Focal Point - 2004/07
Beechcraft Bonanza V35B
Al Mantelli (8910 Tonawanda Creek Rd., Clarence Center NY 14032; E-mail: albertmantelli@compuserve.com) built this Top Flite Bonanza.
It spans 81 inches and weighs 13 pounds, 2 ounces. A SuperTigre .90 with a special in-cowl muffler powers the model. Features include an RCD7 receiver with eight servos, B&D pneumatic retracts with RoboStruts, and a complete lighting system by RAM, including navigation lights, a rotating beacon, and landing lights in the cowl that come on when the gear is lowered.
Al covered the model with Super MonoKote.
Millennium Stick
Elmer Kunath (3995 S. Victoria Cir., New Berlin WI 53151; E-mail: takunath@SBCglobal.net) built this Millennium Stick 2001 from a Midwest Sweet & Low Stick kit.
This model is highly modified with the addition of a top deck, canopy, fiberglass cowl, and different tail surfaces. It spans 86 inches and is powered by a Zenoah G-62 engine turning an APC 22 x 12 propeller.
The modified Stick is covered with Coverite 21st Century Fabric and vinyl lettering by SKYwriter Graphics.
"It flies rock solid and is a joy to fly," wrote Elmer.
Long-Awaited S.E.5a
"I have wanted to build an S.E.5a for many years, so when I saw the new kit from Dynaflite, I knew it was time," wrote Carl Malta (3 Valleyview Ave., Jamestown NY 14701).
The 1/5-scale model is from a stick-built kit. It spans 64 inches and has a flying weight of 11.25 pounds. An O.S. FS 91S II four-stroke engine powers the model, and a Hitec Eclipse 7 radio is used for guidance.
Carl's S.E.5a is flat olive drab on top and beige on the bottom.
Paneled SNJ
C. Milton Peacock (2313 Da Lib Rd., Finksburg MD 21048; E-mail: mpeacock@erols.com) built this North American SNJ from a modified set of Nick Ziroli AT-6 Texan plans.
The model spans 101 inches and weighs 30 pounds. It was planked with balsa, and then small pieces of various shapes and sizes of Solartex were applied to give the effect of aluminum panels. After painting, a light pencil line was drawn along each edge to softly outline the panel. Simulated riveting was applied to the panel edges.
The model was finished with Sherwin-Williams enamel with an overspray of satin clear coat for protection. A Zenoah G-62 powers it.
Triple Ultra Stick
Steve Choquette (1230 Glendale Ave., Sparks NV 89431) built this unique Triple Ultra Stick.
The wingspan is 76 inches with 18 inches added to the center. The model is powered by three O.S. .46 engines that are fitted with Ultra Thrust mufflers, and it uses three 10 x 6 APC propellers and three Tru-Turn spinners. It reportedly has unlimited vertical performance.
"It started out as a twin and flew great, but then someone suggested that I add one more engine," wrote Steve.
Mignet Pou du Ciel
Lewis E. Wallace (821 Neartop Dr., Nashville TN 37205; E-mail: lewwallace@worldnet.att.net) built this version of the Flying Flea (Pou du Ciel)—a 1930s French home-built design by Henri Mignet—from Radio Control Modeler plans.
It has a Saito 30 four-stroke engine for power. The wingspan is 6 foot, 6 inches, which makes the airplane 1/3 scale because the full-scale original spanned 17 feet.
Lewis's model is covered with Worldtex fabric and features Williams Bros. antique wheels and pilot. The extensive Proctor rigging is functional.
"In spite of the unusual control system, the Flea is reasonably easy to fly, although very sensitive on the elevator," he wrote.
Good-Flying Futura
John G. Brndiar (86 Westview Dr., Broad Brook CT 06016; E-mail: johnbrndiar@aol.com) sent in this shot of his Robbe/Schluter Futura SE.
"Even though the kit is no longer in production, it is still one of the best-flying helicopters that I have ever owned," he wrote.
A YS 61 engine powers the model, and it is fitted with a Futaba 8UHPS radio-control system and a Futaba GY502 gyro. The all-up weight is 11 pounds.
Clean Sea Fury
Jim Duplentis (587 Lennox Dr., Las Vegas NV 89123; E-mail: jduplentis@msn.com) built this Top Flite Hawker Sea Fury.
An O.S. .91 FX engine powers this warbird, which features operational flaps. The model's wings were covered with MonoKote, and the fuselage was painted with Top Flite LusterKote paint. Notice the panel-line detailing on the fin and rudder.
Midwest Hustler
Lawrence M. Paiva (3016 Big Green Ln., Las Vegas NV 89134; E-mail: paiv@wizard.com) submitted this photo of his Midwest Hustler XD-7 Delta Pylon Racer. The design dates back to 1960.
This model spans 44 inches and has a length of 31 inches. An O.S. .26 FX engine powers it, and it features elevons, steerable nose gear, and throttle control. The Hustler is covered with UltraCote and has 2-inch-square red-and-white checkerboard trim on the bottom.
"The model is very stable and fast, and lands like a dream," wrote Lawrence.
Super Bug
Jack Hillyer (915 N. Newell St., Seattle WA 98119; E-mail: Rasky38@hotmail.com) wanted to show the readers a model that Dennis Ahrenius of Seattle built.
D.B. Mathews designed the Super Bug, which combines several design elements of Walt Good's 1930 Rudder Bug and the 1954 Royal Rudder Bug. The resulting three-channel aircraft spans 74 inches, has an 889-square-inch wing area, and weighs 5 pounds.
"It is an excellent-flying airplane, with soft and easy three-point landings," wrote Jack. "A perfect craft for those of us who like to fly at more scalelike speeds."
Proud Buckeye
Shawn Spohn (128 Pallins Way, League City TX 77573; E-mail: shawn23@ev1.net) built the Tower Hobbies Uproar 60 kit during the fall of 2002, to show his school pride and support his alma mater (class of 1999).
"Little did I know that they would win the national championship with a victory in the Fiesta Bowl only six weeks after the airplane's inaugural flight!" he wrote.
The model is powered by an O.S. .61 FX engine and is guided by a Futaba radio system.
Pretty P-6E
William Hobbs (42848 Fanchon Ave., Lancaster CA 93536) built this Curtiss P-6E Hawk.
An ASP 80 four-stroke engine fitted with a fuel pump powers it, and an Avionics six-channel unit provides radio guidance. The upper wing spans 63 inches, and navigation lights were installed on the wing and tail.
Big Ercoupe
Raymond Grabowski (669 86th Ln. NW, Coon Rapids MN 55433) built this great-flying 1/4-scale Ercoupe from an Aeroplane Works kit cut from Nick Ziroli plans.
A Zenoah G-23 gas engine swinging a 16 x 8 propeller powers the model. It spans 80 inches, weighs 16 pounds, and has a wing area of 985 square inches. The Ercoupe features Robart landing-gear struts and has working rudders. It is covered with MonoKote.
Smiling P-40
Dusty Rhodes (5 Meadow Run, Round Rock TX 78664), along with Steve Brown's help, constructed this Curtiss P-40N Warhawk from a Global ARF kit.
The model spans 61 inches and is powered by a Magnum 91 four-stroke engine.
"A great deal of effort went into the look you see here," wrote Dusty. "We didn't want to lose any of the Tiger's smile, and we wanted to capture the look of the P-40s from the movie Pearl Harbor."
Texaco Robin
Hansel Hall (108 Birchfield Dr., Dover DE 19904) sent this photo of his 1929 Curtiss Robin that sports a Texaco paint scheme.
The Webra 61-powered aircraft has a 60-inch wingspan and is finished with 21st Century covering and paint. A Futaba SkySport radio provides the guidance.
Hansel put 30-year-old skis on his model and reported that "It's the first Robin of spring for us in Delaware."
Merlin
Larry Bennington (3959 N. Mountain Oak Dr., Eden UT 84310) built this original-design Pattern-type model that he calls "Merlin."
It spans 69 inches, weighs 10 pounds, and has 970 square inches of wing area. It features balsa, plywood, and foam construction. The finish is fiberglass cloth with Du Pont single-stage Imron paint in four colors.
Larry designed this airplane around the OPS Supra .60 engine, and it has a soft-mount system installed. Guidance is provided by a JR 10X radio system with digital servos on the three primary controls.
"It's only intended for sport flying since I don't compete anymore," he wrote.
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Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
