The spray rig was added to the Airtractor(above) using various bits of balsa and ply, plus a dab of aluminum tubing and styrene plastic. The rig isn’t actually functional, but you sure couldn’t tell just by looking. Additional scale details (below) were added, such as panel lines and screw heads, using a straight edge and a fine tip marking pen. It’s simple details like that that separate a so-so model from a true work of art. Jaden proudly displays his Dad’s handiwork (at right) on the AT-502 Airtractor. Rodney Shumate built the model and added lots of scale details. Looks like Jaden has a good teacher. Having a good place to work (below, at right) is essential for building models with any level of success. So guys, does this scene remind you as much of your early days of modeling as it does for Pat?
Also among the growing collection of freeflight models is the Fly Boy built from the Guillow’s kit. The model spans 21 inch- es, is covered with Japanese tissue, and also flew very well with just a little bit of coaxing. And there’s the Aeronca Champ, also built from the Guillow’s kit. The model was built basically straight from the kit and covered with the kit supplied tissue. Typical of many of the old Guillow’s kits, the Champ was no record setter, but it did fly.
Meanwhile, Rodney is no slouch when it comes to modeling either. I met these guys at SMALL in Little Rock several years ago and always enjoy their company. I enjoy see- ing what they come out with to fly, and am never disappointed with the diversity of models they do build and fly. Living in cen- tral Arkansas Rodney and Jaden are both big fans of crop dusters, and after complet- ing the Grumman Ag Cat, Rodney’s next un- dertaking was the AT-502 Airtractor. The starting point for the 40-inch span four-channel R/C model was the PCM Short Kit. The Airtractor was built basically stock and covered with Coverite Microlite. But it didn’t end there. Rodney also added lots of detail including panel lines drawn with a fine tip marking pen, and a spray rig built up from bits of balsa, ply, and aluminum tubing.
Balsa hard points were fitted into the wing at the spar/rib intersections to hold the spray rig securely in place. The tubes and nozzles were fabricated from 1⁄16 and 3⁄32-inch diameter aluminum tubing. The pump fan
FLYING MODELS
was fabricated from balsa and bits of styrene, and though the pump doesn’t actu- ally move chemical, it does spin in the air- flow when the model is in flight. Power is provided by an E-flite Park 300 outrunner motor and a 2S Li-Po battery. Some experimentation has been ongoing with propeller selection too. In an attempt to stay with scale appearance a 3-blade prop was used, but the performance was a good bit less sprightly than with a two-blade. More testing will be done before the idea is abandoned completely.
Well, it just occurred to me that the story
of Rodney and son, Jaden, has been the fo- cal point of the entire month’s ramblings and well worth the space, too. Generally I try to keep things a bit more diverse, but when a young man of just twelve years shows this much promise, I think that get- ting the word out is the only thing to do. My hat is also off to Rodney for taking the time to guide his son into one of the most reward- ing hobbies a kid can have. And if you stop for a minute and think about the skills that are being learned, you can’t help but realize just how in depth learning the art of model- ing really is.
To sum it all up, a modeler needs to first understand how to read plans. When you get right down to it, plans are really a language in their own right, and once you learn the language, there is no limit to the complexity of the build that one can undertake. Other skills that come from modeling also include wood working, problem solving, and
the use of tools, most of which are sharp enough to hurt you if not used carefully and properly. Then there’s covering with tissue, or even iron-on materials, and even a bit of paint work. There’s also a need to learn the basics of simple aerodynamics so that when it comes time to fly you’ll be able to recognize what’s required to correct the problems en- countered in flight trimming, just to name a few.
But the thing about Jaden that really jumps out at me is that he grasps the con- cept that you have to learn to walk before you can run. Starting out with simple kits and completing them is far more important than getting in clear over his head, becom- ing frustrated with a natural inability to complete a project that’s complexity out- weighs a level of skill not yet achieved. As I’ve said many times to new modelers over the years, “success is the world’s great- est motivator”. One will never gain the same level of satisfaction from an aban- doned project as he will from a project com- pleted successfully.
So, is Jaden the only kid out there who still builds models? Not likely, but seeing what this young man is doing shows me that there is a future for modeling, and it’s up to us old timers to flush them out and back them up as they crawl up that tall, steep learning curve. In the meantime, drop a line and tell me about a kid you know that dab- bles in the art of modeling, then take a minute to help him any way you can. After all, that is the future of modeling.
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