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Dave
has been a PSSA member for over a year now and runs
Dave's Aircraft Works. He comments generally on
combat flying experience in the U.S.A. and provides
useful knowledge for all interested in utilising the new
EPP foam which produces an almost indestructible PSS
model.
Combat...
the mere mention of it sends shivers down the spine of
soaring purists. As has been true over here in the
U.S., it would seem there's been a bit of controversy
surrounding the subject with you folks in Europe.
There's a bright lining on this cloud though, which I
hope to reveal to you here, even if you find the concept
of combat an utter sacrilege.
The
innovation that made combat flying a practical reality
was the use of EPP foam. The initials 'EPP' stand
for Expanded PolyPropylene, which differs
significantly from the styrene foams we've been familiar
with for years. The primary difference is its
resilience, its essentially a `rubber' foam, meaning it
won't dent or mark like regular styrene foams.
This means you can construct parts capable of
withstanding tremendous abuse without any structural
degradation.
You've
probably all been made quite aware of this already, so I
won't belabour the details. Rather, I'd like to
explain some ways that EPP can be used outside of the
normal `smash and slash' combat environment.
After
a few seasons of combat, some of our more adventurous
designers began to explore the possibilities of using
EPP foam to construct more accurate scale models that
had the same sort of durability we had become accustomed
to with our combat ships. Let's face it, after a
few muffed landings with a combat ship that incur no
damage whatsoever, you're pretty well 'spoiled' - you
just can't justify the labour involved in restoring a
conventionally constructed aircraft because of one
little mistake made on
final
approach, or the accidental midair that happens from
time to time.
NOTE
: the planes you see here are NOT intended to be used
for combat, although they are quite capable of surviving
a happenstance midair or not-so-great landing. Add
to that the fact that they're fairly quick to construct
and can give quite convincing
scale appearance; just look at the pictures here and
judge for yourself!
These
aircraft are constructed much
like
their smaller combat cousins, but all the components
have been scaled up to handle the larger loads and
stresses involved. The application of
reinforcement taping and covering still remains the same
as well, although it's done a little more judiciously to
preserve scale appearance. Some of the examples of
EPP foam aircraft you've seen may have looked pretty
'gamey', but after time and experience you begin to
develop the skills and techniques necessary to finish
EPP with a level of quality that can rival that of
conventional construction. For details on this, I
invite you to visit my own Web page as well as other
manufacturers to learn the nitty-gritty details, as it
would simply occupy too much space here in the
newsletter.
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My
own P-51 D from the Durable Aircraft
Models kit. This plane is a super
performer! People don't believe it's a
foamie until I insist that they pinch the wing
panel and see that it is indeed made out of
rubber! This example sports a clear canopy
and detailed pilot. |
I've
been an ardent PSS and Scale modeller for over two
decades, so I'm no stranger to the things we all know
and love; fibreglass, paint, exotic fibre materials,
etc... BUT.. when I want to go out and just enjoy the
sheer fun of `wringing it out', my EPP scale ships are
at the top of the list! Just a weekend ago, I had
the
dubious
pleasure of executing a splitS a wee bit too low, and
sure enough, the aircraft met terra firma with an impact
that you could feel transmitted through the bottom of
your feet! What was the damage? None, if you
exclude my ego! I simply walked down the hill,
extracted my still intact aircraft from some of the
regions rather tough local flora, and hiked back up for
another flight! Which plane was it? Take a
look at the nonspecular blue P-51 D pictured here...
THAT is the plane! This aircraft went in going
well in excess of 50 MPH and suffered NO damage other
than some small tears in the covering on the bottom of
the wing and fuselage. If it had been a balsa or
fibreglass ship, it would have gone home in a trash
bag. Think about that.., a trash bag. I know
you've brought planes home this way yourself, and it's
not fun.
I
still build in traditional materials, but about the only
planes I build that way anymore are my giant scale
sailplanes I use in scale competition (I've just
recently completed a 1/3 scale MCM CB-15 Crystal - 300
hours and
about
$3,000.00). I'm not wedded to any building
technique, rather, I have found ways to get maximum
pleasure from my hobby time and money by using materials
appropriate to the level of detail necessary for a given
airframe used in a given capacity. I'd encourage
you not to discount the possibilities of a new
construction technology without seriously considering
its merits for different uses. Wouldn't it be more
fun to teach a friend or family member to fly with a
crash-proof model? You can obtain an EPP trainer
for that person right this very moment! How about
a scale PSS plane for practicing aerobatics? You
can construct one to match your finely finished contest
plane in every dimension, then proceed to find its
foibles and quirks without risking your showpiece.
How about checking the lift? Did you ever wonder
if there was enough wind to fly your favourite planes
but didn't want to risk landing out? Test the air
first with the EPP ship, and you'll have a good idea of
what to expect when you throw out your 100 hour,
$300.00, scale beauty.
Out
here, a happy balance has been struck between all the
different flying and construction formats. Nearly
all my clubmates sport a full quiver of traditional
scale ships, glass PSS ships, racers and of course,
combat ships! One thing is sure, though.. you
always know who the real scale enthusiasts are in a
combat match.. the ones flying foamie warbirds!
| Another
all EPP model by Wade Kloos; his 1/7 scale Supermarine
Spitfire.
This
was the model he used to prove the concept of a
very scale EPP model. Experience from this
plane went on to be used in his Mustang kit. |
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I
hope this helps you to see the true beauty of EPP foam
for uses beyond combat. Trust me; it could change
your life and open new vistas in your scale modelling
life... don't fight having a good time! Life is
just too damn short.
One
final note.. I'm not simply schilling EPP foam because I
make EPP airframes. I could make a very
comfortable living building custom scale aircraft from
conventional materials if I chose to. The fact of
the matter is, that this is a technology that just has
too many possibilities to discard out of hand.
If
you'd like to find out more about really scale EPP
models, send me a self-addressed stamped envelope and
I'll return a complete list of EPP manufacturers.
At the moment, Durable Aircraft Models is the only
company offering exact scale EPP kits, but others,
including my own Dave's Aircraft Works, will be offering
more models soon. Write to:
DAVE'S
AIRCRAFT WORKS
34455 Camino El Molino
Capistrano Beach, CA 92624
USA.
For
those wishing to obtain more information on a speedy
basis from Dave, you can telephone him on:
(949)
248-2773
or
E-mail - davesaircraftworks@compuserve.com
or
visit his web page at:
www.davesaircraftworks.com |
