Author: Gene Smith
Edition: Model Aviation - 2012/07
Page Numbers: 113,114,115,116
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Mike Isermann's fleet

by Gene Smith [email protected]

Mike Isermann built a beautiful Grumman Martlet Mk. II, the British version of the F4F Wildcat. It was built from Mike Midkiff plans with a few modifications. The model’s wingspan is 25 inches and it weighs 53 grams. It was built for the Grumman category of the Western Regional Flying Aces Club (FAC) Mk. III contest.

Mike’s Peanut Scale Boeing 306B is a scaled-down version of the Pres Bruning plans. It won the Walt Mooney Peanut Scale award at the 2010 FAC Nats. The Boeing is an amazing model — I watched it fly for more than a minute at the Pensacola Gathering of the Turkeys meet two years ago. It weighs 9.8 grams and uses one loop of 1/8-inch rubber 18 inches long. The flight pattern can be squirrelly during the initial power burst but settles into a circular cruise after the power bleeds down. Mike also has a 26-inch version of the Boeing that performs well.

Mike is selling a 24-1/2-inch wingspan short kit of the Brewster F2A-3 Buffalo (the long-nose version), which should be a great flier. The kit is laser-cut from contest balsa. Contact Mike for price and availability.

Erika Escalante’s Embryo

Erika Escalante built a nice-flying Embryo with the help of her father, Mike. They began with the Nit design by Don Srull and simplified it so an inexperienced modeler could build it. The fuselage sides were made parallel front to back, and Mike created templates so Erika could cut the sheet-wood fuselage sides and tails. Erika chose a bright, metallic purple tissue for the wing.

Mike didn’t weigh the model but recalled they used 4- to 6-pound wood for the fuselage and tail. Erika only had to cover the wing because the rest of the model was sheet wood finished with Design Master spray paints. She did most of the construction herself — applying the glue and cutting out the pieces — with Mike making the templates and assisting as needed. The airplane was completed in four days.

The Embryo was lost on the photo flight, so Erika experienced the full free-flight cycle: creation of the model, then a long thermal flight beyond the far trees. With that one max, Erika placed 10th in Embryo at the Grumman event; Mike placed 16th. Mike sent Stew Meyers step-by-step building instructions, and Stew published that information and the Nit plans in the July 2011 issue of Max Fax, the DC Maxecuters Model Airplane Club’s newsletter. See the Maxecuters website for Max Fax subscriptions and back-issue information.

Cloud Tramp Mass Launch

There is still time to get your Cloud Tramp ready for the Charles Hampson Grant Memorial International Mass Launch of Cloud Tramps, held the first Saturday in August. The four happy fliers pictured with their Cloud Tramps at Moncton, New Brunswick, are Tom Wilson, his wife Joan, and his grandsons Vincent and Pierce. Tom flew a regular Cloud Tramp while Joan and the grandsons flew Peanut Scale Cloud Tramps. The venue was a school sports field; conditions were perfect for Cloud Tramp flying — sunshine, a gentle breeze, and minimal drift. All had fun! If you would like to participate this year, visit the Cloud Tramp website for plans, construction tips, and postal competition details.

Bob Sowder’s Lucky Lindy

Bob Sowder will be ready for this year’s Nats with his new 510-square-inch A Nostalgia Lucky Lindy, which uses an O.S. Max .19 and weighs 19 ounces. Bob used Jim O’Reilly plans and Polyspan covering. This new model replaces his Nats fly-away Lindy, which experienced a timer malfunction.

The Lucky Lindy 510 has been my favorite aircraft for several years, though it was not without initial challenges. The plans called for a center of gravity (CG) at 65% of the chord if using a .15 engine, or 70% if using a .19. I had balanced the model at 70% for the .19. After a crash, I removed a chunk of lead from the rear fuselage (remembering my father's advice to "get the lead out"), which moved the CG to 65%. The model was still unpredictable on the first test flight.

I recently began using Polyspan to cover my Nostalgia models. It’s a bit more labor-intensive because you have to dope the covering, but it provides extra rigidity. I stripped the UltraCote from the Lucky Lindy wing and recovered it with Polyspan. The improvement was immediate: the model grooved easily and consistently flew well. Moving the CG forward allowed me to add some decalage, which gave the model a slight spiral in the climb—adding safety and consistency.

I flew my then-seven-year-old Lucky Lindy at Pensacola last fall. It DTed after a first-flight max and landed in the grass. As I approached the model I noticed the engine was on the ground, still attached by the fuel pinchoff wire. Despite fiberglass wrapping around the nose, fuel and years of flying had taken a toll on the fuselage. Extensive fuselage repair and replacement of the pylon made the model as good as new. I now make it a habit to check the integrity of the engine mount before flying.

The Lucky Lindy is competitive in Nostalgia events. There are two plans available for the model; only the early version is Nostalgia-legal. Klarich and Bob Holman sell short kits of the Nostalgia-legal version in a variety of sizes. Larry Davidson supplies Polyspan and other model supplies.

FF Championships

Make room on your calendar for the 42nd US Free Flight Championships at Lost Hills, California, September 21–23, 2012. There will be a full plate of FAI and AMA events and cash awards. Contact Ted Firster (see Sources).

Endless Lift Website

While you are surfing the Internet, check out the Endless Lift website. There are several sport models there, as well as building and flying tips.

Correction

Photos of the Sniffer in the March column were by David Barfield.

SOURCES

Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.