Focal Point - 2004/03
WW I Park Flyers
Keith Sparks (7755 Northeast Dr., Fort Worth, TX 76180; E-mail: [email protected]) — Keith Sparks' park flyers are equipped with Lite Stick flight gear (motor, battery, servos, and radio).
According to Keith, the S.E.5-style models do best indoors because of their light wing loadings. The Fokker D.VII-style models do best outdoors on calm days.
- S.E.5: 36-inch wingspan; weighs 7.5 ounces (without batteries); three-channel radio.
- Fokker D.VII: 31-inch wingspan; weighs 6.5 ounces; three-channel radio.
Instructor’s T-34
Reuben S. Keeton (2313 Hunter Davis Ct., Monroe, NC 28110) built this shiny T-34 Mentor from an ACE R/C kit. It is finished with Chrome, Red, and Black MonoKote and features a Fox .45BB engine and an ACE Micropro 8000 radio system. It is patterned after the T-34 Mentor in the U.S. Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio.
“I enjoy doing aerobatics with it that I taught to Air Force students while flying over 800 hours in the T-34 as a civilian contract flight instructor,” wrote Reuben.
- Kit: ACE R/C
- Engine: Fox .45BB
- Radio: ACE Micropro 8000
- Finish: Chrome, Red, and Black MonoKote
Golden Oldie
Paul Talbert (2425 New Orleans St., Greensboro, NC 27406) shows his Fred Reese-designed Golden Oldie just before its maiden flight. Named “Old Soggy,” it is the third model in a fleet that Paul has built.
The model is powered by a Saito 91 four-stroke engine that is cowled in the same manner as an old OX-5 might be. Paul is a retired pilot with more than 20,000 hours of flying time.
“The Greensboro Radio Aeromodelers Club now has seven of these models in various sizes waiting for a day to get them all in the air together,” he wrote.
- Designer: Fred Reese
- Engine: Saito 91 four-stroke
- Notes: Third in a fleet; cowl styled like an OX-5
Top Flite P-51
Charles R. Wolfe (1550 Meadow Hill Ct., Florence, KY 41042) built this P-51 Mustang from a Top Flite kit. He powers it with a US Engines .51 which, according to him, “starts easily and seems to have plenty of smooth power.”
The model features Robart main and tail-wheel retracts and a MonoKote finish in Royal Blue and Aluminum. The painted parts were color-matched with Top Flite’s LustreKote paint. Charles installed a full cockpit obtained from Top Flite. The model weighs 22 pounds.
- Kit: Top Flite P-51
- Engine: US Engines .51
- Retracts: Robart main and tail-wheel
- Finish: MonoKote (Royal Blue and Aluminum), LustreKote-painted parts
- Weight: 22 lb
Seagoing Kadet Senior
Jack E. Shaffer (1750 Evan Cir., Medford, OR 97504; E-mail: [email protected]) built this Sig Kadet Senior and fitted it with floats built from Great Planes’ Sport Float Kit.
The airplane is finished with MonoKote in a John Deere color scheme. Jack’s Kadet Senior is powered by a SuperTigre .51 engine and has an Airtronics radio system for guidance.
- Airframe: Sig Kadet Senior
- Floats: Great Planes Sport Float Kit
- Engine: SuperTigre .51
- Radio: Airtronics
- Finish: MonoKote (John Deere scheme)
Kit-Bashed Hog-Bipe
Len Rozamus (3402 Ivor St., Hopewell, VA 23860; E-mail: [email protected]) wrote, “Sig Hog-Bipes have not graced your pages in some time, so I thought I’d submit a picture of mine.”
His model is kit-bashed to look like a 1930s Navy fighter and is fitted with a bomb-drop mechanism and a pilot with a moving head. The engine is a Saito 80 four-stroke, and it is equipped with an Airtronics radio.
- Base: Sig Hog-Bipe (kit-bashed)
- Engine: Saito 80 four-stroke
- Features: Bomb-drop mechanism, pilot with moving head
- Radio: Airtronics
Luscombe Phantom
Terry Miller (13 Kress Hill Dr., Spencerport, NY 14559; E-mail: [email protected]) designed and scratch-built this Luscombe Phantom. It spans 70 inches but only weighs 5.5 pounds. It is powered by an O.S. .36 FX engine.
According to Terry, the Luscombe Phantom was the first all-metal personal airplane, built in 1934, and approximately 300 were manufactured, including a clipped-wing, aerobatic version.
“It flies very stable and looks like the real thing as you approach to land,” wrote Terry.
- Type: Scratch-built Luscombe Phantom (scale)
- Wingspan: 70 in
- Weight: 5.5 lb
- Engine: O.S. .36 FX
First RC Airplane
Zachary Winters (4410 Julia St., Spokane, WA 99223; E-mail: [email protected]) is shown with his first radio-control airplane: a Goldberg Eagle II ARF.
Zachary powers the 63-inch-span model with a Magnum .46 two-stroke engine. He flies the Eagle II with a Futaba SkySport 4 radio system.
- Model: Goldberg Eagle II ARF
- Wingspan: 63 in
- Engine: Magnum .46 two-stroke
- Radio: Futaba SkySport 4
Colorful Skybolt
Robert Coats (9720 Cypress Farm Dr., Zebulon, NC 27597; E-mail: [email protected]) built this colorful Skybolt from plans he purchased from Wendell Hostetler.
The model features an O.S. FT-300 twin engine and is guided via a Futaba radio control system. Robert finished the Skybolt using MonoKote; the finished weight is 21 pounds.
- Power: O.S. FT-300 twin engine
- Radio: Futaba
- Finish: MonoKote
- Weight: 21 lb
Favorite Profile
This Cosmic Wind is David H. Shipton’s (1840 Brownwood Rd., Delavan, IL 61734; E-mail: [email protected]) favorite profile control-line stunt model.
It is powered by a Fox .36X engine, has a wingspan of 45.5 inches, and has 405 square inches of wing area.
“It has been known to do a complete stunt pattern, but not when I flew it,” wrote Dave. “It has capabilities that are beyond me.”
- Model: Cosmic Wind (profile control-line stunt)
- Engine: Fox .36X
- Wingspan: 45.5 in
- Wing area: 405 sq in
WRAM Show-Winning Sukhoi
Joe Di Prima (775 Magnolia Dr., Franklin Square, NY 11010; E-mail: [email protected]) built this Sukhoi Su-26MX from a Carl Goldberg Models kit, and then he entered it in the 2001 Westchester Radio Aero Modelers Show static competition—and won.
The model is covered with MonoKote and painted where required with matching LustreKote paint. Joe copied the trim scheme from photos of a full-scale Sukhoi he found in a Bob Banka Foto Pak.
A Thunder Tiger 1.20 engine fitted with a Bisson muffler powers this beauty.
- Kit: Carl Goldberg Models Su-26MX
- Engine: Thunder Tiger 1.20 with Bisson muffler
- Finish: MonoKote + LustreKote trim
- Award: 2001 WRAM static competition winner
Pitts S-2B ARF
“It’s one of the nicest ARFs on the market,” wrote Mark Lamoreaux (144 North St., Walton, NY 13856; E-mail: [email protected]) about his Cermark 1/4-scale Pitts. “It called for a 91 to 120 four-stroke engine, but I chose to go with a Saito 180. As you can guess, the 180 supplies more than enough power.”
The model spans 61 inches and weighs 12.5 pounds. A Futaba radio system supplies the control.
- Model: Cermark 1/4-scale Pitts S-2B ARF
- Engine: Saito 180 (chosen over recommended 91–120 four-stroke)
- Wingspan: 61 in
- Weight: 12.5 lb
- Radio: Futaba
First Retract Model
David Ettinger (804 Dove Creek Tr., Southlake, TX 76092; E-mail: [email protected]) built this Patriot from a Great Planes kit. It weighs 6 pounds, is powered by an O.S. Max .46 FX engine, and is finished with MonoKote.
"After flying on and off for the last 25 plus years, this is my first model with retractable landing gear," wrote Dave. "Although retractable gear can sometimes be a hassle, seeing the beauty of this model flying with the gear up makes it worth the effort."
- Kit: Great Planes Patriot
- Engine: O.S. Max .46 FX
- Weight: 6 lb
- Feature: Retractable landing gear
- Finish: MonoKote
"Real Fun" Fairchild
Charlie Smith (2406 N. Chama Ave., Loveland, CO 80538) scratch-built this Fairchild 24W in 2 inches-to-the-foot scale. It has a wingspan of 72.75 inches and weighs 8.25 pounds.
An O.S. .46 FX engine supplies the power. The finish is Cream MonoKote with Dark Teal MonoKote trim. LustreKote paint was used to finish the cowl, struts, and mud guards.
"The ground handling is very good, and it is a real fun type RC airplane to fly," wrote Charlie.
- Type: Scratch-built Fairchild 24W (2 in = 1 ft scale)
- Wingspan: 72.75 in
- Weight: 8.25 lb
- Engine: O.S. .46 FX
- Finish: Cream and Dark Teal MonoKote; LustreKote on cowl, struts, mud guards
Vertically Capable Somethin' Extra
Mark Nagley (1611 E. 64th St., Tacoma, WA 98404) flies a Sig Somethin' Extra with a Futaba flight pack and had approximately 20 flights on it when this photo was taken.
The covering is metallic blue with white, red, and chrome trim. The stickers are enlargements from magazine advertisements.
"It is powered by a SuperTigre .51 turning a 10 x 7 APC prop, giving it almost unlimited vertical performance," wrote Mark.
- Airframe: Sig Somethin' Extra
- Engine: SuperTigre .51
- Prop: 10 x 7 APC
- Radio: Futaba flight pack
- Covering: Metallic blue with white, red, and chrome trim
Inspired P-51
Bill Ward (6221 NW Grand #15E, Oklahoma City, OK 73118) built this Top Flite P-51 and finished it in the colors of the 343rd Fighter Squadron.
Photos that Bill received from Ruben F. Curtis, who was a crew chief for the WWII group while it was based in England, inspired the scheme.
Bill's P-51 is powered by a Zenoah G-45 engine, has Robart retracts, and weighs 21 pounds. The finish is nitrate dope over 1/2-ounce fiberglass cloth, with a top coat of LustreKote paint.
- Kit: Top Flite P-51
- Engine: Zenoah G-45
- Retracts: Robart
- Weight: 21 lb
- Finish: Nitrate dope over 1/2-oz fiberglass cloth; top coat of LustreKote
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
