Henry R. Carstens


president and publisher carstens@carstens-publications.com


Frank Fanelli editor


Jim Wiggin associate editor Maureen Frazer production editor John A. Earley


vice-president and director of advertising


Pieter W. Uptegrove advertising manager George Riley


director of marketing Larry Deitch


advertising production manager


Tammy Havens advertising production


Phyllis M. Carstens assistant to the publisher


Otto Vondrak webmaster Chris Lane


book acquisitions manager


Lynn Good, Dot Schmidt customer service


Cathy Streeter dealer service


FLYING MODELS (ISSN 0015-4849) Incorporating FLYING ACES and R/C Model Boating, is published monthly by Carstens Publications, Inc., 108 Phil Hardin Road, Fredon Township, Newton, New Jersey 07860. Phone: 973-383-3355. FAX: 973-383-4064. Visit our web site at www.flying-models.com, or e-mail us at: carstens@carstens-publications.com. Henry R. Car- stens, President; John A. Earley, Vice President, Phyl- lis Carstens, Secretary / Treasurer. Periodicals Postage paid at Newton, NJ 07860 and additional mailing offices.


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Contact Flying Modelsat (973) 383-3355 Voice, (973) 383-4064 FAX, or e-mail us at frankf@flying-models.com


ention the name Joe Bridi and for many modelers who have been around the hobby at least 20 years or more it instantly


conjures a host of great model aircraft de- signs, from trainers to Pattern ships. One of Bridi’s designs that I enjoyed for years was the Super Kaos. To say it finished its career pretty beat up from continual use would probably be more than an under- statement. The plane was rock stable and stayed where you put it. There were times when I found it so easy to fly—slow, or wide open—that I thought it could have probably been used as a trainer.


Remember what I said last month about my venerable J-Craft? It had a tapered— thickness and sweep—wing with a semi- symmetrical airfoil. It was super stable and not easily upset by puffs of wind like the more lightly loaded flat bottom trainers. The only real difference between the J-Craft and the Super Kaos was the symmetrical wing of the latter.


Guess Joe must have been doing some-


thing right with that plane because it has endured in one form or another ever since it was first published by Radio Control Model- er in 1973.


But Bridi seems to be better remembered for his Pattern designs, and as a long time competitor he had more than a few under his belt. One of the standouts was the Dirty Birdy that appeared in RCM in 1975 and participated center stage in the Pattern world for almost another 10 years. Nowa- days it’s finding favor with the Senior Pat- tern Association (SPA) and any others who look for a simpler plane than today’s far more sophisticated Pattern planes. Someone who knows a lot about the Dirty


Birdy—he flew a kit-built model in competi- tion back in its heyday—is Ron Lockhart. So, with his Pattern background and expe- rience with the original Birdy, I asked Ron to take a look at the new Great Planes ARF version of Bridi’s beautiful design. So if you’re contemplating a model with solid Pattern roots to expand your precision flying skills or to compete in low-key Pattern contest you’ll definitely want to see what Ron has to say about this recent arrival. It’s an old saying, and perhaps more than a little well worn, but it’s said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I suppose that statement takes on far more relevance when you compare the graceful beauty of Joe Bri- di’s Dirty Birdy with a look at Dick Sarpo- lus’s Blohm and Voss P.179 for R/C. It’s good to have Dick back with us again after a few year’s hiatus.


This is the first of several “unique” air-


craft he’s planned to share with us, and the total asymmetry of the P.179 proves an in- teresting point. If you want to determine if a less than obvious design will fly not just adequately but pretty decently, then start with a simple profile. It justifies the plan- form and the all important c.g. Dick did that with P.179 and did it with inexpensive foam.


Stands to reason that you don’t risk an ex-


tensive build to try something as “unique” as this German concept of a WW II fighter bomber. And while the real aircraft was nev- er produced or even flight tested, Dick found out with his profile foamie that it flew pret- ty good.


It definitely is something of an ugly duck-


ling that could grow on you—remember that saying about beauty—and if you’re looking for something easily constructed that will get plenty of notice at the field, and offer a really different look, then the Blohm and Voss is just the thing you want. And in the vein of unique and different, let’s turn to Tom Nallen II’s Dorand AR.1. Not very well known, this WW I French re- connaissance plane satisfied Tom’s desire for something no one else had done. That seems to be a hallmark of many of the mod- elers who design their own planes for FAC scale competition. Go to an FAC Nats and I guarantee you’ll get a look at planes you never knew existed. That’s wonderful. Anyway, Tom did a great job putting the plane and article together. And it’s good that he is back with us after his own hiatus. Judging from the great performance he found in the Dorand, it’s hoped that it won’t be very much longer until he shares his next creation with us. Since he retired Larry Kruse has im- mersed himself in modeling, adding R/C to his already extensive modeling repertoire. With nothing to do (ha!) he ambled down to Dallas this past June for the second War- birds over Texas R/C get-together. As he re- ports, this growing event did not disappoint and looks to become something major in the not too distant future. If you’re in that neighborhood next June, Larry suggests you just might stop in and see some of the great models and some great flying.


So to continue with the warbird theme for a bit more, let’s turn to Chris Susicke’s re- view of the new Hangar 9 P-40 Warhawk. This is the “B” model, the version first used by the American Volunteer Group (AVG) in China. Though the AVG planes did have the famous shark’s mouth nose art, the Hangar 9 version eschews that to present the P- 40Bs that fought at Pearl Harbor. Chris put the P-40 through its paces and then some. He pushes planes to their limit and reports that this warbird earns some distinguished accolades.


And a welcome back to Jim Vigani who has started to mix C/L into his flight time, alongside R/C. He “acquired” a Brodak Ori- ental ARF, sans engine. According to him the plane was begging for electric power and so he retrofit an appropriate Brodak power system in the plane along with one of Will Hubin’s excellent timers. In a nutshell, Jim likes it a real lot.


Fresh from the FAC Nats an enthusiastic


Stew Meyers asked for some extra column pages to document the very neat and suc- cessful electric models he saw there. You’ll like them too. –FRANK FANELLI


NOVEMBER 2012


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