98 MODEL AVIATION
HOW DO YOU get your RC Giant model
to the airfield? In the fall 2004 issue of High
Flight, Chris Spangenberg wrote an article
about how he replaced his old Toyota truck
with a Ford E350 15-passenger van as a
solution to his model-transporting needs. I
can’t agree with him more! Towing is a last
resort and I don’t want the hassles.
I have been carting my larger models in
the same type of van for the past four years.
I purchased my 1993 Ford 15-passenger
Club Wagon from Nick Ziroli Jr., who had
used it to haul his RC Giants to a number of
events.
Nick said the van was special because it
had accommodated so many Top Gunquality
models and pilots, and, furthermore,
owning it would undoubtedly have a
positive effect on my building and flying
skills. How could I refuse?
During the past four years, the van has
done it all. From hauling models to packing
in my family and friends for road trips, it
has been a useful and reliable vehicle. The
downside is that there has been no
improvement in my building and flying
skills. Nick, isn’t that false advertising?
Kidding aside, Chris wrote an excellent
article describing the benefits of using this
type of van and how he used PVC
(polyvinyl chloride) pipe to make fixtures
for the wings and fuselages. I certainly agree
with everything Chris wrote; however, since
I replaced my aging van with a 2004 E350,
I’ll add a few more comments on the how,
what, and where of finding a great value
such as this.
Many of these vans are sold as fleet
vehicles to large corporations to use as
people movers. Some go to rental agencies.
Sal Calvagna, 1335 Broadway Ave., Holbrook NY 11741; E-mail: [email protected]
RADIO CONTROL GIANTS
The vast majority of E350 extended-length,
15-passenger vans are manufactured as the
XLT version. This means that they have
most of the creature comforts such as power
door locks, power windows, power remote
mirrors, power steering, a tilt wheel, front
and rear heat and air-conditioning, a
complete stereo system, reclining front
seats, tinted windows, etc.
Added accessories that you should look
for are a tow package and full running
boards which make it much easier to enter
and exit the van. A few of the vans even
come with a power driver’s seat.
The best place that I have found to
locate a van such as this is www.autos.
yahoo.com/. At this site, all you have to do
is plug in the model and type of vehicle
under the used or new auto selections, and
then you can refine your search by year,
model, and number of miles from your zip
code. You will find all the vehicles (many
with photos) in a given distance from your
home.
All of the vans I found were located at
dealerships; none were private sales. I
found more than 700 2004 E350 vans
nationwide that had been purchased at
auction after coming off of leases. These
2004 vans had from 1,500 miles to more
than 30,000 miles on them and were priced
accordingly. All were still under factory
warranty.
I found my 2004 van in Berlin,
Connecticut, at a Ford dealership roughly
100 miles from my home. It has a full tow
package, full factory running boards, and
18,900 miles on the odometer. It was less
than a year old (CARFAX check) and was
used as a rental vehicle in North Carolina.
Brand new, the van listed for more than
Author’s new 2004 E350 Econoline van and aging 1993 Ford Club Wagon are 15-
passenger models that transport his RC Giants without the hassles of towing.
Gene Davis finished his Lockheed C-130 Hercules in the US
Navy’s Blue Angels Fat Albert demonstration team colors. Gene Davis’s C-130 was two years in the making.
100 MODEL AVIATION
$30,000, and I purchased it for $19,100. It is
in like-new condition, came with a 60-day
dealership warranty, and still has two years
on the factory warranty. In effect, I let
someone else pay for the depreciation. If you
are looking for any type of vehicle, give this
a try.
The van was listed for sale at $19,895.
Don’t be afraid to make them an offer. Prices
are negotiable.
Gene Davis of Palm Bay, Florida, is pictured
with his latest RC Giant project: a 102-inchwingspan
Lockheed C-130 Hercules
transport, finished in the US Navy’s Blue
Angels Fat Albert demonstration-team
colors. Designed by Skip Mast, the model
was two years in the making and built from
a semikit by Quality Fiberglass.
Gunny Bumburs’ Cessna 182 Skylane sports a custom finish. Ed Testa’s Concept Models Fleet biplane spans 84 inches.
Tony Kirchenko readies his Balsa USA Nieuport 28 for a flight during a Scale Masters
qualifier. Bill Hoffman assists as judge Gary West looks on.
Power comes from four Thunder Tiger
.25 glow engines installed inverted, with
their own onboard ignition systems. Gene
reports that the ignition systems make for
easy starting and greatly improve
reliability—especially at idle.
The wings are Fome-Cor, sheeted with
balsa, fiberglassed, and finished with a
base-coat/clear-coat system that gives them
a high-gloss shine. The model sports split
flaps, and Gene writes that it is an
extremely smooth flier with plenty of
power to haul the 18.5-pound airplane
around.
Gene is considering adding a braking
system to reduce rollout on finished
surfaces when landing. Beautiful model,
Gene! I hope you enjoy it for many years.
Gunny Bumburs of Babylon, New York,
refinished his Hangar 9 Cessna 182
Skylane ARF with great results. He
removed the vinyl graphics that came with
the model and prepared, masked, and
painted his own design using Krylon
Fusion spray paint straight from the can. In
preparation for the new paint job, Gunny
used 000 steel wool to scuff the area to be
painted.
When the paint was dry, he added
automotive-type pinstriping to accent the
new paint scheme. A coat of Krylon
Crystal Clear was added to protect the
newly painted and pinstriped area.
The model is powered by an RCS 180
(30cc) gas engine from RC Showcase that
fits nicely under the cowling and powers a
Menz 18 x 10 propeller. Gunny made a
custom exhaust pipe using copper
plumbing elbows. The model uses a Tru-
Turn spinner, has a Robart nose-gear
RoboStrut, and weighs 20 pounds. Nice
job, Gunny!
Ed Testa of Manorville, New York, built
his great-looking Fleet biplane from a
Concept Models kit. The aircraft spans 84
inches and is powered by a Zenoah G-38
gas engine. The covering is Solartex
material, and Ed painted it with
HobbyPoxy paint. The simulated radial
was made using Williams Bros. engine
cylinders. The engine spins a Zinger 20 x 8
propeller and it has Du-Bro balloon-type
wheels.
Ed painted his model in a color scheme
found on a full-scale Fleet that was based
at an airfield located on nearby Shelter
Island.
Tony Kirchenko of East Setauket, New
York, is shown starting his Balsa USA
Nieuport 28.C-1 with the help of friend
and fellow club member Bill Hoffman. As
judge Gary West looks on, Tony is
preparing to compete in another round at
an AMA Scale Masters qualifier contest.
The 1⁄4-scale Nieuport spans 80 inches
and is covered using Nelson LiteFAB and
painted with automotive lacquer paint. The
model is finished in Swiss markings.
Tony uses a Zenoah G-26 gas engine to
power his World War I-era fighter.
The last of the Nieuport sesquiplane
series of fighters in World War I was the
Nieuport 27. When it finally reached
fighting units, it had already been
outclassed by the Spad VII. For Nieuport
to remain a contender, the company had to
make fundamental changes to the design of
its fighter aircraft, and the Nieuport 28 was
born. After several revisions, the new
fighter was accepted as the Nieuport 28.C-
1 and ordered into production.
According to history, the order was
quickly canceled. Although the Nieuport
28 was an improvement over the older
Nieuport fighters, it was deemed inferior to
the widely equipped French Air Service
Spad XIII. Ironically, since the Nieuport
28 was rejected by the French, it became
the first operational fighter with the
American Expeditionary Force just
because it was available. What a way to
fight a war!
Great job on those biplanes, gentlemen.
“Real” airplanes have two wings and round
engines!
This wraps up another column. Spring is
here and another flying season is in bloom.
Remember to give your models and radiocontrol
systems a good looking over if they
have been in storage all winter.
Please take the time to cycle-test your
battery packs. MA
Edition: Model Aviation - 2005/05
Page Numbers: 98,100,102
Edition: Model Aviation - 2005/05
Page Numbers: 98,100,102
98 MODEL AVIATION
HOW DO YOU get your RC Giant model
to the airfield? In the fall 2004 issue of High
Flight, Chris Spangenberg wrote an article
about how he replaced his old Toyota truck
with a Ford E350 15-passenger van as a
solution to his model-transporting needs. I
can’t agree with him more! Towing is a last
resort and I don’t want the hassles.
I have been carting my larger models in
the same type of van for the past four years.
I purchased my 1993 Ford 15-passenger
Club Wagon from Nick Ziroli Jr., who had
used it to haul his RC Giants to a number of
events.
Nick said the van was special because it
had accommodated so many Top Gunquality
models and pilots, and, furthermore,
owning it would undoubtedly have a
positive effect on my building and flying
skills. How could I refuse?
During the past four years, the van has
done it all. From hauling models to packing
in my family and friends for road trips, it
has been a useful and reliable vehicle. The
downside is that there has been no
improvement in my building and flying
skills. Nick, isn’t that false advertising?
Kidding aside, Chris wrote an excellent
article describing the benefits of using this
type of van and how he used PVC
(polyvinyl chloride) pipe to make fixtures
for the wings and fuselages. I certainly agree
with everything Chris wrote; however, since
I replaced my aging van with a 2004 E350,
I’ll add a few more comments on the how,
what, and where of finding a great value
such as this.
Many of these vans are sold as fleet
vehicles to large corporations to use as
people movers. Some go to rental agencies.
Sal Calvagna, 1335 Broadway Ave., Holbrook NY 11741; E-mail: [email protected]
RADIO CONTROL GIANTS
The vast majority of E350 extended-length,
15-passenger vans are manufactured as the
XLT version. This means that they have
most of the creature comforts such as power
door locks, power windows, power remote
mirrors, power steering, a tilt wheel, front
and rear heat and air-conditioning, a
complete stereo system, reclining front
seats, tinted windows, etc.
Added accessories that you should look
for are a tow package and full running
boards which make it much easier to enter
and exit the van. A few of the vans even
come with a power driver’s seat.
The best place that I have found to
locate a van such as this is www.autos.
yahoo.com/. At this site, all you have to do
is plug in the model and type of vehicle
under the used or new auto selections, and
then you can refine your search by year,
model, and number of miles from your zip
code. You will find all the vehicles (many
with photos) in a given distance from your
home.
All of the vans I found were located at
dealerships; none were private sales. I
found more than 700 2004 E350 vans
nationwide that had been purchased at
auction after coming off of leases. These
2004 vans had from 1,500 miles to more
than 30,000 miles on them and were priced
accordingly. All were still under factory
warranty.
I found my 2004 van in Berlin,
Connecticut, at a Ford dealership roughly
100 miles from my home. It has a full tow
package, full factory running boards, and
18,900 miles on the odometer. It was less
than a year old (CARFAX check) and was
used as a rental vehicle in North Carolina.
Brand new, the van listed for more than
Author’s new 2004 E350 Econoline van and aging 1993 Ford Club Wagon are 15-
passenger models that transport his RC Giants without the hassles of towing.
Gene Davis finished his Lockheed C-130 Hercules in the US
Navy’s Blue Angels Fat Albert demonstration team colors. Gene Davis’s C-130 was two years in the making.
100 MODEL AVIATION
$30,000, and I purchased it for $19,100. It is
in like-new condition, came with a 60-day
dealership warranty, and still has two years
on the factory warranty. In effect, I let
someone else pay for the depreciation. If you
are looking for any type of vehicle, give this
a try.
The van was listed for sale at $19,895.
Don’t be afraid to make them an offer. Prices
are negotiable.
Gene Davis of Palm Bay, Florida, is pictured
with his latest RC Giant project: a 102-inchwingspan
Lockheed C-130 Hercules
transport, finished in the US Navy’s Blue
Angels Fat Albert demonstration-team
colors. Designed by Skip Mast, the model
was two years in the making and built from
a semikit by Quality Fiberglass.
Gunny Bumburs’ Cessna 182 Skylane sports a custom finish. Ed Testa’s Concept Models Fleet biplane spans 84 inches.
Tony Kirchenko readies his Balsa USA Nieuport 28 for a flight during a Scale Masters
qualifier. Bill Hoffman assists as judge Gary West looks on.
Power comes from four Thunder Tiger
.25 glow engines installed inverted, with
their own onboard ignition systems. Gene
reports that the ignition systems make for
easy starting and greatly improve
reliability—especially at idle.
The wings are Fome-Cor, sheeted with
balsa, fiberglassed, and finished with a
base-coat/clear-coat system that gives them
a high-gloss shine. The model sports split
flaps, and Gene writes that it is an
extremely smooth flier with plenty of
power to haul the 18.5-pound airplane
around.
Gene is considering adding a braking
system to reduce rollout on finished
surfaces when landing. Beautiful model,
Gene! I hope you enjoy it for many years.
Gunny Bumburs of Babylon, New York,
refinished his Hangar 9 Cessna 182
Skylane ARF with great results. He
removed the vinyl graphics that came with
the model and prepared, masked, and
painted his own design using Krylon
Fusion spray paint straight from the can. In
preparation for the new paint job, Gunny
used 000 steel wool to scuff the area to be
painted.
When the paint was dry, he added
automotive-type pinstriping to accent the
new paint scheme. A coat of Krylon
Crystal Clear was added to protect the
newly painted and pinstriped area.
The model is powered by an RCS 180
(30cc) gas engine from RC Showcase that
fits nicely under the cowling and powers a
Menz 18 x 10 propeller. Gunny made a
custom exhaust pipe using copper
plumbing elbows. The model uses a Tru-
Turn spinner, has a Robart nose-gear
RoboStrut, and weighs 20 pounds. Nice
job, Gunny!
Ed Testa of Manorville, New York, built
his great-looking Fleet biplane from a
Concept Models kit. The aircraft spans 84
inches and is powered by a Zenoah G-38
gas engine. The covering is Solartex
material, and Ed painted it with
HobbyPoxy paint. The simulated radial
was made using Williams Bros. engine
cylinders. The engine spins a Zinger 20 x 8
propeller and it has Du-Bro balloon-type
wheels.
Ed painted his model in a color scheme
found on a full-scale Fleet that was based
at an airfield located on nearby Shelter
Island.
Tony Kirchenko of East Setauket, New
York, is shown starting his Balsa USA
Nieuport 28.C-1 with the help of friend
and fellow club member Bill Hoffman. As
judge Gary West looks on, Tony is
preparing to compete in another round at
an AMA Scale Masters qualifier contest.
The 1⁄4-scale Nieuport spans 80 inches
and is covered using Nelson LiteFAB and
painted with automotive lacquer paint. The
model is finished in Swiss markings.
Tony uses a Zenoah G-26 gas engine to
power his World War I-era fighter.
The last of the Nieuport sesquiplane
series of fighters in World War I was the
Nieuport 27. When it finally reached
fighting units, it had already been
outclassed by the Spad VII. For Nieuport
to remain a contender, the company had to
make fundamental changes to the design of
its fighter aircraft, and the Nieuport 28 was
born. After several revisions, the new
fighter was accepted as the Nieuport 28.C-
1 and ordered into production.
According to history, the order was
quickly canceled. Although the Nieuport
28 was an improvement over the older
Nieuport fighters, it was deemed inferior to
the widely equipped French Air Service
Spad XIII. Ironically, since the Nieuport
28 was rejected by the French, it became
the first operational fighter with the
American Expeditionary Force just
because it was available. What a way to
fight a war!
Great job on those biplanes, gentlemen.
“Real” airplanes have two wings and round
engines!
This wraps up another column. Spring is
here and another flying season is in bloom.
Remember to give your models and radiocontrol
systems a good looking over if they
have been in storage all winter.
Please take the time to cycle-test your
battery packs. MA
Edition: Model Aviation - 2005/05
Page Numbers: 98,100,102
98 MODEL AVIATION
HOW DO YOU get your RC Giant model
to the airfield? In the fall 2004 issue of High
Flight, Chris Spangenberg wrote an article
about how he replaced his old Toyota truck
with a Ford E350 15-passenger van as a
solution to his model-transporting needs. I
can’t agree with him more! Towing is a last
resort and I don’t want the hassles.
I have been carting my larger models in
the same type of van for the past four years.
I purchased my 1993 Ford 15-passenger
Club Wagon from Nick Ziroli Jr., who had
used it to haul his RC Giants to a number of
events.
Nick said the van was special because it
had accommodated so many Top Gunquality
models and pilots, and, furthermore,
owning it would undoubtedly have a
positive effect on my building and flying
skills. How could I refuse?
During the past four years, the van has
done it all. From hauling models to packing
in my family and friends for road trips, it
has been a useful and reliable vehicle. The
downside is that there has been no
improvement in my building and flying
skills. Nick, isn’t that false advertising?
Kidding aside, Chris wrote an excellent
article describing the benefits of using this
type of van and how he used PVC
(polyvinyl chloride) pipe to make fixtures
for the wings and fuselages. I certainly agree
with everything Chris wrote; however, since
I replaced my aging van with a 2004 E350,
I’ll add a few more comments on the how,
what, and where of finding a great value
such as this.
Many of these vans are sold as fleet
vehicles to large corporations to use as
people movers. Some go to rental agencies.
Sal Calvagna, 1335 Broadway Ave., Holbrook NY 11741; E-mail: [email protected]
RADIO CONTROL GIANTS
The vast majority of E350 extended-length,
15-passenger vans are manufactured as the
XLT version. This means that they have
most of the creature comforts such as power
door locks, power windows, power remote
mirrors, power steering, a tilt wheel, front
and rear heat and air-conditioning, a
complete stereo system, reclining front
seats, tinted windows, etc.
Added accessories that you should look
for are a tow package and full running
boards which make it much easier to enter
and exit the van. A few of the vans even
come with a power driver’s seat.
The best place that I have found to
locate a van such as this is www.autos.
yahoo.com/. At this site, all you have to do
is plug in the model and type of vehicle
under the used or new auto selections, and
then you can refine your search by year,
model, and number of miles from your zip
code. You will find all the vehicles (many
with photos) in a given distance from your
home.
All of the vans I found were located at
dealerships; none were private sales. I
found more than 700 2004 E350 vans
nationwide that had been purchased at
auction after coming off of leases. These
2004 vans had from 1,500 miles to more
than 30,000 miles on them and were priced
accordingly. All were still under factory
warranty.
I found my 2004 van in Berlin,
Connecticut, at a Ford dealership roughly
100 miles from my home. It has a full tow
package, full factory running boards, and
18,900 miles on the odometer. It was less
than a year old (CARFAX check) and was
used as a rental vehicle in North Carolina.
Brand new, the van listed for more than
Author’s new 2004 E350 Econoline van and aging 1993 Ford Club Wagon are 15-
passenger models that transport his RC Giants without the hassles of towing.
Gene Davis finished his Lockheed C-130 Hercules in the US
Navy’s Blue Angels Fat Albert demonstration team colors. Gene Davis’s C-130 was two years in the making.
100 MODEL AVIATION
$30,000, and I purchased it for $19,100. It is
in like-new condition, came with a 60-day
dealership warranty, and still has two years
on the factory warranty. In effect, I let
someone else pay for the depreciation. If you
are looking for any type of vehicle, give this
a try.
The van was listed for sale at $19,895.
Don’t be afraid to make them an offer. Prices
are negotiable.
Gene Davis of Palm Bay, Florida, is pictured
with his latest RC Giant project: a 102-inchwingspan
Lockheed C-130 Hercules
transport, finished in the US Navy’s Blue
Angels Fat Albert demonstration-team
colors. Designed by Skip Mast, the model
was two years in the making and built from
a semikit by Quality Fiberglass.
Gunny Bumburs’ Cessna 182 Skylane sports a custom finish. Ed Testa’s Concept Models Fleet biplane spans 84 inches.
Tony Kirchenko readies his Balsa USA Nieuport 28 for a flight during a Scale Masters
qualifier. Bill Hoffman assists as judge Gary West looks on.
Power comes from four Thunder Tiger
.25 glow engines installed inverted, with
their own onboard ignition systems. Gene
reports that the ignition systems make for
easy starting and greatly improve
reliability—especially at idle.
The wings are Fome-Cor, sheeted with
balsa, fiberglassed, and finished with a
base-coat/clear-coat system that gives them
a high-gloss shine. The model sports split
flaps, and Gene writes that it is an
extremely smooth flier with plenty of
power to haul the 18.5-pound airplane
around.
Gene is considering adding a braking
system to reduce rollout on finished
surfaces when landing. Beautiful model,
Gene! I hope you enjoy it for many years.
Gunny Bumburs of Babylon, New York,
refinished his Hangar 9 Cessna 182
Skylane ARF with great results. He
removed the vinyl graphics that came with
the model and prepared, masked, and
painted his own design using Krylon
Fusion spray paint straight from the can. In
preparation for the new paint job, Gunny
used 000 steel wool to scuff the area to be
painted.
When the paint was dry, he added
automotive-type pinstriping to accent the
new paint scheme. A coat of Krylon
Crystal Clear was added to protect the
newly painted and pinstriped area.
The model is powered by an RCS 180
(30cc) gas engine from RC Showcase that
fits nicely under the cowling and powers a
Menz 18 x 10 propeller. Gunny made a
custom exhaust pipe using copper
plumbing elbows. The model uses a Tru-
Turn spinner, has a Robart nose-gear
RoboStrut, and weighs 20 pounds. Nice
job, Gunny!
Ed Testa of Manorville, New York, built
his great-looking Fleet biplane from a
Concept Models kit. The aircraft spans 84
inches and is powered by a Zenoah G-38
gas engine. The covering is Solartex
material, and Ed painted it with
HobbyPoxy paint. The simulated radial
was made using Williams Bros. engine
cylinders. The engine spins a Zinger 20 x 8
propeller and it has Du-Bro balloon-type
wheels.
Ed painted his model in a color scheme
found on a full-scale Fleet that was based
at an airfield located on nearby Shelter
Island.
Tony Kirchenko of East Setauket, New
York, is shown starting his Balsa USA
Nieuport 28.C-1 with the help of friend
and fellow club member Bill Hoffman. As
judge Gary West looks on, Tony is
preparing to compete in another round at
an AMA Scale Masters qualifier contest.
The 1⁄4-scale Nieuport spans 80 inches
and is covered using Nelson LiteFAB and
painted with automotive lacquer paint. The
model is finished in Swiss markings.
Tony uses a Zenoah G-26 gas engine to
power his World War I-era fighter.
The last of the Nieuport sesquiplane
series of fighters in World War I was the
Nieuport 27. When it finally reached
fighting units, it had already been
outclassed by the Spad VII. For Nieuport
to remain a contender, the company had to
make fundamental changes to the design of
its fighter aircraft, and the Nieuport 28 was
born. After several revisions, the new
fighter was accepted as the Nieuport 28.C-
1 and ordered into production.
According to history, the order was
quickly canceled. Although the Nieuport
28 was an improvement over the older
Nieuport fighters, it was deemed inferior to
the widely equipped French Air Service
Spad XIII. Ironically, since the Nieuport
28 was rejected by the French, it became
the first operational fighter with the
American Expeditionary Force just
because it was available. What a way to
fight a war!
Great job on those biplanes, gentlemen.
“Real” airplanes have two wings and round
engines!
This wraps up another column. Spring is
here and another flying season is in bloom.
Remember to give your models and radiocontrol
systems a good looking over if they
have been in storage all winter.
Please take the time to cycle-test your
battery packs. MA
