PHOTOS: JIM WIGGIN
Anyone with a soft spot for the clip wing Pipers will love Jim Wiggin’s 19-inch span micro Piper PA-15 Vagabond(above left) from Stevens Aero. Power and guidance were taken from a readily available Vapor brick and a P-51 motor to round out this nifty little model. Also from the Stevens Aero Micro Builders
ty, the power and guidance equipment avail- able these days is incredible, and the possi- bilities are endless for the things we can do; but, as modelers we need to stay creative and work with what we have, because the days of the seemingly endless supply of mass market kits and plans to build from are unfortunately becoming extinct.
The hobby is still alive But fear not, in spite of the industry shift toward sport vs. hobby, there are still a number of dedicated modelers out there, and they are doing some terrific stuff. One such modeler is Canadian modeler Phillip Agnoletto, whose name is becoming synony- mous with this column through his prolific modeling efforts. Last month we showed you the bones of his enlarged Earl Stahl Navion. Well this month it’s finished and ready to fly, and came out beautifully.
Upon test flying Phillip quickly learned
that the wing/stab incidence was wrong, but after a surgical adjustment the model flies beautifully. Its only quirk is the “war bird wobble” at higher speeds, but since the Navion has been dubbed “the Poor Man’s Mustang” I guess it’s only fitting. The model is powered by an Infinite A2205-1560 BL Motor, 18A ESC, 8–6 propeller and a 1300 mAh 2S Li-Po battery. Flying weight for the 4-channel model is just 14 ounces, so with a 7 ounces/square foot wing loading it’s no surprise that the Navion flies great. And then for a touch of realism, Chris Huxley is at it again with a terrific action shot of his DC-6 fire bomber and Piper Aerostar. The DC-6 was built from the PCM Short Kit with highly modified E-flite re- tracts and even includes operating gear
Program, Jim added the Flybaby biplane (above right) to his ever growing stable full of beautifully built and great flying small models. A classic in its own right, the Flybaby pushes the cute factor to a whole new level. Find out more about the Stevens Aero Micro Builders Program at
www.stevensaero.com
doors. The Aerostar is a conversion, begin- ning with the ParkZone Mosquito. The front end is made from meat trays with the tail from egg cartons with other bits from the micro T-28. The nosewheel is steerable, and the nacelles are fabricated from printer pa- per. The entire model was airbrushed using Tamiya white. The ground crew, which is what really brings it all to life, is from his kids’ Playmobile. Never let it be said that modelers aren’t a creative bunch. Next up, Tom Binkley has dropped in with
his semi-profile Citabria. The fuselage is a balsa foam sandwich which builds quick and light. The 38-inch span model weighs in at 11.2 ounces and makes 120 watts of power for some very sprightly performance. The original red and white Citabria sunburst colors were done using SoLite.
And while we’re in the profile vein, how about Bill Bosco’s 30-inch span AJ-404 R/C Interceptor built from the PCM Short Kit. Freeflight models make terrific R/C projects, and to add the nostalgia from one of the hob- bies best known catapult gliders is one of those “can’t miss” propositions. The 3-chan- nel model is powered with a Hobby King 5- gram outrunner with a 6A ESC and 5-inch prop. Hobby King 3.4-gram servos and a Berg Rx guide the model. Cover is Microlite topped off with the “scale” graphics from Callie Graphics. The 160 mAh battery tucks away nicely into the fuselage and is covered with a balsa hatch. FM’s own Jim Wiggin has checked in again having recently finished the Piper Vagabond and Flybaby biplane, a pair of Mi- cro R/C models from Stevens Aero. The mod- els are the first two in a series from Stevens that uses the Vapor brick for guidance and
motor from the ParkZone P-51. At 19-inch spans, the models are a nice compact size, and being Stevens designs, you have to know they’re going to fly just great. Still in the Stevens Aero vein, we also have the Buzz 400 from Jerry Smith. The model spans 40 inches with a flying weight of 19 ounces. At 100 watts of power Jer de- scribes the model as over powered, but flies fine at low throttle settings. The very robust airframe is easy to build and was covered and trimmed in Solarfilm. The Buzz is a ter- rific flyer, but as with so many of these light- weights, calm winds make for the most en- joyable flying conditions.
And finally, how about flying your own ea- gle—no really, an R/C Eagle! Well, that’s just what Boyd O’Brien is doing. The model was built from the Flyparty kit from Taiwan with power provided by an Axi 2212/20 out- runner motor with a 9–6 propeller and an 1800 mAh 2S Li-Po battery. The Eagle has a 58-inch wingspan with an average chord of 11 inches. Flying weight is 23.8 ounces. The best part of all this is that the model flies beautifully. At altitude the model is really hard to tell from the real thing with its slow and graceful glide. The V-tail provides all the control needed to make the Eagle soar. Well boys and girls, that’s going to just about wrap it up for this month. Once again, thanks to all who participated with some beautifully built models. There’s a couple of things we couldn’t get to this month, but not to worry, we’ll fill in the rest next month for sure. So till next month rolls around, fly when you can, when you can’t fly, build, and above all, keep those cards and letters com- ing, I love seeing what you all are up to out there.
PHOTO: JERRY SMITH
Also from Stevens Aero, the Buzz 400(above left) built by Jerry Smith makes for a terrific fair weather flyer for those calm evenings that are just made for a model like Buzz 400. For those seeking something just a little out of the ordinary,
FLYING MODELS
PHOTO: BOYD O’ BRIEN
how about Boyd O’Brien’s 3-channel R/C Eagle (above right) built from the Flyparty kit. The only way you can tell the real deal from Boyd’s model in flight is by the flapping wings.
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