Bristol Scout
IMAGINE A FULLY streamlined monoplane fighter with a maximum speed in the vicinity of 130 mph, designed and available in 1916, and not being put into production. And this was not some freakish design but a very practical and well-engineered air-craft, built by an established manufacturer. Exactly why the Bristol Monoplane didn't see service on the Western Front is still a mystery. True, there was still some prejudice against monoplanes in this time period, resulting from much earlier flying accidents, but several monoplanes did make it to the combat zone, and were successful. The Bristol Monoplane, however, did not. A token quantity was made, shipped to the Middle East, and there saw some action, but in general no real use was made of the potent M1.
Peliban: The Happy Bipe
WHEN I started to design the Peliban, I really hadn't made any firm decision about some of its details. I wanted a smallish biplane, but should it have rudder and elevator, or just rudder control? What sort of engine should I use? Would I use a simple single leg undercarriage, or something built up? Problems, problems. Eventually all the structure was more or less finalized, but still no decisions on the number of channels etc . . . Finally, inspiration struck. Rather than worry about all these decisions I'd make two models, one single-channel and one with two channels. I'd use the low-powered engine and the single-leg gear on the single-channel model, and a hotter engine, and the more complex undercarriage on the two-channel. The single-channel model was fitted with an Ace radio, with the Baby Twin actuator, and a 1 cc English diesel for the power unit. The other used a Cox .049 QZ, and a Cannon radio. Both models fly as expected, the single-channel version being the more sedate, and just right for a lazy afternoon of sport flying.
Let's Talk About the RC Autogiro
One of the more neglected types of Radio Control models is the Autogiro, possibly because it falls somewhere between the Helicopter and the more conventional fixed-wing model in performance. And yet, it's an interesting challenge, and it provides an exciting day's flying (will it fly, or won't it?). In fact, for some of my Autogiro projects, I don't dare to visit the regular flying field until I've made a few secret flights elsewhere. The idea of this article is to look at the current state of the RC Autogiro, and (we hope) to stimulate your interest in this type of model so that we'll see a few more rotating wings at the flying field. It will be seen, as this article progresses, that there are challenges for all types of builders here - from the modeler with a full machine shop to the type whose only interest is to cut balsa with a razor blade (myself, for example). We'll look at three basic types of Autogiro: the simple single rotor (which turns out to be the-most complex) as invented by Cierva; the twin intermeshing type, as developed full-scale by Flettner; and the Focke-Achgelis Fa 61 type, with twin side-by-side rotors.
Sportwagon Jr.
THE SAGA of this model began many years ago (I was tempted to also say in a land far away). My main interest in modeling during my college years was strictly contest flying with a capital C. Any contest-Free Flight Control Line, anything. Models were built for only one reason: to win. My model design was basic and functiuonal-no frills, no good looks. Contest FF Power models of this era were high pylon, low aspect ratio devices, with the latest hot diesel engine up front. Into the latter one pured the most noxious mixture of ether, castor oil, and nitrated something or the other. Although I won few contests (more about that later), it was all great fun.
