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.
Sopwith Pup
Enclosed are some pictures of a Sopwith Pup 1/5-scale model I built. Due to the interest shown in this model at various meets, I thought it might also be of interest to your readers.
The model was built from a Balsa USA kit in 1989 and is powered by a Saito 2.70 with CMH electronic ignition, swinging a Zinger 24 x 6 prop. It is covered with Super Shrink Coverite and painted with Randolph non-tauting dope (flat olive drab). The 1/5-scale instruments are by J'Tec, and the model is controlled by a Futaba 7-ch. FM system. It has a RAM red #49 machine gun system and the pilot is a DGA full-body figure with flight jacket and white silk scarf.
Modifications to the kit were for strengthening and to provide a steerable tail wheel. I made a heavy solid brass spinner to get the model to balance correctly.
The model was shown at the Gluedobbers Annual Jumbo Fly-In at Tulsa, OK, last September and at the IMAA Meet in Wilburton, OK, in October. I am a member of the IMAA as well as the AMA.
May I add that I find your publication most interesting and very helpful.
Gerald A. "Jerry" Poole McAlester, OK
Tempest in a Teapot
This regards C. Little's letter in the January 1990 issue correcting the "error" in the November 1989 issue wherein Charlie Bauer's airplane supposedly was misidentified as Douglas Dauntless II. The correction is incorrect!
I don't mean to stir up a tempest in a teapot, but for some reason this irked me. The photo caption is accurate (certainly more so than calling the aircraft a Skyraider, which it is not). Mr. Bauer's ship represents the prototype Douglas XBT2D-1 Dauntless II, which is the original designation under which the aircraft was first ordered by the Navy on May 5, 1945. The name did not change to Skyraider until February of 1946, and the designation remained BT2D-1 until April of that year when it became AD-1.
John A. Kelinske, Jr. Houston, TX
We asked the model's builder, Charlie Bauer, to be referee. He says his 1989 National Contest entry was modeled after the second of the prototypes, so the Dauntless II designation is correct.
Memories
The picture shown of the pit area at Bomber Field for the First Annual B-17 Gathering under the District VIII report in the February 1990 issue brought back many memories.
The B-17 second from the front in the picture carries the tail insignia of the 99th Bombardment Group (H), 348th Squadron. I served with this squadron as a flight engineer during the winter and spring of 1944–45. The last combat base for the 99th was Tortorella, Italy, just a few miles east of Foggia, where the tower code name was "Sandfly."
I'm pleased to see that the Diamond T and the 99th still fly somewhere other than over Washington's Crossing State Park, NJ, where all my RC planes fly with this tail insignia.
John E. Weber Lambertville, NJ
Worthy Cause
You may be interested to know that the Monte Carlo Float Fly Weekends at Point Sebago, Casco, ME, have been sponsored by the Propsnappers RC Club for the past several years to benefit the Camp Sunshine Fund. We do the Float Fly events (this year May 18–20 and October 19–21) to help Camp Sunshine provide a vacation experience for children who suffer from life-threatening disease. During the summer these children and their families are treated on an expense-free week at the resort.
The Float Fly contests have generated a great deal of interest in the Northeast, which has resulted in our raising thousands of dollars for the Camp Sunshine Fund. The picture is from the Float Fly in October 1989. Participating were 37 fliers. I can provide a brochure to anyone who wishes to come this year.
William S. Reeve 209 Ray St. Portland, ME 04103 Telephone: 1-207-797-8492
Made His Day
Just finished reading my copy of the May 1990 Model Aviation, and it was sure loaded with lots of good stuff. I enjoy RC flying because it is good fellowship and a fun sport.
I also like to scratch-build from plans. However, since my flying ability is not the greatest, I have to pass up most of the Model Aviation plans when they are too advanced.
Paul Denson's Der Fledermaus really caught my eye. It's just the right plane that I will enjoy building and just right for my flight training stage. You may be sure that the Der Fledermaus will be my next building project.
Also I enjoy reading Chipley's Ace and Spinner cartoons. This month's cartoon is the best yet, I think. This guy Chipley really cracks me up. I also thought the Microcherrys by Ed Henry were exceptionally good this month.
All of the issues of Model Aviation are interesting, but to me the May 1990 issue was not only interesting but super good.
Bill Hawks Washington, IL
47/88 RC Special
The recent Winter–Hunton feature in Model Aviation was one of the finest ever published. It combined Bill Winter's long experience with John Hunton's professional skills and drive. The excellent plans and photography by Schmitt and Stuecker polished it off.
To me the scientific people in model aviation present deep topics, far beyond most of us to comprehend—and leave it with no proof or practical example. Hunton, on the other hand, presented the remarkable pressure cowl and muffler, showed us how to build it, and proved how efficiently it performed.
To me this project is model aviation at its best. And the beautiful treatment by your staff helped make it a feature to long remember.
H. A. Thomas Little Rock, AR
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
