G.I. Joes and Radio Control Model Airplanes - And a 1/6th Movie

Its amazing how two seperate items or events can come together in ones mind for a single thought.

Recently, I rediscovered some old photographs of a radio control model airplane event down in Midland/Odessa, Texas that my father took me to. This was back in the mid-1970s.

While there, I saw a Dave Platt FW-190-D9 that was large enough to hold one of my old G.I. Joes(about 1/6th scale). This was the event in my life where I connected these two separate hobbies into one. Actual photo is attached here. That is a T-28 Trojan from the same kit manufacture in the background.

Then there was this posting on RC Universe about someone who wants to make a 1/6th scale WAR film and I thought that was pretty cool -

WAR! 1/6 EPIC FILM is the EPIC STORY of WWII as told with the use 1/6 Scale Models. Creator Jack Yang of L.A. CALIFORNIA has been collecting 1/6 WWII ERA MILITARY MODELS for 10yrs and is now recruiting more participants to help bring his vision to reality with the use of all 1/6 WWII MODELS.

We are looking for participants willing to use their 1/6 scale WWII FIGURES, VEHICLES, AIRCRAFT , DIORAMAs and more to help produce this one of a kind EPIC FILM!

Jack Yang has all the film & production equipment, elaborate models and more to begin filming this summer... what he is lacking are more participants to operate their own WWII ERA 1/6 tanks, jeeps, AFV's , R/C AIRCRAFT , etc allowing greater range and scope of filming to be possible.

WAR! 1/6 EPIC FILM YAHOO GROUP is looking for A FEW GOOD MODELERS excited to utilize their models alongside JACK's to produce a great film... SO if you have ever wanted to see your model(s) in HIGH DEF in the most realistic setting and film possible this is your chance of a lifetime!

PLEASE NOTE this is for WWII ERA 1/6 SCALE only... if you have a 1/5 or 1/7 those models will also work , just keeping to the WW II THEME IS MOST IMPORTANT. Filming will take place in the greater L.A., CALIFORNIA area but willing to travel to you if you have a group of modelers that want to be filmed and are sufficient in # to make travel and filming out of state a worthwhile endeavor. Please post with this group if you want to be considered.

"WE WANT YOU" so join the group today @

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/warepicfilm/

MANY THANKS IN ADVANCE! AND PLEASE POST ANY QUESTIONS DIRECT TO THE

YAHOO GROUP or warepicfilm@hotmail.com

RCU Link Read more: (http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_9754711/tm.htm#ixzz0p8NxEpff).

I decided to send off the info below to the people who are doing the movie.

1. Kampfgruppe Von ABT Website (http://www.vonabt.co.uk/).

2. G.I. Joe Collections (http://www.shout.net/~scg/collections/pages/clubwebsites.html).

3. LSSR (Lone Star Scale Raiders) (http://lonestarscaleraiders.freeservers.com/index.html).

Scale Radio Control V-22 Osprey

I could not believe it when I first watched it. A scale model of the V-22 Osprey that is able to translate from vertical (helicopter) mode to horizontal (airplane)mode and back again.

Kit has been under development for 3 years working out the details of hover, conversion, and airplane flight

Licensed by Bell/Boeing. 35 inches (spinner to spinner). Model is easy to fly as a helicopter or an airplane. 1/18th scale.

Model easily converts in and out of airplane mode with no bad tendencies. Collective and cyclic pitch for precise control indoors and out, even in high wind. Electronic controller manages ship keeping it fully controllable for all conversion angles. Pitch, Yaw and Roll remain inline with body through entire conversion. 3 axis gyro stabilization. Can be flown with 7 channel model helicopter transmitter. Also, a user friendly PC Software interface makes programming and adjustments easy, using a standard USB-Cable.

Basic ship can be flown in a profile configuration to help with test flights and setup. Easy to add body covers to complete the scale look after all setup is complete. Precisely designed in CAD for reliability and maintainability. Precise scale model of CV-22 Osprey.

I have been looking at helicopter models, like the E-Flite Blade series (like the CX3 with the MD-520N Notor tailboom); for the past several weeks. Especially after discovering that most of my (technically former) WINGS Miniature Aircraft Society flying buddies were getting into them finally. (The technical part is I do not have the money right now to rejoin the club). Have to join the crowd I guess eventually.

I like the Blade series for the upgrade path that it offers. When I get tired of the MD-520N body, there is the Bell Jet Ranger, the UH-60 Blackhawk bodies that can be switched to. The UH-1 Huey is an upgrade path for the Blade CP, CP+, CP Pro, CP Pro2. The CP Pro series has the single rotor and a working tail rotor.

UPDATE (May 25, 2010): Well, I lost my internet connection in the middle of working on this post. Had to relocate to a wi-fi spot at Hastings to finish this. Basically, it was the reference link below that was unfinished.

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Ref. (http://www.rotormast.com/rm/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=61&Itemid=130).

Horizon Hobbies, E-Flite Blade CX-3 (http://www.horizonhobby.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=EFLH2080).

May 20th - Draw Mohammed Day!

After decades of threats from the Muslim world to the Western world. Decades of kidnapping and murder. This past decade has seen, since the start of the War on Terrorism, beheading of citizens from the west.

Then some stupid little cartoon show was the trigger for this massive back lashed against those islamofascist and their 10th century tunnel vision of how the entire planet should bow down to them.

A simple protest. Just draw Mohammad! May 20, 2010; has been designated as the world wide protest day against those barbarians who say their religion is one of peace, but their actions towards those who are not members of same religion shows that it is not. Their interpretation of Islam adhered to by al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups of that faith; there is no separation from the political or the religious mindset. The two are intertwined and the Caliphate is a state based on Islamic law. Their goal is for the entire planet to fall into this world wide Caliphate. I say NO to this plan!

Personally, I'm not one for protests. But on a gut level, this seems right to me. So, this is my 'Mohammad' drawing. Done on a tiny sketchcard with markers for coloring. What we don't see is the suicide belt under his t-shirt, but the message on the shirt takes care of that.

Who knows, maybe May 20th will become a day from now on, for non-Muslims to give voice to their outrage at what these al-Qaeda types want to do with all of us.

Special Note: This post was originally suppose to go up on my other blog (http://www.theshanksdimension.com/), but the bandwidth has been exceeded by the server. I do not know when it will be up and running again. Therefore, by default, I made the posting here.

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Ref Facebook, Everybody Draw Mohammed Day! (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Everybody-Draw-Mohammed-Day/121369914543425?ref=mf).

Michelle Malkin.com, May 12, 2010 "The cartoon jihadists never forget" by Michelle Malkin. (http://michellemalkin.com/2010/05/12/the-cartoon-jihadists-never-forget/).

Wikipedia - Islamofascism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamofascism).

The Jawa Report, May 17, 2010 (http://mypetjawa.mu.nu/archives/202494.php).

The Man With The Little Blue Box poem

Looks like I have a theme running here for this month...

I got into this hobby back in 1997. In the beginning, I just could not get the hang of it even on the buddy box system. In fact, I lost my trainer on its very first flight when the elevator separated in flight. I had several flight instructors until I hooked up with Robert Masten-owner of the local hobby shop. Finally, the first generation Real Flight Flight training software came out and something finally clicked in my mind after using it for about six weeks. Pictures to the left are of Robert and friends and of him working on his T-28. He is the one wearing the blue Wings And Things ball cap.

Over the years, sitting around in the hobby shop B'S'ing with other modelers, Robert would entertain customers by telling jokes or reciting a particular poem that was published back in the 1960s (at least). You see, a 'future' RC pilot want-to-be comes into the store with his wife and they are looking around. The wife usually will have a bored expression on her face as her husband walks around the shop with his tongue hanging out.

Well, Robert will zoom in and talks with the hubby and the wife and then ask the lady if she wants to hear a poem. When told 'yes,' he would recite "The Man With The Little Blue Box."

It was part of an ad campaign from a radio company known as F and M Electronics of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Back then, their trademark was a blue metal transmitter box.

Nowadays, the radio transmitter case will 9 times out of 10, be black in color with a few silver cases floating around. F and M Electronic, Inc.'s tag line was "Our business is little blue boxes..." F and M (going by the ad I have a copy of and the reason for this post) seems to mean "Fore Most." The author of this poem is unknown to me-it wasn't included on the copy that I managed to get recently.

Well, after telling that poem, the husband more than likely will become a new member of our flying club and the wife doesn't mind coming into the hobby shop anymore because she knows that Robert will have a new joke to tell or recite that poem again to a new 'want-to-be."

Here is that poem...

I married a guy with his mind in the sky

And a heart full of wonderful plans.

But now I am told that these plans are controlled

By the little blue box in his hands.

He belongs to a group, a most curious troup,

Whose principal purpose, it seems,

Is to gather a crowd, and then gaze at a cloud

While clutching a box full of dreams.

They work night and day, but to them it is play;

They would rather fly airplanes than eat.

The weather won't stay them, winds merely delay them,

For their stuff is too stern for defeat.

The planes that they pilot are prone to run riot,

If it crashes they don't seem to care.

With some balsa and glue, and a gadget or two,

They soon have it back in the air.

Some planes have been known to take off on their own,

Sending pilots in hot hurried chase.

It's a school of hard knocks, but they don't blame the box,

And the wreck is brought home in disgrace.

But I'll stick by the man with the box in his hand,

Though it may put grey hairs on my head.

I will not complain; if it weren't for that plane

He'd probably chase women instead.

There you go.

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Ref. From this website, I found some old rc model magazines ads. (http://www.airplanesandrockets.com).

Electric B-17F ARF kit

Discovered this jewel from Jet Tech Models. This model is 1/16th scale. It is a 78" wingspan model of the famous B-17 Flying Fortress Memphis Belle. A mere $578.98. Why oh why am I poor!

Sadly, I do not have the money for it. This post is really just a online bookmark for me to return to later to drool over it.

Here are some more details of the model if you are interested in getting one.

This electric model airplane has the fuselage, nacelles and cowling made out of fiberglass. Wings are of balsa and plywood. PVC canopy, ball turret, tail and top turrets. Resin model of cockpit with pilots and machne guns for the airplane are painted. Wing is a 2 piece job for easy transport and storage. Split flap just like the full scale B-17. Four 3-bladed props are included. Air retract system also is included. Decals also are inluded.

Whats NOT included and is needed in order to fly (i.e non of this stuff is included in the kit). A

6-8 CH radio system, 4 x 1000KV 280W motors, with 4 x 30A ESC. You will need also 2 x 11.1V 5000mah 25C lipo batteries, 1 x 4.8V NICD/NIMH receiver battery that typicaly comes with most standard radios. And 4 x standard servos and 5 mini servos (Not included).

Wingspan is again 78 inches and the fuselage is 63 inches long. Flying weight is about 190 oz.

Once upon a time, I use to have a old Royal Kits B-17F that I had to sell. But it would have been of the same size (78" wingspan).

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Ref. Jet Tech Models. com (http://www.jettechmodels.com/servlet/the-728/B-dsh-17-ARF-78%22-Wing/Detail).

Radio Control Su-34 EDF Jet Video

I discovered this on YouTube today and wanted to share it here. Pretty cool video until he crashes. Original owner of video is wcolbyHD (March 2, 2010).

He mounted one of those mini video cameras out on a carbon fiber boom behind his electric duct fan (EDF) jet. Model is of the Su-34 with vectored thrust and is availible from Hobby Lobby. Also, since I appear to have problems with YouTube videos here on Blogger as far as screen size goes, if you like, just click on the video and view it directly off of YouTube.