Focal Point 2014/05
Stagger Bi
Builder / Contact
Tom White — 1788 Plymouth Way, Sparks NV 89431; email: [email protected]
Tom wrote that the Stagger Bi is a Phil Kraft design from 1959. He updated the construction techniques to modern methods. The original plans showed a solid 1/8" plywood wing spar, sewn hinges, bellcranks to the ailerons, rubber-band wing hold downs, an upright engine with cheek cowls, and Bonner Digimite servos drawn on the plans.
Modifications and details:
- Used proven 1/4" spar top and bottom with shear webs between the ribs on the wings.
- Inverted a Saito .72, built the cowling, and installed a remote starter.
- Wings covered with aluminum Solar Film; fuselage covered with Cub-yellow MonoKote.
- Cowl is painted.
- No retracts, but wheel covers were added to simulate retracts.
Fokker D.VI
Builder / Contact
Carl Schurenberg — 7678 Oceola Ln., West Chester OH 45069; email: [email protected]
Details:
- Kit: Glenn Torrance
- Wingspan: 75 in
- Weight: approx. 17 lb
- Power: Zenoah G-26
- Radio: Spektrum
- Covering: Balsa USA Lozengetex fabric
Carl wrote: "The kit follows many of the construction designs of the full-size plane, and hence, is not for the beginning modeler. It was fun to build a somewhat different and unusual plane."
Super Sportwin
Builder / Contact
Don Kiryluk — 10721 Staghound Tr., Zebulon NC 27597; email: [email protected]
Don built his own version of Mark Rittenger's Super Sportwin (featured on the June 2011 Model Aviation cover).
Details:
- Motors: Turnigy D3542/6
- ESCs: Turnigy Trust 55A
- Retracts: electric retracts from Nitro Planes
- Wing cores: Bob Hunt
- Covering: UltraCote
- Performance: 945 watts and 75 amps at full power, spinning 9 x 8 APC props
Stuka Dive Bomber
Builder / Contact
Edward Niccum — 3288 Stewart Dr., Darien IL 60561; email: [email protected]
Edward scratch-built a Junkers Ju 87 Stuka dive bomber with a working bomb drop.
Details:
- Wingspan: 71 in
- Weight: 7.5 lb
- Plans: Royal-Marutaka
- Construction: balsa and light plywood, MonoKote covering
- Power: Saito .72
- Wheel pants: vacuum-formed plastic with light plywood internal reinforcing
- Bomb: balsa and light cardstock with an impact-activated buzzer (in case it misses the field and ends up in the rough)
1809 Cayley
Builder / Contact
Daniel Mitchell — 1027 Bradley Sq., Sparks NV 89434; email: [email protected]
Daniel wrote that in 1809 Sir George Cayley created a drawing of a "solid of least resistance" using a "well fed trout" as a guide. The original drawing resembles a modern, fully symmetrical airfoil, so Daniel designed and built a model using Cayley's airfoil shape for the wing ribs.
Details:
- Construction: all wood with fully sheeted wings and tail surfaces
- Power: O.S. .61
- Weight: 6 lb
- Wingspan: 62 in (wing area: 550 sq in noted)
- Performance: aggressive vertical performance and notably quick on the straight and level; low-speed performance is less impressive due to higher wing loading
Conclusion (Daniel): "This 16% airfoil, although speedy, is not the fastest shape around. Don't tell George..."
Revived LT-40
Builders / Contact
Bill Eikner — 35 Harloff Rd., Honeoye Falls NY 14472; email: [email protected] Eric McGahey — 123 Bunker Hill Dr., Rochester NY 14625; email: [email protected]
Bill owned a Sig LT-40 ARF that crashed; Eric revived and rebuilt it.
Details:
- Model: Sig LT-40 ARF
- Wingspan: 70 in
- Power: O.S. .55AX two-stroke turning a 12 x 6 propeller
- Floats: Maxford USA .40-size fiberglass floats (original equipment)
- Repairs by Eric: extensive fuselage repairs, reattached tail feathers, removed MonoKote and recovered, applied new Sig Manufacturing graphics, repaired wing and float struts
- Repairs completed: March 2012
- Maiden flight after rebuild: flown using traditional landing gear with tires
Buzzard Bombshell
Builder / Contact
Thomas W. Haake — Richboro PA; email: [email protected]
Thomas built a 1940 Buzzard Bombshell from Bob Holman plans and a short kit.
Details:
- Covering: Horizon Hobby UltraCote ParkLite
- Power: E-flite Power 32 electric motor, spinning a 13 x 6.5 APC propeller
- Electronics: Hitec HS-225 servos, Spektrum AR500 receiver, Castle Creations ICE-50 ESC
- Radio: Spektrum DX8
Thomas wrote: "The model is a terrific slow flier and thermal floater."
Mustang
Builder / Contact
Ralph Doyle — 2463 Wesington Dr., Maryland Heights MO 63043
Ralph built a CMP P-51D Mustang.
Details:
- Wingspan: 72 in
- Power: Chinese SV 26cc gas engine, 16 x 6 propeller
- Features: flaps; Ralph added electric retracts
- Photo: Carolyn Schleuter
Ralph wrote: "This P-51 has no bad habits and flies like a dream. An additional note: If you're not into gas engines, I also flew it with an O.S. .90 and did not feel that it was underpowered swinging a 14 x 6 propeller."
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
