Oshkosh '88
FOR MOST OF US, the name "Oshkosh" evokes a weeklong series of gigantic air shows, with emphasis on the heavy iron of World War II aircraft and possibly a dozen types of military jets. For most Experimental Aircraft Association members, on the other hand, the air shows are merely icing on the cake. EAA folks gather at Wittman Field for this annual event with an entirely different focus-to absorb information, view the handiwork of others, and see home-built aircraft performing.
Radio Control: Scale
MODEL STRUCTURES: Balsa has been the basic structural material for our model aircraft since our beginnings in the hobby dating back to the late Twenties. In the early years, our only real concern was the relative hardness of the 1/16-in.-sq. sticks that were used for spars and longerons of rubber-powered Scale models. Fundamentals change with time, and we now weigh each sheet of balsa to determine its ultimate use. None of those early models contained a scrap of plywood. The only hardwood was the occasional bit of bamboo in wing tips and tail surface outlines. With the advent of RC came the use of heavier materials.
Radio Control: Scale
EAA Model Show: After observing many years of mall shows, we have found the perfect environment for a model aircraft show. On March 20, 1988 we attended the first annual EAA Air Adventure Museum Model Aircraft Show at Wittman Field in Oshkosh, WI. The event was co-sponsored by EAA and two local clubs: Winnebago RC Fliers and Valley Aero Modelers. Show managers for EAA were Education Director Chuck Larsen and Museum Director Carl Swickley. The vast museum building, due for further enlargement before the next show, has no space shortage. Polished floors and sparkling airplane displays accented the models, surrounded by aircraft of wide variety from the Wright Flier replica to a duplicate Voyager fuselage. The emphasis was on history and home-built types.
Radio Control: Scale
ANATOMY of Scale: What would motivate a model builder to enter the field of RC Scale? Searching our minds for an answer, we have come up with a number of reasons to be motivated Probably the most basic motivation is the love for real aircraft and the inclination to surround ourselves with attractive and realistic Scale models. Since we cannot have one each of the many tantalizing airplanes we see in museums or at the airport, we satisfy ourselves to some extent with models. The only real problem is to limit the number built to fit into an average house. Scale modeling is like eating peanuts: No one stops with eating only one peanut out of the bag. In Scale modeling, the first one only whets the appetite for more-which helps to explain our present family collection of 20, including a couple of Peanuts!
Radio Control: Scale
SHOCK STRUTS: Ed Radtke was building Scale models back in the early 1930s. He asks about landing gear positions. Ed's letter follows: "A number of WW I aircraft had double axles hinged at the end opposite the wheels (also at the axle center). When on the ground, the shock cords stretched, causing the wheels to splay outwards at the bottom, inward at the top. In flight, the wheels dropped down, making them parallel. "On the other hand, during the Twenties, the shock absorber configuration reversed this on some aircraft. On the ground, the wheels were parallel, but in flight they cocked inwards at the bottom, wider apart at the top. At the same time the wheels dropped down to a greater distance below the fuselage centerline.
