Small-Field Flying
Paul Bradley
32238 Spinnaker Run, Magnolia TX 77354 E-mail: [email protected]
We've enjoyed 50 years of small-field flying and it's still going strong—not this column, but the activity.
A quote in the pages of the October 1953 Model Airplane News reads: "While the vanishing flying site has been a problem since well before the war, and is now acute, the only 'solution' found so far is to travel to a flying site still further from town." Bill Winter wrote these words in an article titled "Small Field Models." The war he referenced was World War II. Even 50 years ago, the loss of flying sites was a problem. At that time it involved Free Flight (FF) models, but nonetheless, the issues of small-field flying were being discussed. The old adage "the more things change, the more they stay the same" seems most appropriate.
You may ask, "What triggered this bit of model aviation history and reflection on the long-standing need for small-field models?" I received a wonderful package from Joe Wagner. Joe has been part of this hobby for many years and is one of the individuals who helped shape the modeling world as we know it.
You may recognize the name from his many contributions to Model Aviation and other modeling publications. You may not know that Joe designed one of the first small-field models in 1949 for the Henry Engineering Company, more commonly known as Veco Products.
The Dakota (Joe Wagner)
The model he designed was the Dakota. It enjoyed a long production run while Veco was still in operation. My basis for giving Joe credit for being one of the first—if not the first—small-field-flyer designers is that 1953 article by Bill Winter. The Dakota is indicated as a reference point for other designers to emulate. Included with the material Joe sent were two photos of his Dakota, shown for your viewing pleasure.
The Dakota was such a landmark model that I thought it would be interesting to explore some of the innovative features Joe incorporated into the design. With a 24-inch wingspan, it is a perfect size for small-field flying. That goes for its original FF format and as a Radio Control (RC) model using the current crop of small, lightweight electronics.
As an FF aircraft, Joe did several things that really worked to keep the model flying in a confined space. He used a unique combination of left thrust to turn the model while under power, and right rudder to control the left turn. The right rudder also provided a nice right-hand turning glide after the motor quit. You could fly this model repeatedly using a long motor run with little worry about it being carried away to the great thermal god, Hung. The Dakota was not likely to be grabbed by a passing thermal because of the unique airfoil used for the model.
If you look at the drawing of the airfoil cross-section, you will see a stepped diamond shape. Joe used this arrangement to reduce the gliding efficiency of the wing. It worked because you had to have a major trash mover to get a stock FF Dakota to fly away.
Airfoil comparison: Dakota and Kline-Fogleman
Remembering that Joe Wagner designed the Dakota in 1949, I would like to explore the airfoil a bit further. In the early 1970s, Richard Kline and Floyd Fogleman developed a paper airplane that was eventually patented. The key to this paper glider and the patent was the airfoil. I have provided a drawing of the Kline-Fogleman airfoil for comparison to the one Joe Wagner used on the Dakota. Do you notice any similarity? This is another example of something modern not being so new after all.
Richard and Floyd touted the airfoil as offering new levels of efficiency. Joe used the stepped airfoil to lower gliding efficiency and Kline-Fogleman used it to increase gliding performance.
The Kline-Fogleman paper glider does offer some amazing straight-line stability. That is its real claim to fame. The airfoil offers considerable stall resistance and stability. I think I see some common ground between the Dakota and the Kline-Fogleman paper glider. Both are stable and that is good for a small-field model.
While Kline-Fogleman had great hopes that their airfoil would propel the world of full-scale aviation to new heights (pun intended), that did not happen. Apparently tests performed on various versions of the airfoil did not produce compelling reasons to develop aircraft around the patented wing section.
The FF Dakota had to rely on built-in aerodynamic features to keep it within the bounds of the flying field. The combination of engine-thrust angle, rudder setting, and the airfoil worked together to deliver a hallmark model.
Dakota today — RC and kits
Now that we have the ability to add some lightweight electronics to the Dakota, it offers an equally appealing platform for small-field RC flying. It's certainly not surprising that this fact has not been lost on modelers who have loved the Dakota as a classic design.
If you have access to old issues of Model Aviation, look at the December 1978 and November 1981 issues. If you don't have the old magazines, you can look up these issues in the Model Aviation Digital Archives (http://modelaircraft.org). This is a wonderful resource for AMA members.
- In the December 1978 issue Clarence Haught offered a slightly enlarged Dakota for more modern 1/2A engines. That version was still intended for FF, but it would certainly make a great RC model.
- The November 1981 offering was from Randy Wrisley. This version of the Dakota was larger still and intended for RC. The RC version not only changed the size of the model, but also removed the left thrust and replaced the stepped airfoil with a more conventional section. With the ability to control the model from the ground, it was no longer necessary or desirable to use the less efficient stepped airfoil.
In addition to the Dakota plans offered by Model Aviation, there are several other sources for modern versions of this classy design. Pat Tritle offers plans for a 60-inch RC version. Tom Hunt of ModelAir-Tech offers plans for the Stickoda: a version for electric power that uses 1/8 x 3/4 strip stock for all of the construction.
You can also get nice Dakota plans from the designer himself, Joe Wagner. The offering from Joe not only includes the plans, but some nice notes about converting to electric power and adding radio control. He even includes a copy of the original Veco kit-assembly drawing.
I have saved the best news about the Dakota for last. Brian Malin of BMJR Model Products, working in conjunction with Joe Wagner, has introduced a new laser-cut kit for this timeless model. Not only do you have several plans sources for the Dakota in varying sizes and features, you can experience a modern Dakota kit. Life does not get much better than that in the world of small-field flying.
Contact information for the plans and kit is listed at the end of the column.
Guillow's kits and conversions
While discussing the classic Dakota design, I want to look at another classic design source. Don't choke when I mention Guillow's.
I dare say that almost everyone who has built a model airplane from a kit has at one time or another built a model from Guillow's. The box art and the wide variety of subjects seem to draw in many of us at some time. That time is typically early in our modeling experience when the allure of models that look like the real thing is compelling.
Unfortunately, limited building and flying experience often results in disappointing results. For some that means they leave the hobby. For those of us truly bitten by the model aviation bug, we somehow overcome the early Guillow's building experience and go on to more successful projects.
Guillow's has the reputation for delivering models that are nice to display but often fall short in the flying department. The reason for the latter is the heavy wood normally found in its kits and poor die cutting. However, if you look a little deeper in a Guillow's kit as many have done, you will find the basis of a nice small-field flyer.
The well-done plans represent designs that make nice RC conversions. This is especially true using current micro radio gear and replacement of the kit wood. One builder who has taken this step is Ben Beerbower from the greater Houston, Texas, area. Ben used the plans from the 24-inch Guillow's S.E.5 to build a beautiful, electric-powered small-field flyer. You can see this model in the photos.
The power is provided by a Puma motor geared 4:1 and eight 120 mAh NiCd cells. The model has an 8-inch Peck-Polymers rubber-powered propeller. The total flying weight is 5 ounces. The result is a nice-flying Scale World War I model.
The World War I models in the Guillow's line are great RC-conversion candidates, but so are many others in the company's kit line. Perhaps you are one of the growing number of modelers who are doing Guillow's kit conversions. If so, share a photo or two along with a description of your conversion with the readers of "Small-Field Flying." It would be great to see which models are being converted and to learn about the steps taken to create your Guillow's small-field flyer.
If you fall into the category of having built a Guillow's kit early in your modeling experience, perhaps you still have a set of plans or two stashed away. Why not dig them out and consider using Guillow's plans as the source for your next small-field flyer?
That does it for this installment. With all the flying you have done this summer, please be sure to send in some photos so we can admire your achievements. — MA
Sources
- Dakota kit: BMJR Model Products
Box 1210 Sharpes FL 32959 (321) 537-1159 www.bmjrmodels.com
- Dakota plans package — Joe Wagner:
212 S. Pine Ave. Ozark AL 36360 [email protected]
- Dakota plans package — Pat Tritle:
Pat's Custom Models Albuquerque NM (505) 296-4511 www.thunt.net/pcmodels
- Stickoda plans package — Tom Hunt: Modelair-Tech
Box 1467 Lake Grove NY 11755 Tel. and Fax: (631) 981-0372 www.modelairtech.com
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
