Gearing up

Model Airplane News, May 2001 by Sharp, Debra

There are many advantages to equipping a model with retractable landing gear: retracts reduce drag while increasing performance, and they complete the package for many scale models. In this issue, author Joe Felice explains the installation, operation and maintenance of retracts, including pneumatic, mechanical and electrical gear. If you've ever admired models that could pull up their gear but thought that installing retracts was too complicated, Joe's article is a must-read. Turn to page 38 and see how easy it can be to outfit your models with retracts.

SUPERMAN FLIES AGAIN

Contributor Rich Uravitch attended the 12th annual Superman Jet Rally in Metropolis, IL-one of the premier jet events in the Midwest. On page 32, he reports the newest innovations and developments in the world of jet modeling, including the upcoming flight test of Jim Weigle's 21-foot-- long Concorde!

IN THE WORKSHOP

In "How to Strip-Plank like a Pro," author Henry Holcomb shares the secret to easily creating light, strong structures using only a balsa stripper, balsa and glue. Also this month, Jef Raskin takes the guesswork out of balancing your model by providing some very simple equations that you can plug into your calculator or computer spreadsheet. This is a formula for success!

"HINTS AND KINKS" RETIRES

for the past 26 years, Jim Newman's "Hints and Kinks" has been a mainstay of Model Airplane News. With this issue, we toast Jim's retirement from his column and look forward to his future contributions to the magazine. With his last column, Jim included a letter to his readers, excerpted below:

"Thank you to the readers who often brightened my days with a little note and a compliment or two. I hope my humble efforts have been of some use to you. It has been a wonderful trip. Readers, I want you to know that this was not my column; it wasand always will be-yours; I merely drove the pen. Without your ideas to share with other modelers, there would have been no "Hints and Kinks" all these years. So keep your eyes on the horizon, stay out of rough weather and always land safely."

Jim, although we will greatly miss your monthly column in Model Airplane News, we look forward to the projects and special assignments that your retirement will allow you to undertake. It would be difficult for us to point to any other contributor over the last quarter century who has been so reliable and knowledgeable. On behalf of all of us who have worked with you over the years, thank you for your countless contributions, support and friendship.