The PSSA 40th Anniversary Mass Build project is about to commence!
With 2026 marking our 40th Anniversary, the Power Scale Soaring Association are running another ‘Mass Build’ project following the success of previous builds with the Jet Provost, A-4 Skyhawk, Hurricane and most recently the F-86 Sabre.
We hope to get as many participants building simultaneously from 1st February 2026 – with the aim of flying the new models at a ‘Fly for Fun’ event upon the Great Orme, Llandudno over the weekend 19th/20th September 2026. For anyone wanting to take part who’s not currently a PSSA member, drop me a line at webmaster@pssaonline.co.uk and join us, Association membership is FREE!
Our latest chosen subject links back to our founder Alan Hulme’s full-size flying training and sees us converting a well proven electric power kit by RBC Models, the North American AT-6 Texan or Harvard, an aircraft type Alan flew after the war. Spanning 49” and with a target flying weight of around 2lb, this 1/10th scale twin seat prop trainer is a conventionally built-up PSS model for 2 or 3 channel R/C.
The RBC kit is well proven and has been marketed as a conventionally built electric flight model for many years. It contains all the pre-shaped lite-ply and balsa parts needed to complete the model, all CNC cut in light material, and in addition there is the sheet and strip wood required to finish the airframe ready for covering. There’s an ABS formed cowling and a clear, vac-formed canopy all included, along with a comprehensive full-size plan and build instructions. There’s just a few simple modifications required to robustly convert it from electric power (as drawn) to a Power Scale Soarer.
Building from the kit is straight forward so starting in February will give even the slowest of builders plenty of time to be flight ready for the event in September 2026. For those new to PSS or building from plans we encourage you to have a go, this really is one of the main drivers of our Mass Build activity. There will be loads of help along the way from others taking part on the RCM&E modelflying forum – this is a great opportunity to learn some new skills and create a scale model of your own to be proud of! We see it as an exciting and fun way for us to promote Power Scale Soaring, whilst getting more of our members building, learning or coaching.
At the PSSA Fly-in in September, the Harvards will be assembled on The Great Orme for the first time and flown in a number of type specific ‘display’ slots. As in previous years, we’ll offer prizes for the Best Finished model, Best PSSA newcomer, Best Scale/Innovative feature and so on… It should certainly deliver another spectacle to remember up on the Orme and produce a unique ‘Fly for Fun’ event helping us mark our 40th Anniversary season.
I hope you can join us and take an active part in this project – I’m sure it will be a memorable highlight of our 40th Anniversary 2026 flying season!
Follow the build progress from 1st February via the collection of PSSA Builders Blogs soon on the RCM&E modelflying forum HERE!