Building the Stinson SR-9 (5)
The next step called out in the instructions involves sanding the entire horizontal tail assembly. It helps to remember that “sanding” in this case involves two different jobs…shaping, and smoothing. Shaping comes first, and it can be scary if the plans don’t show exactly what the finished part is supposed to look like. In the...Continue reading→
Building the Stinson SR-9 (4)
Last time we were talking about building the forward horizontal tail surface (stabilizer) and how a little extra effort helps all those parts to fit right. The first photo shows the entire tail surface built up and ready to be sanded. This time I’d like to discuss several of the steps involved in building the...Continue reading→
The Return of the TigerKitten
Those old Berkeley kits are not the only nostalgia trip I have been enjoying lately. Many of you not-so-old model builders will remember the TigerKitten, a design I created over twenty years ago to be an electric powered model you would never have to make excuses for. That project was part of the quest on...Continue reading→
Building the Stinson SR-9 (3)
Last time I talked about how big this airplane is. It is made up of a whole lot of very small parts, and I want to explain some of the small things you do with them that can make a big difference. If you are working with plans and patterns, or with old-time printwood kits,...Continue reading→
1941 Taylorcraft BC 12-D Build
This is my ¼ scale, nine-foot wingspan 1941 Taylorcraft BC-12 D, built from my own plans over a period of several years beginning in 1995. This photo shows my wife Teryl and me with the airplane at TOP GUN 1999, where it was the first electric powered model ever to be included in the competition....Continue reading→
Building the Stinson SR-9 (2)
Speaking of building, let’s talk a bit about just how much of an old time building project this particular model airplane is…or is not. The Top Flite Stinson kit is designed around what experienced model builders usually refer to as a traditional, built-up structure, which means that the engineering, the shape and function of the...Continue reading→
Focke-Wulf FW 190 Build
The Focke-Wulf FW 190 fighter appeared in combat a few years after the beginning of World War II, not long after RAF Hurricanes and Spitfires decided the outcome of the Battle of Britain against the Luftwaffe’s Messerschmitts. The Spitfire Mk 5 was developed specifically to deal with the 190’s when they began to appear. I...Continue reading→
Dumas DH 89A Dragon Rapide Review
The DeHavilland DH 89A Dragon Rapide is the best known of several two-and-four-engined short range transport airplanes developed in England during the 1930’s. Many of the Dragon Rapides built for civilian use were put into RAF service during World War II and referred to as the DeHavilland Dominie. My model represents one of these. Built...Continue reading→