Model Airplane News – September 2019

SEPTEMBER 2019 41

box that way.
Moving to, perhaps, the other end of the
subject type was the adorable Mini-MAX
homebuilt ultralight entered in the Masters class
by veteran competitor Jack Buckley. His Mini-MAX
is living proof that a competitive scale model
needn’t be a sophisticated, complex subject
built from composite. Jack literally took the full-
scale plan, shrunk it, and duplicated most of the
construction using traditional modeling materials
and techniques. And what a superb job he did,
duplicating fasteners, fittings, even the leather
coaming around the cockpit. Simple subject, well

executed = SUCCESS!

Falling somewhere in the middle, in terms

of period, was the outstanding Davis D-1W

campaigned by Rich Feroldi. Built from his own

plans, it is somewhat of a departure from his

previous models’ WW I subjects; this is “Golden

Age” or classic vintage. Being a “rag” airplane,

all the rib stitching, fabric tapes, and proper

dope finishing were included as well as all scale

rigging and control cable runs. It was all there,

from stitched leather cockpit coaming and

beautifully formed fairings to a latched baggage-

compartment door. This wasn’t a model that

screamed, “Look at me! Am I not beautiful?”

Rather, it subtly beckons you to come closer

to absorb and appreciate the many smaller

details throughout. With this beautiful replica,

“understated” is an understatement.

These are just three examples; there were

many others. They were all amazing scale

modeling efforts.

Here’s a simple subject—the homebuilt Mini-MAX—
very well done by Jack Buckley. High-scoring models
need not be complex, sophisticated, or expensive.
(And it flew well, too.)

Here’s your winner, folks! The amazing BAE Hawk 100, built and flown by Mr. Top Gun 2019: Peter Goldsmith.
Starting out with a Tomahawk kit, Peter spent many hours on exterior details of the 112-inch-span beauty.
Congratulations, Pete!

Barry Raborn’s Grumman F4F Wildcat awaits static judging. Built from the imported Fischer kit and powered by a
Moki 250, this 1/4-scale machine had just the right amount of fade to its Navy scheme.

Bret Becker returned this year with his notable N.A.

XB-70 Valkyrie. Bret updated the EDF-powered

model to include additional scale details like the

“crank-down” forward fuselage.

Details abound in and around the cockpit area of Rich

Feroldi’s Davis D-1W. The pilot even has the proper

foul-weather gear and a scarf for wiping his goggles.

This might give you some idea of the level of detail

Pete incorporated into his Hawk. The weathering was

among the most convincing I’ve ever seen.

Chuck Hamilton’s Douglas SBD-3 Dauntless looks

great from any angle, especially this one. This

1/5-scale (100-inch-wingspan) model is built from

Ziroli plans. It is powered by a GT80 and has that

near-perfect look.