Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Duke Horn's FAC Curtis SBC-3 Helldiver


Duke Horn is a long time competitive Flying Aces Club (FAC) scale modeler from Dallas. This morning Duke came over around 10:00 a.m. for coffee, donuts and some modeling "Show and tell". I showed Duke several of my models and then Sue fixed us lunch. After lunch, Duke went out to his car and brought in his Curtiss SBC-3 Helldive. This is one beautiful competition scale rubber model biplane and so well done. It was everything I expected it to be and more. We positioned the Helldiver up on the work table and I took a number of pictures of it that I want yopu to see.








Duke also had two other rubber models with him that were not scale. We had great time today sharing our modeling experiences and just visiting together. It is so seldom that I ever get to talk to other modelers. Thanks Duke for coming over and making my day enjoyable..............................Tandy Walker

The Lanzo Cabin Stick




My first encounter with the "Cabin" version of the Lanzo R/C Stick was back in Chicopee, MA at the 1990 SAM Champs where Bucky Walter flew one to 2nd place in the Texaco event powering it with an Orwick .64.
A decade ago, he sent me the plans drawn by Chet and the plywood template used to cut the ribs for a wing whose airfoil hadn't been specified. "Any suitable high lift airfoil" was the recommendation. Mine was built for Texaco as well, but with a PAW.49 Diesel (now a J'EN .56)


The more common wire cabane version

Bucky also built a 50% version for the Morrill Hornet .19
It now flies in Class A Texaco with a PAW.09. Set up this way, it won 1st place at the first Midwest MECA Champs in Muncie, IN

In recent years, the Latowskis from Battlecreek, Michigan have been successful with their Cabin Stick

http://www.antiquemodeler.org/sam_new/news_letters/assets/dt165.pdf
actual ply template used by Lanzo in 1937

old Klarich kit with Grant8 aerofoil as seen on the John Pond plan


Monday, March 29, 2010

Remuera Glider


calendar photo
As built by Bucky Walter (double size)



October 16, 2012 update
Hi Bucky, thanks for answering what must seem a strange contact out of the blue. As you know once something is on the internet it is there forever!! I was looking for something the other day when I stumbled on an old post of yours on the Building Board and saw the Remuera Glider. Anyway, I am a long time member of AMAC, the Auckland Model Aero Club here in New Zealand. Our club was formed in 1928. We fly everything except helicopter but we have a particular focus on vintage, free flight scale, control line and indoor. Although NZ is of mainly British heritage, our club swings both ways as it were and we incorporate a SAM chapter (SAM 1928) for those who want to fly to your rules. We do a fair bit of 1/2A and A Texaco and quite a few of us have Jimmie Allen models. W.B. (Bill) Mackley who designed the Remuera Glider was a life member and patron of AMAC until his passing a couple of years back. I have attached some blurb and a photo from the Model Flying NZ website. The model Bill is holding is his 72” gassie the Venus. I have a plan for this beautiful model and will build it for R/C assist one day soon. It is approved for vintage competition. Remuera is one of Auckland’s central suburbs and I guess the model was designed while Bill was living there before the war. Bill flew in the RNZAF during WWII and was an airline pilot afterwards. He was a real gentleman. Please excuse this intrusion on your privacy but I thought you might be interested in the context to your Remuera Glider Regards, Mike Mulholland



 Bill Mackley joined the Auckland Model Aero Club in October 1930 and was soon making a name for himself in both contest flying and club management. His Yellow Bird fuselage rubber design was one of the first really successful Auckland fuselage designs. This was kitted by Modelair. A little later, Modelair also kitted his Red Bird and Hornet designs. He was a New Zealand Wakefield team member in 1936, and represented New Zealand at the 1937 Moffett contest. He also coached the members of the Auckland Grammar School MAC to such good effect that the soundly beat AMAC in a competition! In 1936, Bill set new records in Fuselage Indoor ROW, Spar outdoor ROW, Senior Spar indoor ROW, Scale outdoor ROG, and in 1937 he set a new mark in Senior Spar Indoor ROW. Bill always played an important role in club management. He was a Committee Man in 1933, Secretary for a time in 1935, Club Captain in 1936 and 1937, Vice President in 1938, 1940-41, and 1943 to 1949. He was Club Patron from 1978 to 1984, and again in 1987 to 2002. He was also active in NZMAA matters, being the Public Relations Officer in 1937, a member of the Technical Committee in 1937, and a member of the Board of Management in 1937 and 1938. In 1937 he was co-editor of the NZMAA Notes in Fernleaf, the Official Organ of the Association. He won the NZMAA Silver Badge for June/July 1937.




Tandy Walker's Speed 400 model completed








As this construction project draws to a close tonight, this is the 92nd and final Cloudster's construction report. I began this Speed 400 project on October 27, 2009, over five months ago and completed it this evening. I truly hope you have enjoyed my efforts on this project as much as I have sharing them with you. There will be one more follow up report later on in the spring after the weather gets good to present the results of the Cloudster's flight testing. So for now, good night and goodbye............................Tandy

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Friday, March 19, 2010


Hi Tom,
Gil finally got recognition for flying in the World Champs.
You can have this magazine to keep when you pickup the Fat Little Sucker.
Bucky

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Monday, March 8, 2010

Vic Smeed Popsie part 6


Hi Tom,

Little Fat Sucker with a Fat J-3 Cub Stripe. No matter how nicely I build this model or decorate it, people are going to laugh!












The model is ready for flight. The Tee connector has not arrived, but I can plug the battery to the ESC. I checked the controls this morning and ran the motor a little.

Let me know when you are coming to pick up the model. I will charge the battery so we can make the initial flight at the college.

~Bucky Walter

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Bugaboo

Another ugly model (with a happy owner). This one spotted recently in Muncie, Indiana at the AMA's fabulous flying site.   More Bugaboo photos here.



Vic Smeed Popsie part 5

This Fat Sucker is almost complete. Still got to glue the stab on to the fuselage and connect the push rod connectors.
The Coverite lite weight material that looks like transparent tissue is a bear to work with on sheet wood and on compound curves.
I installed screen door mesh on the last bottom open area to exit the heat from the battery and the ESC and keep out small critters.
This model is so fat it is hard to get a good photograph.
Bucky