RADIO CONTROL SCALE
Jeff Troy 19 East Mt. Pleasant Ave. Ambler, PA 19002
Docu-Search
- Robert Pease, Astor, Florida, seeks three-views, photos, and/or dimensions for the Parker Pal, built by Willard Parker in Cleveland during the 1930s. Robert says only two of these aircraft were built; his father owned one for a couple of years and he was taken up in the Pal at age two. He would like to build an RC version. Write to: Robert Pease, 21714 Sunset Dr., Astor, FL 32102.
- Robert P. Licht is looking for a photograph (color preferred) of a P-39 Airacobra of the 110th TRS in New Guinea called "Billy the Kid," flown by Lieutenant O'Connor. If you have information or a photo, write to: Robert P. Licht, 38 Havenhill Rd., Artesia, NM 88210-9118.
- Ralph Capobianco is in need of three-views or plans for a Burnelli CB-7. He hopes to find something suitable for an O.S. 52 four-stroke. If you can help, write to: Ralph Capobianco, 2810 SW 5th St., Boynton Beach, FL 33435.
Docu-Search does not normally handle commonly available subjects, but these requests are for specific aircraft. Please help if you can.
Modelers' Projects
Bradley Grigsby flies with the Bullitt County Barnstormers. A 23-year-old scale modeler from Mount Washington, Kentucky, Bradley tackled his first scale project: a Royal Products .40-size Blériot XI Channel Crosser.
Bradley prepared by studying the history of Louis Blériot and his aeroplanes, then built the model with a better understanding of how the simple three-channel Royal kit could be taken to a greater degree of accuracy. He modified several details and converted the kit's fixed-position wings to functional wing-warping surfaces.
He covered the model with white Super Coverite, stained it with Minwax golden oak stain, and clear-coated it with Minwax polyurethane. The Blériot carries Proctor wire wheels for dress occasions and a set of Williams Bros. vintage wheels for everyday flying.
Bradley's first choice for power was a Saito 50 four-stroke, but an O.S. .40 LA does the hauling instead. The model was constructed before the Saito arrived, and when it did it would not fit into the already-completed nose. Despite that, the Blériot flies very well and does a respectable job of emulating the historic full-scale aeroplane.
Manufacturers' News
- Mike Kawalewski, formerly with K&S Engineering, is the new national sales manager for Paul K. Guillow in Wakefield, Massachusetts.
- Guillow produces the long-running 10¢ glider (now sold for more than a dime) and a wide variety of scale kits—fighters, bombers, civilian aircraft, and nonflying models such as the NASA Space Shuttle. Its kits have introduced many modelers to basic building skills.
- Innovative Model Products showed several glass-and-foam kits at the WRAM (Westchester Radio Aero Modelers) Show in White Plains, New York. A 1/6-scale Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bomber spanned 85 inches, weighed 15–19 pounds, and flew on an .18 two-stroke or .24 four-stroke engine. Accessories included a static propeller/spinner, full cockpit kit, bombs, drop tanks, and a complete retracting gear system. For information contact: Innovative Model Products, Box 333, Remsen, NY 13438.
The WRAM Show is a good time for me. New York City is my hometown, and I enjoy making a weekend of the show—dining at Reka's in White Plains and visiting my mother and younger brother Jon.
The show consistently displays many of the country's finest scale models in its third-floor static area. Three rows of models encompass several categories, with the scale collection especially alluring.
Mark Frankel, a Top Gun and Scale Masters competitor and a flying buddy from the Valley Forge Signal Seekers in Pennsylvania, exhibited a Beechcraft T-34 Mentor that was a static highlight. The exacting quarter-scale model spans 99 inches and was designed and built from extensive Beechcraft factory documents. Entered in the Designer Scale category, the glass-and-foam Mentor is powered by a Moki 3.6 engine and guided by a Futaba system. It features functioning navigation lighting and strobes, Robart retracts with cycling gear doors, flaps, and more. The 41-pound model is finished with PPG Global System paint.
William Wargo of Redding, Connecticut, presented a Pietenpol Air Camper that transformed my view of the subject. William's model is a study in detail, with a beautiful cowl, handmade metal fittings, and movable cockpit controls. It flies on an Astro 40 motor with an Aerotech-1000 belt reduction drive. Futaba handles guidance on the 80-inch, 8-3/4-pound airplane.
I've received several letters regarding the Spitfire build-along project. Don't give up on me; the project resumes this summer.
Until next time, build straight and fly safely. We'll do this again.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
