116 MODEL AVIATION
Pertinent information for 2006 FAC Nats attendees
[[email protected]]
Free Flight Scale Dennis Norman
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
The author with his scratch-built, rubber-powered FF Scale (1:24)
B-24J Liberator at 1990 FAC Nats. Russ Brown photo.
Legendary Pres Bruning shows the business end of his magnificent
Antonov An-2 Colt biplane. Fred Wunsche photo.
Chris Boehum with his immaculate, and
formidable, Dime Scale competitor: the
Martin MO-1. Wunsche photo.
Mike Welshans and his Piper PA-11 Super
Cub No-Cal prove that even minimalist
models have their charm. Wunsche photo.
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.
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
March 2006 117
information contact Glenn Campbell,
Shinsetsu-Campbell, 37742 Carson,
Farmington Hills MI 48331; Tel./Fax: (248)
478-7846; E-mail: [email protected].
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
US.
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 at 5151 E. Memorial Dr., Muncie IN
47302; Tel.: (765) 787-1256; Fax: (765)
289-4248; Web site: www.modelaircraft.org.
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.
According to recent Internet chatter,
Rich Weber provides ground-crew support as Clive Gamble prepares his scratch-built
Westland Welkin for a fourth-place finish at the 2005 FAC Non-Nats. Brown photo.
Battling Bob Bojanowski readies his 24-inch S.E.5a for WW I Combat as his “older” twin
Ed Bojan (he dropped the “owski”) provides steady support. Brown photo.
Ollie Benton holds his handsome Comet
Clipper (1938) Old Time Gas Replica.
Wunsche photo.
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].
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.small
flyingarts.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’ll 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.
Back to the subject of the 2006 FAC Nats,
it appears that there is a serious movement
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 twinengine
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 andchallenges 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.
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
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/03
Page Numbers: 116,117,118,119
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/03
Page Numbers: 116,117,118,119
116 MODEL AVIATION
Pertinent information for 2006 FAC Nats attendees
[[email protected]]
Free Flight Scale Dennis Norman
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
The author with his scratch-built, rubber-powered FF Scale (1:24)
B-24J Liberator at 1990 FAC Nats. Russ Brown photo.
Legendary Pres Bruning shows the business end of his magnificent
Antonov An-2 Colt biplane. Fred Wunsche photo.
Chris Boehum with his immaculate, and
formidable, Dime Scale competitor: the
Martin MO-1. Wunsche photo.
Mike Welshans and his Piper PA-11 Super
Cub No-Cal prove that even minimalist
models have their charm. Wunsche photo.
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.
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
March 2006 117
information contact Glenn Campbell,
Shinsetsu-Campbell, 37742 Carson,
Farmington Hills MI 48331; Tel./Fax: (248)
478-7846; E-mail: [email protected].
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
US.
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 at 5151 E. Memorial Dr., Muncie IN
47302; Tel.: (765) 787-1256; Fax: (765)
289-4248; Web site: www.modelaircraft.org.
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.
According to recent Internet chatter,
Rich Weber provides ground-crew support as Clive Gamble prepares his scratch-built
Westland Welkin for a fourth-place finish at the 2005 FAC Non-Nats. Brown photo.
Battling Bob Bojanowski readies his 24-inch S.E.5a for WW I Combat as his “older” twin
Ed Bojan (he dropped the “owski”) provides steady support. Brown photo.
Ollie Benton holds his handsome Comet
Clipper (1938) Old Time Gas Replica.
Wunsche photo.
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].
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.small
flyingarts.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’ll 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.
Back to the subject of the 2006 FAC Nats,
it appears that there is a serious movement
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 twinengine
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 andchallenges 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.
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
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/03
Page Numbers: 116,117,118,119
116 MODEL AVIATION
Pertinent information for 2006 FAC Nats attendees
[[email protected]]
Free Flight Scale Dennis Norman
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
The author with his scratch-built, rubber-powered FF Scale (1:24)
B-24J Liberator at 1990 FAC Nats. Russ Brown photo.
Legendary Pres Bruning shows the business end of his magnificent
Antonov An-2 Colt biplane. Fred Wunsche photo.
Chris Boehum with his immaculate, and
formidable, Dime Scale competitor: the
Martin MO-1. Wunsche photo.
Mike Welshans and his Piper PA-11 Super
Cub No-Cal prove that even minimalist
models have their charm. Wunsche photo.
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.
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
March 2006 117
information contact Glenn Campbell,
Shinsetsu-Campbell, 37742 Carson,
Farmington Hills MI 48331; Tel./Fax: (248)
478-7846; E-mail: [email protected].
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
US.
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 at 5151 E. Memorial Dr., Muncie IN
47302; Tel.: (765) 787-1256; Fax: (765)
289-4248; Web site: www.modelaircraft.org.
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.
According to recent Internet chatter,
Rich Weber provides ground-crew support as Clive Gamble prepares his scratch-built
Westland Welkin for a fourth-place finish at the 2005 FAC Non-Nats. Brown photo.
Battling Bob Bojanowski readies his 24-inch S.E.5a for WW I Combat as his “older” twin
Ed Bojan (he dropped the “owski”) provides steady support. Brown photo.
Ollie Benton holds his handsome Comet
Clipper (1938) Old Time Gas Replica.
Wunsche photo.
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].
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.small
flyingarts.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’ll 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.
Back to the subject of the 2006 FAC Nats,
it appears that there is a serious movement
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 twinengine
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 andchallenges 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.
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
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/03
Page Numbers: 116,117,118,119
116 MODEL AVIATION
Pertinent information for 2006 FAC Nats attendees
[[email protected]]
Free Flight Scale Dennis Norman
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
The author with his scratch-built, rubber-powered FF Scale (1:24)
B-24J Liberator at 1990 FAC Nats. Russ Brown photo.
Legendary Pres Bruning shows the business end of his magnificent
Antonov An-2 Colt biplane. Fred Wunsche photo.
Chris Boehum with his immaculate, and
formidable, Dime Scale competitor: the
Martin MO-1. Wunsche photo.
Mike Welshans and his Piper PA-11 Super
Cub No-Cal prove that even minimalist
models have their charm. Wunsche photo.
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.
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
March 2006 117
information contact Glenn Campbell,
Shinsetsu-Campbell, 37742 Carson,
Farmington Hills MI 48331; Tel./Fax: (248)
478-7846; E-mail: [email protected].
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
US.
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 at 5151 E. Memorial Dr., Muncie IN
47302; Tel.: (765) 787-1256; Fax: (765)
289-4248; Web site: www.modelaircraft.org.
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.
According to recent Internet chatter,
Rich Weber provides ground-crew support as Clive Gamble prepares his scratch-built
Westland Welkin for a fourth-place finish at the 2005 FAC Non-Nats. Brown photo.
Battling Bob Bojanowski readies his 24-inch S.E.5a for WW I Combat as his “older” twin
Ed Bojan (he dropped the “owski”) provides steady support. Brown photo.
Ollie Benton holds his handsome Comet
Clipper (1938) Old Time Gas Replica.
Wunsche photo.
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].
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.small
flyingarts.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’ll 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.
Back to the subject of the 2006 FAC Nats,
it appears that there is a serious movement
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 twinengine
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 andchallenges 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.
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