My friend, Ron Sims, is known for finding models of other aircraft hidden inside popular RTF airplanes. He has again worked his magic.
When the Flyzone Micro Tiger Moth arrived on the market, Ron began thinking about other de Havilland aircraft that have fuselage lines similar to the Tiger Moth. He saw a D.H.94 Moth Minor lurking inside the Tiger Moth.
A Tiger Moth replacement fuselage was acquired. Added to the mix were some Depron sheet foam, a ParkZone Ultra Micro P-51 motor/gearbox, and a ParkZone Mini Vapor receiver brick. Armed with this set of materials and a three-view drawing, Ron began creating his Moth Minor.
The wing was scaled to fit the fuselage and has an 187/8-inch wingspan, which is approximately 1/24 scale. The wing is made from hot-wire-cut foam blanks available from Bob Selman Designs (BSD). THe company’s information is in the “Sources” listing. The tail surfaces were cut from the Depron sheet.
The Flyzone Tiger Moth fuselage required some adjustments to release the Moth Minor version hidden inside. It was nothing major—just some sanding here and some pink foam inserts there.
The finish on the model is Testors Silver Metallic paint. The markings are water-slide decals.
With a single 160 mAh LiPo cell onboard, the model has a flying weight of 35 grams. Ron cut down a ParkZone 160 x 70 propeller to a 4-inch diameter and said the model flies similar to his ParkZone Cub. Nice work, Ron.
Foam Board Flies Low and Slow
In my February 2013 column, I shared with you several models built by Florida modeler Bill Welle. You may remember his foam-board-based autogyro and enlarged Comet Sparky.
Bill sent me some photos of his newest project, which he calls Low and Slow. The photo I have included shows different versions of the model. All are built from foam board. Bill says they are easy to build and fly. As the name implies, they fly low and slow, which is perfect for small-field venues.
Roughly a dozen of the models have been built by Bill’s club members. I am working with Bill to get his popular plans drawn in a form that can be posted to my website for free download (see “Sources”). By the time you read this, I hope that the plans are on the website.
Thanks for sharing this with us, Bill.
A Vintage Design That Continues to Work Well
In 1958, Flying Models published a design by Bob Coon called the Guided Mite. At that time, this 21-inch-wingspan RC model was considered to be quite small. My brother, Ralph, has built a number of Guided Mites in recent years in sizes ranging from 7 inches to an 18-inch wingspan.
The solid nature of the Guided Mite design was not lost on BSD. The company has created a 121/2-inch version called the Peanut Mite. The use of Peanut in the name comes from the Flying Aces Club (FAC) class of Peanut Scale for models with a wingspan that does not exceed 13 inches.
Bob is offering a laser-cut kit of the Peanut Mite. The kit includes a gearbox made from laser-cut parts that is assembled by the builder. The photos with this column show the prototype Peanut Mite built by Ralph and the prototype gearbox. The original gearbox was made from laser-cut plywood. The production units are made from Derlin parts.
Ralph’s model weighs 23 grams. It uses a 7mm motor and a single 70 mAh LiPo battery.
The gearbox is included with the model kit. It is also sold separately for 6mm- and 7mm-diameter brushed motors. Versions are also available for profile fuselages and radial mounts.
Air Trails Is Available on a CD
Roland Friestad is now offering the complete series of Air Trails magazines on a CD. This magazine, which is no longer in print, is a great resource for vintage model airplane designs. Contact him via the email or postal addresses listed in “Sources.”
Modeling Mother Nature
In the October 2013 issue of MA, professional artist Robert Dance brought us a wonderful model of the Piper Pacer. The plans that accompanied the construction article showcase his artistry.
Robert has shared with me a photo of his latest project. He is modeling nature in the form of a red-tailed hawk. As you look at the photo he sent, it is difficult to see that this is a flying RC model. You must look closely to see the control surfaces.
The propeller has been removed for the photo and replaced with the hawk’s beak. The beak is easy to remove so the propeller can be installed on the motor. Nice work, Robert.
That’s it for this installment. Please let me know what you are up to in the world of small-field flying.