Author: Sal Calvagna
Edition: Model Aviation - 2003/11
Page Numbers: 95,96,98
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RADIO CONTROL GIANTS

Sal Calvagna 1335 Broadway Ave., Holbrook, NY 11741 E-mail: [email protected]

Welcome / November 2003 column

Welcome to the November 2003 Radio Control (RC) Giants column. I have finally finished the Aviomodelli CANT Z.1007bis Italian bomber kit from Internet RC. I’ve included a picture of the completed 90-inch-span model along with my 7-year-old son for perspective.

Finishing and paint

I decided to finish the model in a typical Mediterranean camouflage color scheme. Other than having to mask off the white band on the fuselage and the yellow bands on the cowlings, the camouflage scheme was easy to paint.

I used Krylon spray paint for the yellow and white. The rest of the paint—sand, medium green, dark green, and gray—was Behr Exterior Latex purchased from The Home Depot in quart containers. The colors were computer-matched from small Testors bottles that can be found in most hobby stores. I used a typical airbrush and a little water to thin the paint.

I am serious when I claim that it was easy to paint. The latex paint is odorless, cleans up with water, and dries quickly—especially if you are painting outside.

Since the model is powered by three O.S. .46 glow engines, I did have to spray a fuelproof clear coat on the entire model. I used TopFlite LustreKote Flat Clear in spray cans. There are other fuelproofing methods and you should use one that you are happy with. Had the model been gas powered, I could have used Krylon clear or even a polyurethane finish.

Documentation and references

For those looking for documentation on this fascinating subject, Pacific Coast Models has just what you’re looking for. The company specializes in items for modelers with an interest in the World War II Italian Air Force and the Italian Royal Army. I was able to purchase the book ALI D’ITALIA volume 18 C.R.D.A. Cant Z.1007, written in Italian and English. It has many wartime photos of the CANT Z.1007, accurate three-views, and color plates. This is a must for scale modelers.

Engine installation and mufflers

The O.S. engines fit nicely in the provided cowlings, but I did not want to use the standard O.S. mufflers that came with them. Although I did not build the CANT Z.1007 for competition, I couldn’t bring myself to hack up the cowlings to accept the stock mufflers.

Slimline Products came to the rescue. Slimline makes a Sport Scale muffler for the O.S. .40 and .46 engines that fits nicely inside the cowling. I added a pressure fitting, and the installation was complete. The engines run great with the Slimline mufflers, and the finished appearance is far more palatable.

Throttle setup and bomb bay

The CANT Z.1007 kit came with three fuel tanks that slide into a cavity directly behind each engine. The instructions/plans show how to operate all three engines via one or two servos. I opted to use only one servo and installed the provided stranded-metal, flexible cables to operate the throttles. The system works well and was moderately easy to install.

Since the Z.1007 does not have flaps or retractable landing gear, I wanted to add a fifth channel to use on the model. What’s the sense of having a bomber if you don't drop bombs? Not wanting to reinvent the wheel, I used the servo-access hatch on the belly of the model and converted it to bomb-bay doors.

My friend Gunny, who has experience with gear doors and such, came over, hinged the doors, and installed a retract servo and two pushrods to operate the bomb-bay doors. The system is simple and works well.

The only parts provided in the kit that I did not use were the hinges and clevises. I was not happy with the ones included and replaced them with Robart hinge points and Du-Bro clevises.

For those who are interested in building a CANT Z.1007, you can contact Internet RC:

Muzio brothers — sibling duo

He ain't heavy, he's my brother! Peter Muzio of East Northport, New York, and John Muzio of Syosset, New York, are members of the same RC club and are interested in the RC Giants theme. In the photo, Peter is kneeling behind his newly finished TopFlite Stinson SR-9 that is powered by a Zenoah G-38, and John is next to his recently completed Robart P-38 Lightning that is powered by two 3W-70 engines.

John's P-38 weighs a hefty 50 pounds and uses Robart landing gear, Glennis wheels and brakes, and turns two massive Fuchs three-blade 22 x 12 propellers. Peter covered his SR-9 with Super Coverite and painted the model using TopFlite LustreKote. The G-38 powers a Biela 18 x 10 propeller.

Both men have been involved in the hobby for more than 30 years. Sibling rivalry erupted when I asked who the better pilot was and who the better builder was. I just love to start trouble!

Lou Zackman’s B-24 Liberator

Lou Zackman of Bay Shore, New York, has a 90-inch Jack Stafford B-24 Liberator bomber. Lou says that Ray Moriarty of Vero Beach, Florida, built the model. It weighs 13 pounds, is powered by four Magnum 30 four-stroke glow engines, and was painted with Dupli-Color spray paint.

The model looks great on the outside, and a closer inspection reveals full cockpit and turret detail. Unfortunately, the grass was too high for the model to take off.

Balsa USA 1/4-scale S.E.5a progress

The Balsa USA 1/4-scale S.E.5a is progressing nicely. At this point the model has been completely framed. The cabanes, struts, and landing gear have been fabricated and the Zenoah G-38 gas engine has been installed.

As you can see in the accompanying photo, Ed Hirschfeld has begun covering the model starting with the horizontal stabilizer. The cabanes, struts, and landing gear need to be covered in wood and the servos installed.

The model builds quickly and comes with plenty of reference from full-size rolled plans and a fully illustrated instruction manual. Balsa USA has all of the accessories available to finish the model, including covering material, Williams Bros. wheels and 1/4-scale Vickers machine gun, and a complete decal set.

The S.E.5a was one of the most important British combat aircraft of World War I. Some of the greatest Allied aces utilized the S.E.5a in combat, including Major Edward Mannock, Lieutenant Colonel Billy Bishop, and Captain James McCudden. Many pilots considered the S.E.5a's extraordinary strength and stability to be its most significant attributes. More than 5,000 S.E.5as were built.

This ends another RC Giants column. I'll be back next month! MA

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