Radio Control Giants
By Sal Calvagna [[email protected]]
HAPPY NEW YEAR and welcome to 2006! For those who may have lost some passion for modeling in 2005, now is a good time to get back on track with renewed enthusiasm. The new year offers a fresh start—take advantage of it and get going!
Sig Rascal ARF 110
John Sabini of Brentwood, New York, has a great RC Giant that is not a scale replica. This beautiful Sig Rascal ARF 110 received its name because of its 110-inch wingspan. It has 1,522 square inches of wing area and a length of 75.75 inches. The model’s flying weight is about 11–13 pounds.
John installed an O.S. 160 twin four-stroke glow engine in the nose and added nice detail work such as a turned-aluminum finish to simulate an engine cowling, rivet detail, and antenna pods. Although the Rascal is not a scale model, it has the classic lines of a Golden Age–era aircraft. John used a soft engine-mount system available from Sig; when the engine is running the cylinders vibrate slightly, as do those on the full-scale airplane—a nice touch.
I had the opportunity to fly the Rascal and, like John, I am pleased with its gentle handling characteristics. When he is not building and flying models, John pilots an Airbus A320 for a living. Too much of a good thing—airplanes in this case—isn’t bad!
Balsa USA 1/3-scale Fokker D.VII
Balsa USA’s newest kit is a 1/3-scale Fokker D.VII that was flown at the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome in September 2005. The model spans 118 inches and should weigh roughly 40 pounds when completed. The wing area is a massive 3,818 square inches, and a 50–80cc engine is needed to power this beast.
Kit features:
- Precut, custom bent-steel fittings
- Name-brand hardware
- Functional bungee-cord suspension and sprung tail skid
- Plug-in wing panels using aluminum joiner tubes
The Fokker D.VII will not have rigging wires—not because they were accidentally left out, but because the full-scale Fokker was one of the few World War I aircraft that did not have landing and flying wires. I photographed the prototype in a flyby at the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome during the modeling portion of the air show in September 2005. The D.VII was an impressive sight. Nice work, Balsa USA!
Re-creating a world-record flight: Curtiss Robin "Ole Miss"
Leave it to modelers to re-create history in their own way. Shawn Kappner and Dick Rose of the Hamilton Area Wireless Kontrol Society (HAWKS) of Hamilton, Ohio, submitted the following project.
On June 4, 1935, Fred and Algene Key set the flight-endurance record of 653 hours, 34 minutes, in a Curtiss Robin J-1 Deluxe they dubbed "Ole Miss." They were resupplied with fuel, oil, food, and water 452 times from another Robin through an overhead hatch in the cabin during the flight. Traveling an estimated 52,320 miles—twice the earth's circumference—this record still stands. A synopsis of the Key brothers’ feat can be found at www.airminded.net (look for Golden Age Aircraft). Fred and Algene had a true passion for aviation that many modelers share today.
Although not the most attractive airplane, the full-scale Curtiss Robin became one of the most storied aircraft of the Golden Age of flight. It was noted for the strength of its fuselage and the large area of its passenger cabin; it was reliable and rugged, suitable for flight training and carrying passengers and packages.
The RC commemorative project
In 2004 HAWKS member Shawn Kappner purchased a partially completed World Models/Maloney Robin 99 from a fellow club member. After researching the Keys’ endurance record, Shawn dreamed of doing the same on a scale basis. He reasoned a commemorative flight could be flown on a scale of one minute for every hour flown by the Key brothers. He shared the idea with club member Dick Rose and they began to study what would be required.
The first Robin was heavily kit-bashed for scale detail and was quite heavy. Considering weight, wing area, and airfoil, Shawn and Dick selected a Zenoah G-62 engine for its proven reliability and magneto ignition (eliminating the need for battery-powered ignition). Endurance testing showed the model needed to carry a minimum of 378 ounces (23.6 pounds) of usable fuel. They adapted a complex system of two 5-quart gas cans under the wing and one 50-ounce header tank in the nose.
To assist the Walbro carburetor pump, they devised a muffler pressure system similar to those used on glow-fuel engines. With 1/4-scale servos, battery consumption required three 2700 mAh batteries. The aircraft became extremely heavy—about 44 pounds—with a wing loading of approximately 57 ounces per square foot, but it remained flyable.
After several test flights the commemorative attempt failed after two hours because of a fumbled transmitter swap; the aircraft crashed and was destroyed.
Not to be denied, Shawn and Dick purchased another used Robin 99. It was worn and had a Zenoah G-38 engine. After repairs and partial re-covering, this model was roughly 10 pounds lighter than the first. They theorized the G-38 might be adequate. With further calculations and tests they found this aircraft could meet requirements with considerably less fuel, standard servos, and one fewer battery. The header tank was eliminated, the muffler pressure system retained, and a three-hour test flight confirmed their calculations.
Kirby's Kustom Vinyl Graphics produced the Robin's graphics displaying information about the Keys’ feats and the commemorative flight.
The commemorative flight — September 10, 2005
- Start time: 8:05 a.m.
- Conditions: warm, humid, variable winds 2–8 mph
- Pilots: Shawn Kappner and Dick Rose, flying 30-minute shifts to provide relief and to refuel themselves
- Flight profile: aircraft was stable from the onset and flew at half throttle or less for the entire flight
- Radio procedure: two transmitters were used and swapped when battery voltage dropped below 9.6 V. A third battery was rotated into use so both transmitters always had good charge while the third was being recharged. Each swap was executed on a rehearsed "one-two-three" command, with the weaker transmitter shut off and the stronger turned on. Unlike the first attempt, these exchanges were seamless.
The flight ended at 6:58 p.m. Shawn guided the aircraft to a smooth landing. Both pilots posed on the runway for photos, and a witness sheet was maintained and signed by several people to certify the flight times.
Flight technical specifications
- Aircraft: World Models Maloney-designed Robin 99
- Engine: Zenoah G-38
- Propeller: Pro Zinger 22 x 6
- Dry weight: 20 pounds
- Fuel load: 18.25 pounds
- Fuel mix: Shell 87 octane (no ethanol) with Amsoil 100:1 mix
- Takeoff weight: 38.25 pounds
- Wing area: 1,780 square inches
- Wing loading: 49.5 ounces per square foot at takeoff
- Fuel used: 15.75 pounds
- Average fuel burn: 0.386 ounce per minute
- Radio system: Two Hitec Eclipse transmitters and a Hitec receiver
- Servos: Five JR 537
- Receiver battery: Two NiMH 2700 mAh directly to receiver (no switches)
- Electric consumption: 2,093 mAh, or 3.21 mA per minute
- Transmitter battery: Three Ni-Cd 1100 mAh rotated during swaps
Congratulations to Shawn and Dick — that was a lot of RC flying for a day. Let’s see who comes up with RC aerial refueling next!
Make your New Year's resolution to get involved with modeling. Get enthused; it's a great hobby/sport.
Stay warm! I'll be back next month. MA
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
