Radio Control Giants
Sal Calvagna [[email protected]]
The first flight for a Yellow Aircraft International Spitfire Mk XIVc
Welcome to 2008! The years seem to fly by. Winter is here—well, for some parts of the country—and it’s time to complete your latest RC giant project and make those repairs you put off during the flying season.
It has been reported that the average AMA member is roughly 50. According to this figure I am right in the average. Since I have enjoyed more than 25 years of modeling, I believe many of us have taken pleasure in the same.
One would think that after all those years, building and flying models would become "old hat." Not for me and not for the many members I know. There's something exciting about building the next project, and those first flights are as thrilling now as they were in years gone by. It is one of the great defining moments in aeromodeling and one of the many reasons why we keep coming back for more!
I have included one of those moments captured by my trusty camera. Perhaps there's a Pulitzer Prize in my future. (I don't think so!) Tallyho!
Whitney Philbrick of Poughkeepsie, New York, test-flew his Yellow Aircraft International Spitfire Mk XIVc at the Central Connecticut RC Club’s field in Farmington. Whitney purchased the model in February 1993 at the annual Westchester Radio AeroModelers (WRAM) Show. The aircraft took second place in post–World War II Scale at the 2005 WRAM show. It is powered by a ZDZ 40 gas engine with ignition and was finished as an MN-E, which has wartime history. The model sports a full cockpit with sliding canopy and is finished with Stits paint.
Whitney installed an Airtronics Stylus (PCM) radio and freely admits that at the time of its first flight the model was more than 14 years old. This sets a record for "Philbrick procrastination." If you look closely at the photo of the Spitfire, you can see that the engine is running and Whitney is looking serious. It's the "just-before-the-first-flight" picture, and he must be wondering if it will come back in one piece!
The other photo says it all. Tallyho! The Spitfire is off to look for enemy aircraft. The model flew beautifully, and after a few flight patterns to get the gear down, it landed gently and lived to fly another day. Whitney is a member of the Mid Hudson Radio Control Society and flies at Hopewell Field in Hopewell Junction, New York.
The great-looking Spitfire spans 88 inches, has a length of 78 inches, and weighs about 20–24 pounds. It features a one-piece fiberglass fuselage with firewall and formers installed, elliptical foam-core wings with split flaps, a one-piece molded-fiberglass stabilizer, and many other elements that make construction fast and accurate.
The Spitfire is without a doubt the most famous British fighter of World War II. It is as highly regarded by the British as the P-51 Mustang is by Americans. The Spitfire was first flown in March 1936, and the first Mk I aircraft joined the Royal Air Force in August 1938. They were not sent to France at the beginning of hostilities and remained at home to provide air defense. The aircraft were used over Dunkirk in June 1940 when British and French forces were evacuated to England.
In the following months the Spitfire proved itself a match for any German aircraft. It was adored by the pilots who flew it. However, although its speed and handling were superb, the narrow undercarriage and poor visibility on the ground led to numerous accidents.
During the famous Battle of Britain, the Royal Air Force Fighter Command had 33 squadrons of older Hawker Hurricane fighters and only 18 squadrons of the higher-performance Spitfires available. Some interesting facts about this conflict and the Spitfire:
- Hurricanes accounted for more kills than Spitfires did during the Battle of Britain—roughly 80% of them.
- Hurricanes totaled 1,715 aircraft during the battle, which is more than the rest of the British fighter aircraft combined.
- Spitfires had more losses proportionally than Hurricanes, which could absorb more combat damage.
- The fastest wartime Spitfire reached a speed of 460 mph, and 20,531 were produced in 40 variations during and after the war.
- The Spitfire was more costly and more difficult to construct than the Hurricane.
Although the older-generation Hawker Hurricane was the mainstay of the British fighter force during the Battle of Britain, the Spitfire remains ingrained as the symbol of victory during those dark days. Because of its performance and elegance, the aircraft was perceived as a thoroughbred when compared to the Hurricane's workhorse attributes.
Balsa USA Spad 13
The 1/4-scale Spad 13 build continues. The forward cowling has been constructed and fitted to the fuselage. The cowling is made from layers of balsa on a light-plywood ring that is sanded to shape. Hardwood crossmembers are installed, and screen material is used to produce the faux-radiator look.
The fuselage is completed and the engine has been installed on the firewall. My engine of choice is an RCS 50 VT four-stroke gas from RC Showcase. It has a 50cc displacement and a range of 1,200–7,000 rpm. It weighs 3 pounds, 7 ounces; is rated at 3.5 horsepower; and will spin a two-blade 20 x 10 propeller at approximately 6,000 rpm.
The 50 VT is the first production single-cylinder, four-stroke gas engine not made from weed-whacker parts. It was designed from the ground up for radio-control applications and is perfect for 1/4-scale or larger models.
Jim’s S.E.5a
I have included a couple of photos of a Balsa USA 1/4-scale S.E.5a built and flown by Jim Gobetz of Mount Sinai, New York. The model spans 80 inches and weighs roughly 20 pounds.
Jim started flying smaller, glow-engine-powered aircraft before moving on to larger models, as did most of us. He enjoys building airplanes as much as flying them and prefers to power his with gasoline two-stroke engines. The S.E.5a is powered by a Zenoah G-38 and covered with Solartex. Jim enjoys flying the S.E.5a, especially on calm days. Great job, Jim!
That's all for this month. I wish you all a happy and healthy modeling year for 2008. Until next month. MA
Sources:
- Yellow Aircraft International
(781) 935-9868 www.yellowaircraft.com/index.htm
- RC Showcase
(301) 374-2197 www.rcshowcase.com/html/RCS/rcs50vt.html
- Balsa USA
(906) 863-6421 www.balsausa.com
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
