114 MODEL AVIATION
IF YOU WANT to attend the largest,
friendliest, most well-organized RC warbird
event on the East Coast, you have to come to
Warbirds Over Delaware (WOD). This event
draws participants from up and down the East
Coast, from Massachusetts to Florida, and
from as far west as Wisconsin. There was
even an attendee from merry ol’ England.
More than 200 registered pilots and nearly
300 warbirds from all eras of history were
present at this year’s WOD, which was held
July 9-12 at Lums Pond State Park in Newark, Delaware. The
Delaware R/C Club members know how to put on a flying event; they
have been hosting this one since 1993.
Although the WW II-era models were champions of detail, finish,
and complexity, aircraft representing the Great War ruled the skies.
Friday at the midday show, 33WW I models battled for their portion
of the sky at once. They included Balsa USA’s newest addition—the
1/4-scale de Havilland D.H.4—and a 20-foot-wingspan German Gotha
bomber. It was an amazing sight.
I give credit to all of the pilots who made this possible and to the
members of the Delaware R/C ground crew, who made sure that the
runway was kept clear for landing. They quickly ran out and rolled off
the overturned or dead-stick airplanes, to keep the runway clear.
There were some amazing models present, in both size and finish.
Carl Bachhuber of Mayville, Wisconsin, brought two mammoth
aircraft: a 19-foot-wingspan B-36 Peacemaker bomber powered by six
Zenoah G-26 engines and a 180-inch-wingspan Boeing Stratoliner
powered by four Zenoah G-26s.
Andrew Benjamin of Oak Hill, Virginia, had a great-flying fighter
at the show: his fantastic Aerotech 1/5-scale Nakajima Ki-84 “Frank.” It
spans 88 inches and has a wing area of 1,320 square inches.
The model was powered by a Quadra Q75 gas engine and finished
with acrylic paints and a flat clear coat. Andrew finished his Ki-84 in a
Japanese homeland defense scheme. He put in some amazing flights.
He is a member of the Fauquier Aero Recreation Modelers.
There was plenty of great food, friends, and models at WOD, but
there were also a couple of individuals who could not get along. Bob
Walker, of Robart, overstepped his boundaries on Thursday afternoon,
Warbirds Over Delaware 2009
[[email protected]]
Radio Control Giants Sal Calvagna
Also included in this column:
• Two stunning Scale projects
from Alan Yendle
• Flying the author’s Polikarpov
I-16
Carl Bachhuber of Mayville, Wisconsin, stands next to his mammoth Convair B-36
Peacemaker bomber. It is powered by six Zenoah G-26 gas engines.
Andrew Benjamin of Oak Hill, Virginia, kneels with his greatlooking
and -flying Aerotech Ki-84 Nakajima “Frank.”
The forward fuselage of Alan Yendle’s Hawker Fury I is covered
with thin aluminum sheets and held on with rivets and screws.
Another great-looking model from Alan Yendle is his 1/4-scale
1918 Halberstadt CL.IV, covered with GTM lozenge-pattern
fabric.
11sig4.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 4:48 PM Page 114
The I-16 on a high-speed low pass. Looking more like a 1930s racer here, the Russian fighter
was a surprise to the world and outclassed all of its contemporaries in the Spanish Civil War.
Right: The author’s 1/4-scale Polikarpov I-16
in a photo pass. It is powered by a Zenoah
G-62 and was painted with Krylon Dull
Aluminum in spray cans.
by flying and landing near a residence, and a
local promptly chased him off of the field.
Bob argued his point, which made the
other guy so angry that he broke through a
protective fence and attacked one of the
parked models. It might be hard to believe,
but there is a video of the whole event that
you can access at the Web site included in the
“Sources” list.
The Delaware R/C Club works hard to
accommodate many modelers for this great
event. From impound to flightline safety,
plenty of members are always on hand to
ensure that the fly-in goes smoothly and
safely. The club is so helpful that it even
provides a huge tent in which to store and
protect models overnight.
On the topic of tents, if CDs Dave and
Pete Malchione try to sell you a used one,
don’t go for the deal. The last one they sold
me had more holes in it than the Titanic.
Thanks, Dave and Pete.
See you all in 2010!
Alan Yendle, a prolific Scale modeler who is
formerly of Atlanta, Georgia, and moved to
Austin, Texas, built two beautiful models after
getting his shop back together. One of those
was the Hawker Fury I that he constructed at
27.5%, to be able to install the Quadra 75 in
its pointy nose. A smaller scale would not
accommodate this engine.
The Hawker spans 99 inches and weighs
39 pounds. The forward part of the fuselage is
covered with thin aluminum sheet that is
riveted and screwed into the framework. To
assist with engine cooling, Alan built a tunnel
from the rear of the engine that exits into the
large radiator under the lower wing.
Sydney Camm, who went on to design the
Hawker Hurricane, Typhoon, and Tempest,
designed the full-scale Hawker Fury I in 1942.
Alan thinks it’s one of the best-looking
biplanes of that era.
The other model is of a Halberstadt CL.IV
from 1918, and it is one of the first aircraft
designed for a ground-attack role. Alan’s
version is 1/4 scale, with a wingspan of 105
inches and power provided by Air Hobbies
Sachs Dolmar 3.2 ignition gas engine.
The CL.IV weighs 38 pounds and is
covered with GTM Lozenge Fabric from
Glenn Torrance Models. Alan built his aircraft
from Windsock Datafile No. 43 and photos
taken at the Air Force museum at Wright-
Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio.
The Fury I and the CL.IV are beautifully
constructed, as are all of Alan’s s models. It’s
great to see this quality of seldom-modeled
subjects. Great going, Alan.
The 1/4-scale Polikarpov I-16 project took me
two years of sporadic building to finally
complete. As with all models, some parts
were straightforward to construct; the tail
feathers, foam-core wing, and cowling were
fairly easy.
Installing the Zenoah G-62 engine was as
simple as it gets, because of the huge, round
cowl. Heck, there was so much room that I
was able to use the stock “can” muffler that
came with the power plant.
Then there were aspects of the model that I
found taxing, such as the fuselage; it had
November 2009 115
many curves and large fillets. Making the
spinner was also a pain.
However, I caught a break. My friend,
Mike, at Nick Ziroli Plans showed me a
spinner backplate that is available for the
Ziroli P-38 Lightning. It was the correct
diameter and shape for my I-16! I used it and
some blue foam to fabricate the spinner.
The landing gear installation was by far
the most difficult aspect of this model. To
somewhat replicate the full-scale aircraft, I
had to have three struts on each main gear,
and the gear had to retract nearly 20° rearward
into the wing. Since there was nothing closely
related that I could purchase off the shelf, I
had to fabricate something.
I used a set of Robart Heavy Duty 635
Series low-profile retracts as the basis for the
design, and I added two faux struts made from
telescoping brass tubes. The fake struts
perform no function; they are cosmetic only.
The Robart gear and main strut does all the
work.
After two years of building the I-16, I was
ready for that first, nerve-racking flight.
Please understand that had this been a more
commonly modeled subject, such as the
Mustang, P-47, or Zero, I would have been
less hesitant.
I would still have been nervous, but since
thousands of those have been constructed and
flown in a myriad of sizes throughout the
years, I would have had certain expectations. I
didn’t know what to expect as my Polikarpov
I-16 left the ground.
Since my airplane is short coupled and has
large elevators, I made sure that I
programmed some exponential into the
elevator and ailerons. I read that the full-scale
aircraft had a phenomenal roll rate.
I taxied the model onto our beautiful 700-
foot, manicured grass runway. I decided that I
would try a gentle test hop first before the first
flight.
I powered up and used a bit of rudder to
guide the airplane straight. The tail came up
nicely, headed down the runway on the mains.
With no further radio input, the I-16 lifted off
gently and proceeded to climb out on its own.
So much for the test hop.
The model climbed to a safe altitude. I
put the gear up and turned the aircraft
downwind to trim it for level flight. All it
needed was a few clicks of down-elevator
(I guess that’s why it flew off of the
ground without elevator input).
At that point, I felt that my heart was no
longer going to burst through my chest, and I
happily flew a couple of racetrack patterns as
I calmed down. To my surprise, the aircraft
was extremely stable.
I made some high-speed passes, a bit
lower, and then practiced banking the I-16
more sharply, to see if it would drop off in a
turn. Nope! It was rock-solid and extremely
predictable. So far, so good; it was time to
attempt a landing.
I slowed the model a bit, put the gear
down, and lined up on approach. The airplane
was extraordinarily stable, and it started to
lose altitude as I reduced throttle. Then it was
at an excellent glide angle to our field.
One of the main wheels dropped off at
approximately 50 feet of altitude. The I-16
was still approaching nicely, but it had one
peg leg and I was frozen in horror.
As the model came closer, I could hear my
fellow club members yelling, “Put the gear
up!” I hit the retract switch, the gear rose, and
I proceeded to belly in the aircraft ever so
softly. All was fine; there was not a scratch on
the airplane, thanks to all that gentle grass.
I now have roughly a dozen flights on the
I-16 and feel much more comfortable with its
performance. The exponential helps smooth
the flight. In fact, I increased the exponential
on the elevator, since it was still a bit
sensitive.
I could not be happier, and this Polikarpov
should be a welcomed addition to all those
Mustangs, Spitfires, Fw 190s, and Zeros on
the model warbird circuit. If you have any
questions about the I-16, drop me a line and I
will be happy to respond.
What’s your next project? MA
Sources:
WOD video:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=bElbdcz74aM
International Miniature Aircraft Association
www.fly-imaa.org
11sig4.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 4:49 PM Page 115
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/11
Page Numbers: 114,115
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/11
Page Numbers: 114,115
114 MODEL AVIATION
IF YOU WANT to attend the largest,
friendliest, most well-organized RC warbird
event on the East Coast, you have to come to
Warbirds Over Delaware (WOD). This event
draws participants from up and down the East
Coast, from Massachusetts to Florida, and
from as far west as Wisconsin. There was
even an attendee from merry ol’ England.
More than 200 registered pilots and nearly
300 warbirds from all eras of history were
present at this year’s WOD, which was held
July 9-12 at Lums Pond State Park in Newark, Delaware. The
Delaware R/C Club members know how to put on a flying event; they
have been hosting this one since 1993.
Although the WW II-era models were champions of detail, finish,
and complexity, aircraft representing the Great War ruled the skies.
Friday at the midday show, 33WW I models battled for their portion
of the sky at once. They included Balsa USA’s newest addition—the
1/4-scale de Havilland D.H.4—and a 20-foot-wingspan German Gotha
bomber. It was an amazing sight.
I give credit to all of the pilots who made this possible and to the
members of the Delaware R/C ground crew, who made sure that the
runway was kept clear for landing. They quickly ran out and rolled off
the overturned or dead-stick airplanes, to keep the runway clear.
There were some amazing models present, in both size and finish.
Carl Bachhuber of Mayville, Wisconsin, brought two mammoth
aircraft: a 19-foot-wingspan B-36 Peacemaker bomber powered by six
Zenoah G-26 engines and a 180-inch-wingspan Boeing Stratoliner
powered by four Zenoah G-26s.
Andrew Benjamin of Oak Hill, Virginia, had a great-flying fighter
at the show: his fantastic Aerotech 1/5-scale Nakajima Ki-84 “Frank.” It
spans 88 inches and has a wing area of 1,320 square inches.
The model was powered by a Quadra Q75 gas engine and finished
with acrylic paints and a flat clear coat. Andrew finished his Ki-84 in a
Japanese homeland defense scheme. He put in some amazing flights.
He is a member of the Fauquier Aero Recreation Modelers.
There was plenty of great food, friends, and models at WOD, but
there were also a couple of individuals who could not get along. Bob
Walker, of Robart, overstepped his boundaries on Thursday afternoon,
Warbirds Over Delaware 2009
[[email protected]]
Radio Control Giants Sal Calvagna
Also included in this column:
• Two stunning Scale projects
from Alan Yendle
• Flying the author’s Polikarpov
I-16
Carl Bachhuber of Mayville, Wisconsin, stands next to his mammoth Convair B-36
Peacemaker bomber. It is powered by six Zenoah G-26 gas engines.
Andrew Benjamin of Oak Hill, Virginia, kneels with his greatlooking
and -flying Aerotech Ki-84 Nakajima “Frank.”
The forward fuselage of Alan Yendle’s Hawker Fury I is covered
with thin aluminum sheets and held on with rivets and screws.
Another great-looking model from Alan Yendle is his 1/4-scale
1918 Halberstadt CL.IV, covered with GTM lozenge-pattern
fabric.
11sig4.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 4:48 PM Page 114
The I-16 on a high-speed low pass. Looking more like a 1930s racer here, the Russian fighter
was a surprise to the world and outclassed all of its contemporaries in the Spanish Civil War.
Right: The author’s 1/4-scale Polikarpov I-16
in a photo pass. It is powered by a Zenoah
G-62 and was painted with Krylon Dull
Aluminum in spray cans.
by flying and landing near a residence, and a
local promptly chased him off of the field.
Bob argued his point, which made the
other guy so angry that he broke through a
protective fence and attacked one of the
parked models. It might be hard to believe,
but there is a video of the whole event that
you can access at the Web site included in the
“Sources” list.
The Delaware R/C Club works hard to
accommodate many modelers for this great
event. From impound to flightline safety,
plenty of members are always on hand to
ensure that the fly-in goes smoothly and
safely. The club is so helpful that it even
provides a huge tent in which to store and
protect models overnight.
On the topic of tents, if CDs Dave and
Pete Malchione try to sell you a used one,
don’t go for the deal. The last one they sold
me had more holes in it than the Titanic.
Thanks, Dave and Pete.
See you all in 2010!
Alan Yendle, a prolific Scale modeler who is
formerly of Atlanta, Georgia, and moved to
Austin, Texas, built two beautiful models after
getting his shop back together. One of those
was the Hawker Fury I that he constructed at
27.5%, to be able to install the Quadra 75 in
its pointy nose. A smaller scale would not
accommodate this engine.
The Hawker spans 99 inches and weighs
39 pounds. The forward part of the fuselage is
covered with thin aluminum sheet that is
riveted and screwed into the framework. To
assist with engine cooling, Alan built a tunnel
from the rear of the engine that exits into the
large radiator under the lower wing.
Sydney Camm, who went on to design the
Hawker Hurricane, Typhoon, and Tempest,
designed the full-scale Hawker Fury I in 1942.
Alan thinks it’s one of the best-looking
biplanes of that era.
The other model is of a Halberstadt CL.IV
from 1918, and it is one of the first aircraft
designed for a ground-attack role. Alan’s
version is 1/4 scale, with a wingspan of 105
inches and power provided by Air Hobbies
Sachs Dolmar 3.2 ignition gas engine.
The CL.IV weighs 38 pounds and is
covered with GTM Lozenge Fabric from
Glenn Torrance Models. Alan built his aircraft
from Windsock Datafile No. 43 and photos
taken at the Air Force museum at Wright-
Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio.
The Fury I and the CL.IV are beautifully
constructed, as are all of Alan’s s models. It’s
great to see this quality of seldom-modeled
subjects. Great going, Alan.
The 1/4-scale Polikarpov I-16 project took me
two years of sporadic building to finally
complete. As with all models, some parts
were straightforward to construct; the tail
feathers, foam-core wing, and cowling were
fairly easy.
Installing the Zenoah G-62 engine was as
simple as it gets, because of the huge, round
cowl. Heck, there was so much room that I
was able to use the stock “can” muffler that
came with the power plant.
Then there were aspects of the model that I
found taxing, such as the fuselage; it had
November 2009 115
many curves and large fillets. Making the
spinner was also a pain.
However, I caught a break. My friend,
Mike, at Nick Ziroli Plans showed me a
spinner backplate that is available for the
Ziroli P-38 Lightning. It was the correct
diameter and shape for my I-16! I used it and
some blue foam to fabricate the spinner.
The landing gear installation was by far
the most difficult aspect of this model. To
somewhat replicate the full-scale aircraft, I
had to have three struts on each main gear,
and the gear had to retract nearly 20° rearward
into the wing. Since there was nothing closely
related that I could purchase off the shelf, I
had to fabricate something.
I used a set of Robart Heavy Duty 635
Series low-profile retracts as the basis for the
design, and I added two faux struts made from
telescoping brass tubes. The fake struts
perform no function; they are cosmetic only.
The Robart gear and main strut does all the
work.
After two years of building the I-16, I was
ready for that first, nerve-racking flight.
Please understand that had this been a more
commonly modeled subject, such as the
Mustang, P-47, or Zero, I would have been
less hesitant.
I would still have been nervous, but since
thousands of those have been constructed and
flown in a myriad of sizes throughout the
years, I would have had certain expectations. I
didn’t know what to expect as my Polikarpov
I-16 left the ground.
Since my airplane is short coupled and has
large elevators, I made sure that I
programmed some exponential into the
elevator and ailerons. I read that the full-scale
aircraft had a phenomenal roll rate.
I taxied the model onto our beautiful 700-
foot, manicured grass runway. I decided that I
would try a gentle test hop first before the first
flight.
I powered up and used a bit of rudder to
guide the airplane straight. The tail came up
nicely, headed down the runway on the mains.
With no further radio input, the I-16 lifted off
gently and proceeded to climb out on its own.
So much for the test hop.
The model climbed to a safe altitude. I
put the gear up and turned the aircraft
downwind to trim it for level flight. All it
needed was a few clicks of down-elevator
(I guess that’s why it flew off of the
ground without elevator input).
At that point, I felt that my heart was no
longer going to burst through my chest, and I
happily flew a couple of racetrack patterns as
I calmed down. To my surprise, the aircraft
was extremely stable.
I made some high-speed passes, a bit
lower, and then practiced banking the I-16
more sharply, to see if it would drop off in a
turn. Nope! It was rock-solid and extremely
predictable. So far, so good; it was time to
attempt a landing.
I slowed the model a bit, put the gear
down, and lined up on approach. The airplane
was extraordinarily stable, and it started to
lose altitude as I reduced throttle. Then it was
at an excellent glide angle to our field.
One of the main wheels dropped off at
approximately 50 feet of altitude. The I-16
was still approaching nicely, but it had one
peg leg and I was frozen in horror.
As the model came closer, I could hear my
fellow club members yelling, “Put the gear
up!” I hit the retract switch, the gear rose, and
I proceeded to belly in the aircraft ever so
softly. All was fine; there was not a scratch on
the airplane, thanks to all that gentle grass.
I now have roughly a dozen flights on the
I-16 and feel much more comfortable with its
performance. The exponential helps smooth
the flight. In fact, I increased the exponential
on the elevator, since it was still a bit
sensitive.
I could not be happier, and this Polikarpov
should be a welcomed addition to all those
Mustangs, Spitfires, Fw 190s, and Zeros on
the model warbird circuit. If you have any
questions about the I-16, drop me a line and I
will be happy to respond.
What’s your next project? MA
Sources:
WOD video:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=bElbdcz74aM
International Miniature Aircraft Association
www.fly-imaa.org
11sig4.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 4:49 PM Page 115