CHOOSING
A RARE
SUBJECT
By Stan Alexander | onawing4602@att.net
THE ADVANTAGES OF CHOOSING an obscure or seldom-modeled aircraft are many in Static judging. I’ve discussed this before. When you have a rare aircraft or one that no one has ever modeled before, there are several advantages, as well as some disadvantages.
On the plus side, you have a model that almost no one—or anyone, for that matter—has modeled before, and it’s unique in many respects. The judges don’t know it as well as they do a P-51 or a Piper Cub. You have to make your own plans from full-scale drawings, cut your own parts (kit), make all of the fiberglass or parts, and sometimes even make the landing gear.
Lars Hembro, of Sweden, selected the Italian-built Caproni Ca.313 bomber as his Scale project for the FAI F4C Scale competition. It’s not yet finished, but with each month, he’s getting closer to the maiden flight of this beautiful twin.
The wingspan of this large twin is 119.2 inches and the weight is projected to come out to 31 pounds. The color will be the Italian scheme that the airplanes sported when they were delivered to Sweden. A curiosity is that the airplanes were painted in the colors intended for France but were never delivered because of the outbreak of the war.
The fiberglass nose is based on factory drawings. The nose was then built in a sandwich, with cardboard templates between layers of foam insulation. The nose was shaped with help from the cardboard and covered with two layers of fiberglass.
When all of this was done, Lars took out the foam and had a nose shell. It was possible to position all of the windows with the help of remains
from the template. When the windows were cut out, he added the inner structure to stiffen it. The windows were glued on the outside of the bars and he added a layer of lithoplate to hide the window joints. Fortunately, there are only three panes of glass with a double curvature; all of the others are simple curves.
Thanks, Lars!
Fokker Dr.I
Bill Brucken, who has been a contestant, judge, and participant in many Scale contests and fly-ins, has built a popular World War I model, the Fokker Dr.I triplane, from a Balsa USA kit. Bill’s version is 1/3 scale. The triplane was used by Germany late in WW I by its leading aces, including Baron Manfred Von Richthofen.
Bill built the model according to the plans then covered it with fabric. After that, he had latex paint mixed at Home Depot and painted the model without using any filler or primer. Bill said that it worked so well that he’ll not paint an airplane another way.
The model spans 93-3/4 inches and has mostly Balsa USA hardware, including the Spandau machine guns and vintage wheels. One of the cool items that Bill added was the aluminum cowling.
He bought a 1/3-scale Sopwith Pup cowling from Balsa USA then cut, flanged, and detailed it with brass and aluminum screws. He then took a piece of 1/4-inch plywood and chucked this into a hole saw bit, cut the circle, added a hardwood stick and a Scotch-Brite coarse pad with CA glue, attached it to the drill press, and made all of the swirls.
It’s a great-looking model, Bill!
RCScaleBuilder.com
The RCScaleBuilder.com Scale Vendor Resource Guide is a great visual tool to download from the website if you are a member. It has a large variety of hard-to-find items to complete your model. The guide is updated four times a year and there are sometimes several additions.
NASA Scale Classic
The National Association of Scale Modeler’s (NASA) Scale Classic takes place September 16-18 in West Sunbury, Pennsylvania. There are AMA Scale classes for every level of experience, from Fun Scale Novice to Designer Sport Scale. A host of events will also be held, from special Pilot’s Choice and Spectator’s Choice awards to several raffles,
including Saturday night’s banquet. Dry camping is available. It should be a great time for everyone who attends. I hope to see you there!
Warbirds and Classics Over Tullahoma
Some of my favorite events to attend are the more relaxing Scale events such as Warbirds and Classics Over Tullahoma. It will be held October 6-8, 2022, at the Coffee Airfoilers Model RC Club’s field off of Wattendorf Highway at Arnold Air Force Base in Tullahoma, Tennessee. It’s not far off of I-24.
The club is blessed with a wonderful site and great members, a long, grass runway, and a generous overflow area. Dry camping is available, and there is lodging within 5 miles of the site. Paul Green is the contest director and has a lot of experience. It should be a great event!
Fair skies and tailwinds.
