78 MODEL AVIATION
Focal Point
Tom Conte (435 Bellevue Dr., Allen TX 75013; e-mail:
[email protected]) scratch-built his Scrappy Trainer as an
inexpensive learning platform for his son. It cost approximately $6
to construct, which was the cost of the wood.
Tom incorporated recycled parts from a Slow Stick in this
design. He used JR miniservos and receiver, and he covered the
model with Litespan. It came out weighing 13 ounces and uses a
7.4-volt Li-Poly battery.
The Scrappy has a 36-inch wingspan and is roughly 30 inches
long.
Tom wrote:
“It is easy to carry it to the school yard behind the house or keep
it ready to go in the trunk of the car. It’s very stable but has enough
power to get itself out of trouble when the new pilot gets it pointed
in the wrong direction.”
Scrappy Trainer
Gordon Smith (385 Paso Robles Dr., Santa Barbara CA 93108;
e-mail: [email protected]) built his de Havilland Tiger
Moth from a kit by Clark Industries of Tottenham, Ontario, Canada.
It is modeled and decorated to replicate the full-scale version that is
on display at the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum in Mount
Hope, Ontario.
The model spans 88 inches and weighs 19 pounds. The canopy
and windshield frame are made entirely from aluminum, and the
sliding sections run in slotted tracks, similar to on the full-scale
Tiger Moth.
Power is a Saito 1.80 four-stroke engine. Covering is Cub
Yellow 21st Century Fabric, and AeroGraphics custom-designed all
details and insignia.
Gordon wrote:
“I modified the airframe to make it more scale as to the cockpit
canopy and lower wing mount. I can also remove the two complete
wing assemblies (one from each side), without disturbing the
rigging cables or struts. This cuts field assembly time to less than
ten minutes.”
David Schwin (640 S. Broadway, Medina OH 44256; e-mail:
[email protected]) scratch-built his Care Bear.
It spans 20 inches, has a length of 23 inches, and weighs 7.5
ounces ready to fly. The motor is a Himax 2212-840 brushless, and
the ESC is an 8-amp unit from Common Sense RC. A Spektrum
AR6000 receiver is used with a DX6i transmitter and three 3.5-gram
servos. The pilot is a teddy bear from the dollhouse department of a
Hobby Lobby craft store.
“The plane has one flight, which showed it needed a little
tweaking, but it flew okay,” wrote David.
Care Bear
Canadian D.H.82C Tiger Moth
Tom Conti (1040 Route 80, Guilford CT 06437) scratch-built his
1/4-scale Kitfox, which he designed and constructed during the
course of several years.
The model has a wingspan of 96 inches and weighs 15.5 pounds.
Power is an O.S. 1.20 four-stroke engine with a Graupner 14 x 7
three-blade propeller.
The wings have aircraft-aluminum spars with light-plywood ribs
and a fuselage made from light plywood and 3/16-inch dowel
framing. The entire aircraft is finished with 21st Century covering.
Denney Kitfox IV
See page 183 for submission guidelines
10sig3.QXD 8/21/09 12:15 PM Page 78
October 2009 79
Peter Carr (329 Little Ave., Ridgway PA 15853; e-mail:
[email protected]) built his semiscale Lacey M.10 from plans in
the October 2003 Radio Control Models and Electronics (a
British magazine).
The model has a rib and spar wing, with 1/4 square balsa sticks
for the fuselage and tail feathers. The power system is an
AstroFlight 020 geared motor with a 30-amp ESC and a 1500
mAh 3S Li-Poly battery. The Lacey weighs 1.7 pounds ready to
fly.
The radio is a Kraft Series 73 case with MicroStar 2000
encoder and FMA RF deck on Channel 08 (50.960 MHz) in the 6-
meter Amateur Radio Band.
The model’s short wingspan allows it to roll quickly. Loops
are round if a slight dive is added. Covering is MonoKote, with
trim sheet used for markings and stripes.
Harry Jenkin (1767 Mount Everest Ln., Toms River NJ 08753)
scratch-built his SR-71 Blackbird using a 1/48-scale plastic model for
reference.
He constructed the model from 1/4 lauan plywood formers, 3/32
balsa, and 1/32 hobby plywood. The finish is semigloss acrylic latex
black paint, and the SR-71’s ready-to-fly weight is 23 pounds.
It has a 58-inch wingspan, and power is supplied by two ASP .75
two-stroke engines turning 12 x 8 propellers.
Dennis Pannell (3916 Twilight Ave., Enid OK 73703; e-mail:
[email protected]) built this S.V.4 from a Svenson Models
kit.
The model is 1/4 scale with a Zenoah G-45 engine for power. It
has a set of 80-inch main wings, pneumatic 4.5-inch Du-Bro tires,
and fully functional flying/landing wires.
The Stampe’s covering is 21st Century Fabric and paint.
Blackbird
Lacey M.10
Stampe S.V.4
Jerry Miller (2380 Scotch Hill 1, N. Huntingdon PA 15642) built
his Golden Era 60 from plans he saw in MA.
The model is powered with a Magnum .91 four-stroke engine
spinning a 14 x 8 propeller. It is covered with PolyCote and has a
Tower Hobbies System 3000 receiver. The Golden Era uses Tower
Hobbies’ TS-53 servos and weighs approximately 9 pounds.
Golden Era 60
Focal Point
10sig3.QXD 8/21/09 12:52 PM Page 79
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/10
Page Numbers: 78,79
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/10
Page Numbers: 78,79
78 MODEL AVIATION
Focal Point
Tom Conte (435 Bellevue Dr., Allen TX 75013; e-mail:
[email protected]) scratch-built his Scrappy Trainer as an
inexpensive learning platform for his son. It cost approximately $6
to construct, which was the cost of the wood.
Tom incorporated recycled parts from a Slow Stick in this
design. He used JR miniservos and receiver, and he covered the
model with Litespan. It came out weighing 13 ounces and uses a
7.4-volt Li-Poly battery.
The Scrappy has a 36-inch wingspan and is roughly 30 inches
long.
Tom wrote:
“It is easy to carry it to the school yard behind the house or keep
it ready to go in the trunk of the car. It’s very stable but has enough
power to get itself out of trouble when the new pilot gets it pointed
in the wrong direction.”
Scrappy Trainer
Gordon Smith (385 Paso Robles Dr., Santa Barbara CA 93108;
e-mail: [email protected]) built his de Havilland Tiger
Moth from a kit by Clark Industries of Tottenham, Ontario, Canada.
It is modeled and decorated to replicate the full-scale version that is
on display at the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum in Mount
Hope, Ontario.
The model spans 88 inches and weighs 19 pounds. The canopy
and windshield frame are made entirely from aluminum, and the
sliding sections run in slotted tracks, similar to on the full-scale
Tiger Moth.
Power is a Saito 1.80 four-stroke engine. Covering is Cub
Yellow 21st Century Fabric, and AeroGraphics custom-designed all
details and insignia.
Gordon wrote:
“I modified the airframe to make it more scale as to the cockpit
canopy and lower wing mount. I can also remove the two complete
wing assemblies (one from each side), without disturbing the
rigging cables or struts. This cuts field assembly time to less than
ten minutes.”
David Schwin (640 S. Broadway, Medina OH 44256; e-mail:
[email protected]) scratch-built his Care Bear.
It spans 20 inches, has a length of 23 inches, and weighs 7.5
ounces ready to fly. The motor is a Himax 2212-840 brushless, and
the ESC is an 8-amp unit from Common Sense RC. A Spektrum
AR6000 receiver is used with a DX6i transmitter and three 3.5-gram
servos. The pilot is a teddy bear from the dollhouse department of a
Hobby Lobby craft store.
“The plane has one flight, which showed it needed a little
tweaking, but it flew okay,” wrote David.
Care Bear
Canadian D.H.82C Tiger Moth
Tom Conti (1040 Route 80, Guilford CT 06437) scratch-built his
1/4-scale Kitfox, which he designed and constructed during the
course of several years.
The model has a wingspan of 96 inches and weighs 15.5 pounds.
Power is an O.S. 1.20 four-stroke engine with a Graupner 14 x 7
three-blade propeller.
The wings have aircraft-aluminum spars with light-plywood ribs
and a fuselage made from light plywood and 3/16-inch dowel
framing. The entire aircraft is finished with 21st Century covering.
Denney Kitfox IV
See page 183 for submission guidelines
10sig3.QXD 8/21/09 12:15 PM Page 78
October 2009 79
Peter Carr (329 Little Ave., Ridgway PA 15853; e-mail:
[email protected]) built his semiscale Lacey M.10 from plans in
the October 2003 Radio Control Models and Electronics (a
British magazine).
The model has a rib and spar wing, with 1/4 square balsa sticks
for the fuselage and tail feathers. The power system is an
AstroFlight 020 geared motor with a 30-amp ESC and a 1500
mAh 3S Li-Poly battery. The Lacey weighs 1.7 pounds ready to
fly.
The radio is a Kraft Series 73 case with MicroStar 2000
encoder and FMA RF deck on Channel 08 (50.960 MHz) in the 6-
meter Amateur Radio Band.
The model’s short wingspan allows it to roll quickly. Loops
are round if a slight dive is added. Covering is MonoKote, with
trim sheet used for markings and stripes.
Harry Jenkin (1767 Mount Everest Ln., Toms River NJ 08753)
scratch-built his SR-71 Blackbird using a 1/48-scale plastic model for
reference.
He constructed the model from 1/4 lauan plywood formers, 3/32
balsa, and 1/32 hobby plywood. The finish is semigloss acrylic latex
black paint, and the SR-71’s ready-to-fly weight is 23 pounds.
It has a 58-inch wingspan, and power is supplied by two ASP .75
two-stroke engines turning 12 x 8 propellers.
Dennis Pannell (3916 Twilight Ave., Enid OK 73703; e-mail:
[email protected]) built this S.V.4 from a Svenson Models
kit.
The model is 1/4 scale with a Zenoah G-45 engine for power. It
has a set of 80-inch main wings, pneumatic 4.5-inch Du-Bro tires,
and fully functional flying/landing wires.
The Stampe’s covering is 21st Century Fabric and paint.
Blackbird
Lacey M.10
Stampe S.V.4
Jerry Miller (2380 Scotch Hill 1, N. Huntingdon PA 15642) built
his Golden Era 60 from plans he saw in MA.
The model is powered with a Magnum .91 four-stroke engine
spinning a 14 x 8 propeller. It is covered with PolyCote and has a
Tower Hobbies System 3000 receiver. The Golden Era uses Tower
Hobbies’ TS-53 servos and weighs approximately 9 pounds.
Golden Era 60
Focal Point
10sig3.QXD 8/21/09 12:52 PM Page 79