Focal Point
Escapade .40
Jim Plaskon (Box 264, Sewell NJ 08080; email: [email protected]) built this electric-powered Great Planes Escapade .40. Jim’s model uses a Rimfire .46 turning an 11 x 6 Master Airscrew propeller, 60-amp speed controller, five-cell 3,300 mAh LiPo battery, and Futaba radio gear. Jim made the nose cowl and exhaust stacks to cover the opening for the glow engine and to make his model unique.
"When it flies, it's an attention getter for sure!" wrote Jim.
Sea Dancer
Tom White (1788 Plymouth Way, Sparks NV 89431; email: [email protected]) built this Sea Dancer from plans that he ordered in October 2011.
The Sea Dancer is modified with wing ribs of 1/8 balsa and wing sheeting of 3/32 balsa instead of the 1/16 called for in the plans. The covering is white UltraCote with transparent red MonoKote. Tom painted the engine pylon and the engine is a YS .63FS with a Futaba radio. The model weighs 7.5 pounds.
Tom wrote: "Since the plans had no instructions, I had to think a few steps ahead, but it worked out okay. We finally had a decent day when the reservoir had enough water in it on May 9, 2012, for the maiden flight. It's a keeper. [It has] smooth takeoffs and landings and is able to do most maneuvers."
Something Extra
Doug MacDonald (277 Columbia Ave., Des Plaines IL 60016; [email protected]) presents this Sig Manufacturing Something Extra kit built by Chuck Poviliates of Prospect Heights, Illinois.
Doug was given the kit to cover with MonoKote and convert to electric. Power is provided by an E-flite Pro 60 ESC with an E-flite Power 46 turning a 12 x 8 propeller. Guidance is through a Hitec Aurora 9.
Doug wrote: "It's wonderful to be able to monitor battery voltage in the airplane from the ground using telemetry in the Aurora. Hitec servos control all the moment. The plane can be fast or slow, [it] doesn't seem to care. It is a great flyer on electric power."
Ultra Sport
Mike Preda (2648 Ridge Rd., Lansing IL 60438; email: [email protected]) shares this photo of his daughter, Victoria Josephine, and Mike's .60-size Great Planes Ultra Sport. The photo was taken when Victoria was 18 months old.
Mike wrote: "[The] Ultra Sport is minus the turtleneck because I wanted my daughter's name on top. I have built more than 10 .60-size Ultra Sports and I am confident this plane will be with my fleet for years. This plane has several flights now on it. It is powered by an O.S. .91FX with a Performance Specialties Muffler. It is covered in MonoKote."
Sea Van
John Gilbert (4071 NE Breakwater Dr., Jensen Beach FL 34957) built this Sea Van from his own design.
The Sea Van spans 31 inches. It is a twin with counterrotating 6 x 4 three-blade propellers using 28/12 motors. The model weighs 24 ounces. Construction includes contest balsa, an epoxy-covered fuselage, and foam core tip floats. It uses 5-gram servos and a three-cell 1,000 mAh LiPo.
"[It is] quick and aerobatic—handles great on water or in the air," wrote John.
Dagger
Romi Lucas (10204 Ross Lake Dr., Peyton CO 80831; email: [email protected]) shares this Dagger with MA readers.
Its inspiration is a combination of the Russian Su-47 and the Sea Wind ARF. It has a 60-inch wingspan. The landing gear is a fixed design and the model has functional flaps. The Dagger is powered by an E-flite Power 46 outrunner electric motor. The all-up weight is 9 pounds.
Ultimate 10-300
Daryl Dunkelberger built this Carl Goldberg Ultimate shown with his daughter, Reese.
The entire model is covered in white UltraCote and blue and white sign vinyl. It is powered by a Hacker S50-16L, a Castle Creations ICE 100, and an eight-cell 4,000 mAh battery. All of the graphics were done by Callie Graphics.
Daryl wrote: "[Reese] is no stranger to the Reno Air Races and since the 'Old Glory' P-51 (Miss America) is her favorite, we now have an Ultimate in that scheme. Reese is three years old and an AMA member as well. She enjoys going to the field with her dad and flies her own Blade Scout and Night Vapor. Hopefully soon, she will graduate into a trainer."
Grumman Wildcat
Frank Gagliardi (8161 Columbus St., San Diego CA 92126) built this Giant Scale Grumman F4F-3 Wildcat from Jerry Bates plans.
The model has a 93-inch wingspan and features scratch-built retractable gear from original Grumman plans. The model has flaps and weighs 23 pounds. Frank's airplane is all-wood construction and covered with fiberglass. The wings and tail surfaces are painted with authentic mixed spray paint.
The fuselage is covered in Flite-Metal with rivet detail. It features a hand-carved dummy radial engine, a three-bladed scale static propeller, full cockpit detail, sliding canopy, and a pilot figure.
Frank's model is an exact scale replica of a full-scale Wildcat now located in the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida, which flew from the U.S.S. Wasp in 1941-1942.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
