Control Line: Scale
LOUISVILLE, KY revisited. During the weekend of August 23-25, 1985 the National Association of Scale Aeromodelers (NASA) conducted the FAI team selection trials at which the CL and RC Scale teams were established that will represent the U.S. in the 1986 World Scale Championships. Shortly after the selection trials were over and the results published in Model Aviation (December 1985), I heard from several people via telephone, letter, and tape recording that they were not completely satisfied with the overall outcome of the Control Line portion of the trials. Among the items not to the satisfaction of some were the lack of a complete listing of CL participants and their scores, and the manner in which static and flight judging was performed.
Control Line: Scale
IT'S TEXAS month! Not only are we showing the work of a couple of Texas newcomers to CL Scale with the photos of the Miniplane by Charles Ash of Garland and the profile P-39 by Bill Bischoff of Dallas, but we also have heard from Jack Stolly of Dallas, a past contributor to this column. This time, Jack treats us to a look at the inner works of a P-38 Lightning he expects to have at the 1986 Nationals. Jack is a very innovative model builder, and you may know of him by his previously-published P-39 (May 1982 issue of MA). His P-39 featured such things as mid-plane engine mount and long propeller drive shaft as on the real P-39. This model also featured an internal liquid-cooling system for the engine. His P-38 will be no exception for innovative ideas and will incorporate the use of his own Janaco Jackscrew Servo for scale operation of fowler flaps and gear retraction.
Control Line: Scale
CG OR NOT CG is the question. It appears there are some basic CL model-building concepts/techniques that seem to be worth repeating from time to time. One such topic, suggested by Steve Tift of Midland, TX, concerns the bellcrank and its positioning with respect to the model's center of gravity (CG); also, how and where to place the lead-out wires, within, below, or above the model's wingtip? In addition to Steve's, I also received requests from a couple of modelers who have been involved in RC Scale modeling for some time and are now turning to CL Scale. They have also asked about the basics of bellcrank installation. While I have answered them individually, I thought it might be appropriate to share some of those comments with you here in the column. Perhaps there are others reading this column who are new to Control Line flying and could use the same basic information.
Control Line: Scale
LAST MONTH, I covered some basics about a model's CG and where to place the bellcrank. I also talked about the importance of balancing the model before flight as a good, basic step toward avoiding disaster on the maiden flight. This month we will continue with the control system basics by discussing some possible methods of installing and supporting, as required, the bellcrank lead-outs. I suppose that there are any number of ways in which lead-outs can be installed, but we will only cover three or four basic methods most commonly used, and perhaps a couple of the more sophisticated methods. I'll also touch on the rules with respect to the use of removable leadout guides.
Control Line: Scale
TAIL WHEEL STRUTS-again. In my March 1986 column, I presented a method of making scalelike tail wheel struts. In an effort to illustrate the difference between a dressed-up tail wheel structure and the use of a simple, piano-wire strut, I used a sketch and pictures-one of which was Richard Schneider's Curtiss Gulfhawk equipped with a piano-wire strut. It wasn't long after Richard received his March issue of MA that I heard from him. First, he was elated that the Gulfhawk was featured-but was not exactly ecstatic after reading the caption and column material. However, instead of being upset over having presented a model with a barewire tail wheel strut, Richard set out to correct the problem. Rather than cut into the model to remove the existing wheel strut and replace it, Richard offers the solution shown in the accompanying picture and sketch as an alternative.
