Control Line: Scale
A BIT of nostalgia. In the December '86 column I spoke about the positioning of the bellcrank and lead-outs with respect to the plane's center of gravity (CG) and made a statement that said we could "theoretically do away with the bellcrank if we could find a way to route the lead-outs through the wing and fuselage and connect them directly to the elevator in a manner that would withstand a pull test and the stresses of flight." Well, it didn't take long to get a response. Doug Dalke (Oshkosh, WI) sent me a note detailing a system that does in fact allow elevator control without the use of a bellcrank-or at least without a bellcrank as we commonly think of them.
Control Line: Scale
GUEST MODELER. During the past few months you probably have noticed the name of George Gaydos, Jr. (Elmwood Park, NJ) in this column with respect to the Garden State Circle Burners' annual Scale contests, Profile Scale rules, and recently in connection with comments on the U.S. FAI CL Scale team-selection program. George is one of those modelers who, while not well-known as yet on the national level, is well-known in the Northeast as a tireless promoter of CL Scale modeling. On a national level, George recently fulfilled a longtime ambition by capturing first place in Precision Scale at the 1985 Westover Nationals.
Control Line: Scale
NEW ITEMS. As is usual for me at this time of year (late February), I pay a visit to the WRAM modeling trade show in Yonkers, NY to see what I can find in the great world of things RC that might be of some use to Control Line fliers in their Scale endeavors. This year's show appeared much bigger-and perhaps better-than in past years due to being held at a new site: Yonkers Raceway. All displays were on one level and were pretty well accessible. Certainly a major improvement was the ample parking situation. It wasn't necessary to drive around for a half hour or so to find a parking space, and then have six- or seven-block walk to the show.
Control Line: Scale
SPOKED WHEELS: Have you ever wanted to build a vintage biplane for the Sport Scale event, but haven't done so because you could not find the proper size of spoked wheels? Bob Furr of the Orbiting Eagles of Omaha says you shouldn't put off building your dream plane of the Twenties or Thirties for the want of ready-made spoked wheels of a particular size, because with a little effort they can be made right in your own workshop. Start construction of the wheel with a disk of hard balsa having the diameter and about 2/3 the thickness that you would like the finished wheel to be. Glue 3/32-in. disks of aircraft plywood to each side of the center disk, and then add soft balsa outer disks. The outer balsa disks should be thick enough to make the wheel its full thickness when finished.
Control Line: Scale
RULES are a never-ending source for discussion. Just when you think you understand them fully, someone comes along with some questions and ideas to put you back to square one. Such is the case with several questions posed in a recent letter by Bill Michaels of Newport News, VA. As a matter of fact, several letters passed between Bill and me, and there was also one to Dave Platt, our Scale Contest Board chairman, in an effort to arrive at some reasonable answers for Bill's questions and ideas. The ideas and questions posed by Bill were mostly related to documentation of scale operating features and the idea of a Scale model C-47 towing a troop glider, as the prototype did during WW II.
