Visit AMA Expo East 2017
by Sal Cavalgna
rcgiants@optonline.net
Welcome back, and a happy and healthy 2017 to all of my readers. After 48 years, the longest-running RC trade show in the northeast, the Westchester Radio Aero Modelers (WRAM) Show, will now continue as AMA Expo East. The dates are February 24-26, 2017, at the Meadowlands Exposition Center in Secaucus, New Jersey. Plan a visit to the show and come see what’s new. Take
along a shopping list; it’s a great time to pick up those items needed to finish your winter project.
Now I’ll share a few Giant Scale selections that have recently been test-flown and are sure to please the eye.
John Camien’s F9F-5 Panther
John Camien, of Holbrook, New York, is proud of his stunning Grumman F9F-5 Panther from Skymaster Jet. The model is roughly ¹/₅ scale, spans 88 inches with a length of 92 inches, and has an all-up weight of approximately 42 pounds. John powers the model with a JetCat P180-RXi turbine.
The Panther features 19 servos and five independent air systems that control the retractable landing gear, brakes, sliding canopy, retractable tailhook and bumper, and dive brakes. The model can be ordered with a gel-coat finish and all of the panel lines and rivets are either ready to paint or fully painted with markings for an extra charge. Many options can be purchased, including landing gear and a detailed cockpit kit.
This is not an ARF or RTF model. John purchased the Panther airframe only and put more than 1,000 hours into assembly and installations. You can see much of the hard work and the systems that were required in the photos. John said that all of his hard work has paid off because the first flights were perfect. He reported that it is a joy to fly.
Here are some facts about the F9F. The Panther was Grumman’s first operational jet-powered aircraft. It was also the first jet used by the Navy’s Blue Angels. It scored the first air-to-air kill by the Navy during the Korean War. It had an air-conditioned cockpit for the pilot. Grumman manufactured nearly 1,400 Panthers, with the last flown on active duty by the U.S. Marines in 1957, although some were flown by the Navy Reserves for another couple of years.
For more information about the Skymaster Jet Panther, visit the website, listed in “Sources.”
Harry Antenucci’s PT-17
Harry Antenucci, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, built a beautiful Nick Ziroli Plans PT-17 Stearman. The model spans 78 inches, weighs slightly more than 21 pounds, and is powered by a 50cc gas engine. Harry originally installed a Zenoah G-38; however, at close to 5,500 feet above sea level, and with an air density of approximately 9,000 feet on a hot summer day, the G-38 had insufficient power.
Harry covered the model with Ceconite Lite fabric from Aircraft Spruce & Specialty Co. and primed the model with Rust-Oleum primer before painting it with exterior latex paint from Lowe’s. Harry also installed all hand-cut rib stitching and made the decals using decal paper on the computer. The larger insignia are all masked and painted.
Additional details include a full lighting system with strobe and marker lights, Robart landing gear struts, a cockpit detail kit, and the front cockpit control column, which operates a hidden ignition kill switch—forward is on and rearward is off.
Great Job, Harry! For more information about Ziroli designs, please visit the Nick Ziroli Plans website.
More than 10,000 PT-17s were built by Stearman and Boeing, which bought Stearman in 1934. The PT-17s became the primary trainers for World War II pilots. More than 1,000 are still flying today as popular civilian aircraft.
Tony Kirchenko’s Thunderbolt Razorback
Last, but not least, is Tony Kirchenko, of Setauket, New York, with his magnificent CARF-Models P-47 Thunderbolt Razorback. The model spans 110 inches with a fuselage length of 90 inches. It weighs slightly more than 50 pounds.
The P-47 is powered by a Desert Aircraft DA-120 twin gas engine and sports Sierra Giant Scale retractable landing gear. The model is finished with Klass Kote epoxy paint and the markings/maskings were provided
Harry Antenucci displays his Ziroli Stearman.
by RED 5 Decals. Tony added full cockpit detail, exterior lights, and a sliding canopy. The model is finished as P-47 Thunderbolt 32-25507 Huckle De Buck of the 405th Fighter Group. Nice work, Tony!
For more information about the P-47, please visit the CARF-Models website.
That’s all for this month. As always, if you’re proud of your latest creation, drop me a line and send some digital photos. I would be honored to include them in an upcoming “RC Giants” column.
SOURCES:
AMA Expo East
www.amaexpo.com
Skymaster Jet
skymasterjets@hotmail.com
www.skymasterjet.com
Nick Ziroli Plans
(631) 467-4765
www.ziroligantscaleplans.com
CARF-Models
info@carf-models.com
www.carf-models.com
Sierra Giant Scale
(440) 476-4885
www.sierragiant.com
