PHOTOS: DAVID PAYNE
David Payne’s scratchbuilt 46-inch span OV-10 Bronco (above left) looks terrific in its painted finish with details added using a felt tip marker and a touch
A great side effect of flying formation is
that it will dramatically improve your over- all flying skills as well, simply because now you’re actually flying your model, not just chasing the prop around boring holes in the sky. I only fly formation with these guys about twice a year and have never had a mid-air, but only because we all understand the one hard and fast rule of formation fly- ing, which is that two airplanes simply can’t occupy the same airspace at the same time! So to avoid collisions, make sure there’s al- ways light between the airplanes, and don’t make any radical moves. If things get un- comfortable, it’s best to gently leave the for- mation and catch up again once your wits are back in check.
A bit of old Let’s start this month’s showcase with
John Pomroy’s Cleveland Fleetster. Last month we looked at the bones of this classic old airplane, and since then, John has fin- ished and flown the model. From the looks of the photo I’d say that this one was a grand success. Next up is David Wagner’s Stahlwerk R-
IIIb. The 15-inch span Polish homebuilt was originally built from Walt Mooney plans published in Model Builder magazine in 1973. Dave built the model in 1988, and then
PHOTO: DAVID WAGNER
of weather detail added using the airbrush. With its large canopy, a bit of cockpit detail (above right) can turn a simple model into a real masterpiece.
gave it to a friend before moving to Singa- pore. The model recently made its way back to Dave, who now lives in Santa Fe, NM. Dave has since recovered the model and re- stored it to flying condition. Dave also com- mented on Walt Mooney’s method of tight- ening the monofilament rigging. After the lines are installed, he would hold the model over the stove and shrink the monofilament with heat—hopefully without igniting the model. Has anyone else tried this method?
And a bit of new Our good friend, Tony Moore, is back
again, this time with his freeflight Peril, de- signed by Stan Pearson, and built from the Aeromodeller pull-out plan. After seeing one fly at Middle Wallop, Tony went on the hunt for a set of plans that eventually came to him by way of a gentleman known only as Simon. The 24-inch span model is powered by a PAW 55 diesel, and though the trim- ming process has been a bit challenging, it is well on its way to becoming a great little flyer.
From here we move on to David Payne’s beautifully scratchbuilt 46-inch span OV-10 Bronco. David powered the model with a pair of 480 outrunner motors running on 3 cells. The model also has retractable landing gear along with the standard rudder, eleva- tor and aileron control. All up the model tips
the scales at 3¼ pounds and is reported to fly well and grooves very nicely. But the best part of the whole thing is the
level of detail that David has applied to the model. The painted finish was panel lined using a felt tip marking pen, with a bit of shading and weathering done using an air- brush. But the high point of the whole thing is in the cockpit. The level of detail in there is incredible, right down to the seats, oxygen masks and instrument panels. And with so much space that needs filling under that huge bubble canopy all that detail really shows well. Very nicely done, and well worth the extra effort. Well guys, that about wraps it up for an-
other month. The weather outside is start- ing to come around, so we’re able to get out more now and test fly some of our winter creations to get ready for the summer flying season. Meanwhile, David’s restoration brought to mind that maybe a word or two on restoring older models might make for some interesting reading since I know most of us have a model or two that could use a bit of TLC, so next month we’ll take a look at that. But for now, I’d like to offer a hearty “well done” to all of you, so keep those cards and letters coming, and just for grins, have a go at a bit of formation flying. It’ll add a level of enjoyment to your regular flying day that little else can match.
PHOTO: TONY MOORE
David Wagner’s Stahlwerk R-IIIb (at left) is a great example of how well an old model can look after a bit of restoration. We all have an old model or two that would do well again with just a little effort. The “cute factor” (above) is clear off the scale with Tony Moore’s freeflight Peril. Tony’s model is powered with a PAW .55 diesel engine and is coming along nicely as the trimming process progresses.
FLYING MODELS 51
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