Control Line: Scale
ADDING a dummy engine or dressing up a windshield can certainly enhance a model's appearance. Our good friend Richard Schnieder (Marrietta, GA) who gave us the tip on dressing up the tail wheel strut of his Gulfhawk (October '86 column), has offered two more building tips that the Sport Scale modeler might find useful for enhancing the appearance of his/her model. The first tip is how to easily fabricate a lightweight dummy radial engine. The second is how to make (or dress up) the model's windshield. Both of these ideas were also used by Rich on his Gulfhawk model. Dummy engine. Rather than try and cut out dozens-maybe hundreds-of cylinder cooling fins and spacers and stack them to create dummy cylinders, Rich decided to create a single cylinder form from which any number of cylinders could be made.
Control Line: Scale
SPRINGTIME is preparation time. Bob Emmett of the Seattle Skyraiders suggested in a recent Skywriter column that the spring months are a good time for reflection on last year's contest performance. He thought that perhaps the time could be used to consider some basic, non-rule-book rules for use both on and off the flying field: ones that could make the coming competition season more successful and enjoyable for you. While the rules Bob spoke of were general in nature and would apply to most events, I have, with some modification, made them apply specifically to our Scale events. The rules are: 1) Know the rules for your particular Scale event. Be sure to read and know the rules (AMA or local) for the event/events being flown. Know the number of laps of flight it takes to make an official flight. Know the proper flying line size for the weight of your model. Are mufflers required at the particular contest site? Know your flight options and points for each, and so on.
Control Line: Scale
A BIT of nostalgia. In the December '86 column I spoke about the positioning of the bellcrank and lead-outs with respect to the plane's center of gravity (CG) and made a statement that said we could "theoretically do away with the bellcrank if we could find a way to route the lead-outs through the wing and fuselage and connect them directly to the elevator in a manner that would withstand a pull test and the stresses of flight." Well, it didn't take long to get a response. Doug Dalke (Oshkosh, WI) sent me a note detailing a system that does in fact allow elevator control without the use of a bellcrank-or at least without a bellcrank as we commonly think of them.
Control Line: Scale
GUEST MODELER. During the past few months you probably have noticed the name of George Gaydos, Jr. (Elmwood Park, NJ) in this column with respect to the Garden State Circle Burners' annual Scale contests, Profile Scale rules, and recently in connection with comments on the U.S. FAI CL Scale team-selection program. George is one of those modelers who, while not well-known as yet on the national level, is well-known in the Northeast as a tireless promoter of CL Scale modeling. On a national level, George recently fulfilled a longtime ambition by capturing first place in Precision Scale at the 1985 Westover Nationals.
Control Line: Scale
NEW ITEMS. As is usual for me at this time of year (late February), I pay a visit to the WRAM modeling trade show in Yonkers, NY to see what I can find in the great world of things RC that might be of some use to Control Line fliers in their Scale endeavors. This year's show appeared much bigger-and perhaps better-than in past years due to being held at a new site: Yonkers Raceway. All displays were on one level and were pretty well accessible. Certainly a major improvement was the ample parking situation. It wasn't necessary to drive around for a half hour or so to find a parking space, and then have six- or seven-block walk to the show.
