RADIO CONTROL GIANTS
Sal Calvagna
1335 Broadway Ave., Holbrook, NY 11741 E-mail: [email protected]
When you live in the Northeast, the winter months seem to drag on painfully with no relief in sight. However, when you live in the Northeast and write a monthly column for Model Aviation, the months seem to whisk by. I could swear that I submitted last month's column just a few days ago and now I'm working on another.
Thanks to our readers, I have some unique Radio Control (RC) Giants to write about. For those reading this column, I want to mention that I am actually writing it in late April. April is a great month for me because of the annual Weak Signals Toledo show. Like a kid in a candy store, I had the opportunity to spend three days looking at and buying neat stuff while talking with hardworking people from across the country in the RC hobby industry.
This year was special because I met Pete Calvagna, who has his own RC hobby electronics service center in Freeport, Illinois. Pete works on Hitec RCD, JR, and Airtronics equipment. If you still haven't made the connection, look at the column header and check out my last name. That's right; they're the same. This was the first time I had ever met Pete, and I know that we have to be related because the name is so rare. I wonder if the world is ready for two Calvagnas in our wonderful hobby. I think Pete is a nice person, and if you need your radios serviced, call him at (815) 233-5646 or E-mail him at [email protected].
Balsa USA — S.E.5a quarter-scale WWI fighter
Balsa USA of Marinette, Wisconsin, has released its latest in a series of quarter-scale World War I fighter aircraft: the S.E.5a. The model spans 80 inches, has 2,300 square inches of wing area, and measures 63 3/4 inches in length. The S.E.5a is designed for a 25–35 cc gas engine or a 120–150 four-stroke glow engine. Its total weight is 18–20 pounds. The kit sells for $295 and includes rolled, full-size plans and photo-illustrated instructions.
Kit inclusions and available accessories:
- Rolled, full-size plans and photo-illustrated instructions
- Preformed wire and a complete hardware package
- ABS cowling
- Balsa USA's AAA-grade balsa and premium-quality basswood and plywood
- Decal set (sold separately) — $36.99
- William Bros. 6 5/8-inch WWII wheels — $35.75
- Quarter-scale Vickers machine gun — $15
The full-scale S.E.5a was considered by many pilots to be the best single-seat British fighter of World War I. After the development of the "Scouting Experimental" 5 (S.E.5) with a 150-horsepower engine at the Royal Aircraft Factory in Farnborough, the improved S.E.5a with a 200-horsepower engine entered the war in 1917. It was superior to many German counterparts and was preferred by many pilots over the Sopwith Camel—being faster, easier to fly, better performing at higher altitudes, and quieter.
Balsa USA has been designing and selling successful kits for more than 50 years. I have had the pleasure of building and flying three of the company's Giant Scale models and have always been satisfied with its products. I am sure that the S.E.5a will prove to be the same. For more information, visit www.balsausa.com, write to Box 164, Marinette, WI 54143, call the order line at (800) 225-7287, or the customer service line at (906) 863-6421. Keep an eye on future RC Giants columns as I build the S.E.5a.
Simulated WWI propeller hub — Ralph Vannaman
A simulated World War I propeller hub is available from Ralph Vannaman of Menominee, Michigan. While working on a quarter-scale Balsa USA Dr. I triplane, his chosen engine left the model tail-heavy. Instead of adding useless weight to the tail, Ralph attached a dummy World War I hub and added 16 ounces of weight in the spinner. The hub looks great and works perfectly. He has cast the hub in aluminum and presently has a limited number available. To purchase one, write to: 3119 19th Street, Menominee, MI 49858.
Donald Lindgren — KC-135 Stratotanker scratch build
Donald Lindgren, a master sergeant in the United States Air Force at Dyess Air Force Base in Abilene, Texas, has been crewing KC-135 Stratotankers for the past 17 years. As crew chief, he is responsible for everything aft of the cockpit on this big flying gas station. As an RC modeler, Don decided to scratch build a KC-135.
Construction and model details:
- Started with a modified Klingberg 100 flying wing as the basis for the wing
- Wing finished first; fuselage built to scale of the wing
- Typical construction: plywood formers, spruce longerons, and balsa sheeting
- Wingspan: slightly less than 80 inches; length: 80 inches
- Power: four Magnum XL .36 engines driving 8 x 6 three-blade propellers
- Landing gear: fixed (not retractable); refueling boom in the tail is retractable
- Pilot assistance: Adam Deleon (master sergeant in civil engineering)
The KC-135 Stratotanker (based on the Boeing 707) was built by Boeing beginning in 1954. The initial production KC-135A was delivered to Castle Air Force Base in California in June 1957. The last KC-135 was delivered in 1965. More than 400 have been modified with newer engines installed.
Contact Don at [email protected]. Congratulations on your impressive scratch-built Stratotanker, Don! By the way, I support our troops!
Lester LeBlanc — 540EX aerobatic trainer
Lester LeBlanc of Ocala, Florida, scratch-built a 540EX (experimental) as an aerobatic trainer. He wanted an airplane that would fly as gracefully as larger 30–40% aerobatic models but could still be powered by a glow engine.
Design and equipment highlights:
- Wing: 85 inches with a thick airfoil and a leading edge similar to larger Giants; tapered wingtips that flare at the trailing edge to improve low-speed stability
- Fuselage: designed to mount the wing directly on the thrustline
- Stabilizer and rudder: modified from a crashed Hangar 9 Edge 540
- Cowling: Stan’s Fiberglass Specialties
- Landing gear: TNT Landing Gear Products
- Engine: Moki 1.80 glow engine
- Propeller: 20 x 8 APC
- Fuel: Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) fuel
- Fuel system: Cline PCFS (Proportional Control Fuel System) pressurized delivery
- Smoke: TME smoke system
- Weight: 14½ pounds
- Performance: excellent slow- and high-speed aerobatic performance with unlimited vertical at full power
- Flights/clubs: more than 100 flights; flown with South County RC Club (Rhode Island) and Top of the World RC Flyers Club (Ocala, Florida)
The model is a joy to fly.
Vickie Belisle — Delta Air Lines 747
Vickie Belisle of Tucumcari, New Mexico, built an impressive model of a Delta Air Lines 747 using only pictures from a library book. She developed her own plans from three-view drawings.
Specifications and features:
- Two receivers and 17 servos
- Weight: 41 pounds
- Tail height: 3½ feet
- Wingspan: 106 inches
- Length: 110 inches
- Power: four Fox .50 glow engines
- Construction: standard balsa and plywood, covered with Monokote
- Build time: six months
- Equipment/features: 18 tires, full exterior lighting system, leading-edge slats that activate when flaps are lowered
Vickie has been modeling RC aircraft since 1980 and has built more than 50 models. She proudly touts "Bigger is better." The 747 flies beautifully and Vickie has been featured in the local newspaper and on television celebrating the airplane's first public flight. Great job, Vickie!
Closing
That's all for now. Have a great and safe RC Giants summer and keep your pictures, comments, and suggestions coming. Thanks for all your help. MA
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
