PHOTO: JERRY DUDECK
Jerry Dudeck’s flair for biplanes led him to build his electric powered 4-channel Grumman Ag Cat (above left), and in spite of its pudgy utilitarian look, the Ag Cat is a terrific flyer. Starting with the clipped wing Taylorcraft (above right),
both built from the 17-inch span Dumas rub- ber freeflight kits. The Eindecker uses the motor, and AR6400 brick from a P-51 foamy. The R/C set-up consists of throttle/eleva- tor/rudder control, with carbon fiber pushrods. Finish and trim are tissue and dope. Flying weight is 1.5 ounces, and she flies beautifully. The J-4 also uses the P-51 running gear, with a flying weight of 1.45 ounces with its dope and tissue finish. Now, from a name we’re all familiar with—Bob Aberle has checked in with his little Oriole. The original design is one from none other than Joe Wagner from 1979 that was never published or kitted. The R/C con- version was done using the E-flite Park 180 making 14 watts of power. The model spans 22 inches with an area of 65 square inches and tips the scales at 4 ounces. Guidance for the all-sheet balsa model is from the Spek- trum AR6310 Rx and a pair of the new E- flite DS-35 digital sub-micro servos. And as Bob so eloquently puts it: “The beauty of this design is the all-balsa construction that needs no covering and the fact that there are no wing ribs. How easy can it get?” Then moving on to things more conven- tional, Phillip Agnoletto dropped in with this cute little T-Craft, converted back to full span, beginning with the PCM clipped wing T-Craft short kit. The model was done by adding the original rounded wing tips bring- ing the span up to 39 inches. The model is
PHOTO: BOB ABERLE
PHOTO: PHILLIP AGNOLETTO
Phillip Agnoletto went to work converting the model back to its original full span round wing tip model. And with the addition of oversized wheels, the model performs beautifully on the rough field he flies on.
powered with a DM2203-1600 outrunner with a Hobbywing Flyfun 10A ESC and a GWS 8–4 prop and a 2S 800 mAh battery. Guidance is by way of the Spektrum AR6115E Rx and four Tower Pro SG-50 ser- vos. It tips the scales at 9.4 ounces. The mods also include a custom made cowl and a DuBro 1:12 scale Sportsman pilot. And since Phillip flies from a gravel strip, oversize “bush wheels” were added making takeoffs and landings from the rough field a breeze. Next up, Jerry Smith checked in with his recently finished Swami from the BMJR kit. The model spans 46 inches and is powered with a 400 class outrunner motor and 3- channel R/C. The finished flying weight is 19 ounces with a 3S 1320 Li-Po battery. Jer- ry showed the model to his wife who said, “What an odd looking airplane.” Maybe so, but it does have charm.
And then we have a slick little restoration from Larry Renger. The Sky Streak was originally built from FMplans, but after a couple of unscheduled inverted landings and a run-in with a 60 size Stunter, the model was in bad need of some serious refinishing. So after stripping the cover, making the nec- essary repairs and recovering with MonoKote she was back in the saddle, so to speak. The trim was hand cut from MonoKote using patterns drawn up in AutoCAD with the required paint work done using Painters Choice 2-part system.
Power comes from an AP Wasp swinging an APC 5.5–2.5 prop. Elevator control is supplied by a single bellcrank—oops, sorry ’bout that, guess I’ve been dabbling in R/C way too long! Well done, and another old tired one will grace the skies once again. And last but certainly not least, Jerry Dudeck is back, this time with the very un- usual 42-inch span Grumman Ag Cat built from the PCM short kit. Just looking at the odd proportions of the stubby little biplane one would expect it to be a real oddball in the air, but it’s not. The model flies ex- tremely well—but then, if it says Grumman on it, it’s bound to be good, and this one lives up to the reputation very nicely. Jer- ry’s model is powered by an E-flite 400 mo- tor and a Castle 18-amp ESC and a Thun- der Power 2100 mAh 2S battery. Guidance is a Spektrum AR 6100E receiver, four Hitec HS-55 servos, and a DX7 transmitter. Ready to fly, the Cat weighs in at 20.45 ounces, using Coverite Microlite and graphics from Callie Graphics. The Ag Cat not only flies well, but looks great in the air too.
Well, it looks like that’s going to do it for this month, so get that shop cleaned up, fix those models needing a bit of TLC, and en- joy the winter building season that’s rapid- ly approaching. And above all, keep those terrific photos coming. We love to see your stuff.
PHOTO: LARRY RENGER
When it comes to a simple design, Joe Wagner has it down. And when it comes to a simple, and very nice model, Bob Aberle is “The Man”, so it’s no surprise that Bob’s Oriole(at left) turned out to be a fantastic little R/C model for small field flying. After taking its lumps at the flying field, Larry Renger restored his very unusual, but great flying Sky Streak(above) back to new condition and is still flying it every chance he gets.
FLYING MODELS 51
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