Sm Tall alk A
t the time of this writing, we’re squarely in the midst of our spring windy season, so for the next six weeks or so there’s not going to be
much going on at the field. That being the case, this might be the perfect time to fix up the fleet to make it ready for the summer fly- ing season, once it gets underway. It might also be a good time to look into restoring some of those old favorites that have been ly- ing around for years that were either dam- aged, or are just showing some serious ef- fects of age. Having been involved in a few restora-
tions over the years, I can tell you first hand that restoring a model takes every bit as much effort as building new, but there’s an element of the restoration process that you don’t get from a new model—nostalgia. I have a couple of old models in the shed that my Dad built back in the ’60s, and one original design prototype that I built in high school. Neither of the kits is still avail- able, and the p-type is a one-off, so restora- tion would be the only option in all three cases.
Making the old new The restoration begins with an inspection
to determine just how far the project needs to be taken. Assuming the worst, let’s say a full restoration is in order, which will in- clude a full tear down and re-cover. Begin by removing all of the external components, in- cluding the power and guidance equipment and clean it up or replace it as needed. Then comes the fun part: stripping off the cover. For a dope and tissue or silk covered model, tear off all you can easily remove, then strip the stubborn spots with dope thinner. Oil soaked wood can be cleaned up using KR-2 spot remover or unscented talcum powder. Where iron-on cover was used, a heat gun
will go a long way in de-bonding the cover to remove the majority of the film. Then once
by pat tritle You can reach Pat Tritle at 10313 Snowheights NE, Albuquerque, NM 87112 or via e-mail at
patscustommodels@aol.com
PHOTO: BOB DAVIS
Bob Davis built his C-170 in the colors of his Dad’s C-170B. The model is a graceful flyer, and brings back lots of great memories from his early childhood years.
the cover has been removed, dope thinner or acetone can be used to clean up the residue left behind. I might add too, that rubber gloves and a mask in a well ventilated area are a great idea when you’re working with these chemicals. Poisoning yourself or blow- ing up your shop would not be considered a good thing no matter how cool the project might be! The last step will be a full detail sanding to smooth things up. Now that the frame has been stripped and cleaned up, inspect all of the components for wear or damage and make all the necessary repairs. A drop of thin CyA on each of the glue joints will go a long way toward restor- ing the joints as well, and might fix a weak joint that might not be visible to the naked eye. At this point, the model is ready for cover,
and will revert back to the standard model- ing procedures. From here on, it’ll be just like building new, so the model can be fin- ished up either for display, or to fly. And by
the way, these techniques work exactly the same on ARFs as well, so once your favorite high time ARF is no longer available, all is not lost.
New stuff from old friends This month brings us some cool stuff from
the readers too. First up is the 54-inch span C-172 from Rapheal Leao. The model is cov- ered with and trimmed with Coverite Mi- crolite. The short kit was modified with the earlier 1960s era Skyhawk cabin windows, and the flaps converted to a Fowler type V- style hinging using the small Robart pin hinges. The model is powered with a Suppo 2217 outrunner with a 30-amp ESC and a Top Flite 10–7 wood prop on two 1800 mAh Li-Po cells. Nine-gram servos were used for the flaps, ailerons and rudder/nose wheel steering, and an 11-gram brushless digital servo for the elevator, with a standard 2.4 GHz Futaba 6-channel Rx. An LED lighting kit was also used to add
PHOTO: ROY CEADERSTAM
Roy Ceaderstam restored his Cleveland Models Rearwin Speedster after saving it from going the way of curbside trash pick-up. The model was completely restored and now proudly resides in the WAAAM Museum in Hood River, Oregon.
54
an extra bit of realism to this beautifully fin- ished model. Differential and rudder input was mixed into the ailerons along with a bit of down elevator with flap deflection to make for a terrific flying model of one of the most well-known light planes of modern times. Well done! Next up, Bob Davis from Seymour, TN checked in with his beautifully built 53-inch span C-170. Bob’s model is powered with a Park 450 Outrunner, 30-amp ESC and an APC 11–5.5 prop and a 2-cell, 2400 mAh Li- Po battery. Guidance is by way of six 9-gram servos to operate the flaps, ailerons, rudder and elevator. Coverite Microlite and Model Master enamels were used to cover and trim the model in the scheme of his Dad’s full scale 170B. The finished model came in at 24.6 ounces, making for a very gentle and docile flyer. And next is the Rearwin Speedster origi-
nally built from the Cleveland kit in the ear- ly ’40s, covered in silk and dope, finished in silver and black trim. The model was in de- plorable condition, and after being pur-
JUNE 2012
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