Also included in this column:
• Ebeneezer event at Old
Warden
• Super magnet propeller holder
• Quick DT techniques
• Micro-Point glue for attaching
canopies
• Richard Adams tells us about
his Corsair
• Troopers and Sinbads
• Enlarged Farman 400
• Greg Thomas’s Monocoupe
• John Low’s FF Scale plans
source
• “Spirit of Pilfered Pearl”
Don DeLoach uses a super magnet to hold the propeller while he
winds his Rubber model.
ALL RAMRODS must have wheels for competition. Last January at
the Southwest Regionals I saw a Ramrod flown in Nostalgia Gas using
a skid but no wheel. There was another skid-equipped Ramrod at last
summer’s Nats in Muncie.
It had been my understanding that Ramrods had to have a wheel. I
began to wonder if it was legal to enter a Ramrod in Nostalgia Gas
competitions without
a wheel.
I asked the
Nostalgia Rules
Committee for an
opinion. I learned
Richard Adams crafted this beautiful Corsair from Mike Midkiff
plans.
A monofilament loop connects the DT line to the Texas Timers
Micro for a quick DT function.
The popularity of the Ebeneezer concept is illustrated by this lineup of models at a
contest in England.
that the documentation for the skids was the Berkeley Ramrod 600 kit
plans, which was listed in the Nostalgia rules book. However, the kit
and plans were released after the Nostalgia cutoff date.
The unanimous opinion of the Nostalgia Rules Committee was that
because the kit plans were published after the Nostalgia-rules cutoff
date, skids would not be allowed on Ramrods in competition.
Lindsey Smith sent the photo of an Ebeneezer event at Old Warden in
England. Derek Knight won the event with a four-engine (actually
eight KP-01s coupled) B-52 that flew very well. There were more than
70 entries.
The basic concept is to use sheet balsa to create a semiscale or
whimsical model. The wing and stabilizer must be flat sheets with no
airfoil. The fuselage is also sheet profile, and power is an .020 engine,
a small diesel, or an electric motor.
What do you do with the propeller for your rubber-powered model
while you are winding? Do you find that it’s in the back of the car, just
out of reach? Did it fall out of your pocket and
into the deep grass? Did the wind blow it off
your stooge?
Don DeLoach solved the missing-propeller
problem with a super magnet propeller holder.
He uses a 1/4 x 1/4-inch cylinder magnet for the
Peanut through roughly P-30. For larger
propellers, especially bigger and heavier
folders, he uses the RH375 magnet—which is
approximately 1/2 inch in diameter.
Don has several of the larger magnets for
sale, complete with a leather cord, for $5 each
postpaid. His address is 831 E. Willamette,
Colorado Springs CO 80903. If you can’t find
the magnets locally, visit www.amazing
magnets.com.
A technique that has saved hundreds, if not
thousands, of new contest FF models from an
early demise is the use of the quick DT. A gas-powered FF airplane’s
first flights can put the model at high risk. You want a short engine run
in case the power pattern is bad, but a short run can leave the airplane
in a bad position from which it can stall straight into the ground.
With a quick DT the dethermalizer is triggered approximately three
seconds after the engine quits. This allows time for the model to slow
after the engine quits, but it triggers the DT before the model can get
into trouble from a bad transition. It is relatively simple to set a quick
DT with a dual-function timer, but they are a bit heavy for most small
Gas models.
Joel Swartzman of Tucson, Arizona, came up with a neat idea that
allows a quick DT function with the lightweight Micro timer from
Texas Timers. To use the quick DT the model should be equipped with
a DT system in which the fuse or viscous DT timer is located below
the pylon.
To rig for a quick DT, the DT line is extended to the Texas Micro
Bob Clemons won Golden Age Scale at the FAC Nats flying this slick Farman.
Greg Thomas kits his beautiful Monocoupe. Check out the tail
support!
using a loop of monofilament line. The arm on the Micro timer should
normally go on the bottom of the scroll. Place the DT line loop on the
next groove down or it will trigger before the engine quits.
If you want a faster “quick DT,” you can place the DT line on the
same groove as the DT arm if you put the arm on top of the scroll. Be
sure to test the timer sequence before flying the model.
You can see the setup on the Texas Timers Web site at www.texas
timers.com/. Click the “Helpful Hints” button. Gil Morris’s VIT setup
with the Micro is also there.
There is yet another adhesive for attaching canopies. Howard Littman
has settled on Micro-Point glue, so called because the tube it comes in
has a fine, needlelike nozzle on it. The cap has a fine wire that must be
put down the nozzle when closing it to keep it clean. It is watch-crystal
glue.
The brand Howard uses is G-S Hypo Cement. If you can’t get it at
a local hobby shop, try the Web site at
http://gssupplies.com/. The company also
makes magnifiers, precision tools, and
holding devices. The glue is also available
from Micro-Mark at (908) 464-2984 or
www.micromark.com.
The beautiful Vought F4U-1A Corsair you
may have seen at Geneseo, New York, this
year was built by Richard Adams. He used
Mike Midkiff plans, modified to reduce
overall weight. Richard wrote:
“I replaced the box and former technique
shown on the plans with full-size formers.
The top, bottom, and side longerons were
laminated 1/16 inch square starting at 3/16 inch
wide at the nose and reduced to 1/16 inch at
the tail. I added more stringers than called for
in the plans to smooth out the covering and
add more longitudinal strength to the
fuselage.
“The wings followed the basic plan except
where an additional rib was added in the
wing-bend area to aid in covering. The wingjoin
carry-through structure was
accomplished using 1/16 plywood plates.
“The model was covered with a
combination of blue and white Japanese
tissue using the traditional 50/50 nitrate dope
method. One coat of dope was applied overall
after shrinking.
“The color scheme was applied using
Model Master acrylic paints thinned 50%
with water and applied with a 3/4-inch-wide
Taklon brush. These brushes have the orange
synthetic bristles. The paint was applied
sparingly and brushed in one direction,
spreading the pigment as evenly as possible.
“Real airplanes get filthy and stained
relative to their flight path as well as how
rain flows off them on the ground. Brushing
adds a directional flow to the paint that
mimics the staining. It’s not readily apparent,
but it is one of those things that’s not obvious
but can be perceived.
“The color transitions of the tricolor
scheme were airbrushed. Thirty percent
white paint was added to the base colors to
fade them. Panel lines and hinge-line
shadows were done using Prismacolor
pencils and ink. Various straightedges and
curves were used as guides. Markings were
applied with a combination of homemade
water-slide decals and tissue.
“The engine was made from Williams
Brothers cylinders and balsa. The 12-inchdiameter,
1.2 P/D three-blade propeller was
made from balsa covered with fiberglass.
The landing gear doors are held on with
rubber cement and come off for flight.
“I find that rubber cement is a great way
to hold things on but can be easily removed. I
use it to hold the plug-in stabilizer halves.
The model’s wingspan is 33 inches and the
empty weight after trimming and clay
additions is 120 grams.
“Five loops of 1/8-inch Tan Super Sport
were used for trim flying. This was plenty of
power for the Corsair.
“Initial flights demonstrated that this
model did not like to turn right in the power,
cruise, or glide modes. The thrustline was
adjusted to allow torque to circle the airplane
to the left under power and cruise. Wingtip
weight and a rudder tab were used to
counteract the propeller torque in the glide.
Flights have been encouraging and are in the
90 second range.”
Karl Gies’s Jasco Trooper brought back
fond memories for at least two of this
column’s readers. Fred Dippel’s Trooper was
“in the family” for more than 50 years and
was flown by his son and grandson. Fred
drew plans for his model in 1949 from the
Zaic Year Book.
After being converted to electric with a
HiLine Mini-6 with four 110 mAh batteries,
the model was lost out of sight at Geneseo in
2002. Fred plans to build a replacement.
Plans for the Trooper are available from the
AMA Plans Service.
Karl’s Trooper also prompted a note from
vintage glider fan Bryan Travis, who built
and flew the Berkeley Sinbad gliders in the
1960s. He scratch-built a Sinbad Jr. last fall
and said it is a real floater. Plans for several
sizes of Sinbads including the Jr. are
available from the AMA Plans Service.
Bryan also directed me to the FROG Web
site at www.thestuarts.eclipse.co.uk/index
.htm. Plans for a slick-looking sport glider
called the Wren are available there. Bryan
uses a small hi-start to get his into the air.
Bob Clemons enlarged Mike Nassise Dime
Scale plans for the Farman 400 to 21 inches
and flew it to victory in the Golden Age
Scale event at Geneseo last summer. The
model weighs 18 grams and flies on a
braided 30-inch loop of Tan II 1/8-inch
rubber turning a 61/2-inch-diameter North
Pacific propeller.
Greg Thomas is a meticulous builder who
pays much attention to detail. You can see
that detail in his beautiful Monocoupe, and
his kits also reflect that craftsmanship.
Check out Thomas Designs at www.thomas
designs.net/TD_Web_Pages_0/HomePagex.
html.
The Western New York FF Society is
making the late John Low’s FF Scale plans
available. Most of the 35 subjects are Golden
Age, but a few other eras are represented.
I have John’s PT-19 plans, and they are
very well done. His plans remind me of Earl
Stahl’s but with more detail.
Proceeds go to the Western New York FF
Society to help with contest expenses. If you
would like a price list, send an SASE to
Robert Rambo at 14 Frederick Rd., Pittsford
NY 14534.
If there were a “Spirit of Pilfered Pearl”
award, Dean McGinnis would have won it at
the Nats last summer. He showed up on Mini
Pearl day with his “Minnie Pearl” hat. The
Mini Pearl event had great participation.
You should be well along on your Bounty
Hunter for the one-design event at the 2007
Nats. Plans are available from the AMA
Plans Service, and a kit is available from
BMJR Models at www.bmjrmodels.com/. I
had an opportunity to see a preproductionrun
kit, and it is extremely nicely done.
Edition: Model Aviation - 2007/01
Page Numbers: 125,126,128
Edition: Model Aviation - 2007/01
Page Numbers: 125,126,128
Also included in this column:
• Ebeneezer event at Old
Warden
• Super magnet propeller holder
• Quick DT techniques
• Micro-Point glue for attaching
canopies
• Richard Adams tells us about
his Corsair
• Troopers and Sinbads
• Enlarged Farman 400
• Greg Thomas’s Monocoupe
• John Low’s FF Scale plans
source
• “Spirit of Pilfered Pearl”
Don DeLoach uses a super magnet to hold the propeller while he
winds his Rubber model.
ALL RAMRODS must have wheels for competition. Last January at
the Southwest Regionals I saw a Ramrod flown in Nostalgia Gas using
a skid but no wheel. There was another skid-equipped Ramrod at last
summer’s Nats in Muncie.
It had been my understanding that Ramrods had to have a wheel. I
began to wonder if it was legal to enter a Ramrod in Nostalgia Gas
competitions without
a wheel.
I asked the
Nostalgia Rules
Committee for an
opinion. I learned
Richard Adams crafted this beautiful Corsair from Mike Midkiff
plans.
A monofilament loop connects the DT line to the Texas Timers
Micro for a quick DT function.
The popularity of the Ebeneezer concept is illustrated by this lineup of models at a
contest in England.
that the documentation for the skids was the Berkeley Ramrod 600 kit
plans, which was listed in the Nostalgia rules book. However, the kit
and plans were released after the Nostalgia cutoff date.
The unanimous opinion of the Nostalgia Rules Committee was that
because the kit plans were published after the Nostalgia-rules cutoff
date, skids would not be allowed on Ramrods in competition.
Lindsey Smith sent the photo of an Ebeneezer event at Old Warden in
England. Derek Knight won the event with a four-engine (actually
eight KP-01s coupled) B-52 that flew very well. There were more than
70 entries.
The basic concept is to use sheet balsa to create a semiscale or
whimsical model. The wing and stabilizer must be flat sheets with no
airfoil. The fuselage is also sheet profile, and power is an .020 engine,
a small diesel, or an electric motor.
What do you do with the propeller for your rubber-powered model
while you are winding? Do you find that it’s in the back of the car, just
out of reach? Did it fall out of your pocket and
into the deep grass? Did the wind blow it off
your stooge?
Don DeLoach solved the missing-propeller
problem with a super magnet propeller holder.
He uses a 1/4 x 1/4-inch cylinder magnet for the
Peanut through roughly P-30. For larger
propellers, especially bigger and heavier
folders, he uses the RH375 magnet—which is
approximately 1/2 inch in diameter.
Don has several of the larger magnets for
sale, complete with a leather cord, for $5 each
postpaid. His address is 831 E. Willamette,
Colorado Springs CO 80903. If you can’t find
the magnets locally, visit www.amazing
magnets.com.
A technique that has saved hundreds, if not
thousands, of new contest FF models from an
early demise is the use of the quick DT. A gas-powered FF airplane’s
first flights can put the model at high risk. You want a short engine run
in case the power pattern is bad, but a short run can leave the airplane
in a bad position from which it can stall straight into the ground.
With a quick DT the dethermalizer is triggered approximately three
seconds after the engine quits. This allows time for the model to slow
after the engine quits, but it triggers the DT before the model can get
into trouble from a bad transition. It is relatively simple to set a quick
DT with a dual-function timer, but they are a bit heavy for most small
Gas models.
Joel Swartzman of Tucson, Arizona, came up with a neat idea that
allows a quick DT function with the lightweight Micro timer from
Texas Timers. To use the quick DT the model should be equipped with
a DT system in which the fuse or viscous DT timer is located below
the pylon.
To rig for a quick DT, the DT line is extended to the Texas Micro
Bob Clemons won Golden Age Scale at the FAC Nats flying this slick Farman.
Greg Thomas kits his beautiful Monocoupe. Check out the tail
support!
using a loop of monofilament line. The arm on the Micro timer should
normally go on the bottom of the scroll. Place the DT line loop on the
next groove down or it will trigger before the engine quits.
If you want a faster “quick DT,” you can place the DT line on the
same groove as the DT arm if you put the arm on top of the scroll. Be
sure to test the timer sequence before flying the model.
You can see the setup on the Texas Timers Web site at www.texas
timers.com/. Click the “Helpful Hints” button. Gil Morris’s VIT setup
with the Micro is also there.
There is yet another adhesive for attaching canopies. Howard Littman
has settled on Micro-Point glue, so called because the tube it comes in
has a fine, needlelike nozzle on it. The cap has a fine wire that must be
put down the nozzle when closing it to keep it clean. It is watch-crystal
glue.
The brand Howard uses is G-S Hypo Cement. If you can’t get it at
a local hobby shop, try the Web site at
http://gssupplies.com/. The company also
makes magnifiers, precision tools, and
holding devices. The glue is also available
from Micro-Mark at (908) 464-2984 or
www.micromark.com.
The beautiful Vought F4U-1A Corsair you
may have seen at Geneseo, New York, this
year was built by Richard Adams. He used
Mike Midkiff plans, modified to reduce
overall weight. Richard wrote:
“I replaced the box and former technique
shown on the plans with full-size formers.
The top, bottom, and side longerons were
laminated 1/16 inch square starting at 3/16 inch
wide at the nose and reduced to 1/16 inch at
the tail. I added more stringers than called for
in the plans to smooth out the covering and
add more longitudinal strength to the
fuselage.
“The wings followed the basic plan except
where an additional rib was added in the
wing-bend area to aid in covering. The wingjoin
carry-through structure was
accomplished using 1/16 plywood plates.
“The model was covered with a
combination of blue and white Japanese
tissue using the traditional 50/50 nitrate dope
method. One coat of dope was applied overall
after shrinking.
“The color scheme was applied using
Model Master acrylic paints thinned 50%
with water and applied with a 3/4-inch-wide
Taklon brush. These brushes have the orange
synthetic bristles. The paint was applied
sparingly and brushed in one direction,
spreading the pigment as evenly as possible.
“Real airplanes get filthy and stained
relative to their flight path as well as how
rain flows off them on the ground. Brushing
adds a directional flow to the paint that
mimics the staining. It’s not readily apparent,
but it is one of those things that’s not obvious
but can be perceived.
“The color transitions of the tricolor
scheme were airbrushed. Thirty percent
white paint was added to the base colors to
fade them. Panel lines and hinge-line
shadows were done using Prismacolor
pencils and ink. Various straightedges and
curves were used as guides. Markings were
applied with a combination of homemade
water-slide decals and tissue.
“The engine was made from Williams
Brothers cylinders and balsa. The 12-inchdiameter,
1.2 P/D three-blade propeller was
made from balsa covered with fiberglass.
The landing gear doors are held on with
rubber cement and come off for flight.
“I find that rubber cement is a great way
to hold things on but can be easily removed. I
use it to hold the plug-in stabilizer halves.
The model’s wingspan is 33 inches and the
empty weight after trimming and clay
additions is 120 grams.
“Five loops of 1/8-inch Tan Super Sport
were used for trim flying. This was plenty of
power for the Corsair.
“Initial flights demonstrated that this
model did not like to turn right in the power,
cruise, or glide modes. The thrustline was
adjusted to allow torque to circle the airplane
to the left under power and cruise. Wingtip
weight and a rudder tab were used to
counteract the propeller torque in the glide.
Flights have been encouraging and are in the
90 second range.”
Karl Gies’s Jasco Trooper brought back
fond memories for at least two of this
column’s readers. Fred Dippel’s Trooper was
“in the family” for more than 50 years and
was flown by his son and grandson. Fred
drew plans for his model in 1949 from the
Zaic Year Book.
After being converted to electric with a
HiLine Mini-6 with four 110 mAh batteries,
the model was lost out of sight at Geneseo in
2002. Fred plans to build a replacement.
Plans for the Trooper are available from the
AMA Plans Service.
Karl’s Trooper also prompted a note from
vintage glider fan Bryan Travis, who built
and flew the Berkeley Sinbad gliders in the
1960s. He scratch-built a Sinbad Jr. last fall
and said it is a real floater. Plans for several
sizes of Sinbads including the Jr. are
available from the AMA Plans Service.
Bryan also directed me to the FROG Web
site at www.thestuarts.eclipse.co.uk/index
.htm. Plans for a slick-looking sport glider
called the Wren are available there. Bryan
uses a small hi-start to get his into the air.
Bob Clemons enlarged Mike Nassise Dime
Scale plans for the Farman 400 to 21 inches
and flew it to victory in the Golden Age
Scale event at Geneseo last summer. The
model weighs 18 grams and flies on a
braided 30-inch loop of Tan II 1/8-inch
rubber turning a 61/2-inch-diameter North
Pacific propeller.
Greg Thomas is a meticulous builder who
pays much attention to detail. You can see
that detail in his beautiful Monocoupe, and
his kits also reflect that craftsmanship.
Check out Thomas Designs at www.thomas
designs.net/TD_Web_Pages_0/HomePagex.
html.
The Western New York FF Society is
making the late John Low’s FF Scale plans
available. Most of the 35 subjects are Golden
Age, but a few other eras are represented.
I have John’s PT-19 plans, and they are
very well done. His plans remind me of Earl
Stahl’s but with more detail.
Proceeds go to the Western New York FF
Society to help with contest expenses. If you
would like a price list, send an SASE to
Robert Rambo at 14 Frederick Rd., Pittsford
NY 14534.
If there were a “Spirit of Pilfered Pearl”
award, Dean McGinnis would have won it at
the Nats last summer. He showed up on Mini
Pearl day with his “Minnie Pearl” hat. The
Mini Pearl event had great participation.
You should be well along on your Bounty
Hunter for the one-design event at the 2007
Nats. Plans are available from the AMA
Plans Service, and a kit is available from
BMJR Models at www.bmjrmodels.com/. I
had an opportunity to see a preproductionrun
kit, and it is extremely nicely done.
Edition: Model Aviation - 2007/01
Page Numbers: 125,126,128
Also included in this column:
• Ebeneezer event at Old
Warden
• Super magnet propeller holder
• Quick DT techniques
• Micro-Point glue for attaching
canopies
• Richard Adams tells us about
his Corsair
• Troopers and Sinbads
• Enlarged Farman 400
• Greg Thomas’s Monocoupe
• John Low’s FF Scale plans
source
• “Spirit of Pilfered Pearl”
Don DeLoach uses a super magnet to hold the propeller while he
winds his Rubber model.
ALL RAMRODS must have wheels for competition. Last January at
the Southwest Regionals I saw a Ramrod flown in Nostalgia Gas using
a skid but no wheel. There was another skid-equipped Ramrod at last
summer’s Nats in Muncie.
It had been my understanding that Ramrods had to have a wheel. I
began to wonder if it was legal to enter a Ramrod in Nostalgia Gas
competitions without
a wheel.
I asked the
Nostalgia Rules
Committee for an
opinion. I learned
Richard Adams crafted this beautiful Corsair from Mike Midkiff
plans.
A monofilament loop connects the DT line to the Texas Timers
Micro for a quick DT function.
The popularity of the Ebeneezer concept is illustrated by this lineup of models at a
contest in England.
that the documentation for the skids was the Berkeley Ramrod 600 kit
plans, which was listed in the Nostalgia rules book. However, the kit
and plans were released after the Nostalgia cutoff date.
The unanimous opinion of the Nostalgia Rules Committee was that
because the kit plans were published after the Nostalgia-rules cutoff
date, skids would not be allowed on Ramrods in competition.
Lindsey Smith sent the photo of an Ebeneezer event at Old Warden in
England. Derek Knight won the event with a four-engine (actually
eight KP-01s coupled) B-52 that flew very well. There were more than
70 entries.
The basic concept is to use sheet balsa to create a semiscale or
whimsical model. The wing and stabilizer must be flat sheets with no
airfoil. The fuselage is also sheet profile, and power is an .020 engine,
a small diesel, or an electric motor.
What do you do with the propeller for your rubber-powered model
while you are winding? Do you find that it’s in the back of the car, just
out of reach? Did it fall out of your pocket and
into the deep grass? Did the wind blow it off
your stooge?
Don DeLoach solved the missing-propeller
problem with a super magnet propeller holder.
He uses a 1/4 x 1/4-inch cylinder magnet for the
Peanut through roughly P-30. For larger
propellers, especially bigger and heavier
folders, he uses the RH375 magnet—which is
approximately 1/2 inch in diameter.
Don has several of the larger magnets for
sale, complete with a leather cord, for $5 each
postpaid. His address is 831 E. Willamette,
Colorado Springs CO 80903. If you can’t find
the magnets locally, visit www.amazing
magnets.com.
A technique that has saved hundreds, if not
thousands, of new contest FF models from an
early demise is the use of the quick DT. A gas-powered FF airplane’s
first flights can put the model at high risk. You want a short engine run
in case the power pattern is bad, but a short run can leave the airplane
in a bad position from which it can stall straight into the ground.
With a quick DT the dethermalizer is triggered approximately three
seconds after the engine quits. This allows time for the model to slow
after the engine quits, but it triggers the DT before the model can get
into trouble from a bad transition. It is relatively simple to set a quick
DT with a dual-function timer, but they are a bit heavy for most small
Gas models.
Joel Swartzman of Tucson, Arizona, came up with a neat idea that
allows a quick DT function with the lightweight Micro timer from
Texas Timers. To use the quick DT the model should be equipped with
a DT system in which the fuse or viscous DT timer is located below
the pylon.
To rig for a quick DT, the DT line is extended to the Texas Micro
Bob Clemons won Golden Age Scale at the FAC Nats flying this slick Farman.
Greg Thomas kits his beautiful Monocoupe. Check out the tail
support!
using a loop of monofilament line. The arm on the Micro timer should
normally go on the bottom of the scroll. Place the DT line loop on the
next groove down or it will trigger before the engine quits.
If you want a faster “quick DT,” you can place the DT line on the
same groove as the DT arm if you put the arm on top of the scroll. Be
sure to test the timer sequence before flying the model.
You can see the setup on the Texas Timers Web site at www.texas
timers.com/. Click the “Helpful Hints” button. Gil Morris’s VIT setup
with the Micro is also there.
There is yet another adhesive for attaching canopies. Howard Littman
has settled on Micro-Point glue, so called because the tube it comes in
has a fine, needlelike nozzle on it. The cap has a fine wire that must be
put down the nozzle when closing it to keep it clean. It is watch-crystal
glue.
The brand Howard uses is G-S Hypo Cement. If you can’t get it at
a local hobby shop, try the Web site at
http://gssupplies.com/. The company also
makes magnifiers, precision tools, and
holding devices. The glue is also available
from Micro-Mark at (908) 464-2984 or
www.micromark.com.
The beautiful Vought F4U-1A Corsair you
may have seen at Geneseo, New York, this
year was built by Richard Adams. He used
Mike Midkiff plans, modified to reduce
overall weight. Richard wrote:
“I replaced the box and former technique
shown on the plans with full-size formers.
The top, bottom, and side longerons were
laminated 1/16 inch square starting at 3/16 inch
wide at the nose and reduced to 1/16 inch at
the tail. I added more stringers than called for
in the plans to smooth out the covering and
add more longitudinal strength to the
fuselage.
“The wings followed the basic plan except
where an additional rib was added in the
wing-bend area to aid in covering. The wingjoin
carry-through structure was
accomplished using 1/16 plywood plates.
“The model was covered with a
combination of blue and white Japanese
tissue using the traditional 50/50 nitrate dope
method. One coat of dope was applied overall
after shrinking.
“The color scheme was applied using
Model Master acrylic paints thinned 50%
with water and applied with a 3/4-inch-wide
Taklon brush. These brushes have the orange
synthetic bristles. The paint was applied
sparingly and brushed in one direction,
spreading the pigment as evenly as possible.
“Real airplanes get filthy and stained
relative to their flight path as well as how
rain flows off them on the ground. Brushing
adds a directional flow to the paint that
mimics the staining. It’s not readily apparent,
but it is one of those things that’s not obvious
but can be perceived.
“The color transitions of the tricolor
scheme were airbrushed. Thirty percent
white paint was added to the base colors to
fade them. Panel lines and hinge-line
shadows were done using Prismacolor
pencils and ink. Various straightedges and
curves were used as guides. Markings were
applied with a combination of homemade
water-slide decals and tissue.
“The engine was made from Williams
Brothers cylinders and balsa. The 12-inchdiameter,
1.2 P/D three-blade propeller was
made from balsa covered with fiberglass.
The landing gear doors are held on with
rubber cement and come off for flight.
“I find that rubber cement is a great way
to hold things on but can be easily removed. I
use it to hold the plug-in stabilizer halves.
The model’s wingspan is 33 inches and the
empty weight after trimming and clay
additions is 120 grams.
“Five loops of 1/8-inch Tan Super Sport
were used for trim flying. This was plenty of
power for the Corsair.
“Initial flights demonstrated that this
model did not like to turn right in the power,
cruise, or glide modes. The thrustline was
adjusted to allow torque to circle the airplane
to the left under power and cruise. Wingtip
weight and a rudder tab were used to
counteract the propeller torque in the glide.
Flights have been encouraging and are in the
90 second range.”
Karl Gies’s Jasco Trooper brought back
fond memories for at least two of this
column’s readers. Fred Dippel’s Trooper was
“in the family” for more than 50 years and
was flown by his son and grandson. Fred
drew plans for his model in 1949 from the
Zaic Year Book.
After being converted to electric with a
HiLine Mini-6 with four 110 mAh batteries,
the model was lost out of sight at Geneseo in
2002. Fred plans to build a replacement.
Plans for the Trooper are available from the
AMA Plans Service.
Karl’s Trooper also prompted a note from
vintage glider fan Bryan Travis, who built
and flew the Berkeley Sinbad gliders in the
1960s. He scratch-built a Sinbad Jr. last fall
and said it is a real floater. Plans for several
sizes of Sinbads including the Jr. are
available from the AMA Plans Service.
Bryan also directed me to the FROG Web
site at www.thestuarts.eclipse.co.uk/index
.htm. Plans for a slick-looking sport glider
called the Wren are available there. Bryan
uses a small hi-start to get his into the air.
Bob Clemons enlarged Mike Nassise Dime
Scale plans for the Farman 400 to 21 inches
and flew it to victory in the Golden Age
Scale event at Geneseo last summer. The
model weighs 18 grams and flies on a
braided 30-inch loop of Tan II 1/8-inch
rubber turning a 61/2-inch-diameter North
Pacific propeller.
Greg Thomas is a meticulous builder who
pays much attention to detail. You can see
that detail in his beautiful Monocoupe, and
his kits also reflect that craftsmanship.
Check out Thomas Designs at www.thomas
designs.net/TD_Web_Pages_0/HomePagex.
html.
The Western New York FF Society is
making the late John Low’s FF Scale plans
available. Most of the 35 subjects are Golden
Age, but a few other eras are represented.
I have John’s PT-19 plans, and they are
very well done. His plans remind me of Earl
Stahl’s but with more detail.
Proceeds go to the Western New York FF
Society to help with contest expenses. If you
would like a price list, send an SASE to
Robert Rambo at 14 Frederick Rd., Pittsford
NY 14534.
If there were a “Spirit of Pilfered Pearl”
award, Dean McGinnis would have won it at
the Nats last summer. He showed up on Mini
Pearl day with his “Minnie Pearl” hat. The
Mini Pearl event had great participation.
You should be well along on your Bounty
Hunter for the one-design event at the 2007
Nats. Plans are available from the AMA
Plans Service, and a kit is available from
BMJR Models at www.bmjrmodels.com/. I
had an opportunity to see a preproductionrun
kit, and it is extremely nicely done.