Author: Stan Alexander
Edition: Model Aviation - 2003/05
Page Numbers: 109,110,112
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RADIO CONTROL SCALE

Stan Alexander 3709 Valley Ridge Dr., Nashville, TN 37211 E-mail: [email protected]

Finding the right "stuff"

Finding the right "stuff" for that scale model is one of the big sticking points for many of us as we are building an airplane. Ruben Nolf was looking for a Seidel radial engine for his Boeing Stearman biplane. I mentioned it in one of the previous columns, and he ended up obtaining one of the scale jewels. He wrote:

"I found a Seidel 7-cylinder engine new in the box and bought it through Jerry Nelson of Nelson Hobby Specialties in Hillsboro, Oregon before your February column came out. Now I have a second offer due to your efforts. Thanks.

"Seidel is alive. Maybe you have run across this web site and maybe not. It is the site of Henrik Rossel and his web address is http://www.rcpropel.dk and is either in German or English. On it he shows the new 14-cylinder Seidel engine. He answered my e-mail and said Seidel has no web site or fax he knows of. But he did give me the address to write to: It is: Fa. Seidel Triebwerke, Postfach 1104, 76306 Malsch, Germany."

Thanks for the update, Ruben. I have had correspondence with other modelers about Seidel and have been told that Seidel is still making engines but is building them on an as-needed basis. You pay for the engine first, then Seidel builds it, which could take several months to a year.

Building from plans — Jerry Bates' Grumman Wildcat

If you've always wanted to build that obscure aircraft or one that not many modelers will ever have in their hangars, try building from plans. Some of these aircraft present particular challenges with landing gear, wing attachment, or tightly cowled engines. Jerry Bates has designed a beautiful set of plans for a World War II fighter that has one of those particular challenges: the main landing gear. The Grumman Wildcat is known to have complicated gear at best, so you don't see too many of these models flying around.

Key details:

  • Scale: 1/5-scale model
  • Wingspan: 91 1/4 inches
  • Fuselage width (just behind cowling): 11 3/4 inches
  • Plans: rolled, five sheets
  • Power: suitable for most 3.7–5.2 cu in gas engines (prototype flown on a G-62)
  • Included: 41-page booklet with history, three-views, and a basic construction section; FS numbers for matching paint chips with local autopaint stores

Fiberglass parts such as the cowling are available, as are the canopy and other shaped parts. The main sticking point on the airplane, as with many Grumman aircraft, is the main landing gear. Robart is manufacturing the main gear for this model, and it should be available by the time this column comes out.

Bob Holman Plans has "short" kits available for Jerry's Wildcat. They run $200 and include only the balsa and plywood shaped parts, such as fuselage formers and wing ribs. The pieces are made using laser-cut precision.

Contact:

  • Bob Holman, Box 741, San Bernardino, CA 92404
  • Tel.: (909) 885-3959
  • E-mail: [email protected]

FAI Scale Team Selection and the Scale World Championships

This year the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) Scale Team Selection will be held at the Scale National Championships for F4C and F4B classes. The team selected this coming June will represent the United States at the Scale World Championships in Poland in 2004.

The Scale World Championships is the equivalent of the Olympics of scale aeromodeling. The contest lasts a week, and Team USA competitors help each other and work together to place as high as possible, hoping to achieve one of the first three places and win a bronze, silver, or gold medal.

These World Championships events are some of the most elaborate contests anywhere in the world. The hosting Aero-Club of Poland is one of the most organized modeling groups in Europe, and attendees should have a great time. The World Championships were held in Switzerland in 2000, and similar crowds are expected in Deblin, Poland. Deblin is a town of approximately 20,000 people, situated at the estuary of the Wieprz River into the Vistula River, roughly 60 miles southeast of Warsaw.

Models are shipped to Europe (or wherever the Championships are held) in specifically designed boxes for each model and the field equipment needed for world competition. Pilots usually compete one at a time, so there is no chance of midair crashes or of not hearing your model if the engine dies.

It's a wonderful opportunity to compete against the best scale modelers, see other places, and learn more about people in other parts of the world. As many as 35 countries are represented at a World Championships. If you're an Expert or Designer competitor, give FAI and the Team Selection some thought. It's an honor to represent your country in world competition. Winning and bringing home a medal would be icing on the cake.

Bookshelf — Luftwaffe Color Chart

Identifying the correct colors for scale models is an art; color chips vary from source to source around the world. Being able to obtain the chips from the company that formulated and produced the paint for the original aircraft helps narrow down mistakes when finishing a model.

Warnecke and Böhm GmbH was the principal supplier of aviation paint to the Luftwaffe during World War II, and the company certified the color-chip chart. The chips are precisely matched by spectrophotometric measurement and reproduction of all known original color standards and the paint manufacturer's archive specimens.

There are 30 color chips included in the three-page booklet Luftwaffe Color Chart by Eagle Editions Ltd. The chips are protected inside a plastic Ziploc bag. This Luftwaffe color-chip chart comes from the most accurate and authentic source for actual color standards as they were specified by the German Air Ministry from 1933 to 1945.

Contact:

US Scale Masters Championships

This year, with the 100th anniversary of powered flight, the US Scale Masters Championships will be held in Dayton, Ohio, September 24–28 on the U.S. Air Force Museum grounds. Mike Barbee is the contest director, and Mary Wade is the Vanguard Leader for the US Scale Masters.

By the time this column is out, there should be more information available on the Championships. Check the Scale Masters web site: http://www.scalemasters.org

Corben Baby Ace — wing construction notes

The holiday season has just ended as I write this, and activity has slowed to a standstill in the shop, but I have been working on the Baby Ace's wing structure when time allows. The 90-inch-span wing builds into three sections. The two outboard panels are constructed on the building board with a flat-bottom airfoil.

Building-board tip:

  • A hollow-core door works well as a building board for this model. Find one at a store such as Lowe's or The Home Depot with a hole in it on one side or some minor damage. The screws will go through without too much trouble; just make sure the side you use is flat and doesn't have a dip in it. You can usually pick up one of these doors for approximately $5.

Spar and rib details:

  • Main front spars: 5/8-inch square hardwood
  • Rear spars: 1/4 x 3/8-inch hardwood or medium balsa (I used hardwood on all spars because this is a lightly built wing)
  • Wing ribs: 1/8-inch balsa (except center-section ribs and the inboard ribs on the outer panels)
  • Center-section ribs: 1/8-inch plywood — needed to mount 5/16-inch-diameter brass tubes that take 1/4-inch steel pins which mount the outer panels to the center section

Modification to the wingtip and ailerons will depend on the prototype or full-scale aircraft you are modeling. On this version, I changed the shape of the tail surfaces and altered the ailerons' outer tips to match documentation photos. This version has a straight edge on the outer aileron that isn't flared into the wingtip. On some versions the aileron extends out as part of the wingtip itself.

Proceed carefully, and don't omit the shear webbing between the spars. The wing structure is open-frame and needs this webbing for strength. The wing center section will actually be part of the fuselage construction, as it is permanently attached.

Fair skies and tailwinds. MA

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