄32-
inch rubber strip (93-94 mil) from FAI
Supply just as it comes out of the box.
Wind a few motors to the breaking
point so you’ll know what 100% is.
Practice winding to just fewer than
maximum turns, finding the right motor
loop length and the best trim for your
model for that particular site. This could
take several flying sessions or maybe a
whole winter season.
After getting to the point at which no
further improvement in duration is seen
with a single size of rubber, buy your own
rubber stripper. Ray Harlan makes one of
the better ones on the market. When you
get a rubber stripper, you can simplify the
rubber stock in your inventory and only
10sig2.QXD 7/23/04 11:29 am Page 34
buy 1⁄8- or 1⁄4-inch widths.
It’s not a waste either, because when
you cut 1⁄8-inch rubber strip to get .085
inch for your Pennyplane, you can save the
thinner piece for EZB or MiniStick flying.
Keep all your stripped motors in plastic
envelopes, and write the rubber batch,
weight, and thickness on the outside with a
felt-tip pen.
Last, an electronic pan balance that
measures to at least .01 gram, and
preferably to .001 gram, will be a welcome
addition to your shop. Indoor plans give
target weights for model pieces, as well as
the whole, so you need to be able to
accurately weigh a wing or a stabilizer to
see if you are building in the right
ballpark. Get in the habit of weighing
everything and keeping good records.
Weigh your tissue and condenser paper,
and convert it to grams or ounces per 100
square feet to find the lightest available.
Mylar plastic comes in thicknesses that are
much lighter (and much stronger) than
tissue coverings. WES-Technik sells a 2-
micron film used in built-up Hand-
Launched Gliders. For Duration Rubber
flying, the best is a cellulose acetate film
only 0.6 micron thick called OS film. It is
available from Alan Cohen.
Apply these films by spraying the
framework with 3M Super 77 contact
cement and laying the work facedown on
the film. Weigh the balsa you use in sheet
and strip form, and convert it to poundsper-
cubic-foot (ppcf) density. Indoor
applications use 4-6 ppcf wood for most
applications, with 8 and 10 ppcf wood for
the more stressed propeller spars, wing
posts, and motorsticks.
Cut your own sticks too. They will be
much lighter, and you will save a great
deal of money compared with buying
precut spars. And of course, weigh all your
motors and keep a record of that. I have
two three-ring binders to keep my notes in,
with dividers according to model class.
One has building records and plans I keep
at home, and one for flying I take to
contests and practice sessions to keep track
of what worked and what did not.
You are looking at $45-$75 for a
micrometer balsa stripper, $160 for a good
rubber stripper, and $50-$300 (or more)
for a balance.
If you ask me if this kind of cash outlay
is necessary, I will tell you about my brief
foray into robotics. A reader wrote to one
of the electronics magazines I subscribed
to at the time and questioned whether an
oscilloscope purchase was necessary. The
editors answered that it was “the price of
entry into the hobby,” meaning that you
could do without it but not do well.
The accompanying table lists some
motor choices to get you started, whether
you choose a kit version, plans, or build
from scratch. Each kit comes with full-size
plans and complete instructions, so the kit
could be your first effort, with lighter,
more advanced models from the plans
provided as a next step.
Always build several of the same
design, because each model will be better
and different from the one before. Indoor
fliers seldom tell you how many of a
particular airplane they have brought to a
contest, but they will tell you that they
have six or seven propellers, three wings,
two tails, and four motorsticks.
This advice goes in spades for motors.
You might cut some 62, 64, and 66 mil
rubber and have it ready to tie into
different-size loops at the contest, stored in
carefully labeled envelopes or plastic bags.
Some of the competition motors in the
table are described by weight rather than
thickness. That’s because the rubber strip’s
thickness and density varies from batch to
batch, so weight is much more constant
than size. Another reason is that weight
indicates the total energy potential that can
be expected from a motor.
The Future of Indoor: Some in the Indoor
community, fine people though they are,
would make this a short section because
they say there is no future to Indoor
modeling. Participation decreases each
year, and there will be no one to fill the
ranks as the great ones pass on to that great
site in the sky.
36 MODEL AVIATION
10sig2.QXD 7/23/04 11:30 am Page 36
That is baloney (as we used to say in
New Jersey, where we ate a lot of it). As
editor of INAV, I’ve seen the subscription
rolls climb from 550 when I started two
years ago to more than 700 today.
Jim Buxton, Dave Linstrum, Bud
Tenny, Don Ross, Bob Warmann, John
Worth, and many others continue to write
about Indoor FF and contribute articles and
columns, so we get our fair share of
coverage.
I saw 10 Juniors and Seniors at the last
contest—many from SO beginnings—and
a few already flying at a world-class level.
Sure, the great Doc Martin passed away,
and with it his Miami Indoor Aircraft
Model Association Indoor club, but the
Florida Flyers have emerged like a
phoenix from their own ashes, thanks to
the efforts of Bill Carney in Jacksonville
and others. To prove it, they just held a
successful meet in the Tampa Armory. I
was there, and it was a hoot.
The fastest-growing segment is indoor
micro RC. Such pioneers as Bob Wilder of
Wilder Winder fame, MA “Micro-Flying”
columnist Dave Robelen, and John Worth
of RC MicroFlight magazine are at the
leading edge of incredible growth in this
area of the hobby.
RC components have shrunken in size
so much in the last few years that any
small, light, electric-powered FF model
can be modified and flown successfully.
Open to debate is how indoor electric RC
will be compatible with classic pure
Rubber models.
The answer has to be equal but
separate. Except for the lightest electricpowered
models used in AMA events
221—Free Flight Electric Power—and
627—Indoor Electric Duration (and even
inclusion of these is at the CD’s
discretion)—everyone will be happiest if
rubber and RC keep their separate ways,
just as all good contests are separated into
“heavies” and “lights” flying in different
time slots.
The National Indoor Remote-controlled
Aircraft Council (NIRAC) knows this and
has its contests in such places as the
Oakland Yard Athletics dome in
Waterford, Michigan. If this commonsense
approach continues, it will be good for the
hobby.
We are seeing what the future holds
with the introduction of smaller and lighter
receivers and servos, geared pager motor
drives weighing a gram or less, and Li-
Poly cells that double and triple flight
times. But the innovations are not limited
to radio; carbon rod and tubes are standard
building materials now, as are Depron
foam sheets and Mylar and polyester
covering films.
Bill Gowen’s composite Carbon Copy,
a Hand Launched Glider, uses carbon rod
and tough Mylar covering, and it wins.
Tungsten wire used to be the main
bracing material for ultralight F1D models,
but the current trend seems to be more
toward unbraced wings and motorsticks.
Instead of tungsten-wire rigging, the
pieces are reinforced by laying down
carbon and boron fibers and running a tiny
amount of cyanoacrylate along the whole
length for stiffness. Laurie Barr of England
uses boron fiber on four sides of his
hollow motorsticks, and he says they come
out “as stiff as a pool cue.” The fibers are
so thin that the weight penalty is small.
Florida Flyer Jake Larson is famous for
his balsa-sheet Scale models, which he
often converts to electric-powered FF
aircraft. Now he is into doing the same
thing with foam sheet. Although the foam
is not as strong as balsa, his airplanes are
so light that it doesn’t matter. He brought
quite a selection to the Tampa Armory,
and they all flew well.
We will see more and more of all these
new materials and techniques in the
seasons to come.
Perhaps the best thing for our hobby in
the future is the growing list of supplies
and information available on the Internet.
No matter what your interest or specialty,
you will be able to download plans,
instructions, and articles, and then order
almost anything you can think of while
sitting at a keyboard.
The addresses and sites at the end of
At Your Hobby Shop or
Online.
Specializing in
Scale ARFs of
‘Homebuilt’ Aircraft.
800-297-1707
Farmington Hills, MI
Check out the rest of our incredible fleet online!
RV-6/6A, Zodiac XL, Challenger II, Europa XS, Glastar, Velocity XL
Scale: 1:5.0
Wingsapn: 75" or 59" ‘Clippable’
Length: 43" Wing Area: 881in2 or 693in2
Flying Weight: 7 - 8 lbs
Wing Loading: 21 oz/ft2 or 25 oz/ft2
Radio: 4 CH 5 Servos Engines: .40 - .46 in3
EAM Quad City Ulralight’s
Challenger ll
Great Electric and Float Conversion!
www.RCHomebuilts.com™
A Sport Scale Plane that’s
...One of a Kind!
10sig2.QXD 7/23/04 11:30 am Page 38
40 MODEL AVIATION
this article are by no means definitive, but
most of them have links to other sites, to
take you as far as you care to go. It is an
exciting time to be in the hobby, and I
hope you will try Indoor modeling and
come fly with us.
Indoor FF Manufacturers and Suppliers:
In the almost 20 years since Ron
Williams’ lament that I included at the
beginning of this article, quite a few brave
souls have ventured into supplying the
Indoor market.
At least two things have helped this
along, the first of which is the increasing
use of exotic, non-hobby-shop materials
such as tungsten wire and boron and
carbon fiber. Second is the recent
explosion of E-mail and Web sites, giving
equal opportunities to modelers living
anywhere on the globe.
The following list will be more than
enough to get you started. But if this
article has generated more questions than
answers, write or E-mail me. MA
Carl Bakay
1621 Lake Salvador Dr.
Harvey LA 70058
[email protected]
Manufacturers and Suppliers:
MA magazine, AMA insurance and
services:
AMA
5161 E. Memorial Dr.
Muncie IN 47302
(765) 287-1256
www.modelaircraft.org
Spartan (Send $10 for the Spartan building
guide):
Gary Baughman
470 Hardage Farm Dr. NW
Marietta GA 30064
Tan II rubber, indoor ARFs, kits:
FAI Model Supply
John Clapp
Box 366
Sayre PA 18840
(570) 882-9873
www.faimodelsupply.com
Winder/counters, bearings, supplies:
Geauga Precision Models
W. D. Johnson
9113 Robinson Rd.
Chardon OH 44024
[email protected]
Wood, hardware, kits:
House of Balsa
Winner R/C Hobbies
ONLINE STORE
12368 Valley Blvd. #109, El Monte, CA 91732
ORDERS ONLY 800-780-0100
Information 626-618-0300
ONLINE ORDER AND MORE INFORMATION AT
www.winnerrc.com
All In One Power Panel (with a built-in field charger)
Pacific Aeromodels took the proven high quality technology of its quarter scale
Laser to the next level by adding the new 27% Edge 540 T to its mid sized lineup.
Designed for IMAC and 3D type aerobatics, as well as sport flying, the Edge’s
light weight and sophisticated aerodynamic design give it the unique ability to
wring truly outstanding performance from smaller and less expensive engines
and radio equipment than the competition. The 27% Edge offers top-of-the-line
quality, ease of assembly and unlimited performance in the air without the nasty
habits of some other scale aerobatics.
Wingspan: 82" • Wing Area: 1,139 Sq. In. • Overall Length: 67 1/2" • Weight:
14.5 lbs. • Wing Loading: 29.3 Oz./Sq. Ft • Engine: 1.60-2.10 Glow, 40c.c. Gas
• Radio: 4 CH (1 std and 5 high torque servos)
Aero Shark 40 ARF
Radio: Requires 4 Ch (6 servos) • Wing Span: 72 in. • Wing Area: 857
sq. in. • Flying Wt: 7.9-9.5 lbs • Engine: .60-1.08 (2C), .90-1.20 (4C),
Gas 24cc • Color: Red, Blue
Combo W/ Saito FA-100 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $559.99
Combo W/ Saito FA-120 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $609.99
Wingspan: 63" • Wing Area: 596 Sq. In. • Overall Length: 54 1/2"
• Weight: 5.5 lbs. • Engine: .40 - .53 2C or .52 - .72 4C
A swept-back shoulder wing? A fuselage that reminds you of a
fish? You either like it’s looks, or you don’t, but you’ll LOVE the
way it flies. Pacific’s new 40 size Aero Shark is big, fast, smooth
and very aerobatic, yet it’s slow speed handling is superb and it
lands like a trainer. As a second or third airplane, an aerobatic
trainer or a Sunday sport flyer, you can’t beat the high quality
AERO SHARK ARF.
Combo: w/TT Pro-46 engine.................$189.99
SALE! $119.99
Field Equipment Field Box (pre-built)
Two Drawer Field Box
• Fully assembled
• Painted and fuel proof
• Light weight
• Adjustable cradle
• Removable power compartment
Combo: Two Drawer Field Box (prebuilt) • 12v
7 amp maintenance free battery • 12V 500
mAh charger (AC) • Starter 150 • Standard
Power Panel • Electric Fuel Pump • Glow
starter w/charger • 4 way wrench . . $139.99
$39.99
Radio: Requires 4 Ch • 5 servos (3 standard, 2 Micro) •
Wing Span: 50 in. • Wing Area: 723 sq. in. • Length 40
in. • Flying Wt: 3.7-4.1 lbs • Engine: .25 - .35 cu.in. (2C)
or .30 - .40 (4C) • Color: Military, Red/Silver, Yellow
Radio: 4Ch (5 servos (3 standard, 2 micro)
Combo: w/Saito 40 engine ............$379.99
Tiger Moth ARF .30 Size • All wood construction.
• 95% ready to fly.
• Balsa Built-up upper and
lower wing plug in for
easy assembly.
• Pre-covered with real
iron-on film.
• Fiber glass cowl already
painted.
• Factory installed pull-pull
controls system on
rudder and elevator.
• Comes with all hardware
and accessories.
• Flies like a trainer.
• Both sizes come with
Flying Wire.
• Ready to fly in just 15
hours.
Radio: Requires 4 Ch • 5 servos • Wing Span: 78 in. •
Wing Area: 1841 sq. in. • Length 65.7 in. • Flying Wt:
10-11 lbs • Engine: .90 cu.in. (2C) or 1.20 (4C) • Color:
Military, Red/Silver, Yellow
Combo: w/Saito 120 engine...........$699.99
$219.99
$399.99
Tiger Moth ARF 1.20 Size
Radio: Requires 4 Ch • 6 servos • Wing Span: 82 in. •
Wing Area: 1175 sq. in. • Length 62.5 in. • Flying Wt:
12-13 lbs • Engine: 1.08-1.60 cu.in. (2C), 1.20-1.80
(4C) or 26cc (Gas)
“Gee Bee-Y” 120 size ARF • All Wood Construction.
• Pre-Covered in real iron
film.
• Fiberglass cowling (10
in. dia.) and wheel pants
already painted.
• Dummy engine included.
• 95% Factory Assembled.
• Ready to fly in just 12
hours.
• All hardware is included.
• Easy to fly.
• Plug in wing.
Combo: w/Saito 150 engine...........$733.99
Combo: w/Saito 180 engine...........$763.99
Combo: w/Zenoah G-26 engine.......$643.99
SALE! $379.99
1/4 Scale 3D Capable Laser 200
ARF
Laser 200 .40 size ARF
$319.99
• All wood construction
• 95% ready to fly
• Covered with real ironon
film. • Fiberglass cowl
and wheel pants. • Plug in
wings. • Ready to fly in
12 hours. • Double
beveling on both wing
and tail feathers.
Radio: Requires 4 Ch (5 servos) • Wing Span: 55 in. • Wing Area: 564
sq. in. • Flying Wt: 5.7 lbs • Engine: .40-.47 (2C), .50-.70 (4C) • Red
Combo W/ Saito FA-72. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $389.99
Combo W/ Thunder Tiger-46 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $259.99
$189.99
This light weight Starter has a comfortable size
that fits very well in one hand. The 3:1 geared
reduction design for starting engines up to 1.8
cu. in. The big cup and double side rubber cone
will fit from 1/2” prop nuts to 5” spinners.
PAM-1002B Starter . . . . . . . . . $44.99
• Functions as a regular power panel
and as a field charger for your Tx
(9.6V), Rx (4.8V or 6.0V) and glow
starter (1.2V).
• Never miss as day's flying because
of low batteries.
• Digital peak-detection, pulsecurrent
charger for Rx
(4.8V and 6.0 V).
• Charges NiCd and Ni-Mh batteries.
Power Panel PAC-MF0502 . $44.99
Portable Super Starter
(Assembled)
Super Starter with battery holder and 2 x
7.2V 1500 mah battery pack also including
1x charging adapter (Tamiya - Dean). We put
it together for you. Will start engines up to
2.1 cu. in.
PAM-1002PP Starter ..........$89.99
Super Starter
Small size but high torque.
Wingspan: 59" • Wing Area: 620 Sq. In. • Overall Length: 52 1/2" •
Weight: 6 lbs. • Wing Loading: 22.3 Oz./Sq. Ft. • Engine: .40 - .53 2C
or .56 - .72 4C • Radio: 4 Ch (6 standard servos)
Combo W/ Saito FA-72 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $419.99
Edge 540T 40/72 ARF
$209.99
Pacific’s new 40 and 60 size Edge
540T ARFs have all the big plane
features like plug-in wings, dual
aileron servos, tail mounted elevator
servos and a pull–pull rudder, and
they use normal sport engines and
standard radio equipment. Best of
all, they are specially designed to fly
with the smoothness and precision
of a much larger airplane.
Wingspan: 65" • Wing Area: 765 Sq. In. • Overall Length: 58 1/2" •
Weight: 8 lbs. • Wing Loading: 24.1 Oz./Sq. Ft • Engine : .61-.91(2C),
.80-1.00(4C) • Radio: 4 Ch (6 standard servos)
Combo W/ Saito FA-100 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $519.99
Edge 540T
60/100 ARF
$264.99
$439.9927% Edge 540T ARF
Pacific Aeromodel’s Edge 540T Series
For 3000mAh
battery
add $30.00.
10sig2.QXD 7/23/04 11:31 am Page 40
10101 Yucca Rd.
Adelanto CA 92301
(760) 246-6462
www.houseofbalsa.com
Scales, rubber strippers, coverings, kits:
Indoor Model Specialties
Ray Harlan
15 Happy Hollow Rd.
Wayland MA 01778
(508) 358-4013
Novice kits, SO materials, all supplies:
Indoor Model Supply
Lew Gitlow
Box 2020
Florence OR 97439
www.indoormodelsupply.com
The Indoor newsletter (one year for $15 in
US, $19 in Canada), articles, plans:
Indoor News and Views
Tim Goldstein, subscription editor
13096 W. Cross Dr.
Littleton CO 80127
www.indoorduration.com
(Download a free issue and subscribe)
P-24 kits, plans, supplies:
Mace Model Aircraft Co.
Don Mace
359 S. 119th East Ave.
Tulsa OK 74128
Scale kits, rubber, supplies:
Micro-X
Box 1063-A
Lorain OH 44055
(440) 282-8354
[email protected]
Classroom kit packs, SO, Delta Dart,
gliders:
Midwest Products Co., Inc.
Educational Products Division
Box 564
Hobart IN 46342
(800) 348-3497
www.midwestproducts.com
OS Film:
42 MODEL AVIATION
Alan Cohen
2115 State Route 31
Glen Gardner NJ 08826
Fax: (908) 537-0111
[email protected]
Kits, supplies:
Peck-Polymers
Box 710399
Santee CA 92072
(619) 488-1833
www.peck-polymers.com
Precision-cut balsa, basswood:
Specialized Balsa Wood
Jake Zimmer
1656 Carol Dr.
Loveland CO 80537
[email protected]
www.specializedbalsa.com
Supplies:
WES-Technik
Klosterstr. 12
D-72644 Oberboihingen
Germany
[email protected]
www.wes-technik.de/
Sites Containing More Information:
Cleveland Clowns Indoor page
www.indoorfreeflight.com
Bill Kuhl’s Delta Dart site
www.luminet.net/~bkuhl/rubber.htm
NFFS home page
http://freeflight.org/
Martin’s worldwide links
www.ivyandmartin.demon.co.uk/page
2.htm
Michael J. Woodhouse supplies
www.freeflightsupplies.co.uk
Tim Goldstein’s Indoor balsa
www.f1d.biz
Ed Wiley’s Web page
www.sunflower.com/~edwiley/
NIRAC Indoor RC
www.nirac.org
Tim Goldstein’s INAV site
www.indoorduration.com
Del Ogren’s Indoor site
www.n-lemma.com
Glen Davison’s Indoor site
http://people.ne.mediaone.net/indoor
Daniel Hartstein’s Indoor site:
http://w1.871.telia.com/~u87106779/
Thayer Syme’s FF site:
www.sirius.com/~thayer/modelhp.html
Mr. NiCd’s BATTERIES AMERICA
www.batteriesamerica.com
Autumn 2004 Specials (Order ONLINE too)
PLATINUM POLYMER
2-Cell Lithium Polymer Packs – with JST-BEC red conn.
Other connectors are available – please see our website or call us for details.
#2LP300* 7.4v 300mAh Li-POLY pk (13 gms/0.46oz) $20.95
#2LP400 7.4v 400mAh Li-POLY pk(18 gms/ 0.64oz) $18.95
#2LP650 7.4v 650mAh Li-POLY pk (28 gms/ 1 oz) $20.95
#2LP800* 7.4v 800mAh Li-POLY pk (34 gms/ 1.2oz) $27.95
#2LP900 7.4v 900mAh Li-POLY pk (38 gms/ 1.35oz)$23.95
#2LP1200 7.4v 1200mAh Li-POLY pk (48 gms/1.7oz) $25.95
#2LP1500*7.4v 1500mAh Li-POLY pk (62 gms/2.2oz) $39.95
#2LP1700 7.4v 1700mAh Li-POLY pk (68 gms/2.4 oz) $31.95
#2LP1900 7.4v 1900mAh Li-POLY pk (76 gms/2.7oz) $34.95
#2LP2200 7.4v 2200mAh Li-POLY pk (88 gms/3.3 oz) $38.95
*300, 800, & 1500mAh are HIGHER-AMP packs ( 5C discharge!)
QN-012BC charger QN-012DC charger VR5.4 / VR6.0
#QN-012BC Fast-Smart Charger (AC) for Li-POLY pk. $19.95
#QN-012DC Fast-Smart 12VDC charger for Li-POLYpk. $19.95
#VR5.4 Voltage Regulator –limits output to 5.4V max $19.95
#VR6.0 Voltage Regulator –limits output to 6.0V max $19.95
NEW Lithium Polymer cells – with E-Z solder tabs !
#P145 3.7v 145mAh Li-POLYcell (4 gms / 0.13 oz)$ 5.95ea
#P300* 3.7v 300mAh Li-POLYcell (6.5 gms /.23 oz)$ 7.95ea
#P400 3.7v 400mAh Li-POLYcell (9 gms / 0.32oz) $ 6.95ea
#P650 3.7v 650mAh Li-POLYcell (14 gms / 0.5 oz) $ 7.95ea
#P800* 3.7v 800mAh Li-POLYcell (17 gms / 0.6 oz) $10.95ea
#P900 3.7v 900mAh Li-POLYcell (19 gms/ 0.67oz) $ 9.95ea
#P1200 3.7v 1200mAh Li-POLY cell (24 gms/0.85oz) $10.95ea
#P1500*3.7v 1500mAh Li-POLY cell (31 gms/1.1oz) $15.95ea
#P1700 3.7v 1700mAh Li-POLY cell (34 gms/1.2oz) $12.95ea
#P1900 3.7v 1900mAh Li-POLY cell (38 gms/1.35oz)$13.95ea
#P2200 3.7v 2200mAh Li-POLY cell(44 gms/1.65oz)$14.95ea
*300, 800, & 1500mAh are HIGHER-AMP packs ( 5C discharge!)
Motor packs, R/C packs, TX packs, & more!
New HiCell electric flight Ni-MH packs!
For park flyers, etc. Shapes: A=Flat; B=twin-stick; C=two rows;
D=four sticks. JST conn.=add $3.00. Deans Ultra conn.=add $5.
Cell # size / mAh / $ each 7.2v 8.4v 9.6v 10.8v 12.0v
AP-350 1/3AA, 350mAh $2.50 $23.95 $26.95 $29.95 $32.95 $35.95
AP-700 2/3AA, 700mAh $2.50 $23.95 $26.95 $29.95 $32.95 $35.95
AP-1000 2/3A,1000mAh$3.00 $24.95 $27.95 $30.95 $33.95 $36.95
MOTOR PACKS w/ SANYO Ni-Cd cells (no connector):
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Cell # size /mAh / $ each 7.2v 8.4v 9.6v 10.8v 12.0v
N-500AR(2/3A 500mA) $2.50 $20.00 $24.00 $28.00 $32.00 $36.00
KR600AE(2/3A 600mA) $1.95 $17.00 $20.00 $23.00 $26.00 $29.00
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Choose Futaba J, JR-HITEC-Z, or AIRTRONICS(old) plug!
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4.8 volt 1100mAh (long-life AA NiCd, w/conn.) $13.95ea.
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Y-connector:$5.50 ea / Switch Harness:$6.50ea
SANYO Transmitter Packs w/leads. Shapes shown above
Choose SQUARE(D) or Side-by-Side (A). Add TX plug for $3.00.
9.6 volt 700mAh (square or SxS, w/ leads) $16.95ea.
9.6 volt 1100mAh (square or SxS, w/ leads) $22.95ea.
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10sig2.QXD 7/23/04 11:31 am Page 42
Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/10
Page Numbers: 26,27,28,29,30,32,34,36,38,40,42
I AM NOT a famous Indoor-model flier. As
have Dave Rees and Bob Aberle, who wrote
the “State of the Sport” articles before me, I
have been active in all forms of the hobby
since I was a kid growing up in New Jersey
in the 1950s. Unlike them, I am a sport flier,
a writer, and a newsletter editor, and I have
worked hard at staying a novice when it
comes to competition.
According to other writers, we take turns
and detours in our lives that change us
forever. This happened for me in May 1998.
On a lark, I drove the 712 miles from New
Orleans, Louisiana, to the East Tennessee
State University campus in Johnson City,
Tennessee, where the US Indoor
Championships is held each year in a
covered football stadium called the Mini-
Dome.
I walked through the outer doors to a
gymnasium hallway, complete with locker
rooms and showers, and then through a
second set of inner doors to the running
track and playing field, which was 400 feet
long and 116 feet high. I stood transfixed, as
they say, and my mouth stood open as I
watched these beautiful airplanes circle
slowly and majestically over my head.
I was hooked then, and I am hooked
now. But don’t believe me; to learn what is
so great about “Indoor,” as it is called, I’ll
quote Ron Williams.
“Indoor model building and flying is an
innocent sport. There is little profit to be
made, if any, in the commerce it engenders,
though some enterprising indoor
entrepreneur could find ways, I’m sure.
“Because it tends to be so low key and
deceptively complex, it has never enjoyed
the attention that noisier, more dynamic
forms of modeling have received. The
consequence is that there has never been
enough information in any one place to get a
good start with this part of the hobby.”
Therefore, Ron wrote and illustrated the
first definitive how-to on the subject. His
1984 book Building and Flying Indoor
Model Airplanes was a milestone then and a
classic now, but I think it is out of print.
Returning to Johnson City a few years
later as editor of the fancy Indoor News and
Views (INAV) magazine, numerous people
came up to shake my hand and offered
compliments, good wishes, and occasional
war stories while I was trying to count the
winds in my motor or time a flight.
But by Day Two I learned not to be
annoyed—that something larger was going
on. I was part of a community.
As in all facets of our hobby, many types of
models are flown in Indoor. Any Outdoor
rubber-powered FF design can be made
lighter and smaller and flown inside. Heavy
and strong are no longer requirements when
there are no wind gusts or tree limbs in the
way.
A good example of this is the Bostonian.
These little 16-inch-wingspan cuties are
flown outdoors with a 14-gram-minimum
weight requirement and indoors with a 7-
gram-minimum weight requirement.
Although it’s hard to get down to 7 grams
the first few times you try, flight duration
goes from two minutes for an outdoor
Bostonian to five and six minutes or more
for the lighter indoor versions. In a place
like Johnson City, with some of the “best
air” anywhere, after all that time, your
model will land about where it started.
It’s all about duration. As do the Scale
models of the Flying Aces Club, some
Indoor events award charisma points and
appearance points, but the ability to outfly
everyone else’s aircraft is the key to Indoorcontest
success.
Origins—the Baby ROG: The first modelairplane
clubs started in the New York City
area as early as 1907. The famous Frank
Zaic flew in that city’s Central Park in the
1920s and 1930s. Balsa wood wasn’t used
until roughly 1911, so most early models
were made from pine, bamboo, and spruce.
Rubber motors were cut from tire inner
tubes, and plans were drawn on wrapping
paper. For more about this and Indoor
modeling history in general, see Bill Kuhl’s
site; the address is at the end of this article.
Our hobby can be clearly divided into
two times: before 1927 and after 1927. That
year a shy, handsome private pilot named
26 MODEL AVIATION
State of thIe nSpordt: oor Flight
b y C a r l B a k ay
Free
Steve Gardner’s drawings on the
cover of INAV Issue #106 show one
route to more serious Indoor fun.
Text has details.
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 3:51 pm Page 26
Charles Lindbergh flew a highly modified and overloaded Ryanbuilt
monoplane nonstop across the Atlantic Ocean. The effect on
the youth of the era was nothing less than galvanic, and modeling as
a hobby followed the groundswell. The number of kit manufacturers
went from perhaps 20 in 1927 to more than 2,000 in 1928.
Let’s go back to modeling in the Depression years of the 1930s.
We are in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it’s wintertime. A group
of clubs is making something called the “Philadelphia Model
Airplane Association.”
They are giving out plans for a Baby ROG—not full-scale, of
course. Part of your apprenticeship (if you want to join) is to scale
up the plans on the back of some brown paper or, if you know a
paperboy, a sheet of blank newsprint from the pressroom.
Then you have to build your own model, carve your own
propeller, and get the aircraft to rise off the ground and fly indoors
for 30 seconds. This is quite an achievement (especially if you use
strips cut from automobile inner tubes to power it), although flights
of more than a minute are possible. You then make it to the rank of
“grease monkey” and can fly in Saturday contests.
John Walker wrote about his modeling origins with the Baby
ROG in the July 1981 R/C Model Builder magazine. Send me an
SASE, and I’ll send you free plans for the Baby ROG from that
issue.
(Did you notice that the Baby ROG was in R/C Model Builder?
Dave Rees mentioned in his July 2001 “State of the Sport: Free
Flight Scale” article that after getting into Scale models, he was
amazed by how many great building and finishing tips he gleaned
from old CL, FF, and RC articles in his magazine collection. The
same is true for Indoor.)
There were many versions of the Baby ROG, but it was a
milestone in any of its forms. Why? Because it flew! Of all those
Nickel Scale, Dime Scale, and quarter-scale models that the 2,000
kit makers offered, most would fly from your hand to the ground if
they flew at all. The early clubs knew this and started you out with
something realistic and flyable. Today we have something even
better.
Begin With a Delta Dart: Bill Kuhl has to be the Delta Dart’s
biggest fan. Read the following from his Web site and you’ll see
why.
“The Delta Dart appeared in the April 1967 issue of American
Modeler. It was designed by AMA’s [then] Technical Director Frank
Ehling and promoted by Dick and Ruth Meyer.
“Why is it so great? With the exception of the motorstick, the
AMA Dart is made entirely from 1⁄16 x 1⁄8-inch balsa strip. Some
beginners’ models such as the Peck ROG utilize 1⁄16-inch square
balsa, which although lighter, is difficult for the beginner to handle
without breaking, and the structure will more easily warp.
“Also, the one-piece motorstick comes with the correct stabilizer
incidence built in. The joints used at the tips of the wing, stabilizer,
and vertical fin can be less than perfect and still be adequately strong
because the covering material reinforces the joint.
“With materials donated by Sig, Dick and Ruth made up 300 kits
on their kitchen table, some of which were taken by Frank Ehling to
the 1966 Nats. Although some people thought the airplane too
simple and heavy, kids found it easy to build and fly. It was thought
that with the pointy wingtips, warps would have less effect because
most of the wing area was closer to the center of the wing.
“Sig decided to sell the same basic airplane as a kit called the
‘AMA Racer.’ The biggest change in the AMA Racer from the
original Delta Dart is that the wing is movable, so center of gravity
adjustments are easy. Another change is that the tailboom is made
from spruce instead of balsa.
“Frank Ehling designed another airplane known as the “AMA
Cub,” but it is sold by Midwest Products as the Delta Dart.
According to the Sig catalog, this is the airplane that has been used
in beginners’ promotions since 1968 and is the most-produced
model airplane of all time.”
The Dart and various rise-off-ground (ROG) stick models are
available in most good hobby shops and many toy stores. If you
October 2004 27
Senior Doug Schaefer (Centerville OH) qualified for the US
Indoor FF team to compete in Slanic, Romania.
Parker Parrish (Alpharetta GA) works on his F1D model. This
high-school student bested many Senior fliers at Akron OH.
Photos by the late Richard Doig.
Photos by the author except as noted
r
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 4:05 pm Page 27
28 MODEL AVIATION
Indoor rubber-powered Scale offers unlimited opportunities
for Outdoor fliers. This 1912 Fokker A was seen at last
year’s Nats at Johnson City TN.
Bostonians ready for charisma judging feature the latest
lifting-body design and wide, slow-turning propellers.
Limited Pennyplanes are capable of flights exceeding 15
minutes. Wingtip plates—a recent innovation—add stability
during high torque at launch. Gardner photo.
The Baby ROG, shown in
one of its original forms,
started many on the road
to successful building and
flying.
Author’s P-24 Mace Models Condor is intended for
beginners but has turned into a design for a hotly contested
one-design mass-launch event. It will do six minutes with a
54-inch single loop of 3⁄32-inch rubber. Steve Gardner photo.
The same skills used in building Outdoor Scale models can
be used in Indoor flying if careful attention is paid to weight.
Indoor Scale models may weigh one-third or more less than
Outdoor models. Gardner photo.
Not only is he a consistent winner, but Larry Cailliau flies
models that are true works of art. Gardner photo.
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 1:17 pm Page 28
don’t know where to go in your area, order a
catalog from Indoor Model Supply, Midwest
Products, or Peck-Polymers.
It is a good idea to build your first few
models exactly according to the instructions,
and even a little heavier than needed, with
extra glue joints and reinforcing fillets in the
corners. This will help it survive all the
banging around it is sure to do at first. You
might take part in or help run an AMA
make-and-take program at one of the
Muncie meets.
A natural question is, What do I build
after the Delta Dart? The answer is, Another
Delta Dart. As you learn to build with
lighter and thinner wood and replace the
heavy plastic propellers with lighter balsa
propellers, you will be building models that
fly much slower and longer, and they suffer
less damage if they hit something.
The world-class endurance models
shown seem to float through the air at
walking speed, or slower, and are most in
danger of being damaged by careless
handling or a sneeze. But their owners will
tell you they had to make several before they
got it just right.
The best thing you can do on your
second, third, and fourth Delta Dart is build
with lighter wood, tissue covering, and a
rubber motor at least twice as long as the
loop that comes with the kit. Bob Warmann
of the Chicago Aeronuts had a Delta Dart
mass launch at the Midwest Championships
this past April, and several flew up to the
94-foot ceiling.
Science Olympiad: The Delta Dart and the
AMA make-and-take programs are great,
but the participants are young—maybe 8, 9,
or 10 years of age—and most do not
continue with the hobby.
Sometimes, though, a parent will catch
the modeling bug along with the youngster,
and great things can happen. That is
especially true with a new wave that has
come along, and there has been nothing like
it since the post-Sputnik catch-up days in
education when I was a kid.
Few events have had as positive an effect
on bringing young people into Indoor
modeling as the Science Olympiad in our
schools. SO, as it’s called, encompasses a
host of biology, chemistry, physics, and
engineering competitions, starting at the
local level, and then moving on to state and
national championships.
It uses a team approach, with an adult
mentor providing guidance and support for a
group of young people. The finale of a
bridge-building exercise can galvanize an
entire class when the time comes to hang
weights on everyone’s creation to see how
much they can hold before they break. The
cheering, jeering, and just plain excitement
are seldom seen outside of sporting events.
SO has an event called The Wright Stuff,
with apologies to author Tom Wolfe and his
book of almost the same name. The rules for
2004 C Division require that the rubberpowered
airplanes have 52cm (20.5-inch)
wingspans and commercially available
October 2004 29
Bill Gowen shows off his composite Hand Launched Glider. This model was
constructed with carbon rod and Mylar covering. Photo by Chuck Markos.
These young fliers competed in the Science Olympiad portion of the Midwest States
Indoor Championships, hosted by the Chicago Aeronuts. Markos photo.
Jim Richmond, with his new Limited Pennyplane, waits his turn to fly at the
University of Illinois Armory. Markos photo.
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 4:07 pm Page 29
plastic propellers no bigger than 24cm (10 inches). The motors can
be any thickness or length but are limited to one loop of 2 grams
maximum weight. The models have a minimum weight limit too; for
2004 it is 8 grams for senior and junior high, without the motor.
Are you confused by the units? Don’t be surprised if you see US
and metric units mixed together like this. The SO originators wanted
to give students a taste of international science. Our country is one
of the few that doesn’t use the metric system every day, although
most scientists and some engineers use it all the time.
Indoor modelers use metric and US units interchangeably,
generally depending on which one allows the use of whole numbers.
It is easier to say 20 centimeters than 77⁄8 inches, and it’s easier to
say your model weighs 10 grams than 0.3527 ounce. But rubber
motors are sold in boxes by the pound, weighed in grams, and the
length of the motor loop is in inches. You get used to it. But flight
time is what it’s all about, and that is minutes and seconds the world
over.
The SO and its twin the Technology Student Association (TSA)
have exploded in popularity in the last few years. There are many
different kits available for the Wright Stuff event, and more than a
dozen plans available, from simple to elegant. The Cleveland
Clowns Web site even offers a tutorial video for sale. Many SO and
TSA mentors are active modelers who belong to clubs, and
“invitational” SO competitions have become common at club meets.
Bill Gowen and Gary Baughman are SO mentors of multiple
teams in the Atlanta, Georgia, area. Gary designed the Spartan,
named after the school mascot, which is a robust model using 1⁄8
square wood similar to the Delta Dart and is designed to take a great
deal of punishment from young hands, gym walls, and ceilings, and
still fly.
Bill designed the Finny Plane, which uses 1⁄16 square wood, as
does the Peck-Polymers ROG, and can be built to 8 grams without
too much effort and puts in long flights as a result.
Both designers are active Thermal Thumbers of Metro Atlanta
members, bringing many of their students to meetings and events.
This is so popular that we “big kids” get into the act with such SO
variants as Senior and Unlimited Rubber.
Duration times here in the south are approximately four minutes,
but a brilliant mentor in California named Cezar Banks designed his
Leading Edge model with a wing so advanced that times exceed six
minutes.
30 MODEL AVIATION
A 1⁄8-inch strip of Tan II rubber is being stripped into smaller
widths, which are checked with a micrometer.
Dave Haught takes Indoor Scale to the max with his flying B-
17. He writes “Scale Matters” for INAV. Tim Goldstein photo.
The Akron Air
Dock hangar in
Ohio was the site
of record
qualification trials
several times a
year. Although big,
it was cluttered
and often drafty.
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 1:19 pm Page 30
32 MODEL AVIATION
And I can’t forget Wayne Johnson, who
had 7:37 when Bill Gowen hosted the Open
SO event in the huge Johnson City Mini-
Dome. That is a long time for a flier—
young or old—and the best thing is that
being indoors, after all those minutes in the
air, your airplane lands at your feet! People
around you sometimes even break out in
applause and cheers. Unlike when you are
outdoors, your beverage is still cold and you
haven’t been bitten by any bug—except that
of Indoor flight.
If you have never made an Indoor model
and you’d like to start with a kit, you can do
no better than the Bambino or the Dipper by
Ray Harlan of Indoor Model Specialties.
You can build two models from one kit.
Another good choice is the Sci Oly 1 by
Lew Gitlow of Indoor Model Supply, but I
have not built it.
If you feel comfortable building from
plans, Gary Baughman’s Spartan is at the
top of my list. After being asked the same
questions by so many people, he decided to
write it all down. Gary offers a complete,
hand-illustrated, step-by-step manual for
building and flying the Spartan, plans
included. Equal in quality but different in
design is the Olympus by Don Slusarczyk.
His Web site contains photos and details.
One-Design Events: Don’t let contest
names such as the “Midwestern States
Indoor Championships” and “US Indoor
Championships” frighten you into not going.
Delta Dart and Double Whammy mass
launches are held at the Midwestern States
Indoor Championships in Champaign,
Illinois, and the last one down is the winner.
The Double Whammy was featured in the
November 1999 MA, and there was a
follow-up article about how to make it more
competitive.
The US Indoor Championships at
Johnson City, Tennessee, features a P-24
Condor mass launch. The Condor is a greatflying
model that was used for years at the
Air Force Academy to teach flight
principles. It is available from Mace
Models.
The Thermal Thumbers in Atlanta,
Georgia, have events for the Butterfly—a 7-
inch-span indoor ARF—and Laurie Barr’s
Hangar Rat design.
If you are already pretty good at Outdoor
Hand Launched Glider, Outdoor Catapult
Glider, or Flying Aces Club Scale Rubber,
you can use the same skills in Indoor, except
with lighter materials.
An added benefit of going to contests is
that the larger meets often have vendor
booths where they sell specialty Indoor
items that are not available in your hobby
shop.
Not into traveling? There are postal
events for many of these same models, in
which you fly in your local gym and send
your times in to compete with others from
around the world.
Indoor Today—the Pennyplane, Easy B,
and International F1D: The cover of the
March 2002 INAV was my idea but Steve
Gardner’s artistry. Steve preceded me as
editor, and he filled each issue with great
plans and original illustrations. I arranged
his artwork for four models—the Delta Dart,
Pennyplane, Easy B (EZB), and F1D—from
top to bottom on the cover of Issue #106.
All subscribers received a black-andwhite
version, but the original shows in
striking color one way you can move up in
building skill and flight duration by
graduating from model to model, each more
advanced than the one before. There are
dozens of paths to take; this is just one. I
have already covered the Delta Dart and SO
models, so let’s move on to a possible next
step.
If you weigh a modern penny, it will be
almost 2.50 grams. But before 1984, you got
more for your money; a penny weighed 3.20
grams. That was settled on at the time as the
Pennyplane model’s minimum weight.
There were also restrictions of an 18-inch
span, a 5-inch chord, a 12-inch propeller,
and other guidelines.
This makes it great for the step from SO
to serious Indoor competition. Anyone who
can build a Finny Plane and do four minutes
in a gymnasium can make a 4.0- or 5.0-gram
Pennyplane the first time, and start doing
10+ minutes in a large site.
My first Pennyplane weighed 5.0 grams,
my second one weighed 4.1 grams, and my
current model weighs 3.4 grams. It takes a
great deal of practice, but you can expect to
double your flight times by going from a
5.0-gram to a 3.2-gram airplane.
This design comes in two flavors: the
original version and a Limited Pennyplane.
Both have 18-inch wingspans and can weigh
no less than 3.2 grams, but the Limited rules
allow only a monoplane configuration and a
sheet-balsa propeller with a 12-inch
maximum diameter.
Indoor Model Supply makes a nice
novice kit called the Time Machine. One of
the two I built straight from the package did
six minutes right off the building board in
the 34-foot Tampa Armory. Building lighter
from the same plans, it is possible to do
eight to 10 minutes or more. Those aren’t
contest-winning times, but they give the
builder a great deal of satisfaction and the
confidence to move further along.
A possible next step is the EZB design
invented by Wally Miller. It is a small 18-
inch-span monoplane Rubber model with a
2-inch maximum chord and all-wood
construction. Micro-X makes a nice
beginner’s kit of this model and even
provides the cardboard template around
which the wing is built. Substituting lighter
wood and smaller motor sizes on successive
models will take your duration times into
the double digits.
The attraction of the EZB is that
Pennyplane kit: Time Machine 11-inch propeller 0.070 x 13-inch loop Fast climb
12-inch propeller 0.080 x 14-inch loop Slow climb
Experiment with 0.085 and 0.090 inch.
Pennyplane plans: No-Non-Cents 3.3-gram loop of 21.5 inches
Easy B kit: Micro-X Suggested 12- to 14-inch loop of 0.065-0.046 inch
Easy B plans: Ron Williams Suggested 12- to 14-inch loop of 0.065-0.046 inch
Competition 1.0-gram loop of 15 inches
A-6: Clarence Mather Novice 0.040-0.050 x 10-inch loop
A-6: Slugger Competition 0.037 x 14 inches
MiniStick kit: I.M.S. Suggested 0.025-0.030 x 10 inches
MiniStick plans: MiniQuark Competition 0.025-0.028 x 13 inches
Butterfly RTF Indoor 0.040 x 12 inches
Outdoor 0.055 x 10 inches
P-24 kit: Mace Condor 7-inch N. Pacific 3⁄32 x 36-inch loop (Suggested for sport)
plastic propeller 3⁄32 x 50-inch loop (Competition)
Suggested Models and Motor Sizes for Beginning Indoor Fliers
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 1:20 pm Page 32
34 MODEL AVIATION
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beginners and experts can enjoy it, and
beginners can become experts in a short
time. The most popular contest design is
the Hobby Shopper EZB by Larry Coslick,
which, as the name implies, can be built
from hobby-shop wood and still weigh
only .7 gram and fly for more than 20
minutes. You can download the plans and
construction article for free from Indoor
Duration at www.indoorduration.com.
The bottom model on the cover is the
most challenging and most amazing: the
F1D. It is a world-class airplane, and the
Time Traveler by Steve Brown has done
63 minutes on a tiny .6-gram rubber loop.
Others, who are braver than I am, say it
is the most rewarding model since even
your first F1D will fly longer than
anything you have built previously. But if
you are going to follow me this far, it’s
time to take a detour and get out your
wallet.
Stripping and Weighing Your Own
Materials: Up to a point, you could build
and fly Indoor with common supplies
found in any good hobby shop or general
model catalog. By this I mean that the
propellers could be plastic and all the
wood and rubber motors used could come
in standard sizes.
However, for the Pennyplane, and even
lighter models such as the EZB and
MiniStick, you will want to strip your own
wood and rubber and weigh the finished
pieces more accurately than you have
needed to before this. If serious
competition is in your future, think
seriously about a micrometer balsa
stripper, a rubber stripper, and a precision
pan balance.
The one-piece molded-plastic balsa
strippers used for Outdoor FF models and
use a #11 X-Acto blade aren’t good
enough. Although they are fine for 1⁄8 and
1⁄16 wood sheets, they tend to split thinner
balsa and give wavy and uneven cuts. I am
not referring to fractions of an inch
anymore, but thousandths of an inch. An
EZB’s wing spars and ribs are .020-.030
inch (or 20-30 mil), and this requires a
different approach.
Ray Harlan and Tim Goldstein offer
quality balsa strippers with micrometer
adjustments for the fine tolerances needed.
If you are handy, plans are available so
you can build your own. These tools really
shine when it comes to cutting many LE
and TE spars the same thickness. They are
also used to move a rib template down on
the workpiece the same amount after each
cut to give uniform ribs.
An added advantage is that by angling
the wood, or pushing the piece up in the
middle to bow it, tapered spars and strips
can be cut so more of the weight and
strength is on the inside than on the tips.
Many wing spars and almost all propeller
spars call for tapered stock.
The cutting blocks use carbon-steel,
single-edge razor-blade pieces or surgicalsteel
blades, which are half as thick as XActo
knives and don’t split the wood. (You
can still buy the older carbon-steel, doubleedged
blades, which are brittle and snap to
a fresh, clean edge. Modern stainless
varieties bend rather than break.)
Next comes stripping your own rubber
to make custom-width motors. In Outdoor
flying with multistranded motors, you
change the motor’s cross-section by
increasing or decreasing the number of
strands. But with these light models, we
are down to a single loop. One can do well
in SO and novice Pennyplane with 3⁄32-
inch rubber strip (93-94 mil) from FAI
Supply just as it comes out of the box.
Wind a few motors to the breaking
point so you’ll know what 100% is.
Practice winding to just fewer than
maximum turns, finding the right motor
loop length and the best trim for your
model for that particular site. This could
take several flying sessions or maybe a
whole winter season.
After getting to the point at which no
further improvement in duration is seen
with a single size of rubber, buy your own
rubber stripper. Ray Harlan makes one of
the better ones on the market. When you
get a rubber stripper, you can simplify the
rubber stock in your inventory and only
10sig2.QXD 7/23/04 11:29 am Page 34
buy 1⁄8- or 1⁄4-inch widths.
It’s not a waste either, because when
you cut 1⁄8-inch rubber strip to get .085
inch for your Pennyplane, you can save the
thinner piece for EZB or MiniStick flying.
Keep all your stripped motors in plastic
envelopes, and write the rubber batch,
weight, and thickness on the outside with a
felt-tip pen.
Last, an electronic pan balance that
measures to at least .01 gram, and
preferably to .001 gram, will be a welcome
addition to your shop. Indoor plans give
target weights for model pieces, as well as
the whole, so you need to be able to
accurately weigh a wing or a stabilizer to
see if you are building in the right
ballpark. Get in the habit of weighing
everything and keeping good records.
Weigh your tissue and condenser paper,
and convert it to grams or ounces per 100
square feet to find the lightest available.
Mylar plastic comes in thicknesses that are
much lighter (and much stronger) than
tissue coverings. WES-Technik sells a 2-
micron film used in built-up Hand-
Launched Gliders. For Duration Rubber
flying, the best is a cellulose acetate film
only 0.6 micron thick called OS film. It is
available from Alan Cohen.
Apply these films by spraying the
framework with 3M Super 77 contact
cement and laying the work facedown on
the film. Weigh the balsa you use in sheet
and strip form, and convert it to poundsper-
cubic-foot (ppcf) density. Indoor
applications use 4-6 ppcf wood for most
applications, with 8 and 10 ppcf wood for
the more stressed propeller spars, wing
posts, and motorsticks.
Cut your own sticks too. They will be
much lighter, and you will save a great
deal of money compared with buying
precut spars. And of course, weigh all your
motors and keep a record of that. I have
two three-ring binders to keep my notes in,
with dividers according to model class.
One has building records and plans I keep
at home, and one for flying I take to
contests and practice sessions to keep track
of what worked and what did not.
You are looking at $45-$75 for a
micrometer balsa stripper, $160 for a good
rubber stripper, and $50-$300 (or more)
for a balance.
If you ask me if this kind of cash outlay
is necessary, I will tell you about my brief
foray into robotics. A reader wrote to one
of the electronics magazines I subscribed
to at the time and questioned whether an
oscilloscope purchase was necessary. The
editors answered that it was “the price of
entry into the hobby,” meaning that you
could do without it but not do well.
The accompanying table lists some
motor choices to get you started, whether
you choose a kit version, plans, or build
from scratch. Each kit comes with full-size
plans and complete instructions, so the kit
could be your first effort, with lighter,
more advanced models from the plans
provided as a next step.
Always build several of the same
design, because each model will be better
and different from the one before. Indoor
fliers seldom tell you how many of a
particular airplane they have brought to a
contest, but they will tell you that they
have six or seven propellers, three wings,
two tails, and four motorsticks.
This advice goes in spades for motors.
You might cut some 62, 64, and 66 mil
rubber and have it ready to tie into
different-size loops at the contest, stored in
carefully labeled envelopes or plastic bags.
Some of the competition motors in the
table are described by weight rather than
thickness. That’s because the rubber strip’s
thickness and density varies from batch to
batch, so weight is much more constant
than size. Another reason is that weight
indicates the total energy potential that can
be expected from a motor.
The Future of Indoor: Some in the Indoor
community, fine people though they are,
would make this a short section because
they say there is no future to Indoor
modeling. Participation decreases each
year, and there will be no one to fill the
ranks as the great ones pass on to that great
site in the sky.
36 MODEL AVIATION
10sig2.QXD 7/23/04 11:30 am Page 36
That is baloney (as we used to say in
New Jersey, where we ate a lot of it). As
editor of INAV, I’ve seen the subscription
rolls climb from 550 when I started two
years ago to more than 700 today.
Jim Buxton, Dave Linstrum, Bud
Tenny, Don Ross, Bob Warmann, John
Worth, and many others continue to write
about Indoor FF and contribute articles and
columns, so we get our fair share of
coverage.
I saw 10 Juniors and Seniors at the last
contest—many from SO beginnings—and
a few already flying at a world-class level.
Sure, the great Doc Martin passed away,
and with it his Miami Indoor Aircraft
Model Association Indoor club, but the
Florida Flyers have emerged like a
phoenix from their own ashes, thanks to
the efforts of Bill Carney in Jacksonville
and others. To prove it, they just held a
successful meet in the Tampa Armory. I
was there, and it was a hoot.
The fastest-growing segment is indoor
micro RC. Such pioneers as Bob Wilder of
Wilder Winder fame, MA “Micro-Flying”
columnist Dave Robelen, and John Worth
of RC MicroFlight magazine are at the
leading edge of incredible growth in this
area of the hobby.
RC components have shrunken in size
so much in the last few years that any
small, light, electric-powered FF model
can be modified and flown successfully.
Open to debate is how indoor electric RC
will be compatible with classic pure
Rubber models.
The answer has to be equal but
separate. Except for the lightest electricpowered
models used in AMA events
221—Free Flight Electric Power—and
627—Indoor Electric Duration (and even
inclusion of these is at the CD’s
discretion)—everyone will be happiest if
rubber and RC keep their separate ways,
just as all good contests are separated into
“heavies” and “lights” flying in different
time slots.
The National Indoor Remote-controlled
Aircraft Council (NIRAC) knows this and
has its contests in such places as the
Oakland Yard Athletics dome in
Waterford, Michigan. If this commonsense
approach continues, it will be good for the
hobby.
We are seeing what the future holds
with the introduction of smaller and lighter
receivers and servos, geared pager motor
drives weighing a gram or less, and Li-
Poly cells that double and triple flight
times. But the innovations are not limited
to radio; carbon rod and tubes are standard
building materials now, as are Depron
foam sheets and Mylar and polyester
covering films.
Bill Gowen’s composite Carbon Copy,
a Hand Launched Glider, uses carbon rod
and tough Mylar covering, and it wins.
Tungsten wire used to be the main
bracing material for ultralight F1D models,
but the current trend seems to be more
toward unbraced wings and motorsticks.
Instead of tungsten-wire rigging, the
pieces are reinforced by laying down
carbon and boron fibers and running a tiny
amount of cyanoacrylate along the whole
length for stiffness. Laurie Barr of England
uses boron fiber on four sides of his
hollow motorsticks, and he says they come
out “as stiff as a pool cue.” The fibers are
so thin that the weight penalty is small.
Florida Flyer Jake Larson is famous for
his balsa-sheet Scale models, which he
often converts to electric-powered FF
aircraft. Now he is into doing the same
thing with foam sheet. Although the foam
is not as strong as balsa, his airplanes are
so light that it doesn’t matter. He brought
quite a selection to the Tampa Armory,
and they all flew well.
We will see more and more of all these
new materials and techniques in the
seasons to come.
Perhaps the best thing for our hobby in
the future is the growing list of supplies
and information available on the Internet.
No matter what your interest or specialty,
you will be able to download plans,
instructions, and articles, and then order
almost anything you can think of while
sitting at a keyboard.
The addresses and sites at the end of
At Your Hobby Shop or
Online.
Specializing in
Scale ARFs of
‘Homebuilt’ Aircraft.
800-297-1707
Farmington Hills, MI
Check out the rest of our incredible fleet online!
RV-6/6A, Zodiac XL, Challenger II, Europa XS, Glastar, Velocity XL
Scale: 1:5.0
Wingsapn: 75" or 59" ‘Clippable’
Length: 43" Wing Area: 881in2 or 693in2
Flying Weight: 7 - 8 lbs
Wing Loading: 21 oz/ft2 or 25 oz/ft2
Radio: 4 CH 5 Servos Engines: .40 - .46 in3
EAM Quad City Ulralight’s
Challenger ll
Great Electric and Float Conversion!
www.RCHomebuilts.com™
A Sport Scale Plane that’s
...One of a Kind!
10sig2.QXD 7/23/04 11:30 am Page 38
40 MODEL AVIATION
this article are by no means definitive, but
most of them have links to other sites, to
take you as far as you care to go. It is an
exciting time to be in the hobby, and I
hope you will try Indoor modeling and
come fly with us.
Indoor FF Manufacturers and Suppliers:
In the almost 20 years since Ron
Williams’ lament that I included at the
beginning of this article, quite a few brave
souls have ventured into supplying the
Indoor market.
At least two things have helped this
along, the first of which is the increasing
use of exotic, non-hobby-shop materials
such as tungsten wire and boron and
carbon fiber. Second is the recent
explosion of E-mail and Web sites, giving
equal opportunities to modelers living
anywhere on the globe.
The following list will be more than
enough to get you started. But if this
article has generated more questions than
answers, write or E-mail me. MA
Carl Bakay
1621 Lake Salvador Dr.
Harvey LA 70058
[email protected]
Manufacturers and Suppliers:
MA magazine, AMA insurance and
services:
AMA
5161 E. Memorial Dr.
Muncie IN 47302
(765) 287-1256
www.modelaircraft.org
Spartan (Send $10 for the Spartan building
guide):
Gary Baughman
470 Hardage Farm Dr. NW
Marietta GA 30064
Tan II rubber, indoor ARFs, kits:
FAI Model Supply
John Clapp
Box 366
Sayre PA 18840
(570) 882-9873
www.faimodelsupply.com
Winder/counters, bearings, supplies:
Geauga Precision Models
W. D. Johnson
9113 Robinson Rd.
Chardon OH 44024
[email protected]
Wood, hardware, kits:
House of Balsa
Winner R/C Hobbies
ONLINE STORE
12368 Valley Blvd. #109, El Monte, CA 91732
ORDERS ONLY 800-780-0100
Information 626-618-0300
ONLINE ORDER AND MORE INFORMATION AT
www.winnerrc.com
All In One Power Panel (with a built-in field charger)
Pacific Aeromodels took the proven high quality technology of its quarter scale
Laser to the next level by adding the new 27% Edge 540 T to its mid sized lineup.
Designed for IMAC and 3D type aerobatics, as well as sport flying, the Edge’s
light weight and sophisticated aerodynamic design give it the unique ability to
wring truly outstanding performance from smaller and less expensive engines
and radio equipment than the competition. The 27% Edge offers top-of-the-line
quality, ease of assembly and unlimited performance in the air without the nasty
habits of some other scale aerobatics.
Wingspan: 82" • Wing Area: 1,139 Sq. In. • Overall Length: 67 1/2" • Weight:
14.5 lbs. • Wing Loading: 29.3 Oz./Sq. Ft • Engine: 1.60-2.10 Glow, 40c.c. Gas
• Radio: 4 CH (1 std and 5 high torque servos)
Aero Shark 40 ARF
Radio: Requires 4 Ch (6 servos) • Wing Span: 72 in. • Wing Area: 857
sq. in. • Flying Wt: 7.9-9.5 lbs • Engine: .60-1.08 (2C), .90-1.20 (4C),
Gas 24cc • Color: Red, Blue
Combo W/ Saito FA-100 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $559.99
Combo W/ Saito FA-120 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $609.99
Wingspan: 63" • Wing Area: 596 Sq. In. • Overall Length: 54 1/2"
• Weight: 5.5 lbs. • Engine: .40 - .53 2C or .52 - .72 4C
A swept-back shoulder wing? A fuselage that reminds you of a
fish? You either like it’s looks, or you don’t, but you’ll LOVE the
way it flies. Pacific’s new 40 size Aero Shark is big, fast, smooth
and very aerobatic, yet it’s slow speed handling is superb and it
lands like a trainer. As a second or third airplane, an aerobatic
trainer or a Sunday sport flyer, you can’t beat the high quality
AERO SHARK ARF.
Combo: w/TT Pro-46 engine.................$189.99
SALE! $119.99
Field Equipment Field Box (pre-built)
Two Drawer Field Box
• Fully assembled
• Painted and fuel proof
• Light weight
• Adjustable cradle
• Removable power compartment
Combo: Two Drawer Field Box (prebuilt) • 12v
7 amp maintenance free battery • 12V 500
mAh charger (AC) • Starter 150 • Standard
Power Panel • Electric Fuel Pump • Glow
starter w/charger • 4 way wrench . . $139.99
$39.99
Radio: Requires 4 Ch • 5 servos (3 standard, 2 Micro) •
Wing Span: 50 in. • Wing Area: 723 sq. in. • Length 40
in. • Flying Wt: 3.7-4.1 lbs • Engine: .25 - .35 cu.in. (2C)
or .30 - .40 (4C) • Color: Military, Red/Silver, Yellow
Radio: 4Ch (5 servos (3 standard, 2 micro)
Combo: w/Saito 40 engine ............$379.99
Tiger Moth ARF .30 Size • All wood construction.
• 95% ready to fly.
• Balsa Built-up upper and
lower wing plug in for
easy assembly.
• Pre-covered with real
iron-on film.
• Fiber glass cowl already
painted.
• Factory installed pull-pull
controls system on
rudder and elevator.
• Comes with all hardware
and accessories.
• Flies like a trainer.
• Both sizes come with
Flying Wire.
• Ready to fly in just 15
hours.
Radio: Requires 4 Ch • 5 servos • Wing Span: 78 in. •
Wing Area: 1841 sq. in. • Length 65.7 in. • Flying Wt:
10-11 lbs • Engine: .90 cu.in. (2C) or 1.20 (4C) • Color:
Military, Red/Silver, Yellow
Combo: w/Saito 120 engine...........$699.99
$219.99
$399.99
Tiger Moth ARF 1.20 Size
Radio: Requires 4 Ch • 6 servos • Wing Span: 82 in. •
Wing Area: 1175 sq. in. • Length 62.5 in. • Flying Wt:
12-13 lbs • Engine: 1.08-1.60 cu.in. (2C), 1.20-1.80
(4C) or 26cc (Gas)
“Gee Bee-Y” 120 size ARF • All Wood Construction.
• Pre-Covered in real iron
film.
• Fiberglass cowling (10
in. dia.) and wheel pants
already painted.
• Dummy engine included.
• 95% Factory Assembled.
• Ready to fly in just 12
hours.
• All hardware is included.
• Easy to fly.
• Plug in wing.
Combo: w/Saito 150 engine...........$733.99
Combo: w/Saito 180 engine...........$763.99
Combo: w/Zenoah G-26 engine.......$643.99
SALE! $379.99
1/4 Scale 3D Capable Laser 200
ARF
Laser 200 .40 size ARF
$319.99
• All wood construction
• 95% ready to fly
• Covered with real ironon
film. • Fiberglass cowl
and wheel pants. • Plug in
wings. • Ready to fly in
12 hours. • Double
beveling on both wing
and tail feathers.
Radio: Requires 4 Ch (5 servos) • Wing Span: 55 in. • Wing Area: 564
sq. in. • Flying Wt: 5.7 lbs • Engine: .40-.47 (2C), .50-.70 (4C) • Red
Combo W/ Saito FA-72. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $389.99
Combo W/ Thunder Tiger-46 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $259.99
$189.99
This light weight Starter has a comfortable size
that fits very well in one hand. The 3:1 geared
reduction design for starting engines up to 1.8
cu. in. The big cup and double side rubber cone
will fit from 1/2” prop nuts to 5” spinners.
PAM-1002B Starter . . . . . . . . . $44.99
• Functions as a regular power panel
and as a field charger for your Tx
(9.6V), Rx (4.8V or 6.0V) and glow
starter (1.2V).
• Never miss as day's flying because
of low batteries.
• Digital peak-detection, pulsecurrent
charger for Rx
(4.8V and 6.0 V).
• Charges NiCd and Ni-Mh batteries.
Power Panel PAC-MF0502 . $44.99
Portable Super Starter
(Assembled)
Super Starter with battery holder and 2 x
7.2V 1500 mah battery pack also including
1x charging adapter (Tamiya - Dean). We put
it together for you. Will start engines up to
2.1 cu. in.
PAM-1002PP Starter ..........$89.99
Super Starter
Small size but high torque.
Wingspan: 59" • Wing Area: 620 Sq. In. • Overall Length: 52 1/2" •
Weight: 6 lbs. • Wing Loading: 22.3 Oz./Sq. Ft. • Engine: .40 - .53 2C
or .56 - .72 4C • Radio: 4 Ch (6 standard servos)
Combo W/ Saito FA-72 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $419.99
Edge 540T 40/72 ARF
$209.99
Pacific’s new 40 and 60 size Edge
540T ARFs have all the big plane
features like plug-in wings, dual
aileron servos, tail mounted elevator
servos and a pull–pull rudder, and
they use normal sport engines and
standard radio equipment. Best of
all, they are specially designed to fly
with the smoothness and precision
of a much larger airplane.
Wingspan: 65" • Wing Area: 765 Sq. In. • Overall Length: 58 1/2" •
Weight: 8 lbs. • Wing Loading: 24.1 Oz./Sq. Ft • Engine : .61-.91(2C),
.80-1.00(4C) • Radio: 4 Ch (6 standard servos)
Combo W/ Saito FA-100 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $519.99
Edge 540T
60/100 ARF
$264.99
$439.9927% Edge 540T ARF
Pacific Aeromodel’s Edge 540T Series
For 3000mAh
battery
add $30.00.
10sig2.QXD 7/23/04 11:31 am Page 40
10101 Yucca Rd.
Adelanto CA 92301
(760) 246-6462
www.houseofbalsa.com
Scales, rubber strippers, coverings, kits:
Indoor Model Specialties
Ray Harlan
15 Happy Hollow Rd.
Wayland MA 01778
(508) 358-4013
Novice kits, SO materials, all supplies:
Indoor Model Supply
Lew Gitlow
Box 2020
Florence OR 97439
www.indoormodelsupply.com
The Indoor newsletter (one year for $15 in
US, $19 in Canada), articles, plans:
Indoor News and Views
Tim Goldstein, subscription editor
13096 W. Cross Dr.
Littleton CO 80127
www.indoorduration.com
(Download a free issue and subscribe)
P-24 kits, plans, supplies:
Mace Model Aircraft Co.
Don Mace
359 S. 119th East Ave.
Tulsa OK 74128
Scale kits, rubber, supplies:
Micro-X
Box 1063-A
Lorain OH 44055
(440) 282-8354
[email protected]
Classroom kit packs, SO, Delta Dart,
gliders:
Midwest Products Co., Inc.
Educational Products Division
Box 564
Hobart IN 46342
(800) 348-3497
www.midwestproducts.com
OS Film:
42 MODEL AVIATION
Alan Cohen
2115 State Route 31
Glen Gardner NJ 08826
Fax: (908) 537-0111
[email protected]
Kits, supplies:
Peck-Polymers
Box 710399
Santee CA 92072
(619) 488-1833
www.peck-polymers.com
Precision-cut balsa, basswood:
Specialized Balsa Wood
Jake Zimmer
1656 Carol Dr.
Loveland CO 80537
[email protected]
www.specializedbalsa.com
Supplies:
WES-Technik
Klosterstr. 12
D-72644 Oberboihingen
Germany
[email protected]
www.wes-technik.de/
Sites Containing More Information:
Cleveland Clowns Indoor page
www.indoorfreeflight.com
Bill Kuhl’s Delta Dart site
www.luminet.net/~bkuhl/rubber.htm
NFFS home page
http://freeflight.org/
Martin’s worldwide links
www.ivyandmartin.demon.co.uk/page
2.htm
Michael J. Woodhouse supplies
www.freeflightsupplies.co.uk
Tim Goldstein’s Indoor balsa
www.f1d.biz
Ed Wiley’s Web page
www.sunflower.com/~edwiley/
NIRAC Indoor RC
www.nirac.org
Tim Goldstein’s INAV site
www.indoorduration.com
Del Ogren’s Indoor site
www.n-lemma.com
Glen Davison’s Indoor site
http://people.ne.mediaone.net/indoor
Daniel Hartstein’s Indoor site:
http://w1.871.telia.com/~u87106779/
Thayer Syme’s FF site:
www.sirius.com/~thayer/modelhp.html
Mr. NiCd’s BATTERIES AMERICA
www.batteriesamerica.com
Autumn 2004 Specials (Order ONLINE too)
PLATINUM POLYMER
2-Cell Lithium Polymer Packs – with JST-BEC red conn.
Other connectors are available – please see our website or call us for details.
#2LP300* 7.4v 300mAh Li-POLY pk (13 gms/0.46oz) $20.95
#2LP400 7.4v 400mAh Li-POLY pk(18 gms/ 0.64oz) $18.95
#2LP650 7.4v 650mAh Li-POLY pk (28 gms/ 1 oz) $20.95
#2LP800* 7.4v 800mAh Li-POLY pk (34 gms/ 1.2oz) $27.95
#2LP900 7.4v 900mAh Li-POLY pk (38 gms/ 1.35oz)$23.95
#2LP1200 7.4v 1200mAh Li-POLY pk (48 gms/1.7oz) $25.95
#2LP1500*7.4v 1500mAh Li-POLY pk (62 gms/2.2oz) $39.95
#2LP1700 7.4v 1700mAh Li-POLY pk (68 gms/2.4 oz) $31.95
#2LP1900 7.4v 1900mAh Li-POLY pk (76 gms/2.7oz) $34.95
#2LP2200 7.4v 2200mAh Li-POLY pk (88 gms/3.3 oz) $38.95
*300, 800, & 1500mAh are HIGHER-AMP packs ( 5C discharge!)
QN-012BC charger QN-012DC charger VR5.4 / VR6.0
#QN-012BC Fast-Smart Charger (AC) for Li-POLY pk. $19.95
#QN-012DC Fast-Smart 12VDC charger for Li-POLYpk. $19.95
#VR5.4 Voltage Regulator –limits output to 5.4V max $19.95
#VR6.0 Voltage Regulator –limits output to 6.0V max $19.95
NEW Lithium Polymer cells – with E-Z solder tabs !
#P145 3.7v 145mAh Li-POLYcell (4 gms / 0.13 oz)$ 5.95ea
#P300* 3.7v 300mAh Li-POLYcell (6.5 gms /.23 oz)$ 7.95ea
#P400 3.7v 400mAh Li-POLYcell (9 gms / 0.32oz) $ 6.95ea
#P650 3.7v 650mAh Li-POLYcell (14 gms / 0.5 oz) $ 7.95ea
#P800* 3.7v 800mAh Li-POLYcell (17 gms / 0.6 oz) $10.95ea
#P900 3.7v 900mAh Li-POLYcell (19 gms/ 0.67oz) $ 9.95ea
#P1200 3.7v 1200mAh Li-POLY cell (24 gms/0.85oz) $10.95ea
#P1500*3.7v 1500mAh Li-POLY cell (31 gms/1.1oz) $15.95ea
#P1700 3.7v 1700mAh Li-POLY cell (34 gms/1.2oz) $12.95ea
#P1900 3.7v 1900mAh Li-POLY cell (38 gms/1.35oz)$13.95ea
#P2200 3.7v 2200mAh Li-POLY cell(44 gms/1.65oz)$14.95ea
*300, 800, & 1500mAh are HIGHER-AMP packs ( 5C discharge!)
Motor packs, R/C packs, TX packs, & more!
New HiCell electric flight Ni-MH packs!
For park flyers, etc. Shapes: A=Flat; B=twin-stick; C=two rows;
D=four sticks. JST conn.=add $3.00. Deans Ultra conn.=add $5.
Cell # size / mAh / $ each 7.2v 8.4v 9.6v 10.8v 12.0v
AP-350 1/3AA, 350mAh $2.50 $23.95 $26.95 $29.95 $32.95 $35.95
AP-700 2/3AA, 700mAh $2.50 $23.95 $26.95 $29.95 $32.95 $35.95
AP-1000 2/3A,1000mAh$3.00 $24.95 $27.95 $30.95 $33.95 $36.95
MOTOR PACKS w/ SANYO Ni-Cd cells (no connector):
Shapes (see above). Add deans ULTRA connector for $5.00 xtra
Cell # size /mAh / $ each 7.2v 8.4v 9.6v 10.8v 12.0v
N-500AR(2/3A 500mA) $2.50 $20.00 $24.00 $28.00 $32.00 $36.00
KR600AE(2/3A 600mA) $1.95 $17.00 $20.00 $23.00 $26.00 $29.00
SANYO Receiver Packs w/ Connector! (Flat or Square)
Choose Futaba J, JR-HITEC-Z, or AIRTRONICS(old) plug!
4.8 volt 700mAh (Standard AA NiCd, w/conn.) $ 9.95ea.
4.8 volt 1100mAh (long-life AA NiCd, w/conn.) $13.95ea.
4.8 volt 1700mAh (KR-1700AU Ni-Cd, w/conn.)$17.95ea.
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New & improved HEAVY 22-guage Connectors !
Specify Futaba J (FM), JR-HiTEC-Airt. Z, or AIRTRONICS(old)
Male or Female (1 conn):$2.00 / 3”or 6” Extn:$3.25
12” Extn: $ 3.50 / 24” Extn: $ 4.00 / 36” Extn:$ 4.50
Y-connector:$5.50 ea / Switch Harness:$6.50ea
SANYO Transmitter Packs w/leads. Shapes shown above
Choose SQUARE(D) or Side-by-Side (A). Add TX plug for $3.00.
9.6 volt 700mAh (square or SxS, w/ leads) $16.95ea.
9.6 volt 1100mAh (square or SxS, w/ leads) $22.95ea.
9.6 volt 1650mAh (Ni-MH square or SxS, w/ leads )$29.95ea.
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10sig2.QXD 7/23/04 11:31 am Page 42
Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/10
Page Numbers: 26,27,28,29,30,32,34,36,38,40,42
I AM NOT a famous Indoor-model flier. As
have Dave Rees and Bob Aberle, who wrote
the “State of the Sport” articles before me, I
have been active in all forms of the hobby
since I was a kid growing up in New Jersey
in the 1950s. Unlike them, I am a sport flier,
a writer, and a newsletter editor, and I have
worked hard at staying a novice when it
comes to competition.
According to other writers, we take turns
and detours in our lives that change us
forever. This happened for me in May 1998.
On a lark, I drove the 712 miles from New
Orleans, Louisiana, to the East Tennessee
State University campus in Johnson City,
Tennessee, where the US Indoor
Championships is held each year in a
covered football stadium called the Mini-
Dome.
I walked through the outer doors to a
gymnasium hallway, complete with locker
rooms and showers, and then through a
second set of inner doors to the running
track and playing field, which was 400 feet
long and 116 feet high. I stood transfixed, as
they say, and my mouth stood open as I
watched these beautiful airplanes circle
slowly and majestically over my head.
I was hooked then, and I am hooked
now. But don’t believe me; to learn what is
so great about “Indoor,” as it is called, I’ll
quote Ron Williams.
“Indoor model building and flying is an
innocent sport. There is little profit to be
made, if any, in the commerce it engenders,
though some enterprising indoor
entrepreneur could find ways, I’m sure.
“Because it tends to be so low key and
deceptively complex, it has never enjoyed
the attention that noisier, more dynamic
forms of modeling have received. The
consequence is that there has never been
enough information in any one place to get a
good start with this part of the hobby.”
Therefore, Ron wrote and illustrated the
first definitive how-to on the subject. His
1984 book Building and Flying Indoor
Model Airplanes was a milestone then and a
classic now, but I think it is out of print.
Returning to Johnson City a few years
later as editor of the fancy Indoor News and
Views (INAV) magazine, numerous people
came up to shake my hand and offered
compliments, good wishes, and occasional
war stories while I was trying to count the
winds in my motor or time a flight.
But by Day Two I learned not to be
annoyed—that something larger was going
on. I was part of a community.
As in all facets of our hobby, many types of
models are flown in Indoor. Any Outdoor
rubber-powered FF design can be made
lighter and smaller and flown inside. Heavy
and strong are no longer requirements when
there are no wind gusts or tree limbs in the
way.
A good example of this is the Bostonian.
These little 16-inch-wingspan cuties are
flown outdoors with a 14-gram-minimum
weight requirement and indoors with a 7-
gram-minimum weight requirement.
Although it’s hard to get down to 7 grams
the first few times you try, flight duration
goes from two minutes for an outdoor
Bostonian to five and six minutes or more
for the lighter indoor versions. In a place
like Johnson City, with some of the “best
air” anywhere, after all that time, your
model will land about where it started.
It’s all about duration. As do the Scale
models of the Flying Aces Club, some
Indoor events award charisma points and
appearance points, but the ability to outfly
everyone else’s aircraft is the key to Indoorcontest
success.
Origins—the Baby ROG: The first modelairplane
clubs started in the New York City
area as early as 1907. The famous Frank
Zaic flew in that city’s Central Park in the
1920s and 1930s. Balsa wood wasn’t used
until roughly 1911, so most early models
were made from pine, bamboo, and spruce.
Rubber motors were cut from tire inner
tubes, and plans were drawn on wrapping
paper. For more about this and Indoor
modeling history in general, see Bill Kuhl’s
site; the address is at the end of this article.
Our hobby can be clearly divided into
two times: before 1927 and after 1927. That
year a shy, handsome private pilot named
26 MODEL AVIATION
State of thIe nSpordt: oor Flight
b y C a r l B a k ay
Free
Steve Gardner’s drawings on the
cover of INAV Issue #106 show one
route to more serious Indoor fun.
Text has details.
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 3:51 pm Page 26
Charles Lindbergh flew a highly modified and overloaded Ryanbuilt
monoplane nonstop across the Atlantic Ocean. The effect on
the youth of the era was nothing less than galvanic, and modeling as
a hobby followed the groundswell. The number of kit manufacturers
went from perhaps 20 in 1927 to more than 2,000 in 1928.
Let’s go back to modeling in the Depression years of the 1930s.
We are in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it’s wintertime. A group
of clubs is making something called the “Philadelphia Model
Airplane Association.”
They are giving out plans for a Baby ROG—not full-scale, of
course. Part of your apprenticeship (if you want to join) is to scale
up the plans on the back of some brown paper or, if you know a
paperboy, a sheet of blank newsprint from the pressroom.
Then you have to build your own model, carve your own
propeller, and get the aircraft to rise off the ground and fly indoors
for 30 seconds. This is quite an achievement (especially if you use
strips cut from automobile inner tubes to power it), although flights
of more than a minute are possible. You then make it to the rank of
“grease monkey” and can fly in Saturday contests.
John Walker wrote about his modeling origins with the Baby
ROG in the July 1981 R/C Model Builder magazine. Send me an
SASE, and I’ll send you free plans for the Baby ROG from that
issue.
(Did you notice that the Baby ROG was in R/C Model Builder?
Dave Rees mentioned in his July 2001 “State of the Sport: Free
Flight Scale” article that after getting into Scale models, he was
amazed by how many great building and finishing tips he gleaned
from old CL, FF, and RC articles in his magazine collection. The
same is true for Indoor.)
There were many versions of the Baby ROG, but it was a
milestone in any of its forms. Why? Because it flew! Of all those
Nickel Scale, Dime Scale, and quarter-scale models that the 2,000
kit makers offered, most would fly from your hand to the ground if
they flew at all. The early clubs knew this and started you out with
something realistic and flyable. Today we have something even
better.
Begin With a Delta Dart: Bill Kuhl has to be the Delta Dart’s
biggest fan. Read the following from his Web site and you’ll see
why.
“The Delta Dart appeared in the April 1967 issue of American
Modeler. It was designed by AMA’s [then] Technical Director Frank
Ehling and promoted by Dick and Ruth Meyer.
“Why is it so great? With the exception of the motorstick, the
AMA Dart is made entirely from 1⁄16 x 1⁄8-inch balsa strip. Some
beginners’ models such as the Peck ROG utilize 1⁄16-inch square
balsa, which although lighter, is difficult for the beginner to handle
without breaking, and the structure will more easily warp.
“Also, the one-piece motorstick comes with the correct stabilizer
incidence built in. The joints used at the tips of the wing, stabilizer,
and vertical fin can be less than perfect and still be adequately strong
because the covering material reinforces the joint.
“With materials donated by Sig, Dick and Ruth made up 300 kits
on their kitchen table, some of which were taken by Frank Ehling to
the 1966 Nats. Although some people thought the airplane too
simple and heavy, kids found it easy to build and fly. It was thought
that with the pointy wingtips, warps would have less effect because
most of the wing area was closer to the center of the wing.
“Sig decided to sell the same basic airplane as a kit called the
‘AMA Racer.’ The biggest change in the AMA Racer from the
original Delta Dart is that the wing is movable, so center of gravity
adjustments are easy. Another change is that the tailboom is made
from spruce instead of balsa.
“Frank Ehling designed another airplane known as the “AMA
Cub,” but it is sold by Midwest Products as the Delta Dart.
According to the Sig catalog, this is the airplane that has been used
in beginners’ promotions since 1968 and is the most-produced
model airplane of all time.”
The Dart and various rise-off-ground (ROG) stick models are
available in most good hobby shops and many toy stores. If you
October 2004 27
Senior Doug Schaefer (Centerville OH) qualified for the US
Indoor FF team to compete in Slanic, Romania.
Parker Parrish (Alpharetta GA) works on his F1D model. This
high-school student bested many Senior fliers at Akron OH.
Photos by the late Richard Doig.
Photos by the author except as noted
r
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 4:05 pm Page 27
28 MODEL AVIATION
Indoor rubber-powered Scale offers unlimited opportunities
for Outdoor fliers. This 1912 Fokker A was seen at last
year’s Nats at Johnson City TN.
Bostonians ready for charisma judging feature the latest
lifting-body design and wide, slow-turning propellers.
Limited Pennyplanes are capable of flights exceeding 15
minutes. Wingtip plates—a recent innovation—add stability
during high torque at launch. Gardner photo.
The Baby ROG, shown in
one of its original forms,
started many on the road
to successful building and
flying.
Author’s P-24 Mace Models Condor is intended for
beginners but has turned into a design for a hotly contested
one-design mass-launch event. It will do six minutes with a
54-inch single loop of 3⁄32-inch rubber. Steve Gardner photo.
The same skills used in building Outdoor Scale models can
be used in Indoor flying if careful attention is paid to weight.
Indoor Scale models may weigh one-third or more less than
Outdoor models. Gardner photo.
Not only is he a consistent winner, but Larry Cailliau flies
models that are true works of art. Gardner photo.
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 1:17 pm Page 28
don’t know where to go in your area, order a
catalog from Indoor Model Supply, Midwest
Products, or Peck-Polymers.
It is a good idea to build your first few
models exactly according to the instructions,
and even a little heavier than needed, with
extra glue joints and reinforcing fillets in the
corners. This will help it survive all the
banging around it is sure to do at first. You
might take part in or help run an AMA
make-and-take program at one of the
Muncie meets.
A natural question is, What do I build
after the Delta Dart? The answer is, Another
Delta Dart. As you learn to build with
lighter and thinner wood and replace the
heavy plastic propellers with lighter balsa
propellers, you will be building models that
fly much slower and longer, and they suffer
less damage if they hit something.
The world-class endurance models
shown seem to float through the air at
walking speed, or slower, and are most in
danger of being damaged by careless
handling or a sneeze. But their owners will
tell you they had to make several before they
got it just right.
The best thing you can do on your
second, third, and fourth Delta Dart is build
with lighter wood, tissue covering, and a
rubber motor at least twice as long as the
loop that comes with the kit. Bob Warmann
of the Chicago Aeronuts had a Delta Dart
mass launch at the Midwest Championships
this past April, and several flew up to the
94-foot ceiling.
Science Olympiad: The Delta Dart and the
AMA make-and-take programs are great,
but the participants are young—maybe 8, 9,
or 10 years of age—and most do not
continue with the hobby.
Sometimes, though, a parent will catch
the modeling bug along with the youngster,
and great things can happen. That is
especially true with a new wave that has
come along, and there has been nothing like
it since the post-Sputnik catch-up days in
education when I was a kid.
Few events have had as positive an effect
on bringing young people into Indoor
modeling as the Science Olympiad in our
schools. SO, as it’s called, encompasses a
host of biology, chemistry, physics, and
engineering competitions, starting at the
local level, and then moving on to state and
national championships.
It uses a team approach, with an adult
mentor providing guidance and support for a
group of young people. The finale of a
bridge-building exercise can galvanize an
entire class when the time comes to hang
weights on everyone’s creation to see how
much they can hold before they break. The
cheering, jeering, and just plain excitement
are seldom seen outside of sporting events.
SO has an event called The Wright Stuff,
with apologies to author Tom Wolfe and his
book of almost the same name. The rules for
2004 C Division require that the rubberpowered
airplanes have 52cm (20.5-inch)
wingspans and commercially available
October 2004 29
Bill Gowen shows off his composite Hand Launched Glider. This model was
constructed with carbon rod and Mylar covering. Photo by Chuck Markos.
These young fliers competed in the Science Olympiad portion of the Midwest States
Indoor Championships, hosted by the Chicago Aeronuts. Markos photo.
Jim Richmond, with his new Limited Pennyplane, waits his turn to fly at the
University of Illinois Armory. Markos photo.
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 4:07 pm Page 29
plastic propellers no bigger than 24cm (10 inches). The motors can
be any thickness or length but are limited to one loop of 2 grams
maximum weight. The models have a minimum weight limit too; for
2004 it is 8 grams for senior and junior high, without the motor.
Are you confused by the units? Don’t be surprised if you see US
and metric units mixed together like this. The SO originators wanted
to give students a taste of international science. Our country is one
of the few that doesn’t use the metric system every day, although
most scientists and some engineers use it all the time.
Indoor modelers use metric and US units interchangeably,
generally depending on which one allows the use of whole numbers.
It is easier to say 20 centimeters than 77⁄8 inches, and it’s easier to
say your model weighs 10 grams than 0.3527 ounce. But rubber
motors are sold in boxes by the pound, weighed in grams, and the
length of the motor loop is in inches. You get used to it. But flight
time is what it’s all about, and that is minutes and seconds the world
over.
The SO and its twin the Technology Student Association (TSA)
have exploded in popularity in the last few years. There are many
different kits available for the Wright Stuff event, and more than a
dozen plans available, from simple to elegant. The Cleveland
Clowns Web site even offers a tutorial video for sale. Many SO and
TSA mentors are active modelers who belong to clubs, and
“invitational” SO competitions have become common at club meets.
Bill Gowen and Gary Baughman are SO mentors of multiple
teams in the Atlanta, Georgia, area. Gary designed the Spartan,
named after the school mascot, which is a robust model using 1⁄8
square wood similar to the Delta Dart and is designed to take a great
deal of punishment from young hands, gym walls, and ceilings, and
still fly.
Bill designed the Finny Plane, which uses 1⁄16 square wood, as
does the Peck-Polymers ROG, and can be built to 8 grams without
too much effort and puts in long flights as a result.
Both designers are active Thermal Thumbers of Metro Atlanta
members, bringing many of their students to meetings and events.
This is so popular that we “big kids” get into the act with such SO
variants as Senior and Unlimited Rubber.
Duration times here in the south are approximately four minutes,
but a brilliant mentor in California named Cezar Banks designed his
Leading Edge model with a wing so advanced that times exceed six
minutes.
30 MODEL AVIATION
A 1⁄8-inch strip of Tan II rubber is being stripped into smaller
widths, which are checked with a micrometer.
Dave Haught takes Indoor Scale to the max with his flying B-
17. He writes “Scale Matters” for INAV. Tim Goldstein photo.
The Akron Air
Dock hangar in
Ohio was the site
of record
qualification trials
several times a
year. Although big,
it was cluttered
and often drafty.
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 1:19 pm Page 30
32 MODEL AVIATION
And I can’t forget Wayne Johnson, who
had 7:37 when Bill Gowen hosted the Open
SO event in the huge Johnson City Mini-
Dome. That is a long time for a flier—
young or old—and the best thing is that
being indoors, after all those minutes in the
air, your airplane lands at your feet! People
around you sometimes even break out in
applause and cheers. Unlike when you are
outdoors, your beverage is still cold and you
haven’t been bitten by any bug—except that
of Indoor flight.
If you have never made an Indoor model
and you’d like to start with a kit, you can do
no better than the Bambino or the Dipper by
Ray Harlan of Indoor Model Specialties.
You can build two models from one kit.
Another good choice is the Sci Oly 1 by
Lew Gitlow of Indoor Model Supply, but I
have not built it.
If you feel comfortable building from
plans, Gary Baughman’s Spartan is at the
top of my list. After being asked the same
questions by so many people, he decided to
write it all down. Gary offers a complete,
hand-illustrated, step-by-step manual for
building and flying the Spartan, plans
included. Equal in quality but different in
design is the Olympus by Don Slusarczyk.
His Web site contains photos and details.
One-Design Events: Don’t let contest
names such as the “Midwestern States
Indoor Championships” and “US Indoor
Championships” frighten you into not going.
Delta Dart and Double Whammy mass
launches are held at the Midwestern States
Indoor Championships in Champaign,
Illinois, and the last one down is the winner.
The Double Whammy was featured in the
November 1999 MA, and there was a
follow-up article about how to make it more
competitive.
The US Indoor Championships at
Johnson City, Tennessee, features a P-24
Condor mass launch. The Condor is a greatflying
model that was used for years at the
Air Force Academy to teach flight
principles. It is available from Mace
Models.
The Thermal Thumbers in Atlanta,
Georgia, have events for the Butterfly—a 7-
inch-span indoor ARF—and Laurie Barr’s
Hangar Rat design.
If you are already pretty good at Outdoor
Hand Launched Glider, Outdoor Catapult
Glider, or Flying Aces Club Scale Rubber,
you can use the same skills in Indoor, except
with lighter materials.
An added benefit of going to contests is
that the larger meets often have vendor
booths where they sell specialty Indoor
items that are not available in your hobby
shop.
Not into traveling? There are postal
events for many of these same models, in
which you fly in your local gym and send
your times in to compete with others from
around the world.
Indoor Today—the Pennyplane, Easy B,
and International F1D: The cover of the
March 2002 INAV was my idea but Steve
Gardner’s artistry. Steve preceded me as
editor, and he filled each issue with great
plans and original illustrations. I arranged
his artwork for four models—the Delta Dart,
Pennyplane, Easy B (EZB), and F1D—from
top to bottom on the cover of Issue #106.
All subscribers received a black-andwhite
version, but the original shows in
striking color one way you can move up in
building skill and flight duration by
graduating from model to model, each more
advanced than the one before. There are
dozens of paths to take; this is just one. I
have already covered the Delta Dart and SO
models, so let’s move on to a possible next
step.
If you weigh a modern penny, it will be
almost 2.50 grams. But before 1984, you got
more for your money; a penny weighed 3.20
grams. That was settled on at the time as the
Pennyplane model’s minimum weight.
There were also restrictions of an 18-inch
span, a 5-inch chord, a 12-inch propeller,
and other guidelines.
This makes it great for the step from SO
to serious Indoor competition. Anyone who
can build a Finny Plane and do four minutes
in a gymnasium can make a 4.0- or 5.0-gram
Pennyplane the first time, and start doing
10+ minutes in a large site.
My first Pennyplane weighed 5.0 grams,
my second one weighed 4.1 grams, and my
current model weighs 3.4 grams. It takes a
great deal of practice, but you can expect to
double your flight times by going from a
5.0-gram to a 3.2-gram airplane.
This design comes in two flavors: the
original version and a Limited Pennyplane.
Both have 18-inch wingspans and can weigh
no less than 3.2 grams, but the Limited rules
allow only a monoplane configuration and a
sheet-balsa propeller with a 12-inch
maximum diameter.
Indoor Model Supply makes a nice
novice kit called the Time Machine. One of
the two I built straight from the package did
six minutes right off the building board in
the 34-foot Tampa Armory. Building lighter
from the same plans, it is possible to do
eight to 10 minutes or more. Those aren’t
contest-winning times, but they give the
builder a great deal of satisfaction and the
confidence to move further along.
A possible next step is the EZB design
invented by Wally Miller. It is a small 18-
inch-span monoplane Rubber model with a
2-inch maximum chord and all-wood
construction. Micro-X makes a nice
beginner’s kit of this model and even
provides the cardboard template around
which the wing is built. Substituting lighter
wood and smaller motor sizes on successive
models will take your duration times into
the double digits.
The attraction of the EZB is that
Pennyplane kit: Time Machine 11-inch propeller 0.070 x 13-inch loop Fast climb
12-inch propeller 0.080 x 14-inch loop Slow climb
Experiment with 0.085 and 0.090 inch.
Pennyplane plans: No-Non-Cents 3.3-gram loop of 21.5 inches
Easy B kit: Micro-X Suggested 12- to 14-inch loop of 0.065-0.046 inch
Easy B plans: Ron Williams Suggested 12- to 14-inch loop of 0.065-0.046 inch
Competition 1.0-gram loop of 15 inches
A-6: Clarence Mather Novice 0.040-0.050 x 10-inch loop
A-6: Slugger Competition 0.037 x 14 inches
MiniStick kit: I.M.S. Suggested 0.025-0.030 x 10 inches
MiniStick plans: MiniQuark Competition 0.025-0.028 x 13 inches
Butterfly RTF Indoor 0.040 x 12 inches
Outdoor 0.055 x 10 inches
P-24 kit: Mace Condor 7-inch N. Pacific 3⁄32 x 36-inch loop (Suggested for sport)
plastic propeller 3⁄32 x 50-inch loop (Competition)
Suggested Models and Motor Sizes for Beginning Indoor Fliers
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 1:20 pm Page 32
34 MODEL AVIATION
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beginners and experts can enjoy it, and
beginners can become experts in a short
time. The most popular contest design is
the Hobby Shopper EZB by Larry Coslick,
which, as the name implies, can be built
from hobby-shop wood and still weigh
only .7 gram and fly for more than 20
minutes. You can download the plans and
construction article for free from Indoor
Duration at www.indoorduration.com.
The bottom model on the cover is the
most challenging and most amazing: the
F1D. It is a world-class airplane, and the
Time Traveler by Steve Brown has done
63 minutes on a tiny .6-gram rubber loop.
Others, who are braver than I am, say it
is the most rewarding model since even
your first F1D will fly longer than
anything you have built previously. But if
you are going to follow me this far, it’s
time to take a detour and get out your
wallet.
Stripping and Weighing Your Own
Materials: Up to a point, you could build
and fly Indoor with common supplies
found in any good hobby shop or general
model catalog. By this I mean that the
propellers could be plastic and all the
wood and rubber motors used could come
in standard sizes.
However, for the Pennyplane, and even
lighter models such as the EZB and
MiniStick, you will want to strip your own
wood and rubber and weigh the finished
pieces more accurately than you have
needed to before this. If serious
competition is in your future, think
seriously about a micrometer balsa
stripper, a rubber stripper, and a precision
pan balance.
The one-piece molded-plastic balsa
strippers used for Outdoor FF models and
use a #11 X-Acto blade aren’t good
enough. Although they are fine for 1⁄8 and
1⁄16 wood sheets, they tend to split thinner
balsa and give wavy and uneven cuts. I am
not referring to fractions of an inch
anymore, but thousandths of an inch. An
EZB’s wing spars and ribs are .020-.030
inch (or 20-30 mil), and this requires a
different approach.
Ray Harlan and Tim Goldstein offer
quality balsa strippers with micrometer
adjustments for the fine tolerances needed.
If you are handy, plans are available so
you can build your own. These tools really
shine when it comes to cutting many LE
and TE spars the same thickness. They are
also used to move a rib template down on
the workpiece the same amount after each
cut to give uniform ribs.
An added advantage is that by angling
the wood, or pushing the piece up in the
middle to bow it, tapered spars and strips
can be cut so more of the weight and
strength is on the inside than on the tips.
Many wing spars and almost all propeller
spars call for tapered stock.
The cutting blocks use carbon-steel,
single-edge razor-blade pieces or surgicalsteel
blades, which are half as thick as XActo
knives and don’t split the wood. (You
can still buy the older carbon-steel, doubleedged
blades, which are brittle and snap to
a fresh, clean edge. Modern stainless
varieties bend rather than break.)
Next comes stripping your own rubber
to make custom-width motors. In Outdoor
flying with multistranded motors, you
change the motor’s cross-section by
increasing or decreasing the number of
strands. But with these light models, we
are down to a single loop. One can do well
in SO and novice Pennyplane with 3⁄32-
inch rubber strip (93-94 mil) from FAI
Supply just as it comes out of the box.
Wind a few motors to the breaking
point so you’ll know what 100% is.
Practice winding to just fewer than
maximum turns, finding the right motor
loop length and the best trim for your
model for that particular site. This could
take several flying sessions or maybe a
whole winter season.
After getting to the point at which no
further improvement in duration is seen
with a single size of rubber, buy your own
rubber stripper. Ray Harlan makes one of
the better ones on the market. When you
get a rubber stripper, you can simplify the
rubber stock in your inventory and only
10sig2.QXD 7/23/04 11:29 am Page 34
buy 1⁄8- or 1⁄4-inch widths.
It’s not a waste either, because when
you cut 1⁄8-inch rubber strip to get .085
inch for your Pennyplane, you can save the
thinner piece for EZB or MiniStick flying.
Keep all your stripped motors in plastic
envelopes, and write the rubber batch,
weight, and thickness on the outside with a
felt-tip pen.
Last, an electronic pan balance that
measures to at least .01 gram, and
preferably to .001 gram, will be a welcome
addition to your shop. Indoor plans give
target weights for model pieces, as well as
the whole, so you need to be able to
accurately weigh a wing or a stabilizer to
see if you are building in the right
ballpark. Get in the habit of weighing
everything and keeping good records.
Weigh your tissue and condenser paper,
and convert it to grams or ounces per 100
square feet to find the lightest available.
Mylar plastic comes in thicknesses that are
much lighter (and much stronger) than
tissue coverings. WES-Technik sells a 2-
micron film used in built-up Hand-
Launched Gliders. For Duration Rubber
flying, the best is a cellulose acetate film
only 0.6 micron thick called OS film. It is
available from Alan Cohen.
Apply these films by spraying the
framework with 3M Super 77 contact
cement and laying the work facedown on
the film. Weigh the balsa you use in sheet
and strip form, and convert it to poundsper-
cubic-foot (ppcf) density. Indoor
applications use 4-6 ppcf wood for most
applications, with 8 and 10 ppcf wood for
the more stressed propeller spars, wing
posts, and motorsticks.
Cut your own sticks too. They will be
much lighter, and you will save a great
deal of money compared with buying
precut spars. And of course, weigh all your
motors and keep a record of that. I have
two three-ring binders to keep my notes in,
with dividers according to model class.
One has building records and plans I keep
at home, and one for flying I take to
contests and practice sessions to keep track
of what worked and what did not.
You are looking at $45-$75 for a
micrometer balsa stripper, $160 for a good
rubber stripper, and $50-$300 (or more)
for a balance.
If you ask me if this kind of cash outlay
is necessary, I will tell you about my brief
foray into robotics. A reader wrote to one
of the electronics magazines I subscribed
to at the time and questioned whether an
oscilloscope purchase was necessary. The
editors answered that it was “the price of
entry into the hobby,” meaning that you
could do without it but not do well.
The accompanying table lists some
motor choices to get you started, whether
you choose a kit version, plans, or build
from scratch. Each kit comes with full-size
plans and complete instructions, so the kit
could be your first effort, with lighter,
more advanced models from the plans
provided as a next step.
Always build several of the same
design, because each model will be better
and different from the one before. Indoor
fliers seldom tell you how many of a
particular airplane they have brought to a
contest, but they will tell you that they
have six or seven propellers, three wings,
two tails, and four motorsticks.
This advice goes in spades for motors.
You might cut some 62, 64, and 66 mil
rubber and have it ready to tie into
different-size loops at the contest, stored in
carefully labeled envelopes or plastic bags.
Some of the competition motors in the
table are described by weight rather than
thickness. That’s because the rubber strip’s
thickness and density varies from batch to
batch, so weight is much more constant
than size. Another reason is that weight
indicates the total energy potential that can
be expected from a motor.
The Future of Indoor: Some in the Indoor
community, fine people though they are,
would make this a short section because
they say there is no future to Indoor
modeling. Participation decreases each
year, and there will be no one to fill the
ranks as the great ones pass on to that great
site in the sky.
36 MODEL AVIATION
10sig2.QXD 7/23/04 11:30 am Page 36
That is baloney (as we used to say in
New Jersey, where we ate a lot of it). As
editor of INAV, I’ve seen the subscription
rolls climb from 550 when I started two
years ago to more than 700 today.
Jim Buxton, Dave Linstrum, Bud
Tenny, Don Ross, Bob Warmann, John
Worth, and many others continue to write
about Indoor FF and contribute articles and
columns, so we get our fair share of
coverage.
I saw 10 Juniors and Seniors at the last
contest—many from SO beginnings—and
a few already flying at a world-class level.
Sure, the great Doc Martin passed away,
and with it his Miami Indoor Aircraft
Model Association Indoor club, but the
Florida Flyers have emerged like a
phoenix from their own ashes, thanks to
the efforts of Bill Carney in Jacksonville
and others. To prove it, they just held a
successful meet in the Tampa Armory. I
was there, and it was a hoot.
The fastest-growing segment is indoor
micro RC. Such pioneers as Bob Wilder of
Wilder Winder fame, MA “Micro-Flying”
columnist Dave Robelen, and John Worth
of RC MicroFlight magazine are at the
leading edge of incredible growth in this
area of the hobby.
RC components have shrunken in size
so much in the last few years that any
small, light, electric-powered FF model
can be modified and flown successfully.
Open to debate is how indoor electric RC
will be compatible with classic pure
Rubber models.
The answer has to be equal but
separate. Except for the lightest electricpowered
models used in AMA events
221—Free Flight Electric Power—and
627—Indoor Electric Duration (and even
inclusion of these is at the CD’s
discretion)—everyone will be happiest if
rubber and RC keep their separate ways,
just as all good contests are separated into
“heavies” and “lights” flying in different
time slots.
The National Indoor Remote-controlled
Aircraft Council (NIRAC) knows this and
has its contests in such places as the
Oakland Yard Athletics dome in
Waterford, Michigan. If this commonsense
approach continues, it will be good for the
hobby.
We are seeing what the future holds
with the introduction of smaller and lighter
receivers and servos, geared pager motor
drives weighing a gram or less, and Li-
Poly cells that double and triple flight
times. But the innovations are not limited
to radio; carbon rod and tubes are standard
building materials now, as are Depron
foam sheets and Mylar and polyester
covering films.
Bill Gowen’s composite Carbon Copy,
a Hand Launched Glider, uses carbon rod
and tough Mylar covering, and it wins.
Tungsten wire used to be the main
bracing material for ultralight F1D models,
but the current trend seems to be more
toward unbraced wings and motorsticks.
Instead of tungsten-wire rigging, the
pieces are reinforced by laying down
carbon and boron fibers and running a tiny
amount of cyanoacrylate along the whole
length for stiffness. Laurie Barr of England
uses boron fiber on four sides of his
hollow motorsticks, and he says they come
out “as stiff as a pool cue.” The fibers are
so thin that the weight penalty is small.
Florida Flyer Jake Larson is famous for
his balsa-sheet Scale models, which he
often converts to electric-powered FF
aircraft. Now he is into doing the same
thing with foam sheet. Although the foam
is not as strong as balsa, his airplanes are
so light that it doesn’t matter. He brought
quite a selection to the Tampa Armory,
and they all flew well.
We will see more and more of all these
new materials and techniques in the
seasons to come.
Perhaps the best thing for our hobby in
the future is the growing list of supplies
and information available on the Internet.
No matter what your interest or specialty,
you will be able to download plans,
instructions, and articles, and then order
almost anything you can think of while
sitting at a keyboard.
The addresses and sites at the end of
At Your Hobby Shop or
Online.
Specializing in
Scale ARFs of
‘Homebuilt’ Aircraft.
800-297-1707
Farmington Hills, MI
Check out the rest of our incredible fleet online!
RV-6/6A, Zodiac XL, Challenger II, Europa XS, Glastar, Velocity XL
Scale: 1:5.0
Wingsapn: 75" or 59" ‘Clippable’
Length: 43" Wing Area: 881in2 or 693in2
Flying Weight: 7 - 8 lbs
Wing Loading: 21 oz/ft2 or 25 oz/ft2
Radio: 4 CH 5 Servos Engines: .40 - .46 in3
EAM Quad City Ulralight’s
Challenger ll
Great Electric and Float Conversion!
www.RCHomebuilts.com™
A Sport Scale Plane that’s
...One of a Kind!
10sig2.QXD 7/23/04 11:30 am Page 38
40 MODEL AVIATION
this article are by no means definitive, but
most of them have links to other sites, to
take you as far as you care to go. It is an
exciting time to be in the hobby, and I
hope you will try Indoor modeling and
come fly with us.
Indoor FF Manufacturers and Suppliers:
In the almost 20 years since Ron
Williams’ lament that I included at the
beginning of this article, quite a few brave
souls have ventured into supplying the
Indoor market.
At least two things have helped this
along, the first of which is the increasing
use of exotic, non-hobby-shop materials
such as tungsten wire and boron and
carbon fiber. Second is the recent
explosion of E-mail and Web sites, giving
equal opportunities to modelers living
anywhere on the globe.
The following list will be more than
enough to get you started. But if this
article has generated more questions than
answers, write or E-mail me. MA
Carl Bakay
1621 Lake Salvador Dr.
Harvey LA 70058
[email protected]
Manufacturers and Suppliers:
MA magazine, AMA insurance and
services:
AMA
5161 E. Memorial Dr.
Muncie IN 47302
(765) 287-1256
www.modelaircraft.org
Spartan (Send $10 for the Spartan building
guide):
Gary Baughman
470 Hardage Farm Dr. NW
Marietta GA 30064
Tan II rubber, indoor ARFs, kits:
FAI Model Supply
John Clapp
Box 366
Sayre PA 18840
(570) 882-9873
www.faimodelsupply.com
Winder/counters, bearings, supplies:
Geauga Precision Models
W. D. Johnson
9113 Robinson Rd.
Chardon OH 44024
[email protected]
Wood, hardware, kits:
House of Balsa
Winner R/C Hobbies
ONLINE STORE
12368 Valley Blvd. #109, El Monte, CA 91732
ORDERS ONLY 800-780-0100
Information 626-618-0300
ONLINE ORDER AND MORE INFORMATION AT
www.winnerrc.com
All In One Power Panel (with a built-in field charger)
Pacific Aeromodels took the proven high quality technology of its quarter scale
Laser to the next level by adding the new 27% Edge 540 T to its mid sized lineup.
Designed for IMAC and 3D type aerobatics, as well as sport flying, the Edge’s
light weight and sophisticated aerodynamic design give it the unique ability to
wring truly outstanding performance from smaller and less expensive engines
and radio equipment than the competition. The 27% Edge offers top-of-the-line
quality, ease of assembly and unlimited performance in the air without the nasty
habits of some other scale aerobatics.
Wingspan: 82" • Wing Area: 1,139 Sq. In. • Overall Length: 67 1/2" • Weight:
14.5 lbs. • Wing Loading: 29.3 Oz./Sq. Ft • Engine: 1.60-2.10 Glow, 40c.c. Gas
• Radio: 4 CH (1 std and 5 high torque servos)
Aero Shark 40 ARF
Radio: Requires 4 Ch (6 servos) • Wing Span: 72 in. • Wing Area: 857
sq. in. • Flying Wt: 7.9-9.5 lbs • Engine: .60-1.08 (2C), .90-1.20 (4C),
Gas 24cc • Color: Red, Blue
Combo W/ Saito FA-100 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $559.99
Combo W/ Saito FA-120 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $609.99
Wingspan: 63" • Wing Area: 596 Sq. In. • Overall Length: 54 1/2"
• Weight: 5.5 lbs. • Engine: .40 - .53 2C or .52 - .72 4C
A swept-back shoulder wing? A fuselage that reminds you of a
fish? You either like it’s looks, or you don’t, but you’ll LOVE the
way it flies. Pacific’s new 40 size Aero Shark is big, fast, smooth
and very aerobatic, yet it’s slow speed handling is superb and it
lands like a trainer. As a second or third airplane, an aerobatic
trainer or a Sunday sport flyer, you can’t beat the high quality
AERO SHARK ARF.
Combo: w/TT Pro-46 engine.................$189.99
SALE! $119.99
Field Equipment Field Box (pre-built)
Two Drawer Field Box
• Fully assembled
• Painted and fuel proof
• Light weight
• Adjustable cradle
• Removable power compartment
Combo: Two Drawer Field Box (prebuilt) • 12v
7 amp maintenance free battery • 12V 500
mAh charger (AC) • Starter 150 • Standard
Power Panel • Electric Fuel Pump • Glow
starter w/charger • 4 way wrench . . $139.99
$39.99
Radio: Requires 4 Ch • 5 servos (3 standard, 2 Micro) •
Wing Span: 50 in. • Wing Area: 723 sq. in. • Length 40
in. • Flying Wt: 3.7-4.1 lbs • Engine: .25 - .35 cu.in. (2C)
or .30 - .40 (4C) • Color: Military, Red/Silver, Yellow
Radio: 4Ch (5 servos (3 standard, 2 micro)
Combo: w/Saito 40 engine ............$379.99
Tiger Moth ARF .30 Size • All wood construction.
• 95% ready to fly.
• Balsa Built-up upper and
lower wing plug in for
easy assembly.
• Pre-covered with real
iron-on film.
• Fiber glass cowl already
painted.
• Factory installed pull-pull
controls system on
rudder and elevator.
• Comes with all hardware
and accessories.
• Flies like a trainer.
• Both sizes come with
Flying Wire.
• Ready to fly in just 15
hours.
Radio: Requires 4 Ch • 5 servos • Wing Span: 78 in. •
Wing Area: 1841 sq. in. • Length 65.7 in. • Flying Wt:
10-11 lbs • Engine: .90 cu.in. (2C) or 1.20 (4C) • Color:
Military, Red/Silver, Yellow
Combo: w/Saito 120 engine...........$699.99
$219.99
$399.99
Tiger Moth ARF 1.20 Size
Radio: Requires 4 Ch • 6 servos • Wing Span: 82 in. •
Wing Area: 1175 sq. in. • Length 62.5 in. • Flying Wt:
12-13 lbs • Engine: 1.08-1.60 cu.in. (2C), 1.20-1.80
(4C) or 26cc (Gas)
“Gee Bee-Y” 120 size ARF • All Wood Construction.
• Pre-Covered in real iron
film.
• Fiberglass cowling (10
in. dia.) and wheel pants
already painted.
• Dummy engine included.
• 95% Factory Assembled.
• Ready to fly in just 12
hours.
• All hardware is included.
• Easy to fly.
• Plug in wing.
Combo: w/Saito 150 engine...........$733.99
Combo: w/Saito 180 engine...........$763.99
Combo: w/Zenoah G-26 engine.......$643.99
SALE! $379.99
1/4 Scale 3D Capable Laser 200
ARF
Laser 200 .40 size ARF
$319.99
• All wood construction
• 95% ready to fly
• Covered with real ironon
film. • Fiberglass cowl
and wheel pants. • Plug in
wings. • Ready to fly in
12 hours. • Double
beveling on both wing
and tail feathers.
Radio: Requires 4 Ch (5 servos) • Wing Span: 55 in. • Wing Area: 564
sq. in. • Flying Wt: 5.7 lbs • Engine: .40-.47 (2C), .50-.70 (4C) • Red
Combo W/ Saito FA-72. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $389.99
Combo W/ Thunder Tiger-46 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $259.99
$189.99
This light weight Starter has a comfortable size
that fits very well in one hand. The 3:1 geared
reduction design for starting engines up to 1.8
cu. in. The big cup and double side rubber cone
will fit from 1/2” prop nuts to 5” spinners.
PAM-1002B Starter . . . . . . . . . $44.99
• Functions as a regular power panel
and as a field charger for your Tx
(9.6V), Rx (4.8V or 6.0V) and glow
starter (1.2V).
• Never miss as day's flying because
of low batteries.
• Digital peak-detection, pulsecurrent
charger for Rx
(4.8V and 6.0 V).
• Charges NiCd and Ni-Mh batteries.
Power Panel PAC-MF0502 . $44.99
Portable Super Starter
(Assembled)
Super Starter with battery holder and 2 x
7.2V 1500 mah battery pack also including
1x charging adapter (Tamiya - Dean). We put
it together for you. Will start engines up to
2.1 cu. in.
PAM-1002PP Starter ..........$89.99
Super Starter
Small size but high torque.
Wingspan: 59" • Wing Area: 620 Sq. In. • Overall Length: 52 1/2" •
Weight: 6 lbs. • Wing Loading: 22.3 Oz./Sq. Ft. • Engine: .40 - .53 2C
or .56 - .72 4C • Radio: 4 Ch (6 standard servos)
Combo W/ Saito FA-72 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $419.99
Edge 540T 40/72 ARF
$209.99
Pacific’s new 40 and 60 size Edge
540T ARFs have all the big plane
features like plug-in wings, dual
aileron servos, tail mounted elevator
servos and a pull–pull rudder, and
they use normal sport engines and
standard radio equipment. Best of
all, they are specially designed to fly
with the smoothness and precision
of a much larger airplane.
Wingspan: 65" • Wing Area: 765 Sq. In. • Overall Length: 58 1/2" •
Weight: 8 lbs. • Wing Loading: 24.1 Oz./Sq. Ft • Engine : .61-.91(2C),
.80-1.00(4C) • Radio: 4 Ch (6 standard servos)
Combo W/ Saito FA-100 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $519.99
Edge 540T
60/100 ARF
$264.99
$439.9927% Edge 540T ARF
Pacific Aeromodel’s Edge 540T Series
For 3000mAh
battery
add $30.00.
10sig2.QXD 7/23/04 11:31 am Page 40
10101 Yucca Rd.
Adelanto CA 92301
(760) 246-6462
www.houseofbalsa.com
Scales, rubber strippers, coverings, kits:
Indoor Model Specialties
Ray Harlan
15 Happy Hollow Rd.
Wayland MA 01778
(508) 358-4013
Novice kits, SO materials, all supplies:
Indoor Model Supply
Lew Gitlow
Box 2020
Florence OR 97439
www.indoormodelsupply.com
The Indoor newsletter (one year for $15 in
US, $19 in Canada), articles, plans:
Indoor News and Views
Tim Goldstein, subscription editor
13096 W. Cross Dr.
Littleton CO 80127
www.indoorduration.com
(Download a free issue and subscribe)
P-24 kits, plans, supplies:
Mace Model Aircraft Co.
Don Mace
359 S. 119th East Ave.
Tulsa OK 74128
Scale kits, rubber, supplies:
Micro-X
Box 1063-A
Lorain OH 44055
(440) 282-8354
[email protected]
Classroom kit packs, SO, Delta Dart,
gliders:
Midwest Products Co., Inc.
Educational Products Division
Box 564
Hobart IN 46342
(800) 348-3497
www.midwestproducts.com
OS Film:
42 MODEL AVIATION
Alan Cohen
2115 State Route 31
Glen Gardner NJ 08826
Fax: (908) 537-0111
[email protected]
Kits, supplies:
Peck-Polymers
Box 710399
Santee CA 92072
(619) 488-1833
www.peck-polymers.com
Precision-cut balsa, basswood:
Specialized Balsa Wood
Jake Zimmer
1656 Carol Dr.
Loveland CO 80537
[email protected]
www.specializedbalsa.com
Supplies:
WES-Technik
Klosterstr. 12
D-72644 Oberboihingen
Germany
[email protected]
www.wes-technik.de/
Sites Containing More Information:
Cleveland Clowns Indoor page
www.indoorfreeflight.com
Bill Kuhl’s Delta Dart site
www.luminet.net/~bkuhl/rubber.htm
NFFS home page
http://freeflight.org/
Martin’s worldwide links
www.ivyandmartin.demon.co.uk/page
2.htm
Michael J. Woodhouse supplies
www.freeflightsupplies.co.uk
Tim Goldstein’s Indoor balsa
www.f1d.biz
Ed Wiley’s Web page
www.sunflower.com/~edwiley/
NIRAC Indoor RC
www.nirac.org
Tim Goldstein’s INAV site
www.indoorduration.com
Del Ogren’s Indoor site
www.n-lemma.com
Glen Davison’s Indoor site
http://people.ne.mediaone.net/indoor
Daniel Hartstein’s Indoor site:
http://w1.871.telia.com/~u87106779/
Thayer Syme’s FF site:
www.sirius.com/~thayer/modelhp.html
Mr. NiCd’s BATTERIES AMERICA
www.batteriesamerica.com
Autumn 2004 Specials (Order ONLINE too)
PLATINUM POLYMER
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#2LP300* 7.4v 300mAh Li-POLY pk (13 gms/0.46oz) $20.95
#2LP400 7.4v 400mAh Li-POLY pk(18 gms/ 0.64oz) $18.95
#2LP650 7.4v 650mAh Li-POLY pk (28 gms/ 1 oz) $20.95
#2LP800* 7.4v 800mAh Li-POLY pk (34 gms/ 1.2oz) $27.95
#2LP900 7.4v 900mAh Li-POLY pk (38 gms/ 1.35oz)$23.95
#2LP1200 7.4v 1200mAh Li-POLY pk (48 gms/1.7oz) $25.95
#2LP1500*7.4v 1500mAh Li-POLY pk (62 gms/2.2oz) $39.95
#2LP1700 7.4v 1700mAh Li-POLY pk (68 gms/2.4 oz) $31.95
#2LP1900 7.4v 1900mAh Li-POLY pk (76 gms/2.7oz) $34.95
#2LP2200 7.4v 2200mAh Li-POLY pk (88 gms/3.3 oz) $38.95
*300, 800, & 1500mAh are HIGHER-AMP packs ( 5C discharge!)
QN-012BC charger QN-012DC charger VR5.4 / VR6.0
#QN-012BC Fast-Smart Charger (AC) for Li-POLY pk. $19.95
#QN-012DC Fast-Smart 12VDC charger for Li-POLYpk. $19.95
#VR5.4 Voltage Regulator –limits output to 5.4V max $19.95
#VR6.0 Voltage Regulator –limits output to 6.0V max $19.95
NEW Lithium Polymer cells – with E-Z solder tabs !
#P145 3.7v 145mAh Li-POLYcell (4 gms / 0.13 oz)$ 5.95ea
#P300* 3.7v 300mAh Li-POLYcell (6.5 gms /.23 oz)$ 7.95ea
#P400 3.7v 400mAh Li-POLYcell (9 gms / 0.32oz) $ 6.95ea
#P650 3.7v 650mAh Li-POLYcell (14 gms / 0.5 oz) $ 7.95ea
#P800* 3.7v 800mAh Li-POLYcell (17 gms / 0.6 oz) $10.95ea
#P900 3.7v 900mAh Li-POLYcell (19 gms/ 0.67oz) $ 9.95ea
#P1200 3.7v 1200mAh Li-POLY cell (24 gms/0.85oz) $10.95ea
#P1500*3.7v 1500mAh Li-POLY cell (31 gms/1.1oz) $15.95ea
#P1700 3.7v 1700mAh Li-POLY cell (34 gms/1.2oz) $12.95ea
#P1900 3.7v 1900mAh Li-POLY cell (38 gms/1.35oz)$13.95ea
#P2200 3.7v 2200mAh Li-POLY cell(44 gms/1.65oz)$14.95ea
*300, 800, & 1500mAh are HIGHER-AMP packs ( 5C discharge!)
Motor packs, R/C packs, TX packs, & more!
New HiCell electric flight Ni-MH packs!
For park flyers, etc. Shapes: A=Flat; B=twin-stick; C=two rows;
D=four sticks. JST conn.=add $3.00. Deans Ultra conn.=add $5.
Cell # size / mAh / $ each 7.2v 8.4v 9.6v 10.8v 12.0v
AP-350 1/3AA, 350mAh $2.50 $23.95 $26.95 $29.95 $32.95 $35.95
AP-700 2/3AA, 700mAh $2.50 $23.95 $26.95 $29.95 $32.95 $35.95
AP-1000 2/3A,1000mAh$3.00 $24.95 $27.95 $30.95 $33.95 $36.95
MOTOR PACKS w/ SANYO Ni-Cd cells (no connector):
Shapes (see above). Add deans ULTRA connector for $5.00 xtra
Cell # size /mAh / $ each 7.2v 8.4v 9.6v 10.8v 12.0v
N-500AR(2/3A 500mA) $2.50 $20.00 $24.00 $28.00 $32.00 $36.00
KR600AE(2/3A 600mA) $1.95 $17.00 $20.00 $23.00 $26.00 $29.00
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4.8 volt 1100mAh (long-life AA NiCd, w/conn.) $13.95ea.
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Y-connector:$5.50 ea / Switch Harness:$6.50ea
SANYO Transmitter Packs w/leads. Shapes shown above
Choose SQUARE(D) or Side-by-Side (A). Add TX plug for $3.00.
9.6 volt 700mAh (square or SxS, w/ leads) $16.95ea.
9.6 volt 1100mAh (square or SxS, w/ leads) $22.95ea.
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10sig2.QXD 7/23/04 11:31 am Page 42
Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/10
Page Numbers: 26,27,28,29,30,32,34,36,38,40,42
I AM NOT a famous Indoor-model flier. As
have Dave Rees and Bob Aberle, who wrote
the “State of the Sport” articles before me, I
have been active in all forms of the hobby
since I was a kid growing up in New Jersey
in the 1950s. Unlike them, I am a sport flier,
a writer, and a newsletter editor, and I have
worked hard at staying a novice when it
comes to competition.
According to other writers, we take turns
and detours in our lives that change us
forever. This happened for me in May 1998.
On a lark, I drove the 712 miles from New
Orleans, Louisiana, to the East Tennessee
State University campus in Johnson City,
Tennessee, where the US Indoor
Championships is held each year in a
covered football stadium called the Mini-
Dome.
I walked through the outer doors to a
gymnasium hallway, complete with locker
rooms and showers, and then through a
second set of inner doors to the running
track and playing field, which was 400 feet
long and 116 feet high. I stood transfixed, as
they say, and my mouth stood open as I
watched these beautiful airplanes circle
slowly and majestically over my head.
I was hooked then, and I am hooked
now. But don’t believe me; to learn what is
so great about “Indoor,” as it is called, I’ll
quote Ron Williams.
“Indoor model building and flying is an
innocent sport. There is little profit to be
made, if any, in the commerce it engenders,
though some enterprising indoor
entrepreneur could find ways, I’m sure.
“Because it tends to be so low key and
deceptively complex, it has never enjoyed
the attention that noisier, more dynamic
forms of modeling have received. The
consequence is that there has never been
enough information in any one place to get a
good start with this part of the hobby.”
Therefore, Ron wrote and illustrated the
first definitive how-to on the subject. His
1984 book Building and Flying Indoor
Model Airplanes was a milestone then and a
classic now, but I think it is out of print.
Returning to Johnson City a few years
later as editor of the fancy Indoor News and
Views (INAV) magazine, numerous people
came up to shake my hand and offered
compliments, good wishes, and occasional
war stories while I was trying to count the
winds in my motor or time a flight.
But by Day Two I learned not to be
annoyed—that something larger was going
on. I was part of a community.
As in all facets of our hobby, many types of
models are flown in Indoor. Any Outdoor
rubber-powered FF design can be made
lighter and smaller and flown inside. Heavy
and strong are no longer requirements when
there are no wind gusts or tree limbs in the
way.
A good example of this is the Bostonian.
These little 16-inch-wingspan cuties are
flown outdoors with a 14-gram-minimum
weight requirement and indoors with a 7-
gram-minimum weight requirement.
Although it’s hard to get down to 7 grams
the first few times you try, flight duration
goes from two minutes for an outdoor
Bostonian to five and six minutes or more
for the lighter indoor versions. In a place
like Johnson City, with some of the “best
air” anywhere, after all that time, your
model will land about where it started.
It’s all about duration. As do the Scale
models of the Flying Aces Club, some
Indoor events award charisma points and
appearance points, but the ability to outfly
everyone else’s aircraft is the key to Indoorcontest
success.
Origins—the Baby ROG: The first modelairplane
clubs started in the New York City
area as early as 1907. The famous Frank
Zaic flew in that city’s Central Park in the
1920s and 1930s. Balsa wood wasn’t used
until roughly 1911, so most early models
were made from pine, bamboo, and spruce.
Rubber motors were cut from tire inner
tubes, and plans were drawn on wrapping
paper. For more about this and Indoor
modeling history in general, see Bill Kuhl’s
site; the address is at the end of this article.
Our hobby can be clearly divided into
two times: before 1927 and after 1927. That
year a shy, handsome private pilot named
26 MODEL AVIATION
State of thIe nSpordt: oor Flight
b y C a r l B a k ay
Free
Steve Gardner’s drawings on the
cover of INAV Issue #106 show one
route to more serious Indoor fun.
Text has details.
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 3:51 pm Page 26
Charles Lindbergh flew a highly modified and overloaded Ryanbuilt
monoplane nonstop across the Atlantic Ocean. The effect on
the youth of the era was nothing less than galvanic, and modeling as
a hobby followed the groundswell. The number of kit manufacturers
went from perhaps 20 in 1927 to more than 2,000 in 1928.
Let’s go back to modeling in the Depression years of the 1930s.
We are in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it’s wintertime. A group
of clubs is making something called the “Philadelphia Model
Airplane Association.”
They are giving out plans for a Baby ROG—not full-scale, of
course. Part of your apprenticeship (if you want to join) is to scale
up the plans on the back of some brown paper or, if you know a
paperboy, a sheet of blank newsprint from the pressroom.
Then you have to build your own model, carve your own
propeller, and get the aircraft to rise off the ground and fly indoors
for 30 seconds. This is quite an achievement (especially if you use
strips cut from automobile inner tubes to power it), although flights
of more than a minute are possible. You then make it to the rank of
“grease monkey” and can fly in Saturday contests.
John Walker wrote about his modeling origins with the Baby
ROG in the July 1981 R/C Model Builder magazine. Send me an
SASE, and I’ll send you free plans for the Baby ROG from that
issue.
(Did you notice that the Baby ROG was in R/C Model Builder?
Dave Rees mentioned in his July 2001 “State of the Sport: Free
Flight Scale” article that after getting into Scale models, he was
amazed by how many great building and finishing tips he gleaned
from old CL, FF, and RC articles in his magazine collection. The
same is true for Indoor.)
There were many versions of the Baby ROG, but it was a
milestone in any of its forms. Why? Because it flew! Of all those
Nickel Scale, Dime Scale, and quarter-scale models that the 2,000
kit makers offered, most would fly from your hand to the ground if
they flew at all. The early clubs knew this and started you out with
something realistic and flyable. Today we have something even
better.
Begin With a Delta Dart: Bill Kuhl has to be the Delta Dart’s
biggest fan. Read the following from his Web site and you’ll see
why.
“The Delta Dart appeared in the April 1967 issue of American
Modeler. It was designed by AMA’s [then] Technical Director Frank
Ehling and promoted by Dick and Ruth Meyer.
“Why is it so great? With the exception of the motorstick, the
AMA Dart is made entirely from 1⁄16 x 1⁄8-inch balsa strip. Some
beginners’ models such as the Peck ROG utilize 1⁄16-inch square
balsa, which although lighter, is difficult for the beginner to handle
without breaking, and the structure will more easily warp.
“Also, the one-piece motorstick comes with the correct stabilizer
incidence built in. The joints used at the tips of the wing, stabilizer,
and vertical fin can be less than perfect and still be adequately strong
because the covering material reinforces the joint.
“With materials donated by Sig, Dick and Ruth made up 300 kits
on their kitchen table, some of which were taken by Frank Ehling to
the 1966 Nats. Although some people thought the airplane too
simple and heavy, kids found it easy to build and fly. It was thought
that with the pointy wingtips, warps would have less effect because
most of the wing area was closer to the center of the wing.
“Sig decided to sell the same basic airplane as a kit called the
‘AMA Racer.’ The biggest change in the AMA Racer from the
original Delta Dart is that the wing is movable, so center of gravity
adjustments are easy. Another change is that the tailboom is made
from spruce instead of balsa.
“Frank Ehling designed another airplane known as the “AMA
Cub,” but it is sold by Midwest Products as the Delta Dart.
According to the Sig catalog, this is the airplane that has been used
in beginners’ promotions since 1968 and is the most-produced
model airplane of all time.”
The Dart and various rise-off-ground (ROG) stick models are
available in most good hobby shops and many toy stores. If you
October 2004 27
Senior Doug Schaefer (Centerville OH) qualified for the US
Indoor FF team to compete in Slanic, Romania.
Parker Parrish (Alpharetta GA) works on his F1D model. This
high-school student bested many Senior fliers at Akron OH.
Photos by the late Richard Doig.
Photos by the author except as noted
r
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 4:05 pm Page 27
28 MODEL AVIATION
Indoor rubber-powered Scale offers unlimited opportunities
for Outdoor fliers. This 1912 Fokker A was seen at last
year’s Nats at Johnson City TN.
Bostonians ready for charisma judging feature the latest
lifting-body design and wide, slow-turning propellers.
Limited Pennyplanes are capable of flights exceeding 15
minutes. Wingtip plates—a recent innovation—add stability
during high torque at launch. Gardner photo.
The Baby ROG, shown in
one of its original forms,
started many on the road
to successful building and
flying.
Author’s P-24 Mace Models Condor is intended for
beginners but has turned into a design for a hotly contested
one-design mass-launch event. It will do six minutes with a
54-inch single loop of 3⁄32-inch rubber. Steve Gardner photo.
The same skills used in building Outdoor Scale models can
be used in Indoor flying if careful attention is paid to weight.
Indoor Scale models may weigh one-third or more less than
Outdoor models. Gardner photo.
Not only is he a consistent winner, but Larry Cailliau flies
models that are true works of art. Gardner photo.
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 1:17 pm Page 28
don’t know where to go in your area, order a
catalog from Indoor Model Supply, Midwest
Products, or Peck-Polymers.
It is a good idea to build your first few
models exactly according to the instructions,
and even a little heavier than needed, with
extra glue joints and reinforcing fillets in the
corners. This will help it survive all the
banging around it is sure to do at first. You
might take part in or help run an AMA
make-and-take program at one of the
Muncie meets.
A natural question is, What do I build
after the Delta Dart? The answer is, Another
Delta Dart. As you learn to build with
lighter and thinner wood and replace the
heavy plastic propellers with lighter balsa
propellers, you will be building models that
fly much slower and longer, and they suffer
less damage if they hit something.
The world-class endurance models
shown seem to float through the air at
walking speed, or slower, and are most in
danger of being damaged by careless
handling or a sneeze. But their owners will
tell you they had to make several before they
got it just right.
The best thing you can do on your
second, third, and fourth Delta Dart is build
with lighter wood, tissue covering, and a
rubber motor at least twice as long as the
loop that comes with the kit. Bob Warmann
of the Chicago Aeronuts had a Delta Dart
mass launch at the Midwest Championships
this past April, and several flew up to the
94-foot ceiling.
Science Olympiad: The Delta Dart and the
AMA make-and-take programs are great,
but the participants are young—maybe 8, 9,
or 10 years of age—and most do not
continue with the hobby.
Sometimes, though, a parent will catch
the modeling bug along with the youngster,
and great things can happen. That is
especially true with a new wave that has
come along, and there has been nothing like
it since the post-Sputnik catch-up days in
education when I was a kid.
Few events have had as positive an effect
on bringing young people into Indoor
modeling as the Science Olympiad in our
schools. SO, as it’s called, encompasses a
host of biology, chemistry, physics, and
engineering competitions, starting at the
local level, and then moving on to state and
national championships.
It uses a team approach, with an adult
mentor providing guidance and support for a
group of young people. The finale of a
bridge-building exercise can galvanize an
entire class when the time comes to hang
weights on everyone’s creation to see how
much they can hold before they break. The
cheering, jeering, and just plain excitement
are seldom seen outside of sporting events.
SO has an event called The Wright Stuff,
with apologies to author Tom Wolfe and his
book of almost the same name. The rules for
2004 C Division require that the rubberpowered
airplanes have 52cm (20.5-inch)
wingspans and commercially available
October 2004 29
Bill Gowen shows off his composite Hand Launched Glider. This model was
constructed with carbon rod and Mylar covering. Photo by Chuck Markos.
These young fliers competed in the Science Olympiad portion of the Midwest States
Indoor Championships, hosted by the Chicago Aeronuts. Markos photo.
Jim Richmond, with his new Limited Pennyplane, waits his turn to fly at the
University of Illinois Armory. Markos photo.
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 4:07 pm Page 29
plastic propellers no bigger than 24cm (10 inches). The motors can
be any thickness or length but are limited to one loop of 2 grams
maximum weight. The models have a minimum weight limit too; for
2004 it is 8 grams for senior and junior high, without the motor.
Are you confused by the units? Don’t be surprised if you see US
and metric units mixed together like this. The SO originators wanted
to give students a taste of international science. Our country is one
of the few that doesn’t use the metric system every day, although
most scientists and some engineers use it all the time.
Indoor modelers use metric and US units interchangeably,
generally depending on which one allows the use of whole numbers.
It is easier to say 20 centimeters than 77⁄8 inches, and it’s easier to
say your model weighs 10 grams than 0.3527 ounce. But rubber
motors are sold in boxes by the pound, weighed in grams, and the
length of the motor loop is in inches. You get used to it. But flight
time is what it’s all about, and that is minutes and seconds the world
over.
The SO and its twin the Technology Student Association (TSA)
have exploded in popularity in the last few years. There are many
different kits available for the Wright Stuff event, and more than a
dozen plans available, from simple to elegant. The Cleveland
Clowns Web site even offers a tutorial video for sale. Many SO and
TSA mentors are active modelers who belong to clubs, and
“invitational” SO competitions have become common at club meets.
Bill Gowen and Gary Baughman are SO mentors of multiple
teams in the Atlanta, Georgia, area. Gary designed the Spartan,
named after the school mascot, which is a robust model using 1⁄8
square wood similar to the Delta Dart and is designed to take a great
deal of punishment from young hands, gym walls, and ceilings, and
still fly.
Bill designed the Finny Plane, which uses 1⁄16 square wood, as
does the Peck-Polymers ROG, and can be built to 8 grams without
too much effort and puts in long flights as a result.
Both designers are active Thermal Thumbers of Metro Atlanta
members, bringing many of their students to meetings and events.
This is so popular that we “big kids” get into the act with such SO
variants as Senior and Unlimited Rubber.
Duration times here in the south are approximately four minutes,
but a brilliant mentor in California named Cezar Banks designed his
Leading Edge model with a wing so advanced that times exceed six
minutes.
30 MODEL AVIATION
A 1⁄8-inch strip of Tan II rubber is being stripped into smaller
widths, which are checked with a micrometer.
Dave Haught takes Indoor Scale to the max with his flying B-
17. He writes “Scale Matters” for INAV. Tim Goldstein photo.
The Akron Air
Dock hangar in
Ohio was the site
of record
qualification trials
several times a
year. Although big,
it was cluttered
and often drafty.
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 1:19 pm Page 30
32 MODEL AVIATION
And I can’t forget Wayne Johnson, who
had 7:37 when Bill Gowen hosted the Open
SO event in the huge Johnson City Mini-
Dome. That is a long time for a flier—
young or old—and the best thing is that
being indoors, after all those minutes in the
air, your airplane lands at your feet! People
around you sometimes even break out in
applause and cheers. Unlike when you are
outdoors, your beverage is still cold and you
haven’t been bitten by any bug—except that
of Indoor flight.
If you have never made an Indoor model
and you’d like to start with a kit, you can do
no better than the Bambino or the Dipper by
Ray Harlan of Indoor Model Specialties.
You can build two models from one kit.
Another good choice is the Sci Oly 1 by
Lew Gitlow of Indoor Model Supply, but I
have not built it.
If you feel comfortable building from
plans, Gary Baughman’s Spartan is at the
top of my list. After being asked the same
questions by so many people, he decided to
write it all down. Gary offers a complete,
hand-illustrated, step-by-step manual for
building and flying the Spartan, plans
included. Equal in quality but different in
design is the Olympus by Don Slusarczyk.
His Web site contains photos and details.
One-Design Events: Don’t let contest
names such as the “Midwestern States
Indoor Championships” and “US Indoor
Championships” frighten you into not going.
Delta Dart and Double Whammy mass
launches are held at the Midwestern States
Indoor Championships in Champaign,
Illinois, and the last one down is the winner.
The Double Whammy was featured in the
November 1999 MA, and there was a
follow-up article about how to make it more
competitive.
The US Indoor Championships at
Johnson City, Tennessee, features a P-24
Condor mass launch. The Condor is a greatflying
model that was used for years at the
Air Force Academy to teach flight
principles. It is available from Mace
Models.
The Thermal Thumbers in Atlanta,
Georgia, have events for the Butterfly—a 7-
inch-span indoor ARF—and Laurie Barr’s
Hangar Rat design.
If you are already pretty good at Outdoor
Hand Launched Glider, Outdoor Catapult
Glider, or Flying Aces Club Scale Rubber,
you can use the same skills in Indoor, except
with lighter materials.
An added benefit of going to contests is
that the larger meets often have vendor
booths where they sell specialty Indoor
items that are not available in your hobby
shop.
Not into traveling? There are postal
events for many of these same models, in
which you fly in your local gym and send
your times in to compete with others from
around the world.
Indoor Today—the Pennyplane, Easy B,
and International F1D: The cover of the
March 2002 INAV was my idea but Steve
Gardner’s artistry. Steve preceded me as
editor, and he filled each issue with great
plans and original illustrations. I arranged
his artwork for four models—the Delta Dart,
Pennyplane, Easy B (EZB), and F1D—from
top to bottom on the cover of Issue #106.
All subscribers received a black-andwhite
version, but the original shows in
striking color one way you can move up in
building skill and flight duration by
graduating from model to model, each more
advanced than the one before. There are
dozens of paths to take; this is just one. I
have already covered the Delta Dart and SO
models, so let’s move on to a possible next
step.
If you weigh a modern penny, it will be
almost 2.50 grams. But before 1984, you got
more for your money; a penny weighed 3.20
grams. That was settled on at the time as the
Pennyplane model’s minimum weight.
There were also restrictions of an 18-inch
span, a 5-inch chord, a 12-inch propeller,
and other guidelines.
This makes it great for the step from SO
to serious Indoor competition. Anyone who
can build a Finny Plane and do four minutes
in a gymnasium can make a 4.0- or 5.0-gram
Pennyplane the first time, and start doing
10+ minutes in a large site.
My first Pennyplane weighed 5.0 grams,
my second one weighed 4.1 grams, and my
current model weighs 3.4 grams. It takes a
great deal of practice, but you can expect to
double your flight times by going from a
5.0-gram to a 3.2-gram airplane.
This design comes in two flavors: the
original version and a Limited Pennyplane.
Both have 18-inch wingspans and can weigh
no less than 3.2 grams, but the Limited rules
allow only a monoplane configuration and a
sheet-balsa propeller with a 12-inch
maximum diameter.
Indoor Model Supply makes a nice
novice kit called the Time Machine. One of
the two I built straight from the package did
six minutes right off the building board in
the 34-foot Tampa Armory. Building lighter
from the same plans, it is possible to do
eight to 10 minutes or more. Those aren’t
contest-winning times, but they give the
builder a great deal of satisfaction and the
confidence to move further along.
A possible next step is the EZB design
invented by Wally Miller. It is a small 18-
inch-span monoplane Rubber model with a
2-inch maximum chord and all-wood
construction. Micro-X makes a nice
beginner’s kit of this model and even
provides the cardboard template around
which the wing is built. Substituting lighter
wood and smaller motor sizes on successive
models will take your duration times into
the double digits.
The attraction of the EZB is that
Pennyplane kit: Time Machine 11-inch propeller 0.070 x 13-inch loop Fast climb
12-inch propeller 0.080 x 14-inch loop Slow climb
Experiment with 0.085 and 0.090 inch.
Pennyplane plans: No-Non-Cents 3.3-gram loop of 21.5 inches
Easy B kit: Micro-X Suggested 12- to 14-inch loop of 0.065-0.046 inch
Easy B plans: Ron Williams Suggested 12- to 14-inch loop of 0.065-0.046 inch
Competition 1.0-gram loop of 15 inches
A-6: Clarence Mather Novice 0.040-0.050 x 10-inch loop
A-6: Slugger Competition 0.037 x 14 inches
MiniStick kit: I.M.S. Suggested 0.025-0.030 x 10 inches
MiniStick plans: MiniQuark Competition 0.025-0.028 x 13 inches
Butterfly RTF Indoor 0.040 x 12 inches
Outdoor 0.055 x 10 inches
P-24 kit: Mace Condor 7-inch N. Pacific 3⁄32 x 36-inch loop (Suggested for sport)
plastic propeller 3⁄32 x 50-inch loop (Competition)
Suggested Models and Motor Sizes for Beginning Indoor Fliers
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 1:20 pm Page 32
34 MODEL AVIATION
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beginners and experts can enjoy it, and
beginners can become experts in a short
time. The most popular contest design is
the Hobby Shopper EZB by Larry Coslick,
which, as the name implies, can be built
from hobby-shop wood and still weigh
only .7 gram and fly for more than 20
minutes. You can download the plans and
construction article for free from Indoor
Duration at www.indoorduration.com.
The bottom model on the cover is the
most challenging and most amazing: the
F1D. It is a world-class airplane, and the
Time Traveler by Steve Brown has done
63 minutes on a tiny .6-gram rubber loop.
Others, who are braver than I am, say it
is the most rewarding model since even
your first F1D will fly longer than
anything you have built previously. But if
you are going to follow me this far, it’s
time to take a detour and get out your
wallet.
Stripping and Weighing Your Own
Materials: Up to a point, you could build
and fly Indoor with common supplies
found in any good hobby shop or general
model catalog. By this I mean that the
propellers could be plastic and all the
wood and rubber motors used could come
in standard sizes.
However, for the Pennyplane, and even
lighter models such as the EZB and
MiniStick, you will want to strip your own
wood and rubber and weigh the finished
pieces more accurately than you have
needed to before this. If serious
competition is in your future, think
seriously about a micrometer balsa
stripper, a rubber stripper, and a precision
pan balance.
The one-piece molded-plastic balsa
strippers used for Outdoor FF models and
use a #11 X-Acto blade aren’t good
enough. Although they are fine for 1⁄8 and
1⁄16 wood sheets, they tend to split thinner
balsa and give wavy and uneven cuts. I am
not referring to fractions of an inch
anymore, but thousandths of an inch. An
EZB’s wing spars and ribs are .020-.030
inch (or 20-30 mil), and this requires a
different approach.
Ray Harlan and Tim Goldstein offer
quality balsa strippers with micrometer
adjustments for the fine tolerances needed.
If you are handy, plans are available so
you can build your own. These tools really
shine when it comes to cutting many LE
and TE spars the same thickness. They are
also used to move a rib template down on
the workpiece the same amount after each
cut to give uniform ribs.
An added advantage is that by angling
the wood, or pushing the piece up in the
middle to bow it, tapered spars and strips
can be cut so more of the weight and
strength is on the inside than on the tips.
Many wing spars and almost all propeller
spars call for tapered stock.
The cutting blocks use carbon-steel,
single-edge razor-blade pieces or surgicalsteel
blades, which are half as thick as XActo
knives and don’t split the wood. (You
can still buy the older carbon-steel, doubleedged
blades, which are brittle and snap to
a fresh, clean edge. Modern stainless
varieties bend rather than break.)
Next comes stripping your own rubber
to make custom-width motors. In Outdoor
flying with multistranded motors, you
change the motor’s cross-section by
increasing or decreasing the number of
strands. But with these light models, we
are down to a single loop. One can do well
in SO and novice Pennyplane with 3⁄32-
inch rubber strip (93-94 mil) from FAI
Supply just as it comes out of the box.
Wind a few motors to the breaking
point so you’ll know what 100% is.
Practice winding to just fewer than
maximum turns, finding the right motor
loop length and the best trim for your
model for that particular site. This could
take several flying sessions or maybe a
whole winter season.
After getting to the point at which no
further improvement in duration is seen
with a single size of rubber, buy your own
rubber stripper. Ray Harlan makes one of
the better ones on the market. When you
get a rubber stripper, you can simplify the
rubber stock in your inventory and only
10sig2.QXD 7/23/04 11:29 am Page 34
buy 1⁄8- or 1⁄4-inch widths.
It’s not a waste either, because when
you cut 1⁄8-inch rubber strip to get .085
inch for your Pennyplane, you can save the
thinner piece for EZB or MiniStick flying.
Keep all your stripped motors in plastic
envelopes, and write the rubber batch,
weight, and thickness on the outside with a
felt-tip pen.
Last, an electronic pan balance that
measures to at least .01 gram, and
preferably to .001 gram, will be a welcome
addition to your shop. Indoor plans give
target weights for model pieces, as well as
the whole, so you need to be able to
accurately weigh a wing or a stabilizer to
see if you are building in the right
ballpark. Get in the habit of weighing
everything and keeping good records.
Weigh your tissue and condenser paper,
and convert it to grams or ounces per 100
square feet to find the lightest available.
Mylar plastic comes in thicknesses that are
much lighter (and much stronger) than
tissue coverings. WES-Technik sells a 2-
micron film used in built-up Hand-
Launched Gliders. For Duration Rubber
flying, the best is a cellulose acetate film
only 0.6 micron thick called OS film. It is
available from Alan Cohen.
Apply these films by spraying the
framework with 3M Super 77 contact
cement and laying the work facedown on
the film. Weigh the balsa you use in sheet
and strip form, and convert it to poundsper-
cubic-foot (ppcf) density. Indoor
applications use 4-6 ppcf wood for most
applications, with 8 and 10 ppcf wood for
the more stressed propeller spars, wing
posts, and motorsticks.
Cut your own sticks too. They will be
much lighter, and you will save a great
deal of money compared with buying
precut spars. And of course, weigh all your
motors and keep a record of that. I have
two three-ring binders to keep my notes in,
with dividers according to model class.
One has building records and plans I keep
at home, and one for flying I take to
contests and practice sessions to keep track
of what worked and what did not.
You are looking at $45-$75 for a
micrometer balsa stripper, $160 for a good
rubber stripper, and $50-$300 (or more)
for a balance.
If you ask me if this kind of cash outlay
is necessary, I will tell you about my brief
foray into robotics. A reader wrote to one
of the electronics magazines I subscribed
to at the time and questioned whether an
oscilloscope purchase was necessary. The
editors answered that it was “the price of
entry into the hobby,” meaning that you
could do without it but not do well.
The accompanying table lists some
motor choices to get you started, whether
you choose a kit version, plans, or build
from scratch. Each kit comes with full-size
plans and complete instructions, so the kit
could be your first effort, with lighter,
more advanced models from the plans
provided as a next step.
Always build several of the same
design, because each model will be better
and different from the one before. Indoor
fliers seldom tell you how many of a
particular airplane they have brought to a
contest, but they will tell you that they
have six or seven propellers, three wings,
two tails, and four motorsticks.
This advice goes in spades for motors.
You might cut some 62, 64, and 66 mil
rubber and have it ready to tie into
different-size loops at the contest, stored in
carefully labeled envelopes or plastic bags.
Some of the competition motors in the
table are described by weight rather than
thickness. That’s because the rubber strip’s
thickness and density varies from batch to
batch, so weight is much more constant
than size. Another reason is that weight
indicates the total energy potential that can
be expected from a motor.
The Future of Indoor: Some in the Indoor
community, fine people though they are,
would make this a short section because
they say there is no future to Indoor
modeling. Participation decreases each
year, and there will be no one to fill the
ranks as the great ones pass on to that great
site in the sky.
36 MODEL AVIATION
10sig2.QXD 7/23/04 11:30 am Page 36
That is baloney (as we used to say in
New Jersey, where we ate a lot of it). As
editor of INAV, I’ve seen the subscription
rolls climb from 550 when I started two
years ago to more than 700 today.
Jim Buxton, Dave Linstrum, Bud
Tenny, Don Ross, Bob Warmann, John
Worth, and many others continue to write
about Indoor FF and contribute articles and
columns, so we get our fair share of
coverage.
I saw 10 Juniors and Seniors at the last
contest—many from SO beginnings—and
a few already flying at a world-class level.
Sure, the great Doc Martin passed away,
and with it his Miami Indoor Aircraft
Model Association Indoor club, but the
Florida Flyers have emerged like a
phoenix from their own ashes, thanks to
the efforts of Bill Carney in Jacksonville
and others. To prove it, they just held a
successful meet in the Tampa Armory. I
was there, and it was a hoot.
The fastest-growing segment is indoor
micro RC. Such pioneers as Bob Wilder of
Wilder Winder fame, MA “Micro-Flying”
columnist Dave Robelen, and John Worth
of RC MicroFlight magazine are at the
leading edge of incredible growth in this
area of the hobby.
RC components have shrunken in size
so much in the last few years that any
small, light, electric-powered FF model
can be modified and flown successfully.
Open to debate is how indoor electric RC
will be compatible with classic pure
Rubber models.
The answer has to be equal but
separate. Except for the lightest electricpowered
models used in AMA events
221—Free Flight Electric Power—and
627—Indoor Electric Duration (and even
inclusion of these is at the CD’s
discretion)—everyone will be happiest if
rubber and RC keep their separate ways,
just as all good contests are separated into
“heavies” and “lights” flying in different
time slots.
The National Indoor Remote-controlled
Aircraft Council (NIRAC) knows this and
has its contests in such places as the
Oakland Yard Athletics dome in
Waterford, Michigan. If this commonsense
approach continues, it will be good for the
hobby.
We are seeing what the future holds
with the introduction of smaller and lighter
receivers and servos, geared pager motor
drives weighing a gram or less, and Li-
Poly cells that double and triple flight
times. But the innovations are not limited
to radio; carbon rod and tubes are standard
building materials now, as are Depron
foam sheets and Mylar and polyester
covering films.
Bill Gowen’s composite Carbon Copy,
a Hand Launched Glider, uses carbon rod
and tough Mylar covering, and it wins.
Tungsten wire used to be the main
bracing material for ultralight F1D models,
but the current trend seems to be more
toward unbraced wings and motorsticks.
Instead of tungsten-wire rigging, the
pieces are reinforced by laying down
carbon and boron fibers and running a tiny
amount of cyanoacrylate along the whole
length for stiffness. Laurie Barr of England
uses boron fiber on four sides of his
hollow motorsticks, and he says they come
out “as stiff as a pool cue.” The fibers are
so thin that the weight penalty is small.
Florida Flyer Jake Larson is famous for
his balsa-sheet Scale models, which he
often converts to electric-powered FF
aircraft. Now he is into doing the same
thing with foam sheet. Although the foam
is not as strong as balsa, his airplanes are
so light that it doesn’t matter. He brought
quite a selection to the Tampa Armory,
and they all flew well.
We will see more and more of all these
new materials and techniques in the
seasons to come.
Perhaps the best thing for our hobby in
the future is the growing list of supplies
and information available on the Internet.
No matter what your interest or specialty,
you will be able to download plans,
instructions, and articles, and then order
almost anything you can think of while
sitting at a keyboard.
The addresses and sites at the end of
At Your Hobby Shop or
Online.
Specializing in
Scale ARFs of
‘Homebuilt’ Aircraft.
800-297-1707
Farmington Hills, MI
Check out the rest of our incredible fleet online!
RV-6/6A, Zodiac XL, Challenger II, Europa XS, Glastar, Velocity XL
Scale: 1:5.0
Wingsapn: 75" or 59" ‘Clippable’
Length: 43" Wing Area: 881in2 or 693in2
Flying Weight: 7 - 8 lbs
Wing Loading: 21 oz/ft2 or 25 oz/ft2
Radio: 4 CH 5 Servos Engines: .40 - .46 in3
EAM Quad City Ulralight’s
Challenger ll
Great Electric and Float Conversion!
www.RCHomebuilts.com™
A Sport Scale Plane that’s
...One of a Kind!
10sig2.QXD 7/23/04 11:30 am Page 38
40 MODEL AVIATION
this article are by no means definitive, but
most of them have links to other sites, to
take you as far as you care to go. It is an
exciting time to be in the hobby, and I
hope you will try Indoor modeling and
come fly with us.
Indoor FF Manufacturers and Suppliers:
In the almost 20 years since Ron
Williams’ lament that I included at the
beginning of this article, quite a few brave
souls have ventured into supplying the
Indoor market.
At least two things have helped this
along, the first of which is the increasing
use of exotic, non-hobby-shop materials
such as tungsten wire and boron and
carbon fiber. Second is the recent
explosion of E-mail and Web sites, giving
equal opportunities to modelers living
anywhere on the globe.
The following list will be more than
enough to get you started. But if this
article has generated more questions than
answers, write or E-mail me. MA
Carl Bakay
1621 Lake Salvador Dr.
Harvey LA 70058
[email protected]
Manufacturers and Suppliers:
MA magazine, AMA insurance and
services:
AMA
5161 E. Memorial Dr.
Muncie IN 47302
(765) 287-1256
www.modelaircraft.org
Spartan (Send $10 for the Spartan building
guide):
Gary Baughman
470 Hardage Farm Dr. NW
Marietta GA 30064
Tan II rubber, indoor ARFs, kits:
FAI Model Supply
John Clapp
Box 366
Sayre PA 18840
(570) 882-9873
www.faimodelsupply.com
Winder/counters, bearings, supplies:
Geauga Precision Models
W. D. Johnson
9113 Robinson Rd.
Chardon OH 44024
[email protected]
Wood, hardware, kits:
House of Balsa
Winner R/C Hobbies
ONLINE STORE
12368 Valley Blvd. #109, El Monte, CA 91732
ORDERS ONLY 800-780-0100
Information 626-618-0300
ONLINE ORDER AND MORE INFORMATION AT
www.winnerrc.com
All In One Power Panel (with a built-in field charger)
Pacific Aeromodels took the proven high quality technology of its quarter scale
Laser to the next level by adding the new 27% Edge 540 T to its mid sized lineup.
Designed for IMAC and 3D type aerobatics, as well as sport flying, the Edge’s
light weight and sophisticated aerodynamic design give it the unique ability to
wring truly outstanding performance from smaller and less expensive engines
and radio equipment than the competition. The 27% Edge offers top-of-the-line
quality, ease of assembly and unlimited performance in the air without the nasty
habits of some other scale aerobatics.
Wingspan: 82" • Wing Area: 1,139 Sq. In. • Overall Length: 67 1/2" • Weight:
14.5 lbs. • Wing Loading: 29.3 Oz./Sq. Ft • Engine: 1.60-2.10 Glow, 40c.c. Gas
• Radio: 4 CH (1 std and 5 high torque servos)
Aero Shark 40 ARF
Radio: Requires 4 Ch (6 servos) • Wing Span: 72 in. • Wing Area: 857
sq. in. • Flying Wt: 7.9-9.5 lbs • Engine: .60-1.08 (2C), .90-1.20 (4C),
Gas 24cc • Color: Red, Blue
Combo W/ Saito FA-100 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $559.99
Combo W/ Saito FA-120 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $609.99
Wingspan: 63" • Wing Area: 596 Sq. In. • Overall Length: 54 1/2"
• Weight: 5.5 lbs. • Engine: .40 - .53 2C or .52 - .72 4C
A swept-back shoulder wing? A fuselage that reminds you of a
fish? You either like it’s looks, or you don’t, but you’ll LOVE the
way it flies. Pacific’s new 40 size Aero Shark is big, fast, smooth
and very aerobatic, yet it’s slow speed handling is superb and it
lands like a trainer. As a second or third airplane, an aerobatic
trainer or a Sunday sport flyer, you can’t beat the high quality
AERO SHARK ARF.
Combo: w/TT Pro-46 engine.................$189.99
SALE! $119.99
Field Equipment Field Box (pre-built)
Two Drawer Field Box
• Fully assembled
• Painted and fuel proof
• Light weight
• Adjustable cradle
• Removable power compartment
Combo: Two Drawer Field Box (prebuilt) • 12v
7 amp maintenance free battery • 12V 500
mAh charger (AC) • Starter 150 • Standard
Power Panel • Electric Fuel Pump • Glow
starter w/charger • 4 way wrench . . $139.99
$39.99
Radio: Requires 4 Ch • 5 servos (3 standard, 2 Micro) •
Wing Span: 50 in. • Wing Area: 723 sq. in. • Length 40
in. • Flying Wt: 3.7-4.1 lbs • Engine: .25 - .35 cu.in. (2C)
or .30 - .40 (4C) • Color: Military, Red/Silver, Yellow
Radio: 4Ch (5 servos (3 standard, 2 micro)
Combo: w/Saito 40 engine ............$379.99
Tiger Moth ARF .30 Size • All wood construction.
• 95% ready to fly.
• Balsa Built-up upper and
lower wing plug in for
easy assembly.
• Pre-covered with real
iron-on film.
• Fiber glass cowl already
painted.
• Factory installed pull-pull
controls system on
rudder and elevator.
• Comes with all hardware
and accessories.
• Flies like a trainer.
• Both sizes come with
Flying Wire.
• Ready to fly in just 15
hours.
Radio: Requires 4 Ch • 5 servos • Wing Span: 78 in. •
Wing Area: 1841 sq. in. • Length 65.7 in. • Flying Wt:
10-11 lbs • Engine: .90 cu.in. (2C) or 1.20 (4C) • Color:
Military, Red/Silver, Yellow
Combo: w/Saito 120 engine...........$699.99
$219.99
$399.99
Tiger Moth ARF 1.20 Size
Radio: Requires 4 Ch • 6 servos • Wing Span: 82 in. •
Wing Area: 1175 sq. in. • Length 62.5 in. • Flying Wt:
12-13 lbs • Engine: 1.08-1.60 cu.in. (2C), 1.20-1.80
(4C) or 26cc (Gas)
“Gee Bee-Y” 120 size ARF • All Wood Construction.
• Pre-Covered in real iron
film.
• Fiberglass cowling (10
in. dia.) and wheel pants
already painted.
• Dummy engine included.
• 95% Factory Assembled.
• Ready to fly in just 12
hours.
• All hardware is included.
• Easy to fly.
• Plug in wing.
Combo: w/Saito 150 engine...........$733.99
Combo: w/Saito 180 engine...........$763.99
Combo: w/Zenoah G-26 engine.......$643.99
SALE! $379.99
1/4 Scale 3D Capable Laser 200
ARF
Laser 200 .40 size ARF
$319.99
• All wood construction
• 95% ready to fly
• Covered with real ironon
film. • Fiberglass cowl
and wheel pants. • Plug in
wings. • Ready to fly in
12 hours. • Double
beveling on both wing
and tail feathers.
Radio: Requires 4 Ch (5 servos) • Wing Span: 55 in. • Wing Area: 564
sq. in. • Flying Wt: 5.7 lbs • Engine: .40-.47 (2C), .50-.70 (4C) • Red
Combo W/ Saito FA-72. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $389.99
Combo W/ Thunder Tiger-46 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $259.99
$189.99
This light weight Starter has a comfortable size
that fits very well in one hand. The 3:1 geared
reduction design for starting engines up to 1.8
cu. in. The big cup and double side rubber cone
will fit from 1/2” prop nuts to 5” spinners.
PAM-1002B Starter . . . . . . . . . $44.99
• Functions as a regular power panel
and as a field charger for your Tx
(9.6V), Rx (4.8V or 6.0V) and glow
starter (1.2V).
• Never miss as day's flying because
of low batteries.
• Digital peak-detection, pulsecurrent
charger for Rx
(4.8V and 6.0 V).
• Charges NiCd and Ni-Mh batteries.
Power Panel PAC-MF0502 . $44.99
Portable Super Starter
(Assembled)
Super Starter with battery holder and 2 x
7.2V 1500 mah battery pack also including
1x charging adapter (Tamiya - Dean). We put
it together for you. Will start engines up to
2.1 cu. in.
PAM-1002PP Starter ..........$89.99
Super Starter
Small size but high torque.
Wingspan: 59" • Wing Area: 620 Sq. In. • Overall Length: 52 1/2" •
Weight: 6 lbs. • Wing Loading: 22.3 Oz./Sq. Ft. • Engine: .40 - .53 2C
or .56 - .72 4C • Radio: 4 Ch (6 standard servos)
Combo W/ Saito FA-72 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $419.99
Edge 540T 40/72 ARF
$209.99
Pacific’s new 40 and 60 size Edge
540T ARFs have all the big plane
features like plug-in wings, dual
aileron servos, tail mounted elevator
servos and a pull–pull rudder, and
they use normal sport engines and
standard radio equipment. Best of
all, they are specially designed to fly
with the smoothness and precision
of a much larger airplane.
Wingspan: 65" • Wing Area: 765 Sq. In. • Overall Length: 58 1/2" •
Weight: 8 lbs. • Wing Loading: 24.1 Oz./Sq. Ft • Engine : .61-.91(2C),
.80-1.00(4C) • Radio: 4 Ch (6 standard servos)
Combo W/ Saito FA-100 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $519.99
Edge 540T
60/100 ARF
$264.99
$439.9927% Edge 540T ARF
Pacific Aeromodel’s Edge 540T Series
For 3000mAh
battery
add $30.00.
10sig2.QXD 7/23/04 11:31 am Page 40
10101 Yucca Rd.
Adelanto CA 92301
(760) 246-6462
www.houseofbalsa.com
Scales, rubber strippers, coverings, kits:
Indoor Model Specialties
Ray Harlan
15 Happy Hollow Rd.
Wayland MA 01778
(508) 358-4013
Novice kits, SO materials, all supplies:
Indoor Model Supply
Lew Gitlow
Box 2020
Florence OR 97439
www.indoormodelsupply.com
The Indoor newsletter (one year for $15 in
US, $19 in Canada), articles, plans:
Indoor News and Views
Tim Goldstein, subscription editor
13096 W. Cross Dr.
Littleton CO 80127
www.indoorduration.com
(Download a free issue and subscribe)
P-24 kits, plans, supplies:
Mace Model Aircraft Co.
Don Mace
359 S. 119th East Ave.
Tulsa OK 74128
Scale kits, rubber, supplies:
Micro-X
Box 1063-A
Lorain OH 44055
(440) 282-8354
[email protected]
Classroom kit packs, SO, Delta Dart,
gliders:
Midwest Products Co., Inc.
Educational Products Division
Box 564
Hobart IN 46342
(800) 348-3497
www.midwestproducts.com
OS Film:
42 MODEL AVIATION
Alan Cohen
2115 State Route 31
Glen Gardner NJ 08826
Fax: (908) 537-0111
[email protected]
Kits, supplies:
Peck-Polymers
Box 710399
Santee CA 92072
(619) 488-1833
www.peck-polymers.com
Precision-cut balsa, basswood:
Specialized Balsa Wood
Jake Zimmer
1656 Carol Dr.
Loveland CO 80537
[email protected]
www.specializedbalsa.com
Supplies:
WES-Technik
Klosterstr. 12
D-72644 Oberboihingen
Germany
[email protected]
www.wes-technik.de/
Sites Containing More Information:
Cleveland Clowns Indoor page
www.indoorfreeflight.com
Bill Kuhl’s Delta Dart site
www.luminet.net/~bkuhl/rubber.htm
NFFS home page
http://freeflight.org/
Martin’s worldwide links
www.ivyandmartin.demon.co.uk/page
2.htm
Michael J. Woodhouse supplies
www.freeflightsupplies.co.uk
Tim Goldstein’s Indoor balsa
www.f1d.biz
Ed Wiley’s Web page
www.sunflower.com/~edwiley/
NIRAC Indoor RC
www.nirac.org
Tim Goldstein’s INAV site
www.indoorduration.com
Del Ogren’s Indoor site
www.n-lemma.com
Glen Davison’s Indoor site
http://people.ne.mediaone.net/indoor
Daniel Hartstein’s Indoor site:
http://w1.871.telia.com/~u87106779/
Thayer Syme’s FF site:
www.sirius.com/~thayer/modelhp.html
Mr. NiCd’s BATTERIES AMERICA
www.batteriesamerica.com
Autumn 2004 Specials (Order ONLINE too)
PLATINUM POLYMER
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#2LP300* 7.4v 300mAh Li-POLY pk (13 gms/0.46oz) $20.95
#2LP400 7.4v 400mAh Li-POLY pk(18 gms/ 0.64oz) $18.95
#2LP650 7.4v 650mAh Li-POLY pk (28 gms/ 1 oz) $20.95
#2LP800* 7.4v 800mAh Li-POLY pk (34 gms/ 1.2oz) $27.95
#2LP900 7.4v 900mAh Li-POLY pk (38 gms/ 1.35oz)$23.95
#2LP1200 7.4v 1200mAh Li-POLY pk (48 gms/1.7oz) $25.95
#2LP1500*7.4v 1500mAh Li-POLY pk (62 gms/2.2oz) $39.95
#2LP1700 7.4v 1700mAh Li-POLY pk (68 gms/2.4 oz) $31.95
#2LP1900 7.4v 1900mAh Li-POLY pk (76 gms/2.7oz) $34.95
#2LP2200 7.4v 2200mAh Li-POLY pk (88 gms/3.3 oz) $38.95
*300, 800, & 1500mAh are HIGHER-AMP packs ( 5C discharge!)
QN-012BC charger QN-012DC charger VR5.4 / VR6.0
#QN-012BC Fast-Smart Charger (AC) for Li-POLY pk. $19.95
#QN-012DC Fast-Smart 12VDC charger for Li-POLYpk. $19.95
#VR5.4 Voltage Regulator –limits output to 5.4V max $19.95
#VR6.0 Voltage Regulator –limits output to 6.0V max $19.95
NEW Lithium Polymer cells – with E-Z solder tabs !
#P145 3.7v 145mAh Li-POLYcell (4 gms / 0.13 oz)$ 5.95ea
#P300* 3.7v 300mAh Li-POLYcell (6.5 gms /.23 oz)$ 7.95ea
#P400 3.7v 400mAh Li-POLYcell (9 gms / 0.32oz) $ 6.95ea
#P650 3.7v 650mAh Li-POLYcell (14 gms / 0.5 oz) $ 7.95ea
#P800* 3.7v 800mAh Li-POLYcell (17 gms / 0.6 oz) $10.95ea
#P900 3.7v 900mAh Li-POLYcell (19 gms/ 0.67oz) $ 9.95ea
#P1200 3.7v 1200mAh Li-POLY cell (24 gms/0.85oz) $10.95ea
#P1500*3.7v 1500mAh Li-POLY cell (31 gms/1.1oz) $15.95ea
#P1700 3.7v 1700mAh Li-POLY cell (34 gms/1.2oz) $12.95ea
#P1900 3.7v 1900mAh Li-POLY cell (38 gms/1.35oz)$13.95ea
#P2200 3.7v 2200mAh Li-POLY cell(44 gms/1.65oz)$14.95ea
*300, 800, & 1500mAh are HIGHER-AMP packs ( 5C discharge!)
Motor packs, R/C packs, TX packs, & more!
New HiCell electric flight Ni-MH packs!
For park flyers, etc. Shapes: A=Flat; B=twin-stick; C=two rows;
D=four sticks. JST conn.=add $3.00. Deans Ultra conn.=add $5.
Cell # size / mAh / $ each 7.2v 8.4v 9.6v 10.8v 12.0v
AP-350 1/3AA, 350mAh $2.50 $23.95 $26.95 $29.95 $32.95 $35.95
AP-700 2/3AA, 700mAh $2.50 $23.95 $26.95 $29.95 $32.95 $35.95
AP-1000 2/3A,1000mAh$3.00 $24.95 $27.95 $30.95 $33.95 $36.95
MOTOR PACKS w/ SANYO Ni-Cd cells (no connector):
Shapes (see above). Add deans ULTRA connector for $5.00 xtra
Cell # size /mAh / $ each 7.2v 8.4v 9.6v 10.8v 12.0v
N-500AR(2/3A 500mA) $2.50 $20.00 $24.00 $28.00 $32.00 $36.00
KR600AE(2/3A 600mA) $1.95 $17.00 $20.00 $23.00 $26.00 $29.00
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SANYO Transmitter Packs w/leads. Shapes shown above
Choose SQUARE(D) or Side-by-Side (A). Add TX plug for $3.00.
9.6 volt 700mAh (square or SxS, w/ leads) $16.95ea.
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10sig2.QXD 7/23/04 11:31 am Page 42
Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/10
Page Numbers: 26,27,28,29,30,32,34,36,38,40,42
I AM NOT a famous Indoor-model flier. As
have Dave Rees and Bob Aberle, who wrote
the “State of the Sport” articles before me, I
have been active in all forms of the hobby
since I was a kid growing up in New Jersey
in the 1950s. Unlike them, I am a sport flier,
a writer, and a newsletter editor, and I have
worked hard at staying a novice when it
comes to competition.
According to other writers, we take turns
and detours in our lives that change us
forever. This happened for me in May 1998.
On a lark, I drove the 712 miles from New
Orleans, Louisiana, to the East Tennessee
State University campus in Johnson City,
Tennessee, where the US Indoor
Championships is held each year in a
covered football stadium called the Mini-
Dome.
I walked through the outer doors to a
gymnasium hallway, complete with locker
rooms and showers, and then through a
second set of inner doors to the running
track and playing field, which was 400 feet
long and 116 feet high. I stood transfixed, as
they say, and my mouth stood open as I
watched these beautiful airplanes circle
slowly and majestically over my head.
I was hooked then, and I am hooked
now. But don’t believe me; to learn what is
so great about “Indoor,” as it is called, I’ll
quote Ron Williams.
“Indoor model building and flying is an
innocent sport. There is little profit to be
made, if any, in the commerce it engenders,
though some enterprising indoor
entrepreneur could find ways, I’m sure.
“Because it tends to be so low key and
deceptively complex, it has never enjoyed
the attention that noisier, more dynamic
forms of modeling have received. The
consequence is that there has never been
enough information in any one place to get a
good start with this part of the hobby.”
Therefore, Ron wrote and illustrated the
first definitive how-to on the subject. His
1984 book Building and Flying Indoor
Model Airplanes was a milestone then and a
classic now, but I think it is out of print.
Returning to Johnson City a few years
later as editor of the fancy Indoor News and
Views (INAV) magazine, numerous people
came up to shake my hand and offered
compliments, good wishes, and occasional
war stories while I was trying to count the
winds in my motor or time a flight.
But by Day Two I learned not to be
annoyed—that something larger was going
on. I was part of a community.
As in all facets of our hobby, many types of
models are flown in Indoor. Any Outdoor
rubber-powered FF design can be made
lighter and smaller and flown inside. Heavy
and strong are no longer requirements when
there are no wind gusts or tree limbs in the
way.
A good example of this is the Bostonian.
These little 16-inch-wingspan cuties are
flown outdoors with a 14-gram-minimum
weight requirement and indoors with a 7-
gram-minimum weight requirement.
Although it’s hard to get down to 7 grams
the first few times you try, flight duration
goes from two minutes for an outdoor
Bostonian to five and six minutes or more
for the lighter indoor versions. In a place
like Johnson City, with some of the “best
air” anywhere, after all that time, your
model will land about where it started.
It’s all about duration. As do the Scale
models of the Flying Aces Club, some
Indoor events award charisma points and
appearance points, but the ability to outfly
everyone else’s aircraft is the key to Indoorcontest
success.
Origins—the Baby ROG: The first modelairplane
clubs started in the New York City
area as early as 1907. The famous Frank
Zaic flew in that city’s Central Park in the
1920s and 1930s. Balsa wood wasn’t used
until roughly 1911, so most early models
were made from pine, bamboo, and spruce.
Rubber motors were cut from tire inner
tubes, and plans were drawn on wrapping
paper. For more about this and Indoor
modeling history in general, see Bill Kuhl’s
site; the address is at the end of this article.
Our hobby can be clearly divided into
two times: before 1927 and after 1927. That
year a shy, handsome private pilot named
26 MODEL AVIATION
State of thIe nSpordt: oor Flight
b y C a r l B a k ay
Free
Steve Gardner’s drawings on the
cover of INAV Issue #106 show one
route to more serious Indoor fun.
Text has details.
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 3:51 pm Page 26
Charles Lindbergh flew a highly modified and overloaded Ryanbuilt
monoplane nonstop across the Atlantic Ocean. The effect on
the youth of the era was nothing less than galvanic, and modeling as
a hobby followed the groundswell. The number of kit manufacturers
went from perhaps 20 in 1927 to more than 2,000 in 1928.
Let’s go back to modeling in the Depression years of the 1930s.
We are in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it’s wintertime. A group
of clubs is making something called the “Philadelphia Model
Airplane Association.”
They are giving out plans for a Baby ROG—not full-scale, of
course. Part of your apprenticeship (if you want to join) is to scale
up the plans on the back of some brown paper or, if you know a
paperboy, a sheet of blank newsprint from the pressroom.
Then you have to build your own model, carve your own
propeller, and get the aircraft to rise off the ground and fly indoors
for 30 seconds. This is quite an achievement (especially if you use
strips cut from automobile inner tubes to power it), although flights
of more than a minute are possible. You then make it to the rank of
“grease monkey” and can fly in Saturday contests.
John Walker wrote about his modeling origins with the Baby
ROG in the July 1981 R/C Model Builder magazine. Send me an
SASE, and I’ll send you free plans for the Baby ROG from that
issue.
(Did you notice that the Baby ROG was in R/C Model Builder?
Dave Rees mentioned in his July 2001 “State of the Sport: Free
Flight Scale” article that after getting into Scale models, he was
amazed by how many great building and finishing tips he gleaned
from old CL, FF, and RC articles in his magazine collection. The
same is true for Indoor.)
There were many versions of the Baby ROG, but it was a
milestone in any of its forms. Why? Because it flew! Of all those
Nickel Scale, Dime Scale, and quarter-scale models that the 2,000
kit makers offered, most would fly from your hand to the ground if
they flew at all. The early clubs knew this and started you out with
something realistic and flyable. Today we have something even
better.
Begin With a Delta Dart: Bill Kuhl has to be the Delta Dart’s
biggest fan. Read the following from his Web site and you’ll see
why.
“The Delta Dart appeared in the April 1967 issue of American
Modeler. It was designed by AMA’s [then] Technical Director Frank
Ehling and promoted by Dick and Ruth Meyer.
“Why is it so great? With the exception of the motorstick, the
AMA Dart is made entirely from 1⁄16 x 1⁄8-inch balsa strip. Some
beginners’ models such as the Peck ROG utilize 1⁄16-inch square
balsa, which although lighter, is difficult for the beginner to handle
without breaking, and the structure will more easily warp.
“Also, the one-piece motorstick comes with the correct stabilizer
incidence built in. The joints used at the tips of the wing, stabilizer,
and vertical fin can be less than perfect and still be adequately strong
because the covering material reinforces the joint.
“With materials donated by Sig, Dick and Ruth made up 300 kits
on their kitchen table, some of which were taken by Frank Ehling to
the 1966 Nats. Although some people thought the airplane too
simple and heavy, kids found it easy to build and fly. It was thought
that with the pointy wingtips, warps would have less effect because
most of the wing area was closer to the center of the wing.
“Sig decided to sell the same basic airplane as a kit called the
‘AMA Racer.’ The biggest change in the AMA Racer from the
original Delta Dart is that the wing is movable, so center of gravity
adjustments are easy. Another change is that the tailboom is made
from spruce instead of balsa.
“Frank Ehling designed another airplane known as the “AMA
Cub,” but it is sold by Midwest Products as the Delta Dart.
According to the Sig catalog, this is the airplane that has been used
in beginners’ promotions since 1968 and is the most-produced
model airplane of all time.”
The Dart and various rise-off-ground (ROG) stick models are
available in most good hobby shops and many toy stores. If you
October 2004 27
Senior Doug Schaefer (Centerville OH) qualified for the US
Indoor FF team to compete in Slanic, Romania.
Parker Parrish (Alpharetta GA) works on his F1D model. This
high-school student bested many Senior fliers at Akron OH.
Photos by the late Richard Doig.
Photos by the author except as noted
r
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 4:05 pm Page 27
28 MODEL AVIATION
Indoor rubber-powered Scale offers unlimited opportunities
for Outdoor fliers. This 1912 Fokker A was seen at last
year’s Nats at Johnson City TN.
Bostonians ready for charisma judging feature the latest
lifting-body design and wide, slow-turning propellers.
Limited Pennyplanes are capable of flights exceeding 15
minutes. Wingtip plates—a recent innovation—add stability
during high torque at launch. Gardner photo.
The Baby ROG, shown in
one of its original forms,
started many on the road
to successful building and
flying.
Author’s P-24 Mace Models Condor is intended for
beginners but has turned into a design for a hotly contested
one-design mass-launch event. It will do six minutes with a
54-inch single loop of 3⁄32-inch rubber. Steve Gardner photo.
The same skills used in building Outdoor Scale models can
be used in Indoor flying if careful attention is paid to weight.
Indoor Scale models may weigh one-third or more less than
Outdoor models. Gardner photo.
Not only is he a consistent winner, but Larry Cailliau flies
models that are true works of art. Gardner photo.
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 1:17 pm Page 28
don’t know where to go in your area, order a
catalog from Indoor Model Supply, Midwest
Products, or Peck-Polymers.
It is a good idea to build your first few
models exactly according to the instructions,
and even a little heavier than needed, with
extra glue joints and reinforcing fillets in the
corners. This will help it survive all the
banging around it is sure to do at first. You
might take part in or help run an AMA
make-and-take program at one of the
Muncie meets.
A natural question is, What do I build
after the Delta Dart? The answer is, Another
Delta Dart. As you learn to build with
lighter and thinner wood and replace the
heavy plastic propellers with lighter balsa
propellers, you will be building models that
fly much slower and longer, and they suffer
less damage if they hit something.
The world-class endurance models
shown seem to float through the air at
walking speed, or slower, and are most in
danger of being damaged by careless
handling or a sneeze. But their owners will
tell you they had to make several before they
got it just right.
The best thing you can do on your
second, third, and fourth Delta Dart is build
with lighter wood, tissue covering, and a
rubber motor at least twice as long as the
loop that comes with the kit. Bob Warmann
of the Chicago Aeronuts had a Delta Dart
mass launch at the Midwest Championships
this past April, and several flew up to the
94-foot ceiling.
Science Olympiad: The Delta Dart and the
AMA make-and-take programs are great,
but the participants are young—maybe 8, 9,
or 10 years of age—and most do not
continue with the hobby.
Sometimes, though, a parent will catch
the modeling bug along with the youngster,
and great things can happen. That is
especially true with a new wave that has
come along, and there has been nothing like
it since the post-Sputnik catch-up days in
education when I was a kid.
Few events have had as positive an effect
on bringing young people into Indoor
modeling as the Science Olympiad in our
schools. SO, as it’s called, encompasses a
host of biology, chemistry, physics, and
engineering competitions, starting at the
local level, and then moving on to state and
national championships.
It uses a team approach, with an adult
mentor providing guidance and support for a
group of young people. The finale of a
bridge-building exercise can galvanize an
entire class when the time comes to hang
weights on everyone’s creation to see how
much they can hold before they break. The
cheering, jeering, and just plain excitement
are seldom seen outside of sporting events.
SO has an event called The Wright Stuff,
with apologies to author Tom Wolfe and his
book of almost the same name. The rules for
2004 C Division require that the rubberpowered
airplanes have 52cm (20.5-inch)
wingspans and commercially available
October 2004 29
Bill Gowen shows off his composite Hand Launched Glider. This model was
constructed with carbon rod and Mylar covering. Photo by Chuck Markos.
These young fliers competed in the Science Olympiad portion of the Midwest States
Indoor Championships, hosted by the Chicago Aeronuts. Markos photo.
Jim Richmond, with his new Limited Pennyplane, waits his turn to fly at the
University of Illinois Armory. Markos photo.
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 4:07 pm Page 29
plastic propellers no bigger than 24cm (10 inches). The motors can
be any thickness or length but are limited to one loop of 2 grams
maximum weight. The models have a minimum weight limit too; for
2004 it is 8 grams for senior and junior high, without the motor.
Are you confused by the units? Don’t be surprised if you see US
and metric units mixed together like this. The SO originators wanted
to give students a taste of international science. Our country is one
of the few that doesn’t use the metric system every day, although
most scientists and some engineers use it all the time.
Indoor modelers use metric and US units interchangeably,
generally depending on which one allows the use of whole numbers.
It is easier to say 20 centimeters than 77⁄8 inches, and it’s easier to
say your model weighs 10 grams than 0.3527 ounce. But rubber
motors are sold in boxes by the pound, weighed in grams, and the
length of the motor loop is in inches. You get used to it. But flight
time is what it’s all about, and that is minutes and seconds the world
over.
The SO and its twin the Technology Student Association (TSA)
have exploded in popularity in the last few years. There are many
different kits available for the Wright Stuff event, and more than a
dozen plans available, from simple to elegant. The Cleveland
Clowns Web site even offers a tutorial video for sale. Many SO and
TSA mentors are active modelers who belong to clubs, and
“invitational” SO competitions have become common at club meets.
Bill Gowen and Gary Baughman are SO mentors of multiple
teams in the Atlanta, Georgia, area. Gary designed the Spartan,
named after the school mascot, which is a robust model using 1⁄8
square wood similar to the Delta Dart and is designed to take a great
deal of punishment from young hands, gym walls, and ceilings, and
still fly.
Bill designed the Finny Plane, which uses 1⁄16 square wood, as
does the Peck-Polymers ROG, and can be built to 8 grams without
too much effort and puts in long flights as a result.
Both designers are active Thermal Thumbers of Metro Atlanta
members, bringing many of their students to meetings and events.
This is so popular that we “big kids” get into the act with such SO
variants as Senior and Unlimited Rubber.
Duration times here in the south are approximately four minutes,
but a brilliant mentor in California named Cezar Banks designed his
Leading Edge model with a wing so advanced that times exceed six
minutes.
30 MODEL AVIATION
A 1⁄8-inch strip of Tan II rubber is being stripped into smaller
widths, which are checked with a micrometer.
Dave Haught takes Indoor Scale to the max with his flying B-
17. He writes “Scale Matters” for INAV. Tim Goldstein photo.
The Akron Air
Dock hangar in
Ohio was the site
of record
qualification trials
several times a
year. Although big,
it was cluttered
and often drafty.
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 1:19 pm Page 30
32 MODEL AVIATION
And I can’t forget Wayne Johnson, who
had 7:37 when Bill Gowen hosted the Open
SO event in the huge Johnson City Mini-
Dome. That is a long time for a flier—
young or old—and the best thing is that
being indoors, after all those minutes in the
air, your airplane lands at your feet! People
around you sometimes even break out in
applause and cheers. Unlike when you are
outdoors, your beverage is still cold and you
haven’t been bitten by any bug—except that
of Indoor flight.
If you have never made an Indoor model
and you’d like to start with a kit, you can do
no better than the Bambino or the Dipper by
Ray Harlan of Indoor Model Specialties.
You can build two models from one kit.
Another good choice is the Sci Oly 1 by
Lew Gitlow of Indoor Model Supply, but I
have not built it.
If you feel comfortable building from
plans, Gary Baughman’s Spartan is at the
top of my list. After being asked the same
questions by so many people, he decided to
write it all down. Gary offers a complete,
hand-illustrated, step-by-step manual for
building and flying the Spartan, plans
included. Equal in quality but different in
design is the Olympus by Don Slusarczyk.
His Web site contains photos and details.
One-Design Events: Don’t let contest
names such as the “Midwestern States
Indoor Championships” and “US Indoor
Championships” frighten you into not going.
Delta Dart and Double Whammy mass
launches are held at the Midwestern States
Indoor Championships in Champaign,
Illinois, and the last one down is the winner.
The Double Whammy was featured in the
November 1999 MA, and there was a
follow-up article about how to make it more
competitive.
The US Indoor Championships at
Johnson City, Tennessee, features a P-24
Condor mass launch. The Condor is a greatflying
model that was used for years at the
Air Force Academy to teach flight
principles. It is available from Mace
Models.
The Thermal Thumbers in Atlanta,
Georgia, have events for the Butterfly—a 7-
inch-span indoor ARF—and Laurie Barr’s
Hangar Rat design.
If you are already pretty good at Outdoor
Hand Launched Glider, Outdoor Catapult
Glider, or Flying Aces Club Scale Rubber,
you can use the same skills in Indoor, except
with lighter materials.
An added benefit of going to contests is
that the larger meets often have vendor
booths where they sell specialty Indoor
items that are not available in your hobby
shop.
Not into traveling? There are postal
events for many of these same models, in
which you fly in your local gym and send
your times in to compete with others from
around the world.
Indoor Today—the Pennyplane, Easy B,
and International F1D: The cover of the
March 2002 INAV was my idea but Steve
Gardner’s artistry. Steve preceded me as
editor, and he filled each issue with great
plans and original illustrations. I arranged
his artwork for four models—the Delta Dart,
Pennyplane, Easy B (EZB), and F1D—from
top to bottom on the cover of Issue #106.
All subscribers received a black-andwhite
version, but the original shows in
striking color one way you can move up in
building skill and flight duration by
graduating from model to model, each more
advanced than the one before. There are
dozens of paths to take; this is just one. I
have already covered the Delta Dart and SO
models, so let’s move on to a possible next
step.
If you weigh a modern penny, it will be
almost 2.50 grams. But before 1984, you got
more for your money; a penny weighed 3.20
grams. That was settled on at the time as the
Pennyplane model’s minimum weight.
There were also restrictions of an 18-inch
span, a 5-inch chord, a 12-inch propeller,
and other guidelines.
This makes it great for the step from SO
to serious Indoor competition. Anyone who
can build a Finny Plane and do four minutes
in a gymnasium can make a 4.0- or 5.0-gram
Pennyplane the first time, and start doing
10+ minutes in a large site.
My first Pennyplane weighed 5.0 grams,
my second one weighed 4.1 grams, and my
current model weighs 3.4 grams. It takes a
great deal of practice, but you can expect to
double your flight times by going from a
5.0-gram to a 3.2-gram airplane.
This design comes in two flavors: the
original version and a Limited Pennyplane.
Both have 18-inch wingspans and can weigh
no less than 3.2 grams, but the Limited rules
allow only a monoplane configuration and a
sheet-balsa propeller with a 12-inch
maximum diameter.
Indoor Model Supply makes a nice
novice kit called the Time Machine. One of
the two I built straight from the package did
six minutes right off the building board in
the 34-foot Tampa Armory. Building lighter
from the same plans, it is possible to do
eight to 10 minutes or more. Those aren’t
contest-winning times, but they give the
builder a great deal of satisfaction and the
confidence to move further along.
A possible next step is the EZB design
invented by Wally Miller. It is a small 18-
inch-span monoplane Rubber model with a
2-inch maximum chord and all-wood
construction. Micro-X makes a nice
beginner’s kit of this model and even
provides the cardboard template around
which the wing is built. Substituting lighter
wood and smaller motor sizes on successive
models will take your duration times into
the double digits.
The attraction of the EZB is that
Pennyplane kit: Time Machine 11-inch propeller 0.070 x 13-inch loop Fast climb
12-inch propeller 0.080 x 14-inch loop Slow climb
Experiment with 0.085 and 0.090 inch.
Pennyplane plans: No-Non-Cents 3.3-gram loop of 21.5 inches
Easy B kit: Micro-X Suggested 12- to 14-inch loop of 0.065-0.046 inch
Easy B plans: Ron Williams Suggested 12- to 14-inch loop of 0.065-0.046 inch
Competition 1.0-gram loop of 15 inches
A-6: Clarence Mather Novice 0.040-0.050 x 10-inch loop
A-6: Slugger Competition 0.037 x 14 inches
MiniStick kit: I.M.S. Suggested 0.025-0.030 x 10 inches
MiniStick plans: MiniQuark Competition 0.025-0.028 x 13 inches
Butterfly RTF Indoor 0.040 x 12 inches
Outdoor 0.055 x 10 inches
P-24 kit: Mace Condor 7-inch N. Pacific 3⁄32 x 36-inch loop (Suggested for sport)
plastic propeller 3⁄32 x 50-inch loop (Competition)
Suggested Models and Motor Sizes for Beginning Indoor Fliers
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 1:20 pm Page 32
34 MODEL AVIATION
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beginners and experts can enjoy it, and
beginners can become experts in a short
time. The most popular contest design is
the Hobby Shopper EZB by Larry Coslick,
which, as the name implies, can be built
from hobby-shop wood and still weigh
only .7 gram and fly for more than 20
minutes. You can download the plans and
construction article for free from Indoor
Duration at www.indoorduration.com.
The bottom model on the cover is the
most challenging and most amazing: the
F1D. It is a world-class airplane, and the
Time Traveler by Steve Brown has done
63 minutes on a tiny .6-gram rubber loop.
Others, who are braver than I am, say it
is the most rewarding model since even
your first F1D will fly longer than
anything you have built previously. But if
you are going to follow me this far, it’s
time to take a detour and get out your
wallet.
Stripping and Weighing Your Own
Materials: Up to a point, you could build
and fly Indoor with common supplies
found in any good hobby shop or general
model catalog. By this I mean that the
propellers could be plastic and all the
wood and rubber motors used could come
in standard sizes.
However, for the Pennyplane, and even
lighter models such as the EZB and
MiniStick, you will want to strip your own
wood and rubber and weigh the finished
pieces more accurately than you have
needed to before this. If serious
competition is in your future, think
seriously about a micrometer balsa
stripper, a rubber stripper, and a precision
pan balance.
The one-piece molded-plastic balsa
strippers used for Outdoor FF models and
use a #11 X-Acto blade aren’t good
enough. Although they are fine for 1⁄8 and
1⁄16 wood sheets, they tend to split thinner
balsa and give wavy and uneven cuts. I am
not referring to fractions of an inch
anymore, but thousandths of an inch. An
EZB’s wing spars and ribs are .020-.030
inch (or 20-30 mil), and this requires a
different approach.
Ray Harlan and Tim Goldstein offer
quality balsa strippers with micrometer
adjustments for the fine tolerances needed.
If you are handy, plans are available so
you can build your own. These tools really
shine when it comes to cutting many LE
and TE spars the same thickness. They are
also used to move a rib template down on
the workpiece the same amount after each
cut to give uniform ribs.
An added advantage is that by angling
the wood, or pushing the piece up in the
middle to bow it, tapered spars and strips
can be cut so more of the weight and
strength is on the inside than on the tips.
Many wing spars and almost all propeller
spars call for tapered stock.
The cutting blocks use carbon-steel,
single-edge razor-blade pieces or surgicalsteel
blades, which are half as thick as XActo
knives and don’t split the wood. (You
can still buy the older carbon-steel, doubleedged
blades, which are brittle and snap to
a fresh, clean edge. Modern stainless
varieties bend rather than break.)
Next comes stripping your own rubber
to make custom-width motors. In Outdoor
flying with multistranded motors, you
change the motor’s cross-section by
increasing or decreasing the number of
strands. But with these light models, we
are down to a single loop. One can do well
in SO and novice Pennyplane with 3⁄32-
inch rubber strip (93-94 mil) from FAI
Supply just as it comes out of the box.
Wind a few motors to the breaking
point so you’ll know what 100% is.
Practice winding to just fewer than
maximum turns, finding the right motor
loop length and the best trim for your
model for that particular site. This could
take several flying sessions or maybe a
whole winter season.
After getting to the point at which no
further improvement in duration is seen
with a single size of rubber, buy your own
rubber stripper. Ray Harlan makes one of
the better ones on the market. When you
get a rubber stripper, you can simplify the
rubber stock in your inventory and only
10sig2.QXD 7/23/04 11:29 am Page 34
buy 1⁄8- or 1⁄4-inch widths.
It’s not a waste either, because when
you cut 1⁄8-inch rubber strip to get .085
inch for your Pennyplane, you can save the
thinner piece for EZB or MiniStick flying.
Keep all your stripped motors in plastic
envelopes, and write the rubber batch,
weight, and thickness on the outside with a
felt-tip pen.
Last, an electronic pan balance that
measures to at least .01 gram, and
preferably to .001 gram, will be a welcome
addition to your shop. Indoor plans give
target weights for model pieces, as well as
the whole, so you need to be able to
accurately weigh a wing or a stabilizer to
see if you are building in the right
ballpark. Get in the habit of weighing
everything and keeping good records.
Weigh your tissue and condenser paper,
and convert it to grams or ounces per 100
square feet to find the lightest available.
Mylar plastic comes in thicknesses that are
much lighter (and much stronger) than
tissue coverings. WES-Technik sells a 2-
micron film used in built-up Hand-
Launched Gliders. For Duration Rubber
flying, the best is a cellulose acetate film
only 0.6 micron thick called OS film. It is
available from Alan Cohen.
Apply these films by spraying the
framework with 3M Super 77 contact
cement and laying the work facedown on
the film. Weigh the balsa you use in sheet
and strip form, and convert it to poundsper-
cubic-foot (ppcf) density. Indoor
applications use 4-6 ppcf wood for most
applications, with 8 and 10 ppcf wood for
the more stressed propeller spars, wing
posts, and motorsticks.
Cut your own sticks too. They will be
much lighter, and you will save a great
deal of money compared with buying
precut spars. And of course, weigh all your
motors and keep a record of that. I have
two three-ring binders to keep my notes in,
with dividers according to model class.
One has building records and plans I keep
at home, and one for flying I take to
contests and practice sessions to keep track
of what worked and what did not.
You are looking at $45-$75 for a
micrometer balsa stripper, $160 for a good
rubber stripper, and $50-$300 (or more)
for a balance.
If you ask me if this kind of cash outlay
is necessary, I will tell you about my brief
foray into robotics. A reader wrote to one
of the electronics magazines I subscribed
to at the time and questioned whether an
oscilloscope purchase was necessary. The
editors answered that it was “the price of
entry into the hobby,” meaning that you
could do without it but not do well.
The accompanying table lists some
motor choices to get you started, whether
you choose a kit version, plans, or build
from scratch. Each kit comes with full-size
plans and complete instructions, so the kit
could be your first effort, with lighter,
more advanced models from the plans
provided as a next step.
Always build several of the same
design, because each model will be better
and different from the one before. Indoor
fliers seldom tell you how many of a
particular airplane they have brought to a
contest, but they will tell you that they
have six or seven propellers, three wings,
two tails, and four motorsticks.
This advice goes in spades for motors.
You might cut some 62, 64, and 66 mil
rubber and have it ready to tie into
different-size loops at the contest, stored in
carefully labeled envelopes or plastic bags.
Some of the competition motors in the
table are described by weight rather than
thickness. That’s because the rubber strip’s
thickness and density varies from batch to
batch, so weight is much more constant
than size. Another reason is that weight
indicates the total energy potential that can
be expected from a motor.
The Future of Indoor: Some in the Indoor
community, fine people though they are,
would make this a short section because
they say there is no future to Indoor
modeling. Participation decreases each
year, and there will be no one to fill the
ranks as the great ones pass on to that great
site in the sky.
36 MODEL AVIATION
10sig2.QXD 7/23/04 11:30 am Page 36
That is baloney (as we used to say in
New Jersey, where we ate a lot of it). As
editor of INAV, I’ve seen the subscription
rolls climb from 550 when I started two
years ago to more than 700 today.
Jim Buxton, Dave Linstrum, Bud
Tenny, Don Ross, Bob Warmann, John
Worth, and many others continue to write
about Indoor FF and contribute articles and
columns, so we get our fair share of
coverage.
I saw 10 Juniors and Seniors at the last
contest—many from SO beginnings—and
a few already flying at a world-class level.
Sure, the great Doc Martin passed away,
and with it his Miami Indoor Aircraft
Model Association Indoor club, but the
Florida Flyers have emerged like a
phoenix from their own ashes, thanks to
the efforts of Bill Carney in Jacksonville
and others. To prove it, they just held a
successful meet in the Tampa Armory. I
was there, and it was a hoot.
The fastest-growing segment is indoor
micro RC. Such pioneers as Bob Wilder of
Wilder Winder fame, MA “Micro-Flying”
columnist Dave Robelen, and John Worth
of RC MicroFlight magazine are at the
leading edge of incredible growth in this
area of the hobby.
RC components have shrunken in size
so much in the last few years that any
small, light, electric-powered FF model
can be modified and flown successfully.
Open to debate is how indoor electric RC
will be compatible with classic pure
Rubber models.
The answer has to be equal but
separate. Except for the lightest electricpowered
models used in AMA events
221—Free Flight Electric Power—and
627—Indoor Electric Duration (and even
inclusion of these is at the CD’s
discretion)—everyone will be happiest if
rubber and RC keep their separate ways,
just as all good contests are separated into
“heavies” and “lights” flying in different
time slots.
The National Indoor Remote-controlled
Aircraft Council (NIRAC) knows this and
has its contests in such places as the
Oakland Yard Athletics dome in
Waterford, Michigan. If this commonsense
approach continues, it will be good for the
hobby.
We are seeing what the future holds
with the introduction of smaller and lighter
receivers and servos, geared pager motor
drives weighing a gram or less, and Li-
Poly cells that double and triple flight
times. But the innovations are not limited
to radio; carbon rod and tubes are standard
building materials now, as are Depron
foam sheets and Mylar and polyester
covering films.
Bill Gowen’s composite Carbon Copy,
a Hand Launched Glider, uses carbon rod
and tough Mylar covering, and it wins.
Tungsten wire used to be the main
bracing material for ultralight F1D models,
but the current trend seems to be more
toward unbraced wings and motorsticks.
Instead of tungsten-wire rigging, the
pieces are reinforced by laying down
carbon and boron fibers and running a tiny
amount of cyanoacrylate along the whole
length for stiffness. Laurie Barr of England
uses boron fiber on four sides of his
hollow motorsticks, and he says they come
out “as stiff as a pool cue.” The fibers are
so thin that the weight penalty is small.
Florida Flyer Jake Larson is famous for
his balsa-sheet Scale models, which he
often converts to electric-powered FF
aircraft. Now he is into doing the same
thing with foam sheet. Although the foam
is not as strong as balsa, his airplanes are
so light that it doesn’t matter. He brought
quite a selection to the Tampa Armory,
and they all flew well.
We will see more and more of all these
new materials and techniques in the
seasons to come.
Perhaps the best thing for our hobby in
the future is the growing list of supplies
and information available on the Internet.
No matter what your interest or specialty,
you will be able to download plans,
instructions, and articles, and then order
almost anything you can think of while
sitting at a keyboard.
The addresses and sites at the end of
At Your Hobby Shop or
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RV-6/6A, Zodiac XL, Challenger II, Europa XS, Glastar, Velocity XL
Scale: 1:5.0
Wingsapn: 75" or 59" ‘Clippable’
Length: 43" Wing Area: 881in2 or 693in2
Flying Weight: 7 - 8 lbs
Wing Loading: 21 oz/ft2 or 25 oz/ft2
Radio: 4 CH 5 Servos Engines: .40 - .46 in3
EAM Quad City Ulralight’s
Challenger ll
Great Electric and Float Conversion!
www.RCHomebuilts.com™
A Sport Scale Plane that’s
...One of a Kind!
10sig2.QXD 7/23/04 11:30 am Page 38
40 MODEL AVIATION
this article are by no means definitive, but
most of them have links to other sites, to
take you as far as you care to go. It is an
exciting time to be in the hobby, and I
hope you will try Indoor modeling and
come fly with us.
Indoor FF Manufacturers and Suppliers:
In the almost 20 years since Ron
Williams’ lament that I included at the
beginning of this article, quite a few brave
souls have ventured into supplying the
Indoor market.
At least two things have helped this
along, the first of which is the increasing
use of exotic, non-hobby-shop materials
such as tungsten wire and boron and
carbon fiber. Second is the recent
explosion of E-mail and Web sites, giving
equal opportunities to modelers living
anywhere on the globe.
The following list will be more than
enough to get you started. But if this
article has generated more questions than
answers, write or E-mail me. MA
Carl Bakay
1621 Lake Salvador Dr.
Harvey LA 70058
[email protected]
Manufacturers and Suppliers:
MA magazine, AMA insurance and
services:
AMA
5161 E. Memorial Dr.
Muncie IN 47302
(765) 287-1256
www.modelaircraft.org
Spartan (Send $10 for the Spartan building
guide):
Gary Baughman
470 Hardage Farm Dr. NW
Marietta GA 30064
Tan II rubber, indoor ARFs, kits:
FAI Model Supply
John Clapp
Box 366
Sayre PA 18840
(570) 882-9873
www.faimodelsupply.com
Winder/counters, bearings, supplies:
Geauga Precision Models
W. D. Johnson
9113 Robinson Rd.
Chardon OH 44024
[email protected]
Wood, hardware, kits:
House of Balsa
Winner R/C Hobbies
ONLINE STORE
12368 Valley Blvd. #109, El Monte, CA 91732
ORDERS ONLY 800-780-0100
Information 626-618-0300
ONLINE ORDER AND MORE INFORMATION AT
www.winnerrc.com
All In One Power Panel (with a built-in field charger)
Pacific Aeromodels took the proven high quality technology of its quarter scale
Laser to the next level by adding the new 27% Edge 540 T to its mid sized lineup.
Designed for IMAC and 3D type aerobatics, as well as sport flying, the Edge’s
light weight and sophisticated aerodynamic design give it the unique ability to
wring truly outstanding performance from smaller and less expensive engines
and radio equipment than the competition. The 27% Edge offers top-of-the-line
quality, ease of assembly and unlimited performance in the air without the nasty
habits of some other scale aerobatics.
Wingspan: 82" • Wing Area: 1,139 Sq. In. • Overall Length: 67 1/2" • Weight:
14.5 lbs. • Wing Loading: 29.3 Oz./Sq. Ft • Engine: 1.60-2.10 Glow, 40c.c. Gas
• Radio: 4 CH (1 std and 5 high torque servos)
Aero Shark 40 ARF
Radio: Requires 4 Ch (6 servos) • Wing Span: 72 in. • Wing Area: 857
sq. in. • Flying Wt: 7.9-9.5 lbs • Engine: .60-1.08 (2C), .90-1.20 (4C),
Gas 24cc • Color: Red, Blue
Combo W/ Saito FA-100 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $559.99
Combo W/ Saito FA-120 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $609.99
Wingspan: 63" • Wing Area: 596 Sq. In. • Overall Length: 54 1/2"
• Weight: 5.5 lbs. • Engine: .40 - .53 2C or .52 - .72 4C
A swept-back shoulder wing? A fuselage that reminds you of a
fish? You either like it’s looks, or you don’t, but you’ll LOVE the
way it flies. Pacific’s new 40 size Aero Shark is big, fast, smooth
and very aerobatic, yet it’s slow speed handling is superb and it
lands like a trainer. As a second or third airplane, an aerobatic
trainer or a Sunday sport flyer, you can’t beat the high quality
AERO SHARK ARF.
Combo: w/TT Pro-46 engine.................$189.99
SALE! $119.99
Field Equipment Field Box (pre-built)
Two Drawer Field Box
• Fully assembled
• Painted and fuel proof
• Light weight
• Adjustable cradle
• Removable power compartment
Combo: Two Drawer Field Box (prebuilt) • 12v
7 amp maintenance free battery • 12V 500
mAh charger (AC) • Starter 150 • Standard
Power Panel • Electric Fuel Pump • Glow
starter w/charger • 4 way wrench . . $139.99
$39.99
Radio: Requires 4 Ch • 5 servos (3 standard, 2 Micro) •
Wing Span: 50 in. • Wing Area: 723 sq. in. • Length 40
in. • Flying Wt: 3.7-4.1 lbs • Engine: .25 - .35 cu.in. (2C)
or .30 - .40 (4C) • Color: Military, Red/Silver, Yellow
Radio: 4Ch (5 servos (3 standard, 2 micro)
Combo: w/Saito 40 engine ............$379.99
Tiger Moth ARF .30 Size • All wood construction.
• 95% ready to fly.
• Balsa Built-up upper and
lower wing plug in for
easy assembly.
• Pre-covered with real
iron-on film.
• Fiber glass cowl already
painted.
• Factory installed pull-pull
controls system on
rudder and elevator.
• Comes with all hardware
and accessories.
• Flies like a trainer.
• Both sizes come with
Flying Wire.
• Ready to fly in just 15
hours.
Radio: Requires 4 Ch • 5 servos • Wing Span: 78 in. •
Wing Area: 1841 sq. in. • Length 65.7 in. • Flying Wt:
10-11 lbs • Engine: .90 cu.in. (2C) or 1.20 (4C) • Color:
Military, Red/Silver, Yellow
Combo: w/Saito 120 engine...........$699.99
$219.99
$399.99
Tiger Moth ARF 1.20 Size
Radio: Requires 4 Ch • 6 servos • Wing Span: 82 in. •
Wing Area: 1175 sq. in. • Length 62.5 in. • Flying Wt:
12-13 lbs • Engine: 1.08-1.60 cu.in. (2C), 1.20-1.80
(4C) or 26cc (Gas)
“Gee Bee-Y” 120 size ARF • All Wood Construction.
• Pre-Covered in real iron
film.
• Fiberglass cowling (10
in. dia.) and wheel pants
already painted.
• Dummy engine included.
• 95% Factory Assembled.
• Ready to fly in just 12
hours.
• All hardware is included.
• Easy to fly.
• Plug in wing.
Combo: w/Saito 150 engine...........$733.99
Combo: w/Saito 180 engine...........$763.99
Combo: w/Zenoah G-26 engine.......$643.99
SALE! $379.99
1/4 Scale 3D Capable Laser 200
ARF
Laser 200 .40 size ARF
$319.99
• All wood construction
• 95% ready to fly
• Covered with real ironon
film. • Fiberglass cowl
and wheel pants. • Plug in
wings. • Ready to fly in
12 hours. • Double
beveling on both wing
and tail feathers.
Radio: Requires 4 Ch (5 servos) • Wing Span: 55 in. • Wing Area: 564
sq. in. • Flying Wt: 5.7 lbs • Engine: .40-.47 (2C), .50-.70 (4C) • Red
Combo W/ Saito FA-72. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $389.99
Combo W/ Thunder Tiger-46 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $259.99
$189.99
This light weight Starter has a comfortable size
that fits very well in one hand. The 3:1 geared
reduction design for starting engines up to 1.8
cu. in. The big cup and double side rubber cone
will fit from 1/2” prop nuts to 5” spinners.
PAM-1002B Starter . . . . . . . . . $44.99
• Functions as a regular power panel
and as a field charger for your Tx
(9.6V), Rx (4.8V or 6.0V) and glow
starter (1.2V).
• Never miss as day's flying because
of low batteries.
• Digital peak-detection, pulsecurrent
charger for Rx
(4.8V and 6.0 V).
• Charges NiCd and Ni-Mh batteries.
Power Panel PAC-MF0502 . $44.99
Portable Super Starter
(Assembled)
Super Starter with battery holder and 2 x
7.2V 1500 mah battery pack also including
1x charging adapter (Tamiya - Dean). We put
it together for you. Will start engines up to
2.1 cu. in.
PAM-1002PP Starter ..........$89.99
Super Starter
Small size but high torque.
Wingspan: 59" • Wing Area: 620 Sq. In. • Overall Length: 52 1/2" •
Weight: 6 lbs. • Wing Loading: 22.3 Oz./Sq. Ft. • Engine: .40 - .53 2C
or .56 - .72 4C • Radio: 4 Ch (6 standard servos)
Combo W/ Saito FA-72 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $419.99
Edge 540T 40/72 ARF
$209.99
Pacific’s new 40 and 60 size Edge
540T ARFs have all the big plane
features like plug-in wings, dual
aileron servos, tail mounted elevator
servos and a pull–pull rudder, and
they use normal sport engines and
standard radio equipment. Best of
all, they are specially designed to fly
with the smoothness and precision
of a much larger airplane.
Wingspan: 65" • Wing Area: 765 Sq. In. • Overall Length: 58 1/2" •
Weight: 8 lbs. • Wing Loading: 24.1 Oz./Sq. Ft • Engine : .61-.91(2C),
.80-1.00(4C) • Radio: 4 Ch (6 standard servos)
Combo W/ Saito FA-100 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $519.99
Edge 540T
60/100 ARF
$264.99
$439.9927% Edge 540T ARF
Pacific Aeromodel’s Edge 540T Series
For 3000mAh
battery
add $30.00.
10sig2.QXD 7/23/04 11:31 am Page 40
10101 Yucca Rd.
Adelanto CA 92301
(760) 246-6462
www.houseofbalsa.com
Scales, rubber strippers, coverings, kits:
Indoor Model Specialties
Ray Harlan
15 Happy Hollow Rd.
Wayland MA 01778
(508) 358-4013
Novice kits, SO materials, all supplies:
Indoor Model Supply
Lew Gitlow
Box 2020
Florence OR 97439
www.indoormodelsupply.com
The Indoor newsletter (one year for $15 in
US, $19 in Canada), articles, plans:
Indoor News and Views
Tim Goldstein, subscription editor
13096 W. Cross Dr.
Littleton CO 80127
www.indoorduration.com
(Download a free issue and subscribe)
P-24 kits, plans, supplies:
Mace Model Aircraft Co.
Don Mace
359 S. 119th East Ave.
Tulsa OK 74128
Scale kits, rubber, supplies:
Micro-X
Box 1063-A
Lorain OH 44055
(440) 282-8354
[email protected]
Classroom kit packs, SO, Delta Dart,
gliders:
Midwest Products Co., Inc.
Educational Products Division
Box 564
Hobart IN 46342
(800) 348-3497
www.midwestproducts.com
OS Film:
42 MODEL AVIATION
Alan Cohen
2115 State Route 31
Glen Gardner NJ 08826
Fax: (908) 537-0111
[email protected]
Kits, supplies:
Peck-Polymers
Box 710399
Santee CA 92072
(619) 488-1833
www.peck-polymers.com
Precision-cut balsa, basswood:
Specialized Balsa Wood
Jake Zimmer
1656 Carol Dr.
Loveland CO 80537
[email protected]
www.specializedbalsa.com
Supplies:
WES-Technik
Klosterstr. 12
D-72644 Oberboihingen
Germany
[email protected]
www.wes-technik.de/
Sites Containing More Information:
Cleveland Clowns Indoor page
www.indoorfreeflight.com
Bill Kuhl’s Delta Dart site
www.luminet.net/~bkuhl/rubber.htm
NFFS home page
http://freeflight.org/
Martin’s worldwide links
www.ivyandmartin.demon.co.uk/page
2.htm
Michael J. Woodhouse supplies
www.freeflightsupplies.co.uk
Tim Goldstein’s Indoor balsa
www.f1d.biz
Ed Wiley’s Web page
www.sunflower.com/~edwiley/
NIRAC Indoor RC
www.nirac.org
Tim Goldstein’s INAV site
www.indoorduration.com
Del Ogren’s Indoor site
www.n-lemma.com
Glen Davison’s Indoor site
http://people.ne.mediaone.net/indoor
Daniel Hartstein’s Indoor site:
http://w1.871.telia.com/~u87106779/
Thayer Syme’s FF site:
www.sirius.com/~thayer/modelhp.html
Mr. NiCd’s BATTERIES AMERICA
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#2LP650 7.4v 650mAh Li-POLY pk (28 gms/ 1 oz) $20.95
#2LP800* 7.4v 800mAh Li-POLY pk (34 gms/ 1.2oz) $27.95
#2LP900 7.4v 900mAh Li-POLY pk (38 gms/ 1.35oz)$23.95
#2LP1200 7.4v 1200mAh Li-POLY pk (48 gms/1.7oz) $25.95
#2LP1500*7.4v 1500mAh Li-POLY pk (62 gms/2.2oz) $39.95
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QN-012BC charger QN-012DC charger VR5.4 / VR6.0
#QN-012BC Fast-Smart Charger (AC) for Li-POLY pk. $19.95
#QN-012DC Fast-Smart 12VDC charger for Li-POLYpk. $19.95
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NEW Lithium Polymer cells – with E-Z solder tabs !
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#P650 3.7v 650mAh Li-POLYcell (14 gms / 0.5 oz) $ 7.95ea
#P800* 3.7v 800mAh Li-POLYcell (17 gms / 0.6 oz) $10.95ea
#P900 3.7v 900mAh Li-POLYcell (19 gms/ 0.67oz) $ 9.95ea
#P1200 3.7v 1200mAh Li-POLY cell (24 gms/0.85oz) $10.95ea
#P1500*3.7v 1500mAh Li-POLY cell (31 gms/1.1oz) $15.95ea
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#P1900 3.7v 1900mAh Li-POLY cell (38 gms/1.35oz)$13.95ea
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D=four sticks. JST conn.=add $3.00. Deans Ultra conn.=add $5.
Cell # size / mAh / $ each 7.2v 8.4v 9.6v 10.8v 12.0v
AP-350 1/3AA, 350mAh $2.50 $23.95 $26.95 $29.95 $32.95 $35.95
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10sig2.QXD 7/23/04 11:31 am Page 42
Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/10
Page Numbers: 26,27,28,29,30,32,34,36,38,40,42
I AM NOT a famous Indoor-model flier. As
have Dave Rees and Bob Aberle, who wrote
the “State of the Sport” articles before me, I
have been active in all forms of the hobby
since I was a kid growing up in New Jersey
in the 1950s. Unlike them, I am a sport flier,
a writer, and a newsletter editor, and I have
worked hard at staying a novice when it
comes to competition.
According to other writers, we take turns
and detours in our lives that change us
forever. This happened for me in May 1998.
On a lark, I drove the 712 miles from New
Orleans, Louisiana, to the East Tennessee
State University campus in Johnson City,
Tennessee, where the US Indoor
Championships is held each year in a
covered football stadium called the Mini-
Dome.
I walked through the outer doors to a
gymnasium hallway, complete with locker
rooms and showers, and then through a
second set of inner doors to the running
track and playing field, which was 400 feet
long and 116 feet high. I stood transfixed, as
they say, and my mouth stood open as I
watched these beautiful airplanes circle
slowly and majestically over my head.
I was hooked then, and I am hooked
now. But don’t believe me; to learn what is
so great about “Indoor,” as it is called, I’ll
quote Ron Williams.
“Indoor model building and flying is an
innocent sport. There is little profit to be
made, if any, in the commerce it engenders,
though some enterprising indoor
entrepreneur could find ways, I’m sure.
“Because it tends to be so low key and
deceptively complex, it has never enjoyed
the attention that noisier, more dynamic
forms of modeling have received. The
consequence is that there has never been
enough information in any one place to get a
good start with this part of the hobby.”
Therefore, Ron wrote and illustrated the
first definitive how-to on the subject. His
1984 book Building and Flying Indoor
Model Airplanes was a milestone then and a
classic now, but I think it is out of print.
Returning to Johnson City a few years
later as editor of the fancy Indoor News and
Views (INAV) magazine, numerous people
came up to shake my hand and offered
compliments, good wishes, and occasional
war stories while I was trying to count the
winds in my motor or time a flight.
But by Day Two I learned not to be
annoyed—that something larger was going
on. I was part of a community.
As in all facets of our hobby, many types of
models are flown in Indoor. Any Outdoor
rubber-powered FF design can be made
lighter and smaller and flown inside. Heavy
and strong are no longer requirements when
there are no wind gusts or tree limbs in the
way.
A good example of this is the Bostonian.
These little 16-inch-wingspan cuties are
flown outdoors with a 14-gram-minimum
weight requirement and indoors with a 7-
gram-minimum weight requirement.
Although it’s hard to get down to 7 grams
the first few times you try, flight duration
goes from two minutes for an outdoor
Bostonian to five and six minutes or more
for the lighter indoor versions. In a place
like Johnson City, with some of the “best
air” anywhere, after all that time, your
model will land about where it started.
It’s all about duration. As do the Scale
models of the Flying Aces Club, some
Indoor events award charisma points and
appearance points, but the ability to outfly
everyone else’s aircraft is the key to Indoorcontest
success.
Origins—the Baby ROG: The first modelairplane
clubs started in the New York City
area as early as 1907. The famous Frank
Zaic flew in that city’s Central Park in the
1920s and 1930s. Balsa wood wasn’t used
until roughly 1911, so most early models
were made from pine, bamboo, and spruce.
Rubber motors were cut from tire inner
tubes, and plans were drawn on wrapping
paper. For more about this and Indoor
modeling history in general, see Bill Kuhl’s
site; the address is at the end of this article.
Our hobby can be clearly divided into
two times: before 1927 and after 1927. That
year a shy, handsome private pilot named
26 MODEL AVIATION
State of thIe nSpordt: oor Flight
b y C a r l B a k ay
Free
Steve Gardner’s drawings on the
cover of INAV Issue #106 show one
route to more serious Indoor fun.
Text has details.
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 3:51 pm Page 26
Charles Lindbergh flew a highly modified and overloaded Ryanbuilt
monoplane nonstop across the Atlantic Ocean. The effect on
the youth of the era was nothing less than galvanic, and modeling as
a hobby followed the groundswell. The number of kit manufacturers
went from perhaps 20 in 1927 to more than 2,000 in 1928.
Let’s go back to modeling in the Depression years of the 1930s.
We are in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it’s wintertime. A group
of clubs is making something called the “Philadelphia Model
Airplane Association.”
They are giving out plans for a Baby ROG—not full-scale, of
course. Part of your apprenticeship (if you want to join) is to scale
up the plans on the back of some brown paper or, if you know a
paperboy, a sheet of blank newsprint from the pressroom.
Then you have to build your own model, carve your own
propeller, and get the aircraft to rise off the ground and fly indoors
for 30 seconds. This is quite an achievement (especially if you use
strips cut from automobile inner tubes to power it), although flights
of more than a minute are possible. You then make it to the rank of
“grease monkey” and can fly in Saturday contests.
John Walker wrote about his modeling origins with the Baby
ROG in the July 1981 R/C Model Builder magazine. Send me an
SASE, and I’ll send you free plans for the Baby ROG from that
issue.
(Did you notice that the Baby ROG was in R/C Model Builder?
Dave Rees mentioned in his July 2001 “State of the Sport: Free
Flight Scale” article that after getting into Scale models, he was
amazed by how many great building and finishing tips he gleaned
from old CL, FF, and RC articles in his magazine collection. The
same is true for Indoor.)
There were many versions of the Baby ROG, but it was a
milestone in any of its forms. Why? Because it flew! Of all those
Nickel Scale, Dime Scale, and quarter-scale models that the 2,000
kit makers offered, most would fly from your hand to the ground if
they flew at all. The early clubs knew this and started you out with
something realistic and flyable. Today we have something even
better.
Begin With a Delta Dart: Bill Kuhl has to be the Delta Dart’s
biggest fan. Read the following from his Web site and you’ll see
why.
“The Delta Dart appeared in the April 1967 issue of American
Modeler. It was designed by AMA’s [then] Technical Director Frank
Ehling and promoted by Dick and Ruth Meyer.
“Why is it so great? With the exception of the motorstick, the
AMA Dart is made entirely from 1⁄16 x 1⁄8-inch balsa strip. Some
beginners’ models such as the Peck ROG utilize 1⁄16-inch square
balsa, which although lighter, is difficult for the beginner to handle
without breaking, and the structure will more easily warp.
“Also, the one-piece motorstick comes with the correct stabilizer
incidence built in. The joints used at the tips of the wing, stabilizer,
and vertical fin can be less than perfect and still be adequately strong
because the covering material reinforces the joint.
“With materials donated by Sig, Dick and Ruth made up 300 kits
on their kitchen table, some of which were taken by Frank Ehling to
the 1966 Nats. Although some people thought the airplane too
simple and heavy, kids found it easy to build and fly. It was thought
that with the pointy wingtips, warps would have less effect because
most of the wing area was closer to the center of the wing.
“Sig decided to sell the same basic airplane as a kit called the
‘AMA Racer.’ The biggest change in the AMA Racer from the
original Delta Dart is that the wing is movable, so center of gravity
adjustments are easy. Another change is that the tailboom is made
from spruce instead of balsa.
“Frank Ehling designed another airplane known as the “AMA
Cub,” but it is sold by Midwest Products as the Delta Dart.
According to the Sig catalog, this is the airplane that has been used
in beginners’ promotions since 1968 and is the most-produced
model airplane of all time.”
The Dart and various rise-off-ground (ROG) stick models are
available in most good hobby shops and many toy stores. If you
October 2004 27
Senior Doug Schaefer (Centerville OH) qualified for the US
Indoor FF team to compete in Slanic, Romania.
Parker Parrish (Alpharetta GA) works on his F1D model. This
high-school student bested many Senior fliers at Akron OH.
Photos by the late Richard Doig.
Photos by the author except as noted
r
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 4:05 pm Page 27
28 MODEL AVIATION
Indoor rubber-powered Scale offers unlimited opportunities
for Outdoor fliers. This 1912 Fokker A was seen at last
year’s Nats at Johnson City TN.
Bostonians ready for charisma judging feature the latest
lifting-body design and wide, slow-turning propellers.
Limited Pennyplanes are capable of flights exceeding 15
minutes. Wingtip plates—a recent innovation—add stability
during high torque at launch. Gardner photo.
The Baby ROG, shown in
one of its original forms,
started many on the road
to successful building and
flying.
Author’s P-24 Mace Models Condor is intended for
beginners but has turned into a design for a hotly contested
one-design mass-launch event. It will do six minutes with a
54-inch single loop of 3⁄32-inch rubber. Steve Gardner photo.
The same skills used in building Outdoor Scale models can
be used in Indoor flying if careful attention is paid to weight.
Indoor Scale models may weigh one-third or more less than
Outdoor models. Gardner photo.
Not only is he a consistent winner, but Larry Cailliau flies
models that are true works of art. Gardner photo.
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 1:17 pm Page 28
don’t know where to go in your area, order a
catalog from Indoor Model Supply, Midwest
Products, or Peck-Polymers.
It is a good idea to build your first few
models exactly according to the instructions,
and even a little heavier than needed, with
extra glue joints and reinforcing fillets in the
corners. This will help it survive all the
banging around it is sure to do at first. You
might take part in or help run an AMA
make-and-take program at one of the
Muncie meets.
A natural question is, What do I build
after the Delta Dart? The answer is, Another
Delta Dart. As you learn to build with
lighter and thinner wood and replace the
heavy plastic propellers with lighter balsa
propellers, you will be building models that
fly much slower and longer, and they suffer
less damage if they hit something.
The world-class endurance models
shown seem to float through the air at
walking speed, or slower, and are most in
danger of being damaged by careless
handling or a sneeze. But their owners will
tell you they had to make several before they
got it just right.
The best thing you can do on your
second, third, and fourth Delta Dart is build
with lighter wood, tissue covering, and a
rubber motor at least twice as long as the
loop that comes with the kit. Bob Warmann
of the Chicago Aeronuts had a Delta Dart
mass launch at the Midwest Championships
this past April, and several flew up to the
94-foot ceiling.
Science Olympiad: The Delta Dart and the
AMA make-and-take programs are great,
but the participants are young—maybe 8, 9,
or 10 years of age—and most do not
continue with the hobby.
Sometimes, though, a parent will catch
the modeling bug along with the youngster,
and great things can happen. That is
especially true with a new wave that has
come along, and there has been nothing like
it since the post-Sputnik catch-up days in
education when I was a kid.
Few events have had as positive an effect
on bringing young people into Indoor
modeling as the Science Olympiad in our
schools. SO, as it’s called, encompasses a
host of biology, chemistry, physics, and
engineering competitions, starting at the
local level, and then moving on to state and
national championships.
It uses a team approach, with an adult
mentor providing guidance and support for a
group of young people. The finale of a
bridge-building exercise can galvanize an
entire class when the time comes to hang
weights on everyone’s creation to see how
much they can hold before they break. The
cheering, jeering, and just plain excitement
are seldom seen outside of sporting events.
SO has an event called The Wright Stuff,
with apologies to author Tom Wolfe and his
book of almost the same name. The rules for
2004 C Division require that the rubberpowered
airplanes have 52cm (20.5-inch)
wingspans and commercially available
October 2004 29
Bill Gowen shows off his composite Hand Launched Glider. This model was
constructed with carbon rod and Mylar covering. Photo by Chuck Markos.
These young fliers competed in the Science Olympiad portion of the Midwest States
Indoor Championships, hosted by the Chicago Aeronuts. Markos photo.
Jim Richmond, with his new Limited Pennyplane, waits his turn to fly at the
University of Illinois Armory. Markos photo.
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 4:07 pm Page 29
plastic propellers no bigger than 24cm (10 inches). The motors can
be any thickness or length but are limited to one loop of 2 grams
maximum weight. The models have a minimum weight limit too; for
2004 it is 8 grams for senior and junior high, without the motor.
Are you confused by the units? Don’t be surprised if you see US
and metric units mixed together like this. The SO originators wanted
to give students a taste of international science. Our country is one
of the few that doesn’t use the metric system every day, although
most scientists and some engineers use it all the time.
Indoor modelers use metric and US units interchangeably,
generally depending on which one allows the use of whole numbers.
It is easier to say 20 centimeters than 77⁄8 inches, and it’s easier to
say your model weighs 10 grams than 0.3527 ounce. But rubber
motors are sold in boxes by the pound, weighed in grams, and the
length of the motor loop is in inches. You get used to it. But flight
time is what it’s all about, and that is minutes and seconds the world
over.
The SO and its twin the Technology Student Association (TSA)
have exploded in popularity in the last few years. There are many
different kits available for the Wright Stuff event, and more than a
dozen plans available, from simple to elegant. The Cleveland
Clowns Web site even offers a tutorial video for sale. Many SO and
TSA mentors are active modelers who belong to clubs, and
“invitational” SO competitions have become common at club meets.
Bill Gowen and Gary Baughman are SO mentors of multiple
teams in the Atlanta, Georgia, area. Gary designed the Spartan,
named after the school mascot, which is a robust model using 1⁄8
square wood similar to the Delta Dart and is designed to take a great
deal of punishment from young hands, gym walls, and ceilings, and
still fly.
Bill designed the Finny Plane, which uses 1⁄16 square wood, as
does the Peck-Polymers ROG, and can be built to 8 grams without
too much effort and puts in long flights as a result.
Both designers are active Thermal Thumbers of Metro Atlanta
members, bringing many of their students to meetings and events.
This is so popular that we “big kids” get into the act with such SO
variants as Senior and Unlimited Rubber.
Duration times here in the south are approximately four minutes,
but a brilliant mentor in California named Cezar Banks designed his
Leading Edge model with a wing so advanced that times exceed six
minutes.
30 MODEL AVIATION
A 1⁄8-inch strip of Tan II rubber is being stripped into smaller
widths, which are checked with a micrometer.
Dave Haught takes Indoor Scale to the max with his flying B-
17. He writes “Scale Matters” for INAV. Tim Goldstein photo.
The Akron Air
Dock hangar in
Ohio was the site
of record
qualification trials
several times a
year. Although big,
it was cluttered
and often drafty.
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 1:19 pm Page 30
32 MODEL AVIATION
And I can’t forget Wayne Johnson, who
had 7:37 when Bill Gowen hosted the Open
SO event in the huge Johnson City Mini-
Dome. That is a long time for a flier—
young or old—and the best thing is that
being indoors, after all those minutes in the
air, your airplane lands at your feet! People
around you sometimes even break out in
applause and cheers. Unlike when you are
outdoors, your beverage is still cold and you
haven’t been bitten by any bug—except that
of Indoor flight.
If you have never made an Indoor model
and you’d like to start with a kit, you can do
no better than the Bambino or the Dipper by
Ray Harlan of Indoor Model Specialties.
You can build two models from one kit.
Another good choice is the Sci Oly 1 by
Lew Gitlow of Indoor Model Supply, but I
have not built it.
If you feel comfortable building from
plans, Gary Baughman’s Spartan is at the
top of my list. After being asked the same
questions by so many people, he decided to
write it all down. Gary offers a complete,
hand-illustrated, step-by-step manual for
building and flying the Spartan, plans
included. Equal in quality but different in
design is the Olympus by Don Slusarczyk.
His Web site contains photos and details.
One-Design Events: Don’t let contest
names such as the “Midwestern States
Indoor Championships” and “US Indoor
Championships” frighten you into not going.
Delta Dart and Double Whammy mass
launches are held at the Midwestern States
Indoor Championships in Champaign,
Illinois, and the last one down is the winner.
The Double Whammy was featured in the
November 1999 MA, and there was a
follow-up article about how to make it more
competitive.
The US Indoor Championships at
Johnson City, Tennessee, features a P-24
Condor mass launch. The Condor is a greatflying
model that was used for years at the
Air Force Academy to teach flight
principles. It is available from Mace
Models.
The Thermal Thumbers in Atlanta,
Georgia, have events for the Butterfly—a 7-
inch-span indoor ARF—and Laurie Barr’s
Hangar Rat design.
If you are already pretty good at Outdoor
Hand Launched Glider, Outdoor Catapult
Glider, or Flying Aces Club Scale Rubber,
you can use the same skills in Indoor, except
with lighter materials.
An added benefit of going to contests is
that the larger meets often have vendor
booths where they sell specialty Indoor
items that are not available in your hobby
shop.
Not into traveling? There are postal
events for many of these same models, in
which you fly in your local gym and send
your times in to compete with others from
around the world.
Indoor Today—the Pennyplane, Easy B,
and International F1D: The cover of the
March 2002 INAV was my idea but Steve
Gardner’s artistry. Steve preceded me as
editor, and he filled each issue with great
plans and original illustrations. I arranged
his artwork for four models—the Delta Dart,
Pennyplane, Easy B (EZB), and F1D—from
top to bottom on the cover of Issue #106.
All subscribers received a black-andwhite
version, but the original shows in
striking color one way you can move up in
building skill and flight duration by
graduating from model to model, each more
advanced than the one before. There are
dozens of paths to take; this is just one. I
have already covered the Delta Dart and SO
models, so let’s move on to a possible next
step.
If you weigh a modern penny, it will be
almost 2.50 grams. But before 1984, you got
more for your money; a penny weighed 3.20
grams. That was settled on at the time as the
Pennyplane model’s minimum weight.
There were also restrictions of an 18-inch
span, a 5-inch chord, a 12-inch propeller,
and other guidelines.
This makes it great for the step from SO
to serious Indoor competition. Anyone who
can build a Finny Plane and do four minutes
in a gymnasium can make a 4.0- or 5.0-gram
Pennyplane the first time, and start doing
10+ minutes in a large site.
My first Pennyplane weighed 5.0 grams,
my second one weighed 4.1 grams, and my
current model weighs 3.4 grams. It takes a
great deal of practice, but you can expect to
double your flight times by going from a
5.0-gram to a 3.2-gram airplane.
This design comes in two flavors: the
original version and a Limited Pennyplane.
Both have 18-inch wingspans and can weigh
no less than 3.2 grams, but the Limited rules
allow only a monoplane configuration and a
sheet-balsa propeller with a 12-inch
maximum diameter.
Indoor Model Supply makes a nice
novice kit called the Time Machine. One of
the two I built straight from the package did
six minutes right off the building board in
the 34-foot Tampa Armory. Building lighter
from the same plans, it is possible to do
eight to 10 minutes or more. Those aren’t
contest-winning times, but they give the
builder a great deal of satisfaction and the
confidence to move further along.
A possible next step is the EZB design
invented by Wally Miller. It is a small 18-
inch-span monoplane Rubber model with a
2-inch maximum chord and all-wood
construction. Micro-X makes a nice
beginner’s kit of this model and even
provides the cardboard template around
which the wing is built. Substituting lighter
wood and smaller motor sizes on successive
models will take your duration times into
the double digits.
The attraction of the EZB is that
Pennyplane kit: Time Machine 11-inch propeller 0.070 x 13-inch loop Fast climb
12-inch propeller 0.080 x 14-inch loop Slow climb
Experiment with 0.085 and 0.090 inch.
Pennyplane plans: No-Non-Cents 3.3-gram loop of 21.5 inches
Easy B kit: Micro-X Suggested 12- to 14-inch loop of 0.065-0.046 inch
Easy B plans: Ron Williams Suggested 12- to 14-inch loop of 0.065-0.046 inch
Competition 1.0-gram loop of 15 inches
A-6: Clarence Mather Novice 0.040-0.050 x 10-inch loop
A-6: Slugger Competition 0.037 x 14 inches
MiniStick kit: I.M.S. Suggested 0.025-0.030 x 10 inches
MiniStick plans: MiniQuark Competition 0.025-0.028 x 13 inches
Butterfly RTF Indoor 0.040 x 12 inches
Outdoor 0.055 x 10 inches
P-24 kit: Mace Condor 7-inch N. Pacific 3⁄32 x 36-inch loop (Suggested for sport)
plastic propeller 3⁄32 x 50-inch loop (Competition)
Suggested Models and Motor Sizes for Beginning Indoor Fliers
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 1:20 pm Page 32
34 MODEL AVIATION
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beginners and experts can enjoy it, and
beginners can become experts in a short
time. The most popular contest design is
the Hobby Shopper EZB by Larry Coslick,
which, as the name implies, can be built
from hobby-shop wood and still weigh
only .7 gram and fly for more than 20
minutes. You can download the plans and
construction article for free from Indoor
Duration at www.indoorduration.com.
The bottom model on the cover is the
most challenging and most amazing: the
F1D. It is a world-class airplane, and the
Time Traveler by Steve Brown has done
63 minutes on a tiny .6-gram rubber loop.
Others, who are braver than I am, say it
is the most rewarding model since even
your first F1D will fly longer than
anything you have built previously. But if
you are going to follow me this far, it’s
time to take a detour and get out your
wallet.
Stripping and Weighing Your Own
Materials: Up to a point, you could build
and fly Indoor with common supplies
found in any good hobby shop or general
model catalog. By this I mean that the
propellers could be plastic and all the
wood and rubber motors used could come
in standard sizes.
However, for the Pennyplane, and even
lighter models such as the EZB and
MiniStick, you will want to strip your own
wood and rubber and weigh the finished
pieces more accurately than you have
needed to before this. If serious
competition is in your future, think
seriously about a micrometer balsa
stripper, a rubber stripper, and a precision
pan balance.
The one-piece molded-plastic balsa
strippers used for Outdoor FF models and
use a #11 X-Acto blade aren’t good
enough. Although they are fine for 1⁄8 and
1⁄16 wood sheets, they tend to split thinner
balsa and give wavy and uneven cuts. I am
not referring to fractions of an inch
anymore, but thousandths of an inch. An
EZB’s wing spars and ribs are .020-.030
inch (or 20-30 mil), and this requires a
different approach.
Ray Harlan and Tim Goldstein offer
quality balsa strippers with micrometer
adjustments for the fine tolerances needed.
If you are handy, plans are available so
you can build your own. These tools really
shine when it comes to cutting many LE
and TE spars the same thickness. They are
also used to move a rib template down on
the workpiece the same amount after each
cut to give uniform ribs.
An added advantage is that by angling
the wood, or pushing the piece up in the
middle to bow it, tapered spars and strips
can be cut so more of the weight and
strength is on the inside than on the tips.
Many wing spars and almost all propeller
spars call for tapered stock.
The cutting blocks use carbon-steel,
single-edge razor-blade pieces or surgicalsteel
blades, which are half as thick as XActo
knives and don’t split the wood. (You
can still buy the older carbon-steel, doubleedged
blades, which are brittle and snap to
a fresh, clean edge. Modern stainless
varieties bend rather than break.)
Next comes stripping your own rubber
to make custom-width motors. In Outdoor
flying with multistranded motors, you
change the motor’s cross-section by
increasing or decreasing the number of
strands. But with these light models, we
are down to a single loop. One can do well
in SO and novice Pennyplane with 3⁄32-
inch rubber strip (93-94 mil) from FAI
Supply just as it comes out of the box.
Wind a few motors to the breaking
point so you’ll know what 100% is.
Practice winding to just fewer than
maximum turns, finding the right motor
loop length and the best trim for your
model for that particular site. This could
take several flying sessions or maybe a
whole winter season.
After getting to the point at which no
further improvement in duration is seen
with a single size of rubber, buy your own
rubber stripper. Ray Harlan makes one of
the better ones on the market. When you
get a rubber stripper, you can simplify the
rubber stock in your inventory and only
10sig2.QXD 7/23/04 11:29 am Page 34
buy 1⁄8- or 1⁄4-inch widths.
It’s not a waste either, because when
you cut 1⁄8-inch rubber strip to get .085
inch for your Pennyplane, you can save the
thinner piece for EZB or MiniStick flying.
Keep all your stripped motors in plastic
envelopes, and write the rubber batch,
weight, and thickness on the outside with a
felt-tip pen.
Last, an electronic pan balance that
measures to at least .01 gram, and
preferably to .001 gram, will be a welcome
addition to your shop. Indoor plans give
target weights for model pieces, as well as
the whole, so you need to be able to
accurately weigh a wing or a stabilizer to
see if you are building in the right
ballpark. Get in the habit of weighing
everything and keeping good records.
Weigh your tissue and condenser paper,
and convert it to grams or ounces per 100
square feet to find the lightest available.
Mylar plastic comes in thicknesses that are
much lighter (and much stronger) than
tissue coverings. WES-Technik sells a 2-
micron film used in built-up Hand-
Launched Gliders. For Duration Rubber
flying, the best is a cellulose acetate film
only 0.6 micron thick called OS film. It is
available from Alan Cohen.
Apply these films by spraying the
framework with 3M Super 77 contact
cement and laying the work facedown on
the film. Weigh the balsa you use in sheet
and strip form, and convert it to poundsper-
cubic-foot (ppcf) density. Indoor
applications use 4-6 ppcf wood for most
applications, with 8 and 10 ppcf wood for
the more stressed propeller spars, wing
posts, and motorsticks.
Cut your own sticks too. They will be
much lighter, and you will save a great
deal of money compared with buying
precut spars. And of course, weigh all your
motors and keep a record of that. I have
two three-ring binders to keep my notes in,
with dividers according to model class.
One has building records and plans I keep
at home, and one for flying I take to
contests and practice sessions to keep track
of what worked and what did not.
You are looking at $45-$75 for a
micrometer balsa stripper, $160 for a good
rubber stripper, and $50-$300 (or more)
for a balance.
If you ask me if this kind of cash outlay
is necessary, I will tell you about my brief
foray into robotics. A reader wrote to one
of the electronics magazines I subscribed
to at the time and questioned whether an
oscilloscope purchase was necessary. The
editors answered that it was “the price of
entry into the hobby,” meaning that you
could do without it but not do well.
The accompanying table lists some
motor choices to get you started, whether
you choose a kit version, plans, or build
from scratch. Each kit comes with full-size
plans and complete instructions, so the kit
could be your first effort, with lighter,
more advanced models from the plans
provided as a next step.
Always build several of the same
design, because each model will be better
and different from the one before. Indoor
fliers seldom tell you how many of a
particular airplane they have brought to a
contest, but they will tell you that they
have six or seven propellers, three wings,
two tails, and four motorsticks.
This advice goes in spades for motors.
You might cut some 62, 64, and 66 mil
rubber and have it ready to tie into
different-size loops at the contest, stored in
carefully labeled envelopes or plastic bags.
Some of the competition motors in the
table are described by weight rather than
thickness. That’s because the rubber strip’s
thickness and density varies from batch to
batch, so weight is much more constant
than size. Another reason is that weight
indicates the total energy potential that can
be expected from a motor.
The Future of Indoor: Some in the Indoor
community, fine people though they are,
would make this a short section because
they say there is no future to Indoor
modeling. Participation decreases each
year, and there will be no one to fill the
ranks as the great ones pass on to that great
site in the sky.
36 MODEL AVIATION
10sig2.QXD 7/23/04 11:30 am Page 36
That is baloney (as we used to say in
New Jersey, where we ate a lot of it). As
editor of INAV, I’ve seen the subscription
rolls climb from 550 when I started two
years ago to more than 700 today.
Jim Buxton, Dave Linstrum, Bud
Tenny, Don Ross, Bob Warmann, John
Worth, and many others continue to write
about Indoor FF and contribute articles and
columns, so we get our fair share of
coverage.
I saw 10 Juniors and Seniors at the last
contest—many from SO beginnings—and
a few already flying at a world-class level.
Sure, the great Doc Martin passed away,
and with it his Miami Indoor Aircraft
Model Association Indoor club, but the
Florida Flyers have emerged like a
phoenix from their own ashes, thanks to
the efforts of Bill Carney in Jacksonville
and others. To prove it, they just held a
successful meet in the Tampa Armory. I
was there, and it was a hoot.
The fastest-growing segment is indoor
micro RC. Such pioneers as Bob Wilder of
Wilder Winder fame, MA “Micro-Flying”
columnist Dave Robelen, and John Worth
of RC MicroFlight magazine are at the
leading edge of incredible growth in this
area of the hobby.
RC components have shrunken in size
so much in the last few years that any
small, light, electric-powered FF model
can be modified and flown successfully.
Open to debate is how indoor electric RC
will be compatible with classic pure
Rubber models.
The answer has to be equal but
separate. Except for the lightest electricpowered
models used in AMA events
221—Free Flight Electric Power—and
627—Indoor Electric Duration (and even
inclusion of these is at the CD’s
discretion)—everyone will be happiest if
rubber and RC keep their separate ways,
just as all good contests are separated into
“heavies” and “lights” flying in different
time slots.
The National Indoor Remote-controlled
Aircraft Council (NIRAC) knows this and
has its contests in such places as the
Oakland Yard Athletics dome in
Waterford, Michigan. If this commonsense
approach continues, it will be good for the
hobby.
We are seeing what the future holds
with the introduction of smaller and lighter
receivers and servos, geared pager motor
drives weighing a gram or less, and Li-
Poly cells that double and triple flight
times. But the innovations are not limited
to radio; carbon rod and tubes are standard
building materials now, as are Depron
foam sheets and Mylar and polyester
covering films.
Bill Gowen’s composite Carbon Copy,
a Hand Launched Glider, uses carbon rod
and tough Mylar covering, and it wins.
Tungsten wire used to be the main
bracing material for ultralight F1D models,
but the current trend seems to be more
toward unbraced wings and motorsticks.
Instead of tungsten-wire rigging, the
pieces are reinforced by laying down
carbon and boron fibers and running a tiny
amount of cyanoacrylate along the whole
length for stiffness. Laurie Barr of England
uses boron fiber on four sides of his
hollow motorsticks, and he says they come
out “as stiff as a pool cue.” The fibers are
so thin that the weight penalty is small.
Florida Flyer Jake Larson is famous for
his balsa-sheet Scale models, which he
often converts to electric-powered FF
aircraft. Now he is into doing the same
thing with foam sheet. Although the foam
is not as strong as balsa, his airplanes are
so light that it doesn’t matter. He brought
quite a selection to the Tampa Armory,
and they all flew well.
We will see more and more of all these
new materials and techniques in the
seasons to come.
Perhaps the best thing for our hobby in
the future is the growing list of supplies
and information available on the Internet.
No matter what your interest or specialty,
you will be able to download plans,
instructions, and articles, and then order
almost anything you can think of while
sitting at a keyboard.
The addresses and sites at the end of
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10sig2.QXD 7/23/04 11:30 am Page 38
40 MODEL AVIATION
this article are by no means definitive, but
most of them have links to other sites, to
take you as far as you care to go. It is an
exciting time to be in the hobby, and I
hope you will try Indoor modeling and
come fly with us.
Indoor FF Manufacturers and Suppliers:
In the almost 20 years since Ron
Williams’ lament that I included at the
beginning of this article, quite a few brave
souls have ventured into supplying the
Indoor market.
At least two things have helped this
along, the first of which is the increasing
use of exotic, non-hobby-shop materials
such as tungsten wire and boron and
carbon fiber. Second is the recent
explosion of E-mail and Web sites, giving
equal opportunities to modelers living
anywhere on the globe.
The following list will be more than
enough to get you started. But if this
article has generated more questions than
answers, write or E-mail me. MA
Carl Bakay
1621 Lake Salvador Dr.
Harvey LA 70058
[email protected]
Manufacturers and Suppliers:
MA magazine, AMA insurance and
services:
AMA
5161 E. Memorial Dr.
Muncie IN 47302
(765) 287-1256
www.modelaircraft.org
Spartan (Send $10 for the Spartan building
guide):
Gary Baughman
470 Hardage Farm Dr. NW
Marietta GA 30064
Tan II rubber, indoor ARFs, kits:
FAI Model Supply
John Clapp
Box 366
Sayre PA 18840
(570) 882-9873
www.faimodelsupply.com
Winder/counters, bearings, supplies:
Geauga Precision Models
W. D. Johnson
9113 Robinson Rd.
Chardon OH 44024
[email protected]
Wood, hardware, kits:
House of Balsa
Winner R/C Hobbies
ONLINE STORE
12368 Valley Blvd. #109, El Monte, CA 91732
ORDERS ONLY 800-780-0100
Information 626-618-0300
ONLINE ORDER AND MORE INFORMATION AT
www.winnerrc.com
All In One Power Panel (with a built-in field charger)
Pacific Aeromodels took the proven high quality technology of its quarter scale
Laser to the next level by adding the new 27% Edge 540 T to its mid sized lineup.
Designed for IMAC and 3D type aerobatics, as well as sport flying, the Edge’s
light weight and sophisticated aerodynamic design give it the unique ability to
wring truly outstanding performance from smaller and less expensive engines
and radio equipment than the competition. The 27% Edge offers top-of-the-line
quality, ease of assembly and unlimited performance in the air without the nasty
habits of some other scale aerobatics.
Wingspan: 82" • Wing Area: 1,139 Sq. In. • Overall Length: 67 1/2" • Weight:
14.5 lbs. • Wing Loading: 29.3 Oz./Sq. Ft • Engine: 1.60-2.10 Glow, 40c.c. Gas
• Radio: 4 CH (1 std and 5 high torque servos)
Aero Shark 40 ARF
Radio: Requires 4 Ch (6 servos) • Wing Span: 72 in. • Wing Area: 857
sq. in. • Flying Wt: 7.9-9.5 lbs • Engine: .60-1.08 (2C), .90-1.20 (4C),
Gas 24cc • Color: Red, Blue
Combo W/ Saito FA-100 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $559.99
Combo W/ Saito FA-120 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $609.99
Wingspan: 63" • Wing Area: 596 Sq. In. • Overall Length: 54 1/2"
• Weight: 5.5 lbs. • Engine: .40 - .53 2C or .52 - .72 4C
A swept-back shoulder wing? A fuselage that reminds you of a
fish? You either like it’s looks, or you don’t, but you’ll LOVE the
way it flies. Pacific’s new 40 size Aero Shark is big, fast, smooth
and very aerobatic, yet it’s slow speed handling is superb and it
lands like a trainer. As a second or third airplane, an aerobatic
trainer or a Sunday sport flyer, you can’t beat the high quality
AERO SHARK ARF.
Combo: w/TT Pro-46 engine.................$189.99
SALE! $119.99
Field Equipment Field Box (pre-built)
Two Drawer Field Box
• Fully assembled
• Painted and fuel proof
• Light weight
• Adjustable cradle
• Removable power compartment
Combo: Two Drawer Field Box (prebuilt) • 12v
7 amp maintenance free battery • 12V 500
mAh charger (AC) • Starter 150 • Standard
Power Panel • Electric Fuel Pump • Glow
starter w/charger • 4 way wrench . . $139.99
$39.99
Radio: Requires 4 Ch • 5 servos (3 standard, 2 Micro) •
Wing Span: 50 in. • Wing Area: 723 sq. in. • Length 40
in. • Flying Wt: 3.7-4.1 lbs • Engine: .25 - .35 cu.in. (2C)
or .30 - .40 (4C) • Color: Military, Red/Silver, Yellow
Radio: 4Ch (5 servos (3 standard, 2 micro)
Combo: w/Saito 40 engine ............$379.99
Tiger Moth ARF .30 Size • All wood construction.
• 95% ready to fly.
• Balsa Built-up upper and
lower wing plug in for
easy assembly.
• Pre-covered with real
iron-on film.
• Fiber glass cowl already
painted.
• Factory installed pull-pull
controls system on
rudder and elevator.
• Comes with all hardware
and accessories.
• Flies like a trainer.
• Both sizes come with
Flying Wire.
• Ready to fly in just 15
hours.
Radio: Requires 4 Ch • 5 servos • Wing Span: 78 in. •
Wing Area: 1841 sq. in. • Length 65.7 in. • Flying Wt:
10-11 lbs • Engine: .90 cu.in. (2C) or 1.20 (4C) • Color:
Military, Red/Silver, Yellow
Combo: w/Saito 120 engine...........$699.99
$219.99
$399.99
Tiger Moth ARF 1.20 Size
Radio: Requires 4 Ch • 6 servos • Wing Span: 82 in. •
Wing Area: 1175 sq. in. • Length 62.5 in. • Flying Wt:
12-13 lbs • Engine: 1.08-1.60 cu.in. (2C), 1.20-1.80
(4C) or 26cc (Gas)
“Gee Bee-Y” 120 size ARF • All Wood Construction.
• Pre-Covered in real iron
film.
• Fiberglass cowling (10
in. dia.) and wheel pants
already painted.
• Dummy engine included.
• 95% Factory Assembled.
• Ready to fly in just 12
hours.
• All hardware is included.
• Easy to fly.
• Plug in wing.
Combo: w/Saito 150 engine...........$733.99
Combo: w/Saito 180 engine...........$763.99
Combo: w/Zenoah G-26 engine.......$643.99
SALE! $379.99
1/4 Scale 3D Capable Laser 200
ARF
Laser 200 .40 size ARF
$319.99
• All wood construction
• 95% ready to fly
• Covered with real ironon
film. • Fiberglass cowl
and wheel pants. • Plug in
wings. • Ready to fly in
12 hours. • Double
beveling on both wing
and tail feathers.
Radio: Requires 4 Ch (5 servos) • Wing Span: 55 in. • Wing Area: 564
sq. in. • Flying Wt: 5.7 lbs • Engine: .40-.47 (2C), .50-.70 (4C) • Red
Combo W/ Saito FA-72. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $389.99
Combo W/ Thunder Tiger-46 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $259.99
$189.99
This light weight Starter has a comfortable size
that fits very well in one hand. The 3:1 geared
reduction design for starting engines up to 1.8
cu. in. The big cup and double side rubber cone
will fit from 1/2” prop nuts to 5” spinners.
PAM-1002B Starter . . . . . . . . . $44.99
• Functions as a regular power panel
and as a field charger for your Tx
(9.6V), Rx (4.8V or 6.0V) and glow
starter (1.2V).
• Never miss as day's flying because
of low batteries.
• Digital peak-detection, pulsecurrent
charger for Rx
(4.8V and 6.0 V).
• Charges NiCd and Ni-Mh batteries.
Power Panel PAC-MF0502 . $44.99
Portable Super Starter
(Assembled)
Super Starter with battery holder and 2 x
7.2V 1500 mah battery pack also including
1x charging adapter (Tamiya - Dean). We put
it together for you. Will start engines up to
2.1 cu. in.
PAM-1002PP Starter ..........$89.99
Super Starter
Small size but high torque.
Wingspan: 59" • Wing Area: 620 Sq. In. • Overall Length: 52 1/2" •
Weight: 6 lbs. • Wing Loading: 22.3 Oz./Sq. Ft. • Engine: .40 - .53 2C
or .56 - .72 4C • Radio: 4 Ch (6 standard servos)
Combo W/ Saito FA-72 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $419.99
Edge 540T 40/72 ARF
$209.99
Pacific’s new 40 and 60 size Edge
540T ARFs have all the big plane
features like plug-in wings, dual
aileron servos, tail mounted elevator
servos and a pull–pull rudder, and
they use normal sport engines and
standard radio equipment. Best of
all, they are specially designed to fly
with the smoothness and precision
of a much larger airplane.
Wingspan: 65" • Wing Area: 765 Sq. In. • Overall Length: 58 1/2" •
Weight: 8 lbs. • Wing Loading: 24.1 Oz./Sq. Ft • Engine : .61-.91(2C),
.80-1.00(4C) • Radio: 4 Ch (6 standard servos)
Combo W/ Saito FA-100 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $519.99
Edge 540T
60/100 ARF
$264.99
$439.9927% Edge 540T ARF
Pacific Aeromodel’s Edge 540T Series
For 3000mAh
battery
add $30.00.
10sig2.QXD 7/23/04 11:31 am Page 40
10101 Yucca Rd.
Adelanto CA 92301
(760) 246-6462
www.houseofbalsa.com
Scales, rubber strippers, coverings, kits:
Indoor Model Specialties
Ray Harlan
15 Happy Hollow Rd.
Wayland MA 01778
(508) 358-4013
Novice kits, SO materials, all supplies:
Indoor Model Supply
Lew Gitlow
Box 2020
Florence OR 97439
www.indoormodelsupply.com
The Indoor newsletter (one year for $15 in
US, $19 in Canada), articles, plans:
Indoor News and Views
Tim Goldstein, subscription editor
13096 W. Cross Dr.
Littleton CO 80127
www.indoorduration.com
(Download a free issue and subscribe)
P-24 kits, plans, supplies:
Mace Model Aircraft Co.
Don Mace
359 S. 119th East Ave.
Tulsa OK 74128
Scale kits, rubber, supplies:
Micro-X
Box 1063-A
Lorain OH 44055
(440) 282-8354
[email protected]
Classroom kit packs, SO, Delta Dart,
gliders:
Midwest Products Co., Inc.
Educational Products Division
Box 564
Hobart IN 46342
(800) 348-3497
www.midwestproducts.com
OS Film:
42 MODEL AVIATION
Alan Cohen
2115 State Route 31
Glen Gardner NJ 08826
Fax: (908) 537-0111
[email protected]
Kits, supplies:
Peck-Polymers
Box 710399
Santee CA 92072
(619) 488-1833
www.peck-polymers.com
Precision-cut balsa, basswood:
Specialized Balsa Wood
Jake Zimmer
1656 Carol Dr.
Loveland CO 80537
[email protected]
www.specializedbalsa.com
Supplies:
WES-Technik
Klosterstr. 12
D-72644 Oberboihingen
Germany
[email protected]
www.wes-technik.de/
Sites Containing More Information:
Cleveland Clowns Indoor page
www.indoorfreeflight.com
Bill Kuhl’s Delta Dart site
www.luminet.net/~bkuhl/rubber.htm
NFFS home page
http://freeflight.org/
Martin’s worldwide links
www.ivyandmartin.demon.co.uk/page
2.htm
Michael J. Woodhouse supplies
www.freeflightsupplies.co.uk
Tim Goldstein’s Indoor balsa
www.f1d.biz
Ed Wiley’s Web page
www.sunflower.com/~edwiley/
NIRAC Indoor RC
www.nirac.org
Tim Goldstein’s INAV site
www.indoorduration.com
Del Ogren’s Indoor site
www.n-lemma.com
Glen Davison’s Indoor site
http://people.ne.mediaone.net/indoor
Daniel Hartstein’s Indoor site:
http://w1.871.telia.com/~u87106779/
Thayer Syme’s FF site:
www.sirius.com/~thayer/modelhp.html
Mr. NiCd’s BATTERIES AMERICA
www.batteriesamerica.com
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#2LP650 7.4v 650mAh Li-POLY pk (28 gms/ 1 oz) $20.95
#2LP800* 7.4v 800mAh Li-POLY pk (34 gms/ 1.2oz) $27.95
#2LP900 7.4v 900mAh Li-POLY pk (38 gms/ 1.35oz)$23.95
#2LP1200 7.4v 1200mAh Li-POLY pk (48 gms/1.7oz) $25.95
#2LP1500*7.4v 1500mAh Li-POLY pk (62 gms/2.2oz) $39.95
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*300, 800, & 1500mAh are HIGHER-AMP packs ( 5C discharge!)
QN-012BC charger QN-012DC charger VR5.4 / VR6.0
#QN-012BC Fast-Smart Charger (AC) for Li-POLY pk. $19.95
#QN-012DC Fast-Smart 12VDC charger for Li-POLYpk. $19.95
#VR5.4 Voltage Regulator –limits output to 5.4V max $19.95
#VR6.0 Voltage Regulator –limits output to 6.0V max $19.95
NEW Lithium Polymer cells – with E-Z solder tabs !
#P145 3.7v 145mAh Li-POLYcell (4 gms / 0.13 oz)$ 5.95ea
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#P400 3.7v 400mAh Li-POLYcell (9 gms / 0.32oz) $ 6.95ea
#P650 3.7v 650mAh Li-POLYcell (14 gms / 0.5 oz) $ 7.95ea
#P800* 3.7v 800mAh Li-POLYcell (17 gms / 0.6 oz) $10.95ea
#P900 3.7v 900mAh Li-POLYcell (19 gms/ 0.67oz) $ 9.95ea
#P1200 3.7v 1200mAh Li-POLY cell (24 gms/0.85oz) $10.95ea
#P1500*3.7v 1500mAh Li-POLY cell (31 gms/1.1oz) $15.95ea
#P1700 3.7v 1700mAh Li-POLY cell (34 gms/1.2oz) $12.95ea
#P1900 3.7v 1900mAh Li-POLY cell (38 gms/1.35oz)$13.95ea
#P2200 3.7v 2200mAh Li-POLY cell(44 gms/1.65oz)$14.95ea
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D=four sticks. JST conn.=add $3.00. Deans Ultra conn.=add $5.
Cell # size / mAh / $ each 7.2v 8.4v 9.6v 10.8v 12.0v
AP-350 1/3AA, 350mAh $2.50 $23.95 $26.95 $29.95 $32.95 $35.95
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9.6 volt 700mAh (square or SxS, w/ leads) $16.95ea.
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10sig2.QXD 7/23/04 11:31 am Page 42
Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/10
Page Numbers: 26,27,28,29,30,32,34,36,38,40,42
I AM NOT a famous Indoor-model flier. As
have Dave Rees and Bob Aberle, who wrote
the “State of the Sport” articles before me, I
have been active in all forms of the hobby
since I was a kid growing up in New Jersey
in the 1950s. Unlike them, I am a sport flier,
a writer, and a newsletter editor, and I have
worked hard at staying a novice when it
comes to competition.
According to other writers, we take turns
and detours in our lives that change us
forever. This happened for me in May 1998.
On a lark, I drove the 712 miles from New
Orleans, Louisiana, to the East Tennessee
State University campus in Johnson City,
Tennessee, where the US Indoor
Championships is held each year in a
covered football stadium called the Mini-
Dome.
I walked through the outer doors to a
gymnasium hallway, complete with locker
rooms and showers, and then through a
second set of inner doors to the running
track and playing field, which was 400 feet
long and 116 feet high. I stood transfixed, as
they say, and my mouth stood open as I
watched these beautiful airplanes circle
slowly and majestically over my head.
I was hooked then, and I am hooked
now. But don’t believe me; to learn what is
so great about “Indoor,” as it is called, I’ll
quote Ron Williams.
“Indoor model building and flying is an
innocent sport. There is little profit to be
made, if any, in the commerce it engenders,
though some enterprising indoor
entrepreneur could find ways, I’m sure.
“Because it tends to be so low key and
deceptively complex, it has never enjoyed
the attention that noisier, more dynamic
forms of modeling have received. The
consequence is that there has never been
enough information in any one place to get a
good start with this part of the hobby.”
Therefore, Ron wrote and illustrated the
first definitive how-to on the subject. His
1984 book Building and Flying Indoor
Model Airplanes was a milestone then and a
classic now, but I think it is out of print.
Returning to Johnson City a few years
later as editor of the fancy Indoor News and
Views (INAV) magazine, numerous people
came up to shake my hand and offered
compliments, good wishes, and occasional
war stories while I was trying to count the
winds in my motor or time a flight.
But by Day Two I learned not to be
annoyed—that something larger was going
on. I was part of a community.
As in all facets of our hobby, many types of
models are flown in Indoor. Any Outdoor
rubber-powered FF design can be made
lighter and smaller and flown inside. Heavy
and strong are no longer requirements when
there are no wind gusts or tree limbs in the
way.
A good example of this is the Bostonian.
These little 16-inch-wingspan cuties are
flown outdoors with a 14-gram-minimum
weight requirement and indoors with a 7-
gram-minimum weight requirement.
Although it’s hard to get down to 7 grams
the first few times you try, flight duration
goes from two minutes for an outdoor
Bostonian to five and six minutes or more
for the lighter indoor versions. In a place
like Johnson City, with some of the “best
air” anywhere, after all that time, your
model will land about where it started.
It’s all about duration. As do the Scale
models of the Flying Aces Club, some
Indoor events award charisma points and
appearance points, but the ability to outfly
everyone else’s aircraft is the key to Indoorcontest
success.
Origins—the Baby ROG: The first modelairplane
clubs started in the New York City
area as early as 1907. The famous Frank
Zaic flew in that city’s Central Park in the
1920s and 1930s. Balsa wood wasn’t used
until roughly 1911, so most early models
were made from pine, bamboo, and spruce.
Rubber motors were cut from tire inner
tubes, and plans were drawn on wrapping
paper. For more about this and Indoor
modeling history in general, see Bill Kuhl’s
site; the address is at the end of this article.
Our hobby can be clearly divided into
two times: before 1927 and after 1927. That
year a shy, handsome private pilot named
26 MODEL AVIATION
State of thIe nSpordt: oor Flight
b y C a r l B a k ay
Free
Steve Gardner’s drawings on the
cover of INAV Issue #106 show one
route to more serious Indoor fun.
Text has details.
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 3:51 pm Page 26
Charles Lindbergh flew a highly modified and overloaded Ryanbuilt
monoplane nonstop across the Atlantic Ocean. The effect on
the youth of the era was nothing less than galvanic, and modeling as
a hobby followed the groundswell. The number of kit manufacturers
went from perhaps 20 in 1927 to more than 2,000 in 1928.
Let’s go back to modeling in the Depression years of the 1930s.
We are in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it’s wintertime. A group
of clubs is making something called the “Philadelphia Model
Airplane Association.”
They are giving out plans for a Baby ROG—not full-scale, of
course. Part of your apprenticeship (if you want to join) is to scale
up the plans on the back of some brown paper or, if you know a
paperboy, a sheet of blank newsprint from the pressroom.
Then you have to build your own model, carve your own
propeller, and get the aircraft to rise off the ground and fly indoors
for 30 seconds. This is quite an achievement (especially if you use
strips cut from automobile inner tubes to power it), although flights
of more than a minute are possible. You then make it to the rank of
“grease monkey” and can fly in Saturday contests.
John Walker wrote about his modeling origins with the Baby
ROG in the July 1981 R/C Model Builder magazine. Send me an
SASE, and I’ll send you free plans for the Baby ROG from that
issue.
(Did you notice that the Baby ROG was in R/C Model Builder?
Dave Rees mentioned in his July 2001 “State of the Sport: Free
Flight Scale” article that after getting into Scale models, he was
amazed by how many great building and finishing tips he gleaned
from old CL, FF, and RC articles in his magazine collection. The
same is true for Indoor.)
There were many versions of the Baby ROG, but it was a
milestone in any of its forms. Why? Because it flew! Of all those
Nickel Scale, Dime Scale, and quarter-scale models that the 2,000
kit makers offered, most would fly from your hand to the ground if
they flew at all. The early clubs knew this and started you out with
something realistic and flyable. Today we have something even
better.
Begin With a Delta Dart: Bill Kuhl has to be the Delta Dart’s
biggest fan. Read the following from his Web site and you’ll see
why.
“The Delta Dart appeared in the April 1967 issue of American
Modeler. It was designed by AMA’s [then] Technical Director Frank
Ehling and promoted by Dick and Ruth Meyer.
“Why is it so great? With the exception of the motorstick, the
AMA Dart is made entirely from 1⁄16 x 1⁄8-inch balsa strip. Some
beginners’ models such as the Peck ROG utilize 1⁄16-inch square
balsa, which although lighter, is difficult for the beginner to handle
without breaking, and the structure will more easily warp.
“Also, the one-piece motorstick comes with the correct stabilizer
incidence built in. The joints used at the tips of the wing, stabilizer,
and vertical fin can be less than perfect and still be adequately strong
because the covering material reinforces the joint.
“With materials donated by Sig, Dick and Ruth made up 300 kits
on their kitchen table, some of which were taken by Frank Ehling to
the 1966 Nats. Although some people thought the airplane too
simple and heavy, kids found it easy to build and fly. It was thought
that with the pointy wingtips, warps would have less effect because
most of the wing area was closer to the center of the wing.
“Sig decided to sell the same basic airplane as a kit called the
‘AMA Racer.’ The biggest change in the AMA Racer from the
original Delta Dart is that the wing is movable, so center of gravity
adjustments are easy. Another change is that the tailboom is made
from spruce instead of balsa.
“Frank Ehling designed another airplane known as the “AMA
Cub,” but it is sold by Midwest Products as the Delta Dart.
According to the Sig catalog, this is the airplane that has been used
in beginners’ promotions since 1968 and is the most-produced
model airplane of all time.”
The Dart and various rise-off-ground (ROG) stick models are
available in most good hobby shops and many toy stores. If you
October 2004 27
Senior Doug Schaefer (Centerville OH) qualified for the US
Indoor FF team to compete in Slanic, Romania.
Parker Parrish (Alpharetta GA) works on his F1D model. This
high-school student bested many Senior fliers at Akron OH.
Photos by the late Richard Doig.
Photos by the author except as noted
r
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 4:05 pm Page 27
28 MODEL AVIATION
Indoor rubber-powered Scale offers unlimited opportunities
for Outdoor fliers. This 1912 Fokker A was seen at last
year’s Nats at Johnson City TN.
Bostonians ready for charisma judging feature the latest
lifting-body design and wide, slow-turning propellers.
Limited Pennyplanes are capable of flights exceeding 15
minutes. Wingtip plates—a recent innovation—add stability
during high torque at launch. Gardner photo.
The Baby ROG, shown in
one of its original forms,
started many on the road
to successful building and
flying.
Author’s P-24 Mace Models Condor is intended for
beginners but has turned into a design for a hotly contested
one-design mass-launch event. It will do six minutes with a
54-inch single loop of 3⁄32-inch rubber. Steve Gardner photo.
The same skills used in building Outdoor Scale models can
be used in Indoor flying if careful attention is paid to weight.
Indoor Scale models may weigh one-third or more less than
Outdoor models. Gardner photo.
Not only is he a consistent winner, but Larry Cailliau flies
models that are true works of art. Gardner photo.
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 1:17 pm Page 28
don’t know where to go in your area, order a
catalog from Indoor Model Supply, Midwest
Products, or Peck-Polymers.
It is a good idea to build your first few
models exactly according to the instructions,
and even a little heavier than needed, with
extra glue joints and reinforcing fillets in the
corners. This will help it survive all the
banging around it is sure to do at first. You
might take part in or help run an AMA
make-and-take program at one of the
Muncie meets.
A natural question is, What do I build
after the Delta Dart? The answer is, Another
Delta Dart. As you learn to build with
lighter and thinner wood and replace the
heavy plastic propellers with lighter balsa
propellers, you will be building models that
fly much slower and longer, and they suffer
less damage if they hit something.
The world-class endurance models
shown seem to float through the air at
walking speed, or slower, and are most in
danger of being damaged by careless
handling or a sneeze. But their owners will
tell you they had to make several before they
got it just right.
The best thing you can do on your
second, third, and fourth Delta Dart is build
with lighter wood, tissue covering, and a
rubber motor at least twice as long as the
loop that comes with the kit. Bob Warmann
of the Chicago Aeronuts had a Delta Dart
mass launch at the Midwest Championships
this past April, and several flew up to the
94-foot ceiling.
Science Olympiad: The Delta Dart and the
AMA make-and-take programs are great,
but the participants are young—maybe 8, 9,
or 10 years of age—and most do not
continue with the hobby.
Sometimes, though, a parent will catch
the modeling bug along with the youngster,
and great things can happen. That is
especially true with a new wave that has
come along, and there has been nothing like
it since the post-Sputnik catch-up days in
education when I was a kid.
Few events have had as positive an effect
on bringing young people into Indoor
modeling as the Science Olympiad in our
schools. SO, as it’s called, encompasses a
host of biology, chemistry, physics, and
engineering competitions, starting at the
local level, and then moving on to state and
national championships.
It uses a team approach, with an adult
mentor providing guidance and support for a
group of young people. The finale of a
bridge-building exercise can galvanize an
entire class when the time comes to hang
weights on everyone’s creation to see how
much they can hold before they break. The
cheering, jeering, and just plain excitement
are seldom seen outside of sporting events.
SO has an event called The Wright Stuff,
with apologies to author Tom Wolfe and his
book of almost the same name. The rules for
2004 C Division require that the rubberpowered
airplanes have 52cm (20.5-inch)
wingspans and commercially available
October 2004 29
Bill Gowen shows off his composite Hand Launched Glider. This model was
constructed with carbon rod and Mylar covering. Photo by Chuck Markos.
These young fliers competed in the Science Olympiad portion of the Midwest States
Indoor Championships, hosted by the Chicago Aeronuts. Markos photo.
Jim Richmond, with his new Limited Pennyplane, waits his turn to fly at the
University of Illinois Armory. Markos photo.
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 4:07 pm Page 29
plastic propellers no bigger than 24cm (10 inches). The motors can
be any thickness or length but are limited to one loop of 2 grams
maximum weight. The models have a minimum weight limit too; for
2004 it is 8 grams for senior and junior high, without the motor.
Are you confused by the units? Don’t be surprised if you see US
and metric units mixed together like this. The SO originators wanted
to give students a taste of international science. Our country is one
of the few that doesn’t use the metric system every day, although
most scientists and some engineers use it all the time.
Indoor modelers use metric and US units interchangeably,
generally depending on which one allows the use of whole numbers.
It is easier to say 20 centimeters than 77⁄8 inches, and it’s easier to
say your model weighs 10 grams than 0.3527 ounce. But rubber
motors are sold in boxes by the pound, weighed in grams, and the
length of the motor loop is in inches. You get used to it. But flight
time is what it’s all about, and that is minutes and seconds the world
over.
The SO and its twin the Technology Student Association (TSA)
have exploded in popularity in the last few years. There are many
different kits available for the Wright Stuff event, and more than a
dozen plans available, from simple to elegant. The Cleveland
Clowns Web site even offers a tutorial video for sale. Many SO and
TSA mentors are active modelers who belong to clubs, and
“invitational” SO competitions have become common at club meets.
Bill Gowen and Gary Baughman are SO mentors of multiple
teams in the Atlanta, Georgia, area. Gary designed the Spartan,
named after the school mascot, which is a robust model using 1⁄8
square wood similar to the Delta Dart and is designed to take a great
deal of punishment from young hands, gym walls, and ceilings, and
still fly.
Bill designed the Finny Plane, which uses 1⁄16 square wood, as
does the Peck-Polymers ROG, and can be built to 8 grams without
too much effort and puts in long flights as a result.
Both designers are active Thermal Thumbers of Metro Atlanta
members, bringing many of their students to meetings and events.
This is so popular that we “big kids” get into the act with such SO
variants as Senior and Unlimited Rubber.
Duration times here in the south are approximately four minutes,
but a brilliant mentor in California named Cezar Banks designed his
Leading Edge model with a wing so advanced that times exceed six
minutes.
30 MODEL AVIATION
A 1⁄8-inch strip of Tan II rubber is being stripped into smaller
widths, which are checked with a micrometer.
Dave Haught takes Indoor Scale to the max with his flying B-
17. He writes “Scale Matters” for INAV. Tim Goldstein photo.
The Akron Air
Dock hangar in
Ohio was the site
of record
qualification trials
several times a
year. Although big,
it was cluttered
and often drafty.
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 1:19 pm Page 30
32 MODEL AVIATION
And I can’t forget Wayne Johnson, who
had 7:37 when Bill Gowen hosted the Open
SO event in the huge Johnson City Mini-
Dome. That is a long time for a flier—
young or old—and the best thing is that
being indoors, after all those minutes in the
air, your airplane lands at your feet! People
around you sometimes even break out in
applause and cheers. Unlike when you are
outdoors, your beverage is still cold and you
haven’t been bitten by any bug—except that
of Indoor flight.
If you have never made an Indoor model
and you’d like to start with a kit, you can do
no better than the Bambino or the Dipper by
Ray Harlan of Indoor Model Specialties.
You can build two models from one kit.
Another good choice is the Sci Oly 1 by
Lew Gitlow of Indoor Model Supply, but I
have not built it.
If you feel comfortable building from
plans, Gary Baughman’s Spartan is at the
top of my list. After being asked the same
questions by so many people, he decided to
write it all down. Gary offers a complete,
hand-illustrated, step-by-step manual for
building and flying the Spartan, plans
included. Equal in quality but different in
design is the Olympus by Don Slusarczyk.
His Web site contains photos and details.
One-Design Events: Don’t let contest
names such as the “Midwestern States
Indoor Championships” and “US Indoor
Championships” frighten you into not going.
Delta Dart and Double Whammy mass
launches are held at the Midwestern States
Indoor Championships in Champaign,
Illinois, and the last one down is the winner.
The Double Whammy was featured in the
November 1999 MA, and there was a
follow-up article about how to make it more
competitive.
The US Indoor Championships at
Johnson City, Tennessee, features a P-24
Condor mass launch. The Condor is a greatflying
model that was used for years at the
Air Force Academy to teach flight
principles. It is available from Mace
Models.
The Thermal Thumbers in Atlanta,
Georgia, have events for the Butterfly—a 7-
inch-span indoor ARF—and Laurie Barr’s
Hangar Rat design.
If you are already pretty good at Outdoor
Hand Launched Glider, Outdoor Catapult
Glider, or Flying Aces Club Scale Rubber,
you can use the same skills in Indoor, except
with lighter materials.
An added benefit of going to contests is
that the larger meets often have vendor
booths where they sell specialty Indoor
items that are not available in your hobby
shop.
Not into traveling? There are postal
events for many of these same models, in
which you fly in your local gym and send
your times in to compete with others from
around the world.
Indoor Today—the Pennyplane, Easy B,
and International F1D: The cover of the
March 2002 INAV was my idea but Steve
Gardner’s artistry. Steve preceded me as
editor, and he filled each issue with great
plans and original illustrations. I arranged
his artwork for four models—the Delta Dart,
Pennyplane, Easy B (EZB), and F1D—from
top to bottom on the cover of Issue #106.
All subscribers received a black-andwhite
version, but the original shows in
striking color one way you can move up in
building skill and flight duration by
graduating from model to model, each more
advanced than the one before. There are
dozens of paths to take; this is just one. I
have already covered the Delta Dart and SO
models, so let’s move on to a possible next
step.
If you weigh a modern penny, it will be
almost 2.50 grams. But before 1984, you got
more for your money; a penny weighed 3.20
grams. That was settled on at the time as the
Pennyplane model’s minimum weight.
There were also restrictions of an 18-inch
span, a 5-inch chord, a 12-inch propeller,
and other guidelines.
This makes it great for the step from SO
to serious Indoor competition. Anyone who
can build a Finny Plane and do four minutes
in a gymnasium can make a 4.0- or 5.0-gram
Pennyplane the first time, and start doing
10+ minutes in a large site.
My first Pennyplane weighed 5.0 grams,
my second one weighed 4.1 grams, and my
current model weighs 3.4 grams. It takes a
great deal of practice, but you can expect to
double your flight times by going from a
5.0-gram to a 3.2-gram airplane.
This design comes in two flavors: the
original version and a Limited Pennyplane.
Both have 18-inch wingspans and can weigh
no less than 3.2 grams, but the Limited rules
allow only a monoplane configuration and a
sheet-balsa propeller with a 12-inch
maximum diameter.
Indoor Model Supply makes a nice
novice kit called the Time Machine. One of
the two I built straight from the package did
six minutes right off the building board in
the 34-foot Tampa Armory. Building lighter
from the same plans, it is possible to do
eight to 10 minutes or more. Those aren’t
contest-winning times, but they give the
builder a great deal of satisfaction and the
confidence to move further along.
A possible next step is the EZB design
invented by Wally Miller. It is a small 18-
inch-span monoplane Rubber model with a
2-inch maximum chord and all-wood
construction. Micro-X makes a nice
beginner’s kit of this model and even
provides the cardboard template around
which the wing is built. Substituting lighter
wood and smaller motor sizes on successive
models will take your duration times into
the double digits.
The attraction of the EZB is that
Pennyplane kit: Time Machine 11-inch propeller 0.070 x 13-inch loop Fast climb
12-inch propeller 0.080 x 14-inch loop Slow climb
Experiment with 0.085 and 0.090 inch.
Pennyplane plans: No-Non-Cents 3.3-gram loop of 21.5 inches
Easy B kit: Micro-X Suggested 12- to 14-inch loop of 0.065-0.046 inch
Easy B plans: Ron Williams Suggested 12- to 14-inch loop of 0.065-0.046 inch
Competition 1.0-gram loop of 15 inches
A-6: Clarence Mather Novice 0.040-0.050 x 10-inch loop
A-6: Slugger Competition 0.037 x 14 inches
MiniStick kit: I.M.S. Suggested 0.025-0.030 x 10 inches
MiniStick plans: MiniQuark Competition 0.025-0.028 x 13 inches
Butterfly RTF Indoor 0.040 x 12 inches
Outdoor 0.055 x 10 inches
P-24 kit: Mace Condor 7-inch N. Pacific 3⁄32 x 36-inch loop (Suggested for sport)
plastic propeller 3⁄32 x 50-inch loop (Competition)
Suggested Models and Motor Sizes for Beginning Indoor Fliers
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 1:20 pm Page 32
34 MODEL AVIATION
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beginners and experts can enjoy it, and
beginners can become experts in a short
time. The most popular contest design is
the Hobby Shopper EZB by Larry Coslick,
which, as the name implies, can be built
from hobby-shop wood and still weigh
only .7 gram and fly for more than 20
minutes. You can download the plans and
construction article for free from Indoor
Duration at www.indoorduration.com.
The bottom model on the cover is the
most challenging and most amazing: the
F1D. It is a world-class airplane, and the
Time Traveler by Steve Brown has done
63 minutes on a tiny .6-gram rubber loop.
Others, who are braver than I am, say it
is the most rewarding model since even
your first F1D will fly longer than
anything you have built previously. But if
you are going to follow me this far, it’s
time to take a detour and get out your
wallet.
Stripping and Weighing Your Own
Materials: Up to a point, you could build
and fly Indoor with common supplies
found in any good hobby shop or general
model catalog. By this I mean that the
propellers could be plastic and all the
wood and rubber motors used could come
in standard sizes.
However, for the Pennyplane, and even
lighter models such as the EZB and
MiniStick, you will want to strip your own
wood and rubber and weigh the finished
pieces more accurately than you have
needed to before this. If serious
competition is in your future, think
seriously about a micrometer balsa
stripper, a rubber stripper, and a precision
pan balance.
The one-piece molded-plastic balsa
strippers used for Outdoor FF models and
use a #11 X-Acto blade aren’t good
enough. Although they are fine for 1⁄8 and
1⁄16 wood sheets, they tend to split thinner
balsa and give wavy and uneven cuts. I am
not referring to fractions of an inch
anymore, but thousandths of an inch. An
EZB’s wing spars and ribs are .020-.030
inch (or 20-30 mil), and this requires a
different approach.
Ray Harlan and Tim Goldstein offer
quality balsa strippers with micrometer
adjustments for the fine tolerances needed.
If you are handy, plans are available so
you can build your own. These tools really
shine when it comes to cutting many LE
and TE spars the same thickness. They are
also used to move a rib template down on
the workpiece the same amount after each
cut to give uniform ribs.
An added advantage is that by angling
the wood, or pushing the piece up in the
middle to bow it, tapered spars and strips
can be cut so more of the weight and
strength is on the inside than on the tips.
Many wing spars and almost all propeller
spars call for tapered stock.
The cutting blocks use carbon-steel,
single-edge razor-blade pieces or surgicalsteel
blades, which are half as thick as XActo
knives and don’t split the wood. (You
can still buy the older carbon-steel, doubleedged
blades, which are brittle and snap to
a fresh, clean edge. Modern stainless
varieties bend rather than break.)
Next comes stripping your own rubber
to make custom-width motors. In Outdoor
flying with multistranded motors, you
change the motor’s cross-section by
increasing or decreasing the number of
strands. But with these light models, we
are down to a single loop. One can do well
in SO and novice Pennyplane with 3⁄32-
inch rubber strip (93-94 mil) from FAI
Supply just as it comes out of the box.
Wind a few motors to the breaking
point so you’ll know what 100% is.
Practice winding to just fewer than
maximum turns, finding the right motor
loop length and the best trim for your
model for that particular site. This could
take several flying sessions or maybe a
whole winter season.
After getting to the point at which no
further improvement in duration is seen
with a single size of rubber, buy your own
rubber stripper. Ray Harlan makes one of
the better ones on the market. When you
get a rubber stripper, you can simplify the
rubber stock in your inventory and only
10sig2.QXD 7/23/04 11:29 am Page 34
buy 1⁄8- or 1⁄4-inch widths.
It’s not a waste either, because when
you cut 1⁄8-inch rubber strip to get .085
inch for your Pennyplane, you can save the
thinner piece for EZB or MiniStick flying.
Keep all your stripped motors in plastic
envelopes, and write the rubber batch,
weight, and thickness on the outside with a
felt-tip pen.
Last, an electronic pan balance that
measures to at least .01 gram, and
preferably to .001 gram, will be a welcome
addition to your shop. Indoor plans give
target weights for model pieces, as well as
the whole, so you need to be able to
accurately weigh a wing or a stabilizer to
see if you are building in the right
ballpark. Get in the habit of weighing
everything and keeping good records.
Weigh your tissue and condenser paper,
and convert it to grams or ounces per 100
square feet to find the lightest available.
Mylar plastic comes in thicknesses that are
much lighter (and much stronger) than
tissue coverings. WES-Technik sells a 2-
micron film used in built-up Hand-
Launched Gliders. For Duration Rubber
flying, the best is a cellulose acetate film
only 0.6 micron thick called OS film. It is
available from Alan Cohen.
Apply these films by spraying the
framework with 3M Super 77 contact
cement and laying the work facedown on
the film. Weigh the balsa you use in sheet
and strip form, and convert it to poundsper-
cubic-foot (ppcf) density. Indoor
applications use 4-6 ppcf wood for most
applications, with 8 and 10 ppcf wood for
the more stressed propeller spars, wing
posts, and motorsticks.
Cut your own sticks too. They will be
much lighter, and you will save a great
deal of money compared with buying
precut spars. And of course, weigh all your
motors and keep a record of that. I have
two three-ring binders to keep my notes in,
with dividers according to model class.
One has building records and plans I keep
at home, and one for flying I take to
contests and practice sessions to keep track
of what worked and what did not.
You are looking at $45-$75 for a
micrometer balsa stripper, $160 for a good
rubber stripper, and $50-$300 (or more)
for a balance.
If you ask me if this kind of cash outlay
is necessary, I will tell you about my brief
foray into robotics. A reader wrote to one
of the electronics magazines I subscribed
to at the time and questioned whether an
oscilloscope purchase was necessary. The
editors answered that it was “the price of
entry into the hobby,” meaning that you
could do without it but not do well.
The accompanying table lists some
motor choices to get you started, whether
you choose a kit version, plans, or build
from scratch. Each kit comes with full-size
plans and complete instructions, so the kit
could be your first effort, with lighter,
more advanced models from the plans
provided as a next step.
Always build several of the same
design, because each model will be better
and different from the one before. Indoor
fliers seldom tell you how many of a
particular airplane they have brought to a
contest, but they will tell you that they
have six or seven propellers, three wings,
two tails, and four motorsticks.
This advice goes in spades for motors.
You might cut some 62, 64, and 66 mil
rubber and have it ready to tie into
different-size loops at the contest, stored in
carefully labeled envelopes or plastic bags.
Some of the competition motors in the
table are described by weight rather than
thickness. That’s because the rubber strip’s
thickness and density varies from batch to
batch, so weight is much more constant
than size. Another reason is that weight
indicates the total energy potential that can
be expected from a motor.
The Future of Indoor: Some in the Indoor
community, fine people though they are,
would make this a short section because
they say there is no future to Indoor
modeling. Participation decreases each
year, and there will be no one to fill the
ranks as the great ones pass on to that great
site in the sky.
36 MODEL AVIATION
10sig2.QXD 7/23/04 11:30 am Page 36
That is baloney (as we used to say in
New Jersey, where we ate a lot of it). As
editor of INAV, I’ve seen the subscription
rolls climb from 550 when I started two
years ago to more than 700 today.
Jim Buxton, Dave Linstrum, Bud
Tenny, Don Ross, Bob Warmann, John
Worth, and many others continue to write
about Indoor FF and contribute articles and
columns, so we get our fair share of
coverage.
I saw 10 Juniors and Seniors at the last
contest—many from SO beginnings—and
a few already flying at a world-class level.
Sure, the great Doc Martin passed away,
and with it his Miami Indoor Aircraft
Model Association Indoor club, but the
Florida Flyers have emerged like a
phoenix from their own ashes, thanks to
the efforts of Bill Carney in Jacksonville
and others. To prove it, they just held a
successful meet in the Tampa Armory. I
was there, and it was a hoot.
The fastest-growing segment is indoor
micro RC. Such pioneers as Bob Wilder of
Wilder Winder fame, MA “Micro-Flying”
columnist Dave Robelen, and John Worth
of RC MicroFlight magazine are at the
leading edge of incredible growth in this
area of the hobby.
RC components have shrunken in size
so much in the last few years that any
small, light, electric-powered FF model
can be modified and flown successfully.
Open to debate is how indoor electric RC
will be compatible with classic pure
Rubber models.
The answer has to be equal but
separate. Except for the lightest electricpowered
models used in AMA events
221—Free Flight Electric Power—and
627—Indoor Electric Duration (and even
inclusion of these is at the CD’s
discretion)—everyone will be happiest if
rubber and RC keep their separate ways,
just as all good contests are separated into
“heavies” and “lights” flying in different
time slots.
The National Indoor Remote-controlled
Aircraft Council (NIRAC) knows this and
has its contests in such places as the
Oakland Yard Athletics dome in
Waterford, Michigan. If this commonsense
approach continues, it will be good for the
hobby.
We are seeing what the future holds
with the introduction of smaller and lighter
receivers and servos, geared pager motor
drives weighing a gram or less, and Li-
Poly cells that double and triple flight
times. But the innovations are not limited
to radio; carbon rod and tubes are standard
building materials now, as are Depron
foam sheets and Mylar and polyester
covering films.
Bill Gowen’s composite Carbon Copy,
a Hand Launched Glider, uses carbon rod
and tough Mylar covering, and it wins.
Tungsten wire used to be the main
bracing material for ultralight F1D models,
but the current trend seems to be more
toward unbraced wings and motorsticks.
Instead of tungsten-wire rigging, the
pieces are reinforced by laying down
carbon and boron fibers and running a tiny
amount of cyanoacrylate along the whole
length for stiffness. Laurie Barr of England
uses boron fiber on four sides of his
hollow motorsticks, and he says they come
out “as stiff as a pool cue.” The fibers are
so thin that the weight penalty is small.
Florida Flyer Jake Larson is famous for
his balsa-sheet Scale models, which he
often converts to electric-powered FF
aircraft. Now he is into doing the same
thing with foam sheet. Although the foam
is not as strong as balsa, his airplanes are
so light that it doesn’t matter. He brought
quite a selection to the Tampa Armory,
and they all flew well.
We will see more and more of all these
new materials and techniques in the
seasons to come.
Perhaps the best thing for our hobby in
the future is the growing list of supplies
and information available on the Internet.
No matter what your interest or specialty,
you will be able to download plans,
instructions, and articles, and then order
almost anything you can think of while
sitting at a keyboard.
The addresses and sites at the end of
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10sig2.QXD 7/23/04 11:30 am Page 38
40 MODEL AVIATION
this article are by no means definitive, but
most of them have links to other sites, to
take you as far as you care to go. It is an
exciting time to be in the hobby, and I
hope you will try Indoor modeling and
come fly with us.
Indoor FF Manufacturers and Suppliers:
In the almost 20 years since Ron
Williams’ lament that I included at the
beginning of this article, quite a few brave
souls have ventured into supplying the
Indoor market.
At least two things have helped this
along, the first of which is the increasing
use of exotic, non-hobby-shop materials
such as tungsten wire and boron and
carbon fiber. Second is the recent
explosion of E-mail and Web sites, giving
equal opportunities to modelers living
anywhere on the globe.
The following list will be more than
enough to get you started. But if this
article has generated more questions than
answers, write or E-mail me. MA
Carl Bakay
1621 Lake Salvador Dr.
Harvey LA 70058
[email protected]
Manufacturers and Suppliers:
MA magazine, AMA insurance and
services:
AMA
5161 E. Memorial Dr.
Muncie IN 47302
(765) 287-1256
www.modelaircraft.org
Spartan (Send $10 for the Spartan building
guide):
Gary Baughman
470 Hardage Farm Dr. NW
Marietta GA 30064
Tan II rubber, indoor ARFs, kits:
FAI Model Supply
John Clapp
Box 366
Sayre PA 18840
(570) 882-9873
www.faimodelsupply.com
Winder/counters, bearings, supplies:
Geauga Precision Models
W. D. Johnson
9113 Robinson Rd.
Chardon OH 44024
[email protected]
Wood, hardware, kits:
House of Balsa
Winner R/C Hobbies
ONLINE STORE
12368 Valley Blvd. #109, El Monte, CA 91732
ORDERS ONLY 800-780-0100
Information 626-618-0300
ONLINE ORDER AND MORE INFORMATION AT
www.winnerrc.com
All In One Power Panel (with a built-in field charger)
Pacific Aeromodels took the proven high quality technology of its quarter scale
Laser to the next level by adding the new 27% Edge 540 T to its mid sized lineup.
Designed for IMAC and 3D type aerobatics, as well as sport flying, the Edge’s
light weight and sophisticated aerodynamic design give it the unique ability to
wring truly outstanding performance from smaller and less expensive engines
and radio equipment than the competition. The 27% Edge offers top-of-the-line
quality, ease of assembly and unlimited performance in the air without the nasty
habits of some other scale aerobatics.
Wingspan: 82" • Wing Area: 1,139 Sq. In. • Overall Length: 67 1/2" • Weight:
14.5 lbs. • Wing Loading: 29.3 Oz./Sq. Ft • Engine: 1.60-2.10 Glow, 40c.c. Gas
• Radio: 4 CH (1 std and 5 high torque servos)
Aero Shark 40 ARF
Radio: Requires 4 Ch (6 servos) • Wing Span: 72 in. • Wing Area: 857
sq. in. • Flying Wt: 7.9-9.5 lbs • Engine: .60-1.08 (2C), .90-1.20 (4C),
Gas 24cc • Color: Red, Blue
Combo W/ Saito FA-100 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $559.99
Combo W/ Saito FA-120 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $609.99
Wingspan: 63" • Wing Area: 596 Sq. In. • Overall Length: 54 1/2"
• Weight: 5.5 lbs. • Engine: .40 - .53 2C or .52 - .72 4C
A swept-back shoulder wing? A fuselage that reminds you of a
fish? You either like it’s looks, or you don’t, but you’ll LOVE the
way it flies. Pacific’s new 40 size Aero Shark is big, fast, smooth
and very aerobatic, yet it’s slow speed handling is superb and it
lands like a trainer. As a second or third airplane, an aerobatic
trainer or a Sunday sport flyer, you can’t beat the high quality
AERO SHARK ARF.
Combo: w/TT Pro-46 engine.................$189.99
SALE! $119.99
Field Equipment Field Box (pre-built)
Two Drawer Field Box
• Fully assembled
• Painted and fuel proof
• Light weight
• Adjustable cradle
• Removable power compartment
Combo: Two Drawer Field Box (prebuilt) • 12v
7 amp maintenance free battery • 12V 500
mAh charger (AC) • Starter 150 • Standard
Power Panel • Electric Fuel Pump • Glow
starter w/charger • 4 way wrench . . $139.99
$39.99
Radio: Requires 4 Ch • 5 servos (3 standard, 2 Micro) •
Wing Span: 50 in. • Wing Area: 723 sq. in. • Length 40
in. • Flying Wt: 3.7-4.1 lbs • Engine: .25 - .35 cu.in. (2C)
or .30 - .40 (4C) • Color: Military, Red/Silver, Yellow
Radio: 4Ch (5 servos (3 standard, 2 micro)
Combo: w/Saito 40 engine ............$379.99
Tiger Moth ARF .30 Size • All wood construction.
• 95% ready to fly.
• Balsa Built-up upper and
lower wing plug in for
easy assembly.
• Pre-covered with real
iron-on film.
• Fiber glass cowl already
painted.
• Factory installed pull-pull
controls system on
rudder and elevator.
• Comes with all hardware
and accessories.
• Flies like a trainer.
• Both sizes come with
Flying Wire.
• Ready to fly in just 15
hours.
Radio: Requires 4 Ch • 5 servos • Wing Span: 78 in. •
Wing Area: 1841 sq. in. • Length 65.7 in. • Flying Wt:
10-11 lbs • Engine: .90 cu.in. (2C) or 1.20 (4C) • Color:
Military, Red/Silver, Yellow
Combo: w/Saito 120 engine...........$699.99
$219.99
$399.99
Tiger Moth ARF 1.20 Size
Radio: Requires 4 Ch • 6 servos • Wing Span: 82 in. •
Wing Area: 1175 sq. in. • Length 62.5 in. • Flying Wt:
12-13 lbs • Engine: 1.08-1.60 cu.in. (2C), 1.20-1.80
(4C) or 26cc (Gas)
“Gee Bee-Y” 120 size ARF • All Wood Construction.
• Pre-Covered in real iron
film.
• Fiberglass cowling (10
in. dia.) and wheel pants
already painted.
• Dummy engine included.
• 95% Factory Assembled.
• Ready to fly in just 12
hours.
• All hardware is included.
• Easy to fly.
• Plug in wing.
Combo: w/Saito 150 engine...........$733.99
Combo: w/Saito 180 engine...........$763.99
Combo: w/Zenoah G-26 engine.......$643.99
SALE! $379.99
1/4 Scale 3D Capable Laser 200
ARF
Laser 200 .40 size ARF
$319.99
• All wood construction
• 95% ready to fly
• Covered with real ironon
film. • Fiberglass cowl
and wheel pants. • Plug in
wings. • Ready to fly in
12 hours. • Double
beveling on both wing
and tail feathers.
Radio: Requires 4 Ch (5 servos) • Wing Span: 55 in. • Wing Area: 564
sq. in. • Flying Wt: 5.7 lbs • Engine: .40-.47 (2C), .50-.70 (4C) • Red
Combo W/ Saito FA-72. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $389.99
Combo W/ Thunder Tiger-46 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $259.99
$189.99
This light weight Starter has a comfortable size
that fits very well in one hand. The 3:1 geared
reduction design for starting engines up to 1.8
cu. in. The big cup and double side rubber cone
will fit from 1/2” prop nuts to 5” spinners.
PAM-1002B Starter . . . . . . . . . $44.99
• Functions as a regular power panel
and as a field charger for your Tx
(9.6V), Rx (4.8V or 6.0V) and glow
starter (1.2V).
• Never miss as day's flying because
of low batteries.
• Digital peak-detection, pulsecurrent
charger for Rx
(4.8V and 6.0 V).
• Charges NiCd and Ni-Mh batteries.
Power Panel PAC-MF0502 . $44.99
Portable Super Starter
(Assembled)
Super Starter with battery holder and 2 x
7.2V 1500 mah battery pack also including
1x charging adapter (Tamiya - Dean). We put
it together for you. Will start engines up to
2.1 cu. in.
PAM-1002PP Starter ..........$89.99
Super Starter
Small size but high torque.
Wingspan: 59" • Wing Area: 620 Sq. In. • Overall Length: 52 1/2" •
Weight: 6 lbs. • Wing Loading: 22.3 Oz./Sq. Ft. • Engine: .40 - .53 2C
or .56 - .72 4C • Radio: 4 Ch (6 standard servos)
Combo W/ Saito FA-72 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $419.99
Edge 540T 40/72 ARF
$209.99
Pacific’s new 40 and 60 size Edge
540T ARFs have all the big plane
features like plug-in wings, dual
aileron servos, tail mounted elevator
servos and a pull–pull rudder, and
they use normal sport engines and
standard radio equipment. Best of
all, they are specially designed to fly
with the smoothness and precision
of a much larger airplane.
Wingspan: 65" • Wing Area: 765 Sq. In. • Overall Length: 58 1/2" •
Weight: 8 lbs. • Wing Loading: 24.1 Oz./Sq. Ft • Engine : .61-.91(2C),
.80-1.00(4C) • Radio: 4 Ch (6 standard servos)
Combo W/ Saito FA-100 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $519.99
Edge 540T
60/100 ARF
$264.99
$439.9927% Edge 540T ARF
Pacific Aeromodel’s Edge 540T Series
For 3000mAh
battery
add $30.00.
10sig2.QXD 7/23/04 11:31 am Page 40
10101 Yucca Rd.
Adelanto CA 92301
(760) 246-6462
www.houseofbalsa.com
Scales, rubber strippers, coverings, kits:
Indoor Model Specialties
Ray Harlan
15 Happy Hollow Rd.
Wayland MA 01778
(508) 358-4013
Novice kits, SO materials, all supplies:
Indoor Model Supply
Lew Gitlow
Box 2020
Florence OR 97439
www.indoormodelsupply.com
The Indoor newsletter (one year for $15 in
US, $19 in Canada), articles, plans:
Indoor News and Views
Tim Goldstein, subscription editor
13096 W. Cross Dr.
Littleton CO 80127
www.indoorduration.com
(Download a free issue and subscribe)
P-24 kits, plans, supplies:
Mace Model Aircraft Co.
Don Mace
359 S. 119th East Ave.
Tulsa OK 74128
Scale kits, rubber, supplies:
Micro-X
Box 1063-A
Lorain OH 44055
(440) 282-8354
[email protected]
Classroom kit packs, SO, Delta Dart,
gliders:
Midwest Products Co., Inc.
Educational Products Division
Box 564
Hobart IN 46342
(800) 348-3497
www.midwestproducts.com
OS Film:
42 MODEL AVIATION
Alan Cohen
2115 State Route 31
Glen Gardner NJ 08826
Fax: (908) 537-0111
[email protected]
Kits, supplies:
Peck-Polymers
Box 710399
Santee CA 92072
(619) 488-1833
www.peck-polymers.com
Precision-cut balsa, basswood:
Specialized Balsa Wood
Jake Zimmer
1656 Carol Dr.
Loveland CO 80537
[email protected]
www.specializedbalsa.com
Supplies:
WES-Technik
Klosterstr. 12
D-72644 Oberboihingen
Germany
[email protected]
www.wes-technik.de/
Sites Containing More Information:
Cleveland Clowns Indoor page
www.indoorfreeflight.com
Bill Kuhl’s Delta Dart site
www.luminet.net/~bkuhl/rubber.htm
NFFS home page
http://freeflight.org/
Martin’s worldwide links
www.ivyandmartin.demon.co.uk/page
2.htm
Michael J. Woodhouse supplies
www.freeflightsupplies.co.uk
Tim Goldstein’s Indoor balsa
www.f1d.biz
Ed Wiley’s Web page
www.sunflower.com/~edwiley/
NIRAC Indoor RC
www.nirac.org
Tim Goldstein’s INAV site
www.indoorduration.com
Del Ogren’s Indoor site
www.n-lemma.com
Glen Davison’s Indoor site
http://people.ne.mediaone.net/indoor
Daniel Hartstein’s Indoor site:
http://w1.871.telia.com/~u87106779/
Thayer Syme’s FF site:
www.sirius.com/~thayer/modelhp.html
Mr. NiCd’s BATTERIES AMERICA
www.batteriesamerica.com
Autumn 2004 Specials (Order ONLINE too)
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#2LP400 7.4v 400mAh Li-POLY pk(18 gms/ 0.64oz) $18.95
#2LP650 7.4v 650mAh Li-POLY pk (28 gms/ 1 oz) $20.95
#2LP800* 7.4v 800mAh Li-POLY pk (34 gms/ 1.2oz) $27.95
#2LP900 7.4v 900mAh Li-POLY pk (38 gms/ 1.35oz)$23.95
#2LP1200 7.4v 1200mAh Li-POLY pk (48 gms/1.7oz) $25.95
#2LP1500*7.4v 1500mAh Li-POLY pk (62 gms/2.2oz) $39.95
#2LP1700 7.4v 1700mAh Li-POLY pk (68 gms/2.4 oz) $31.95
#2LP1900 7.4v 1900mAh Li-POLY pk (76 gms/2.7oz) $34.95
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*300, 800, & 1500mAh are HIGHER-AMP packs ( 5C discharge!)
QN-012BC charger QN-012DC charger VR5.4 / VR6.0
#QN-012BC Fast-Smart Charger (AC) for Li-POLY pk. $19.95
#QN-012DC Fast-Smart 12VDC charger for Li-POLYpk. $19.95
#VR5.4 Voltage Regulator –limits output to 5.4V max $19.95
#VR6.0 Voltage Regulator –limits output to 6.0V max $19.95
NEW Lithium Polymer cells – with E-Z solder tabs !
#P145 3.7v 145mAh Li-POLYcell (4 gms / 0.13 oz)$ 5.95ea
#P300* 3.7v 300mAh Li-POLYcell (6.5 gms /.23 oz)$ 7.95ea
#P400 3.7v 400mAh Li-POLYcell (9 gms / 0.32oz) $ 6.95ea
#P650 3.7v 650mAh Li-POLYcell (14 gms / 0.5 oz) $ 7.95ea
#P800* 3.7v 800mAh Li-POLYcell (17 gms / 0.6 oz) $10.95ea
#P900 3.7v 900mAh Li-POLYcell (19 gms/ 0.67oz) $ 9.95ea
#P1200 3.7v 1200mAh Li-POLY cell (24 gms/0.85oz) $10.95ea
#P1500*3.7v 1500mAh Li-POLY cell (31 gms/1.1oz) $15.95ea
#P1700 3.7v 1700mAh Li-POLY cell (34 gms/1.2oz) $12.95ea
#P1900 3.7v 1900mAh Li-POLY cell (38 gms/1.35oz)$13.95ea
#P2200 3.7v 2200mAh Li-POLY cell(44 gms/1.65oz)$14.95ea
*300, 800, & 1500mAh are HIGHER-AMP packs ( 5C discharge!)
Motor packs, R/C packs, TX packs, & more!
New HiCell electric flight Ni-MH packs!
For park flyers, etc. Shapes: A=Flat; B=twin-stick; C=two rows;
D=four sticks. JST conn.=add $3.00. Deans Ultra conn.=add $5.
Cell # size / mAh / $ each 7.2v 8.4v 9.6v 10.8v 12.0v
AP-350 1/3AA, 350mAh $2.50 $23.95 $26.95 $29.95 $32.95 $35.95
AP-700 2/3AA, 700mAh $2.50 $23.95 $26.95 $29.95 $32.95 $35.95
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MOTOR PACKS w/ SANYO Ni-Cd cells (no connector):
Shapes (see above). Add deans ULTRA connector for $5.00 xtra
Cell # size /mAh / $ each 7.2v 8.4v 9.6v 10.8v 12.0v
N-500AR(2/3A 500mA) $2.50 $20.00 $24.00 $28.00 $32.00 $36.00
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SANYO Transmitter Packs w/leads. Shapes shown above
Choose SQUARE(D) or Side-by-Side (A). Add TX plug for $3.00.
9.6 volt 700mAh (square or SxS, w/ leads) $16.95ea.
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10sig2.QXD 7/23/04 11:31 am Page 42
Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/10
Page Numbers: 26,27,28,29,30,32,34,36,38,40,42
I AM NOT a famous Indoor-model flier. As
have Dave Rees and Bob Aberle, who wrote
the “State of the Sport” articles before me, I
have been active in all forms of the hobby
since I was a kid growing up in New Jersey
in the 1950s. Unlike them, I am a sport flier,
a writer, and a newsletter editor, and I have
worked hard at staying a novice when it
comes to competition.
According to other writers, we take turns
and detours in our lives that change us
forever. This happened for me in May 1998.
On a lark, I drove the 712 miles from New
Orleans, Louisiana, to the East Tennessee
State University campus in Johnson City,
Tennessee, where the US Indoor
Championships is held each year in a
covered football stadium called the Mini-
Dome.
I walked through the outer doors to a
gymnasium hallway, complete with locker
rooms and showers, and then through a
second set of inner doors to the running
track and playing field, which was 400 feet
long and 116 feet high. I stood transfixed, as
they say, and my mouth stood open as I
watched these beautiful airplanes circle
slowly and majestically over my head.
I was hooked then, and I am hooked
now. But don’t believe me; to learn what is
so great about “Indoor,” as it is called, I’ll
quote Ron Williams.
“Indoor model building and flying is an
innocent sport. There is little profit to be
made, if any, in the commerce it engenders,
though some enterprising indoor
entrepreneur could find ways, I’m sure.
“Because it tends to be so low key and
deceptively complex, it has never enjoyed
the attention that noisier, more dynamic
forms of modeling have received. The
consequence is that there has never been
enough information in any one place to get a
good start with this part of the hobby.”
Therefore, Ron wrote and illustrated the
first definitive how-to on the subject. His
1984 book Building and Flying Indoor
Model Airplanes was a milestone then and a
classic now, but I think it is out of print.
Returning to Johnson City a few years
later as editor of the fancy Indoor News and
Views (INAV) magazine, numerous people
came up to shake my hand and offered
compliments, good wishes, and occasional
war stories while I was trying to count the
winds in my motor or time a flight.
But by Day Two I learned not to be
annoyed—that something larger was going
on. I was part of a community.
As in all facets of our hobby, many types of
models are flown in Indoor. Any Outdoor
rubber-powered FF design can be made
lighter and smaller and flown inside. Heavy
and strong are no longer requirements when
there are no wind gusts or tree limbs in the
way.
A good example of this is the Bostonian.
These little 16-inch-wingspan cuties are
flown outdoors with a 14-gram-minimum
weight requirement and indoors with a 7-
gram-minimum weight requirement.
Although it’s hard to get down to 7 grams
the first few times you try, flight duration
goes from two minutes for an outdoor
Bostonian to five and six minutes or more
for the lighter indoor versions. In a place
like Johnson City, with some of the “best
air” anywhere, after all that time, your
model will land about where it started.
It’s all about duration. As do the Scale
models of the Flying Aces Club, some
Indoor events award charisma points and
appearance points, but the ability to outfly
everyone else’s aircraft is the key to Indoorcontest
success.
Origins—the Baby ROG: The first modelairplane
clubs started in the New York City
area as early as 1907. The famous Frank
Zaic flew in that city’s Central Park in the
1920s and 1930s. Balsa wood wasn’t used
until roughly 1911, so most early models
were made from pine, bamboo, and spruce.
Rubber motors were cut from tire inner
tubes, and plans were drawn on wrapping
paper. For more about this and Indoor
modeling history in general, see Bill Kuhl’s
site; the address is at the end of this article.
Our hobby can be clearly divided into
two times: before 1927 and after 1927. That
year a shy, handsome private pilot named
26 MODEL AVIATION
State of thIe nSpordt: oor Flight
b y C a r l B a k ay
Free
Steve Gardner’s drawings on the
cover of INAV Issue #106 show one
route to more serious Indoor fun.
Text has details.
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 3:51 pm Page 26
Charles Lindbergh flew a highly modified and overloaded Ryanbuilt
monoplane nonstop across the Atlantic Ocean. The effect on
the youth of the era was nothing less than galvanic, and modeling as
a hobby followed the groundswell. The number of kit manufacturers
went from perhaps 20 in 1927 to more than 2,000 in 1928.
Let’s go back to modeling in the Depression years of the 1930s.
We are in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it’s wintertime. A group
of clubs is making something called the “Philadelphia Model
Airplane Association.”
They are giving out plans for a Baby ROG—not full-scale, of
course. Part of your apprenticeship (if you want to join) is to scale
up the plans on the back of some brown paper or, if you know a
paperboy, a sheet of blank newsprint from the pressroom.
Then you have to build your own model, carve your own
propeller, and get the aircraft to rise off the ground and fly indoors
for 30 seconds. This is quite an achievement (especially if you use
strips cut from automobile inner tubes to power it), although flights
of more than a minute are possible. You then make it to the rank of
“grease monkey” and can fly in Saturday contests.
John Walker wrote about his modeling origins with the Baby
ROG in the July 1981 R/C Model Builder magazine. Send me an
SASE, and I’ll send you free plans for the Baby ROG from that
issue.
(Did you notice that the Baby ROG was in R/C Model Builder?
Dave Rees mentioned in his July 2001 “State of the Sport: Free
Flight Scale” article that after getting into Scale models, he was
amazed by how many great building and finishing tips he gleaned
from old CL, FF, and RC articles in his magazine collection. The
same is true for Indoor.)
There were many versions of the Baby ROG, but it was a
milestone in any of its forms. Why? Because it flew! Of all those
Nickel Scale, Dime Scale, and quarter-scale models that the 2,000
kit makers offered, most would fly from your hand to the ground if
they flew at all. The early clubs knew this and started you out with
something realistic and flyable. Today we have something even
better.
Begin With a Delta Dart: Bill Kuhl has to be the Delta Dart’s
biggest fan. Read the following from his Web site and you’ll see
why.
“The Delta Dart appeared in the April 1967 issue of American
Modeler. It was designed by AMA’s [then] Technical Director Frank
Ehling and promoted by Dick and Ruth Meyer.
“Why is it so great? With the exception of the motorstick, the
AMA Dart is made entirely from 1⁄16 x 1⁄8-inch balsa strip. Some
beginners’ models such as the Peck ROG utilize 1⁄16-inch square
balsa, which although lighter, is difficult for the beginner to handle
without breaking, and the structure will more easily warp.
“Also, the one-piece motorstick comes with the correct stabilizer
incidence built in. The joints used at the tips of the wing, stabilizer,
and vertical fin can be less than perfect and still be adequately strong
because the covering material reinforces the joint.
“With materials donated by Sig, Dick and Ruth made up 300 kits
on their kitchen table, some of which were taken by Frank Ehling to
the 1966 Nats. Although some people thought the airplane too
simple and heavy, kids found it easy to build and fly. It was thought
that with the pointy wingtips, warps would have less effect because
most of the wing area was closer to the center of the wing.
“Sig decided to sell the same basic airplane as a kit called the
‘AMA Racer.’ The biggest change in the AMA Racer from the
original Delta Dart is that the wing is movable, so center of gravity
adjustments are easy. Another change is that the tailboom is made
from spruce instead of balsa.
“Frank Ehling designed another airplane known as the “AMA
Cub,” but it is sold by Midwest Products as the Delta Dart.
According to the Sig catalog, this is the airplane that has been used
in beginners’ promotions since 1968 and is the most-produced
model airplane of all time.”
The Dart and various rise-off-ground (ROG) stick models are
available in most good hobby shops and many toy stores. If you
October 2004 27
Senior Doug Schaefer (Centerville OH) qualified for the US
Indoor FF team to compete in Slanic, Romania.
Parker Parrish (Alpharetta GA) works on his F1D model. This
high-school student bested many Senior fliers at Akron OH.
Photos by the late Richard Doig.
Photos by the author except as noted
r
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 4:05 pm Page 27
28 MODEL AVIATION
Indoor rubber-powered Scale offers unlimited opportunities
for Outdoor fliers. This 1912 Fokker A was seen at last
year’s Nats at Johnson City TN.
Bostonians ready for charisma judging feature the latest
lifting-body design and wide, slow-turning propellers.
Limited Pennyplanes are capable of flights exceeding 15
minutes. Wingtip plates—a recent innovation—add stability
during high torque at launch. Gardner photo.
The Baby ROG, shown in
one of its original forms,
started many on the road
to successful building and
flying.
Author’s P-24 Mace Models Condor is intended for
beginners but has turned into a design for a hotly contested
one-design mass-launch event. It will do six minutes with a
54-inch single loop of 3⁄32-inch rubber. Steve Gardner photo.
The same skills used in building Outdoor Scale models can
be used in Indoor flying if careful attention is paid to weight.
Indoor Scale models may weigh one-third or more less than
Outdoor models. Gardner photo.
Not only is he a consistent winner, but Larry Cailliau flies
models that are true works of art. Gardner photo.
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 1:17 pm Page 28
don’t know where to go in your area, order a
catalog from Indoor Model Supply, Midwest
Products, or Peck-Polymers.
It is a good idea to build your first few
models exactly according to the instructions,
and even a little heavier than needed, with
extra glue joints and reinforcing fillets in the
corners. This will help it survive all the
banging around it is sure to do at first. You
might take part in or help run an AMA
make-and-take program at one of the
Muncie meets.
A natural question is, What do I build
after the Delta Dart? The answer is, Another
Delta Dart. As you learn to build with
lighter and thinner wood and replace the
heavy plastic propellers with lighter balsa
propellers, you will be building models that
fly much slower and longer, and they suffer
less damage if they hit something.
The world-class endurance models
shown seem to float through the air at
walking speed, or slower, and are most in
danger of being damaged by careless
handling or a sneeze. But their owners will
tell you they had to make several before they
got it just right.
The best thing you can do on your
second, third, and fourth Delta Dart is build
with lighter wood, tissue covering, and a
rubber motor at least twice as long as the
loop that comes with the kit. Bob Warmann
of the Chicago Aeronuts had a Delta Dart
mass launch at the Midwest Championships
this past April, and several flew up to the
94-foot ceiling.
Science Olympiad: The Delta Dart and the
AMA make-and-take programs are great,
but the participants are young—maybe 8, 9,
or 10 years of age—and most do not
continue with the hobby.
Sometimes, though, a parent will catch
the modeling bug along with the youngster,
and great things can happen. That is
especially true with a new wave that has
come along, and there has been nothing like
it since the post-Sputnik catch-up days in
education when I was a kid.
Few events have had as positive an effect
on bringing young people into Indoor
modeling as the Science Olympiad in our
schools. SO, as it’s called, encompasses a
host of biology, chemistry, physics, and
engineering competitions, starting at the
local level, and then moving on to state and
national championships.
It uses a team approach, with an adult
mentor providing guidance and support for a
group of young people. The finale of a
bridge-building exercise can galvanize an
entire class when the time comes to hang
weights on everyone’s creation to see how
much they can hold before they break. The
cheering, jeering, and just plain excitement
are seldom seen outside of sporting events.
SO has an event called The Wright Stuff,
with apologies to author Tom Wolfe and his
book of almost the same name. The rules for
2004 C Division require that the rubberpowered
airplanes have 52cm (20.5-inch)
wingspans and commercially available
October 2004 29
Bill Gowen shows off his composite Hand Launched Glider. This model was
constructed with carbon rod and Mylar covering. Photo by Chuck Markos.
These young fliers competed in the Science Olympiad portion of the Midwest States
Indoor Championships, hosted by the Chicago Aeronuts. Markos photo.
Jim Richmond, with his new Limited Pennyplane, waits his turn to fly at the
University of Illinois Armory. Markos photo.
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 4:07 pm Page 29
plastic propellers no bigger than 24cm (10 inches). The motors can
be any thickness or length but are limited to one loop of 2 grams
maximum weight. The models have a minimum weight limit too; for
2004 it is 8 grams for senior and junior high, without the motor.
Are you confused by the units? Don’t be surprised if you see US
and metric units mixed together like this. The SO originators wanted
to give students a taste of international science. Our country is one
of the few that doesn’t use the metric system every day, although
most scientists and some engineers use it all the time.
Indoor modelers use metric and US units interchangeably,
generally depending on which one allows the use of whole numbers.
It is easier to say 20 centimeters than 77⁄8 inches, and it’s easier to
say your model weighs 10 grams than 0.3527 ounce. But rubber
motors are sold in boxes by the pound, weighed in grams, and the
length of the motor loop is in inches. You get used to it. But flight
time is what it’s all about, and that is minutes and seconds the world
over.
The SO and its twin the Technology Student Association (TSA)
have exploded in popularity in the last few years. There are many
different kits available for the Wright Stuff event, and more than a
dozen plans available, from simple to elegant. The Cleveland
Clowns Web site even offers a tutorial video for sale. Many SO and
TSA mentors are active modelers who belong to clubs, and
“invitational” SO competitions have become common at club meets.
Bill Gowen and Gary Baughman are SO mentors of multiple
teams in the Atlanta, Georgia, area. Gary designed the Spartan,
named after the school mascot, which is a robust model using 1⁄8
square wood similar to the Delta Dart and is designed to take a great
deal of punishment from young hands, gym walls, and ceilings, and
still fly.
Bill designed the Finny Plane, which uses 1⁄16 square wood, as
does the Peck-Polymers ROG, and can be built to 8 grams without
too much effort and puts in long flights as a result.
Both designers are active Thermal Thumbers of Metro Atlanta
members, bringing many of their students to meetings and events.
This is so popular that we “big kids” get into the act with such SO
variants as Senior and Unlimited Rubber.
Duration times here in the south are approximately four minutes,
but a brilliant mentor in California named Cezar Banks designed his
Leading Edge model with a wing so advanced that times exceed six
minutes.
30 MODEL AVIATION
A 1⁄8-inch strip of Tan II rubber is being stripped into smaller
widths, which are checked with a micrometer.
Dave Haught takes Indoor Scale to the max with his flying B-
17. He writes “Scale Matters” for INAV. Tim Goldstein photo.
The Akron Air
Dock hangar in
Ohio was the site
of record
qualification trials
several times a
year. Although big,
it was cluttered
and often drafty.
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 1:19 pm Page 30
32 MODEL AVIATION
And I can’t forget Wayne Johnson, who
had 7:37 when Bill Gowen hosted the Open
SO event in the huge Johnson City Mini-
Dome. That is a long time for a flier—
young or old—and the best thing is that
being indoors, after all those minutes in the
air, your airplane lands at your feet! People
around you sometimes even break out in
applause and cheers. Unlike when you are
outdoors, your beverage is still cold and you
haven’t been bitten by any bug—except that
of Indoor flight.
If you have never made an Indoor model
and you’d like to start with a kit, you can do
no better than the Bambino or the Dipper by
Ray Harlan of Indoor Model Specialties.
You can build two models from one kit.
Another good choice is the Sci Oly 1 by
Lew Gitlow of Indoor Model Supply, but I
have not built it.
If you feel comfortable building from
plans, Gary Baughman’s Spartan is at the
top of my list. After being asked the same
questions by so many people, he decided to
write it all down. Gary offers a complete,
hand-illustrated, step-by-step manual for
building and flying the Spartan, plans
included. Equal in quality but different in
design is the Olympus by Don Slusarczyk.
His Web site contains photos and details.
One-Design Events: Don’t let contest
names such as the “Midwestern States
Indoor Championships” and “US Indoor
Championships” frighten you into not going.
Delta Dart and Double Whammy mass
launches are held at the Midwestern States
Indoor Championships in Champaign,
Illinois, and the last one down is the winner.
The Double Whammy was featured in the
November 1999 MA, and there was a
follow-up article about how to make it more
competitive.
The US Indoor Championships at
Johnson City, Tennessee, features a P-24
Condor mass launch. The Condor is a greatflying
model that was used for years at the
Air Force Academy to teach flight
principles. It is available from Mace
Models.
The Thermal Thumbers in Atlanta,
Georgia, have events for the Butterfly—a 7-
inch-span indoor ARF—and Laurie Barr’s
Hangar Rat design.
If you are already pretty good at Outdoor
Hand Launched Glider, Outdoor Catapult
Glider, or Flying Aces Club Scale Rubber,
you can use the same skills in Indoor, except
with lighter materials.
An added benefit of going to contests is
that the larger meets often have vendor
booths where they sell specialty Indoor
items that are not available in your hobby
shop.
Not into traveling? There are postal
events for many of these same models, in
which you fly in your local gym and send
your times in to compete with others from
around the world.
Indoor Today—the Pennyplane, Easy B,
and International F1D: The cover of the
March 2002 INAV was my idea but Steve
Gardner’s artistry. Steve preceded me as
editor, and he filled each issue with great
plans and original illustrations. I arranged
his artwork for four models—the Delta Dart,
Pennyplane, Easy B (EZB), and F1D—from
top to bottom on the cover of Issue #106.
All subscribers received a black-andwhite
version, but the original shows in
striking color one way you can move up in
building skill and flight duration by
graduating from model to model, each more
advanced than the one before. There are
dozens of paths to take; this is just one. I
have already covered the Delta Dart and SO
models, so let’s move on to a possible next
step.
If you weigh a modern penny, it will be
almost 2.50 grams. But before 1984, you got
more for your money; a penny weighed 3.20
grams. That was settled on at the time as the
Pennyplane model’s minimum weight.
There were also restrictions of an 18-inch
span, a 5-inch chord, a 12-inch propeller,
and other guidelines.
This makes it great for the step from SO
to serious Indoor competition. Anyone who
can build a Finny Plane and do four minutes
in a gymnasium can make a 4.0- or 5.0-gram
Pennyplane the first time, and start doing
10+ minutes in a large site.
My first Pennyplane weighed 5.0 grams,
my second one weighed 4.1 grams, and my
current model weighs 3.4 grams. It takes a
great deal of practice, but you can expect to
double your flight times by going from a
5.0-gram to a 3.2-gram airplane.
This design comes in two flavors: the
original version and a Limited Pennyplane.
Both have 18-inch wingspans and can weigh
no less than 3.2 grams, but the Limited rules
allow only a monoplane configuration and a
sheet-balsa propeller with a 12-inch
maximum diameter.
Indoor Model Supply makes a nice
novice kit called the Time Machine. One of
the two I built straight from the package did
six minutes right off the building board in
the 34-foot Tampa Armory. Building lighter
from the same plans, it is possible to do
eight to 10 minutes or more. Those aren’t
contest-winning times, but they give the
builder a great deal of satisfaction and the
confidence to move further along.
A possible next step is the EZB design
invented by Wally Miller. It is a small 18-
inch-span monoplane Rubber model with a
2-inch maximum chord and all-wood
construction. Micro-X makes a nice
beginner’s kit of this model and even
provides the cardboard template around
which the wing is built. Substituting lighter
wood and smaller motor sizes on successive
models will take your duration times into
the double digits.
The attraction of the EZB is that
Pennyplane kit: Time Machine 11-inch propeller 0.070 x 13-inch loop Fast climb
12-inch propeller 0.080 x 14-inch loop Slow climb
Experiment with 0.085 and 0.090 inch.
Pennyplane plans: No-Non-Cents 3.3-gram loop of 21.5 inches
Easy B kit: Micro-X Suggested 12- to 14-inch loop of 0.065-0.046 inch
Easy B plans: Ron Williams Suggested 12- to 14-inch loop of 0.065-0.046 inch
Competition 1.0-gram loop of 15 inches
A-6: Clarence Mather Novice 0.040-0.050 x 10-inch loop
A-6: Slugger Competition 0.037 x 14 inches
MiniStick kit: I.M.S. Suggested 0.025-0.030 x 10 inches
MiniStick plans: MiniQuark Competition 0.025-0.028 x 13 inches
Butterfly RTF Indoor 0.040 x 12 inches
Outdoor 0.055 x 10 inches
P-24 kit: Mace Condor 7-inch N. Pacific 3⁄32 x 36-inch loop (Suggested for sport)
plastic propeller 3⁄32 x 50-inch loop (Competition)
Suggested Models and Motor Sizes for Beginning Indoor Fliers
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 1:20 pm Page 32
34 MODEL AVIATION
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beginners and experts can enjoy it, and
beginners can become experts in a short
time. The most popular contest design is
the Hobby Shopper EZB by Larry Coslick,
which, as the name implies, can be built
from hobby-shop wood and still weigh
only .7 gram and fly for more than 20
minutes. You can download the plans and
construction article for free from Indoor
Duration at www.indoorduration.com.
The bottom model on the cover is the
most challenging and most amazing: the
F1D. It is a world-class airplane, and the
Time Traveler by Steve Brown has done
63 minutes on a tiny .6-gram rubber loop.
Others, who are braver than I am, say it
is the most rewarding model since even
your first F1D will fly longer than
anything you have built previously. But if
you are going to follow me this far, it’s
time to take a detour and get out your
wallet.
Stripping and Weighing Your Own
Materials: Up to a point, you could build
and fly Indoor with common supplies
found in any good hobby shop or general
model catalog. By this I mean that the
propellers could be plastic and all the
wood and rubber motors used could come
in standard sizes.
However, for the Pennyplane, and even
lighter models such as the EZB and
MiniStick, you will want to strip your own
wood and rubber and weigh the finished
pieces more accurately than you have
needed to before this. If serious
competition is in your future, think
seriously about a micrometer balsa
stripper, a rubber stripper, and a precision
pan balance.
The one-piece molded-plastic balsa
strippers used for Outdoor FF models and
use a #11 X-Acto blade aren’t good
enough. Although they are fine for 1⁄8 and
1⁄16 wood sheets, they tend to split thinner
balsa and give wavy and uneven cuts. I am
not referring to fractions of an inch
anymore, but thousandths of an inch. An
EZB’s wing spars and ribs are .020-.030
inch (or 20-30 mil), and this requires a
different approach.
Ray Harlan and Tim Goldstein offer
quality balsa strippers with micrometer
adjustments for the fine tolerances needed.
If you are handy, plans are available so
you can build your own. These tools really
shine when it comes to cutting many LE
and TE spars the same thickness. They are
also used to move a rib template down on
the workpiece the same amount after each
cut to give uniform ribs.
An added advantage is that by angling
the wood, or pushing the piece up in the
middle to bow it, tapered spars and strips
can be cut so more of the weight and
strength is on the inside than on the tips.
Many wing spars and almost all propeller
spars call for tapered stock.
The cutting blocks use carbon-steel,
single-edge razor-blade pieces or surgicalsteel
blades, which are half as thick as XActo
knives and don’t split the wood. (You
can still buy the older carbon-steel, doubleedged
blades, which are brittle and snap to
a fresh, clean edge. Modern stainless
varieties bend rather than break.)
Next comes stripping your own rubber
to make custom-width motors. In Outdoor
flying with multistranded motors, you
change the motor’s cross-section by
increasing or decreasing the number of
strands. But with these light models, we
are down to a single loop. One can do well
in SO and novice Pennyplane with 3⁄32-
inch rubber strip (93-94 mil) from FAI
Supply just as it comes out of the box.
Wind a few motors to the breaking
point so you’ll know what 100% is.
Practice winding to just fewer than
maximum turns, finding the right motor
loop length and the best trim for your
model for that particular site. This could
take several flying sessions or maybe a
whole winter season.
After getting to the point at which no
further improvement in duration is seen
with a single size of rubber, buy your own
rubber stripper. Ray Harlan makes one of
the better ones on the market. When you
get a rubber stripper, you can simplify the
rubber stock in your inventory and only
10sig2.QXD 7/23/04 11:29 am Page 34
buy 1⁄8- or 1⁄4-inch widths.
It’s not a waste either, because when
you cut 1⁄8-inch rubber strip to get .085
inch for your Pennyplane, you can save the
thinner piece for EZB or MiniStick flying.
Keep all your stripped motors in plastic
envelopes, and write the rubber batch,
weight, and thickness on the outside with a
felt-tip pen.
Last, an electronic pan balance that
measures to at least .01 gram, and
preferably to .001 gram, will be a welcome
addition to your shop. Indoor plans give
target weights for model pieces, as well as
the whole, so you need to be able to
accurately weigh a wing or a stabilizer to
see if you are building in the right
ballpark. Get in the habit of weighing
everything and keeping good records.
Weigh your tissue and condenser paper,
and convert it to grams or ounces per 100
square feet to find the lightest available.
Mylar plastic comes in thicknesses that are
much lighter (and much stronger) than
tissue coverings. WES-Technik sells a 2-
micron film used in built-up Hand-
Launched Gliders. For Duration Rubber
flying, the best is a cellulose acetate film
only 0.6 micron thick called OS film. It is
available from Alan Cohen.
Apply these films by spraying the
framework with 3M Super 77 contact
cement and laying the work facedown on
the film. Weigh the balsa you use in sheet
and strip form, and convert it to poundsper-
cubic-foot (ppcf) density. Indoor
applications use 4-6 ppcf wood for most
applications, with 8 and 10 ppcf wood for
the more stressed propeller spars, wing
posts, and motorsticks.
Cut your own sticks too. They will be
much lighter, and you will save a great
deal of money compared with buying
precut spars. And of course, weigh all your
motors and keep a record of that. I have
two three-ring binders to keep my notes in,
with dividers according to model class.
One has building records and plans I keep
at home, and one for flying I take to
contests and practice sessions to keep track
of what worked and what did not.
You are looking at $45-$75 for a
micrometer balsa stripper, $160 for a good
rubber stripper, and $50-$300 (or more)
for a balance.
If you ask me if this kind of cash outlay
is necessary, I will tell you about my brief
foray into robotics. A reader wrote to one
of the electronics magazines I subscribed
to at the time and questioned whether an
oscilloscope purchase was necessary. The
editors answered that it was “the price of
entry into the hobby,” meaning that you
could do without it but not do well.
The accompanying table lists some
motor choices to get you started, whether
you choose a kit version, plans, or build
from scratch. Each kit comes with full-size
plans and complete instructions, so the kit
could be your first effort, with lighter,
more advanced models from the plans
provided as a next step.
Always build several of the same
design, because each model will be better
and different from the one before. Indoor
fliers seldom tell you how many of a
particular airplane they have brought to a
contest, but they will tell you that they
have six or seven propellers, three wings,
two tails, and four motorsticks.
This advice goes in spades for motors.
You might cut some 62, 64, and 66 mil
rubber and have it ready to tie into
different-size loops at the contest, stored in
carefully labeled envelopes or plastic bags.
Some of the competition motors in the
table are described by weight rather than
thickness. That’s because the rubber strip’s
thickness and density varies from batch to
batch, so weight is much more constant
than size. Another reason is that weight
indicates the total energy potential that can
be expected from a motor.
The Future of Indoor: Some in the Indoor
community, fine people though they are,
would make this a short section because
they say there is no future to Indoor
modeling. Participation decreases each
year, and there will be no one to fill the
ranks as the great ones pass on to that great
site in the sky.
36 MODEL AVIATION
10sig2.QXD 7/23/04 11:30 am Page 36
That is baloney (as we used to say in
New Jersey, where we ate a lot of it). As
editor of INAV, I’ve seen the subscription
rolls climb from 550 when I started two
years ago to more than 700 today.
Jim Buxton, Dave Linstrum, Bud
Tenny, Don Ross, Bob Warmann, John
Worth, and many others continue to write
about Indoor FF and contribute articles and
columns, so we get our fair share of
coverage.
I saw 10 Juniors and Seniors at the last
contest—many from SO beginnings—and
a few already flying at a world-class level.
Sure, the great Doc Martin passed away,
and with it his Miami Indoor Aircraft
Model Association Indoor club, but the
Florida Flyers have emerged like a
phoenix from their own ashes, thanks to
the efforts of Bill Carney in Jacksonville
and others. To prove it, they just held a
successful meet in the Tampa Armory. I
was there, and it was a hoot.
The fastest-growing segment is indoor
micro RC. Such pioneers as Bob Wilder of
Wilder Winder fame, MA “Micro-Flying”
columnist Dave Robelen, and John Worth
of RC MicroFlight magazine are at the
leading edge of incredible growth in this
area of the hobby.
RC components have shrunken in size
so much in the last few years that any
small, light, electric-powered FF model
can be modified and flown successfully.
Open to debate is how indoor electric RC
will be compatible with classic pure
Rubber models.
The answer has to be equal but
separate. Except for the lightest electricpowered
models used in AMA events
221—Free Flight Electric Power—and
627—Indoor Electric Duration (and even
inclusion of these is at the CD’s
discretion)—everyone will be happiest if
rubber and RC keep their separate ways,
just as all good contests are separated into
“heavies” and “lights” flying in different
time slots.
The National Indoor Remote-controlled
Aircraft Council (NIRAC) knows this and
has its contests in such places as the
Oakland Yard Athletics dome in
Waterford, Michigan. If this commonsense
approach continues, it will be good for the
hobby.
We are seeing what the future holds
with the introduction of smaller and lighter
receivers and servos, geared pager motor
drives weighing a gram or less, and Li-
Poly cells that double and triple flight
times. But the innovations are not limited
to radio; carbon rod and tubes are standard
building materials now, as are Depron
foam sheets and Mylar and polyester
covering films.
Bill Gowen’s composite Carbon Copy,
a Hand Launched Glider, uses carbon rod
and tough Mylar covering, and it wins.
Tungsten wire used to be the main
bracing material for ultralight F1D models,
but the current trend seems to be more
toward unbraced wings and motorsticks.
Instead of tungsten-wire rigging, the
pieces are reinforced by laying down
carbon and boron fibers and running a tiny
amount of cyanoacrylate along the whole
length for stiffness. Laurie Barr of England
uses boron fiber on four sides of his
hollow motorsticks, and he says they come
out “as stiff as a pool cue.” The fibers are
so thin that the weight penalty is small.
Florida Flyer Jake Larson is famous for
his balsa-sheet Scale models, which he
often converts to electric-powered FF
aircraft. Now he is into doing the same
thing with foam sheet. Although the foam
is not as strong as balsa, his airplanes are
so light that it doesn’t matter. He brought
quite a selection to the Tampa Armory,
and they all flew well.
We will see more and more of all these
new materials and techniques in the
seasons to come.
Perhaps the best thing for our hobby in
the future is the growing list of supplies
and information available on the Internet.
No matter what your interest or specialty,
you will be able to download plans,
instructions, and articles, and then order
almost anything you can think of while
sitting at a keyboard.
The addresses and sites at the end of
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10sig2.QXD 7/23/04 11:30 am Page 38
40 MODEL AVIATION
this article are by no means definitive, but
most of them have links to other sites, to
take you as far as you care to go. It is an
exciting time to be in the hobby, and I
hope you will try Indoor modeling and
come fly with us.
Indoor FF Manufacturers and Suppliers:
In the almost 20 years since Ron
Williams’ lament that I included at the
beginning of this article, quite a few brave
souls have ventured into supplying the
Indoor market.
At least two things have helped this
along, the first of which is the increasing
use of exotic, non-hobby-shop materials
such as tungsten wire and boron and
carbon fiber. Second is the recent
explosion of E-mail and Web sites, giving
equal opportunities to modelers living
anywhere on the globe.
The following list will be more than
enough to get you started. But if this
article has generated more questions than
answers, write or E-mail me. MA
Carl Bakay
1621 Lake Salvador Dr.
Harvey LA 70058
[email protected]
Manufacturers and Suppliers:
MA magazine, AMA insurance and
services:
AMA
5161 E. Memorial Dr.
Muncie IN 47302
(765) 287-1256
www.modelaircraft.org
Spartan (Send $10 for the Spartan building
guide):
Gary Baughman
470 Hardage Farm Dr. NW
Marietta GA 30064
Tan II rubber, indoor ARFs, kits:
FAI Model Supply
John Clapp
Box 366
Sayre PA 18840
(570) 882-9873
www.faimodelsupply.com
Winder/counters, bearings, supplies:
Geauga Precision Models
W. D. Johnson
9113 Robinson Rd.
Chardon OH 44024
[email protected]
Wood, hardware, kits:
House of Balsa
Winner R/C Hobbies
ONLINE STORE
12368 Valley Blvd. #109, El Monte, CA 91732
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Information 626-618-0300
ONLINE ORDER AND MORE INFORMATION AT
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light weight and sophisticated aerodynamic design give it the unique ability to
wring truly outstanding performance from smaller and less expensive engines
and radio equipment than the competition. The 27% Edge offers top-of-the-line
quality, ease of assembly and unlimited performance in the air without the nasty
habits of some other scale aerobatics.
Wingspan: 82" • Wing Area: 1,139 Sq. In. • Overall Length: 67 1/2" • Weight:
14.5 lbs. • Wing Loading: 29.3 Oz./Sq. Ft • Engine: 1.60-2.10 Glow, 40c.c. Gas
• Radio: 4 CH (1 std and 5 high torque servos)
Aero Shark 40 ARF
Radio: Requires 4 Ch (6 servos) • Wing Span: 72 in. • Wing Area: 857
sq. in. • Flying Wt: 7.9-9.5 lbs • Engine: .60-1.08 (2C), .90-1.20 (4C),
Gas 24cc • Color: Red, Blue
Combo W/ Saito FA-100 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $559.99
Combo W/ Saito FA-120 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $609.99
Wingspan: 63" • Wing Area: 596 Sq. In. • Overall Length: 54 1/2"
• Weight: 5.5 lbs. • Engine: .40 - .53 2C or .52 - .72 4C
A swept-back shoulder wing? A fuselage that reminds you of a
fish? You either like it’s looks, or you don’t, but you’ll LOVE the
way it flies. Pacific’s new 40 size Aero Shark is big, fast, smooth
and very aerobatic, yet it’s slow speed handling is superb and it
lands like a trainer. As a second or third airplane, an aerobatic
trainer or a Sunday sport flyer, you can’t beat the high quality
AERO SHARK ARF.
Combo: w/TT Pro-46 engine.................$189.99
SALE! $119.99
Field Equipment Field Box (pre-built)
Two Drawer Field Box
• Fully assembled
• Painted and fuel proof
• Light weight
• Adjustable cradle
• Removable power compartment
Combo: Two Drawer Field Box (prebuilt) • 12v
7 amp maintenance free battery • 12V 500
mAh charger (AC) • Starter 150 • Standard
Power Panel • Electric Fuel Pump • Glow
starter w/charger • 4 way wrench . . $139.99
$39.99
Radio: Requires 4 Ch • 5 servos (3 standard, 2 Micro) •
Wing Span: 50 in. • Wing Area: 723 sq. in. • Length 40
in. • Flying Wt: 3.7-4.1 lbs • Engine: .25 - .35 cu.in. (2C)
or .30 - .40 (4C) • Color: Military, Red/Silver, Yellow
Radio: 4Ch (5 servos (3 standard, 2 micro)
Combo: w/Saito 40 engine ............$379.99
Tiger Moth ARF .30 Size • All wood construction.
• 95% ready to fly.
• Balsa Built-up upper and
lower wing plug in for
easy assembly.
• Pre-covered with real
iron-on film.
• Fiber glass cowl already
painted.
• Factory installed pull-pull
controls system on
rudder and elevator.
• Comes with all hardware
and accessories.
• Flies like a trainer.
• Both sizes come with
Flying Wire.
• Ready to fly in just 15
hours.
Radio: Requires 4 Ch • 5 servos • Wing Span: 78 in. •
Wing Area: 1841 sq. in. • Length 65.7 in. • Flying Wt:
10-11 lbs • Engine: .90 cu.in. (2C) or 1.20 (4C) • Color:
Military, Red/Silver, Yellow
Combo: w/Saito 120 engine...........$699.99
$219.99
$399.99
Tiger Moth ARF 1.20 Size
Radio: Requires 4 Ch • 6 servos • Wing Span: 82 in. •
Wing Area: 1175 sq. in. • Length 62.5 in. • Flying Wt:
12-13 lbs • Engine: 1.08-1.60 cu.in. (2C), 1.20-1.80
(4C) or 26cc (Gas)
“Gee Bee-Y” 120 size ARF • All Wood Construction.
• Pre-Covered in real iron
film.
• Fiberglass cowling (10
in. dia.) and wheel pants
already painted.
• Dummy engine included.
• 95% Factory Assembled.
• Ready to fly in just 12
hours.
• All hardware is included.
• Easy to fly.
• Plug in wing.
Combo: w/Saito 150 engine...........$733.99
Combo: w/Saito 180 engine...........$763.99
Combo: w/Zenoah G-26 engine.......$643.99
SALE! $379.99
1/4 Scale 3D Capable Laser 200
ARF
Laser 200 .40 size ARF
$319.99
• All wood construction
• 95% ready to fly
• Covered with real ironon
film. • Fiberglass cowl
and wheel pants. • Plug in
wings. • Ready to fly in
12 hours. • Double
beveling on both wing
and tail feathers.
Radio: Requires 4 Ch (5 servos) • Wing Span: 55 in. • Wing Area: 564
sq. in. • Flying Wt: 5.7 lbs • Engine: .40-.47 (2C), .50-.70 (4C) • Red
Combo W/ Saito FA-72. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $389.99
Combo W/ Thunder Tiger-46 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $259.99
$189.99
This light weight Starter has a comfortable size
that fits very well in one hand. The 3:1 geared
reduction design for starting engines up to 1.8
cu. in. The big cup and double side rubber cone
will fit from 1/2” prop nuts to 5” spinners.
PAM-1002B Starter . . . . . . . . . $44.99
• Functions as a regular power panel
and as a field charger for your Tx
(9.6V), Rx (4.8V or 6.0V) and glow
starter (1.2V).
• Never miss as day's flying because
of low batteries.
• Digital peak-detection, pulsecurrent
charger for Rx
(4.8V and 6.0 V).
• Charges NiCd and Ni-Mh batteries.
Power Panel PAC-MF0502 . $44.99
Portable Super Starter
(Assembled)
Super Starter with battery holder and 2 x
7.2V 1500 mah battery pack also including
1x charging adapter (Tamiya - Dean). We put
it together for you. Will start engines up to
2.1 cu. in.
PAM-1002PP Starter ..........$89.99
Super Starter
Small size but high torque.
Wingspan: 59" • Wing Area: 620 Sq. In. • Overall Length: 52 1/2" •
Weight: 6 lbs. • Wing Loading: 22.3 Oz./Sq. Ft. • Engine: .40 - .53 2C
or .56 - .72 4C • Radio: 4 Ch (6 standard servos)
Combo W/ Saito FA-72 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $419.99
Edge 540T 40/72 ARF
$209.99
Pacific’s new 40 and 60 size Edge
540T ARFs have all the big plane
features like plug-in wings, dual
aileron servos, tail mounted elevator
servos and a pull–pull rudder, and
they use normal sport engines and
standard radio equipment. Best of
all, they are specially designed to fly
with the smoothness and precision
of a much larger airplane.
Wingspan: 65" • Wing Area: 765 Sq. In. • Overall Length: 58 1/2" •
Weight: 8 lbs. • Wing Loading: 24.1 Oz./Sq. Ft • Engine : .61-.91(2C),
.80-1.00(4C) • Radio: 4 Ch (6 standard servos)
Combo W/ Saito FA-100 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $519.99
Edge 540T
60/100 ARF
$264.99
$439.9927% Edge 540T ARF
Pacific Aeromodel’s Edge 540T Series
For 3000mAh
battery
add $30.00.
10sig2.QXD 7/23/04 11:31 am Page 40
10101 Yucca Rd.
Adelanto CA 92301
(760) 246-6462
www.houseofbalsa.com
Scales, rubber strippers, coverings, kits:
Indoor Model Specialties
Ray Harlan
15 Happy Hollow Rd.
Wayland MA 01778
(508) 358-4013
Novice kits, SO materials, all supplies:
Indoor Model Supply
Lew Gitlow
Box 2020
Florence OR 97439
www.indoormodelsupply.com
The Indoor newsletter (one year for $15 in
US, $19 in Canada), articles, plans:
Indoor News and Views
Tim Goldstein, subscription editor
13096 W. Cross Dr.
Littleton CO 80127
www.indoorduration.com
(Download a free issue and subscribe)
P-24 kits, plans, supplies:
Mace Model Aircraft Co.
Don Mace
359 S. 119th East Ave.
Tulsa OK 74128
Scale kits, rubber, supplies:
Micro-X
Box 1063-A
Lorain OH 44055
(440) 282-8354
[email protected]
Classroom kit packs, SO, Delta Dart,
gliders:
Midwest Products Co., Inc.
Educational Products Division
Box 564
Hobart IN 46342
(800) 348-3497
www.midwestproducts.com
OS Film:
42 MODEL AVIATION
Alan Cohen
2115 State Route 31
Glen Gardner NJ 08826
Fax: (908) 537-0111
[email protected]
Kits, supplies:
Peck-Polymers
Box 710399
Santee CA 92072
(619) 488-1833
www.peck-polymers.com
Precision-cut balsa, basswood:
Specialized Balsa Wood
Jake Zimmer
1656 Carol Dr.
Loveland CO 80537
[email protected]
www.specializedbalsa.com
Supplies:
WES-Technik
Klosterstr. 12
D-72644 Oberboihingen
Germany
[email protected]
www.wes-technik.de/
Sites Containing More Information:
Cleveland Clowns Indoor page
www.indoorfreeflight.com
Bill Kuhl’s Delta Dart site
www.luminet.net/~bkuhl/rubber.htm
NFFS home page
http://freeflight.org/
Martin’s worldwide links
www.ivyandmartin.demon.co.uk/page
2.htm
Michael J. Woodhouse supplies
www.freeflightsupplies.co.uk
Tim Goldstein’s Indoor balsa
www.f1d.biz
Ed Wiley’s Web page
www.sunflower.com/~edwiley/
NIRAC Indoor RC
www.nirac.org
Tim Goldstein’s INAV site
www.indoorduration.com
Del Ogren’s Indoor site
www.n-lemma.com
Glen Davison’s Indoor site
http://people.ne.mediaone.net/indoor
Daniel Hartstein’s Indoor site:
http://w1.871.telia.com/~u87106779/
Thayer Syme’s FF site:
www.sirius.com/~thayer/modelhp.html
Mr. NiCd’s BATTERIES AMERICA
www.batteriesamerica.com
Autumn 2004 Specials (Order ONLINE too)
PLATINUM POLYMER
2-Cell Lithium Polymer Packs – with JST-BEC red conn.
Other connectors are available – please see our website or call us for details.
#2LP300* 7.4v 300mAh Li-POLY pk (13 gms/0.46oz) $20.95
#2LP400 7.4v 400mAh Li-POLY pk(18 gms/ 0.64oz) $18.95
#2LP650 7.4v 650mAh Li-POLY pk (28 gms/ 1 oz) $20.95
#2LP800* 7.4v 800mAh Li-POLY pk (34 gms/ 1.2oz) $27.95
#2LP900 7.4v 900mAh Li-POLY pk (38 gms/ 1.35oz)$23.95
#2LP1200 7.4v 1200mAh Li-POLY pk (48 gms/1.7oz) $25.95
#2LP1500*7.4v 1500mAh Li-POLY pk (62 gms/2.2oz) $39.95
#2LP1700 7.4v 1700mAh Li-POLY pk (68 gms/2.4 oz) $31.95
#2LP1900 7.4v 1900mAh Li-POLY pk (76 gms/2.7oz) $34.95
#2LP2200 7.4v 2200mAh Li-POLY pk (88 gms/3.3 oz) $38.95
*300, 800, & 1500mAh are HIGHER-AMP packs ( 5C discharge!)
QN-012BC charger QN-012DC charger VR5.4 / VR6.0
#QN-012BC Fast-Smart Charger (AC) for Li-POLY pk. $19.95
#QN-012DC Fast-Smart 12VDC charger for Li-POLYpk. $19.95
#VR5.4 Voltage Regulator –limits output to 5.4V max $19.95
#VR6.0 Voltage Regulator –limits output to 6.0V max $19.95
NEW Lithium Polymer cells – with E-Z solder tabs !
#P145 3.7v 145mAh Li-POLYcell (4 gms / 0.13 oz)$ 5.95ea
#P300* 3.7v 300mAh Li-POLYcell (6.5 gms /.23 oz)$ 7.95ea
#P400 3.7v 400mAh Li-POLYcell (9 gms / 0.32oz) $ 6.95ea
#P650 3.7v 650mAh Li-POLYcell (14 gms / 0.5 oz) $ 7.95ea
#P800* 3.7v 800mAh Li-POLYcell (17 gms / 0.6 oz) $10.95ea
#P900 3.7v 900mAh Li-POLYcell (19 gms/ 0.67oz) $ 9.95ea
#P1200 3.7v 1200mAh Li-POLY cell (24 gms/0.85oz) $10.95ea
#P1500*3.7v 1500mAh Li-POLY cell (31 gms/1.1oz) $15.95ea
#P1700 3.7v 1700mAh Li-POLY cell (34 gms/1.2oz) $12.95ea
#P1900 3.7v 1900mAh Li-POLY cell (38 gms/1.35oz)$13.95ea
#P2200 3.7v 2200mAh Li-POLY cell(44 gms/1.65oz)$14.95ea
*300, 800, & 1500mAh are HIGHER-AMP packs ( 5C discharge!)
Motor packs, R/C packs, TX packs, & more!
New HiCell electric flight Ni-MH packs!
For park flyers, etc. Shapes: A=Flat; B=twin-stick; C=two rows;
D=four sticks. JST conn.=add $3.00. Deans Ultra conn.=add $5.
Cell # size / mAh / $ each 7.2v 8.4v 9.6v 10.8v 12.0v
AP-350 1/3AA, 350mAh $2.50 $23.95 $26.95 $29.95 $32.95 $35.95
AP-700 2/3AA, 700mAh $2.50 $23.95 $26.95 $29.95 $32.95 $35.95
AP-1000 2/3A,1000mAh$3.00 $24.95 $27.95 $30.95 $33.95 $36.95
MOTOR PACKS w/ SANYO Ni-Cd cells (no connector):
Shapes (see above). Add deans ULTRA connector for $5.00 xtra
Cell # size /mAh / $ each 7.2v 8.4v 9.6v 10.8v 12.0v
N-500AR(2/3A 500mA) $2.50 $20.00 $24.00 $28.00 $32.00 $36.00
KR600AE(2/3A 600mA) $1.95 $17.00 $20.00 $23.00 $26.00 $29.00
SANYO Receiver Packs w/ Connector! (Flat or Square)
Choose Futaba J, JR-HITEC-Z, or AIRTRONICS(old) plug!
4.8 volt 700mAh (Standard AA NiCd, w/conn.) $ 9.95ea.
4.8 volt 1100mAh (long-life AA NiCd, w/conn.) $13.95ea.
4.8 volt 1700mAh (KR-1700AU Ni-Cd, w/conn.)$17.95ea.
4.8 volt 2100mAh (ULTRA AA Ni-MH, w/conn.) $19.95ea.
New & improved HEAVY 22-guage Connectors !
Specify Futaba J (FM), JR-HiTEC-Airt. Z, or AIRTRONICS(old)
Male or Female (1 conn):$2.00 / 3”or 6” Extn:$3.25
12” Extn: $ 3.50 / 24” Extn: $ 4.00 / 36” Extn:$ 4.50
Y-connector:$5.50 ea / Switch Harness:$6.50ea
SANYO Transmitter Packs w/leads. Shapes shown above
Choose SQUARE(D) or Side-by-Side (A). Add TX plug for $3.00.
9.6 volt 700mAh (square or SxS, w/ leads) $16.95ea.
9.6 volt 1100mAh (square or SxS, w/ leads) $22.95ea.
9.6 volt 1650mAh (Ni-MH square or SxS, w/ leads )$29.95ea.
Mail, Phone, Fax, or E-mail us. Pay w/ MC, VISA, DISC, AMEX
CALL OR WRITE FOR OUR FREE CATALOG
BATTERIES AMERICA 2211-D Parview Rd,
Middleton, WI 53562. To order, call TOLL FREE:
1-800-308-4805
Phone Inquiries: 608-831-3443 / Fax to us at : 608-831-1082
E-mail to us at: [email protected] S&H: $7.00 min.
DIVERSIFIED SOLUTIONS, LLC.
5932 Chicago Ave. South, Minneapolis, MN 55417
Ph: 1-612-243-1234 Fax: 1-612-243-8950
Email: [email protected] • Web: www.klasskote.com
For Color Chart and Information, Send SASE
Don’t Delay – Order Yours Today!
You Built the Best Model, So Use The Best Paint!
“Superior
Quality”
Epoxy Paint
System
Available in
Colors, Clear
& Primer.
38 Years of Extensive Field
Performance Provides
Outstanding Adhesion & Protection Against Many RC Model Fuels
10sig2.QXD 7/23/04 11:31 am Page 42