A variety of Giant Scale aircraft
by Sal Cavalgna
rcgiants@optonline.net
Welcome back! This year is coming to an end and thoughts of the 2016 building and flying season spark the imagination. It’s a good time to focus on maintenance or repair before our aircraft are put away for the season. Of course, those who are lucky enough to live in climates conducive to year-round flying merely need a little downtime to do the same.
As always, I take this opportunity to wish you and yours a happy and healthy holiday season, along with a magnificent RC new year.
In this month’s column, I have a selection of modelers and their Giant Scale creations that I photographed throughout the year.
Foam-Built B-17G
Max Moxey, from Abingdon, Maryland, is photographed with his enormous 210-inch wingspan, electric-powered B-17G bomber. The bomber was built by Max and his dad, Victor, using sheets of blue foam cut with a hot wire to form the 75 or so layers of foam that create the fuselage and all of the ribs for the wing and tail surfaces.
The model was covered with 1/8-inch underlayment foam that is typically used in floating floor applications. The result is a super-large model that only weighs 54 pounds, including the four Turnigy 110 motors and 6S 4,400 mAh LiPo battery packs used to power each one. The motors spin Falcon three-blade propellers.
You can visit Max’s website, Monster Foamies, listed in “Sources,” to see a video about the model’s construction.
Balsa USA Junkers D-I
Balsa USA, of Marinette, Wisconsin, has a new offering in its wonderful lineup of World War I aircraft, but it doesn’t have the ubiquitous second or third wing.
The model spans nearly 89 inches, with a fuselage length of nearly 64 inches. It has 1,500 square inches of wing area with an all-up weight of 23 to 28 pounds, depending on the powerplant installed. It is designed for a 35cc and up two-stroke gas engine or the equivalent in glow power.
The full-scale Junkers D.I is a monoplane from late in the war. It was an all-metal aircraft, built with corrugated aluminum. The D.I was significant in that it was the first all-metal fighter to enter service.
The Junkers D.I first flew in September 1917, and subsequent flight testing showed it lacked sufficient maneuverability to be a frontline fighter, but it was adequate for naval fighter units. One example survives in the Museum of Air and Space in Paris.
Of course, the Junkers D-I from Balsa USA is not metal, but it certainly
looks the part. You can have your own ¼-scale version by ordering one through Balsa USA. The company’s contact information is listed in “Sources.”
Wayne Reynolds’ B.E.2e
Wayne Reynolds, of Bath, New York, built this unusual 1917 Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2e in a Norwegian scheme. The model spans 80 inches and is powered by an O.S. .91 four-stroke glow engine sporting a functional B.E.2 exhaust system.
One of the great details of this model is the scale camera mounted on the side of the fuselage. The model is covered with Solartex.
The full-scale B.E.2 was an early biplane from 1912 and continued in service until the end of the war. It was an extremely stable platform, making it a poor fighter, but an excellent reconnaissance aircraft, light bomber, and aerial photography platform.
Yellow Aircraft P-47
Augie Palladino, of Smithtown, New York, is pictured with his Yellow Aircraft
Razorback P-47. The model is powered by a Zenoah G-62 gas engine using a Tony Clark 90° carburetor mount so that the Walbro carburetor fits within the cowl for a clean-looking installation.
The model is painted with exterior latex paint and finished in Lt. J.T. Curtiss’ 394th Fighter Squadron, 9th Air Force Poutin Poot color scheme.
The Republic P-47, built on Long Island, New York, is one of the largest single-engine fighters in history. It was armed with eight .50-caliber machine guns and excelled in ground-attack fighter bomber roles.
⅓-Scale Balsa USA Fokker D-VII
Paul Westrich, of Cincinnati, is pictured with his Bob Cole-built Balsa USA ⅓-scale Fokker D-VII finished in the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome’s full-scale D.VII’s Seven Swabians color scheme. The model is powered by a Desert Aircraft DA-85 gas engine spinning a Vess 28B propeller. Wing graphics were done by Jim Suchy and Callie Graphics did the Seven Swabians decals.
Don Smith Plans Ju 88
Roger Spoor, Norfolk, Virginia, is shown alongside his Don Smith
Plans 116-inch wingspan Junkers Ju 88 bomber. The model was built by Steve Peckham, also of Norfolk, and is powered by two Zenoah G-45 gas engines.
The aircraft has Sierra landing gear, Glennis wheels, and is painted with WarbirdColors paints. The all-up weight of the model is 44 pounds and the engines spin Mejzlik 19 x 11 three-blade propellers.
That’s all for this month. Have a safe and happy holiday season and a happy and healthy new year. See you next year!
SOURCES:
Monster Foamies
(410) 913-0575
www.monsterfoamies.com
Balsa USA
(906) 863-6421
www.balsausa.com
Precision Cut Kits
(609) 538-1388
www.precisioncutkits.com/donsmith.htm
Rhinebeck Aerodrome
(845) 752-3200
www.oldrhinebeck.org
Callie Graphics
info@callie-graphics.com
www.callie-graphics.com
