Author: Sal Calvagna
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/09
Page Numbers: 102,103
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Radio Control Giants

Sal Calvagna [[email protected]]

Tubing for use with blended fuels

In recent columns I have touched on the subject of using blended fuels in our small gas engines and the effect it has on our fuel systems. Some readers have switched to white gas (Coleman fuel) to avoid ethanol altogether. Others have been content using the readily available gasoline/ethanol blend.

For those looking to replace hardened fuel lines, Nick Ziroli Plans (NZP) offers tubing that resists ethanol. It's called Viton — a synthetic rubber extremely resistant to a variety of hydrocarbons that normally act as solvents on rubber. This tubing has an excellent temperature range, from -10° to 400°, and is known to offer the widest chemical-resistance range of any commercial rubber. As such, it is an excellent choice for fuel and oil lines.

If you would like to try Viton in your model, contact NZP; their contact information is at the end of the column in the source listing. The company sells this material in 1/4-inch OD and 1/8-inch ID sizes, and it can be purchased in varying lengths.

Fw 190 vs Me 109

The two most influential fighters that flew with Germany's Luftwaffe were the Messerschmitt Me 109 and the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 — and that probably can't be disputed. Where the argument gets heated is if you ask which one was better. WWII ended roughly 65 years ago, and the controversy still rages. As long as there are aviation fans and amateur historians, I doubt that the debate will end.

Thanks to a few people, we have great models of both aircraft available. Roy Vaillancourt of Vailly Aviation sells an award-winning Giant Scale Fw 190 in two sizes. The smaller version spans 90.5 inches, has a wing area of 1,305 square inches, and can be powered by a 50cc or larger gas engine. Roy also sells many accessories to nicely finish and outfit the aircraft. The other version spans 113 inches.

Roy's web description of the Fw 190 includes the following features:

  • Plans show a built-up structure drawn full size and include installation of flaps and two sets of retracts.
  • Retracts shown are specially designed scale retracts (the sport flyer may use other brands with some wing modifications).
  • Full-size templates are provided for all ribs, formers, and various parts.
  • Scale construction is shown for ailerons, elevators, and rudder for the scale purist.

Accessory parts available include:

  • Fiberglass cowl
  • Clear plastic canopy
  • Aluminum spinner
  • Droppable bomb or belly tank
  • A-5 or A-8 gun hood
  • Scale retracts
  • Landing gear door liners
  • Wing ammo covers
  • Scale wheels
  • Functional cooling fan
  • A fiberglass fuselage with molded-in fin (when available) to help speed building time

For more information about Vailly Aviation's Fw 190 in both sizes, visit their website or call Roy after 8 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time). The company is closed on Sunday.

Full-scale Fw 190 features

The full-scale Fw 190's landing gear was operated electrically — not by a hydraulic system, which was common in period fighters. The flaps were also operated electrically, with a push of a button; that was highly unusual for the time. The cowling fit so tightly to the radial engine and the spinner was so large that a fan-blade assembly was used to force air into the engine to keep it cool.

The aircraft's designer, Kurt Tank, had presented liquid-cooled, inline engine designs to the Reich Air Ministry, but the radial-engine-powered design caught attention partly because of a shortage of inline engine production (needed for the Me 109 and other aircraft). It was also easier to manufacture the simpler air-cooled radial engine. The Fw 190 dominated the skies when it was introduced in 1941; it was clearly superior to all Allied fighters. Nearly 40 versions were produced.

One of the latter variants was the Ta 152, which sported a larger wing area and a liquid-cooled engine, designed for high-altitude bomber interception. The designation "Ta" honored Kurt Tank because the Air Ministry changed naming conventions to reflect the chief designer rather than the producing company — a rare honor, and Tank was the first engineer so recognized.

The Ta 152 was capable of speeds around 440 mph and had a service ceiling close to 49,000 feet. But as with many of Germany's late-war technical achievements, it was too little, too late.

If you're at the field with a bunch of pilots, it's too windy to fly, and you're bored, throw out the question of whether the Fw 190 or the Me 109 was the better fighter. You probably won't be bored for long. Have fun!

Polikarpov I-16 and model construction

The Russian Polikarpov I-16 was the world's first monoplane fighter with retractable landing gear. Similar to the Grumman F3F Wildcat, retracting the gear required the pilot to operate a hand crank.

That crank was difficult to use and required much strength. As the pilot turned it with his right arm, his left arm remained on the control stick, which made the plane a handful to fly. As a result, it was common to see the I-16 porpoise a bit after takeoff as the gear was being retracted.

Although the I-16 was revolutionary for its time, it was underpowered in some ways and retained some older construction methods and materials. The vertical and horizontal stabilizers and rudder were covered with cloth and doped, as were the outer wing panels.

The empennage on my 1/4-scale I-16 was easy to replicate. I used 1/8-inch balsa sheet for the stabilizer's center support and added ribs on both sides, followed by balsa stock leading edges (LEs) and trailing edges (TEs). Once sanded to shape, I covered them with Solatex iron-on material.

However, since my model's wing has a foam core sheeted with balsa, I needed to add some sort of rib tape to simulate an open-bay, cloth-covered, doped outer wing panel. Leaving a smooth finish on the wing would look incorrect.

After studying numerous photos of the I-16, I made cloth rib tape from 3/16-inch-wide Solatex strips and ironed them onto the fiberglass-coated wings at the rib locations. Then I primed the wing, applying a heavy coat along the Solatex strips to mute the edges a bit. This provides the illusion of many coats of dope.

The last step was to add some stitching or raised rivets using RC/56 white glue (which dries clear), followed by a final coat of paint.

I'm nearly finished with the I-16's construction, and I hope to feature the completed model in next month's column. Wish me luck!

Thanks for visiting the RC Giants column. If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, don't hesitate to write. MA

Sources

Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.