Radio Control Giants - 2011/01

January 2011 93
WELCOME TO the RC Giants column
and 2011. I hope that all readers and their
families have a happy and healthy new year.
Wow! The first decade of the 21st
century is now behind us. I can’t believe
how quickly time passes.
We witnessed amazing progress in our
hobby—2.4 GHz radio systems, outrunner
motors, and Lithium battery technology, to
name a few. Let’s see what the next 10 years
have in store for us.
The December 2009 column featured a
how-to about fabricating fuselage lacing on
World War I-type models by Ron Prestin of
Huntington Station, New York. This piece
generated e-mail correspondence from
readers, and a follow-up from one described
how he used information to lace his
airplane.
Ron has completed the S.E.5a, which he
built from a FunAero R/C kit. It is 1/4 scale
and powered by a 42cc gas engine. For more
information about this kit, please visit the
FunAero Web site.
The Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5a entered service in March
1917 and quickly became a favorite of Allied pilots. It was easy to
fly and extremely fast.
Although it was not as maneuverable as aircraft such as the
Fokker Dr.I, the S.E.5a was fast, strong, and a stable gun platform.
Many Allied aces such as Billy Bishop, Albert Ball, and James
McCudden flew the airplane.
“It was very fine to be in a machine that was faster than the
Huns, and to know one could run away just as things got too hot,”
wrote James McCudden.
Along with the Sopwith Camel, the S.E.5a was responsible for
regaining air superiority in 1917. One of its
advantages compared with the Camel was that it
had superior performance at higher altitudes.
[[email protected]]
Radio Control Giants Sal Calvagna
Ron Prestin’s completed FunAero S.E.5a
Also included in this column:
• Tony and Fran Mirti’s 1/5-scale 1935 WACO
YKC-S
• Dennis Hernandez’s 1/4-scale Nieuport 11
• Alex DiLena Jr.’s P-40 ride
Ron Prestin’s 1/4-scale FunAero R/C Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5a speeds away. This
model was featured in the December 2009 column, related to fabricating fuselage lacing.
Tony and Fran Mirti of Southborough MA with their 1/5-scale WACO YKC-S at a
Scale Masters Qualifier in Eastport NY.
Above: Tony’s WACO is powered with a
Magnum 1.60 twin-cylinder four-stroke glow
engine. He built the model YKC-S from Charlie
Nelson plans and finished it with Stits fabric and
PolyTone paint.
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94 MODEL AVIATION
Alex DiLena Jr. finished his ’68 Chevy in a Curtiss P-40 motif. The
P-51 is a weather vane that Alex bolted to the roof. Is this a
dedication to scale or what?
Dennis Hernandez and Linda Ciccolella look happy with their 1/4-
scale Nieuport 11 finished in Italian colors. It is covered with
Solartex and powered by a Zenoah G-23 gas engine.
Dennis’s Nieuport 11 “Bebe” makes a landing approach at the
Scale Masters Qualifier in New York. He built the model from
scratch with enlarged Proctor Enterprises plans.
In addition, as the size and horsepower of rotary engines were
reaching their limits, the centrifugal forces and gyroscopic effect on
airframes and pilots became too much to manage. The Hispano-Suiza
engine—which powered the S.E.5a—was advanced for its time,
employing overhead cams, an aluminum block, and steel liners. It
also had a forced lubrication system and dual ignition.
More important was that even a novice could operate the engine.
This was extremely important, because many of the pilots arriving at
the front had fewer than 20 hours of flying time; an aircraft that was
easy to fly with an engine that was easy to operate quickly became a
winning combination.
So go install your favorite engine in a FunAero S.E.5a and make
your own winning combination. Let’s take on some of those Fokkers!
Shown are Tony and Fran Mirti of Southborough, Massachusetts,
with Tony’s 1/5-scale 1935 WACO YKC-S Standard Cabin built from
Charlie Nelson plans. It weighs 16 pounds and is powered by a
Magnum 1.60 twin glow engine.
The model is covered with Stits covering and PolyTone paint.
Tony made the cowl and wheel pants.
The photographs were taken at a Scale Masters Qualifier held in
Eastport, New York. The model is beautifully constructed, and it
flew wonderfully.
Based on the earlier F-series airframe, the WACO Standard
Cabin series was the company’s first successful cabin biplane
design. Through continued improvement, engine upgrades, and
sesquiplane configurations, a total of approximately 350 were built.
Only 22 YKC-S models were built, and only one is still airworthy
today.
A picture shows Dennis Hernandez and Linda Ciccolella of
Bellmore, New York, with Dennis’s 1/4-scale Nieuport 11 built from
enlarged Proctor Enterprises plans. It was covered with Solartex
and finished as the Italian N2123 of WW I, which was flown by
Sgt. Alvaro Leonardi of 80a Squadriglia of the Italian Air Service.
He survived the war with eight confirmed victories.
Maachi built the original aircraft under license in 1917. The
character painted on the fuselage was called “Fortunello,” which
means “lucky” and is based on a comic strip character: the Italian
version of Happy Hooligan. Fortunello was popular with 80a
Squadriglia members; it was featured in slightly different versions
on numerous aircraft.
Air-to-air combat was born in the opening months of WW I. The
first purpose-built combat aircraft were the Morane-Saulnier and
Vickers. However, the German Air Service achieved air superiority
with the introduction of the Fokker Eindecker in mid-1915.
That was mainly because of the synchronized machine gun that
could fire through the propeller arc without striking the blades. It
certainly wasn’t because of the Eindecker; it employed wing
warping for roll and was difficult to fly. The Eindecker made it
difficult for the Allies to acquire sorely needed intelligence from
aerial reconnaissance.
When the diminutive Nieuport 11 entered service in early 1916,
it was more than a match for the Fokker Eindecker. The Nieuport
featured ailerons and a fixed stabilizer, which made it much easier
to fly than the Eindecker. It also had a machine gun mounted on the
upper wing that fired over the propeller arc.
Some 11s were fitted with rockets on the V struts, for attacks on
observation balloons and airships. Along with other Allied designs,
the Nieuport 11 put an end to the Fokker scourge. Synchronized
guns were to become standard equipment, and Nieuports as well as
all future Allied aircraft were fitted with them.
The 11 wasn’t without its drawbacks, though. The much smaller,
lower wing supported an interplane V strut. The lower wing was
weak and would twist under load at high speeds, even breaking
apart in flight.
Although its operational career was short, the Nieuport
represented an important step forward in fighter aircraft design.
How do you get to an aeromodeling event? If you’re Alex DiLena
Jr. of North Seaford, New York, you drive a 1968 Chevy station
wagon painted in a P-40 color scheme, complete with shark’s
mouth and kill markings.
For fellow commuters who are unfamiliar with the P-40 theme,
the 1/5-scale P-51 Mustang weather vane model attached to the roof
is a dead giveaway to Alex’s love for aviation and RC. He works as
an artist who can pinstripe any automobile to your liking.
I wish all readers the best for 2011 and great success in all of your
modeling endeavors. MA
Sources:
FunAero R/C
(803) 499-5487
www.funaero.com
International Miniature Aircraft Association
www.fly-imaa.org
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