Kenny's Old Time Model Airplane Magazine:
October/November 2002
Editorial
After a short reprise... I'm BACK! Life never remains static for long, and with luck I'll be able to keep standing through all the changes. I guess that's why they call it "Life!"
This month is brought to you in no small part by a fellow reader, Steve Talbot of England, who contacted me with an offer of assistance. Probably much to his surprise I took him up on it, and the result is this month's issue. I many ways I feel like a gallery curator, searching through artifacts and picking which ones would fit with others, which ones would I see the viewers attaining the greatest pleasure from. The searching through the old mags and choosing a nice mix of features is one of the big consumers of this magazine's time budget. (I know... a tough job, but someone's got to do it!) This month a guest curator has taken up the reigns and chosen a nice selection for you. I hope you enjoy this month as much as I did.
The Pursuit ship, later known as the Fighter, has always been the ultimate in flying machines. When all is said and done, it is the performance of the fighter that will win the day. With its position on the top of the flying food chain established, the fascination with the fighter is eternal. This month the shark-like form of the fighter will be celebrated in all forms of Fact, Fiction, and Modeling.
So if you would, flatten your palm and fingers, swing your arm in that menacing fantasy flying way, make engine and gun noises through your lips, and please enjoy Vol. 3 No. 4.
The Story
This month's story, again authored by Arch Whitehouse, features Crash Carringer, intrepid salesman for the Hale Aircraft Corp. His job was to storm across the world in his Hale Hellion, a pursuit ship kind of half way in between the Vickers FB-5 Gun Bus and the deHavilland DH-100 Vampire. By the sounds of things, this twin boom pusher was the hottest thing on wings, and for sale to the highest bidder.
Not only does this story fit the pursuit category, but it also provides us with a three-view from which we can build a model of this great fictional plane. Between the Bill Barnes drawings provided on Dannysoar's site (see main page / links) and the Black Bullet 3-view from the May, 2002 issue, we have quite the collection!
So go check out this Carringer as he fights above the desert in, Hellion Hunch.
Hellion Hunch to print
Hellion Hunch to read off the web
Hellion Three View
The Rubber Powered Model Airplane Plans
This month's scale model presents a novel approach to monocoque fuselage construction. Built up like a hollowed out solid model, the result is a balsa version of the modern British blue-foam Free Flight model. Since I have tried my hand at a couple of solids, and sculpt blue-foam at work often, I have been kicking around the idea of this type of model but it took a Brit to get me to look at it seriously. This technique has proven to be so realistic and successful in Britain, it deserves a look over here. From the December 1937 issue of Flying Aces, check out Jesse Davidson's Curtiss Hawk 75
This month's sport model is a simple little mid-wing that was so common to the time. Designed as a compromise between low-wing pursuit sexy, and high-wing cabin efficient, this crate could be built in no time and is complete with all the styling fun of a late 1930s model. Give it a try... D.A. Ritter's Baby Arrow
Thermals.
The Solid Model Airplane Plan
This month we've got a couple of solids to check out. Though in some issues the solid model feature would include a nice instruction article, more often than not you would just get a three view, hopefully with cross sections for the fuselage. It was presumed that with these drawings a solid, of even a flying scale model could be created.
I suspect that the kids of that age wouldn't appreciate the overly illustrated, photo inclusive, step-by-step hand holding that today's models come with. It seems that it was an age that if you wanted to do something you just did: when a kit would include a couple blocks of balsa and a sparse line drawing. Something that a kid would pick up for a dime, and complete by supper time, scares the pants off of me! ...Almost to the point where I'm too scared to try...Almost but not quite :-)
Curtiss XP-37 & Curtiss-Wright Model CW-21
The Gas Model Airplane Plan
At our guest editor Steve's insistence, there is a gas model added for the first time this month. Designed by Peter Westburg, who I have admired as a fine draftsman of highly detailed three views, the model loosely represents the Douglas O-43. This Pursuit Type Gas Job was originally presented in the July, 1938 issue of Model Airplane News. To Steve's eyes this could be the perfect starting point for a nostalgic electric powered 2-channel radio assist job. Even if you want to go full-on vintage, you may just want to add a touch of "spring" to those hickory legs :-)
Pursuit Type Gas Job
How To...
This month's How-To article, Hints for Beginners, from the July, 1939 issue of Air Trailsgives a nice introduction to a couple of basic skills - covering wings with tissue, and carving a prop. Add these two tricks on top of the simple "Delta Dart" skill set, and voila, you are ready to tackle that Baby-Arrow!
Hints for Beginners
The Advertisement
This month's ad comes from the same issue as the Pursuit Gas Model. This is the recommended motivation for the ship, so I thought it would be a natural to show it off. Check out the 1938 Baby-Cyclone sparky.
1938 Baby Cyclone
Many of the documents I will be sharing will be in .pdf format
PDF files are to be read using Adobe Acrobat Reader. This is a free download from Adobe and is a simple tool from which these documents can be viewed and printed. To print, under print options select "print as image." This should result in a printed copy equal in size to the original.
Please e-mail me at khorne@ualberta.ca if you have any comments or suggestions for my website!
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