A look at WWI subjects

Model Airplane News, Jun 1998 by Leu, George

So there you have it. If you are on a budget or are simply tired of the expenses associated with heavy-metal warbirds, why not consider a WW I subject for your next project? When you look at 'em, they do have a lot more to offer than two wings, turnbuckles and flying wires.

THE NORTHWEST MODEL EXPO

Every January, I enjoy attending the Northwest Model Expo held in Puyallup, WA, just south of Seattle and near Tacoma. The Expo kicks off my R/C season and gives me an opportunity to visit with modelers and manufacturers who don't always make it to the Toledo show or the WRAM show in New York state. Attendance seemed down this year, but I bet the beautiful weekend weather had a lot to do with the lower number of modelers crowding the aisles. As always, there were some beautiful scale models in the static-display competition, and especially noteworthy was Best in Show winner Earl Aune's F4U Corsair in night fighter paint. This original design features functional folding wings as well as scale retractable landing gear and tailhook. Also on display was Bob Benjamin's electric-powered Taylorcraft BD-12 Deluxe. Powered by an AstroFlight 90 motor and 35-1700mAh batteries, the Taylorcraft earned Bob 31st place at the Scale Masters with a static score of 96 and a total score of 173.08.

One of my favorite stops at the Puyallup show is the Proctor Enterprises booth; as I said earlier, I just like WW I aircraft. This year, Proctor showed off its newest model- a 1/6-scale Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter, which will be sold under the VK name. The model employs similar building techniques to the VK Sopwith Camel and Fokker triplane. With a wingspan of about 67 inches and 51 inches long, the 1 1/2 Strutter is now the largest model in the VK line.

3 Sea Bees Models* is a new company I ran into at the show, and these guys had some really great ARFs-no no, not trainer ARFs, but some really neat-looking 1/5-scale vintage WW I and post-WW I stuff sold in true, almost- ready-to-fly fashion. The lineup consists of a 1920 Tummelisa Swedish trainer (63-inch span), a 1914 French MoraneSaulnier Type L (87-inch span), a 1909 French Bleriot (64-inch span), a 1914 German Pfalz El/E111 (72-inch span) and a 1917 U.S. Thomas Morse Scout.

Each kit comes covered with Solartex fabric with a painted finish. All rigging wires have already been cut to length, and other nice things include scale- like wheels, dummy engines and a beautiful, static-display propeller. The models are also available as ARC versions, so you can finish them completely to your own documentation. Assembly time is about 12 hours before you can fly. These models are manufactured on an individual basis and require about 60 to 90 days for shipping. A $250 deposit gets you a production number, and the models are backed with a 10-day money-back guarantee policy if you aren't satisfied with your model. Did I hear someone say "Rhinebeck?"

INEXPENSIVE BOMB- DROP MECHANISM

I sometimes make my own bomb-drop mechanisms because the commercially available units do not usually lend themselves to antique applications. Years ago, I noticed some teardrop- shaped release mechanisms on an S.E.5a at Rhinebeck. On close examination, they revealed a very simple working arrangement that I modified and have used without problem for many years. They are also very inexpensive to make. As the drawings show, the unit is rather basic and can easily be modified to suit your own application.