Airwaves

Model Airplane News, Feb 2001

Our readers write back

CAMOUFLAGE SKY SCOOTER

I thought the December 2000 article on the Sky Scooter was great! Just a couple of quick questions: which paint did Chris use for the camouflaged model? How did he mask the plane? I guess he painted the tan first, but did he use a mask of some sort or just paint the design freehand? I have always wondered how this was done. [email]

GENE ROBERTSON Gene, Chris is long on imagination but short on time, so he entrusted the painting of his Sky Scooter to me. The plane somewhat resembles the A-6, so we borrowed a scheme from Squadron Signals' "Intruder" book, and I used Parma's FasKolor to create the Euro camo theme. The paint is water-based, so it won't attack a foam model.

I masked the canopy lines first; then I applied an entire coat of Fasbeige as a base. Next came a freehand application of Fasgreen to create the camouflage pattern. Most of the modem fighters I've seen have this sort of long wavering pattern across their fuselage and wings. The darker colors on the full-scale planes have feathered edges and not a hard masked line, so, to simulate the same effect, I airbrushed the paint on from about 4 inches away. Once the paint had dried, I brushed Fasblack onto the canopy, removed the masking tape and then topped off the look with simple panel lines using a ruler and a permanent-ink marker. Thanks for your question! BOB HASTINGS

MICROFLIGHT ONLINE I just received the printed version of RC MicroFlight, and I want to tell you how much I like the publication. I really like having both a print and an electronic version [www.rcmicroflight.com]. I like looking through the full-color electronic version and having downloadable plans, but there is nothing like sitting down and thumbing through a paper newsletter. I'm planning to build a Pond Baby when I get a good copy of the plan printed. Thank you; and keep up the good work. [email]

KOUROSH GHASSEMIEH

Kourosh, one of the driving forces behind developing the electronic version of RC MicroFlight was to have online archived articles and downloadable micro flyer plans. We're glad to hear that you enjoy both versions of the newsletter.

DS

TROUBLED TAYLORCRAFT I just want to point out that in the January 2001 issue, the opening photo of "Electric Power for Scale Models" is not a 1/4-scale Taylorcraft; it is a Super Cub. This small error notwithstanding, I found the rest of Bob Benjamin's article very interesting, and I am now considering electric power for my next scale project. Please consider publishing more articles on the basics of electricpowered models.

RALPH JOHNSTON Kokomo, IN Ralph, you caught us! We do know the difference between a Taylorcraft and a Super Cub, but we mistakenly placed a photo of Phil Sibille's Super Cub with the caption for the impressive electric-powered Taylorcraft that Bob competed with at Top Gun 2000. Bob's model is shown here. GY

CLASS PROJECT I am a technical studies teacher at the Prince of Wales High School in Vancouver, BC, Canada, and had long wanted to introduce an applied aerodynamics project. Eventually, I was in a position to do so with my senior technology class. My students had to build a Sun Rider RC glider (July 1998 Model Airplane News) from scratch and were given flight training on a simulator while working on their models.

My class of 22 built 12 gliders and used three Futaba Skysport RC systems and a Dave Brown flight simulator. I also had to make the Sun Rider fuselage wider and higher to accommodate the standard Futaba servo tray, as the students had to share trays.

We started the construction by making rib templates and cutting out ribs. After the students had been given some lessons in basic aerodynamics and flying structures, they learned to fly on the simulator. I programmed the Sun Rider into the simulator, and students found that it was quite close to its actual flight characteristics.

My fellow Okalla Hawks Club member Jim Porter came to give a wonderful demonstration of high-- start launching and flying, and this invigorated the students (after all, this was a long project for high school).

I was surprised at how well my students flew their gliders. I began by having them hand-launch and trim them on a hill behind the school. When I was satisfied that they could handle them safely, we used a high-start. Their efforts were rewarded with some very good flights. At least two students have bought their own radios, and all have a standing offer from the Okalla Hawks to fly as guests at their field.

All in all, it was a successful program, and it seems that much was learned and considerable expertise acquired. I hope to offer this program again at the Prince of Wales HS.

JOHN HANNAH Vancouver, BC, Canada

Thanks so much for sharing your project with us, John. I know that designer Jim Simpson will be very glad to hear that his glider design has introduced RC airplanes to another group of young students.