Control Line: Scale
I RECEIVED a letter recently from a Mr. Frank Hildenbrand, 48 Birch Hill Drive, Poughkeepsie, NY 12603. In his letter, he asked several very interesting questions pertaining to converting an RC P-38 by Royal to CL. Any time you wish to convert a kit from RC to CL, some basic fundamentals should be followed. Whatever engine recommendations the RC version has will work equally well for CL. If the aircraft recommends .35 to .61, it would be best to be on the high side, perhaps a .49 or .60. Because throttled engines can be reduced in power, additional power is always an asset rather than a liability in Scale aircraft due to weight factors.
Control Line: Scale
I RECEIVED a letter this month from Mr. Doug Dahlke in Oshkosh, WI. I have known Doug for several years, and find him to be a very interested competitor. He has been flying Stunt for a number of years: full size, old-timer, and 1/2A. In Doug's letter, he asks for information on how to get into Sport Scale. Obviously, the easiest way is simply to select a good kit which you can document properly, and go from there. In my original columns in the April and May issues, there was much more insight on this. Doug brought up a very good point about the EAA week in Oshkosh. This is the major yearly event for full-size homebuilt aircraft. It seems that every year the EAA Fly-In is the same week as the Nats. That's a real shame for Scale modelers, as we would all love to attend this event, to get a good look at full-size planes. Some people have even chosen to forego the Nats to attend.
'81 AMA Texas Nats: CL Scale
THE SCALE ENTRIES this year were down in numbers from previous Nats. Sport Scale had a total of 16 entrants; Precision Scale had a total of 7, including the Junior, Senior, and Open category divisions. In Open Precision Scale, there were only three entries, Jeff Perez with his B-17, Dick Byron with his SNJ-5, and Steve Ashby with his MU-2, a new airplane on the scene. Steve's airplane had the misfortune of engine problems and was only able to get four complete airborne laps. When the aircraft bounced, the inboard wing split off, and Steve was unable to repair it at the contest. As of this moment, there are only two people qualified for the FAI Scale team in Control Line: Jeff Perez and Dick Byron. It is hoped that a decision will be made to add a third member, by whatever means possible.
Control Line: Scale
IN THE JULY ISSUE of Model Aviation, we had two pictures of a model built by the War Model Production Product Pennsylvania. (Editor: The "model" looks like a mass of steel pipes welded together: it was set up for training in the mechanics and movements of the plane control surfaces. DRP) Since that column was published, I have received two letters and a phone call regarding the model. The first letter was from Edwin Gittleman, 188 North Broadway, Pennsville, NY 08070. He writes, "I just received the July issue of Model Aviation and was very surprised to see the pictures of the Piper J3 Cub. It sent me back 30 years. I went to high school in Philadelphia and graduated from Simon Gratz High School in 1951.
Control Line: Scale
NOW THAT THE flying season is upon us, with warmer weather and daylight hours extending into the evening, it comes to my mind that with the Nationals being held in Texas this year, we may very well have some Scale entries that experience heating problems. Heating has always been a problem with any Scale aircraft because of the close confines of the cowling around the engine, the dummy engines, exhausts, and various and sundry items, including a muffler (with its added heating effect). We must all be aware that if an engines does not get the proper amount of cool air, trouble will inevitably follow. If you do not complete the flight, you will not have a very good chance of winning any place at the Nationals or any other contest. The greatest success is usually attributed to consistency. If the airplane always flies and always functions properly, you are more likely to take home a trophy. So, make sure the cooling air can get to the engine and have the outlet for the air larger than the inlet, so the air will not stagnate inside a closed cowling.
