Radio Control: Giants
I'LL START THIS MONTH'S COLUMN with a story of true modeling devotion-there's a bit of real hero-admiration in the story as well. Add a stunning array of RC aircraft (from the small to the extremely large) to the tale and you have a more-than-interesting model-building chapter. I'm talking about Ralph Beck's great friendship with Lou Proctor and his incomparable collection of Antics. Ralph's been building Antics in several sizes, from the handy schoolyard size to a 10-foot-plus Giant. Ralph's interest in the aircraft began with the standard Proctor kit that he built and flew in the '60s. The Antic's airborne manners are impeccable, and Ralph wondered if they would translate into a smaller-sized model. Reducing the original to 75% of its five-foot size, the model still flew beautifully-so well, in fact, that Lou adopted Ralph's reduction, and was easily talked into producing the Mini-Antic in kit form in 1968.
Radio Control: Giants
AS PROMISED in last month's column, I'm featuring the superb craftsmanship of Lawrence E. Klingberg of Canyon Lake, California. Larry forwarded several photographs of his current Giant Scale project-a 1/3-scale replica of the 1919 Sopwith Schneider Cup racer. Larry estimates that the biplane seaplane will have a completed weight of 42 pounds. It's powered by a 5.8 Sachs and is constructed of balsa, plywood, and hardwoods. The full-scale racer spanned 24 feet and was powered by a 450 hp Cosmos Jupiter radial engine. I've included a photo of the uncovered airframe. An outstanding model! When I was flying for Uncle Sam, I had the hots to fly the Bell P-39 Airacobra-it was one slick airplane. It seemed to be designed for the shorter pilots among us; it had a rather small, cramped cockpit. Unfortunately, by the time I got my wings, the only units flying the P-39 were in Panama or the Russian Air Force. The only Airacobra I ever saw up close was parked on the ramp at Biloxi, Mississippi. It was destined to become a maintenance training airframe for neophyte mechanics, more's the pity.
Radio Control: Giants
AH, THE FRUSTRATIONS OF WRITING a monthly column! Three pages on disk, then the bottom fell out of everything. Let me elucidate: The December 1995 issue of Kitplanes magazine contains their yearly compendium of data on homebuilt aircraft kits and plans. Would you believe that it includes information on 537 different full-scale airplanes? The best part of the exercise is that many of the aircraft lend themselves admirably to reproduction as Giant Scale models. Many of the manufacturers/designers offer information packages that not only document the aircraft but usually include great three-views at a very reasonable cost.
Radio Control: Giants
NO QUESTION ABOUT IT: Leonardo da Vinci would be amazed at the uses his invention fostered. Among his other aerial hardware, Old Leo designed a pyramidal parachute. He got the idea right, even if he got the shape all wrong. His "aerial lifesaver" has been worked over by a lot of people. They've adapted it and found a number uses that have extended its usefulness and utility. Of course, parachutes made of silk or rip-stop nylon are worn by aircrewmen for emergency purposes. On the RC model front, they've been adapted for air shows. "Charlie," his torso stuffed with receivers, batteries, and servos has been known to "bail out" with a radio-controlled descent, to the delight of modelers and spectators. Of late, scale ribbon-drogue chutes have appeared on the market; they duplicate the full-scale practice to slow ducted-fan models after landing. They're available from MRM Products, Box 7383, Macon GA 31209-7383; Tel.: (912) 477-1317.
Radio Control: Giants
TO SET THE TONE for this year's Newcomer Giant Scale column, I'd like to quote the elder statesman of "Big Is Beautiful," Dick Phillips, magazine columnist and past president of the International Miniature Aircraft Association (IMAA). I had expressed my doubts to him about modelers building Giant Scale models for their first RC projects. "I don't agree with your hypothesis that nobody should begin with a large airplane," he said. "However, there are some caveats. They should absolutely stick with a trainer and they should have a lot of good, experienced help available. Without those two details, they should, most assuredly, stay away from the big stuff."
