REFRESHED
CESSNA
150/152
Kim Stern | kimcon@yahoo.com
Photos provided by Tony Patterson
KIM STERN (Maricopa, Arizona) has owned his RC Guys Cessna 150 for more than six years and has had many wonderful flights. In January 2020, he “refreshed” the Cessna 150 into a 96-inch wingspan Cessna 152 by stripping off the old covering and giving it a new paint scheme. He converted it into a Cessna 152 for two reasons. “First, I got my private pilot’s license in a 152 many years ago, and second, I always liked the full-size Cessna 152’s paint scheme,” he wrote.
Power is by a DLA 32cc gas engine turning a Master Airscrew two-blade 18 x 10 propeller. Control is by a Spektrum DX18 transmitter. Kim’s “new” Cessna 152 was covered with one roll each of midnight blue UltraCote and white MonoKote. He had a local sign shop print new vinyl letters and the N number.
“I started in RC back in 1978 and build and fly mostly Scale,” Kim stated. He is a member of the Maricopa RC Club.
The photos were taken by Kim’s friend and fellow club member Tony Patterson, who is a semiprofessional photographer. Tony used a Canon EOS-R camera and 275mm telephoto lens to take the photos. The entire refurbishment can be read about in Kim’s RCGroups forum thread at https://bit.ly/39QbdPq.
Photo provided by Tom Murray | tgmurr10@gmail.com
TOM MURRAY’S (Poplar Grove, Illinois) friends encouraged him to share pictures with us of his Ryan PT-22 model and its full-scale inspiration. Tom wrote:
“A couple years ago in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, I had the opportunity to see the Seagull Models Ryan in person. I knew that I had to build one to resemble my full-scale PT-22.
“I have been the caretaker of the full-scale 1942 Ryan since 2016. The original aircraft was completed in San Diego on February 27, 1942, with the company serial number of 1905. It was delivered to the Army Air Corps on March 25 of that year and given the Army serial number 41-20696. Delivered by air to Sequoia Field near Visalia, California, the Ryan served as a primary trainer until August of 1944. It was sold as surplus in October 1944 and given the civilian registration NC48608, which it retains to this day.
“Like many other aircraft of that era, it has been through many hands. I am the 14th owner, including the U.S. Army. Using a Seagull ARF kit as a basis and with help from Callie Graphics, I have been able to construct a credible likeness of the full-scale airplane.
“I was finally able to get out on a nice spring day here in northern Illinois to get some pictures of the two airplanes together. Because all of my other models are electric, I decided to sacrifice a more authentic sound and go with the E-flite Power 160 motor and a 20 x 10 wooden propeller. I primarily followed the kit, but some items were scratch-built to add detail.
“We haven’t had the maiden flight yet (as of April 2020), but as soon as the weather and the COVID-19 social orders allow, we will get out.”
Photo provided by Michael Kranitz | michael@kranitz.com
MICHAEL KRANITZ submitted a photo of his 1/5-scale Vario Bell 429 in Bell’s EMS livery shortly before its maiden flight. The photo was captured by a fellow pilot at the Jefco Aeromodelers flying site inside Chatfield State Park in Littleton, Colorado.
“This beast is powered by a Jakadosky Pro 5000 turbine and features actual police strobes, a scale cockpit, and sliding stretcher,” Michael wrote. With a 2.5-meter rotor span, it also features aluminum rotor blades and uses a JETI 12 REX receiver, bavarianDEMON Azon gyro, V-Speak turbine telemetry module, and Futaba BLS servos.
Michael is a rotary turbine contest director and has flown since 1971. He cofounded RCUniverse.com and founded RCFlightDeck.com and RCPilot magazine.
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