October 2003 137
CONTROL LINE AEROBATICS
Curt Contrata, 6783 Nightwind Cir., Orlando FL 32818; E-mail: [email protected]
SEVERAL COLUMNS have been written
regarding general construction techniques
and basically old-school methods. The
methods I have written about are the
foundation for producing an honest-flying
airplane, if not the perpetuation of our event.
However, anyone who has ever tried to
produce an accurate rib set from a set of
plans knows it can take an entire rainy
Saturday. I must admit that it is not my
favorite thing to do when it comes to
modeling.
Many different methods of producing rib
sets have been devised throughout the years,
including some that require special, and
often interesting, construction techniques to
go with them. I don’t feel that any one
method is ultimately easier than the rest, but
the variety of techniques certainly keeps
what we do from getting boring. If you have
made a few frustrated attempts at carving up
a set of perfect ribs, only to find that you
wasted not only a weekend but all of your
best wood, there is still hope.
It is time that I wrote about possibly the
greatest advancement for every facet of
model making in a long time: laser cutting.
This has become a common method with
which manufacturers produce quality kits of
all types. Rarely, if ever, is there a win-win
situation for manufacturers and consumers,
but this is definitely one to put on the list.
Laser cutting is better for the
manufacturer because it does not require
any special tooling to produce a new
product or when modifications are required
TopFlite’s new ARF Nobler is covered with MonoKote and comes ready for final
assembly. The cowl is fiberglass, and the model’s finished weight is 42-50 ounces.
Another new ARF is the fully covered and ready-to-assemble Flite Streak. The
advertisement claims that it can be flyable in just two to three hours.
to correct an existing one. For the consumer,
the result is a product of much higher
quality than with the old die-cut method.
Not only that, but since no special
tooling is required, extremely short runs of
specialty kits can be produced at reasonable
prices.
Wait! It gets even better! The same tool
that is used to cut our kits can be used to do
a variety of other things, so more laser
cutters are showing up across the country,
and many of them offer affordable cutting
services directly to modelers.
This is where things start to get exciting.
Now it is possible for a club, or even an
individual modeler, to produce a small
number of rib sets, or even only one custom
set, made exactly to specifications.
Since the ribs are cut exactly the way
you want them, you can have them cut with
features that might help you during
construction. These do not have to be new
ideas; they can simply be refined versions of
what various kit manufacturers have
attempted in years past with limited success
because of poor dies and bad wood.
Berkeley once produced a kit for a
model called the Interceptor 35. It was a
horrible kit, but it had some clever features.
The vertical spar was notched in such a way
that the ribs would snap into position when
they slid onto it. However, it did not work
very well in practice because of the quality
for which that company was infamous. Still,
it is a great example of how we can design
into our parts some mechanical advantage to
aid us during construction.
The Carl Goldberg kits often had
detachable feet on the ribs to help keep the
wing straight when building on a flat
surface. A variation of this was the way
Midwest Products produced the Dave
Hemstrought PT-19 kit. On it, there was a
detachable portion on the underside of the
ribs, forming a flat spot on their bottoms.
Once the wing was taken from the board and
ready for sheeting and capstrips, the
portions of the ribs were glued back in place
to form the complete ribs.
I like to add feet to my ribs, similar to
that of the Carl Goldberg method. The
wings I am building now have molded-sheet
leading edges. The way the ribs are cut, the
foot starts just aft of the spar so I can mount
the molded leading edge while still on the
board. Where the bottom trailing edge goes,
I make a 1⁄16-inch slot so the top and bottom
pieces can be glued in place while still on
the board. Small tabs hold the feet in place
until the bottom capstrips are applied.
If you build on rods, there is no better
way to get all of the holes in perfect
alignment than with laser cutting. There is
no limit to what you can have cut, with
whatever features might be advantageous
for you to construct a better model. While
you are at it, what you have cut does not
have to be limited to parts. Lasers can cut
fixture blocks just as accurately, or perhaps
an entire fixture system, with plywood cut
as easily as balsa.
With laser cutting, you are charged for
laser time; the more time it takes to cut the
parts, the more you are charged. With that in
mind, the price for two sets of normal ribs I
had done was $25, and the cutter supplied
the wood. The next few sets I had done were
quite a bit fancier, with provisions for my
fixture system. Those rib sets were
approximately $23 per set, and I supplied
the wood.
Since laser time could add up for an
entire model, I limit its use to rib sets, with
all larger parts and the squared ones such as
fuselage formers cut by hand. The company
138 MODEL AVIATION
3 CHANNEL PROFILE R/C KITS FOR INDOOR/BACKYARD FLYING
OVER A DOZEN MODELS OF WWI, WWII, AND CLASSIC CIVILIAN
AIRCRAFT AVAILABLE WITH MORE VERSIONS TO FOLLOW!
• Electric motor(s) with prop
and gear reduction included.
• Highly prefabricated for very short
building times.
• 3-4 functions: rudder, aileron & elevator
(rudder & ailerons on one servo, or on separate servos.)
• Laser-cut wood parts for an
accurate fit.
• Propeller and spinner included.
• Landing gear and wheels included.
(some kits have removable gear for grass field flying.)
• Contact your local hobby shop, or order direct at: www.djaerotech.com
DJ AEROTECH • 719 Fisk Street • Piqua, OH 45356 • (937) 773-6772
Prices subject to change without notice.
Ryan ST / PT-16
Wingspan: 28.1 in. • Length: 20.2 in.
Weight: 4.5-5.5 oz. (ready to fly)
Wing Loading: 5.5-6.7 oz/sq. ft.
Single motor WWII kits . . $48.95
Lockheed P-38 . . . . . . . . $56.95
Curtiss Jenny. . . . . . . . . . $64.95
Sopwith Camel . . . . . . . . $64.95
Fokker Triplane . . . . . . . . $65.95
DC-3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $66.95
Lockheed Electra. . . . . . . $68.95
Piper J-3 Cub . . . . . . . . . $51.95
Curtiss-Wright Junior. . . . $51.95
Ryan ST / PT-16 . . . . . . . $59.95
B-17F . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $124.95
(Shipping & Handling extra)
We
carry
E-tec Li-Poly
batteries &
chargers
I have used with great results is Laser Arts
Custom Laser Cutting, but many others
offer this service at competitive prices.
All companies take computer-aided
design (CAD) files, and some will take
other file formats. All of them seem to
offer some form of drafting services, but
usually at an additional cost. The Internet is
the best place to search for a company to
do your cutting; then you can E-mail the
file.
If you are interested in the laser-cutting
option for your next set of ribs but do not
have access to the Internet or a CAD
program, ask around in your group of
flying buddies. This technology is
becoming so commonplace that someone in
your circle of friends is bound to be able to
help you out.
Something that began as what many
thought to be an April Fools’ joke on the
Internet has become a reality: Almost
Ready to Flys (ARFs) for Control Line.
This is not a new concept overall, but the
exciting thing is the specific models chosen
for introduction and their prices.
The Flite Streak and the TopFlite greenbox
Nobler are now available through
Great Planes Model Distributors as ARFs
for prices that compete with their unbuilt
kit equivalents at $69 and $109
respectively.
Many suspected that one day we would
see something besides Fédération
Aéronautique Internationale Combat
models available in ARF form, but it seems
like these two have come along rather
unexpectedly and at incredible prices.
It will be interesting to see how well
they are accepted and if events will be
designed around them. I think it would be
fun to race the Flite Streaks in the morning
then fly Combat with them in the
afternoon, and I can imagine an all-ARFNobler
Stunt event.
There is even a new stunting 1⁄2A in the
works from Estes called the Hyper Viper,
available through Tower Hobbies. It is
lighter than the former Me 109 and has a
stiffer wing. The fuselage nose is stronger
than that of models in the past; the engine
is bolted to the firewall, resulting in a
stiffer nose with less vibration and better
engine runs.
Mike Pratt claims that in the hands of a
good pilot, the Hyper Viper can do the
pattern on 35-foot Dacron lines.
Admittedly, this is with some difficulty on
the Hourglass and a rule-book-size Four
Leaf Clover; however, you can get more
performance by boosting the nitro, adding
Tee Dee components, and using 42-foot
.008 lines.
The Hyper Viper has a 27-inch
wingspan, weighs 91⁄2 ounces, has
adjustable controls, tip weight, and leadout
guide. Mike says the Hyper Viper is a blast
to fly, and it is priced at just $49.99.
If you have never flown a Bi-Slob, now
is your chance. Brodak Manufacturing is
producing it, and I cannot believe it has
taken so long for someone to produce this
kit. I had always wanted to build one, and I
did when the plans became available a few
years ago. It was designed to be simple to
construct, and it can be assembled in record
time.
Keep the Bi-Slob light, fly it as slow as
you can, and overcontrol it like crazy. It will
take awhile to get the hang of it and gain
confidence in the model and its unique flying
ability, so give it a chance. It breaks every
rule you know about flying, and it could be
the most fun you will ever have with a
Control Line model. I am a firm believer that
everyone should have a Bi-Slob one day.
Keep the E-mails, letters, and pictures
coming. They are always appreciated. MA
Sources:
Laser Arts Custom Laser Cutting
http://members.aol.com/laserartco/
Brodak Manufacturing
100 Park Ave.
Carmichaels PA 1532
(724) 966-2726
[email protected]
www.brodak.com
ARF Flite Streak and Nobler:
Great Planes Model Distributors
Box 9021
Champaign IL 61826
www.top-flite.com/index.html
Cox Hyper Viper:
Tower Hobbies
Box 9078
Champaign IL 61826-9078
(800) 637-6050
www.towerhobbies.com/
Edition: Model Aviation - 2003/10
Page Numbers: 137,138,139
Edition: Model Aviation - 2003/10
Page Numbers: 137,138,139
October 2003 137
CONTROL LINE AEROBATICS
Curt Contrata, 6783 Nightwind Cir., Orlando FL 32818; E-mail: [email protected]
SEVERAL COLUMNS have been written
regarding general construction techniques
and basically old-school methods. The
methods I have written about are the
foundation for producing an honest-flying
airplane, if not the perpetuation of our event.
However, anyone who has ever tried to
produce an accurate rib set from a set of
plans knows it can take an entire rainy
Saturday. I must admit that it is not my
favorite thing to do when it comes to
modeling.
Many different methods of producing rib
sets have been devised throughout the years,
including some that require special, and
often interesting, construction techniques to
go with them. I don’t feel that any one
method is ultimately easier than the rest, but
the variety of techniques certainly keeps
what we do from getting boring. If you have
made a few frustrated attempts at carving up
a set of perfect ribs, only to find that you
wasted not only a weekend but all of your
best wood, there is still hope.
It is time that I wrote about possibly the
greatest advancement for every facet of
model making in a long time: laser cutting.
This has become a common method with
which manufacturers produce quality kits of
all types. Rarely, if ever, is there a win-win
situation for manufacturers and consumers,
but this is definitely one to put on the list.
Laser cutting is better for the
manufacturer because it does not require
any special tooling to produce a new
product or when modifications are required
TopFlite’s new ARF Nobler is covered with MonoKote and comes ready for final
assembly. The cowl is fiberglass, and the model’s finished weight is 42-50 ounces.
Another new ARF is the fully covered and ready-to-assemble Flite Streak. The
advertisement claims that it can be flyable in just two to three hours.
to correct an existing one. For the consumer,
the result is a product of much higher
quality than with the old die-cut method.
Not only that, but since no special
tooling is required, extremely short runs of
specialty kits can be produced at reasonable
prices.
Wait! It gets even better! The same tool
that is used to cut our kits can be used to do
a variety of other things, so more laser
cutters are showing up across the country,
and many of them offer affordable cutting
services directly to modelers.
This is where things start to get exciting.
Now it is possible for a club, or even an
individual modeler, to produce a small
number of rib sets, or even only one custom
set, made exactly to specifications.
Since the ribs are cut exactly the way
you want them, you can have them cut with
features that might help you during
construction. These do not have to be new
ideas; they can simply be refined versions of
what various kit manufacturers have
attempted in years past with limited success
because of poor dies and bad wood.
Berkeley once produced a kit for a
model called the Interceptor 35. It was a
horrible kit, but it had some clever features.
The vertical spar was notched in such a way
that the ribs would snap into position when
they slid onto it. However, it did not work
very well in practice because of the quality
for which that company was infamous. Still,
it is a great example of how we can design
into our parts some mechanical advantage to
aid us during construction.
The Carl Goldberg kits often had
detachable feet on the ribs to help keep the
wing straight when building on a flat
surface. A variation of this was the way
Midwest Products produced the Dave
Hemstrought PT-19 kit. On it, there was a
detachable portion on the underside of the
ribs, forming a flat spot on their bottoms.
Once the wing was taken from the board and
ready for sheeting and capstrips, the
portions of the ribs were glued back in place
to form the complete ribs.
I like to add feet to my ribs, similar to
that of the Carl Goldberg method. The
wings I am building now have molded-sheet
leading edges. The way the ribs are cut, the
foot starts just aft of the spar so I can mount
the molded leading edge while still on the
board. Where the bottom trailing edge goes,
I make a 1⁄16-inch slot so the top and bottom
pieces can be glued in place while still on
the board. Small tabs hold the feet in place
until the bottom capstrips are applied.
If you build on rods, there is no better
way to get all of the holes in perfect
alignment than with laser cutting. There is
no limit to what you can have cut, with
whatever features might be advantageous
for you to construct a better model. While
you are at it, what you have cut does not
have to be limited to parts. Lasers can cut
fixture blocks just as accurately, or perhaps
an entire fixture system, with plywood cut
as easily as balsa.
With laser cutting, you are charged for
laser time; the more time it takes to cut the
parts, the more you are charged. With that in
mind, the price for two sets of normal ribs I
had done was $25, and the cutter supplied
the wood. The next few sets I had done were
quite a bit fancier, with provisions for my
fixture system. Those rib sets were
approximately $23 per set, and I supplied
the wood.
Since laser time could add up for an
entire model, I limit its use to rib sets, with
all larger parts and the squared ones such as
fuselage formers cut by hand. The company
138 MODEL AVIATION
3 CHANNEL PROFILE R/C KITS FOR INDOOR/BACKYARD FLYING
OVER A DOZEN MODELS OF WWI, WWII, AND CLASSIC CIVILIAN
AIRCRAFT AVAILABLE WITH MORE VERSIONS TO FOLLOW!
• Electric motor(s) with prop
and gear reduction included.
• Highly prefabricated for very short
building times.
• 3-4 functions: rudder, aileron & elevator
(rudder & ailerons on one servo, or on separate servos.)
• Laser-cut wood parts for an
accurate fit.
• Propeller and spinner included.
• Landing gear and wheels included.
(some kits have removable gear for grass field flying.)
• Contact your local hobby shop, or order direct at: www.djaerotech.com
DJ AEROTECH • 719 Fisk Street • Piqua, OH 45356 • (937) 773-6772
Prices subject to change without notice.
Ryan ST / PT-16
Wingspan: 28.1 in. • Length: 20.2 in.
Weight: 4.5-5.5 oz. (ready to fly)
Wing Loading: 5.5-6.7 oz/sq. ft.
Single motor WWII kits . . $48.95
Lockheed P-38 . . . . . . . . $56.95
Curtiss Jenny. . . . . . . . . . $64.95
Sopwith Camel . . . . . . . . $64.95
Fokker Triplane . . . . . . . . $65.95
DC-3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $66.95
Lockheed Electra. . . . . . . $68.95
Piper J-3 Cub . . . . . . . . . $51.95
Curtiss-Wright Junior. . . . $51.95
Ryan ST / PT-16 . . . . . . . $59.95
B-17F . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $124.95
(Shipping & Handling extra)
We
carry
E-tec Li-Poly
batteries &
chargers
I have used with great results is Laser Arts
Custom Laser Cutting, but many others
offer this service at competitive prices.
All companies take computer-aided
design (CAD) files, and some will take
other file formats. All of them seem to
offer some form of drafting services, but
usually at an additional cost. The Internet is
the best place to search for a company to
do your cutting; then you can E-mail the
file.
If you are interested in the laser-cutting
option for your next set of ribs but do not
have access to the Internet or a CAD
program, ask around in your group of
flying buddies. This technology is
becoming so commonplace that someone in
your circle of friends is bound to be able to
help you out.
Something that began as what many
thought to be an April Fools’ joke on the
Internet has become a reality: Almost
Ready to Flys (ARFs) for Control Line.
This is not a new concept overall, but the
exciting thing is the specific models chosen
for introduction and their prices.
The Flite Streak and the TopFlite greenbox
Nobler are now available through
Great Planes Model Distributors as ARFs
for prices that compete with their unbuilt
kit equivalents at $69 and $109
respectively.
Many suspected that one day we would
see something besides Fédération
Aéronautique Internationale Combat
models available in ARF form, but it seems
like these two have come along rather
unexpectedly and at incredible prices.
It will be interesting to see how well
they are accepted and if events will be
designed around them. I think it would be
fun to race the Flite Streaks in the morning
then fly Combat with them in the
afternoon, and I can imagine an all-ARFNobler
Stunt event.
There is even a new stunting 1⁄2A in the
works from Estes called the Hyper Viper,
available through Tower Hobbies. It is
lighter than the former Me 109 and has a
stiffer wing. The fuselage nose is stronger
than that of models in the past; the engine
is bolted to the firewall, resulting in a
stiffer nose with less vibration and better
engine runs.
Mike Pratt claims that in the hands of a
good pilot, the Hyper Viper can do the
pattern on 35-foot Dacron lines.
Admittedly, this is with some difficulty on
the Hourglass and a rule-book-size Four
Leaf Clover; however, you can get more
performance by boosting the nitro, adding
Tee Dee components, and using 42-foot
.008 lines.
The Hyper Viper has a 27-inch
wingspan, weighs 91⁄2 ounces, has
adjustable controls, tip weight, and leadout
guide. Mike says the Hyper Viper is a blast
to fly, and it is priced at just $49.99.
If you have never flown a Bi-Slob, now
is your chance. Brodak Manufacturing is
producing it, and I cannot believe it has
taken so long for someone to produce this
kit. I had always wanted to build one, and I
did when the plans became available a few
years ago. It was designed to be simple to
construct, and it can be assembled in record
time.
Keep the Bi-Slob light, fly it as slow as
you can, and overcontrol it like crazy. It will
take awhile to get the hang of it and gain
confidence in the model and its unique flying
ability, so give it a chance. It breaks every
rule you know about flying, and it could be
the most fun you will ever have with a
Control Line model. I am a firm believer that
everyone should have a Bi-Slob one day.
Keep the E-mails, letters, and pictures
coming. They are always appreciated. MA
Sources:
Laser Arts Custom Laser Cutting
http://members.aol.com/laserartco/
Brodak Manufacturing
100 Park Ave.
Carmichaels PA 1532
(724) 966-2726
[email protected]
www.brodak.com
ARF Flite Streak and Nobler:
Great Planes Model Distributors
Box 9021
Champaign IL 61826
www.top-flite.com/index.html
Cox Hyper Viper:
Tower Hobbies
Box 9078
Champaign IL 61826-9078
(800) 637-6050
www.towerhobbies.com/
Edition: Model Aviation - 2003/10
Page Numbers: 137,138,139
October 2003 137
CONTROL LINE AEROBATICS
Curt Contrata, 6783 Nightwind Cir., Orlando FL 32818; E-mail: [email protected]
SEVERAL COLUMNS have been written
regarding general construction techniques
and basically old-school methods. The
methods I have written about are the
foundation for producing an honest-flying
airplane, if not the perpetuation of our event.
However, anyone who has ever tried to
produce an accurate rib set from a set of
plans knows it can take an entire rainy
Saturday. I must admit that it is not my
favorite thing to do when it comes to
modeling.
Many different methods of producing rib
sets have been devised throughout the years,
including some that require special, and
often interesting, construction techniques to
go with them. I don’t feel that any one
method is ultimately easier than the rest, but
the variety of techniques certainly keeps
what we do from getting boring. If you have
made a few frustrated attempts at carving up
a set of perfect ribs, only to find that you
wasted not only a weekend but all of your
best wood, there is still hope.
It is time that I wrote about possibly the
greatest advancement for every facet of
model making in a long time: laser cutting.
This has become a common method with
which manufacturers produce quality kits of
all types. Rarely, if ever, is there a win-win
situation for manufacturers and consumers,
but this is definitely one to put on the list.
Laser cutting is better for the
manufacturer because it does not require
any special tooling to produce a new
product or when modifications are required
TopFlite’s new ARF Nobler is covered with MonoKote and comes ready for final
assembly. The cowl is fiberglass, and the model’s finished weight is 42-50 ounces.
Another new ARF is the fully covered and ready-to-assemble Flite Streak. The
advertisement claims that it can be flyable in just two to three hours.
to correct an existing one. For the consumer,
the result is a product of much higher
quality than with the old die-cut method.
Not only that, but since no special
tooling is required, extremely short runs of
specialty kits can be produced at reasonable
prices.
Wait! It gets even better! The same tool
that is used to cut our kits can be used to do
a variety of other things, so more laser
cutters are showing up across the country,
and many of them offer affordable cutting
services directly to modelers.
This is where things start to get exciting.
Now it is possible for a club, or even an
individual modeler, to produce a small
number of rib sets, or even only one custom
set, made exactly to specifications.
Since the ribs are cut exactly the way
you want them, you can have them cut with
features that might help you during
construction. These do not have to be new
ideas; they can simply be refined versions of
what various kit manufacturers have
attempted in years past with limited success
because of poor dies and bad wood.
Berkeley once produced a kit for a
model called the Interceptor 35. It was a
horrible kit, but it had some clever features.
The vertical spar was notched in such a way
that the ribs would snap into position when
they slid onto it. However, it did not work
very well in practice because of the quality
for which that company was infamous. Still,
it is a great example of how we can design
into our parts some mechanical advantage to
aid us during construction.
The Carl Goldberg kits often had
detachable feet on the ribs to help keep the
wing straight when building on a flat
surface. A variation of this was the way
Midwest Products produced the Dave
Hemstrought PT-19 kit. On it, there was a
detachable portion on the underside of the
ribs, forming a flat spot on their bottoms.
Once the wing was taken from the board and
ready for sheeting and capstrips, the
portions of the ribs were glued back in place
to form the complete ribs.
I like to add feet to my ribs, similar to
that of the Carl Goldberg method. The
wings I am building now have molded-sheet
leading edges. The way the ribs are cut, the
foot starts just aft of the spar so I can mount
the molded leading edge while still on the
board. Where the bottom trailing edge goes,
I make a 1⁄16-inch slot so the top and bottom
pieces can be glued in place while still on
the board. Small tabs hold the feet in place
until the bottom capstrips are applied.
If you build on rods, there is no better
way to get all of the holes in perfect
alignment than with laser cutting. There is
no limit to what you can have cut, with
whatever features might be advantageous
for you to construct a better model. While
you are at it, what you have cut does not
have to be limited to parts. Lasers can cut
fixture blocks just as accurately, or perhaps
an entire fixture system, with plywood cut
as easily as balsa.
With laser cutting, you are charged for
laser time; the more time it takes to cut the
parts, the more you are charged. With that in
mind, the price for two sets of normal ribs I
had done was $25, and the cutter supplied
the wood. The next few sets I had done were
quite a bit fancier, with provisions for my
fixture system. Those rib sets were
approximately $23 per set, and I supplied
the wood.
Since laser time could add up for an
entire model, I limit its use to rib sets, with
all larger parts and the squared ones such as
fuselage formers cut by hand. The company
138 MODEL AVIATION
3 CHANNEL PROFILE R/C KITS FOR INDOOR/BACKYARD FLYING
OVER A DOZEN MODELS OF WWI, WWII, AND CLASSIC CIVILIAN
AIRCRAFT AVAILABLE WITH MORE VERSIONS TO FOLLOW!
• Electric motor(s) with prop
and gear reduction included.
• Highly prefabricated for very short
building times.
• 3-4 functions: rudder, aileron & elevator
(rudder & ailerons on one servo, or on separate servos.)
• Laser-cut wood parts for an
accurate fit.
• Propeller and spinner included.
• Landing gear and wheels included.
(some kits have removable gear for grass field flying.)
• Contact your local hobby shop, or order direct at: www.djaerotech.com
DJ AEROTECH • 719 Fisk Street • Piqua, OH 45356 • (937) 773-6772
Prices subject to change without notice.
Ryan ST / PT-16
Wingspan: 28.1 in. • Length: 20.2 in.
Weight: 4.5-5.5 oz. (ready to fly)
Wing Loading: 5.5-6.7 oz/sq. ft.
Single motor WWII kits . . $48.95
Lockheed P-38 . . . . . . . . $56.95
Curtiss Jenny. . . . . . . . . . $64.95
Sopwith Camel . . . . . . . . $64.95
Fokker Triplane . . . . . . . . $65.95
DC-3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $66.95
Lockheed Electra. . . . . . . $68.95
Piper J-3 Cub . . . . . . . . . $51.95
Curtiss-Wright Junior. . . . $51.95
Ryan ST / PT-16 . . . . . . . $59.95
B-17F . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $124.95
(Shipping & Handling extra)
We
carry
E-tec Li-Poly
batteries &
chargers
I have used with great results is Laser Arts
Custom Laser Cutting, but many others
offer this service at competitive prices.
All companies take computer-aided
design (CAD) files, and some will take
other file formats. All of them seem to
offer some form of drafting services, but
usually at an additional cost. The Internet is
the best place to search for a company to
do your cutting; then you can E-mail the
file.
If you are interested in the laser-cutting
option for your next set of ribs but do not
have access to the Internet or a CAD
program, ask around in your group of
flying buddies. This technology is
becoming so commonplace that someone in
your circle of friends is bound to be able to
help you out.
Something that began as what many
thought to be an April Fools’ joke on the
Internet has become a reality: Almost
Ready to Flys (ARFs) for Control Line.
This is not a new concept overall, but the
exciting thing is the specific models chosen
for introduction and their prices.
The Flite Streak and the TopFlite greenbox
Nobler are now available through
Great Planes Model Distributors as ARFs
for prices that compete with their unbuilt
kit equivalents at $69 and $109
respectively.
Many suspected that one day we would
see something besides Fédération
Aéronautique Internationale Combat
models available in ARF form, but it seems
like these two have come along rather
unexpectedly and at incredible prices.
It will be interesting to see how well
they are accepted and if events will be
designed around them. I think it would be
fun to race the Flite Streaks in the morning
then fly Combat with them in the
afternoon, and I can imagine an all-ARFNobler
Stunt event.
There is even a new stunting 1⁄2A in the
works from Estes called the Hyper Viper,
available through Tower Hobbies. It is
lighter than the former Me 109 and has a
stiffer wing. The fuselage nose is stronger
than that of models in the past; the engine
is bolted to the firewall, resulting in a
stiffer nose with less vibration and better
engine runs.
Mike Pratt claims that in the hands of a
good pilot, the Hyper Viper can do the
pattern on 35-foot Dacron lines.
Admittedly, this is with some difficulty on
the Hourglass and a rule-book-size Four
Leaf Clover; however, you can get more
performance by boosting the nitro, adding
Tee Dee components, and using 42-foot
.008 lines.
The Hyper Viper has a 27-inch
wingspan, weighs 91⁄2 ounces, has
adjustable controls, tip weight, and leadout
guide. Mike says the Hyper Viper is a blast
to fly, and it is priced at just $49.99.
If you have never flown a Bi-Slob, now
is your chance. Brodak Manufacturing is
producing it, and I cannot believe it has
taken so long for someone to produce this
kit. I had always wanted to build one, and I
did when the plans became available a few
years ago. It was designed to be simple to
construct, and it can be assembled in record
time.
Keep the Bi-Slob light, fly it as slow as
you can, and overcontrol it like crazy. It will
take awhile to get the hang of it and gain
confidence in the model and its unique flying
ability, so give it a chance. It breaks every
rule you know about flying, and it could be
the most fun you will ever have with a
Control Line model. I am a firm believer that
everyone should have a Bi-Slob one day.
Keep the E-mails, letters, and pictures
coming. They are always appreciated. MA
Sources:
Laser Arts Custom Laser Cutting
http://members.aol.com/laserartco/
Brodak Manufacturing
100 Park Ave.
Carmichaels PA 1532
(724) 966-2726
[email protected]
www.brodak.com
ARF Flite Streak and Nobler:
Great Planes Model Distributors
Box 9021
Champaign IL 61826
www.top-flite.com/index.html
Cox Hyper Viper:
Tower Hobbies
Box 9078
Champaign IL 61826-9078
(800) 637-6050
www.towerhobbies.com/
