Focal Point
Model Aviation, 5161 E. Memorial Dr., Muncie, IN 47302
CL Gunship
Dennis R. Slater (5153 W. Melrose St., Chicago, IL 60641) built this highly modified Control-Line Lockheed AC-130 Hercules gunship from Air Age plans.
It spans 81 inches, weighs 12.5 pounds, and is powered by two O.S. .45 FSR engines mounted in the inboard nacelles. Electric motors are mounted in the outboard nacelles to spin the propellers.
Throttle control is via the standard three-line system, but encoder/decoder electronic operation was included for the flaps, landing-gear lights, marker lights, brakes, outboard motor control, the rear door, and cargo and troop parachute drops.
"This is my second version of the model, and it is a huge step up from the prior one," wrote Dennis.
EC-47N
Don R. Giandomenico (6094 Verbena Ln., San Bernardino, CA 92407; E-mail: [email protected]) built this Top Flite DC-3 kit as an EC-47N electronic-warfare aircraft that was used in the Vietnam War.
The 11.5-pound model features Robart retracts, split flaps, and working landing and running lights. Two Magnum 61 four-stroke engines spin 10 x 7 three-blade propellers. The Futaba radio gear includes 10 servos controlled by a Futaba 8U radio.
Covering is 3/4-ounce fiberglass and Chevron Hobby Products paint. The model spans 82.5 inches and is 55.5 inches long.
"She flies beautifully," wrote Don. "The flaps really help this airplane slow to a crawl without any bad tendencies."
Fast Fox
Dave Horvath (5151 State University Dr., Los Angeles, CA 90032; E-mail: [email protected]) sent this photo of his Fox original design.
It features a foam-core wing with a span of 49 inches. The airfoil section is an NACA 0012. The model is powered by an O.S. .32 SX engine, and the ready-to-fly weight is 3 pounds.
"The top speed is 120-plus miles per hour on 15% nitromethane fuel and an APC 8 x 6 propeller," wrote Dave.
Aerobatic Bücker
Bob Haines (22 Heather Brook Rd., Uncasville, CT 06382) built this Bücker Jungmeister from Cleveland plans.
"The plans must be reworked to suit RC needs," he wrote.
The model has a 53-inch wingspan and is powered by an Enya 80 four-stroke engine. It is covered with Solartex and is very aerobatic.
Kit-Bashed PT-23
Wayne F. Reynolds (102 Robie St., Bath, NY 14810) "kit-bashed" a Dynaflite PT-19 kit into this great-looking PT-23. It took him more than 2½ years to complete the project.
A Saito FA-120 four-stroke engine that is cleverly surrounded by a scratch-built seven-cylinder dummy engine powers the model. Also featured are Robart PT-19 struts for the landing gear.
"Special thanks to Sal Calvagna for his inputs on Radio Control Giants," wrote Wayne.
Inline Fokker D.VIII
John A. Hanson (4128 Dutch Hollow Rd., Bemus Point, NY 14712) built this 1918 Fokker D.VIII inline from scaled-up Model Airplane News plans that were published in 1941.
The built-up model features all-stick construction and weighs 7.25 pounds. It has a wingspan of 84 inches and is powered by a Magnum 52 four-stroke engine. The covering is Oracover, and a three-channel Airtronics radio is used for guidance.
"It flies low and slow, and it's a dream to handle," wrote John.
Plans-Built Meteor
David Mikitka (8509 Redwing Ln., Fort Worth, TX 76123; E-mail: [email protected]) built this 84-inch-wingspan Laird-Turner RT-14 Meteor from Wendell Hostetler plans.
It is covered with World-Tex fabric and painted with custom-mixed Sig dope. The model is powered by a 4.2-cubic-inch Brison gas engine, which swings a 24 x 6 propeller. The project took David 535 hours to complete.
"I scratch built all of the fiberglass parts and placed each rivet by hand," wrote David. "My wife made the scale pilot from a DGA full-body kit."
Relaxing Flying King
M. Patrick Murphy (Box 411, Sussex, WI 53089; E-mail: [email protected]) built this Flying King from a Bruce Tharpe Engineering (BTE) kit and fitted it with the optional flaps and optional BTE tail-wheel kit.
The model is powered by a Saito 80 four-stroke engine and is guided by a Futaba T6KAS radio. The covering is Coverite 21st Century Fabric in Cub Yellow.
"The kit was an absolute delight to build, and at the time the photo was taken, the model had 10 flights on it," wrote M. Patrick. "It is the most relaxing flier I have ever taken up."
First-Attempt Corsair
Lenny Halzel (144 President Ave., Providence, RI 02906; E-mail: [email protected]) built this 30-pound Corsair from a Top Flite kit. It spans 86 inches and is powered by a 3W-75 engine. A Futaba PCM receiver and Hitec high-torque servos are used. The retracts are by Robart. The model was covered with 3/4-ounce fiberglass cloth using West System epoxy, and the finish is PPG Concept automotive paint.
"This was my first attempt at a scale warbird, and the knowledge to do the panel lines, rivets, and weathering techniques was obtained from the Dave Platt Painting and Detailing video that I purchased," wrote Lenny.
Innovative Goose
Laddie Mikulasko (7 Giffen Rd., Dundas, Ontario, Canada L9H 6S1) must have some impressive electric bill! His original-design scale Howard Hughes Spruce Goose has eight 6-volt Speed 400 motors for power, each driving a 2:1 gearbox.
The internal electrics feature series-parallel connections so that the power to each outboard motor can be interrupted when steering the model on the water's surface. It flies with 32 2000 mA batteries and uses 9.4 x 7 APC propellers. The entire model was constructed from balsa wood.
Nice Pup
Phil Shellabarger (194 D St., Coos Bay, OR 97420; E-mail: [email protected]) built this 1/4-scale Sopwith Pup from a Balsa USA kit.
It has a 77-inch wingspan, weighs 15.5 pounds, features a pull-pull control-system linkage, and is powered by an O.S. 120 III with fuel pump.
The Pup is covered with Super Coverite and painted with 21st Century paint. The wheels and the Vickers machine gun are Williams Bros. products.
Realistic-Sounding Skywalker
Kent McCormick (1603 Gary Grove, Quincy, IL 62305; E-mail: [email protected]) owns this Sig Skywalker that Wayne Allen built. It is powered by an O.S. 300 twin and is controlled by a JR radio.
"The sound with the twin and a large Dynathrust four-stroke propeller is very realistic," wrote Kent.
Don Taylor took this photo on the runway at Haerr Field in Taylor, Michigan.
Modified Moth
Robert A. Garner Jr. (358 Twp. Rd. 1161, Proctorville, OH 45669; E-mail: [email protected]) modified this Great Planes Tiger Moth ARF.
"I wanted a different look than out of the box, so I went to the Internet to look for possible restored full-scale units, and this is a copy of one that I found," he wrote.
The model is powered by an O.S. .91 FS engine, and it uses a JR 8103 radio for guidance.
Detailed Cessna
Leo Joshua (832 Sagewood Dr., Hinesville, GA 31313; E-mail: [email protected]) built this Cessna 182 Skylane from a Great Planes ARF kit and modified it with many scale details.
It features a handmade scale interior and a full-body pilot which Leo made by adding a carved foam body to a Williams Bros. 1/8-scale sport pilot bust.
The model has Ram operational landing, navigation, anticollision, and rotating tail-beacon lights. Leo added functional flaps to the wing. An O.S. .46 FX engine powers the model.
Nostalgic Helldiver
Edgar B. Pease Jr. (30138 Corte Cantera, Temecula, CA 92591) wrote, "At the close of WW II my last assignment in Navy uniform was ferrying a brand new SB2C Helldiver, number 325, from the Curtiss plant in Columbus, Ohio, to North Island Naval Air Station, San Diego."
This nostalgic remembrance inspired Edgar to produce this scratch-built version of the aircraft he once flew. His model is electric powered and weighs 4 pounds. It is covered with MonoKote, and some Perfect Paints were also used to complete the finish.
Wet or Dry Cub
Bob Schultheis (5632 N. Moraine Hills Dr., West Bend, WI 53095) built this Sig clipped-wing Cub more than 12 years ago, and it still performs well. In the photo it is taxiing in after a landing at Bong Recreation Area in southern Wisconsin.
The model can be reconfigured for water or land in only 10 minutes. A YS .91 four-stroke engine powers it, and the steering on the water is accomplished with a waterproof servo that is buried in one of the floats.
"The airplane had an unusual experience in northern Wisconsin when it joined a bald eagle in flight and the two circled together, eyeing each other for about five minutes," Bob wrote. "Then the eagle got bored and flew away."
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
