Small-Field Flying - 2011/06

THE SMALL MODEL Airplane Lovers’
League (SMALL) is holding its annual fly-in
June 2-5 at the FARM (Fraternal Association
of Radio Control Modelers) Club field, which
is only a few miles south of the Little Rock,
Arkansas, airport. This is strictly a fun-fly and
is always enjoyable.
The only restriction for participating is that
your aircraft’s power source must not be more
than the equivalent of a .26 two-stroke glow
engine. Multiple engines/motors are allowed.
86 MODEL AVIATION
Paul Bradley | bradleyp@Small-Field Flying ix.netcom.com
The 2011 SMALL fly-in: be there if you can
John Hix developed this outstanding 13-inch-wingspan
Pilatus Porter using restaurant foam take-out trays.
Pat Tritle gets his Stinson SR-10 ready for
a flight at the 2010 SMALL fly-in. This
year’s edition is around the corner.
Bill Bradley completed this 36-inchwingspan
version of the seldom-modeled
Fiat C.R.32.
The prolific Pat Tritle has also produced this great
48-inch-span rendition of the Ford Tri-Motor.
“The struts and landing gear shocks are
made from plastic coffee stirrers. I pressed the
wing struts in a vise and they retained a
streamlined shape. The landing gear wire
flexes enough to make the shocks telescope
realistically. The model weighs 19.3 grams
(.68 oz.).”
John’s Turbo Porter uses electronics from
the ParkZone Ember 2 and a 7mm, 3-ohm
pager motor turning a Plantraco Tri-Turbofan
propeller. Very nice work, John.
The availability of 2.4 GHz radio systems
has been a boon to frequency management at
fly-ins. With the rapid adoption of that
technology, there has been a downside at large
fly-ins: saturation of available channels and
occasional problems with the operation of
some receivers.
The people behind Spektrum 2.4 GHz
systems have devised an enhancement that is
targeted at pilots who fly at large gatherings. It
is unnecessary for most of us, who fly in more
typical settings.
Also included in this column:
• A Pilatus Porter goes from big
to small
• Spektrum provides frequencyhopping
options
• New offerings from Pat Tritle
• Bill Bradley’s Fiat C.R.32 short kit
• John Krouse’s latest hangar
addition
Gliders and rubber power are welcome. All
aspects of the hobby are represented, including
RC, FF, and CL.
If it is possible for you to travel to Little
Rock for this gathering, I encourage you to do
so. This is the 21st year that this fly-in has been
held. Dale Womack will be the event CD; his
contact information is in the “Sources” listing.
In the April 2011 column I shared with you
Pat Tritle’s 60-inch-wingspan Pilatus Porter.
That is a great full-scale airplane to render as a
flying model, whether you make it large or
small. So how about a Porter that has a 13-inch
wingspan? That puts it in the Peanut Scale
class, for those of you who like FF.
John Hix sent me some nice pictures of his
small Turbo Porter and the following
information about it.
“Most of the model is made of foam takeout
food trays from a local restaurant. The top
and bottom of the fuselage is 1 mm Depron.
The top front cowl is a section from a foam
coffee cup.
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June 2011 87
Below: This 1915 Lincoln Beachey is
another throttle-only model from John
Krouse.
Pat Tritle’s new 53-inch-span model of a popular generalaviation
aircraft looks fantastic in flight.
The new feature is referred to as frequency agility; I think a more
common term is frequency hopping. Whatever you call the technology,
it eliminates issues that have been encountered when many pilots are
flying or doing pit work at the same time.
Spektrum named the feature “DSMX.” It’s based on DSM2
technology and is fully compatible with DSM2 systems. Update options
are available for anyone who wants to take advantage of a DSMX
transmitter. Its use does require you to purchase a DSMX receiver.
If you have been part of the wonderful aeromodeling hobby for a
number of years, you might have heard of Walt Mooney. He was a
prolific model airplane designer during the heyday of Model Builder
magazine.
Walt had an FF Peanut Scale design published every month, which
is an amazing accomplishment. But Pat Tritle has nearly matched that
level of achievement. I’ll bet that if Walt were still with us, he would be
a huge fan of Pat’s many designs.
I am constantly in awe of the frequency and quality of Pat’s work,
and it is especially nice that his efforts fit so well in the small-field
06sig3.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 4/20/11 1:04 PM Page 87
88 MODEL AVIATION
Tool Box Essential
Flying season is in full swing and your tool box is
set with extra batteries, screw drivers, and perhaps an
extra propeller. Here’s one more valuable resource to
have on hand - an annual subscription to Park Pilot
magazine.
For the member price of only $9.95, each quarterly
issue is packed with pilot reviews,
features, and tutorials. A great
addition to any pilot’s toolbox!
Order your subscription online
by visiting modelaircra.org/
publications/subscribe.aspx or
by scanning the QR code with
your smart phone. MA
www.modelaircraft.org/publications/subscribe.aspx
arena. So it might not be surprising that I have
two nice new models from him to share with
you this month.
First is a lovely rendition of a popular
civil-aviation aircraft that Pat calls the “C-172
Sky-Hawk.” It has a 53-inch wingspan and
weighs a scant 25 ounces.
Power comes from a Suppo 2217 brushless
motor that turns an 11 x 5 propeller driven by
a two-cell, 2000 mAh Li-Poly battery pack.
Control functions include throttle, elevator,
rudder, ailerons, and flaps. A nice thing about
larger small-field models, such as the C-172,
is that you can incorporate neat features such
as flaps.
Pat says that the C-172 flies extremely well.
It will climb at a greater-than-scale rate on the
suggested power system, so there is plenty of
power overhead. According to him, touch-andgos
are fun, and there is plenty of flight
duration to let you do them for a long time.
Pat has also released his version of the
Ford Tri-Motor—another larger, lightweight
model. Sporting a wingspan of slightly less
than 48 inches, it has a flying weight of almost
18 ounces. With that thick airfoil, this model
is a real floater.
The Tri-Motor is powered by three E-flite
250 brushless motors turning GWS 6 x 3
direct-drive propellers. Energy is supplied by
a two-cell, 1300 mAh Li-Poly battery pack.
Each motor has its own 10-amp speed control.
Control functions include throttle, rudder,
elevator, and ailerons.
The C-172 and Tri-Motor are available
directly from Pat as short kits. See the
“Sources” listing for his contact information.
If you attend this year’s SMALL event, you
might see these models, along with a bunch of
others, and get to chat with him.
These are terrific additions to your
lineup, Pat.
It’s nice to go to the flying field and see a
scale rendition of a seldom-modeled full-scale
aircraft. Bill Bradley (no relation to me) must
think so too, because he has completed a
version of the 1933 Fiat C.R.32. Bill’s name
might look familiar, because I featured his 36-
inch-span Piper Tri-Pacer in the August 2010
column.
The C.R.32 has a 36-inch wingspan and
weighs 22 ounces. The measurements of Bill’s
airplane allow it to be flown on days when the
wind is blowing harder than we might want
for some of the more lightly loaded models,
and it is certainly suitable for flying in calm
conditions.
The power setup is a RimFire 10 brushless
motor, a 9 x 5 propeller, and a three-cell, 1750
mAh Li-Poly battery pack. Control functions
include throttle, rudder, elevator, and ailerons
on the top wing.
Short kits of the C.R.32 are available
through Manzano Laser Works. Contact info
is in the “Sources” listing.
John Krouse, who regularly contributes to
this column, likes projects that are
different from what we normally see at
flying venues. This time he has combined
his recent throttle-only development work
with a profile airframe of the relatively
obscure 1915 Lincoln Beachey.
The model is built up from balsa and
covered with tissue paper. A Plantraco 900
MHz receiver controls the throttle function.
Power for the Lincoln Beachey is provided
by a 6mm pager motor turning a U-80
propeller that has been trimmed to a diameter
of 2.4 inches. With a 90 mAh Li-Poly cell in
place, the 16-inch-span model has a flying
weight of 12.5 grams.
Great work again, John.
As always, let me know what you are up to
in the wonderful world of small-field flying.
My contact information is in the “Sources”
listing. MA
Sources:
SMALL
www.oocities.org/capecanaveral/cockpit/4521
FARM Club
www.farmtls.com
Dale Womack
[email protected]
Spektrum
(800) 338-4639
www.spektrumrc.com
Pat’s Custom Models
(505) 296-4511
www.patscustom-models.com
Manzano Laser Works
(505) 286-2640
www.manzanolaser.com
Paul Bradley
10201 Scarletoak Dr.
Independence KY 41051
www.parmodels.com
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