Sm Tall alk W
ell boys and girls, it’s that time of year once again. There’s a chill in the air, snow is starting to fly, and Christmas is right around the corner. It’s a great time to be settling in and getting started on those new winter projects while the season has us locked inside for awhile. It’s hard to believe that another year has passed, but since we had a terrific flying season, the thoughts of easing into a couple new winter builds doesn’t seem all that bad.
Meanwhile, the December column has sort of become a showcase for some good gift ideas, but you guys already keep an eye on the good people who advertise here so this time I’ll touch on a couple of new items that came to me recently, then we’ll get into some great reader’s contributions.
Some great stocking stuffers For those who like using iron-on covering materials but don’t like the scarring and scratches left by the iron, Toni Smith has come up with a terrific sock that eliminates all that. I used to use Hot Socks all the time, but lately I haven’t seen any around the local hobby shop, so sort of migrated away from them. Toni’s sock is made from two layers of T-shirt material and is held in place with a single draw string at the back, and is far more durable than those I’ve used in the past.
The iron temp will need to be increased a bit to compensate, but the sock works great after only a minute or two of experimenting to find the optimum temperature setting. To get yours, send $5.00 to Toni at 2416 Carina Terrace, Acworth, GA 30101. Or for more de- tails give a call at 770-917-4928 or drop a line at
antoneittasmith@gmail.com. And if you’re looking for a terrific little in- door/outdoor model for that leftover unused micro R/C gear, how about Mark Freeland’s Camp e’Racer. Mark captured the look of a ’20s and ’30s era racers in fine fashion with this one. The design is quite unique in that the core is wood, covered with printed paper in a variety of color schemes. The cover also serves as the hinge for the rudder and ele-
by pat tritle You can reach Pat Tritle at 10313 Snowheights NE, Albuquerque, NM 87112 or via e-mail at
patscustommodels@aol.com
PHOTO: RODNEY SHUMATE
Rodney Shumate’s first “stick built” model was the Dumas L-19 Bird Dog. Rodney has been modeling for awhile, but now, he’s definitely hooked on the Old School method of modeling.
vator. Two sets of ply mounts are provided for both the short and long throw Spektrum bricks. The model sports a 151⁄2-inch span with a flying weight of 37–46 grams, making for a fun little airplane to fly low and turn left around the makeshift pylons. To get a couple of these of your own, contact Mark at 248-212-9666 or contact him by e-mail at
Mark-Freeland@sbcglobal.net.
So now, let’s have a look at what the read- ers have been up to. We’ll begin with a new- comer to these pages, Rodney Shumate. I met Rodney at SMALL in Little Rock a few years ago, and he’s been polishing his skills ever since. His first “stick build” is the L-19 Bird Dog built from the Dumas kit. The 40- inch span 3-channel model was built basi- cally stock and powered with the recom- mended IPS drive system. From there, he jumped straight into the short kit realm with the PCM Ag Cat. The model was com- pleted without modification using four Hitec HS-55 servos for the elevator, rudder, and ailerons and powered with an E-flite Park 400 outrunner with a 1320 mAh 2S Li- Po battery and a GWS 10–6 propeller. All up the Ag Cat tips the scales at 20 ounces.
Upholstery thread was used for the rigging on what Rodney describes as, “a great flying little model”. Well done, and I know the model will look right at home in the Arkansas skies.
Next up, our old friend, Chris Huxley, is at
it again. This time he has upgraded the 40- inch span AT-502 Airtractor to the 802 se- ries. Chris began with the PCM short kit and went to work adding details that include a 2- piece wing, removable canopy with opening doors, a scale tail wheel and a removable hopper door for battery access. And last but not least, an operating chemical hopper. Fin- ished weight is 9.3 ounces, less battery, and flies very well, though not surprisingly it does require a bit of rudder coordination in the turns. And now that the model is fin- ished it will be presented to the pilot of the full scale duster who is retiring this year. Can you think of a better going away present than that? Nice gesture, Chris. I’m sure it will be greatly appreciated.
Another nostalgic example of early avia- tion is the Pietenpol Sky Scout. The Sky Scout is essentially a single seat version of the well-known Air Camper. The model was
PHOTO: TONI SMITH
Toni Smith is offering a Hot Sock (above left) for the standard Trim Iron that eliminates all of the scarring and scratching that comes from working with an unprotected iron. See the text for contact information. Mark Freeland’s Camp
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PHOTO: MARK FREELAND
e’Racer (above right) captures the look of the early racers in an easy to build model perfect for indoor pylon racing, and is a terrific home for the new micro R/C gear available these days.
DECEMBER 2012
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