102 MODEL AVIATION
Small-Field Flying Paul Bradley | [email protected]
Upcoming Texas fly-ins you should attend
Al Lidberg’s 28-inch-span version of the Trenton Terror is now available as a kit.
Canadian Phil Alvirez’s Elf is a wonderful
small-field design.
ONE OF MY favorite things to do in this
hobby is attend a fly-in or a gathering of
other modelers. There is something special
about seeing other people’s airplanes and
sharing information face to face. The social
aspects of such gatherings are special for
me.
Circumstances this year have kept me
from attending the fly-ins I normally haunt,
but there are two I want to mention as we
near the end of the traditional flying season.
I hope to attend these gatherings if life
events cooperate.
Coming up the weekend of September
29-30 is the annual fly-in hosted by the
Dallas Electric Aircraft Flyers (DEAF). This
is a laid-back, fun event that attracts a nice
cross-section of models.
Farther south the following weekend—
October 6-7—is the Best Electrics in
Southeast Texas (BEST) event. This fly-in
is hosted by the Tri-City Barnstormers,
which is a club north of Houston. This is
another relaxed gathering full of airplanes
and flying fun.
If you find yourself with an acceptable
commute to Dallas or Houston, it would be
great to have you join in the fun. I would
love to have the opportunity to say hello.
Web addresses for more information about
both events can be found at the end of the
column.
Nice Design From Canada: There are some
great modelers around the world. All you
have to do is look in the modeling press and
other forms of communication such as the
Internet to fully appreciate the wonderful
community of model-airplane builders.
I was fortunate to receive a nice note
from Canadian Phil Alvirez, who resides
near Windsor, Ontario. He is a longtime
modeler who is trying out electric-powered
small-field RC aircraft. He sent me a picture
of his original-design model that he’s using
to help him get started.
Phil’s Elf has a 36-inch wingspan and is
powered by a 25-gram MSYS-300T
brushless outrunner motor from Sky Hooks
and Rigging. A two-cell, 350 mAh Li-Poly
battery pack is being used. The motor is
turning a 6 x 4 propeller. The Elf’s flying
weight is 7 ounces.
Phil reports that the Elf handles moderate
winds nicely with a wing area of 200 square
inches. Control functions are handled by a
Spektrum radio and include rudder, elevator,
and throttle.
This is a nice-looking small-field model.
Thanks for sharing it with us, Phil.
I want to share another nice model with
you. It is a new kit offering from A.A.
Lidberg Model Plan Service.
Al Lidberg is noted for his reduced-scale
Old-Timer models that he sells in both plans
Also included in this column:
• The Elf by Canadian Phil
Alvirez
• Trenton Terror from A.A.
Lidberg Model Plan Service
• Winged Shadow Systems’
How Fast
• Past column follow-ups
10sig4.QXD 8/22/07 12:38 PM Page 102
and short-kit form. His latest is the Trenton Terror.
The original 1938 Trenton Terror had a 72-inch
wingspan. That was typical for gas-powered models of the
day. Al reduced the size to a 28-inch wingspan and set up the
model for CO2 or electric power. It can be flown as FF or
RC.
Al’s prototype is RC and uses a GWS electric motor/gear
drive turning a 7 x 6 propeller. Its energy comes from a fourcell
NiMH battery pack of 180 or 280 mAh capacity. Control
includes rudder, elevator, and throttle.
The model is covered with clear-doped Japanese tissue.
Now that is truly a modern Old-Timer classic. It is nice for
doing some relaxed flying in a smaller flying venue.
Have you ever wondered how fast your model is flying?
Probably the two most missed estimates we
make as modelers are how high and how fast
our aircraft go. I’m guilty of being way off in
estimating altitude and speed. It seems that
the models are always much higher and
flying considerably faster than an actual
measurement shows.
Roughly a year ago Winged Shadow
Systems presented the model-airplane world
with a nifty, lightweight, tiny gadget for
telling us how high our models fly. That
device, aptly named How High, plugs into
an unused receiver channel and records the
maximum height the model reaches above
the launch point.
The device is neat because no special
equipment is needed to retrieve the recorded
height-above-launch altitude. The numbers
provided humbled my guesstimates.
Now Winged Shadow Systems has a
similar device for telling us how fast—or
slow—our models are flying. Not too
surprisingly, this device is called the “How
Fast.”
As is the How High, the speed-measuring
device is lightweight, at 2.7 grams, and is
plugged into an unused receiver channel.
The sensor uses the same pitot and staticpressure
principal as a full-scale airplane
speed measurement.
No special equipment is needed to
retrieve the stored information after the
October 2007 103
Left: Angelo Mantas’s GWS Tiger
Moth is dressed up to complement his
nice instrument-panel work.
Below: The text details Angelo’s
method for developing a convincing
but easy instrument panel.
As a follow-up to the discussion about the 54-inch Comet Taylorcraft in the June 2007
column, Glenn Lewis submitted this picture of his nice conversion.
10sig4.QXD 8/22/07 12:38 PM Page 103
model lands; Winged Shadow Systems
offers a small device that can easily read the
stored information.
The How Fast can measure speeds of 15-
500 mph with a 1 mph resolution. The lower
end of the speed range is perfect for smallfield-
flying needs. The unit can be ordered
to read in metric or US units. See the source
listing at the end of the column for contact
information.
Past Column Follow-Up: It is gratifying to
hear from readers regarding material
presented in this column. It is especially
nice when readers offer experiences and
comments that add to it. I’ve received
follow-up material to several recent
columns.
Angelo Mantas sent me a nice note about
my suggested method for making simple but
convincing instrument panels for our
models. I used photographs of instruments
for a Tiger Moth to develop a panel for my
44-inch Pat Tritle Tiger Moth.
One of my objectives in presenting that
material was to show how easy it can be to
dress up the models that involve the
complete airframe-building process and the
many nice ARFs that are available. Angelo
reinforced the latter point in his GWS foambased
Tiger Moth.
The photos he provided show his nice,
easy-to-make instrument panel. He wrote:
“Doing a search on the Web, I found
several nice shots of Tiger Moth instrument
panels. As you noted, none were taken
straight on.
“I downloaded and opened a photo in
PhotoShop then used the program to stretch
and bend the photo until the perspective and
size were correct. The instruments weren’t
sharp so I imported individual instruments
from other photos. I then printed it on
photo-quality ink-jet paper, cut it out, and
glued it in place.
“Since the compass is mounted
horizontally, I separated it from the printed
instruments, pasted it onto a piece of
leftover Depron cut with a circle cutter, and
mounted it in a small depression I cut into
the proper spot. I’m pretty happy with the
results.
“The airplane itself is a GWS Pico Tiger
Moth. The paint scheme is based on a
currently flying Moth that’s painted to
resemble a World War II-era trainer.
“Leftover Depron was trimmed and
sanded to shape for the cockpit doors, and I
used some Du-Bro hinges to make the left
rear door operational. Markings were made
in PhotoShop, and then printed on ink-jet
decal film.”
Thanks, Angelo, for sharing your
spruced-up Tiger Moth and your process for
making the instrument panels.
In the June 2007 column I mentioned Ivo
Lucchitta’s quest to convert his already built
Comet Taylorcraft to an electric-powered
RC model. I received two notes from
readers who have gone down that path, the
first of which came from Glenn Lewis.
I thought the photo of Glenn’s finished
project deserved to be shared. He started
with TMRC (Tom Martin Radio Control)
plans (see the source listing) to construct a
lovely 54-inch Taylorcraft from the Comet
design.
Glenn used a Balsa Products BP-21
motor turning an 8 x 4 propeller and a twocell
Li-Poly battery to power his model.
Using rudder and elevator control, he
confirms that the Comet Taylorcraft makes a
wonderful small-field flyer.
Lloyd McConell did exactly what Ivo
expressed an interest in doing: converting an
already built 54-inch Comet Taylorcraft that
was initially constructed and flown as a
rubber-powered FF aircraft. He did not have
to do a lot of work to complete the
conversion and was rewarded with a greatflying
small-field scale model.
Lloyd did not have any photos, but he
did provide a comprehensive description of
his conversion. He wrote:
“I found one of these kits in 1972 for a
few bucks and built it for rubber-band
power. It hung around my shop until 2005
when I re-covered it with red tissue and Sig
red dope.
“To convert it to electric, I hinged the
rudder and elevator and left the ailerons with
the wire hinges for trim adjustments. I
sheeted the fuselage from the nose block to
the front of the cabin and added Trexler
balloon tires.
104 MODEL AVIATION
Viewfinder
Singing in the Reeds
This picture was taken at
a site where some of my
friends and I fly at Glen
Massan, Dunoon, Scotland.
The field is at the bottom of
a mountain and is quite
swampy farther out, hence
the tall reedlike grass that is
begging to be mowed. My
buddy took the snap with
my camera: a Konica
Minolta Z3 shooting in
automatic mode.
The helicopter is a
Raptor 50V2 with an O.S.
Hyper engine. It is kitted out
in full Quick UK gear and
fitted with SAB main and
tail blades.
—Graeme Taylor
[email protected]
E-mail your highresolution
“ViewFinder”
photo and a short note
describing the airplane or
helicopter story to michaelr
@modelaircraft.org. MA
10sig4.QXD 8/22/07 12:43 PM Page 104
“For power I used an ElectriFly 400 can
motor with a 3:1 gearbox turning an 11 x 7
E propeller. To mount the motor I removed
the nose block, carved it out to fit the front
of the gearbox, and installed it on a
plywood former behind the nose block. I
built right and down thrust in the mount.
The battery pack was an eight-cell 800
mAh NiMH.
“I made no other changes to the model.
The all-up weight with battery was 17.7
ounces. Flight times were 12-15 minutes.
“Most of the time was spent cruising
around the field at scale speed. It was fun to
fly! I live in Greeley, Colorado, north of
Denver, so it was nice to have an aircraft
perform this well at this altitude.
“Someday I would like to build another
one. The changes I would make would
include a removable wing, aileron control,
no functional doors, strengthen the cabin by
running the 1/32 sheeting to the back of the
cabin, and strengthen the landing gear.
“I would probably upgrade the power
system to an AXI 2212/26 outrunner on an
11 x 4.7 propeller with Li-Poly 1500 mAh
3S batteries. This setup would result in the
same flying weight with greatly enhanced
flying times.”
Thanks, Lloyd, for giving us a definitive
approach to converting this model.
We are at the end of this column once
again. As always, don’t be bashful about
sending me a picture or two of your latest
project. In addition to the E-mail address
in the column header, you can reach me
via regular mail at 32238 Spinnaker Run,
Magnolia TX 77354. MA
Sources:
Fall Fly-ins:
DEAF: September 29-30
www.deaf-rc.org
BEST: October 6-7
www.tri-countybarnstormers.com
How Fast:
Winged Shadow Systems
Box 432
Streamwood IL 60107
(630) 837-6553
[email protected]
www.wingedshadow.com
Trenton Terror:
A.A. (Al) Lidberg Model Plan Service
1030 E. Baseline Rd. Suite 105-1074
Tempe AZ 85283
(480) 839-8154 (6-10 p.m. evenings and
weekends)
[email protected]
www.aalmps.com
Reproduction kits for 54-inch Comet series:
TMRC
20808 S. Prospect Ave.
Belton MO 64012
(816) 331-8807
[email protected]
www.tmrcsailplanes.com
Edition: Model Aviation - 2007/10
Page Numbers: 102,103,104,106
Edition: Model Aviation - 2007/10
Page Numbers: 102,103,104,106
102 MODEL AVIATION
Small-Field Flying Paul Bradley | [email protected]
Upcoming Texas fly-ins you should attend
Al Lidberg’s 28-inch-span version of the Trenton Terror is now available as a kit.
Canadian Phil Alvirez’s Elf is a wonderful
small-field design.
ONE OF MY favorite things to do in this
hobby is attend a fly-in or a gathering of
other modelers. There is something special
about seeing other people’s airplanes and
sharing information face to face. The social
aspects of such gatherings are special for
me.
Circumstances this year have kept me
from attending the fly-ins I normally haunt,
but there are two I want to mention as we
near the end of the traditional flying season.
I hope to attend these gatherings if life
events cooperate.
Coming up the weekend of September
29-30 is the annual fly-in hosted by the
Dallas Electric Aircraft Flyers (DEAF). This
is a laid-back, fun event that attracts a nice
cross-section of models.
Farther south the following weekend—
October 6-7—is the Best Electrics in
Southeast Texas (BEST) event. This fly-in
is hosted by the Tri-City Barnstormers,
which is a club north of Houston. This is
another relaxed gathering full of airplanes
and flying fun.
If you find yourself with an acceptable
commute to Dallas or Houston, it would be
great to have you join in the fun. I would
love to have the opportunity to say hello.
Web addresses for more information about
both events can be found at the end of the
column.
Nice Design From Canada: There are some
great modelers around the world. All you
have to do is look in the modeling press and
other forms of communication such as the
Internet to fully appreciate the wonderful
community of model-airplane builders.
I was fortunate to receive a nice note
from Canadian Phil Alvirez, who resides
near Windsor, Ontario. He is a longtime
modeler who is trying out electric-powered
small-field RC aircraft. He sent me a picture
of his original-design model that he’s using
to help him get started.
Phil’s Elf has a 36-inch wingspan and is
powered by a 25-gram MSYS-300T
brushless outrunner motor from Sky Hooks
and Rigging. A two-cell, 350 mAh Li-Poly
battery pack is being used. The motor is
turning a 6 x 4 propeller. The Elf’s flying
weight is 7 ounces.
Phil reports that the Elf handles moderate
winds nicely with a wing area of 200 square
inches. Control functions are handled by a
Spektrum radio and include rudder, elevator,
and throttle.
This is a nice-looking small-field model.
Thanks for sharing it with us, Phil.
I want to share another nice model with
you. It is a new kit offering from A.A.
Lidberg Model Plan Service.
Al Lidberg is noted for his reduced-scale
Old-Timer models that he sells in both plans
Also included in this column:
• The Elf by Canadian Phil
Alvirez
• Trenton Terror from A.A.
Lidberg Model Plan Service
• Winged Shadow Systems’
How Fast
• Past column follow-ups
10sig4.QXD 8/22/07 12:38 PM Page 102
and short-kit form. His latest is the Trenton Terror.
The original 1938 Trenton Terror had a 72-inch
wingspan. That was typical for gas-powered models of the
day. Al reduced the size to a 28-inch wingspan and set up the
model for CO2 or electric power. It can be flown as FF or
RC.
Al’s prototype is RC and uses a GWS electric motor/gear
drive turning a 7 x 6 propeller. Its energy comes from a fourcell
NiMH battery pack of 180 or 280 mAh capacity. Control
includes rudder, elevator, and throttle.
The model is covered with clear-doped Japanese tissue.
Now that is truly a modern Old-Timer classic. It is nice for
doing some relaxed flying in a smaller flying venue.
Have you ever wondered how fast your model is flying?
Probably the two most missed estimates we
make as modelers are how high and how fast
our aircraft go. I’m guilty of being way off in
estimating altitude and speed. It seems that
the models are always much higher and
flying considerably faster than an actual
measurement shows.
Roughly a year ago Winged Shadow
Systems presented the model-airplane world
with a nifty, lightweight, tiny gadget for
telling us how high our models fly. That
device, aptly named How High, plugs into
an unused receiver channel and records the
maximum height the model reaches above
the launch point.
The device is neat because no special
equipment is needed to retrieve the recorded
height-above-launch altitude. The numbers
provided humbled my guesstimates.
Now Winged Shadow Systems has a
similar device for telling us how fast—or
slow—our models are flying. Not too
surprisingly, this device is called the “How
Fast.”
As is the How High, the speed-measuring
device is lightweight, at 2.7 grams, and is
plugged into an unused receiver channel.
The sensor uses the same pitot and staticpressure
principal as a full-scale airplane
speed measurement.
No special equipment is needed to
retrieve the stored information after the
October 2007 103
Left: Angelo Mantas’s GWS Tiger
Moth is dressed up to complement his
nice instrument-panel work.
Below: The text details Angelo’s
method for developing a convincing
but easy instrument panel.
As a follow-up to the discussion about the 54-inch Comet Taylorcraft in the June 2007
column, Glenn Lewis submitted this picture of his nice conversion.
10sig4.QXD 8/22/07 12:38 PM Page 103
model lands; Winged Shadow Systems
offers a small device that can easily read the
stored information.
The How Fast can measure speeds of 15-
500 mph with a 1 mph resolution. The lower
end of the speed range is perfect for smallfield-
flying needs. The unit can be ordered
to read in metric or US units. See the source
listing at the end of the column for contact
information.
Past Column Follow-Up: It is gratifying to
hear from readers regarding material
presented in this column. It is especially
nice when readers offer experiences and
comments that add to it. I’ve received
follow-up material to several recent
columns.
Angelo Mantas sent me a nice note about
my suggested method for making simple but
convincing instrument panels for our
models. I used photographs of instruments
for a Tiger Moth to develop a panel for my
44-inch Pat Tritle Tiger Moth.
One of my objectives in presenting that
material was to show how easy it can be to
dress up the models that involve the
complete airframe-building process and the
many nice ARFs that are available. Angelo
reinforced the latter point in his GWS foambased
Tiger Moth.
The photos he provided show his nice,
easy-to-make instrument panel. He wrote:
“Doing a search on the Web, I found
several nice shots of Tiger Moth instrument
panels. As you noted, none were taken
straight on.
“I downloaded and opened a photo in
PhotoShop then used the program to stretch
and bend the photo until the perspective and
size were correct. The instruments weren’t
sharp so I imported individual instruments
from other photos. I then printed it on
photo-quality ink-jet paper, cut it out, and
glued it in place.
“Since the compass is mounted
horizontally, I separated it from the printed
instruments, pasted it onto a piece of
leftover Depron cut with a circle cutter, and
mounted it in a small depression I cut into
the proper spot. I’m pretty happy with the
results.
“The airplane itself is a GWS Pico Tiger
Moth. The paint scheme is based on a
currently flying Moth that’s painted to
resemble a World War II-era trainer.
“Leftover Depron was trimmed and
sanded to shape for the cockpit doors, and I
used some Du-Bro hinges to make the left
rear door operational. Markings were made
in PhotoShop, and then printed on ink-jet
decal film.”
Thanks, Angelo, for sharing your
spruced-up Tiger Moth and your process for
making the instrument panels.
In the June 2007 column I mentioned Ivo
Lucchitta’s quest to convert his already built
Comet Taylorcraft to an electric-powered
RC model. I received two notes from
readers who have gone down that path, the
first of which came from Glenn Lewis.
I thought the photo of Glenn’s finished
project deserved to be shared. He started
with TMRC (Tom Martin Radio Control)
plans (see the source listing) to construct a
lovely 54-inch Taylorcraft from the Comet
design.
Glenn used a Balsa Products BP-21
motor turning an 8 x 4 propeller and a twocell
Li-Poly battery to power his model.
Using rudder and elevator control, he
confirms that the Comet Taylorcraft makes a
wonderful small-field flyer.
Lloyd McConell did exactly what Ivo
expressed an interest in doing: converting an
already built 54-inch Comet Taylorcraft that
was initially constructed and flown as a
rubber-powered FF aircraft. He did not have
to do a lot of work to complete the
conversion and was rewarded with a greatflying
small-field scale model.
Lloyd did not have any photos, but he
did provide a comprehensive description of
his conversion. He wrote:
“I found one of these kits in 1972 for a
few bucks and built it for rubber-band
power. It hung around my shop until 2005
when I re-covered it with red tissue and Sig
red dope.
“To convert it to electric, I hinged the
rudder and elevator and left the ailerons with
the wire hinges for trim adjustments. I
sheeted the fuselage from the nose block to
the front of the cabin and added Trexler
balloon tires.
104 MODEL AVIATION
Viewfinder
Singing in the Reeds
This picture was taken at
a site where some of my
friends and I fly at Glen
Massan, Dunoon, Scotland.
The field is at the bottom of
a mountain and is quite
swampy farther out, hence
the tall reedlike grass that is
begging to be mowed. My
buddy took the snap with
my camera: a Konica
Minolta Z3 shooting in
automatic mode.
The helicopter is a
Raptor 50V2 with an O.S.
Hyper engine. It is kitted out
in full Quick UK gear and
fitted with SAB main and
tail blades.
—Graeme Taylor
[email protected]
E-mail your highresolution
“ViewFinder”
photo and a short note
describing the airplane or
helicopter story to michaelr
@modelaircraft.org. MA
10sig4.QXD 8/22/07 12:43 PM Page 104
“For power I used an ElectriFly 400 can
motor with a 3:1 gearbox turning an 11 x 7
E propeller. To mount the motor I removed
the nose block, carved it out to fit the front
of the gearbox, and installed it on a
plywood former behind the nose block. I
built right and down thrust in the mount.
The battery pack was an eight-cell 800
mAh NiMH.
“I made no other changes to the model.
The all-up weight with battery was 17.7
ounces. Flight times were 12-15 minutes.
“Most of the time was spent cruising
around the field at scale speed. It was fun to
fly! I live in Greeley, Colorado, north of
Denver, so it was nice to have an aircraft
perform this well at this altitude.
“Someday I would like to build another
one. The changes I would make would
include a removable wing, aileron control,
no functional doors, strengthen the cabin by
running the 1/32 sheeting to the back of the
cabin, and strengthen the landing gear.
“I would probably upgrade the power
system to an AXI 2212/26 outrunner on an
11 x 4.7 propeller with Li-Poly 1500 mAh
3S batteries. This setup would result in the
same flying weight with greatly enhanced
flying times.”
Thanks, Lloyd, for giving us a definitive
approach to converting this model.
We are at the end of this column once
again. As always, don’t be bashful about
sending me a picture or two of your latest
project. In addition to the E-mail address
in the column header, you can reach me
via regular mail at 32238 Spinnaker Run,
Magnolia TX 77354. MA
Sources:
Fall Fly-ins:
DEAF: September 29-30
www.deaf-rc.org
BEST: October 6-7
www.tri-countybarnstormers.com
How Fast:
Winged Shadow Systems
Box 432
Streamwood IL 60107
(630) 837-6553
[email protected]
www.wingedshadow.com
Trenton Terror:
A.A. (Al) Lidberg Model Plan Service
1030 E. Baseline Rd. Suite 105-1074
Tempe AZ 85283
(480) 839-8154 (6-10 p.m. evenings and
weekends)
[email protected]
www.aalmps.com
Reproduction kits for 54-inch Comet series:
TMRC
20808 S. Prospect Ave.
Belton MO 64012
(816) 331-8807
[email protected]
www.tmrcsailplanes.com
Edition: Model Aviation - 2007/10
Page Numbers: 102,103,104,106
102 MODEL AVIATION
Small-Field Flying Paul Bradley | [email protected]
Upcoming Texas fly-ins you should attend
Al Lidberg’s 28-inch-span version of the Trenton Terror is now available as a kit.
Canadian Phil Alvirez’s Elf is a wonderful
small-field design.
ONE OF MY favorite things to do in this
hobby is attend a fly-in or a gathering of
other modelers. There is something special
about seeing other people’s airplanes and
sharing information face to face. The social
aspects of such gatherings are special for
me.
Circumstances this year have kept me
from attending the fly-ins I normally haunt,
but there are two I want to mention as we
near the end of the traditional flying season.
I hope to attend these gatherings if life
events cooperate.
Coming up the weekend of September
29-30 is the annual fly-in hosted by the
Dallas Electric Aircraft Flyers (DEAF). This
is a laid-back, fun event that attracts a nice
cross-section of models.
Farther south the following weekend—
October 6-7—is the Best Electrics in
Southeast Texas (BEST) event. This fly-in
is hosted by the Tri-City Barnstormers,
which is a club north of Houston. This is
another relaxed gathering full of airplanes
and flying fun.
If you find yourself with an acceptable
commute to Dallas or Houston, it would be
great to have you join in the fun. I would
love to have the opportunity to say hello.
Web addresses for more information about
both events can be found at the end of the
column.
Nice Design From Canada: There are some
great modelers around the world. All you
have to do is look in the modeling press and
other forms of communication such as the
Internet to fully appreciate the wonderful
community of model-airplane builders.
I was fortunate to receive a nice note
from Canadian Phil Alvirez, who resides
near Windsor, Ontario. He is a longtime
modeler who is trying out electric-powered
small-field RC aircraft. He sent me a picture
of his original-design model that he’s using
to help him get started.
Phil’s Elf has a 36-inch wingspan and is
powered by a 25-gram MSYS-300T
brushless outrunner motor from Sky Hooks
and Rigging. A two-cell, 350 mAh Li-Poly
battery pack is being used. The motor is
turning a 6 x 4 propeller. The Elf’s flying
weight is 7 ounces.
Phil reports that the Elf handles moderate
winds nicely with a wing area of 200 square
inches. Control functions are handled by a
Spektrum radio and include rudder, elevator,
and throttle.
This is a nice-looking small-field model.
Thanks for sharing it with us, Phil.
I want to share another nice model with
you. It is a new kit offering from A.A.
Lidberg Model Plan Service.
Al Lidberg is noted for his reduced-scale
Old-Timer models that he sells in both plans
Also included in this column:
• The Elf by Canadian Phil
Alvirez
• Trenton Terror from A.A.
Lidberg Model Plan Service
• Winged Shadow Systems’
How Fast
• Past column follow-ups
10sig4.QXD 8/22/07 12:38 PM Page 102
and short-kit form. His latest is the Trenton Terror.
The original 1938 Trenton Terror had a 72-inch
wingspan. That was typical for gas-powered models of the
day. Al reduced the size to a 28-inch wingspan and set up the
model for CO2 or electric power. It can be flown as FF or
RC.
Al’s prototype is RC and uses a GWS electric motor/gear
drive turning a 7 x 6 propeller. Its energy comes from a fourcell
NiMH battery pack of 180 or 280 mAh capacity. Control
includes rudder, elevator, and throttle.
The model is covered with clear-doped Japanese tissue.
Now that is truly a modern Old-Timer classic. It is nice for
doing some relaxed flying in a smaller flying venue.
Have you ever wondered how fast your model is flying?
Probably the two most missed estimates we
make as modelers are how high and how fast
our aircraft go. I’m guilty of being way off in
estimating altitude and speed. It seems that
the models are always much higher and
flying considerably faster than an actual
measurement shows.
Roughly a year ago Winged Shadow
Systems presented the model-airplane world
with a nifty, lightweight, tiny gadget for
telling us how high our models fly. That
device, aptly named How High, plugs into
an unused receiver channel and records the
maximum height the model reaches above
the launch point.
The device is neat because no special
equipment is needed to retrieve the recorded
height-above-launch altitude. The numbers
provided humbled my guesstimates.
Now Winged Shadow Systems has a
similar device for telling us how fast—or
slow—our models are flying. Not too
surprisingly, this device is called the “How
Fast.”
As is the How High, the speed-measuring
device is lightweight, at 2.7 grams, and is
plugged into an unused receiver channel.
The sensor uses the same pitot and staticpressure
principal as a full-scale airplane
speed measurement.
No special equipment is needed to
retrieve the stored information after the
October 2007 103
Left: Angelo Mantas’s GWS Tiger
Moth is dressed up to complement his
nice instrument-panel work.
Below: The text details Angelo’s
method for developing a convincing
but easy instrument panel.
As a follow-up to the discussion about the 54-inch Comet Taylorcraft in the June 2007
column, Glenn Lewis submitted this picture of his nice conversion.
10sig4.QXD 8/22/07 12:38 PM Page 103
model lands; Winged Shadow Systems
offers a small device that can easily read the
stored information.
The How Fast can measure speeds of 15-
500 mph with a 1 mph resolution. The lower
end of the speed range is perfect for smallfield-
flying needs. The unit can be ordered
to read in metric or US units. See the source
listing at the end of the column for contact
information.
Past Column Follow-Up: It is gratifying to
hear from readers regarding material
presented in this column. It is especially
nice when readers offer experiences and
comments that add to it. I’ve received
follow-up material to several recent
columns.
Angelo Mantas sent me a nice note about
my suggested method for making simple but
convincing instrument panels for our
models. I used photographs of instruments
for a Tiger Moth to develop a panel for my
44-inch Pat Tritle Tiger Moth.
One of my objectives in presenting that
material was to show how easy it can be to
dress up the models that involve the
complete airframe-building process and the
many nice ARFs that are available. Angelo
reinforced the latter point in his GWS foambased
Tiger Moth.
The photos he provided show his nice,
easy-to-make instrument panel. He wrote:
“Doing a search on the Web, I found
several nice shots of Tiger Moth instrument
panels. As you noted, none were taken
straight on.
“I downloaded and opened a photo in
PhotoShop then used the program to stretch
and bend the photo until the perspective and
size were correct. The instruments weren’t
sharp so I imported individual instruments
from other photos. I then printed it on
photo-quality ink-jet paper, cut it out, and
glued it in place.
“Since the compass is mounted
horizontally, I separated it from the printed
instruments, pasted it onto a piece of
leftover Depron cut with a circle cutter, and
mounted it in a small depression I cut into
the proper spot. I’m pretty happy with the
results.
“The airplane itself is a GWS Pico Tiger
Moth. The paint scheme is based on a
currently flying Moth that’s painted to
resemble a World War II-era trainer.
“Leftover Depron was trimmed and
sanded to shape for the cockpit doors, and I
used some Du-Bro hinges to make the left
rear door operational. Markings were made
in PhotoShop, and then printed on ink-jet
decal film.”
Thanks, Angelo, for sharing your
spruced-up Tiger Moth and your process for
making the instrument panels.
In the June 2007 column I mentioned Ivo
Lucchitta’s quest to convert his already built
Comet Taylorcraft to an electric-powered
RC model. I received two notes from
readers who have gone down that path, the
first of which came from Glenn Lewis.
I thought the photo of Glenn’s finished
project deserved to be shared. He started
with TMRC (Tom Martin Radio Control)
plans (see the source listing) to construct a
lovely 54-inch Taylorcraft from the Comet
design.
Glenn used a Balsa Products BP-21
motor turning an 8 x 4 propeller and a twocell
Li-Poly battery to power his model.
Using rudder and elevator control, he
confirms that the Comet Taylorcraft makes a
wonderful small-field flyer.
Lloyd McConell did exactly what Ivo
expressed an interest in doing: converting an
already built 54-inch Comet Taylorcraft that
was initially constructed and flown as a
rubber-powered FF aircraft. He did not have
to do a lot of work to complete the
conversion and was rewarded with a greatflying
small-field scale model.
Lloyd did not have any photos, but he
did provide a comprehensive description of
his conversion. He wrote:
“I found one of these kits in 1972 for a
few bucks and built it for rubber-band
power. It hung around my shop until 2005
when I re-covered it with red tissue and Sig
red dope.
“To convert it to electric, I hinged the
rudder and elevator and left the ailerons with
the wire hinges for trim adjustments. I
sheeted the fuselage from the nose block to
the front of the cabin and added Trexler
balloon tires.
104 MODEL AVIATION
Viewfinder
Singing in the Reeds
This picture was taken at
a site where some of my
friends and I fly at Glen
Massan, Dunoon, Scotland.
The field is at the bottom of
a mountain and is quite
swampy farther out, hence
the tall reedlike grass that is
begging to be mowed. My
buddy took the snap with
my camera: a Konica
Minolta Z3 shooting in
automatic mode.
The helicopter is a
Raptor 50V2 with an O.S.
Hyper engine. It is kitted out
in full Quick UK gear and
fitted with SAB main and
tail blades.
—Graeme Taylor
[email protected]
E-mail your highresolution
“ViewFinder”
photo and a short note
describing the airplane or
helicopter story to michaelr
@modelaircraft.org. MA
10sig4.QXD 8/22/07 12:43 PM Page 104
“For power I used an ElectriFly 400 can
motor with a 3:1 gearbox turning an 11 x 7
E propeller. To mount the motor I removed
the nose block, carved it out to fit the front
of the gearbox, and installed it on a
plywood former behind the nose block. I
built right and down thrust in the mount.
The battery pack was an eight-cell 800
mAh NiMH.
“I made no other changes to the model.
The all-up weight with battery was 17.7
ounces. Flight times were 12-15 minutes.
“Most of the time was spent cruising
around the field at scale speed. It was fun to
fly! I live in Greeley, Colorado, north of
Denver, so it was nice to have an aircraft
perform this well at this altitude.
“Someday I would like to build another
one. The changes I would make would
include a removable wing, aileron control,
no functional doors, strengthen the cabin by
running the 1/32 sheeting to the back of the
cabin, and strengthen the landing gear.
“I would probably upgrade the power
system to an AXI 2212/26 outrunner on an
11 x 4.7 propeller with Li-Poly 1500 mAh
3S batteries. This setup would result in the
same flying weight with greatly enhanced
flying times.”
Thanks, Lloyd, for giving us a definitive
approach to converting this model.
We are at the end of this column once
again. As always, don’t be bashful about
sending me a picture or two of your latest
project. In addition to the E-mail address
in the column header, you can reach me
via regular mail at 32238 Spinnaker Run,
Magnolia TX 77354. MA
Sources:
Fall Fly-ins:
DEAF: September 29-30
www.deaf-rc.org
BEST: October 6-7
www.tri-countybarnstormers.com
How Fast:
Winged Shadow Systems
Box 432
Streamwood IL 60107
(630) 837-6553
[email protected]
www.wingedshadow.com
Trenton Terror:
A.A. (Al) Lidberg Model Plan Service
1030 E. Baseline Rd. Suite 105-1074
Tempe AZ 85283
(480) 839-8154 (6-10 p.m. evenings and
weekends)
[email protected]
www.aalmps.com
Reproduction kits for 54-inch Comet series:
TMRC
20808 S. Prospect Ave.
Belton MO 64012
(816) 331-8807
[email protected]
www.tmrcsailplanes.com
Edition: Model Aviation - 2007/10
Page Numbers: 102,103,104,106
102 MODEL AVIATION
Small-Field Flying Paul Bradley | [email protected]
Upcoming Texas fly-ins you should attend
Al Lidberg’s 28-inch-span version of the Trenton Terror is now available as a kit.
Canadian Phil Alvirez’s Elf is a wonderful
small-field design.
ONE OF MY favorite things to do in this
hobby is attend a fly-in or a gathering of
other modelers. There is something special
about seeing other people’s airplanes and
sharing information face to face. The social
aspects of such gatherings are special for
me.
Circumstances this year have kept me
from attending the fly-ins I normally haunt,
but there are two I want to mention as we
near the end of the traditional flying season.
I hope to attend these gatherings if life
events cooperate.
Coming up the weekend of September
29-30 is the annual fly-in hosted by the
Dallas Electric Aircraft Flyers (DEAF). This
is a laid-back, fun event that attracts a nice
cross-section of models.
Farther south the following weekend—
October 6-7—is the Best Electrics in
Southeast Texas (BEST) event. This fly-in
is hosted by the Tri-City Barnstormers,
which is a club north of Houston. This is
another relaxed gathering full of airplanes
and flying fun.
If you find yourself with an acceptable
commute to Dallas or Houston, it would be
great to have you join in the fun. I would
love to have the opportunity to say hello.
Web addresses for more information about
both events can be found at the end of the
column.
Nice Design From Canada: There are some
great modelers around the world. All you
have to do is look in the modeling press and
other forms of communication such as the
Internet to fully appreciate the wonderful
community of model-airplane builders.
I was fortunate to receive a nice note
from Canadian Phil Alvirez, who resides
near Windsor, Ontario. He is a longtime
modeler who is trying out electric-powered
small-field RC aircraft. He sent me a picture
of his original-design model that he’s using
to help him get started.
Phil’s Elf has a 36-inch wingspan and is
powered by a 25-gram MSYS-300T
brushless outrunner motor from Sky Hooks
and Rigging. A two-cell, 350 mAh Li-Poly
battery pack is being used. The motor is
turning a 6 x 4 propeller. The Elf’s flying
weight is 7 ounces.
Phil reports that the Elf handles moderate
winds nicely with a wing area of 200 square
inches. Control functions are handled by a
Spektrum radio and include rudder, elevator,
and throttle.
This is a nice-looking small-field model.
Thanks for sharing it with us, Phil.
I want to share another nice model with
you. It is a new kit offering from A.A.
Lidberg Model Plan Service.
Al Lidberg is noted for his reduced-scale
Old-Timer models that he sells in both plans
Also included in this column:
• The Elf by Canadian Phil
Alvirez
• Trenton Terror from A.A.
Lidberg Model Plan Service
• Winged Shadow Systems’
How Fast
• Past column follow-ups
10sig4.QXD 8/22/07 12:38 PM Page 102
and short-kit form. His latest is the Trenton Terror.
The original 1938 Trenton Terror had a 72-inch
wingspan. That was typical for gas-powered models of the
day. Al reduced the size to a 28-inch wingspan and set up the
model for CO2 or electric power. It can be flown as FF or
RC.
Al’s prototype is RC and uses a GWS electric motor/gear
drive turning a 7 x 6 propeller. Its energy comes from a fourcell
NiMH battery pack of 180 or 280 mAh capacity. Control
includes rudder, elevator, and throttle.
The model is covered with clear-doped Japanese tissue.
Now that is truly a modern Old-Timer classic. It is nice for
doing some relaxed flying in a smaller flying venue.
Have you ever wondered how fast your model is flying?
Probably the two most missed estimates we
make as modelers are how high and how fast
our aircraft go. I’m guilty of being way off in
estimating altitude and speed. It seems that
the models are always much higher and
flying considerably faster than an actual
measurement shows.
Roughly a year ago Winged Shadow
Systems presented the model-airplane world
with a nifty, lightweight, tiny gadget for
telling us how high our models fly. That
device, aptly named How High, plugs into
an unused receiver channel and records the
maximum height the model reaches above
the launch point.
The device is neat because no special
equipment is needed to retrieve the recorded
height-above-launch altitude. The numbers
provided humbled my guesstimates.
Now Winged Shadow Systems has a
similar device for telling us how fast—or
slow—our models are flying. Not too
surprisingly, this device is called the “How
Fast.”
As is the How High, the speed-measuring
device is lightweight, at 2.7 grams, and is
plugged into an unused receiver channel.
The sensor uses the same pitot and staticpressure
principal as a full-scale airplane
speed measurement.
No special equipment is needed to
retrieve the stored information after the
October 2007 103
Left: Angelo Mantas’s GWS Tiger
Moth is dressed up to complement his
nice instrument-panel work.
Below: The text details Angelo’s
method for developing a convincing
but easy instrument panel.
As a follow-up to the discussion about the 54-inch Comet Taylorcraft in the June 2007
column, Glenn Lewis submitted this picture of his nice conversion.
10sig4.QXD 8/22/07 12:38 PM Page 103
model lands; Winged Shadow Systems
offers a small device that can easily read the
stored information.
The How Fast can measure speeds of 15-
500 mph with a 1 mph resolution. The lower
end of the speed range is perfect for smallfield-
flying needs. The unit can be ordered
to read in metric or US units. See the source
listing at the end of the column for contact
information.
Past Column Follow-Up: It is gratifying to
hear from readers regarding material
presented in this column. It is especially
nice when readers offer experiences and
comments that add to it. I’ve received
follow-up material to several recent
columns.
Angelo Mantas sent me a nice note about
my suggested method for making simple but
convincing instrument panels for our
models. I used photographs of instruments
for a Tiger Moth to develop a panel for my
44-inch Pat Tritle Tiger Moth.
One of my objectives in presenting that
material was to show how easy it can be to
dress up the models that involve the
complete airframe-building process and the
many nice ARFs that are available. Angelo
reinforced the latter point in his GWS foambased
Tiger Moth.
The photos he provided show his nice,
easy-to-make instrument panel. He wrote:
“Doing a search on the Web, I found
several nice shots of Tiger Moth instrument
panels. As you noted, none were taken
straight on.
“I downloaded and opened a photo in
PhotoShop then used the program to stretch
and bend the photo until the perspective and
size were correct. The instruments weren’t
sharp so I imported individual instruments
from other photos. I then printed it on
photo-quality ink-jet paper, cut it out, and
glued it in place.
“Since the compass is mounted
horizontally, I separated it from the printed
instruments, pasted it onto a piece of
leftover Depron cut with a circle cutter, and
mounted it in a small depression I cut into
the proper spot. I’m pretty happy with the
results.
“The airplane itself is a GWS Pico Tiger
Moth. The paint scheme is based on a
currently flying Moth that’s painted to
resemble a World War II-era trainer.
“Leftover Depron was trimmed and
sanded to shape for the cockpit doors, and I
used some Du-Bro hinges to make the left
rear door operational. Markings were made
in PhotoShop, and then printed on ink-jet
decal film.”
Thanks, Angelo, for sharing your
spruced-up Tiger Moth and your process for
making the instrument panels.
In the June 2007 column I mentioned Ivo
Lucchitta’s quest to convert his already built
Comet Taylorcraft to an electric-powered
RC model. I received two notes from
readers who have gone down that path, the
first of which came from Glenn Lewis.
I thought the photo of Glenn’s finished
project deserved to be shared. He started
with TMRC (Tom Martin Radio Control)
plans (see the source listing) to construct a
lovely 54-inch Taylorcraft from the Comet
design.
Glenn used a Balsa Products BP-21
motor turning an 8 x 4 propeller and a twocell
Li-Poly battery to power his model.
Using rudder and elevator control, he
confirms that the Comet Taylorcraft makes a
wonderful small-field flyer.
Lloyd McConell did exactly what Ivo
expressed an interest in doing: converting an
already built 54-inch Comet Taylorcraft that
was initially constructed and flown as a
rubber-powered FF aircraft. He did not have
to do a lot of work to complete the
conversion and was rewarded with a greatflying
small-field scale model.
Lloyd did not have any photos, but he
did provide a comprehensive description of
his conversion. He wrote:
“I found one of these kits in 1972 for a
few bucks and built it for rubber-band
power. It hung around my shop until 2005
when I re-covered it with red tissue and Sig
red dope.
“To convert it to electric, I hinged the
rudder and elevator and left the ailerons with
the wire hinges for trim adjustments. I
sheeted the fuselage from the nose block to
the front of the cabin and added Trexler
balloon tires.
104 MODEL AVIATION
Viewfinder
Singing in the Reeds
This picture was taken at
a site where some of my
friends and I fly at Glen
Massan, Dunoon, Scotland.
The field is at the bottom of
a mountain and is quite
swampy farther out, hence
the tall reedlike grass that is
begging to be mowed. My
buddy took the snap with
my camera: a Konica
Minolta Z3 shooting in
automatic mode.
The helicopter is a
Raptor 50V2 with an O.S.
Hyper engine. It is kitted out
in full Quick UK gear and
fitted with SAB main and
tail blades.
—Graeme Taylor
[email protected]
E-mail your highresolution
“ViewFinder”
photo and a short note
describing the airplane or
helicopter story to michaelr
@modelaircraft.org. MA
10sig4.QXD 8/22/07 12:43 PM Page 104
“For power I used an ElectriFly 400 can
motor with a 3:1 gearbox turning an 11 x 7
E propeller. To mount the motor I removed
the nose block, carved it out to fit the front
of the gearbox, and installed it on a
plywood former behind the nose block. I
built right and down thrust in the mount.
The battery pack was an eight-cell 800
mAh NiMH.
“I made no other changes to the model.
The all-up weight with battery was 17.7
ounces. Flight times were 12-15 minutes.
“Most of the time was spent cruising
around the field at scale speed. It was fun to
fly! I live in Greeley, Colorado, north of
Denver, so it was nice to have an aircraft
perform this well at this altitude.
“Someday I would like to build another
one. The changes I would make would
include a removable wing, aileron control,
no functional doors, strengthen the cabin by
running the 1/32 sheeting to the back of the
cabin, and strengthen the landing gear.
“I would probably upgrade the power
system to an AXI 2212/26 outrunner on an
11 x 4.7 propeller with Li-Poly 1500 mAh
3S batteries. This setup would result in the
same flying weight with greatly enhanced
flying times.”
Thanks, Lloyd, for giving us a definitive
approach to converting this model.
We are at the end of this column once
again. As always, don’t be bashful about
sending me a picture or two of your latest
project. In addition to the E-mail address
in the column header, you can reach me
via regular mail at 32238 Spinnaker Run,
Magnolia TX 77354. MA
Sources:
Fall Fly-ins:
DEAF: September 29-30
www.deaf-rc.org
BEST: October 6-7
www.tri-countybarnstormers.com
How Fast:
Winged Shadow Systems
Box 432
Streamwood IL 60107
(630) 837-6553
[email protected]
www.wingedshadow.com
Trenton Terror:
A.A. (Al) Lidberg Model Plan Service
1030 E. Baseline Rd. Suite 105-1074
Tempe AZ 85283
(480) 839-8154 (6-10 p.m. evenings and
weekends)
[email protected]
www.aalmps.com
Reproduction kits for 54-inch Comet series:
TMRC
20808 S. Prospect Ave.
Belton MO 64012
(816) 331-8807
[email protected]
www.tmrcsailplanes.com