102 MODEL AVIATION
A “Kleen” 25% Sukhoi from Montana
[[email protected]]
Radio Control Giants Sal Calvagna
Also included in this column:
• VoltMagic onboard
receiver-battery monitor
• A Hellcat with unusual kill
markings
• Antoinette VII from 3 Sea
Bees
Lynn Kleen of Victor, Montana, designed
and built this 25% Sukhoi Su-31.
A close-up of the Sukhoi’s handmade
aluminum cowling. Notice the flush rivets.
Lou Zackman Sr. with his 95-inch-span, Quadra 100-powered Ziroli Hellcat.
A close look at the unique 3-D aerobatic
kill marking Lou earned at the 2005 Joe
Nall Giant Scale Fly-In.
IN TODAY’S WORLD it is hard enough
to find the time to slap together a Giant
Scale ARF, let alone build one from a kit.
Some modelers have the perseverance to
cut their own parts and build from plans.
There are few who can build an RC Giant
from scratch; that is, design their own
plans and complete a model by making
their own molds for the engine cowling,
canopy, etc.
I know only one person who can do all
that and then hammer out and fabricate a
cowling from aluminum with flush rivets
and make his own propeller! Lynn Kleen
of Victor, Montana, built his 25% Sukhoi
Su-31 from documentation he gathered,
and he spent a week drawing side and top
views. Following are excerpts from what
he submitted to me.
“The main fuselage frame (sides and
formers) is 3/32 mahogany plywood (African
aircraft grade). A Sukhoi goes from round at
the nose to flat sides aft. Using the fuselage
formers as templates, foam is cut in place for
this transition then sheeted with 1/16 balsa. The
turtledeck is also balsa-covered foam. At the
aft of the cowl is a canted (42°) fuselage
former ‘bulkhead’ where the cowl attaches.
“The wings are my ‘always improving’
symmetrical airfoil from foam with 3/32 balsa
“I did fully faired hinge lines on the
ailerons, elevators, and rudder lines with
the big Robart hinge points because I like
their efficiency (and besides, beveled
hinges look goofy). The appearance alone
is worth the work.
“Propeller? Yes, I make my own. This
one is hickory, 181/4 inches, about 5.5
pitch. The great thing about making your
own (besides cost and shipping) is you get
what you want, made out of what you want.
The VoltMagic onboard receiver-battery monitor.
David Elias’s Antoinette VII climbs out at the Old Rhinebeck
Aerodrome.
Small changes make big differences that
cannot be bought.
“Now, the cowl. This, so far, is what is
first noticed on this airplane. The forward
radial nose bowl was formed with a
pneumatic air hammer, then rolled on an
English wheel to planish (smooth out). The
halves were shaped to fit a full-size plug.
Then the nose ring LE was hand-formed
with a nylon hammer over the plug itself.
The halves, top and bottom, were then
trimmed carefully along with the nose ring
until they all three mated.
“The bottom one-third of the aft cowl
section has the scale-shaped air scoop
attached, plus the lower three louvers each
side. The top two-thirds (two pieces) have
the two 10 and eight louver vents on them.
“Everything is riveted with flush rivets
into one sturdy, solid piece weighing only
17 ounces. Not bad for the forward onequarter
of the fuselage’s form. It’s solid and
polishes up to a mirror shine! Next will be a
polished aluminum spinner, but I think I
might get lazy and get a Tru-Turn.”
Fantastic job, Lynn! And I call myself a
modeler? I am not worthy! When Lynn is
not building models, he and his wife Deb
are performing in air shows as the “Blue
Sky Parabatics,” putting on aerobatic shows
with parachutes.
VoltMagic is a radio-control systemthat displays battery voltage, records
radio glitches on FM and PCM (Pulse Code
Modulation) systems, and records peak low
voltage (PLV) when your model is in flight
and under actual load conditions. It is ideal
for high-drain, high-load digital-servo
applications.
VoltMagic lets you configure the voltage
monitor for your particular battery. During
normal operation the LEDs indicate current
battery voltage and record any abnormally
low voltages and/or radio glitches that occur.
Weighing just less than an ounce,
VoltMagic can be used on any model. This
unit was designed to work on four- or fivecell
Ni-Cds, NiMH receiver packs, and twocell
Lithium receiver packs.
There is no such thing as a gas gauge on
receiver battery packs. Modern digital
servos can drain as much as 30% more
current than older types. Having the
appropriate-size receiver battery pack for
larger models is critical. Using the proper
equipment to test your receiver battery is
crucial.
Although I have not had the opportunity
to try VoltMagic, the information this unit
can be programmed to provide is quite
valuable to me and the continued success of
my RC Giants. When winter breaks and the
weather warms up, you can bet that I will
give VoltMagic a try.
VoltMagic instructions, frequently asked
questions, and other important information
can be found at www.voltmagic.com. The
street price is $39.95, and you can purchase
the unit through Hangtimes Hobbies at
(631) 610-5169 or www.hangtimes.com.
Hellcat 1, 3-D 0: Lou Zackman of Ridge,
New York, is shown with his ever-reliable
Hellcat he built from Ziroli plans. The model
spans 95 inches, has a fuselage length of 75
inches, and has 1,700 square inches of wing
area. Lou used Robart retracts for the
landing gear and has a Quadra 100 gas
engine up front to pull the Hellcat around the
sky.
I met with Lou at a local Giant Scale
event, where he told me the following story
about the day he almost lost his Hellcat in a
midair collision.
He and his son attended the 2005 Joe
Nall Giant Scale Fly-In. With 500 models
and more than 1,000 RC enthusiasts present,
this is one of the largest modeling events
held anywhere. Every type of aircraft can be
found, whether it’s military, Golden Age,
aerobatic, or jet. The only thing required to
attend are AMA and International Miniature
Aircraft Association memberships.
Lou was flying a standard racetrack
pattern with his Hellcat when the accident
happened. As he made a low pass, a 3-D
aerobatic model was performing a Torque
Roll or some other nose-high maneuver
across the field. Lou didn’t see the other
airplane until it was too late, and the
Hellcat’s propeller came in contact with the
aerobatic model’s tail feathers.
Lou flew through the midair and came
around for a safe landing. The other model
lost its rudder and elevator, and it came
down the hard way. There were no hard
feelings; accidents do happen. Lou thought it
would make for interesting conversation to
include another kill marking on his Hellcat.
For more information about the Joe Nall
event or if you plan to attend the 2006
edition, visit www.joenall.com.
If you see an odd-looking kill marking on
a Ziroli Hellcat at some future event, make
sure you stop and say hello to Lou. He’s a
nice guy!
Antoinette: Dave Elias came all the way
from Tequesta, Florida, to fly his 3 Sea Bees
prototype Antoinette VII at the Rhinebeck
Jamboree. This event is held at the Old
Rhinebeck Aerodrome in Rhinebeck, New
York.
The model’s wingspan and fuselage are
92 inches. At approximately 11 pounds, 9
ounces of wing loading, the Antoinette can
be pulled around by a .60-.90 two-stroke or a
90-120 four-stroke glow engine. Dave
installed an electric power system.
The accompanying photo shows the
Antoinette gently climbing out after a
beautiful takeoff. However, a broken
propeller adapter/extension brought the
model down immediately after this
photograph was taken for an uneventful
landing. It has a scale flight envelope for
an early-1900s aircraft!
The full-scale Antoinette was designed
by Leon Levavasseur—an engineer who
also designed the engine. The short-lived
Antoinette company and Antoinette
aircraft were named after the daughter of
the manufacturer’s director: Jules
Gastambide.
The first version—the Antoinette IV—
was designed in 1908 and featured a slim
fuselage, trapezoidal wings, and a
cruciform tail. It was the first practical
monoplane with ailerons. However, they
performed poorly and the later versions
reverted to wing warping.
Later versions of the Antoinette held
notable world records for monoplanes,
including staying aloft for more than an
hour and achieving an altitude of just
higher than 500 feet. Both records were set
by Hubert Latham, who made a couple
attempts to fly the English Channel but
failed. Louis Blériot made his recordsetting
historical crossing nine days after
Latham’s last attempt.
The Antoinette company’s last effort
was a three-place monoplane that was built
in hopes of selling it to the French
military. However, it was so heavy that its
60-horsepower engine could not get it off
the ground. Four months later, in 1912, the
company was dissolved. If the Antoinette
interests you, visit the 3 Sea Bees Web site
at www.3seabees.com/.
That’s all I have room for this month.
Make sure you read next month’s column
for more interesting RC Giant anecdotes.
I’d like all of you to send in some photos
and show the rest of us what you have
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/03
Page Numbers: 102,103,104
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/03
Page Numbers: 102,103,104
102 MODEL AVIATION
A “Kleen” 25% Sukhoi from Montana
[[email protected]]
Radio Control Giants Sal Calvagna
Also included in this column:
• VoltMagic onboard
receiver-battery monitor
• A Hellcat with unusual kill
markings
• Antoinette VII from 3 Sea
Bees
Lynn Kleen of Victor, Montana, designed
and built this 25% Sukhoi Su-31.
A close-up of the Sukhoi’s handmade
aluminum cowling. Notice the flush rivets.
Lou Zackman Sr. with his 95-inch-span, Quadra 100-powered Ziroli Hellcat.
A close look at the unique 3-D aerobatic
kill marking Lou earned at the 2005 Joe
Nall Giant Scale Fly-In.
IN TODAY’S WORLD it is hard enough
to find the time to slap together a Giant
Scale ARF, let alone build one from a kit.
Some modelers have the perseverance to
cut their own parts and build from plans.
There are few who can build an RC Giant
from scratch; that is, design their own
plans and complete a model by making
their own molds for the engine cowling,
canopy, etc.
I know only one person who can do all
that and then hammer out and fabricate a
cowling from aluminum with flush rivets
and make his own propeller! Lynn Kleen
of Victor, Montana, built his 25% Sukhoi
Su-31 from documentation he gathered,
and he spent a week drawing side and top
views. Following are excerpts from what
he submitted to me.
“The main fuselage frame (sides and
formers) is 3/32 mahogany plywood (African
aircraft grade). A Sukhoi goes from round at
the nose to flat sides aft. Using the fuselage
formers as templates, foam is cut in place for
this transition then sheeted with 1/16 balsa. The
turtledeck is also balsa-covered foam. At the
aft of the cowl is a canted (42°) fuselage
former ‘bulkhead’ where the cowl attaches.
“The wings are my ‘always improving’
symmetrical airfoil from foam with 3/32 balsa
“I did fully faired hinge lines on the
ailerons, elevators, and rudder lines with
the big Robart hinge points because I like
their efficiency (and besides, beveled
hinges look goofy). The appearance alone
is worth the work.
“Propeller? Yes, I make my own. This
one is hickory, 181/4 inches, about 5.5
pitch. The great thing about making your
own (besides cost and shipping) is you get
what you want, made out of what you want.
The VoltMagic onboard receiver-battery monitor.
David Elias’s Antoinette VII climbs out at the Old Rhinebeck
Aerodrome.
Small changes make big differences that
cannot be bought.
“Now, the cowl. This, so far, is what is
first noticed on this airplane. The forward
radial nose bowl was formed with a
pneumatic air hammer, then rolled on an
English wheel to planish (smooth out). The
halves were shaped to fit a full-size plug.
Then the nose ring LE was hand-formed
with a nylon hammer over the plug itself.
The halves, top and bottom, were then
trimmed carefully along with the nose ring
until they all three mated.
“The bottom one-third of the aft cowl
section has the scale-shaped air scoop
attached, plus the lower three louvers each
side. The top two-thirds (two pieces) have
the two 10 and eight louver vents on them.
“Everything is riveted with flush rivets
into one sturdy, solid piece weighing only
17 ounces. Not bad for the forward onequarter
of the fuselage’s form. It’s solid and
polishes up to a mirror shine! Next will be a
polished aluminum spinner, but I think I
might get lazy and get a Tru-Turn.”
Fantastic job, Lynn! And I call myself a
modeler? I am not worthy! When Lynn is
not building models, he and his wife Deb
are performing in air shows as the “Blue
Sky Parabatics,” putting on aerobatic shows
with parachutes.
VoltMagic is a radio-control systemthat displays battery voltage, records
radio glitches on FM and PCM (Pulse Code
Modulation) systems, and records peak low
voltage (PLV) when your model is in flight
and under actual load conditions. It is ideal
for high-drain, high-load digital-servo
applications.
VoltMagic lets you configure the voltage
monitor for your particular battery. During
normal operation the LEDs indicate current
battery voltage and record any abnormally
low voltages and/or radio glitches that occur.
Weighing just less than an ounce,
VoltMagic can be used on any model. This
unit was designed to work on four- or fivecell
Ni-Cds, NiMH receiver packs, and twocell
Lithium receiver packs.
There is no such thing as a gas gauge on
receiver battery packs. Modern digital
servos can drain as much as 30% more
current than older types. Having the
appropriate-size receiver battery pack for
larger models is critical. Using the proper
equipment to test your receiver battery is
crucial.
Although I have not had the opportunity
to try VoltMagic, the information this unit
can be programmed to provide is quite
valuable to me and the continued success of
my RC Giants. When winter breaks and the
weather warms up, you can bet that I will
give VoltMagic a try.
VoltMagic instructions, frequently asked
questions, and other important information
can be found at www.voltmagic.com. The
street price is $39.95, and you can purchase
the unit through Hangtimes Hobbies at
(631) 610-5169 or www.hangtimes.com.
Hellcat 1, 3-D 0: Lou Zackman of Ridge,
New York, is shown with his ever-reliable
Hellcat he built from Ziroli plans. The model
spans 95 inches, has a fuselage length of 75
inches, and has 1,700 square inches of wing
area. Lou used Robart retracts for the
landing gear and has a Quadra 100 gas
engine up front to pull the Hellcat around the
sky.
I met with Lou at a local Giant Scale
event, where he told me the following story
about the day he almost lost his Hellcat in a
midair collision.
He and his son attended the 2005 Joe
Nall Giant Scale Fly-In. With 500 models
and more than 1,000 RC enthusiasts present,
this is one of the largest modeling events
held anywhere. Every type of aircraft can be
found, whether it’s military, Golden Age,
aerobatic, or jet. The only thing required to
attend are AMA and International Miniature
Aircraft Association memberships.
Lou was flying a standard racetrack
pattern with his Hellcat when the accident
happened. As he made a low pass, a 3-D
aerobatic model was performing a Torque
Roll or some other nose-high maneuver
across the field. Lou didn’t see the other
airplane until it was too late, and the
Hellcat’s propeller came in contact with the
aerobatic model’s tail feathers.
Lou flew through the midair and came
around for a safe landing. The other model
lost its rudder and elevator, and it came
down the hard way. There were no hard
feelings; accidents do happen. Lou thought it
would make for interesting conversation to
include another kill marking on his Hellcat.
For more information about the Joe Nall
event or if you plan to attend the 2006
edition, visit www.joenall.com.
If you see an odd-looking kill marking on
a Ziroli Hellcat at some future event, make
sure you stop and say hello to Lou. He’s a
nice guy!
Antoinette: Dave Elias came all the way
from Tequesta, Florida, to fly his 3 Sea Bees
prototype Antoinette VII at the Rhinebeck
Jamboree. This event is held at the Old
Rhinebeck Aerodrome in Rhinebeck, New
York.
The model’s wingspan and fuselage are
92 inches. At approximately 11 pounds, 9
ounces of wing loading, the Antoinette can
be pulled around by a .60-.90 two-stroke or a
90-120 four-stroke glow engine. Dave
installed an electric power system.
The accompanying photo shows the
Antoinette gently climbing out after a
beautiful takeoff. However, a broken
propeller adapter/extension brought the
model down immediately after this
photograph was taken for an uneventful
landing. It has a scale flight envelope for
an early-1900s aircraft!
The full-scale Antoinette was designed
by Leon Levavasseur—an engineer who
also designed the engine. The short-lived
Antoinette company and Antoinette
aircraft were named after the daughter of
the manufacturer’s director: Jules
Gastambide.
The first version—the Antoinette IV—
was designed in 1908 and featured a slim
fuselage, trapezoidal wings, and a
cruciform tail. It was the first practical
monoplane with ailerons. However, they
performed poorly and the later versions
reverted to wing warping.
Later versions of the Antoinette held
notable world records for monoplanes,
including staying aloft for more than an
hour and achieving an altitude of just
higher than 500 feet. Both records were set
by Hubert Latham, who made a couple
attempts to fly the English Channel but
failed. Louis Blériot made his recordsetting
historical crossing nine days after
Latham’s last attempt.
The Antoinette company’s last effort
was a three-place monoplane that was built
in hopes of selling it to the French
military. However, it was so heavy that its
60-horsepower engine could not get it off
the ground. Four months later, in 1912, the
company was dissolved. If the Antoinette
interests you, visit the 3 Sea Bees Web site
at www.3seabees.com/.
That’s all I have room for this month.
Make sure you read next month’s column
for more interesting RC Giant anecdotes.
I’d like all of you to send in some photos
and show the rest of us what you have
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/03
Page Numbers: 102,103,104
102 MODEL AVIATION
A “Kleen” 25% Sukhoi from Montana
[[email protected]]
Radio Control Giants Sal Calvagna
Also included in this column:
• VoltMagic onboard
receiver-battery monitor
• A Hellcat with unusual kill
markings
• Antoinette VII from 3 Sea
Bees
Lynn Kleen of Victor, Montana, designed
and built this 25% Sukhoi Su-31.
A close-up of the Sukhoi’s handmade
aluminum cowling. Notice the flush rivets.
Lou Zackman Sr. with his 95-inch-span, Quadra 100-powered Ziroli Hellcat.
A close look at the unique 3-D aerobatic
kill marking Lou earned at the 2005 Joe
Nall Giant Scale Fly-In.
IN TODAY’S WORLD it is hard enough
to find the time to slap together a Giant
Scale ARF, let alone build one from a kit.
Some modelers have the perseverance to
cut their own parts and build from plans.
There are few who can build an RC Giant
from scratch; that is, design their own
plans and complete a model by making
their own molds for the engine cowling,
canopy, etc.
I know only one person who can do all
that and then hammer out and fabricate a
cowling from aluminum with flush rivets
and make his own propeller! Lynn Kleen
of Victor, Montana, built his 25% Sukhoi
Su-31 from documentation he gathered,
and he spent a week drawing side and top
views. Following are excerpts from what
he submitted to me.
“The main fuselage frame (sides and
formers) is 3/32 mahogany plywood (African
aircraft grade). A Sukhoi goes from round at
the nose to flat sides aft. Using the fuselage
formers as templates, foam is cut in place for
this transition then sheeted with 1/16 balsa. The
turtledeck is also balsa-covered foam. At the
aft of the cowl is a canted (42°) fuselage
former ‘bulkhead’ where the cowl attaches.
“The wings are my ‘always improving’
symmetrical airfoil from foam with 3/32 balsa
“I did fully faired hinge lines on the
ailerons, elevators, and rudder lines with
the big Robart hinge points because I like
their efficiency (and besides, beveled
hinges look goofy). The appearance alone
is worth the work.
“Propeller? Yes, I make my own. This
one is hickory, 181/4 inches, about 5.5
pitch. The great thing about making your
own (besides cost and shipping) is you get
what you want, made out of what you want.
The VoltMagic onboard receiver-battery monitor.
David Elias’s Antoinette VII climbs out at the Old Rhinebeck
Aerodrome.
Small changes make big differences that
cannot be bought.
“Now, the cowl. This, so far, is what is
first noticed on this airplane. The forward
radial nose bowl was formed with a
pneumatic air hammer, then rolled on an
English wheel to planish (smooth out). The
halves were shaped to fit a full-size plug.
Then the nose ring LE was hand-formed
with a nylon hammer over the plug itself.
The halves, top and bottom, were then
trimmed carefully along with the nose ring
until they all three mated.
“The bottom one-third of the aft cowl
section has the scale-shaped air scoop
attached, plus the lower three louvers each
side. The top two-thirds (two pieces) have
the two 10 and eight louver vents on them.
“Everything is riveted with flush rivets
into one sturdy, solid piece weighing only
17 ounces. Not bad for the forward onequarter
of the fuselage’s form. It’s solid and
polishes up to a mirror shine! Next will be a
polished aluminum spinner, but I think I
might get lazy and get a Tru-Turn.”
Fantastic job, Lynn! And I call myself a
modeler? I am not worthy! When Lynn is
not building models, he and his wife Deb
are performing in air shows as the “Blue
Sky Parabatics,” putting on aerobatic shows
with parachutes.
VoltMagic is a radio-control systemthat displays battery voltage, records
radio glitches on FM and PCM (Pulse Code
Modulation) systems, and records peak low
voltage (PLV) when your model is in flight
and under actual load conditions. It is ideal
for high-drain, high-load digital-servo
applications.
VoltMagic lets you configure the voltage
monitor for your particular battery. During
normal operation the LEDs indicate current
battery voltage and record any abnormally
low voltages and/or radio glitches that occur.
Weighing just less than an ounce,
VoltMagic can be used on any model. This
unit was designed to work on four- or fivecell
Ni-Cds, NiMH receiver packs, and twocell
Lithium receiver packs.
There is no such thing as a gas gauge on
receiver battery packs. Modern digital
servos can drain as much as 30% more
current than older types. Having the
appropriate-size receiver battery pack for
larger models is critical. Using the proper
equipment to test your receiver battery is
crucial.
Although I have not had the opportunity
to try VoltMagic, the information this unit
can be programmed to provide is quite
valuable to me and the continued success of
my RC Giants. When winter breaks and the
weather warms up, you can bet that I will
give VoltMagic a try.
VoltMagic instructions, frequently asked
questions, and other important information
can be found at www.voltmagic.com. The
street price is $39.95, and you can purchase
the unit through Hangtimes Hobbies at
(631) 610-5169 or www.hangtimes.com.
Hellcat 1, 3-D 0: Lou Zackman of Ridge,
New York, is shown with his ever-reliable
Hellcat he built from Ziroli plans. The model
spans 95 inches, has a fuselage length of 75
inches, and has 1,700 square inches of wing
area. Lou used Robart retracts for the
landing gear and has a Quadra 100 gas
engine up front to pull the Hellcat around the
sky.
I met with Lou at a local Giant Scale
event, where he told me the following story
about the day he almost lost his Hellcat in a
midair collision.
He and his son attended the 2005 Joe
Nall Giant Scale Fly-In. With 500 models
and more than 1,000 RC enthusiasts present,
this is one of the largest modeling events
held anywhere. Every type of aircraft can be
found, whether it’s military, Golden Age,
aerobatic, or jet. The only thing required to
attend are AMA and International Miniature
Aircraft Association memberships.
Lou was flying a standard racetrack
pattern with his Hellcat when the accident
happened. As he made a low pass, a 3-D
aerobatic model was performing a Torque
Roll or some other nose-high maneuver
across the field. Lou didn’t see the other
airplane until it was too late, and the
Hellcat’s propeller came in contact with the
aerobatic model’s tail feathers.
Lou flew through the midair and came
around for a safe landing. The other model
lost its rudder and elevator, and it came
down the hard way. There were no hard
feelings; accidents do happen. Lou thought it
would make for interesting conversation to
include another kill marking on his Hellcat.
For more information about the Joe Nall
event or if you plan to attend the 2006
edition, visit www.joenall.com.
If you see an odd-looking kill marking on
a Ziroli Hellcat at some future event, make
sure you stop and say hello to Lou. He’s a
nice guy!
Antoinette: Dave Elias came all the way
from Tequesta, Florida, to fly his 3 Sea Bees
prototype Antoinette VII at the Rhinebeck
Jamboree. This event is held at the Old
Rhinebeck Aerodrome in Rhinebeck, New
York.
The model’s wingspan and fuselage are
92 inches. At approximately 11 pounds, 9
ounces of wing loading, the Antoinette can
be pulled around by a .60-.90 two-stroke or a
90-120 four-stroke glow engine. Dave
installed an electric power system.
The accompanying photo shows the
Antoinette gently climbing out after a
beautiful takeoff. However, a broken
propeller adapter/extension brought the
model down immediately after this
photograph was taken for an uneventful
landing. It has a scale flight envelope for
an early-1900s aircraft!
The full-scale Antoinette was designed
by Leon Levavasseur—an engineer who
also designed the engine. The short-lived
Antoinette company and Antoinette
aircraft were named after the daughter of
the manufacturer’s director: Jules
Gastambide.
The first version—the Antoinette IV—
was designed in 1908 and featured a slim
fuselage, trapezoidal wings, and a
cruciform tail. It was the first practical
monoplane with ailerons. However, they
performed poorly and the later versions
reverted to wing warping.
Later versions of the Antoinette held
notable world records for monoplanes,
including staying aloft for more than an
hour and achieving an altitude of just
higher than 500 feet. Both records were set
by Hubert Latham, who made a couple
attempts to fly the English Channel but
failed. Louis Blériot made his recordsetting
historical crossing nine days after
Latham’s last attempt.
The Antoinette company’s last effort
was a three-place monoplane that was built
in hopes of selling it to the French
military. However, it was so heavy that its
60-horsepower engine could not get it off
the ground. Four months later, in 1912, the
company was dissolved. If the Antoinette
interests you, visit the 3 Sea Bees Web site
at www.3seabees.com/.
That’s all I have room for this month.
Make sure you read next month’s column
for more interesting RC Giant anecdotes.
I’d like all of you to send in some photos
and show the rest of us what you have