Cyber Komet and easy scale hinges

Model Airplane News, Dec 2000 by Leu, George

I have received a fair amount of mail from our "Scale Techniques" readers, and I thought it would be nice to relate a story that was inspired by the column. I'd like to encourage other readers to write in and share their scale techniques. Several readers have written to ask about my building-jig design that I showed in the October 2000 column; in it, I detailed the construction of my Ziroli Ercoupe. One writer stated that the jig supported his model so well during co struction that he wondered why he hadn't thought of it , before. Well, the truth be known: the building jig is not my original idea. I got the idea from my good friend

Chuck Gill, who owns and operates the kit-cutting company called The Aeroplane Works*. Sometimes, a little idea can have great advantages, especially when it comes to building scale models.

ME-163 KOMET

Since he was 14, Bob Chubb of Stowe, PA, had dreamt of building a scale Me-163 Komet. Bob had put his idea on the back burner until he read the April 1999 "Scale Techniques" column in which I discussed Sal Calvagna's Komet. The model is a Jim Kiehl-designed Komet that was built from a Joe saitta kit.

Bob contacted me about the 163, and we later met at a flying event. I introduced Bob to Sal, and he was able to watch Sal fly his 82-inch, SuperTigre .90-powered model. Bob purchased the plans, the kit and formed-fiberglass parts and started building. He completed his Komet in six months and powered it with a SuperTigre G90 turning an APC 11x11 prop. On June 2, 2000, Bob teamed up with Sal and flew his Komet. Under Says tutelage, Bob put many flights on the Komet and found the only difficult part was waiting for the takeoff dolly to drop off after the plane had become airborne.

Bob documented his model's construction with photos and even created a website to show the model's construction. You can check them out at http://www.kolibri.lr.tudelft.nl/people /student/fun/rob/163rc3.htm.

Bob has since contacted modelers from around the world and has created a reference library about the Komet on his website. One of Bob's new contacts is Rob de Bie of the

Netherlands, who is known for his research on the Me-163. Rob's listing of every article ever written about the Komet is linked to Bob's site.

The most eventful part of Bob's Komet venture came at the Warbirds Over Long Island event where he met Me-163 test pilot Rudy Opitz, who autographed the Komet's wing at the end of the day. To say Bob was thrilled would be an understatement. It is modelers such as Bob, Sal and Rob who team up to help one another that make this hobby so great.

FUNAERO GIANT SE-5A

For those of you who love old biplanes, there is a new version of the popular Royal Aircraft Factory SE-Sa. Produced in 1/4 scale, this British WW I fighter is from FunAero R/C*, and I think it is going to be very popular. The SE-Sa makes an ideal WW I model because of its long nose moment and large wing area. The FunAero version has an 80-inch wingspan and is a very complete balsa-- and-plywood kit. All the parts are laser-- cut, and the kit includes an impressive hardware package including a pull/pull cable system, a built-up plywood radiator (laser-cut), a removable plywood engine cover and scale exhaust stacks, to name just a few of its features.

The model's outline is very scale, but the wing airfoil has a flat bottom for easy flying; the company calls the kit a "sport" scale design but when the plane flies well, a flat-bottom wing doesn't bother me. Rigging wires are optional but would really dress up the finished plane. The airplane is designed for engines in the Zenoah G-38 range. The friendly people at FunAero R/C are available during the day to answer any questions you may have with regard to their product. Give 'em a call at (803) 499-5487, or check out their website at www.funaero.com.

SCALE MUFFLERS

As I was finishing my converted Midwest SNJ-2 (AT-6), I did not want to cut a big opening in the side of the engine cowl. I had little room for a muffler to fit bet-ween the engine and the cowl, but I did find that a J'Tec* muffler fit nicely in the tight confines of the engine compartment.

The J'Tec muffler shown in the picture has a very thin profile and comes complete with a mounting plate and bolts for my O.S. 1.08 engine. Installation is easy. J'Tec is under new ownership, and the people there are working on a number of new ideas for mufflers. Al Young (J'Tec president) sent me a prototype of the company's new in-line exhaust system. As you can see, these exhausts can be used on a P-51 Mustang, a Spitfire, or an Me-109, where the externally mounted muffler would be both functional and authentic-looking. The aluminum casting of the prototype is very nice. The inner portion of the exhaust is connected to the engine's standard muffler outlet with a piece of neoprene tubing or a flexible metal tube. They will certainly weigh more than the decorative plastic stacks we have for many of these aircraft, but this should aid in balancing the aircraft.

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