Author: Stan Alexander
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/08
Page Numbers: 117,118,120,122
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The economics of Scale aeromodeling

Stan Alexander <[email protected]>

Through the years I’ve attended many Scale contests, mostly as a judge or an observer, and I have competed a few times. Scale modeling is much like any other sport or hobby: some people dabble, some are competitive, some build from scratch, and some buy the latest ARFs, carbon-fiber fittings, or turbine kits.

You can go fishing with just a cane pole or you can buy a Bass Tracker with a 225-horsepower engine and all the electronics imaginable—just to catch a fish. Scale modeling works the same way. Some hobbyists have the time to craft elaborate scratch-built models; others have the money to buy high-end kits and equipment. You can easily spend upward of $15,000 on a new turbine scale kit. I haven’t built one and don’t intend to—after watching five turbines in the air recently, I don’t need the stress of a turbine crash.

Even “cheaper” models add up. Some modelers say if you don’t have the cash to play, you shouldn’t bother. Fair enough. But many dedicated modelers invest an incredible amount of time and at least a little money for a new engine or kit (if they can find one).

Many Scale modelers build and fly airplanes that are roughly a half lap ahead of them. If I were to build a jet it would be something odd or different, such as a Heinkel He 162 Salamander from World War II or a British de Havilland Swallow. They’ve been modeled before, but maybe not in larger scales. Some modelers take a progressive route and eventually find competition thrilling.

Tom Poole of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been building various models and, for the past two years, has competed in the Scale RC Indoor Classic at Muncie, Indiana, which precedes the Scale National Championships. Tom has used kits and his own scratch-built designs. This past winter Tom was busy with a Piper Tri-Pacer scale kit from Ikon N’wst. The kit follows a philosophy of entering competition gradually and with increasingly larger models. Details of Tom’s Tri-Pacer:

  • Wingspan: 87 inches
  • Wing area: 1,300 sq in
  • All-up weight: 15 pounds
  • Covering: 21st Century Coverite
  • Engine: O.S. 1.20 Surpass (same as in my Super Stearman)
  • Servos: seven total — two 1/4-scale, two heavy duty, three standard
  • Power: redundant supply with one battery pack at 2100 mAh and another at 1400 mAh

Tom has flown the model and is preparing it for the Scale National Championships. “It flies very scalelike with about half throttle,” he said. The little lady in the photo is Tom’s granddaughter, Audrey Poole.

Ikon N’wst has new owners and moved from Post Falls, Idaho, to Spokane, Washington. Emil and Iris Neely sold the business last year. The company offers a line of kits including:

  • Gee Bee Model E Sportster
  • Fairchild 22
  • Monocoupe D-145
  • Monocoupe 90A
  • Noorduyn Norseman
  • Rearwin Speedster
  • L-19 Bird Dog
  • Corben Super Ace
  • Gee Bee Model Y Senior Sportster
  • 1/4-scale Super Cub
  • Stinson SR-8 Gullwing
  • Stinson 108

Most of these models are 1/4 scale or larger and are predominantly civil aircraft from the 1930s Golden Era of Aviation. These aren’t ARFs—you have to build the kits, which for many of us is still the fun part of the hobby. Some Ikon N’wst aircraft (for example the Fairchild 22 or the Corben Super Ace) aren’t seen frequently at Scale contests.

Slightly more than two years ago I reviewed plans for Don Smith’s Nakajima Ki-27—code name Nate. The model has a wingspan of 111 inches with an all-up weight close to 30 pounds. I’ve been looking for documentation on this aircraft and have found a lot over the past couple of years with help from friends here and in Japan. The Nate was the first low-wing fighter for the Japanese Army Air Force and entered service in 1936. It looks different from most fighters because it has wheel pants and no retractable gear, which should reduce maintenance if the model survives.

Don Smith offers plans, canopy, cowl, wheel pants, tail cone, and many other parts for the Ki-27. I’ll start construction as soon as I can clear my workbench. I plan to finish it as a fighter in the field, with minimal weathering—photos of this particular aircraft show little wear. A late-war Ki-27 would show much more use.

After checking companies that specialize in cutting kits for plans producers (Don Smith, Jerry Bates, Nick Ziroli, Scale Plans & Photo Service, and others), I selected Precision Cut Kits; the company was listed on Don Smith’s website. Another excellent kit cutter is The Aeroplane Works, which also cuts Don Smith’s kits. I’ve seen several Aeroplane Works kits at contests over the years, including the Scale National Championships, Top Gun, and the Masters Championships.

Most kit-cutting companies use a band saw with a narrow-kerf blade that runs faster and is thinner than a common hardware-store blade. For complex parts, some builders recommend a scroll saw with a spiral blade. A precise band-saw blade should have at least 10 teeth per inch to minimize sanding. If a blade isn’t fine enough, more sanding will be required. I’d like to see more U.S. companies using laser cutting for delicate parts—laser cutting is the future for some of these components.

One thing I enjoy about sport kits from Bruce Tharpe Engineering is that there is little or no sanding involved; the quality of detail is excellent.

Bookshelf

For books about World War I aircraft there isn’t a better source than Albatros Productions Ltd. They publish an extensive list of titles on World War I aircraft, fabric, and related subjects. They aren’t cheap—the average book, with the current exchange rate and postage from the UK, costs approximately $33.

This month I’m reviewing a booklet about the famed mount of the Red Baron: the Fokker Dr.I. Fokker Dr.I by Brian Knight has 41 pages (not including the back cover) and is the best Dr.I documentation I’ve seen. The booklet includes:

  • A brief history of the Dr.I
  • 62 photos of Dr.Is in various color schemes and states of finish
  • Color plates showing different schemes
  • A two-page exploded view of the airframe
  • Scale drawings with five different views
  • Scale detail drawings for fittings such as axles, wing, and tail skid

The photos confirm the streaky paint schemes on many aircraft. I have seen only one modeler correctly reproduce this streaky look; judging from the photos, he nailed it. These books are well worth the money if you’re into World War I aircraft—especially the Dr.I.

The quickest way I know to obtain these books is to fax your credit-card order to the UK. Remember the exchange rate and be ready for the bill. Albatros offers books about many nationalities, including British, French, and German.

Fair skies and tailwinds. —MA

Sources

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