Free Flight Scale
Dennis Norman [[email protected]]
Pertinent information for 2006 FAC Nats attendees
THE FLYING ACES Club (FAC) Nationals Mk XV will be held at Geneseo, New York, July 14–16. With FAC membership now exceeding 1,500, there should be a greater turnout than ever at this stellar FF Scale event. I am happy to report that MA will publish a feature article about the contest, but nothing beats seeing it for yourself.
Scale judging will begin at the Quality Inn (4242 Lakeville Rd., Rte. 20A in Geneseo) on Thursday, July 13 at 2 p.m. If you plan to stay at that hotel, call (585) 243-0500 for reservations. Make sure to mention that you are with the FAC to get your room discount. Also be sure to bring your camera; this will be your opportunity to see hundreds of beautiful Scale models and meet many of their builders.
You will also have a unique opportunity to purchase new, old, and extremely old FF Scale kits, magazines, books, materials, tools, T-shirts, etc., from the vendors who will be at the Quality Inn. There will also be opportunities to see, meet, and acquire throughout the weekend.
Also included in this column:
- Esaki Japanese tissue available again
- Flying Aces compilations by David Baker
- Williams Bros. products available again
- A surge in FF twins this year
- Cole Palen’s Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome
Supplies and vendors
You may be well along on your winter projects, but I have great news about supplies you may need to finish them. Glenn Campbell has returned to the modeling scene, again making his exquisite Esaki Japanese tissue available to our fraternity.
Available in red, yellow, white, orange, black, blue, and green, the tissue measures 18 x 24 inches and weighs only 3.2–3.8 grams per sheet. At $1 per sheet, the price is right and I urge you to stock up on this precious material.
He also has the extremely lightweight Gampi tissue, FAI contest rubber, winders, propellers, and a large assortment of plans and kits in his latest catalog. For more information contact: Glenn Campbell, Shinsetsu-Campbell 37742 Carson, Farmington Hills, MI 48331 Tel./Fax: (248) 478-7846 E-mail: [email protected]
Flying Aces compilations
For those of you who cannot get enough of Flying Aces, Englishman David Baker has put together some compilations of articles originally published in Flying Aces magazine between 1934 and 1939. His friend Mike Myers has brought them to the U.S.
Each 194-page volume contains features, models, and plans from famous designers of the day (e.g., Shereshaw, Taibi, Weathers, Plecan, Stahl, Struck, Heit, Garami, Winters, and others). Designs and construction articles for gliders, rubber-powered FF, and early gasoline-powered aircraft give you rich insights into the 1930s era of model aviation. Two volumes are currently available, and you can obtain them for $26.95 each from: AMA, 5151 E. Memorial Dr., Muncie, IN 47302 Tel.: (765) 787-1256 Fax: (765) 289-4248 Web site: www.modelaircraft.org
Williams Bros. products
Another bit of good news is that Williams Bros. products are available again. Daniel Brett of Taylor, Texas, is marketing the line of high-quality plastic models and accessories. Daniel is a longtime modeler who is serious about carrying on in the spirit of the founders. Apparently he and his employees are going into production and hope to have a healthy supply of "new" Williams Bros. kits soon. After that they plan to devote themselves to creating more products in the Williams Bros. tradition.
For further information contact Daniel Brett at [email protected].
Internet resources
While on the subject of the Internet, there are several sites dedicated to our interest group. Perhaps the most popular at the moment is Small Flying Arts (www.smallflyingarts.com).
The SFA Forum contains not only activities, but articles, archives, photos, and free plans. Helpful tips are given there about techniques for designing, building, covering, finishing, and flying new models.
I am not yet computer literate, but my friends and family are helping me. There is a lot of information about FF Scale to be enjoyed on the Internet. I will write more about this as my knowledge increases. If you want to expound on the Internet for us, please write me and I will share the information with readers.
Multiengine models (FF twins)
Back to the subject of the 2006 FAC Nats, it appears that there is a serious move to build multiengine subjects for the event. It is likely that a half dozen or more new multis may be tempting Hung (the thermal god) this year.
At the risk of appearing ancient, in the late 1970s I was involved in lively discussions and "snail-mail" correspondence about multiengine FF Scale subjects. At that time there were very few multis in this discipline.
Ralph "Rottensox" Kuenz and I debated the relative merits of the Douglas A-26 Invader and the Grumman F7F Tigercat. We both liked these subjects and arbitrarily decided that Ralph would design an A-26 while I designed an F7F. We flew our prototypes in the summer of 1978.
Ralph built a geared version using, I believe, a motorstick and gear device similar to that the late Royal Moore of New England developed for his spectacular Gee Bee racer. I opted for an extremely light airframe powered by direct-drive loops of 1/8-inch rubber.
Both models were impressive, but Ralph discovered that the weight of his gear-drive units forced him into heavier construction that robbed his A-26 of performance. The simpler, lighter F7F soared and eventually gave flights of four to five minutes under rubber power. The wisdom of "keep it light" and "keep it simple" was brought home, and I hope the present generation of multiengine-model makers keeps this in mind.
Later I had the pleasure of corresponding with United Kingdom Scale master Charlie Newman and the late "King of Twins"—Dick Howard—about the challenges and rewards of multiengine FF Scale subjects. Howard was a prolific builder with more than two dozen twin-engine models in his stable. If you have pictures of Dick's models you would care to share, please send them to me for publication.
Few FF aircraft have the glamour and the challenges of multiengine subjects. Advancements in electric motors and batteries have brought us into an inspiring new era of multis, with modern masters such as Joe Barrish, Vance Gilbert, Jack Kacian, and Chris Starleaf.
Cole Palen’s Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome
George Corral e-mailed me asking if I had been to the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome in upstate New York. He had yet to visit but planned to do so soon. Located approximately 100 miles north of New York City, on the east bank of the Hudson River, Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome was founded by the legendary Cole Palen and a small army of dedicated volunteers.
Cole spent his early life savings to acquire a small fleet of battered World War I aircraft that had been flown in movies made during the 1920s and 1930s. They were in tatters, and some would have called them "junk." One of Cole's favorite sayings was that "one man's trash is another man's treasure."
Not only did Cole and his helpers resurrect these relics to flying condition, but they created a rich resource for aviation enthusiasts. Cole died in 1993, but Old Rhinebeck lives on, presenting hilarious and inspiring shows every weekend from May to October.
If you have not been to Old Rhinebeck, I encourage you to make it part of your travel plans for 2006. Not only will you see magnificent restorations of pre–World War I, World War I, and Golden Age subjects from the 1920s and 1930s, but you will see a newly restored version of Cole's hobby shop, filled with beautiful FF Scale models, kits, books, magazines, and much more.
Yes, George, I have been to Old Rhinebeck, and it holds many happy memories for me.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
