The many services available through AMA for the RC Scale modeler
[[email protected]]
Radio Control Scale Stan Alexander
Also included in this column:
• Around Scale: Model projects
• Sig Manufacturing’s new
WACO ARF
• Bookshelf: Model Activity
Press offerings
Olen’s Piper Super Cruiser’s fuselage
being framed up in the cardboard forms
for three of the fuselage formers.
Olen Rutherford’s 1/5-scale Piper Super Cruiser is powered by an O.S. .70 engine.
Chauncey Dance constructed his Fokker D.VII from Bob Holman
Plans. It spans 80 inches and has a Saito 1.80 engine. A close-up of the Fokker D.VII’s dummy-engine details.
I HAVE RECEIVED material regarding
several finished Scale-model projects in the
mail in the past few months, and in this column
I’ll try to catch up with some photos and
information about the aircraft.
Some modelers have said to me that AMA is
no more than an insurance service for
modelers. Oh, how wrong they are, and they
probably wish they hadn’t started to go there
with me.
The benefits AMA offers are myriad. One
of my favorites is the Model Aviation Plans
Service. You can go find any plans that have
been published since 1975, including all the
Henry Haffke plans for the Gee Bee Model Y
Sportster in 1/4 and 1/5 scale, the Model Z Super
Sportster, the R-1 Super Sportster that Jimmy
Doolittle flew in the 1931 Thompson Trophy
Race, and Steve Sauger’s 1/4-scale Fairchild 24.
There are plans for many beautiful models
in that index. To access them, go to the AMA
Web Site—www.modelaircraft.org—and click
on “Publications,” “Model Aviation,” and then
“Available Plans.” The plans are listed by year,
and there’s a downloadable order form on the
page.
The AMA Web site also has an extensive
plans listing for all designers. I pulled up the
page for “B,” and there were 64 pages of plans.
Under Blohm und Voss there are eight sets of
plans in a variety of sizes for modelers who
want something different, such as the Blohm
und Voss Bv 141 that spans 54 inches.
The Bv 141 is a unique Scale model. The
full-scale version was an observation aircraft
that featured the engine in the centerline of the
fuselage and the cockpit for the crew in a
nacelle out on the wing! Blohm und Voss is
also well known for its flying boats.
Another interesting feature is AMA’s
“Focus on Competition” section, located near
the back of MA each month. There you can
find out who your district Scale representative
is, as well as the name of each FAI Team
Selection Committee chairman.
Last month I wrote about museums and
documentation. After you build your model,
Kevin Knebel built his 89-inch-wingspan Stearman N2S-3 from an
all-wood Flair kit. It’s seen here flying at the Nats.
The Stearman’s engine running, showing much detail work Kevin
added to the model. Note the rivets and screws on the fuselage
and the spark-plug wires.
have it detailed to a point, and are satisfied that
it flies well, you will probably want to take it to
a Scale contest or fly-in. Following the
competition directory is the “Contest Calendar”
section, where you can find chronological
listings for Scale and other competitions, flyins,
and nonflying events.
Around Scale: Model projects I’m including
this month came to me with a couple
interesting photos: one of the model and one of
a unique construction method.
Olen Rutherford looked at the plans for his
Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser and began thinking
about what to do with all the fuselage formers.
He drew a reference line on the plans at the
bottom of the fuselage, picked out three
formers he wanted to use, transferred these to
the cardboard, and marked the centers of each
one.
Then he measured from the reference line
on the plans to the bottom of the former and
marked this on the cardboard, squared the
bottom of the former to this line, and cut the
cardboard off at the line.
Olen cut the former with all the cutouts,
pinned them on the centerline in their correct
places, slid the fuselage sides into their correct
places, and started adding the crosspieces/
formers. It all locked in place. When he got all
the parts square and straight, he glued the
structure.
The Piper is powered with an O.S. .70 fourstroke,
and it has landing lights and navigation
lights. It is built to 1/5 scale.
Chauncey Dance of New England finished
and is now flying a beautiful 80-inch-span
Fokker D.VII. It’s not a Balsa USA kit, but
was constructed from plans that are available
from Bob Holman Plans.
Chauncey powers the D.VII with a Saito
1.80 with onboard ignition. The model is
covered with Glen Torrance linen and doped
with satin-coated Stitts Aerothane. Chauncey
built the cowling from a lost-foam method and
vacuum-formed the louvers.
Kevin Knebel built his Boeing Stearman
N2S-3 from an all-wood Flair kit. The model
has Nelson Hobby Specialties Lite-Fab
covering with Nelson urethane. The bright
yellow US Navy paint scheme sets off the
details you can see in the photos. Notice the
rivet and screw details.
The Saito 1.80 FS engine is mounted
inverted to allow it to be as well hidden as
possible. Kevin uses a Futaba 9C radio system
with five servos to handle control of the 89-
inch-span aircraft. The model features onboard
glow and a smoke unit.
New Sig WACO: I thought it would never
happen, but now there is an ARF version of a
WACO biplane. Sig Manufacturing Inc. has
developed a WACO cabin biplane from the
1930s: the SRE. The full-scale versions were
the Beechcraft Bonanza of their time. They
were a businessman’s luxury airplane.
I’m sure many modelers have a 1.20 fourstroke
laying around waiting for that next
project. There is a variety of two- and fourstroke
engines and electric motors listed for
possible use.
The Sig WACO comes with a striking
yellow-and-black paint scheme with white
pinstripes on a fabric covering called
AeroKote. The model’s top wing spans
69.5 inches, with a suggested all-up
weight of 9-10 pounds. The big WACO
also features scale flaps and quickrelease
N struts.
With the increase of electric-powered
models, seeing ARF manufacturers include
all the specifications for electric power is
almost expected now. The recommended
electric power source for this WACO is the
FlyWare LRK 350-25 motor. The model’s
street price is reported to be $399.
Bookshelf: Some of the best publications in
the world for Scale modelers come from
Great Britain, and one of my favorites is
Flying Scale Models. In it you will find great
technical articles, scale documentation, threeview
scale drawings, and photos with
accompanying articles.
Through the years Model Activity Press
has disseminated a wealth of information
about various aircraft types. In Aircraft of
WWII (Part 1), which has a total of 61 pages,
you receive the history, detail photos, scale
drawings, and colors of the aircraft presented
within this volume: the Boeing Stearman PT-
13 and PT-17, the Fairey Swordfish, the
Ryan PT-22, the Vickers Supermarine
Walrus, and the Westland Lysander.
The Boeing Stearman would be the most
widely recognized aircraft by most of us.
Color photos of G-AWLO are included,
along with all specifications, 48 detail
photos, and two pages of scale drawings. The
other aircraft are similarly covered. Probably
the least-known airplane in the card-stockcovered
book is the Supermarine Walrus.
Aircraft of WWII (Part 1) and other titles
are available from Model Activity Press, 63-
65 Woodside Rd., Amersham, Bucks, HP6
6AA, England. If you call the company—at
011 1494-433453—or fax—at 011 1494
433468—remember that at our Central Time
it is eight hours ahead of us. The Web site is
www.modelactivitypress.com.
The book retails for roughly $36, or 19.99
pounds including postage, with exchange
rates that can change.
Fair skies and tailwinds. MA
Edition: Model Aviation - 2007/03
Page Numbers: 115,116
Edition: Model Aviation - 2007/03
Page Numbers: 115,116
The many services available through AMA for the RC Scale modeler
[[email protected]]
Radio Control Scale Stan Alexander
Also included in this column:
• Around Scale: Model projects
• Sig Manufacturing’s new
WACO ARF
• Bookshelf: Model Activity
Press offerings
Olen’s Piper Super Cruiser’s fuselage
being framed up in the cardboard forms
for three of the fuselage formers.
Olen Rutherford’s 1/5-scale Piper Super Cruiser is powered by an O.S. .70 engine.
Chauncey Dance constructed his Fokker D.VII from Bob Holman
Plans. It spans 80 inches and has a Saito 1.80 engine. A close-up of the Fokker D.VII’s dummy-engine details.
I HAVE RECEIVED material regarding
several finished Scale-model projects in the
mail in the past few months, and in this column
I’ll try to catch up with some photos and
information about the aircraft.
Some modelers have said to me that AMA is
no more than an insurance service for
modelers. Oh, how wrong they are, and they
probably wish they hadn’t started to go there
with me.
The benefits AMA offers are myriad. One
of my favorites is the Model Aviation Plans
Service. You can go find any plans that have
been published since 1975, including all the
Henry Haffke plans for the Gee Bee Model Y
Sportster in 1/4 and 1/5 scale, the Model Z Super
Sportster, the R-1 Super Sportster that Jimmy
Doolittle flew in the 1931 Thompson Trophy
Race, and Steve Sauger’s 1/4-scale Fairchild 24.
There are plans for many beautiful models
in that index. To access them, go to the AMA
Web Site—www.modelaircraft.org—and click
on “Publications,” “Model Aviation,” and then
“Available Plans.” The plans are listed by year,
and there’s a downloadable order form on the
page.
The AMA Web site also has an extensive
plans listing for all designers. I pulled up the
page for “B,” and there were 64 pages of plans.
Under Blohm und Voss there are eight sets of
plans in a variety of sizes for modelers who
want something different, such as the Blohm
und Voss Bv 141 that spans 54 inches.
The Bv 141 is a unique Scale model. The
full-scale version was an observation aircraft
that featured the engine in the centerline of the
fuselage and the cockpit for the crew in a
nacelle out on the wing! Blohm und Voss is
also well known for its flying boats.
Another interesting feature is AMA’s
“Focus on Competition” section, located near
the back of MA each month. There you can
find out who your district Scale representative
is, as well as the name of each FAI Team
Selection Committee chairman.
Last month I wrote about museums and
documentation. After you build your model,
Kevin Knebel built his 89-inch-wingspan Stearman N2S-3 from an
all-wood Flair kit. It’s seen here flying at the Nats.
The Stearman’s engine running, showing much detail work Kevin
added to the model. Note the rivets and screws on the fuselage
and the spark-plug wires.
have it detailed to a point, and are satisfied that
it flies well, you will probably want to take it to
a Scale contest or fly-in. Following the
competition directory is the “Contest Calendar”
section, where you can find chronological
listings for Scale and other competitions, flyins,
and nonflying events.
Around Scale: Model projects I’m including
this month came to me with a couple
interesting photos: one of the model and one of
a unique construction method.
Olen Rutherford looked at the plans for his
Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser and began thinking
about what to do with all the fuselage formers.
He drew a reference line on the plans at the
bottom of the fuselage, picked out three
formers he wanted to use, transferred these to
the cardboard, and marked the centers of each
one.
Then he measured from the reference line
on the plans to the bottom of the former and
marked this on the cardboard, squared the
bottom of the former to this line, and cut the
cardboard off at the line.
Olen cut the former with all the cutouts,
pinned them on the centerline in their correct
places, slid the fuselage sides into their correct
places, and started adding the crosspieces/
formers. It all locked in place. When he got all
the parts square and straight, he glued the
structure.
The Piper is powered with an O.S. .70 fourstroke,
and it has landing lights and navigation
lights. It is built to 1/5 scale.
Chauncey Dance of New England finished
and is now flying a beautiful 80-inch-span
Fokker D.VII. It’s not a Balsa USA kit, but
was constructed from plans that are available
from Bob Holman Plans.
Chauncey powers the D.VII with a Saito
1.80 with onboard ignition. The model is
covered with Glen Torrance linen and doped
with satin-coated Stitts Aerothane. Chauncey
built the cowling from a lost-foam method and
vacuum-formed the louvers.
Kevin Knebel built his Boeing Stearman
N2S-3 from an all-wood Flair kit. The model
has Nelson Hobby Specialties Lite-Fab
covering with Nelson urethane. The bright
yellow US Navy paint scheme sets off the
details you can see in the photos. Notice the
rivet and screw details.
The Saito 1.80 FS engine is mounted
inverted to allow it to be as well hidden as
possible. Kevin uses a Futaba 9C radio system
with five servos to handle control of the 89-
inch-span aircraft. The model features onboard
glow and a smoke unit.
New Sig WACO: I thought it would never
happen, but now there is an ARF version of a
WACO biplane. Sig Manufacturing Inc. has
developed a WACO cabin biplane from the
1930s: the SRE. The full-scale versions were
the Beechcraft Bonanza of their time. They
were a businessman’s luxury airplane.
I’m sure many modelers have a 1.20 fourstroke
laying around waiting for that next
project. There is a variety of two- and fourstroke
engines and electric motors listed for
possible use.
The Sig WACO comes with a striking
yellow-and-black paint scheme with white
pinstripes on a fabric covering called
AeroKote. The model’s top wing spans
69.5 inches, with a suggested all-up
weight of 9-10 pounds. The big WACO
also features scale flaps and quickrelease
N struts.
With the increase of electric-powered
models, seeing ARF manufacturers include
all the specifications for electric power is
almost expected now. The recommended
electric power source for this WACO is the
FlyWare LRK 350-25 motor. The model’s
street price is reported to be $399.
Bookshelf: Some of the best publications in
the world for Scale modelers come from
Great Britain, and one of my favorites is
Flying Scale Models. In it you will find great
technical articles, scale documentation, threeview
scale drawings, and photos with
accompanying articles.
Through the years Model Activity Press
has disseminated a wealth of information
about various aircraft types. In Aircraft of
WWII (Part 1), which has a total of 61 pages,
you receive the history, detail photos, scale
drawings, and colors of the aircraft presented
within this volume: the Boeing Stearman PT-
13 and PT-17, the Fairey Swordfish, the
Ryan PT-22, the Vickers Supermarine
Walrus, and the Westland Lysander.
The Boeing Stearman would be the most
widely recognized aircraft by most of us.
Color photos of G-AWLO are included,
along with all specifications, 48 detail
photos, and two pages of scale drawings. The
other aircraft are similarly covered. Probably
the least-known airplane in the card-stockcovered
book is the Supermarine Walrus.
Aircraft of WWII (Part 1) and other titles
are available from Model Activity Press, 63-
65 Woodside Rd., Amersham, Bucks, HP6
6AA, England. If you call the company—at
011 1494-433453—or fax—at 011 1494
433468—remember that at our Central Time
it is eight hours ahead of us. The Web site is
www.modelactivitypress.com.
The book retails for roughly $36, or 19.99
pounds including postage, with exchange
rates that can change.
Fair skies and tailwinds. MA