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workBENCH: Mention Seamaster 45 to an accomplished float pilot, and they'll sagely nod and say, "Good choice!" We power ours with a super reliable Thunder TigerF-54S. Recently released in an ARF version by the folks at Ace, this superb model is faithful to the great original - without the hours of work and preparation 'cuz it's already built. We even show how to make the stab removable which means she travels compactly! What's more, the plug-in landing gear lets this amphibian pull double duty and fly off land too!
workBENCH: The 138-inch wingspan Don Smith B-17 nears completion as we visit master-builder Larry Stenhouse's workshop. He shows us the little tips which make the job of covering a balsa model with lightweight fiberglass cloth easier - and he's using a low-odor water-based polyurethane to attach it. It's the foundation of the scale paint job to come. Then, because the B-17 is a replica of a Coast Guard version (which carried a boat dropped to ship's crews in distress), we film a mockup being dropped from a Hangar 9PT-19 as Larry proofs the concept of the mechanism planned for the B-17. Of course, judging from the B-17, Larry's not the type to fly anything. In the last issue we told how he absconded with our The World ModelsP-82 Twin Mustang. Now this ARF replica (which includes pre-install retracts, features genuine split-flaps, has a wing that separates into three pieces - outboard of the fuselages making it easy to transport) is finished. Larry used a pair of OS Max's superb 46FX engines and as you can imagine, she really hauls the goods!
innerVIEW: Setting up a smoke system can be fraught with problems, principally in getting the right amount of smoke fluid to make lots of smoke, but without getting so much we risk a flame out! While visiting the Toledo Expo, our search for a better way paid off as we discovered a neat self-contained system from the folks at Slimline. This one's the cat's meow!
flightLINE: IMAA get-togethers are a blast! We visit the Goldsboro, NC, fly-in and find superb examples of giant scale modeling. If you've ever been curious on how Top Flite's giant scale P-51 handles, then wonder no more as we film a beautiful ZenoahG-62 powered version. Other models include a classic CurtisRobin, and a superb rendition of Balsa USA's 1/4 scale Sopwith Pup powered by yet another Zenoah engine, this time the G-23. This is flying at its best!
aboutENGINES: A throaty rumble characterizes an engine too sweet for words! A giant-scale tour de force, the OS MaxFT-300 Super Gemini, is an awesome-sounding 50cc 4-stroke guaranteed to delight both engine enthusiasts and connoisseurs alike. Spinning a honking piece of Zinger 18x8 wide-blade wood at 7800 RPM, she snatches our model through the air with ease while delivering that trademark sound guaranteed to send shivers up the back of everybody within earshot!
workBENCH:Great Planes' superb rendition of a Pitts Special is a favorite amongst bipe-aficionados and sure to be the pride of your fleet. At nearly 1/3-scale, she's ready built, and covered in genuine MonoKote! When suitably accessorized, she's easy to make into a replica of Charlie Hillard's World Championship winning Red Devils 1. We start off with decals and pilot from the folks at Model Graphics. We also add an incredible instrument panel from Goebel Custom Dash along with a bit of spray paint. Next, we upgrade to Robart giant-scale Hinge Point hinges and add a Sullivan onboard dual glow plug driver as insurance, along with some scale tricks like driving the ailerons with rods instead of 4-servos and suddenly you have a model your pals will be jealous of!
talkRADIO: A high tech additon to your shop, we examine Hitec'sHFP-10 which is both a servo tester (for all brands of conventional servos), and an external programming interface for their awesome digital servos! Combine it with their superb 143 oz on 4.8V HS-5645MG metal-geared servos and you discover the addition of servo-level programming to traditional transmitter-centric programming is a no brainer!
Yup, it's another jam-packed 2-hour issue of modelSPORT you just gotta have!
