Radio Control Scale-2011/11

110 MODEL AVIATION
new engines could also be on that list. So
check it twice and leave it where your
honey can find it.
Pietenpol update: Pietenpol airplanes are
inexpensive, as easy to fly as a taildragger,
and fly slowly. It is a fairweather
airplane, with an open cockpit,
and is not made for instrument flying or
aerobatics.
The Brodhead Pietenpol Association in
Wisconsin held its 36th Annual Brodhead
Pietenpol Fly-In in July. There were
roughly 22 Pietenpols and at least four
Hatz biplanes at this year’s EAA Chapter
431 event. One of the more interesting
aircraft was a rare 1936 Rearwin 6,000. If
you still have one of the old Bridi kits, this
would be a great aircraft to model. Check
it out on the EAA Chapter 431’s website
address listed under “Sources.”
My Scale Piet is coming along and I’ll
be at a full-scale fly-in at the end of
August, which should produce some more
documentation on Pietenpol aircraft. What
I didn’t realize until this month is that
many Pietenpol builders/owners use
Harley-Davidson wheels/tires and brakes
Resurrecting military aircraft
[[email protected]]
Radio Control Scale Stan Alexander
MILITARY TRAINERS have held a
special place in Scale modelers’ hearts for
as long as most of us can remember.
With all of the ARFs on the market, it
would be great to see a ¼-scale PT-19
back on the rack at the local hobby shop,
or at least online. This particular model is
great for a first-time Giant Scale pilot. The
model can be powered by a variety of
engines, has a generous wing area, and is
stable in the air as well as aerobatic for a
greater selection of maneuvers.
At most fly-ins or in Scale competitions
you will see models built from the
Hostetler plans or an occasional Dynaflite
kit-built model. There are also a few of the
1/5-scale PT-19s from the Hangar 9 ARF
still flying today. But if you want a new
one or a ¼-scale kit, there are few choices.
There are several different paint
schemes for the airplane in addition to the
popular blue and yellow. After World War
II began, most of these were painted all
silver with a black antiglare shield on the
upper forward fuselage. Other countries,
such as Brazil, also used the PT-19 for
training. The first PT-19s were not used by
the military, so civilian color schemes are
available.
The AT-6 and PT-17 are still on the
market in a number of versions, but where
is the PT-19?
It’s the time of year when we start
thinking about new projects and the
occasional ARF or two that we’ll add to
our collection. Or that special radio system
you’ve been wanting for the upcoming
flying season. Tools, field equipment, or
on their full-scale Pietenpol home-built
aircraft.
Using 1/64-inch plywood for braces is
expensive, but easy to cut. Use a good pair of
scissors to make your triangle braces. The tail
surfaces are all sanded and ready for covering.
I will look more at the full-scale aircraft before
doing hinging work.
I’ve been adding parts to the fuselage, both
in the forward section and the tail. The
turtledeck is made from 1/8-inch x ¼-inch balsa
sticks, which are added to the plywood and
balsa formers.
The forward fuselage has 1/8-inch plywood
formers up front, balsa in the back, and balsa
covering. After covering the top of the
fuselage, the only way to access it would be
through an additional hatch in the bottom.
Five-sixteenth-inch landing gear blocks will be
added for the main gear and a C.B. Associates
¼-scale tail wheel bracket has been attached to
take care of ground maneuvers mounted on a
plywood bracket. It’s simple to add.
On the Web: If you are into antique aircraft
and all the sights and sounds around a grass
runway, check out the Antique Aircraft
Association website. Not only does it feature
Also included in this column:
• Military trainers
• 36th Annual Brodhead Pietenpol Fly-In
• Pietenpol update
• The Vaught SB2U Vindicator
After a large model dropped roughly 15 pounds of candy,
the kids hurried to the field to collect their sweets during
halftime at Top Gun.
This Dynaflite Fairchild PT-19 makes a pass at the 2011 Mint
Julep Scale Meet. The aircraft has wide gear for nice takeoffs
and landings.
Brazil’s Ana Esteves returns her
husband Eduardo’s PT-19 to the pits
after a flight. The 114-inch-wingspan
model looks great in the air.
November 2011 111
Right: Here is a view of all of the
sticks added to the Pietenpol Air
Camper. They are ready to cover the
forward fuselage.
Above: Note the full flaps on
this 1/5-scale, 87-inch-wingspan
Hangar 9 PT-19 ARF as it lands.
Below: The Aircraft Pictorial 2 SB2U
Vindicator can be purchased from
Classic Warships Publishing.
photos and online newsletters (with a large
selection of back issues), but also
professional videos.
The videos include the following: Wings,
2010 AAA/APM Fly-In, Bleriot Replica
Engine Run, In a Black Dress, Help,
Operation M*A*S*H: the 14th Annual
Pumpkin Drop, and Treetop Flyer. I’m sure
that by the time you see this in the
magazine, there will be a new selection of
photos and more from this year’s fly-in,
which took place during Labor Day
weekend.
Around Scale: At Top Gun this year, as
always, there is a halftime air show. Some
pilots come to the event to compete; others
just come for the air shows. The air show is
held every day at approximately noon.
One event that Frank Tiano included this
year was just for kids. It was a candy drop
with a 12-foot Telemaster drop airplane. It
must have dropped 15 pounds of candy on
the field for an energetic group of kids who
ran all over and gathered their treats. This is
just another way to get kids involved in your
activities at any event or fly-in. It just takes
a little planning and commitment. Thanks,
Frank.
Bookshelf: This year marks the 100th
anniversary of naval aviation here in the
United States. It’s hard to believe that in
1911, roughly eight years after the Wright
brothers’ first manned flight, the U.S.
Navy started flying airplanes.
It didn’t start in Pensacola, Florida, as
some may think, but in the San Francisco
Bay on January 18, 1911, when a civilian
pilot landed a Curtiss Pusher onto a
makeshift wooden deck on the armored
cruiser, USS Pennsylvania.
This airplane is featured in the book,
Aircraft Pictorial 2 SB2U Vindicator by
Dana Bell, and is printed by Classic
Warships Publishing. This is a softbound
book with 72 pages of large, black-andwhite
photos of the original Vindicator
aircraft in different color schemes. The
photos include trials for skies and floats.
The Vought Vindicator was a mixedconstruction
aircraft with all metal
framework. Forward sections of the fuselage
were covered with metal panels, and the rear
was all fabric past the canopy.
First flown in 1936, the original
Vindicator crashed. As with other U.S. Navy
aircraft, older models were given to the U.S.
Marines as newer versions of the dive
bomber were produced. The SB2U-3 used
the Pratt and Whitney Twin Wasp R-1535
radial with 850 hp. The aircraft initially
wasn’t fitted with dive brakes, but they were
included in later versions.
The Vindicator was also a movie queen.
It was featured in the movie Dive Bomber,
which was filmed aboard the USS
Enterprise before World War II.
This aircraft featured two flap panels in
the center section of the wing. Like the
Douglas SBD Dauntless, the Vought
Vindicator had a large, glass canopy for the
two-man crew, pilot, and navigator/gunner.
The wheel retracted back into the wing in
the same manner as the Curtiss P-40.
Although not a stellar combat aircraft,
this version of the attack aircraft paved the
way for the later dive bombers in the U.S.
Navy, such as the SBD Dauntless, Grumman
Avenger, and the Curtiss SB2C Helldiver.
After the Battle of Midway, the Vindicator
was relegated to training squadrons.
The book also includes color plates for
each of the different squadrons that used the
Vindicator. Model Airplane News has plans
for this aircraft with an 84-inch wingspan.
Wood kits are also available from Precision
Cut Kits.
If you want something different, this is a
good way to fool friends at the flying field;
it will be mistaken for an SBD. There is only
one left in the world and it currently rests at
the National Naval Aviation Museum in
Pensacola, Florida.
Fair skies and tailwinds. MA
Sources:
Antique Aircraft Association
(641) 938-2773
www.antiqueairfield.com
Classic Warships Publishing
(520) 748-2992
www.classicwarships.com
National Naval Aviation Museum
(800) 452-3604
www.navalaviationmuseum.com
Brodhead Pietenpol Association
www.pietenpols.org
EAA Chapter 431
www.eaa431.org
Precision Cut Kits
(609) 538-1388
www.precisioncutkits.com
National Association of Scale Modelers
www.nasa.org