Radio Control: Giant Scale
Bob Beckman
First Anniversary
It was just a year ago that this column first appeared in MA. In that time, and as a direct result of my involvement in Giant Scale, I have seen a lot of new places and made a lot of new friends. I've learned a lot of new things and developed new interests that will keep me learning for years to come. I've been in contact with people all over the country—and the world—who share my delight with, and enthusiasm for, this best of all possible hobbies.
There is one thing, however, that I haven't done in this past year. I didn't finish the Sparrowhawk! Not because I've lost interest, but simply because I haven't had much free time for work on it. Almost every letter I get includes a question about its progress, and it gets a little embarrassing to admit how slowly it is coming along. The F9C-2 will be finished, however, and I can only hope that its first flights will be as successful as Bill Winter's Quarter-Scale Aristocrat.
Engine Tests
Kirby Crawford and I have forged ahead on the engine tests mentioned last month. We hope to have the first portions of our report ready for next month's issue. At this point, it looks like we will have data on the Quadra, Kioritz, Kawasaki, and Roper engines. In addition, the Homelite 1.6 that I converted for use in the Sparrowhawk was run through the tests. It puts out a very respectable (for its size) 16 lb. of static thrust, which should be adequate for the projected 20 lb. of aircraft.
You can't examine engines without also examining propellers. Ray Colelli of Dynathrust Props supplied us with one each of his glass-filled nylon props for use in the tests. In addition, we had a small assortment of wooden props. Eventually, we hope to include all appropriate commercially available propellers.
Plan sources
A couple months ago, I listed the plans that I had on hand waiting to be reviewed. Since then I have received quite a few requests for prices and sources. I have listed below the addresses and, where known, the prices that apply to everything I have, including one or two items that have come in since the last list.
- 1/5-scale AT-6 — reviewed in Nov. '80 issue. Aero Plan, 101 SW 2nd St., Pompano Beach, FL 33060. About $200.00.
- 1/4-scale Liberty Sport and Bucker Jungmeister — reviewed in Feb. '81 issue. Wendell Hostetler, 1041 Heatherwood Lane, Orrville, OH 44667. $215.00 each.
- 1/3-scale Druine Turbulent — see review below.
- 2.75-in. (1 ft. scale) P-40 designed by Phil Karafilis; plans by Bob Morse. Bob also has 1/4-scale Cessna 180 and Berliner-Joyce P-16 (reviewed in June '80), plus the Focke-Wulf FW 44J, the Boeing F4B-2/P-12, and his latest, the Focke-Wulf Stosser. Prices vary from $21.50 to $25.00. Bob Morse, 3351 Pruneridge Ave., Santa Clara, CA 95051.
- The following are available from Taylorcraft, Ltd., 216 Willow Rd., Roseville, CA 95678: PT-19 at $28.00, Piper L-4 at $19.95, and Fokker D-VIII at $25.00.
- The following are available from Jim Messer's Quality Model Products, 106 Valley View Dr., Allegany, NY 14706: Messer's Ercoupe and Tomahawk at $20.00, and Don Godfrey's Super Stearman at $24.95.
- 25-in. (1/3-scale) F4U-1 Corsair. Nick Ziroli, 29 Edgar Dr., Smithtown, NY 11787. $2,500.
- 1/4-scale Starduster-Too. $3,000. Dario G. Brisighella, Sr., 1032 East Manitowoc Ave., Oak Creek, WI 53154.
Plan review
Doug MacBrien was one of the first people to respond to my offer to review plans. We first met at the STARS Rally last July, and I had a chance to examine his 1/3-scale Druine Turbulent. The plane is an outstanding and realistic performer, and Doug's plan package is absolutely top-notch.
And it really is a package, not just plans. For your $30, you get three full-size plan sheets, a 16-page instruction booklet, and over 40 photos showing the various stages of construction. I've seen good kits that didn't have documentation to match this.
The instruction book starts out with a really complete materials list. If anything was left out, I sure couldn't spot it. Next come construction notes keyed to the many photos included. The instructions may seem a little overdone to an experienced modeler, but they are just what beginners and less experienced builders need. Follow Doug's instructions and procedures, and you won't go wrong.
The construction photographs are a particularly valuable aid to an inexperienced builder. They are high-quality reproductions of good, clear black-and-white pictures, and cover the progress of the project from the bare fuselage sides up to the model in flight. This kind of presentation can go a long way toward clearing up the questions plaguing newcomers to model building.
There are three sheets of plans. They are well drawn, adequately detailed, and easy to read. Construction is of balsa, spruce, and plywood. Stress areas are handled well, with no unnecessary beefing up that just adds weight. As usual, I feel that a lot of the balsa could be replaced with foam-core board to cut down the cost.
The model was designed for a Quadra engine, and its inverted mounting is well detailed. The 2.4 Kioritz will go in inverted, and the 2.22 Kawasaki will mount nicely horizontally. Anything larger would be hard to fit or would get into the cowl, and isn't needed anyway. The plane is a fine performer on the Quadra and could really zip with one of the K-engines.
I can heartily recommend the Turbulent, especially as a first venture into Giant Scale. Price is $30.00, including shipping. Available from: Douglas V. MacBrien, 24 Truby St., Granby, MA 01033.
Clarification
In the January issue, I mentioned Higgens Aero Composites. Some people have mistakenly linked them with (just plain) Aero Composites in Dayton, OH. The two are in no way connected.
Scale model research photos
Dale Willoughby travels a lot and lugs a camera around with him. Whenever he sees an airplane, he crawls all over it taking pictures. He's a fairly orderly guy, and he files his negatives in a way that lets him find them again, instead of shuffling through them like I do. As a result, he has available a lot of valuable photos that can help in detailing and/or documenting a scale model, all taken with the modeler's needs in mind.
His latest catalog has 265 different photo packs listed, with from 5 to 50 photos in each. Even if your current project isn't included, just browsing through the list can suggest all kinds of possibilities. To get the catalog, send $1.00 to: Scale Model Research Photos, PO Box 675, Orange, CA 92666.
Bob Beckman 8248 Holly Grove Court Manassas, VA 22110
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
