Radio Control Giants - 2010/09

88 MODEL AVIATION
WELCOME BACK! I have
shown you many great models in this
column, but every once in awhile I have the
opportunity to feature truly outstanding
aircraft. This month I’m fortunate to be able
to show you two such “works of art,” so
let’s not waste anymore time and get to
them!
Ed Newman of Fort Worth, Texas, used a
set of enlarged plans by Giuliano Raimondi
to build a 1/4-scale version of the Italian
Macchi MC.200 “Saetta” (Lightning). It
spans 104 inches and weighs 44 pounds.
Sierra Precision fabricated the landing
gear and wheels specifically for this project.
The gear is made so that the trunion shaft
sticks forward through the spar, so the strut
is in front of the spar while the cylinder
remains hidden behind the spar.
Ed’s MC.200 is powered by a Fuji .86
twin-cylinder ignition gas engine that has
more than enough power to swing the Xoar 24 x 10 propeller. The
fuselage is planked balsa covered with 3/4-ounce fiberglass cloth,
using Zap finishing resin.
The paint is Klass Kote and the color scheme is based on the
Macchi MC.200 that resides at the Air Force museum in Dayton,
Ohio. Lee Rice flew this model to a third-place finish at the 2010
Top Gun Scale Invitational.
Ed is no stranger to outstanding aeromodeling. Being a selfconfessed
Fieseler Storch addict, he designed and drew plans for the
[[email protected]]
Radio Control Giants Sal Calvagna
The 2010 Top Gun team of pilot Lee Rice (L) and builder Ed Newman performed
wonderfully; the Macchi MC.200 placed third. Johnson photo.
Left: Lee Rice performs a dirty flyby
with Ed Newman’s Saetta, with gear
and flaps down. This model features
lots of detail! Palmer Johnson photo.
Ed Newman’s Macchi MC.200
Also included in this column:
• Hawker Hurricane by Les
Mason
• Top Flite P-47 ARF
Ed’s MC.200 is powered by a twin-cylinder Fuji .86 ignition gas engine
that has plenty of power to swing the Xoar 24 x 10 propeller.
Les Mason built this Clark Industries 1/4-scale Hawker Hurricane
during a span of eight years. It employs an in-line 104cc engine.
aircraft in 1/4, 1/5, and 1/6 scale. He offers them via his Web site. In
addition, he has designed and drawn plans for a number of Proctor
Enterprises models.
Ed has worked as a draftsman for the past 37 years and is a
member of the Greater Southwest Aero Modelers RC club of Fort
Worth. Congratulations on such a beautiful model!
Mario Castoldi was lead designer on the full-scale MC.200. He
was instrumental in creating several racing aircraft that competed for
the Schneider Trophy in the years before World War II.
09sig3x_00MSTRPG.QXD 7/22/10 9:14 AM Page 88
September 2010 89
Les’s Hurricane is fully detailed. Check out all of the wing rivets!
The model sports a sliding canopy, and the control stick moves
with elevator operation.
In designing a modern fighter, Mario proposed an all-metal,
cantilever low-wing monoplane with retractable landing gear. The
distinctive hump was designed to elevate the cockpit so that the pilot
would have an unobstructed view over the engine cowling.
The MC.200 wing incorporated an advanced system in which the
hydraulically actuated flaps were connected to the ailerons. When
the flaps were deployed, the ailerons also drooped. Unusual features
of the wing include a sharp LE and the left wing panel built longer
than the right wing panel, to help counter the rotational torque of the
engine.
Early in the war, the MC.200 fought over Greece, North Africa,
Yugoslavia, the Mediterranean Sea, and Russia. It was exceptionally
strong, had an excellent kill ratio, and could outclimb many Allied
fighters, with the exception of the Supermarine Spitfire. The radial
air-cooled engine made it an excellent choice for ground attack, and
several units used it as a fighter-bomber.
The first 240 MC.200s delivered had fully enclosed cockpits
(full canopy); however, pilots rejected this feature and requested
open cockpits. Those were common for the time. The Japanese
Mitsubishi A5M Claude and the Russian Polikarpov I-16, also
designed in the 1930s, were two of the first monoplane fighters of
their nation’s air forces. They, too, were initially produced with
enclosed cockpits; upon pilots’ requests, later production versions
had open cockpits.
Although the MC.200 was one of the better Italian fighters, it
lacked firepower; it carried only two Breda 12.7mm guns and was
produced in too-small numbers. Only approximately 1,150 were
manufactured because of antiquated production techniques.
Les Mason of Santa Ynez, California, constructed a magnificent
Clark Industries 1/4-scale Hawker Hurricane. It spans 120 inches,
weighs 60 pounds, and is powered by a Clark 104cc in-line twin gas
engine.
The fuselage and wing center-section are fiberglass, and the
outer wing panels and empennage are built up using light plywood
and balsa. John Rowlings of England fabricated the landing gear,
Top Flite’s new 85-inch-wingspan “Tarheel Hal” P-47
ARF has been a success at the club field. A Desert
Aircraft DA-50 or Zenoah G-62 for power does this
model justice.
FLIGHT GLOW

Fully Automatic

No set-up, no servo reversal

Progressive heating

Full off at 1/4 throttle

Turn off with engine kill

Red LED when driver on
$39.95 plus shipping & handling
C-TRONICS, Inc. P.O. Box 192, Ramsey, NJ 07446 201 818-4289 www.c-tronicsinc.com
C-TRONICS ON BOARD GLOW DRIVERS
FLIGHT GLOW II
All of the features of
FLIGHT GLOW PLUS:
Tri-Color LED
Green–good driver battery
Orange–low driver battery
Red–driver on
Flashing Red–very low battery or
disconnected plug wire
$49.95 plus Specify connector (Futaba, JR-Hitec-Airtronics) shipping & handling
All units complete with plug connector and 1900 MA/HR battery
Work with single or twin engines* and twin cylinder*
(*requires additional battery and plug connector)
Dealer inquiries invited. Simple,Safe,Secure.
Visit our website
for full details
and to see our
other RC products!
09sig3x_00MSTRPG.QXD 7/22/10 9:34 AM Page 89
90 MODEL AVIATION
For further information, details, and pricing, contact
Zurich International, 9418 Snow Lake Place, Elk Grove, CA 95758
www.extremeglaresunglasses.com • [email protected] • 1-800-533-5665 • 916-691-6467
Save your eyes, your plane, your money!
Save your investment!
Why lose your plane in the blinding sun?
Choose Zurich “Extreme Glare” Sunglasses to stop damaging sun glare.
Protect your eyes, and protect your plane with Zurich
“Extreme Glare” sunglass lenses. Nothing in the
world is better!
Available in prescription sunglasses, “Original
Style” fit over type, and fashion “Pilot” Style.
Put Zurich “XG” Technology into your
clear, plastic, prescription lenses for
only $99 (plus S&H).
Zurich can also completely make any Rx (single
vision, bifocals, trifocals, or progressive lenses) with
our “XG” technology for a $35 discount with the
purchase of prescription lenses, and frames
together.
Credit cards accepted.
NO GAMBLE / Money back guarantee!
replica radial engine, cockpit kit, decals, and
photo-illustrated instruction manual.
This P-47 requires a five- to sevenchannel
radio—four channels for the
standard control functions plus flaps and
optional retractable landing gear. Top
Flite recommends using an engine
ranging from 2.6 to 4.0 cu. in.
I have seen two of these Thunderbolts
completed; one had a Desert Aircraft
DA-50 engine and the other was powered
by a Zenoah G-62 gas engine. Both
sported Robart retractable landing gear
and flew exceptionally well with more
than ample power.
With a wing loading of 34-37 ounces,
the Top Flite P-47 is an excellent
performer from takeoff to landing. Nice
job, Top Flite.
That’s all for now. Enjoy the flying
season, and start thinking about that
winter project. MA
Sources:
Ed Newman Scale Aircraft Design
http://storchman.com/all.htm
Clark Industries
(905) 936-2131
www.clarkindustries.on.ca/
Nelson Hobby Specialties
(817) 431-1038
www.nelsonhobby.com
Top Flite
(217) 398-8970
www.top-flite.com
International Miniature Aircraft
Association
www.fly-imaa.org
- SECURE SHOPPING WITH OUR ONLINE CATALOG -
www.fiberglassspecialtiesinc.com
[email protected]
Phone (479) 359-2429 Fax (479) 359-2259
Hours: Monday - Friday 9 to 5 CST
15715 Ashmore Dr., Garfield, Arkansas 72732
LARGEST
COLLECTION OF
EPOXY GLASS
COWLS & WHEEL
PANTS IN THE WORLD!
SINCE
1977!
which is scale in appearance and operation.
The paint and fabric covering are from
Nelson Hobby Specialties. Les uses a
Futaba FASST (Futaba Advanced Spread
Spectrum Technology) radio for control.
The Hurricane sports a sliding canopy, and
the control stick moves with elevator
operation.
Les took eight years to complete this
masterpiece. Brad Hensley of Seattle,
Washington, did the test flights and reported
that the Hurricane is extremely stable, has
lots of lift with the thick wing foil, and rolls
slowly, as did the full-scale aircraft.
For more information about the Clark
Industries Hurricane, please see the
company’s Web site. For more information
about the paint and covering material,
contact Nelson Hobby Specialties. Both
companies are included in the “Sources”
listing.
Very nice work, Mr. Mason!
Sydney Camm designed the legendary
Hawker Hurricane in the mid-1930s. At first
it was a private venture, using a great deal
of existing production tooling and methods.
It was essentially a monoplane version of
the Hawker Fury.
A high priority was to give the pilot
good all-around visibility. As on the Macchi
MC.200, this Hawker’s cockpit was
mounted high in the fuselage, creating the
humpback profile. The aircraft’s thick wing
foil made it a stable gun platform.
The Hurricane’s wings were initially
produced with fabric covering, but fully
aluminum-covered wings were installed
later. This gave the fighter 80 mph
additional diving speed.
Even though the wings had different
covering materials, they were
interchangeable. This and many other
construction techniques made this airplane
easy to build and repair and was one of the
deciding factors that led to putting it into
production.
The first production model, with the
Merlin II engine, took flight in 1937. During
the Battle of Britain, Hurricanes were
responsible for 70% of German losses.
More than 14,500 were built.
One of the newest Giant Scale offerings
from Top Flite is its 85-inch-wingspan,
International Miniature Aircraft
Association-legal P-47 Thunderbolt. It is
between 1/5 and 1/6 scale, constructed using
balsa and plywood, has a one-piece wing
with wing joiner, and sports a painted
fiberglass cowling.
Although this model comes standard
with fixed, prebent landing gear wire, it is
designed to accept Robart retractable main
gear (item 622P47) and retractable tail wheel
assembly (item 160LWC). The P-47 comes
with prebuilt fuselage, wing halves, tail
assemblies, landing gear, wheels, hardware,
spinner hub, hardware package, fuel tank,
09sig3x_00MSTRPG.QXD 7/22/10 9:15 AM Page 90