Super Bug
NOW HERE IS a model design with a true "blue-blooded" pedigree. Its great grandmother was Walt and Bill Good's pioneering and frequent Nationals RC winning Big Guff, which is now in the Smithsonian. Grandmother Rudder Bug, a 1948 Good design, was published in Model Airplane News in 1949. That year, no less than 11 of the 32 entries in Radio Control at the Olathe (KS) Nationals were Rudder Bugs. Our project's mother was the Royal Rudder Bug, a scaled-down Bug published in the February 1954 Flying Models and kitted by Berkeley Models that same year. This version differed most noticeably in its five-foot wingspan, compared to the original's six feet; replacement of the original undercambered airfoil with the ubiquitous Clark Y; and the use of a smaller radio system.
Flying for Fun
Another Oxymoron: In my March 1997 column, I took off on frequently used nonsensical terms. I'm adding "spray can epoxy" to that list! Hopefully my February 1998 column explained why such a product must be a figment of an ad writer's runaway imagination. Once the separate components of a catalyzed compound are mixed together, an irreversible chemical reaction is started, ending in a cured state, regardless of the container or the presence of an atmosphere. Therefore, a premixed epoxy paint - by definition - cannot be stored in an aerosol can, any more than two-part epoxy adhesives can be sold premixed! Premixed epoxy in a spray can is a chemical impossibility - or is it?
Flying for Fun
Milestones: There are things that mark passage through life; weddings, births, graduations, moves, new jobs, and other personal events become reference points as we weave the fabric of our lives. However, they are not usually of any particular importance to anyone but ourselves. I have completed 20 years of writing columns for Model Aviation. I originally prepared this column as a historical retrospective, then realized how insignificant those 20 years are to anyone else, and how arrogant such a column would be. While two decades of columns seems long, it pales in comparison to the tenure of Clarence Lee, Chuck Cunningham, and those from the past, such as Ed Lorenz and John Pond. One common thread motivates some who write columns regularly: a sense of fulfillment in hopefully entertaining readers with enthusiasm for modeling and adding to their enjoyment.
Flying for Fun
The Real Story: Several columns ago I related the "Wrong Way" Corrigan legend, based on what I have read throughout the years and seen in the newsreel coverage of Corrigan's "westbound" flight from New York to Ireland. I described his Curtiss Robin as "derelict." Many people probably believe that the CAA's refusal to allow Corrigan to cross the Atlantic was based on the poor condition of his aircraft. Well, it's not so! A letter from Charles V. O'Donnell (Eugene OR), who has long held interest in this subject, took us to task for "parroting" information without researching the facts. Charles wrote: "Doug Corrigan bought NC 9243 in 1934 in upstate New York and flew it home to California, stopping along the way to sell rides and pay for the trip. He then flew the Robin regularly for two years while he earned a living as an instructor and mechanic. In 1936 the Robin was stripped down and completely refurbished. A Wright J-6-5 engine was installed, long-range tanks of his own construction were added, and the Robin was repainted silver with black registration - simply because he could not afford more expensive color dope.
Flying for Fun
Comes The Revolution: That phrase comes from Al Capp's Lil' Abner comic strip; the citizens of Lower Slovobia thought that somehow a revolution would improve their icy weather. There have been some revolutions in model airplane building and finishing throughout the years; while they have not improved the weather, they have had greatly simplified building tasks. I'm thinking of three improvements in particular: the introduction of die-cut sheet parts in kits; cyanoacrylate (CyA) adhesives; and iron-on covering materials. The impact of these building aids can best be measured by the shift in modeling from builders to fliers. The majority of the newcomers to the hobby throughout the last 25 years might not be around if it wasn't for this revolution.
