Control Line: Scale
Bill Boss 77-06 269th Street, New Hyde Park, NY 11040
Scale Data Sources
A recent letter from Gerald Deneau asked that I appeal to readers for information on scale data sources. Gerald noted that the National Association of Scale Aeromodelers (NASA) is in the process of updating its Scale Data Source List and could use your help. Needed are any sources where a scale modeler can obtain airplane photos, three-views, and documentation.
The Data Source List is an inventory of names and addresses of individuals and organizations where photos, three-views, and other scale-modeling documentation can be obtained. The list is provided to NASA members as part of their membership; NASA membership costs $8 in the U.S., or $14 outside the U.S. To find out about joining, send your name, address, and phone number to Bert Dugan at:
- Bert Dugan
11090 Phyllis Dr. Clio, MI 48420
The objective of NASA's latest project is not only to collect new material but to completely reorganize the current list. Plans call for putting information into an easier-to-use format and providing quicker access to data sources.
Gerald Deneau and Ron Sears are working on the project and request that anyone who can provide new data sources, or who has suggestions on how to improve the current list, send the details to:
- Gerald Deneau
6464 South Andes Place Aurora, CO 80016 Tel.: (303) 690-5445
- Ron Sears
132 South Roslyn Waterford, MI 48328 Tel.: (313) 681-4150
Gerald and Ron are particularly interested in input from NASA members who already have the Data Source List.
Book Review
Looking for material on some of the most historic and unusual aircraft? Historic Aircraft by Steve Donald contains information on at least 80 famous and odd aircraft from around the world, covering many eras of aviation—from WWI to the present—with both military and civilian subjects. All photographs are in color.
Some of the aircraft illustrated include:
- Bristol F.2B
- Ford 4-AT Trimotor
- Fouga C.M.170 Magister
- Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star
- Noorduyn Norseman
- Tachikawa Ki-36
- Westland Wyvern
- Aerospatiale Concorde
- P-47
- Bücker Bü.131 Jungmann
- PBY Catalina
Each page contains a short history of the particular aircraft and its uses, plus basic facts about the plane, including:
- Country of origin
- Crew
- Speed
- Range
- Ceiling
- Length
- Height
- Span
- Type, size, and number of engines
Of particular interest is the aircraft owner/operator notation on each entry and the location where the particular aircraft is displayed.
This is a great book for the scale modeler looking for something different. Even if you're not looking for a new modeling subject, the book makes for interesting reading.
- Historic Aircraft is published by Courage Books, an imprint of Running Press Book Publishers; 125 South Twenty-Second Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103. ISBN 1-56138-075-X. (I found my copy at Barnes & Noble for less than $13.)
Hint from the Workshop
In a recent issue of the Orbiting Eagles of Omaha Newsletter, Bob Burr discussed the merits of various commercially available control-surface hinges, as well as making your own using cloth, thread, and iron-on material.
Most important to the scale modeler is hinge work that can't be seen, to enhance the model's overall appearance. One commonly used hinge that provides a better appearance is the commercially made "pinned" nylon hinge, which is very reliable if properly installed and provides easy movement of control surfaces.
Installation procedure:
- Cut slots in the surfaces to be joined.
- Apply epoxy to the hinge and slot.
- Push the hinge into the slots and set aside to harden.
One problem that can occur is epoxy gumming up the hinge pin area. Bob recommends using a little wax to protect the pin:
- Melt a small amount of wax.
- Fold the hinge back so you are holding the two hinge flanges between your fingers.
- Dip the pinned portion of the hinge in the wax.
- Before the wax cools, straighten the hinge so it lies flat.
The wax protects the pin and barrel from getting gummed with epoxy and provides some lubrication. Since epoxy will not stick to wax-covered areas, be careful to keep the wax only on the barrel portion of the hinge. Regardless of hinge type, control surfaces should move freely for smooth, trouble-free flying.
Contest Activity
Jim Swope of Long Beach, California reported that the Fourth Annual Knights of the Round Circle contest took place at Whittier Narrows Regional Park in South El Monte, California.
Included in the annual affair were CL Profile and Sport Scale events, directed by Morrie Leventhal. Fred Cronenwett—one of this column's most prolific contributors—placed first in both events, flying his electronically controlled P-51 Mustang. Placing second in Sport was Grant Hiestand (no model reported). In Profile, John Wright, Michael McCarthy, and Merle Mohring placed behind Fred.
Other entries included Don Hutchinson flying a Stearman, John Wright with a fine-looking Nieuport 28, and Merle Mohring flying a P2V Neptune.
Both events will be offered again at the next Knights Joust, scheduled for June 11–12, 1994, to be held again at Whittier Narrows Regional Park.
Catalogs and Plans
Bob Holman’s latest "Scale dream book" catalog lists plans, kits, semi-kits, and accessories. It features plans and accessories by Brian Taylor and Dennis Bryant—both long-time British Scale Team members—as well as Mick Reeves, Mike Smart, the Thorpe Bros., and Mike Booth.
Most Brian Taylor models have spans in the 50- to 72-inch range, making them excellent candidates for control line scale projects. Accessory kits that include formed cowls, canopies, and wheels for older kits are also available for many plans. Mechanical retracts with shock struts are available for most of the Taylor models.
Holman also offers several other catalogs that list many plans and scale drawings published in British and German magazines. Send a SASE to:
- Bob Holman Plans
P.O. Box 741 San Bernardino, CA 92402
for a listing, full description, and prices of the available catalogs.
Send Submissions
Please send ideas, notices of upcoming CL scale events, contest reports, and especially photos of CL scale activity to me at the address at the top of this column.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
