Radio Control Scale
Stan Alexander [[email protected]]
Scale modelers can build from anywhere
THROUGHOUT THE PAST several years, I've heard many modelers state that they don't have room to build a Scale model of any size. I am going to start an experiment to see if it's possible to build a Scale aircraft on a desk; I think it is.
The test subject is the simple Carl Goldberg Gold Edition J-3 Cub kit from Great Planes. No, it's not a 1/4-scale version such as the Sig Cub; it's a smaller model that can be powered by a two-stroke .40 or a four-stroke .60- to .80-size engine. I'm not going to try to build a 1/3-scale warbird on a desk, but I would love to see photos if you have!
A computer desk that is 47 inches long will be the workbench, and I will use a product from Hobby Lobby called the Graupner building board. It is 39 inches long and nearly 10 inches wide. I've had mine for years and have used it extensively for building smaller parts when I have wanted to make sure everything was constructed on a flat surface.
You can purchase more of these boards and lock them together for a larger surface. The big balsa building board has two plywood strips on each side that allow you to add more sections.
I went to my engine department (the yellow drawer in the shop) and checked the inventory of available engines. (I actually had choices. Surprise!) There were several O.S. power plants, one of which was a .48 Surpass that could power the Cub in fine Scale fashion. But I usually like to overpower models to save me from unusual circumstances.
There was also an O.S. .70 Surpass, which is a good fit for the model. It may see floats attached later, and this engine with the larger propeller would prove to be excellent at pulling the airplane off the water.
The full-wing Cub will come out to a span of 76.5 inches. I'm guessing it will weigh somewhere close to 8-9 pounds; there is a lot of light plywood in this kit.
To my knowledge, this kit is no longer available, but Great Planes has a similar J-3 kit, Sig sells a 1/5-scale J-3 Cub kit, and I'm sure there are several more out there unbuilt and at swap shops. The kit has plans that were published in 1994, but I don't remember when I purchased it.
A good friend, Jim Rediske, took a Cub to the Mint Julep event this year and flew it in Fun Scale class, which is good for almost anything Scale. He has had a blast with the model, which is one reason why we are building it; it might work for you.
Clear off your work area and check the kit for all the parts. I usually divide them by sections and bag all the small pieces so they don't morph into another airplane somehow. That's what working on more than one airplane at a time will get you into. This is also a good time to lightly sand most of the parts to get rid of the rough edges.
I've always kept at least a couple rolls of waxed paper in my shop to put over plans on any work surface, and I'll do that with the Cub. It's helpful to cut the plans down to just the sections you plan to work on, such as the horizontal stabilizer, elevators, and rudder and fin.
You will have to use a hobby saw to cut some of the balsa to the correct length for ribs on the stabilizer and rudder. All the parts are "jigged" together, and this helps to keep from putting the right parts in the wrong place.
Start with the outside parts and define the shape of the surface you are working on, and then add the ribs or sticks to the interior. Hold everything down with T-pins, and use the T-pins on the ribs only at each side.
I'll build most of this model with Zap-A-Gap glue and 30-minute epoxy. The windshield will be held in place with white glue, which dries clear. (But that part comes last.)
I haven't picked out the Cub's color scheme yet, and there is still time for that. I have a multitude of three-views for the J-3. But let's face it; you can go nuts detailing a model such as this.
The orange clipped-wing version I photographed at EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association) AirVenture Oshkosh in Wisconsin a couple years ago has an incredible amount of detail. That's one reason why I like to photograph full-scale aircraft.
Glue all the tail surfaces together and lay them aside until later. The plans show strip aileron hinges, but there are other hinge options that look more full scale. We'll look at those before final assembly.
Take all the fuselage parts out of their trees and sand off any burs left on the edges. Fully assemble the fuselage sides and the doublers for the cabin area. This model is what I call a "jig-fit" build, where many interlocking parts are assembled before they are glued together as a whole.
I'll use 30-minute epoxy for the firewall and Zap-A-Gap along with some accelerator for all the formers and framework. Before this part of the project, be sure to put down a fresh sheet of waxed paper so the glue doesn't soak through the holes from the last step.
While making sure the fuselage is square, use a tape measure to check the formers, making sure they are lined up and the same distance from each other (as indicated on the plans). There will be gaps where the tabs fit together. These openings can be filled in later with Red Devil spackle and then sanded smooth.
The basic fuselage went together quickly; it took roughly one evening to line up all the parts. After I was sure they were square, I used the extra-long glue tip, which is available at your hobby shop for Zap, to wick the medium cyanoacrylate glue into the joints. Allow the adhesive to work its way into the joint before shooting it with accelerator.
I've included one photo showing where the spackling has been added roughly to the fuselage. After filling the holes, most of it will come off. Use the edge of a playing card to get rid of approximately 90% of the excess spackle. Let it dry, and then go over it lightly with your sanding block.
So far I've used power tools. I've employed sanding blocks, glue, waxed paper, rubber bands, clamps, T-pins, and the Tamiya Modeling Razor Saw, which is quick and easy to use—especially for sheet and stick balsa. The saw has a greater number of teeth per inch than other saws I've tried, and that makes a much finer cut, thus less sanding.
Around Scale:
The July column included a photo of David P. Andersen's Grumman American AA1-C Lynx model. There were several different but similar aircraft in the full-scale AA1 series, including the AA-1 Yankee and the AA-1A Trainer. Jim Bede, of Bede 4, 5, and 10 fame, originally designed the AA-1.
This series of aircraft is known to take up a great deal of runway on takeoff. It's recommended that the full-scale aircraft never use a runway that is less than 2,000 feet long.
David P. Andersen has plans available for the 1/3-scale Lynx and several other designs he has produced throughout the years. Wood kits are available from Precision Cut Kits, and all the fiberglass, foam, and plastic parts are available from Aerotech Models. It could take you a while, but you can put together a kit that you should be able to adapt to almost any of this series of airplanes.
Bookshelf:
The Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Dora Volume One Fw 190 D-9 (ISBN: 0-9761034-5-1) by Jerry Crandall is published by Eagle Editions Ltd. This coffee-table book has 344 pages and has to weigh at least 12 pounds.
The Fw 190 D series of aircraft was a departure from the short-nose Fw 190 A through F series. The nose was stretched to accommodate the V-12, in-line Jumo 213 engine, and the aft fuselage section was stretched to balance the aircraft. Various armaments were tried, and a combination of cannon and machine guns was selected for this high-altitude fighter.
This book covers the early D9s and some of the prototypes in 1944. Scale drawings are included, as are many color side plates of different aircraft.
I'm still thumbing through the book after having it for more than a month, trying to match some of the more vivid color side plates or color paintings to the black-and-white photos. In some cases it's easy, and in others I have not been successful so far.
By the time the D9 variant of the Fw 190 went into production, the color schemes, with a few exceptions, had deteriorated to basic colors. The white national markings on many of the D9s were not used for the most part. Colorful paint schemes with yellow nose or tail surfaces were all but gone.
The exception to that was the squadron that guarded JV-44. That group flew cover for the Me 262s as they landed, and the D9s' markings were highly visible. Information about the squadron that covered JV-44 will be in the upcoming second volume of the book.
As were other fighters in the Luftwaffe that, as some say, could have changed the course of World War II, the Fw 190 D-9 was a case of too little, too late—thank goodness.
History, technical information, photos, and drawings are included in this volume. This is the most expensive aviation book I've ever purchased, at $85. It's not cheap, but the good ones usually aren't. It's available from Eagle Editions Ltd. MA
Sources:
Frank Tiano Enterprises (Zap-A-Gap) (863) 607-6611 www.franktiano.com
Great Planes (217) 398-3630 www.greatplanes.com
Sig Manufacturing (641) 623-5154 www.sigmfg.com
Hobby Lobby (866) 933-5972 www.hobby-lobby.com
Meister Scale (Fw 190 kit) (772) 621-9692 www.meister-scale.com
Eagle Editions Ltd. (800) 255-1830 www.eagle-editions.com
Aerotech Models (612) 721-1285 www.aerotechmodels.com
Precision Cut Kits (609) 538-1388 www.precisioncutkits.com
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
