FireBee

My Feedback: (34)

You need to save for a 40% Eindecker. Dr Gertz Vogalsang and a true scale, alum tube fuse and wing warping ailerons, imported kit from Europe. He won Pilots Choice at MAD Patrol 2014. Awesome and a very maneuverable flyer.
Check out his website for many inspiring Airplanes and accessories: http://www.vogelsang-aeroscale.com

valleyk

I would not bash 1/3 or 1/4 balsa usa kits because they don't measure up in detail to tiny 1/6 scale kits that vey few people build anyway. Balsa USA kits give the modeler a less expensive route to building large scale models.

vertical grimmace

My Feedback: (1)

Thank you Firebee. One of my favorite warbird meets is in Pueblo. I am looking forward to bring it down there This summer.

vertical grimmace

My Feedback: (1)

Valley, did you ever get the pup flying? What have you been up to?

abufletcher

Tiny? I'd rather think of 1/4 and 1/3 (and definitely 1/2) scale as "overly large." Seriously, 80" should be enough for anyone.

geezeraviation

My Feedback: (3)

I guess it's all in the eye of the beholder. A lot depends on what kind of room one has to build in and what sort of transport is available. If you're building in a spare bedroom and carrying your models in a small or medium size car then smaller models are the right choice. If you have a 400 sq ft shop and a 7'X12' cargo trailer then your options are broader. A lot also depends on what your resources are, how much can you afford to put into a model, and what your desires are. Then there's storage, do you have room to store eight or ten 1/4 or larger sized models and still be able to move in your shop? I've been building large models for over twenty five years and save for one that I sold I still have all of them, most live in the shop some live in the trailer, it's all up to, you the builder, and what trips your trigger!
Doc

Don, how goes the Albie?

abufletcher

Just today I pulled it off the shelf and put it back on the main building table. As for size, maybe my perception has been altered by 19 years in Japan. In 'Murica, bigger is always better.

abufletcher

It's interesting that many (most?) of the Best of Show models from the Weak Signals show are smaller ("normal") sized models.

TFF

Most people who build small models seem to be building for themselves more than the crowd. Large models tend to get the gosh attention, a little acknowledgment from the peanut gallery. Nothing wrong from either. A big model with lots of detail is usually only shown to very few like at a contest. Anything weekend warrior will be generally plain. Scale fly ins will have few over the top planes except for size. THe good stuff is mostly gone as contests are mostly gone.

BobH

My Feedback: (2)

Don, maybe you have been over seas too long. Eighty inches might seem big enough until you get aroun a lot of larger planes. That's when the perception changes.
Besides,the discussion/debate,over large vs small models is long over. We all know how that came out.
fact is we can model and fly anything we want. Bigger planes in the air just look better etc.

vertical grimmace

My Feedback: (1)

My TA 152 build has led me down a particular path. It is the largest model I have built to date. I had to wait a couple of years to start it until I had proper shop space. Now that I am nearing completion, I am now in the market for a trailer. I can fit the TA 152 in my truck, but that is it, and when I go to warbird meets, I like to take more than one plane. I currently have 5 airplanes in the 80" span range, and everything I have planned to build is that size. So it takes some planning, and if these things are not feasible, than smaller scale is certainly in order. Of note, the TA 152 is a competition model, and has a lot of detail. Also, I could have built it in 1/6th scale, but I wanted it larger for the smoother flying and presence it will have in competition.

geezeraviation

My Feedback: (3)

As I said, it's all up to you, and what trips your trigger. It all boils down to doing what you want to do, big or small they're all airplanes. There's no formula for what's "best" for everyone. The formula for what's best for you is the one you use, I use a different formula but then I'm a different person.
Doc

abufletcher

Doc, that would be all well and good if it weren't for kit makers following the trend toward larger (and larger) kits. I would have loved to build one of Glenn's 1/4 scale DrI kits, but I'm never going to be able to afford his 1/3 scale kit (and all the additional expenses that building at that scale entails). His new SE5a masterpiece is almost $3,000 just for the kit.

Anyway, I just need to accept that there won't be any more WWI kits in my future...and since I only build WWI that in all likelihood I'll never build another kit. I can live with that.

vertical grimmace

My Feedback: (1)

Well Don, You can just scratch build. It really does not take that much longer anyway.

I did want to make another point. If you have these large dollar bills flying around in the sky, it can be tough to get comfortable with that. I know a guy in my club who got his feet wet with larger models, but he could just never get comfortable with them. Gets back to the old saying about not being able to afford to crash your plane, you should not have it.

Balsa USA is promising to offer a 1/6th scale German plane. I figure it will most likely be a triplane. That is a really fun size for that plane. They are a blast to throw around the sky.

abufletcher

I'd be happier with a DVII since it would likely be more to scale...purely because the DVII had the proportions that BUSA tends to use.

geezeraviation

My Feedback: (3)

I have a 1/6 N28 under construction, being the third one I've built goes to figure its the most scale one of the bunch, also just bought an Avistar trainer to play with. Amazing plane you don't use a drop of glue to put it together. I've always kept a trainer in the fleet for fun and sold mine a couple years ago, so I dove into this one, you cant build one this cheap that flies any better.
Doc

valleyk

what is it...you can't afford to own large scale planes and that's why you try to tell us they are not scale enough? If you can't afford to build large scale planes fine I can understand that but don't tell me how 1/6 size is the way to go when in the rc community its called a foamy.

abufletcher

I try to always have a cheap ARF to throw around the sky and try things before attempting them with my scale models. For example, I think I finally figured out what, back in WWI, was called a "vrille" which from the period illustration seems to be a climbing rudder roll. It's a little weird to do but looks like a very good "mission-oriented" maneuver.

abufletcher

What I'm saying is that it is my impression (from what I have seen online) that many larger scale WWI models skimp on the detailing. Of course, lots of smaller scale builders do that also. And yes, there are some fantastic larger scale models. If I were going to build a 1/3 scale model, I'd certainly want every stitch, rivet, and seam to be there (and would absolutely insist of 100% scale outlines...that should go without saying at that scale). Being able to build more scale would be the whole point of building larger for ME. Since I don't attend any events of any sort, I'm not concerned with what size models "the other guys" are flying. In terms of a reasonable size to do scale detailing, 1/4 scale is great for the smaller fighters and 1/6 scale is great for the 2-seaters. By the way, it's a brave builder indeed who takes on a 1/3 scale 2-seater. My hat's off to those who've done it.

(BTW, let me explain what I mean by "skimp on the details." IMHO, a 1/3 scale model needs MORE details than a 1/4 or 1/6 scale model to create the same impression of "depth of detailing." If a larger model and a smaller model both have the same details, done to the same level of scale fidelity, I feel that the smaller model will appear more scale. A larger model is a larger canvas and needs more details to be convincing.)

I suppose a better way of saying this is that I CHOOSE not to put $3,000-$4,000 (+) dollars into a single model. I'd rather build a fleet of smaller models for the same amount. While it's true that I have this amazing (and pricey) radial, it will certainly be the only one I'll ever have...and I only have it because I used the money I got from selling other items.

Since I'm not part of that community, I guess it doesn't matter. But anyone who equates a well-done WWI model with a foamy needs a pair of glasses.

Steve Percifield

My Feedback: (14)

the vrille is now a nose down spin

radfordc

My Feedback: (14)

My research also showed the "vrille" to be a spin.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vrille

radfordc

My Feedback: (14)

A climbing rudder turn is an "immelmann turn".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immelmann_turn

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immelma...1Immelmann.png

radfordc

My Feedback: (14)

More discussion of WW I maneuvers here: http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/sh...ad.php?t=22778

Jaybird

Would that be a "chandelle"? A climbing turn?

Jaybird

TFF

A chandelle is a climbing turn but has become more of a precision term than just a description from WW1.