The AerodromeRC News

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1 A unique selection of World War I and Golden Age laser cut short kits and plans The AerodromeRC News By and For Electric Flight Enthusiasts VOL 3 NO 1 Summer 2007 By Kurt Bengtson Editorial We are pleased to return to the process of producing webzines. We plan to publish quarterly and to have content that is both interesting and useful to WWI and Golden Age R/C flying enthusiasts. This spring, AerodromeRC reached its 5 year mark. We have grown every year which is enough incentive continue. The modeling community is a pleasant place with talented people of good cheer. Reception to our models has been very gratifying and we will respond with more and even better designs in the coming years. We recognize that in these trying times, people need hobbies to escape the news of the world. For me, models were always a refuge. The magic of seeing my WWI or Golden Age model flying in the sky was a tonic. We have endeavored to provide a resource to give this experience to others. In this way, we will strive to make interesting models for others to enjoy both to build and to fly. The web site and forum exist, partly, to share in the excitement that we have in R/C scale modeling. However, we cannot do it alone. We are eternally grateful those who have so kindly have given of their time and talent to help keep this resource going and to help make it a more satisfying experience for everyone must be better. Before the war, the M a s s a c h u setts Institute of Technology did a series of careful experiments on the various configuration with their early wind tunnels. It was found that indeed lift was increased but wing spacing was critical AVRO Triplane I Also, the lift was not as high as expected. One did not get twice as much lift for a biplane or three times as much lift for a triplane when compared to a monoplane. In fact, the triplane s third wing was less effective than the second wing which in turn was Triplanes By Kurt Bengtson The advances in aviation during World War One were the most numerous and possibly the most significant in all aviation history. Certainly if one considers that the period was so brief, only four years. Some types of aircraft were in service for only a few months before being retired as obsolete. In many cases both sides copied freely from the other sides advances in order to obtain however briefly, a technological advantage in the air. Initially, most aircraft were monoplanes being simpler and faster to build. However, the materials for making a sturdy wing were not available ans as a result, biplanes became the alternative. Biplane wings could be made secure with diagonal wire bracing and with the geometry of the wings, much stronger airframes could be fabricated. The biplane came with another advantage, increased lift. The added lift allowed for a faster rate of climb which was a real advantage for fighter aircraft particularly in defensive roles. It was thought that if two wings were good then three (or more) Inside this Issue 1 Editorial 1 Triplanes 8 Book Review: German Fighter Aces 9 Building Tip: Balsa Sheeting 10 Canadian War Museum Groupy No.1 Triplane less effective than the first. Staggering the wings helped to increase the effectiveness. Based solely on the conclusions of the MIT study, no triplane would be seriously considered. Both sides of the conflict had access to the data. However, there were other factors that did make the triplane an attractive configuration. The British Admiralty made an official request to the National Physical Laboratory to test the optimum characteristic of a triplane configuration. While most of the tests corroborated the earlier MIT study, there were some new facts.

2 The AerodromeRC News VOL 3 NO 1 Page 2 First, increasing the gap between the wings made the total lift increase and but also increased the maximum speed. Second, the forward stagger of the wings also increased the maximum speed. Designers favor configurations with the maximum benefit at lowest cost. This occurred the the gap at the about the same distance as the chord of the wing. With the gap settled and the stagger of 30 degrees, Sopwith had his configuration. The designer Maj. John L. Baird, of Sopwith Pup fame, was tasked with the new model. The result was the Sopwith Triplane. The Sopwith Triplane was not as fast as the Albatros DII or DIII. Von Richtofen took serious notice of the Sopwith when he saw it in action and one of his friends was nearly killed in a dogfight with one. Most German pilots were then calling for a triplane of their own; Von Richtofen included. Interestingly, the Sopwith Triplane was soon discontinued. This occurred or several reasons. It had only one MG subject to jamming and the airframe was a too aerodynamically stable for intense dogfighting. A good fighter should be unstable in that it should not return to level flight on it s own. Stability inhibits maneuverability. Later models were fitted with a barbered tail to reduce the stability. The horizontal stabilizer and elevator went from the forward raked tips of the Pup to one with smaller, backward raked tips. Later testing found that the shape should have been kept the same as backward raking is less efficient and requires more force by the pilot. However, the backward shape was retained. It was moot at that point because other models were arriving that replaced the Triplane. Did you know? Did you know about the origin the roundel? At the beginning of the Great War, aircraft flying over the lines were frequently shot at indiscriminately from troops on the ground. No one could identify whether they were enemy or not. The British in an attempt to remedy this, painted the Union Jack in the form shield on the underside of British aircraft. The Union Jack however, at a distance, was difficult to distinguish from the German Cross and was dropped from use on aircraft. Sopwith Pup It had many similarities to the Pup but did not use the same components. It was fitted with a 130HP Clerget rotary noted for it s ability to retain power at higher altitudes and being the primary power plant for the later Sopwith Camel. The Sopwith Triplane was an extremely stable gun platform and it climbed very fast. It was said that if the single Vickers machine gun jammed, the pilot could go hands free and work to clear the jam. In 1916, the Allies had a fighter that could finally take on the Albatros, a task that the underpowered Pup could not handle. It was 10% faster than the Pup and could climb to operational altitude 33% faster as well. What really ended the Triplane in British service was a series of tests done by a research team in 1916/17. They found that the success of the triplane was not really as much to do with wing number but power to weight ratio. When they plotted the power to weight ratio of aircraft at the time, it became clear that a powerful engine in a light airframe was the key to a fighters performance in climb and speed. The Pup was merely underpowered and if it was fitted with the 130 HP Clerget rather than the 80 HP Gnome, it too could have been much more effective. The choice for the 130 HP for the Triplane was made due to it s increased weight relative to the Pup. The engine made the type so successful. Since three wings with six ailerons are harder to manufacture than a biplane configuration, the triplane was dropped. However, the Sopwith Triplane was later upgraded by having a new power plant namely the Hispano Suiza water cooled inline engine. It was not featured in service. Sopwith Triplane Sopwith Triplane, Hispano Suiza Version Notwithstanding this turn of events, the German air service continued to pursue the triplane for one major reason. It could climb very fast. Every manufacturer was asked to submit a design for testing. Von Richtofen working with Anthony Fokker giving him access to a Sopwith Triplane allowed Fokker to submit a totally new design while the other manufacturers basically converted older designs. It

3 The AerodromeRC News VOL 3 NO 1 Page was Fokker s airfoil and spacing that made his submission the choice. The inherent strength of the resulting airfoil allowed for a rigging wire free configuration between the wings. This reduced the drag and compensated somewhat for the drag caused by the third wing. Making the wings shorter allowed the Fokker to turn very tightly and the use of the rotary engine with it s rotating mass increasing the turning effectiveness even more. Fokker had developed the ideal defensive fighter for the time. Von Richtofen was delighted and with his recommendation, the triplane became mandatory. was modified to have a conventional top wing and standard style ailerons thereby becoming a full fledged Quadraplane. It did not see service either. Euler Dr.II Von Richtofen s Fokker Dr.I There were many offerings from just about every German and Austrian manufacturer for a triplane fighter. A partial listing is: AEG,Albatros,Aviatik,DFW,Fokker,Pfalz,Euler,Lo hner,roland,schutte-lanz, and Siemens Schuckert. There were others as well. It seemed as though there was a frenzy for design of this technological breakthrough. However, time after time, the prototypes failed to show sufficient performance improvements and were relegated to the scrap heap. Photos and documents that remain show that these aircraft were serious attempts and did fly. Only the Fokker Dr.I, Pfalz Dr.I, Pfalz Dr.II were accepted and flown in service. Triplane development continued right up to the armistice. Albatros Dr.I Euler designed no less than five triplanes none of which were accepted into service. While they were all credible aircraft, none could match the performance of the competition. In his last attempt, Euler went one step further and produced a Quadraplane based roughly on the Nieuport 11. The first variant s top wing was actually fully articulated and served as ailerons so it technically was a triplane with very large external ailerons. Later, the model Did you know? The Canadian Air Force was permitted to use the Blue Ensign of the RAFon November 30, Lord Trenchard arranged the privilege. The Blue Ensign was retained by the RCAF at its formation on April 1, This ensign was then adopted by other Commonwealth countries. Pfalz Dr.I Triplane Triplane development was not only limited to the British on the Allied side of the war. The French were active as well. Nieuport had three variants of their triplane derived from the Nieuport 17 biplane. They were not manufactured in numbers and did not enter significant service but one was given to the US Army for tests after the war. Did you know? The Royal Flying Corps [RCF], having dropped the Union Jack for their aircraft, then mimicked the French roundrel. The French had adopted a roundel based on the tricolor. The RCF and the Royal Naval Air Service took this roundel and reversed the colors, making the outer ring blue and the center red. This same roundel has been used on British aircraft to the present.

4 The AerodromeRC News VOL 3 NO 1 Page Nieuport Triplane After the war, development continued in several coun tries. In the U.S., Curtiss produced the Curtiss 18 T-1 Wasp and later his Cactus Kitten racing triplane. Sopwith Rhino In time, it became evident that the advent of new much more powerful engines signaled the end of high drag/lift designs as streamlined designs could easily outperform the triplane. As a result, the era of the triplane ended and we are left with a record of an amazing array of unusual look ing and unique designs for adventurous modelers to recre ate. All photographs used in this article are from public domain Rosebud s WWI and Early Aviation Image Archive Triplanes available at AerodromeRC More models in development! Sopwith Triplane 1/8th Scale Curtiss 18T The Swedes produced their ill-fated Triplanet, which killed it s designer. Prototype Version Thulin Triplanet Sopwith also introduced updated triplane designs with the new more powerful engines. Notable are the Sopwith Snark and Sopwith Rhino. Did you know? The RCAF was authorized to include the maple leaf into the roundel instead of the red center on July 5, The roundel on the ensign was also modified to become a blue ring surrounding a white area, in the center of which is the red maple leaf. Prototype Version does not include Instruction Manual More than 500 laser cut parts Skill Level: Intermediate Shipping Weight: 4 pounds Short Kit & Plans: $120 Plans: $20 Scale: 1/8 Channels: R/E/A/T Wingspan: 40 Wing Area: 549 sq in Weight: ~20 oz Power System: AXI 2217/20 Prop: 12X6 Wheels: balsa and plywood with Neoprene foam tires Airfoil Type: Flat bottomed Cowl: Built up balsa Spinner: N/A

5 The AerodromeRC News VOL 3 NO 1 Page Decals: on website Designed for the AXI 2217/20 Direct Drive brushless motor but any planetary drive power system with a maximum diameter of ~1 1/8 with equivalent power should work as well. Flat bottomed airfoils Optional pull-spring ailerons Pull-Pull rudder and ailerons Dummy engine Dummy machine gun Dummy pilot figure Sub ribs included Balsa strip stock for the rear of the fuselage Kit contains nearly all wood needed to complete the model Sopwith Triplane 1/12th Scale ailerons Laser cut plywood cabane struts insure proper alignment of top wing Box front fuselage, built up rear Laser cut IP struts Laser cut tail parts included Balsa wheel kit with Neoprene foam rubber tire material included Balsa strip stock for the rear of the fuselage Kit contains nearly all wood needed to complete the model Sopwith Triplane 20 1/16th Scale Prototype Version Prototype Version does not include Instruction Manual More than 260 laser cut parts Skill Level: Intermediate Shipping Weight: 3 pounds Short Kit & Plans: $60 Plans: $15 Scale: 1/12 Channels: R/E/T Wingspan: 26.5 Wing Area: 244 sq in Weight: ~10 oz Power System: GWS IPS or Feigao Prop: 8X6 Wheels: balsa with Neoprene foam tires Airfoil Type: Flat bottomed Cowl: Built up balsa Spinner: N/A Decals: on website One piece construction Scale number of main ribs Top and bottom wing alignment is built into model Scale dihedral with nonfunctional/optionally functional Prototype Version More than 200 laser cut parts Skill Level: Intermediate Shipping Weight: 2 pounds Short Kit & Plans: $45 Plans: $15 Scale: 1/16 Channels: R/E/T Wingspan: ~20 Wing Area: 137 sq in Weight: ~6 oz Power System: GWS IPS A Prop: 7X3 Wheels: balsa with Neoprene foam tires Airfoil Type: Flat bottomed Cowl: Built up balsa Spinner: N/A Decals: on website Instruction Manual: shipped with kit One piece construction Top and bottom wing alignment is built into model Scale dihedral no ailerons Laser cut plywood cabane struts insure proper alignment of top wing Box front fuselage, built up rear Laser cut IP struts Laser cut tail parts included Balsa wheel kit with Neoprene foam rubber tire material included Balsa strip stock for the rear of the fuselage Kit contains nearly all wood needed for the model

6 The AerodromeRC News VOL 3 NO 1 Page 6 Nieuport Triplane 40 1/8th scale Fokker Dr /8 Prototype Version Prototype Version does not include Instruction Manual More than 375 laser cut parts Skill Level: Intermediate Kit Shipping Weight: 3 pounds Short Kit & Plans: $100 Plans: $20 Scale: 1/8 Channels: R/E/A/T Wingspan: 40 Wing Area: 380 sq in Weight: ~28 oz Power System: AXI 2217 BL motor Prop: 10x6 Wheels: balsa and plywood with Neoprene foam tires Airfoil Type: flat bottomed with mini ribs Cowl: built up balsa and plywood Spinner: optional -built up foam and fiberglass Dummy rotary engine and mounts for an AXI 2217 BL motor Dummy Vickers machine Guns Dummy pilot figure Sheet and strip wood included Skill Level: Intermediate More than 255 laser cut parts Skill Level: Intermediate Shipping Weight: 3 pounds Short Kit & Plans: $49 Plans: $15 Scale: 1/12 Channels: R/E/A/T Wingspan: 23 3/8 Wing Area: 185 sq in Weight: 7 oz estimated flying weight Power System: GWS IPS Power Prop: 9x4.7 Wheels: balsa and plywood with Neoprene foam tires Airfoil Type: flat bottomed Cowl: built up balsa Spinner: N/A Decals: on website Instruction Manual: shipped with kit Pull-pull aileron linkage coupled to rudder servo Scale dihedral Most of the required wood included in the kit Did you know? The air force blue color of the RAF and RCAF uniforms comes from an unusual source namely it is the color of the old Tsarist Russian uniform. England has always been a supplier of continental uniforms dating back to the greatcoats of Napoleon s Grand Armée at Moscow. The Russian Army had ordered great quantities of uniforms but the order was cancelled do to the October Revolution in Russia. The cloth remained in stock until it was decided to be used for the new RAF, which came into existence near the end of the World War I. Did you know? The source for these Did you know s is The Tumbling Mirth by J. Douglas Harvey, in Publishing information (for citation): The Canadian Publishers, McClelland and Stewart Limited, Toronto. Kindly submitted by Terry Jones.

7 The AerodromeRC News VOL 3 NO 1 Page 7 Fokker Dr1 35 1/8th scale Fokker Dr /6th scale More than 230 laser cut parts Skill Level: Intermediate Shipping Weight: 4 pounds Short Kit & Plans: $75 Plans: $25 Scale: 1/8 Channels: R/E/A/T Wheels: balsa and plywood with Neoprene foam tires Wingspan: 35 Wing Area: 415 sq in Weight: 33 oz Power System: Speed 400, w/mp Jet 3.4:1 gearbox Cowl: built up balsa and plywood Prop: 12x6 Airfoil Type: flat bottomed Spinner: N/A Instruction Manual: shipped with kit Decals: on website One piece construction, scale fuselage and tail shapes Wing alignment is built into model Scale dihedral, includes in wing ailerons Fuselage built from laser cut formers and stringers Front of the fuselage is balsa box, the rear is built up Laser cut balsa turtle deck Laser cut parts for built up cowl Dummy Spandau machine gun kits included Laser cut plywood IP struts Laser cut tail parts included Scale number of ribs Flat bottomed scale like airfoil Laser cut 1/32 plywood trailing edges insure scale scalloping Balsa leading edges, included Balsa and plywood wheel kit with Neoprene foam rubber tire material included More than 470 laser cut parts Skill Level: Advanced Shipping Weight: 8 pounds Short Kit & Plans: $240 Plans: $30 Scale: 1/6 Channels: R/E/A/T Wheels: balsa and plywood with Neoprene foam tires Wingspan: 46.7 Wing Area: 737 sq in Weight: 76 oz Power System: AXI 2826 direct drive brushless outrunner Cowl: built up balsa and plywood Prop: 14x7 Airfoil Type: flat bottomed scale Spinner: N/A Instruction Manual: shipped with kit Multi-piece construction, top, middle wings and part of fuselage remove as one piece for easy transport Bottom wings remove from fuselage separately Wing alignment is built into model Fuselage built from laser cut formers and stringers Front of the fuselage is balsa box, the rear is built up Laser cut balsa turtle deck and parts for built up cowl Contains nearly all wood necessary to complete model Dummy Spandau machine gun kits included Dummy engine and pilot included Laser cut plywood IP struts Laser cut tail parts included Scale number of ribs Flat bottomed scale like airfoil Laser cut 1/32 plywood trailing edges insure scale scalloping Balsa and ply tabbed leading edges, included

8 The AerodromeRC News VOL 3 NO 1 Page 8 Albatros Dr More than 410 laser cut parts Skill Level: Intermediate Shipping Weight: 3 pounds Short Kit & Plans: $88 Plans: $20 Scale: 1/10 Channels: R/E/A/T Wingspan: 34.5 Wing Area: 390 sq in Power System: GWS 400C Prop: 10x7 Wheels: balsa and plywood with Neoprene foam tires Airfoil Type: flat bottomed Cowl: N/A Weight: ~ AUW 26 oz Spinner: built up foam and fiberglass Decals: on website Instruction Manual: shipped with kit Balsa former stringer and keel construction with Litespan or Polyspan covering Fuselage is sheeted or planked One piece construction Scale dihedral, includes in wing ailerons Laser cut balsa dummy engine and exhaust manifold included Dummy Spandau machine gun kits included Dummy pilot included Laser cut spars Laser cut tail parts included Balsa and plywood wheel kit with Neoprene foam rubber tire material included Laser cut balsa leading and plywood trailing edges Book Review: German Fighter Aces Of World War One By Bert Ayers Author: Terry C. Treadwell & Alan C. Wood Tempus Publishing Ltd. The Mill, Brimscombe Port Stroud, Gloucestershire GL5 2QG, United Kingdom ISBN x 316 pages - soft cover When I go to a book store, I always visit the World War I History section. I rarely see a book about aviation, but when I do, I usually grab it. I was looking for a biography on Leutnant Alois Heldmann. I used his aircraft color scheme for my Aerodrome Fokker D. VII. As I got into reading this book, I was really glad I bought it. It has so much information and lots of really good photos of pilots and the aircraft. The book is divided into two parts with three divisions. An introduction to the German Army Air Service, a glossary, a description of the Ranks, a classification of the aircraft and a description of air metals for each of the 26 Kingdoms, Duchys, Principalities, States, Cities plus Austria-Hungry and Ottoman Turkey. A discussion about the ORDEN POUR LE MERITE - 81 awarded, 19 nominated. A list of pilots by victories from 10 to 80 (von Richthoven, of course!). 62 for Ernst Udet (he survived the war!). The middle section consists of 63 pilot biographies. Most with pictures - these photos are collector post cards, much like our baseball cards. I was engrossed---i read all 63. I found two common threads among these officers. Almost all were from upper class families and hadn t flown an airplane before the war. They joined the Army and served as ground troops before requesting flight training. Almost all of the 63 described in this book were killed in action. The last section is very extensive - it lists 50 Aircraft Manufacturers, 18 in great detail. Listing the aircraft they built, many with pictures. Lots of stories about the aircraft. As an example, this is one I found interesting. The Flugzeugbau Friedrichshafen GmbH made a float plane fighter/bomber FF. 29. In December 1915, at Zeebrugge Harbor, Belgium they had the submarine U-12 surface under the float plane. They strapped the plane to the submarine and proceeded (on the surface) across the channel to the British shore line, unlashed the plane, submerged the boat, the plane took off, made a bombing run on London, returned to where the sub was waiting. The sub came up under the floats, strapped it to the boat and went back to Zeebrugge Harbor. They did this 26 times on England and France. Amazing! I enjoyed this book. It s one of those you can t put it down types.

9 The AerodromeRC News VOL 3 NO 1 Page 9 Building Tip: Balsa Sheeting Method By Steve Perry It seems easy enough to tag a note on the plans saying, Sheet with balsa. Easier said than done anyway. Having made a hash out of several of these jobs, I developed a method for dealing with them. The idea is to make a pattern out of paper that is close enough that the piece of balsa sheet cut from it fits, well fits with minimal trimming anyway. My method for making a pattern begins with marking all the formers and strut locations on a piece of paper. The paper needs to be half an inch or so longer on each end than the length of the area to be covered. I draw in the former lines to the thickness of the formers. These lines serve help you get the pattern paper wrapped over the formers while keeping it square. I start by taping the paper even with the upper longeron along one side. This requires you to cut notches for the cabane struts. Once secure, wrap the paper over the formers. You will have to cut long notches to accommodate the cabanes on the opposite side. Don t worry about cutting the notches too long or a little wide. You don t have to cut the balsa that much. The idea is to accurately determine the line of the other top longeron on the pattern. balsa to the pattern. Soft balsa sheet and gentle curves are pretty easy to glue on, but if you are covering a significant curve, you ll want to soften the balsa so you can make the curve without cracking the balsa. I use ammonia or glass cleaner with a lot of ammonia in it. If you can smell ammonia distinctly, it will work. I spray the ammonia solution on the top surface of the balsa only. That is the surface which needs to stretch the most around the bend and the ammonia softens and loosens the wood grain allowing it to make the curve without cracking. Tape the wet balsa along one longeron and then bend it over the formers. Bind it in place with tape or rubber bands and let it dry a couple of hours. When it is dry, remove the tape. The curved sheet will relax a little, but for the most part it will hold the basic shape. and you won t have to fight it to get it attached to the formers. I start attaching the sheeting by gluing the now curved sheet of balsa cut from the pattern along one of the top longerons. Try not to get glue on the formers, just the longeron to sheet joint. When this is dry, bend the sheet around the formers and do any minor trimming needed to get a good close fit between the sheeting and the other top longeron. After the piece of sheet is trimmed to fit exactly, apply glue to the formers and other top longeron and secure the sheet in place with tape or rubber bands again until good and dry. Do not try to cut the sheet flush on either end until it is glued in place and dry. And when you do trim it, use a very sharp blade and remember that the piece is under stress and if not cut carefully can cause a split. Trim it about 1/32 or so long and then sand it flush. Fill in the notches you cut for the cabanes with scrap balsa or filler. Outside of a little sanding needed along the longeron joints and filled in notches, that s about it. Take your care to make the pattern well and the sheeting pretty much falls in place. It is often best to mark the longeron location with tics and then draw and cut the line with a straight edge after removing the paper pattern. When you have the paper pattern marked and cut. re-apply it to ensure a good fit. Remember to leave a slight gap between the former and the pattern the thickness of the sheeting you intend to use. Your pattern is for the outer surface of the sheeting, so you don t want to wrap it too closely to the formers. When you are satisfied with your pattern, (I often don t get satisfied with the first attempt and make several), cut your

10 The AerodromeRC News VOL 3 NO 1 Page 10 Canadian War Museum Photos submitted by Terry Jones. Thank you Terry! McDowall Monoplane Maurice Farman Serie 11 Shorthorn

11 The AerodromeRC News VOL 3 NO 1 Page 11 Canadian War Museum R.A.F. BE2c SPAD VII

12 The AerodromeRC News VOL 3 NO 1 Page 12 Canadian War Museum Sopwith Snipe Nieuport 12

13 The AerodromeRC News VOL 3 NO 1 Page 13 Canadian War Museum AVRO 504K AEG.IV

14 The AerodromeRC News VOL 3 NO 1 Page 14 The AerodromeRC News The AerodromeRC News is a free quarterly publication of a division of Bengtson Company. Newsletters are available as free downloads from our website. Materials in The AerodromeRC News are protected by copyright law and may not be reproduced without written permission. Submission Information your article and/or pictures of: WWI or Golden Age planes your model building tip an opinion on a modeling topic to: kurt@aerodromerc.com or mail to: AerodromeRC Webzine PO Box Pacific Grove CA Articles and photos are accepted on a voluntary basis. Authors do not receive compensation. Text and photos in digital format is preferred but not required. Please submit articles in *.txt, *.doc format or typewritten. Photo resolution of 72 dpi minimum; 150 to 300 dpi preferred. Contact Information Address: PO Box Pacific Grove CA Phone and Fax: kurt@aerodromerc.com