Radio Control Scale - 2007/11

96 MODEL AVIATION
[[email protected]]
Radio Control Scale Stan Alexander
The case for building a Cub
Also included in this column:
• 2007 NASA Scale Resource
Guide
• New transmitter trays
• Adjustable field cradles
• Shows to attend this winter
A 1/4-scale model of Hazel Sig’s clipped-wing J-3
Cub. The full-scale aircraft was rebuilt and an
engine with increased horsepower was added.
The larger the model, the more details you can add. This Super
Cub, or “Top Cub,” was built at 1/3 scale.
Another Cub-type aircraft: the Aeronca Champ. Not as many kits
are available, but flying characteristics are similar.
Another full-scale clipped-wing J-3 Cub. Its striking paint scheme
should be easy to see in the air. Airborne Media has a
documentation pack for this version.
AS I WRITE this I almost wish it were November. The 95°
temperatures these days make it a little on the toasty side at the field.
Now is the time to start planning where you’ll go next year,
whether it’s the Nats, a regional Scale contest, or a Scale fly-in. It’s
the time when some of us start planning our vacations.
Next year the US FAI Scale team will be going to Poland in July
for the World Championships. It’s a great time to go and support the
team as well as see some of the best Scale competition on the planet.
This is also the time to pick new model subjects, and of the few
kits that are left there are probably more Piper J-3 Cubs available than
any other aircraft type. Great Planes has several sizes of this aircraft,
as does Sig Manufacturing. Carl Goldberg Products has the “Gold
Edition” Cub that came out several years ago, and there is a gaggle of
electric versions or electric conversions for it.
Documentation for this aircraft is abundant! It kills many Scale
judges to see a modeler arrive at a contest with one photo or none at
all, with only a color side view of the aircraft he or she has modeled.
There is a host of documentation resources for the Cub, including
your local airport in some cases. I enjoy going to full-scale fly-ins, and
especially the Experimental Aircraft Association’s AirVenture in
Oshkosh, Wisconsin. You never can tell what will show up there from
day to day.
11sig3.QXD 9/21/07 10:59 AM Page 96
RCA Models’ TxTray includes the padded strap for your neck.
RcCRADLES.COM’s Deluxe version holds a Hangar 9 Hellcat. The
rack is adjustable and collapsible for travel to and from the field.
But why model a design that has been “done to death”? There are
some great reasons for Scale modelers who aspire to fly warbirds, etc.
In World War II the Cub was used in a variety of roles, including
basic training of civilian and military pilots. At that time a J-3 could be
purchased for approximately $1,200.
Through the years the design has been modified with clipped wings,
air-show rigs for all kinds of stunts, and to fulfill almost any other
flying role a lightly loaded aircraft could. Increased horsepower,
increased avionics, the huge number of different paint schemes, and
other aspects of the aircraft endear it to modelers.
Other trainer types have the same unique status as the Cub, such as
the Tiger Moth, the Chipmunk, and the Stearman PT-17. But here in
the US we have a large number of Cub kits still available.
While model companies seem to be dropping kits in favor of ARFs
or RTFs, the Cub has survived. Scale modelers still want to build this
aircraft.
A Cub may seem simple, but have you ever looked at all the pinked
tapes, screws, rivets, fabric patches, inspection plates, exposed bolts,
mounting points, etc. on a full-scale version? There are a bunch of
them.
Another reason to choose a Cub is that it’s an exercise in building a
stick-and-fabric aircraft, somewhat like the full-scale counterpart. The
model doesn’t have the steel-tube fuselage, but several of the
construction areas are similar.
Flying this type of airplane, much like any World War I aircraft,
will teach you to fly with the rudder. Another reason for using a
transmitter tray!
The Cub can be either aerobatic or
nonaerobatic, depending on the configuration
and the engine size in the full-scale version
and the model. Flying scale maneuvers and
aerobatics you’ll need to use the rudder,
which most Scale pilots don’t. If you don’t
use the rudder, the turns will look weird and
the aircraft will tend to dive in the turns.
I like the clipped-wing versions because
their color schemes seem to have more
character and are usually anything but yellow.
I’ll bet you have one in your shop already!
Bookshelf: It may seem a bit late, but I’m
writing this in July and the 2007 NASA Scale
Resource Guide (the ninth edition) has just
been sent out. This is one of the most
comprehensive guides for Scale modelers,
with documentation sources including
published three-views, books, government
agencies, libraries, museums, periodicals,
journals, photos, and Web sites. It also has a
list of Scale construction plans sources.
Gary Parenti is the National Association
of Scale Aeromodelers (NASA) resource
editor. He has done a great job in the past
several years of putting together this excellent
resource for the all-volunteer group.
Let’s say you are modeling a Piper J-3
Cub for competition. The Resource Guide
contains plans sources, three-view sources,
and color-chip sources that will help you
finish your documentation.
The cost of the booklet is included with
membership in the NASA SIG. I’m not sure
what the dues will be for 2008, which is
coming up soon. You can check the Web site
for updates and a list of other membership
benefits, including the newsletter, etc.
New Products: Transmitter trays from RCA
Models are in stock and being shipped. I’ve
shown trays before and there are, or were,
several sources for them. The one I’ve used
for years is no longer in production.
At the Toledo Show this spring I saw an
interesting new product Randy Navarre had
in stock called the TxTray, which is available
in several colors. The price is $59.95 plus
shipping and handling.
Unlike my old tray it has a neck strap that
is padded and much wider than the normal
transmitter strap. It is more like a
professional strap used to hold cameras with
long lenses. It distributes the weight of the
item it’s holding over a wider area around the
neck, making it more comfortable for a
longer period of time.
The TxTray allows you to use both your
thumb and finger on each stick and doesn’t
interfere with the transmitter’s switches or
buttons. By using your thumb and at least
one finger you have increased your control
on the stick by 100%.
A thumbscrew allows adjustment to
make sure the transmitter doesn’t slide off
when you are putting it on or transporting it.
You can also alter the shape of the
lightweight acrylic hand rests if you find that
a different configuration will work better.
You use a heat gun to warm the material,
bend it carefully, then quickly cool the tray.
Are looking for something to put your
Scale model in while you work on it on the
workbench or at the field?
RcCRADLES.COM has an adjustable
unit that will hold .60- to .1.20-size warbirds
and other models. The version I am showing
is the Deluxe, and all you need to assemble
it is a Phillips screwdriver. It takes
approximately five minutes to put together
and is collapsible for transport.
The cradle is adjustable in both the
length and the width of the cradle portion,
which holds the fuselage, etc. It’s handy and
works well.
The Deluxe model will extend from 18 to
30 inches in length, while the cradles adjust
from 4 to 10 inches wide. This size is
$44.95.
Upcoming Events: AMA’s Convention in
Ontario, California, is coming up soon, in
January. Make plans to attend this modeling
show. With the Scale competition and
indoor electric flying, it should be a great
time.
My wife and I went a couple years ago,
and next to the Toledo Show this is one of
the larger ones I’ve attended. Jay Mealy and
the AMA crew who put this convention
together work all year on it, and it is
obvious. Be sure to attend to see what’s
there for all AMA members.
The Scale Squadron has had a booth at
the Convention and will again in 2008. Stop
by and talk to Randy Wilbur, Sam Wright,
or some of the other movers and shakers of
the Southwestern Scale scene. This group
started the US Scale Masters Championships
program years ago. And don’t be surprised to
see a raffle item or two at the booth. MA
Sources:
NASA
www.nasascale.org
RCA Models
(248) 894-1934
www.rcamodels.com
RcCRADLES.COM
(843) 661-7095
www.rccradles.com
Scale Squadron
www.scalesquadron.com