Radio Control: Giants
John A. de Vries
4610 Moffat Lane, Colorado Springs, CO 80915
I'm going international with the column this month. One of the really neat things about Giant Scale RC models is that they're not restricted to the U.S. We have the IMAA, which is truly international, with members in Canada, France, and other countries. Our British friends have their LMA (Large Model Association) that carries on the hobby in England.
The rules, regulations, and frequencies may be different in the various countries, but one factor binds us together: fascination with big RC models.
France
Our inspiration this month comes from old friend Ray Gareau of Laval, Quebec. I met Ray at the 1984 International Scale Championships in Paris. A member of the Canadian team, he was campaigning a Noorduyn Norseman scale; the engine kept losing cylinders every time he flew it.
A great guy, Ray maintains extensive correspondence with French modelers. He provided the photos in the column from his French friend Jean Rousseau, who was the 1990 Scale Champion in France and the 1980 World Scale Champ. The photographs were taken by J.C. Kaeufling.
Jean is the vice president of the Aero Club Des Cigognes (the Swans). Because of the RC frequency mélange in Europe, all of the models in the French photographs are equipped with two receivers, each on a different frequency band (for example: 27 MHz and 72 MHz). If a modeler experiences interference on one band, he switches to the other.
As you'll see, many of our French friends build and fly scale gems, primarily pre–World War II and World War I prototypes with all the wings and wires.
England
Jumping across the Channel, we find ourselves in jolly old England to visit another correspondent, Dave Boddington. A scale modeler from way back, prolific model designer, kit manufacturer, and editor of the British magazine Radio Control Aircraft, Dave has made things easy for us colonials by choosing Bob Holman as his agent in North America. Fifteen photo packs are currently available from Bob (P.O. Box 741, San Bernardino, CA 92402), and they include several British prototypes in the Shuttleworth Collection, as well as the Stampe and Bucker Jungmeister biplanes. The prices are most reasonable: 80p a photo.
Japan
No Giant Scale international trip would be complete without a visit to Japan to see what's new in power plants. Folks at Saito are now producing a neat twin-cylinder four-stroke: the FA-100T.
A true powerhouse, the FA-100T has two carburetors (one for each cylinder) and hemispherical cylinder heads. The cylinders are chromed, and the engine is counterbalanced for vibration reduction. Again, we don't have to travel to Japan to get a Saito 100 — Horizon Hobby Distributors import them and provide them to your friendly hobby shop dealer.
United States
We will complete our world tour right back here in the States. We'll visit Brian Reed — RD#3, Box 56, Franklin, PA 16323. If your thing is Giant Model aerobatics, Brian has a design that's capable of knife-edge loops. Logically enough, he's named his bird the Cutting Edge.
Power for the distinctive swept-back biplane is a .108 (1.08) and, ready-to-fly, the model weighs a reasonable 12 pounds. It's IMAA-legal and capable of tumbling flight and inverted spins. If you want to duplicate the Cutting Edge, Brian sells the drawings for $20, plus $5 first-class postage. The plans are rolled up and sent in a sturdy mailing tube.
Thanks go to District VI AMA VP Jim Sears. I would like to correct an error made in the February issue. Jim Thompson's magnificent quarter-scale RV-4 was identified as an RV-6. I should have known better — Jim Thompson owns the prototype for his model, so it's truly scale. Jim Sears is building a full-scale RV-6A and says that his plans came with a neat set of 3/4-scale drawings. Guess which he's going to build as soon as the big 'un is finished?
If you can't make the IMAA's Rally of the Giants at the Arlington, Washington Municipal Airport July 15–17, there will be a full-blown Meeting of the Giants on the East Coast. The Danville Aero Modelers are sponsoring the event for the June 25–26 weekend at the Danville Regional Airport in Danville, Virginia.
We got the word from George W. "Buddy" Green. He advised that an information packet for the IMAA Fly-In event is available from the Meeting of the Giants, Danville Parks and Recreation Dept., P.O. Box 3300, Danville, VA 24543-3300.
Preflight and First-Flight Checklist
It is about time for the first test flights of your new Giant — the one you completed over the winter. Take it slow and easy and make sure everything is checked and double-checked for that first flight.
- Recharge your radio batteries.
- Make sure you're on the right "program" if your transmitter has a computer system.
- Mix up or buy some new fuel; the old stuff in your field box may have deteriorated.
- Triple-check all the model's mechanics.
- Perform a good range check.
Those steps should ensure a safe test flight — which is the name of the game.
Lots of luck and happy landings!
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
