Free Flight Sport
Gene Smith [[email protected]]
Model Builder plans
Model Builder plans are still available from Bill Northrop’s Plan Service.
The F-100 plans set is one of more than 300 that were published full size in Model Builder. To get the complete list of available plans and ordering instructions, send $3 US to Bill Northrop’s Plan Service, 2019 Doral Ct., Henderson, NV 89074. Be sure to ask for the full-size plans list; Bill has other plans and lists he sells. Check out his ad in MA.
Darcy White’s "Squirrel" beginner model
Last September’s column had a picture of Darcy White’s beginner model he named the Squirrel. He has since added video assembly instructions to his web site. Watch as Darcy builds the airplane from precut parts and has it ready to fly in roughly 10 minutes! Surf over to www.rubber-power.com/ for plans and a look at the video. One of the secrets to the quick assembly is the use of the white craft glue sold as “tacky glue” in craft shops.
Bob Schlosberg’s L-19 Bird Dog
Bob Schlosberg built his L-19 Bird Dog from an enlargement of No-Cal plans. It spans 20.5 inches. Rather than make a full-width fuselage, Bob opted for “skinny scale,” making the fuselage 1.5 inches in maximum width at the cabin area. The complete empty weight with ballast is 51.2 grams.
The L-19 has a blue Rees (Peck-style) 7.75-inch-diameter plastic propeller. Power is provided by two loops of 1/8-inch Tan II rubber that is 24 inches long after braiding. Bob can get approximately 1,800 turns in that motor and has been rewarded with flights in the 60- to 90-second range.
JASCO Trooper towline glider — Karl Geis
For many of us, modeling is a way to go back to our childhood. That was the case for Karl Geis, who built a favorite model from years past: a 35-inch-span JASCO Trooper towline glider. His version is covered with Japanese tissue over Mylar. The all-up weight, including ballast, is 1.8 ounces.
The JASCO Trooper kit was released in 1944, and many kids built the popular model. The Trooper was slightly redesigned when Frank Zaic sold JASCO and the company became JETCO. Karl built his first Trooper when he was 12 or 13 years old, in roughly 1940.
Several years ago Stan Buddenbohm had a contest for Troopers in Southern California, and there were many entries. This got Karl thinking about building another one of these airplanes. When he saw Dick Peterson, a flying buddy of Stan’s, fly his Trooper last year at the Society of Antique Modelers Championships in Las Vegas, Nevada, Karl knew he had to do it. Karl recalls that his mom gave him some carpet and button thread to tow up his original. It was a swell flier.
Glazing a turret and adhesives — Orv Olm
Orv Olm photographed all the tools necessary for doing a slick job of glazing a turret for a Defiant.
Orv Olm, who owns Gizmo Geezer Products (www.gizmogeezer.com/index.htm), is a talented model builder. In a recent Internet discussion of adhesives for model windshields, he offered an idea that was new to me.
According to Orv, one of the problems we see is that almost all clear plastic film is now Mylar, which resists most glues. The old cellophane (acetate) film was etched by model cement, which made it easier to attach the windshield material.
After a considerable amount of experimenting, Orv developed a method that has worked well on several models. Using a small brush he paints a fairly thick layer of contact cement around the window and windshield frame. He uses small tubes of the smelly toluene-based contact cements and prefers Elmer’s brand because of its light honey color.
After the contact cement has dried, he uses a small trim iron to dot-weld the film in strategic spots to check the fit of the windshield. If the fit isn’t right, touching the sealing-iron tip to the dot will pop it free, and adjustments can be made until the fit is perfect. Once satisfied with the fit, the remainder of the adhesive can be activated.
Another glue tip from Orv involves the use of a contact cement sold by UHU. It comes packaged in a no-mess stick that is like a deodorant dispenser. This adhesive can be used for several applications, such as bonding Mylar film covering and polyester tissue covering to balsa structures.
Rub the cement on the frame, wait for it to dry, and then use a sealing iron to permanently bond the covering to the frame. The UHU contact cement doesn’t work too well for attaching windows because it is hard to apply a thick enough layer to the narrow frame around the windows.
During the windshield discussion, Howard Littmann mentioned that a good source of acetate sheet for windshields is art-supply stores. He found a 20 x 40-inch sheet of .003 acetate for approximately $2.
Tom Hallman’s rubber-powered Dornier Do X
For the last nine months Tom Hallman has been laboring over a rubber-powered scale Dornier Do X. The model’s craftsmanship and detailing are truly remarkable. Flight-testing was just beginning at the time of this writing.
- Span: 27 inches
- Empty weight (without rubber): 55 grams
- Propeller: single 9.5-inch Peck-Polymers propeller (small propellers on the engine nacelles are dummies, but they do spin)
The model should be majestic in the air. (Editor’s note: Tom's Do X is featured on the cover of the August 2006 MA.)
Senator postal contest donations and event
Donations to buy awards for this year's Senator postal contest now total more than $500. The 2006–2007 event is running and closes January 31, 2007.
That time frame enables summer participation from fliers in both hemispheres. Support is expected to be greater still this year; a Team Challenge has been included, and donations and pledges already equal those received for 2005.
The Senator is a simple, sturdy, 32-inch-span rubber-powered design from 1950. It has straightforward flight characteristics and outstanding performance. (There is a picture of the Senator in the July 2006 "Free Flight Sport" column.)
The design is vintage-legal in many countries and can do well in US Category III events such as Nostalgia Rubber, Moffett, and even Mulvihill. You can obtain details of the 2006–2007 event and the results of the 2005 contest from [email protected].
Texas Timers update — Hank Nystrom
Hank Nystrom has updated his three-function Texas Timers. The updated model will add the pinch mechanism as used on the Max A timers. The second-function wire has been moved to a position that is exactly in line with the DT post, so the quick DT line distance is the same as that of the regular DT. The new, stiffer DT wire end deep-thread scroll is now standard.
Check it out at www.texastimers.com or write to Texas Timers at: 3317 Pine Timbers Dr., Johnson City TN 37604.
Jones-style balsa stripper — Tim Goldstein
The Jones-style balsa stripper is back in production. Tim Goldstein is producing the stripper based on the Jim Jones design.
The new stripper's main frame is manufactured from aircraft-grade 6061 T6 aluminum, which is hard-anodized for protection. All parts are produced on state-of-the-art CNC equipment. This new stripper is a work of art.
- Price: $59.50 plus shipping
- Order at: www.F1D.biz/order
- Mail orders: A2Z CNC, 1530 W. Tufts Ave. Unit B, Englewood CO 80110
- Phone: (720) 833-9300
For a homemade balsa stripper that is not as handy as the Jones model but is cheap, check out www.windandwavemodels.com/BalsaS.html.
Shorty's Basement
Shorty's Basement has a new web site at www.shortysbasement.com/index.php. Check it out for Aerographics kits, West Wings kits, Replicits, short kits for Rapier-powered scale jets, and the Rapier power units themselves. The company carries other products for the FF group including tissue and paints.
You don't have access to the Internet? Get a color catalog for $1 from Carole Kane, 1036 Bexley Ave., Marion OH 43302, or call (740) 225-8671.
Winged Shadow Systems — "How High" altimeter
Winged Shadow Systems has introduced a new product that can answer the inevitable question: How high did the model climb? How High is an altimeter for model aircraft. It reports the peak altitude of a flight right at the field, without the need for a computer or any other support equipment.
- Size: smaller than a postage stamp
- Weight: lighter than a dime
- Price: less than $40
- Installation: attach a battery and mount the unit
Details are available at www.wingedshadow.com.
Mulvihill event and Don DeLoach’s Becker Mulvihill
Mulvihill is an interesting AMA Rubber duration event. The rules are simple: the model's projected wing area must not exceed 300 square inches. After the first three max flights, the max is extended by a minute. Long flights can become the order of the day.
Large models have an advantage because they can carry a large amount of rubber and are easier to keep in sight. Despite that, many elect to fly smaller models in Mulvihill because rubber costs are lower and smaller models are easier to build and transport.
Don DeLoach liked the looks of Ted Becker's Mulvihill from the 1954 Zaic Year Book, so he drew full-size CAD plans and built his own Becker. Don used red Japanese tissue over Mylar on the fuselage and sprayed the sunburst design on the wing with Design Master Holiday Red paint.
The Becker Mulvihill is roughly the size of a Gollywock. It can be flown in National Free Flight Society Nostalgia Rubber and Mulvihill categories.
Don is making the plans available for $7 and a set of laser-cut ribs available for $14, postpaid. If you are interested, send a check or money order to: Don DeLoach, 831 Willamette Ave., Colorado Springs CO 80903.
New Scale plans site — Deathtrap Squadron
Michael Heinrich and Professor Fate used Greg West's talents to set up a new web site with some great scale plans for Flying Aces Club and sport FF modelers. The aircraft are in the 16- to 20-inch-span range. Most are from the Golden Age era. Take a look at www.deathtrapsquadron.com.
Twiggy free plans
For those who are interested in free plans for the Twiggy, which I mentioned in the July 2006 column, send an SASE to me at: 1401 N. Husband St., Stillwater OK 74075.
MA
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
