Author: Stan Alexander
Edition: Model Aviation - 2007/12
Page Numbers: 134,135,136
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Radio Control Scale — Stan Alexander ([email protected])

Basic understanding of model construction is imperative!

It's at roughly this time of year that we start thinking about those much-needed hobby items we can't do without for the next building and flying season. Some of us shoot for the moon at Christmas, while others have learned that asking for one nice gift from the local hobby shop will suffice. One local shop even has wish lists for holidays such as Father's Day and Independence Day, which allows your spouse or family to select things 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 across all types of models that can be flown or built. While at the local hobby shop a few of us discussed helping beginners who want to get started in aeromodeling. In many cases there is not just a limited understanding of building a model—there is no understanding of building a model.

Companies that assume a modeler knows what to do, even when selling ARFs, are doing a disservice not only to new modelers but to all of us. A friend told me about helping a new modeler who wanted to build a P-51 after cutting his teeth on a trainer. The trainer wouldn't stay in trim; it changed trim several clicks each time it was flown. On inspection, my friend found 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 instructions didn't mention gluing the center-section. Those 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 the trainer properly. This is a good example of what we see at the local field and occasionally at Scale competitions. Now and then we need to lend a hand to beginners or nonmodelers who are trying to get started.

Kits and supply news

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 in the supply of kits available to scale modelers in the U.S. The Beechcraft Bonanza spans 81 inches. I'm excited because we haven't seen a new kit issue or reissue in some time. Better yet, it's in stock as I write this. Kit producers and some kit-cutting companies have been in decline for a while; some have disappeared altogether from the modeling scene.

Competitions and notable entries

  • Mike Redenshek (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 kit; it spans 66 inches. Mike covered the airplane with fiberglass cloth, painted it with Behr latex, and sealed the paint with Nelson Hobby clear. It was powered by an O.S. .91 FX engine. The full-scale YAT-28E was intended as a turboprop trainer and tactical-support aircraft; it was never put into widespread production and was powered by a Lycoming YT-55L turboprop engine.
  • Walt Fletcher drove from Saint George, Utah, to enter two models at the Nats: one in Fun Scale Open and one in Expert. He was one of the few flying with a 2.4 GHz radio system (a JR X9303). In Expert he flew a Proctor Enterprises Eindecker E.III with operating rib warping as on the prototype; it featured bellcranks and turnbuckles, spanned 100 inches, and was powered by a Moki 2.10 engine. His other model was a well-weathered F6F Hellcat entered in Fun Scale. (Fun Scale has two divisions: Open, where anyone including experts may enter, and Novice, for newcomers.)
  • Hal Parenti scratch-built a Ryan Fireball for the Designer Scale competition. He designed the plans, cut the wood, and built the aircraft. Hal's Nats model spanned 72 inches and was powered by a YS 1.20 engine; it featured operating retracts, flaps, lights, a drop tank, and brakes. Hal has entered and won many competitions and has represented the U.S. and the AMA in the FAI Scale World Championships—the Olympics of aeromodelling.

New products

If you're interested in flying off water but are unsure what size float system you need, check out Plane Fun Floats. Ralph Smith offers a full line of prebuilt floats with a scale appearance. With some work, many of the floats can be modified or used for Scale applications. A favorite use is installing 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, slowly advance the throttle, and watch it take off with water dripping from the floats.

Micro jets

During halftime at this year's National Championships, Scale Champion Terry Nitsch demonstrated the new MiG-29 from TeeRific Jet Models. The model is very small: an 11-inch wingspan, about 13 inches long, and 1.5 ounces ready to fly. With Terry's expert piloting, the MiG demonstrated excellent aerobatic capability—fast, slow, and everything in between. It's a fan-jet; you can't really see the propeller at the back when the model is in flight.

The MiG kit price is $29.95; you must install the included hardware. Flight tests used these components:

  • MB13/2/16T brushless motor
  • GWS 30/30 propeller (balanced)
  • Falcon 1.6-gram servos
  • Spektrum AR6100 receiver
  • 220–250 mAh Li-Poly battery
  • 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

Micro Scale is gaining popularity. Some pilots have problems flying big aircraft, so modelers are building ever-smaller airplanes.

Joe Malinchak built a 1/72-scale F6F Hellcat that he designed more than two years ago; to his knowledge it is the world's first RC warbird to fly at that scale. The Hellcat has a 7-inch wingspan (no typo) and weighs 4.87 grams with battery. It uses a Plasmatroc receiver, a GB05 4mm motor/gearbox, a 2 1/4-inch carbon-fiber propeller, and a 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 and painted the insignia.

Fair skies and tailwinds. MA

Sources

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