MAAA Wingspan

010 WING SPAN FEBRUARY 10 “Andrew was the fiberglass man and he did a terrific job designing and manufacturing the jet pods and all the differently sized engine cowls that were required,” acknowledged Ivan. Next came the canopy and glass nose section. Foam shapes were prepared for each and then moulds made. The canopies were vacuum formed and then trimmed to fit. To simulate the windows, a fiberglass ‘cover’ was made for each and then the window openings cut into the fiberglass covers. “The tail turret of the B-36 is the only one normally visible. There are lots of other defensive guns but these are housed in retractable turrets. As with all defensive guns on the B-36 they are remotely operated. The rear turret was made from a styrene foam ball,” said Ivan. Trial Assembly & Test Taxi Run With all the parts made it was time to finally see how it all fitted together. “We took all the parts out to our club field and did a trial assembly. Fortunately, all went together well, no doubt due to the accuracy of the laser cutting,” said Ivan. After construction work, then applying details such as rivets, hatches and panel lines and undertaking the intricate painting of the model using automotive lacquer, along with motors, speed controls and radio gear fitting, the team took their model out to their club field to undertake a test taxi run. “We turned on the radios and advanced the throttle-all six propellers started to turn and we were amazed at how quickly it began to move,” said Ivan. “In general, it was a very successful test. A few weeks later we did another testing day with some fast taxi runs. The aircraft was getting close to being ready for a test flight. Final Inspection & Maiden Flight On 13 October 2018, giant model Inspector, (and fellow P&DARCS member) David Law gave the ok for flight after undertaking a final inspection. Weighing a total of 65kgs, including the batteries, the B-36 Peacemaker was taken to the club’s runway. “The model accelerated quickly and at about 60 metres it leapt into the air and climbed away at quite a steep angle. David soon had it in trim and did a couple of circuits, before bringing it in for a perfect landing,” said Ivan. “It was great to finally see the model airborne and everyone commented on how real it looked in the air. “To say it has been a challenge would be an understatement. It certainly was a lot more work, with unforeseen problems to overcome than initially thought,” acknowledged Ivan. “Nevertheless, it was a lot of fun constructing and I’ve learnt so much about building. Working as part of a team is really enjoyable - there is always someone to discuss problems or an idea with and I am sure all of us are now better modellers.” The Team would like to thank Paul Sommerville for his assistance in assembling the model when taken to the field. Ivan said he hopes the project encourages other aeromodellers to undertake large complex team projects too, whilst he’s already looking forward to his next aircraft model making venture. The next scheduled flight of the big B-36, (weather permitting) will be during the Club’s Monty Tyrrell Scale Rally on 24 March 2019 at their flying field.