Pilot projects: A look at what our readers are doing

A construction article by Roy Day in the February 1995 issue of Model Airplane News was all the motivation Rob Peereboom Voller of The Netherlands needed to build this Mk VIII Spitfire. His modifications included: a Saito .90 FS, which was mounted upside-down inside a hand-made fiberglass cowl; the Saito's muffler was mounted toward the back of the cowl and then connected to the six exhaust stacks on the right side of the fuselage; the breather nipple was connected to the stacks on the left side, and the whole engine assembly was mounted as one block to an aluminum backplate via soft mounts. Rob says it weighs about 7 pounds and flies wonderfully.

STOL

This scratch-built, half-size model of Dee Millett's Desert Duster was built by Sam Girardi of Manhattan Beach, CA, and takes off using only two feet of runway. Better yet, its landing rollout distance is only one-half turn of the wheels. A Magnum .60 pulls the 12-foot-span, 9-pound plane along at a ripping 8mph. Sam uses a Futaba 4NBF radio that drives two S-148 servos for the tail surfaces (full-flying horizontal stabilizer) and one S-3002 for throttle.

SPARROWHAWK

Michael Allen of Endicott, NY, built this Miles Sparrowhawk (1935) model, which was designed by Dick Allen. It has an 88-inch wingspan, weighs 20 pounds, is powered by a G-62 and is covered with Monokote and Hobby Poxy paint. Mike says it has unlimited vertical performance, is very aerobatic and extremely easy to land. Sounds like a winner.

CARIBBEAN AEROBAT

From the Dominican Republic, George Taule sent us a picture of his Wigens Z-250 by Cactus Aviation. This big plane weighs 23 pounds dry, is powered by a 3W70B Modellmotoren, uses an FP T8UAP PCM 1024 radio with Hitec servos and has a wingspan of 99 inches. Its smoke system is by B&B, and the fuel and smoke oil tanks each weigh 32 ounces. George said it's a great flyer and, for the first flight, the trims didn't even have to be touched.

FLORIDA WARBIRD

Rich Uravitch sent in a photo of Lenny Stanko's P-40, which was built from Ziroli plans. Lenny hails from Ovieda, FL, and powers his Warhawk with a Sachs 4.2 engine. The plane has a fiberglass fuselage and cowl and Robart retracts, weighs 27 pounds and is guided by a Futaba 7UAF. Rich has flown it and says it moves along rather briskly.

SEND IN YOUR

SNAP SHOTS

Model Airplane News is your magazine and, as always, we encourage reader participation. In "Pilot Projects, " we feature pictures from youour readers. Both color slides and color prints are acceptable. We receive so many photographs that we are unable to return them.

All photos used in this section will be eligible for a grand prize of $500, to be awarded at the end of 1998. The winner will be chosen from all entries published, so get a photo or two, plus a brief description, and send them in!

Send those pictures to: Pilot Projects, Model Airplane News, 100 East Ridge, Ridgefield, CT 06877-4606.