RADIO CONTROL GIANTS
John A. de Vries
4610 Moffat Lane, Colorado Springs, CO 80915
MOST MODELERS are faced with major model reconstruction from time to time because it's common (unfortunately) for R/C fliers to be afflicted with the well‑known "pilot's disease"—running a model into the ground too hard. The "disease" is often the result of the infamous R/C maneuver, the Figure Nine. Depending on the construction skills of the "victim," the glue supply, and the state of the wreckage, the re‑kitted model may or may not be a subject for rebuilding.
Henry Haffke — Ryan PT‑20 rehabilitation
My old friend "Mr. Gee Bee," Henry Haffke, surprised me when he wrote about his current rehabilitation project. Henry built an R/C model of the Ryan PT‑20 (the military trainer version of the Menasco‑powered Ryan STA) 26 years ago, and he flew it with success in many contests.
As the model aged, Henry upgraded the engine; it required a larger cowling, but this enlargement didn't pose a major problem because the Kinner radial‑powered PT‑20A provided the necessary engine room. The revised model first flew on September 10, 1970, and was flown competitively until May 19, 1974, when Henry hung the model in his workshop.
Earlier this year Henry did something almost unheard of: he decided to rebuild a perfectly good R/C model. His inspiration was the greatly improved finishing materials developed during the past two decades. Henry began the rehabilitation by stripping the fuselage's chrome MonoKote and the old wing covering. He replaced the wing's yellow film with painted 21st Century Fabric and covered the fuselage with the aluminum‑covered Micafilm he developed when he worked for Coverite.
According to Henry, the Micafilm fuselage finish more closely duplicated the aluminum finish of the prototype aircraft. While he was at it, he added some scale details that were left off the model in its first incarnation. He also replaced the aircraft's engine, and its first test flight in rejuvenated form was September 1, 1996. That was after the Ryan took Military Scale first place at the Baltimore MARCS show in June!
Henry's rebuilding efforts of a perfectly good model were crowned with success and demonstrated that modern model coverings and other advanced model‑making techniques may be applied to older airplanes.
C. Milton Peacock — Waterman Aerobile
There are some strange and wonderful Giant Scale models out there. C. Milton Peacock of Finksburg, MD built a magnificent example of the Waterman Aerobile—a tailless pusher intended to be "roadable." Milt's 90‑inch‑span model was powered by a Zenoah G‑38 and he equipped it with a homemade muffler. He covered the model with Solartex fabric and painted it with Hobbypoxy.
Milt found that the Aerobile was overly sensitive to the controls. He reasoned the elevons were so far behind the center of gravity that they were much too sensitive. After a few turns around the field, Milt calmed down enough to attempt a landing. The approach went well until the model was about three feet off the ground, but its attitude was a bit nose‑high. He let the nose drop a little and wham!—he wiped out the nose gear.
After he calmed down a little, he concluded that the model's design was too fragile to take much abuse. The fact that he had to develop several aligning jigs while building the Aerobile led him to advise others not to build one—but he did a magnificent job on his.
R. A. Colero — Sean Tucker Special
If you have the "hots" for aerobatic biplanes, R. A. Colero (2092 S.W. Grennan Lane, Port St. Lucie, FL 34953) may have just what you're looking for. His Giant Scale model duplicates the Sean Tucker Special and spans 74 inches. It has a Zenoah .45 cu. in. twin engine in the nose; the 21½‑pound beauty should bore some beautiful holes in the sky. Plans for the Sean Tucker Special are available from Mr. Colero.
Publications and resources
Old buddy Bob Banka has done it again. He's published a new version of the Scale Model Research Documentation Resource Guide. Bob's catalog lists 6,400 packs and 35,000 three‑view drawings. Bob's extensive inventory is listed; the 203‑page softback includes articles by scale experts. It's a heck of a bargain—$8.00 postpaid.
- Scale Model Research
3114 Yukon Ave., Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Other notes
Giant Scale winter projects should be pretty well along now—and maybe ready to fly. I'd sure like to see a photo of the model—particularly a picture I can use in the column.
Charlie Valentino, Lake Ronkonkoma, Long Island, NY, is one of the more prolific Giant Scale model builders, and he makes beautiful models. His modeling interest has always been in the big iron warbirds of WWII, but his latest effort involves a prewar Navy fighter—the legendary Boeing F4B‑4 in USS Lexington finery. The prototype was built in 1928.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
