RADIO CONTROL: SCALE
Jeff Troy, 200 S. Spring Street, Ambler PA 19002
The powers that be were kind this year in allowing me to make my first trip to the Mt. Rainier R/C Society's annual Pacific Northwest Exposition in Puyallup, Washington. The show ran without a flaw February 4–5; exhibitors and attendees alike were treated to unparalleled courtesy and professionalism, and the sights were as good as it gets.
This show is no small production; it offered many major exhibitors of every size and description. Static tables in every category were crammed with quality projects, a few of which I was able to photograph for you.
Please forgive the lack of information about most of these airplanes. Few details were listed in their documentation (plenty of material on the full-scale versions, as you would expect, but little, if any, on how the model was constructed), and the club forms that accompanied the models didn't address items like finish, radio, engine, materials, or plan/kit source.
Many of you who display models at trade shows, mall shows, and other club or individual functions: please try to include some pertinent facts about your airplanes in your presentation. People are curious and often like to try their hands at replicating some of the work you've done. It is a great help to know about the engine, finish, and guidance systems you chose, and to know about special features that were added to your plan or kit. This kind of fact and history information also makes interesting reading when the models are photographed for newsletters or magazine publication.
If you're not going to stand around your model all day and answer questions—and there's way too much to see at a trade show to do that—please try to let the world know what you've done. It only takes a moment, and the press rewards can be plentiful.
If you're anywhere near the Pacific Northwest in early February, don't miss this show. It's one of the best around and gives proper attention and service to all disciplines, from R/C Scale to Pattern, with a proper showing of boats, free flight, and control-line interests, too. Great stuff (thanks for your help, Steve)!
Docu-Search
- John Fredriksen is interested in obtaining three-views and any available information on Gallaudet aircraft of 1912–1924. If you have anything to share, please contact John at:
461 Loring, Salem MA 01970.
- Jim Mahoney is constructing a quarter-scale Aeronca Chief from factory drawings and is having trouble converting some fuselage construction details to modeling technique. He sent a photocopy of a kit advertisement describing a 108.5-inch version from Union Stadt Zeppelin Works in California, but he doesn't think the kit has been available since the early 1980s. If someone has this kit, or knows enough of the Aeronca Chief to lend a hand and some advice, please contact Jim at:
Suite #636, Box 917729, Longwood FL 32719–7729. (Attention Wischer and Sauger — this sounds like your cup of tea, but others are welcome to help.)
- A. R. Klashal would like to construct an R/C model of a Waco Cabin, believed to be a UPC or YPC with 220 hp Continental power. He needs to locate a 1/4 or 1/5 kit or plan set that would yield a model suitable for any of the five-cylinder four-stroke engines currently available from Technopower, O.S., Saito, etc. If you have or know of such a kit or plan, write to:
2601 Lambros Dr., Midland MI 48642.
- Lynn Tompkins aspires to build a successful R/C model of the XB-70 Valkyrie but is having trouble finding plans for a large-scale Valkyrie. If you can help, please contact Mr. Tompkins c/o Tompkins Printing Co., 369 Main Street, Pennsburg PA 18073. (I recall seeing a Valkyrie at an early Top Gun Invitational competition; perhaps that builder could help.)
- Alec Torrie asks whether Model Aviation readers have built, flown, or seen large (80+ inch span) scale B-1 Bomber models. Scale three-view drawings, sections, or a fuselage mold would also be helpful. The only model he has found (Scale RCM article enclosed) was a ducted-fan version built by the RC club at North American Rockwell around 1976; the club no longer exists according to Rockwell. If you can assist Mr. Torrie, please write to:
8 Bowden St., Marblehead MA 01945.
That's it for Docu-Search this month. If you need help and the commercial services could not provide what you're looking for, drop a postcard or letter to me at the address at the head of the column. I'll submit it for print so our readers can add their libraries of knowledge to your request. No fee is required, but please enclose postage if you want material returned.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
