Why Not Model . . . Velie Monocoupe
IN THE 1920s the aviation industry was growing at a rapid pace. Almost anything seemed possible-especially after Charles Lindbergh flew across the Atlantic Ocean in 1927. After that, only the imagination of the designers limited their leaps in technology and the future of aviation. The word "Monocoupe" is synonymous with the dawn of civil aviation. Individuals flew Monocoupes as company aircraft, and they were raced and worked the air show circuits. Stock and modified models took 11 of 49 first-place finishes at the 1930 National Air Races. Pilots Johnny Livingston, Phoebe Onile, Wesley Smith, Bart Stevenson, and Vern Roberts were among the racers who flew Monocoupes to victory that year. Models such as the 110 Special could be equipped with shortened wings specifically for racing.
Why Not Model . . . Spartan Executive
An Executive, the National Air Races, an aeronautical school, and one man's dreams. What does all of this have in common? Our subject this month, the Spartan Executive. First, a look at the background of this CadillacTM of the skies. With an interest in aviation that included building models and experimenting with gliders, Willis Brown graduated from Pratt Institute in 1914 upon completion of his studies in aeronautics.
Top Gun
This year's trek to the West Palm Beach (FL) Polo Club April 21-25 included competition in RC Scale, Scale Combat, and Free Flight Scale, as well as an AMA Delta Dart Program with a mass-launch contest during lunch. Pacer Technology and Model Airplane News were the primary sponsors of Top Gun.
Radio Control: Scale
Which came first: the chicken or the egg? That resembles my question for Scale modelers this month. Which comes first: documentation or the Scale model? If your answer was the model, go back to the first question! The documentation should be gathered first, and this is the time of year that many modelers start thinking about that next project. Documenting an aircraft is fun if you take your time, and can accept the fact you may want to document several different aircraft at once. You could keep a file on future projects, and as you collect more material, drop it into the file folder. But by all means, collect three-views, photos, and color chips before building the model of your dreams.
Why Not Model...MiG-15
Growing up in the 1950s, you might have watched Steve Canyon on television, and if you were lucky, you went to the movies and saw John Wayne in Jet Pilot. The MiG was the jet that people loved to hate during the 1950s and 1960s. Since growing a little older, and hopefully a little wiser, many have grown to respect the Russian MiG-15, and later the MiG-17, for the fantastic aircraft they really were.
