120 MODEL AVIATION
The author’s Balsa USA 1/4-scale D.VII is finally complete!
[ncalvagn@suffolk.lib.ny.us]
Radio Control Giants Sal Calvagna
Also included in this column:
• Gene Barton Machining:
products for Giant Scale model
aircraft
• Carl Bachhuber’s 180-inchspan
C-121A Constellation
• Ray Williams’ scratch-built 1/3-
scale Morane-Saulnier and 1/3-
scale Le Rhône rotary engine
The author finished his 1/4-scale D.VII in “Rittmeister” (Circus
Master) Hermann Goering’s all-white color scheme.
The author’s newly completed 88-inch-wingspan Balsa USA D.VII
is powered by a Zenoah G-38 gas engine.
Gene Barton Machining manufactures many products, including
an aluminum spinner for a Giant Scale Zero.
Carl Bachhuber’s 180-inch-span C-121A Constellation has an 11-
foot fuselage and is finished in military colors.
FAIT ACCOMPLI! My Fokker D.VII is
shown finished in the Rittmeister (Circus
Master) Hermann Goering’s all-white F
model. I have been writing about the D.VII
build in several previous columns.
It must be a popular model because I
have received many E-mails from readers
concerning the aircraft. More than a few
have sent photos and information about
their own D.VII projects, and I’m happy to
have included these in this column.
I know that ARFs are extremely popular
these days, but I am encouraged by the
amount of feedback that I received from this
one kit by those who are currently
“building” one. My D.VII was built from a
Balsa USA 1/4-scale kit. The company has
1/4- and 1/3-scale kits of this famous World
War I fighter.
I have documented portions of the build
in the past several columns, but please don’t
confuse this with an official kit review. In a
kit review the author is required to construct
the model per plans and instructions without
deviations. In this manner he or she can
report on any problems encountered in the
building process or test flights.
The reviewer can make observances or
highlight those areas that he or she liked or
disliked, as in “hits” or “misses.” The
reviewer assists the manufacturer to ensure
that the product performs as advertised and
that everyone can have a successful outcome.
My observations/writings concerning the
Balsa USA 1/4-scale D.VII are not for review
purposes. I wanted to share portions of the
build and highlight some changes that I made
to the kit. Our hobby offers a great
opportunity for individual achievement, and
we all put a little bit of ourselves into each
project. I certainly did with the D.VII!
I installed my own-design shockabsorbing
landing-gear system, which offers
roughly 1 inch of shock-absorbing axle travel.
It uses a combination of bungee and hardened
gear wire for shock absorbing. The gear does
not require any soldering—only some epoxy.
I made a shock-absorbing tail-skid assembly
using hardwood for the skid, brass plate for a
hinge, and a spring for tension.
I replaced the balsa longerons with 1/4 x 1/4
spruce and installed additional crossbracing
using bamboo skewers. I intend to mix it up
11sig4.QXD 9/26/06 9:06 AM Page 120Ray Williams scratch-built this 1/3-scale Morane-Saulnier Type L
French World War I parasol-wing fighter.
Ray Williams machined a 1/3-scale Le Rhône rotary gas engine for
his Morane-Saulnier fighter.
in mock dogfighting and I wanted a good,
strong fuselage.
Any changes made to the rear of the
model will have an adverse effect on
balance, so I installed a Zenoah G-38 engine
instead of the recommended G-26 for
power.
Since my model had a slightly bland
color scheme, I spruced up the dummy
engine with detail. Since most World War
I or early aircraft generally use only four
channels (rudder, elevator, aileron, and
throttle), I added a Bennett smoke system
and bomb drop to enhance the fun factor in
the air.
I had fun building the Balsa USA D.VII,
and now I’m going to fly it every chance I
get! I wonder what my next project will be.
Gene Barton Machining: If you’re looking
for quality machined landing gear, spinners,
or accessories, check out Gene Barton’s
Web site and give him a call.
When it came time to purchase a spinner
for my Ziroli Zero, I found it difficult to find
a company that offered the correct shape of
aluminum spinner. Many companies offer
aluminum spinners, but I found only two
that had what I wanted. Gene Barton
Machining was one.
Gene has products ranging from folding
wing mechanisms to flightline totes, and he
offers his services for custom machining at a
reasonable rate. You can visit his Web site
at www.genebarton.com or call him at (573)
964-6718. I found Gene helpful and
customer friendly.
Bachhuber Constellation: Carl Bachhuber
of Mayville, Wisconsin, has done it again.
His newest Giant is the C-121A Lockheed
Constellation finished in military colors.
Carl brought this model and his DC-6 to
Warbirds Over Delaware 2006 and the crowd loved them.Carl started the Constellation in July
2005 and finished it the following January.
The model spans 180 inches and is
powered by four Fuji BT-32 gas engines.
The fuselage is more than 11 feet long,
which presented a problem because his
trailer could not accommodate it. He
decided to split the fuselage to get it in.
The C-121A is stable in flight and
slightly faster than his DC-6. Carl
experienced some teething problems with
vibration and on one flight lost an engine
complete with the nacelle. The problem
was solved by installing new propellers
from a different manufacturer; however,
anyone who knows a little about the fullscale
Constellation’s history will find
Carl’s loss of an engine during flight
appropriate for scale realism.
The Lockheed Constellation, Queen of
the Sky, had a long and colorful history.
The military versions—C-69 and C-
121A—first flew during World War II. The
last version was used during the Vietnam
conflict. The Constellation had a fully
pressurized cabin, was less noisy because
of sound-deadening material and because
its engines were installed well outboard on
its massive 123-foot wing, and sported
creature comforts such as reclining seats.
The aircraft was easy to distinguish,
with its triple-tail design and graceful
dolphin-shaped fuselage. It was the first
airliner to fly nonstop from coast to coast;
however, all was not well with the design
of the aircraft largely because of the Wright
R-3350 Cyclone engines that powered it.
There were numerous incidents
involving the R-3350 engines. At one point
the Constellation was dubbed “the world’s
best trimotor.” In fact, a Constellation
actually did fly as a trimotor.
On June 18, 1946, PanAm’s NC88858
had an engine fire while climbing out over
122 MODEL AVIATION
the Atlantic Ocean on its way to London.
The fire in the number-four engine became
uncontrollable and eventually burned
through the engine mount, causing the
entire engine assembly to drop into the
Atlantic. The airplane managed to return
for an emergency landing without injuries
or further damage.
The mechanics determined that the
aircraft would require factory repair, which
meant transporting it all the way to
California. They removed the jagged
pieces of metal from the hole left by engine
number four and faired it over with sheet
metal. The Constellation was then flown
more than 2,000 miles back to the
Lockheed factory with only three engines!
In 1967 a military RC-121
Constellation was the first Airborne
Warning and Control aircraft that was
credited with vectoring an Air Force
fighter to intercept and shoot down a MiG
above Vietnam. In all, 856 Constellations
were built between 1943 and 1958. In the
end, it was the jet engine and the new jet
passenger liners that sealed its fate.
For more photos of this model and
many others that Carl has completed, visit
his Web site at www.carlb-rcplanes.com.
Ray Williams’ Morane: Ray Williams
scratch-built the Morane-Saulnier Type L
French World War I parasol-wing fighter
shown. The model is 1/3 scale and was built
around Ray’s handmade 1/3-scale Le Rhône
nine-cylinder rotary engine that he
machined.
The engine and aircraft are absolutely
incredible! Ray enjoys building vintage
models and he especially likes to put his
talent to use by machining scale vintage
engines to power some of his models. You
can see some of Ray’s work at www.model
rotaryflyer.tripod.com.
During World War I, rotary engines
such as the Le Rhône were the lightest
available for a given horsepower. The Le
Rhône had nine cylinders rotating around a
fixed, two-piece crankshaft. Its popular
design used nickel and special alloy steel
cylinders around pressed-in, cast-iron
liners. The copper inlet manifolds and
intake/exhaust valves were driven by a
single, pivoted rocker arm.
Since the engine lacked a carburetor
and had no throttle, it was normally
operated wide open. To reduce rpm for
landing, the ignition (Magneto) was
intermittently cut via a “blip switch” on the
control column.
The Le Rhône 80-horsepower engines
were also built under license in the United
States. The German Oberursel engine,
which was a direct copy of the Le Rhône,
powered many of the German aircraft;
however, the Oberursel engines were not as
reliable as the Le Rhônes. Some attribute
this to better materials in the LeRhône;
others believe it was the poor lubricant that
caused Oberursel failures.
I’ll be back next month! MA
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/11
Page Numbers: 120,121,122
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/11
Page Numbers: 120,121,122
120 MODEL AVIATION
The author’s Balsa USA 1/4-scale D.VII is finally complete!
[ncalvagn@suffolk.lib.ny.us]
Radio Control Giants Sal Calvagna
Also included in this column:
• Gene Barton Machining:
products for Giant Scale model
aircraft
• Carl Bachhuber’s 180-inchspan
C-121A Constellation
• Ray Williams’ scratch-built 1/3-
scale Morane-Saulnier and 1/3-
scale Le Rhône rotary engine
The author finished his 1/4-scale D.VII in “Rittmeister” (Circus
Master) Hermann Goering’s all-white color scheme.
The author’s newly completed 88-inch-wingspan Balsa USA D.VII
is powered by a Zenoah G-38 gas engine.
Gene Barton Machining manufactures many products, including
an aluminum spinner for a Giant Scale Zero.
Carl Bachhuber’s 180-inch-span C-121A Constellation has an 11-
foot fuselage and is finished in military colors.
FAIT ACCOMPLI! My Fokker D.VII is
shown finished in the Rittmeister (Circus
Master) Hermann Goering’s all-white F
model. I have been writing about the D.VII
build in several previous columns.
It must be a popular model because I
have received many E-mails from readers
concerning the aircraft. More than a few
have sent photos and information about
their own D.VII projects, and I’m happy to
have included these in this column.
I know that ARFs are extremely popular
these days, but I am encouraged by the
amount of feedback that I received from this
one kit by those who are currently
“building” one. My D.VII was built from a
Balsa USA 1/4-scale kit. The company has
1/4- and 1/3-scale kits of this famous World
War I fighter.
I have documented portions of the build
in the past several columns, but please don’t
confuse this with an official kit review. In a
kit review the author is required to construct
the model per plans and instructions without
deviations. In this manner he or she can
report on any problems encountered in the
building process or test flights.
The reviewer can make observances or
highlight those areas that he or she liked or
disliked, as in “hits” or “misses.” The
reviewer assists the manufacturer to ensure
that the product performs as advertised and
that everyone can have a successful outcome.
My observations/writings concerning the
Balsa USA 1/4-scale D.VII are not for review
purposes. I wanted to share portions of the
build and highlight some changes that I made
to the kit. Our hobby offers a great
opportunity for individual achievement, and
we all put a little bit of ourselves into each
project. I certainly did with the D.VII!
I installed my own-design shockabsorbing
landing-gear system, which offers
roughly 1 inch of shock-absorbing axle travel.
It uses a combination of bungee and hardened
gear wire for shock absorbing. The gear does
not require any soldering—only some epoxy.
I made a shock-absorbing tail-skid assembly
using hardwood for the skid, brass plate for a
hinge, and a spring for tension.
I replaced the balsa longerons with 1/4 x 1/4
spruce and installed additional crossbracing
using bamboo skewers. I intend to mix it up
11sig4.QXD 9/26/06 9:06 AM Page 120Ray Williams scratch-built this 1/3-scale Morane-Saulnier Type L
French World War I parasol-wing fighter.
Ray Williams machined a 1/3-scale Le Rhône rotary gas engine for
his Morane-Saulnier fighter.
in mock dogfighting and I wanted a good,
strong fuselage.
Any changes made to the rear of the
model will have an adverse effect on
balance, so I installed a Zenoah G-38 engine
instead of the recommended G-26 for
power.
Since my model had a slightly bland
color scheme, I spruced up the dummy
engine with detail. Since most World War
I or early aircraft generally use only four
channels (rudder, elevator, aileron, and
throttle), I added a Bennett smoke system
and bomb drop to enhance the fun factor in
the air.
I had fun building the Balsa USA D.VII,
and now I’m going to fly it every chance I
get! I wonder what my next project will be.
Gene Barton Machining: If you’re looking
for quality machined landing gear, spinners,
or accessories, check out Gene Barton’s
Web site and give him a call.
When it came time to purchase a spinner
for my Ziroli Zero, I found it difficult to find
a company that offered the correct shape of
aluminum spinner. Many companies offer
aluminum spinners, but I found only two
that had what I wanted. Gene Barton
Machining was one.
Gene has products ranging from folding
wing mechanisms to flightline totes, and he
offers his services for custom machining at a
reasonable rate. You can visit his Web site
at www.genebarton.com or call him at (573)
964-6718. I found Gene helpful and
customer friendly.
Bachhuber Constellation: Carl Bachhuber
of Mayville, Wisconsin, has done it again.
His newest Giant is the C-121A Lockheed
Constellation finished in military colors.
Carl brought this model and his DC-6 to
Warbirds Over Delaware 2006 and the crowd loved them.Carl started the Constellation in July
2005 and finished it the following January.
The model spans 180 inches and is
powered by four Fuji BT-32 gas engines.
The fuselage is more than 11 feet long,
which presented a problem because his
trailer could not accommodate it. He
decided to split the fuselage to get it in.
The C-121A is stable in flight and
slightly faster than his DC-6. Carl
experienced some teething problems with
vibration and on one flight lost an engine
complete with the nacelle. The problem
was solved by installing new propellers
from a different manufacturer; however,
anyone who knows a little about the fullscale
Constellation’s history will find
Carl’s loss of an engine during flight
appropriate for scale realism.
The Lockheed Constellation, Queen of
the Sky, had a long and colorful history.
The military versions—C-69 and C-
121A—first flew during World War II. The
last version was used during the Vietnam
conflict. The Constellation had a fully
pressurized cabin, was less noisy because
of sound-deadening material and because
its engines were installed well outboard on
its massive 123-foot wing, and sported
creature comforts such as reclining seats.
The aircraft was easy to distinguish,
with its triple-tail design and graceful
dolphin-shaped fuselage. It was the first
airliner to fly nonstop from coast to coast;
however, all was not well with the design
of the aircraft largely because of the Wright
R-3350 Cyclone engines that powered it.
There were numerous incidents
involving the R-3350 engines. At one point
the Constellation was dubbed “the world’s
best trimotor.” In fact, a Constellation
actually did fly as a trimotor.
On June 18, 1946, PanAm’s NC88858
had an engine fire while climbing out over
122 MODEL AVIATION
the Atlantic Ocean on its way to London.
The fire in the number-four engine became
uncontrollable and eventually burned
through the engine mount, causing the
entire engine assembly to drop into the
Atlantic. The airplane managed to return
for an emergency landing without injuries
or further damage.
The mechanics determined that the
aircraft would require factory repair, which
meant transporting it all the way to
California. They removed the jagged
pieces of metal from the hole left by engine
number four and faired it over with sheet
metal. The Constellation was then flown
more than 2,000 miles back to the
Lockheed factory with only three engines!
In 1967 a military RC-121
Constellation was the first Airborne
Warning and Control aircraft that was
credited with vectoring an Air Force
fighter to intercept and shoot down a MiG
above Vietnam. In all, 856 Constellations
were built between 1943 and 1958. In the
end, it was the jet engine and the new jet
passenger liners that sealed its fate.
For more photos of this model and
many others that Carl has completed, visit
his Web site at www.carlb-rcplanes.com.
Ray Williams’ Morane: Ray Williams
scratch-built the Morane-Saulnier Type L
French World War I parasol-wing fighter
shown. The model is 1/3 scale and was built
around Ray’s handmade 1/3-scale Le Rhône
nine-cylinder rotary engine that he
machined.
The engine and aircraft are absolutely
incredible! Ray enjoys building vintage
models and he especially likes to put his
talent to use by machining scale vintage
engines to power some of his models. You
can see some of Ray’s work at www.model
rotaryflyer.tripod.com.
During World War I, rotary engines
such as the Le Rhône were the lightest
available for a given horsepower. The Le
Rhône had nine cylinders rotating around a
fixed, two-piece crankshaft. Its popular
design used nickel and special alloy steel
cylinders around pressed-in, cast-iron
liners. The copper inlet manifolds and
intake/exhaust valves were driven by a
single, pivoted rocker arm.
Since the engine lacked a carburetor
and had no throttle, it was normally
operated wide open. To reduce rpm for
landing, the ignition (Magneto) was
intermittently cut via a “blip switch” on the
control column.
The Le Rhône 80-horsepower engines
were also built under license in the United
States. The German Oberursel engine,
which was a direct copy of the Le Rhône,
powered many of the German aircraft;
however, the Oberursel engines were not as
reliable as the Le Rhônes. Some attribute
this to better materials in the LeRhône;
others believe it was the poor lubricant that
caused Oberursel failures.
I’ll be back next month! MA
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/11
Page Numbers: 120,121,122
120 MODEL AVIATION
The author’s Balsa USA 1/4-scale D.VII is finally complete!
[ncalvagn@suffolk.lib.ny.us]
Radio Control Giants Sal Calvagna
Also included in this column:
• Gene Barton Machining:
products for Giant Scale model
aircraft
• Carl Bachhuber’s 180-inchspan
C-121A Constellation
• Ray Williams’ scratch-built 1/3-
scale Morane-Saulnier and 1/3-
scale Le Rhône rotary engine
The author finished his 1/4-scale D.VII in “Rittmeister” (Circus
Master) Hermann Goering’s all-white color scheme.
The author’s newly completed 88-inch-wingspan Balsa USA D.VII
is powered by a Zenoah G-38 gas engine.
Gene Barton Machining manufactures many products, including
an aluminum spinner for a Giant Scale Zero.
Carl Bachhuber’s 180-inch-span C-121A Constellation has an 11-
foot fuselage and is finished in military colors.
FAIT ACCOMPLI! My Fokker D.VII is
shown finished in the Rittmeister (Circus
Master) Hermann Goering’s all-white F
model. I have been writing about the D.VII
build in several previous columns.
It must be a popular model because I
have received many E-mails from readers
concerning the aircraft. More than a few
have sent photos and information about
their own D.VII projects, and I’m happy to
have included these in this column.
I know that ARFs are extremely popular
these days, but I am encouraged by the
amount of feedback that I received from this
one kit by those who are currently
“building” one. My D.VII was built from a
Balsa USA 1/4-scale kit. The company has
1/4- and 1/3-scale kits of this famous World
War I fighter.
I have documented portions of the build
in the past several columns, but please don’t
confuse this with an official kit review. In a
kit review the author is required to construct
the model per plans and instructions without
deviations. In this manner he or she can
report on any problems encountered in the
building process or test flights.
The reviewer can make observances or
highlight those areas that he or she liked or
disliked, as in “hits” or “misses.” The
reviewer assists the manufacturer to ensure
that the product performs as advertised and
that everyone can have a successful outcome.
My observations/writings concerning the
Balsa USA 1/4-scale D.VII are not for review
purposes. I wanted to share portions of the
build and highlight some changes that I made
to the kit. Our hobby offers a great
opportunity for individual achievement, and
we all put a little bit of ourselves into each
project. I certainly did with the D.VII!
I installed my own-design shockabsorbing
landing-gear system, which offers
roughly 1 inch of shock-absorbing axle travel.
It uses a combination of bungee and hardened
gear wire for shock absorbing. The gear does
not require any soldering—only some epoxy.
I made a shock-absorbing tail-skid assembly
using hardwood for the skid, brass plate for a
hinge, and a spring for tension.
I replaced the balsa longerons with 1/4 x 1/4
spruce and installed additional crossbracing
using bamboo skewers. I intend to mix it up
11sig4.QXD 9/26/06 9:06 AM Page 120Ray Williams scratch-built this 1/3-scale Morane-Saulnier Type L
French World War I parasol-wing fighter.
Ray Williams machined a 1/3-scale Le Rhône rotary gas engine for
his Morane-Saulnier fighter.
in mock dogfighting and I wanted a good,
strong fuselage.
Any changes made to the rear of the
model will have an adverse effect on
balance, so I installed a Zenoah G-38 engine
instead of the recommended G-26 for
power.
Since my model had a slightly bland
color scheme, I spruced up the dummy
engine with detail. Since most World War
I or early aircraft generally use only four
channels (rudder, elevator, aileron, and
throttle), I added a Bennett smoke system
and bomb drop to enhance the fun factor in
the air.
I had fun building the Balsa USA D.VII,
and now I’m going to fly it every chance I
get! I wonder what my next project will be.
Gene Barton Machining: If you’re looking
for quality machined landing gear, spinners,
or accessories, check out Gene Barton’s
Web site and give him a call.
When it came time to purchase a spinner
for my Ziroli Zero, I found it difficult to find
a company that offered the correct shape of
aluminum spinner. Many companies offer
aluminum spinners, but I found only two
that had what I wanted. Gene Barton
Machining was one.
Gene has products ranging from folding
wing mechanisms to flightline totes, and he
offers his services for custom machining at a
reasonable rate. You can visit his Web site
at www.genebarton.com or call him at (573)
964-6718. I found Gene helpful and
customer friendly.
Bachhuber Constellation: Carl Bachhuber
of Mayville, Wisconsin, has done it again.
His newest Giant is the C-121A Lockheed
Constellation finished in military colors.
Carl brought this model and his DC-6 to
Warbirds Over Delaware 2006 and the crowd loved them.Carl started the Constellation in July
2005 and finished it the following January.
The model spans 180 inches and is
powered by four Fuji BT-32 gas engines.
The fuselage is more than 11 feet long,
which presented a problem because his
trailer could not accommodate it. He
decided to split the fuselage to get it in.
The C-121A is stable in flight and
slightly faster than his DC-6. Carl
experienced some teething problems with
vibration and on one flight lost an engine
complete with the nacelle. The problem
was solved by installing new propellers
from a different manufacturer; however,
anyone who knows a little about the fullscale
Constellation’s history will find
Carl’s loss of an engine during flight
appropriate for scale realism.
The Lockheed Constellation, Queen of
the Sky, had a long and colorful history.
The military versions—C-69 and C-
121A—first flew during World War II. The
last version was used during the Vietnam
conflict. The Constellation had a fully
pressurized cabin, was less noisy because
of sound-deadening material and because
its engines were installed well outboard on
its massive 123-foot wing, and sported
creature comforts such as reclining seats.
The aircraft was easy to distinguish,
with its triple-tail design and graceful
dolphin-shaped fuselage. It was the first
airliner to fly nonstop from coast to coast;
however, all was not well with the design
of the aircraft largely because of the Wright
R-3350 Cyclone engines that powered it.
There were numerous incidents
involving the R-3350 engines. At one point
the Constellation was dubbed “the world’s
best trimotor.” In fact, a Constellation
actually did fly as a trimotor.
On June 18, 1946, PanAm’s NC88858
had an engine fire while climbing out over
122 MODEL AVIATION
the Atlantic Ocean on its way to London.
The fire in the number-four engine became
uncontrollable and eventually burned
through the engine mount, causing the
entire engine assembly to drop into the
Atlantic. The airplane managed to return
for an emergency landing without injuries
or further damage.
The mechanics determined that the
aircraft would require factory repair, which
meant transporting it all the way to
California. They removed the jagged
pieces of metal from the hole left by engine
number four and faired it over with sheet
metal. The Constellation was then flown
more than 2,000 miles back to the
Lockheed factory with only three engines!
In 1967 a military RC-121
Constellation was the first Airborne
Warning and Control aircraft that was
credited with vectoring an Air Force
fighter to intercept and shoot down a MiG
above Vietnam. In all, 856 Constellations
were built between 1943 and 1958. In the
end, it was the jet engine and the new jet
passenger liners that sealed its fate.
For more photos of this model and
many others that Carl has completed, visit
his Web site at www.carlb-rcplanes.com.
Ray Williams’ Morane: Ray Williams
scratch-built the Morane-Saulnier Type L
French World War I parasol-wing fighter
shown. The model is 1/3 scale and was built
around Ray’s handmade 1/3-scale Le Rhône
nine-cylinder rotary engine that he
machined.
The engine and aircraft are absolutely
incredible! Ray enjoys building vintage
models and he especially likes to put his
talent to use by machining scale vintage
engines to power some of his models. You
can see some of Ray’s work at www.model
rotaryflyer.tripod.com.
During World War I, rotary engines
such as the Le Rhône were the lightest
available for a given horsepower. The Le
Rhône had nine cylinders rotating around a
fixed, two-piece crankshaft. Its popular
design used nickel and special alloy steel
cylinders around pressed-in, cast-iron
liners. The copper inlet manifolds and
intake/exhaust valves were driven by a
single, pivoted rocker arm.
Since the engine lacked a carburetor
and had no throttle, it was normally
operated wide open. To reduce rpm for
landing, the ignition (Magneto) was
intermittently cut via a “blip switch” on the
control column.
The Le Rhône 80-horsepower engines
were also built under license in the United
States. The German Oberursel engine,
which was a direct copy of the Le Rhône,
powered many of the German aircraft;
however, the Oberursel engines were not as
reliable as the Le Rhônes. Some attribute
this to better materials in the LeRhône;
others believe it was the poor lubricant that
caused Oberursel failures.
I’ll be back next month! MA