Radio Control: Giant Scale
John A. de Vries
Colonel, USAF, Ret. 4610 Moffat Ln. Colorado Springs, CO 80915
AVAST! It's all over, including the shouting. Bob Martin and the Desert Hawks produced a spectacular Schneider Cup reenactment on Lake Havasu, AZ for RC giant seaplanes.
From what we've heard, it was some kind of scale/flying contest. The winner was old friend Bob Heitkamp of Juneau, AK. Bob flew his Supermarine S-5 to ultimate triumph against stiff competition with a modicum of modesty; yours truly played a small part in Bob's triumph. Last summer I provided a smidgen of documentation for Herr Heitkamp's bird. Bob used to be a member of the Pike's Peak RC Club when he was stationed in Colorado Springs.
Although not able to make the trip to Arizona, I was treated to the next best thing. Doc Pepino (Scale Plans & Photo Service, 3209 Madison Ave., Greensboro, NC 27403) shared the two-hour videotape he made of the Schneider "go" with me. It was almost like being there! The Doc offers the tape for $20 plus $2 P&H. He recommends it to any potential contestant for future reenactments, and we heartily agree.
Not incidentally, Doc's Supermarine S-6B design proved to be the most popular bird at Lake Havasu. All of the examples proved to be great fliers, and one garnered second place. For those of you who are seeking documentation photos for your giant project, the Doc has announced reduced prices. Contact him with a SASE for the new numbers.
Surface-finishing dilemma for Giant Scale warbirds
Giant Scale builders who favor warbirds face an interesting dilemma. Duplicating a metal-like surface is difficult and has spawned a host of techniques.
Common techniques include:
- Applying innumerable coats of filler over balsa, sanding between layers.
- Applying fiberglass cloth over a wooden underlayment; the cloth may be fixed with superglue, polyester resins, or epoxies. Again, sanding and filling are needed before the model's surface may be painted to resemble metal.
- Overlayment of very thin plywood (1/64") together with fiberglass cloth. The dense plywood needs substantially less filling, even when covered with fiberglass.
- Using real metal in the form of used printer's aluminum lithographic plates. Careful cutting and fitting will produce a very realistic surface, but it's difficult to find an appropriate adhesive to hold the fitted plates in place.
Adhesives tried for metal skins:
- Superglues
- Contact cements
- White aliphatic resin glues
Once in place, a metal-covered model must be treated with care to avoid dents — the usual "hangar rash" that practically every giant is subjected to during the finishing process.
Sheet fiberglass — commercial and DIY approaches
It would seem logical that some industrious soul would begin manufacture of sheet fiberglass. Some commercial cutters have offered preformed wing skins. Thin prefilled resin-epoxy sheets with fiberglass cloth make an excellent foam wing covering and require a minimum of sanding and finishing effort. They duplicate a very metal-like surface and have the added advantage of being virtually undentable.
Individual modelers have also made their own sheet fiberglass using window glass and a release agent with varying degrees of success. Typical steps:
- Coat window glass with a release agent.
- Lay up fiberglass cloth on the glass and apply filler; the side next to the glass becomes beautifully smooth and relatively flexible.
- Apply polyester resin or epoxy filler evenly to the exposed side.
- Trim the cured fiberglass sheet similarly to litho sheets.
Advantages of homemade sheet fiberglass:
- Smooth finish on one side
- Trimmed segments are easily fixed in place with quick-acting epoxy glues or superglue
Suggestions for commercial producers:
- Produce sheets in the large sizes needed for Giant Scale models (wrestling big glass panes and storing them is impractical for many hobbyists).
- Develop fiberglass sheets of differing standard thicknesses and flexibility.
Battle of Britain — Hawker Hurricane contest at Duxford
If your thing involves Hawker Hurricanes and you intend to visit England this coming summer, consider taking your model along. David Boddington, editor of RCM&E and all-around model designer, builder, and flier, has announced a fabulous contest limited to large-sized models of the classic British warbird. It's in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Britain.
- Sponsors: Large Model Association and Argus Specialist Publications R/C magazines
- Location: WWII fighter base, Duxford
- Date: August 11–12, 1990
- Prizes: 3,000 pounds total (approximately $4,800); the ultimate winner might take home 1,700 pounds (approximately $2,720)
There are several good Giant Scale drawings of the Hurricane available in the U.S. Mick Reeves (England) sells a great kit for the bird, and Arthur Bentley's British drawings are available from several U.S. sources. Closer to home, Roy Vaillancourt and Dee Pepino have some great Hawker drawings. Documentation should be a breeze, and plastic kits (Revell and Airfix) will help you decorate your big Hurricane.
Contact David Boddington, c/o ASP, Argus House, Boundary Way, Hemel Hempstead, Herts HP2 7SR, England for entry forms and rules. Include a self-addressed envelope and International Reply Coupons.
Radio Control Foam Modeling — book recommendation
We'll top off this month's column with a plug for my friend David Thomas. David lives in the town of Falaise in France. An avid modeler, he's developed a variety of building techniques applicable to Giant construction. Like many of us, Dave recently acquired a personal computer to help with his writing and model-design chores. The newest item he bought from his computer keyboard is a book that I bought from Zenith Aviation Publications (P.O. Box 1, Osceola, WI 54020; phone 1-800-826-6000).
- Title: Radio Control Foam Modeling
- ISBN: 0-83242-974-6
It's a comprehensive compendium of everything you'd want to know on the subject. David Thomas goes well beyond wire-cutting wing cores. He details foam fuselages and floats, scale cowls, fiberglass spinners built on simple-to-make foam forms, and a host of foam uses for large sailplanes. He devotes a chapter to how to repair damaged foam wings and other model parts. It's a book well worth studying!
Giant Scale still beautiful — Update
Giant Scale builders who favor warbirds continue to face the dilemma of duplicating a metal-like surface. The main approaches remain:
- Multiple coats of filler over balsa with sanding between layers.
- Fiberglass cloth over a wooden underlayment, fixed with superglue, polyester resins, or epoxies; sanding and filling are still required before painting.
- Very thin plywood (1/64") overlayment with fiberglass cloth to reduce filling needs.
- Real metal skins from used printer's aluminum lithographic plates for realism, though adhesives and vulnerability to dents are ongoing issues.
Sheet fiberglass remains an attractive solution. Thin prefilled resin-epoxy sheets with fiberglass cloth have been used as foam wing coverings, requiring minimal sanding and finishing and offering virtually dent-free surfaces.
DIY sheet fiberglass on window glass can produce smooth, flexible sheets; the cured sheets trim like litho sheets and bond readily with quick-setting epoxies or superglue.
Suggestion: commercial production of large-format sheet fiberglass, available in standard thicknesses and flexibilities, would be of great benefit to Giant Scale modelers who do not want to handle large glass panes or find storage for them between projects.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
