Author: Sal Calvagna

Edition: Model Aviation - 2026/02
Page Numbers: 68, 69, 70
RC Giant Scale

Golden Age Greats and Warbird Wonders

Dennis Henry poses with his fleet of Stinson Reliant SR-9s.

Rick’s Hall Bulldog in flight. This model was superb in all aspects: sound, sight, and performance.
Rick’s Hall Bulldog in flight. This model was superb in all aspects: sound, sight, and performance.

By Sal Calvagna rcgiants@optonline.net

Aleksey Lomov is shown with his RCGF 70-powered Top RC F4U Corsair.
Aleksey Lomov is shown with his RCGF 70-powered Top RC F4U Corsair.

RC Giant Scale

Welcome back, and greetings and salutations for 2026. Here’s to hoping for a healthy, happy, and productive modeling year.

This month’s column features a selection of outstanding Giant Scale models from the Golden Age RC Model Meet, which was hosted by the Tri-County Sky Barons, and the Fall Warbirds and Classics Over Fredericksburg event that was hosted by the Fredericksburg Area RC Club. I hope you enjoy them.

Seven-year-old Clay Thompson, shown with his Hempel 1/4-scale L-4 Grasshopper, was the youngest pilot at the Fall Warbirds and Classics Over Fredericksburg and flew amazingly well.
Seven-year-old Clay Thompson, shown with his Hempel 1/4-scale L-4 Grasshopper, was the youngest pilot at the Fall Warbirds and Classics Over Fredericksburg and flew amazingly well.

Golden Age RC Model Meet

The Golden Age RC Model Meet, which is held each year in August at the Golden Age Air Museum in Bethel, Pennsylvania, had its largest attendance to date in 2025. Approximately 85 registered pilots came with around 200 model aircraft that ranged from early aviation through World War II. Any era of model could fly on Wednesday and Thursday; however, Friday and Saturday were restricted to aircraft that were produced and flown up to 1941.

Dennis Henry, of Camden, North Carolina, likes Stinson Reliant SR-9s—so much so that he brought along three of them! Two are Phoenix Model ARFs powered by O.S. 33 and DLE-35 engines. The third Stinson has a UMS 55 radial engine.

The Stinson Reliant series of aircraft was manufactured by the Stinson Aircraft Division of the Aviation Manufacturing Corporation of Wayne, Michigan. Production ran from 1933 to 1941, with variants from SR-1 through SR-10K. Approximately 1,350 Reliants were produced.

Rick Cawley, of Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina, built an amazing 40% Hall Bulldog Racer using plans from Vern Clemens of Caldwell, Idaho. The model spans 125 inches, weighs 64 pounds, and is powered by a Moki 300 radial engine. Rick covered the model with Stits Poly Lite fabric and used nitrate dope, automotive base coat, and clearcoat paint. Callie Graphics supplied the spray masks to complete it. Rick handmade all of the molds for the model, which took three years to construct.

Bob Hall, who was the Granville Brothers (Gee Bee) chief engineer, test pilot, and draftsman, left the company after a bitter dispute to start his own company. He designed the Hall Bulldog just in time for the 1932 Cleveland Air Races. Disappointed that his Bulldog came in sixth place, a disgusted Bob dismantled the Bulldog so that it would never race again. Cleveland Model Supply, a well-known Cleveland model airplane kit manufacturer, acquired the cowling, wheel pants, and cockpit canopy, the only large pieces that remained after the aircraft was torn apart. These last parts of the Bulldog were eventually donated to a scrap-metal collection in Cleveland during WW II.

Mike Ferguson with his Meister Scale Messerschmitt Bf 109. Takeoffs and landings were made easy with Mike’s piloting skills.
Mike Ferguson with his Meister Scale Messerschmitt Bf 109. Takeoffs and landings were made easy with Mike’s piloting skills.

Fall Warbirds and Classics Over
Fredericksburg

The Fall Warbirds and Classics Over Fredericksburg, hosted by the Fredericksburg Area RC Club, was held October 8-11. Close to 40 pilots were registered, with more than 100 model aircraft in attendance.

The youngest pilot in attendance was 7-year-old Clay Thompson of Arlington, Virginia, who flew his Bill Hempel 1/4-scale L-4 Grasshopper powered by a DLE-30 gas engine. What a great job he did flying the Grasshopper! Clay says that he started flying at just 5 years old! Way to go, Dad, for starting him off at an early age—he’s the future of our hobby!

Aleksey “Crazy Russian” Lomov, of Philadelphia, expertly flew his Top RC Vought F4U Corsair that is powered by an RCGF Stinger 70 twin-cylinder gas engine. The model boasts Robart retracts, NoBS batteries, and is controlled by a Spektrum radio.

Mike Ferguson, of New Milford, Connecticut, flew his Meister Scale Messerschmitt Bf 109, which is powered by a DA-85 gas engine. The model is notorious for problematic takeoffs and landings because of the narrow main landing gear, but Mike had no issues with it at all. The aircraft tracked straight and true. Nice job flying, Mike!

Ron Stahl, of Reisterstown, Maryland, flew his all-wood Grumman F9F Panther that was built from Ziroli Plans. The model is powered by a Bob Violett Models (BVM) 120 EDF unit with two 6S 5,600 mAh LiPo battery packs. The model flew extremely well. (As a side note, Ron and Nick Ziroli Sr. are friends who worked together in the aerospace industry.)

That’s all for now. Let’s all have a great modeling year for 2026. Send me photos of your current projects.

Ron Stahl’s all-wood F9F Panther was built from Ziroli plans and is powered by a BVM 120 EDF engine on two 6S 5,600 mAh LiPo battery packs.
Ron Stahl’s all-wood F9F Panther was built from Ziroli plans and is powered by a BVM 120 EDF engine on two 6S 5,600 mAh LiPo battery packs.

SOURCES