Letters To The Editor
All letters will be carefully considered; those of general interest will be used. Send to Model Aviation, 1810 Samuel Morse Dr., Reston, VA 22090.
Christen Husky
Enclosed find photos of my latest project. The initial idea for this model came to me after reading an article about the Christen Husky in the August 1986 issue of Sport Aviation.
The prototype was built by Christen Industries in Afton, WY. They also built the Christen Eagle and the Pitts. The Husky was designed by Herb Anderson, who formerly worked for Piper Aircraft, and it bears quite a resemblance to the Piper Super Cruiser. The most noticeable differences are the 180-hp Lycoming engine, large slotted flaps, a deeper steel fuselage truss, and large Hoerner wing tips.
My Husky was built from a modified Goldberg Cub kit using the pictures and a small three-view contained in the magazine article. It is powered by a Saito .65 four-cycle and uses a six-channel Futaba Conquest for guidance.
Among the modifications were 1/16" sq. bass cap strips on the wing ribs to give a more scale-like appearance under the Permagloss Coverite and to prevent the main spar from showing. The aileron and flap servos are hidden, one in each wing panel, to provide a clear "see-through" window in the center section. The struts are functional, being built using K&S streamlined tubing. The cowl is made of four layers of glass cloth and K&B polyester resin over a foam plug. Working trim tabs were built into the elevator as per the prototype.
I have logged 25 flights to date. A low, slow flyby with flaps down makes all the effort more than worthwhile. I hope you enjoy the pics, which were taken by me at the Red Lion Airport in my area.
Model Aviation Forever!
Larry Hill Vincentown, NJ
In addition to the pictures of his Christen Husky (some of which we share with you), Larry also sent a reprint of the mentioned article for comparison. It takes a pretty discerning eye to tell that it's a model and not the full-size prototype.
Uses Film Pack Battery
After a lapse of some 30 years, I'm back building and flying models again. This time it's electrics.
I've recently discovered that the film pack batteries (Polaroid) still have a hefty amount of power left after all the film has been used. They still produce six volts at over 250 mA. Stripping away the film pack casing, I have been able to extract the bare battery which measures 2.6 x 3.1 x 0.14 in. and weighs about 0.4 oz.
A visit to a local Radio Shack produced several very inexpensive Mabuchi motors rated at 3–6 volts. Connecting the Polaroid battery to the Mabuchi motor with a 4-1/2 x 2 prop gave 8,000 to 9,000 rpm.
This was the inspiration for the simple all-balsa free-flight test model shown in the photos. Total weight is 3 oz., and the wing area is 108 sq. in. Flying time is about one minute with the model making a powered landing.
I really enjoyed Don Strull's article on mini-electrics in the October 1987 issue of your fine magazine. I'm anxious to see more of Don's articles regarding motor rewinding, etc. I am certain his contributions will do much to further interest in this fascinating field of model aviation.
Charles Wierzicki Albuquerque, NM
A Call to Simitars
Thank you for the recent Bill Evans article on model aircraft technological advancement entitled "It Really Works!" It stirred up so much interest that our own Simitar Squadron took on two new AMA members and inspired construction of five more Simitar aircraft.
Articles like that will break the "chain" that has caused the "converted free-flight, high-wing stagnation" which has set in since the recession years. Recently manufacturers have begun doing R&D work in all areas of our hobby and I'm proud of what the masses have purchased in the past. Companies like Airtronics, JR, Ace RC, Space Case, K&B, and others are gambling that today's modelers are courageous enough to stop following and listening to repetitious opinions.
I believe they're right, and Simitar pilots are proving it across the country. You can't hold back evolution. After all, even frogs lose their tails!
Please print my address, as I'd like to form a communications network for all the Simitar Squadrons around the U.S.A.
Gordon Stahl, Pres. Milwaukee Simitar Squadron 6623 W. Chambers St. Milwaukee, WI 53210 Phone 414/873-5842
Maule M-5 Lunar Rocket
I am pleased to submit photos of my quarter-scale RC aircraft, the Maule M-5 Lunar Rocket (STOL).
Specifications:
- Wingspan: 93 in.
- Fuselage length: 72 in.
- Power: Quadra Q35X (glow), 3.1 hp and 2.5 lb weight
- Total aircraft weight (dry): 19.5 lb
- Scratch-built from Model Aviation plans over 11 months
- Covering: Ultracote
- Radio: Futaba Conquest
This was my first attempt at quarter scale. I have been involved in model building for 57 years, the last 17 with RC models. It may be of interest to note that the original Maule Aircraft was manufactured at Maule Airport, Napoleon, MI (approximately 10 miles east of my hometown of Jackson). Our local RC club flies from Maule Airport.
My Maule M-5 was completed on September 6, 1987 and made its first five flights the next day (which was Labor Day). It flew right off the drawing board, needing no adjustments other than normal trim. Two weeks later I made three more flights, experimenting with flaps on this outing. The aircraft flies beautifully.
All of these flights were made at the Maule Airport, birthplace of the original full-scale aircraft.
Bob McCann Jackson, MI
His Son Writes
My son, Chris, 14 years old, is in the process of learning to fly remote-control airplanes. He started flying in April 1987 and has not perfected landing as yet. Enclosed is a journal entry written at school expressing his feelings concerning his new hobby.
Joe H. Helms Monroe, NC
Following is the enclosure, written by Chris Helms:
My favorite possession is an airplane. I can fly it at times when hate has overcome me or when I'm depressed; it makes my spirits soar. If I'm lonely I work on it and the boredom goes away. If I'm awake and cannot go to sleep I think about it flying and drift off to sleep. I think I would be lost without a plane. If one crashes I feel like I've lost a friend. I can't explain the joy that it gives me when I make a successful flight. I cheer softly to myself and fly off into the night. It's not an easy thing you see to fly a plane and be like me.
Safety/Preston
Regarding the glue: apparently he did not see the October 1985 Safety column that contained excerpts from an article in a medical journal that concluded that prolonged use of CyA glue definitely can produce an asthmatic condition in some people. I sent a copy of that column to the letter writer and, if anyone else would like to receive a copy, please enclose a SASE with your request.
John Preston 2812 Northampton St., N.W. Washington, DC 20015
Scorpion/Hamilton
Tail heaviness will not occur, since none of the many Scorpions constructed so far have turned out tail-heavy. But it's best to be prepared to correct the situation if it should develop, since there are few things (excluding the fretted bungee) that are more out of control than a tail-heavy airplane.
At the flight line: assuming you have constructed the Scorpion in an accurate and true fashion by avoiding all warps and misalignments, it will fly off the board. As with any ship, double-check the incidence angles of the stabilizer and wing to make sure they conform to those shown on the plans. Novice fliers will want to set up their systems as follows:
- Rudder throw — 1 in. right and left
- Elevator range — 1/2 in. up and down
- Aileron range — 1/2 in. up, 1/4 in. down
More advanced fliers wanting a fully aerobatic plane should use the following guidelines:
- Rudder throw — 1 1/2 in. right and left
- Elevator range — 1 1/4 in. up and down
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
