Radio Control: Soaring
Dan Pruss
Toledo overview
TOLEDO — That modelers' mecca where the annual throngs gather to see the latest from manufacturers and modelers was again — for the 30th year — the place to be during the first week in April. One column can't begin to cover it all; however, those models and ideas which seemed to be the focus of a lot of attention are presented here.
Models
In the Sailplane category (one of a dozen or so), there has always been a display of craftsmanship that makes you feel relieved you're not a judge for this event. No specific rules are published to give one an idea of how to bone up for this show, and scale models are mixed in with kit models and original designs. In all cases, craftsmanship gets high marks, and whether you build from scratch or from a kit still seems to be a gamble on the part of the modeler.
Winners:
- Third place: Ed Whyte (Alto, MI) for his Draco. Influenced by Top Flite's Antares, Ed's bird spans 152 inches, has 1,471 square inches of wing area and a 15:1 aspect ratio. At an all-up weight of 93 ounces, the wing loading is only 9.11 oz./sq.ft.
- Second place: Bob Sattler for his four-meter ASW-22. Finish was a flawless solid black.
- First place: Jeff Troy (Valley Forge Signal Seekers) for his Grand Esprit. Designed and kitted by the late Lee Renaud nearly 15 years ago, it still draws a crowd. Craftsmanship was flawless and the scale-like cockpit detail helped earn judges' points.
Kits
Mark Smith (Mark's Models) showed his Sensor 117. The "117" refers to the wingspan; the model is designed for the F3B program and, in the right hands, would do very well in Thermal Duration contests. Features include a fiberglass fuselage, 5/16-in. steel wing-attach rod, flaps and spoilers. Wing area is 960 sq. in., and weight (with airborne equipment, including three servos) is 57 oz. Price: $129.95 from Mark's Models, 1578 Osage St., San Marcos, CA 92069.
Airtronics announced its Adante, a 100-in. F3B model. The fuselage is fiberglass; the wing is a foam core with a carbon-fiber spar and is sheeted. Plans show either flaps and ailerons or flaperons only. The flaperon version has all servos mounted in the fuselage. Spoilers are optional, but hardware for them is included in the kit. Price to be announced (about $150), with delivery in July. From Airtronics, 16191 Construction Circle West, Irvine, CA 92714.
Top Flite showed its well-tested Antares, a bird for the weekend flier and for those who compete in multi-task events. This typical Top Flite kit assembles fast and includes a complete hardware package and full-size rolled plans. Controls are rudder, flying stab, ailerons and flaps; the latter two provide a variable-camber airfoil. Span is just under 100 in., and weight ranges from three to 5¼ lb. From: Top Flite, 2635 S. Wabash Ave., Chicago, IL 60616.
From Ted Davey and his wind shop comes Joe Ruth's popular Prophet. Ted took over production of this two-meter design; it will be available by July. Span is 78.75 in., area is 613.3 sq. in., and ready-to-fly weight is 28 to 30 oz. (with room for ballast). Ted also showed his line of winches and line retrievers, along with winch accessories and liners. The winches and retrievers will be used exclusively for the AMA tasks at the AMA Nationals in Reno this August. For information: Davey Systems Corp., One Wood Lane, Malvern, PA 19355.
Hardware
In the past, "ready-to-install" spoilers were largely foreign-made and hard to find domestically. Enter Gary Hutchison. His all-aluminum Al-1 Spar (see February 1983 MA) and Motion-Transfer Module (August 1983 MA) are already big hits. Now he has a double-bladed spoiler module that should simplify installation. The spoilers have double-actuated arms and function as a combination spoiler and speed brake. One servo actuates two guillotine-type blades which slide from thin pockets and out of the top and bottom of the wing. The assembly is six inches long; spoilers are available with blade heights of either 1 in. or 1¼ in., both sizes reducible to ¾ in. Blades are fiberglass and the box is nylon. The assembly can be mounted behind a wing in less space than a pocket comb would require. Price: $14.95 a pair from Ace R/C, Inc., 116 W. 19th St., Higginsville, MO 64037.
One of the cleverest building aids since the straight pin is the Magic Magnet Builder. The package includes a 16 x 48-in. steel plate with 1/4-in. grid lines silk-screened on the surface, and thirty square magnets to make constructing and aligning parts as easy as stacking blocks. The kit includes 10 five-inch uprights and 10 each of 1-in. and 1/2-in. bolts and nuts. Magnets can be stacked for greater holding force to secure pieces until glue dries; ganged magnets can hold down a top spar, for example. The quarter-inch grid provides enough reference lines to build without detailed plans. Cost: $89.95 from Eldon J. Lind Co., 2912 Walker Ave., Los Alamitos, CA 90720.
Other highlights
Those items just skim the wares available from nearly 200 manufacturers that showed at Toledo — and it's not just a manufacturers' show. Special interest groups, such as the Academy of Model Aeronautics, the League of Silent Flight (LSF), and the National Soaring Society have booths that serve as hangouts, R&D departments, and confessionals.
For the past three years the LSF booth has been sacred ground for the presentation of Level V awards earned earlier in the year. There haven't been many — only 33 to date. The awards were presented with the usual flair. One recent recipient achieved his Level V the hard way — by winning the Greater Detroit Soaring and Hobbies Society's 1984 Sno-Flite. Congratulations, Stan.
Support your F3B team. Good lift.
Dan Pruss 131 E. Pennington Ln., Plainfield, IL 60544
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
