2004 Flying Aces Nationals - 2004/12
“RAIN, RAIN, go away ... ” So begins a childhood ditty that had
renewed meaning for those gathered in Geneseo, New York, July
16-18, 2004, for the 14th biennial celebration of what has become
the world’s greatest FF Scale meet. The Flying Aces Club (FAC)
continues to grow and represents a unique group of individuals who
proudly continue to develop one of the earliest forms of model
aviation.
Marker Techniques
IF NECESSITY is the mother of invention, then accident is the father of discovery. In this context, the thought applies to an accidental discovery I made that will be of particular benefit to those building rubber-powered Scale models, but there are many potential uses. In early 1991, I was preparing to cover and decorate a scratch-built Peanut Scale model of a French Salmson 2A2 day bomber. I intended to mark my Salmson in the colors of the 1st Aero Squadron as used in mid-1918. The aircraft was French-built and had a complex four-color camouflage scheme on its upper surfaces.
MiG-29 Catapult Glider
HERE'S a chance to build and fly a model of one of the world's leading military aircraft and also to apply a new printing technique for sheet balsa parts. From its sharp beak to its pointy tail feathers, the MiG-29 is every inch a bird of prey. Yet somehow this aircraft doesn't seem Russian. Gone is the stovepipe look of its predecessors from the Mikoyan and Gurevich (MiG) design bureau. In its place are sleek lines that reflect thinking wholly compatible with the political upheavals that have radically changed the character of the former Soviet Union during the past several years.
Tigercat
ALTHOUGH too late to see WW II combat, the Tigercat has been called "the hottest, most powerful twin-engine fighter of its day." Its angular wing and full-bodied nacelles with their radial engines clearly show the corpulence usually associated with other "cats" of Grumman's WW II family. The surprise in the Tigercat's design is its extremely narrow and very graceful fuselage, virtually built around the pilot's dimensions, giving it a slim, almost sailplane-like look. The nacelles are proportionally longer and more widely spaced than those of most twin-engine subjects. This, of course, is of particular significance in selecting it as a rubber-power scale subject, since nacelle length and propeller size are both important items of consideration.
Avro Lancaster Mk.I
Nothing points out the level of a builder's skills more than a properly-trimmed, beautifully-detailed Rubber Scale model. This landmark recreated multi-engined bomber gives everyone, no matter what kind of modeling they do, something to strive for.
