Warbirds from Delaware

Model Airplane News, Dec 1998 by Leu, George

One of the things I like about writing this column is the field work. I enjoy interviewing scale modelers to find out their opinions about things such as products, and I like talking with manufacturers as well to understand more about their product lines. I have had the opportunity to attend a good number of flying events this year and to fly several airplanes (my own and those of many other trusting people). It has been a wonderful season for me, with many learning experiences.

One thing I have learned is that particular aircraft designs don't necessarily mean the same thing to different modelers. Some modelers will look at an airplane as a good flier, while others will see the same airplane for its historical significance. I've also noticed a trend in which some modelers concentrate on a particular aviation era or even on one specific design.

This column is dedicated to those who have found a particular area of scale modeling that suits them; I truly admire their dedication and the success they have achieved. I hope others can be motivated to develop their own special niches as well.

THE NEW PROCTOR ENTERPRISES

There are many types of scale models that turn me on and make me want to get back to the workshop. If I had to select an era of aviation to study and from which to develop flying scale models, I think that the period of time from WW I to just before WW II would be ideal. The aircraft from this era remain some of the prettiest-yet simplest-forms ever to become airborne. Many aviation milestones happened in this period, including Lindbergh's crossing of the Atlantic, Amelia Earhart's development as America's gallant woman aviator, the Cleveland Air Races, air mail postal service, etc.

Warplanes of this period retained simple design and flight characteristics; the idea of "heavy iron" flying machines did not yet exist. Many designs were created by companies that went out of business during the Great Depression, leaving only historical footnotes for us to investigate.

Proctor Enterprises has always been dedicated to this era, and the company is now under new management. After 13 years of operation, Mark and Dick Heininge sold the company to Joe Topper and Gary Parker, both of whom have been involved with Proctor for years, and both of whom are avid scale modelers.

There are some new things happening at the company, including the re-release of the Albatros DVa and Curtiss Jenny kits. Future releases may include the Travelair 2000 and 4000 biplanes in 1/4 scale, and the development of other "golden age" aircraft is likely. The VK and Duncan Hutson kits will continue to be offered as part of the Proctor line. I wish Joe and Gary the best in their endeavors.

WARBIRDS OVER DELAWARE

I attended the 1998 Warbirds Over Delaware meet, and it was well worth the trip. This year, the quality of the models was the highest I have seen in my four years of attendance. I was also impressed with the pilots' flying skills.

This event remains dominated by Nick Ziroli* aircraft, but there were also quite a few Meister Scale* and Vailly Aviation* warbirds beating up the runway. A good example of a generic, all-purpose warbird is the AT-6 Texan from companies such as Ziroli, Midwest* and Yellow Aircraft*. I counted over 30 examples of the AT-6 in the pit area. The majority were painted yellow or some other colorful trainer paint schemes. Most included retracts, Zenoah G-62s for power, detailed cockpit interiors, etc. None exhibited any bad tendencies other than wanting to stay airborne, even when they tried to land.

I found two individuals who liked the flight characteristics of Texans but who wanted to try something different-Dan Basovitch with a Wirraway and Dave Jaggie with a BT-14. Dan kitbashed an Aeroplane Works* Ziroli Texan kit to produce his Wirraway. It differs from the AT-6 in that it has rounded wingtips, a rounded rudder and a fabric-covered fuselage, and it includes wing, fuselage and rear cockpit armament.

Dan's aircraft is a real attentiongetter, and he let me fly his T-6 and his Wirraway. I found the Wirraway the more gentle flier. Dan's model spans 111 inches, weighs 28 pounds and is powered by a Zenoah G-62.

The BT-14 was an early version of the AT-6 and looks almost identical to the Texan, except it has a shorter engine cowl and fixed landing gear instead of retracts. Dave's model also started life as a Ziroli AT-6. After a crash wiped out the model's wing center section, Dave was ready to throw out his aircraft. Luckily, he found some photos of a BT14 and with a few minor modifications, rebuilt the damaged Texan into his new BT-14. Dave used the cowl from a Ziroli Corsair (with the cowl flaps removed) and found it ideal for use with the BT14. His finished aircraft weighs only 23 pounds, and the Zenoah G-62 hauls it around the sky with great authority.

WHAT'S A GOTHA?

Sal Calvagna from Holbrook, Long Island, NY, brought a beautiful WW I Gotha GIV twin-engine bomber to the Delaware Warbirds meet, and I was very impressed with his model. This scratch-built, 40-pound giant is built of liteply, not balsa, and has taken almost three years to complete. Sal is debating whether to use a pair of Zenoah G-23s or a pair of G-38 engines to power the Gotha. Since the plane balances correctly with the G-38s installed, the extra horsepower would be used only in emergencies. Sal likes to build models that have a unique place in aviation history, and the Gotha was one of the first heavier-than-air aircraft to bomb London during WW I; a very interesting and unusual model, indeed.