92 MODEL AVIATION
2006 Small Model Airplane Lovers League fly-in
Small-Field Flying Paul Bradley | [email protected]
Also included in this column:
• RockyTop Models Magister
• Fan-Tastic Models F9F Panther
• Small-field glow models
• Manzano Laser Works SPAD
XIII
At the 2006 S.M.A.L.L. fly-in Charles Sully holds his originaldesign,
scratch-built canard called the Georgia Goose.
Fan-Tastic Models has introduced this nice ducted-fan F9F
Panther for the GWS EDF-40 fan unit.
Buzz Trabbic shows a Mike Midkiffdesigned
FF Miles Magister—one of four
produced under the name of RockyTop
Models.
Built for electric power, this scaled-up Earl Stahl Miles Magister by Duane Ferguson was
featured at the annual S.M.A.L.L. fly-in in Little Rock, Arkansas.
FOR MANY YEARS the informal Small
Model Airplane Lovers League (S.M.A.L.L.)
has been gathering around Little Rock,
Arkansas, during the month of June to have a
fly-in devoted to model airplanes that are on
the smaller side of our hobby.
This annual gathering invites people to
bring models that have engines or equivalent
electric motors that are no larger than .26 (.35
for CL) in size. Models with multiple engines
are welcome, as are all walks of the modelaviation
hobby. As a result, you find FF, CL,
and RC models flying around the skies of this
wonderful event.
The 2006 edition of the annual S.M.A.L.L.
fly-in was held in an excellent new location
and during wonderful weather. As in the past,
this year featured an excellent array of models
representing the ingenuity and workmanship
of many great modelers.
Given the format of the models present at
this gathering, it is not surprising that many of
the aircraft are well suited for the small-field
venue. I want to highlight a few of the
10sig3.QXD 8/24/06 10:30 AM Page 92October 2006 93
L-R: Ken Spenser, Bob Selman, Ralph Bradley, and the author enjoy impromptu evening
flying at the hotel during the S.M.A.L.L. event. Gary Jones photo.
This 4-26 by Richard Robb is a nice glow-powered small-field flyer.
It’s a scaled-down version of the Ace RC 4-40 Bipe.
Peter Rake of the UK designed a 36-inch-span SPAD XIII for
Manzano Laser Works. Alby King built this rendition.
airplanes I enjoyed watching fly at the
gathering.
It is hard to know where to begin. As I
noted, this event is unusual in that it combines
the three major categories of the modelairplane
hobby. This presents some
opportunities for idea exchanges as well as
model crossover.
As many do, Duane Ferguson likes the
designs of Earl Stahl. He decided to build the
rubber-powered FF Miles Magister in a larger
size for electric-powered RC. His resulting
model has a wingspan of 36 inches and uses a
GWS IPS drive system powered by a twocell,
1200 mAh Li-Poly battery pack. The
model is covered with Litespan (CoverLite)
and flies nicely.
A number of modelers have demonstrated
that the classic Stahl designs make great
modern electric-powered RC models.
Duane’s is nicely done and shows that
rescaling the Earl Stahl designs is a great way
to enjoy some small-field flying.
Duane’s Miles Magister was not the only
one at the S.M.A.L.L. event this year. Down
the flightline were Ray (Buzz) Trabbic and
Mike Midkiff with their new rubber-powered
FF version. With a 29-inch wingspan, it is a
great FF aircraft. It would also make an
excellent electric RC model.
Mike and Buzz have formed a new
company that produces high-quality laser-cut
kits of their wonderful FF designs. The
Magister is one of four kits they are producing
under the name of RockyTop Models.
After watching them fly the Magister and
noting the quality of their products, I parted
with a few bucks and went home with a Miles
Magister kit of my own. I haven’t decided if it
will be built as a rubber-powered FF aircraft
or converted to an electric-powered RC
model. The latter will probably win out
because of the realities of my flying sites.
See the source listing at the end of the
column for information about RockyTop
Models.
So you don’t think I have suddenly
become fixated on Miles Magister models, let
me share with you a great canard that Charles
Sulley created. Charles hails from the Atlanta,
Georgia, area and calls himself a canard
addict. He had three of them at S.M.A.L.L.
this year.
One of the photos shows Charles holding
his scratch-built, original-design Georgia
Goose. It was inspired by an Andy Lennon
design. Canards are distinctive-looking on the
ground and in the air. The one Charles is
displaying is a real performer.
It has a main wingspan of 48 inches and a
22-inch span. The combined area is 516
square inches with a flying weight of 29
ounces. Power comes from a Hacker A30-
22S motor powering a 7 x 4 propeller in a
pusher configuration. Energy for the model is
provided by a three-cell 2600 mAh Li-Poly
battery pack.
I was impressed by the Goose’s
performance. Based on Charles’ love of
canards, I’m hoping we will see more of his
unique creations.
Another striking model was an impressive
little ducted-fan F9F Panther from Fan-Tastic
Models. As is usual for the offerings from
that company, the Panther is made from
molded foam. It is designed to work with the
GWS EDF-40 ducted-fan unit. It has a 21-
inch wingspan and weighs a scant 6 ounces
ready to fly.
The F9F Panther shown was built by the
man behind Fan-Tastic Models, Jerry Small,
and flown by Thomas Blakney. Jerry did a
great job on the paint and trim, replicating the
markings of the F9F flown by the main
character in the movie The Bridges at Toko-
Ri.
That little airplane got up and moved in
flight and was easily hand-launched. The
model at the event was powered with a
Feigao 12mm brushless motor using a threecell
730 mAh Li-Poly battery pack. Contact
information is available at the end of the
column.
The models I have mentioned are a limited
sampling of the variety seen at S.M.A.L.L. If
you want to see a wide range of model
aircraft that fit the small-field venue, this is a
great event to attend.
Before leaving this topic, I want to
comment on one other aspect of such a
gathering. This event includes one evening of
indoor flying. That means people will be
bringing appropriate models for that part of
the event.
Guess what? When you bring together a
group of people who like to fly small, quiet,
slow-flying model airplanes, they just can’t
get enough during the day or in one evening
of indoor flying. The result is some lateevening
flying.
10sig3.QXD 8/24/06 10:33 AM Page 93A few culprits such as Bob Selman, Gary
Jones, Ralph Bradley, Ken Spenser, and I
spent time at the end of several event days
taking advantage of calm evening air in front
of our hotel, flying the indoor models. I have
included a photo to give you an idea of the
fun modelers have when traveling to an event
intended to promote flying model airplanes
that work well in small spaces.
Small-field models are not just for electric
power. I know this column generally seems
to be an electric-only forum, but that is not
the case. Electric power has become the most
common form of motivation for small-field
models these days, but glow power is still
widely used where noise does not present a
problem.
Because of that, I like to feature glowpowered
models when possible. Thanks to
Richard Robb, I have one of his aircraft to
share with you.
He built a nice O.S. .26 FS-powered
biplane called the 4-26. It is a scaled-down
version of the 4-40 that appeared in the
October 1986 Radio Control Modeler.
It has a wingspan of 42 inches, and the
flying weight is 3 pounds, 6 ounces. Richard
says it gets off the ground quickly and is a great flier.the wing realistic with the scalloped TE of
the full-scale wing.
Full flight controls are part of the design,
with ailerons in the top wing only. Four
servos are needed because the individual
aileron servos are located in the upper wing.
The SPAD short kit includes laser-cut parts
from selected balsa and full plans.
Construction is stick-type, with the builder
supplying the strip wood.
This is not a kit for beginners because it
doesn’t include instructions. The
intermediate builder can have a great-flying
airplane that brings back the flight exploits
of the US pilots in World War I. The SPAD
XIII was the airplane used by pilots such as
Eddie Rickenbacker and the rest of the
American fighter groups in the conflict.
Contact information is at the end of the
column.
This brings me to the end of this
installment. As we approach the winter
building season, please keep me informed
of your projects. You can reach me via Email
at the address at the top of the column
or by regular mail at 32238 Spinnaker Run, magnolia, TX 77354.
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/10
Page Numbers: 92,93,94
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/10
Page Numbers: 92,93,94
92 MODEL AVIATION
2006 Small Model Airplane Lovers League fly-in
Small-Field Flying Paul Bradley | [email protected]
Also included in this column:
• RockyTop Models Magister
• Fan-Tastic Models F9F Panther
• Small-field glow models
• Manzano Laser Works SPAD
XIII
At the 2006 S.M.A.L.L. fly-in Charles Sully holds his originaldesign,
scratch-built canard called the Georgia Goose.
Fan-Tastic Models has introduced this nice ducted-fan F9F
Panther for the GWS EDF-40 fan unit.
Buzz Trabbic shows a Mike Midkiffdesigned
FF Miles Magister—one of four
produced under the name of RockyTop
Models.
Built for electric power, this scaled-up Earl Stahl Miles Magister by Duane Ferguson was
featured at the annual S.M.A.L.L. fly-in in Little Rock, Arkansas.
FOR MANY YEARS the informal Small
Model Airplane Lovers League (S.M.A.L.L.)
has been gathering around Little Rock,
Arkansas, during the month of June to have a
fly-in devoted to model airplanes that are on
the smaller side of our hobby.
This annual gathering invites people to
bring models that have engines or equivalent
electric motors that are no larger than .26 (.35
for CL) in size. Models with multiple engines
are welcome, as are all walks of the modelaviation
hobby. As a result, you find FF, CL,
and RC models flying around the skies of this
wonderful event.
The 2006 edition of the annual S.M.A.L.L.
fly-in was held in an excellent new location
and during wonderful weather. As in the past,
this year featured an excellent array of models
representing the ingenuity and workmanship
of many great modelers.
Given the format of the models present at
this gathering, it is not surprising that many of
the aircraft are well suited for the small-field
venue. I want to highlight a few of the
10sig3.QXD 8/24/06 10:30 AM Page 92October 2006 93
L-R: Ken Spenser, Bob Selman, Ralph Bradley, and the author enjoy impromptu evening
flying at the hotel during the S.M.A.L.L. event. Gary Jones photo.
This 4-26 by Richard Robb is a nice glow-powered small-field flyer.
It’s a scaled-down version of the Ace RC 4-40 Bipe.
Peter Rake of the UK designed a 36-inch-span SPAD XIII for
Manzano Laser Works. Alby King built this rendition.
airplanes I enjoyed watching fly at the
gathering.
It is hard to know where to begin. As I
noted, this event is unusual in that it combines
the three major categories of the modelairplane
hobby. This presents some
opportunities for idea exchanges as well as
model crossover.
As many do, Duane Ferguson likes the
designs of Earl Stahl. He decided to build the
rubber-powered FF Miles Magister in a larger
size for electric-powered RC. His resulting
model has a wingspan of 36 inches and uses a
GWS IPS drive system powered by a twocell,
1200 mAh Li-Poly battery pack. The
model is covered with Litespan (CoverLite)
and flies nicely.
A number of modelers have demonstrated
that the classic Stahl designs make great
modern electric-powered RC models.
Duane’s is nicely done and shows that
rescaling the Earl Stahl designs is a great way
to enjoy some small-field flying.
Duane’s Miles Magister was not the only
one at the S.M.A.L.L. event this year. Down
the flightline were Ray (Buzz) Trabbic and
Mike Midkiff with their new rubber-powered
FF version. With a 29-inch wingspan, it is a
great FF aircraft. It would also make an
excellent electric RC model.
Mike and Buzz have formed a new
company that produces high-quality laser-cut
kits of their wonderful FF designs. The
Magister is one of four kits they are producing
under the name of RockyTop Models.
After watching them fly the Magister and
noting the quality of their products, I parted
with a few bucks and went home with a Miles
Magister kit of my own. I haven’t decided if it
will be built as a rubber-powered FF aircraft
or converted to an electric-powered RC
model. The latter will probably win out
because of the realities of my flying sites.
See the source listing at the end of the
column for information about RockyTop
Models.
So you don’t think I have suddenly
become fixated on Miles Magister models, let
me share with you a great canard that Charles
Sulley created. Charles hails from the Atlanta,
Georgia, area and calls himself a canard
addict. He had three of them at S.M.A.L.L.
this year.
One of the photos shows Charles holding
his scratch-built, original-design Georgia
Goose. It was inspired by an Andy Lennon
design. Canards are distinctive-looking on the
ground and in the air. The one Charles is
displaying is a real performer.
It has a main wingspan of 48 inches and a
22-inch span. The combined area is 516
square inches with a flying weight of 29
ounces. Power comes from a Hacker A30-
22S motor powering a 7 x 4 propeller in a
pusher configuration. Energy for the model is
provided by a three-cell 2600 mAh Li-Poly
battery pack.
I was impressed by the Goose’s
performance. Based on Charles’ love of
canards, I’m hoping we will see more of his
unique creations.
Another striking model was an impressive
little ducted-fan F9F Panther from Fan-Tastic
Models. As is usual for the offerings from
that company, the Panther is made from
molded foam. It is designed to work with the
GWS EDF-40 ducted-fan unit. It has a 21-
inch wingspan and weighs a scant 6 ounces
ready to fly.
The F9F Panther shown was built by the
man behind Fan-Tastic Models, Jerry Small,
and flown by Thomas Blakney. Jerry did a
great job on the paint and trim, replicating the
markings of the F9F flown by the main
character in the movie The Bridges at Toko-
Ri.
That little airplane got up and moved in
flight and was easily hand-launched. The
model at the event was powered with a
Feigao 12mm brushless motor using a threecell
730 mAh Li-Poly battery pack. Contact
information is available at the end of the
column.
The models I have mentioned are a limited
sampling of the variety seen at S.M.A.L.L. If
you want to see a wide range of model
aircraft that fit the small-field venue, this is a
great event to attend.
Before leaving this topic, I want to
comment on one other aspect of such a
gathering. This event includes one evening of
indoor flying. That means people will be
bringing appropriate models for that part of
the event.
Guess what? When you bring together a
group of people who like to fly small, quiet,
slow-flying model airplanes, they just can’t
get enough during the day or in one evening
of indoor flying. The result is some lateevening
flying.
10sig3.QXD 8/24/06 10:33 AM Page 93A few culprits such as Bob Selman, Gary
Jones, Ralph Bradley, Ken Spenser, and I
spent time at the end of several event days
taking advantage of calm evening air in front
of our hotel, flying the indoor models. I have
included a photo to give you an idea of the
fun modelers have when traveling to an event
intended to promote flying model airplanes
that work well in small spaces.
Small-field models are not just for electric
power. I know this column generally seems
to be an electric-only forum, but that is not
the case. Electric power has become the most
common form of motivation for small-field
models these days, but glow power is still
widely used where noise does not present a
problem.
Because of that, I like to feature glowpowered
models when possible. Thanks to
Richard Robb, I have one of his aircraft to
share with you.
He built a nice O.S. .26 FS-powered
biplane called the 4-26. It is a scaled-down
version of the 4-40 that appeared in the
October 1986 Radio Control Modeler.
It has a wingspan of 42 inches, and the
flying weight is 3 pounds, 6 ounces. Richard
says it gets off the ground quickly and is a great flier.the wing realistic with the scalloped TE of
the full-scale wing.
Full flight controls are part of the design,
with ailerons in the top wing only. Four
servos are needed because the individual
aileron servos are located in the upper wing.
The SPAD short kit includes laser-cut parts
from selected balsa and full plans.
Construction is stick-type, with the builder
supplying the strip wood.
This is not a kit for beginners because it
doesn’t include instructions. The
intermediate builder can have a great-flying
airplane that brings back the flight exploits
of the US pilots in World War I. The SPAD
XIII was the airplane used by pilots such as
Eddie Rickenbacker and the rest of the
American fighter groups in the conflict.
Contact information is at the end of the
column.
This brings me to the end of this
installment. As we approach the winter
building season, please keep me informed
of your projects. You can reach me via Email
at the address at the top of the column
or by regular mail at 32238 Spinnaker Run, magnolia, TX 77354.
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/10
Page Numbers: 92,93,94
92 MODEL AVIATION
2006 Small Model Airplane Lovers League fly-in
Small-Field Flying Paul Bradley | [email protected]
Also included in this column:
• RockyTop Models Magister
• Fan-Tastic Models F9F Panther
• Small-field glow models
• Manzano Laser Works SPAD
XIII
At the 2006 S.M.A.L.L. fly-in Charles Sully holds his originaldesign,
scratch-built canard called the Georgia Goose.
Fan-Tastic Models has introduced this nice ducted-fan F9F
Panther for the GWS EDF-40 fan unit.
Buzz Trabbic shows a Mike Midkiffdesigned
FF Miles Magister—one of four
produced under the name of RockyTop
Models.
Built for electric power, this scaled-up Earl Stahl Miles Magister by Duane Ferguson was
featured at the annual S.M.A.L.L. fly-in in Little Rock, Arkansas.
FOR MANY YEARS the informal Small
Model Airplane Lovers League (S.M.A.L.L.)
has been gathering around Little Rock,
Arkansas, during the month of June to have a
fly-in devoted to model airplanes that are on
the smaller side of our hobby.
This annual gathering invites people to
bring models that have engines or equivalent
electric motors that are no larger than .26 (.35
for CL) in size. Models with multiple engines
are welcome, as are all walks of the modelaviation
hobby. As a result, you find FF, CL,
and RC models flying around the skies of this
wonderful event.
The 2006 edition of the annual S.M.A.L.L.
fly-in was held in an excellent new location
and during wonderful weather. As in the past,
this year featured an excellent array of models
representing the ingenuity and workmanship
of many great modelers.
Given the format of the models present at
this gathering, it is not surprising that many of
the aircraft are well suited for the small-field
venue. I want to highlight a few of the
10sig3.QXD 8/24/06 10:30 AM Page 92October 2006 93
L-R: Ken Spenser, Bob Selman, Ralph Bradley, and the author enjoy impromptu evening
flying at the hotel during the S.M.A.L.L. event. Gary Jones photo.
This 4-26 by Richard Robb is a nice glow-powered small-field flyer.
It’s a scaled-down version of the Ace RC 4-40 Bipe.
Peter Rake of the UK designed a 36-inch-span SPAD XIII for
Manzano Laser Works. Alby King built this rendition.
airplanes I enjoyed watching fly at the
gathering.
It is hard to know where to begin. As I
noted, this event is unusual in that it combines
the three major categories of the modelairplane
hobby. This presents some
opportunities for idea exchanges as well as
model crossover.
As many do, Duane Ferguson likes the
designs of Earl Stahl. He decided to build the
rubber-powered FF Miles Magister in a larger
size for electric-powered RC. His resulting
model has a wingspan of 36 inches and uses a
GWS IPS drive system powered by a twocell,
1200 mAh Li-Poly battery pack. The
model is covered with Litespan (CoverLite)
and flies nicely.
A number of modelers have demonstrated
that the classic Stahl designs make great
modern electric-powered RC models.
Duane’s is nicely done and shows that
rescaling the Earl Stahl designs is a great way
to enjoy some small-field flying.
Duane’s Miles Magister was not the only
one at the S.M.A.L.L. event this year. Down
the flightline were Ray (Buzz) Trabbic and
Mike Midkiff with their new rubber-powered
FF version. With a 29-inch wingspan, it is a
great FF aircraft. It would also make an
excellent electric RC model.
Mike and Buzz have formed a new
company that produces high-quality laser-cut
kits of their wonderful FF designs. The
Magister is one of four kits they are producing
under the name of RockyTop Models.
After watching them fly the Magister and
noting the quality of their products, I parted
with a few bucks and went home with a Miles
Magister kit of my own. I haven’t decided if it
will be built as a rubber-powered FF aircraft
or converted to an electric-powered RC
model. The latter will probably win out
because of the realities of my flying sites.
See the source listing at the end of the
column for information about RockyTop
Models.
So you don’t think I have suddenly
become fixated on Miles Magister models, let
me share with you a great canard that Charles
Sulley created. Charles hails from the Atlanta,
Georgia, area and calls himself a canard
addict. He had three of them at S.M.A.L.L.
this year.
One of the photos shows Charles holding
his scratch-built, original-design Georgia
Goose. It was inspired by an Andy Lennon
design. Canards are distinctive-looking on the
ground and in the air. The one Charles is
displaying is a real performer.
It has a main wingspan of 48 inches and a
22-inch span. The combined area is 516
square inches with a flying weight of 29
ounces. Power comes from a Hacker A30-
22S motor powering a 7 x 4 propeller in a
pusher configuration. Energy for the model is
provided by a three-cell 2600 mAh Li-Poly
battery pack.
I was impressed by the Goose’s
performance. Based on Charles’ love of
canards, I’m hoping we will see more of his
unique creations.
Another striking model was an impressive
little ducted-fan F9F Panther from Fan-Tastic
Models. As is usual for the offerings from
that company, the Panther is made from
molded foam. It is designed to work with the
GWS EDF-40 ducted-fan unit. It has a 21-
inch wingspan and weighs a scant 6 ounces
ready to fly.
The F9F Panther shown was built by the
man behind Fan-Tastic Models, Jerry Small,
and flown by Thomas Blakney. Jerry did a
great job on the paint and trim, replicating the
markings of the F9F flown by the main
character in the movie The Bridges at Toko-
Ri.
That little airplane got up and moved in
flight and was easily hand-launched. The
model at the event was powered with a
Feigao 12mm brushless motor using a threecell
730 mAh Li-Poly battery pack. Contact
information is available at the end of the
column.
The models I have mentioned are a limited
sampling of the variety seen at S.M.A.L.L. If
you want to see a wide range of model
aircraft that fit the small-field venue, this is a
great event to attend.
Before leaving this topic, I want to
comment on one other aspect of such a
gathering. This event includes one evening of
indoor flying. That means people will be
bringing appropriate models for that part of
the event.
Guess what? When you bring together a
group of people who like to fly small, quiet,
slow-flying model airplanes, they just can’t
get enough during the day or in one evening
of indoor flying. The result is some lateevening
flying.
10sig3.QXD 8/24/06 10:33 AM Page 93A few culprits such as Bob Selman, Gary
Jones, Ralph Bradley, Ken Spenser, and I
spent time at the end of several event days
taking advantage of calm evening air in front
of our hotel, flying the indoor models. I have
included a photo to give you an idea of the
fun modelers have when traveling to an event
intended to promote flying model airplanes
that work well in small spaces.
Small-field models are not just for electric
power. I know this column generally seems
to be an electric-only forum, but that is not
the case. Electric power has become the most
common form of motivation for small-field
models these days, but glow power is still
widely used where noise does not present a
problem.
Because of that, I like to feature glowpowered
models when possible. Thanks to
Richard Robb, I have one of his aircraft to
share with you.
He built a nice O.S. .26 FS-powered
biplane called the 4-26. It is a scaled-down
version of the 4-40 that appeared in the
October 1986 Radio Control Modeler.
It has a wingspan of 42 inches, and the
flying weight is 3 pounds, 6 ounces. Richard
says it gets off the ground quickly and is a great flier.the wing realistic with the scalloped TE of
the full-scale wing.
Full flight controls are part of the design,
with ailerons in the top wing only. Four
servos are needed because the individual
aileron servos are located in the upper wing.
The SPAD short kit includes laser-cut parts
from selected balsa and full plans.
Construction is stick-type, with the builder
supplying the strip wood.
This is not a kit for beginners because it
doesn’t include instructions. The
intermediate builder can have a great-flying
airplane that brings back the flight exploits
of the US pilots in World War I. The SPAD
XIII was the airplane used by pilots such as
Eddie Rickenbacker and the rest of the
American fighter groups in the conflict.
Contact information is at the end of the
column.
This brings me to the end of this
installment. As we approach the winter
building season, please keep me informed
of your projects. You can reach me via Email
at the address at the top of the column
or by regular mail at 32238 Spinnaker Run, magnolia, TX 77354.