116 MODEL AVIATION
I’VE hIt a wall with my flying this year. Not long ago, I went
to the field and realized, after ditching two airplanes, that I was
so out of practice from working so much
(you know, that thing you have to do so you
can fly) that I had lost some depth
perception.
Now it’s back to making sure I go to the
field at least three times a week and getting
myself back together. It seems like most of
us are either working more than we want or
having a devil of a time finding a job, much
less a career.
I’ve been working on the Piper PA-11
Also included in this column:
• The 2009 Nats Champ and his Lightning
• Squadron’s account of the P-40
• Scale in AMA’s NatsNews publication
• A peek at the European Championship
Painting the PA-11 with Nelson
[[email protected]]
Radio Control Scale Stan Alexander
Cutting your own rib tapes is easy. Use a metal guide, such as this
ruler, a sharp X-Acto knife, and pressure.
You can see how the tapes were added to the PA-11’s wing
covering. Stan used his old Top Flite sealing iron set on high.
Don’t try to pull the tapes, or they will shift off of the rib.
The wing looks great after two coats of paint. Lightly sand again
and put the finish coat on, and then you’re ready for markings.
Above: The starboard side of Dennis Crooks’ P-38, shown returning from
a mission. Its nose art, as is many warbirds’, is only on the left port side.
Right: A direct crosswind can cause worries, even for the Nationals
winner, with a 47-pound model. Dennis recovered nicely from this
landing.
11sig4.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 4:49 PM Page 116
wing. I added scale details with rib
tapes and worked on the paint.
Before you paint, make sure you
have all of the holes drilled for the
struts and all of the other little
items you’ll need later, when
attaching the wing to the fuselage.
I started with Nelson primer
paint on the bottom of the wing, as I
did on the fuselage. After making
sure that there was a good, thin coat
on the surface, I went back and
sanded it lightly with 220-grit
paper. This is all that was required.
You could use 400-grit for this
operation, but make sure you don’t
sand down past the primer. Using
an air compressor or a duster to
clean off all surfaces before
painting is almost a must.
Make sure you use the catalyst
with the proper amount to suit the
nitro blend in your fuel. You don’t
want the paint melting away after
a few flights. I’ve never seen this
happen with Nelson’s paint,
though.
Carefully work the paint into
all edges of the pinked tapes on
the wing and the inspection disks
on the bottom of the wing. The PA-11’s
fuel tank is mounted in the upper port
wing panel.
You can designate that with a piece of
aluminum tape, such as Flite-Metal,
which will stick to the surface. Roughen it
slightly and paint over it. There are many
uses for this tape on Scale models, from
making hatch covers to covering the
entire airframe.
This year’s RC Scale National Champion
was determined at the Scale National
Championships, held in Muncie, Indiana.
He is no stranger to the winner’s circle
and has won at the Nationals several
times in whichever class he competes.
Dennis Crooks received the
Champion’s plaque from Paul Cain this
summer, after flying his Lockheed P-38 to
a first-place finish in Expert class. To
determine the RC Scale National
Champion, the officials add each
contestant’s four flight scores to the static
score. The pilot with the highest total
wins. Congratulations to Dennis and his
wife and caller, Linda.
The P-38 Lightning, which Dennis
calls the “California Cutie,” flew well. It
even had its own 20 x 20-foot tent at the
Nationals! The model started life as a
Yellow Aircraft kit, to which Dennis
added many scale details and an accurate
color scheme. His documentation
included photos, three-views, etc.
The airplane has a wingspan of 114
inches and is powered by two Husky
Challenger 3.3 cu. in. gas engines, which
RC Scale National Champion Dennis Crooks receives a well-deserved award from Event Director
Paul Cain.
counter-rotate. The big “Forked Tail
Devil,” which the full-scale aircraft was
called, swings 22 x 10 Zinger propellers
and has wheel brakes and drop tanks.
Dennis finished the P-38 with
fiberglass resin and cloth, and then he
painted it with Klass Kote military colors.
He has been flying with Futaba radios for
several years, and this time he used the
older 9ZAP transmitting on 72 MHz.
You will usually see Dennis with
Linda. She acts as his caller at the
flightline and, if you listening in, you will
probably get the feeling that she knows the
airplanes almost as well as Dennis does.
With the twin engines, retracts, flaps,
tank drop, etc., it’s good to have someone
to help keep up with all of the P-38’s
systems while it is in flight with several
other aircraft. This also helps to keep
Dennis, Linda, and everyone else safe.
A caller tells the pilot what the next
maneuver is, where the model is in relation
to the pits, and where the zero line is
(behind which whatever you do will score
a zero because of safety concerns). A
caller also instructs the pilot, “Gear up,”
“Flaps up,” “Drop tanks now,” and many
other things that can increase a score.
Some callers use a call sheet, to help
not only themselves but also the pilot
remember where they are. Other callers do
nothing but watch out for other airplanes
near their partners’ models, again in the
interest of safety.
After the Nationals, I wanted to talk to
Dennis about what special systems his
Lightning had and what tricks he
performed to make it so reliable. I’ve
never seen a P-38 (and I’ve seen many fly)
last more than a season. They usually
vibrate apart or a system fails and they go
down—but not this one.
Dennis told me he does regular
maintenance on the airplane, checking the
nuts and bolts for tightness through the
airframe and other tasks. All of the
batteries are what he Dennis calls “old
school.” He uses a 1900 mAh Ni-Cd for
the receiver and two 1400 mAh packs for
the ignition systems.
I asked Dennis if he employed a
special type of charger for the battery
systems. He said that he uses a Hobbico
Triton for all of his batteries.
Dennis couldn’t think of anything
special he does to the P-38, other than
with the fuel. The Husky Challenger 3.3
engine runs on gas at a mix of 50-to-1.
Dennis uses Klotz oil in the engines, and
he mixes 1/4 ounce of fuel stabilizer per
gallon.
He said:
“This is the same fuel stabilizer that
is used in engines that you would set up
for the winter or a long time. It definitely
helps the engines and reliability, I’m sure
of it. I think it counteracts the alcohol in
the gas now.”
I hope to have similar interviews with
AMA RC Scale National Champions in
the future, but they have to beat Dennis
first!
Bookshelf: Curtiss P-40D/E Kittyhawk
Mk I/IA, by Leszek A. Wieliczko and
Tom Zmuda, is produced by Kagero
Publishing and available from Squadron.
The 63-page book costs $26.99.
The P-40 Warhawk has a checkered
reputation in some circles of WW II
aviation fans. It wasn’t as fast as the P-
51 Mustang or many other fighters in the
late days of the war, but it was there at
the beginning. This 1930s design, as did
many other early WW II fighters,
became a multipurpose aircraft.
Major General Claire Chennault and
his AVG (American Volunteer Group)
pilots used P-40s in China before the US
declared war on Japan after December 7,
1941. The aircraft served in the Pacific,
as well as in China and Africa and many
other theaters.
Powered by a nonturbocharged
Allison V-12 engine, the Warhawk had a
top speed of approximately 360 mph. It
had six .50-caliber machine guns
mounted in the wings and retractable
landing gear—both main and tail wheel.
Retractable gear and flaps were new
for many designs during the 1930s. The
P-40 also had self-sealing fuel tanks and
armor for the pilot, which the Japanese
counterparts didn’t have even as standard
features.
This book features a beautiful colorphoto
presentation of a P-40E painted in
Col. Robert Lee Scott Jr.’s color scheme,
with the shark mouth. It also features
early WW II US Army Air Corps roundstar
national markings with red, white,
and blue. Included are many scale
drawings and four pages showing color
side views of various color schemes, to
help spur you on to model the Warhawk.
Upcoming Events: The One Eighth Air
Force Scale Fly-In will be October 24-25
at Superstition Air Park in Mesa,
Arizona, just east of Phoenix. Members
of this group show attendees a good
time. They start the flying/social event
Friday evening, with pizza, wings, and
assorted beverages. Then flying starts as
early as possible on Saturday and lasts
throughout the day.
All types of Scale aircraft are
welcome, but 3-D flying isn’t allowed.
Your AMA license is required to
participate and, as one of my good friends
out there says, “We’ll treat you so many
different ways, you’re bound to like at
least one of them.”
Check out this event if you can. I hope
to be there for the spring Fly-In. For more
information, contact Howard Kennedy or
Jerry Wright. (See the “Sources” listing.)
Go to the AMA Web site to find the
NatsNews publication. It provides day-byday
coverage of the Scale National
Championships, held this summer in
Muncie, Indiana.
On the AMA’s home page, click on
“Competition/Events,” then “Nationals,”
and then scroll down the left side of the
page to “NatsNews.” Click there to see the
newsletter-format articles reporting on
both RC and CL Scale events, which took
place from July 31 until August 3.
The European Championship for FAI
Scale was held in Norway this year. There
was a good turnout in both F4C (RC
Scale) and the new F4H class, for Standoff
Scale.
The Web site (see “Sources” for the
address) contains photos of the parties,
competition, models, and full-scale aircraft,
including a PT-19 in Norwegian colors and
a de Havilland Tiger Moth. Check it out!
It’s worth a few minutes of your time.
Fair skies and tailwinds! MA
Sources:
Nelson Hobby Specialties
(817) 431-1038
www.nelsonhobby.com
Flite-Metal
(281) 530-8925
www.flitemetal.com
Squadron
(877) 414-0434
www.squadron.com
One Eighth Air Force Scale Fly-In:
Howard Kennedy
(602) 361-8475
[email protected]
Jerry Wright
(480) 205-6821
[email protected]
NatsNews
www.modelaircraft.org
European Championship
http://scale-ec2009.no
National Association of Scale
Aeromodelers
www.nasascale.org
11sig4.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 4:50 PM Page 118
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/11
Page Numbers: 116,117,118
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/11
Page Numbers: 116,117,118
116 MODEL AVIATION
I’VE hIt a wall with my flying this year. Not long ago, I went
to the field and realized, after ditching two airplanes, that I was
so out of practice from working so much
(you know, that thing you have to do so you
can fly) that I had lost some depth
perception.
Now it’s back to making sure I go to the
field at least three times a week and getting
myself back together. It seems like most of
us are either working more than we want or
having a devil of a time finding a job, much
less a career.
I’ve been working on the Piper PA-11
Also included in this column:
• The 2009 Nats Champ and his Lightning
• Squadron’s account of the P-40
• Scale in AMA’s NatsNews publication
• A peek at the European Championship
Painting the PA-11 with Nelson
[[email protected]]
Radio Control Scale Stan Alexander
Cutting your own rib tapes is easy. Use a metal guide, such as this
ruler, a sharp X-Acto knife, and pressure.
You can see how the tapes were added to the PA-11’s wing
covering. Stan used his old Top Flite sealing iron set on high.
Don’t try to pull the tapes, or they will shift off of the rib.
The wing looks great after two coats of paint. Lightly sand again
and put the finish coat on, and then you’re ready for markings.
Above: The starboard side of Dennis Crooks’ P-38, shown returning from
a mission. Its nose art, as is many warbirds’, is only on the left port side.
Right: A direct crosswind can cause worries, even for the Nationals
winner, with a 47-pound model. Dennis recovered nicely from this
landing.
11sig4.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 4:49 PM Page 116
wing. I added scale details with rib
tapes and worked on the paint.
Before you paint, make sure you
have all of the holes drilled for the
struts and all of the other little
items you’ll need later, when
attaching the wing to the fuselage.
I started with Nelson primer
paint on the bottom of the wing, as I
did on the fuselage. After making
sure that there was a good, thin coat
on the surface, I went back and
sanded it lightly with 220-grit
paper. This is all that was required.
You could use 400-grit for this
operation, but make sure you don’t
sand down past the primer. Using
an air compressor or a duster to
clean off all surfaces before
painting is almost a must.
Make sure you use the catalyst
with the proper amount to suit the
nitro blend in your fuel. You don’t
want the paint melting away after
a few flights. I’ve never seen this
happen with Nelson’s paint,
though.
Carefully work the paint into
all edges of the pinked tapes on
the wing and the inspection disks
on the bottom of the wing. The PA-11’s
fuel tank is mounted in the upper port
wing panel.
You can designate that with a piece of
aluminum tape, such as Flite-Metal,
which will stick to the surface. Roughen it
slightly and paint over it. There are many
uses for this tape on Scale models, from
making hatch covers to covering the
entire airframe.
This year’s RC Scale National Champion
was determined at the Scale National
Championships, held in Muncie, Indiana.
He is no stranger to the winner’s circle
and has won at the Nationals several
times in whichever class he competes.
Dennis Crooks received the
Champion’s plaque from Paul Cain this
summer, after flying his Lockheed P-38 to
a first-place finish in Expert class. To
determine the RC Scale National
Champion, the officials add each
contestant’s four flight scores to the static
score. The pilot with the highest total
wins. Congratulations to Dennis and his
wife and caller, Linda.
The P-38 Lightning, which Dennis
calls the “California Cutie,” flew well. It
even had its own 20 x 20-foot tent at the
Nationals! The model started life as a
Yellow Aircraft kit, to which Dennis
added many scale details and an accurate
color scheme. His documentation
included photos, three-views, etc.
The airplane has a wingspan of 114
inches and is powered by two Husky
Challenger 3.3 cu. in. gas engines, which
RC Scale National Champion Dennis Crooks receives a well-deserved award from Event Director
Paul Cain.
counter-rotate. The big “Forked Tail
Devil,” which the full-scale aircraft was
called, swings 22 x 10 Zinger propellers
and has wheel brakes and drop tanks.
Dennis finished the P-38 with
fiberglass resin and cloth, and then he
painted it with Klass Kote military colors.
He has been flying with Futaba radios for
several years, and this time he used the
older 9ZAP transmitting on 72 MHz.
You will usually see Dennis with
Linda. She acts as his caller at the
flightline and, if you listening in, you will
probably get the feeling that she knows the
airplanes almost as well as Dennis does.
With the twin engines, retracts, flaps,
tank drop, etc., it’s good to have someone
to help keep up with all of the P-38’s
systems while it is in flight with several
other aircraft. This also helps to keep
Dennis, Linda, and everyone else safe.
A caller tells the pilot what the next
maneuver is, where the model is in relation
to the pits, and where the zero line is
(behind which whatever you do will score
a zero because of safety concerns). A
caller also instructs the pilot, “Gear up,”
“Flaps up,” “Drop tanks now,” and many
other things that can increase a score.
Some callers use a call sheet, to help
not only themselves but also the pilot
remember where they are. Other callers do
nothing but watch out for other airplanes
near their partners’ models, again in the
interest of safety.
After the Nationals, I wanted to talk to
Dennis about what special systems his
Lightning had and what tricks he
performed to make it so reliable. I’ve
never seen a P-38 (and I’ve seen many fly)
last more than a season. They usually
vibrate apart or a system fails and they go
down—but not this one.
Dennis told me he does regular
maintenance on the airplane, checking the
nuts and bolts for tightness through the
airframe and other tasks. All of the
batteries are what he Dennis calls “old
school.” He uses a 1900 mAh Ni-Cd for
the receiver and two 1400 mAh packs for
the ignition systems.
I asked Dennis if he employed a
special type of charger for the battery
systems. He said that he uses a Hobbico
Triton for all of his batteries.
Dennis couldn’t think of anything
special he does to the P-38, other than
with the fuel. The Husky Challenger 3.3
engine runs on gas at a mix of 50-to-1.
Dennis uses Klotz oil in the engines, and
he mixes 1/4 ounce of fuel stabilizer per
gallon.
He said:
“This is the same fuel stabilizer that
is used in engines that you would set up
for the winter or a long time. It definitely
helps the engines and reliability, I’m sure
of it. I think it counteracts the alcohol in
the gas now.”
I hope to have similar interviews with
AMA RC Scale National Champions in
the future, but they have to beat Dennis
first!
Bookshelf: Curtiss P-40D/E Kittyhawk
Mk I/IA, by Leszek A. Wieliczko and
Tom Zmuda, is produced by Kagero
Publishing and available from Squadron.
The 63-page book costs $26.99.
The P-40 Warhawk has a checkered
reputation in some circles of WW II
aviation fans. It wasn’t as fast as the P-
51 Mustang or many other fighters in the
late days of the war, but it was there at
the beginning. This 1930s design, as did
many other early WW II fighters,
became a multipurpose aircraft.
Major General Claire Chennault and
his AVG (American Volunteer Group)
pilots used P-40s in China before the US
declared war on Japan after December 7,
1941. The aircraft served in the Pacific,
as well as in China and Africa and many
other theaters.
Powered by a nonturbocharged
Allison V-12 engine, the Warhawk had a
top speed of approximately 360 mph. It
had six .50-caliber machine guns
mounted in the wings and retractable
landing gear—both main and tail wheel.
Retractable gear and flaps were new
for many designs during the 1930s. The
P-40 also had self-sealing fuel tanks and
armor for the pilot, which the Japanese
counterparts didn’t have even as standard
features.
This book features a beautiful colorphoto
presentation of a P-40E painted in
Col. Robert Lee Scott Jr.’s color scheme,
with the shark mouth. It also features
early WW II US Army Air Corps roundstar
national markings with red, white,
and blue. Included are many scale
drawings and four pages showing color
side views of various color schemes, to
help spur you on to model the Warhawk.
Upcoming Events: The One Eighth Air
Force Scale Fly-In will be October 24-25
at Superstition Air Park in Mesa,
Arizona, just east of Phoenix. Members
of this group show attendees a good
time. They start the flying/social event
Friday evening, with pizza, wings, and
assorted beverages. Then flying starts as
early as possible on Saturday and lasts
throughout the day.
All types of Scale aircraft are
welcome, but 3-D flying isn’t allowed.
Your AMA license is required to
participate and, as one of my good friends
out there says, “We’ll treat you so many
different ways, you’re bound to like at
least one of them.”
Check out this event if you can. I hope
to be there for the spring Fly-In. For more
information, contact Howard Kennedy or
Jerry Wright. (See the “Sources” listing.)
Go to the AMA Web site to find the
NatsNews publication. It provides day-byday
coverage of the Scale National
Championships, held this summer in
Muncie, Indiana.
On the AMA’s home page, click on
“Competition/Events,” then “Nationals,”
and then scroll down the left side of the
page to “NatsNews.” Click there to see the
newsletter-format articles reporting on
both RC and CL Scale events, which took
place from July 31 until August 3.
The European Championship for FAI
Scale was held in Norway this year. There
was a good turnout in both F4C (RC
Scale) and the new F4H class, for Standoff
Scale.
The Web site (see “Sources” for the
address) contains photos of the parties,
competition, models, and full-scale aircraft,
including a PT-19 in Norwegian colors and
a de Havilland Tiger Moth. Check it out!
It’s worth a few minutes of your time.
Fair skies and tailwinds! MA
Sources:
Nelson Hobby Specialties
(817) 431-1038
www.nelsonhobby.com
Flite-Metal
(281) 530-8925
www.flitemetal.com
Squadron
(877) 414-0434
www.squadron.com
One Eighth Air Force Scale Fly-In:
Howard Kennedy
(602) 361-8475
[email protected]
Jerry Wright
(480) 205-6821
[email protected]
NatsNews
www.modelaircraft.org
European Championship
http://scale-ec2009.no
National Association of Scale
Aeromodelers
www.nasascale.org
11sig4.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 4:50 PM Page 118
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/11
Page Numbers: 116,117,118
116 MODEL AVIATION
I’VE hIt a wall with my flying this year. Not long ago, I went
to the field and realized, after ditching two airplanes, that I was
so out of practice from working so much
(you know, that thing you have to do so you
can fly) that I had lost some depth
perception.
Now it’s back to making sure I go to the
field at least three times a week and getting
myself back together. It seems like most of
us are either working more than we want or
having a devil of a time finding a job, much
less a career.
I’ve been working on the Piper PA-11
Also included in this column:
• The 2009 Nats Champ and his Lightning
• Squadron’s account of the P-40
• Scale in AMA’s NatsNews publication
• A peek at the European Championship
Painting the PA-11 with Nelson
[[email protected]]
Radio Control Scale Stan Alexander
Cutting your own rib tapes is easy. Use a metal guide, such as this
ruler, a sharp X-Acto knife, and pressure.
You can see how the tapes were added to the PA-11’s wing
covering. Stan used his old Top Flite sealing iron set on high.
Don’t try to pull the tapes, or they will shift off of the rib.
The wing looks great after two coats of paint. Lightly sand again
and put the finish coat on, and then you’re ready for markings.
Above: The starboard side of Dennis Crooks’ P-38, shown returning from
a mission. Its nose art, as is many warbirds’, is only on the left port side.
Right: A direct crosswind can cause worries, even for the Nationals
winner, with a 47-pound model. Dennis recovered nicely from this
landing.
11sig4.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 4:49 PM Page 116
wing. I added scale details with rib
tapes and worked on the paint.
Before you paint, make sure you
have all of the holes drilled for the
struts and all of the other little
items you’ll need later, when
attaching the wing to the fuselage.
I started with Nelson primer
paint on the bottom of the wing, as I
did on the fuselage. After making
sure that there was a good, thin coat
on the surface, I went back and
sanded it lightly with 220-grit
paper. This is all that was required.
You could use 400-grit for this
operation, but make sure you don’t
sand down past the primer. Using
an air compressor or a duster to
clean off all surfaces before
painting is almost a must.
Make sure you use the catalyst
with the proper amount to suit the
nitro blend in your fuel. You don’t
want the paint melting away after
a few flights. I’ve never seen this
happen with Nelson’s paint,
though.
Carefully work the paint into
all edges of the pinked tapes on
the wing and the inspection disks
on the bottom of the wing. The PA-11’s
fuel tank is mounted in the upper port
wing panel.
You can designate that with a piece of
aluminum tape, such as Flite-Metal,
which will stick to the surface. Roughen it
slightly and paint over it. There are many
uses for this tape on Scale models, from
making hatch covers to covering the
entire airframe.
This year’s RC Scale National Champion
was determined at the Scale National
Championships, held in Muncie, Indiana.
He is no stranger to the winner’s circle
and has won at the Nationals several
times in whichever class he competes.
Dennis Crooks received the
Champion’s plaque from Paul Cain this
summer, after flying his Lockheed P-38 to
a first-place finish in Expert class. To
determine the RC Scale National
Champion, the officials add each
contestant’s four flight scores to the static
score. The pilot with the highest total
wins. Congratulations to Dennis and his
wife and caller, Linda.
The P-38 Lightning, which Dennis
calls the “California Cutie,” flew well. It
even had its own 20 x 20-foot tent at the
Nationals! The model started life as a
Yellow Aircraft kit, to which Dennis
added many scale details and an accurate
color scheme. His documentation
included photos, three-views, etc.
The airplane has a wingspan of 114
inches and is powered by two Husky
Challenger 3.3 cu. in. gas engines, which
RC Scale National Champion Dennis Crooks receives a well-deserved award from Event Director
Paul Cain.
counter-rotate. The big “Forked Tail
Devil,” which the full-scale aircraft was
called, swings 22 x 10 Zinger propellers
and has wheel brakes and drop tanks.
Dennis finished the P-38 with
fiberglass resin and cloth, and then he
painted it with Klass Kote military colors.
He has been flying with Futaba radios for
several years, and this time he used the
older 9ZAP transmitting on 72 MHz.
You will usually see Dennis with
Linda. She acts as his caller at the
flightline and, if you listening in, you will
probably get the feeling that she knows the
airplanes almost as well as Dennis does.
With the twin engines, retracts, flaps,
tank drop, etc., it’s good to have someone
to help keep up with all of the P-38’s
systems while it is in flight with several
other aircraft. This also helps to keep
Dennis, Linda, and everyone else safe.
A caller tells the pilot what the next
maneuver is, where the model is in relation
to the pits, and where the zero line is
(behind which whatever you do will score
a zero because of safety concerns). A
caller also instructs the pilot, “Gear up,”
“Flaps up,” “Drop tanks now,” and many
other things that can increase a score.
Some callers use a call sheet, to help
not only themselves but also the pilot
remember where they are. Other callers do
nothing but watch out for other airplanes
near their partners’ models, again in the
interest of safety.
After the Nationals, I wanted to talk to
Dennis about what special systems his
Lightning had and what tricks he
performed to make it so reliable. I’ve
never seen a P-38 (and I’ve seen many fly)
last more than a season. They usually
vibrate apart or a system fails and they go
down—but not this one.
Dennis told me he does regular
maintenance on the airplane, checking the
nuts and bolts for tightness through the
airframe and other tasks. All of the
batteries are what he Dennis calls “old
school.” He uses a 1900 mAh Ni-Cd for
the receiver and two 1400 mAh packs for
the ignition systems.
I asked Dennis if he employed a
special type of charger for the battery
systems. He said that he uses a Hobbico
Triton for all of his batteries.
Dennis couldn’t think of anything
special he does to the P-38, other than
with the fuel. The Husky Challenger 3.3
engine runs on gas at a mix of 50-to-1.
Dennis uses Klotz oil in the engines, and
he mixes 1/4 ounce of fuel stabilizer per
gallon.
He said:
“This is the same fuel stabilizer that
is used in engines that you would set up
for the winter or a long time. It definitely
helps the engines and reliability, I’m sure
of it. I think it counteracts the alcohol in
the gas now.”
I hope to have similar interviews with
AMA RC Scale National Champions in
the future, but they have to beat Dennis
first!
Bookshelf: Curtiss P-40D/E Kittyhawk
Mk I/IA, by Leszek A. Wieliczko and
Tom Zmuda, is produced by Kagero
Publishing and available from Squadron.
The 63-page book costs $26.99.
The P-40 Warhawk has a checkered
reputation in some circles of WW II
aviation fans. It wasn’t as fast as the P-
51 Mustang or many other fighters in the
late days of the war, but it was there at
the beginning. This 1930s design, as did
many other early WW II fighters,
became a multipurpose aircraft.
Major General Claire Chennault and
his AVG (American Volunteer Group)
pilots used P-40s in China before the US
declared war on Japan after December 7,
1941. The aircraft served in the Pacific,
as well as in China and Africa and many
other theaters.
Powered by a nonturbocharged
Allison V-12 engine, the Warhawk had a
top speed of approximately 360 mph. It
had six .50-caliber machine guns
mounted in the wings and retractable
landing gear—both main and tail wheel.
Retractable gear and flaps were new
for many designs during the 1930s. The
P-40 also had self-sealing fuel tanks and
armor for the pilot, which the Japanese
counterparts didn’t have even as standard
features.
This book features a beautiful colorphoto
presentation of a P-40E painted in
Col. Robert Lee Scott Jr.’s color scheme,
with the shark mouth. It also features
early WW II US Army Air Corps roundstar
national markings with red, white,
and blue. Included are many scale
drawings and four pages showing color
side views of various color schemes, to
help spur you on to model the Warhawk.
Upcoming Events: The One Eighth Air
Force Scale Fly-In will be October 24-25
at Superstition Air Park in Mesa,
Arizona, just east of Phoenix. Members
of this group show attendees a good
time. They start the flying/social event
Friday evening, with pizza, wings, and
assorted beverages. Then flying starts as
early as possible on Saturday and lasts
throughout the day.
All types of Scale aircraft are
welcome, but 3-D flying isn’t allowed.
Your AMA license is required to
participate and, as one of my good friends
out there says, “We’ll treat you so many
different ways, you’re bound to like at
least one of them.”
Check out this event if you can. I hope
to be there for the spring Fly-In. For more
information, contact Howard Kennedy or
Jerry Wright. (See the “Sources” listing.)
Go to the AMA Web site to find the
NatsNews publication. It provides day-byday
coverage of the Scale National
Championships, held this summer in
Muncie, Indiana.
On the AMA’s home page, click on
“Competition/Events,” then “Nationals,”
and then scroll down the left side of the
page to “NatsNews.” Click there to see the
newsletter-format articles reporting on
both RC and CL Scale events, which took
place from July 31 until August 3.
The European Championship for FAI
Scale was held in Norway this year. There
was a good turnout in both F4C (RC
Scale) and the new F4H class, for Standoff
Scale.
The Web site (see “Sources” for the
address) contains photos of the parties,
competition, models, and full-scale aircraft,
including a PT-19 in Norwegian colors and
a de Havilland Tiger Moth. Check it out!
It’s worth a few minutes of your time.
Fair skies and tailwinds! MA
Sources:
Nelson Hobby Specialties
(817) 431-1038
www.nelsonhobby.com
Flite-Metal
(281) 530-8925
www.flitemetal.com
Squadron
(877) 414-0434
www.squadron.com
One Eighth Air Force Scale Fly-In:
Howard Kennedy
(602) 361-8475
[email protected]
Jerry Wright
(480) 205-6821
[email protected]
NatsNews
www.modelaircraft.org
European Championship
http://scale-ec2009.no
National Association of Scale
Aeromodelers
www.nasascale.org
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