Edition: Model Aviation - 2001/03
Page Numbers: 10,11,12,13
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Focal Point

Model Aviation, 5151 E. Memorial Dr., Muncie IN 47302

Edge 540

Russ Welton (15640 Airport Way, Vernonia OR 97064) is shown here with his 29% Aeroworks Edge 540.

  • Engine: BME 2.7
  • Servos: JR 8411
  • Covering: UltraCote®
  • Notes: According to Russ, it's "super stable." He writes that it "flies itself!"

Taylorcraft

This ACE clipped-wing Taylorcraft is Tommy Williams' (68 Sugarmill Ct., Grovetown GA 30813) first attempt at a 1/4-scale model.

  • Wingspan: 90 inches
  • Weight: 16 pounds
  • Engine: US Engines 41cc
  • Smoke: TME smoke system
  • Radio: Futaba 6VA (six-channel)
  • Propeller: 18 x 10
  • Covering/finish: 21st Century fabric in Military Blue, Light Red, and White; matching 21st Century paint on cowl and wheel pants
  • Notes: "Although high-wing airplanes are not known for good rolling characteristics, this airplane rolls very well," wrote Tommy. Inverted flight is very good because of the Clark Y airfoil, and looks very realistic with the smoke on.

Russian P-39

Al Leach (100 Villa D'est Dr., Coram NY 11727) lives in the Soviet sector of Long Island and enjoys Model Aviation—especially "Focal Point." He belongs to the Long Island Radio Control Society (LIRCS).

  • Model: Top Flite® Gold Edition P-39 (Soviet-trimmed)
  • Engine: O.S. .61 FX
  • Covering: Tan and Olive Drab military flat MonoKote®
  • Modifications: 30mm cannon in the nose cone (drilled hole and glued a small piece of black Great Planes "golden rod")
  • Notes: The cannon "works well and doesn't interfere with the electric starter." "It flies like it is on a rope and lands even better," wrote Al. "Even without flaps, it settles down on the nose gear very softly."

Somethin' Extra

Rick Arrowood (2523 New Castle Dr., Troy OH 45373) finished his Sig Somethin' Extra in MonoKote®.

  • Engine: MDS .48
  • Propeller: 11 x 4 APC
  • Weight: 5.3 pounds
  • Wingspan: 51 1/2 inches
  • Notes: The airplane has good wing loading and great flying characteristics. "I am having a lot of fun flying this plane—especially in the evenings when the wind is calm; you can get low and slow—that's very relaxing," wrote Rick.

F-4 Phantom

Timothy M. Irish (3876 S. 1950 W., Roy UT 84067) built a Great Planes F-4 Phantom.

  • Engine: O.S. .91 FX
  • Gear: Retracts
  • Radio: JR
  • Finish: Styled as a 1971 Air Force Thunderbird, including a Thunderbird on the undercarriage
  • Notes: "I have always loved the looks of the Phantom, and the Thunderbirds are awesome to watch." The F-4 flew great on its first flight. Timothy planned to take the model to the Air Force Thunderbird museum at Nellis Air Force Base outside Las Vegas NV and get a picture with a full-scale Thunderbird in the background.

P-51D Mustang

Cal Kanan (99 Spring Brook Dr., Fremont OH 43420) built his Giant Scale P-51D from a Top Flite® kit.

  • Weight: 27 pounds
  • Wingspan: 86 inches
  • Engine: Brison 4.2 (with Byron "purr power")
  • Landing gear: Robart main and tail wheel
  • Features: Full flaps and retracts
  • Finish: 3/4-ounce fiberglass with Deltron base coat/clear coat, and Scale Skins overlay

What a SlowPoke!

Larry Davidson (3439 E. Stanhope Terr., Springfield MO 65809) flies a Great Planes SlowPoke.

  • Wingspan: 50 inches
  • Engine: Saito 30
  • Radio: Futaba T6XA
  • Wing area: 656½ square inches
  • Notes: Larry recommends adding ailerons (an essential modification) to allow simple maneuvers; he uses elevator on low rates for quick response. Ailerons are controlled by two servos to utilize flaperon mixing, though he had not needed or tried it at the time of writing. The model is somewhat hard to land on windy days; Larry recommends flying it in calm weather.

Grosvenor House Comet

Bob Penko (2151 Westport Ave., Euclid OH 44123) built a model inspired by the Comet racing plane sponsored by the Grosvenor House hotel chain that won the London-to-Australia race in the early 1930s.

  • Fuselage: 1/32 plywood formed around three bulkheads (no other framework)
  • Wingspan: 81 inches (foam wings)
  • Engines: Two K&B .40
  • Weight: 9¾ pounds
  • Notes: According to Bob, it flies very well and will do "all the usual Radio Control stunts."

Winter Projects

George C. Wright (67 Vine Way, Bordentown NJ 08505) sent pictures of two Sig kit projects from last winter: a Four-Star 120 and a Somethin' Extra.

  • Four-Star 120: Wing clipped from 81 inches to 73 inches for more aerobatic performance; cowl and wheel pants added. Engine: O.S. 120 Surpass II.
  • Somethin' Extra: Engine: O.S. .46 FX.
  • Radio for both: Futaba FP-T8UAF
  • Covering: Roy Vogel covered the models; Hank Clark performed the test flights. Neither model required trim adjustments; they "flew right off the building board," wrote George.

F-15 Kombat

Victor Fontenot Jr. (2315 Florida St., Mandeville LA 70448) built his own-design F-15 Kombat.

  • Origin: Purchased a Kombat Krusser kit from the Airplane Factory Inc. and designed his own wing and tail surfaces
  • Engine: Thunder Tiger .61 (chosen because a .40–.46 engine was too slow)
  • Performance: "It can make main gear landings every time," wrote Victor. It performs loops, rolls, and stall turns with no problems.

Yak-55M

Gregory A. Minden (4540 Vincente Ln., Las Vegas NV 89130) built a Yak-55M from a kit by Flair Products Ltd.

  • Weight: 14 pounds
  • Engine: Moki 1.80
  • Covering: UltraCote® and UltraPaint™
  • Notes: "It's very aerobatic and a smooth flier," wrote Gregory.

Citabria Pro

Phil Shellabarger (194 "D" St., Coos Bay OR 97420) finished his Balsa USA Citabria Pro on March 10, 2000.

  • Wingspan: 80 inches
  • Engine: SuperTigre .90
  • Covering: 21st Century fabric
  • Notes: Local businesses helped with graphics. The airplane flies very well and floats to a landing. It was involved in a midair collision on its third flight; the landing gear was torn out and it received only minor damage. "The other plane was a total loss," wrote Phil.

Flight of Passage

Jim Brown (4540 Bruce Hwy., Blissfield MI 49228) built a 1/4-scale Super Cub to match the Super Cub in the book Flight of Passage by Rinker Buck.

  • Kit: Dynaflite
  • Engine: US Engines 35 (gasoline)
  • Radio: Futaba six-channel
  • Covering: Super Coverite
  • Finish: Painted by Sherman Kardatzke
  • Notes: The book is about two teenagers flying across America in July 1966; Jim recommends it to anyone interested in flight.

Kaos 40

Joel Stein (7 Collingwood Pl., Flanders NJ 07836) built a Kaos 40 from the Tower Hobbies kit.

  • Covering: UltraCote®
  • Engine: O.S. .46 FX
  • Radio: Futaba Skysport 6VA
  • Notes: "It was a pleasure to build and is a great flier," wrote Joel. "It will do whatever you're capable of and do it very smoothly."

WACO YKS-6

John Pomroy (3901 E. Windsong Dr., Phoenix AZ 85044) built this model for his dad, John Pomroy Sr., from plans by John Burns in R/C Model Builder (plan #1811).

  • Engine: O.S. Wankel .30
  • Covering: 21st Century fabric
  • Scale: 1/8-scale replica
  • Notes: The model has proven to be a great flier and has been flown in Arizona by John Jr. and on Long Island, New York by his dad.

Messerschmitt Me 109

Dave Schwarzen (3003 Carron Rd., Festus MO 63028) scratch-built a 1/8-scale Me 109 from specifications in Scale Aircraft Drawings Volume II and photos on the Internet.

  • Build time: Right at four months
  • Features: Steerable tailwheel, flaps, fixed main gear
  • Engine: O.S. .46 seated under a fiberglass cowl
  • Notes: "I flew it one time, but being partial to slower-flying biplanes, I gave it to a young member of the club for his enjoyment," wrote Dave.

Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.