Author: J. Troy
Edition: Model Aviation - 1992/12
Page Numbers: 56, 57, 147, 149, 150
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Radio Control: Scale

Jeff Troy 200 S. Spring Garden St., Ambler, PA 19002

ANNIVERSARY

This December issue of Model Aviation marks my first year as your monthly Radio Control: Scale columnist. It has been a sincere pleasure to share my modeling experiences with readers; Model Aviation reaches over 150,000 modelers, and I appreciate each of you who have written or sent photographs.

Much of this column is generated from reader mail, so to celebrate the year's end I am sharing pictures and descriptions of some of the airplanes you've sent. The selection this month is only a handful of the many I've received; I hope you'll understand there just isn't room for all of them.

Manufacturer News

I attend the industry's major events throughout the year and collect a lot of literature and specifics about new, unusual, or useful products. Having just finished sorting and filing this year's material, here are a few items you may have missed.

Sig Manufacturing

  • Product: #SG-736 brass-barreled Pushrod Connectors
  • Features: The bolt that holds the pushrod wire in place uses a hex head (rather than the usual slotted head), allowing tightening with a ball driver at angles other than straight down. The brass barrel is hex-shaped, so you can grip it with a wrench instead of damaging it with pliers. These changes make tightening easier and reduce stress on a servo’s output arm.

Milt Sheppard

  • If you collect aviation magazines or books, send $1 and a stamped, self-addressed envelope to Milt Sheppard, 670 Concord Rd., Glen Mills, PA 19342, for his latest listing. The list includes major flying and nonflying modeling magazines and several full-scale and military offerings — some items date back to 1932.

A.J. Products

  • Product: Radio Cradle transmitter tray/stand
  • Details: Formed from hardened spring steel and finished with a UV-stable, non-scratch coating. Weighs less than 2 oz. Attach your existing radio strap to use it as a tray or stand. It’s inexpensive and practical, though it lacks a solid palm rest. For a description sheet and price list, send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to A.J. Products, P.O. Box 54025, Cincinnati, OH 45254-0025.

Altech Marketing

  • Address: P.O. Box 391, Edison, NJ 08818-0391
  • Concept: Four basic Sport Scale models sold in an almost-ready-to-cover (ARC) format for low-cost, low-stress entry into Scale flying and AMA Fun Scale. Each kit has basic components fully assembled and shaped, ready for finish-sanding and final assembly. They can be covered with iron-on film, fabric, or carefully primed and painted.
  • Models available: Zlin Akrobat (.40–.45 engines), Super Stearman (.60 engines), Pilatus Turbo Porter (.40–.60 engines), Haigh Super Star (.40–.45 engines). Four-stroke engines can also be fitted to the preinstalled hardwood engine bearers.
  • Notes: The Pilatus Turbo Porter I built and test-flew used a two-stroke .60 (a good .45 would also work). The ARCs save build time and let you practice finishing and flying without a long build commitment. If you want a striking finish, expect to do some filling and sanding, but overall these kits are great for AMA Fun Scale or practice aircraft.

A.A. Lidberg Model Plan Service

  • Product: 1940 Porter Collegiate (plan)
  • Details: Designed for 1/2A Texaco power; small, charming, and economical to build. Suggested power includes Cox Black Widow (or red-tank Texaco) engines. Any narrow-band two-channel radio will cover the control needs; performance improves with micro servos and a small battery pack.
  • Specs: 43.4 in. span, ~300 sq. in. wing. The plan set includes Porter logos, registration numbers, and a clear construction article. Recommended coverings are film, silk, or tissue.
  • Ordering: $8 for the plan, or $1 for a catalog. Send to A.A. Lidberg Model Plan Service, 614 E. Fordham, Tempe, AZ 85283.

Reader Models and Notes

John Violette — Westcraft B-17G

  • Location: LaPlace, LA
  • Model: Westcraft B-17G "Ten Hours Power" (based on #231763)
  • Power: Four SuperTiger .75 engines
  • Radio/gear: Futaba PCM 9, electric retracts
  • Span: 10 ft
  • Construction: Wings and tail surfaces are 1/4" plywood over foam; fuselage is fiberglass. John applied one coat of Fabric Formula Balsarite over wings and tail, then covered wood surfaces with SuperShrink Coverite. He detailed control-surface ribs with aliphatic resin applied with a toothpick, then applied pinked hair tape over each rib location.
  • Finishing: Primex thinned 50/50 with Primex thinner, four coats to seal fabric; K&B white primer brushed and wax-sanded to a smooth, metal-like finish. Aliphatic resin, rivets, and Zinger Panel Line Tape were applied, then painted with Hobby Poxy high-gloss paints mixed to the proper colors. The final coat was Hobby Poxy clear mixed with floetyl catalyst to give the model an authentic dull olive drab military appearance. John is a careful craftsman; I hope to see more of his work in future issues.

Jack Bunn — Beginner's Scale SB2R-3 Regulator

  • Location: El Paso, TX
  • Notes: Jack sent photos and a bit of history on his "Beginner's Scale" SB2R-3 Regulator. It flies on a .32 engine and makes a great prank: kit-bashing Ed Ross's BT plans, rounding a few corners, and enlarging the canopy can convince many people that the model is a true Scale subject. The point: with some imagination ("doing some imagineering"), you can turn many fine-flying sport designs into convincing Fun-Scale subjects (examples: converting a Super Sportster to a PT-19, an Ace 4-40 Bipe to a Sopwith Pup, or a Balsa USA Phaeton to a Heinkel Kadet).

Fred Menna — Sea Fury

  • Location: Rhode Island
  • Model: Sea Fury built from Don Smith plans
  • Build time: ~9 months
  • Weight/span: 28 lb, 86-in. span
  • Power: Tartan Twin driving an 18x10 prop
  • Construction and features: All-wood construction, covered with Dan Parsons cloth, painted with Chevron Hobby Products Perfect Paint. Features functional exhaust and engine cooling, radio-operated sliding canopy, flaps, and retracts, and on-board ignition. At the time of writing, the model had made 20 successful flights.

Dana E. Anderson — Piper J-3 and Correction

  • Location: St. Edward, NE
  • Notes: Dana farms 350 acres and flies full-time as a crop duster; his 20-member club meets and flies at the local airport. He sent photos of his Piper J-3 and a 1/3-scale model built by a friend. Dana also corrected an error in my Goldberg Cub modification series: I described rounding the tubes at the rear of my Cub's vertical fin and stabilizer, but the full-scale Cub uses square tubing in those areas. Thanks for the correction, Dana — the intentions were good, at least!

Milt Peacock — Stinson 108-3

  • Location: Finksburg, MD (Westminster Aero Modelers)
  • Notes: Milt and his club received Governor's Citations for their work teaching elementary school students about aviation. Milt sent pictures of two models; one featured here is his Stinson 108-3.
  • Model: Based on a 1/4-scale Realistic Models kit (Potomac, MD)
  • Span/power/weight: 100 in. span, Zenoah G-38 engine with a home-bored muffler (about 91 dB(A) at 9 ft), weighs ~27 lb.
  • Features: Covered with Goldberg Colortex and painted with Rustoleum enamel; operating flaps, wingtip strobe lights, rotating beacon on the fuselage top, spring-loaded landing gear, fully detailed interior with seat upholstery, instrument panel, and opening doors. Radio: Airtronics Spectra system. Milt reports that his Stinson flies easier than he expected.

Coda

Thanks again to everyone who has written, sent photographs, or shared modeling tips this year. Keep the letters and pictures coming; they are the lifeblood of this column and make it possible to share the hobby's many creative achievements with readers nationwide.

Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.