Henry R. Carstens
president and publisher
carstens@carstens-publications.com
Thayer Syme editor
Jim Wiggin associate editor
Maureen Frazer production editor
John A. Earley vice-president and director of advertising
Pieter W. Uptegrove advertising manager George Riley
director of marketing
Phyllis M. Carstens assistant to the publisher
Otto Vondrak webmaster Chris Lane
book acquisitions manager Lynn Good
customer service
Cathy Streeter dealer service
FLYING MODELS (ISSN 0015-4849) Incorporating FLYING ACES and R/C Model Boating, is published monthly by Carstens Publications, Inc., 108 Phil Hardin Road, Fredon Township, Newton, New Jersey 07860. Phone: 973-383-3355. FAX: 973-383-4064. Visit our web site at
www.flying-models.com, or e-mail us at:
carstens@carstens-publications.com. Henry R. Car - stens, President; John A. Earley, Vice President, Phyllis Carstens, Secretary/Treasurer. Periodicals Postage paid at Newton, NJ 07860 and additional mailing offices.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to FLYING MODELS, 108 Phil Hardin Road, Newton, NJ 07860. Copyright 2014 by Carstens Publications, Inc. Printed in the U.S.A. Publications Mail Agreement No. 40957020: Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: PO Box 503, RPO West Beaver Creek, Richmond Hill, ON L4B 4R6.
SUBSCRIPTIONS: U.S.A. and possessions: $37.95 per year, $69.95 for two years, $99.95 for three years. Single copies are $5.95. Canada: $50.00 per year, $94.00 for two years, $136.00 for three years. Overseas: $58.00 per year, $110.00 for two years, $160.00 for three years. Pay- ment must be in U.S. funds. All communications regard- ing subscriptions and changes of address should be sent to Circulation Manager, FLYING MODELS, 108 Phil Hardin Road, Newton, NJ 07860. Please allow six weeks for change of address. Postmaster send Form 3579 to FLYING MODELS, 108 Phil Hardin Road, Newton, NJ 07860. Periodicals class postage paid at Newton, NJ and other mailing offices.
CONTRIBUTIONS: Articles and photographs are wel- come. Contributors are advised to keep a copy of man- uscripts and illustrations. When requested we will en- deavor to return all material in good condition if accompanied by return postage. FLYING MODELS as- sumes no responsibility for unsolicited material. Pay- ment is normally made upon publication. The contents of this magazine may not be reprinted without the written permission of the publisher.
ADVERTISING: Main advertising offices: FLYING MODELS, 108 Phil Hardin Road, Newton, NJ 07860. Phone: 973-383-3355; FAX: 973-383-4064.
4
My own involvement with model aviation began in 1978 with the mysterious and still unexplained appearance in my bedroom of a five-year-old issue of The Model Builder. Within its pages I found plan features that seemingly showed how to build model air- planes that actually flew. Here was the promise of success far beyond that found with a simple dimestore chuck glider. And given that I was already hard-wired to build things, I was captivated. One of those plans was a Peanut scale biplane that I have now built three times! Yes, I was well and fully hooked.
I was actually quite involved with model railroading at the time and reading FM’s sis- ter publication Railroad Model Craftsman. Naively, I thought that these two hobbies could peacefully coexist in my world and lim- ited workshop space. A few months later while on a trip with my father, I first saw, in person, actual radio control airplanes flying and packed up my trains as soon as we got home. I built a few airplane models that summer and quite simply have never stopped. Manipulating raw materials in my
LeftSeat B
Contact Flying Modelsat 973-383-3355 or e-mail us at
thayer@flying-models.com
ack in September, FLYING MODELS editor Frank Fanelli began this page with the following words. “There are old model designs that never seem to fade away …” With all due re- spect, I must say that I hold Frank—and Bob Hunt before him—in that same high esteem. Together, they have guided FLYING MODELS for all but my first two years of building mod- el airplanes. And while change remains in- evitable, I somehow never expected either would leave their post until it happened. It was with some surprise this winter, therefore, that I received Henry Carstens’ call with news of Frank’s imminent retire- ment. I was inevitably flattered by his invi- tation to discuss working together, yet at the same time, the intimidation factor was not insignificant. Both Fanelli and Hunt had set the bar quite high with their own contribu- tions to a legacy that now stretches back over 85 years. Intimidated? Indeed, but also very interested.
bare hands to realize the dream of flight holds an irresistible lure and the endless diversity of subjects continues to provide endless opportunity to explore this magic. Speaking of diversity, we’ve got quite a lineup for you in this issue. In addition to FM’s monthly columns, Brian Malin takes us to the King Orange International Free Flight contest. Second only to the AMA Nats in its longevity, this past December saw the 59th edition of this venerable contest. As you read through Malin’s account, you will find out what has brought fliers back from across the country and around the world, for the last six decades.
Are you finishing up your latest projects as winter finally draws to a close? If so, you might well want to take a little extra time and detail them with tips gleaned from Lee Hunt. He has been pinstriping tissue- covered models for decades and it shows. His technique is seemingly flawless and he has generously passed along his secrets for you. If your workbench happens to be empty at the moment, take a good look at the Neo 180 as presented by Andy Kunz with help from FMalumnus, Michael Ramsey. Andy and Michael take advantage of modern power and control systems to create a pock- et-size Pattern ship that flies like a model many times larger. It should be a quick build and clearly performs quite nicely. You may well already have the components needed to fly it. Kunz borrowed bits and pieces of several favorite Pattern ships to create this intriguing flyer.
For those who are a little tight on time right now, Peter Serafini and Chris Susicke review a couple of aerobatic ARFs for us this month. Serafini examines the Factor 3D from Great Planes, revealing a feather-light built-up airframe with maximum 3D per- formance. Meanwhile, Susicke takes us to the field with the larger Sbach from SIG. This is a colorful replica of one of the most exciting aerobatic aircraft in the world today with performance to match. And with SIG and Great Planes printed on the boxes, you can rest assured that both are sure winners. Despite the snow on my lawn this morn- ing, the calendar tells me that it really is Spring. Now is the time to take a close look at your support equipment and see what needs to be repaired or replaced. You may well decide that a new charger is justified for this coming flying season. Like their ex- tensive line of affordable servos, Hitec also offers several chargers that will cover your needs. The overview of their line will help you decide exactly what you need from a new charger and which will best suit you, re- gardless of the types of models you fly. In closing, let me extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to both Frank Fanelli and Bob Hunt for their personal sup- port and the excellent job they both did while at the helm of FLYING MODELS. With their efforts, they ensured the continuity of a great heritage. A heritage I am now proud to serve. –THAYER SYME
APRIL 2014
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