RC GIANT SCALE
JORG VOGELSANG-BUILT M.35
By Sal Calvagna | rcgiants@optonline.net
WELCOME BACK. Spring is in the air; it’s time to focus on getting the fleet ready for the upcoming flying season and to catch up with good friends at your favorite flying events. This month’s column features a couple of aircraft submitted by our readers. Enjoy.
While reading a recent Model Aviation magazine, Thomas Maxam, of Indianapolis, saw a Messerschmitt M 35 featured in the “RC Giant Scale” column. The BFW M.35, sometimes known as the M 35, was a German sports airplane of the early 1930s. Willy Messerschmitt designed six sport aircraft from 1927 to 1933. The M.35 was the last of the six.
Thomas wanted to share with our readers his very own M.35 that formerly belonged to Jorg Vogelsang. Jorg was the father of Götz Vogelsang, the proprietor of Vogelsang Aeroscale. The airplane was an older build and needed a bit of repair and upgrades. It even had two wasp nests in the fuselage.
Thomas worked on the M.35 for a few weeks installing new electronics, servos, and an engine. The full-scale aircraft used a Siemens-Halske seven-cylinder radial engine with exposed rocker arms, so he found a used Moki 257 seven-cylinder radial to power the model for scale fidelity. He also added an instrument panel from Noll-Modelltechnik in Germany. The removable firewall design incorporated all engine controls, the ignition, fuel pump, and fuel tank as one unit.
Thomas stated that the M.35 is the most beautiful airplane he has flown in 40 years of modeling. Nice work, Thomas!
1/3-Scale Balsa USA SPAD XIII
Another AMA member, Jake Chichilitti, of Santa Rosa, California, recently submitted photos and information about his 1/3-scale Balsa USA SPAD XIII. Jake read the “I Am the AMA” profile about me in the December 2024 issue of Model Aviation
and reported that he was also stationed in Alaska while serving in the U.S. Air Force. He served at Eielson Air Force Base from 1966 to 1967, which is located right outside of Fairbanks. Jake jokingly commented about the lengthy building season up there.
He grew up in the Philadelphia area, where his older brother got him interested in flying models. During this time, Jake was able to attend a couple of Nats competitions at Willow Grove Naval Air Station in Pennsylvania and the Aerolympics at the Lakehurst Naval Air Station in New Jersey. After his discharge, he moved to Northern California, where he currently resides.
The full-scale SPAD S.XIII was fast and robust and among the most successful fighters of World War I. It was flown by some of the famous Allied pilots of the time, including Eddie Rickenbacker. The SPAD S.XIII was well known for its ability to dive at a high speed, which was an extremely sought-after trait when getting into and out of aerial combat. By the end
of the war, approximately 8,500 had been built and flown by many of the Allied nations.
Jake’s SPAD is powered by a Valach 120cc inline twin engine with a 32 x 12 propeller. It is covered with Sig Koverall and primed with low-shrink nitrate dope. The finish is brushed-on latex outdoor house paint. Callie Graphics supplied the paint mask and the Hat in the Ring decal. The weight is 55.75 pounds without fuel.
Jake reports that he is not an experienced Giant Scale pilot, so the maiden was flown by his friend, Jeff Lovitt, a highly regarded Scale model pilot. According to Jake, Jeff made it look easy. Great job, Jake!
That’s all for this month. If you would like to see your project grace the pages of Model Aviation, send me some digital photos and a writeup and I will do my best to include them in a future “RC Giant Scale” column. Calm winds and smooth flights!
SOURCES:
Vogelsang Aeroscale
(919) 533-6275
www.aeroscale.shop
Balsa USA
(800) 225-7287
https://balsausa.com
Noll-Modelltechnik
wfn@noll-modelltechnik.de
www.noll-modelltechnik.de
Sig Mfg. Co., Inc.
(847) 257-7491
www.sigmfg.com
Callie Graphics
info@callie-graphics.com
www.callie-graphics.com
