Focal Point
P-51 Mustang
Christopher Fuchs (1209 4 1/2 Ave. N., Sauk Rapids, MN 56379) produced his Mustang from a Great Planes kit.
An O.S. .70 four-stroke engine provides power, and the radio is a Futaba SkySport 4 with four standard servos. The model weighs 6 pounds, and it is reported that little runway is needed for takeoff with the oversized engine.
“We are thinking about adding dual aileron servos due to my aerobatic flying tendencies,” wrote Christopher. “It has been my airplane of choice for the better part of five years.”
Cessna 180
Mark Diel (3517 Edison Way, Suite E, Menlo Park, CA 94025; E-mail: [email protected]) built his Cessna 180 from a Mountain Models kit.
A Feigao 1208436 brushless motor powers the model through a GWS IPS A 5.86:1 gearbox assembly. A Phoenix-10 speed controller is used along with a Thunder Power 730 mAh, 7.4-volt Li-Poly battery. A JR R610UL receiver is installed and Hitec HS-50 servos are used.
Mark covered his model with SolarFilm Lite (SoLite) covering.
Zippity Do Da
Richard V. Kessel (17949 Magnolia Blvd., Apt. 9, Encino, CA 91316; E-mail: [email protected]) restructured his Bill Evans Zippity Do Da design for electric power.
An AXI 2814/12 motor that runs on a three-cell, 2000 mAh Li-Poly battery provides the power. A Jeti Advance PLUS 30 speed control is used.
The model spans 64 inches, weighs 40.4 ounces, and has a generous 896 square inches of wing area. It is covered with MonoKote and UltraCote.
Boeing F4B-4
Rollie Giambastiani (2701 Winding Way, Lincoln, CA 95648; E-mail: [email protected]) built his F4B from plans by Bob Rich.
The 1/6-scale biplane spans 62 inches and weighs just less than 9 pounds. A Saito .91 provides the power, and guidance is achieved through a JR radio system. The Boeing features functional flying wires. The fuselage is planked, and the model is finished with automotive paints.
“The flight performance is spectacular!” wrote Rollie.
Detailed AT-6
Vincent Pollizzotto (1605 Twin Ledge Ct., LaVergne, TN 37086) assembled his AT-6 Texan from a Great Planes ARF kit.
He made several changes to the model, including adding new World War II markings. Vincent made a new canopy frame from glue-backed aluminum foil, and he produced the rivet detail around the edge of the canopy with the Top Flite scale template.
The pilot figures are from Williams Bros. An O.S. .70 four-stroke engine powers the model.
Yak-9T-37
Walt Wilson (3000 Persimmon Dr., Saint Charles, MO 63301; E-mail: [email protected]) scratch-built his Yak-9T-37 from a five-view drawing in the book Aircraft of World War II by Bill Gunston. Free French Captain René Challe of the Normandie-Niemen Regiment flew the full-scale Yak-9 in 1944.
The model spans 51 inches, weighs 5.5 pounds, and is powered by an O.S. .46 FX engine. The radio is a Futaba 6EXA. The Yak is all built-up balsa and plywood with a Chevron Perfect Paint finish. The canopy was hand-formed from a 2-liter Coke bottle.
It took Walt roughly three years of designing and building between other projects to complete this airplane.
Cessna 182 on Floats
Lester Thompson (137 Hearthside Rd., Standish, ME 04084) created his floatplane from a Top Flite Cessna 182 kit. He designed and built the floats, which are foam cores sheeted with balsa and then covered with Sig Koverall.
The final finish is Top Flite LustreKote paint. The airplane is covered with 21st Century Fabric and is trimmed with Red MonoKote.
A SuperTigre G-75 engine provides plenty of power to launch this aircraft from the water, and a Futaba T6XA radio with seven servos provides the guidance.
Berkeley Privateer Super 15
Fred Mulholland (15410 Stonecreek Ln., Tampa, FL 33613) built his 60-inch-wingspan flying boat from a circa 1960 Berkeley kit. The Privateer Super 15 was just one of many stylish flying boats that Don McGovern designed.
"Painstakingly, 152 'crushed-cut' parts had to be re-cut with a hobby knife to free them from the sheet balsa," wrote Fred.
The model is covered with silk and dope and UltraCote. An O.S. .15 two-stroke engine supplies the power.
See page 199 for submission guidelines.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
