RADIO CONTROL SCALE
Stan Alexander, 3709 Valley Ridge Dr., Nashville TN 37211; E-mail: [email protected]
PICKING A SCALE subject is a personal matter; you have to really like the aircraft you plan to build.
Obtaining documentation is the first step. There may be several different aircraft you have an interest in building at one time or another. Starting a file on each one is a good idea.
One modeler I know has a whole section on nothing but Gee Bee aircraft from the Granville Brothers—classic 1930s Golden-Age machines.
There is a lot of misinformation out there about these aircraft. They were fast and dangerous to the novice but beautiful to look at and watch. Having a separate section on each aircraft type in which there is an interest helps.
There is the Model D Gee Bee, for which there is a set of plans available from Flying Models magazine. Then there is the famous R model, with many plans available.
Henry Haffke’s 3/4-scale model is built-up, and a nice set of plans for the R-1 or the R-2 versions are available. Other aircraft files in this section include the E-model Sportster as well as the Model Y Senior Sportster.
Plans for all of these types are available from Model Aviation. They were designed by Henry Haffke. Check the listing in the back of this magazine for information about ordering the complete plans listing or placing orders.
Having plans catalogs laying around the shop or den can help you decide which model you might like to try the next time around.
The R model is probably the most recognized of the Gee Bee aircraft, but it isn’t the easiest to fly—and especially not to land.
Looking at the aircraft moments, the Model Y would make the best-flying model. It has wide-stance landing gear and the longest fuselage of any Gee Bee aircraft.
The other versions, such as the Model D, the E Sportsters, and the Z, are more demanding on the pilot.
At last year’s Nationals there were two young competitors: Brad Foley, flying in Fun Scale Novice with his 40-size Corsair, and Zach Spychalla flying in Expert with his Ziroli Stuka.
Both of these young gentlemen had a great time at the Nationals, and that’s the most important thing when you go to any contest.
Brad finished fifth in his event and said that he learned a lot about flying maneuvers.
In talking with his dad, modeler Jeff Foley, I learned that the Nationals was a family adventure for them. Jeff attended with his lovely wife Ginger, Brad, and their seven-year-old daughter Laura.
Brad has taken his experience at the Nationals to heart and is flying maneuvers much more at home, and he is building another entry for next year’s Nationals.
The Field Workbench
Sometime when you go to the local hobby shop, you might see a couple different field stands for assembling or working on your model.
There are several units especially built to accommodate models up to and including Giant Scale. Others you see at the local field, or even at national events, are built from makeshift wagons, and some are homemade.
While at the local Lowe’s® home-improvement store, I noticed an item that looked as though it had potential as a field stand and could be used in the shop; there was a display of Storehorse® sawhorses set up, and they were sold individually.
The sawhorses cost approximately $20 each and are made from plastic. They fold flat to roughly two inches thick, are fairly light, and come in handy with most any project around the house. The dimensions at the base are 17 inches wide x 30 inches tall x 29½ inches in length.
When I bought the Storehorse, I picked up one of the brochures listing accessories in the product line. Of interest to modelers was a display rack that converts to a field workbench. The bench is 30 inches tall and comes with a tool shelf and a platform for batteries or a radio. The unit is sturdy enough to hold a model fuselage and is light enough to carry to the flying field.
I also found a product called the StoreStool, a small folding stool that tucks into the Storehorse when not in use. The StoreStool can be used to hold tools, a transmitter, or a battery charger. The stool costs about $6 and is made of the same material as the sawhorse.
The workbench idea can be adapted in several ways. You can use two Storehorses with a sheet of plywood across the top for a larger work area, or you can use one unit for quick field repairs. Add a non-slip mat to the top and a few bungee cords to secure your model and you have a portable, useful addition to your field gear.
Look for more information about this and other items at the local hardware store or on the Internet.
Accessories that I find useful are the Hobby Top, the Cord 'N Plug, and the StoreStool.
The Lehigh Group builds the Storehorse and accessories. You can order the products at your local hardware store, such as Ace® Hardware, Lowe's®, or The Home Depot, or on The Lehigh Group Website at www.lehighgroup.com.
There are six pieces you can order to go along with your Storehorse. The most useful accessory to me, which attaches to the workhorse, is the Hobby Top. This tabletop fits in a groove in the top of the Storehorse and in slots in either side of the folding leg.
The Hobby Top folds to 3½ inches deep, but opened it gives you a 20 x 30-inch worktable at the field or in the shop.
After studying several different ways to mount a simple cradle to the Hobby Top, I selected one that will accommodate almost any 40-size to International Miniature Aircraft Association legal model. The Hobby Top sells for $19.99.
From the scrap lumber box I picked up two one-inch square hardwood sticks and cut them to 12½ inches in length. Remember to test-fit everything before drilling and gluing all the different pieces to build the following.
At some time, most of us have used polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe for cradles to hold our aircraft. You'll need one-inch PVC pipe and its fittings: four 90° elbows, two crosses, and one eight-foot length of pipe.
Cut four lengths of PVC to eight inches. Cut a second set to 10 inches in length. Cut the two base pieces to a length of 26 inches. Test-fit all the pieces, then coat the inside of the joints with PVC pipe glue just before attaching them. This makes a very strong bond and isn't messy.
Attach the wooden sticks you earlier cut to the Hobby Top spaced approximately 5½ inches from each end. Use a portable drill and whatever size bolts, lock washers, and nuts you have handy that fit. The ones I used are 5/16 x 1½ inches.
You may have to work with these to match the screw or bolt at the base of the PVC stand with the sticks and the PVC pipe. I don't plan to remove these, and it's a good idea to put a couple drops of thin ZAP on the nut to hold them in place.
Using these two pieces as cross members on the top gives you a natural tool tray under the model, which won't allow tools or parts to roll off onto the floor or, worse yet, into grass.
To keep the tray on the Hobby Top and to remove it, use an electrical one-inch flexible bracket. Use a wing nut to tighten and release the clamp. You can add whatever type of insulation you want to cushion the fuselage or wing when in use.
The insulation I used was the thickest I could find at The Home Depot. Its selection of insulation has sticky tape on both sides and holds the insulation together more securely on the pipes.
How many times have you gone to a fly-in or contest in another city and forgot your power stick?
Add the Cord 'N Plug, and you can turn this portable workbench into a great portable charging center. Just set it up in your motel room, and you don't have to give up that second bed for your model!
The Storehorse has a solid lower shelf under the top that is 11 x 22 inches. The shelf will accommodate most field boxes. Use the 10-foot extension cord attached to the six-outlet box, and you can charge all your batteries and field equipment.
The price of the Cord 'N Plug is $15.99. Then add the StoreStool as a field box. This serves two purposes: two sides as a tool tray mounted above it can serve as your regular field box, and the top of the StoreStool can be used as a stool at the field.
You want to plug the drain holes in the bottom of the StoreStool. On a wet day, your fuel and batteries could get damp from rain seeping up through the bottom of the case.
I've decorated my StoreStool with decals and stickers I've collected throughout the years — uh, I think it's called "personalizing."
The StoreStool fits under the Storehorse on the shelf and adds to the stability of the fixture with airplane resting in the cradle. It costs $12.99.
These tools can really come in handy when you're going to contests or locally flying. The whole thing folds flat for easy storage in your trunk or van.
You can also use it in the shop to hold a fuselage or work on a wing panel, and it can come in handy if you're working on several aircraft at once. But none of us do that, do we?
Fairwinds and tailwinds. MA
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
