Small Model Airplane Lovers League (SMALL) 2012
was a great gathering of people with perfect models
for small fi elds. This issue’s cover date suggests that the
outdoor fl ying season is drawing to a close for many of us. This
is a good time to refl ect on the fl ying fun we had during the
warm months of 2012.
One of the fl ying season’s highlights is the annual SMALL
gathering near Little Rock, Arkansas, in early June. This year’s
event was graced with nice weather—much cooler than
the previous year, with manageable winds. The Fraternal
Association of Radio Control Modelers (FARM) club did its
usual outstanding job of hosting the event.
As in past years, I saw some great models that are in our
wheelhouse for small-fi eld fl ying. I can’t begin to cover
all of them, but I want to mention several. I’ll begin with
someone I reported on in my October 2010 column. I had the
opportunity to provide a then-16-year-old Tim Pakiz with a
HobbyZone Aeronca Champ when he attended SMALL 2010.
Tim learned the basics of fl ying the model, and then went
off to develop his skills. He was unable to attend the 2011
event, but returned this year.
Based on what Tim learned with the Aeronca Champ, he
was able to progress to the more challenging ParkZone Pole
Cat. Tim fl ew the wings off the Pole Cat during the event. It’s
nice to see how a product such as the Aeronca Champ can lay
such a nice foundation for beginning RC pilots.
Longtime modelers Bob Selman and Ralph Bradley have
fond memories of Sterling Mambos. The Sterling Mambo was
fi rst introduced in 1955 as a rudder-only
RC model with a 48-inch wingspan. Bob
wanted to do a micro version and drew
plans for a 20-inch Micro Mambo.
He started building a model from the
plans last year, but had to put the project
aside to take care of his modeling-related
business. He gave the bones to Ralph.
During the year between SMALL
2011 and 2012 events, the men
corresponded about the model as Ralph
fi nished the project. Based on Ralph’s
results, Bob found the time to build a
second Micro Mambo.
Both models were present at SMALL
2012 and fl ew well. They handled the
modest wind and put in some nice
fl ights. Each weighs 70 grams and uses
AP05-3000 brushless motors. Energy
comes from a single 300 mAh LiPo cell.
The models are set up with rudderonly
fl ight control per the original
Mambo. The servo in each has been set
up to mimic the torque-rod action of
the original escapement actuator.
Plans for the Micro Mambo are in the
July 2012 RC Micro World. Bob Selman
indicated that if there is enough interest,
he will offer a short kit that includes
laser-cut parts and the plans. Contact
information for RC Micro World and
Bob Selman Designs is in “Sources.”
My friend, Carl Hock, attended
SMALL again this year. He had a nice
fl eet of vintage models and some great
sport airplanes of his own design. Two
that caught my eye were electric- and
glow-powered versions of a March-
April 1961 Grid Leaks design called
the Septalette.
The 29-inch span, shoulder-wing
Sport model was originally designed for
1/4A glow power. Both models weigh
roughly 11 ounces. The glow version is
powered with an Enya .049-II TV. The
electric-powered model uses a BP-2208-
149 1450 Kv motor and a two-cell 850
mAh battery pack. Both proved to be
terrifi c fl iers.
Many models published in the 1960s
and 1970s that were intended for
1/4A and 1/2A glow power, are perfect
for small-fi eld fl ying with current
equipment. You can fl y them with the
intended glow power or an equivalent
electric-powered setup. We live in a
great time for model aviation.
While I was doing my usual tour of
the fl ightline during the four-day event,
I had the opportunity to chat with Tom
Blakeney. Tom is a skilled modeler who
knows much about model airplanes.
During our conversation, he
mentioned that many people don’t
realize how long foam ARF and RTF
models have been around.
To help make his point, he noted that
he, Paul Willenborg, and Richard Ng had
gathered a fl eet of vintage foam models,
roughly 30 years old, for fl ying at
SMALL 2012. The fl eet was assembled
for a group photo. In the photo you
will see a Kraft/Kyosho Cardinal, a
Kraft/Kyosho Chipmunk, a Cox/
Kyosho Sportavia, Cox/Kyosho Cessna
182 Skylane, a MRC Ryan STA, and a
Bentom Edelweisse.
My thanks go to Tom for calling my
attention to the world of vintage foam,
and for helping to pull together the
group of models at SMALL.
Pat Tritle J-3 Kitten
Pat Tritle has entered the small end of
the model airplane world. Pat has given
us a wonderful array of model airplanes
that are great for fl ying in small venues.
Some are relatively large and some are
medium-size, small-fi eld models.
With the advent of RTF micro models,
there has been a growing trend toward
micro and what I consider plus-size
micro models. My casual defi nition of
this is a model with a wingspan between
20 and 30 inches.
Many people are gutting micro RTF
models so the equipment could be
used in an airframe they built, and Pat
decided it was time to join the fun. The
result is his 28-inch span model of a
homebuilt airplane called the J-3 Kitten.
Pat used the guts from an E-fl ite UMX
Beast to equip the model. The result
is a 2-ounce model with 103 square
inches of wing area. The E-fl ite Park 180
brushless motor provides the J-3 Kitten
with plenty of power.
I saw the model fl y at SMALL 2012
and it is a winner. Short kits are available.
See the contact information for Pat’s
Custom Models in the “Sources” listing.
Steve Moskal’s Flitfi re
Pat Tritle offers a nice 40-inch short
kit of the Piper J-3. Fellow Albuquerque
New Mexico, resident Steve Moskal
wanted to build one of Pat’s 40-inch
J-3 kits, but did not want to do the
usual yellow-and-black color scheme.
His research turned up the Piper
Flitfire project.
From the North Carolina Aviation
Museum I learned that the Piper
J-3 Flitfire was designed to honor
British military pilots. The Piper
Aircraft Corporation in Lock Haven,
Pennsylvania, came up with a
fundraising campaign to help disabled
Royal Air Force pilots.
They designed the Flitfire and gave
the aircraft British military markings.
The completed Flitfires were raffled
off to raise money. It was a great
success. Although the Flitfire never
saw active duty, it served as a tangible
reminder of the strong ties between
the US and Great Britain.
The only remaining Flitfire that
retains the original configuration
is NC1776 and it resides in the
North Carolina Aviation Museum
in Asheboro, North Carolina. Steve
chose that aircraft to model. The
result is seen in Steve’s photo with
a B-29 in the background, taken at
the Air Park of the National Museum
of Nuclear Science and History in
Albuquerque.
Steve, thanks for sharing your model
and the story of the Flitfire project.
Joe Wagner Design
Gets a Makeover
A previously unpublished Joe
Wagner FF design gets an RC makeover
by Bob Aberle.
Joe Wagner’s name is associated
with many contributions to the world
of model aviation. His model airplane
engine knowledge is tremendous.
Joe contacted Bob Aberle to let him
know that he had several model plans
that had not been published. He thought
they would be good subjects for the
smaller models Bob has been developing
based on vintage designs. Bob quickly
recognized the opportunity.
Unpublished Joe Wagner designs—talk
about unique. One that caught Bob’s
eye was a pleasing, sheet balsa, rubberpowered
FF design called the Oriole.
With a 22-inch wingspan and an area of
65 square inches, it seemed perfect for a
plus-size micro model.
Bob provided a photo of the finished
model. You can see the nice lines of the
4-ounce Oriole. It is powered with a
Park 180 brushless motor.
Nice work as usual, Bob. Look for the
plans and construction article in RC
Micro World. Contact information is in
the “Sources” listing.
This is a wrap for now. I hope you
are planning an interesting project or
two during the building season. Why
not share a few photos? My contact
information is in “Sources.”
Edition: Model Aviation - 2012/10
Page Numbers: 83,84,85,86
Edition: Model Aviation - 2012/10
Page Numbers: 83,84,85,86
Small Model Airplane Lovers League (SMALL) 2012
was a great gathering of people with perfect models
for small fi elds. This issue’s cover date suggests that the
outdoor fl ying season is drawing to a close for many of us. This
is a good time to refl ect on the fl ying fun we had during the
warm months of 2012.
One of the fl ying season’s highlights is the annual SMALL
gathering near Little Rock, Arkansas, in early June. This year’s
event was graced with nice weather—much cooler than
the previous year, with manageable winds. The Fraternal
Association of Radio Control Modelers (FARM) club did its
usual outstanding job of hosting the event.
As in past years, I saw some great models that are in our
wheelhouse for small-fi eld fl ying. I can’t begin to cover
all of them, but I want to mention several. I’ll begin with
someone I reported on in my October 2010 column. I had the
opportunity to provide a then-16-year-old Tim Pakiz with a
HobbyZone Aeronca Champ when he attended SMALL 2010.
Tim learned the basics of fl ying the model, and then went
off to develop his skills. He was unable to attend the 2011
event, but returned this year.
Based on what Tim learned with the Aeronca Champ, he
was able to progress to the more challenging ParkZone Pole
Cat. Tim fl ew the wings off the Pole Cat during the event. It’s
nice to see how a product such as the Aeronca Champ can lay
such a nice foundation for beginning RC pilots.
Longtime modelers Bob Selman and Ralph Bradley have
fond memories of Sterling Mambos. The Sterling Mambo was
fi rst introduced in 1955 as a rudder-only
RC model with a 48-inch wingspan. Bob
wanted to do a micro version and drew
plans for a 20-inch Micro Mambo.
He started building a model from the
plans last year, but had to put the project
aside to take care of his modeling-related
business. He gave the bones to Ralph.
During the year between SMALL
2011 and 2012 events, the men
corresponded about the model as Ralph
fi nished the project. Based on Ralph’s
results, Bob found the time to build a
second Micro Mambo.
Both models were present at SMALL
2012 and fl ew well. They handled the
modest wind and put in some nice
fl ights. Each weighs 70 grams and uses
AP05-3000 brushless motors. Energy
comes from a single 300 mAh LiPo cell.
The models are set up with rudderonly
fl ight control per the original
Mambo. The servo in each has been set
up to mimic the torque-rod action of
the original escapement actuator.
Plans for the Micro Mambo are in the
July 2012 RC Micro World. Bob Selman
indicated that if there is enough interest,
he will offer a short kit that includes
laser-cut parts and the plans. Contact
information for RC Micro World and
Bob Selman Designs is in “Sources.”
My friend, Carl Hock, attended
SMALL again this year. He had a nice
fl eet of vintage models and some great
sport airplanes of his own design. Two
that caught my eye were electric- and
glow-powered versions of a March-
April 1961 Grid Leaks design called
the Septalette.
The 29-inch span, shoulder-wing
Sport model was originally designed for
1/4A glow power. Both models weigh
roughly 11 ounces. The glow version is
powered with an Enya .049-II TV. The
electric-powered model uses a BP-2208-
149 1450 Kv motor and a two-cell 850
mAh battery pack. Both proved to be
terrifi c fl iers.
Many models published in the 1960s
and 1970s that were intended for
1/4A and 1/2A glow power, are perfect
for small-fi eld fl ying with current
equipment. You can fl y them with the
intended glow power or an equivalent
electric-powered setup. We live in a
great time for model aviation.
While I was doing my usual tour of
the fl ightline during the four-day event,
I had the opportunity to chat with Tom
Blakeney. Tom is a skilled modeler who
knows much about model airplanes.
During our conversation, he
mentioned that many people don’t
realize how long foam ARF and RTF
models have been around.
To help make his point, he noted that
he, Paul Willenborg, and Richard Ng had
gathered a fl eet of vintage foam models,
roughly 30 years old, for fl ying at
SMALL 2012. The fl eet was assembled
for a group photo. In the photo you
will see a Kraft/Kyosho Cardinal, a
Kraft/Kyosho Chipmunk, a Cox/
Kyosho Sportavia, Cox/Kyosho Cessna
182 Skylane, a MRC Ryan STA, and a
Bentom Edelweisse.
My thanks go to Tom for calling my
attention to the world of vintage foam,
and for helping to pull together the
group of models at SMALL.
Pat Tritle J-3 Kitten
Pat Tritle has entered the small end of
the model airplane world. Pat has given
us a wonderful array of model airplanes
that are great for fl ying in small venues.
Some are relatively large and some are
medium-size, small-fi eld models.
With the advent of RTF micro models,
there has been a growing trend toward
micro and what I consider plus-size
micro models. My casual defi nition of
this is a model with a wingspan between
20 and 30 inches.
Many people are gutting micro RTF
models so the equipment could be
used in an airframe they built, and Pat
decided it was time to join the fun. The
result is his 28-inch span model of a
homebuilt airplane called the J-3 Kitten.
Pat used the guts from an E-fl ite UMX
Beast to equip the model. The result
is a 2-ounce model with 103 square
inches of wing area. The E-fl ite Park 180
brushless motor provides the J-3 Kitten
with plenty of power.
I saw the model fl y at SMALL 2012
and it is a winner. Short kits are available.
See the contact information for Pat’s
Custom Models in the “Sources” listing.
Steve Moskal’s Flitfi re
Pat Tritle offers a nice 40-inch short
kit of the Piper J-3. Fellow Albuquerque
New Mexico, resident Steve Moskal
wanted to build one of Pat’s 40-inch
J-3 kits, but did not want to do the
usual yellow-and-black color scheme.
His research turned up the Piper
Flitfire project.
From the North Carolina Aviation
Museum I learned that the Piper
J-3 Flitfire was designed to honor
British military pilots. The Piper
Aircraft Corporation in Lock Haven,
Pennsylvania, came up with a
fundraising campaign to help disabled
Royal Air Force pilots.
They designed the Flitfire and gave
the aircraft British military markings.
The completed Flitfires were raffled
off to raise money. It was a great
success. Although the Flitfire never
saw active duty, it served as a tangible
reminder of the strong ties between
the US and Great Britain.
The only remaining Flitfire that
retains the original configuration
is NC1776 and it resides in the
North Carolina Aviation Museum
in Asheboro, North Carolina. Steve
chose that aircraft to model. The
result is seen in Steve’s photo with
a B-29 in the background, taken at
the Air Park of the National Museum
of Nuclear Science and History in
Albuquerque.
Steve, thanks for sharing your model
and the story of the Flitfire project.
Joe Wagner Design
Gets a Makeover
A previously unpublished Joe
Wagner FF design gets an RC makeover
by Bob Aberle.
Joe Wagner’s name is associated
with many contributions to the world
of model aviation. His model airplane
engine knowledge is tremendous.
Joe contacted Bob Aberle to let him
know that he had several model plans
that had not been published. He thought
they would be good subjects for the
smaller models Bob has been developing
based on vintage designs. Bob quickly
recognized the opportunity.
Unpublished Joe Wagner designs—talk
about unique. One that caught Bob’s
eye was a pleasing, sheet balsa, rubberpowered
FF design called the Oriole.
With a 22-inch wingspan and an area of
65 square inches, it seemed perfect for a
plus-size micro model.
Bob provided a photo of the finished
model. You can see the nice lines of the
4-ounce Oriole. It is powered with a
Park 180 brushless motor.
Nice work as usual, Bob. Look for the
plans and construction article in RC
Micro World. Contact information is in
the “Sources” listing.
This is a wrap for now. I hope you
are planning an interesting project or
two during the building season. Why
not share a few photos? My contact
information is in “Sources.”
Edition: Model Aviation - 2012/10
Page Numbers: 83,84,85,86
Small Model Airplane Lovers League (SMALL) 2012
was a great gathering of people with perfect models
for small fi elds. This issue’s cover date suggests that the
outdoor fl ying season is drawing to a close for many of us. This
is a good time to refl ect on the fl ying fun we had during the
warm months of 2012.
One of the fl ying season’s highlights is the annual SMALL
gathering near Little Rock, Arkansas, in early June. This year’s
event was graced with nice weather—much cooler than
the previous year, with manageable winds. The Fraternal
Association of Radio Control Modelers (FARM) club did its
usual outstanding job of hosting the event.
As in past years, I saw some great models that are in our
wheelhouse for small-fi eld fl ying. I can’t begin to cover
all of them, but I want to mention several. I’ll begin with
someone I reported on in my October 2010 column. I had the
opportunity to provide a then-16-year-old Tim Pakiz with a
HobbyZone Aeronca Champ when he attended SMALL 2010.
Tim learned the basics of fl ying the model, and then went
off to develop his skills. He was unable to attend the 2011
event, but returned this year.
Based on what Tim learned with the Aeronca Champ, he
was able to progress to the more challenging ParkZone Pole
Cat. Tim fl ew the wings off the Pole Cat during the event. It’s
nice to see how a product such as the Aeronca Champ can lay
such a nice foundation for beginning RC pilots.
Longtime modelers Bob Selman and Ralph Bradley have
fond memories of Sterling Mambos. The Sterling Mambo was
fi rst introduced in 1955 as a rudder-only
RC model with a 48-inch wingspan. Bob
wanted to do a micro version and drew
plans for a 20-inch Micro Mambo.
He started building a model from the
plans last year, but had to put the project
aside to take care of his modeling-related
business. He gave the bones to Ralph.
During the year between SMALL
2011 and 2012 events, the men
corresponded about the model as Ralph
fi nished the project. Based on Ralph’s
results, Bob found the time to build a
second Micro Mambo.
Both models were present at SMALL
2012 and fl ew well. They handled the
modest wind and put in some nice
fl ights. Each weighs 70 grams and uses
AP05-3000 brushless motors. Energy
comes from a single 300 mAh LiPo cell.
The models are set up with rudderonly
fl ight control per the original
Mambo. The servo in each has been set
up to mimic the torque-rod action of
the original escapement actuator.
Plans for the Micro Mambo are in the
July 2012 RC Micro World. Bob Selman
indicated that if there is enough interest,
he will offer a short kit that includes
laser-cut parts and the plans. Contact
information for RC Micro World and
Bob Selman Designs is in “Sources.”
My friend, Carl Hock, attended
SMALL again this year. He had a nice
fl eet of vintage models and some great
sport airplanes of his own design. Two
that caught my eye were electric- and
glow-powered versions of a March-
April 1961 Grid Leaks design called
the Septalette.
The 29-inch span, shoulder-wing
Sport model was originally designed for
1/4A glow power. Both models weigh
roughly 11 ounces. The glow version is
powered with an Enya .049-II TV. The
electric-powered model uses a BP-2208-
149 1450 Kv motor and a two-cell 850
mAh battery pack. Both proved to be
terrifi c fl iers.
Many models published in the 1960s
and 1970s that were intended for
1/4A and 1/2A glow power, are perfect
for small-fi eld fl ying with current
equipment. You can fl y them with the
intended glow power or an equivalent
electric-powered setup. We live in a
great time for model aviation.
While I was doing my usual tour of
the fl ightline during the four-day event,
I had the opportunity to chat with Tom
Blakeney. Tom is a skilled modeler who
knows much about model airplanes.
During our conversation, he
mentioned that many people don’t
realize how long foam ARF and RTF
models have been around.
To help make his point, he noted that
he, Paul Willenborg, and Richard Ng had
gathered a fl eet of vintage foam models,
roughly 30 years old, for fl ying at
SMALL 2012. The fl eet was assembled
for a group photo. In the photo you
will see a Kraft/Kyosho Cardinal, a
Kraft/Kyosho Chipmunk, a Cox/
Kyosho Sportavia, Cox/Kyosho Cessna
182 Skylane, a MRC Ryan STA, and a
Bentom Edelweisse.
My thanks go to Tom for calling my
attention to the world of vintage foam,
and for helping to pull together the
group of models at SMALL.
Pat Tritle J-3 Kitten
Pat Tritle has entered the small end of
the model airplane world. Pat has given
us a wonderful array of model airplanes
that are great for fl ying in small venues.
Some are relatively large and some are
medium-size, small-fi eld models.
With the advent of RTF micro models,
there has been a growing trend toward
micro and what I consider plus-size
micro models. My casual defi nition of
this is a model with a wingspan between
20 and 30 inches.
Many people are gutting micro RTF
models so the equipment could be
used in an airframe they built, and Pat
decided it was time to join the fun. The
result is his 28-inch span model of a
homebuilt airplane called the J-3 Kitten.
Pat used the guts from an E-fl ite UMX
Beast to equip the model. The result
is a 2-ounce model with 103 square
inches of wing area. The E-fl ite Park 180
brushless motor provides the J-3 Kitten
with plenty of power.
I saw the model fl y at SMALL 2012
and it is a winner. Short kits are available.
See the contact information for Pat’s
Custom Models in the “Sources” listing.
Steve Moskal’s Flitfi re
Pat Tritle offers a nice 40-inch short
kit of the Piper J-3. Fellow Albuquerque
New Mexico, resident Steve Moskal
wanted to build one of Pat’s 40-inch
J-3 kits, but did not want to do the
usual yellow-and-black color scheme.
His research turned up the Piper
Flitfire project.
From the North Carolina Aviation
Museum I learned that the Piper
J-3 Flitfire was designed to honor
British military pilots. The Piper
Aircraft Corporation in Lock Haven,
Pennsylvania, came up with a
fundraising campaign to help disabled
Royal Air Force pilots.
They designed the Flitfire and gave
the aircraft British military markings.
The completed Flitfires were raffled
off to raise money. It was a great
success. Although the Flitfire never
saw active duty, it served as a tangible
reminder of the strong ties between
the US and Great Britain.
The only remaining Flitfire that
retains the original configuration
is NC1776 and it resides in the
North Carolina Aviation Museum
in Asheboro, North Carolina. Steve
chose that aircraft to model. The
result is seen in Steve’s photo with
a B-29 in the background, taken at
the Air Park of the National Museum
of Nuclear Science and History in
Albuquerque.
Steve, thanks for sharing your model
and the story of the Flitfire project.
Joe Wagner Design
Gets a Makeover
A previously unpublished Joe
Wagner FF design gets an RC makeover
by Bob Aberle.
Joe Wagner’s name is associated
with many contributions to the world
of model aviation. His model airplane
engine knowledge is tremendous.
Joe contacted Bob Aberle to let him
know that he had several model plans
that had not been published. He thought
they would be good subjects for the
smaller models Bob has been developing
based on vintage designs. Bob quickly
recognized the opportunity.
Unpublished Joe Wagner designs—talk
about unique. One that caught Bob’s
eye was a pleasing, sheet balsa, rubberpowered
FF design called the Oriole.
With a 22-inch wingspan and an area of
65 square inches, it seemed perfect for a
plus-size micro model.
Bob provided a photo of the finished
model. You can see the nice lines of the
4-ounce Oriole. It is powered with a
Park 180 brushless motor.
Nice work as usual, Bob. Look for the
plans and construction article in RC
Micro World. Contact information is in
the “Sources” listing.
This is a wrap for now. I hope you
are planning an interesting project or
two during the building season. Why
not share a few photos? My contact
information is in “Sources.”
Edition: Model Aviation - 2012/10
Page Numbers: 83,84,85,86
Small Model Airplane Lovers League (SMALL) 2012
was a great gathering of people with perfect models
for small fi elds. This issue’s cover date suggests that the
outdoor fl ying season is drawing to a close for many of us. This
is a good time to refl ect on the fl ying fun we had during the
warm months of 2012.
One of the fl ying season’s highlights is the annual SMALL
gathering near Little Rock, Arkansas, in early June. This year’s
event was graced with nice weather—much cooler than
the previous year, with manageable winds. The Fraternal
Association of Radio Control Modelers (FARM) club did its
usual outstanding job of hosting the event.
As in past years, I saw some great models that are in our
wheelhouse for small-fi eld fl ying. I can’t begin to cover
all of them, but I want to mention several. I’ll begin with
someone I reported on in my October 2010 column. I had the
opportunity to provide a then-16-year-old Tim Pakiz with a
HobbyZone Aeronca Champ when he attended SMALL 2010.
Tim learned the basics of fl ying the model, and then went
off to develop his skills. He was unable to attend the 2011
event, but returned this year.
Based on what Tim learned with the Aeronca Champ, he
was able to progress to the more challenging ParkZone Pole
Cat. Tim fl ew the wings off the Pole Cat during the event. It’s
nice to see how a product such as the Aeronca Champ can lay
such a nice foundation for beginning RC pilots.
Longtime modelers Bob Selman and Ralph Bradley have
fond memories of Sterling Mambos. The Sterling Mambo was
fi rst introduced in 1955 as a rudder-only
RC model with a 48-inch wingspan. Bob
wanted to do a micro version and drew
plans for a 20-inch Micro Mambo.
He started building a model from the
plans last year, but had to put the project
aside to take care of his modeling-related
business. He gave the bones to Ralph.
During the year between SMALL
2011 and 2012 events, the men
corresponded about the model as Ralph
fi nished the project. Based on Ralph’s
results, Bob found the time to build a
second Micro Mambo.
Both models were present at SMALL
2012 and fl ew well. They handled the
modest wind and put in some nice
fl ights. Each weighs 70 grams and uses
AP05-3000 brushless motors. Energy
comes from a single 300 mAh LiPo cell.
The models are set up with rudderonly
fl ight control per the original
Mambo. The servo in each has been set
up to mimic the torque-rod action of
the original escapement actuator.
Plans for the Micro Mambo are in the
July 2012 RC Micro World. Bob Selman
indicated that if there is enough interest,
he will offer a short kit that includes
laser-cut parts and the plans. Contact
information for RC Micro World and
Bob Selman Designs is in “Sources.”
My friend, Carl Hock, attended
SMALL again this year. He had a nice
fl eet of vintage models and some great
sport airplanes of his own design. Two
that caught my eye were electric- and
glow-powered versions of a March-
April 1961 Grid Leaks design called
the Septalette.
The 29-inch span, shoulder-wing
Sport model was originally designed for
1/4A glow power. Both models weigh
roughly 11 ounces. The glow version is
powered with an Enya .049-II TV. The
electric-powered model uses a BP-2208-
149 1450 Kv motor and a two-cell 850
mAh battery pack. Both proved to be
terrifi c fl iers.
Many models published in the 1960s
and 1970s that were intended for
1/4A and 1/2A glow power, are perfect
for small-fi eld fl ying with current
equipment. You can fl y them with the
intended glow power or an equivalent
electric-powered setup. We live in a
great time for model aviation.
While I was doing my usual tour of
the fl ightline during the four-day event,
I had the opportunity to chat with Tom
Blakeney. Tom is a skilled modeler who
knows much about model airplanes.
During our conversation, he
mentioned that many people don’t
realize how long foam ARF and RTF
models have been around.
To help make his point, he noted that
he, Paul Willenborg, and Richard Ng had
gathered a fl eet of vintage foam models,
roughly 30 years old, for fl ying at
SMALL 2012. The fl eet was assembled
for a group photo. In the photo you
will see a Kraft/Kyosho Cardinal, a
Kraft/Kyosho Chipmunk, a Cox/
Kyosho Sportavia, Cox/Kyosho Cessna
182 Skylane, a MRC Ryan STA, and a
Bentom Edelweisse.
My thanks go to Tom for calling my
attention to the world of vintage foam,
and for helping to pull together the
group of models at SMALL.
Pat Tritle J-3 Kitten
Pat Tritle has entered the small end of
the model airplane world. Pat has given
us a wonderful array of model airplanes
that are great for fl ying in small venues.
Some are relatively large and some are
medium-size, small-fi eld models.
With the advent of RTF micro models,
there has been a growing trend toward
micro and what I consider plus-size
micro models. My casual defi nition of
this is a model with a wingspan between
20 and 30 inches.
Many people are gutting micro RTF
models so the equipment could be
used in an airframe they built, and Pat
decided it was time to join the fun. The
result is his 28-inch span model of a
homebuilt airplane called the J-3 Kitten.
Pat used the guts from an E-fl ite UMX
Beast to equip the model. The result
is a 2-ounce model with 103 square
inches of wing area. The E-fl ite Park 180
brushless motor provides the J-3 Kitten
with plenty of power.
I saw the model fl y at SMALL 2012
and it is a winner. Short kits are available.
See the contact information for Pat’s
Custom Models in the “Sources” listing.
Steve Moskal’s Flitfi re
Pat Tritle offers a nice 40-inch short
kit of the Piper J-3. Fellow Albuquerque
New Mexico, resident Steve Moskal
wanted to build one of Pat’s 40-inch
J-3 kits, but did not want to do the
usual yellow-and-black color scheme.
His research turned up the Piper
Flitfire project.
From the North Carolina Aviation
Museum I learned that the Piper
J-3 Flitfire was designed to honor
British military pilots. The Piper
Aircraft Corporation in Lock Haven,
Pennsylvania, came up with a
fundraising campaign to help disabled
Royal Air Force pilots.
They designed the Flitfire and gave
the aircraft British military markings.
The completed Flitfires were raffled
off to raise money. It was a great
success. Although the Flitfire never
saw active duty, it served as a tangible
reminder of the strong ties between
the US and Great Britain.
The only remaining Flitfire that
retains the original configuration
is NC1776 and it resides in the
North Carolina Aviation Museum
in Asheboro, North Carolina. Steve
chose that aircraft to model. The
result is seen in Steve’s photo with
a B-29 in the background, taken at
the Air Park of the National Museum
of Nuclear Science and History in
Albuquerque.
Steve, thanks for sharing your model
and the story of the Flitfire project.
Joe Wagner Design
Gets a Makeover
A previously unpublished Joe
Wagner FF design gets an RC makeover
by Bob Aberle.
Joe Wagner’s name is associated
with many contributions to the world
of model aviation. His model airplane
engine knowledge is tremendous.
Joe contacted Bob Aberle to let him
know that he had several model plans
that had not been published. He thought
they would be good subjects for the
smaller models Bob has been developing
based on vintage designs. Bob quickly
recognized the opportunity.
Unpublished Joe Wagner designs—talk
about unique. One that caught Bob’s
eye was a pleasing, sheet balsa, rubberpowered
FF design called the Oriole.
With a 22-inch wingspan and an area of
65 square inches, it seemed perfect for a
plus-size micro model.
Bob provided a photo of the finished
model. You can see the nice lines of the
4-ounce Oriole. It is powered with a
Park 180 brushless motor.
Nice work as usual, Bob. Look for the
plans and construction article in RC
Micro World. Contact information is in
the “Sources” listing.
This is a wrap for now. I hope you
are planning an interesting project or
two during the building season. Why
not share a few photos? My contact
information is in “Sources.”