Control Line Scale - 2008/08

THE FEBRUARY 22-24, 2008, weekend
was when many modelers in the metropolitan
area of New York, New Jersey, and Long
Island headed to the Westchester County
Center in White Plains, New York, for the
yearly Westchester Radio AeroModelers’
WRAM Show.
Those who attended had the opportunity to
not only see what the 150 or so exhibitors had
on display, but to have face-to-face
discussions with them about the products. It
was also a chance for many of us to meet
modeling friends we might see only during the
summer, at competitions and flying sessions.
In addition, there was a static-model
competition, RC car racing, electric-flight
demonstrations, a model-building program,
and how-to seminars. On display was a 1914
Morane-Saulnier monoplane from Cole
Palen’s Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome collection
in Rhinebeck, New York. The type of Morane-Saulnier on display was
said to have been designed for Roland Garros to fly in the 1914
Monaco aviation rally.
This year I had the pleasure of a longtime modeling friend from the
old New York Scale Team, Warren Truppner, accompanying me to the
show. Some of you might remember seeing the team at local and
national competitions from the 1960s until the early 1980s. It’s good to
have someone along for discussion about what might be new and what
others might be interested in reading about.
Electric flight was in evidence throughout the show, because of the
large number of models and equipment shown to promote it. One of
the exhibits I found most interesting was that of Maxx Products
International, which displayed the Himax contrarotating-motor system
for driving two propellers at the same time—in opposite directions. If you have ever thought about building a
Scale model with contrarotating propellers
and are into electric flight, these motors can
be the answer. At present there are four units
available: CR6320, CR3516, CR5025, and
CR2816. Each is two motors in tandem, and
the front one has a hollow armature shaft
through which the rear motor shaft is placed.
Himax has a complete line of brushless
motors, as well as the controllers and
accessories needed to work them. Another of
its products I thought was interesting was the
variable-pitch-propeller control device and
motor. Again, a motor with a hollow armature
shaft is used. A rod that controls the variablepitch-
propeller device is placed through the
motor and can be activated using a servo.
I imagine that this propeller control would
be extremely effective when applied to many
of the small indoor models. For a complete
listing of all Himax products, visit the Maxx
Products International Web site.
Are you looking for a scale pilot to put the
finishing touches on and add realism to your
latest Scale project? Get in touch with Vailly
Aviation for a listing of pilots it has available
in bust or full-figured civilian and military
configurations. They are offered in painted or
unpainted versions and range from 1/9 to 1/3
scale.
In addition to the pilots, Vailly offers such
accessories as plans, fiberglass cowlings,
canopies, exhaust stacks, and more for several
large-scale warbirds including the P-47, Fw
190, and the Hawker series: the Hurricane,
Typhoon, Tempest, and Sea Fury.
Dave Brown, our most recently retired
AMA president, was at the WRAM Show
with a great display of Vortech Spinners, Lite
Flite Wheels, Dave Brown retracts, and
several types of motor mounts.
He also had the RCFS2001 RC flight
simulator. It combines the best of graphics
and flight characteristics, provides the choice
of aircraft or helicopter, and features four real
flying fields, including the AMA site at
Muncie, Indiana.
The simulator allows the user to customize
model-control sensitivities, stability, airfoil,
propeller, weight, and many other parameters
as he or she progresses in using the system.
There are also add-on aircraft libraries for the
RCFS2001 that include aerobatic airplanes,
trainers, and park flyers.
Whether you are an RC pilot or a CL flier
who is thinking about trying RC, the simulator
is a good place to start or to sharpen your
flying skills.
Marv Laster of eHobbyTools had an
extraordinary display of hobby-related tools.
It was such that you could hardly pass it by, so
I had to see what was being offered and
perhaps purchase something.
He had a great assortment of pliers,
clamps, hobby knives, glue, drill bits, pin
vises, screwdrivers, nut drivers, etc. There
was also a mini set of five SAE open-end
wrenches in sizes from 1/8 to 1/4 inch and a tap
and die set with thread sizes from 90 and 0-80
to 4-40, with two taps for each die size. Both
of those items would be useful to almost any
Scale builder.
Another item I liked was a lighted
magnifying device, which was available in
many sizes, for a desk or workbench. It
would be helpful to the Scale modeler when
working on cockpits and other fine details.
The WRAM Show features mainly RC
interests, but the CL modeler could use many
of the items and airplanes that the various
manufacturers exhibited this year. Several
scale and sport models that Top Flite, Great
Planes, E-flite, and Hangar 9 had are
intended for RC but could be converted to
CL with a little ingenuity. Most models at
the show were for electric flight and 40- and
60-size glow engines.
I realize that today’s focus at most
aeromodeling shows is toward the use of RC,
but many of the manufacturers would do
well to include plans in their kits that would
permit the conversion of their models to CL.
The placement of a bellcrank in the plans is
all that would be needed.
The CL modeler has, at his or her
disposal, multichannel electronic systems
(encoder and decoder) that would take the
place of a radio transmitter and receiver.
Servo placement for operational features
such as flaps, throttle, retracts, etc. could be
the same as in the use of a radio system.
Warbird Legends: I recently had a
nonmodeling friend to the house for dinner
and to look at some of the models I have
hanging in the basement. My PT-19 from the
1960s and Mosquito bomber from the 1980s
were the main topics of interest.
This friend was taken with the detail on
the models and seemed amazed by how
much time and effort we Scale modelers put
into a project. Approximately two weeks
after our get-together, he presented me with
the Warbird Legends book of great World
War II aircraft. He said that when browsing
through books at a local bookstore, he
noticed a layout of the Mosquito bomber and
thoughtfully presented me with the book.
Warbird Legends is great, and anyone
who loves World War II aircraft should have
it in his/her aeronautical library. It has 243
pages containing the history and
performance details of 20 of the greatest
aircraft of the period, including the P-51
Mustang, P-40 Kittyhawk, Bf 109G, Spitfire,
and Hurricane.
The aircraft shown are dressed up in the
color schemes that many pilots used during
battle. John M. Dibbs’ aerial photography of
the airplanes is magnificent. Tony Holmes
presents the history and performance details
in an easy-reading fashion.
Warbird Legends is published by Zenith
Press, which is a part of MBI Publishing
Company. You can find the book in most
Barnes & Noble or similar stores, and you
can obtain one for less than $20 when it’s on
sale.
Please send ideas, notice of upcoming CL
Scale events, contest reports, shop hints, and
news of current projects to my E-mail address
at the top of the column or by regular mail.
Photos from 35mm film are okay, and if you
send digital photos, please submit them on
disc.
By the time you read this column, the
flying season will be in full swing and
there should be some CL Scale activities
worth reporting. I hope to hear from many
of you. MA
Sources:
Bill Boss
77-06 269th St.
New Hyde Park NY 11040
Dave Brown Products
(513) 738-1576
www.dbproducts.com
eHobbyTools
(215) 750-9016
www.ehobbytools.com
Maxx Products International
(847) 438-2233
www.maxxprod.com
Vailly Aviation
(631) 732-4715
www.vaillyaviation.com
Zenith Press
(800) 766-2388
www.zenithpress.com