Newcomers
Bob Underwood Box 40, St. Peters MO 63376
IN MANY areas of the US, the dog days of summer have waned and the leaves are yawning with color, plotting to clog your gutters. Christmas sales, which began shortly after Labor Day, are in full swing.
It's time to reflect on the long summer days at the flying site with your instructor.
In the spring, those first tentative attempts at flying brought doubt as to whether you'd ever master that beast of a model! It seemed as if each time the instructor said "You've got it," the model skittered off the compass.
It was kind of like roller-skating on ball bearings, or that the inanimate object became possessed, destined to show you who was master.
As the weeks wore on, your reflexes and brain/eye/hand coordination began to cope. There were even times when your instructor turned away to engage in brief chitchat with someone else. Several times you actually caught a glimpse of a stifled yawn.
You did well, though; flights are now routine, and takeoffs and landings no longer cause heart palpitations.
The once-pristine ARF (Almost Ready to Fly) is now battle-weary, but the patch here and the dab of glue there did not adversely affect its flight characteristics. You did get tired of bending the nose gear back to its original position; now it sort of leans tailward, as a result of the "oops, should-have-flared-sooner" landings.
You realize you've developed this nagging itch. You've discovered an activity that you really enjoy. But the old trainer is just that—an old trainer! Sure, it will loop and you can coax a roll out of it, but it's not capable of really showing off your newfound skills, or of moving your skills to higher levels.
You head to the hobby shop or peruse magazines and catalogs to consider that next step. Your head tells you to invest some of yourself in the next model, so kits become the object of your search. What should you expect? What should you look for?
You realize there are many more decisions to make this time around. Although you want a more-responsive, snappier flier, you don't want to go overboard.
You also understand that the ARF came with most (or all) of the hardware required to make it flyable. The control surfaces were already hinged. The covering was already applied. This time around, you will have to make decisions and develop new skills.
What to expect in a kit
Your local hobby shop will have a typical kit to show you. If you're allowed to root around in the box, remember that model airplanes—unlike most everything else—will never fit back in the original space from which they were removed. It's a law.
Since your ARF probably didn't come with plans, a big rolled-up piece of paper will probably catch your attention first.
Years ago, plans carried few specific instructions. That is not the case now; they usually offer an abundance of help.
Most kits now contain detailed booklets that lead you step-by-step through the process of building the model, and even installing equipment. In many cases, instructions will have a box to check after you've completed each task.
This can be very helpful when you realize it's 1 a.m. and you have to leave the project. You don't have to spend the first 10 minutes the next time thinking, "Where was I?"
Many kits have a list of items needed to complete the project. This is helpful, since you can plan ahead and eliminate wasting things such as plastic covering. You will have to consider brands, types, and sizes of materials.
There is a good possibility that you've decided to use the original trainer engine and radio in the new model. Then again, you might be considering a whole new set of equipment. That's where your new-found experience will help; you've paid close attention to what others have been using at the field, and you have an idea what seems to work best.
Kit contents and quality
As you check through the kit, you notice some niceties.
- The balsa pieces are grouped together, and smaller plywood and balsa parts are in plastic bags.
- The items are identified (on the parts and on the plans), unlike the old days when you had to cut out the pieces. Now they are nicely die-cut, or even laser-cut.
- Blocks are hand-sawn to approximate shapes, and the hardware (nuts, bolts, control horns, landing gear, etc.) is packaged.
Modern kits are a far cry from those of years ago, which amounted to little more than a hunk of balsa with the "directions" saying, "cut away everything that doesn't look like an airplane!"
One of the hardest things for the newcomer to judge is the quality of balsa wood found in a kit.
The most obvious thing to check is whether or not the wood is warped. Wing spars that look like Robin Hood's classic weapon will make it difficult to produce a good, straight wing!
Then there is wood density. If one fuselage side has the feel of balsa, and the other feels similar to the family heirloom teak dining-room table, you will probably produce a fuselage that resembles a banana!
It isn't just the hardness or whether or not the wood is warped that counts. Different cuts of wood are best-fitted for specific purposes.
When the balsa tree is cut into logs, then cut into strips and sheets, the direction of the cut within the log controls the final product.
Sheeting that is to be curved around a wing's leading edge needs to be flexible across the width of the sheet. A fuselage side doesn't need to conform to a curve in the same manner.
How the balsa manufacturer cut the sheet from the original board controls this.
You can find information on these types of cuts in some catalogs. You can also see it by looking at the grain. The more flexible balsa will have long, parallel grain strands. The stiffer sheets will have a mottled appearance.
If you locate the kit of a model you really like, don't let a bum piece of balsa stop you from buying it. It's hard to find a kit builder who hasn't replaced a piece at one time or another.
Substitutions and planning
Many kits suggest a specific engine, fuel tank, wheels, etc. You are not bound by these suggestions; however, you have to determine whether or not your choices will require adjustments in the building process.
The most-likely places this will cause problems are in the engine and fuel-tank locations.
If you substitute a four-stroke engine for a two-stroke, the spacing forward of the firewall may be different. Because of its construction, the four-stroke engine may require a greater distance ahead of the firewall. If you decide to move the firewall back, that affects the fuel-tank compartment. All of this is solvable; it just requires thinking ahead.
There are a number of decisions to make when building a kit. One of the more-traumatic issues is the final color scheme.
Color and visibility
I've made a number of "interesting decisions" throughout the years. My first RC (Radio Control) model was a Falcon 56, built in the late 1960s. I finished it in three shades of green, and it looked sharp.
It never occurred to me that if the airplane wound up in one of the trees surrounding the field (or even in the tall grass), my chances of spotting it would be the same as winning the lottery.
Then there was the Senior Falcon. A little wiser, I finished the wing and tail in basic white, but it needed something to spruce it up. I had scraps of various-colored plastic covering laying around, and I proceeded to cut various-sized circles, placing them in a random pattern all over the model.
Have you ever seen a flying loaf of Wonder bread? That's exactly what it looked like! That wasn't my intent, but …
Your color scheme should be easy to see, with high-contrast colors and something to help you distinguish between the top and the bottom.
Remember, you are selecting this model for more-vigorous maneuvers. It's always nice to know when you are not right-side up! Some individuals use a large block of contrasting color on a wing panel to help.
Choosing the right model
There is a bottom line; isn't there always? Sometimes it is the cost of the item, but it could be many other things. Assume that the bottom line is which kit to buy. Not the brand, but rather what type of model. That's a really tough decision.
Don't let the heart rule the head. Avoid an exotic, complicated model with unusual construction techniques.
If you want the model to be aerobatic, it will probably have a semisymmetrical or fully symmetrical airfoil, as opposed to the flat-bottomed airfoil on your trainer.
Many kits use tabs on the wing ribs to help keep the construction true. The tabs are removed before covering.
Many aerobatic models have little or no dihedral in the wing, which tends to make the model less "self-stable" in certain maneuvers. You have to "fly it" more, unlike your trainer, which will continue to go where it was headed until you alter the course.
Look around the field; surely you will find a model that will challenge you and tickle your fancy!
Building in small spaces
Some of you may live in an apartment, or in a place that seems to preclude building a kit. This isn't necessarily true. However, it will take planning and good vacuum-cleaner action.
The first model I built (a 50-inch boat) which I got back into modeling after I returned from Army duty was constructed on the back of a table leaf, which rested on a footstool in our apartment living room.
My wife and I have been married for 47 years, and I would love to say this is a testament to my careful cleaning techniques. It's really the result of an understanding spouse.
There is no good excuse for your second model not to be a kit. If flying a model is fun for you, you'll be surprised at how much more satisfying it is to put your own creation into the air.
Try it! You'll like it!
MA
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
