The death
of building?
Is the art of building fine models truly dead? Despite the doom and gloom about how no one builds any more, and the complaints that the shelves of local hobby shops are filled with only ARFs, I don’t believe we need to sound the death knell for the building side of this great hobby anytime soon. Readers of this column have been reaching out to me lately, and to a letter, the feedback has been about how much they enjoy building.
To get started this month, I want to share a few pictures sent in by Larry Botsford, one of my regular readers. Larry is a well-known Scale competitor and these photos give just a hint of his skills. Larry wrote:
“I was finally getting around to reading the last of the March [Model Aviation] issue and came across your column,
‘Around the Patch.’ Great piece of work. I get so tired of reading nothing but reviews about the latest ARF, so as you might guess, it was very refreshing to see something about actually building a model airplane! Keep up the good work!”
Thanks for the support and the photos, Larry. It is nice to know that people are reading my column. Speaking of reader response, I included a small photo of Rob Caso’s Hall Springfield Bulldog in that same column, and mentioned that he might be able to supply a laser-cut kit. No fewer than 35 readers to date have responded in search of further information.
That is a quite a bit of interest for a single photo to generate, based on my experience. Hopefully we will soon see more Bulldogs in the air as a result.
balsabuilder Magazine
While many lament the lack of younger modelers in the hobby, or even beginners of any age, it is only a rare few who take the bull by the horns and try to do something about it. Two such individuals are Bill Stevens, owner of Stevens AeroModel, and his trusty sidekick, Kris Cartwright.
I recently met up with Bill and Kris in Toledo, Ohio, and I was greatly impressed by a new quarterly magazine they launched at the show called balsabuilder. The first issue of balsabuilder is chock full of basic information presented in a clear, concise manner suitable for a beginning builder, regardless of his or her previous experience with RTF and ARF models. Several articles include information about grading balsa, what type of wood goes where in a model, making the
Kris Cartwright, editor of balsabuilder, launches the SportyROG, a simple rubber-powered model suitable for a first build. Printed in black and white, balsabuilder has a nostalgic feel to its pages.
Also included are three construction features, including a simple, sport Free Flight model as well as a small indoor RC model that looks as though it would be right at home above the front lawn on a calm evening. These first two pieces are detailed, step-by-step manuals to guide you through building either of these models from the optional plans and simple short kits available from Stevens AeroModel.
The third feature is more of a quick look at a new kit from Stevens AeroModel, the venerable Fokker D.VII. This version of the Fokker is presented in the sinister all-black variant seen at the premier of Howard Hughes’ great cinematic effort, Hell’s Angels. Like the rest of the Stevens AeroModel micros, the Fokker D.VII is designed to utilize the guts of a worn-out RTF model. Full-size plans, as well as laser-cut short and full kits for each model, are readily available from Stevens AeroModel.
My immediate reaction from reading through the first edition was an overwhelming urge to go down into the workshop and jump in on one of my long-shelved projects instead of finishing this column! But in all seriousness, Bill and Kris have done a fantastic job with this first issue of balsabuilder, and I look forward to reading many more going forward.
As the Phoenix Rises
Speaking of new companies, I am pleased to let you know that A2Z CNC has recently sold Peck-Polymers to Chuck Imbergamo and he is ramping up to continue support of the Free Flight community. This is great news indeed, because many products are available only from Peck-Polymers.
And finally, I am pleased to announce that my own company, Flying Aces Press, LLC, has recently purchased Flying Models magazine from the now-defunct Carstens Publications. Flying Models dates back to 1928 and has long been lauded for its cross-discipline coverage of our great hobby.
Going forward, Flying Models will continue to feature all aspects of modeling, with a special emphasis on keeping your hands busy in the workshop. Actually building a model from raw wood, covering it, and trimming it for its successful first flight will provide a sense of self-satisfaction and pride in your accomplishment unmatched by preassembled models.
Until next time, sweep off the bench, roll out those plans you have been meaning to build, and get started.
SOURCES:
balsabuilder
www.balsabuilder.com
Peck-Polymers
peck.polymers@gmail.com
www.peck-polymers.com
Flying Models
thayer@flying-models.com
www.flying-models.com
