Here we go!

http://home.att.net/~dannysoar/FantasySectionIntro.htm

Can you imagine showing up with one of these!!!

1914. France. As they say, truth is stranger than fiction! I mean, seriously, who among you is going to be the FIRST to do this as a 1/4 scale RC model. Perhaps here we finally have an aircraft that can seal the breech between the airplane and the heli guys! I mean you just gotta love those flying wires on the rotating wing!

I like your first idea - design a plane that might have been.
Not some absurd fantasy thing where you would still have to research old photos and drawings of someone<u> else's</u> fantasy.
Also, although it stretched the thread a bit, it is very much to its point.

I know what you mean. I suppose that's why you got into automotive design. But still researching such things gives us some sense for the "bounds" of creativity. It's sort of like trying to compose a new bluegrass song for the banjo. If you're too far out of bounds what you do doesn't count, if it's too close, it's "derivative."

If we stay more "within bounds" (in terms of novel WWI designs) then we're probably talking about a biplane with a standard configuration. It seems that WWI designers often began with a new engine and a set of design specs and worked from there. So we might do the same. Seems to me that you couldn't ask for a more perfect "fantasy engine" than the OS IL-300. Or maybe their Wankel for a smaller model.

You guys awe me with the work you do on your models! When I look at them i see an art that to me is better then the best painting or work of art I have ever seen in a art gallery! You scale guys are my RC favorits!  Bob




Remember it is easier to ask for forgiveness then for permission!

In my area (Los Angeles)most people at the field only see the BIG models. I don't build big models, but scale indeed! I find that at the field things have degraded to the point that a well detailed model that is not BIGdoes not bring any attention, except something unusual like a 4-blade prop,Static of course. I joke with my buddy "Its all about the prop" nothing else about how it has an oxegen regulator deep in the cockpit and that it is covered with little pieces of aluminum. It does feel good when someone notices the extra work, but I have to keeptelling myself that all this extra work was only for me.

I am not anywhere in your leage, That  P-51 Mustang is beautiful! I do know what you are saying the attention does seem to go to the giant scale but for me I notice the detail in all the scale planes I have even seen some very small scale that floored me in the detail! You guys keep it up it is an art that is appreciated by us that get to see them! Thanks Bob


Remember it is easier to ask for forgiveness then for permission!

Yep, that's my experience in a nutshell. It's like they're wearing some sort of anti-scale goggles that only allow them to see crudest (and least interesting) features of the model, like what brand of wheels you're using. Others (like the guy inspecting the lawn mower in my video) don't seem to see the model at all. It's like it exists is some weird other dimension.

Ansel Adams spent his entire photographic career fine-tuning his techniques for producing that he called a "fine print." For him this meant a higher level of technical and aesthetic perfection that started with a visualization in the field and ended with precise toning of the final print. But he admitted that most people can't "see" a fine print. For them it was just an ordinary black and white photo. They saw the "thing" in the photo, not the photograph itself.

There's a debate in the art world on so-called elitist art, where you have to have specialist knowledge to appreciate the work. For example, people might say this about classical music. You can't just "like it." You have to "know about it" in order to appreciate it. Other factions of the art world are violently opposed to this perspective and claim that any art that can't be appreciated by "your average joe" is just BS. I suppose "the Art of RC Scale" just falls into that same debate.

I think we scale builders are susceptible to this. The current popularity of 1/3 scale models is not doubt at least in part due to this. My beef with larger models is that they often aren't as detailed relatively speaking as some smaller models. It's a simple matter of math. If you've got a certain amount of surface area that needs detailing to a given observational level, then if the model has more surface area it need proportionally more detailing to give the same effect as a smaller model. But that means proportionally more research (and often close access to an actual aircraft) so often those large model just end up looking somehow "empty."

Here's a photo, BTW, of one of my buddies at the field with his new ARF. He had spiffed it up a bit with some copper tubes under the cowling. I like this guy a lot and he regularly shows interest in my scale models. But there's not doubt that his ARF Zero garnered more attention than my Snipe sitting right next to it.

And to tell the truth, I WANTONE!

Oh the nerve! He could have at least weathered that bright copper!

But you gotta appreciate the sheer joy on his face!

I assume that is the CMP50 size Zero http://www.nitroplanes.com/mia65054niga.html which looks pretty good for an ARF. I've heard it is a bit heavy in the tail and requires a lot of ballast up front - thus ends up rather heavy and a bear to land. I have been considering it but don't want to buy into a constant repair job. How does his do anyway? What engine does he have?
Your Snipe is still better than the Zero so don't worry.

That certainly seems like the same model! And that price looks fantastic. It may be marketed under a different name (with a much higher price) here in Japan. I'll have to do a bit of research but you may just have sold me on this ARF!!! My friend didn't fly his last weekend, just doing an engine test like me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZKuXV6H12Q

i just have to say guys WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!   those planes are just beautiful to look at, the sorta things that caught my eye was stiching of the smallest level and amazing realism of panels/lines  or the connection/control of controll surfaces looking real

im normally 1/2a guy cuz if you crash, oh well, just need 3 more sheets of balsa and im back in the air if you know what i mean. buyt i do have a few larger models that are arf that are nice but i think someone else said it well, sorta empty (when on the ground)

so ive started my first real scale build, a piper tomahawk and ive got a thread going, so any help would be appreciated as i go along

Some people simply don't care about World War One airplanes.  I used to go to the Warbirds forum here on R/CU.  I found that the folks there were all about WWII and there was far more interest here for WWI so I don't even ever go there anymore. 

That's absolutely true. As for me, though I'm only interested in modeling WWI aircraft myself (and maybe some of the "betweens") I'm still fascinated to see well-done scale models of any other type of aircraft. Great scale modeling is great scale modeling.

True that!

Amen to that. I'm barely a modeler.but I know enough to spprciate the skill, and patience, that goes into scale modeling, Have truly enjoyed this thread.

You are a breed apart, then! Although WW1 is my main scale interest, I also like rag covered general aviation airplanes. I also like sport models as they fly better then most scale models and are just "plane" fun to fly! I want them with the engine just simply mounted to the front and hanging out in the breeze. No cowls, to cowl a sport/fun fly airplane is a stupid endeavor. I think if you want to get good at flying scale models, you need to fly the wings off of sport models, as they get flown and don't sit on the bench collecting dust.

The above is only my opinion. Remember, my opinion and a buck fitty will buy me a cup of coffee!

I'd ammend this as follows: "I think if you want to get good at flying scale models, you need to fly the wings off of sport SCALE models, as they get flown and don't sit on the bench collecting dust." If there were reasonably priced WWI ARFs (akin to that very nice $120 CMP Zero) I'd have a fleet of them and they'd get the heck flown out of them. Eventually, the Puppeteer will get the heck flown out of it and then it will be time to build another one.

In short, I don't think it really matters what you fly and long as you fly. More hours equals better pilot.

I can't argue with the second part of this sentence but I'm always uncomfortable when people say that sport planes fly "better." Better is relative to one's interests. I don't want to fly a model inverted and don't want a model that flies "like it's on rails." I want a model aircraft that flies with all the faults and peculiarities of the full scale aircraft I love. So for me "better" would mean they fly in a more scale-like manner. For example, I loved the funkiness of my Cub in flight. In fact, I might say that sports models fly "too well."

Abu: Your comment has really got me to thinking about flying my WWI models. I began flying pattern about six or seven years ago to improve my flying and make me more confident about flying my scale models. The pattern planes fly so "well" that the WWI planes feel absolutely, hopelessly clumsy compared to them. After flying pattern planes, WWI planes were no longer fun to fly. As a result, I rarely fly them.

After reading your statement, I realize I've got to readjust my attitude! My Nieuport gets flown this weekend.

Dave
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Hey have some one video it and we can all watch your Nieuport fly! just a thought, no really would love to see it! Bob



Want to keep from crashing? land higher!

Abu, you're a man after my own heart. Here's my (modified) ARF BE2c, and some video of it flying.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iazgFLq8LOY