RADIO CONTROL GIANTS - 2004/08

92 MODEL AVIATION
I ATTENDED the 50th anniversary of the
Weak Signals’ show held in early April at the
SeaGate Convention Centre in Toledo, Ohio.
Since the show is fresh in my mind (and I
happen to have another column due), I thought
that I would write about some of the neat
products I saw there.
For those who have not had the
opportunity to attend the Toledo expo, it is
much larger than the Westchester Radio
Aeromodelers (WRAM) Show held in New
York, and—from what I hear—larger than the
AMA Convention held in Ontario, California.
The show is well attended by the industry
because of its location. Toledo is where east
meets west. Here you can find companies
from the East Coast such as Nick Ziroli Plans
and SR Batteries as well as West Coast
businesses such as Bob Holman Plans and Jet
Sal Calvagna, 1335 Broadway Ave., Holbrook NY 11741; E-mail: [email protected]
RADIO CONTROL GIANTS
Balsa USA’s 1⁄4-scale Fokker D.VII is the newest in a line of World
War I fighters. The model spans 88 inches.
Classic Aero will release its 1⁄6-scale Sikorsky S-39 flying boat in November 2004. An
earlier 90-inch version of the S-39 was the inspiration for the model.
Glenn Torrance Models’ 1⁄6-scale Fokker D.VI kit has more than
600 parts for this World War I masterpiece.
The 1⁄3-scale Wendell Hostetler Piper Tri-Pacer spans 115 inches
and is designed for a 2.4-4.0 cu. in. engine.
The author’s 96-inch-span Rearwin Speedster ARF is making a
low pass. It almost looks like the full-scale airplane!
08sig3.QXD 5/21/04 12:31 pm Page 92
Hangar Hobbies. Great Planes, Horizon
Hobby, Sig Manufacturing, Balsa USA, Hitec
RCD, MRC, and other manufacturers set up
eye-catching display booths.
Before I begin rambling about what I saw at
Toledo, I am happy to report that we finally
had the opportunity to test-fly the Kangke
(SuperKraft) Rearwin Speedster ARF.
The aircraft spans 96 inches and is 70
inches in length. It has 1,440 square inches of
wing area and a weight of 14-17 pounds,
depending on the power system you install.
The model comes expertly covered in
Oracover (UltraCote). The painted parts, such
as the wheel pants, landing gear, and cowl,
match the covering material perfectly. The kit
comes with all the hardware necessary to
complete the model, including the fuel tank.
You supply the servos (six are needed), radio,
and engine, and you’re ready to go.
Since the Speedster model was designed
with a fully symmetrical wing airfoil, large
empennage, and massive movable surfaces, it
will easily perform aerobatic maneuvers. The
manufacturer suggests a 1.80-2.40 gas or
glow engine. I installed a Zenoah G-45 on
August 2004 93
Gas, glow, or electric can power SR Batteries’ Fokker Eindecker E.I. Company president
Larry Sribnick staffed the SR Batteries booth.
Pacer Technology ZIP Kicker in the 2- and
5-ounce spray cans. The pump-style
bottles are being phased out.
.us
Some changes are coming to
Superior Balsa & Hobby Supply.
We’re starting with
www.superiorbalsa.com
08sig3.QXD 5/21/04 12:31 pm Page 93
94 MODEL AVIATION
F A I
MODEL SUPPLY
www.faimodelsupply.com
POLYSPAN, AIRSPAN, LITESPAN,
MICROLITES, MYLAR, TOMY TIMERS
F A I TAN SPORT RUBBER
1⁄4", 3⁄16", 1⁄8", 3⁄32" 1⁄16", .042 THICK
1 lb. box $2350, 10 lb. box $16600 Post Paid (USA).
TAN SUPER SPORT RUBBER
1 lb. box $2700, 10 lb. box $19100 Post Paid (USA).
• Made in U.S.A. •
“Superdog” AFR $22.50, “Hangar Rat” ARTF $25.00,
Bulldog ARF $20.00, electric lighters $6.00. Front
ends, winders, stooges, Books, Czech P30
props, Slick Lube, CROCKETT hooks, “Butterfly”
RTF indoor $20.00, “Super Butterfly” $21.00, huge
bunch of great FF kits, and Zona Saws.
COUPE & WAKEFIELD
PARTS, KITS, RTF
F.A.I. Model Supply
P O Box 366
Sayre, PA 18840-0366
Phone/Fax: 570-882-9873
Basic
Catalog
$3.00
Hi Tech
Catalog
$1.00
THE BEST IN SCALE PLANS
ACCESSORIES & LASER CUT PARTS
61" Brian Taylor ME-109F – $40.00
Laser cut parts – $100.00, Accessories $85.00
PLANS
* Spitfire MK 1X 83" $45.00
* Spitfire MK 1 69" $40.00
* Spitfire MK 14/19 69” $40.00
* Spitfire MK 1X 110" $49.00
* Hawker Hurricane 70" $40.00
* Hawker Typhoon 72" $40.00
DH Mosquito 71" $40.00
* DH Mosquito 81" $45.00
Hawker Tempest 61.5” $30.00
* P-47D 76” $45.00
* Hellcat 64" $30.00
* Hellcat 80" $35.00
* F4U-1 82" $45.00
* Storch 72” $30.00
* Storch 96” $35.00
* Harvard 94” $45.00
* P-51D 69” $25.00
* Bf 109E 68” $40.00
* indicates laser parts available
Please add $8.00 for postage.
Best in scale catalog $5.00 + $3.20 p.p.
Cards Ok. • UK and German catalogs available.
BOB HOLMAN PLANS
P.O.BOX 741 San Bernardino CA 92402
909-885-3959 • [email protected] • www.bhplans.com
Please
add
$10.00
for
postage.
ignition, and there is certainly plenty of power
to haul it around. Since the model has a rather
narrow cowl, you could install an engine with
a rear exhaust and rear carburetor without
cutting up the cowl.
My good friend Kevin Shaw of Middle
Island, New York, test-flew the Rearwin while
I took photos. There must have been a 20-knot
wind blowing, which is common for us here
on Long Island. With a little throttle, the
model broke ground quickly and climbed out
with authority. A couple clicks of right aileron
trim and a click of up-elevator trimmed out the
model nicely.
Because of the wind conditions, Kevin did
not put the Rearwin through its paces, but it
did loop quite nicely. Later in the flight, the
Zenoah stopped running and Kevin made a
gentle dead-stick landing. The accompanying
photo shows the Speedster on a low pass. It
almost looks like the full-scale airplane!
If you’re looking for a 1930s-era ARF
model that builds quickly and easily and has a
broad flight envelope, take a good look at the
Kangke Industrial USA (SuperKraft) Rearwin
Speedster.
To see the Rearwin and other fine models
and products, visit Kangke’s Web site at
www.kangkeusa.com. You can call (877) 203-
2377 or write to Kangke Industrial USA, Inc.,
65 East Jefryn Blvd., Deer Park NY 11729.
Classic Aero of Oxford, Michigan, plans to
release its 1⁄6-scale Sikorsky S-39 flying boat
kit in November 2004. The model will span
104 inches and weigh 15-18 pounds. It is
designed for a 150-180 four-stroke glow
engine. The accompanying photo was taken at
the Toledo show.
The inspiration for the model came from
an earlier 90-inch S-39 that took first place at
the 1993 Canadian Nationals in Standoff
Scale. A full-scale S-39 restoration project,
The Spirit of Igor, provided a great
opportunity for Classic Aero to obtain a great
deal of documentation for its 1⁄6-scale version.
The kit features the eggshell construction
method, which includes laser-cut wood parts,
vacuum-formed parts, and a hull. Accessories
include landing-gear struts, custom electric
retracts, photo-etched metal parts, a custom
mahogany interior, and a decal set.
For more information about the S-39 and
Classic Aero’s other kits, please visit the Web
site at www.classicaero.com or write to the
company at 1782 Laverne Ct., Oxford MI
48371.
SR Batteries of Bellport, New York, is
offering a 100-inch-wingspan Fokker
Eindecker E.I. The model can be powered by
your favorite gas, glow, or electric power
plant; however, the laser-cut firewall is ready
to accept the Zenoah G-26 gas engine or the
AXI 4130 brushless electric motor.
The kit features a spun-aluminum cowl,
composite wing LE and spars, shockabsorbing
landing gear and tail-skid
assemblies, and many modeler-friendly design
features.
To see a video of the Eindecker flying with
gas and electric power, please visit the SR
Web site at www.srbatteries.com. You can
also call (631) 286-8014 or write to Box 287,
Bellport NY 11713.
The photo shows Larry Sribnick, president
of SR Batteries, operating the SR booth at
Toledo. Keep an eye out for more about the
SR Eindecker in a future column.
Wendell Hostetler has been busy. His new
designs for 2004 include a 26% Cessna 310R,
a 26% Stinson Voyager 108, and a 33% Piper
Tri-Pacer. The photo shows the Piper Tri-
Pacer as displayed at Toledo.
The model spans 115 inches, has a wing
area of 2,282 square inches, has a length of
81.67 inches, and weighs 28-30 pounds. A
2.4-4.0 cu. in. engine provides power.
For more information on these and other
Wendell Hostetler designs, please visit
www.aero-sports.com/whplans. Call Wendell
at (330) 682-8896 or write to him at 545
Jerome Dr., Orrville OH 44667.
The people at Balsa USA have done it
again. On the heels of the 1⁄4-scale S.E.5a
comes the release of the company’s newest
World War I fighter: the 1⁄4-scale Fokker
D.VII. The model spans 88 inches and has a
wing area of 2,225 square inches. Its finished
weight is 18-20 pounds, and it was designed to
be powered by a 25-35cc gas engine. This kit
is $295.95, and it comes with full-size rolled
plans, prebent landing gear, photo-illustrated
instructions, name-brand hardware, and
premium-grade plywood, hardware, and balsa.
I can’t wait to get started on mine! For
more information about Balsa USA’s D.VII
and other great offerings, please visit the Web
site at www.balsausa.com; call the order-only
08sig3.QXD 5/21/04 12:31 pm Page 94
line at (800) 225-7287; or write to Balsa
USA, Box 164, Marinette WI 54143.
Glenn Torrance is a well-known and
respected designer/builder who specializes in
1⁄4-scale World War I model aircraft. His
attention to scale detail is evident throughout
his kits. The newest in the Glen Torrance
Models (GTM) line of 1⁄4-scale kits is a
Fokker D.VI biplane.
The kit was available at Toledo for $389.
It includes aluminum cowling, struts, and
more than 600 parts. The prototype uses a G-
26 engine and weighs approximately 15
pounds. Optional detail kits are available. The
picture shows the GTM booth, and the framed
D.VI is above it.
The Fokker D.VI was an interim design
based on the fuselage of the famous Dr.I
triplane and the wings of the Fokker D.VII.
Only 59 were built, and the airplane was
relegated to training and rear-echelon work
when the D.VII proved to be a much better
machine.
For more information about Glenn’s
fantastic Scale models, please visit his Web
site at www.gtmodels.com; call (919) 423-
8530; or write to him at GTM, Box 440,
Morrisville NC 27560.
I was born into RC modeling not with
Ambroid, white glue, and many pins, but
with cyanoacrylates and accelerator. Now I
have let the cat out of the bag as to when I
got started in RC, but it’s been more than 20
years. I know that to many out there I am still
wet behind the ears, and I bow with respect to
all who have modeled before me.
Cyanoacrylate glues represent a real leap
ahead for model building, and I cannot
fathom how any model was completed before
it came along.
I enjoy using the fast-setting
cyanoacrylate glues, and I always speed up
the process by using an accelerator. Fast isn’t
fast enough for me! When I find time to
build, I want to get a lot accomplished
quickly. However, I was never satisfied with
the pump-type dispensers that the accelerator
came in. They always clogged, and the fine
mist that was present while the pump was
new quickly became an untamed stream or
simply quit working.
Pacer Technology, makers of ZAP
products and ZIP Kicker, began offering ZIP
Kicker (PT-50) in a 5-ounce spray can that
immediately solved the pump issue. The
spray can delivers a nice mist from the first
spray to the last. To date, I have never had a
spray can malfunction.
Now Pacer will discontinue its pump-type
ZIP Kicker altogether and is adding the ZIP
Kicker (PT-15) 2-ounce spray can to its
inventory. Move over pumps; now you can
get your favorite Pacer Technology ZIP
Kicker in a 2-ounce or 5-ounce spray can. To
find a ZAP distributor near you, please visit
the Pacer Web page at www.pacertech.com/
zap.htm.
So ends another RC Giants column. Have a
wonderful and safe flying season. See you
next month! MA
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Why Take Chances?
Two things mark the difference between a great day at the field and
disaster. One is your radio batteries. Second is your fuel.
Having the right fuel for your glow engine is as simple as making
sure the SIG label is on your bottle. Each gallon of SIG fuel is custom
blended in our own fuel production facility, insuring freshness and
consistency time after time.
Only the highest quality ingredients go into SIG fuel. Ingredients
like 99.9% pure methanol, racing quality nitromethane, top of the line
castor oil, and premium Klotz racing lubricants. All are specially
blended to withstand the rigors of today’s two and four stroke model
engines.
With over twenty different blends, you’ll find the formula right for
your engine and your flying style. Each gallon is clearly marked with
the nitro and oil content, taking the guesswork out of flying.
So why take chances. Go with the fuel flown by Champions for
years.
SIG MANUFACTURING COMPANY, INC.
P.O. Box 520 • Montezuma, Iowa 50171-0520
Web Site: www.sigmfg.com • Phone: (641)623-5154
Champion 4-Stroke
10 & 15% Nitro
16% Lubrication Champion All Caster
5, 10, & 15% Nitro
20 & 25% Castor Terminator 2000
10 & 15% Nitro
18% Lubricants
4-Stroke Synthetic
10 & 15% Nitro
18% Lubricants Tiger Blend
& Big Bore
10% Nitro
10 & 12% Lubricants
Champion Helicopter
15 & 30% Nitro
Champion 2-Stroke 22 & 24% Lubricants
FAI, 5, 10,15, 25, & 35% Nitro
20% Lubricants
08sig3.QXD 5/21/04 12:32 pm Page 96