IN PAST COLUMNS I’ve touched on the
loss of Scale competitors and Scale
modelers in general throughout the past
few years. Clubs, organizations, and the
AMA need to work together with every
resource we have to improve young and
upcoming participants and bring them into
the ranks of Scale aeromodelers.
One club that has been working on this
for years has had some success: the One
Eighth Air Force based in Phoenix,
Arizona. Its mission statement declares
that it was conceived to showcase, in
organized flying events, Scale RC models
of all types in a manner that is fun,
exciting, and rewarding for the pilots and
visible and enjoyable for modeling
enthusiasts and the public.
Each spring and fall, the club hosts a
Scale fly-in at a local field. The autumn
2009 event was held at Superstition Air
Park in Mesa, Arizona. A total of 91
registered pilots and 145 beautiful aircraft
had shown up by the noon break on
Saturday. The youngest pilot in attendance
was 7-year-old Joseph (J.P.) Nolan.
Many Scale modelers are deeply into
what only they, as individuals, are doing at
Toledo Show 2010: Each year, the Weak
Signals Club hosts the largest model show
in the US. This year’s edition will be held
April 9-11 at the SeaGate Centre in Toledo,
Ohio.
If you go, take the largest vehicle you
have, to bring back the goodies. Most of the
hobby’s large companies are there and
ready to do business—buy, sell, or trade, it
all happens there.
The Saturday-night auction is legendary.
And check out all of the scale static-display
models that will be in competition at the
show.
On the Internet: Frank Tiano is a
successful, longtime Scale competitor,
supporter, and promoter. His Web site has a
host of Scale products for aeromodelers,
including paint-chip guides for World War
II aircraft, dummy radial engines, pilot
figures, building products, and airplanes.
The site also contains directions, photos,
and more information about events Frank
hosts with clubs in and around Lakeland,
Florida. Check out his Frank Tiano
Enterprises Web site; it’s nice.
Pro-Mark Graphics supplies all sorts of
markings for Scale models, including
national insignia and nomenclature you see
on warbirds and jets. You can get markings
that read “NO STEP,” “STEP HERE,” etc.
For panel lines, service hatches, kill
markings, and anything you can put on the
outside of your aircraft to make it look
more realistic, check out the company’s
Web site.
Vailly Aviation has had a line of
products available for Scale modelers for a
long time. Throughout the years, Roy
Vaillancourt has sold military designs
including those for the Hawker Typhoon,
Tempest, and Sea Fury; P-47; Fw 190;
Stinson L-5; and other aircraft.
His Web site features how-to articles and
the like. He also offers cockpit kits and
pilots. You have to build the pilots and paint
them for the particular aircraft and era, and
they are available in 1/3 and 1/4 scale.
February 2010 107
Above: Seven-year-old J.P.
Nolan was the youngest pilot
to participate in the event’s
buddy-box flying.
Left: Jack Dolan attended the
fly-in with his dad, Mike Dolan,
and flew an electric-powered
P-47. The One Eighth Air
Force provided a great time
for parents and kids.
This plaque was given to all kids who flew during the weekend.
It was great to take home for their bedrooms or to display on
Mom and Dad’s fireplace mantle.
the time, and that can be understood—
especially with some of the complex
models taking to the air. But stop and think
about when you were starting out, going to
that first Scale contest and wanting to be
part of the action. Did somebody help you?
Whether at fly-ins or contests, Scale
modeling is a social endeavor. It’s rare that
one competitor doesn’t help the flier in the
next tent, talk about that next project, or
discuss what’s on the boards. Such
gatherings are also a good time to get a
close look at what the other modeler is
doing and find out how it’s done and why.
However, the One Eighth Air Force is
known for its one-upmanship. During the
noontime break at each Scale fly-in,
members regularly have flying sessions
with buddy boxes for new pilots. It is
hoped that they will be new Scale pilots.
Maybe this should be a requirement at
all Scale gatherings. Give the kids the
opportunity to get their fingers on the
sticks of a real model—better yet, a real
Scale model.
To top that off, each youngster who
flew with the One Eighth Air Force
received a T-shirt emblazoned with “I flew
with the One Eighth Air Force” and a
Young Eagle award. And it wasn’t a
certificate, but a plaque that each
newcomer could hang up to remember his
or her flight. Make them feel special so
they won’t forget—great idea!
This year, the club gave six of those
awards. The recipients were J.P. Nolan;
Jack Dolan, age 8; Harley Dickinson, age
12; Sam Eagan, age 13; Brad Hartman, age
14; and Jose Luis Moreno, age 15.
In addition to all of the awards, prizes,
auctions, and raffles, the group held a
steak dinner Saturday night, with live
music. All of the dinner tickets sold. When
I go to the fly-in this spring, I plan to take
an extra steak knife and make my
reservations early.
The One Eighth Air Force Spring Fly-
In will be held March 13-14. Check out the
club’s Web site for more information.
I’v e b een looking for a World War II
Japanese pilot. Althoug h I h aven’t fo und
one yet, th ere is an incredible as sortment
to shop from on Ray’s site; check it out.
Years ago, Monogram had the best
reference books on the market abou t
se veral airplanes. In rec ent years , though,
I’ve seen lit tle coming from this co mpany.
However, another compa ny has come
al ong and is off ering some outsta nding
books about many subjects from WW II
an d a few from WW I.
Ka gero Pub lishing is based in Poland,
and its books are sold through Squa dron in
t he US. Many subjects have multiplev
olume historie s a vailable.
T his mont h I ’ll look at Cu rtiss P- 40:
V ol. 1 (I SBN 978-83-604 45-35-8), which
i s by Krzysztof Jano wicz and Leszek A.
W ielic zko. One of the main it ems I enjoy
about thi s c ompan y’s books is t hat they
seem to be extraordinarily we ll researched
and finished. If you haven ’t seen one , it
would be wo rth a look to use to research
one of your favorite mi litar y a ircraf t.
This well-illustrated volume ha s 96
pages and 2 4 scale drawings showing
cross-section s, cockpit da ta, and
inst rum ent panels. It also has a we alth o f
informa tion a bout various P- 40s ,
including the XP-40, Tomah awk M k 1, P-
40B , To maha wk Mk I IA and I IB, P-4 0C,
P-40D, and P-40E.
Mos t of thi s ser ies of books has both
02sig4.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 12/21/09 9:44 AM Page 107
Polish and English text, but this volume
has all English text with Polish text only
in the captions of drawings or photos. The
artwork is excellent, and the illustrations
are richly painted.
Curtiss P-40: Vol. 1 contains eight
pages of color side drawings and blackand-
white photos for color schemes if you
are building a kit or semikit from one of
the various manufacturers. I can think of a
few designers who offer P-40s, including
Nick Ziroli, Jerry Bates, Yellow Aircraft,
and Top Flite. There are others. The
designs I listed are mostly 1/4 to 1/7 scale.
Radio technology has been changing
rapidly in the past three years or so. The
2.4 GHz radio systems have jumped up in
popularity, especially at regional or
national events.
Close to three months after I
purchased my last radio system, the 2.4
GHz systems came out. Now if you don’t
have a 2.4 GHz radio system at many
national, and I’m sure at some regional,
gatherings, you aren’t allowed to fly. It’s
that simple.
This regulation is coming to the AMA
Nationals as well as other major events
across the country. If you’ve been putting
off purchasing that new radio system, now
might be the best time to take the plunge.
The days of transmitter impounds and
everyone having to turn in his or her radio
system before anyone can fly are quickly
coming to an end. This will allow more
events to be flown in limited spaces,
without the problems associated with 72
MHz systems and splitting frequencies.
All major radio companies sell 2.4
GHz systems. And, come to think of it,
why not give some of your old systems to
the local club and let it use them for
buddy-box training?
Fair skies and tailwinds. MA
Sources:
One Eighth Air Force
(602) 228-9155
www.oneeighthairforce.org
The Toledo Show
www.toledoshow.com
Frank Tiano Enterprises
(863) 607-6611
www.franktiano.com
Pro-Mark Graphics
(618) 524-2440
www.pro-mark.com
Vailly Aviation
(631) 732-4715
www.vaillyaviation.com
Squadron
(877) 414-0434
www.squadron.com
National Association of Scale
Aeromodelers
www.nasascale.org
Edition: Model Aviation - 2010/02
Page Numbers: 106,107,108
Edition: Model Aviation - 2010/02
Page Numbers: 106,107,108
IN PAST COLUMNS I’ve touched on the
loss of Scale competitors and Scale
modelers in general throughout the past
few years. Clubs, organizations, and the
AMA need to work together with every
resource we have to improve young and
upcoming participants and bring them into
the ranks of Scale aeromodelers.
One club that has been working on this
for years has had some success: the One
Eighth Air Force based in Phoenix,
Arizona. Its mission statement declares
that it was conceived to showcase, in
organized flying events, Scale RC models
of all types in a manner that is fun,
exciting, and rewarding for the pilots and
visible and enjoyable for modeling
enthusiasts and the public.
Each spring and fall, the club hosts a
Scale fly-in at a local field. The autumn
2009 event was held at Superstition Air
Park in Mesa, Arizona. A total of 91
registered pilots and 145 beautiful aircraft
had shown up by the noon break on
Saturday. The youngest pilot in attendance
was 7-year-old Joseph (J.P.) Nolan.
Many Scale modelers are deeply into
what only they, as individuals, are doing at
Toledo Show 2010: Each year, the Weak
Signals Club hosts the largest model show
in the US. This year’s edition will be held
April 9-11 at the SeaGate Centre in Toledo,
Ohio.
If you go, take the largest vehicle you
have, to bring back the goodies. Most of the
hobby’s large companies are there and
ready to do business—buy, sell, or trade, it
all happens there.
The Saturday-night auction is legendary.
And check out all of the scale static-display
models that will be in competition at the
show.
On the Internet: Frank Tiano is a
successful, longtime Scale competitor,
supporter, and promoter. His Web site has a
host of Scale products for aeromodelers,
including paint-chip guides for World War
II aircraft, dummy radial engines, pilot
figures, building products, and airplanes.
The site also contains directions, photos,
and more information about events Frank
hosts with clubs in and around Lakeland,
Florida. Check out his Frank Tiano
Enterprises Web site; it’s nice.
Pro-Mark Graphics supplies all sorts of
markings for Scale models, including
national insignia and nomenclature you see
on warbirds and jets. You can get markings
that read “NO STEP,” “STEP HERE,” etc.
For panel lines, service hatches, kill
markings, and anything you can put on the
outside of your aircraft to make it look
more realistic, check out the company’s
Web site.
Vailly Aviation has had a line of
products available for Scale modelers for a
long time. Throughout the years, Roy
Vaillancourt has sold military designs
including those for the Hawker Typhoon,
Tempest, and Sea Fury; P-47; Fw 190;
Stinson L-5; and other aircraft.
His Web site features how-to articles and
the like. He also offers cockpit kits and
pilots. You have to build the pilots and paint
them for the particular aircraft and era, and
they are available in 1/3 and 1/4 scale.
February 2010 107
Above: Seven-year-old J.P.
Nolan was the youngest pilot
to participate in the event’s
buddy-box flying.
Left: Jack Dolan attended the
fly-in with his dad, Mike Dolan,
and flew an electric-powered
P-47. The One Eighth Air
Force provided a great time
for parents and kids.
This plaque was given to all kids who flew during the weekend.
It was great to take home for their bedrooms or to display on
Mom and Dad’s fireplace mantle.
the time, and that can be understood—
especially with some of the complex
models taking to the air. But stop and think
about when you were starting out, going to
that first Scale contest and wanting to be
part of the action. Did somebody help you?
Whether at fly-ins or contests, Scale
modeling is a social endeavor. It’s rare that
one competitor doesn’t help the flier in the
next tent, talk about that next project, or
discuss what’s on the boards. Such
gatherings are also a good time to get a
close look at what the other modeler is
doing and find out how it’s done and why.
However, the One Eighth Air Force is
known for its one-upmanship. During the
noontime break at each Scale fly-in,
members regularly have flying sessions
with buddy boxes for new pilots. It is
hoped that they will be new Scale pilots.
Maybe this should be a requirement at
all Scale gatherings. Give the kids the
opportunity to get their fingers on the
sticks of a real model—better yet, a real
Scale model.
To top that off, each youngster who
flew with the One Eighth Air Force
received a T-shirt emblazoned with “I flew
with the One Eighth Air Force” and a
Young Eagle award. And it wasn’t a
certificate, but a plaque that each
newcomer could hang up to remember his
or her flight. Make them feel special so
they won’t forget—great idea!
This year, the club gave six of those
awards. The recipients were J.P. Nolan;
Jack Dolan, age 8; Harley Dickinson, age
12; Sam Eagan, age 13; Brad Hartman, age
14; and Jose Luis Moreno, age 15.
In addition to all of the awards, prizes,
auctions, and raffles, the group held a
steak dinner Saturday night, with live
music. All of the dinner tickets sold. When
I go to the fly-in this spring, I plan to take
an extra steak knife and make my
reservations early.
The One Eighth Air Force Spring Fly-
In will be held March 13-14. Check out the
club’s Web site for more information.
I’v e b een looking for a World War II
Japanese pilot. Althoug h I h aven’t fo und
one yet, th ere is an incredible as sortment
to shop from on Ray’s site; check it out.
Years ago, Monogram had the best
reference books on the market abou t
se veral airplanes. In rec ent years , though,
I’ve seen lit tle coming from this co mpany.
However, another compa ny has come
al ong and is off ering some outsta nding
books about many subjects from WW II
an d a few from WW I.
Ka gero Pub lishing is based in Poland,
and its books are sold through Squa dron in
t he US. Many subjects have multiplev
olume historie s a vailable.
T his mont h I ’ll look at Cu rtiss P- 40:
V ol. 1 (I SBN 978-83-604 45-35-8), which
i s by Krzysztof Jano wicz and Leszek A.
W ielic zko. One of the main it ems I enjoy
about thi s c ompan y’s books is t hat they
seem to be extraordinarily we ll researched
and finished. If you haven ’t seen one , it
would be wo rth a look to use to research
one of your favorite mi litar y a ircraf t.
This well-illustrated volume ha s 96
pages and 2 4 scale drawings showing
cross-section s, cockpit da ta, and
inst rum ent panels. It also has a we alth o f
informa tion a bout various P- 40s ,
including the XP-40, Tomah awk M k 1, P-
40B , To maha wk Mk I IA and I IB, P-4 0C,
P-40D, and P-40E.
Mos t of thi s ser ies of books has both
02sig4.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 12/21/09 9:44 AM Page 107
Polish and English text, but this volume
has all English text with Polish text only
in the captions of drawings or photos. The
artwork is excellent, and the illustrations
are richly painted.
Curtiss P-40: Vol. 1 contains eight
pages of color side drawings and blackand-
white photos for color schemes if you
are building a kit or semikit from one of
the various manufacturers. I can think of a
few designers who offer P-40s, including
Nick Ziroli, Jerry Bates, Yellow Aircraft,
and Top Flite. There are others. The
designs I listed are mostly 1/4 to 1/7 scale.
Radio technology has been changing
rapidly in the past three years or so. The
2.4 GHz radio systems have jumped up in
popularity, especially at regional or
national events.
Close to three months after I
purchased my last radio system, the 2.4
GHz systems came out. Now if you don’t
have a 2.4 GHz radio system at many
national, and I’m sure at some regional,
gatherings, you aren’t allowed to fly. It’s
that simple.
This regulation is coming to the AMA
Nationals as well as other major events
across the country. If you’ve been putting
off purchasing that new radio system, now
might be the best time to take the plunge.
The days of transmitter impounds and
everyone having to turn in his or her radio
system before anyone can fly are quickly
coming to an end. This will allow more
events to be flown in limited spaces,
without the problems associated with 72
MHz systems and splitting frequencies.
All major radio companies sell 2.4
GHz systems. And, come to think of it,
why not give some of your old systems to
the local club and let it use them for
buddy-box training?
Fair skies and tailwinds. MA
Sources:
One Eighth Air Force
(602) 228-9155
www.oneeighthairforce.org
The Toledo Show
www.toledoshow.com
Frank Tiano Enterprises
(863) 607-6611
www.franktiano.com
Pro-Mark Graphics
(618) 524-2440
www.pro-mark.com
Vailly Aviation
(631) 732-4715
www.vaillyaviation.com
Squadron
(877) 414-0434
www.squadron.com
National Association of Scale
Aeromodelers
www.nasascale.org
Edition: Model Aviation - 2010/02
Page Numbers: 106,107,108
IN PAST COLUMNS I’ve touched on the
loss of Scale competitors and Scale
modelers in general throughout the past
few years. Clubs, organizations, and the
AMA need to work together with every
resource we have to improve young and
upcoming participants and bring them into
the ranks of Scale aeromodelers.
One club that has been working on this
for years has had some success: the One
Eighth Air Force based in Phoenix,
Arizona. Its mission statement declares
that it was conceived to showcase, in
organized flying events, Scale RC models
of all types in a manner that is fun,
exciting, and rewarding for the pilots and
visible and enjoyable for modeling
enthusiasts and the public.
Each spring and fall, the club hosts a
Scale fly-in at a local field. The autumn
2009 event was held at Superstition Air
Park in Mesa, Arizona. A total of 91
registered pilots and 145 beautiful aircraft
had shown up by the noon break on
Saturday. The youngest pilot in attendance
was 7-year-old Joseph (J.P.) Nolan.
Many Scale modelers are deeply into
what only they, as individuals, are doing at
Toledo Show 2010: Each year, the Weak
Signals Club hosts the largest model show
in the US. This year’s edition will be held
April 9-11 at the SeaGate Centre in Toledo,
Ohio.
If you go, take the largest vehicle you
have, to bring back the goodies. Most of the
hobby’s large companies are there and
ready to do business—buy, sell, or trade, it
all happens there.
The Saturday-night auction is legendary.
And check out all of the scale static-display
models that will be in competition at the
show.
On the Internet: Frank Tiano is a
successful, longtime Scale competitor,
supporter, and promoter. His Web site has a
host of Scale products for aeromodelers,
including paint-chip guides for World War
II aircraft, dummy radial engines, pilot
figures, building products, and airplanes.
The site also contains directions, photos,
and more information about events Frank
hosts with clubs in and around Lakeland,
Florida. Check out his Frank Tiano
Enterprises Web site; it’s nice.
Pro-Mark Graphics supplies all sorts of
markings for Scale models, including
national insignia and nomenclature you see
on warbirds and jets. You can get markings
that read “NO STEP,” “STEP HERE,” etc.
For panel lines, service hatches, kill
markings, and anything you can put on the
outside of your aircraft to make it look
more realistic, check out the company’s
Web site.
Vailly Aviation has had a line of
products available for Scale modelers for a
long time. Throughout the years, Roy
Vaillancourt has sold military designs
including those for the Hawker Typhoon,
Tempest, and Sea Fury; P-47; Fw 190;
Stinson L-5; and other aircraft.
His Web site features how-to articles and
the like. He also offers cockpit kits and
pilots. You have to build the pilots and paint
them for the particular aircraft and era, and
they are available in 1/3 and 1/4 scale.
February 2010 107
Above: Seven-year-old J.P.
Nolan was the youngest pilot
to participate in the event’s
buddy-box flying.
Left: Jack Dolan attended the
fly-in with his dad, Mike Dolan,
and flew an electric-powered
P-47. The One Eighth Air
Force provided a great time
for parents and kids.
This plaque was given to all kids who flew during the weekend.
It was great to take home for their bedrooms or to display on
Mom and Dad’s fireplace mantle.
the time, and that can be understood—
especially with some of the complex
models taking to the air. But stop and think
about when you were starting out, going to
that first Scale contest and wanting to be
part of the action. Did somebody help you?
Whether at fly-ins or contests, Scale
modeling is a social endeavor. It’s rare that
one competitor doesn’t help the flier in the
next tent, talk about that next project, or
discuss what’s on the boards. Such
gatherings are also a good time to get a
close look at what the other modeler is
doing and find out how it’s done and why.
However, the One Eighth Air Force is
known for its one-upmanship. During the
noontime break at each Scale fly-in,
members regularly have flying sessions
with buddy boxes for new pilots. It is
hoped that they will be new Scale pilots.
Maybe this should be a requirement at
all Scale gatherings. Give the kids the
opportunity to get their fingers on the
sticks of a real model—better yet, a real
Scale model.
To top that off, each youngster who
flew with the One Eighth Air Force
received a T-shirt emblazoned with “I flew
with the One Eighth Air Force” and a
Young Eagle award. And it wasn’t a
certificate, but a plaque that each
newcomer could hang up to remember his
or her flight. Make them feel special so
they won’t forget—great idea!
This year, the club gave six of those
awards. The recipients were J.P. Nolan;
Jack Dolan, age 8; Harley Dickinson, age
12; Sam Eagan, age 13; Brad Hartman, age
14; and Jose Luis Moreno, age 15.
In addition to all of the awards, prizes,
auctions, and raffles, the group held a
steak dinner Saturday night, with live
music. All of the dinner tickets sold. When
I go to the fly-in this spring, I plan to take
an extra steak knife and make my
reservations early.
The One Eighth Air Force Spring Fly-
In will be held March 13-14. Check out the
club’s Web site for more information.
I’v e b een looking for a World War II
Japanese pilot. Althoug h I h aven’t fo und
one yet, th ere is an incredible as sortment
to shop from on Ray’s site; check it out.
Years ago, Monogram had the best
reference books on the market abou t
se veral airplanes. In rec ent years , though,
I’ve seen lit tle coming from this co mpany.
However, another compa ny has come
al ong and is off ering some outsta nding
books about many subjects from WW II
an d a few from WW I.
Ka gero Pub lishing is based in Poland,
and its books are sold through Squa dron in
t he US. Many subjects have multiplev
olume historie s a vailable.
T his mont h I ’ll look at Cu rtiss P- 40:
V ol. 1 (I SBN 978-83-604 45-35-8), which
i s by Krzysztof Jano wicz and Leszek A.
W ielic zko. One of the main it ems I enjoy
about thi s c ompan y’s books is t hat they
seem to be extraordinarily we ll researched
and finished. If you haven ’t seen one , it
would be wo rth a look to use to research
one of your favorite mi litar y a ircraf t.
This well-illustrated volume ha s 96
pages and 2 4 scale drawings showing
cross-section s, cockpit da ta, and
inst rum ent panels. It also has a we alth o f
informa tion a bout various P- 40s ,
including the XP-40, Tomah awk M k 1, P-
40B , To maha wk Mk I IA and I IB, P-4 0C,
P-40D, and P-40E.
Mos t of thi s ser ies of books has both
02sig4.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 12/21/09 9:44 AM Page 107
Polish and English text, but this volume
has all English text with Polish text only
in the captions of drawings or photos. The
artwork is excellent, and the illustrations
are richly painted.
Curtiss P-40: Vol. 1 contains eight
pages of color side drawings and blackand-
white photos for color schemes if you
are building a kit or semikit from one of
the various manufacturers. I can think of a
few designers who offer P-40s, including
Nick Ziroli, Jerry Bates, Yellow Aircraft,
and Top Flite. There are others. The
designs I listed are mostly 1/4 to 1/7 scale.
Radio technology has been changing
rapidly in the past three years or so. The
2.4 GHz radio systems have jumped up in
popularity, especially at regional or
national events.
Close to three months after I
purchased my last radio system, the 2.4
GHz systems came out. Now if you don’t
have a 2.4 GHz radio system at many
national, and I’m sure at some regional,
gatherings, you aren’t allowed to fly. It’s
that simple.
This regulation is coming to the AMA
Nationals as well as other major events
across the country. If you’ve been putting
off purchasing that new radio system, now
might be the best time to take the plunge.
The days of transmitter impounds and
everyone having to turn in his or her radio
system before anyone can fly are quickly
coming to an end. This will allow more
events to be flown in limited spaces,
without the problems associated with 72
MHz systems and splitting frequencies.
All major radio companies sell 2.4
GHz systems. And, come to think of it,
why not give some of your old systems to
the local club and let it use them for
buddy-box training?
Fair skies and tailwinds. MA
Sources:
One Eighth Air Force
(602) 228-9155
www.oneeighthairforce.org
The Toledo Show
www.toledoshow.com
Frank Tiano Enterprises
(863) 607-6611
www.franktiano.com
Pro-Mark Graphics
(618) 524-2440
www.pro-mark.com
Vailly Aviation
(631) 732-4715
www.vaillyaviation.com
Squadron
(877) 414-0434
www.squadron.com
National Association of Scale
Aeromodelers
www.nasascale.org
