The AerodromeRC News

Transcription

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 1 - NO 7 July 2005 By Kurt Bengtson E As I was doing research for this month s article on Fokker D series fighters, I was impressed by Anthony Fokker as an individual. His grit and determination comes through in the zeal that he showed in producing these amazing aircraft. He was partially responsible for the incredible advances in aviation technology, which is one of the major by-products of that terrible world war. Consider how long it would have taken for the novelty item of the rich called the Aeroplane to become mainstream without the catalyst of WWI. Those four years sped up development in aviation by decades compared to the state of the art in Would we be space travelers now if pioneers like Fokker didn t take those risks? Perhaps the common criticisms of Fokker s poor quality and workmanship could be answered by the idea that at the time it was war and innovations were fast and designs very short lived. It appears that Fokker was working on several designs simultaneously. Imagine that with him being responsible for manufacturing supervision, development, finance, marketing and promotion, and troubleshooting/flighttesting. Fokker test flew his aircraft. He was willing to fly them first. Fokker was not an entrepreneur in the old California Silicon Valley tradition. He didn t secure venture capitol from distant investors needing a tax loss. He used his family money and paid for his aircraft development with money from sales. A very impressive achievement considering he was in his twenties. It would be impressive at any age. Also being in business and running a selffunded operation, I can relate to the pressures Fokker endured. No one wants problems with ones products and when they come it is a sad day. It is not possible to think of every possible failure mode. Fokker was very close to the German pilots and they liked him. It must have been heartbreaking for him to hear that some of his friends were killed or injured in his aircraft due to structural failure. He had extraordinary designs to improve strength. There are photos of many men standing on Fokker wings showing how strong they were. In light of all these points, I have to reevaluate my opinion of Fokker. He cannot be the heartless self-promoter D Anthony Fokker taught himself to fly in his own aircraft. The Spinne II (Spider) was designed and built by Fokker and Jacob Goedecker using Franz von Daum s Argus 50 hp engine. He was twenty-one years old. I I 1 E 1 M -- F F 5 A RC F DVIII S M 7 B T -- R B -- T J 9 F M : B - S C C M F F By Kurt Bengtson T F C Fokker aircraft are particularly interesting compared to other German companies offerings in part due to Anthony Fokker himself. He was a true entrepreneur, an inventor, pilot, businessman, manufacturing manager and promoter. Yet he had little training in any of these fields. He rose to prominence as a young man competing with the Boeing s and mega corporations of his day. While it was not a one-man show, The Fokker company was dominated by Fokker. The other German designs do not have a single designer associated with them. The most famous fighter of all time is the Fokker Triplane. Everybody knows about that airplane and it s famous pilot. Manfred Von Richtofen chose Fokker s fighters because he felt that they were much better than F DI Albatros and Halberstadt fighters. It has been written that Reinhold Platz, Fokker s master welder, was in fact responsible for Fokker later designs. However, newly available information coming from the former East Bloc nations shed light that this was not true. Peter M. Grosz writes in the May 2005 issue of WWI Aero that most of our perception of Fokker comes from a fictionalized account written by AR Weyl, Fokker The Creative Years. This account was written to demote Tony Fokker and to elevate Reinhold Platz s role. This work was published in 1965 and was referenced by Paul Leaman in his books, Fokker Aircraft of World War One and the Fokker Triplane. According to Grosz, Mr.. Leaman perpetuates these misconceptions in these two books. I have read these latter two books and agree that many negative comments are present about Fokker s work. I have referenced Mr. Leaman s books in past webzines.

2 The AerodromeRC News VOL 1 - NO 7 Page 2 rotary Oberursal UR.III. Armament was also borrowed from the EV, twin forward firing synchronized LMG 08 machine guns. The DIII had the familiar comma shaped Fokker rudder and a similar fuselage to the other Fokker monoplane fighters. Wings were still of the wing warping variety. The lack of ailerons limited the types performance. Owsald Boelke, Germany s early air war hero scored six victories using the Fokker DIII. However, the DIII was made obsolete by advances in Allied fighters such as the Sopwith 1/12 Strutters and Nieuport 11 s. Boelke switched to the more advanced Albatros DI. The remaining DIII was relegated to training and for home defense units. 210 DIII s were produced. F DII R G A I have wondered why the German Army would have put up with so many gaffs from Fokker and yet continue to buy his aircraft. The answer may soon be apparent as Mr.. Grosz is researching the Fokker story for a multi-part article for WWI Aero. Grosz does indicate that the early Fokker M2 monoplane proved to be the strongest airframe in German authorities stress testing whereas the Taube series failed their tests. Of course, the quality problems often noted about Fokker aircraft were undoubtedly present. However, Fokker was not alone in this respect. Albatros DIII/DV/DVA fighters were notorious for losing wings in steep dive due to a major design flaw. Corrections were eventually made but failures still occurred. It was even a problem on the allied side. Nieuport 11 and 17 fighters had a similar problem. The renowned RAF SE5a had severe engine reliability problems. The American built DeHavilland DH-4 with the American built Liberty engine was known for damaging the airframe so it could not be run at full power. To be fair to Fokker, it must be said that the technology at the time was in a very fast state of development and in time of war. There were not the luxuries of test/test and test again. There was a lot to learn in a very short time. Considering the progress made in this period, the results are remarkable. Fokker s achievements outshine the modern Silicon Valley entrepreneur. After all, he personally flew his creations. He put his own life on the line. In spite of the obstacles that Fokker faced, he continued to improve his offerings. At the pinnacle of his efforts was the wildly successful Fokker DVII. This aircraft made poor pilots into good pilots and that ability was responsible for considerable carnage in the air war. So significant, in fact, the Treaty of Versailles specifically mentions the Fokker DVII. It mentions no other aircraft. This article will describe the Fokker Fighters from the DIII to the DVIII. The salient features of each will be discussed. It is not to be a definitive work, but rather to put these fighters in some kind of perspective. F DIII The Fokker DIII was the first successful biplane fighter that Fokker produced. It went into service in July of 1916 and shared the basic structures of the DI and some of the DII. These earlier types were not particularly successful and not used in large numbers. The type was powered by the same power plant as the Fokker EV, namely the 160 hp F DIII F DIV Fokker was apparently influenced by the successful Albatros DI and it showed in the design of the DIV. The Fokker DIV featured several improvements over the DIII. The type featured ailerons and a 160hp Mercedes DIII water cooled engine. Much of the rest of the fuselage was still of the E series construction. It was discovered however, that the fuselage was not strong enough to handle the stresses that the airframe endured with this power plant. Fokker was required to use stronger steel tubing. The airframe was plagued with many problems and by the time they were all corrected, the airplane was deemed unsuitable. The DIV played no serious role in the air war and was used as a trainer. F DIV

3 The AerodromeRC News VOL 1 - NO 7 Page 3 F DV Fokker continued to develop the series with the introduction of the DV in December of The DV featured a swept back top wing and a 100 Hp Oberursal UR.I rotary engine. A single LMG 08 machine gun was fitted firing through the propeller. The airframe s fuselage was faired from the enclosed circular engine cowling back to behind the cockpit. A large spinner was used. This spinner was to improve drag but caused the motor to overheat in hot weather. It has been written that the DV was underpowered. However, the top speed (listed at about 100 mph) and climb rates indicate that the aircraft was comparable to the DIII. The type was not used significantly in combat and that 250 were built as of July The DV was used to re-accustom pilots to radial power in anticipation for the new Fokker Triplanes. The aircraft is unique in that it quite different in styling from other Fokker fighters. It is the author s opinion that the major reason for the lack of combat exposure of the DV is due to its single Spandau machine gun. The reduced firepower compared to twin machine gun equipped fighters would be a significant disadvantage in combat. With no speed advantage and poor armament, flying the DV in combat would be foolhardy. F DV F D I The Fokker DrI Triplane was introduced in late August. Rittmeister Manfred von Richtofen first flew his F.I 102/17 on September 1, 1917 and gained his first victory the next day and another the day after. As was common in aircraft companies of the period, Fokker s practice was to submit sketches to his craftsmen for prototype development of new types. After the airframe was accepted for production the official drawings would then be prepared. These drawings were developed by taking measurements of the aircraft. The development of the Fokker Triplane was requested by von Richtofen when he noticed the Sopwith Triplane s superior rate of climb and performance in combat. Idflieg responded by asking for prototypes from many manufacturers. While Pfalz and Albatros submitted adequate designs, they continued to use their characteristically thin airfoils. The Fokker design used thicker wings with internal bracing. The combination eliminated the need for rigging wires and gave the Fokker a faster rate of climb. It was this feature that von Richtofen wanted and Fokker won the contract. Pfalz also won a contract but the Pfalz Triplane suffered severe F D I engine problems and was not produced in high numbers. Von Richtofen test flew the Pfalz DrI when his own Fokker Triplane was grounded due to quality problems. He found that the Pfalz was inferior in rate of climb and declined to fly it in combat. It is interesting to note that the Sopwith Triplane was not as dominant on the Allied side. It had very good stability and did have a fast rate of climb. In fact the Sopwith s single machine gun could be cleared easily by the pilot in flight. This was possible due to the fact that the Sopwith could be flown hands off for short periods allowing the pilot to have the use of both hands to clear the gun. The Sopwith s service life was a short seven months, primarily due to its single machine gun. The German standard of the time was twin machine guns. By November of 1917, serious problems were occurring with the Fokkers. The airplanes were suffering from wing failure and collapsing in flight. Lothar von Richtofen s brother was flying his Triplane and lost the top wing in combat. He was able to nurse his crippled ship to the ground. He was amazed that he was not attacked by his pursuers as he could barely turn his aileron-less craft. Several machines crashed. The whole fleet was grounded until the problems could be fixed by Fokker. The roots of the problem have been laid by many at the feet of Fokker but to be fair, there were many extenuating circumstances. One was that Idflieg felt that the Triplanes were urgently F D I D needed and put tremendous pressure on Fokker to produce them in quantity very quickly. Being in business, Fokker would have had to purchase large amounts of raw materials and needed to pay for them with funds on hand. The Fokker company was not as well funded as the larger Albatros and

4 The AerodromeRC News VOL 1 - NO 7 Page 4 Pfalz companies. They would have added considerable pressure to deliver the airplanes on time so Fokker could pay his vendors. In any company, when extreme production pressures are applied to the workers, quality suffers. Glues were thinned to apply faster; they were not allowed to dry as long. Casein glue made from milk was the primary glue used and it needed sealing with lacquer to weatherproof the joint. Nails were driven in poorly as the workers scrambled to finish the work. When materials of sufficient quality were not available, poorer quality substitutes were used. The alternative to delay production until everything was perfect was not possible. It was war after all. The Fokker Triplane fleet was grounded and production was halted until early December. Fokker was required to fix 20 areas of contention on each aircraft and was to do this at his expense. When the factory was able to supply the new models, it was January and February of By that time, the needs of the air war had changed. The Triplane s time had passed. It was designed for close in dog fighting against small numbers of opponents. Now the air war was characterized by massive waves of new faster Allied fighters overwhelming the German defenses. Still many units had to use these aircraft against faster more capable allied fighters. It was not over though; Fokker had other ideas and two more fighters to deliver. The First Fighter Trials held by Idflieg from January 21 to February called all major fighter manufacturers to participate. Fokker put more effort into these trials than his competitors. He submitted more prototypes and with greater variety than the others. He was popular with the Jasta pilots and had by now a significant manufacturing capability. The others simply entered modified designs of their current offerings. Fokker entered what would become the Fokker DVI and DVII. F DVI The Fokker DVI featured a Triplane style fuselage and a rotary engine but was a biplane with his now characteristic thick airfoil structure. It was originally designed for the newer 145 hp Oberursal URIII radial but as these were in short supply, the more common and von Richtofen approved, 110hp URII were used. The lower power limited the performance of the type and production resources went to the more powerful Fokker DVII instead. As a result, the DVI did not get a chance to play much of a part in the air war. F DVI D Interesting note: Although Fokker s famous 1915 Fokker s EIII was a conventional wing warper; Fokker s 1911 Spinne II was fitted with ailerons. F DVII F DVII The next was his legendary Fokker DVII. It featured a very thick wing, even thicker than the DRI. There were no rigging wires, which compensated for the extra drag of the deep airfoils. The power was no longer the radial engine but now the Mercedes and later the BMW water-cooled in line variants. These power plants offered more horsepower and were more reliable. Castor Oil used by the radial engine was supplanted by Voltol, an oil derived from coal. Castor Oil was embargoed by the Allies and Voltol simply wasn t working. Shortly before Von Richtofen s death, he wrote that it was his opinion that the radial engine had no place any longer in the war due to the mechanical failures caused by the new oil. He wrote that he much preferred the Fokker DVII and would take it with a supercharged engine if that was required to get rid of the Triplane. It was normally intended to be supplied with a supercharged Mercedes. There is a Swedish connection to the success of the later Fokker designs. Swedish engineer, Villehad Forrsman had been building aircraft in Germany with the SSW-Forrsman firm. Forrsman provide Fokker with patent and engineering consulting services. Another Forrsman company in Germany, Forrsman, Bruenig & Sohn, AG a large plywood manufacturer offered to produce at no charge, plywood covered wings to Fokker s specifications. The Fokker DVII had plywood-covered leading edges. While the wings were strong enough to not need bracing, an interplane strut-less prototype of the DVII was tested and found to be slower and not as maneuverable. The DVII s fuselage was of steel tube construction which gave the structure great strength. It was feared for a time that there would be a shortage of steel tubing so both Albatros Werke, a DVII licensee and Fokker produced wooden, plywood prototypes. The shortage did not occur. Von Richtofen flew the DVII in prototype form against an Albatros DVa in the fighter trials and won. He liked the aircraft but said it handled poorly. Still it was good enough to beat the fastest German fighter of the time. Fokker immediately modified the DVII prototype and rectified the deficiencies. Upon flying this aircraft von Richtofen was very impressed and had two of his Jasta pilots test it as well. The report was that it was very good but didn t climb as well as expected. When fitted with the more powerful 200 hp BMW engine the aircraft was spectacular. Pilots on both sides remarked about the fighter s excellent flying qualities. Interestingly, von Richtofen was supplied with a new Fokker

5 The AerodromeRC News VOL 1 - NO 7 Page 5 DVII at the time of his death but on that fateful day, he chose to fly his old Triplane. F DVIII F DVIII The final Fokker fighter the EV, a monoplane in a parasol configuration, was placed in the Second Fighter Competition. It featured a thick, totally plywood covered wing. It was deemed the best in the rotary class. A change in policy at Idflieg resulted in all single seat fighters being given the prefix D rather than the E, D and Dr prefixes previously used. As a result the Fokker EV became the Fokker DVIII. Reports indicated that the DVIII was tremendously maneuverable. The design emphasized the utmost in simplicity. Reinhold Platz claimed that the DVIII perhaps cost fewer man-hours to produce than any other World War I fighter. Interestingly, the Fokker DVIII was already in production before the fighter was selected. However, the DVIII suffered from a nagging problem. Fokker s high tech wings had an unforeseen flaw. Two pilots were killed when their airplanes wings collapsed in flight. Investigations revealed that rain water trapped inside the wings rotted the plywood. The fleet was grounded and Fokker had to replace the wings. The new wings had strengthened spars an internal varnishing. The delay caused the DVIII not to be used in combat in great numbers before the wars end. Most of the fleet was still waiting for new wings when the armistice was signed. It was a moot point however, the Third Fighter Competition in October- November 1918 revealed that the DVIII was eclipsed by newer SS DIII, SS DIV, Pfalz DXV and the supercharged BMW powered, Fokker DVII. The final order that Idflieg placed did not include the Fokker DVIII. It did however; include an order for 700 Fokker DVIIs. Only one combat victory was recorded a pilot in a Fokker DVIII. It was Lt. Emil Rolff of Jasta 6 on August 17. He died in a wing failure related crash on August 19. In spite of these facts, the reputation of the Fokker DVIII was that it was the ultimate WWI fighter. Had Fokker been able to produce the fighter with better wings, it would not have been grounded for most of it s service and it would have a real combat record. As it is, we must rely on fighter pilot opinion. R Fokker the Early Years Part 1. Achiv- Peter M Grosz, WW1 Aero, JOURNAL OF THE EARLY AEROPLANE, No 188, May Three Wings for the Red Baron: Von Richtofen, Strategy, Tactics, and Airplanes. Leon Bennett. White Mane Publishing Company, pgs. ISBN: Fokker DrI Triplane: A World War One Legend. Paul Leaman, Classic Publications, pgs. ISBN: Fokker Dr I Aces of World War I (Osprey Aircraft of the Aces No 40). Norman Franks, Greg Van Wyngarden, Tony Holmes Eds, Osprey Aviation, pgs ISBN: Richtofen: Beyond the Legend of the Red Baron. Peter Kilduff, Wiley, pgs. ISBN: Windsock Datafile #9, Fokker DVII, Albatros Productions LTD, 1994, ISBN Windsock Datafile #25, Fokker DVIII, Albatros Productions LTD, ISBN Windsock Datafile #84, Fokker DVI, Albatros Productions LTD, ISBN Fokker Dr. 1 in Action #98, Squadron/Signal Publications, ISBN Fokker D. VII in Action #166, Squadron/Signal Publications, ISBN X A RC F DVIII S M By Kurt Bengtson The Fokker DVIII was the last fighter to enter service in WWI from Fokker. It saw limited action as the war concluded shortly after its introduction. AerodromeRC has developed a 1/6th scale model of this aircraft. This article will focus on the salient features of the original airframe and how they were rendered in the model. W First, I shall discuss the wing, perhaps the most distinctive feature of the airframe. The Fokker DVIII parasol design featured a plywood-covered wing with and deep airfoil. The airfoil was deeper than any previously used in a Fokker aircraft. The idea was to create a high lift/low stall speed combination that would allow pilots to hang on their prop. The idea is that if the aircraft could attack a target from below and an extreme angle then the airflow would deflect the bullet s trajectory. Normally, the bullet trajectory would bend downward to obey the laws of gravity. The result was

6 The AerodromeRC News VOL 1 - NO 7 Page 6 that the pilot had to compensate for this by aiming higher over the target. However, if the angle of attack was such that the oncoming airflow would balance the effect of gravity for a while then the trajectory would straighten out and aiming would be directly at the target. This was possible if the stall speed was very low and the thick wing provides that characteristic. In AerodromeRC s new 1/6th scale R/C scale model of the DVIII, the original airfoil is represented nearly to scale. This feature will allow R/C pilots to experiment with hanging on their props. The airfoil depth on the model is over 1 inch thick on a 55 wingspan. Here is a sample of the wing layout. Notice the tapered bottom of the wing is fully represented. The ribs are laid out in a slanted fashion by the use of precut shear webs. These shear webs not only provide great strength to the wing but they determine the ribs proper orientation. When the outer panel is raised to proper position the ribs become vertical in orientation. The only the region from the top and front spar to the 1/4 balsa leading edge is sheeted with 1/16 balsa. The decision not to sheet the entire wing was made to reduce weight and simplify construction. The 1/4 balsa leading edge is pre cut for attachment and shaped so as to minimize sanding to a rounded shape. 1/32 thick plywood was used top and bottom of the ends of the ribs. This will provide a smooth strong surface for covering attachment. It should work out that after covering, the wing will be very similar in look to a totally plywood covered wing. The original had a very minor under camber which was not carried though into this model. As before, this omission was deliberate and done to reduce complexity. The number D Wing loading translates to many aircraft performance parameters including turning circle. The lower the loading, the tighter the turning circle. The Fokker Triplane s extremely low wing loading was partly responsible for it s close in dog fighting success. The Fokker Dr1 had a lower wing loading than of the Sopwith Triplane and SE5a. of ribs is scale as is the locations of the spars. An exception is that instead of a centrally located plywood box spar, a pair of surface mounted spars joined with a shear web were employed. Again this change was for construction simplicity and to save weight. Wing strength should be very high in the model. As is common in our models, in wing servo driven aileron linkages are employed. Cabane attachment is fairly traditional but the long front cabane strut extends through a large triangular 1/32 ply side cheek piece. There is a hole in the cheek piece for the strut to pass through. Obviously, the strut must be in place before this plywood piece is attached. Ring terminal style attachment points and 4-40 screws and blind nuts complete the wing attachment mechanism. Note, I have found that the use of epoxy and clean, roughened music wire and ring terminals works just as well as solder. The strength of the joint is capable of holding 35 pounds and more. I tested this with low strength 5-minute epoxy. With four strut attachment points, the model could weigh 140 pounds and still not break the joints. The major advantage is that the modeler has time to set the wing in proper incidence while the epoxy sets and has a much higher success rate. Many solder joints look great on the outside only to crack and fail because of a defect or cold solder area hidden inside. F Now we turn our attention to the fuselage. The Fokker DVIII s fuselage was about the same as the Fokker DVI and the Fokker Triplane except for the cabane strut attachments. However, the model developed did not simply come from a copy and paste operation from an earlier model. Rather it was taken from the three view in the same manner as the wing. The basic structure is a built up box in the rear mating with a wooden box made from laser cut pieces in the front. Balsa and plywood sheeting are employed to achieve full strength and complete the look of the model. In order to simplify construction, laser cut tailpieces are used for speedy assembly are included as are notches for precut squared stock for a strong structure. While, pull-pull controls can be employed, the model is designed for simple push rod linkages for the rudder and elevator. D Speed is a very important factor in fighter characteristics. The Fokker Triplane lost its advantage when faster allied aircraft began showing up on the front. If an SE5a pilot was being hemmed in by the triplane, he could simply break off the fight and speed away from the slower triplane. M M The motor mount is designed for an AXI 2820 outrunner brushless motor. Laser cut parts are employed to provide a stable secure and accurate mount of the motor. Down and right thrust are built into the design. C The cowl is built from laser cut 1/4 thick balsa pieces and 1/8 plywood semi- rings connected together with supplied balsa spacers. 1/32 plywood wrapped over the semi rings completes the structure. Holes for the propeller shaft and cooling are pre cut. The cowl is attached to the fuselage using screws and blind nuts and screws which are accessible through the cooling holes in the front of the cowl. The tailskid is functional with a pivot point and elastic cord inside the fuselage for shock absorption. This is an optional feature and the skid can be simply glued in place. The underwing structural details include a 1/32 ply shell over balsa ribs. Correct alignment of the underwing is insured by using the supplied laser cut plywood UC fairings. This underwing is an important characteristic of the Fokker DVIII and should not be overlooked as it is in

7 The AerodromeRC News VOL 1 - NO 7 Page 7 some kits. M G Twin dummy Spandau machine guns are included in the kit. The plan and our web site have a cooling jacket pattern to be printed on cardstock. The cardstock is wrapped over balsa drums on the gun structure. Note, it is possible to take a thin pointed soldering iron and carefully burn out the holes for a very scale looking gun cooling jacket. A dowel serves as a gun barrel. W K The wheel kit that is included in the kit is made from laminated lite ply and birch ply with lightening holes to reduce weight. I chose ply instead of my customary balsa for strength. Inner and outer card stock wheel cone drawings are also provided. D For decals, I drew fuselage text including the weight loading table. I put a decal file on the web site as well at 1/6 scale Lozenge pattern files are also on the decal page there. So that is the AerodromeRC 1/6th scale Fokker DVIII in a nutshell. I was striven to make a balance of scale features with ease of build. The large number of laser cut parts has made this kit more costly than some of my other kits however; this kit is much more detailed and needs fewer additional parts than the other kits. I hope that this model meets with a niche for folks to enjoy this wonderful aircraft. B T : R B T J By Bert Ayers never adopted. This design, using JN-4 outer wing panels and engines, was referred to by Curtiss and its military customers alike as Twin JN. The article also indicates that 9 Twin JN were built. The engine nacelles and struts were taken from photos of OX-5 powered flying boats. Two S400 with MiniOlympus gearbox are used. 52-inch wingspan. Approximately 339 square inches of wing area. Weight without radio, servos, and battery (does have two aileron servos) is 38 ounces. Bomber and gunner equipment is from builder s imagination-no documentation. Many, many years ago I saw two pictures of this rare bird and decided that one day I would build a model of it. When AerodromeRC offered a kit for the Jenny, I knew I would have to build the twin also. I ordered two kits, built both at the same time. Aircraft in Profile publications Curtiss JN-4, by Peter M. Bowers has a photo and a brief description A new twin-engine design appeared at the same time as the JN- 4. It was tentatively designated JN-5, but the name was

8 The AerodromeRC News VOL 1 - NO 7 Page 8 R B T J By Bert Ayers

9 Page 9 The AerodromeRC News VOL 1 - NO 7 F A By Kurt Bengtson From time to time we feature photos of models that customers send to us. This month we feature two models. A P B S. E W C C. Edi s Canuck dressed up in US Navy colors flies exceptionally well. He chose a powerful motor, Graupner S480 geared 1.8:1. The model is aerobatic and is capable of a 45-degree climb with this motor. Nice work, Edi. Superb detailing, Andrew. The AerodromeRC News The AerodromeRC News is a free monthly 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 by mail 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 PO Box Pacific Grove CA Phone and Fax: