Focal Point
Model Aviation, 5161 E. Memorial Dr., Muncie IN 47302
First Kit
Jose Gutierrez's (<REDACTED>) Sig Four-Star 60 is powered by an O.S. .91 Surpass four-stroke engine turning a 15 x 6 Zinger propeller.
The covering is Metallic Blue MonoKote® with MonoKote® stars and stripes. The model is piloted by Star Wars character Darth Maul.
"The airplane flies great and lands like a feather," wrote Jose.
Aero Max
Jerry D. Pearson's (<REDACTED>) model was designed by Dennis Clayton of Georgia, but is no longer available.
The Aero Max spans 82 inches, has a G-62 for power, weighs 19½ pounds, and features a TME smoke system.
"I call it my puzzle plane," he wrote. "After seeing models done with flame jobs or splash jobs, I decided to be original with a puzzle job.
"One of the best things about the covering is if you accidentally poke a hole in it, just cut out another puzzle piece as a patch, and it still looks like it belongs."
A Trio
Mark Connolly's (<REDACTED>) CAP 232 built from a Great Planes kit has an O.S. .70 Surpass engine and MonoKote® covering.
The Great Planes Patriot has an O.S. .46 FX engine, retracts, and the armament accessory package. Mark also made a custom bomb-drop working off the seventh channel on his radio. Covering is MonoKote®.
The Sig Hog Bipe has an O.S. .60 FX engine, a 12 x 6 propeller, and a TME smoke system.
"The pilots in all of the airplanes are painted to look like me," wrote Mark.
Nieuport 11
Harry Jenkin's (<REDACTED>) scratch-built, 1/4-scale model spans 72 inches.
Total flying weight is 11½ pounds, and power is provided by an ASP .91.
Harry used an old aluminum pot for the cowl, a child's stroller wheels, dowels, and 1/4 plywood for framework. The model is covered with silk and painted with dope.
"Approximately $95 in materials [was] used, less engine, radio, and two months' spare time to build," wrote Harry.
Focal Point
Van Air Tiger G 03
Dan Van Gorkom's (<REDACTED>) model is scratch-built with a long tail moment. It has a 58-inch wingspan and 58-inch length. The Tiger uses a Hitec radio and is powered by an O.S. .46 FX engine with MAC pipe.
According to Dan, it flies like a Pylon Racer, with quick rolls and loops.
"It's one of the best airplanes I've ever had—kit or original," he wrote.
Stinson SR-9
Ken Sheffield (<REDACTED>) built his 1/5-scale SR-9 from the TopFlite® kit.
The model is covered with Great Planes Coverite™ fabric, which, according to Ken, gives the model a realistic finish and is durable.
Powered by a Super Tigre 25cc glow engine with an 18 x 8 propeller, takeoff weight is 22 pounds and the wingspan is 100½ inches.
"Performance is very good with no bad habits and [it] lands well without flaps," wrote Ken.
WACO YKS-6
Alfred Osgood's (<REDACTED>) YKS-6 began life as a Pica WACO YMF-5. "I redrew the plans, changing the fuselage and the upper wing," he wrote.
The model has a 72-inch wingspan, weighs 15 pounds, is powered by a Zenoah Z-23 engine, and is guided by a Futaba radio.
The WACO is covered with Super Coverite™, and Alfred used 21st Century™ paint.
"This airplane looks great in the air," he wrote.
Ospreys
Ken McCaughin (<REDACTED>) built his Ospreys from Model Aviation plan 850.
The one on the left was built per the plans (with a 63-inch wingspan) and is powered by a Magnum .36 engine. The other is 125% of the original size (with a 79-inch wingspan), is true V-tail operation, and is powered by a Tower Hobbies .40 engine.
"Since they are forward-swept wings, several club members tease me about the wings being on 'backwards,'" wrote Ken. "These are fun airplanes to fly."
Modified Twin Star
"I took a standard Hobbico Twin Star and made a modification to come up with a unique-looking and -sounding aircraft," wrote Greg Anderson (<REDACTED>).
He added an engine mount to the front where the nose cone once was, and a fuel tank and a servo were added to the area directly behind the engine.
Engines are O.S. 26 four-strokes, and the propellers are 9 x 6 TopFlite® Power Points. The radio is a Futaba 8UAPS with a 1,200 mAh receiver battery.
S.E.5a
Robert Gillespie's (<REDACTED>) British aircraft is a ½-scale Duncan Hutson Models kit distributed by Proctor Enterprises.
It weighs 18 pounds and has a Saito 150 for power. The radio is a Futaba 8UHF.
Covering is Super Coverite™ fabric with basecoats of nitrate dope, and the finish is Super Coverite™ olive-drab spray paint.
The S.E.5a has flying wires made from tempered steel, and it drops a scale bomb.
"My three-year-old grandson Cory Gillespie was on hand for its maiden flight," wrote Robert.
Ultra Pup and Mini Pup
Kirby Crawford (<REDACTED>) designed and scratch-built the ¼-scale Preceptor Ultra Pup and the full-scale Ultra Pup.
The model weighs 12 pounds and is powered by an O.S. 120 twin engine.
Construction is spruce and plywood with balsa ribs. The model is covered with Sig Koverall, with two coats of latex brushed on for filler then two coats of DuPont's Dulux automotive enamel sprayed on—same as the full-scale aircraft.
"The model flies much like the full-scale, except I don't do aerobatics in the full-scale," wrote Kirby.
SPP (South Park Project) 2000
Inspired by a series of messages entitled "Live Your Dream" from Denver minister Michael A. Ware, Gary Washington (<REDACTED>) submitted a photo of him (in black jacket) and "The Nev" with SPP 2000 after its maiden flight.
The scratch-built, 22-pound, 10+-foot-wingspan glider was designed to soar the skies at 10,000 feet over South Park, Colorado. It's powered by a Weber 1.20.
"Note the lack of landing gear," wrote Gary. "The gear broke off on rough ground on the initial takeoff attempt, so we hand-launched all 22 pounds of her! No problem."
Ultimate 10 300
Rodney Skinner (<REDACTED>) describes this model as "flawless."
He built the Ultimate from a Goldberg kit. Power is provided by a YS 120 engine.
The propeller is a three-blade with a Tru-Turn spinner.
"Sounds like a turboprop in the air," wrote Rodney.
Me 110C-3
Horace Cain's (<REDACTED>) model was built from a British kit with no instructions. It was nearly scratch-built.
The Me 110C-3 was documented in France in 1940. The model has a 72-inch wingspan.
Horace used his own setup for ailerons, flaps, elevators, and rudders. There are no control rods/horns on the exterior, and the model has retracts and shock struts. The nose cannons are switches for main battery and backup.
The radio is an Airtronics Stylus. Power is provided by two Como (SuperTiger) .60s with the case reversed on the right engine.
Proud of your latest building/flying effort? Share it with MA's readers! Send us a loosely color print (no digital photos under 300 dpi or photocopies, please), with appropriate description (no handwritten submissions, please), and we'll run the best submissions as space permits. Please include your full address (including E-mail, if available) so that interested parties may contact you directly. Send to: Model Aviation, 5161 E. Memorial Dr., Muncie IN 47302; Attn: Focal Point. Because of this section's popularity, it may be several months before your model is featured.
Leon's Big Kahuna
Leon A. deLisle (<REDACTED>) sent this photo of his scratch-built twin Kawasaki 3.15.
Covering is Sig Koverall, nitrate dope, and butyrate color. The model spans 126 inches and weighs just less than 50 pounds.
The old engines weigh slightly more than seven pounds apiece. The model flies with two receivers and 48 ounces of fuel, and it has Zinger 12 x 6 propellers.
"The name was changed to 'Leon's' Big Kahuna," wrote Leon. "It flew very well, considering there was a bad misalignment which has since been corrected."
Kit-Bashed Kadet
Jeffery Burdick (<REDACTED>) loves to kit-bash Kadet Seniors.
This model carries a Supercircuits video camera system and a Canon Elph 35mm camera in a box that will tilt and pan at the rear of the fuselage.
The Kadet spans 93 inches with ailerons, no dihedral, and removable wing panels. It has two radios onboard: a Futaba 8UAP PCM for flight controls and a Futaba four-channel Conquest for camera controls.
Power is by a Saito 1.50 GK four-stroke engine spinning a Graupner 15 x 8 three-blade propeller. Covering is MonoKote®, and the airplane carries a Jonar battery backup.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
