RADIO CONTROL SCALE - 2005/03
THE 2004 Scale National Championships was the event. The Horizon Convention Center in downtown Muncie, Indiana, was the place. After all of the static judging was completed on a Friday, the event hall was turned over to the indoor Scale RC event. It was flown according to proposed rules that became official in 2005.
There were two classes flown in this low-key, fun category: Sport Scale and Fun Scale. There are numerous models on the market that can compete in the indoor RC Fun Scale class. I selected the Fokker D.VII from Sig Manufacturing.
This airplane features all-foam construction, comes prepainted, and assembly is quick. A photo-illustrated construction booklet with detailed directions makes it simple, even for those who have never built a model.
I made a few changes to add detail to the Fokker, but I had to be careful about increasing weight. For the most part I used an artist's pen and watercolor paints from Wal-Mart to paint the guns, struts, tires, cockpit combing, and other small details. Using the pen, I added simulated rib tapes on the upper and lower wings. I didn't add handholds on the side of the fuselage or other tiny fittings, but I can do that later.
This being my first indoor RC model, I sort of bounced it around the area at first, then managed to put in a good flight. It's a new challenge for those of us more used to the outdoor Scale arena and boring holes in the sky with a sport model.
Tom Poole — Bellanca 1916 Tractor Biplane and Cessna 180
Tom Poole of the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area came to compete in two classes with his scratch-built Bellanca 1916 Tractor Biplane and a Cessna 180 built from a Mountain Models kit.
Bellanca 1916 Tractor Biplane (scratch-built)
- Top wing span: 33.5 inches; bottom wing span: 30 inches.
- Wing area: 330 square inches.
- All-up weight with battery pack: 8.5 ounces.
- Power: DC-1717 motor bolted to an 11.8:1 gear reduction unit; 9x6 APC propeller for rise-off-ground.
- Covering: silver and white Litespan.
- Details: handmade decals from an Internet logo, rolled toilet paper for cockpit combing, hollow plastic tires to reduce weight while keeping scale appearance.
- Controls: pull-pull.
- Result: only successful scratch-built model at the contest; finished fourth in Sport Scale.
Cessna 180 (Mountain Models kit)
- Span: 35 inches.
- Weight: just over 8 ounces.
- Motor: GWS DXA motor.
- Power system: seven-cell 350 mAh NiMH battery.
- Kit features: laser-cut parts; includes wheels, pushrods, and gear.
- Result: finished third in Fun Scale; flights improved as the event progressed.
- More info: www.mountainmodels.com
Look out for Tom's Cessna at future events.
Greg Hahn — B-17F "Memphis Belle"
Longtime Scale modeler Greg Hahn competed with a DJ Aerotech Roadkill-series model of a B-17F, the "Memphis Belle." The model was powered by four electric motors. Greg had the ailerons working as well as the bomb bay, dropping dummy bombs on the judging team of Hal and Gary Parenti. Greg won Fun Scale with the B-17 after some smooth flights. It goes to show what you can do with a simple kit — he flew the model as smoothly as he does his "wet-powered" Scale models, and the takeoffs and landings were beautiful.
Sport Scale (combined Sportsman and Expert)
Sport Scale was combined into a single Sportsman/Expert class, and the Demoiselle dominated that category — first, second, and third were all Demoiselles.
- First place: Jim Rediske — took the first-place trophy and a kit from Sig. Jim flies indoors at a golf dome at home in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. With his wife Bonnie calling for him, he flew the Demoiselle expertly to the win.
- Second place: Skip Mast.
- Third place: Mike Gretz.
Food for the event was provided; a Subway dinner with cold drinks kept everyone close to the event and airplanes in the air all evening. It was a great time, and many of the spectators who are modelers are looking forward to next year's event at Ball State University in Muncie.
I hope this gives you an idea of what is possible with park flyers and indoor Scale models. This form of modeling is in its infancy and is growing all the time. It's a lot of fun, and sometimes you have to laugh at yourself. Indoor flying can be humbling — walls come up quickly — but try it; you might enjoy the challenge.
For Scale indoor rules, blank score sheets, and upcoming events, check out www.nasascale.org.
Around Scale
England's John Thompson — the prolific modeler who really likes electric-powered floatplanes and flying boats — sent a photo of his Avro 539 Falcon biplane. The forward fuselage and wings are silver-gray, and the tail is bright red. The scale floats are natural-wood finished.
- Wingspan: 34 inches.
- Construction: spruce and balsa, covered in Solarfilm.
- Floats: fabricated by John, covered with 0.5 mm plywood.
- Float struts: 5/16-inch Streamline aluminum tubing.
- Power: Typhoon Micro 15 brushless motor driving a 9x6 wood propeller.
- Battery: eight-cell Sanyo 600 mAh "Stubbies" pack.
- Radio: three-channel micro system.
- All-up weight with batteries: 28 ounces.
Background: Roy Chadwick designed the full-scale Avro 539. It was built during the summer of 1919 at A.V. Roe & Co.'s factory in Hamble, England, for the 1919 Schneider Trophy Race. Pre-race trials by pilot Capt. H. Hamersley were not promising, and the Falcon was kept as a reserve aircraft.
The Avro 539 was a small, single-seat, twin-float biplane with wood-and-metal construction. It was powered by a 240-horsepower Siddeley Puma six-cylinder, direct-drive, water-cooled inline engine.
New Products
I received an update from plans designer Don Smith, who has published large-scale model plans for years. Some of the "big names" in competition and the International Miniature Aircraft Association-type modelers have used his plans.
One new offering is the Westland Whirlwind model:
- Scale: 1/5.
- Wingspan: 108 inches.
- Length: 79 inches.
- Parts: available with plastic canopy and fiberglass cowls.
This would make a great electric-powered Scale model. For more information contact: Don Smith Plans 7445 Texas Tr. Boca Raton, FL 33487 Tel.: (561) 989-9113 Web: www.donsmithplans.com
Bookshelf: Nakajima Ki-27 "Nate"
Nakajima Ki-27 "Nate" by Leszek A. Wieliczko and Zygmunt Szeremeta is a new book published by Kagero (ISBN 83-890088-51-7). It is written in Polish and English. It’s rare to find a book that so completely documents an aircraft type; this volume documents the type thoroughly from front to back.
- Pages: 126, including extensive scale drawings.
- Decals: includes 1/72-scale decals.
- Color plates: 15 pages of color side plates and the front cover used for documentation.
- Note: color chips are not included.
This line of books is available from Squadron Mail Order: Squadron Mail Order 1115 Crowley Dr. Carrollton, TX 75011 Tel.: (972) 242-8663 Web: www.squadron.com
Nakajima Ki-27 "Nate" is available for $22.46 plus shipping. Squadron is the primary source for this series; although geared primarily toward plastic modelers, these books are valuable sources of information. The Polish volumes are some of the best in the world for scale documentation, and I highly recommend them for your next project.
Fair skies and tailwinds. MA
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
