RADIO CONTROL SCALE
Stan Alexander 3709 Valley Ridge Dr., Nashville TN 37211 E-mail: [email protected]
Last month I showed you some of the airplanes from the FAI European Scale Championships. This month I’ll show some detail shots of the Macchi MC.200 Saetta by Cesare Cordella of Italy.
(At the Scale Championships it is possible for each country to have three members on the F4C [RC] team and three members on the F4B [CL] team. With the addition of the Large Scale class, the total goes up to nine members.)
Macchi MC.200 Saetta (Cesare Cordella, Italy)
Cesare entered the beautiful 96-inch-span Saetta in Large Scale, and it tipped the old FAI weight limit of 12 kilograms (kg). At the beginning of 2005 this limit will be raised to 15 kg, which is just more than 33 pounds.
Photos show excellent cockpit detail, including a full-body pilot dressed in the correct uniform with a life preserver—in case he ever needs to make a water landing. The two doors shown are interesting: hidden latches secure the panels, the windows are the correct shape, and the bulge for the pilot’s shoulders is functional.
Another photo shows the unique cowling, which has an oil cooler under the ring around the forward portion of the cowl; the grooves help pass cool air over this part. You can also see the air intake under the cowling, similar to that on the early Japanese A6M2 Zero fighters. Just to the rear left of the cowl, forward of the leading edge of the inboard wing, is one of two exhaust pipes. The cowl bumps for the rockers are extremely detailed.
Koolhoven F.K.49 (Bert Hazeborg, Netherlands)
Another “different” airplane at the Championships was a military version of the Dutch Koolhoven F.K.49. Transports are common in competition—especially twin‑engine models with four‑stroke engines, if they will fit under the cowls—either in military or civil versions, but this is a rare subject.
Dutch team member Bert Hazeborg built the F.K.49, which spans 106 inches and is powered by two Saito 70 engines. A fully detailed cockpit and many other scale details are included. With the fuselage’s large, flat side area, wind can play havoc while trying to keep the F.K.49 flying straight. Fortunately, the week of the contest had little to no wind, and the odd‑looking transport flew well.
The Dutch team took home F4C first-place team honors, with Gerard Rutten flying his Beechcraft C-45 and his son Gerard Rutten Jr. flying an F-15C turbine-powered model.
P-47 and P-51 Entries
A photo from the 2003 Scale Nationals at Muncie, Indiana, shows John Guenther and Steve Sauger readying John’s P-47 for another flight. What’s unique about this P-47 is its finish: it carries the Cross of Lorraine on its vertical fin and is painted in the Free French color scheme, making it different from most P-47s. Why do this? A distinctive color scheme on a common scale subject—well documented—can surprise judges, spectators, and the press and may help obtain a higher static score.
Richard Crupi’s P-51B is shown ready for static judging. It’s a photogenic model, and the photo shows a competitor prepared for the static table: Richard’s documentation is in a booklet under the port side of the wing, and he has taken the time to include the flying specs.
Scale Sources
A relatively new company—Skyshark R/C, formerly Heritage RC—has been on the scene for approximately a year and offers a good line of scale kits. Several local modelers have been asking about what some call "YBM" models, which stands for "You Build 'Em." These are models that can be flown on weekends and don't cost $2,000 to build.
Skyshark has a fairly extensive line of scale models, many of which would fit and fly well at local fields. Most of these aircraft have spans less than 74 inches. Plans show retracts or fixed gear. The TBM Avenger shown spans 72 inches and has a wing area of 906 square inches. Skyshark R/C brochures indicate that the model should come in at 9 to 13 pounds, depending on how many scale details you add.
Available or announced Skyshark R/C models include:
- Hellcat
- SBD Dauntless dive bomber
- Fw 190A-8
- Fw 190D-9
- AD Skyraider
- Ju 87 Stuka (no retracts)
- Hawker Tempest
- A 63-inch-wingspan Aichi Val dive bomber (no retracts)
- Christen Eagle II (61-inch wingspan)
- P-40 (ARF with fiberglass construction; expected availability in May)
Model parts are CAD-drawn and laser-cut. Skyshark kits include fiberglass parts, decals for different paint schemes, and detailed instruction booklets. Contact the company about kit lines, prices, and availability at (866) 854-6100 or visit www.skysharkrc.com.
Bookshelf
American Eagles: P-47 Thunderbolt Units of the Eighth Air Force (USAAF Colours 3) by Roger Freeman. Published by Ian Allan Publishing Ltd. This 96-page book (ISBN 1903223180) contains many black-and-white photos, including shots of earlier P-47C models with the high turtledeck behind the cockpit.
The book features several color side plates (artist renderings of full-scale aircraft color schemes), but a common shortcoming appears here: some color side plates don't match the black-and-white photos in the volume. There are 29 color side views representing different P-47 models.
With the wealth of black-and-white photos, this volume is a worthwhile addition to any P-47 buff's collection. To purchase this 96-page book, check Zenith Books or Historic Aviation; it lists for $24.95 plus shipping.
Fair skies and tailwinds. MA
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
