Re: Does one scale suit all?

Guy Fawcett (gfawcett@am.nofc.forestry.ca)
Mon, 29 May 1995 08:04:53 -0600 (MDT)

>Phellow Phliers

> what scale do people prefer for R/C model?

>I noticed Guy enquiring about 1/6 scale WW1 pilots and then Jon >replying with
a suggested source for a 1/5 scale item. This I >suspect might be indicative of
a general problem for sourcing the >accessories we need. So far as I am aware
Williams Bros. (USA) >have been producing such things as guns, wheels and other
>bits and pieces in scales of 1/6 and 1/4. Do they also produce >pilots?

Williams Bros does produce a range of pilots in a multitude of scales these
pilots are busts from the shoulders up and made of hard sytrene. I have used
them for years but find them a tad heavy once modified with a appropriate
flying gear. I was impressed by the WWII pilot I had seen from the company I
mentioned because the flying gear was extremely detailed and the pilot was very
light.

>Now to get to the real purpose of these ramblings.
>My primary interest in modeling are biplanes of the period, 1914 to >1939 with
particular emphasis on WW1 German types. (Because >they generally have more
character than the Brits. The French and >Belgium types are are usually more
colourful also). Before you >British fans get too upset, I should like to
point out that the more >colourful the aeroplane, the easier it is to see
against grass and >trees. PC10 does what it is supposed to, blend into the
>background.

AH you just haven't looked hard enough :-) My SE5 was flown by Billy Bishop
and is half blue.

>I am intending to concentrate on German types and semi-mass >produce the
accessories I need, guns, dummy engines etc. by >investing in the necessary
tooling. I would also like to make the >results of these efforts available to
others, hence the question >about preferred scales.

Sounds neat If you decide to make 1/6 Scale I'm trying to build a market :-)

>I would very much like to hear your opinions and to get the ball >rolling here
are some of my own:
>1/6 A nice traditional size that used to be considered large (not so >long
ago). It has the advantage of many plans being available, >and accessories
already in productions (Williams etc.) Unless you >are building a flying brick,
there should not be a problem staying >under the 7kgm weight limit. Many
commonly available engines are >suitable and as we all know from Guy, electrics
are also suitable. >On the cons side, many WW1 types will be small (eg. Fokker
Tripe >is about 48") and my experience and observation suggests that >bigger
usually fliers better (probably because it is easier to keep >the wing loading
down).

I agree with all of your observations except the fly better one. But you
probably hit the problem bang on with the comment on weight. I think the
smaller flys worse statement applies more directly to WWII 1/6 scale where
competition scale planes could weigh close to 12 or 13 lbs with extremely high
wing loadings. WWI and interwar fabric covered aircraft do not usually surffer
from this problem (unless you get really heavy hand while building).

>1/4 Big models that are usually well over the 7 kgm limit and can >cost heaps
to build and operate. In Australia, most would require >special permission to
fly. Some plans around but in general, not the >sort of thing the average sport
flier would tackle.

I agree with these statements and would have to add that this is and extremely
popular WWI scale in the US mainly because of Proctors lead.

>1/5 An interesting size which has a lot of potential.
>1/5.5 Not a class that I know of but there are a number of 2.25" >to the foot
(a close match) from various English plans services.

Almost have to create these classes from scratch not particularlly popular in
WWI. (no reason they just are not).
I think you would be pushing it to fit them into a station wagon assembled
(one of the reasons I picked 1/6 scale for my event was that I didn/t need to
take my SE5 apart. My 1/5 scale Bristol Fighter has a wing span of 96".

I'd also like to hear what other people think on this subject?

Now I will qualify all I have said with this the trend in scale modelling (and
very much so in the US) is to Bigger is Better. I personally don't feel that
way. but I am going against the flow suggesting a move towards what I think of
as mid-size scale. I truly believe that alot of people are being put off scale
modelling because of the investment required in both time and money to build
80" plus fighters either WWI or WWII (were the money quickly becomes
astronomical). As planes increase in size so do components, weight and the
vehicles required for transport. Not only that but precieved danger also
increases in the eyes of the public (and from that the the publics interest, I
think we are all a little morbid, eh!).

Well thats my comment worth what you paid for it :-).

Tally Ho

Guy
gfawcett@nofc.forestry.ca