Radio Control: Scale
Manufacturers' News: Some of you may be asking yourselves, "Where in the %!*&# is Chuck Gill? The answer is pleasant; after a lengthy medical challenge, Chuck and his kit business, The Aeroplane Works, are back in production and ready to fill your orders. As of mid-July, more than 250 kits for Nick Ziroli and Rich Uravitch designs were in stock and ready to ship. I have three Aeroplane Works kits in my stash, and each is an example of some of the finest craftsmanship and quality wood selection available in the hobby industry. I've jokingly said that the packing materials used in Chuck's kits are probably better than the wood in some of the other kits. For the latest pricing and selection, send $1 to Chuck at The Aeroplane Works, 2134 Gilbride Rd., Martinsville NJ 08836.
Radio Control: Scale
THE NATIONAL AEROMODELING Championships' Radio Control Scale competition was conducted under the expert guidance of RC Director Wayne Yeager and Contest Director Dale Arvin. The contest began with the static judging portion, which took place on Friday, July 11 at the Horizon Convention Center in Muncie. This spacious center is directly opposite the charming Radisson Hotel Roberts, where many of the officials and competitors dug in nightly for the duration of the contest. Four classes of AMA RC Scale competition were available to contestants: Fun Scale, Sportsman, Expert, and Designer. International-class competition, FAI F4C, was also available. Fun Scale is primarily a flying event. Models are very loosely judged on a most general basis, with a five-point do-or-die reward. If a Spitfire wears a set of roundels and looks more like a Spitfire than a B-25, it is awarded five static points. If some model is claimed to be a B-25, but looks more like a Kaos, no points are awarded. "Fun" is the key word in static judging here, but Fun Scale's flight rules are the same as for entries in the other RC Scale AMA events.
Radio Control: Scale
Spitfire Build-Along: The 81-inch Dynaflite Spitfire is progressing very nicely. The better part of the fuselage is constructed, the engine and mount are installed, and the turtledeck and forward sheets are in place. Here's what has happened since my Nationals report: Constructing the two fuselage sides is as simple as it gets. Lay waxed paper on top of the plan to protect it from adhesives, then trial-fit the fore and aft halves using a long straightedge to ensure an even top line. When the parts align, glue each forward half to its rearward mate with medium gap-filling CyA (cyanoacrylate) glue, then block-sand both sides smooth with #100 Ruff-Stuff paper on the ADC Tee-Bar. When doing this kind of sanding work, hold the bar at a 45° angle to the surface being sanded and always be certain that there are no wood chunks, epoxy, or CyA lumps lodged in the paper to gouge your model's surface. Never let the end of the bar go or return over an open bay in the surface; doing so can cause chipping and splintering of the bay edge.
Radio Control: Scale
Spitfire Build-Along: Bringing you up to date, my new Enya R155-4C is the same physical size as and shares mounting lug dimensions with the R120-4C. I mounted the R155-4C on a CB/Tatone mount made for the R120-4C and bolted the mount to the Spitfire's laminated Lite Ply firewall. The Enya four-stroke caused the firewall to be located slightly to the rear of its intended position, which meant that a bit of scrap balsa block was needed to fill the gap between the front of the upper cowl blocks and the spinner ring. That's where last month's work stopped. The next step is to sheet the turtledeck and forward fuselage deck with balsa. Start with the forward deck by fitting the edge of one balsa sheet against the balsa nose blocks and marking the sheet where it contacts the rear cockpit bulkhead. Trim the sheet at the mark so that the forward sheet and turtledeck sheet rest against the side of the rear cockpit bulkhead.
Radio Control: Scale
It was everything you'd expect - and more. The Weak Signals' 44th annual R/C Expo - commonly referred to by modelers as "the Toledo show" -took place April 2-5 at the SeaGate Center in downtown Toledo, Ohio. It's the Radio Control (RC) airplane person's mecca, where modelers from around the world flock each year. Attendees renew acquaintances and see the latest products and innovations that the hobby has to offer. They can get great deals in the swap shop, at the Saturday auction, or from the hundreds of incredible manufacturer exhibits on the show floor.
