Scale Masters
Dayton, Ohio became the cradle of
aviation 97 years ago; that is where
the Wright Brothers designed the first
powered aircraft that eventually flew
at Kitty Hawk NC.
This year, the Scale Masters
Association landed at Wright-
Patterson Air Force Base on the US
Air Force Museum grounds in
Dayton, which is the oldest and
largest military aviation museum in
the world. It officially became the US
Air Force Museum in 1956, although
it was originally located at McCook
Field in 1923.
Many aircraft in the museum are
presented in dioramas, which depict
the time and era of the airplane type.
The history of aviation is represented,
from the Wright 1909 Military Flyer
to the latest F-117 Stealth Fighters
and the YF-22. The aircraft range in
size from the B-52 and the B-36 to
the J-3 Cub.
Besides aircraft, missiles,
hardware, uniforms, art prints,
engines, models, and a host of other
artifacts fill the museum.
RADIO CONTROL SCALE - 2001/01
hoLIdayS? Christmas shopping?
Everyone should receive this magazine
sometime near the end of November, so we
still have time to check the catalogs for
books, parts, and maybe even an engine that
you have put off buying all year for that new
Scale model.
It might help to leave a list, or maybe a
catalog or two, laying around with certain areas
highlighted. It usually works around here.
have you started your new Scale model for
the next flying season? Or you may be able to
fly all year where you live.
I hope to pique your interest in building
for the next few months. One idea I’ve
adopted is to do something on my current
project each day. This helps to keep me
focused on the project at hand, rather than
having thoughts of building another model
with one still on the workbench.
There aren’t those of you out there who start
two or three models at the same time, are there?
Why Not Model... Aeronca Champ
fter World War II, the civil aviation
market experienced the largest
growth it had ever had. With
returning military pilots, increased airline
service, and people who were eager to learn
to fly, the business opportunities seemed
endless.
However, manufacturers quickly learned
that new designs weren’t as easy to sell as they
had hoped—largely because of ex-military
aircraft that were sold for less than $1,000.
First built in 1944 by the Aeronca Aircraft
Corporation, the Champion was used in a
variety of roles—much as Piper’s J-3 Cub.
Aeronca built more than 10,000
Champions during the six-year span that it
sold the little two-seater.
Most Champions were powered by 65-
horsepower Continental engines, and the
first models didn’t have electrical systems or
lights. Later models of the aircraft could be
purchased with additional upgrades.
RC Scale
EACH YEAR at the Toledo expo there is a static competition for a variety of categories, including nonmilitary Scale, military Scale. Designer Scale, and many others. There was a good selection of models this year, and the prizes were great too. Most were radios from Futaba, Hitec, and Airtronics. which is a great incentive to participate. The judges check documentation and look closely at all the models. It takes a small army of judges who volunteer on Saturday night to accomplish this task.
Top Gun
Great RC Scale tradition continues at new Florida venue with two new classes THIS WAS A year of change for the Top Gun Invitational, held April 24-28, which in many ways is good for the continued growth of the yearly Scale championship. The location of the event—formerly the Palm Beach Polo and Country Club at West Palm Beach, Florida—was changed to the Lakeland Linder Regional Airport in Lakeland, Florida, which is approximately four hours northwest of the polo club.
