Focal Point - 2006/05
Triple DPS
Mike Lollis (15142 Birch St., Omaha, NE 68116; E-mail: [email protected]) built his triple-engined S.P.A.D. (Simple Plastic Airplane Design) model and named it the Triple DPS (DPS standing for DasPlasStick).
The fuselage and booms are made from square pieces of 2-1/2-inch vinyl downspout. The tail group was made from 4-mil Coroplast (plastic corrugated sheet), and the wing was made from 2- and 4-mil Coroplast.
- Engines: three O.S. .46 FXI
- Wingspan: 76 in
- Length: 76 in
- Ready-to-fly weight: 19.5 lb
- Radio: Futaba 7C
- Servos: 11 Futaba servos
Luscombe Sedan
Schuyler Greenawalt (103 Lance Pl., Los Gatos, CA 95032; E-mail: [email protected]) designed and built his Luscombe 11A Sedan from three-views that were included in an old Sterling kit.
Nearly every piece of the model was laser cut from his plans, except for the fuselage stringers and the wing spars. The model features working navigation lights and is finished in Solite with vinyl trim graphics supplied by Callie Graphics of New Mexico.
- Motor: small HiMaxx
- Wingspan: 38 in
- All-up weight: 8 oz
Enlarged Kadet
Mel Buck (S. 38 W. 33829 Hwy. D, Dousman, WI 53118; E-mail: [email protected]) enlarged the Sig Senior Kadet to 130% of the original size, producing a model with a 101-inch wingspan.
The Kadet was flown a few times with the standard wheel landing-gear system while powered by a Tartan T7G engine, but it was subsequently fitted with floats and re-engined with a US41. The model is covered with Sig Koverall and finished with Perfect Paint. It features flaps and barndoor ailerons and is guided via a Tracker II radio system featuring a Seeker II receiver and seven Bluebird servos.
Specific Fw 190D-9
Bill Borresen (169 Windsor Way, Thomson, GA 30824; E-mail: [email protected]) built a Pica Fw 190D-9 as a standoff reproduction of JV 44 Squadron's Red 1, flown by Lieutenant Heinz Sachsenberg, which protected Adolf Galland's Me 262 squadron during takeoffs and landings. All color data and paint schemes are from Eagle Editions Ltd.
Bill's D-9 is powered by an inverted O.S. .91 engine and has flaps and Robart retracts. The finish is 3/4-ounce fiberglass and epoxy. The model was airbrushed with computer-matched latex paint and clearcoated with Top Flite LustreKote.
- Dry weight: 9.28 lb
War-Weary P-51
William B. Just (211-46 Forest Lake Dr., Stephens City, VA 22655) submitted this photo of the P-51 Mustang he built from a Top Flite kit. He wanted a "war-weary" finish and achieved it with the following process:
- Sprayed three coats of Rust-Oleum primer; after curing and sanding, sprayed a finish coat of Rust-Oleum Metallic Nickel.
- Allowed the finish to dry for one week, then wiped the entire model with #0000 steel wool to produce the used look.
- Engine: Tower Hobbies .61 ABC
- Comment: "It is a beautiful model to build and fly."
Triple Tiger 60
Pat O'Brien (3411 S. Camino Seco #474, Tucson, AZ 85730) modified a Carl Goldberg Tiger 60 ARF by adding two more engines: a CMS .76 mounted in the fuselage and two CMS .32s in nacelles on the wing.
Engineering challenges centered on fuel tanks; Pat adapted his wife's 6-ounce hand-lotion bottles to serve as tanks. The low-wing-mounted engines provide a good thrustline. All three engines' throttles can be controlled simultaneously via the transmitter's throttle stick or separately via secondary control functions.
Bob's Bomber
Robert A. Bohrer (79 Cockonoe Ave., Babylon, NY 11702) built his third original-design large aircraft resembling a 1930s-style open-cockpit bomber. The design spans 114 inches, has 1,625 square inches of wing area, and a flying weight of just over 10 pounds.
The model is powered by Speed 700 BB Turbo Series motors mounted in Modelair-Tech 3.8:1 belt-drive units, with GP3300 48-volt battery packs. The fuselage features basic box-type construction with stringers on the sides and formers on the top to give it a rounded appearance.
Ignition Viking
Mike Donovan (1710 Warrenton Rd., Vicksburg, MS 39180) built a CL Old Time Stunt Viking from a Brodak kit and powered it with a Super Cyclone .60 engine that runs on gasoline via spark ignition. The model is covered with silk and finished with modeling dope.
- Comment: "It flies very well and I hope to enter it in the Vintage Stunt Championships in Tucson [AZ] in March."
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
