FanFacts W
elcome to the first issue of this year … so Happy New Year! Picking up where I left off last month, I’ve got a few models I’d like to mention/build/dream of. The first is the Temco TT-1 Pinto, which was to be the Navy’s first jet primary trainer. Test pilots loved and lauded its handling. Unfortunate- ly, it was plagued (as have so many planes) with inadequate engines which led the Navy to cancel its plans for an all-jet flight train- ing fleet. With a reasonably straight wing and generous dihedral, this little kiddy-car just screams to be modeled. I was first exposed to the Pinto by seeing a copy of Mark Frankel’s book, Temco TT-1 Pinto, and two weeks later with Smithson- ian’s Air and Space magazine doing a review of a rebuild of one in Texas. First flown in 1956, 15 examples were produced and flight tested at the Naval Air Test Center at Patuxent River, MD, but by 1959, it had been phased out. It has slowly been evolving in my head (and, now on paper, no less!) ever since, as a 72-inch sized version. The plan form must have had appeal, since the Poles spent three years developing their similarly plan-formed TS-11 Iskra which first flew in February of 1960 and as of 2011 still had 79 flying.
Keeping with the small, single engined theme, the home-built BD-5J comes to my mind with several scratchbuilt versions out there in addition to several small foam ver- sions from the Chinese manufacturers and an approximately ½ scale version from Sky- master Jets. Multiple color schemes are available, including the Bud Light and James Bond Octopussy versions. Hmmmm- mm …. Which to do? (Several threads can be found in the RCGroups edf forums as well as on RCU).
Also on my radar is the BD-10. Planned as a homebuilt supersonic aircraft with possi- ble military purchase, the plane turned out to be under-engineered and suffered a high fatality rate. Though less than successful, the lines are very pleasing and a start has
by greg moore You can reach Greg Moore via e-mail at
jetflyr@comcast.net
PHOTOGRAPHY: GREG MOORE
The prototype Pintotook to the air in 1956. Taken in 1957, the clean lines of this classic trainer are shown to great advantage.
already been made for us by Col. Bob Thack- er, who designed a ¼ scale (98 inches long), Byron-fan powered version out of foam which graced these pages in February of 1994 (CF925). While I cannot transport a 98-inch plane, something a bit smaller might be really neat to have on the flight line!
The last plane on my “possibilities” list (for this month) is one I’ve mentioned be- fore: Northrop’s F-20 Tigershark. A reason- able set of plans for the (now out of busi- ness) Thorpe Brothers .45/Turbax version is available from Laser Design Services
www.laser-design-services.com. With some nose-rework, and using a “more modern” servo setup (rather than very long flex- rods) a pleasing model results. Built to full plan size, a thread on the jets forum of RCUniverse discusses how nicely it flies with the small Wren 44. Other power op- tions would be e-Turbax, or build it really
light for a hot 90mm setup (which is what I am thinking of). Likewise, Kinko’s can en- large or shrink the plans to almost any size you desire.
Why am I mentioning scratchbuilt de- signs (like the F-20 and the TT-1) here? Well, for most of us it is the middle of the winter building season, and many of us like to have something different on the flight line. I love the look of the Pinto and the flight characteristics of my little foam F-20 … what’s a guy to do?
My plans for both involve blue foam (pink in some parts of the country) stacked be- tween formers and hot wired, then sanded smooth. I have not decided if I will cover the foam with a low temperature iron-on cover- ing, or a single layer of 3-ounce fiberglass with epoxy (then filled/smoothed with water based polyurethane) to create the plug/mold. I do not intend on making female molds, so the fiberglass fuselages will be laid right
Probably taken on the delivery flight, six of the 14 production variants (above left) are shown. Aahh, what could have been. The Bud Light schemed BD-5J
46
(above right) was a regular on the show circuit for many years, and has good visibility as well!
JANUARY 2013
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