Focal Point
Model Aviation, 5161 E. Memorial Dr., Muncie IN 47302
"Dusterski"
Dan Sobieralski (8933 Simmons Rd., Redding CA 96001; E-mail: [email protected]) saw crop dusters working the rice fields near Sacramento, California, and decided to kit-bash a nearly complete Carl Goldberg Falcon 56 II into a "Dusterski."
The model is powered by an O.S. .40 LA engine, is covered with Cub Yellow MonoKote, and uses an older Cirrus transmitter.
Big Pussycat
Dick Baxter (2 Siros, Laguna Niguel CA 92677) sent this photo of a completed Big Pussycat sport and beginner’s model and its bare airframe.
The models span almost 16 inches, weigh approximately 7 grams, and fly on a loop of 1/16 inch or larger rubber. With a 1/8 loop, climb is spectacular and the models are easy to lose outdoors, wrote Dick.
"I've also used this design as a follow-on project in middle school model classes," he wrote. "It takes a kid about 10 hours to build a Big Pussycat and most of them fly 30 to 45 seconds indoors."
Giant Aeromaster
Robert Marchi (14717 114th Ave. N.E., Kirkland WA 98034; E-mail: [email protected]) covered his model with UltraCote, and the 3-inch red checks on the bottom of the wings were hand-cut from UltraCote Plus.
The 20-pound Aeromaster is powered by a Brison 3.2 engine with a 21 x 12 Menz Ultra propeller. Stan's Fiber Tech made the cowling and wheel pants. Robert uses four JR servos for the ailerons, two for the elevator, and one for the rudder, mounted in the rear of the fuselage.
"This airplane flies very well at all speeds," he wrote. "It is a little touchy on takeoff."
Great Lakes Special
Bob van't Riet (2751 Rodman Dr., Los Osos CA) received a great deal of help on this project from Cameron Saure of Reynolds, North Dakota, who owns the full-scale Great Lakes Special NC84IH.
The 1/5-scale aircraft spans 64 inches, has a wing loading of 23 ounces per square foot, and weighs 12 pounds. Bob created it by rebuilding a previous model he had built from an Ikon N'west kit.
It is powered by an O.S. FS-120 Surpass III pumped four-stroke engine. Radio and servos are JR. Covering is nitrate dope, Polyspan tissue, and Sig Koverall. Stits Poly-Tone paint was used for the final finish.
Bob made a lightweight pilot from foam he found in an artificial-flower shop.
"Ward Burton" Easy Sport
Morris Lee (1072 Ascue Rd., Cedar Bluff VA 24609; E-mail: [email protected]) took his wife's suggestion and covered his model in Ward Burton's NASCAR Caterpillar car colors. The model is covered with Cub Yellow and Black MonoKote, and the numbers, Caterpillar, and CAT logos were cut by hand from Dark Red, White, and Black MonoKote.
A Thunder Tiger PRO-46 with a Master Airscrew 11 x 5 propeller powers the model. In this design, the air moving over the wing bolt hole makes it whistle at high speeds.
"I sent Mr. Burton a picture of the airplane, and was very pleasantly surprised when he autographed and returned the photo along with one of his publicity shots," wrote Morris. "Nice guy!"
P-51D Mustang
Barry Scanlan (607 W. Warwick Dr., Owensboro KY 42303; E-mail: [email protected]) built his 56-inch-span model from a 40-size Great Planes kit.
The receiver is a Futaba, and the transmitter is the Super 8U. According to Barry, the model is slightly overpowered with a Saito 91 four-stroke engine. It is covered with MonoKote and has Robart mechanical retracts.
"I got the design from an actual airplane called 'The Miss America' which is a Reno racer," he wrote.
DC-3/C-47
Victor Weitzman (10041 N.W. 3rd St., Plantation FL 33324) built this TopFlite DC-3/C-47 for Bryan Kessler of Coral Springs, Florida.
It has two O.S. .40 engines, split flaps, Robart retracts, and is controlled by a Futaba 8 Series radio. The engines are operated on separate channels then are combined electronically.
For a more visible paint scheme than the usual olive drab, Victor and Bryan found an alternative in a Squadron/Signal Publications book of World War II military airplanes. The 1352d Army Air Forces Base Unit Search and Rescue used the yellow-and-black design in Mohanbari, Assam, India, in 1945. The underside has diagonal black stripes.
"Overall, the appearance is very visible, especially for its designated use," wrote Victor.
"Electwin"
Dale Martell (8 Ryan Ln., Weaverville NC 28787; E-mail: [email protected]) designed this twin-motor model; he drew the plans on his ModelCAD program.
The Electwin spans 68 inches with 650 square inches of area. The ready-to-fly weight is 5-1/2 pounds. Motors are AstroFlight Cobalt geared .05 units driving Master Airscrew 12 x 8 nylon electric propellers. Dale uses 14 cells for the motors.
"It flies easily off our grass field and does good aerobatics," he wrote.
Pitts S-2A
"After the 1977 Tournament of Champions team competition, I completed a set of wings (uncovered) and Andy Sheber had partially completed a fuselage," wrote Joseph F. Ziomek (101 Milano, Islamorada FL 33036; E-mail: [email protected]). "These laid dormant from 1979 until this February 2000 when their time for completion had come."
The 1/3-scale model weighs 24 pounds, has a Super Tigre .45 two-stroke glow engine, and uses a 20 x 10 Master Airscrew composite propeller.
Covering is MonoKote, the model uses a Bisson Pitts muffler, and the radio is a JR PCM double-conversion.
"Stud"
"Are you tired of seeing P-40s with shark's teeth?" asks Jeff Edstrom (4345 Scarlet Sea Ave., North Las Vegas NV 89031; E-mail: [email protected]).
His TopFlite Gold Edition kit is covered with MonoKote, including the handmade markings. It is an attempt to reproduce "Stud": the P-40F flown by Colonel Robert Baseler—commanding officer of the 325th Fighter Group—one of the "Checkertail Clan" aircraft.
The model has a full cockpit and pilot figure, Century Jet Retracts, a Magnum .91 four-stroke engine swinging a Master Airscrew 14 x 6 propeller, and a JR FX631 radio.
232 and 202
Randy Nickler (390 Galion Airport Rd., Galion OH 44833) and his son Keith are shown with a Midwest Products Little CAP 232 (Keith) and Randy's Great Planes Giles 202.
The models are powered by Thunder Tiger F-91S engines, have Hitec Flash 5SX radios, and are covered with UltraCote. The CAP 232 has a Maccs smoke system.
"Both models are extremely acrobatic and fun to fly," wrote Randy. "The 202 will roll so fast it's hard to believe. It's also great for torque rolls."
Martin B-26 Marauder
Edward R. Jelnicker (716 Denver St., Sterling CO 80751) built his model from Carstens Publications plans designed by Joe D'Amico, whose article was published in the April 1969 Flying Models.
It spans 72 inches, weighs 11-1/2 pounds, and has a wing loading of 32 ounces per square foot. It has Magnum XL 52 engines with 10-ounce fuel tanks and an Airtronics Vanguard six-channel radio.
Covering is MonoKote, and the flaps and bomb-bay doors are functional. Desert Storm figures enhance the cockpit.
Miss World's Fair
John van der Neut (6561 Tangier Way, Cypress CA 90630) submitted this photo of his 50-inch-wingspan Miss World's Fair free-flight model.
He covered it with domestic tissue sealed with Krylon clear paint. Total weight is 6.7 ounces, including 40 grams of rubber (24 strands of 1/8-inch) and 45 grams for the propeller and nose block. At first John thought the wing didn't have enough area, but the glide is fine according to him.
Sukhoi
Greg Condon (3120 Budding Blossom Ct., Las Vegas NV 89103; E-mail: [email protected]) built a 72-3/4-inch-span Sukhoi from a Goldberg kit.
It weighs just more than 9 pounds and is powered by a YS 120 FZ engine turning a 16 x 8 APC propeller with a Tru-Turn aluminum spinner. It is covered with Red Flame and White Goldberg UltraCote, and the decals are made from red and black vinyl. Greg uses a Futaba 8UAPS radio for control of the aircraft.
"The Sukhoi will do about any maneuver you want it to do, and takeoffs and landings are a breeze!" he wrote.
Fokker E.III
Gordon Brickson (4343 Trias St., San Diego CA 92103) sent this photo of his friend Frank Gagliardi's (8116 Columbus St., San Diego CA 92126) 1/12-scale Fokker E.III Eindecker.
The home-built model weighs 3 pounds, spans 49 inches, and is 36 inches long. It has an Astro .05 geared motor and an 11 x 8 propeller, with rudder and elevator controls and a bungee landing gear. It is covered with Antique Coverite and clear-doped.
Submission Guidelines
Proud of your latest building/flying effort? Share it with Model Aviation's readers!
- Send a glossy color print (no digital photos under 300 dpi, E-mailed submissions, or photocopies, please).
- Include an appropriate description (no handwritten submissions, please).
- Please include your full address (including E-mail, if available) so that interested parties may contact you directly.
Send to: Model Aviation, 5161 E. Memorial Dr., Muncie IN 47302; Attn: Focal Point.
Because of this section's popularity, it may be several months before your model is featured.
"The Workhorse"
This is Robert "Daffy" Shannon's (Box 7161, Mesa AZ 85216) Kadet Senior.
The model has used several engines, including a Saito 50, two O.S. .52s, a Magnum 52, an ASP .52, and a Thunder Tiger .54. All engines have electronic ignitions. "Daffy" flies this model almost every day of the year.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
