Also included in this column:
• Subscribe to Flying Aces News
• A proposed new Lindbergh
event
• “Dawn Patrol” Rendezvous
“WHATCHA BUILDIN’?” is one of the
nicest questions you can ask an active
modeler. It says “I care” and “I am
interested in your creative activity.”
Steve Griebling, one of the pillars of the
Cleveland Free Flight Society (CFFS), has
answered this question by proudly showing
his new 22-inch-span Martinsyde Elephant
that the British flew operationally from
1914 to 1918 and beyond. The model is a
fresh subject for the WWI Combat Event.
Considering its grace and proportions, I
cannot understand how it has been
overlooked for so long.
Steve scratch-built his Elephant from
three-views and documentation by J.M.
Bruce. It has a wing area of 150 square
inches and weighs just more than 35 grams
without a motor.
Steve has just started flight tests and says
that 3/16-inch braided Tan II rubber wound to
no more than 300 winds has produced
flights with a great rate of climb and good
stability. Steve feels that he will probably
reduce the motor size. He says that little
nose ballast was required to obtain the
correct CG. He enlarged the tail surfaces
roughly 10% to improve flying properties.
You can see the Elephant’s handsome
lines in an accompanying photo. The model
will be featured in an upcoming issue of
Crosswinds: the CFFS’s quarterly
newsletter. (More about Crosswinds
shortly.)
When Pres Bruning of the Detroit
Cloudbusters was asked what he was
building, he happily told about the
handsome Gee Bee pedal plane he built for
his granddaughter Camille’s 3rd birthday.
He even gave me a picture of Camille in
the Gee Bee. What a lucky kid and what a
great grandpa!
Pres also sent me a picture of last year’s
Halloween creation: a small pumpkin he
turned into a “Snoopy Fighter” for Camille.
Neither of those projects is an FF Scale
model, but they both show how an FF
Scale modeler is sharing his joy with a
youngster.
My oldest grandsons Finn (age 6) and
Joe (age 5) have given me insight about
how future modelers are getting into the
joy of building models. They are rapidly
assembling cars, trucks, and buildings
made from LEGO blocks. Both boys are
capable of completing a LEGO model in
one session. It gives them (and me) great
pleasure to see their recognizable creations.
Finn has just gotten his first Snap-Tite
model—an F-18 Hornet in Blue Angels
markings—and is eagerly looking forward
to constructing it with grandpa’s help. By
summer I suspect that Finn will be flying a
Catapult Glider version of the F-18 at our
local contests.
Gene Klemanek builds model airplanes
for the sheer joy of it. I have not yet
convinced him to take the next step and fly
his beautiful creations, but he delighted me
recently by showing me his Fokker Dr.I
triplane built from a Guillow’s kit.
The model is presented in “bare bones,”
but Gene added a cockpit, armament,
rigging, etc., which made it an eye-catching
treasure. After the Fokker was finished he
Steve Griebling’s 22-inch-wingspan Martinsyde Elephant will be the subject of new plans
in the CFFS’s quarterly Crosswinds newsletter. Griebling photo.
Gene Klemanek built this handsome Fokker triplane from a Guillow’s kit and gave it to
the columnist’s grandson Joe as a “bare bones” model. Pat Norman photo.
March 2007 129
The exquisite structure of the 3/4-inch-scale Bristol F.2B Fighter
built by the late Carl Buttita. Joe Hauk photo.
Carl Buttita’s completed Bristol Fighter is on display in Joe Hauk’s
“public museum” in his private home. Hauk photo.
Jim Hyka of Cleveland OH with his great-flying Peanut Scale
Heinkel He 112 in Romanian markings. Fred Wunsche photo.
Rich Weber with his prototype D.H.29, which will also be
published soon in the CFFS’s Crosswinds. Wunsche photo.
generously gave it to my grandson Joe,
who proudly displays it in his room.
Joe Hauk tells me that he is building an
18-foot, fully lit display case for the model
museum in his home. I told readers about
Joe’s fantastic collection in the article “If
You’ve Got It, Flaunt It!” in the July 2006
MA.
Joe’s new case is being built to display
a collection of 18 3/4-inch-scale models
bequeathed him by Chicago’s fabulous
Carl Buttita, who made his living as a
commercial artist but expressed his passion
for scale aircraft by scratch-building the
most exquisite models I have seen.
Every subject was meticulously
researched and handcrafted. It took Carl
roughly a year to complete each model.
He built the airframes in the most minute
detail, extensively photographed them,
and then covered and hand-painted them.
The results are stunning. It is like seeing
the full-scale aircraft reduced to displaycase
size.
Joe sent dozens of photos, and I am
sharing only a tiny sample with you at this
time. I hope to present more of the Buttita
collection in more extensive work with Joe
in the future.
Jim Hyka answered proudly, showing
me his latest Peanut Scale effort: a
Heinkel He 112 in Romanian markings.
He flew the model last summer at the
Flying Aces Club (FAC) Nats but counts it
as a work in progress since he is still
adding details.
Rich Weber flew the prototype of his
de Havilland D.H.29 at last year’s Nats
and is now completing his construction
plans, which will be published soon in the
CFFS Crosswinds quarterly. He delights in
presenting new subjects, and his attention
to proportions and detail are making him
increasingly successful in FAC
competition, although he says modestly
that winning Kanones is not of major
concern.
Rich’s latest project is a gorgeous 16-
inch-span Beech Staggerwing in Dime
Scale (a simplified Scale category), which
he finished in the bright-red-and-black
markings of a Canadian-owned
Staggerwing. This model will also appear
in the Crosswinds newsletter in the near
future.
My latest project was to prepare the fall
issue of Crosswinds. In it I presented an
in-depth coverage of the Nieuport N.28C-
1.
I selected three sets of Nieuport 28
plans by other modelers and then drew my
version as “fresh” plans. My preference is
to draw the plans to Peanut Scale and
present them as an 11 x 17-inch centerfold
that can be easily removed from the
newsletter for copying or enlargement as
desired.
In the Nieuport 28 issue the readers
were given excellent scale drawings, an
article from an old Aeromodeller
magazine, and even more detailed
drawings from a 1955 series prepared for
Model Airplane News by Bergen F.
Hardesty. These historical plans consist of
the 1933 version from Cleveland Model
and Supply Company, the 1957 plans from
Guillow’s, building comments by Stew
Myers of the D.C. Maxecuters, and a 1980
effort from Czech master modeler Lubomir
Koutny.
In addition, I included a five-view
diagram and color specifications
reproduced from the 1:48-scale plastic kit
of the Nieuport 28 by Aurora/K&B, circa
1972. The issue also contains a series of
historical photographs of Nieuport 28s and
a page of my historical commentary.
The Nieuport 28 issue is unique in that
the front and back covers are printed in
full color. Included is a painting of Eddie
Rickenbacker’s Nieuport 28, a full-color
photograph of a beautifully restored
Nieuport 28, and full-color five-views of
one subject and profile views of eight
other Nieuport 28s.
The effort is 20 pages in length, and
most issues of Crosswinds are 18-22 pages
long. A $16 subscription to Russ Brown,
4909 N. Sedgewick, Lyndhurst OH 44124,
will bring you four delightful issues of the
newsletter. It is well worth the money.
In addition to the CFFS presentation on
the Nieuport 28, I am writing a new issue
of my Air Ace Models series, in which
even more material, including construction
photos and a full construction article, will
be published. The effort will also present
covering and insignia in full color on
sheets of Japanese tissue.
The Air Ace Models effort will be
available in Peanut Scale or Walnut Scale
sizes. These should be available by the
time this column is published.
If you are interested, the Peanut version
is $22.50 postpaid and the Walnut version
is available for $34 postpaid. Send your
check or money order, payable to me, to
11216 Lake Ave., Cleveland OH 44102.
You are also welcome to call me at (216)
631-7774 for further details.
Club newsletters are a way to build local
interest in FF Scale, and there are many
fine ones today. Anyone who wants to
make others aware of their efforts is
welcome and encouraged to send
information to me for publication in future
columns. I would be honored to share your
efforts with readers and give them the
opportunity to enjoy your newsletter.
Flying Aces News is one of the most
widely read newsletters, and you can
obtain a subscription simply by joining the
FAC. I know many of you are FAC
members, but if you are not or if you have
friends who are not, I urge you to join and
begin receiving its bimonthly newsletter.
It is often 24 pages long and is
supplemented by three or more doublesided
11 x 17-inch pages of plans—some
vintage and some new.
An FAC membership is $15 per year
in the US, $20 per year in Canada, and
$25 per year overseas. Please send
payment in US dollars to FAC-GHQ,
3301 Cindy Ln., Erie PA 16506.
I would be remiss if I did not remind you
that this year is the 80th anniversary of
Charles Lindbergh’s flight across the
Atlantic. Therefore, I propose that a
special “Spirit of St. Louis” event be
created for this year’s FAC contests,
either as a mass-launch competition or a
timed solo event as a tribute to the “Lone
Eagle.”
Perhaps no other event in the 20th
century inspired model-airplane building
as much as Lindbergh’s epic effort. We
should pay homage to it.
On the subject of paying homage, the
National Museum of the United States Air
Force (aka the United States Air Force
Museum) at Wright-Patterson Air Force
Base near Dayton, Ohio, will be holding
its biennial Dawn Patrol Rendezvous
World War I Fly-In September 21-23,
2007.
This is one of the premium events of
its type, and it has been growing steadily.
It features full-scale and nearly full-scale
World War I aircraft along with vintage
automobiles and military vehicles.
Re-enactors will be present to add a
touch of nostalgic realism. There will
also be numerous vendors (including me)
displaying all matter of World War I
memorabilia.
The event will give you an
opportunity to enjoy the buffet-style
dinner at the museum September 22, and
entertainment will be provided by the
famous USAF band. Be sure to mark
your calendars now; you do not want to
miss this outstanding event.
Well, gang, it’s time to close the hangar
doors again. But before doing so I would
like you to join me in sending
condolences to the family and friends of
Bob Bojanowski, who passed away in
December after a brief illness.
Bob was a fine gentleman, a prolific
builder, and a good friend. Let us honor
his memory by continuing to participate
enthusiastically and support the hobby to
which he was so dedicated. MA
Edition: Model Aviation - 2007/03
Page Numbers: 128,129,130,131
Edition: Model Aviation - 2007/03
Page Numbers: 128,129,130,131
Also included in this column:
• Subscribe to Flying Aces News
• A proposed new Lindbergh
event
• “Dawn Patrol” Rendezvous
“WHATCHA BUILDIN’?” is one of the
nicest questions you can ask an active
modeler. It says “I care” and “I am
interested in your creative activity.”
Steve Griebling, one of the pillars of the
Cleveland Free Flight Society (CFFS), has
answered this question by proudly showing
his new 22-inch-span Martinsyde Elephant
that the British flew operationally from
1914 to 1918 and beyond. The model is a
fresh subject for the WWI Combat Event.
Considering its grace and proportions, I
cannot understand how it has been
overlooked for so long.
Steve scratch-built his Elephant from
three-views and documentation by J.M.
Bruce. It has a wing area of 150 square
inches and weighs just more than 35 grams
without a motor.
Steve has just started flight tests and says
that 3/16-inch braided Tan II rubber wound to
no more than 300 winds has produced
flights with a great rate of climb and good
stability. Steve feels that he will probably
reduce the motor size. He says that little
nose ballast was required to obtain the
correct CG. He enlarged the tail surfaces
roughly 10% to improve flying properties.
You can see the Elephant’s handsome
lines in an accompanying photo. The model
will be featured in an upcoming issue of
Crosswinds: the CFFS’s quarterly
newsletter. (More about Crosswinds
shortly.)
When Pres Bruning of the Detroit
Cloudbusters was asked what he was
building, he happily told about the
handsome Gee Bee pedal plane he built for
his granddaughter Camille’s 3rd birthday.
He even gave me a picture of Camille in
the Gee Bee. What a lucky kid and what a
great grandpa!
Pres also sent me a picture of last year’s
Halloween creation: a small pumpkin he
turned into a “Snoopy Fighter” for Camille.
Neither of those projects is an FF Scale
model, but they both show how an FF
Scale modeler is sharing his joy with a
youngster.
My oldest grandsons Finn (age 6) and
Joe (age 5) have given me insight about
how future modelers are getting into the
joy of building models. They are rapidly
assembling cars, trucks, and buildings
made from LEGO blocks. Both boys are
capable of completing a LEGO model in
one session. It gives them (and me) great
pleasure to see their recognizable creations.
Finn has just gotten his first Snap-Tite
model—an F-18 Hornet in Blue Angels
markings—and is eagerly looking forward
to constructing it with grandpa’s help. By
summer I suspect that Finn will be flying a
Catapult Glider version of the F-18 at our
local contests.
Gene Klemanek builds model airplanes
for the sheer joy of it. I have not yet
convinced him to take the next step and fly
his beautiful creations, but he delighted me
recently by showing me his Fokker Dr.I
triplane built from a Guillow’s kit.
The model is presented in “bare bones,”
but Gene added a cockpit, armament,
rigging, etc., which made it an eye-catching
treasure. After the Fokker was finished he
Steve Griebling’s 22-inch-wingspan Martinsyde Elephant will be the subject of new plans
in the CFFS’s quarterly Crosswinds newsletter. Griebling photo.
Gene Klemanek built this handsome Fokker triplane from a Guillow’s kit and gave it to
the columnist’s grandson Joe as a “bare bones” model. Pat Norman photo.
March 2007 129
The exquisite structure of the 3/4-inch-scale Bristol F.2B Fighter
built by the late Carl Buttita. Joe Hauk photo.
Carl Buttita’s completed Bristol Fighter is on display in Joe Hauk’s
“public museum” in his private home. Hauk photo.
Jim Hyka of Cleveland OH with his great-flying Peanut Scale
Heinkel He 112 in Romanian markings. Fred Wunsche photo.
Rich Weber with his prototype D.H.29, which will also be
published soon in the CFFS’s Crosswinds. Wunsche photo.
generously gave it to my grandson Joe,
who proudly displays it in his room.
Joe Hauk tells me that he is building an
18-foot, fully lit display case for the model
museum in his home. I told readers about
Joe’s fantastic collection in the article “If
You’ve Got It, Flaunt It!” in the July 2006
MA.
Joe’s new case is being built to display
a collection of 18 3/4-inch-scale models
bequeathed him by Chicago’s fabulous
Carl Buttita, who made his living as a
commercial artist but expressed his passion
for scale aircraft by scratch-building the
most exquisite models I have seen.
Every subject was meticulously
researched and handcrafted. It took Carl
roughly a year to complete each model.
He built the airframes in the most minute
detail, extensively photographed them,
and then covered and hand-painted them.
The results are stunning. It is like seeing
the full-scale aircraft reduced to displaycase
size.
Joe sent dozens of photos, and I am
sharing only a tiny sample with you at this
time. I hope to present more of the Buttita
collection in more extensive work with Joe
in the future.
Jim Hyka answered proudly, showing
me his latest Peanut Scale effort: a
Heinkel He 112 in Romanian markings.
He flew the model last summer at the
Flying Aces Club (FAC) Nats but counts it
as a work in progress since he is still
adding details.
Rich Weber flew the prototype of his
de Havilland D.H.29 at last year’s Nats
and is now completing his construction
plans, which will be published soon in the
CFFS Crosswinds quarterly. He delights in
presenting new subjects, and his attention
to proportions and detail are making him
increasingly successful in FAC
competition, although he says modestly
that winning Kanones is not of major
concern.
Rich’s latest project is a gorgeous 16-
inch-span Beech Staggerwing in Dime
Scale (a simplified Scale category), which
he finished in the bright-red-and-black
markings of a Canadian-owned
Staggerwing. This model will also appear
in the Crosswinds newsletter in the near
future.
My latest project was to prepare the fall
issue of Crosswinds. In it I presented an
in-depth coverage of the Nieuport N.28C-
1.
I selected three sets of Nieuport 28
plans by other modelers and then drew my
version as “fresh” plans. My preference is
to draw the plans to Peanut Scale and
present them as an 11 x 17-inch centerfold
that can be easily removed from the
newsletter for copying or enlargement as
desired.
In the Nieuport 28 issue the readers
were given excellent scale drawings, an
article from an old Aeromodeller
magazine, and even more detailed
drawings from a 1955 series prepared for
Model Airplane News by Bergen F.
Hardesty. These historical plans consist of
the 1933 version from Cleveland Model
and Supply Company, the 1957 plans from
Guillow’s, building comments by Stew
Myers of the D.C. Maxecuters, and a 1980
effort from Czech master modeler Lubomir
Koutny.
In addition, I included a five-view
diagram and color specifications
reproduced from the 1:48-scale plastic kit
of the Nieuport 28 by Aurora/K&B, circa
1972. The issue also contains a series of
historical photographs of Nieuport 28s and
a page of my historical commentary.
The Nieuport 28 issue is unique in that
the front and back covers are printed in
full color. Included is a painting of Eddie
Rickenbacker’s Nieuport 28, a full-color
photograph of a beautifully restored
Nieuport 28, and full-color five-views of
one subject and profile views of eight
other Nieuport 28s.
The effort is 20 pages in length, and
most issues of Crosswinds are 18-22 pages
long. A $16 subscription to Russ Brown,
4909 N. Sedgewick, Lyndhurst OH 44124,
will bring you four delightful issues of the
newsletter. It is well worth the money.
In addition to the CFFS presentation on
the Nieuport 28, I am writing a new issue
of my Air Ace Models series, in which
even more material, including construction
photos and a full construction article, will
be published. The effort will also present
covering and insignia in full color on
sheets of Japanese tissue.
The Air Ace Models effort will be
available in Peanut Scale or Walnut Scale
sizes. These should be available by the
time this column is published.
If you are interested, the Peanut version
is $22.50 postpaid and the Walnut version
is available for $34 postpaid. Send your
check or money order, payable to me, to
11216 Lake Ave., Cleveland OH 44102.
You are also welcome to call me at (216)
631-7774 for further details.
Club newsletters are a way to build local
interest in FF Scale, and there are many
fine ones today. Anyone who wants to
make others aware of their efforts is
welcome and encouraged to send
information to me for publication in future
columns. I would be honored to share your
efforts with readers and give them the
opportunity to enjoy your newsletter.
Flying Aces News is one of the most
widely read newsletters, and you can
obtain a subscription simply by joining the
FAC. I know many of you are FAC
members, but if you are not or if you have
friends who are not, I urge you to join and
begin receiving its bimonthly newsletter.
It is often 24 pages long and is
supplemented by three or more doublesided
11 x 17-inch pages of plans—some
vintage and some new.
An FAC membership is $15 per year
in the US, $20 per year in Canada, and
$25 per year overseas. Please send
payment in US dollars to FAC-GHQ,
3301 Cindy Ln., Erie PA 16506.
I would be remiss if I did not remind you
that this year is the 80th anniversary of
Charles Lindbergh’s flight across the
Atlantic. Therefore, I propose that a
special “Spirit of St. Louis” event be
created for this year’s FAC contests,
either as a mass-launch competition or a
timed solo event as a tribute to the “Lone
Eagle.”
Perhaps no other event in the 20th
century inspired model-airplane building
as much as Lindbergh’s epic effort. We
should pay homage to it.
On the subject of paying homage, the
National Museum of the United States Air
Force (aka the United States Air Force
Museum) at Wright-Patterson Air Force
Base near Dayton, Ohio, will be holding
its biennial Dawn Patrol Rendezvous
World War I Fly-In September 21-23,
2007.
This is one of the premium events of
its type, and it has been growing steadily.
It features full-scale and nearly full-scale
World War I aircraft along with vintage
automobiles and military vehicles.
Re-enactors will be present to add a
touch of nostalgic realism. There will
also be numerous vendors (including me)
displaying all matter of World War I
memorabilia.
The event will give you an
opportunity to enjoy the buffet-style
dinner at the museum September 22, and
entertainment will be provided by the
famous USAF band. Be sure to mark
your calendars now; you do not want to
miss this outstanding event.
Well, gang, it’s time to close the hangar
doors again. But before doing so I would
like you to join me in sending
condolences to the family and friends of
Bob Bojanowski, who passed away in
December after a brief illness.
Bob was a fine gentleman, a prolific
builder, and a good friend. Let us honor
his memory by continuing to participate
enthusiastically and support the hobby to
which he was so dedicated. MA
Edition: Model Aviation - 2007/03
Page Numbers: 128,129,130,131
Also included in this column:
• Subscribe to Flying Aces News
• A proposed new Lindbergh
event
• “Dawn Patrol” Rendezvous
“WHATCHA BUILDIN’?” is one of the
nicest questions you can ask an active
modeler. It says “I care” and “I am
interested in your creative activity.”
Steve Griebling, one of the pillars of the
Cleveland Free Flight Society (CFFS), has
answered this question by proudly showing
his new 22-inch-span Martinsyde Elephant
that the British flew operationally from
1914 to 1918 and beyond. The model is a
fresh subject for the WWI Combat Event.
Considering its grace and proportions, I
cannot understand how it has been
overlooked for so long.
Steve scratch-built his Elephant from
three-views and documentation by J.M.
Bruce. It has a wing area of 150 square
inches and weighs just more than 35 grams
without a motor.
Steve has just started flight tests and says
that 3/16-inch braided Tan II rubber wound to
no more than 300 winds has produced
flights with a great rate of climb and good
stability. Steve feels that he will probably
reduce the motor size. He says that little
nose ballast was required to obtain the
correct CG. He enlarged the tail surfaces
roughly 10% to improve flying properties.
You can see the Elephant’s handsome
lines in an accompanying photo. The model
will be featured in an upcoming issue of
Crosswinds: the CFFS’s quarterly
newsletter. (More about Crosswinds
shortly.)
When Pres Bruning of the Detroit
Cloudbusters was asked what he was
building, he happily told about the
handsome Gee Bee pedal plane he built for
his granddaughter Camille’s 3rd birthday.
He even gave me a picture of Camille in
the Gee Bee. What a lucky kid and what a
great grandpa!
Pres also sent me a picture of last year’s
Halloween creation: a small pumpkin he
turned into a “Snoopy Fighter” for Camille.
Neither of those projects is an FF Scale
model, but they both show how an FF
Scale modeler is sharing his joy with a
youngster.
My oldest grandsons Finn (age 6) and
Joe (age 5) have given me insight about
how future modelers are getting into the
joy of building models. They are rapidly
assembling cars, trucks, and buildings
made from LEGO blocks. Both boys are
capable of completing a LEGO model in
one session. It gives them (and me) great
pleasure to see their recognizable creations.
Finn has just gotten his first Snap-Tite
model—an F-18 Hornet in Blue Angels
markings—and is eagerly looking forward
to constructing it with grandpa’s help. By
summer I suspect that Finn will be flying a
Catapult Glider version of the F-18 at our
local contests.
Gene Klemanek builds model airplanes
for the sheer joy of it. I have not yet
convinced him to take the next step and fly
his beautiful creations, but he delighted me
recently by showing me his Fokker Dr.I
triplane built from a Guillow’s kit.
The model is presented in “bare bones,”
but Gene added a cockpit, armament,
rigging, etc., which made it an eye-catching
treasure. After the Fokker was finished he
Steve Griebling’s 22-inch-wingspan Martinsyde Elephant will be the subject of new plans
in the CFFS’s quarterly Crosswinds newsletter. Griebling photo.
Gene Klemanek built this handsome Fokker triplane from a Guillow’s kit and gave it to
the columnist’s grandson Joe as a “bare bones” model. Pat Norman photo.
March 2007 129
The exquisite structure of the 3/4-inch-scale Bristol F.2B Fighter
built by the late Carl Buttita. Joe Hauk photo.
Carl Buttita’s completed Bristol Fighter is on display in Joe Hauk’s
“public museum” in his private home. Hauk photo.
Jim Hyka of Cleveland OH with his great-flying Peanut Scale
Heinkel He 112 in Romanian markings. Fred Wunsche photo.
Rich Weber with his prototype D.H.29, which will also be
published soon in the CFFS’s Crosswinds. Wunsche photo.
generously gave it to my grandson Joe,
who proudly displays it in his room.
Joe Hauk tells me that he is building an
18-foot, fully lit display case for the model
museum in his home. I told readers about
Joe’s fantastic collection in the article “If
You’ve Got It, Flaunt It!” in the July 2006
MA.
Joe’s new case is being built to display
a collection of 18 3/4-inch-scale models
bequeathed him by Chicago’s fabulous
Carl Buttita, who made his living as a
commercial artist but expressed his passion
for scale aircraft by scratch-building the
most exquisite models I have seen.
Every subject was meticulously
researched and handcrafted. It took Carl
roughly a year to complete each model.
He built the airframes in the most minute
detail, extensively photographed them,
and then covered and hand-painted them.
The results are stunning. It is like seeing
the full-scale aircraft reduced to displaycase
size.
Joe sent dozens of photos, and I am
sharing only a tiny sample with you at this
time. I hope to present more of the Buttita
collection in more extensive work with Joe
in the future.
Jim Hyka answered proudly, showing
me his latest Peanut Scale effort: a
Heinkel He 112 in Romanian markings.
He flew the model last summer at the
Flying Aces Club (FAC) Nats but counts it
as a work in progress since he is still
adding details.
Rich Weber flew the prototype of his
de Havilland D.H.29 at last year’s Nats
and is now completing his construction
plans, which will be published soon in the
CFFS Crosswinds quarterly. He delights in
presenting new subjects, and his attention
to proportions and detail are making him
increasingly successful in FAC
competition, although he says modestly
that winning Kanones is not of major
concern.
Rich’s latest project is a gorgeous 16-
inch-span Beech Staggerwing in Dime
Scale (a simplified Scale category), which
he finished in the bright-red-and-black
markings of a Canadian-owned
Staggerwing. This model will also appear
in the Crosswinds newsletter in the near
future.
My latest project was to prepare the fall
issue of Crosswinds. In it I presented an
in-depth coverage of the Nieuport N.28C-
1.
I selected three sets of Nieuport 28
plans by other modelers and then drew my
version as “fresh” plans. My preference is
to draw the plans to Peanut Scale and
present them as an 11 x 17-inch centerfold
that can be easily removed from the
newsletter for copying or enlargement as
desired.
In the Nieuport 28 issue the readers
were given excellent scale drawings, an
article from an old Aeromodeller
magazine, and even more detailed
drawings from a 1955 series prepared for
Model Airplane News by Bergen F.
Hardesty. These historical plans consist of
the 1933 version from Cleveland Model
and Supply Company, the 1957 plans from
Guillow’s, building comments by Stew
Myers of the D.C. Maxecuters, and a 1980
effort from Czech master modeler Lubomir
Koutny.
In addition, I included a five-view
diagram and color specifications
reproduced from the 1:48-scale plastic kit
of the Nieuport 28 by Aurora/K&B, circa
1972. The issue also contains a series of
historical photographs of Nieuport 28s and
a page of my historical commentary.
The Nieuport 28 issue is unique in that
the front and back covers are printed in
full color. Included is a painting of Eddie
Rickenbacker’s Nieuport 28, a full-color
photograph of a beautifully restored
Nieuport 28, and full-color five-views of
one subject and profile views of eight
other Nieuport 28s.
The effort is 20 pages in length, and
most issues of Crosswinds are 18-22 pages
long. A $16 subscription to Russ Brown,
4909 N. Sedgewick, Lyndhurst OH 44124,
will bring you four delightful issues of the
newsletter. It is well worth the money.
In addition to the CFFS presentation on
the Nieuport 28, I am writing a new issue
of my Air Ace Models series, in which
even more material, including construction
photos and a full construction article, will
be published. The effort will also present
covering and insignia in full color on
sheets of Japanese tissue.
The Air Ace Models effort will be
available in Peanut Scale or Walnut Scale
sizes. These should be available by the
time this column is published.
If you are interested, the Peanut version
is $22.50 postpaid and the Walnut version
is available for $34 postpaid. Send your
check or money order, payable to me, to
11216 Lake Ave., Cleveland OH 44102.
You are also welcome to call me at (216)
631-7774 for further details.
Club newsletters are a way to build local
interest in FF Scale, and there are many
fine ones today. Anyone who wants to
make others aware of their efforts is
welcome and encouraged to send
information to me for publication in future
columns. I would be honored to share your
efforts with readers and give them the
opportunity to enjoy your newsletter.
Flying Aces News is one of the most
widely read newsletters, and you can
obtain a subscription simply by joining the
FAC. I know many of you are FAC
members, but if you are not or if you have
friends who are not, I urge you to join and
begin receiving its bimonthly newsletter.
It is often 24 pages long and is
supplemented by three or more doublesided
11 x 17-inch pages of plans—some
vintage and some new.
An FAC membership is $15 per year
in the US, $20 per year in Canada, and
$25 per year overseas. Please send
payment in US dollars to FAC-GHQ,
3301 Cindy Ln., Erie PA 16506.
I would be remiss if I did not remind you
that this year is the 80th anniversary of
Charles Lindbergh’s flight across the
Atlantic. Therefore, I propose that a
special “Spirit of St. Louis” event be
created for this year’s FAC contests,
either as a mass-launch competition or a
timed solo event as a tribute to the “Lone
Eagle.”
Perhaps no other event in the 20th
century inspired model-airplane building
as much as Lindbergh’s epic effort. We
should pay homage to it.
On the subject of paying homage, the
National Museum of the United States Air
Force (aka the United States Air Force
Museum) at Wright-Patterson Air Force
Base near Dayton, Ohio, will be holding
its biennial Dawn Patrol Rendezvous
World War I Fly-In September 21-23,
2007.
This is one of the premium events of
its type, and it has been growing steadily.
It features full-scale and nearly full-scale
World War I aircraft along with vintage
automobiles and military vehicles.
Re-enactors will be present to add a
touch of nostalgic realism. There will
also be numerous vendors (including me)
displaying all matter of World War I
memorabilia.
The event will give you an
opportunity to enjoy the buffet-style
dinner at the museum September 22, and
entertainment will be provided by the
famous USAF band. Be sure to mark
your calendars now; you do not want to
miss this outstanding event.
Well, gang, it’s time to close the hangar
doors again. But before doing so I would
like you to join me in sending
condolences to the family and friends of
Bob Bojanowski, who passed away in
December after a brief illness.
Bob was a fine gentleman, a prolific
builder, and a good friend. Let us honor
his memory by continuing to participate
enthusiastically and support the hobby to
which he was so dedicated. MA
Edition: Model Aviation - 2007/03
Page Numbers: 128,129,130,131
Also included in this column:
• Subscribe to Flying Aces News
• A proposed new Lindbergh
event
• “Dawn Patrol” Rendezvous
“WHATCHA BUILDIN’?” is one of the
nicest questions you can ask an active
modeler. It says “I care” and “I am
interested in your creative activity.”
Steve Griebling, one of the pillars of the
Cleveland Free Flight Society (CFFS), has
answered this question by proudly showing
his new 22-inch-span Martinsyde Elephant
that the British flew operationally from
1914 to 1918 and beyond. The model is a
fresh subject for the WWI Combat Event.
Considering its grace and proportions, I
cannot understand how it has been
overlooked for so long.
Steve scratch-built his Elephant from
three-views and documentation by J.M.
Bruce. It has a wing area of 150 square
inches and weighs just more than 35 grams
without a motor.
Steve has just started flight tests and says
that 3/16-inch braided Tan II rubber wound to
no more than 300 winds has produced
flights with a great rate of climb and good
stability. Steve feels that he will probably
reduce the motor size. He says that little
nose ballast was required to obtain the
correct CG. He enlarged the tail surfaces
roughly 10% to improve flying properties.
You can see the Elephant’s handsome
lines in an accompanying photo. The model
will be featured in an upcoming issue of
Crosswinds: the CFFS’s quarterly
newsletter. (More about Crosswinds
shortly.)
When Pres Bruning of the Detroit
Cloudbusters was asked what he was
building, he happily told about the
handsome Gee Bee pedal plane he built for
his granddaughter Camille’s 3rd birthday.
He even gave me a picture of Camille in
the Gee Bee. What a lucky kid and what a
great grandpa!
Pres also sent me a picture of last year’s
Halloween creation: a small pumpkin he
turned into a “Snoopy Fighter” for Camille.
Neither of those projects is an FF Scale
model, but they both show how an FF
Scale modeler is sharing his joy with a
youngster.
My oldest grandsons Finn (age 6) and
Joe (age 5) have given me insight about
how future modelers are getting into the
joy of building models. They are rapidly
assembling cars, trucks, and buildings
made from LEGO blocks. Both boys are
capable of completing a LEGO model in
one session. It gives them (and me) great
pleasure to see their recognizable creations.
Finn has just gotten his first Snap-Tite
model—an F-18 Hornet in Blue Angels
markings—and is eagerly looking forward
to constructing it with grandpa’s help. By
summer I suspect that Finn will be flying a
Catapult Glider version of the F-18 at our
local contests.
Gene Klemanek builds model airplanes
for the sheer joy of it. I have not yet
convinced him to take the next step and fly
his beautiful creations, but he delighted me
recently by showing me his Fokker Dr.I
triplane built from a Guillow’s kit.
The model is presented in “bare bones,”
but Gene added a cockpit, armament,
rigging, etc., which made it an eye-catching
treasure. After the Fokker was finished he
Steve Griebling’s 22-inch-wingspan Martinsyde Elephant will be the subject of new plans
in the CFFS’s quarterly Crosswinds newsletter. Griebling photo.
Gene Klemanek built this handsome Fokker triplane from a Guillow’s kit and gave it to
the columnist’s grandson Joe as a “bare bones” model. Pat Norman photo.
March 2007 129
The exquisite structure of the 3/4-inch-scale Bristol F.2B Fighter
built by the late Carl Buttita. Joe Hauk photo.
Carl Buttita’s completed Bristol Fighter is on display in Joe Hauk’s
“public museum” in his private home. Hauk photo.
Jim Hyka of Cleveland OH with his great-flying Peanut Scale
Heinkel He 112 in Romanian markings. Fred Wunsche photo.
Rich Weber with his prototype D.H.29, which will also be
published soon in the CFFS’s Crosswinds. Wunsche photo.
generously gave it to my grandson Joe,
who proudly displays it in his room.
Joe Hauk tells me that he is building an
18-foot, fully lit display case for the model
museum in his home. I told readers about
Joe’s fantastic collection in the article “If
You’ve Got It, Flaunt It!” in the July 2006
MA.
Joe’s new case is being built to display
a collection of 18 3/4-inch-scale models
bequeathed him by Chicago’s fabulous
Carl Buttita, who made his living as a
commercial artist but expressed his passion
for scale aircraft by scratch-building the
most exquisite models I have seen.
Every subject was meticulously
researched and handcrafted. It took Carl
roughly a year to complete each model.
He built the airframes in the most minute
detail, extensively photographed them,
and then covered and hand-painted them.
The results are stunning. It is like seeing
the full-scale aircraft reduced to displaycase
size.
Joe sent dozens of photos, and I am
sharing only a tiny sample with you at this
time. I hope to present more of the Buttita
collection in more extensive work with Joe
in the future.
Jim Hyka answered proudly, showing
me his latest Peanut Scale effort: a
Heinkel He 112 in Romanian markings.
He flew the model last summer at the
Flying Aces Club (FAC) Nats but counts it
as a work in progress since he is still
adding details.
Rich Weber flew the prototype of his
de Havilland D.H.29 at last year’s Nats
and is now completing his construction
plans, which will be published soon in the
CFFS Crosswinds quarterly. He delights in
presenting new subjects, and his attention
to proportions and detail are making him
increasingly successful in FAC
competition, although he says modestly
that winning Kanones is not of major
concern.
Rich’s latest project is a gorgeous 16-
inch-span Beech Staggerwing in Dime
Scale (a simplified Scale category), which
he finished in the bright-red-and-black
markings of a Canadian-owned
Staggerwing. This model will also appear
in the Crosswinds newsletter in the near
future.
My latest project was to prepare the fall
issue of Crosswinds. In it I presented an
in-depth coverage of the Nieuport N.28C-
1.
I selected three sets of Nieuport 28
plans by other modelers and then drew my
version as “fresh” plans. My preference is
to draw the plans to Peanut Scale and
present them as an 11 x 17-inch centerfold
that can be easily removed from the
newsletter for copying or enlargement as
desired.
In the Nieuport 28 issue the readers
were given excellent scale drawings, an
article from an old Aeromodeller
magazine, and even more detailed
drawings from a 1955 series prepared for
Model Airplane News by Bergen F.
Hardesty. These historical plans consist of
the 1933 version from Cleveland Model
and Supply Company, the 1957 plans from
Guillow’s, building comments by Stew
Myers of the D.C. Maxecuters, and a 1980
effort from Czech master modeler Lubomir
Koutny.
In addition, I included a five-view
diagram and color specifications
reproduced from the 1:48-scale plastic kit
of the Nieuport 28 by Aurora/K&B, circa
1972. The issue also contains a series of
historical photographs of Nieuport 28s and
a page of my historical commentary.
The Nieuport 28 issue is unique in that
the front and back covers are printed in
full color. Included is a painting of Eddie
Rickenbacker’s Nieuport 28, a full-color
photograph of a beautifully restored
Nieuport 28, and full-color five-views of
one subject and profile views of eight
other Nieuport 28s.
The effort is 20 pages in length, and
most issues of Crosswinds are 18-22 pages
long. A $16 subscription to Russ Brown,
4909 N. Sedgewick, Lyndhurst OH 44124,
will bring you four delightful issues of the
newsletter. It is well worth the money.
In addition to the CFFS presentation on
the Nieuport 28, I am writing a new issue
of my Air Ace Models series, in which
even more material, including construction
photos and a full construction article, will
be published. The effort will also present
covering and insignia in full color on
sheets of Japanese tissue.
The Air Ace Models effort will be
available in Peanut Scale or Walnut Scale
sizes. These should be available by the
time this column is published.
If you are interested, the Peanut version
is $22.50 postpaid and the Walnut version
is available for $34 postpaid. Send your
check or money order, payable to me, to
11216 Lake Ave., Cleveland OH 44102.
You are also welcome to call me at (216)
631-7774 for further details.
Club newsletters are a way to build local
interest in FF Scale, and there are many
fine ones today. Anyone who wants to
make others aware of their efforts is
welcome and encouraged to send
information to me for publication in future
columns. I would be honored to share your
efforts with readers and give them the
opportunity to enjoy your newsletter.
Flying Aces News is one of the most
widely read newsletters, and you can
obtain a subscription simply by joining the
FAC. I know many of you are FAC
members, but if you are not or if you have
friends who are not, I urge you to join and
begin receiving its bimonthly newsletter.
It is often 24 pages long and is
supplemented by three or more doublesided
11 x 17-inch pages of plans—some
vintage and some new.
An FAC membership is $15 per year
in the US, $20 per year in Canada, and
$25 per year overseas. Please send
payment in US dollars to FAC-GHQ,
3301 Cindy Ln., Erie PA 16506.
I would be remiss if I did not remind you
that this year is the 80th anniversary of
Charles Lindbergh’s flight across the
Atlantic. Therefore, I propose that a
special “Spirit of St. Louis” event be
created for this year’s FAC contests,
either as a mass-launch competition or a
timed solo event as a tribute to the “Lone
Eagle.”
Perhaps no other event in the 20th
century inspired model-airplane building
as much as Lindbergh’s epic effort. We
should pay homage to it.
On the subject of paying homage, the
National Museum of the United States Air
Force (aka the United States Air Force
Museum) at Wright-Patterson Air Force
Base near Dayton, Ohio, will be holding
its biennial Dawn Patrol Rendezvous
World War I Fly-In September 21-23,
2007.
This is one of the premium events of
its type, and it has been growing steadily.
It features full-scale and nearly full-scale
World War I aircraft along with vintage
automobiles and military vehicles.
Re-enactors will be present to add a
touch of nostalgic realism. There will
also be numerous vendors (including me)
displaying all matter of World War I
memorabilia.
The event will give you an
opportunity to enjoy the buffet-style
dinner at the museum September 22, and
entertainment will be provided by the
famous USAF band. Be sure to mark
your calendars now; you do not want to
miss this outstanding event.
Well, gang, it’s time to close the hangar
doors again. But before doing so I would
like you to join me in sending
condolences to the family and friends of
Bob Bojanowski, who passed away in
December after a brief illness.
Bob was a fine gentleman, a prolific
builder, and a good friend. Let us honor
his memory by continuing to participate
enthusiastically and support the hobby to
which he was so dedicated. MA