Control Line: Scale
By Bill Boss 77-06 269th Street New Hyde Park, NY 11040
Here on the East Coast, February — the time of year when winter weather begins to turn — brings a few warm days and thoughts of getting out to fly the creations we've worked on all winter. It is also the time when most modelers in our area make the annual trek to the White Plains, New York area to attend the WRAM Show.
This year's show was the best so far, drawing over 19,000 people who wanted to see what the modeling industry has to offer in the way of new models, tools, and accessories. While the show is heavily R/C oriented, I always attend looking for items that can be used by modelers in all facets of the hobby — and to say hello to friends I generally see only on these special occasions.
I enjoyed seeing Cora and Harry Higley, the crew at the AMA booth, Bob Banka of Scale Model Research, Mike Gretz and the gang at the SIG booth, and the folks at ACE R/C who were so helpful with the recent articles on CL electronic systems.
USSR Contingent and Vladimir Bulatnikov
A contingent of modelers from the USSR participated in this year's show as guests of WRAM. They displayed and sold a great assortment of items covering many facets of modeling. Notably, the Russian group won the "Best of Show" awards in both the plane and boat categories.
Of special interest was Vladimir Bulatnikov's AIR-1, which won "Best of Show" and is the same model he flew to third place in the Control Line competition at the 1990 CL Scale World Championships. The model is equipped with a system of servos that can be operated via radio or via electronics similar to systems being used here; Bulatnikov said it takes about 20 minutes to change the model from one mode to the other.
Using controllable ailerons during the world competition allowed him to introduce a new maneuver called "Wing Wave," in which the model's wings were tipped about 20 degrees in the direction of the pilot. Bulatnikov would like to hear from anyone who has built the same model or who can provide details on how it was accomplished.
Show items of interest
Below are several items from the show that might be of interest in the workshop.
#### Zap-a-Dap-a-Goo (Pacer Technology)
- An all-purpose adhesive and sealant, clear in color, sold in 3 fl. oz. tubes.
- Bonds many combinations of materials and is excellent for gluing canopies.
- Application: apply to both surfaces, air-dry 2–3 minutes, then join. Full strength develops in about 24 hours.
- Does not work on foam.
- Note: the tube nozzle control could be improved — the flow is not finely controlled.
Give it a try when other glues fail.
#### Roll N Ruler (Eastern Tool & Supply Co.)
- A versatile ruler (available in 12- and 18-inch versions, standard and metric) with a built-in graduated roller.
- Useful for parallel and vertical lines, French curves or arcs, circles up to 24 inches diameter, and squares.
- Built-in templates for circles from 1/8 to 4 inches, various angles, triangles, and a protractor.
- Eastern Tool & Supply Co., 149 Grand St., New York, NY 10013. They also carry Dremel and other hobby-related tools — request their free catalog.
#### Mr. NICAD (E.H. Yost & Co.)
- A full assortment of Ni-Cd batteries (Panasonic, G.E., Sanyo) in many sizes, capacities, and configurations for planes, boats, and cars.
- Also offers Gates and Panasonic six- and 12-volt lead-acid batteries.
- Competitive pricing; a good source for batteries for CL electronic systems.
- Write for a detailed listing to E.H. Yost & Co., 7344 Tettiva Rd., Sauk City, WI 53583.
#### Major Decals (Northeast Screen Graphics)
- Expanded line of pressure-sensitive and water-transfer decals.
- New items include various German insignia (for Bf-109, Fw 190, Ju 87, He 51), mirror-image squadron insignia (Hell's Angel, Panda Bear of the 2nd and 3rd Sq. A.V.G.), Escadrille Lafayette and other WWI/WWII insignia, and more.
- Mirror-image insignia are available in 1/2, 3/8, and 1/4 scale sizes.
- For details and prices write Northeast Screen Graphics, P.O. Box 304, 21 Fisher Ave., East Longmeadow, MA 01028.
#### Innovative Model Products
- A series of 1/5-scale fiberglass and foam combination models that make good prospects for conversion to CL use.
- Models include Me-109 (Bf 109), P-47, Fw 190, an 80-inch Hurricane, and larger P-51D.
- Wingspans between 65 and 70 inches; completed weights typically 8–10 pounds.
- Also offers scale accessories: cockpit kits, static display propeller blade kits, dummy radial engines (1/5 to 1/4 scale), rivet simulator kits, and various glues.
- Request a catalog from Innovative Model Products, P.O. Box 435, Margate, FL 33063.
Contest Activity
The Pacific Northwest control line clubs invite you to the 20th Annual Northwest Regional Control Line Championships on Memorial Day weekend, May 25–26, 1991, at Eugene Airport, Eugene, Oregon. The contests are held on one of the finest CL fields in the country, featuring three asphalt circles and four grass circles. There is ample parking, on-site camping, security fencing, and hobby-shop facilities.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
