Radio Control Scale - 2010/10

THIS YEAR I have covered World War
I, or the Great War’s, aircraft. There have
been jets and other types of Scale models.
We see less information about civil
aircraft than about any other, and there are
more civil subjects out there than any
other type of aircraft.
Many Cessnas and Pipers seem to be
overlooked for modeling for different
reasons. Aeromodelers might say, “I want
a warbird” or “I want a model with more
options.” That is a reference to flight
options, usually mechanical, such as
retractable landing gear, flaps, or bomb
drops. When they work properly, those
features can add a significant number of
points to a flight score.
A recent kit by Top Flite (now out of
production) is the Piper Arrow II. The fullscale
version is a four-place, low-wing, allmetal
monoplane with retracts and flaps. It
has many details you can add to a Scale
model airframe, including a light system,
gear doors, and cockpit interior—all the
stuff the warbirds have.
On a model such as the Arrow II, you
could fly the five mandatory maneuvers as
well as Straight Flight Out, Procedure
Turn, and Straight Flight Back, retracts,
and flaps, and your flight would be in.
This would be a quick and simple routine
for many civil aircraft with flaps and
retracts.
There are several kits out there for this
type of aircraft, including the Top Flite
Cessna Skylane and the ARF version of
the model. As for other kits of singleengine
light aircraft, I’ve looked around.
There aren’t many with flaps and retracts,
and the Skylane has only flaps.
If you see other civil-aviation kits
featuring multiple mechanical options, let
me know.
The Golden Age of Aviation is
generally referenced as the period from
post-WW I to before WW II. Many
technical advances were put into use
during that time. Airplanes of every shape
and type of construction were built then.
Those were the days of heroes that
included Charles Lindbergh, Jimmy
Doolittle, Roscoe Turner, Granville
Brothers, and all the racers who flew in the
Cleveland and other air races across the
country. Those events were melting pots
for improvements in aviation aerodynamics as well as
improvements in power plants, airfoils, materials, propellers,
and fuel types.
The names that were synonymous with the Golden Age—
Stinson, Beechcraft, Chester, Howard, Gee Bee, Cessna,
Wedell-Williams, Taylorcraft, Boeing, Fairchild, WACO, and
many more—were innovators in the field of aeronautics. Their
designs were race winners, civil aircraft, and military
adaptations.
The Cessna T-50 Bobcat was a mostly wood-and-fabric large
twin trainer with one big vertical fin and rudder and two huge
radial engines. It could move at fast speeds. Not only was it the
Sky King’s mount during the first year of that TV show, but it
was also the versatile twin that served most Allied nations
during WW II in a trainer and liaison role.
Kits for the Cessna T-50 are available in many sizes.
Precision Cut Kits offers Don Smith plans, which
produce a model that spans 100 inches. Full wood kits
are available (as I write this) at $405, with a short kit
available for $325. That does not include landing
gear, engines, or fiberglass parts.
That is one of the largest T-50 kits available. Many
smaller versions and plans could make for a fantastic
and affordable model.
Howard aircraft were used as light business
transports. However, with increased horsepower and
shorter wingspans, they went on to win air races at
Cleveland, Ohio.
Some of the Golden Age builders and innovators
went on to commercial success; some never did and
faded into the proverbial dust in the Great Depression
of the mid-1930s. As the 1930s wore on, companies
that received military contracts survived, and in some cases
prospered, and those that stayed involved in civil aviation or the racing field typically folded.
Many Golden Age aircraft have been
popular with aeromodelers for many years.
Most are available through plans services
and are offered in various sizes.
One of the best sources for plans is the
AMA Plans Service. Most Golden Age
models are listed and have many versions
from which to choose. There are 75 sets
available for Howard aircraft in just one of
the AMA catalogs.
Another great source of Golden Age
aircraft is Wendell Hostetler’s Plans. He
sells sets for models including the Gee Bee
Model Z, Gee Bee Model R-2, Stinson SR-
10, Lindbergh’s Lockheed Sirius, Curtiss
Hawk P-6E, Art Chester’s Jeep, Turner
Special, Wedell-Williams Gilmore Red
Lion, Fairchild PT-19, and several others.
Wendell’s airplanes are 1/4 scale and
larger, for the most part. Even the
diminutive Art Chester Jeep spans 84
inches. Several services offer kit cutting
for these models. Fiberglass parts, landing
gear, and other components are available
as well.
Many of the plans services I’ve
mentioned throughout the year sell at least
a few Golden Age aircraft. Check those
out too. Have fun with these classic
airplanes.
Around Scale: Full-scale service aircraft
can be unique in appearance, such as the
de Havilland Caribou. Heyward
Macdonald built his model version to 1/15
scale, with a wingspan of 73 inches. He
selected a covering scheme that would
show up easily in the sky, thus the UN
colors.
Heyward wrote:
“That fulfills my desire to build a big
Boo, since I loved the way they could get
into our firebases back in Vietnam. My
son and his wife live in Adelaide,
Australia, thus the RAAF [Royal
Australian Air Force] connection.”
Heyward chose one of the most popular
power sources for multiengine models
today: electric. He installed two 450-watt
outrunners and two FMA Direct
Revolectrix 3300 mAh, four—cell Li-Poly
batteries. The Caribou has counter-rotating
propellers, so it tracks nicely with no nosehigh
torque.
He said that he used the BECs on both
ESCs to power the radio system. It has too
many servos for one.
“I usually use a separate UBEC and
Blade Fuse Safety Arming System. This
time I separated the servo/radio gear into
two circuits with a common ground and
powered half the system with each BEC.
“I used a Y-connector to hook up the
throttle lead to the radio through an FMA
Signal Substitution Safety Arming Switch.
It works very well.”
Heyward equipped the model with
Fultz landing gear, and it lands like a dream. He has video of the Caribou in
flight. See the “Sources” list for the Web
site address.
Upcoming Events: The One Eighth Air
Force (OEAF) Fall Fly-In will be held
October 23-24 at the Adobe Mountain
Park field, just south of 43rd Avenue in
Phoenix, Arizona. These club members
host a great time.
If you can make it to the fly-in, be
sure to attend on Friday for the
unofficial “open house.” The group
generally serves dinner and beverages
for all who attend.
Saturday night’s dinner at the OEAF
field is a terrific time, with raffles, the
dastardly auctions, and plenty of awards
and prizes for those who enter events.
There were some fantastic deals at the
spring auction; I wish I had had my van
handy!
The Southern Dawn Patrol is coming
up this December 3-4. The Chipola R/C
Aviators hosts the event at the Hodges
Hobbies field in Andersonville, Georgia,
which is approximately 60 miles
southwest of Macon.
The event is open to any WW I
model of an airplane that was in service
by the end of 1918. Subsequent mail
aircraft and barnstormer conversions of
WW I airplanes are okay too. There are
no restrictions on paint schemes, and all
model sizes are welcome.
Check out the photos from last year’s
event on the Chipola club’s Web site. MA