Radio Control: Giant Scale
John A. de Vries Colonel, USAF, Ret.
Yours truly has just returned from the annual orgy at Toledo. It was number 33 for the Weak Signals club and my seventh visit to the northwestern Ohio city. Toledo '87 lived up to its well‑deserved reputation as the trade show. Wall‑to‑wall people marveled at the wonders of model aviation, and almost everybody who is anybody in the model hobby world was there. Sixty to seventy percent of the Scale models in competition were of the Giant variety.
I was able to obtain an exhibitor's pass to the show, so I got to spend some time at the Toledo Sports Arena on setup day. Although things were a tad confused, it was an excellent opportunity to examine the "goodies" up close.
Would you believe an all‑aluminum‑tubing Cub with all‑aluminum wings and tail feathers? Bolt the bird together (and you also use the special cement). That's what popped my cork at Toledo this year. Although the German‑made, Polk's‑merchandised aluminum Cub kit is a bit pricey, it's another of those situations where you can swap bucks for labor and come up with a beautiful "biggie" with almost‑scale construction.
Notable items at Toledo
A couple of other items at Toledo tickled my fancy among a bunch of almost‑irresistible goodies:
- Matrix Enterprises prototype field box: An all‑ABS molded plastic field box with reversible plane supports and aluminum legs, at an empty weight of a mere 10 lb. All structural bits and pieces are polycarbonate (a very strong plastic — it's used for 35 mm camera bodies), so the versatile box should last into the next century. It appears rugged enough to hold most Giant models this side of a quarter‑scale Spruce Goose.
- Realistic Models bolt‑together shock‑absorbing landing gear: Realistic Models (Potomac, MD) bolts together a neat landing gear unit adaptable to many Giant Scale birds weighing up to 40 lb. They use this gear in their Giant Scale Stinson, and it would be easy to fair the sturdy aluminum landing gear legs for practically any scale tail‑dragger. Realistic offers custom‑made units; the neat part is that each leg is individually sprung in true prototype fashion.
- Jim Messer's Kitten prototype: I left Toledo with a crick in my neck from looking up — there seemed to be an unvoiced conspiracy in northwest Ohio to hang Giant Scale models from the rafters, and everybody did. Jim Messer's contribution was the prototype for his new 3/4‑scale Kitten ultralight kit. The two‑tone blue and white model, with Super Cub‑like wheel pants and the Quadra hummer, should fly like a well‑satisfied eagle and control like a well‑mannered trainer.
IMAA and FAI news
There was a lot of behind‑the‑scenes activity at Toledo that impacts those of us addicted to Giant Scale and other large models. The IMAA board of directors voted to acquire liability insurance for their membership. Initially, it will increase IMAA dues by $20 a year, but will provide primary coverage. Details of the insurance program will be contained in High Flight, the IMAA's quarterly newsletter/magazine.
The IMAA board also generated specific recommendations concerning model weights and the flying of "large models" for the consideration of the AMA Executive Council at their next meeting. We can all look for some rather sweeping changes in the big‑model field if the suggestions of the Special Interest Group (IMAA) are adopted and included in the AMA rule book. Expect more detailed coverage in Bob and Dolly Wischer's column and elsewhere in the magazine.
The recent FAI rules "thrash" in Paris resulted in some mighty good news for Giant Scalers. The biggest and best news from Paris is the removal of engine displacement restrictions and an increase in allowable model weight to 15 lb. (plus). This should go a long way toward making the International Scale class of models (FAI Scale / AMA Precision Scale) more attractive to potential competitors. It would not take too much effort to create a true scale Big Bird under the revised rules.
There will be time before a full‑blown Scale Big‑Bird Internats can really "shake out" the new FAI rules. If not in Italy in '88, there will probably be a Giant event in Canada in 1990.
Chapter 90 Winter Project Review
I just received a swell new idea from Leo Ford, editor of the Hangar Flyer, the newsletter of the Colorado Dawn Patrol IMAA Chapter 90. Leo sent 31 photographs (by Chuck Nelson and Tommey Meyer, processed by Tom Ryan) taken at Chapter 90's Winter Project Review — something entirely new, different, and exciting.
On Sunday, March 15, everybody in the chapter brought his or her winter project for display at Wayne's Automotive in downtown Denver. We saw everything from sets of drawings to models that were ready to crank and take off. It was the ultimate "show‑and‑tell," a super‑neat way to re‑inspire the troops in the midst of the winter building season. It was also an opportunity to present building seminars. All in all, an inspired idea that other clubs and chapters would do well to copy next year when the weather is again with us.
Ryan wheel and acknowledgements
The Ryan will soon have wheels! My sincere thanks to Bob Lonseth of Sylvania, OH, and Harry Apolon of Rolling Hills, CA. Bob pointed out that Caterpillar tractors have large O‑rings as part of their "Duo‑Cone" seals which might be suitable tires for home‑made wheels. Harry noted that 6½‑in. wheels of a scale configuration are commercially available in Germany. Thanks to Bob and Harry and the rest of you who wrote with potential solutions to my "Ryan wheel" problem.
Keep your fingers out of the prop, your fire extinguisher close at hand, your batteries charged, and your Giant Scale bird in safe flying condition — we'll be back next month with a new idea or two.
John A. de Vries 4610 Moffat Ln. Colorado Springs, CO 80915
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Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
