Hot new products for the summer

Model Airplane News, Jul 2001 by Yarrish, Gerry

If you are like most modelers, when you are not actually building and flying model airplanes, you are probably talking about them. One of the greatest places I can think of to "talk airplane" is at a model airplane trade show. Here in New England, the granddaddy of them all is the Westchester Radio Aero Modelers (WRAM) show in White Plains, NY, and this year's show had plenty of new things to talk about. I have been attending this model showcase since I was a small balsa biter tagging along behind my father; I bought my first roll of MonoKote there and saw my first RC helicopter demo flight in the big parking lot across from the main entrance. For me, the WRAM show wasand still is-a great event where RC models rule the day.

In its 33rd year, the 2001 WRAM show was as busy as ever. I love walking down the aisles and bumping into old friends and flying buddies who are also looking for the new and interesting products that always show up there. For modelers who like to "think big," this year's show had a lot to offer.

ZIROLI'S BIG STEARMAN

My first stop each year is the Nick Ziroli Plans booth. This year, Nick Sr. and Jr. had their new, enlarged PT-17 on display completely finished and detailed. Nick Sr. competed last year with the new Stearman at the Scale Master Championships in Dayton, OH, and he did very well. He says that it is just as delightful to fly as the smaller, 77inch-span version. The big Stearman is 22.5-percent scale and has a wingspan of 87 inches. It is 68 inches long and has a wing area of over 2,250 square inches. The model uses Nick's standard balsa and ply construction design with formers and stringers assembled over a flat crutch structure. The finished model weighs between 32 and 35 pounds and is designed for use with a Zenoah G-62 gas engine. Nick's prototype is powered by a Robart 4-stroke, 7-cylinder radial engine. A set of Robart shockabsorbing Oleo struts is also available for the big biplane. Since I have retired my old Ziroli Stearman, I know I will have this one on the bench come next winter.

CENTURY JET RETRACTS

Bruce Sanders of Century Jet Models (CJM) showed me his latest offerings-three different sets of F8F Bearcat retracts. Each gear set has that unique trunion-block design feature that shortens the Bear as it is retracted into the wing. Each strut has a positive up-lock mechanism that's driven by a secondary air cylinder. Each gear set is beautifully machined, and each is specifically designed for the Jerry Bates (80-inch span), the Ziroli (86-inch span), and the Cactus Aircraft (100-inch span) Bearcat models. If you have ever wanted to build a great big Grumman Bearcat but didn't because there weren't any scale landing gear available, CJM has just given you three good reasons to reconsider.

Also on display in the CJM booth was the company's Supermarine Spitfire MK 22-24. This 1/5-scale model has an 87-inch wingspan, is 76 inches long and is designed for a Mold 1.8 or larger engine. Flying weight for this composite model is 22 to 24 pounds. You can order the Spitfire in three ways: the basic kit comes with a primed epoxy/fiberglass fuselage, fiberglass vertical and horizontal stabilizers, molded accessory hatch, elliptical foam wing-cores, a formed canopy, detailed instructions, a full-size plan, 3-view drawings and a spinner. The deluxe kit comes with these items plus a basic cockpit kit, metal tiller arms, a laser-cut plywood package, a wooden parts package, an accessory package, pull/pull cables, bolts and nuts, snap-on door-mounting brackets and much more. An even more deluxe kit includes everything mentioned plus the main-gear retracts and tailwheel unit. Other options, such as a scale, non-flying, 5-blade fiberglass prop and spinner, are also available.

GIANTSCALEPLANES.COM AT-6

Up on the WRAM show stage area, Irwin Siner of Giantscaleplanes.com displayed his new line of fiberglass ARF giants. The models included a 96-inch Sukhoi, a 98-inch P51D Mustang and my favorite: a 1/5-scale, 103-inch-span AT-6 Texan. Perfect for a Zenoah G-62 (or larger) engine and a set of Robart retracts, this impressive ARF comes with a factory-finished fiberglass fuselage and film-covered wing and tail parts, a huge greenhouse canopy and a fiberglass engine cowl. Panel-line detail is molded into the fuselage and cowl, and all the control surfaces have beveled leading edges. All of the control-horn hardpoints come installed, and the one-piece wing is completely ready for hinging. The aileron servo pockets and wire channels are also cut out. If you want to fly a giant Texan at that next warbird flyin, the Giantscaleplanes.com AT-6 will have you in the air in no time.

DAVE PATRICK MODELS EXTRA 300

The new Extra 300L from Dave Patrick Models looked great and is available in three varieties: as an ARE, covered as shown here; as an ARF, covered in white; and as a ready-to-cover (RTC) model. It has a 76inch span and 1,220 square inches of wing area. Weighing only 11 to 12 pounds, this Extra is lightly loaded and would be ideally powered with a 1.20 4-stroke engine. According to Dave, the Extra, with its large, double-beveled control surfaces, is a great airplane to do 3D maneuvers with; its control response is great at any speed. The Extra also has an adjustable stab; you can easily fine-tune the stab's incidence with a small screwdriver. The Extra also includes a painted fiberglass cowl and wheel pants, fine-quality hardware, two decal sheets and a 48-page, photo-illustrated instruction booklet that includes hints and flying tips.