CONTROL LINE SCALE
Bill Boss 77-06 269th Street New Hyde Park, NY 11040
National Contest Activity
Stan Alexander, vice president of the National Association of Scale Aeromodelers (NASA), reports that the 1997 AMA National Scale Championships will be Friday through Sunday, July 11–13, 1997, at the International Aeromodelling Center in Muncie, IN.
Events:
- Control Line (CL): Sport Scale, Precision, Profile, Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI)
- Radio Control (RC): Sportsman, Expert, Designer Scale, Fun Scale, FAI
Entry fees:
- CL entry fee: $45
- First RC event entered: $50
- Additional events (either category): $15 per event
- Late entry fee: $25
Officials and schedule highlights:
- Mike Welshans — CL Scale Event Director
- Dale Arvin — RC Scale Director
- Scale seminars and a banquet will be held Friday evening, July 12.
Southeastern States
Chuck Snyder of Cincinnati, OH, a member of the Queen City U-Control Club, reports that southern hospitality was in full effect at the October 12–13, 1996, Control Line contest sponsored by the Metrolina (North Carolina) Control Line Club. The contest, held in Huntersville, NC, was capably directed by Dale Campbell.
Chuck sent photos of several entries, including his own Sport Scale P-40. The P-40 is painted in the scheme of a Kittyhawk flown by an Australian squadron in North Africa in 1942 and is finished with K&B epoxy paints. The model is powered by an ST .75 and has modified Century Jet retracts. An electronic controller operates the flaps, retractable landing gear, and engine throttle control. Chuck noted the model started life as a Top Flite Gold Edition RC kit and did not fly as well as he had hoped until he converted it to control line. Even at slightly more than 10 lb, the P-40 is a fantastic CL flier.
The Corbin Baby Ace, shown in flight, is the work of Jim Correll of New Albany, IN. The model is powered by a Saito four-stroke engine and has about a four-foot wingspan. The photo demonstrates ideal placement and mounting of the control line guide on a high-wing model. Proper positioning of the leadouts lets the bellcrank be mounted low in the fuselage, leaving room for a seat and pilot figure, which adds to the model’s overall appearance.
World Competition
Dale Campbell, a member of the World Championship Control Line Scale team, sent a photo of the CL team that represented the United States in France in 1996. The picture, taken at the flying site at the Périgueux-Bassillac Airport near Périgueux, shows:
- Steve Ashby and his Dornier Do 17
- Jack Sheeks and his Spitfire
- Dale Campbell and his Ryan STA
Model powerplants:
- Dornier: two OS .40s
- Spitfire: OS 90
- Ryan ST: .60
Results: Ashby placed 4th, Sheeks 10th, Campbell 14th, giving the U.S. team a 3rd-place team finish. Congratulations to the team for a great showing.
Workshop Hints
An exchange of correspondence began months ago following a mention of Jerry Blasczyk's de Havilland Otter (featured November 1994). Roy Holbrook of the Orange County Texas RC Club and I discussed the model; a follow-up letter from Don Marshal included copies of the club newsletter.
About the Orange County club:
- Predominantly RC but with some CL activity
- Noncompetitive in nature
- About 60 members, ages span from 12 to the oldest active pilot at 80
Major activities:
- One club open fly-in per year
- Two or three club meetings annually
- Maintained flying field
- Fall family dinner
- Two service events (flying-and-lunch days for local organizations)
The service events benefit two local organizations: the Orange County Association for Retarded Citizens and Hughes School, Port Arthur, TX. The club performs demonstration flying and invites guests to join the buddy-box system. Congratulations to the club for its community-minded programs, as noted by Robert Baker, editor of The Kinsman.
Eyeglass glue removal:
- It may seem impossible, but cyanoacrylate (CYA) glue can get on eyeglasses. Old glass lenses could be cleaned with acetone, but plastic lenses present a concern.
- The Orange County club tested CYA de-bonder on an old pair of plastic lenses; the de-bonder removed the CYA without destroying the lenses.
Better than waxed paper:
- Emery Clark asks if the heat from CYA ever burns through waxed paper covering new plans. Clark instead uses the clear plastic backing from MonoKote to cover plans.
- The wood and CYA separate nicely from the plastic, leaving the plans untouched. The plastic sheeting also works well with epoxy.
- When joining wing sections or fuselage halves, cover them with the plastic; after the adhesive dries, the plastic pulls away, leaving a smooth finish.
Safety note (author’s): There may be ways to remove CYA from eyeglass lenses, but with more exotic adhesives it’s safer to wear protective goggles. If you aren’t wearing eye protection and get an adhesive splatter near the eyes, the consequences can be severe. Goggles protect eyesight — better safe than sightless. This item was taken from The Monthly Mouth (Doug Horne, editor).
Book Review
Warbird Tech Series — a recommended documentation source for many well-known World War II fighters and bombers. Six softbound volumes are offered in this series:
- Vol. 1: Consolidated B-24 Liberator
- Vol. 2: Lockheed P-38 Lightning
- Vol. 3: North American F-86 Sabrejet Day Fighters
- Vol. 4: Vought F4U Corsair
- Vol. 5: North American P-51 Mustang
- Vol. 6: Messerschmitt Me 262 Sturmvogel
Each volume:
- Measures 8 3/8" x 10 3/8"
- Contains approximately 100 pages of black-and-white illustrations and four pages of color photos showing various color schemes
- Includes cockpit detail, exploded views, cutaways, and drawings, many taken from original technical manuals and disassembled aircraft
- Covers the history and development of each aircraft
These volumes are an excellent addition to an aviation library and provide valuable detail for super-scale models. Price: $16.95 per volume. Order from Zenith Books, Box 1, Osceola, WI 54020-0001; Tel.: (800) 826-6600.
Correction
The November 1996 column contained photos of Mel Mondschein's F8F-2 Bearcat. I erred in saying the model’s color scheme was taken from an airplane in the Denver Air National Guard; it was actually taken from the Navy Reserve. The model’s coloring was taken from the Aero Series book on the F8F-2 Bearcat. Thanks to R.A. McLaughlin of Pocatello, ID for informing us of the error.
Submissions
Please send ideas, notices of upcoming CL Scale events, contest reports, and especially photos of CL Scale activity to:
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
