Radio Control: Scale
ANATOMY of Scale: What would motivate a model builder to enter the field of RC Scale? Searching our minds for an answer, we have come up with a number of reasons to be motivated Probably the most basic motivation is the love for real aircraft and the inclination to surround ourselves with attractive and realistic Scale models. Since we cannot have one each of the many tantalizing airplanes we see in museums or at the airport, we satisfy ourselves to some extent with models. The only real problem is to limit the number built to fit into an average house. Scale modeling is like eating peanuts: No one stops with eating only one peanut out of the bag. In Scale modeling, the first one only whets the appetite for more-which helps to explain our present family collection of 20, including a couple of Peanuts!
'92 Scale World Championships: First Ever at AMA's Muncie Site
A NEW SITE: The 12th FAI Scale World Championships took place the week of August 22-29, 1992, at the AMA National Flying Center in Muncie, Indiana. Paved runways and an immense museum building made the site more than adequate. The 41 radio control and 17 control line aircraft were assembled and displayed on tables inside the museum building, and the wide aisles made viewing easy. The space could easily have accommodated many more large airplanes. Changeable weather conditions forced Event Director Bob Underwood to make many decisions during the six days of flying. Bob asked for meetings with the judges, jury, and team managers to make certain of agreement.
Radio Control: Scale
ALTERNATE CUTTER: A letter from Clyde Deatherage tells us of his method of making the cutting blade for the fly-cutter tool we described in our July 1988 column. The cutting blade can be made from a discarded or broken high-speed drill bit. Any size of about #44 diameter (.086 in.) or larger can be used. Clyde worked with a #30 (.128 in.) drill. He suggests forming a cutting point with a blade shape by grinding both sides of the drill to achieve a blade thickness of about 1/32. The grinding should be done on the end of the drill that was fluted, because some drills may have a soft shank which won't stand up well for cutting operations. The grinding must be done very slowly, as a small drill will overheat almost immediately if held against an abrasive wheel for more than a few seconds. Once the drill turns blue, it's too late! The temper is gone.
Radio Control: Scale
EAA Model Show: After observing many years of mall shows, we have found the perfect environment for a model aircraft show. On March 20, 1988 we attended the first annual EAA Air Adventure Museum Model Aircraft Show at Wittman Field in Oshkosh, WI. The event was co-sponsored by EAA and two local clubs: Winnebago RC Fliers and Valley Aero Modelers. Show managers for EAA were Education Director Chuck Larsen and Museum Director Carl Swickley. The vast museum building, due for further enlargement before the next show, has no space shortage. Polished floors and sparkling airplane displays accented the models, surrounded by aircraft of wide variety from the Wright Flier replica to a duplicate Voyager fuselage. The emphasis was on history and home-built types.
Radio Control: Scale
SHOCK STRUTS: Ed Radtke was building Scale models back in the early 1930s. He asks about landing gear positions. Ed's letter follows: "A number of WW I aircraft had double axles hinged at the end opposite the wheels (also at the axle center). When on the ground, the shock cords stretched, causing the wheels to splay outwards at the bottom, inward at the top. In flight, the wheels dropped down, making them parallel. "On the other hand, during the Twenties, the shock absorber configuration reversed this on some aircraft. On the ground, the wheels were parallel, but in flight they cocked inwards at the bottom, wider apart at the top. At the same time the wheels dropped down to a greater distance below the fuselage centerline.
