Radio Control: Giant Scale
THIS MONTH I'm going to review things: engine accessories, kits, and plans. Let's start with engine accessories. Quadra starter. Quadra has a new item out that looks like a real jewel. It is a recoil-type pull starter that fits into their cast aluminum engine mount. The unit comes disassembled and complete with the mount. Although I haven't put mine together yet, it doesn't look difficult at all.
Radio Control: Giant Scale
THE VOYAGER VOYAGES. I finally managed to finish an airplane. No, not the Sparrowhawk (that, unfortunately, is a year or more down on my schedule), but the Realistic Models Stinson Voyager. At this writing, I have a half dozen flights on it, and I took it to Louisville for the IMAA bash. The aircraft came out at 25 lb. dry, and that's with an Eastcraft onboard starter system installed. My initial installation of batteries and things put the balance point right where I wanted it for a first flight-a little bit nose-heavy. I haven't made a single trim change from the original control surface setup. The aircraft lifts itself off at a little over half throttle after a takeoff run of 75 to 100 feet. It will climb out well at full throttle and cruise nicely at half throttle.
Big Bird Bash
THE INTERNATIONAL MINIATURE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION was officially formed during the 1980 Toledo show. Just 18 months later, its 1st Annual Giant Fun Fly Festival was held in Louisville, KY on September 25, 26 and 27, 1981. The same kind of dedication and energy that went into the organizational phases of the Association were evident in the execution of what has to be the most enjoyable Giant Scale Fly-in I've ever attended. Don Godfrey spearheaded things for IMAA, and Dave Mullins was the focal point for the Louisville and River City RC Clubs which did such an outstanding job of running the field activities. As always, there was a host of other people contributing, and there is never time and space to thank them all. Please accept this as my thanks for the pleasure you gave me. I know that all 87 other participants join me in those thanks.
Radio Control: Giant Scale
GIANT SCALE ACCESSORIES. I have often commented on the fact that there are a lot of control and construction fittings and other accessories that would be useful to Giant Scale modelers, if they were available. In many ways, Giant Scale modeling is in much the same position that RC modeling was in the late fifties and early sixties. At that time, enough people were moving into the hobby to make it practical for manufacturers to mass-produce and market the things that we all had been making for ourselves. This made it easier for more and more people to build RC models, which in turn meant more demand and more new items. I can see the same sort of thing happening now in Giant Scale.
Radio Control: Giant Scale
BIG BALL JOINTS. In my Toledo report a couple months ago, I mentioned the large-size fittings that are starting to show up. Here are details and example applications of two different ball joints that I saw there. B & B Specialities offers an open ball joint fiting that apparently comes from Germany. It has the name Schulter on it, and I assume it was originally made for Helicopter linkages. The steel ball is 3/16-in. in diameter and has a 1/16-in. hex key socket in the end. Its shank has a 2.5 mm × 0.45 metric thread with a matching lock nut. A 5 1/2-in. long mild steel rod with a 4-40 thread screws into the plastic socket.
