Radio Control: Giant Scale
Bob Beckman
Giant Scale accessories are finally catching up with the needs of larger RC models. Many control and construction fittings developed for standard-size RC can be adapted, but Giant Scale requires parts that are larger and stronger. New manufacturers and new product lines specifically for Giant Scale are appearing rapidly. Below is a closer look at several useful accessories and suppliers.
C B Associates (CB)
CB Associates was among the first to produce items designed from the ground up for Giant Scale. Most of their parts have been available for several years and new items are added often. The most useful fittings for the average modeler include hinges, control horns, pulleys and bellcranks—molded of glass-filled nylon and sized to handle larger loads.
Hinges
- Three styles: butt hinge, strap hinge, and combination hinge (strap on the outer portion, butt on the inner portion).
- Each hinge is made of three basic pieces: a hinge half with two outside loops, a hinge half with one central loop, and a strap piece with one loop. Brass tubing inserts and a brass tube hinge pin are used.
- Assembly: insert short tubing pieces into each loop, align parts, slip the longer smaller-diameter tube through as a pin, and secure the pin (CB suggests a straight pin through a drilled hole; I use a drop of Hot Stuff adhesive while assembling, taking care not to lock the action).
- Installation: hinges can be glued and pinned (use toothpicks rather than straight pins) or made removable. For upper-surface ailerons, build plywood pockets into the wing and aileron and hold the butt hinge with screws. Butt hinge tabs are about 3/8 by 5/8 in., providing ample area for glue or screws. Strap hinges are useful where the hinge line is outside the mounting surface (e.g., flaps or Frise-type ailerons); each end is about 2 in. long. Combination hinges offer both advantages: glue/screw the outer strap and pin the butt portion into plywood pockets.
- A configuration made from a strap piece and a two-loop hinge half is particularly handy when you want the hinge line fairly deep into the control surface. Epoxy the straps into pockets after the model is covered and painted.
Control horns
- Two styles: heavy-duty units (available right- and left-hand) and a dual-rudder unit.
- Heavy-duty horns are about 1/4 in. thick and very rugged. The dual-rudder horn is lighter but still strong and slips over the leading edge of a rudder to provide horns on both sides for cable attachment.
- The dual rudder horn was apparently designed for 1/4-in. sheet surfaces; by cutting out the center section you can make convenient right- and left-hand horns for ailerons or flaps.
Bellcrank and pulleys
- Bellcrank: glass-filled nylon, mounts with a 6-32 screw, large slop-free bearing, two equal-sized arms at right angles and a longer third arm—useful for many linkages and transitions to/from dual cable drives.
- Pulleys: the wheel is turned from aluminum and mounts on a glass-filled nylon molding. They can be mounted singly, in pairs, or more; any reasonably sized cable will fit the pulley groove and be captured between the pulley and mount (useful if a cable must be left slack temporarily). Recommended cable: 30 lb. test nylon-covered fishing leader. Easiest mounting: screw pulleys to small plywood scraps, then epoxy the scraps to the structure.
Exhaust and other items
- CB produces an exhaust manifold and pipe kit that fits Kawasaki engines, is usable on Kioritz, and will have a Quadra manifold soon. The kit includes a die-cast aluminum manifold, a 45° elbow, a 90° elbow, and two lengths of aluminum tubing — suitable for fabricating a custom exhaust system.
- Newer items: rugged stainless steel turnbuckle, 3/16-in. by .020-in. steel rigging wire.
- Items hoped for in the near future: control fittings, wheels with aluminum hubs and foam tires.
Availability
- Many CB products are available in hobby shops or direct from:
C B Associates, Inc. 21658 Cloud Way Hayward, CA 94545
Don Harris
Don Harris is a newer name in Giant Scale accessories, best known for an effective smoke-making muffler system. Key points:
- Uses straight diesel fuel (no special additives). The muffler contains an inner tube positioned opposite the engine exhaust port that reaches red-hot temperatures. Diesel is injected into this inner chamber, vaporizes, then mixes with the exhaust to produce dense white smoke.
- Requires a fairly high-volume fuel flow; muffler pressure alone is inadequate. Don recommends an electric pump (Robart pumps have worked well).
- Prices: Harris smoker for rear-exhaust Quadra and Roper engines — $39.95; models for side-exhaust Kawasaki and Kioritz are slightly higher.
- Available from:
Don Harris 23668 Shadow Dr. Auburn, CA 95603
Correspondence
- If you write with a question and want a direct reply, include a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE). I’m happy to help but cannot afford to return mail without a SASE.
- Letters/questions:
- Daniel R. Neukirch, 4265 Bordeaux Dr., Oakville, MO 63129, asks about scale three- or four-bladed flying props to fit the Bud Nosen Corsair. A truly scale prop may not be practical for flying, but J&Z (Zinger) can provide three- and four-blade props on special order.
- Robin Lehmann, Opus Films, LTD., 63 East 82nd St., New York, NY 10028, asks about four-cycle engines in the Quadra size (around 2 cu. in.) because two-cycle engines are too noisy for their flying site. The OS Gemini is too small. The only candidates I can think of are the five- and seven-cylinder Technopower II radials. If anyone knows of one- or two-cylinder four-cycle engines in the 2–3 cu. in. class, please advise.
Plans for Review and Miscellaneous
- No plans reviewed this month; next time will cover Godfrey’s Stearman and Ziroli’s Corsair.
- New plan: WACO UPF-7 quarter-scale by Dave Richardson, Star Route, Deposit, NY 13754. Price $23.50 (includes shipping).
Bob Beckman 8248 Holly Grove Court Manassas, VA 22110
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
