We’ve all done it. That one dumb thumb move, the very brief moment when our brain wanted to go right and our thumb decided to go left. There’s nothing you can do but pick up the pieces and take them back to the shop. Some professional aircraft impact testers even have a trash bag in [...]
Last week, Rick Michelena shared the steps to prep your aircraft for a perfect fiberglass finish. In the second part of his three-part series, he begins the fiberglass work and gets the model ready for paint. Here are the simple items needed to produce a fiber-glass finish that will last for many years. You will [...]
A fiberglass finish not only looks scale, it’s wear-resistant and a great way to protect your model. In his first two articles, Rick Michelena detailed the steps to prep and fiberglass his warbird. In this third and final installment, he adds paint and details, including rivets, panel lines and even navigation lights. After spraying the [...]
Here’s another how-to from veteran builder Rick Michelena. Enjoy! Do you have the desire to build a warbird or other scale project but desire something more than an iron-on finish? Are you unsure of the steps required in the process of finishing a radio-controlled airplane in fiberglass and paint? This article will give you the knowledge required [...]
On a recent rebuild project of a Ziroli 77 inch Stearman PT-17 biplane, I replaced the the fuel tank and plumbing. Here’s how to install a new gasoline fuel system in your plane. (Above.) For the Zenoah G-38 engine powering the Stearman, I chose to install a 20 oz. fuel tank. I also used Sullivan’s heavy [...]
This week we are doing the Reverse Cuban-8 with half rolls maneuver that will be featured in the September issue of Electric Flight. John Glezellis takes you step-by-step through this maneuver in the magazine. In this video Jason Benson shows us how to perform the Reverse Cuban-8 with half rolls with some helpful tips to guide you through [...]
Several years ago a flying buddy brought a Phase 3 F-16 out to the flying field. It was the first EDF jet I ever saw fly, not counting Bob Violett’s Electra which had made quite an impression on everyone at Florida Jets earlier that year. This F-16 is a really nice flying, hand-launched foam model. [...]
Here’s another great project from veteran builder Rick Michelena. This time, Rick does some fun ARF math: P-51 + P-51 = F-82! He writes, ”The great element of R/C modeling is this: using your imagination allows for any subject to be modeled. Over the past 30 years, I have witnessed the tremendous change that has occurred in our hobby [...]
