RADIO CONTROL SCALE
Stan Alexander, 3709 Valley Ridge Dr., Nashville, TN 37211; E-mail: [email protected]
Last month Model Aviation published my coverage of the 2002 US Scale Masters Championships, held in Mesa, Arizona, in the fall. There was a good turnout from across the United States and several AMA foreign-member entries. Having enough room in an article or a column to cover all the major aspects of the event is always a challenge.
Even more important is getting the information in that article correct, such as the goof I made in the caption in the December Nationals coverage with Steve Sauger’s Aeronca Sedan. I had it listed as a Stinson, which isn’t even close other than they are in the same category of aircraft! If you ever get a chance to see this model up close, take a good look at all the details; Steve did a fantastic job on the model.
I wanted to add a piece about the One Eighth Air Force with the Masters coverage but there wasn’t room, so I’ll put it in here and hope everyone enjoys the focus on a scale model club that has been around for many years. Thanks to Al Casey, Bob Frey, and Mike Peck for the following information and help.
If you’ve never been to one of the One Eighth Air Force’s events, you are missing a treat. They are well run, and the idea of having a good time flying scale models is at the top of the list. Following is some history on this group of dedicated scale modelers.
Around 1976 many scale contests were held with pattern in the Phoenix, Arizona, area (as they were around the country). This was because of the lack of modelers interested in scale competition at the time in that area, or a lack of knowledge about the competition itself.
A group of scale radio control (RC) enthusiasts met to see if they could think of some way to encourage more modelers to build and fly scale model aircraft. After much discussion, Dave Linne threw out a novel idea that was deceptively simple in concept. He proposed holding a low- or no-pressure fly-in that would take the stress off of modelers who weren’t sure of themselves yet. It was thought that this might be the way to promote scale RC by example and encourage other modelers within the area to build their own scale models.
The first event was planned for October at the old Luke Air Force Base — a World War II auxiliary training field with a paved runway. This was the Arizona Radio Control Society’s flying site. For operating expenses, the group asked a few other local clubs for $100 contributions. Each club graciously gave. The group decided that there would be no entry fee for the pilots and no parking fee for spectators; the group thought this would help encourage modelers and spectators to attend. Raffle tickets and a small cut from the caterer would be all of the income for the club.
The first RC scale fly-in was a huge success. The most often repeated question that weekend was, “When and where will the next one be?” Those people who showed interest and were enthusiastic about joining the group were contacted and a meeting was scheduled, which became the founding meeting of the One Eighth Air Force.
The name was chosen as a tribute to the “mighty” 8th Air Force of WWII, and the “One” was added to represent the fraction “one-eighth,” which was the average size of most models at that time. This modification also served to ensure the public that the modelers were not attempting to impersonate the legendary 8th Air Force in any way.
The group drew up a mission statement, drafted a constitution, and obtained an AMA club charter. Plans were then set in motion for the second annual fly-in. After that second fly-in, which became a regional event and another huge success, the One Eighth Air Force began accepting members from out of state. The club was pleased with the acceptance of its format and the way modelers seemed to enjoy the scale fly-ins. To this day, the club's out-of-state membership rivals its local participation.
The One Eighth Air Force continues to rotate the location of its events in the local area, with different clubs hosting. In 2003 the One Eighth Air Force's March fly-in will be held at the Sun Valley Fliers field, at the intersection of Cave Creek and Jomax roads, north of Phoenix, March 22–23.
It's funny how ideas such as the ones I just wrote about come full circle. As I stated in the Masters article, “in a sea of gray hair” we need to take a step back to the basics and encourage modelers from other disciplines to join us in the fun with scale models. Fly-ins such as the One Eighth Air Force's are a great starting point for many.
These events can sow the seeds for more modelers to build and fly scale models, some of whom will eventually join in the fun of competition. Others will find some of the many other facets of scale modeling to enjoy, such as fly-ins, competition, documentation research, judging, and more.
Bookshelf
One of my many favorite aircraft is the Cessna T-50, or Bobcat. The WWII-era twin was a unique aircraft and served in civil and military roles. This aircraft, along with the Airmaster series, the 120/140 series, WACO CG-4A gliders, and Cessna's early racing history, are covered in Cessna's Golden Age by Alan Abel, Drina Welch Abel, and the late Paul Matt.
The 96-page book has eight pages of three-views and 180 photos. It is available for $22.95 plus shipping from Wind Canyon Books, Inc. at (800) 952-7007 or www.windcanyonbooks.com.
Scale Sources
Many civil aircraft have been used as military aircraft, and others have had designs modified for the military. The Cessna L-19 Bird Dog has been used around the world, and it is a new kit from Ikon N'Wst. The 1/5-scale model spans 85 inches and will accept a variety of power plants. Fiberglass cowling and aluminum landing gear are included, along with removable wing panels for ease of transportation. All the parts are hand-cut balsa and plywood, ready to assemble.
Ikon N'Wst has a full line of balsa-and-plywood kits, including:
- WACO Taper Wing
- WACO Model 10
- Gee Bee Model E
- Gee Bee Model Y Super Sportster
- Corben Super Ace
- Fairchild Model 22 (spans 98½ inches)
For more information about the new Cessna L-19 Bird Dog or any of the other kits, contact Ikon N'Wst at 3806 Chase Rd., Post Falls, ID 83854, [email protected], or (208) 773-9001. A photo-illustrated catalog is $5.
Baby Ace Update
After building the Baby Ace's basic structure for all of the tail surfaces and making modifications for the more squared-off tail surfaces (a later, more modern version), it's time to start the wing.
Check the structure to make sure it's scale and conforms to the aircraft we are building. If no changes are needed, make wing-rib blanks from sheets of 1/4"-thick plywood. With tracing paper, trace the outline onto the wood. This works great and will save you time. Make two blanks for the two different wing ribs used in construction on this flat-bottom, straight-taper wing. It couldn't get any simpler than that. The center section where the wing joins the pylon to the struts on the fuselage is the only place where plywood ribs are used in this wing.
After cutting out two identical plywood rib blanks for guides, sand them down and check the shape against the plans. I usually mark the outside edge of the plywood rib blanks with a felt-tip marker so I don't cut into this later. Rough-cut your balsa rib blanks for the ribs, giving yourself enough room around the edges to have some scrap left over later.
With a drill press, drill two holes into the plywood rib blanks—the same diameter as a wooden dowel—that you will put through the rib blanks and the plywood guides. Make sure you have some balsa left over around the outside edges for each of the 12 ribs you will be cutting.
Set the depth gauge on your band saw to allow the 12 ribs and the plywood rib blanks to be sawed at the same time. Take your time and let the saw do the work. By not rushing this portion of the construction, you will be set up to finish the wing panel in a few hours. After cutting the 12 ribs together, while they are still compressed together, sand them at the same time. This will give you a much smoother surface to work with later.
That's all this time around. Fair skies and tailwinds.
MA
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
