Radio Control: Scale
MANUFACTURERS' NEWS: If any aircraft was to challenge Piper's J-3 Cub for the distinction of being the most-recognized airplane of all time, it would have to be the Dakota-the Douglas DC-3. In commercial service, the DC-3 carried passengers and cargo to every corner of the globe. In military service, the DC-3 was designated C-47, and was affectionately known by all who came in contact with it as the Goony Bird. Goonies flew transport duty, they dropped supplies to troops in the field, and they dropped the troops themselves-most memorably over the skies of Europe during World War II. The DC-3 has always been a popular modeling subject. Almost every plastic kit and die-cast company has issued a model in one form or another. More recently, the Radio Control world has become enamored with the DC-3. Top Flite has brought us a traditional wood kit; Kyosho offers a slightly larger airplane in an Almost Ready to Fly version; and Hirobo offers the graceful twin in a glass-and-sheeted-foam version for Electric power.
Radio Control: Scale
NASA (National Association of Scale Aeromodelers) kingpin Stan Alexander has been kind enough to lend his skill to this column. Stan and I will alternately provide the magazine's monthly Radio Control (RC) Scale report, assuring you a good balance, varying points of view, and a slightly different flavor and style. Stan does a great job! Spitfire Build-Along: I have received letters regarding the disappearance of the Spitfire build-along. Interest was never lost; only bench time was lost. My work schedule has eased a little, and I'm back on the Spitfire again. This is a very nice Scale-for-fun project, and I'm sorry to have let it go for so long. The last installment that I can remember had you mounting the engine of your choice, and completing most of the forward fuselage construction. The vertical fin and horizontal stabilizer should be sheeted and sanded, and the rudder and two elevator panels should be ready for fabric covering.
Radio Control: Scale
RADIO CONTROL (RC) Scale events at the 1999 National Aeromodeling Championships offered five AMA events: Fun Scale, Sportsman Sport Scale, Expert Sport Scale, Designer Scale, and Team Scale. The events began this year's "Nats" competition Friday, July 9, with static judging at the Horizon Convention Center in downtown Muncie, Indiana-home to the Academy of Model Aeronautics since the early 1990s. With the exception of Fun Scale, whose models only have to look something like the prototype they're claimed to represent, each model in each event went through a virtual gauntlet of static judging.
Radio Control: Scale
Congratulations to the Academy of Model Aeronautics on its purchase of the IMS (International Modelers Show) in Pasadena, California. IMS has been a solid event for more than 20 years, and I'm certain that the purchase will help to somewhat ease the massive burden on AMA's ongoing educational and flying site efforts. Congratulations also on AMA's Grand Event that took place June 12-14. It's good to see the Academy open its arms to car, boat, and railroad modelers, sharing in their pleasures and allowing them to share in ours. Camaraderie like this can never hurt; it can only improve relations between modelers with varied hobby interests. The second Grand Event was a smashing good time-no pun intended and none made.
Radio Control: Scale
NEVER LIMIT YOURSELF. Although your primary interest may be in Radio Control Scale models, you can learn a great deal by reading about other modeling categories. Read construction articles of any kind-they're packed with useful building tips and suggestions. Read the Control Line and Free Flight columns. Read and understand the Soaring columns, and you'll never be afraid of a dead-stick landing. Read the boat stuff. Read the car stuff. The more you take in, the more you'll use. Even if you learn about what not to do, you can benefit from others' experiences. Docu-Search: John McLauchlin is constructing a 1/6-scale Curtiss BFC-2 Goshawk. Using a combination of measurements taken from a full-scale Goshawk, Wylam F-11C (an early version of the BFC-2) drawings, and a half-set of BFC-2 plans provided by the Smithsonian, John has drawn his own plan for the model.
