IT IS WITH great sorrow that I share news of the untimely passing of Chuck Gill, proprietor of The Aeroplane Works, in late May. Chuck was a lifelong modeler who was involved in all aspects of our hobby at one time or another. He was known for his excellent Radio Control (RC) Giant cut kits and his involvement with the Giant Scale community. Outgoing, outspoken, friendly, and helpful to fellow modelers, he will be sorely missed. Chuck's family has advised me that they will continue to operate The Aeroplane Works in the same high-quality manner for which Chuck was known. ModelCAD and Wingmaster: Computer technology has moved modeling light-years ahead. I use the computer almost daily to research Scale projects, correspond with modelers, and write this column. Now I have the opportunity to try my hand at designing model aircraft with two great products from Upperspace. ModelCAD allows the typical modeler to design airplanes, ships, and trains with an ease and precision never before possible. This software comes with online help, a complete manual, and five easy lessons for getting started. With ModelCAD you can make a complete set of plans and print them to scale. If your printer is not big enough, that's not a problem; ModelCAD will print the plans in pieces, complete with registration marks so you can tape the pages together. With Wingmaster you can produce any NACA 4-, 5-, and 6-series airfoils or select from more than 4(X) airfoils in the Wingmaster library. You can customize any airfoil and modify thickness and camber. You can also completely control the wing taper and sweep with dynamic on-screen display. Specify spar size, and generate automatic spar placement in ribs. In addition, you can print a single airfoil or a complete set of ribs on your printer. The program will print complete wing plans to scale or fit-to-page. The system requirements are Microsoft® Windows 9X, Windows 2000. or Windows NT 4.0. For more information, access the Web site at www.designcad.com or call Upperspace at (800) 233-3223 or (918) 825-4844. Now there is nothing to stop you from designing your own RC Giant. I will definitely become more familiar with these two programs! Yellow Aircraft International, the manufacturer of great military and aerobatic model aircraft, has added another fine subject to its stable of thoroughbreds: a Curtiss P-40E Warhawk. It spans 86 inches and was slated to be available this summer. This new kit features a one-piece, preprimed epoxy/fiberglass fuselage with integral vertical fin, panel lines, and scale details molded in. The fuselage formers are preinstalled. Separately molded fiberglass components including lower chin cowl, belly pan, wingtips, precut canopy frame, landing-gear pods, landing-gear doors, exhaust stacks, and more come with the kit. The P-40E features a one-piece, bolt-on wing design with balsa presheeted foam-core wings and horizontal stabilizer. Landing-gear mounts are preinstalled in the wing panels. Split flap, wheel well, aileron, and flap-servo openings are also routed into the wing. The accompanying photo shows Yellow Aircraft International owner Charles Tse holding a P-40E fuselage at this year's Toledo, Ohio, show. The P-40E kit is $625, and the main rotating retracts are $495. For more information about the P-40E or any of Yellow's other fine products, you can look the company up on the Internet at www.yellowaircraft.com or call (781) 674-9898. You can also write to Yellow Aircraft International, 203 Mass Ave., Lexington MA 02420. First RC Giant: Carl J. Capobianco of Nanuet, New York, is shown with his first RC Giant. He built this attractive Robin Hood 80 from an ISC kit, and it occupied many cold, gray winter days. The airplane has an 80-inch wingspan, weighs 13 pounds, has a wing loading of 24.9 ounces, and is powered by a Zenoah G-23 gas-burning, two-stroke engine. The model is covered with Super Coverite™, painted with LustreKote®, and has two light coats of clear butyrate dope. Carl's model is using Futaba high-torque servos and an SR Batteries 1800 mAh receiver battery pack, which is more than sufficient. Carl wrote that flights are realistic and that now he is hooked on large Scale airplanes. Best of luck on your future projects. Carl! Ted Stickler of Bokeelia, Florida, sent a photo of his latest project: a '/fi-scale Northrop P-61 Black Widow night fighter. Ted wrote that he was inspired to build this model by the full-scale aircraft on display at the US Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio. Ted built the P-61 from Don Smith plans. It has a wingspan of 99 inches and weighs in at 30 pounds. The project took several years to complete. Power is provided by a pair of Webra 1.20 glow engines. Ted uses an Airtronics Vanguard radio with two receivers, two battery packs, and 13 servos. Other features include retracts, flaps, operating gear doors, and finished interior detail. The entire airplane is balsa sheeted and covered with fiberglass cloth and resin. The paint is PPG automotive acrylic lacquer. Invasion stripes are Cheveron perfect paint applied with a brush for a scale appearance. Other finishing details include rivets, panel lines, and rib detailing on the elevator and rudders. The Black Widow's first flight was on April 18 at the club field of the Cape Coral R/Seahawks in Cape Coral, Florida. It flew well and was a thrill to see in the air. One of the club members present, who is a World War II veteran, said that seeing the model fly made his annual membership fee worth every penny! Congratulations on your excellent Scale project, Ted. I hope that it will encourage others to try a Scale project of their own. Superb modeler Alan Yendle of Atlanta, Georgia, completed yet another modeling masterpiece. He chose the famous Gloster Gladiator as his latest project. The model is '/4 scale with a wingspan of 72 inches. It is powered by a Quadra 75XL engine turning a 24 x 10 propeller, and it weighs in at 33 pounds. The Gladiator is finished in Norwegian markings, as is the full-scale aircraft located at the Shuttleworth Collection in England. People there provided Alan with paint samples for the red and blue stripes, which was extremely helpful! The metal parts of the fuselage are fiberglass, and the fabric parts are covered with silver Solartex. The whole model was sprayed with Rust-Oleum® Brite Coat Metallic Finish. The sprayed areas were then hand-rubbed with a copper-wool pad to give them texture and eliminate the shiny surfaces. Alan used copper pads instead of the steel-wool pads because steel wool leaves a fine residue which, unless completely removed, will leave rust marks. Panel lines were added using chart tape, and the rivets are ZAP® Hinge Glue. Navigation lights on the wings and rudder turn on/off from the transmitter. According to Alan, the model slows down really well with engine idling on final approach. The full-scale Gladiator has two firsts to its credit: it was the first Royal Air Force (RAF) fighter to have an enclosed cockpit and it was the last RAF biplane fighter aircraft. It will always be associated with the "fight against odds," which characterized RAF operations in Greece, North and East Africa, and the Mediterranean during the first two years of World War II. Great job, Alan! Approximately a year ago I submitted a column which featured Emil Cassanello's Giant Eindecker of his own design. I believed it was important to show how anyone could build a successful RC Giant without having to squander his or her children's college fund. Several modelers were interested, and a few contacted Emil for his plans. I am very happy to present Harry Botkowsky and his newly completed "Emil" Eindecker. The model spans 104 inches and is powered with a 25-cubic-centimeter converted Homelite® blower engine. He is using a Futaba 1024 radio with pull-pull controls for the elevator and rudder. From the photos it looks as though Harry did a wonderful job with his Eindecker. He wrote that he hopes I can use the photos he sent me at some future date. He added, "don't make it too far in the future as I am 83 years old and every day is a bonus!" Okay, Harry, I get the point! And Harry, thank you very much for reading the RC Giants column! That's all for this month. As another summer season comes to a close, start looking for that great RC Giant winter project. As always, send me your comments, concerns, and photos of your RC Giant. Cheers!
Edition: Model Aviation - 2002/10
Page Numbers: 93, 94, 95
Edition: Model Aviation - 2002/10
Page Numbers: 93, 94, 95
IT IS WITH great sorrow that I share news of the untimely passing of Chuck Gill, proprietor of The Aeroplane Works, in late May. Chuck was a lifelong modeler who was involved in all aspects of our hobby at one time or another. He was known for his excellent Radio Control (RC) Giant cut kits and his involvement with the Giant Scale community. Outgoing, outspoken, friendly, and helpful to fellow modelers, he will be sorely missed. Chuck's family has advised me that they will continue to operate The Aeroplane Works in the same high-quality manner for which Chuck was known. ModelCAD and Wingmaster: Computer technology has moved modeling light-years ahead. I use the computer almost daily to research Scale projects, correspond with modelers, and write this column. Now I have the opportunity to try my hand at designing model aircraft with two great products from Upperspace. ModelCAD allows the typical modeler to design airplanes, ships, and trains with an ease and precision never before possible. This software comes with online help, a complete manual, and five easy lessons for getting started. With ModelCAD you can make a complete set of plans and print them to scale. If your printer is not big enough, that's not a problem; ModelCAD will print the plans in pieces, complete with registration marks so you can tape the pages together. With Wingmaster you can produce any NACA 4-, 5-, and 6-series airfoils or select from more than 4(X) airfoils in the Wingmaster library. You can customize any airfoil and modify thickness and camber. You can also completely control the wing taper and sweep with dynamic on-screen display. Specify spar size, and generate automatic spar placement in ribs. In addition, you can print a single airfoil or a complete set of ribs on your printer. The program will print complete wing plans to scale or fit-to-page. The system requirements are Microsoft® Windows 9X, Windows 2000. or Windows NT 4.0. For more information, access the Web site at www.designcad.com or call Upperspace at (800) 233-3223 or (918) 825-4844. Now there is nothing to stop you from designing your own RC Giant. I will definitely become more familiar with these two programs! Yellow Aircraft International, the manufacturer of great military and aerobatic model aircraft, has added another fine subject to its stable of thoroughbreds: a Curtiss P-40E Warhawk. It spans 86 inches and was slated to be available this summer. This new kit features a one-piece, preprimed epoxy/fiberglass fuselage with integral vertical fin, panel lines, and scale details molded in. The fuselage formers are preinstalled. Separately molded fiberglass components including lower chin cowl, belly pan, wingtips, precut canopy frame, landing-gear pods, landing-gear doors, exhaust stacks, and more come with the kit. The P-40E features a one-piece, bolt-on wing design with balsa presheeted foam-core wings and horizontal stabilizer. Landing-gear mounts are preinstalled in the wing panels. Split flap, wheel well, aileron, and flap-servo openings are also routed into the wing. The accompanying photo shows Yellow Aircraft International owner Charles Tse holding a P-40E fuselage at this year's Toledo, Ohio, show. The P-40E kit is $625, and the main rotating retracts are $495. For more information about the P-40E or any of Yellow's other fine products, you can look the company up on the Internet at www.yellowaircraft.com or call (781) 674-9898. You can also write to Yellow Aircraft International, 203 Mass Ave., Lexington MA 02420. First RC Giant: Carl J. Capobianco of Nanuet, New York, is shown with his first RC Giant. He built this attractive Robin Hood 80 from an ISC kit, and it occupied many cold, gray winter days. The airplane has an 80-inch wingspan, weighs 13 pounds, has a wing loading of 24.9 ounces, and is powered by a Zenoah G-23 gas-burning, two-stroke engine. The model is covered with Super Coverite™, painted with LustreKote®, and has two light coats of clear butyrate dope. Carl's model is using Futaba high-torque servos and an SR Batteries 1800 mAh receiver battery pack, which is more than sufficient. Carl wrote that flights are realistic and that now he is hooked on large Scale airplanes. Best of luck on your future projects. Carl! Ted Stickler of Bokeelia, Florida, sent a photo of his latest project: a '/fi-scale Northrop P-61 Black Widow night fighter. Ted wrote that he was inspired to build this model by the full-scale aircraft on display at the US Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio. Ted built the P-61 from Don Smith plans. It has a wingspan of 99 inches and weighs in at 30 pounds. The project took several years to complete. Power is provided by a pair of Webra 1.20 glow engines. Ted uses an Airtronics Vanguard radio with two receivers, two battery packs, and 13 servos. Other features include retracts, flaps, operating gear doors, and finished interior detail. The entire airplane is balsa sheeted and covered with fiberglass cloth and resin. The paint is PPG automotive acrylic lacquer. Invasion stripes are Cheveron perfect paint applied with a brush for a scale appearance. Other finishing details include rivets, panel lines, and rib detailing on the elevator and rudders. The Black Widow's first flight was on April 18 at the club field of the Cape Coral R/Seahawks in Cape Coral, Florida. It flew well and was a thrill to see in the air. One of the club members present, who is a World War II veteran, said that seeing the model fly made his annual membership fee worth every penny! Congratulations on your excellent Scale project, Ted. I hope that it will encourage others to try a Scale project of their own. Superb modeler Alan Yendle of Atlanta, Georgia, completed yet another modeling masterpiece. He chose the famous Gloster Gladiator as his latest project. The model is '/4 scale with a wingspan of 72 inches. It is powered by a Quadra 75XL engine turning a 24 x 10 propeller, and it weighs in at 33 pounds. The Gladiator is finished in Norwegian markings, as is the full-scale aircraft located at the Shuttleworth Collection in England. People there provided Alan with paint samples for the red and blue stripes, which was extremely helpful! The metal parts of the fuselage are fiberglass, and the fabric parts are covered with silver Solartex. The whole model was sprayed with Rust-Oleum® Brite Coat Metallic Finish. The sprayed areas were then hand-rubbed with a copper-wool pad to give them texture and eliminate the shiny surfaces. Alan used copper pads instead of the steel-wool pads because steel wool leaves a fine residue which, unless completely removed, will leave rust marks. Panel lines were added using chart tape, and the rivets are ZAP® Hinge Glue. Navigation lights on the wings and rudder turn on/off from the transmitter. According to Alan, the model slows down really well with engine idling on final approach. The full-scale Gladiator has two firsts to its credit: it was the first Royal Air Force (RAF) fighter to have an enclosed cockpit and it was the last RAF biplane fighter aircraft. It will always be associated with the "fight against odds," which characterized RAF operations in Greece, North and East Africa, and the Mediterranean during the first two years of World War II. Great job, Alan! Approximately a year ago I submitted a column which featured Emil Cassanello's Giant Eindecker of his own design. I believed it was important to show how anyone could build a successful RC Giant without having to squander his or her children's college fund. Several modelers were interested, and a few contacted Emil for his plans. I am very happy to present Harry Botkowsky and his newly completed "Emil" Eindecker. The model spans 104 inches and is powered with a 25-cubic-centimeter converted Homelite® blower engine. He is using a Futaba 1024 radio with pull-pull controls for the elevator and rudder. From the photos it looks as though Harry did a wonderful job with his Eindecker. He wrote that he hopes I can use the photos he sent me at some future date. He added, "don't make it too far in the future as I am 83 years old and every day is a bonus!" Okay, Harry, I get the point! And Harry, thank you very much for reading the RC Giants column! That's all for this month. As another summer season comes to a close, start looking for that great RC Giant winter project. As always, send me your comments, concerns, and photos of your RC Giant. Cheers!
Edition: Model Aviation - 2002/10
Page Numbers: 93, 94, 95
IT IS WITH great sorrow that I share news of the untimely passing of Chuck Gill, proprietor of The Aeroplane Works, in late May. Chuck was a lifelong modeler who was involved in all aspects of our hobby at one time or another. He was known for his excellent Radio Control (RC) Giant cut kits and his involvement with the Giant Scale community. Outgoing, outspoken, friendly, and helpful to fellow modelers, he will be sorely missed. Chuck's family has advised me that they will continue to operate The Aeroplane Works in the same high-quality manner for which Chuck was known. ModelCAD and Wingmaster: Computer technology has moved modeling light-years ahead. I use the computer almost daily to research Scale projects, correspond with modelers, and write this column. Now I have the opportunity to try my hand at designing model aircraft with two great products from Upperspace. ModelCAD allows the typical modeler to design airplanes, ships, and trains with an ease and precision never before possible. This software comes with online help, a complete manual, and five easy lessons for getting started. With ModelCAD you can make a complete set of plans and print them to scale. If your printer is not big enough, that's not a problem; ModelCAD will print the plans in pieces, complete with registration marks so you can tape the pages together. With Wingmaster you can produce any NACA 4-, 5-, and 6-series airfoils or select from more than 4(X) airfoils in the Wingmaster library. You can customize any airfoil and modify thickness and camber. You can also completely control the wing taper and sweep with dynamic on-screen display. Specify spar size, and generate automatic spar placement in ribs. In addition, you can print a single airfoil or a complete set of ribs on your printer. The program will print complete wing plans to scale or fit-to-page. The system requirements are Microsoft® Windows 9X, Windows 2000. or Windows NT 4.0. For more information, access the Web site at www.designcad.com or call Upperspace at (800) 233-3223 or (918) 825-4844. Now there is nothing to stop you from designing your own RC Giant. I will definitely become more familiar with these two programs! Yellow Aircraft International, the manufacturer of great military and aerobatic model aircraft, has added another fine subject to its stable of thoroughbreds: a Curtiss P-40E Warhawk. It spans 86 inches and was slated to be available this summer. This new kit features a one-piece, preprimed epoxy/fiberglass fuselage with integral vertical fin, panel lines, and scale details molded in. The fuselage formers are preinstalled. Separately molded fiberglass components including lower chin cowl, belly pan, wingtips, precut canopy frame, landing-gear pods, landing-gear doors, exhaust stacks, and more come with the kit. The P-40E features a one-piece, bolt-on wing design with balsa presheeted foam-core wings and horizontal stabilizer. Landing-gear mounts are preinstalled in the wing panels. Split flap, wheel well, aileron, and flap-servo openings are also routed into the wing. The accompanying photo shows Yellow Aircraft International owner Charles Tse holding a P-40E fuselage at this year's Toledo, Ohio, show. The P-40E kit is $625, and the main rotating retracts are $495. For more information about the P-40E or any of Yellow's other fine products, you can look the company up on the Internet at www.yellowaircraft.com or call (781) 674-9898. You can also write to Yellow Aircraft International, 203 Mass Ave., Lexington MA 02420. First RC Giant: Carl J. Capobianco of Nanuet, New York, is shown with his first RC Giant. He built this attractive Robin Hood 80 from an ISC kit, and it occupied many cold, gray winter days. The airplane has an 80-inch wingspan, weighs 13 pounds, has a wing loading of 24.9 ounces, and is powered by a Zenoah G-23 gas-burning, two-stroke engine. The model is covered with Super Coverite™, painted with LustreKote®, and has two light coats of clear butyrate dope. Carl's model is using Futaba high-torque servos and an SR Batteries 1800 mAh receiver battery pack, which is more than sufficient. Carl wrote that flights are realistic and that now he is hooked on large Scale airplanes. Best of luck on your future projects. Carl! Ted Stickler of Bokeelia, Florida, sent a photo of his latest project: a '/fi-scale Northrop P-61 Black Widow night fighter. Ted wrote that he was inspired to build this model by the full-scale aircraft on display at the US Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio. Ted built the P-61 from Don Smith plans. It has a wingspan of 99 inches and weighs in at 30 pounds. The project took several years to complete. Power is provided by a pair of Webra 1.20 glow engines. Ted uses an Airtronics Vanguard radio with two receivers, two battery packs, and 13 servos. Other features include retracts, flaps, operating gear doors, and finished interior detail. The entire airplane is balsa sheeted and covered with fiberglass cloth and resin. The paint is PPG automotive acrylic lacquer. Invasion stripes are Cheveron perfect paint applied with a brush for a scale appearance. Other finishing details include rivets, panel lines, and rib detailing on the elevator and rudders. The Black Widow's first flight was on April 18 at the club field of the Cape Coral R/Seahawks in Cape Coral, Florida. It flew well and was a thrill to see in the air. One of the club members present, who is a World War II veteran, said that seeing the model fly made his annual membership fee worth every penny! Congratulations on your excellent Scale project, Ted. I hope that it will encourage others to try a Scale project of their own. Superb modeler Alan Yendle of Atlanta, Georgia, completed yet another modeling masterpiece. He chose the famous Gloster Gladiator as his latest project. The model is '/4 scale with a wingspan of 72 inches. It is powered by a Quadra 75XL engine turning a 24 x 10 propeller, and it weighs in at 33 pounds. The Gladiator is finished in Norwegian markings, as is the full-scale aircraft located at the Shuttleworth Collection in England. People there provided Alan with paint samples for the red and blue stripes, which was extremely helpful! The metal parts of the fuselage are fiberglass, and the fabric parts are covered with silver Solartex. The whole model was sprayed with Rust-Oleum® Brite Coat Metallic Finish. The sprayed areas were then hand-rubbed with a copper-wool pad to give them texture and eliminate the shiny surfaces. Alan used copper pads instead of the steel-wool pads because steel wool leaves a fine residue which, unless completely removed, will leave rust marks. Panel lines were added using chart tape, and the rivets are ZAP® Hinge Glue. Navigation lights on the wings and rudder turn on/off from the transmitter. According to Alan, the model slows down really well with engine idling on final approach. The full-scale Gladiator has two firsts to its credit: it was the first Royal Air Force (RAF) fighter to have an enclosed cockpit and it was the last RAF biplane fighter aircraft. It will always be associated with the "fight against odds," which characterized RAF operations in Greece, North and East Africa, and the Mediterranean during the first two years of World War II. Great job, Alan! Approximately a year ago I submitted a column which featured Emil Cassanello's Giant Eindecker of his own design. I believed it was important to show how anyone could build a successful RC Giant without having to squander his or her children's college fund. Several modelers were interested, and a few contacted Emil for his plans. I am very happy to present Harry Botkowsky and his newly completed "Emil" Eindecker. The model spans 104 inches and is powered with a 25-cubic-centimeter converted Homelite® blower engine. He is using a Futaba 1024 radio with pull-pull controls for the elevator and rudder. From the photos it looks as though Harry did a wonderful job with his Eindecker. He wrote that he hopes I can use the photos he sent me at some future date. He added, "don't make it too far in the future as I am 83 years old and every day is a bonus!" Okay, Harry, I get the point! And Harry, thank you very much for reading the RC Giants column! That's all for this month. As another summer season comes to a close, start looking for that great RC Giant winter project. As always, send me your comments, concerns, and photos of your RC Giant. Cheers!
