PIETENPOL AIR CAMPER: Where to
start on a model project? The first thing I do
is straighten the shop after all of the wood
arrives in that brown truck.
The aircraft-grade spruce sticks arrived
after the blizzard we had here in Tennessee
at the end of January. It only took six weeks
after I placed the order, but Aircraft Spruce
stated that it had been closed because of
snow, sleet, and ice during a large part of
December.
The spruce came in a triangle-shaped box
that was slightly longer than 6 feet. I ordered
a few extra sticks, to see how straight a 6-
foot length of spruce would arrive.
All of the sticks were secured in the box
and taped to a 2 x 2-inch stick that ran the
length of the box, to make sure that the box
wasn’t bent or damaged during shipment. It
also kept everything in the box tight. So
building a model with a 12-foot wingspan
and making two 6-foot panels shouldn’t be a
problem.
I started cleaning the shop and dusting off
the power tools and other equipment. It’s
easy to understand why some parts were
missing from other projects.
Painting the workbenches and pegboard on the walls, reallocating
tools, and performing other organizational tasks might help us build
Also included in this column:
• John Cole’s Jenny
• Top Notch Continental dummy engines
• Mark your calendar!
The Pietenpol Air Camper
[[email protected]]
Radio Control Scale Stan Alexander
This gives you a better look at the Jenny’s dummy engine, all of the metal parts, and the
operational leather hood straps.
Right: In this view of John Cole’s Curtiss Jenny in flight, you
can see details such as turnbuckles and rigging.
The author’s Pietenpol Air Camper tail assembly on the building
board. The stabilizer and elevator are receiving their capstrips,
using all balsa sticks.
Shown is Stan’s technique for ripping capstrips from a balsa sheet.
He uses an X-Acto hobby knife with a new blade, an aluminum
straightedge, and clamps for the workbench.
more quickly. Everyone needs that. The biggest thing in the shop
that helps me build more quickly is keeping the TV off!
The tail surfaces and the horizontal stabilizer will be first,
May 2011 107
05sig4.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 3/23/11 10:16 AM Page 107
Coverite, and John hand-painted all of the markings. Metal parts
are metal parts on these models!
Thanks to John for producing a beautiful and different airplane!
New Products: Talk about timing! I’ve started building a 1/4-scale
Pietenpol Air Camper that will have a Continental 65 engine in the
nose, and Top Notch Products Company has released a 1/4-scale
dummy engine!
John Valentine has designed not one but three kits of Continental
C-65 dummy engines, in 1/5, 1/4, and 1/3 scale. Note that these are kits.
The prices are reasonable, at $49.95 for the 1/3-scale kit and
$39.95 for the other two, plus shipping. These engines should fit a
variety of airplanes, such as the J-3 Cub.
Everything on the engines is laser-cut, and the kits include
everything you need to finish them but glue and paint. Cowlopening
templates are also provided, and the engines go
108 MODEL AVIATION
followed by the rudder and fuselage. With a parasol airplane, we
need to build the wings last and make sure that the fuselage is
straight and that the uprights for the wing center-section are square
and secure.
After getting all of your wood types together and putting the
plan sheets in order of your assembly, cover the plans with waxed
paper. This keeps the glue off of them and keeps the adhesive
where it should be: in the glue joints.
The 1/4 square medium balsa will form the outline of the
stabilizer, while 1/4 x 1/8 sticks will be the “ribs” for the stabilizer.
Leave roughly 1/8 inch to carefully sand the area where glue is
applied. This gives a less porous surface for the glue to attach
itself to and it doesn’t soak into the grain, while making a stronger
joint.
You could use a power saw, but there’s really no need. You
merely need a good hobby saw, as is shown. When selecting a new
hobby saw blade, the higher the tooth count, the finer and better
cut you will make.
Using a 2 x 4-inch piece of wood for a sanding block
works well and doubles as a cutting board on the back. Cut
your sandpaper the length of where the ends stop on the
end grain, and secure with thumbtacks.
If you need larger or smaller sanding blocks, cut the 2 x
4 to the length you need. This works great.
The Pietenpol has thin capstrips on all ribs, either on
the wing or tail surfaces. On a good sheet of 1/16 wood,
mark the distances at each end. Take your trusty X-Acto
hobby knife with a new blade, an aluminum straightedge,
and clamps to your workbench.
Clamp the sheet and the aluminum straightedge to the
bench. Use the knife to carefully rip the capstrips needed
for the tail surfaces. After each strip is cut, reclamp the
wood and straightedge to the surface and rip the next one.
Check the capstrips for accuracy. This process should
take less than 20 minutes.
Around Scale: In this segment of the column I like to
highlight models I’ve seen across the country while attending Scale
contests or fly-ins. This month’s subject flew at the 2010 One Eighth
Airforce Spring Fly-In. It was built, or started out, as a Proctor kit of
the Curtiss Jenny.
Proctor Enterprises kits are some of the most accurate in all
respects. They have construction that is as close as possible to the
full-scale aircraft, such as operational wing warping on a Fokker
Eindecker E.III. It takes time to soak in all of the details.
I’ve featured this model in the column before, but this time I want
to show its details up-close—not only in flight shots.
John Cole built the kit and finished it to look identical to a Jenny
that the Heddon tackle company of Dowagiac, Michigan, used for
advertising. The staff would fly the aircraft to large fishing meets,
hand out lures, and give rides to their customers.
The 87-inch-wingspan model has an O.S. 70FS engine up front
and weighs only 9.5 pounds. The finish is Testors dope and
Contents of the Continental dummy engine kit from Top Notch
Products Company. The author will use the 1/4-scale version on
his Pietenpol.
Finished Continental dummy engines from Top Notch Products, which
can be painted in any color or variation needed.
Pat's Hobbys
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05sig4.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 3/23/11 10:17 AM Page 108
May 2011 109
together with assembly fixtures.
The kit includes detailed assembly
directions with good photos of the sequence.
This no-nonsense approach is designed to
make constructing any of the company’s
airplane or engine kits a success.
If you’re unhappy with the molded-in
engine sitting there staring back at you,
check out these dummy power plants. For
dimensions and assembly instructions,
check out the Top Notch Products Web site.
Upcoming Events: The FAI Scale Team
Selection for next year will be held in
conjunction with this year’s Scale National
Championships in Muncie, Indiana, July 1-
3. The F4C (RC Scale) class will be flown
during the RC Scale portion of the
Nationals.
For more information, get in touch with
FAI Team Coordinator Colleen Pierce at
AMA Headquarters. Her contact
information is in the “Sources” listing.
The 2012 FAI Scale World
Championships will be held at Santa Cilia
Airfield in Spain. A three-member team will
be selected at the upcoming Scale Team
Selection to represent the US and compete
against Scale modelers from around the
world.
This year’s Mint Julep Scale Meet will
take place May 20-22. One of the many
things I enjoy about this contest is that you
can take an underpowered, nonaerobatic
civil airplane to the event and compete
against others of the same type. You won’t
fly a Cub against an F-86 or a P-51
Mustang.
Another plus is that this event is held at
one of the few state parks—the Rough River
Dam State Resort Park—with a full-scale
runway available. It is a 3,200-foot asphalt
strip with parking on the north end. The
park is located northwest of Morgantown,
Kentucky.
For more information, contact Dale
Arvin or visit the Southern Indiana R/C
Modelers Web site.
Making reservations early is a must.
Some attendees make reservations for
several years in advance. Thanks to the
Southern Indiana R/C Modelers for
continuing to host this event after more than
30 years of great friends, competition, and
fun.
The 2011 U.S. Scale Masters
Championships will be held in Fresno,
California, October 6-9. The host club will
be the Fresno Radio Modelers. Check out
the Scale Masters Web site for more
information.
Fair skies and tailwinds. MA
Sources:
Proctor Enterprises
(503) 651-1918
www.proctor-enterprises.com
Top Notch Products Company
(615) 866-4327
www.topnotchkits.com
Colleen Pierce
(765) 287-1256, ext. 252
[email protected]
Rough River Dam State Resort Park
(270) 257-2311
http://parks.ky.gov/findparks/resortparks/rr
Dale Arvin
(812) 284-0162
[email protected]
Southern Indiana R/C Modelers
www.sircm.org
U.S. Scale Masters Championships
www.scalemasters.org
National Association of Scale Aeromodelers
www.nasascale.com
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