Radio Control: Scale
Jeff Troy 200 S. Spring Garden St. Ambler, PA 19002
Introduction
My sincerest appreciation extends to each of you who sent letters or phoned concerning your Cub projects. You have made it clear that the entry-level scale kit project concept is something many enjoy. I will continue to build popular scale kits in the hope that you will find the projects interesting and helpful. Perhaps we'll even catch a few unsuspecting sport types off guard, looking at these pages and being bitten by the scale bug.
Mail and correspondence
"Scale mail" has been steadily increasing each month, and my mailman is beginning to wonder about me. I do my best to answer every letter, but it will help us both if you include a stamped, self-addressed envelope with your correspondence. You'll get your answer more quickly, and I'll be able to retain some semblance of balance in my bank account.
It isn't just twenty-nine cents; twenty-nine cents is the cost of one stamp. It's the combination of all the stamps, envelopes, and the time it takes to individually address each reply that makes it tough. Help me out, buds — and please do the same when requesting information from retailers, manufacturers, or distributors of products mentioned here.
"Airplane" vs. "aeroplane"
Some of you have wondered why I sometimes spell "airplane" as "aeroplane." I'm not sure what the National Library's interpretation might be, but my own guide says that any fixed-wing aircraft flown during or prior to World War I is an "aeroplane," while those designed and flown after that war are "airplanes." No big deal — but I thought you should know. Model Aviation's editorial staff would never let that many typos slide!
Cleveland Public Library poster archive
I received an announcement from the Cleveland Public Library that may interest some of you:
- Cleveland Public Library, Photograph Collection
325 Superior Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44114-1271 Telephone: 216/623-2871
The library has captured its collection of posters (dating from the Russian Revolution through the post-World War II era) on an optical disk with linked indexing for a personal computer. Thirteen hundred posters are accessible by title, caption, country of origin, issuing agency, artist/photographer, particular war, and subject. Posters can be retrieved using any of these categories separately or in combination.
- Small color prints can be made for a fee of $2.00.
- A copy of the optical disk and a list of indexing terms can be purchased from the library at cost.
- Mail inquiries should be directed to the Photograph Collection at the address above.
Copy enlargement — pitfalls and options
Nord White of Placerville, CA asked about accuracy loss when blowing up plans with a copying machine. Very little is lost with each generation of enlargement, but the method is somewhat less than perfect. The fudge factor is about two percent distortion per generation; each time you enlarge another generation, the distortion compounds.
If it takes a dozen generations to get a book-size drawing blown up to model-size plans, your Mk IX Spitfire may end up looking like the Hindenburg by the time you're finished. The copy-machine enlargement technique works and is acceptable for casual projects, but more sophisticated enlarging methods should be used when dead accuracy is required.
If precision is what you need, write to:
- Jim Pepino, Scale Plans and Photo Service
3209 Madison Avenue, Greensboro, NC 27403
Jim will enlarge or reduce plans or drawings to your precise specifications. He does a fine job, and his fees are reasonable. Remember to include a stamped, self-addressed envelope when you write.
Scale plans and kits
Nord also commented on the scale plans information package he received from Bob Holman Plans and described it as "Great stuff! No scale slush." Bob Holman has recently added Mike Booth's line of quality scale plans to his offerings. Among the Mike Booth collection are:
- Quarter-scale Sopwith Triplane
- Boulton-Paul Defiant
- Quarter-scale Bristol Scout
Contact:
- Bob Holman Plans
P.O. Box 741, San Bernardino, CA 92402
Five bucks to Bob will get you one of the most complete scale modeler’s plan compilations you'll ever find.
Glenn Torrance Models has announced the availability of a superb Fokker DR.1 Triplane kit, the same model Bob Hanft flew at the 1991 Top Gun Invitational. The kit includes brass and aluminum fittings and tubing, brass scale hinges and control horns, five-view drawings, color chips, and more. If you want a Top Gun–level model, this kit is worth checking out.
Contact:
- Glenn Torrance Models
2981 Vail Valley Court, Snellville, GA 30278
Builders and noteworthy models
Mike Cramer, an old flyin' buddy from the Lancaster County R/C Club, sent photos of three nicely done sport-scale models he designed and built. Judging from the quality of the models and photos, Mike is a prime candidate for serious sport modeling — imaginative, skilled, and a possible contest contender.
Mike Cramer also designed and built a fun-scale McDonnell F4 Phantom around an OS .28 two-stroke engine. The Phantom features:
- 42-inch wingspan
- Four radio channels
- Approximate weight: 3-3/4 pounds
Larry Hill (New Jersey Pine Barons, Vincentown, NJ) sent valuable landing gear information while I was researching my Bleriot XI-2 in 1985. Larry turned his Cub into a Christen Husky long before it became a common modeling subject. Modifications included slotted flaps, Fowler-type wing tips, a fiberglass cowl, reworked landing gear, and a changed rear-deck shape to simulate steel construction.
Larry reports his Husky "can be three-pointed at a walking pace using full flaps, or landed on the mains with the tail settling as the speed decays. It will do beautiful hammerhead stalls, spins, and Immelmanns." The model looks great — thanks for sharing, Larry!
At the 1991 Top Gun Invitational, Bob Hanft flew a Fokker DR.1 Triplane that was superb in both appearance and performance. Having built a DR.1 myself, I appreciated the exquisite detail and handling of Bob's model.
Products — soft-mounts and engine mounts
Art Cloutier of Art Designs has a new soft-mount available. His units will accommodate engines upward of .040 cu. in. and appear to do an excellent job of keeping oil off the cowl and isolating vibration from radio gear. Art claims the isogonic interaction between his mount halves results in stiff mounts, not mushy ones.
Benefits claimed:
- Reduced sound levels
- Isolation of high-torque thrusts from the airframe
- Simple, effective, low-maintenance design
Contact:
- Art Designs
P.O. Box 2606, Page, AZ 86040
When I get around to building my Goldberg Extra, I plan to try one of Art Designs' soft-mounts for my Enya .120.
A note on research and accuracy
A little research goes a long way. Compile accurate documentation before beginning your next scale project. For example, notice the height of the vertical fin — compared to other P-51s, this fin is wrong. Welcome to Scale; you can almost write your own rules.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
