We've talked last year, and a couple years ago...I probably did not introduce myself properly..I'll take care of that this year.. It is easy enough to find your motorhome....
Posts: 699
Joined: 12/8/2001 From: Perris,
CA, USA Status: offline
Oscar,
It was great meeting you too!, my Father and i really had a blast, and getting to see NOT ONE, BUT TWO Widgeons fly was icing on the cake of my day, and as a bonus for my Dad, he got to see his personal favorite plane (a Ryan on floats) fly!!
Posts: 176
Joined: 10/24/2002 From: Riverside, CA Status: offline
Scott,
Your last really made my day! It is so nice to know that our club's effort in holding our annual float flys is appreciated.
The "other" Widgeon that flew on Sunday was designed and built by Enrique Arance, a highly skilled modeler who is in the Chino club. It is electric powered and flies silently and well. It has a roughly six foot wingspan, and the two electric motors are wired in series. (I forgot to ask Enrique how he turns it on the water, as the Widgeon has no water rudder.) I think that Enriques model takes off and lands much better than mine, with little porpoising. He worked very hard on this, and went through a number of refinements and design changes to achieve such good results.
Enrique's plane is about the size of the first RC Widgeon, which I designed and built in 1967/68. I had two Enya 60's in it. This was serious overpower, and two .40's would have been plenty of power. But it won first in flying scale at the 1968 Brimfield, Mass. Hydroaeroplane championships, the early big East Coast competitive float fly and the Lake Havasu type event of that time and place. My Widgeon was featured in the Sept., 1968 Flying Models as a construction article, and I believe that they still sell the plans. The editor, Don McGovern, was a big advocate of model seaplane flying. Don designed the Buccaneer series of free-flight flying boats for Berkeley Model kits. We still see versions of his Super Buccaneer flying under RC at the float flys.
When we rebuilt my 1/4 scale Widgeon after its "unplanned hard landing" at Lake Havasu, I decided to change the color scheme from the 1940's Coast Guard colors originally used, as everyone building the G&P kit seemed to be using the same Coast Guard colors. I had seen Enrique's Widgeon at several float flys, so I asked if he minded if I used the same color scheme. He put me in touch with Roy Mabee, who owns the full scale Widgeon which is in a hangar at Chino Airport. I photographed Roy's plane in the hangar, and he even let me sit in it. What a kick!.
I have attached a picture of Enrique's Widgeon and one of me sitting in Roy's Widgeon.
I just discovered this fascinating thread about my favourite plane. Congratulations on your beautiful Widgeon!!!
I recently ordered a set of plans for an 80" Widgeon from Fred Novack (www.vintagercplans.com) and the respective laser cut wood kit from Kit Cutters. Have you heard anything good/bad about these plans or the finished model?
Since I intend to build it as an electric, you can imagine that I am very interested in getting in touch with Enrique Arance. Do you think you could help me with this?
Many thanks in advance!
Matt
P.S. My wife took these two pictures of my 56" electric Alabtross
< Message edited by Siesta -- 7/5/2005 8:46:48 PM >
Posts: 10
Joined: 6/28/2004 From: drury, NEW ZEALAND Status: offline
Hi Matt I have nearly finished a widgeon built off those plans. Had lots of problems with the wing. The trailing edge was all wrong - think the rib shapes are not accurate. Anyway it was not unsurmountable and am pleased with where I have got to. Just painting the fuse at present - finished weight aroung 17lbs. Powered by 2 OS 65LAs. Oscar and Fred have been very helpful to me over the last year or so. I have built retractable gear which works great. You can email me at reido01@attglobal.net Regards Murray Reid New Zealand PS would post some pics but not sure how to do it. Can some one help
Thanks for the pictures. Looks impressive! You've gone a long way, already - congratulations! I am sure glad to hear from you and will be very interested to read about the completion and flying of the Widgeon. Keep me and everybody posted, will you?
Oscar,
Thank you for the flowers regarding the Albatross. And thanks for your quick reply and help! I'll contact Enrique, soon and am anxious to learn more about his model. The nicest smaller model of a Widgeon I've seen by now.
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RE: Grumman Widgeon - 
