Indholdsfortegnelse for December 2022 i Model Airplane News

SCALE SPECIAL ISSUE If you’re a Model Airplane News reader, odds are you can appreciate a finely crafted scale RC plane. Scale modeling has been around since the beginning of aviation. As soon as full-scale aircraft took flight, scale modeling quickly followed. This time-honored art combines history and craftsmanship to create aircraft that honor the past and inspire future builders and pilots. In this issue, we get an inside look at Matt Balazs’s impressive, all-composite F-100D Super Sabre jet. Matt shares how it’s aluminum finish didn’t require a complete paint job to look stunning. Want more scale? Whether you’re an old pro or just getting started on your scale journey, we have something for you. Check out our article on Easy Add-Ons to make your aircraft look more scale, from…

FALCON PROPELLERS A scale model deserves a scale propeller! Falcon offers vintage WW I and vintage props, Hamilton Standard-style props for your WW II warbird, and metal-finish propellers for your civilian RC aircraft. And they don’t just look good; they’re suitable for flying, too. Starts at $21 | falconpropellers.com LEGEND HOBBY PAYLOAD RELEASE What’s more scale than releasing a drop tank or payload in flight? Each mechanism allows you to drop two payloads in flight and includes clips that you attach to your payload. It can handle 33-inch-long drop tanks and ordnance up to 1.5 pounds. $60 | legendhobby.com IFLYTAILIES.COM Available illuminated or non-illuminated, wouldn’t these (non-functional) Garmin and GPS displays look great in your scale Cessna? The 1/5-scale is 42 x 32 mm; the 1/4-scale is 53 x 40…

The first U.S. Air Force aircraft capable of supersonic speed at level flight, the North American F-100 made its mark on aviation history. Matt Balazs built his 1/4.75-scale version from the CARF-Models composite kit and has impressed spectators at events like Top Gun, where he recently placed third with the model in the Pro Jet class. I was fortunate to catch up with Matt to learn more about this beautiful—and fast!—model. Model Airplane News: How long have you been into RC airplanes, and how long have you been flying in scale competition? Any important folks who influenced or helped you along the way? Matt Balazs: I actually started flying when I was five, so I’ve been in RC for 42 years now. I got into it because of my dad,…

Scale model aircraft are a great way, and sometimes the only way, to see a historical aircraft fly. Invariably at a fly-in, the aircraft that gets the most attention are the ones with top-notch weathering, detailing, and a fully decked cockpit. Unfortunately, I’ve found that pilot figures usually didn’t look like the real thing. Following the philosophy, “If the model looks real, so should the pilot,” I created my own pilot figure company called “Best Pilots.” I sculpt, make molds, cast and paint my pilot figures so that they look as realistic as possible. Since I paint quite a few pilots a year, I thought I could share some of my knowledge. CLEAN IT UP Before painting, it’s really important to clean the figure. You really have to ensure it’s…

CESSNA 310 Dan Irwin, Champaign, Ilinois PILOT PROJECT OF THE MONTH This fantastic looking Cessna 310 was Dan’s 14-month winter project. He modified the Bud Nosen kit to include Electron retracts and operational landing gear doors and brakes. A lighting kit from Dave’s Electronics includes navigation as well as anti-collision strobes. Dan installed retractable landing lights in the wings and a taxi light on the nose gear. A pair of electronically synchronized RCGF 30cc Stinger engines provide power. Dan was finished the model with automotive paint and says he has loved the 310 since he was a kid and had wanted to build one for several years. CUSTOM VALIANT Thomas Perry, Commerce City, Colorado ARFs are convenient and usually easy to build, but sometimes you want something that looks just…

Almost-ready-to-fly planes are a valuable commodity in a marketplace with a shifting demographic; lots of new fliers may never have gotten into the hobby otherwise. So, what, if anything, are the drawbacks? Not many, except for the sameness of ARF planes! If you’re like me, you want to make your scale ARF just a bit more “yours” without investing a lot of time and money. Follow along for tips and tricks to turn your “ordinary” ARF into a showstopper! START WITH DOCUMENTATION There’s no mistaking the Corsair for any other airplane; its unique, inverted gull wing makes it easily identifiable. Many ARF Corsairs, like this older Hangar 9 model, have a color scheme that’s kinda bland: typical gloss blue with some white markings for contrast. So, the focus of this…

Silicone molds and cast parts have been a go-to technique for scale modelers for decades. Advantages of this process include the ability to quickly reproduce complex shapes with increased strength, and potential weight savings. Compared to rigid fiberglass molds, silicone molds require less equipment, are faster to produce, and do not require mold release. The simplicity of this process makes it ideal for first time mold makers. Whether you are looking to personalize a pre-built model or scratch building a Top Gun masterpiece, these techniques can be used to enhance your next project. For this article we will use my 1/8-scale Lockheed U-2C Dragon Lady as an example. This model was based on the full-scale U-2C located at the Museum of Aviation in Warner Robins, Georgia. A visit to the…

STUBBORN SETSCREWS Have you ever tried to unsuccessfully remove a small setscrew from a threaded hole? Generally, this means we are left with a rounded hole in the setscrew, a rounded end to your hex key tool, or both. I’ve found that I can soften the thread-lock by heating the setscrew with a small soldering iron tip (without heating the rest of the assembly). After a minute or two, the setscrew will come undone, without damaging anything. Nigel Watson, Martinez, California NO-SMELL KICKER We all know that CA glue is a standard in model airplane building; however, the use of kicker, or accelerator, can give some people a bad headache! The problem with accelerator is inhaling the fumes. Instead of using the spray bottle, apply the accelerator with a cotton…

The areas through which the Corsair’s big, round Pratt & Whitney radial engine relieves itself are pretty straightforward and exit at the rear edge of the cowl flaps. On the full-size aircraft, the airstream carried the exhaust back along the fuselage, depositing varying degrees of dark staining. This is simulated most effectively with an airbrush. Pastel chalks can be used but are more difficult to apply in a convincing manner. When using the airbrush, mix your paint for a grayish-brown, color, not solid black. Mix it to a very thin consistency and apply in multiple, very light, almost mist passes, each starting at the exhaust port and ending just a little further aft than the previous pass. Once again, refer to your photos for actual exhaust pattern and intensity. Follow…

TOP PLANES & GEAR TO GIVE—OR GET! BRODAK DARE AERONCA CHAMP Let this 60-inch-span model take you back to the days of stick-and-tissue construction! This $120 kit includes full-size plans and patterns, instructions, laser-cut parts, pre-shaped wire parts and a vacuum-formed cowl and windshield. It requires four sub-microservos, a 450-class outrunner power system and a 2S 2,000mAh battery. brodak.com FMS FUTURA V3 Feel the need for speed? This latest version of the popular Futura design delivers! An installed 3665-KV2000 motor and 100-amp speed control provide plenty of power for its 80mm, 12-blade fan unit, and its all-metal, CNC landing gear sport large tires for rough-field operations. Flashing navigation lights and taxi lights are the icing on the cake! The Futura V3 costs $390. fmsmodel.com ZAP Z-POXY FINISHING RESIN Whether…

AT A GLANCE Model: EC 130 Grand Canyon Manufacturer: Roban Models (robanmodel.com) Distributor: Motion RC (motionrc.com) Type: Flybarless CCPM scale helicopter Rotor span: 55.12 in. Pilot skill level: Advanced Time to assemble: 28 hours Power req’d: 500Kv brushless motor Radio req’d: 8-channel w/4 servos Price: $2,399 Roban has built a great reputation for producing high-quality scale helicopters since 2011. I’ve found their ARF models to be surprisingly easy to assemble and finish. The beautiful EC-130 kit comes very well-packaged in an exceptionally large and very robust, partitioned box. As the fuselage comes fully painted it’s great to see the lengths Roban has gone to ensure the model arrives safely. Smaller inner boxes contain multiple bags that are all clearly labelled and referenced to each step of the build in the…

David Glen’s scratch-built P-51D Mustang is an awe-inspiring work of art that seems more remarkable the closer you look at it. Aluminum lithoplate panels announce air superiority, and the model’s minimalist paint scheme shows off its immaculate surface detail. Even its elevator trim tab and its pushrod and link assembly are the same tube-and-pin arrangements of a full-size P-51D. Peer inside the wheel wells and you’ll see the fuel selector-valve, hydraulics, and hoses. And the cockpit, with its abundant switches, gauges, and controls, is a master class in scale fidelity. David spent eight years designing and building this static-display piece, which is a 1/5-scale reproduction of a restored P-51D that’s on display at the RAF Museum at Hendon in North London, UK. Of his building methods, David writes, “In my…