Written by Steve Daly

Steve with his huge Ziroli DC-3.in 2003. A great learning experience. Fuji gas engines.

I got started in aeromodelling when I was in the military (Air Defense Tech) back in 1973 while based at the Sioux Lookout radar station. I built a Sig Citabria powered with a Fox Eagle 60, but I first got the R/C bug in earnest after we moved to the Soo in 1967. I would sit on my front porch on Arizona Avenue and I could see and hear the R/C guys at their field North of Shannon Road. I had to investigate. That was it. I was hooked!

I met guys like Jim Elgie, Jack Mertes, and Paul Butcher. Paul Butcher was my inspiration. I spent many days at his place and at the field learning all about scale building and flying scale models. My first ¼ scale plane was a P-19 trainer scratch built by Paul. It was powered by a Homelite converted chainsaw engine with points ignition powered powered by a 6 volt battery. Guidance was a Futaba (Gold) AM radio. It was a great flyer.

Prior to getting into the bigger airplanes, I flew lots of trainers – like one I got from Toy and Hobby at the Churchill Plaza, powered by a Merco 29. Jack Mertes gave me a lot of instruction and he also flew my Citabria – including it’s last flight, when the engine quit on the downwind, he made a beautiful approach, and it kept gliding on final all the way to the fence post at the end of the field. End of that one ! 🙂

Steve Daly – January 2019


Model Notes (also see photo captions below):

  • Fokker DR-1 triplane started out in August Rabin’s colours. A few years later (circa 2009) it was overhauled, recovered, and painted in Richthofen’s (Red Baron) colours.
  • Spitfire Mk IX originally had the 3W 85cc engine installed, and I flew it only once with that engine. It now has a Valach 120 inline twin 4 stroke gas engine and has yet to be flown with this powerplant.
  • Piper Super Cub was crashed (circa 2014) and the wings were rebuilt in 2016 – then crashed it again (same stupid reason), rebuilt the wings, fin/rudder, and recovered it. The prototype “C-FFFF” was a PiperSuper Cub that club members Steve Daly, Earl Turner, and many others in the Sault Ste. Marie area flew on floats & skis back in the 1980’s. It was operated by Algoma Airways (Ernie Gulyas) and taught many pilots. Steve’s model is accurate right down to the rib-stitching & is now on display at the Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre. Click here for the video!
  • Fokker D-VII is 1/3 scale, and has been under construction off and on since 2011. The 117 inch wingspan Glenn Torrance kit is powered by a DL 85cc gas engine, with a canister exhaust. Steve has added many scale details that bring the plane to life. The plane weighs over 40 lbs and flies like the real thing!

Click on the photos below to enlarge and read the captions

(photos by Cec & June Marshall, C. Moes and Peter Smith)


2021

Photo #1 is an SE5a,  27” span Peter Rake design, electric power.

Photos #2, #3, and #4 is a P-11c Polish fighter 1/6th standoff scale, with a 71” span and will be powered by a OS 91 4-stroke engine. It is a Flightcraft kit which is made up with foam veneered modules that is built around a plywood box. Should weigh around 9 pounds when finished. The one that we are modelling was the aircraft that shot down the first German aircraft of the 1939-1945 air war which was a Dornier Do-17.

Photos #5 and #6 is a repaired and recovered Hanger9 Super Cub, it used to have an OS-160 twin in it and is now powered by a Zenoah 20 gasser. Hope to get it out on skis this winter.

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