The Toledo Show: R/C Model Expo 2016
by Sal Calvagna
rcgiants@optonline.net
Welcome back. I was thrilled to attend the 62nd annual Weak Signals’ Toledo Show: R/C Model Expo, held at the SeaGate Convention Centre in Toledo, Ohio, on April 1-3, 2016. The Toledo Show is the largest RC trade show held in North America and a great place to meet vendors, distributors, manufacturers, and friends from across the US. It is truly an RC mecca.
There were too many vendors and beautiful models displayed to cover in this column, but visit the Toledo Show’s website for information about the vendors and photos from this year’s show. Besides the products and services available, what’s a show without all of the good people who make it happen? Take a look at the pictures and see if you recognize anyone!
Nick Ziroli has been a fixture in model aviation for as long as I can remember. His designs have been built and flown worldwide for many years. His Giant Scale models compete at the highest levels. In fact, seven of the models that competed at Top Gun 2016 were built from Nick Ziroli Plans.
The next time you see Nick, thank
him for all of his contributions to model aviation; he deserves it.
Balsa USA has been selling World War I Giant Scale kits since the late 1970s. The famous World War I aircraft kits are easy to build and fly. The explosion of Giant Scale WW I models at events throughout the US is mainly because of Balsa USA and its prolific design team. These models put the fun in flying!
Many of Balsa USA’s kits can now be purchased in 1/6- to 1/3-scale sizes. In addition to the company’s line of WW I models, Balsa USA offers many sport kits. Its latest offering is the Smoothie XL, an enlargement of the company’s popular Smoothie kit.
The XL has a wingspan of approximately 89 inches and is fully symmetrical. With oversize control surfaces, the XL will be a real performer, especially if you attach a 30cc engine to the nose. For more information, visit the Balsa USA website.
If you look at the photo from the 2016 Toledo Show, you can see that the Balsa USA staff also has a great sense of humor—except for Dave Lewis, who I’m sure believes that designing and selling model aircraft is a more serious endeavor. You go, Dave!
One of the largest displays at Toledo was from Horizon Hobby. The company opened in 1985 as a small, family-type hobby business in North America. Fast forward and now it’s an international company with more than 700 people employed worldwide.
The company is passionate about hobbies and so are its employees. Horizon Hobby’s products are exceptional, and the company’s customer service is second to none.
I’ve included a photo of two of Horizon’s representatives at the Toledo Show, Peter Goldsmith and Ali Machinchy, who happen to be amazing pilots. Take a good look at the photo. Doesn’t it look as though they enjoy what they do for a living?
Greg and Susie Hahn of New Castle, Indiana, are pictured with Greg’s newly completed German WW I Gotha G.IV twin-engine bomber. The model is massive at 24% scale with a 17-foot wingspan. The fuselage is 9 feet, 10 inches long.
The 51-pound model is built using balsa, light plywood, and aircraft-grade plywood. The two DLE twin-cylinder 40cc engines spin Xoar 20 x 8 propellers. Greg used the Nicopress system, which is available from Balsa USA, to install the landing and flying wires.
Greg is a well-known and respected modeler and seems to turn out a new Giant Scale model every few months. Could it be that Susie is the real builder? See you at the Old Rhinebeck RC Jamboree, Greg!
What would this hobby be if we couldn’t share it with or learn from others? It’s always nice to see the latest and greatest offerings in the hobby industry. That is just one of the services our hobby-related periodicals provide, and one of the industry leaders is Model Airplane News.
Pictured above is the friendly Air Age Media staff at the Toledo Show. Debra Cleghorn, the executive editor of Model Airplane News, is passionate about aviation and the RC hobby. Gerry Yarrish is the senior technical editor and loves to design, build, and fly RC Scale airplanes. Both are great people who work hard to spread the news about our amazing hobby.
There were many award-winning model aircraft at the Toledo Show, but the one that piqued my interest was the Riley Model B. The model was built by Chuck Gratner of Pittsburgh.
Its inspiration is evidently from the Golden Age of aviation during the 1930s, but the kicker is that the airplane never existed. Maybe that is why I was so intrigued. It looked so much like a Scale model, but I couldn’t tell which one!
The Riley Model B spans 108 inches, weighs 33 pounds, and was built using traditional balsa, light plywood, and basswood with a mahogany veneer. The spar finish on the mahogany is magnificent.
The Riley Model B is powered by a Moki 180 radial engine. It is superbly constructed and finished, but don’t take my word for it. Visit the Gratner Brothers’ website and take a look at the construction log. It is as beautifully documented as the model is in appearance. Well done, Chuck.
That’s all for now. See you in a couple of months.
SOURCES:
The Toledo Show: R/C Model Expo
www.toledoshow.com
Balsa USA
(906) 863-6421
www.balsausa.com
Gratner Brothers
(412) 715-1308
www.gratnerbrothers.com
Nick Ziroli Plans
(631) 467-4765
www.ziroligantscaleplans.com
Horizon Hobby
(800) 338-4639
www.horizonhobby.com
