CrossFiles
by don ross You can reach Don Rossat 8 Village Lane, Methuen, MA 01844, or via e-mail at
flywords@comcast.net
PHOTO: CLUB MEMBER Contests at the National Building Museum in Washinton, D.C. bring out the very best in indoor modeling. Here are five unusual models flown there recently. I
received quite a few very detailed replies to my inquiry about changing F/F gas 30-inch old time replicas to electric R/C. Among them was a CD
from a builder and flyer of much reknown who I have admired for a long time. Bob Aberle has been a contest winner, designer, writer and contest director for many years. He even chastised me at a meet for holding the frequency too long. Bob is not only a gen- tleman flyer, he is a fine writer who is able to explain complicated building procedures to a dolt like me. I had asked for instructions on what mo- tor, battery, Rx, prop, speed control and ser-
vos to use to convert, say a Brooklyn Dodger at 32-inch span from .020 gas power F/F to electric R/C. I have about 12 of these repli- cas from the 1940s and I’m ready to stop chasing them. What arrived was a pair of CDs. The
first covered 12 issues of RC Micro World with construction articles on several planes in the 200 square inch range show- ing exactly what to use. The other CD was a surprise gift of Bob’s 120-page book called, The World of Indoor/Micro Radio Controlled Model Aircraft (The Why and the How). Let me tell you as a successful modeling writer and an experienced
columnist, this book is terrific! Every nu- ance of designing, building and flying is covered in great detail and simplicity. All sources are detailed and explained and the pictures are enough to make you rush to the building board. I know that I’m not the only builder who will never see 70 again and, if I want to con- tinue to fly off the small fields around me, I must get into electric R/C. If I’m going to avoid chasing (and losing) my venerable Brooklyn Dodger yet again (Rich Fiore has seen it go OOS twice) I need some control. I may try to design a detachable R/C system that I can switch from plane to plane as the old timers did with the gas motor, prop, tank, spark coil and landing gear on their projects. If it works you will see it in these pages. Bob’s book covers weight and size to
choose; five categories of planes—Sub micro, Micro, Standard Indoor, Open Indoor, Back Yard Flyers; Types of Aircraft; How Best to Get Started; What Type of Equipment; Eight Different Models, and much more. All sources are detailed and there are enough pictures and building hints to get anyone from a beginner to a better than average fly- er. The best news is that you can buy this gem for only $10.00. Pay through PayPal to
cardinal.eng@grics.net. Or pay by mail, checks payable to Roland Friestad, 1640 North Kellog St., Galesburg, IL 61401. Contests at the National Building Muse-
um in Washington, D.C. draw some of the best indoor modelers in the East. Every kind of indoor model is flown there and some of the scale stuff is wonderful to look at and watch fly. This year a picture was taken of the most unusual types flown. I wish the pic- ture showed the five sixteen-year-olds who attended but we’ll have to settle for the group we see. Maybe with better publicity, we could get more youngsters involved. I do like to see some of the old time mod-
PHOTO: G. KANDYLAKIS Mr. Kandylakis’ Spad takes the prize in Don’s book for the most ribs. And it’s a peanut scale too. 26
els brought back as new kits. Laser cutting will certainly sharply reduce the hours needed to finish a kit. I think that it might
JUNE 2012
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