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.
Prime Cut Sources
We have had many requests for sources of components for the Prime Cut (September issue), mentioned in the article by author/designer Dick Sarpolus. If you are building a Prime Cut or thinking about it, take note of the following contacts:
- C. B. Associates (Tatone Products Corp.), 21658 Cloud Way, Hayward, CA 94545 — tel. 1-415/783-4868
- Aerosmith Model Aviation, RD #1 Box 290, Athens, NY 12015 — tel. 1-518/945-1091 (this firm has acquired Robin's Wing)
- T&D Fiberglass Specialties, 38625 Mt. Kisco Dr., Sterling Hts., MI 48310 — tel. 1-313/421-6358 (canopies, wheel pants, etc.) or 1-313/261-9064 (brazed or treated wire gears and cabanes)
Soft Mount Missing Link
After a thorough thrashing, tarring and feathering, and threats of a ride on a rail from my fellow local modelers, I quickly engaged Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson to sleuth out the specs for that rubber diaphragm do-it-yourself soft engine mount (September 1989 Model Aviation). Here is what they turned up.
The material is 1/8-inch-thick neoprene sheet rubber with a 50-durometer elasticity index. No fabric insert. My piece was furnished by Gooding Rubber Div., Gooding, Lewis, Goetz & Co., Inc., P.O. Box 895, Pittsburgh, PA 15230. Most rubber and belting supply houses would probably be able to furnish a similar material. Neoprene synthetic rubber is highly resistant to oil and crud.
Sorry about the omission. By the way, my mount is doing just fine after at least 50 flights.
Fred F. Berman McKeesport, PA
It is not often I get excited about an article in a magazine, and even less often am I motivated to write to the editor. This is one of those times, however.
I have just finished reading Fred Berman's Do-It-Yourself "Soft Engine Mount" article in the September issue. The simplicity and plain innovative thought prompt me to praise Fred on what I feel will be a major step in the reduction of the vibration-induced noise our airframes cause, not to mention failures of our radios because of that same vibration.
This is another one of those "Why didn't I think of that?" questions we all ask ourselves now and then.
Please keep track of this method, and let us know how the live rubber anti-vibration-transmission system lasts; i.e., how it stands up to hot fuel, oil, and clean-up chemicals. I for one am going to try it out as soon as I can.
Charles C. Tasker Needles, CA
After reading Fred Berman's article in the September issue, I decided to try soft mounting an engine in a Deweyville. The system worked fine with a SuperTigre .45. With a little preplanning it was really quite simple to fit up.
A supply of rubber overlooked or unknown by many modelers is rubber roofing material. Both of my sons are roofing contractors; in recent years there has been a big move to rubber roof coverings. The rubber used comes in varying thicknesses and compositions. The scrap made from one roofing job would last the average modeler for years, and it has many more uses than just for soft mounts. Most roofers will let you take the scrap material just to get it out of the way.
Roofers can also supply foam of varying thickness (up to six inches) and varying density. To top it off, they also have a whole line of adhesives to use on both rubber and foam. A big plus is that you can probably buy these materials through a roofing contractor at an excellent price if you want a large quantity.
Incidentally, I am one of the newcomers to RC (at age 50), and I sure do appreciate the amount of information found in Model Aviation. Keep up the good work.
Steve Schwab Toledo, OH
When experimenting with new materials for a soft mounting system, it is a good idea to also fasten the engine or mount to the firewall with strong but flexible steel cable. It should not be taut, of course. The idea is to restrain the engine for safety's sake in the event of failure by the rubber. Even automobile engine rubber mounts have been known to fail.
The Jedenastka
Thank you for choosing to run articles such as "The Jedenastka," which appeared in the September 1989 issue of Model Aviation. In my opinion, stories like these, with three-view drawings and excellent photographs, greatly enhance and broaden the scope of the magazine.
Mr. Koniarek and your editorial staff are to be complimented on a first-class presentation.
Tom Nallen Chicopee, MA
I enjoyed the article "The Jedenastka" by Jan P. Koniarek. It was a fine tribute to the valiant Polish Air Force at the beginning of World War II and later in France and England until the end of the war. I'm sure it was no coincidence that the article appeared on the fiftieth anniversary of the start of World War II.
I would like Mr. Koniarek's address so that I could write to him and find out if there are construction plans of the PZL P.11 fighter for RC. I've tried for years, without luck, to locate such plans.
Matthew Ficner Niagara Falls, NY
We advised Jan of Matthew's quest. Jan notes two sources of plans for the P.11c as follows:
- Noly, Chris, and Larry Kruse. "Polish Fighter." Flying Models, December 1982, pages 24–27. This issue contains a construction article and plans for a 1/8-scale RC model of the P.11c. The plans can be obtained from Carstens Publications, Inc., Box 700, Newton, NJ 07860 (Plan No. CF-617).
- Cynk, J. B., and Z. A. Dakiewicz. "Poland's Greatest Fighter, PZL P.11c." Aeromodeller, June 1960. This article contains an excellent description and detailed plans of the P.11c. These plans and a reprint of the article are available from Repla-tech International, 48500 McKenzie Hwy., Vida, OR 97488.
Beyond the Call
Recently I was in Washington, DC, and visited the National Air & Space Museum as well as the Paul E. Garber Preservation, Restoration, and Storage Facility — the latter houses the NASM reserve collection of historically significant air and spacecraft.
After photographing aircraft at the Garber Facility I left my Vivitar flash unit behind. It was found by an employee and turned over to Ms. Lin Ezell, director of the Garber Facility. That same evening I was contacted by phone and advised that the unit had been found and that I could pick it up the next day at the downtown NASM. Arriving at the NASM I was presented the flash unit by the deputy director of the National Air & Space Museum, Mr. Donald S. Lopez.
The actions of all involved in this matter were certainly beyond the call of duty. However, I can't help but feel that the attention paid to each and every detail is what makes the National Air & Space Museum the greatest museum attraction in the world, bar none, with over six million visitors a year!
Ken Wilson Evansville, IN
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
