May 2010 97
WELCOME BACK! Purchasing a used
model can come with rewards and
disappointments. What looks at first like a
beautifully finished airplane on the outside
could be below standard on the inside.
Conversely, an aircraft might be
operationally sound but may not have the
level of finish or appearance you’d prefer.
But every once in awhile we stumble
across a model that, with a little work and
care, can be transformed into a
favorite within our Giant Scale
stable. Such is the case with Steve
Schooler and his Gere Sport.
The full-scale Gere Sport was a
Steve Schooler’s Gere Sport
[[email protected]]
Radio Control Giants Sal Calvagna
Also included in this column:
• Hank Harjes’s electric-powered
Twin Otter
• Tony Kirchenko’s Composite-
ARF F4U Corsair
Above: Going the extra mile with a nicely
detailed cockpit adds much to the realism
of a model, such as Henry Harjes’s DHC-6.
It also shows great dedication to the
hobby.
Steve Schooler owns this 1/3-scale Gere Sport, which was built from a Bud Nosen kit. It
has a wingspan of 96 inches and is powered by a Quadra .50 gas engine.
Early Gere Sports had four-cylinder
engines that also powered Ford model A
and T cars, so Steve fabricated a 1/3-scale
version of the power plant to maintain a
scale appearance.
Left: Henry Harjes with his scratch-built,
electric-powered de Havilland Twin Otter.
Its motors fit nicely into scale engine
nacelles and don’t detract from the scale
outline and appearance.
1930s-era home-built biplane that a young
George “Bud” Gere designed. He
engineered it around the Ford models T and
A and four-cylinder engines that were
reliable and in plentiful supply.
However, Bud was killed in an accident
before he could see his airplane’s first flight.
The Gere Sport became a popular homebuilt
and some are still flying today, but
many are using upgraded power plants.
Steve Schooler of Cypress, California,
found an advertisement on craigslist for a
completed Bud Nosen kit-built 1/3-scale
Gere Sport. It had been constructed more
than 15 years ago by a man who had passed
05sig4.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 3/24/10 1:58 PM Page 97
away without ever flying the model, and his son was offering it for
sale.
The model had a Quadra .50 gas engine, was covered with
Solartex material, and included an old World Engines radio. Steve
promptly removed it to make room for an updated 2.4 GHz system.
He wrote:
“I had the old Quadra 50 fired up and she flew beautifully. I’ve
had so much fun flying a plane that looks and flies realistic, I
haven’t been able to leave it alone.
“I’ve repaired some of the Solartex, repainted and lettered it to
give it some character, and made a replica Model ‘T’ engine out of
balsa and some scrap hardware. Now she looks just like the original
did. I also gave the homemade cowl an aluminum (tape) [job], with
real rivets (250 of them) makeover.”
Steve has been flying RC for approximately 30 years and is a
member of the San Gabriel Valley Radio Control League. The club
field is located at Whittier Narrows Park in South El Monte,
California.
Super job on that four-cylinder engine, Steve, and congrats on a
fine-looking Gere Sport.
Henry Harjes of Etna, New Hampshire, a retired electronics
engineer, designed and built a fantastic 1/6-scale de Havilland
Series 300 DHC-6 Twin Otter. The wingspan is a massive 132
inches, with an all-up weight of 49 pounds.
Henry was interested in building a model of the Twin Otter: a
rugged and versatile workhorse with STOL (Short Takeoff &
Landing) performance. He thought it was a
perfect choice for his modest flying skills.
Unable to locate plans of any size, he
contacted the operations manager at Viking
Air Limited in British Columbia, Canada.
This company holds certificates for many of
the de Havilland aircraft.
Steve spoke to the operations manager
and explained that he would like assistance
in acquiring information about the Twin
Otter. A week later he received an e-mail
containing the factory drawings, in TIF
format. The only requirement was that
Henry return the favor by supplying a set of
1/6-scale model plans.
With the assistance of a close friend, the
files were digitized to vector drawings. From
there, a set of plans was produced using a
CAD program. The model was built using
laser-cut balsa and light-plywood parts.
The finished Twin Otter is powered by
two AXI 5330/18 outrunner motors
swinging Bolly three-blade 19 x 11
propellers. Electricity is provided by an
eight-cell, 5000 mAh Li-Poly battery pack
for each motor. Cruise current drain is
roughly 20 amps, which provides a flight
duration of nearly 15 minutes.
Plans and short kits are available from
John’s Plans and Kits. You can find a
YouTube video of the DHC-6 flying by
searching for “Hank’s Twin Otter.”
Henry Harjes is no stranger to aviation,
and his love of it started at a young age. He
has approximately 300 hours piloting a fullscale
Cessna 177-RG and 182.
He remembers building his first model
from stove matches and tongue depressors at
age 5. Henry’s first RC experience was in the
mid-1940s, with a rudder-only trainer using a
vacuum-tube receiver, heavy batteries, and a
rubber band-driven escapement.
“Model aviation has provided me with
endless hours of problem solving and
entertainment,” wrote Henry. “It is a very
rewarding hobby/sport.”
I can’t agree with you more, Henry. Your
Twin Otter is magnificent!
Check out Tony Kirchenko of East
Setauket, New York, with his newly
completed Composite-ARF F4U Corsair. At
a scale of 1:4.5, it spans 110 inches, is 86
inches long, and has an all-up weight of
roughly 45 pounds.
The model was designed at that scale so
that a Moki 2.15/2.50 five-cylinder radial
engine would fit perfectly within the cowl.
The Corsair comes with many of the details
built into the surface, such as panel lines,
rivets, and fabric appearance on the wings,
elevator, and rudder.
Tony purchased the folding-wing
mechanism separately. It works using an
onboard electric pump and hydraulics.
Since he intends to use this model for
Scale competition, he added scale lights,
arresting hook, sliding canopy, landing
gea r interio r detail, and scale hinge covers.
The model is painted with Klass Kote
epoxy, and the markings were painted using
stencils from RedFiveDesigns. The F4U
swings a 32 x 18 three-blade, adjustable-pitch
propeller.
Tony has been modeling for 50 years. His
first Corsair was a Sterling CL kit, powered
by a K&B .35 engine, that he flew at Willets
Point parking lot before the construction of
Shea Stadium in New York. Tony believes
that his father paid close to $20 for the CL
version. He tells his wife that he spent a little
more for his current Corsair.
Nice work, Tony!
That’s all for now. Spring is here, bringing
thoughts of model aircraft slipping the surly
bonds of earth. What do you have ready for
this season?
I’ll be back next month. MA
Sources:
John’s Plans and Kits
13 Third St.
Newport NH 03773
http://johnsplansandkits.com
Composite-ARF.com
www.carf-models.com
International Miniature Aircraft Association
www.fly-imaa.org
Edition: Model Aviation - 2010/05
Page Numbers: 97,98,100
Edition: Model Aviation - 2010/05
Page Numbers: 97,98,100
May 2010 97
WELCOME BACK! Purchasing a used
model can come with rewards and
disappointments. What looks at first like a
beautifully finished airplane on the outside
could be below standard on the inside.
Conversely, an aircraft might be
operationally sound but may not have the
level of finish or appearance you’d prefer.
But every once in awhile we stumble
across a model that, with a little work and
care, can be transformed into a
favorite within our Giant Scale
stable. Such is the case with Steve
Schooler and his Gere Sport.
The full-scale Gere Sport was a
Steve Schooler’s Gere Sport
[[email protected]]
Radio Control Giants Sal Calvagna
Also included in this column:
• Hank Harjes’s electric-powered
Twin Otter
• Tony Kirchenko’s Composite-
ARF F4U Corsair
Above: Going the extra mile with a nicely
detailed cockpit adds much to the realism
of a model, such as Henry Harjes’s DHC-6.
It also shows great dedication to the
hobby.
Steve Schooler owns this 1/3-scale Gere Sport, which was built from a Bud Nosen kit. It
has a wingspan of 96 inches and is powered by a Quadra .50 gas engine.
Early Gere Sports had four-cylinder
engines that also powered Ford model A
and T cars, so Steve fabricated a 1/3-scale
version of the power plant to maintain a
scale appearance.
Left: Henry Harjes with his scratch-built,
electric-powered de Havilland Twin Otter.
Its motors fit nicely into scale engine
nacelles and don’t detract from the scale
outline and appearance.
1930s-era home-built biplane that a young
George “Bud” Gere designed. He
engineered it around the Ford models T and
A and four-cylinder engines that were
reliable and in plentiful supply.
However, Bud was killed in an accident
before he could see his airplane’s first flight.
The Gere Sport became a popular homebuilt
and some are still flying today, but
many are using upgraded power plants.
Steve Schooler of Cypress, California,
found an advertisement on craigslist for a
completed Bud Nosen kit-built 1/3-scale
Gere Sport. It had been constructed more
than 15 years ago by a man who had passed
05sig4.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 3/24/10 1:58 PM Page 97
away without ever flying the model, and his son was offering it for
sale.
The model had a Quadra .50 gas engine, was covered with
Solartex material, and included an old World Engines radio. Steve
promptly removed it to make room for an updated 2.4 GHz system.
He wrote:
“I had the old Quadra 50 fired up and she flew beautifully. I’ve
had so much fun flying a plane that looks and flies realistic, I
haven’t been able to leave it alone.
“I’ve repaired some of the Solartex, repainted and lettered it to
give it some character, and made a replica Model ‘T’ engine out of
balsa and some scrap hardware. Now she looks just like the original
did. I also gave the homemade cowl an aluminum (tape) [job], with
real rivets (250 of them) makeover.”
Steve has been flying RC for approximately 30 years and is a
member of the San Gabriel Valley Radio Control League. The club
field is located at Whittier Narrows Park in South El Monte,
California.
Super job on that four-cylinder engine, Steve, and congrats on a
fine-looking Gere Sport.
Henry Harjes of Etna, New Hampshire, a retired electronics
engineer, designed and built a fantastic 1/6-scale de Havilland
Series 300 DHC-6 Twin Otter. The wingspan is a massive 132
inches, with an all-up weight of 49 pounds.
Henry was interested in building a model of the Twin Otter: a
rugged and versatile workhorse with STOL (Short Takeoff &
Landing) performance. He thought it was a
perfect choice for his modest flying skills.
Unable to locate plans of any size, he
contacted the operations manager at Viking
Air Limited in British Columbia, Canada.
This company holds certificates for many of
the de Havilland aircraft.
Steve spoke to the operations manager
and explained that he would like assistance
in acquiring information about the Twin
Otter. A week later he received an e-mail
containing the factory drawings, in TIF
format. The only requirement was that
Henry return the favor by supplying a set of
1/6-scale model plans.
With the assistance of a close friend, the
files were digitized to vector drawings. From
there, a set of plans was produced using a
CAD program. The model was built using
laser-cut balsa and light-plywood parts.
The finished Twin Otter is powered by
two AXI 5330/18 outrunner motors
swinging Bolly three-blade 19 x 11
propellers. Electricity is provided by an
eight-cell, 5000 mAh Li-Poly battery pack
for each motor. Cruise current drain is
roughly 20 amps, which provides a flight
duration of nearly 15 minutes.
Plans and short kits are available from
John’s Plans and Kits. You can find a
YouTube video of the DHC-6 flying by
searching for “Hank’s Twin Otter.”
Henry Harjes is no stranger to aviation,
and his love of it started at a young age. He
has approximately 300 hours piloting a fullscale
Cessna 177-RG and 182.
He remembers building his first model
from stove matches and tongue depressors at
age 5. Henry’s first RC experience was in the
mid-1940s, with a rudder-only trainer using a
vacuum-tube receiver, heavy batteries, and a
rubber band-driven escapement.
“Model aviation has provided me with
endless hours of problem solving and
entertainment,” wrote Henry. “It is a very
rewarding hobby/sport.”
I can’t agree with you more, Henry. Your
Twin Otter is magnificent!
Check out Tony Kirchenko of East
Setauket, New York, with his newly
completed Composite-ARF F4U Corsair. At
a scale of 1:4.5, it spans 110 inches, is 86
inches long, and has an all-up weight of
roughly 45 pounds.
The model was designed at that scale so
that a Moki 2.15/2.50 five-cylinder radial
engine would fit perfectly within the cowl.
The Corsair comes with many of the details
built into the surface, such as panel lines,
rivets, and fabric appearance on the wings,
elevator, and rudder.
Tony purchased the folding-wing
mechanism separately. It works using an
onboard electric pump and hydraulics.
Since he intends to use this model for
Scale competition, he added scale lights,
arresting hook, sliding canopy, landing
gea r interio r detail, and scale hinge covers.
The model is painted with Klass Kote
epoxy, and the markings were painted using
stencils from RedFiveDesigns. The F4U
swings a 32 x 18 three-blade, adjustable-pitch
propeller.
Tony has been modeling for 50 years. His
first Corsair was a Sterling CL kit, powered
by a K&B .35 engine, that he flew at Willets
Point parking lot before the construction of
Shea Stadium in New York. Tony believes
that his father paid close to $20 for the CL
version. He tells his wife that he spent a little
more for his current Corsair.
Nice work, Tony!
That’s all for now. Spring is here, bringing
thoughts of model aircraft slipping the surly
bonds of earth. What do you have ready for
this season?
I’ll be back next month. MA
Sources:
John’s Plans and Kits
13 Third St.
Newport NH 03773
http://johnsplansandkits.com
Composite-ARF.com
www.carf-models.com
International Miniature Aircraft Association
www.fly-imaa.org
Edition: Model Aviation - 2010/05
Page Numbers: 97,98,100
May 2010 97
WELCOME BACK! Purchasing a used
model can come with rewards and
disappointments. What looks at first like a
beautifully finished airplane on the outside
could be below standard on the inside.
Conversely, an aircraft might be
operationally sound but may not have the
level of finish or appearance you’d prefer.
But every once in awhile we stumble
across a model that, with a little work and
care, can be transformed into a
favorite within our Giant Scale
stable. Such is the case with Steve
Schooler and his Gere Sport.
The full-scale Gere Sport was a
Steve Schooler’s Gere Sport
[[email protected]]
Radio Control Giants Sal Calvagna
Also included in this column:
• Hank Harjes’s electric-powered
Twin Otter
• Tony Kirchenko’s Composite-
ARF F4U Corsair
Above: Going the extra mile with a nicely
detailed cockpit adds much to the realism
of a model, such as Henry Harjes’s DHC-6.
It also shows great dedication to the
hobby.
Steve Schooler owns this 1/3-scale Gere Sport, which was built from a Bud Nosen kit. It
has a wingspan of 96 inches and is powered by a Quadra .50 gas engine.
Early Gere Sports had four-cylinder
engines that also powered Ford model A
and T cars, so Steve fabricated a 1/3-scale
version of the power plant to maintain a
scale appearance.
Left: Henry Harjes with his scratch-built,
electric-powered de Havilland Twin Otter.
Its motors fit nicely into scale engine
nacelles and don’t detract from the scale
outline and appearance.
1930s-era home-built biplane that a young
George “Bud” Gere designed. He
engineered it around the Ford models T and
A and four-cylinder engines that were
reliable and in plentiful supply.
However, Bud was killed in an accident
before he could see his airplane’s first flight.
The Gere Sport became a popular homebuilt
and some are still flying today, but
many are using upgraded power plants.
Steve Schooler of Cypress, California,
found an advertisement on craigslist for a
completed Bud Nosen kit-built 1/3-scale
Gere Sport. It had been constructed more
than 15 years ago by a man who had passed
05sig4.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 3/24/10 1:58 PM Page 97
away without ever flying the model, and his son was offering it for
sale.
The model had a Quadra .50 gas engine, was covered with
Solartex material, and included an old World Engines radio. Steve
promptly removed it to make room for an updated 2.4 GHz system.
He wrote:
“I had the old Quadra 50 fired up and she flew beautifully. I’ve
had so much fun flying a plane that looks and flies realistic, I
haven’t been able to leave it alone.
“I’ve repaired some of the Solartex, repainted and lettered it to
give it some character, and made a replica Model ‘T’ engine out of
balsa and some scrap hardware. Now she looks just like the original
did. I also gave the homemade cowl an aluminum (tape) [job], with
real rivets (250 of them) makeover.”
Steve has been flying RC for approximately 30 years and is a
member of the San Gabriel Valley Radio Control League. The club
field is located at Whittier Narrows Park in South El Monte,
California.
Super job on that four-cylinder engine, Steve, and congrats on a
fine-looking Gere Sport.
Henry Harjes of Etna, New Hampshire, a retired electronics
engineer, designed and built a fantastic 1/6-scale de Havilland
Series 300 DHC-6 Twin Otter. The wingspan is a massive 132
inches, with an all-up weight of 49 pounds.
Henry was interested in building a model of the Twin Otter: a
rugged and versatile workhorse with STOL (Short Takeoff &
Landing) performance. He thought it was a
perfect choice for his modest flying skills.
Unable to locate plans of any size, he
contacted the operations manager at Viking
Air Limited in British Columbia, Canada.
This company holds certificates for many of
the de Havilland aircraft.
Steve spoke to the operations manager
and explained that he would like assistance
in acquiring information about the Twin
Otter. A week later he received an e-mail
containing the factory drawings, in TIF
format. The only requirement was that
Henry return the favor by supplying a set of
1/6-scale model plans.
With the assistance of a close friend, the
files were digitized to vector drawings. From
there, a set of plans was produced using a
CAD program. The model was built using
laser-cut balsa and light-plywood parts.
The finished Twin Otter is powered by
two AXI 5330/18 outrunner motors
swinging Bolly three-blade 19 x 11
propellers. Electricity is provided by an
eight-cell, 5000 mAh Li-Poly battery pack
for each motor. Cruise current drain is
roughly 20 amps, which provides a flight
duration of nearly 15 minutes.
Plans and short kits are available from
John’s Plans and Kits. You can find a
YouTube video of the DHC-6 flying by
searching for “Hank’s Twin Otter.”
Henry Harjes is no stranger to aviation,
and his love of it started at a young age. He
has approximately 300 hours piloting a fullscale
Cessna 177-RG and 182.
He remembers building his first model
from stove matches and tongue depressors at
age 5. Henry’s first RC experience was in the
mid-1940s, with a rudder-only trainer using a
vacuum-tube receiver, heavy batteries, and a
rubber band-driven escapement.
“Model aviation has provided me with
endless hours of problem solving and
entertainment,” wrote Henry. “It is a very
rewarding hobby/sport.”
I can’t agree with you more, Henry. Your
Twin Otter is magnificent!
Check out Tony Kirchenko of East
Setauket, New York, with his newly
completed Composite-ARF F4U Corsair. At
a scale of 1:4.5, it spans 110 inches, is 86
inches long, and has an all-up weight of
roughly 45 pounds.
The model was designed at that scale so
that a Moki 2.15/2.50 five-cylinder radial
engine would fit perfectly within the cowl.
The Corsair comes with many of the details
built into the surface, such as panel lines,
rivets, and fabric appearance on the wings,
elevator, and rudder.
Tony purchased the folding-wing
mechanism separately. It works using an
onboard electric pump and hydraulics.
Since he intends to use this model for
Scale competition, he added scale lights,
arresting hook, sliding canopy, landing
gea r interio r detail, and scale hinge covers.
The model is painted with Klass Kote
epoxy, and the markings were painted using
stencils from RedFiveDesigns. The F4U
swings a 32 x 18 three-blade, adjustable-pitch
propeller.
Tony has been modeling for 50 years. His
first Corsair was a Sterling CL kit, powered
by a K&B .35 engine, that he flew at Willets
Point parking lot before the construction of
Shea Stadium in New York. Tony believes
that his father paid close to $20 for the CL
version. He tells his wife that he spent a little
more for his current Corsair.
Nice work, Tony!
That’s all for now. Spring is here, bringing
thoughts of model aircraft slipping the surly
bonds of earth. What do you have ready for
this season?
I’ll be back next month. MA
Sources:
John’s Plans and Kits
13 Third St.
Newport NH 03773
http://johnsplansandkits.com
Composite-ARF.com
www.carf-models.com
International Miniature Aircraft Association
www.fly-imaa.org
