Radio Control Giants-2007/12

128 MODEL AVIATION
company that immediately comes to mind
is Yellow Aircraft International. The
company has been manufacturing propeller
and jet aircraft since 1988. The company is
known for high-quality, excellent-flying
models.
Well-known designer Bert Baker
conceived two of the most famous and
easily recognizable World War II fighters
on opposing sides: the Republic P-47 and
Mitsubishi A6M5
Zero. Yellow
Aircraft International
Yellow Aircraft International’s Republic P-47 and Mitsubishi A6M Zero
[[email protected]]
Radio Control Giants Sal Calvagna
Also included in this column:
• The Turbinator from Nick
Ziroli Plans
• Balsa USA Spad build
continues
Jesse Russell, with his Yellow Aircraft International P-47 Razorback, was the youngest
competitor at the Scale Masters Qualifier in Eastport, New York.
Jesse’s P-47, powered by a Zenoah G-45,
executes a low pass for the camera at the
August 2007 event.
Ron Preston’s 80-inch-span Yellow Aircraft International Zero
displays realistic scale weathering.
Mike Gross’s newly finished Balsa USA Nieuport 17 performs a
low pass during a Scale Masters Qualifier event.
AS WE head into the end of the year, I want
to take this opportunity to wish everyone a
happy and healthy holiday season.
There is a great deal available for those
who enjoy larger models. If you like to
build, you can start with a set of plans; if
building is out of the question, you can
purchase an ARF model and assemble an
RC Giant in short order.
While plans-built and ARF models
represent the two extremes, you could start
somewhere in the middle with a kit that has
many assemblies already completed. One
manufactures two prized semikits of these
aircraft.
Both models come with a one-piece
fiberglass fuselage with integral vertical fin,
panel lines, and scale details molded in. The
firewall and formers are preinstalled. The
wing panels, horizontal stabilizers,
elevators, ailerons, and rudder are balsacovered,
presheeted foam cores. The split
flap, wheel well, and servo openings are
premanufacturing saves the modeler
considerable building time while
assuring straight, true surfaces.
The deluxe Zero kit contains a onepiece
cowl, belly pan, pilot seat, cockpit
insert, control stick, radio antenna,
main-gear doors, fiberglass wingtips,
and exhaust stacks.
The two-piece canopy and canopy
frame are my favorite accessories for
these models. The canopy comes with a
smooth surface and a separate
manufactured fiberglass frame to install
over the clear canopy. This gives the
model a scale appearance.
The Zero spans 80 inches, which
makes it IMAA (International Miniature
Aircraft Association)-legal.
Recommended power includes a 1.80
Moki glow or Zenoah G-38 gas engine.
The model’s all-up weight is 21-26
pounds. The P-47 includes all the Zero’s
features with the addition of oil-cooler
doors and prebalanced ailerons.
Optional accessories for both models
include retractable landing gear, static
scale propellers, machined-aluminum
spinners, custom wheels, drop tanks, etc.
Both are outstanding fliers—predictable
and stable throughout the flight
envelope.
For more information about these
models and other fantastic offerings
from Yellow Aircraft International,
please visit its Web site.
The photos include two fine Yellow
Aircraft models. They were taken at the
August 2007 Scale Masters Qualifier
held in Eastport, New York, where 16-
year-old Jesse Russell of Dudley,
Massachusetts, was the youngest
competitor.
Jesse is shown with his Zenoah G-45-
powered Yellow Aircraft P-47
Razorback. He is a member of the
Woodstock RC Flyers in Woodstock,
Connecticut, and has been flying RC for
the past 10 years. Great flying, Jesse!
The photo-pass shot is of a Yellow
Zero belonging to Ron Prestin of
Huntington Station, New York. A
Zenoah G-38 powers the model.
Ziroli Plans Turbinator: One of the
fastest-growing segments in RC is
turbine-powered jets. Turbines have
come a long way since the early days of
handheld compressor start-ups. The new
turbine engines are user-friendly and
there’s a wide variety of jet models from
which to choose, including easy-to-fly
jet trainers.
Nick Ziroli Plans has a sport-jet
Turbinator that can be purchased as
plans from the company or in kit form
from one of the kit-cutter manufacturers.
The Turbinator incorporates tried-and-
prerouted in the wings. All this
Nick Ziroli Plans’ 72-inch-span, turbinepowered
Turbinator is available as plans or
in kit form.
The author continues with his 1/4-scale Balsa USA Spad 13 project. This depicts the
fuselage with the die-cut plywood sheeting being installed.
true balsa-and-hardwood building
methods. It has a 72-inch wingspan and
an 80-inch fuselage. With 1,130 square
inches of wing area, the model has an
all-up weight of 20-22 pounds.
The Turbinator was designed for a 12-
to 16-pound-thrust turbine. It requires six
channels to include retracts and flaps.
Plans and accessories are available
directly from Nick Ziroli Plans.
Balsa USA 1/4-scale Spad 13: The Spad
build continues! One of the photos
illustrates the forward-fuselage cheek
aircraft-grade plywood sheeting
installation. The cutouts are where the
exhaust manifolds exit the fuselage. The
plywood cheek is cleanly die-cut, as are
all the parts in this kit. Please stay tuned
for more progress on this famous World
War I fighter.
Spad was originally the Société
Provisoire des Aéroplanes Deperdussin.
The company manufactured well-known
prewar aircraft. Louis Blériot took over
the failing company in 1914 but wanted
to use the Spad name, so he renamed it
Société pour L’Aviation et ses Dérivés to
retain the initials.
The Spad XIII did not handle well at
low speeds because the thin airfoil of its
nondihedral wings stalled brutally;
however, it possessed a much higher
climb and dive rate than the Sopwith
Camel or Fokker D.VII. The aircraft
also had a stable gun platform and could
take its share of punishment from enemy
fire.
More than 8,000 were produced, with
approximately 890 going to the
American Squadrons. Famous American
pilot Eddie Rickenbacker flew to fame
in the Spad.
Nieuport 17: One of the photos shows
Mike Gross’s newly finished Balsa USA
1/4-scale Nieuport 17.
The full-scale airplane was in a class
of aircraft designated as sesquiplanes,
where the lower wing is less than half
the area of the upper wing. The lower
winglet was installed to support the
outer V-struts.
The Nieuport 17 had a tendency to
disintegrate in flight because of poor
construction of the lower wing. It had
only a single spar, which was a great
weakness. Certainly not a comforting
thought while trying to stay alive in a
dogfight.
The Nieuport 17 was slightly larger
than its forbearer, the Nieuport 11, and
accommodated the larger 110- and later
130-horsepower rotary engines. The
airplane enjoyed an excellent rate of
climb and exceptional maneuverability.
For more information about the Balsa
USA Spad or Nieuport 17, please visit
the company’s Web site.
Again, have a wonderful, happy, and
healthy holiday season. See you next
month. MA
Sources:
Yellow Aircraft International
(781) 935-9868
www.yellowaircraft.com
Nick Ziroli Plans
(631) 467-4765
www.ziroliplans.com
Balsa USA
(906) 863-6421
www.balsausa.com