Fond memories and a creative hand
As I talk with other modelers, it seems we all have a fondness for a certain airplane or model we encountered along our path in life. At some point in our modeling career we finally build or acquire a model that is influenced by our airplane soft spots.
A past contributor to this column, Ron Sims, is no exception. Similar to other longtime modelers, there are several airplanes that hold special places on his “model wants” list. Ron is an imaginative person, so he created two models because of some special memories or encounters he had with their full-scale counterparts. The first is a Pitts Special.
In 1970 Ron had an opportunity to see one perform at an air show. Impressed with it, he took several photos of the airplane. Years later, he acquired an E-flite UMX Pitts S-1S. He dug up his old photos of that 1970 Pitts and set to work transforming the E-flite rendition into the airplane of his memories.
The E-flite Pitts is a model of a newer Pitts, but Ron did a nice job of capturing the airplane displayed in his old photos. The RTF model’s markings were changed to more closely match the old full-scale airplane, and the cockpit was modified to look like the open version used back in the day. Ron sculpted a foam pilot for that open cockpit and created a nice instrument panel that can be seen when standing above the model.
The second nostalgia-influenced model that Ron created is a Grumman F7F Tigercat. Ron’s father was a World War II veteran who, near the end of his Navy stint, worked in a unit that had a Tigercat. The stories his father shared placed the Tigercat among Ron’s favorite airplanes.
Ron noted that he has built Tigercats in the past, but these days he tends to focus on smaller models. It was only natural that his talents would finally be applied to building a small-field Tigercat.
The Tigercat is built from foam, with balsa and plywood used in areas that need extra strength. With a wingspan of 17¾ inches, Ron’s Tigercat is perfect for small-field flying. It has a flying weight of 3.5 ounces. Guidance is provided by a Spektrum AR6401T receiver.
The motors are brushed E-flite EFLU1518 8.5 x 23mm units fit to UMX P-51 gearboxes. The right side has been changed for reverse rotation. The motors turn propellers from the UMX Mosquito and get their energy from a single 250 mAh LiPo battery cell.
Really nice work, Ron.
Sources for Small-Field Models
I received a note from Steve Moskal that included some photos of his Stevens AeroModel S-POU! that were taken by his wife, Mary. Seeing Steve’s nicely built model from the Stevens AeroModel kit reminded me what a great resource that company is for a small-field flier who likes to build his or her own models.
you a variety of RC models designed by Bob Aberle that are based on vintage model airplane designs. One factor common to all of these models is their wing area, which happens to be 200 square inches.
Bob has added another to his growing list of lovely 200-square-inch vintage designs that are perfect small-field models. This time around it’s the Chet Lanzo Swayback. Similar to other designs in his series, the Swayback has a great size-and-weight match. The 200-square-inch wing supports a flying weight of 9.1 ounces. It’s light enough to be a sedate flier, but heavy enough to handle some wind.
Power comes from a Cobra C-2202-70 brushless motor and an 11-amp ESC that are driven by a two-cell 800 mAh LiPo battery pack. This model, along with others in Bob’s 200-square-inch series, can be found in the online publication RC Micro World. See the “Sources” section.
I just noticed the wind is not blowing outside and I have reached the end of my allotted space. Time to go flying! Please let me know what you have been up to in the world of small-field flying.
SOURCES:
E-flite
(800) 338-4639
www.e-fliterc.com
Spektrum
(800) 338-4639
www.spektrumrc.com
RC Micro World
www.fullsizeplans.com
Stevens AeroModel
(719) 387-4187
www.stevensaero.com
Bob Selman Designs
(417) 358-9521
www.bsdmicrorc.com
Paul Bradley
10201 Scarlet Oak Dr.
Independence KY 41051
bradley@ix.netcom.com
www.parmodels.com
