RADIO CONTROL GIANTS
John A. de Vries
4610 Moffat Lane, Colorado Springs, CO 80915
Before we get too deep amongst the Giant Scale models — a question: did you ever notice how difficult it is to locate the mounting holes when sticking an engine in your model? It's particularly hard when you consider the location of the beam mounts that are built into most model engines. There are always either cooling fins or an exhaust pipe directly above the mounting holes. You can't get a straight shot at them with a pencil, drill, or mounting bolt! It's almost as if engine mounting flanges were an afterthought when it came to designing engines.
I was bugged by the mounting-holes-location problem while in the process of sticking a .90 four-stroke in a model I was building. By dumb luck, the four-hole pattern I drilled accepted the Allen-head bolts I was using. With the cost of big engines today, wouldn't it be neat if the manufacturers included a punched metal template (or a heavy-duty cardboard one), so that drilling the four or so holes to bolt the hummer in place would be easier?
There used to be a commercially available jig that would duplicate mounting hole locations. After being bolted in place and its pattern determined, the engine would be removed and the engine mount would be bolted in place. It then became a simple job of drilling the four holes through hardened metal washers. At $30, the jig was an expensive solution. There should be an easier way — particularly when you have to drill the holes for today's soft engine mounts!
Correspondence and club news
A lot of correspondence accumulated since my last column:
- Lynn Lockrow — Classic Airplans, 321 Camellia Dr., Auburn, AL 36830. Lynn, the Monocoupe model expert, announced he has drawn a 1/3-scale version of the same clip-wing. The model was about 70% completed when he wrote. Lynn is shooting for a 20-pound flying weight and will power his model with a SuperTigre 4500. His quarter-scale version of the same Monocoupe was a prize-winner at Toledo, so the bigger model should be a doozie!
- Dick Schwieren of Burns, Oregon. Dick is a WW I airplane fan. Photos of his Ziroli Fokker Dr.I accompany this column. The purpose of his letter was to get Neil Griffin's address because Neil intended to spin an aluminum cowling for his Fokker D.VIII. Dick was building a Bristol M.1 and wanted to learn about the spinning technique. Dick said that he had a lathe more than 100 years old and needed detailed information.
- Bob Martin, mentor of the Schneider Cup Association. I had a long talk with Bob. As you might know, there was not a Schneider reenactment in 1993, although a big scale seaplane event was included in the London Bridge Seaplane Classic in November at Lake Havasu, Arizona. Bob explained how his survey revealed that modelers felt that bolting together a Schneider racer model was "too much money and time invested for only one event."
The solution: have several Schneider events spread out over the U.S. and Canada. Bob figures that the Association could provide racing rules and guidance for establishing individual reenactments by interested model clubs. He even volunteered to publish dates, places of the events, and the contest results in the Schneider Cup News. If your club is interested in putting on a miniature Schneider Race, contact the Schneider Cup Association at 1520 B Corona Dr., Lake Havasu City, AZ 86403.
Mustang racing book
While we are talking about racing aircraft, I have learned of a book that helps document high-speed Giant Scale North American P-51 Mustang racers. Dustin Carter's and Birch Matthews' book, Mustang Racing Thoroughbred, describes the modification of several of the real Reno birds. The text also includes the histories of several of the most famous Mustang racers. Lots of color and black-and-white photos in this $39 hard cover book (including postage and handling). It's available from Birch Matthews, 584 Willow Wood Rd., Rolling Hills Estates, CA 90274.
Bob Holman — new plans and imports
Bob Holman seems to be concentrating on Giant Scale biplane models. His latest announcements note that he has drawings for:
- 1/4- and 1/3-scale Sopwith Camels
- 1/4- and 1/3-scale Sopwith Pups
- a 7-1/2-inch span Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter
Bob appears to be proudest of his latest acquisition from Great Britain: plans for a 1/3-scale de Havilland Tiger Moth, drawn by Ian Castle. Designer Ian Castle owns two full-scale Tigers, and Bob touts the model as the "best Tiger Moth ever." Lots of accessories will be available, and probably a kit. If dead-on scale two-wings turn you on, drop Bob an SASE at P.O. Box 741, San Bernardino, CA 92402; Tel.: (909) 885-3959, FAX: (909) 889-9307.
Chuck Brooks — scale appearance tricks
Chuck Brooks of Tucson, Arizona has done it and it sure looks good! His latest model is the 1/3-scale Sig Spacewalker, powered by an O.S. GBX-2 engine. Chuck duplicated the GBX cylinder head in plywood and paint so that his model appears to have a GBX twin. He did a beautiful job, and the fake cylinder gives him a neat place to store a backup glow plug! Obviously the same technique will work well on any scale model that has an exposed cylinder head — and the extra weight up front will help a model's balance.
Creative modifications — AT-6 into a Zero
Readers of this column know that I advocate producing existing Giant Scale designs to produce scale models that are different than the usual run of Mustangs and Cubs. By retaining good-flying designs, cosmetic changes will produce different marks of the same prototype. Good buddy Jack Cole has gone one step further along the modification road and produced a unique model. Like the producers of the movie Tora, Tora, Tora, Jack converted an AT-6 into a Japanese Zero. Starting with Ed Carroll's good-looking semiscale Texan, Jack rounded the wing tips, extended the rear of the fuselage to a point, added wide-spread retracts, and smoothed off the fuselage top to fit a Zero-type canopy. Simple modifications, but Mr. Cole has a truly outstanding Giant Scale model. Not dead-on scale, but it's the only one of its kind on the club's flight line.
I hope all you readers had a Merry and a Happy, and that your stockings were filled with all manner of Giant Scale goodies.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
