Author: Stan Alexander
Edition: Model Aviation - 2011/01
Page Numbers: 97,98,99
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Radio Control Scale

Stan Alexander [[email protected]]

Get going on that winter project!

It might be cold where you are, but as I write this in early October it's still in the mid-80s in Nashville, Tennessee. It's time to think about new projects and get them underway for the next flying season or contest season.

Building a model can give you a great deal of pride and accomplishment. To get it right can also lead to a great deal of frustration and cause you to lose interest in a project.

I could easily start four airplanes at the same time, but to what end? Would I ever finish any of them? I doubt it—maybe one.

To observe the state of model building, I'll point out one local field. I was there last week, and a few modelers were looking at one of my aircraft. Many had never seen a model of that particular airplane and asked whose ARF it was. When I told them that it was a practice model to get some stick time on, they just looked at me.

I had built it from an old Great Planes kit. It's a Trainer 60 with tricycle gear and a symmetrical airfoil—a great-flying model. What surprised the other people at the field was that I had actually constructed it.

The next build-along I'll present here is of one of my favorite old home-builts. I've seen it at air shows in years past, including the Experimental Aircraft Association's Oshkosh AirVenture in Wisconsin. Old aeromodelers and pilots would call the aircraft a "two-holer," meaning that it will hold, or lift for that matter, only a pilot and passenger. Do you care to guess what it is?

I have been detailing the Piper PA-11, and while I'm finishing it and putting in test flights, I've been looking at new subjects to bring to these pages. As I've mentioned, the AMA has thousands of plans sets for sale, and constructing a model from plans is what it's all about to many Scale modelers. My idea for the PA-11 was to build a Scale aircraft that needed neither special tools nor a fully equipped shop. It started as a simple Goldberg Piper J-3 Cub. Next month I'll start on the new model and include some photos of the PA-11.

Around Scale

Chuck Snyder is a longtime modeler who is new to RC Scale. He has represented the US at World Championships for CL Scale. Welcome aboard!

Chuck's model at the 2010 Scale Nationals was a Kawasaki Ki-61 Hein ("flying swallow" in Japanese). The Allied code name for the Ki-61 was the "Tony." Chuck built his model from Don Smith plans, using wood and fiberglass. It spans 86 inches and is covered with Klass Kote paint.

His Japanese Army fighter is powered by a SuperTigre 2500 engine with onboard glow and features drop tanks and the usual flaps and retracts. One observer asked where I bought the stripes for the model. I told him that I cut them from MonoKote using a straightedge, X-Acto knife, and tape measure. Unfortunately the Hein crashed late in the competition.

Upcoming Events

  • The 2011 Toledo R/C Expo will take place April 1–3 at the SeaGate Centre in Toledo, Ohio. Admission is $8 per day per person. The mountain of hobby "stuff," as my wife calls it, that you can find there is amazing. I've been saving my Toledo stash for roughly nine months, so I'll be ready for the vendors. They usually offer discounts or special show prices, so you can get some great deals.

There is also an auction and other events throughout the weekend. If you've never been, it's a treat that you shouldn't miss. But be prepared; if you do see something you want at the show, buy it then and haul it back or arrange storage. You might return later to get something and it will be gone. Ask me how I know!

The Toledo Expo is a great place to see all new products from manufacturers and get deep discounts on fuel, balsa, kits, and almost anything else you need or want for that new Scale project.

  • The 2011 AMA RC and CL Scale National Championships will take place July 1–3. Mark your calendars now! The Nationals are held at the AMA's International Aeromodeling Center in Muncie, Indiana.

The event continues to grow, with competition categories for competitors of all experience levels. They range from Fun Scale, for modelers with little or no experience, to Designer Scale, for those who draw their own plans and build their models from scratch.

The weather at the last few Nationals has been great, as has the company, friends, families, and the National Association of Scale Aeromodelers banquet.

Judging from what I've been told, the Scale Nationals and all other events at the AMA site will be using 2.4 GHz radios in 2011. This has been in the works for some time. Going to all 2.4 GHz radio systems will allow more sites to be used at the same time instead of having to extend the dates for the entire Nationals by a week. This technology is the wave of the future, and many large events have already adopted it.

On the Web

Manzano Laser Works has released four new laser-cut kits. They are slightly larger than the normal-size kits by Peter Rake of Great Britain, who is a prolific designer. He comes up with great scale fliers that have enough detail to satisfy most aeromodelers. And you do have to build the models; they are not ARFs.

  • Pietenpol Air Camper — spans 58 inches. It was designed to be powered by a 250-watt motor with a three-cell Li-Poly battery.
  • Martinsyde Elephant — wingspan of 50 inches. The full-scale aircraft was designed in 1915 as a single-seat observation and spotter for Great Britain.
  • Fournier RF-4 motor glider — spans 60 inches. Recommended power is a TowerPro 2409-18 motor with a three-cell, 1300 mAh Li-Poly battery.
  • WACO YMF — my favorite. Available as a short kit that includes plans, plastic cowl, dummy radial, wheel pants, and laser-cut parts. You provide the stringers, wing spars, and sticks. Recommended power for the YMF is an AXI 4120 motor with a 4S 5000 mAh Li-Poly battery.

Bookshelf

Nakajima Ki-84 a/b Hayate in Japanese Army Air Force Service by Richard M. Bueschel is published by Schiffer Books. This 61-page volume covers the second in the series of aircraft (including the Ki-27, Ki-43, and Ki-100) that Nakajima produced for the Japanese Army. The company was prolific in aircraft production from 1917 until World War II.

The Ki-84 "Frank" was similar to many Japanese fighters. It was modern in many respects but backward in regards to pilot protection. The low-wing, radial-engined fighter presents good opportunities for aeromodelers to reproduce retracts, flaps, dual-wing drop tanks, and bombs mounted on pylons just outside of the main gear.

The book features 85 black-and-white photos; modelers can use approximately 50 of them. There are no color side views of different color schemes, scale drawings, or three-views, and some of the photos are extremely grainy. However, if you need to add to your collection of photos of the Ki-84, this book can be helpful. It was on sale for $13.46 in Squadron's October flyer, so check it out!

At some point these publishers should realize that it's mostly aeromodelers who buy their books. These companies should work toward a common goal of including color documentation, accurate scale drawings, and a good selection of photos. There are only a few sometimes worn or damaged photos of numerous older aircraft, although those can be helpful at times.

New Products

In 2008 Don Smith retired and sold his plans business to Larry Katona of Precision Cut Kits. Don had drawn many large plans sets, mostly for WWII models.

Don produced the Ki-84 Hayate with an 88-inch wingspan. The cowling, canopy, and wood-and-fiberglass kit were available from Precision Cut Kits for $527 at the time of this writing, but you need to add the retractable landing gear to the cost.

Sources

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