SMALL: A large gathering. Although it’s
not the largest assembly of aeromodeling
enthusiasts in terms of numbers, the annual
Small Model Airplane Lovers’ League
(SMALL) event in Little Rock, Arkansas, is huge in terms of the
spectrum of models and modelers present. Besides AMA’s Nats, there
are few, if any, fly-ins that include FF, CL, RC, and indoor aircraft.
Held in early June each year (5th-7th in 2009), the SMALL gettogether
is a cornucopia of aeromodeling. Wonderful FF aircraft are
flown by the likes of Mike Midkiff, classic CL models are flown by
legend Joe Wagner, indoor models are flown by industry leaders such
as Bob Selman, and a nice array of RC airplanes is flown by people
such as Pat Tritle and Steve Staples.
Steve Staples is one of the modelers who originated the SMALL
event 19 years ago. To whet your appetite, I have included a photo of
his nice Cox .010 glow-powered Shaboom. It spans 40 inches and
uses rudder and elevator control. The Scott Christensen design has
Small-Field Flying Paul Bradley | [email protected]
A “SMALL” get-together in Arkansas
Also included in this column:
• A toy-store foam-glider
transformation
• Easy-to-read design
reference
• A design dilemma
• Another side of Pat Tritle
Typical of models seen at the SMALL event is Steve Staples’ Scott Christensen-designed
Shaboom. RC, FF, and CL interests are represented at the gathering.
Above: William Waltress and his foam-glider
transformation. It looks like carbon fiber is used to stress
the wing and create the strut system.
Right: William’s model resembles a 1930s-era seaplane. All
electronics should be protected from water contamination.
lovely lines, and Steve plans to have it at the gathering this year.
If attending this event is even remotely possible for you, I
encourage you to do so. It is a great experience and is held at a
wonderful location. Barring any unforeseen events, I am planning on
going, as I have in the past.
To obtain details about the 2009 SMALL event, please see the
“Sources” listing.
Toy-Store Foam-Glider Transformation: The large slip-together foam
gliders have been a mainstay of most toy stores and department-store
toy departments for many years. These models are great fun for kids
and have received the attention of model airplane buffs since they first
came out.
Countless numbers of those gliders have been converted to
powered FF and RC aircraft. Therefore, you might not think that
much could be new when it comes to morphing one of them into
June 2009 97
06sig4.QXD 4/23/09 1:15 PM Page 97
98 MODEL AVIATION
aeromodeling hobby/sport for a while, I observed that most people
eventually wonder why things are done a certain way. Such an
inquiry is, “Why do most trainers have high-wing configurations?”
At some point, you will probably have a question relating to the
design of an airplane or helicopter. When such questions are posed
to the modeling community, varying answers are often given.
Getting answers that are inconsistent or not understandable can be
frustrating when you are trying to better understand the underlying
principles that guide a given model’s design.
Carlos Reyes, a full-scale and RC airplane enthusiast, has been
down that path, but he did not give up his quest for understanding
as he ran into contradictions and unanswered questions. Instead, he
embarked on a quest that resulted in a good understanding of the
airplane-design principles that are most
beneficial to the aeromodeling designer
and builder.
Carlos has compiled his long-term
knowledge quest into a new book, titled
Model Airplane Design Made Easy. It is
unique in several measures, one of which is
the writing style.
The book reads more like a
conversation at the flying field than a
presentation of information with technical
underpinnings. Essential technical
relationships are explained, but they are
easy to follow and presented in a context
that relates to real-world applications.
This book is aimed at the practical
side of our aeromodeling world. It covers
topics such as airplane color selection for
good visibility and factors associated with
the decision to use strip ailerons or the type
that is typically seen on full-scale airplanes.
If you want a good reference book in
your shop that can help you answer the
“Why is it this way?” questions, acquire a
copy of Carlos’s book. It is available
directly from him through RCadvisor.com
and from Amazon.com.
something more in line with a traditional
model setup. However, I have information
about a noteworthy transformation.
William Waltress of the Brandon [Mississippi] RC club showed up
at a meeting with a design that would be hard to recognize as having
started as a slip-together foam glider. He turned the aircraft into a 54-
inch-span model that resembles a 1930s seaplane.
Power is provided by a Tower Pro 2412 motor and a three-cell,
2100 mAh Li-Poly battery pack. The outer wing panels are removable
for transportation, and the functions are aileron, rudder, elevator, and
throttle control. The model’s flying weight is 30 ounces. William’s
airplane has an excellent speed range that makes flying in wind a
breeze (a bad pun, I know).
It is a pleasure to see such innovation.
Easy-to-Read Model-Design Reference: After being in the
A new, easy-to-read book from Carlos
Reyes covers the essentials of model
airplane design and materials.
Above: A nice profile XB-
70 from Al Clark, who
designed the Too Small.
(See the December 2008
MA.)
Pat Tritle, a prolific RC scale-model designer and builder, also has fun with FF. His
converted-to-RC Midwest Jabberwock has an all-up weight of 4 ounces.
Al’s XB-70 looks great in the air. It didn’t “fly off
the board,” but the relatively simple fix produced a
friendly RC airplane.
06sig4.QXD 4/23/09 1:21 PM Page 98
Design Dilemma: On the subject of
understanding model airplane design, I have
a story from Al Clark. He designed that
neat, small, twin electric-powered model
called the “Too Small.” Go back to your
December 2008 MA to see the construction
article.
Al sent me several pictures of another
project that came from his design and
building skills. He used an old Competition
Models profile XB-70 FF kit as inspiration
to develop a modern profile XB-70 for RC.
There was no attempt to model the
engine nacelles on the 1960s FF XB-70.
They are prominent features of the full-scale
airplane, so Al included them on his aircraft.
His striking version flies nicely.
However, according to Al, the “flies
nicely” part did not happen immediately. It
took some head-scratching and several
failed flights before he was able to turn a
wild beast into a well-behaved flying
representation of the distinctive XB-70.
What did the trick was Al’s enlarging the
twin rudders. He started with the true-toscale-
outline control surfaces, but the effect
of the long profile fuselage ahead of the CG
proved to be too much forward area for the
rudders to handle. Once the twin rudder area
was increased, the profile XB-70 went from
uncontrollable to an excellent flier.
The model’s basic specifications include
a 20.5-inch wingspan, a length of 36 inches,
and a flying weight of 12.6 ounces.
Motivation comes from a pushing
AstroFlight 010 brushless motor.
The XB-70 looks good in the air. Watch
for its construction article in Park Pilot
magazine.
Another Side of Pat Tritle: I have had the
pleasure of sharing with you some of Pat
Tritle’s many great scale designs. He is
one of today’s most prolific designers and
builders. Based on a large number of nice
RC aircraft Pat has provided for the
modeling community in recent years, you
might think that he has no interest in other
forms of aeromodeling.
However, Pat does have an FF heritage
and dabbles in that arena when time and
opportunity allow. As do many modelers,
he enjoys mixing the two aspects of the
hobby to yield a model designed as FF and
flown with radio control.
Pat recently converted a Midwest
Jabberwock to electric-powered RC, to fly
with his friends in a SAM (Society of
Antique Models) event for rubber-powered
FF designs that have been converted. He
provided a nice photo of the airplane,
which is covered with transparent Coverite
Microlite film.
The Jabberwock has a GWS 5:1 LPS
power package turning a 7 x 6 propeller,
and a two-cell 350 mAh Li-Poly battery
pack. The flying weight slightly exceeds 4
ounces. At that flying weight and a wing
area of 135 square inches, Pat’s model is a
great performer.
The classic Jabberwock design is still
available, and Radical RC sells it. See the
“Sources” listing for contact information.
I’ve reached the end of this installment. I
look forward to hearing from you
regarding your modeling projects or
others’ models that you find interesting. I
can be reached by e-mail or postal mail;
my contact information is in the source
listing. MA
Sources:
SMALL event:
www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Cockpit
/4521
Dale Womak
[email protected]
Steve Staples
[email protected]
RCadvisor.com
(505) 206-1569
www.rcadvisor.com
Amazon.com
www.amazon.com
Radical RC
(937) 256-7727
www.radicalrc.com
Paul Bradley
10201 Scarlet Oak Dr.
Independence KY 41051
100 MODEL AVIATION
Monster Bronco
The photo was taken by my friend, Sean
Curry. I was busy flying at the Port St. Lucie,
Florida, warbird meet in January 2009. The
model was built from my plans and
represents the 40-plus years of service that
the OV-10 aircraft have given our air military
service people.
The OV-10 has a 107-inch length and a
wingspan of 109 inches. Its ready-to-fly
weight is 51 pounds, which puts the 2,226-
square-inch wing at a loading of 53 ounces
per square foot.
The radio is a six-channel system
powering two Hacker A60-16L motors
managed by Hacker/Jeti Opto SPIN 99-amp
ESC modules. Two packs of Thunder Power
Pro-Lite 12S2P 5200 mAh batteries give it
lots of zip.
Watch the Bronco fly at www.rcuvideos.com/
publish/item/W19JGNB0XMNMC4CN. MA
—Rich Uravitch
[email protected]
E-mail your high-resolution “Viewfinder”
photo and a short note telling the airplane or
helicopter story to michaelr@modelaircraft.
org.
Viewfinder
06sig4.QXD 4/23/09 1:25 PM Page 100
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/06
Page Numbers: 97,98,100
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/06
Page Numbers: 97,98,100
SMALL: A large gathering. Although it’s
not the largest assembly of aeromodeling
enthusiasts in terms of numbers, the annual
Small Model Airplane Lovers’ League
(SMALL) event in Little Rock, Arkansas, is huge in terms of the
spectrum of models and modelers present. Besides AMA’s Nats, there
are few, if any, fly-ins that include FF, CL, RC, and indoor aircraft.
Held in early June each year (5th-7th in 2009), the SMALL gettogether
is a cornucopia of aeromodeling. Wonderful FF aircraft are
flown by the likes of Mike Midkiff, classic CL models are flown by
legend Joe Wagner, indoor models are flown by industry leaders such
as Bob Selman, and a nice array of RC airplanes is flown by people
such as Pat Tritle and Steve Staples.
Steve Staples is one of the modelers who originated the SMALL
event 19 years ago. To whet your appetite, I have included a photo of
his nice Cox .010 glow-powered Shaboom. It spans 40 inches and
uses rudder and elevator control. The Scott Christensen design has
Small-Field Flying Paul Bradley | [email protected]
A “SMALL” get-together in Arkansas
Also included in this column:
• A toy-store foam-glider
transformation
• Easy-to-read design
reference
• A design dilemma
• Another side of Pat Tritle
Typical of models seen at the SMALL event is Steve Staples’ Scott Christensen-designed
Shaboom. RC, FF, and CL interests are represented at the gathering.
Above: William Waltress and his foam-glider
transformation. It looks like carbon fiber is used to stress
the wing and create the strut system.
Right: William’s model resembles a 1930s-era seaplane. All
electronics should be protected from water contamination.
lovely lines, and Steve plans to have it at the gathering this year.
If attending this event is even remotely possible for you, I
encourage you to do so. It is a great experience and is held at a
wonderful location. Barring any unforeseen events, I am planning on
going, as I have in the past.
To obtain details about the 2009 SMALL event, please see the
“Sources” listing.
Toy-Store Foam-Glider Transformation: The large slip-together foam
gliders have been a mainstay of most toy stores and department-store
toy departments for many years. These models are great fun for kids
and have received the attention of model airplane buffs since they first
came out.
Countless numbers of those gliders have been converted to
powered FF and RC aircraft. Therefore, you might not think that
much could be new when it comes to morphing one of them into
June 2009 97
06sig4.QXD 4/23/09 1:15 PM Page 97
98 MODEL AVIATION
aeromodeling hobby/sport for a while, I observed that most people
eventually wonder why things are done a certain way. Such an
inquiry is, “Why do most trainers have high-wing configurations?”
At some point, you will probably have a question relating to the
design of an airplane or helicopter. When such questions are posed
to the modeling community, varying answers are often given.
Getting answers that are inconsistent or not understandable can be
frustrating when you are trying to better understand the underlying
principles that guide a given model’s design.
Carlos Reyes, a full-scale and RC airplane enthusiast, has been
down that path, but he did not give up his quest for understanding
as he ran into contradictions and unanswered questions. Instead, he
embarked on a quest that resulted in a good understanding of the
airplane-design principles that are most
beneficial to the aeromodeling designer
and builder.
Carlos has compiled his long-term
knowledge quest into a new book, titled
Model Airplane Design Made Easy. It is
unique in several measures, one of which is
the writing style.
The book reads more like a
conversation at the flying field than a
presentation of information with technical
underpinnings. Essential technical
relationships are explained, but they are
easy to follow and presented in a context
that relates to real-world applications.
This book is aimed at the practical
side of our aeromodeling world. It covers
topics such as airplane color selection for
good visibility and factors associated with
the decision to use strip ailerons or the type
that is typically seen on full-scale airplanes.
If you want a good reference book in
your shop that can help you answer the
“Why is it this way?” questions, acquire a
copy of Carlos’s book. It is available
directly from him through RCadvisor.com
and from Amazon.com.
something more in line with a traditional
model setup. However, I have information
about a noteworthy transformation.
William Waltress of the Brandon [Mississippi] RC club showed up
at a meeting with a design that would be hard to recognize as having
started as a slip-together foam glider. He turned the aircraft into a 54-
inch-span model that resembles a 1930s seaplane.
Power is provided by a Tower Pro 2412 motor and a three-cell,
2100 mAh Li-Poly battery pack. The outer wing panels are removable
for transportation, and the functions are aileron, rudder, elevator, and
throttle control. The model’s flying weight is 30 ounces. William’s
airplane has an excellent speed range that makes flying in wind a
breeze (a bad pun, I know).
It is a pleasure to see such innovation.
Easy-to-Read Model-Design Reference: After being in the
A new, easy-to-read book from Carlos
Reyes covers the essentials of model
airplane design and materials.
Above: A nice profile XB-
70 from Al Clark, who
designed the Too Small.
(See the December 2008
MA.)
Pat Tritle, a prolific RC scale-model designer and builder, also has fun with FF. His
converted-to-RC Midwest Jabberwock has an all-up weight of 4 ounces.
Al’s XB-70 looks great in the air. It didn’t “fly off
the board,” but the relatively simple fix produced a
friendly RC airplane.
06sig4.QXD 4/23/09 1:21 PM Page 98
Design Dilemma: On the subject of
understanding model airplane design, I have
a story from Al Clark. He designed that
neat, small, twin electric-powered model
called the “Too Small.” Go back to your
December 2008 MA to see the construction
article.
Al sent me several pictures of another
project that came from his design and
building skills. He used an old Competition
Models profile XB-70 FF kit as inspiration
to develop a modern profile XB-70 for RC.
There was no attempt to model the
engine nacelles on the 1960s FF XB-70.
They are prominent features of the full-scale
airplane, so Al included them on his aircraft.
His striking version flies nicely.
However, according to Al, the “flies
nicely” part did not happen immediately. It
took some head-scratching and several
failed flights before he was able to turn a
wild beast into a well-behaved flying
representation of the distinctive XB-70.
What did the trick was Al’s enlarging the
twin rudders. He started with the true-toscale-
outline control surfaces, but the effect
of the long profile fuselage ahead of the CG
proved to be too much forward area for the
rudders to handle. Once the twin rudder area
was increased, the profile XB-70 went from
uncontrollable to an excellent flier.
The model’s basic specifications include
a 20.5-inch wingspan, a length of 36 inches,
and a flying weight of 12.6 ounces.
Motivation comes from a pushing
AstroFlight 010 brushless motor.
The XB-70 looks good in the air. Watch
for its construction article in Park Pilot
magazine.
Another Side of Pat Tritle: I have had the
pleasure of sharing with you some of Pat
Tritle’s many great scale designs. He is
one of today’s most prolific designers and
builders. Based on a large number of nice
RC aircraft Pat has provided for the
modeling community in recent years, you
might think that he has no interest in other
forms of aeromodeling.
However, Pat does have an FF heritage
and dabbles in that arena when time and
opportunity allow. As do many modelers,
he enjoys mixing the two aspects of the
hobby to yield a model designed as FF and
flown with radio control.
Pat recently converted a Midwest
Jabberwock to electric-powered RC, to fly
with his friends in a SAM (Society of
Antique Models) event for rubber-powered
FF designs that have been converted. He
provided a nice photo of the airplane,
which is covered with transparent Coverite
Microlite film.
The Jabberwock has a GWS 5:1 LPS
power package turning a 7 x 6 propeller,
and a two-cell 350 mAh Li-Poly battery
pack. The flying weight slightly exceeds 4
ounces. At that flying weight and a wing
area of 135 square inches, Pat’s model is a
great performer.
The classic Jabberwock design is still
available, and Radical RC sells it. See the
“Sources” listing for contact information.
I’ve reached the end of this installment. I
look forward to hearing from you
regarding your modeling projects or
others’ models that you find interesting. I
can be reached by e-mail or postal mail;
my contact information is in the source
listing. MA
Sources:
SMALL event:
www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Cockpit
/4521
Dale Womak
[email protected]
Steve Staples
[email protected]
RCadvisor.com
(505) 206-1569
www.rcadvisor.com
Amazon.com
www.amazon.com
Radical RC
(937) 256-7727
www.radicalrc.com
Paul Bradley
10201 Scarlet Oak Dr.
Independence KY 41051
100 MODEL AVIATION
Monster Bronco
The photo was taken by my friend, Sean
Curry. I was busy flying at the Port St. Lucie,
Florida, warbird meet in January 2009. The
model was built from my plans and
represents the 40-plus years of service that
the OV-10 aircraft have given our air military
service people.
The OV-10 has a 107-inch length and a
wingspan of 109 inches. Its ready-to-fly
weight is 51 pounds, which puts the 2,226-
square-inch wing at a loading of 53 ounces
per square foot.
The radio is a six-channel system
powering two Hacker A60-16L motors
managed by Hacker/Jeti Opto SPIN 99-amp
ESC modules. Two packs of Thunder Power
Pro-Lite 12S2P 5200 mAh batteries give it
lots of zip.
Watch the Bronco fly at www.rcuvideos.com/
publish/item/W19JGNB0XMNMC4CN. MA
—Rich Uravitch
[email protected]
E-mail your high-resolution “Viewfinder”
photo and a short note telling the airplane or
helicopter story to michaelr@modelaircraft.
org.
Viewfinder
06sig4.QXD 4/23/09 1:25 PM Page 100
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/06
Page Numbers: 97,98,100
SMALL: A large gathering. Although it’s
not the largest assembly of aeromodeling
enthusiasts in terms of numbers, the annual
Small Model Airplane Lovers’ League
(SMALL) event in Little Rock, Arkansas, is huge in terms of the
spectrum of models and modelers present. Besides AMA’s Nats, there
are few, if any, fly-ins that include FF, CL, RC, and indoor aircraft.
Held in early June each year (5th-7th in 2009), the SMALL gettogether
is a cornucopia of aeromodeling. Wonderful FF aircraft are
flown by the likes of Mike Midkiff, classic CL models are flown by
legend Joe Wagner, indoor models are flown by industry leaders such
as Bob Selman, and a nice array of RC airplanes is flown by people
such as Pat Tritle and Steve Staples.
Steve Staples is one of the modelers who originated the SMALL
event 19 years ago. To whet your appetite, I have included a photo of
his nice Cox .010 glow-powered Shaboom. It spans 40 inches and
uses rudder and elevator control. The Scott Christensen design has
Small-Field Flying Paul Bradley | [email protected]
A “SMALL” get-together in Arkansas
Also included in this column:
• A toy-store foam-glider
transformation
• Easy-to-read design
reference
• A design dilemma
• Another side of Pat Tritle
Typical of models seen at the SMALL event is Steve Staples’ Scott Christensen-designed
Shaboom. RC, FF, and CL interests are represented at the gathering.
Above: William Waltress and his foam-glider
transformation. It looks like carbon fiber is used to stress
the wing and create the strut system.
Right: William’s model resembles a 1930s-era seaplane. All
electronics should be protected from water contamination.
lovely lines, and Steve plans to have it at the gathering this year.
If attending this event is even remotely possible for you, I
encourage you to do so. It is a great experience and is held at a
wonderful location. Barring any unforeseen events, I am planning on
going, as I have in the past.
To obtain details about the 2009 SMALL event, please see the
“Sources” listing.
Toy-Store Foam-Glider Transformation: The large slip-together foam
gliders have been a mainstay of most toy stores and department-store
toy departments for many years. These models are great fun for kids
and have received the attention of model airplane buffs since they first
came out.
Countless numbers of those gliders have been converted to
powered FF and RC aircraft. Therefore, you might not think that
much could be new when it comes to morphing one of them into
June 2009 97
06sig4.QXD 4/23/09 1:15 PM Page 97
98 MODEL AVIATION
aeromodeling hobby/sport for a while, I observed that most people
eventually wonder why things are done a certain way. Such an
inquiry is, “Why do most trainers have high-wing configurations?”
At some point, you will probably have a question relating to the
design of an airplane or helicopter. When such questions are posed
to the modeling community, varying answers are often given.
Getting answers that are inconsistent or not understandable can be
frustrating when you are trying to better understand the underlying
principles that guide a given model’s design.
Carlos Reyes, a full-scale and RC airplane enthusiast, has been
down that path, but he did not give up his quest for understanding
as he ran into contradictions and unanswered questions. Instead, he
embarked on a quest that resulted in a good understanding of the
airplane-design principles that are most
beneficial to the aeromodeling designer
and builder.
Carlos has compiled his long-term
knowledge quest into a new book, titled
Model Airplane Design Made Easy. It is
unique in several measures, one of which is
the writing style.
The book reads more like a
conversation at the flying field than a
presentation of information with technical
underpinnings. Essential technical
relationships are explained, but they are
easy to follow and presented in a context
that relates to real-world applications.
This book is aimed at the practical
side of our aeromodeling world. It covers
topics such as airplane color selection for
good visibility and factors associated with
the decision to use strip ailerons or the type
that is typically seen on full-scale airplanes.
If you want a good reference book in
your shop that can help you answer the
“Why is it this way?” questions, acquire a
copy of Carlos’s book. It is available
directly from him through RCadvisor.com
and from Amazon.com.
something more in line with a traditional
model setup. However, I have information
about a noteworthy transformation.
William Waltress of the Brandon [Mississippi] RC club showed up
at a meeting with a design that would be hard to recognize as having
started as a slip-together foam glider. He turned the aircraft into a 54-
inch-span model that resembles a 1930s seaplane.
Power is provided by a Tower Pro 2412 motor and a three-cell,
2100 mAh Li-Poly battery pack. The outer wing panels are removable
for transportation, and the functions are aileron, rudder, elevator, and
throttle control. The model’s flying weight is 30 ounces. William’s
airplane has an excellent speed range that makes flying in wind a
breeze (a bad pun, I know).
It is a pleasure to see such innovation.
Easy-to-Read Model-Design Reference: After being in the
A new, easy-to-read book from Carlos
Reyes covers the essentials of model
airplane design and materials.
Above: A nice profile XB-
70 from Al Clark, who
designed the Too Small.
(See the December 2008
MA.)
Pat Tritle, a prolific RC scale-model designer and builder, also has fun with FF. His
converted-to-RC Midwest Jabberwock has an all-up weight of 4 ounces.
Al’s XB-70 looks great in the air. It didn’t “fly off
the board,” but the relatively simple fix produced a
friendly RC airplane.
06sig4.QXD 4/23/09 1:21 PM Page 98
Design Dilemma: On the subject of
understanding model airplane design, I have
a story from Al Clark. He designed that
neat, small, twin electric-powered model
called the “Too Small.” Go back to your
December 2008 MA to see the construction
article.
Al sent me several pictures of another
project that came from his design and
building skills. He used an old Competition
Models profile XB-70 FF kit as inspiration
to develop a modern profile XB-70 for RC.
There was no attempt to model the
engine nacelles on the 1960s FF XB-70.
They are prominent features of the full-scale
airplane, so Al included them on his aircraft.
His striking version flies nicely.
However, according to Al, the “flies
nicely” part did not happen immediately. It
took some head-scratching and several
failed flights before he was able to turn a
wild beast into a well-behaved flying
representation of the distinctive XB-70.
What did the trick was Al’s enlarging the
twin rudders. He started with the true-toscale-
outline control surfaces, but the effect
of the long profile fuselage ahead of the CG
proved to be too much forward area for the
rudders to handle. Once the twin rudder area
was increased, the profile XB-70 went from
uncontrollable to an excellent flier.
The model’s basic specifications include
a 20.5-inch wingspan, a length of 36 inches,
and a flying weight of 12.6 ounces.
Motivation comes from a pushing
AstroFlight 010 brushless motor.
The XB-70 looks good in the air. Watch
for its construction article in Park Pilot
magazine.
Another Side of Pat Tritle: I have had the
pleasure of sharing with you some of Pat
Tritle’s many great scale designs. He is
one of today’s most prolific designers and
builders. Based on a large number of nice
RC aircraft Pat has provided for the
modeling community in recent years, you
might think that he has no interest in other
forms of aeromodeling.
However, Pat does have an FF heritage
and dabbles in that arena when time and
opportunity allow. As do many modelers,
he enjoys mixing the two aspects of the
hobby to yield a model designed as FF and
flown with radio control.
Pat recently converted a Midwest
Jabberwock to electric-powered RC, to fly
with his friends in a SAM (Society of
Antique Models) event for rubber-powered
FF designs that have been converted. He
provided a nice photo of the airplane,
which is covered with transparent Coverite
Microlite film.
The Jabberwock has a GWS 5:1 LPS
power package turning a 7 x 6 propeller,
and a two-cell 350 mAh Li-Poly battery
pack. The flying weight slightly exceeds 4
ounces. At that flying weight and a wing
area of 135 square inches, Pat’s model is a
great performer.
The classic Jabberwock design is still
available, and Radical RC sells it. See the
“Sources” listing for contact information.
I’ve reached the end of this installment. I
look forward to hearing from you
regarding your modeling projects or
others’ models that you find interesting. I
can be reached by e-mail or postal mail;
my contact information is in the source
listing. MA
Sources:
SMALL event:
www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Cockpit
/4521
Dale Womak
[email protected]
Steve Staples
[email protected]
RCadvisor.com
(505) 206-1569
www.rcadvisor.com
Amazon.com
www.amazon.com
Radical RC
(937) 256-7727
www.radicalrc.com
Paul Bradley
10201 Scarlet Oak Dr.
Independence KY 41051
100 MODEL AVIATION
Monster Bronco
The photo was taken by my friend, Sean
Curry. I was busy flying at the Port St. Lucie,
Florida, warbird meet in January 2009. The
model was built from my plans and
represents the 40-plus years of service that
the OV-10 aircraft have given our air military
service people.
The OV-10 has a 107-inch length and a
wingspan of 109 inches. Its ready-to-fly
weight is 51 pounds, which puts the 2,226-
square-inch wing at a loading of 53 ounces
per square foot.
The radio is a six-channel system
powering two Hacker A60-16L motors
managed by Hacker/Jeti Opto SPIN 99-amp
ESC modules. Two packs of Thunder Power
Pro-Lite 12S2P 5200 mAh batteries give it
lots of zip.
Watch the Bronco fly at www.rcuvideos.com/
publish/item/W19JGNB0XMNMC4CN. MA
—Rich Uravitch
[email protected]
E-mail your high-resolution “Viewfinder”
photo and a short note telling the airplane or
helicopter story to michaelr@modelaircraft.
org.
Viewfinder
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