First at Last!

I THE BATTLE Britain Spitfires Hur ricanes famous No 71 Eagle Squadron Royal Air Force part heritage Americas first ace World War II William R Dunn age 61 has given up flying fighters now active radio-control modeler AMA 82765 member Pikes Peak RC Club Colorado Springs Colorado content designing building flying RC models acting judge club contests between numerous other activities interests Retired United States Air Force Lieutenant Colonel veteran 38 years military service dur ing served armed forces three countries fought three wars found himself wounded four times Quite record August 27 1941 stands hallmark Dunn Pilot Officer Royal Air Force No 71 Eagle Squad ron destroyed two German Me-109 fight ers Spitfire Mark hA became Americas first ace WW II fact made known some time full recognition bestowed W R Dunn until 1965 time donated some Eagle Squadron mementoes Air Force museum Wright-Patterson AFB after complete investigation United States Air Force Royal Air Force confirmed I -1 K fact Pilot Officer Dunn credited total five half victories Au gust 27 1941 US Army Air Force histo rians credited Lt Boyd Buzz Wag ner honor over 20 years record books have corrected Bill firstat last military service Bill known local modelers began 1934 enlisted US 4th Infantry Regiment Fort Lincoln North Dakota Serving out enlistment again signed name line Vancouver British Columbia September 1939 found himself England Seaforth Highlanders Regiment Canadian Army Sergeant mortar platoon Combat action France Cana dian forces fast furious until British Expeditionary Force pushed off Europe Dunkirk Bill last soldiers evacuated some time carried missing action remained Seaforth Highlanders part defense Britain against German invasion As Battle Britain raging skies above Bill found himself still ground longing join flying fighting Spitfires Hurricanes August 1940 chance cockpit Firing Lewis machine gun single handed downed two JU-87B Stuka dive bombers attacking January1978 29 lop lIIot Utticer Uunn cockpIt 0 Spitlire belonging No 71 Eagle Squadron 1941 Badly wounded after two victories made him en ace wartime record overlooked 25 years Above Sergeant Dunn England 1940 after shooting down two Stukasfrom ground Fought Canadian regiment Hurricane Dunn ran up 3-1/2 kills first also being first victory Eagle Squad ron Note four kills cowl front Walt Disney Fighting Eagle character 30 Model Aviation camp near Borden Hampshire England aircraft accredited total kills pilot During December 1940 Royal Air Force dire need fighter pilots call went out army units volunteers needed minimum requirement total 500 flying hours Bill told little white lie little over 100 hours soon found him self service flying school Miles Master aircraft graduated three weeks ahead time though never flown 900-hp airplane equipped flaps retractable landing gear adjustable prop grand total 164 hours about become fullfledged fighter pilot Hurricane after receiving seven hours machine firing guns twice total 171 hours posted No 71 Eagle Squadron combat-ready pilot Hurricane MKIIA After several months combat opera tions Bill claimed first victory Me109 July 2 1941 first also Eagle Squadrons first aerial victory July 6 shared another victory over Me-109 Polish pilot 306 Squadron bringing total half Mid-August 1941 found squadron being equipped long-awaited Spitfires Bills victory mark three half two Me-109s being shot down interim quite happy say good-bye Hurricane Me-109 outclassed air had two bail-outs due engine fire take off other after allowing Me-109 get too close riddle ship flaming over English Channel August 27 1941 Bill squeezed cockpit Spiffire hA what would historic mission over 100 combat missions under belt escort Blenheim bombers over Lille steelworks France day Bill credited two Me- 109 kills making him first American Ace World War II course action badly wounded managed strug gle back across channel Hawkinge field near Folkestone landed Packed off hospital wounds classed serious front right foot amputated two German machine gun bullets removed right leg another bullet found have creased scalp After hospital stay three months flown last combat mis sion Royal Air Force Promoted Flying Officer W R Dunns name dropped Eagle Squadron roster About time war correspondents comparing American-manned Royal Air Force fighter squadrons famed Lafayette Escadrille World War As Bill out action wounds re ceived little no publicity take over 25 years give Dunn full credit Americas first Ace World War II Tern Hill Flying School England 1940 Dunn poses Miles Master advanced trainer spite RAF requirement 500 hours Dunn managed qualify some 100 hours telling white lie 171 hours posted No 71 Squadron combat ready Following convalescent leave assigned Flight Lieutenant Canada fighter OTU instructor Royal Canadian Air Force combat experience passed fledgling pilots instructed combat tactics aerial gunnery Following pro moted acting Squadron Leader given command No 130 Fighter Squad ron Bagotville Quebec Canada Anxious get back action Bill transferred June 1943 rank First Lieutenant US Army Air Corps 53rd Fighter Group rapid pro motion Captain found him England 406th Fighter Group flying P-47 Thunderbolts September 1943 En gaged low-level ground support mis sions including D-Day invasion Europe Bill still able raise score eight half least seven addi tional unconfirmed foes because destruc tion could confirmed Throughout duty Bill unaware transferred Army Air Force Royal Air Force victories re corded As result would have wait officially become first Ace WWII hostilitys end Europe transferred China-Burma area Commanding officer Liuchow P-51 fighter base war Pacific ended assigned Shanghai director military air transport China Another transfer Air Ad visor 4th Fighter Group P-51 Chinese Air Force fought against CHICOMS until December 1946 returned home Lieutenant Colonel United States Air Force continued utilize Bill vast experience assigned number important air operations duties such fighter advisor Imperial Iranian Air Force Brazil ian Air Forces Ironically Iranian Air Force equipped P-47s Hur ricanes sill felt right home Hur ricane airplane made first kill During period 1967-1968 Dunn engaged yet another war Vietnam Too old considered combat flying assigned Seventh Air Force tactical weapons force officer plan ning air-strike operations against VC February 1973 found Bill Dunn re tired active duty after 38 years military service incredible war record flown 234 combat missions accumulated 519 flying hours shot down 15 enemy planes destroyed 12 ground plus 168 vehicles sank 4000-ton troopship Today finds Bill designing building models aircraft flown combat first-ever RC project Bill built Dave Platt Spitfire scratch convert ing MK-V-B complete Eagle Squadron markings Currently workContinued page 90 China during 1945 Major Dunn fighting CHICOMSnote 12 crosses P-51 served significant advisory command roles during 38-year career ending Vietnam Col Dunn Pikes Peak AC field scratch-built Dave Platt Spitfire converted MK-V-B Eagle Squadron markings Hes now modeling Thunderbolt flew Europe cated compressed air rather usual freon because tests run winter temperatures down 15 degrees F Some interesting facts useful model ers gleaned paper proper rotation lift-off main gear centers must /4 3/ behind CG ground angle attack should set two degrees nose-up ease lift-off protection nose gear Gear collapses caused shattering four sets hand-carved maple props half lefthand requiring 40 minutes carving time two engineers flew Piper model well quali fied recreational radio-control model fliers speed characteristics model new experience gained needed familiarity heavy plane progressively adding weight practice plastic-and-foam ARF until loaded up 2 times its design weight Some useful hints twin-engine flying included notes Asymmetrical power during spins throttle open wider caused autorotation rates twice normal spin rate results flat spin rate descent reduced spins can induced unequal throttle settings idle retreating engine tends quit due reverse air flow over prop twin-engine plane spins after failure engine close other throttle quickly open again after recovery dive plane has retracted landing gear dont extend until near touchdown reduce drag modelers would perform intentional spins twin accidental spin twin last Lake Charles Nats concluded crash could possibly have avoided Bob Wischer Rt 1 S-221 Lapham Peak Rd Delafield W1S3018 Foam/Evans/Lester continued page 27 adhesives first test coating foam scraps Sources Foam Expanded Bead Polystyrene FoamGen eral Sources independent manufacturers some will sell directly club purchase suffi cient quantity Otherwise can direct dealers sell foam density interested typically 1-1 cu ft Both manufacturers retailers may found yellow pages under PlasticsFoam Beadboard insulation common forms usable modeler typically available 1 lb/cu ft density thicknesses 2 some times 3 building materials sup pliers carry material also widely used aquatic applications typic ally molded 15 pcf density name nearest supplier can obtained writing Arco Polymers Inc Philadel phiaPA 19101 Custom cutting cores done some hobbyists local RC club good place start looking Styrofoam Extruded Polystyrene Foam styrofoam manufactured Dow Chemical Company its licensees Styro foam SM Sheathing Material widely available type suitable air craft modelers ranges 18 20 pcf available through building material suppliers 4X8-ft sheets thicknesses 1 1 2 sometimes 3 Look Dow Chemical yel low pages under Plastics write Dow Chemical USA Midland MI 48640 continued First Last/Aycock continued page 31 ing P-47 Thunderbolt will finished same flew Europe capable design work can attested author has flown original bipe very fine performer fighter Bills comment need trainer want looks like airplane atti tude outlook man first American Ace World War II Acknowledgment The author would like thank Lt Col Dunn assist ance supplying records photographs 90 Model Aviation GEE BEE RACER 1/32 SCALE PLASTIC MODEL KIT CONSTRUCT R-1 OR 1-2 ALSO SEPARATELY WASP SEND 5Ot FOR COMPLETE ILLUSTRATED CATALOG DEPT MA PAWNEE ST SAN MARCOS CA 9 Another Sport Scale entry Riverside David Lovitts Blackburn Land-Sea Monoplane Note laminated prop Covered Coverite powered K&B 40 Slim Line muffler recollections above article Simplex/Backer continued page 34 diagonal spar notch notch put after other construction complete Use straightedge single-edge razor blade Glue small stick razor blade set depth cut cut notches Pick good straight-grain dium-hard balsa center section spars lighter wood tips wing can completed except rear diag onal spar put after wing dry Raise trailing edge tips 1/16 block glue spars place will give washout need Everything else flat No warps please Because stabilizer flat can completed plan main thing keep light Fuselage first thing glue material pylon using mediumhard balsa sheet rudder use 1/16 sheet C-grain still use old model lacquer cement made Fullers works well nitrates sands well its getting hard find can also use Tite Bond Ambroid whatever pylon rudder drying cut out fireweall FW timer plate TP together can drill holes simultaneously Locate holes drilled using tank timer Use diameter drill 2-56 blind nuts sure check nuts threads fore press place Dont laughIve found some threads Before applying epoxy run screws theyre flush back blind nut keeps epoxy off threads blind nuts timer plate will protrude through youll have grind flush face Next cut out sides Ive found youre careful can cut sides top bottom out 1/16 X 4 X 36 sheet medium C-grain balsa use alumi num straightedge Cut off nose left side overlaps formers F3 butt glue timer plate TP Make sure right side up means check downthrust angles 2 per plan template made 1/32 plywood may benefi cial same left thrust Make tracing use carbon paper transfer outlines pylon rud der should dry now Sand 220 wet/dry sandpaper Now youre ready start assembly use simple holding alignment fixture made piece straight-cut pine X 2 X 32 draw center line 2-in face make -in wide saw cut end 1/16 wide cut other using top view fuse lage plan reference depths may draw top view fixture did cut plan glue fixture contact cement Take pylon draw line parallel bottom fuselage side slide pylon A-in slot Flush line top surface fixture make sure wing angle pylon 2 incidence Use small C-clamp hold pylon place same rudder Cut out F2 through F5 Align over fixture glue py lon sure check left-thrust angle time2 way tend little wild glue may want wax surface holding fixture sides dry set place Dont glue rudder Use clamp-style clothespin hold sides together Glue rudder after F6 through F9 place checking alignment pylon rudder piece monofilament line run around front back put fillets Fl drying cut slot top sheet pylon rudder glue place use flat weight top fuselage drying some pins necessary operation too dry remove fixture stall soda straws aluminum tube dethermalizer line sure overlaps go direction youll never get line pulled through line will hang up smallest lip Cut slots bottom sheet skid rudder glue bottom Put fuselage January 1978 91

I THE BATTLE Britain Spitfires Hur ricanes famous No 71 Eagle Squadron Royal Air Force part heritage Americas first ace World War II William R Dunn age 61 has given up flying fighters now active radio-control modeler AMA 82765 member Pikes Peak RC Club Colorado Springs Colorado content designing building flying RC models acting judge club contests between numerous other activities interests Retired United States Air Force Lieutenant Colonel veteran 38 years military service dur ing served armed forces three countries fought three wars found himself wounded four times Quite record August 27 1941 stands hallmark Dunn Pilot Officer Royal Air Force No 71 Eagle Squad ron destroyed two German Me-109 fight ers Spitfire Mark hA became Americas first ace WW II fact made known some time full recognition bestowed W R Dunn until 1965 time donated some Eagle Squadron mementoes Air Force museum Wright-Patterson AFB after complete investigation United States Air Force Royal Air Force confirmed I -1 K fact Pilot Officer Dunn credited total five half victories Au gust 27 1941 US Army Air Force histo rians credited Lt Boyd Buzz Wag ner honor over 20 years record books have corrected Bill firstat last military service Bill known local modelers began 1934 enlisted US 4th Infantry Regiment Fort Lincoln North Dakota Serving out enlistment again signed name line Vancouver British Columbia September 1939 found himself England Seaforth Highlanders Regiment Canadian Army Sergeant mortar platoon Combat action France Cana dian forces fast furious until British Expeditionary Force pushed off Europe Dunkirk Bill last soldiers evacuated some time carried missing action remained Seaforth Highlanders part defense Britain against German invasion As Battle Britain raging skies above Bill found himself still ground longing join flying fighting Spitfires Hurricanes August 1940 chance cockpit Firing Lewis machine gun single handed downed two JU-87B Stuka dive bombers attacking January1978 29 lop lIIot Utticer Uunn cockpIt 0 Spitlire belonging No 71 Eagle Squadron 1941 Badly wounded after two victories made him en ace wartime record overlooked 25 years Above Sergeant Dunn England 1940 after shooting down two Stukasfrom ground Fought Canadian regiment Hurricane Dunn ran up 3-1/2 kills first also being first victory Eagle Squad ron Note four kills cowl front Walt Disney Fighting Eagle character 30 Model Aviation camp near Borden Hampshire England aircraft accredited total kills pilot During December 1940 Royal Air Force dire need fighter pilots call went out army units volunteers needed minimum requirement total 500 flying hours Bill told little white lie little over 100 hours soon found him self service flying school Miles Master aircraft graduated three weeks ahead time though never flown 900-hp airplane equipped flaps retractable landing gear adjustable prop grand total 164 hours about become fullfledged fighter pilot Hurricane after receiving seven hours machine firing guns twice total 171 hours posted No 71 Eagle Squadron combat-ready pilot Hurricane MKIIA After several months combat opera tions Bill claimed first victory Me109 July 2 1941 first also Eagle Squadrons first aerial victory July 6 shared another victory over Me-109 Polish pilot 306 Squadron bringing total half Mid-August 1941 found squadron being equipped long-awaited Spitfires Bills victory mark three half two Me-109s being shot down interim quite happy say good-bye Hurricane Me-109 outclassed air had two bail-outs due engine fire take off other after allowing Me-109 get too close riddle ship flaming over English Channel August 27 1941 Bill squeezed cockpit Spiffire hA what would historic mission over 100 combat missions under belt escort Blenheim bombers over Lille steelworks France day Bill credited two Me- 109 kills making him first American Ace World War II course action badly wounded managed strug gle back across channel Hawkinge field near Folkestone landed Packed off hospital wounds classed serious front right foot amputated two German machine gun bullets removed right leg another bullet found have creased scalp After hospital stay three months flown last combat mis sion Royal Air Force Promoted Flying Officer W R Dunns name dropped Eagle Squadron roster About time war correspondents comparing American-manned Royal Air Force fighter squadrons famed Lafayette Escadrille World War As Bill out action wounds re ceived little no publicity take over 25 years give Dunn full credit Americas first Ace World War II Tern Hill Flying School England 1940 Dunn poses Miles Master advanced trainer spite RAF requirement 500 hours Dunn managed qualify some 100 hours telling white lie 171 hours posted No 71 Squadron combat ready Following convalescent leave assigned Flight Lieutenant Canada fighter OTU instructor Royal Canadian Air Force combat experience passed fledgling pilots instructed combat tactics aerial gunnery Following pro moted acting Squadron Leader given command No 130 Fighter Squad ron Bagotville Quebec Canada Anxious get back action Bill transferred June 1943 rank First Lieutenant US Army Air Corps 53rd Fighter Group rapid pro motion Captain found him England 406th Fighter Group flying P-47 Thunderbolts September 1943 En gaged low-level ground support mis sions including D-Day invasion Europe Bill still able raise score eight half least seven addi tional unconfirmed foes because destruc tion could confirmed Throughout duty Bill unaware transferred Army Air Force Royal Air Force victories re corded As result would have wait officially become first Ace WWII hostilitys end Europe transferred China-Burma area Commanding officer Liuchow P-51 fighter base war Pacific ended assigned Shanghai director military air transport China Another transfer Air Ad visor 4th Fighter Group P-51 Chinese Air Force fought against CHICOMS until December 1946 returned home Lieutenant Colonel United States Air Force continued utilize Bill vast experience assigned number important air operations duties such fighter advisor Imperial Iranian Air Force Brazil ian Air Forces Ironically Iranian Air Force equipped P-47s Hur ricanes sill felt right home Hur ricane airplane made first kill During period 1967-1968 Dunn engaged yet another war Vietnam Too old considered combat flying assigned Seventh Air Force tactical weapons force officer plan ning air-strike operations against VC February 1973 found Bill Dunn re tired active duty after 38 years military service incredible war record flown 234 combat missions accumulated 519 flying hours shot down 15 enemy planes destroyed 12 ground plus 168 vehicles sank 4000-ton troopship Today finds Bill designing building models aircraft flown combat first-ever RC project Bill built Dave Platt Spitfire scratch convert ing MK-V-B complete Eagle Squadron markings Currently workContinued page 90 China during 1945 Major Dunn fighting CHICOMSnote 12 crosses P-51 served significant advisory command roles during 38-year career ending Vietnam Col Dunn Pikes Peak AC field scratch-built Dave Platt Spitfire converted MK-V-B Eagle Squadron markings Hes now modeling Thunderbolt flew Europe cated compressed air rather usual freon because tests run winter temperatures down 15 degrees F Some interesting facts useful model ers gleaned paper proper rotation lift-off main gear centers must /4 3/ behind CG ground angle attack should set two degrees nose-up ease lift-off protection nose gear Gear collapses caused shattering four sets hand-carved maple props half lefthand requiring 40 minutes carving time two engineers flew Piper model well quali fied recreational radio-control model fliers speed characteristics model new experience gained needed familiarity heavy plane progressively adding weight practice plastic-and-foam ARF until loaded up 2 times its design weight Some useful hints twin-engine flying included notes Asymmetrical power during spins throttle open wider caused autorotation rates twice normal spin rate results flat spin rate descent reduced spins can induced unequal throttle settings idle retreating engine tends quit due reverse air flow over prop twin-engine plane spins after failure engine close other throttle quickly open again after recovery dive plane has retracted landing gear dont extend until near touchdown reduce drag modelers would perform intentional spins twin accidental spin twin last Lake Charles Nats concluded crash could possibly have avoided Bob Wischer Rt 1 S-221 Lapham Peak Rd Delafield W1S3018 Foam/Evans/Lester continued page 27 adhesives first test coating foam scraps Sources Foam Expanded Bead Polystyrene FoamGen eral Sources independent manufacturers some will sell directly club purchase suffi cient quantity Otherwise can direct dealers sell foam density interested typically 1-1 cu ft Both manufacturers retailers may found yellow pages under PlasticsFoam Beadboard insulation common forms usable modeler typically available 1 lb/cu ft density thicknesses 2 some times 3 building materials sup pliers carry material also widely used aquatic applications typic ally molded 15 pcf density name nearest supplier can obtained writing Arco Polymers Inc Philadel phiaPA 19101 Custom cutting cores done some hobbyists local RC club good place start looking Styrofoam Extruded Polystyrene Foam styrofoam manufactured Dow Chemical Company its licensees Styro foam SM Sheathing Material widely available type suitable air craft modelers ranges 18 20 pcf available through building material suppliers 4X8-ft sheets thicknesses 1 1 2 sometimes 3 Look Dow Chemical yel low pages under Plastics write Dow Chemical USA Midland MI 48640 continued First Last/Aycock continued page 31 ing P-47 Thunderbolt will finished same flew Europe capable design work can attested author has flown original bipe very fine performer fighter Bills comment need trainer want looks like airplane atti tude outlook man first American Ace World War II Acknowledgment The author would like thank Lt Col Dunn assist ance supplying records photographs 90 Model Aviation GEE BEE RACER 1/32 SCALE PLASTIC MODEL KIT CONSTRUCT R-1 OR 1-2 ALSO SEPARATELY WASP SEND 5Ot FOR COMPLETE ILLUSTRATED CATALOG DEPT MA PAWNEE ST SAN MARCOS CA 9 Another Sport Scale entry Riverside David Lovitts Blackburn Land-Sea Monoplane Note laminated prop Covered Coverite powered K&B 40 Slim Line muffler recollections above article Simplex/Backer continued page 34 diagonal spar notch notch put after other construction complete Use straightedge single-edge razor blade Glue small stick razor blade set depth cut cut notches Pick good straight-grain dium-hard balsa center section spars lighter wood tips wing can completed except rear diag onal spar put after wing dry Raise trailing edge tips 1/16 block glue spars place will give washout need Everything else flat No warps please Because stabilizer flat can completed plan main thing keep light Fuselage first thing glue material pylon using mediumhard balsa sheet rudder use 1/16 sheet C-grain still use old model lacquer cement made Fullers works well nitrates sands well its getting hard find can also use Tite Bond Ambroid whatever pylon rudder drying cut out fireweall FW timer plate TP together can drill holes simultaneously Locate holes drilled using tank timer Use diameter drill 2-56 blind nuts sure check nuts threads fore press place Dont laughIve found some threads Before applying epoxy run screws theyre flush back blind nut keeps epoxy off threads blind nuts timer plate will protrude through youll have grind flush face Next cut out sides Ive found youre careful can cut sides top bottom out 1/16 X 4 X 36 sheet medium C-grain balsa use alumi num straightedge Cut off nose left side overlaps formers F3 butt glue timer plate TP Make sure right side up means check downthrust angles 2 per plan template made 1/32 plywood may benefi cial same left thrust Make tracing use carbon paper transfer outlines pylon rud der should dry now Sand 220 wet/dry sandpaper Now youre ready start assembly use simple holding alignment fixture made piece straight-cut pine X 2 X 32 draw center line 2-in face make -in wide saw cut end 1/16 wide cut other using top view fuse lage plan reference depths may draw top view fixture did cut plan glue fixture contact cement Take pylon draw line parallel bottom fuselage side slide pylon A-in slot Flush line top surface fixture make sure wing angle pylon 2 incidence Use small C-clamp hold pylon place same rudder Cut out F2 through F5 Align over fixture glue py lon sure check left-thrust angle time2 way tend little wild glue may want wax surface holding fixture sides dry set place Dont glue rudder Use clamp-style clothespin hold sides together Glue rudder after F6 through F9 place checking alignment pylon rudder piece monofilament line run around front back put fillets Fl drying cut slot top sheet pylon rudder glue place use flat weight top fuselage drying some pins necessary operation too dry remove fixture stall soda straws aluminum tube dethermalizer line sure overlaps go direction youll never get line pulled through line will hang up smallest lip Cut slots bottom sheet skid rudder glue bottom Put fuselage January 1978 91