PHOTOS: ANDREW RICCI


The bent end of the prop shaft is inserted into the hole drilled in the end of the clip. The sprung jaws clamp down (at left), and the shaft is secured. The crocodile clip (above), ready for action. The butt end slips onto the winder hook. Andrew likes to slip a tight-fitting o-ring onto the winder hook to keep the clip from falling off. Wind ’em up!


drilled at the end of the jaw, and close the jaws. Then slide the rear post onto the winder’s hook, and you are ready to rock. The major advantage of this system is that you avoid having to take the rubber motor on and off your prop shaft every time you wind, which avoids unnecessary wear and tear, extends the life of your motor, and min- imizes the stress load involved in getting your model ready for the mass launch that the CD is itching to get into the air. Disadvantages? Well it is true that this winding aid is only designed to work with prop shafts that feature a right-angle bend at the front. This would generally always be the case with simple ramp-style freewheel clutches, and with those using front-of-prop mounted “Nason” clutches. For those of you who favor rear-mounted


bail clutches, this system can still work but you will need that right angle bend in the front of the shaft. I typically use a rear- mount bail when I think I may want to ex- periment with a variety of props on a given model, so I maintain a straight shaft end and use a bit of wire insulation to retain the prop. Can’t use the crocodile clip with one of those. Models with a spinner can also pose a chal- lenge, but with a bit of thought you can get


around it. Rare-earth magnets could be used to concoct a removable spinner, for instance, concealing the bent end of the shaft within. It’s also true that some find it very dis- tracting to wind with the whole nose block and prop assembly rattling around at the end of the winder. And last but certainly not least, this method does not allow for the use of a blast tube. Some of us prefer to live dan- gerously and this is not an issue we think about too much, because the more you think about it the more likely It-That-Shall-Not- Be-Named is to happen.


For others, it’s sheer madness to spend un- told hours on a model and not protect it from the fury of a Hungorilla (FAC-ese for, among other things, a fully wound, burst motor thrashing around in the interior of your pride and joy). You will, as ever, choose your own path. There are as many ways of ap- proaching the process of winding as there are models to be built, and the one described above may just turn out to be your cup of tea!


Wanderlust Greg Thomas (www.thomasdesigns.net)


is well known for producing top-notch, limit- ed release model designs. If you have never had the pleasure of inspecting one of his


PHOTO: INKY


kits, sorting through the goodies within, and imagining what fun it would be to build, then you really ought to cajole your buddy (whose wife loved him enough to get him one for Christmas) into letting you look at his. Warning: if you own a GT kit and allow your buddy to inspect it, do not leave him in the room alone with the kit.


But all kidding aside, did you know Greg also produces a short kit of the Piper Vagabond? Yep, Kit PK101.5. At 24 inches, this gem includes all the best parts of a GT production—excellent laser-cut wood and detailed plans—and you add the strip wood, tissue, fiddly bits, prop, etc. All for a very reasonable cost—less than a dollar an inch! The model has got a bit of buzz going be- hind it at the mo, as the grapevine tells me there are a number of guys planning to bring theirs to the 2014 FAC Nats in Geneseo for a low pressure, informal, unofficial “Vagabond Fly-In”. Wally Farrell and John Ernst sent me pictures of theirs, and I received another shot from an unidentified stranger who goes only by the name of “Inky”. I’m bringing mine; how about you? And hey, if you’ve got a Vagabond in your hangar but it’s not from the Thomas Designs kit, bring it anyway. It’ll be a lovely tribute to a classic aircraft.


PHOTO: JOHN ERNST


John Ernst’s Thomas Designs Piper Vagabond. The design (above) is lightly built, and according to the plans is intended primarily for indoor flying. John added some diagonal structure to the rear of the model to beef things up a bit. A pretty red and white specimen (at right) from the mysterious “Inky”. Maybe he’s shy because of gas?


FLYING MODELS 31


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68