REVIEWS, COLLABORATIONS, AND CONSTRUCTION ARTICLES
By Bob Noll | bobrc@aol.com
ONCE AGAIN, I will look back 50 years to find out what was going on in RC, as reported by the four magazines that were printed back then.
Radio Control Modeler (RCM) had a construction article by Jim Newman about his Strikemaster. Jim wrote that he felt that his creation should have at least some likeness to a full-scale aircraft. His lunchtime sketches bore resemblances to the Anglo-French Jaguar, the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC) TSR-2, and the BAC Lightning.
Bernie Murphy did a kit review of the Du-Bro SHARK. He wrote, “Du-Bro’s answer to the energy crisis is the finest helicopter kit available. Once you learn, the front street can be adequate for practice. The noise level is lower than a power motor.”
Bernie’s article included 21 photographs of the helicopter under construction and of him flying it from the snow-covered street in front of his home when the temperature was 20° with 30-plus mph wind.
Dave Thornburg and Dick Roberts collaborated on a construction article of the Honker Bipe. The Honker performed some of the wildest maneuvers ever seen with a Taipan .15 RC engine. It was designed to streamline the operation of building two wings. There were no ribs, no spars, and no dihedral braces—just two pieces of sheet balsa laminated at a 6° angle and razor-planed to an airfoil shape.
J. P. Dobyns wrote about his Electronic Fuel Gauge that would help you avoid deadstick landings, which is a must for helicopter pilots.
An article about plywood skis was reprinted from the Michigan Signal Seekers RC Club newsletter. The major advantage of this design was that you did not need to change the landing gear. You’d simply slip off the wheels and pop on the skis. Add three rubber bands and you were in business for some winter flying.
As I wrote this column on December 11, I looked out of my office window to witness a beautiful, snow-covered landscape. Approximately 3 inches of snow had fallen the previous evening.
Flying Models (FM) had an article by Bryce Petersen titled “It’s A Small World Down Below.” Bryce’s article started off by stating, “A big plane and an easily built camera are the safe way to play Francis Gary Powers. You too can spy in the sky with R/C.”
Tony Eck had a construction article in FM about his World War I Bristol M1B. His Stand-Off Scale model was approximately 1-3/4 inch to the foot and was powered by a .40 RC engine.
Ted Bozanich wrote a review of the J. P. Models Javelin. The beautiful soarer traveled within its box and was a third-generation machine for slope lift and spring thermals.
Model Airplane News (MAN) had an RC Scale construction article by Dan Gray of the Cessna 310G, general aviation’s famous light twin, for a modeler who wanted to go all out with a flying Scale machine. Designed by a modeler who flew the full-scale aircraft, it captured the true spirit of the real one.
Dan’s Cessna was 2 inches to a foot, which resulted in a 75-inch wingspan. He thinned down the fuselage because it looked too wide. Dan used two Webra .61 engines to power the airplane, which weighed 18 pounds.
Grady Howard, a well-known helicopter expert, had an article about slimming down the Du-Bro Hughes 300 to a more acceptable width. The modifications were very basic; they did give the helicopter a diet-free look.
American Aircraft Modeler (AAM) had a construction article by Ken Willard titled “Sunday Fighters.” The article was about Ken’s semiscale Spadport and Fokker Heinschmitt using ACE foam wings. Both models were powered by Max .10. engines. The tail feathers were different to support the diverse looks of a German fighter and an American fighter.
New Products in March 1974
Let’s take a look at some of the new products that were being introduced in March 1974.
EK-Logicontrol introduced a host of new radios that ranged in price from $129.95
for its three-channel system to $379.95 for its Super-Pro seven-channel system.
Sullivan Products, Inc. advertised the new Fuel-Caddy with a 12-volt pump for $13.95 and a new high-torque, high-rpm 12-volt starter for $27.95.
Westport International advertised a Pulse Comparator for precision testing of a complete RC system, but no price was given. Prather Products advertised the new Prop Pitch Gauge for $24.95. This was a must for modelers like me who modified their racing propellers for more power and more rpm.
Midwest Products Co. advertised the Strikemaster kit for $42.95, which included all of the balsa parts and foam wing cores. VK Model Aircraft Co. advertised many
kits, including the Cherokee for $43.95, the Cherokee Babe for $29.95, the Navajo for $42.95, the Nieuport 17 for $48.95, the Fokker Triplane for $49.95, and the Corban for $34.95.
Sterling Models showed two multichannel airplanes, the Maxey Hester King Cobra for $47.95 and the Supermarine Spitfire kit for $54.95. Sterling also advertised the Minnie Mambo for 1/2A RC. The kit cost $7.95.
ARF Systems, of Woodland Hills, California, introduced the Acro-Star biplane kit for $89.95 and the Super Kaos kit for $79.95. Carl Goldberg Models advertised its new retract power system for four-channel fliers for $29.95.
Other new items included a MonoKote Heat Gun for $24.95, EK-Logictrol
Champion radio system for $369.95, and a Liberty sport kit by Sig Manufacturing at $43.95.
With that, I will leave you to go to your workbench and start building that airplane that you have been thinking about for years. Maybe it will be scratch-built or from one of the top kits that are available. Just build—it will be very rewarding.
