Author: Stan Alexander
Edition: Model Aviation - 2015/02
Page Numbers: 101,102,103
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RC SCALE - 2015/02

by Stan Alexander [email protected]

New year, new project

Wow — 2014 was an exciting year in Scale! We saw an uptick in the number of competitions and events, as well as builders. Some of the fliers and competitors were young and others were “classics.”

I finished my Pietenpol Air Camper in 2014 and am waiting for some decent weather to fly it. After I assembled the cowling, I realized from photos of the full-scale aircraft that the cowling was too short. I added 2½ inches to the firewall’s length.

This Pete (as the airplane is sometimes called) uses a Continental flat four-cylinder rated at 85 hp. The full-scale aircraft was powered by a Ford four-cylinder engine with the radiator mounted in front of the pilot, so some redesign of the forward area was necessary for my Pietenpol.

Pietenpol Photos

I received several photos and ideas from modelers while building the Pietenpol and appreciate all of them.

There were several areas of the model that had to be changed. Some I anticipated and changed before construction began; others I had to alter after the fact. Changes included the firewall mount, the wing supports in the fuselage, and the landing gear mounts so they would align with the upright supports instead of sitting behind them. I also built a three-piece wing rather than the straight 84-inch one-piece wing.

One photo I received was from Nelson Carpenter of Omaha, Nebraska. Nelson built his Pete from Radio Control Modeler (RCM) plans and powers it with a Saito .71 four-stroke engine. He covered the aircraft with Solartex antique fabric and trimmed it with hunter-green Rust-Oleum spray paint. Nelson added nose weight to improve flight characteristics and said this has become one of his favorite aircraft to fly. See the Pietenpol video in the Sources section.

Cessna Airmaster

After finishing the Pietenpol, it was time to start my next project: a Cessna C-165 Airmaster. First I organized the shop and gathered parts, the engine, balsa, and plywood. My Airmaster will have landing lights, navigation lights, flaps, and a full cockpit interior.

I planned the assembly and fabrication carefully. When constructing the fuselage, I’ll build the cockpit interior and instrument panel first to get all components into the cabin.

The full-scale Cessna C-165 had an interesting cockpit entry: there was only one door on the right side, so the right front seat had to slide back to allow access to the left front seat. That’s one of the quirks of some airplanes built in the 1930s and 1940s.

Another notable feature is the carved and shaped fuselage turtledeck behind the wing. I included a photo of a full-scale Airmaster in restoration with the fabric removed; viewing full-scale construction can provide useful insight for your model.

Control systems are another component to review thoroughly before you start cutting wood on a plan-built or scratch-built model. The saying “measure twice and cut once” is tried and true.

Jerry Bates Plans

If you haven’t decided on your next scale project, consider flipping through the Jerry Bates Plans catalog. There’s a great selection of aircraft, and Jerry has recently posted a new group of plans, including:

  • Dewoitine D.520 (French World War II fighter)
  • Saab B 17 dive bomber — wingspan 108 3/4 in
  • Macchi MC.202 Folgore — wingspan 83 3/8 in
  • Curtiss C-46 Commando — wingspan 144 in
  • Douglas SBD Dauntless — wingspan 124.5 in
  • Yakovlev Yak fighter
  • Curtiss-Robertson Robin — wingspan 123 in
  • Vultee 72 Vengeance dive bomber

I can’t wait to see a Vultee BT-13 with a 126-inch wingspan!

Bob Holman Plans is cutting most of Jerry’s kits or short kits; my clean, laser-cut Cessna C-165 parts came from Bob. The short kit includes shaped or formed parts such as fuselage formers, landing gear mounts, wing ribs, and sometimes wingtips. You select your own sheets and sticks to complete the model.

Some modelers source fuselage longerons and wing spar material from home improvement stores and cut these parts at home to save money or when parts are no longer commercially available. Check Bob’s website to see what he offers.

Upcoming Events

  • The 2015 Top Gun Invitational Tournament will be held April 29 through May 3. Look for the best of the best at this year’s Top Gun.
  • Top Gun 2014 saw one of the largest international contingents ever. For the first time, a team from Japan competed and took first place in the Pro-Am Sportsman class, flying a 1/3-scale radial-powered A6M5 Zero. Jets, civil aircraft, World War II fighters, and bombers were all there for a full week of great airplanes, fun, and camaraderie.
  • The event is held in Lakeland, Florida, at Paradise Field, which features paved and grass runways. Check the promoter Frank Tiano’s website for updates.
  • The Scale National Aeromodeling Championships are set for July 17–19, 2015, at the International Aeromodeling Center, Muncie, Indiana.
  • The Ironman 70.3 Muncie triathlon will not be held at the same time as the scale Nats this year, but book your motel room early. Expect great weather, plenty of flying, unofficial events, AMA official events, and social activities planned for Friday and Saturday evening. Don’t miss it!

Fair skies and tail winds.

SOURCES

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