Control Line Scale-2007/12

CHILTON D.W.1A: This item started with my receiving an envelope
from AMA Headquarters that contained a handwritten letter and some
photos. The note indicated that I might be interested in the contents of
the envelope and was signed “Doug.” Some research revealed that the
note and photos had come from Doug Dahlke of Oshkosh, Wisconsin,
who has provided column material before.
Two D.H.
Technical School
students, A.
Dalrymple and A.R.
Ward, designed and
built the Chilton
D.W.1A as an
ultralight aircraft in
England in 1939. It
was the last of
several low-wing
monoplanes the two
designed and
[[email protected]]
Control Line Scale Bill Boss
Also included in this column:
• Hiding the elevator pushrod
• NASA Scale Resource Guide
• 1940s B-17 pull toy
In a photo from the 1960s a young Frank Beatty (Granite City IL)
flips his Chilton D.W.1A’s propeller. Tim Pansic photo.
Frank Beatty’s Chilton D.W.1A, a consistent winner in 1960s
competitions, powered by a K&B .35RC. Pansic photo.
A B-17 pull toy from the 1940s that is in remarkable condition.
Can anyone tell the author who made it? Pansic photo.
developed, and it was fully aerobatic. Power was provided by a
converted 32-horsepower English Ford 10 engine that was cheap to
produce.
A fourth version of the D.W.1A was produced in 1939 and equipped
with a newly developed French 44-horsepower engine. Reduction in the
weight of the airplane’s airframe and added power allowed it to perform
at high rates of speed and with operating efficiencies. In the air races of
the late 1930s the Chilton set speed records exceeding 125 mph.
According to Frank Beatty, the Chilton designers’ original intent
was to produce an airplane that could be bought for approximately 375
English pounds. However, World War II interrupted those plans when
the small air-cooled engine that contributed greatly to the airplane’s
early success was no longer available. The engine’s manufacture was
never resumed after World War II ended.
Frank, a modeling enthusiast who loves offbeat aircraft and biplanes,
chose the Chilton D.W.1A as a CL Scale project because of its
configuration, good flight characteristics, and wide landing-gear stance
that permits great landings and taxi runs. He built his to a scale of 1.75
inches = 1 foot.
That provided a wingspan of 42.75 inches and a fuselage that was
34.5 inches long. The Chilton’s overall weight was 53 ounces.
Power was provided by an inverted K&B .35RC engine controlled
via a three-line bellcrank system that operated the engine throttle and
actuated a three-piece split landing flap. When full down-elevator was
applied, a fuel-shutoff system was tripped.
The model’s configuration and size allowed for the engine to be
completely enclosed and still provide scale air inlets and the outwardflaring
sides of the engine cowling for cooling. The color scheme was
black with a white lightning bolt, and it was finished with the old
AeroGloss dope. The D.W.1A won many contests and was flown at the
AMA Nats during the 1960s.
Frank’s Chilton was not only a winner on the contest circuit in the
1960s, but it was also the inspiration for another young boy by the name
of Tim Pansic. He saw Frank and his Chilton at a local contest.
Tim told Frank that he read about the model in a feature article in an
early American Modeler magazine and that he admired Frank and his
aircraft. Then their paths crossed again sometime later, and they became
fast friends because of their love of modeling. So much so that the
Chilton D.W.1A now resides in a special place in Tim’s extensive
collection of models and model memorabilia.
Frank recently made a trip to the Glenn H. Curtiss Aviation Museum
in Hammondsport, New York, and upon acceptance he donated his
Curtiss CR-2 to the museum. Because of Frank’s many years of service
to modeling, his ability to turn out so many good models, and his
Frank Beatty and his Chilton D.W.1A
continued promotion of CL Scale, he was
recently inducted into the Model Aviation
Hall of Fame.
Hiding the elevator pushrod in a profile
fuselage has been a subject in a couple of
these columns during the past year. In a
recent E-mail Joe Eiben of Towson,
Maryland, suggested that there is an easy and
less complicated way of hiding the pushrod.
He noted that he used the method on his Miss
Los Angeles that was featured in the June
2007 column.
Joe uses a Dremel tool with a 3/16-inch ball
cutter to make a groove in the balsa fuselage.
Then he epoxies a Nyrod into the groove,
applies filler, sands everything smooth, and
covers the structure with MonoKote or paint.
Joe mentioned that you can make a guide
for cutting the groove or do it freehand. If you
don’t have a Dremel tool, any groove-cutting
X-Acto blades will do fine for the task.
Regardless of which method you use,
make sure the groove is just deep enough to
accept the Nyrod. This method is safe and
simple, and because of the Nyrod’s flexibility
you don’t have to follow a straight line. Using
this technique also improves the Profile
model’s scalelike appearance.
The true Scale modeler always needs scale
documentation. I recently received my copy
of the newest NASA Scale Resource Guide,
which is filled with listings of places where
scale documentation can be obtained. It
includes information about three-views,
government agencies, libraries, museums,
periodicals, journals, photos, Web sites, and
scale construction plans.
Gary Parenti of Westchester, Illinois,
edited and updated this edition of the
Resource Guide. Those of you who are
members of the National Association of Scale
Aeromodelers (NASA) and have received the
guide, which is included in the price of
membership, will probably agree that Gary did
an excellent job.
If you are not a NASA member, consider
joining; the NASA Scale Resource Guide alone
is worth every penny of membership costs.
They are $15 in the US, $17 in Canada, and
$22 everywhere else.
Membership also gets you Replica: the
bimonthly NASA newsletter. In addition, you
will belong to a great group of modelers that
supports Scale activities in the US.
If you are interested in joining NASA, send
your name, address, modeling area of interest,
and check to Bonnie Rediske. You can also
apply online.
A photo this month is of a World War II B-17
pull toy from Tim Pansic’s collection of
modeling memorabilia. The B-17, circa the
1940s, is made from pine and red mahogany
plywood, and it is in great condition for a toy
that is more than 60 years old. The wingspan is
approximately 21 inches, the fuselage is solid,
and the wing and tail surfaces are made from
3/16 plywood.
I asked Tim if he knew who made the toy,
and he didn’t. Can anyone out there tell us who
did?
My thanks to Doug Dahlke, Tim Pansic, and
Frank Beatty for their efforts and cooperation
in providing the material about and photos of
the Chilton D.W.1A. Thanks also to Joe Eiben
for his suggestions for hiding the elevator
pushrod.
As always, I am waiting to hear what you are
doing to help promote CL Scale. Please send
ideas, notice of upcoming CL Scale events,
contest reports, and especially photos of CL
Scale activity.
My E-mail address can be found at the top
of this column. If you prefer regular mail, send
it to me at 77-06 268th St., New Hyde Park NY
11040. Remember that 35mm film photos are
okay, and if your photos are from a digital
camera, please submit them on CD. MA
Sources:
NASA/Bonnie Rediske
128 Darnley Dr.
Moon Township PA 15108
www.nasascale.org