Radio Control Scale-2007/12

134 MODEL AVIATION
IT’S AT ROUGHLY this time of year
that we start thinking about those muchneeded
hobby items we can’t do without
for the next building/flying season. Some of
us shoot for the moon at Christmas, while
others have learned that to ask for one nice
gift from the local hobby shop will suffice.
One of the local hobby shops even has wish lists for such
holidays as Father’s Day and July Fourth. This allows your
spouse or family to select things, that you really want or need, in
different price ranges. Remember, it’s the thought that counts!
Merry Christmas to all!
Back to Basics: This is an old topic, and it comes up not only in
Scale modeling, but with all the different types of models that can
be flown or built. While at the local hobby shop a few of us were
talking about helping beginners who want to get started in
aeromodeling. There is, in many cases, not just a limited
understanding of building a model, but no understanding of
building a model.
Companies that assume that a modeler knows what to do, even
when constructing ARFs, are doing a disservice not only to those
new modelers, but to all of us. A friend told me about his
experience with helping a new modeler who wanted to build a P-
[[email protected]]
Radio Control Scale Stan Alexander
Basic understanding of model construction is imperative!
Also included in this column:
• Top Flite reissues the
Bonanza kit!
• Models seen at the Nats
• Plane Fun Floats
• TeeRific Jet Models
• Micro-Scale F6F Hellcat
Hal Parenti’s (Chicago IL) scratch-built Ryan Fireball is deceiving from this end. The mid-
1940s, when the full-scale aircraft was built, was a time of change and jet engines were
not yet considered reliable.
Ralph Smith explains the finishing process for Plane Fun Floats at
the Toledo R/C Expo.
Joe Malinchak built his F6F Hellcat in 1/72 scale.
Walt Fletcher with his Eindecker E.III and Hellcat at the 2007
Nats.
51 while cutting his teeth on a trainer.
The trainer wasn’t flying correctly; it
would not stay in trim at all. It changed
trim several clicks each time it was flown.
Upon examination of the model, my
friend found that the new modeler hadn’t
epoxied the wing center-section; he had
only covered it with a strip of covering on
the top of the wing. The new modeler said
the instructions didn’t mention gluing the
center-section. These areas were trying to
separate and the wing wouldn’t stay
trimmed.
My friend stripped off the covering,
adhered the center-section at the field with
30-minute epoxy, reattached the covering,
and then helped the new modeler trim his
trainer properly.
This is a good example of what we see
not only at the local field, but occasionally
at Scale competitions. Now and then we
need to lend a hand to beginners or, in
some cases, nonmodelers who are trying to
get started.
I was delighted to see that Top Flite has
returned a kit to its inventory of scale
models—not an ARF. That is a huge
change to the supply of kits available to
scale modelers in the US. The Beechcraft
Bonanza spans 81 inches.
I’m excited because we haven’t seen a
new (kit) issue or reissue in sometime.
Better yet, it’s in stock as I write this! Kit
producers and even some kit-cutting
companies have been in decline for a while
now, and some have disappeared altogether
from the modeling scene.
Mike Redenshek of Hilliard, Ohio,
entered a North American YAT-28E
Trojan in Team Scale at this year’s Nats.
He built it from a TRI-R Models company
kit, and it spanned 66 inches.
Mike covered the airplane with
fiberglass cloth, painted it with Behr latex,
and covered it with a coat of Nelson Hobby
clear to seal the paint. It was powered by
an O.S. .91 FX engine.
The full-scale YAT-28E was intended for
use as a turboprop trainer and a tacticalsupport
aircraft. It was never put into
widespread production. It was powered by a
Lycoming YT-55L turboprop engine.
TeeRific Jet Models’ MiG-29 weighs 1.5 ounces and has an 11-inch wingspan.
Mike Redenshek took his YAT-28E to the
Nats. The full-scale version was a limitedproduction
turboprop aircraft used in
training and for tactical support.
Walt Fletcher took not one but two
models to the Nats this year, and he
entered both the Fun Scale Open and
Expert classes. He had recently retired
from the military and drove from Saint
George, Utah. Walt was one of the few
who flew with the new 2.4 GHz radio
systems; he used a JR X9303.
He flew his Proctor Enterprises
Eindecker E.III in Expert. It had
operating wing warping, as did the
prototype, and it featured all the
bellcranks and turnbuckles. The model
spanned 100 inches and was powered by
a Moki 2.10 engine.
Walt’s other model was a wellweathered
F6F Hellcat Fun Scale entry.
Modelers have two divisions to choose
from when they enter Fun Scale: Open, in
which anyone including experts can
enter, or Novice, which is for newcomers.
Welcome to Scale competition, Walt!
On the opposite end of the spectrum
was Hal Parenti, who scratch-built a Ryan
Fireball for the Designer Scale
competition. He designed the plans, cut
the wood, and then built the aircraft.
Hal has had more Fireballs alone than
many modelers have had Scale airplanes
altogether. His Nats model spanned 72
inches and was powered by a YS 1.20
engine. It featured operating retracts,
flaps, lights, drop tank, and brakes.
Hal has entered and won many
competitions and has represented the US
and AMA in the FAI Scale World
Championships, which is considered the
Olympics of aeromodeling. That’s a huge
responsibility and honor for any modeler.
New Products: If you’re interested in
flying your model off of water but are
unsure of what size float system it needs,
check out Plane Fun Floats. Ralph Smith
has a full line of prebuilt floats that have
a scale appearance.
With some work, many of the floats
can be modified or used for Scale. One
of the favorite applications is to install
the floats on a J-3 Cub or other light
aircraft. It’s fun to turn the model into
the wind with a little chop on the lake’s
surface, slowly advance the throttle, and
watch it take to the air with water
dripping off the floats.
Micro Jets: During the halftime
activities at this year’s National
Championships, Scale Champion Terry
Nitsch demonstrated the new MiG-29
from TeeRific Jet Models. It is small,
spanning 11 inches, with a 13-inch
length and a weight of 1.5 ounces ready
to fly.
With Terry’s expert piloting skills,
the MiG’s aerobatic capabilities were
seemingly limitless. It flew fast, slow,
and everything in between. It is what you
would call a fan-jet, but you really can’t
see the propeller at the back of the
airframe when the model is in flight.
The MiG kit’s price is $29.95, and
you have to install the included
hardware. Flight tests were conducted
using a combination of an MB13/2/16TJ
brushless motor, a GWS 30/30 propeller
(balanced), Falcon 1.6-gram servos, a
Spektrum AR6100 receiver, a 220-250
mAh Li-Poly battery, and a Castle
Creations Thunderbird-9 ESC.
There are currently four aircraft in
this series of micro jets: the F-15, F-18,
F-35, and MiG-29.
Around Scale: Micro Scale is gaining
popularity. Some pilots have problems
flying the big aircraft, so modelers are
taking smaller and smaller airplanes into
the air.
Joe Malinchak built the 1/72-scale F6F
Hellcat that is shown. He designed it
more than two years ago, and it is, to his
knowledge, the world’s first RC warbird
to fly at that scale.
The Hellcat has a 7-inch wingspan,
and that’s no typo. It weighs 4.87 grams
with battery and uses a Plantraco
receiver, GB05 4mm motor/gearbox,
21/4-inch carbon-fiber propeller, and
Nick Leichty actuator for the rudder.
According to Joe, the Hellcat can fly
for eight minutes on a 30 mAh Li-Poly
cell. He used Testors paints on the model
and painted the insignia.
Fair skies and tailwinds. MA
Sources:
Plane Fun Floats
(734) 671-0134
www.geocities.com/planefunfloats
Top Flite
(800) 637-6050
www.towerhobbies.com
TeeRific Jet Models
www.terrificjets.com