PHOTO: PAT TRITLE
As a tribute to Tom Binkley’s very versatile Yard Stik design, the Friday Morning Crew lined up (above) all of their models for a quick photo op. All six are different, but every one flies great. Willie Bosco did a great job converting the Dumas 30-inch freeflight P-38 Lightning (at right) to twin E-powered 3- channel R/C. In the air the model is a terrific flyer with a wide speed range.
tioned on the list of Joe’s favorites is Prop Shop Hobbies in Warren, MI, a full line shop run by second generation owner Matt Brubaker. In keeping with the old school style, stock is tucked away in all the crevices, nooks and crannies. And if that’s not enough, there’s also Flight Line Hobbies in Lake Orion, owned by John Hoover. And now with several locations in the Metro Area, Nankin Hobbies started out in Nankin Hardware in Westland, MI, and also serves the modeling communities in Farm- ington, and soon, Ypsilanti with wide selec- tion of model airplanes, boats, and cars. Steve Turi also checked in with mention of Hobby Hut in Pompton Plains, NJ. I think I mentioned my favorite shops being the “dark, dusty, basement types”, but Steve comments that about the only thing “Linda doesn’t have is dark, dusty, or musty”. Hobby Hut is also a full line shop stocked with everything you need from kits to build, and the tools, paints, and acces- sories needed to build them with. And if that’s not enough, a knowledgeable and friendly staff is there to help guide you through those tricky projects.
All of these shops are also a great place to gather with friends and fellow modelers to kick around new ideas or to help solve old problems. And that my friends, is what mod- eling is all about.
A bevy of beauties
And speaking of modelers, we also have had a nice variety of cool stuff come our way again this month. We’ll begin with a brand new kit that will be available through Man- zano Laser Works
www.manzanolaser.com. The model, designed by Bill Bradley, is the 36-inch Aichi Type 99 Val. The Val is fin-
PHOTO: WILLIE BOSCO
ished in the colors of the IJN Carrier Soryu, and is one of the aircraft that participated in the Pearl Harbor attack. The model is pow- ered by a Turnigy 3530-1700 outrunner with a 30A ESC and a Master Airscrew 8–6 3- blade prop. A Turnigy 2200 mAh 3S battery provides the power. Guidance is 5-channel R/C via six HXT 900 servos. The Val is finished in Polyspan painted with satin latex with graphics done in Photo- shop printed on clear water slide decal film. The 28-ounce all wood design also features a “knock off” landing gear that will separate on a bad landing without damaging the model as well as other nice features that make up this very striking and unusual model. On the other end of the spectrum, Tony Lewton has checked in with his 53-inch span Aeronca Chief built from the PCM short kit. The model is powered with a Hacker A20- 20L outrunner, Thunderbird 18 ESC and a 10–3.8 APC Slow Fly prop. Guidance are four Hitec HS-55 servos. Covering is Coverite Microlite.
Next up is Willie Bosco’s P-38 Lightning. The kit was designed for rubber freeflight, but like so many of the 30-inch span Dumas freeflight kits, it’s a natural for an electric powered R/C conversion. Power comes from a pair of Hobby King 10-gram outrunner motors, a pair of 6A ESCs, and 5–3 3-blade propellers with prop adapters from BP Hob- bies. The elevator and rudders on the 3- channel setup are controlled by Hobby King 3.4 gram servos with Sullivan Gold-N-Rod linkages and a Berg 4-channel Rx. The model balanced perfectly with easy battery placement and flew beautifully; Willie describes the model as “fast”, with a very unique sound from the twin motors. In all, a very successful conversion, and a great
flying model of one of the sleekest fighters ever built.
Another terrific flyer from Dumas is the 35-inch Tiger Moth from Mark Hatfield. The model was built basically stock with simple 3-channel control powered with the GWS 6:1 IPS drive with an 800 mAh 2S Li-Po battery and a 9–7 prop. Cover is Solite iron-on Mylar finishing up with a flying weight of 8.9 ounces.
Mark also offered a suggestion to solve the problem of Solite (also sold as Microlite) folding over and sticking to itself, which is a huge problem with this lightweight film. The idea is to lay it on a towel to peel off the backing, which soaks up the static electrici- ty created when removing the backing. In our dry desert climate static electricity is a big problem, so I’m going to give that idea a try real soon.
And finally, as a tribute to Tom Binkley’s incredibly versatile Yard Stik (FM2-12, CD 432), our Friday Morning Crew all had our Yard Stiks with us one morning, so we lined them all up for a photo op. As you can see, the design is infinitely versatile and was built in as many configurations as there were modelers modeling them, not the least of which is a 150% enlargement complete with wing warping for roll control. And in spite of all the mods, every one flies great, which is real testament to a good solid fun- damental design.
And with that, we’re going to have to wrap this up, so here’s a big thank to all who checked in this month with some terrific models and a diligent eye for detail. So till next time, keep the props spinning and the dust flying, then when you get a minute or two to spare, drop me a line to show all of us your stuff.
PHOTOS: BILL BRADLEY
We can always count on a spectacular looking model from Bill Bradley, and the Val (at left) definitely lives up to Bill’s usual high standard. The model spans 36 inches and has lots of very innovative features such as the “knock off” landing gear arrangement designed to prevent damage from a less than perfect landing. Bill’s Val (above) will be available soon as a short kit from Manzano Laser Works at
www.manzanolaser.com.
FLYING MODELS 41
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