FESTIVAL OF GIANTS
By Sal Calvagna | rcgiants@optonline.net
WELCOME BACK. Summer is coming fast, which means that there are model flying events taking place in every state. Check the “Sanctioned Event Calendar” in Model Aviation or the AMA Event Calendar on the AMA website to find an event near you. You’ll get to meet up with old friends, make new ones, and have fun flying with others.
Featured in this month’s column are some amazing aircraft and people from the 38th Annual Festival of Giants, held by the Binghamton Aeros at its Chenango Bridge, New York, field. Enjoy!
For a bit of background, the club was founded in 1985 by a group of likeminded Giant Scale RC enthusiasts. Their flying field is at Chenango Bridge Airport, a full-scale airport that was established in 1924. In fact, it was Binghamton’s first commercial airport. Amelia Earhart flew into it in 1935 in an autogyro.
The club claims that it has one of the best RC fields in the Northeast. The runway is 2,000 feet long by 145 feet wide with well-manicured grass. The field is rolled smooth each spring and the club keeps the center 1,000 feet closely cropped for its use.
The Binghamton Aeros has hosted the annual Festival of the Giants for the past 38 years. Nearly 60 pilots from as far away as Canada and Florida attended the 2023 event with approximately 150 aircraft. The event was held to raise funds to support the local food bank, Community Hunger Outreach Warehouse (CHOW). Thank you to the sponsors, including National Balsa, that contributed to make this a successful event.
First up is Mike Mirabilio, of Litchfield, Connecticut, with his self-designed 38% Boeing P-26 Peashooter. The model spans 128 inches, weighs 41 pounds, and is powered by a DA-100 twin-cylinder gas engine. Mike used some old three-views to draw up a set of plans.
The P-26 is meticulously finished with MonoKote covering. The cowling and wheel pants were painted using DuPont automotive paint. The model flies well and it looks great.
Matt Balazs, of Nazareth, Pennsylvania, flew a couple of beautiful turbine-powered aircraft. He is pictured with his CARF-Models F-100D, powered by a KingTech 235 turbine engine. Matt uses a PowerBox Core radio and all JR servos. The model was finished using Tailor Made decals, paint stencils, and dry rubs. The F-100 was a real crowd-pleaser and had 160 flights as of this event.
Robert Vandermeulen, of Montgomery, New York, flew his seldom-modeled Don Smith Henschel Hs 129 Tank Buster. The model is 21 years old and is powered by a pair of Zenoah G-23 gas engines. It spans 112 inches, weighs 30 pounds, and uses Century Jet retracts. The Hs 129 was painted with exterior latex paints.
Ron and Joan Liska, of Middletown, Connecticut, flew their beautiful Balsa USA 1/3-scale German Albatros fighter. The model spans slightly more than 118 inches and is powered by a ZDZ 80 gas engine spinning a 26 x 8 propeller. The model weighs 43 pounds, is covered with Solartex material, and is painted using DuPont automotive paint. All of the markings were hand painted.
Sullivan Products’ ambassador-at-large, Fred Visnaw, now of Ocala, Florida, brought an interesting, one-of-a-kind Midwing Special. The 40% model has a wingspan of 130 inches and weighs 50 pounds. It is powered by a DLE-130 engine and has Oratex covering.
The full-scale Midwing Special was
conceived by Jack Poague and Ned Surratt as they looked over a wrecked PA-18 Super Cub. The cabin was removed, along with the high wing, and replaced with an open cockpit and a shoulder-mounted clipped wing. Additionally, the rudder and fin shapes were modified. This unique model flew well with Fred at the controls.
Present at many modeling events, Cathy and Randy Bechtel, of Micro Fasteners, are shown along with their pup, Casper. Micro Fasteners offers standard and metric fasteners, specializing in hard-to-find small sizes ranging from 00-90 through 1/4-20 and M1.4 through M6, including zinc-plated steel, stainless, alloy, brass, copper, and nylon.
The company’s products are made in the US or supplied by a US distributor. Whether you are building or making an airplane, car, train, robot, guitar, or jewelry, Micro Fasteners has the hardware you need at great prices.
In closing, the 39th Annual Festival of Giants will be held August 9-11, 2024. I hope to see you there. Until next time.
SOURCES:
AMA Event Calendar
www.modelaircraft.org/event-calendar
Binghamton Aeros
www.binghamtonaeros.webaur.com
CHOW
www.broomecouncil.net/our-services/chow
Tailor Made Decals
info@tailormadedecals.com
www.tailormadedecals.com
CARF-Models
www.carf-models.com
Balsa USA
(800) 225-7287
www.balsausa.com
Micro Fasteners
(800) 892-6917
www.microfasteners.com
National Balsa
(413) 277-9500
www.nationalbalsa.com
