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This is a typical control horn and base. The horn is one-inch long and has a base 3/4 in. square. Use those dimensions to draw a horn of any shape you desire. If you already have an adequate store-bought horn, it will save you from designing your own. Draw the base using the dimensions shown. The slot in the center fits over the base of the horn, so be sure to make it the proper length and width.

Lay the paper pattern you designed, or an actual horn, on the credit card and trace around it with a fine-point pen. If the card has been handled, you may have to scrub it with soap and water before the pen will work.

Use the same procedure to draw the bases. Two bases are used with each horn, so the eight bases on a card will accommodate four horns.

Cut the horns and bases from the card. A #11 blade works very well, as does a pair of sharp scissors. Use sandpaper to smooth the edges.

Your custom horn and its bases are now ready for mounting on your airplane’s control surfaces.

Epoxy a base plate to the horn. Set it aside to dry.

Determine where on a control surface you want to place the horn and cut a slit through the foam wide enough so the horn can be inserted. Put a little epoxy on the horn and base plate and slide it in the slot. Next, apply epoxy to another base plate, slip it over the protruding horn on the opposite side of the foam. Snug it tight to the foam’s surface and use a clamp to hold everything in place until the glue dries.

These are the credit card servo mounts. Cut a 3/4 in. strip from the card and mark the center. Measure 1/4 in. on each side of the center mark to create the space between the servos.

Now you can determine the length of your servos and add 1/16 in. to that measurement. For example, Hitec’s HS-81 servos are 1 3/16 in. long. Add 1/16 in. to that measurement and measure that length (1 3/16 in. plus 1/16 in.) outward from each of the 1/4 in. marks. Mark that distance on the card. Most micro servos are about 1/2 in. wide (you might want to measure the servos you plan to use). Measure 1/2 in. from the card’s edge and draw a horizontal line.

You now have two 1 1/4 in. x 1/2 in. rectangles marked on the card. Use a blade or scissors to remove those rectangles. Place the servos in the rectangular openings on the mount and mark and drill 1/16 in. holes for the servo screws. Cut another 3/4 in. strip from the credit card and use the completed mount as a template to carve and drill the second mount for the other side of the foam.

Select the site for the servos on your airplane and use one mount as a template to cut servo holes in the side of the aircraft. Glue a mount to the side of the plane so it surrounds three sides of the newly cut holes. Put a servo in the mount and screw the mounting screws through the servo, card mount and foam until 1/16 in. of the screw protrudes from the foam. Attach the second servo.

Add glue to the remaining mount and place it on the opposite side around the two servos, so its holes lie on the protruding screw tips. Hold the mount in place and tighten the screws. Use a side cutter or file to remove the sharp tips of the four screws that stick out from the mount.

That’s it! No more trips to the hobby shop—you can now make your own horns and mounts!

BY JACK JOSEPH

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A good landing starts out with a good landing traffic pattern. Start your landing pattern by entering the crosswind leg and then turn into the downwind leg. Turn into the base leg, start your descent and then set up your final approach. All your turns should be 90 degrees.

In a crosswind landing, you should set up a crab heading angle that produces a straight tracking path. The stronger the crosswind, the larger the crab angle needs to be.

A smooth and consistant approach angle is also very important. Use throttle to control the descent rate and keep the wings level. Aim for an imaginary spot just above the runway, and cross the end of the runway at an altitude of about 10 to 15 feet.

The post LAND LIKE A PRO appeared first on Model Airplane News.

Begin by flying your plane parallel to the runway about 100 yards away from yourself. When you reach the end of the aerobatic box (1,800 feet wide maximum), pull the plane vertical. If your plane does not head straight up, you didn’t have your wings level. Typically, most fliers hold their inboard wing too low during what looks to them like straight and level flight; when the plane is pulled into a vertical climb, it will start to come in toward the pilot. Continue doing this at various altitudes until you can achieve a vertical pullout. As the plane continues upward, other forces such as prop torque will affect your plane, but you need only concentrate on the initial pull up for this exercise. If you find that you have to apply rudder immediately after you “pull” up-elevator, then you are not flying level. High-wing, mid-wing and low-wing planes will all look different in flight with respect to the ground. Your paint scheme can also “throw off” your perception of your plane’s attitude. Learn what wings-level looks like by practicing it over and over.

Now let’s take the wings-level exercise one step farther: inverted. Yep, throw out your previous sight picture and start again. In an aerobatic sequence, straight and level flight is not limited to upright flight only. In fact, you may spend as much as 30 percent of your flight time inverted while in between maneuvers. You also need to know what inverted wings-level flight looks like. Push down-elevator to enter into a hammerhead at each end of the box, and notice which way the plane immediately leans. Fix the lean angle on the next try with your ailerons immediately before adding the elevator push from straight and level flight. Once the push begins, only rudder should be used. The same thing goes for upright flight. Use the ailerons before the pull, and then use the rudder to correct during and after the pull into the vertical.

Wind correction is another factor that will influence straight and level flight and your vertical lines. (Note: “wind correction” means that you must lean the plane’s heading slightly into the wind to keep the plane’s flight path parallel to the runway and perpendicular to the ground during a vertical climb.) If the plane is crabbed during a vertical entry, it will immediately lean toward the direction of crab. You may need to take some of the crab out of the plane with rudder immediately before the pull. (I emphasized the word “some” to signify that there is no hard-and-fast rule concerning how much to remove.) A certain amount of crab-angle wind correction should be maintained to keep it parallel to the runway. Each plane will act differently depending on its weight, the length of its tail moment and the amount of crosswind velocity. The only way to find how much crab angle you’ll need to remove is by practicing. It may seem simple, but I can’t over-emphasize how important it is to master straight and level flight—for aspiring aerobatic pilots and seasoned veterans, as well. Think of it as the glue that holds your sequence of maneuvers together.

BY DAN WOLANSKI

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Here’s the Starting Point of the ARF Corsair

The Corsair comes with a molded-in floor allowing for only a pilot bust but I cut it away to installed a full-depth depth cockpit. I used the parts from a Ty’s Models cockpit kit, available from VQ Warbirds, to add a little extra detail to Pappy’s “office.” With all that taken care of, it was time to work on the canopy.

SLIDING CANOPY

I felt it was a shame to hide my scale Pappy under a full canopy so for this project I wanted the canopy to be functional. In the past I have only ever made canopies open manually, but for the Corsair, I went the extra mile and make the canopy open with my transmitter.

The canopy alone is very flimsy and brittle and running it under warm water before cutting helps ease trimming. I wasn’t confident that it would hold up so I ordered a replacement from VQ Warbirds which is identical in size and shape. I needed to stiffen the canopy frame so it would hold its shape while opening and closing. Using the original, un-cut ESM canopy, I taped it to the fuselage and made a simple external balsa frame to keep the canopy’s shape once I removed it from the fuselage.

External Bracing in place

I then removed the balsa cradle and canopy from the fuselage and sprayed the inside with some universal mold release. I then laid in two layers of carbon fiber cloth and allowed the epoxy to cure overnight. After popping it out of the canopy, it was trimmed to shape and became the perfect internal frame for my sliding canopy.

A little spray of mold release inside the canopy prevents the layup from sticking in place.

After the resin cures, the carbon fiber molding pops right out.

Nice and smooth and it fits the canopy shape perfectly.

Carbon fiber framework cut to shape.

For the guide rails, I used some slotted square brass rails and carefully installed them in the fuselage sides and along the inside edge of the cockpit opening. Ball links are used to capture canopy inside the rail and allows it to move with the use of a single, long-stroke air cylinder located forward of the instrument panel.

Guide Rails made from K&S Square Brass Tubes slotted with a Moto-Tool and Cutoff disk.

Guide Rails in position.

This arrangement gives a “push to open” and a “pull to close” operation. I cut the carbon fiber frame to shape with a Moto-Tool and a cut-off disc and then I glued the clear canopy to the inside of the frame. The canopy be removed from the rails by unscrewing the ball links which pass through the frames.

Operation

If I had more channels on my transmitter I’d put the canopy function on its own switch.  At the time I built the model, I only had an 8-channel radio so I slaved the canopy function off the flap channel with a Y-harness.

Internal Drive setup to open and close Canopy.

I set it up so canopy does not open during landings (with one notch of flaps dialed in.) The model doesn’t need full flap to land. After landing I add another notch of flaps and the canopy sides open. The flaps do move down a little bit more but it only on the ground and does not affect anything else. With a 10-channel radio, it would be simple to assign the canopy function to its own channel and open it on command.

Which way to the front!?

Having this bit of animation added to any scale plane greatly increases it realism and sends the “Wow Factor” right off the charts. For a little bit of work, you get a lot of attention. Give it a try, you’re buddies will be amazed!

Canopy all buttoned up, ready for takeoff.

Doesn’t look like an ARF anymore! Weathering helps a lot too!

 Article and photos by Sean McHale

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Henry always thought the “Ike” would make an excellent giant-scale project and he teamed up with Senior Tech Editor Gerry Yarrish to develop a 1/3-scale, 80-inch-span version.

Using a mix of traditional construction and up-to-date engine and radio equipment, the giant “Ike” was born and published in our March 2013 issue.

Read the article, here.

Buy the plan now!

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THE PLANE
Many models from 40-percent gassers to small foamies are able to do the avalanche.  A model needs only the four basic functions: rudder, elevator, aileron and throttle. Typically, a low- or mid-wing design that doesn’t have much dihedral but has enough elevator authority to do an inverted flat spin and snaps is perfect for these maneuvers.

THE AVALANCHE
The name suggests that it must be a wild 3D maneuver, right? Well, not really. In the world of aerobatics, the avalanche was around long before 3D aerobatics were ever dreamt of. It has appeared in various forms and has been a maneuver in the precision schedules of many F3A, IMAC and TOC competitions.

I’ve often said that even if your interest in aerobatics is only in the 3D arena, learning the fundamentals of flying precision maneuvers will improve your 3D flying immensely. The discipline you gain from flying precision will help make your 3D flying more deliberate; it will have a much more planned and well-executed presentation. Of course, if you do compete or aspire to do so, read on; I’ll describe how to execute the avalanche properly.

WHAT IS THE AVALANCHE?

In simplest terms, the avalanche is a loop with a snap roll at the top. Although this sounds easy, it can be difficult at first, but once you understand the elements of the maneuver and what should be done and when, it becomes quite easy.

THE LOOP

To start, you have to learn how to do the loop properly. A loop is simply a circle done vertically in the sky in the pitch axis of the model. That just means that starting from level flight, pull up-elevator and hold on until the model loops through 360 degrees and returns to level flight.

The Precision Loop

Now let’s take the ordinary loop and turn it into a well-presented precision loop:

• Step 1. Put it in the right place. When starting the loop, the model should be flying parallel to the runway in front of you. Don’t start the loop if the model is flying at an angle toward or away from you. If you do, it will be impossible to see the symmetry of the loop.
• Step 2. Center the loop on yourself. The loop should start just as the model reaches center or is exactly in front of you. Just as it reaches that point, pull back on the elevator.
• Step 3. Shape it right. The loop should be a perfect circle drawn in the sky, not an oval. It should start and end at the same altitude, and when done correctly, it should actually start and end at exactly the same point in the sky, no closer to or farther away from you. Trying to do this may bring some trimming issues to light.

In addition to making the loop perfectly round at the proper location, you also have to make it the proper size, not too small and not too large. If it’s too small, it looks rushed and leaves you little room and time to place the snap at the top. If it’s too large, it becomes more difficult to make the loop round and to hold it in the proper heading. You may also start to run out of power at the top, and that will make the snap roll impossible to do.

The correct size of a loop is determined by the hardware you are flying. A larger airplane with a lot of power will be more natural doing a larger loop than a smaller airplane or one with less power. Experiment with your model until you arrive at the loop that is the correct size for your airplane.

The loop is a simple maneuver, but it is one that you fly through. Don’t pull full up-elevator and watch it go. In fact, you should never be at full up-elevator. Pull back a little, and vary the amount of elevator to make the loop the correct size and shape. Since gravity is at work, you have to pull more elevator at the beginning of the loop than when the model passes through vertical. When the plane goes through the inverted point of the loop, relax the elevator to keep the loop round. As the model starts down the back side of the loop, increase elevator again to overcome gravity and keep the loop round. It’s also a good idea to reduce power as the model starts to come over the top of the loop and down the back side. Full power makes the loop appear rushed, and with larger airplanes, full power in a dive is a big no-no. This could even cause problems such as control-surface flutter and structural failure. Practice doing the “perfect” loop several times until you’re comfortable with it.

ADD THE SNAP

Once you have mastered the loop, work on turning it into an avalanche. Do the same loop, but just as the model reaches the top of the loop, do one snap roll. Stop the snap at exactly one turn, so the model is in the same attitude as it was before the snap. Now reduce power, and complete the loop just as before.

The technique you use to do the snap roll will affect the attitude with which the model exits the snap. The art of the snap roll is a topic that I could easily write an entire article about, but since I don’t have room to go into detail on snap-roll techniques here, I’ll just go into some basics. For now, do the snap simply by cornering both sticks, i.e., full up-elevator, full aileron and full rudder in the same direction as the aileron. Here are some tips for doing a snap roll on an avalanche:

• Don’t throttle back before the snap. This will cause the model to drop its nose through the snap, and it will exit the snap nose down, making it impossible to keep the loop round. Keep the power up until the snap is complete.
• Don’t snap too early or too late. When done properly, the snap should be at the top of the loop. Don’t get trigger-happy and snap while the model is still climbing or wait too long and snap after the model is on its way back down.
• Don’t over- or under-snap. Be sure to stop at one snap. If you over- or under-snap, the wings won’t be level. As you start to pull through the back side of the loop, the model will start to corkscrew unless you first level the wings.

To make the avalanche look its best, here’s a pro tip: always snap away from the flightline. If you enter the avalanche from your right, do the snap roll to the right (right aileron and rudder); if you enter from the left, roll to the left. This makes the model stay in line better and not step in the direction of the snap. The only exception to this rule is if you are flying in a strong cross-wind blowing out (away from the flightline). The crosswind requires you to learn to snap roll equally well to both the left and right, and that’s an important part of becoming a well-rounded aerobatic or 3D pilot anyway.

FIGURE 4 Avalanche

Master the avalanche, and you’ll become a more disciplined pilot who’s in better control of his model.

VARIATIONS
An almost infinite number of variations on the Avalanche can make it much more challenging to do. Through years of aerobatic competition, I’ve had the opportunity to tackle a lot of them. If you want to try more challenging variations on the Avalanche, here are a few good ones:

• Do the same maneuver but start inverted. Make the loop an outside loop, and at the top, do a negative snap (full down-elevator, full aileron and full opposite rudder).
• Do the Avalanche normally but do only two complete snap rolls at the top, or try it inverted with two complete negative snaps at the top.
• Start inverted, and do an outside loop. At the top, do 1  1/2 positive snap rolls so the model stops inverted at the top; then immediately do 1  1/2 negative snap rolls in the opposite direction back to upright, and complete the outside loop. When you do one like that, you need to start the first snap before the airplane reaches the top because the snaps take up so much space. After the last snap, the plane should be over the top of the loop and at the same point past the top as it was before when the first snap was done.
• One of the most difficult variations requires you to start high and do a loop starting from the top; then, at the bottom of the loop, do the snap, and continue back up to finish at the top.

The post Spice Up Your Loops–Fly the Avalanche appeared first on Model Airplane News.

Pictured above: The Staggerwing is right at home among the beauty of British Columbia’s Coastal Mountains. (Photo by Mike Luedey)

This Canadian registered Staggerwing, CF-BJD, was manufactured by Beech in the spring of 1938 for the Imperial Oil Company in Quebec. Imperial ordered the seaplane version as indicated by the model number, SD17S. Two major differences in the seaplane version are the fuel system and the addition of a right side cabin door. There were three fuel tanks instead of the four normally found in the landplane configuration. There was a tank in the lower right wing and two belly tanks making it easy to fuel from a dock without the need to climb ladders to fill upper wing tanks.

The airplane was delivered to Canada from the factory in Wichita, Kansas to Fairchild Aircraft in Longueil, Quebec where it had a set of Canadian made EDO WA-4665 floats installed. Six weeks later, the wheels were reinstalled but in August 1938, brake problems caused the plane to overshoot the runway and collect the airport boundary fence in the process. The damage included a bent propeller and also required the replacement of the front spars and a number of nose ribs in both lower wings. The airplane was back in service seven weeks later.

Imperial operated the plane as an executive transport for the next 10 years. For nine of those years the primary pilot was a well-known Canadian bush pilot, T.M. “Pat” Reid. According to the logs, it appears that BJD was Pat’s personal airplane as he flew it 417 times for an estimated 600 hours between August 1938 and September 1947.

In 1954, Pat and his wife Marjorie were passengers in a Trans-Canada Air Line’s Northstar when their aircraft was struck by a locally based RCAF Harvard. Thirty seven lives, including Pat and Marjorie, were lost that day.

Imperial Oil declared the BJD surplus in 1948 and sold it to Northern Wings in eastern Quebec in 1948. Northern Wings operated the Staggerwing until late in 1955. During that time, the aircraft appears to have led a difficult life, as letters between the owners and the Department of Transport attest.

They took BJD out of service in 1955 and stored the disassembled airframe in a hangar at Sept Iles for the next 14 years. The airplane saw approximately 16 years of service and had accumulated a total of just 2,761 hours.

In 1969, the remains of BJD were sold and flown as cargo in a Curtis Commando (C46) to Montreal, where it was picked up by the new owner, Ron Uloth. The floats arrived in Montreal later in 1970 by barge. The fuselage was stored at a technical college and the remaining parts were stored in various garages in the Montreal area. All were eventually moved to Kemptville near Ottawa 21 years later in 1990.

The culmination of 12 years of work sits proudly waiting for that all-important first flight. (Photo by Mike Luedey) 

The 450hp P&W R985 radial was overhauled by Aero-Engines Inc. in Los Angeles.

The BJD prior to the fabric installation shows the intricacy and quality of Jim’s woodwork. (Photos by Jim Britton)

Restoration

In the fall of 2002, Jim Britton of West Vancouver, British Columbia purchased the airframe from Ron. Jim had recently retired after a long career as a geological engineer in the petroleum industry and was looking for a project.

Jim has been exposed to aviation since he was four years old when his father Russell, an aircraft engineer, would take him to work with him and “Jimmy” would play in the hangar surrounded by Fleet Finches, Dragon Rapides, and other biplanes of the era. While working at Avro Canada in Malton, Ontario Jim met and became best friends with Ron. Together, they built and flew model airplanes, and Ron was Jim’s best man at Jim and Silvija’s wedding in 1957. Ron went on to a career with Air Canada as an aeronautical engineer and in retirement bought a Staggerwing (CF-EKA) to restore. Along the way, he also acquired CF-BJD and ultimately sold it to Jim.

With Ron’s help and in a five-day driving marathon, they moved BJD from Kemptville to West Vancouver in a rental truck.

The restoration work has taken 12 years to complete and included replacing all of the woodwork with the original parts serving only as patterns. There were times when the wood was in such bad shape that Jim had to obtain copies of the original factory drawings to ensure that the parts were made correctly. Over a period of four years, from 2003 to 2007, he built all new wing panels, flaps and ailerons, vertical fin, rudder, horizontal stabilizer, and the elevators. He used Sitka spruce for the spars and ribs and Finnish Birch plywood for gussets and skins where appropriate. He used G2 adhesives and sealers throughout.

He brought the steel tube fuselage, motor mount, and all of the metal fittings to Lindair Services Ltd., a maintenance facility at the Vancouver airport, where they were x-rayed, magnafluxed, and coated with epoxy. Lindair was charged with assembling the airplane and rigging all of the controls and providing the necessary signatures. Then Jim fitted the fuselage with the all new formers and stringers and the fairings that give the Staggerwing its distinctive art-deco shape. The quality of the wood work is so high that it seems a shame to cover it with fabric.

Next up was the restoration of the instrument panel back to its original layout, complete with freshly overhauled old-style instruments. The radios are Garmin, including dual GNC250XL GPS/coms, a GTX transponder and a 340 audio panel. The electrical system was updated to 24 from 12 volts, completing work begun by Northern Wings way back in 1960. Jim bought a run-out 450 hp P&W R985 and sent it to Aero-Engines Inc. in Los Angeles for overhaul. Jim also obtained and overhauled a Hamilton Standard two-blade propeller complete with an impressive chromed spinner.

He ordered and installed new stream-lined flying and landing wires from Brunton’s in Scotland.

Walter Kaiser’s Custom Furnishings Ltd. completed the leather-upholstered interior, at a somewhat higher price than the $60.00 quoted by Beech in 1939.

Modern Cleveland wheels and brakes were installed in place of the original factory installed Goodyear’s.

Jim has also added a fourth fuel tank in the lower left wing, increasing the total capacity to 124 US gallons and the range to four hours with good reserves.

Jim relaxes for
a moment after a trial-fitting a flap. (Photo
courtesy of Jim Britton)

The lower left wing is mounted on a custom-built “rotisserie” so that Werner can work on all sides of the panels without needing help to turn them. (Photo by
Mike Davenport)

The restored instrument panel is a work of art! (Photo by Mike Davenport)

Preflight Challenges

The week the first test flight was scheduled, I dropped in at the hangar in Langley to see how things were going. As I turned the corner, Werner Griesbeck’s truck was parked in front of the doors. Werner was uniquely qualified to do this covering work, having restored at least five J-3 Cubs and covered any number of others. I slid the door open enough to slide through and said, “Good morning, you in here, Werner?” A grunt from the cabin of the yellow biplane indicated that he indeed was inside. “What are you up to today?” Werner replied, “Trying to hook up this damned turn and bank.” It seems that the turn and bank was the latest breakdown of note on this project.

Previously, Werner had replaced the manifold pressure gauge, the prop control, the primer, the prop governor, and the clock—all items installed as working by a prior engineer. Each of these tasks was made more difficult due to the almost complete lack of room to work in and on a D17.A.

Murphy, as in Murphy’s Law, was also on site as minor problems, one after the other, continued to present themselves. Even the javelins for the flying wires and the placards for the instrument panel were late in arriving.

At this point, Werner had two years into the project, which started out be just fabric and paint work but morphed over time into final assembly and all the other assorted things that needed doing.

“Just fabric” on a large fast biplane like the Staggerwing is a major project in itself. Many hours are required to prep the parts for the fabric, more to glue and shrink it in place and many, many more to rib-stitch four wing panels, all the control surfaces, and the fuselage, all using the special Staggerwing knot. When that’s done, then it is time to apply all of the tapes and then to plan the paint process. Numerous coats of silver were applied and sanded, taking care not to cut through the cloth or to hide the tapes as they were planned to be still visible even after all of the color coats are applied.

The aircraft, sans fabric, had arrived from Richmond to a hangar in Langley in January of 2013. All of the smaller parts—four wing panels, two flap panels, elevators, ailerons, and rudder—went out to Werner’s shop in Aldergrove where he, Dan Holliday and I covered and rib-stitched the lot. Dan and I each had some experience covering aircraft, but this was clearly the largest job either of us had ever tackled.

With the control panel covering and rib-stitching complete, Werner applied all of the tapes and sprayed the silver, two intermediate coats of white, and five color coats of yellow.

By this time the weather had turned cold, so a deal was made to use a heated hangar for the winter. Werner then applied the fabric on the fuselage and Dan and I finished the required stitching around the cabin.

During the winter, Werner painted the fuselage and most of the smaller parts. Each required the same coats of primer, white, and yellow as per the wings and control surfaces.

Now, in late spring and back in the unheated hangar, Werner began the assembly of all these pieces, a complex job on any light aircraft but particularly difficult on a Staggerwing. Think about the complexity of the gear retraction system with its multitude of doors, springs, motors, brackets, cables, chains, gears, cranks, and back-up systems and you begin to get the idea. Several days were consumed in designing and fabricating the jacks required just to lift the airplane to “swing” the gear.

The first engine run was also problematic: it wouldn’t start. No fuel was getting to the engine. It seems that the fuel selector (indicator) was in error, pointing to a tank that was believed to contain fuel, but was in fact a different, empty one. One more snag for the list.

After a number of delays due to weather and pilot schedules, the first flight of the restored aircraft was rescheduled for December 7, 2014, 58 years after the last flight in 1956. The weather was forecast to be flyable, the first in weeks. An experienced Staggerwing pilot and owner, Mark Hyderman, came over from Edmonton, Alberta along with his engineer Ron Helgeson, to do the initial test flight and to check out Brad Jorgenson of Delta, British Columbia.

Dan Holliday contemplates the task ahead as the wings are moved to Werner’s shop to be covered and painted. (Photo by Mike Davenport)

A number of snags prevented flight but did allow some engine runs and a brief taxi test. Some adjustment to oil pressure was required and significant work to pin the cables to the aileron pulleys also would need to be done before flight. Because these concerns needed to be addressed and planned vacations were scheduled for January, the plans to fly were delayed until early February.

This time would not be wasted though, there was still the headliner to install as well as the carpet for the floor and then the scuff plates to protect the carpet, touch ups on any paint chips and, and, and …

Test Flight & Check Ride

After many delays due to weather, finding and fixing snags, vacation time and work scheduling, the stars finally aligned and the time had arrived to see if all the work done to date would be validated.. In short, would this thing actually fly? These may have been some of the thoughts going through Jim Britton’s mind on February 22, 2015. Actually, I don’t think he had any doubts.

Jim takes a moment to check his work after trial-fitting the fin. (Photo courtesy of Jim Britton)

At this point the fuselage is ready to be covered. It’s a shame to have to hide such workmanship. (Photo by Jim Britton)

Werner applies a tape to the top of the fuselage as Dan and Mike continue to “sew” the belly. (Photo by Jim Britton)

BJD dries in the spray booth after one of the many coats of silver has been applied. (Photo by Jim Britton)

The weather was good, the pilots were on hand, and the aircraft was checked and checked again. There was gas in the tanks. A chase plane was organized. Camera batteries were charged. All was ready. Mark Hyderman was back, arriving around 10 a.m. in his red Staggerwing CF-GKY, along with his engineer Ron Helgeson. They gave BJD a thorough pre-flight and then Mark with George Kirbyson as co-pilot took to the Staggerwing into the air for the first time in over 50 years. The first flight was brief and as planned: a liftoff from runway 07 and a dumbbell turn back to land on 25. At that point, they had planned to switch seats, putting George in the left to make this next flight his check ride. However, Murphy had one last problem: During the flight, the airspeed indicator was erratic and needed to be tended to. Back at the hangar, we found that a fitting in the pitot head needed to be replaced. Problem solved.

A proud and happy Jim Britton poses in front of his completed and flight-ready Staggerwing. (Photo courtesy Jim Britton)

The day quickly went by and as Mark needed to get home before dark, everyone decided to postpone the air to air photos and concentrate on George’s check ride.

The second flight lasted about 15 minutes and was flown over the airport to check temperatures and to cycle the landing gear. This time all went well with no further snags, and we ended the day with two happy pilots and one very happy owner. Congratulations to all involved.

CF-BJD returns home to Langley after a photo flight. (Photo by Mike Luedey)

By Mike Davenport

The post Restoring a Classic: A Canadian Staggerwing Gets a New Life appeared first on Model Airplane News.

The Dauntless on a flyby. The Moki 300 provides very scale-like performance.

Michael teamed up with his lead engineer for the project, Henry Nguyen and built the dive bomber from Jerry Bates plans. The Dauntless has a 124-inch wingspan, is 100 inches long and weighs in at 90 pounds. Powered by a Moki 300 radial gas engine turning a 32×18 propeller, the Dauntless is equipped with Scale Sierra landing gear and has a detailed cockpit interior using Dynamic Balsa parts. Michael controlled the beautiful SBD with his Futaba 18MZ radio system, and flew his SBD to a final score of 120.000.

We had a chance to catch up with Michael and asked him about his backstory. Here’s what he had to say.

Model Airplane News: Congratulations on your first place win in the Sport Prop class. Tell us what inspired you to choose the Dauntless for your project.
Michael Fetyko: I have always admired the beautiful lines of the SBD Dauntless. The aft gunner, the countless rivets and rugged construction along with the iconic dive brakes and trapeze dive bomb release made for a captivating project that I have dreamed of building since the first day I discovered this aircraft as a young boy growing up. The history behind this aircraft and the pilots who flew the Dauntless inspired me to build a giant scale version as a tribute to aviation achievement at that time in history.

The SBD was the only U.S. combat aircraft to fight from the beginning of the World War II until the end. It was considered the most destructive air weapon of the U.S. Navy and sank over 300,000 tons of enemy ships. Where the Japanese inflicted heavy damage at Pearl Harbor with the B5N3 Kate torpedo bomber, the SBD Dauntless leveled the playing field with its powerful dive-bombing capability. This advantage proved invaluable contributing to U.S. victory during the Battle of Midway where SBD dive bombers attacked and sank or fatally damaged all four Japanese fleet carriers present. SBDs also played a major role in the Guadalcanal Campaign.

Model Airplane News: How long did the project take? Who was involved?
Michael Fetyko: The Dauntless project started in 2017 with multiple builders contributing along the way during the frame up stage including Pedro Sanchez and Constantine DeBock. Henry Nguyen was able to take over the rough build in early 2020 and really brought it to life with museum scale quality detailing and structural engineering to create a functional flying model. We were inspired by the Commemorative Air Force “Lady in Blue” full scale SBD that resides out in Peachtree Georgia and performs in airshows regularly today and we selected that scheme to work with.

Model Airplane News: What about under the “hood”? How does it perform?
Michael Fetyko: The model flies very well and scale like with the Moki 300cc five-cylinder radial engine. Coming in at over 80 pounds, energy management is key during flight operations. The dive brakes prove beneficial in steep decent for dive bomb runs which helps prevent over-speeding engine rpm.

Model Airplane News: Tell us about the construction?
Michael Fetyko: Being a Jerry Bates design, it is your typical giant scale airplane, it has balsa, light ply and plywood construction. The airframe was covered and finished with fiberglass cloth and Pacer finishing resin. We took care in constructing the dive brakes using carbon fiber for both strength and light wight. Aluminum hinges keep the control surfaces working smoothly during the maneuvers and are holding up nicely. We used 4-40 size control rods with carbon-fiber sleeves and heavy duty linkages to support safe and reliable long term flight performance. We hope to be flying this model for many years to come.

Model Airplane News: Your finish is amazing. Tell us about it. What paint did you use?
Michael Fetyko: For scale detailing we incorporated a raised panel technique to simulate aircraft skin realism, being careful not to add too much weight in the process but finishing the skin with noticeable contrast. And then there were the rivets. There is no way around this arduous process but to set aside plenty of time and just enjoy the experience taking things in manageable sections. We used canopy glue and laid out thousands of tiny rivets by hand and when completed the model took on a whole new level of realism.

For paint we chose Klass Kote as their military FS scale color matching works perfectly and the two-part epoxy formula really holds up over time in the elements. When selecting satin paint there is still an opportunity to work the finish for realism and this is where #0000 fine steel wool comes in. This is a labor of love process that take several evenings and required lots of patience. With the raised rivets aircraft skin this process can be slow going but is well worth the effort. Having movies on in the background helps pass the time and I found the evening work sessions to be enjoyable when we took those finishing steps in short manageable stages.

Model Airplane News: What about the landing gear?
Michael Fetyko: We worked with Darrell Tenney at Sierra Giants to configure this model with high quality landing gear. Darrell produced a perfect set of gear for us and they not only present beautifully being very close to scale, but also work perfectly.

Model Airplane News: The Dauntless looks amazing inside and out. How’d you do it?
Michael Fetyko: One of the most important objectives for this project was to construct a high-quality cockpit. I reached out to Brian Brucar at Dynamic Balsa and shared the vision for this project and he was very supportive. Brian produced dozens of high-quality cockpit components for this project and provides a very nice photo instruction guide to assist with assembly. He has made the kit available for anyone who would like to build a similar model.

Model Airplane News: You and your team certainly did an amazing job. Do you have any advice for someone considering building a Jerry Bates Dauntless?
Michael Fetyko: This model can be overwhelming in size in the workshop and requires plenty of space to assemble. I recall the moment we did the final assembly with the paint and markings completed and cockpit installed. We all stepped back and the feeling of accomplishment is indescribable. A happy moment to cherish for a lifetime. There are so many aspects of the SBD and they all seem to blend together in a rugged sort of beauty that contributes to its remarkable appearance when fully assembled.

Model Airplane News: Do you have any future plans for the Dauntless?
Michael Fetyko: With our relationship with Warbirds West we have a mission to honor military aviation. Each year we produce a reenactment of the Battle of Midway in our annual airshow at the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum in Hawaii, so having a giant scale SBD Dauntless to perform with was an important goal that we set early on. Being able to campaign the Dauntless at Top Gun this year was very special being inspired with the theatrical release of the movie Midway.

We are also preparing a virtual reality Battle of Midway video game experience to compliment the model aircraft performance at flying events and will be campaigning this in 2021 across the U.S. and also at the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum. Visitors will be able to experience the Battle of Midway in immersive Virtual Reality from the deck of the Japanese Akagi aircraft carrier and also fly in a SBD Dauntless and perform dive bomb runs to see if they can hit the target.

Model Airplane News: Wow! That’s very ambitious. Your project is very inspiring.
Michael Fetyko: Yes indeed. One can only imagine what it must have been like on the deck of the USS Enterprise back in June 1942. With radios that worked intermittently, and only primitive navigation tools, brave U.S. pilots flew hundreds of miles over the ocean to find enemy targets and then courageously dove head first into battle putting it all on the line. And the Dauntless delivered on its promise at Midway where the war in the Pacific reached a turning point and the momentum shifted in our favor. All this history drives our inspiration with this giant scale SBD Dauntless.

Michael and his 1/4-scale Dauntless did a great job at Top Gun.

Being a Jerry Bates design, construction is very typical for an all-wood built-up project.

Here the outer wing panel is shown with the leading edge slots and the dive brakes installed.

The wing center section include the wheel wells and the center bomb release mechanism

Here one of the horizontal stabilizers takes shape. The elevator with scale hinging is set in place.

The completed stabilizer with elevator covered with fabric.

The engine cowling is taking shape with foam filler blocks sanded to shape and covered with resin.

The complete cowling in primer.

Here you see a scale hatch that will provide access to radio switches.

Here the fuselage is in primer with scale panel details laid out.

Here the fuselage and wing center section are being joined and the fit is being established with filler.

The rivet details are shown to good advantage here.

The Dauntless on a flyby. The Moki 300 provides very scale-like performance.

Here the canopy framework is being installed and fitted into place.

Here the fuselage is having its rivet detailed applied. Formula 560 canopy glue makes great rivet heads.

The pilot sides in the front office.

Horizontal stabilizers and elevators all detailed and painted.

Assembled for the first time and sitting on its landing gear, the Dauntless takes up a lot of shop space.

By Gerry Yarrish | Photos by Michael Fetyko, David Hart & Sean Curry

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