Model planes soar in Harford County
Photos and text by Kenneth K. Lam
On an unusually warm early February morning, about half dozen members of the Harford County Radio Control Modelers (HCRCM) gather at the club’s rural flying field to practice their passion and crafts: the flying of radio controlled electric drones to 1/3 scale jet fueled airplanes.
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- Members of the Harford County Radio Control Modelers (HCRCM) strive to advance the RC hobby by building and flying scale model airplanes. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)
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- Arthur Pearce, of Bel Air, gives the thumb-up after his model plane landed without incident. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)
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- Arthur Pearce, of Bel Air, transports three 1/3 scale model airplanes with a race car trailer. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)
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- An analog radio control unit sits next to frequency identification tags. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)
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- Drew Wilkerson launches a foam radio controlled electric plane. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)
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- This foam electric model airplane is set up with less lights on its wings and body for night flying. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)
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- Radio controlled flyer Arthur Pearce painted the model pilot of his Christen Eagle model plane a younger version of himself. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)
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- Arthur Pearce, of Bel Air, put fuel into his Christen Eagle model airplane. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)
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- Steve Pearce’s hat is blown off his head as he rev up his Moki Motor 250 cc 5-cylinders radio engine. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)
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- Members of the Harford County Radio Control Modelers (HCRCM) strive to advance the RC hobby by building and flying scale model airplanes. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)
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- Joseph Brackins, right, uses FPV goggle to see what a camera mounted on a RC plane shows in real time. The RC plant is flown by Drew Wilkerson, left, who is also using a FPV goggle while flying the model plane via radio control unit. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)
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- Doug Brackens, right, helps fellow member Arthur Pearce start his 1/3 scale YMF Waco RC model airplane. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)
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- Arthur Pearce, of Bel Air, moves one of his 1/3 scale model airplanes into a race car trailer. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)
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- Josh Schwarz, of Street, flies a radio controlled helicopter. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)
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- Arthur Pearce, of Bel Air, is surrounded by several of his model airplanes at the Pete Crouse Hanger. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)
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- Arthur Pearce, of Bel Air, left, works on building a 1/3 scale YMF Waco model plane with help from fellow members of the Harford County Radio Control Modelers (HCRCM.) (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)
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- Broken pieces of part of the balsa wood plane’s wing being repaired. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)
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- A typical wood model airplane kit consists of hundreds of pieces to be assembled by the builder. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)
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- Detail of a model cockpit. Members of the Harford County Radio Control Modelers (HCRCM) strive to advance the RC hobby by building and flying scale model airplanes. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)
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- Arthur Pearce, of Bel Air, left, works on building a 1/3 scale YMF Waco model plane with help from fellow members of the Harford County Radio Control Modelers (HCRCM.) (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)
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- Broken pieces of part of the balsa wood plane’s wing. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)
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- A finished but unpainted radio control model airplane. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)
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- Several foam electric model airplanes and drones ride in the SUV trunk of Drew Wilkerson, vice president of the Harford County Radio Control Modelers (HCRCM).) (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)
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- Arthur Pearce, of Bel Air, put fuel into his Christen Eagle model airplane. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)
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- Members of the Harford County Radio Control Modelers (HCRCM) strive to advance the RC hobby by building and flying scale model airplanes. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)
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- Joseph Brackens, of Bel Air, charges the batteries of his model airplane before flying. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)
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- Ray Batzer, of Aberdeen, who has been flying model airplane for over 25 years, attaches the wing to his Twist 150 plane. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)
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- Members of the Harford County Radio Control Modelers (HCRCM) strive to advance the RC hobby by building and flying scale model airplanes. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)
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- A Hanger 9 Twist 150 model airplane with a 20cc engine is flown up-side-down by Ray Batzer. Members of the Harford County Radio Control Modelers (HCRCM) strive to advance the RC hobby by building and flying scale model airplanes. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)
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- A model airplane flown by a member of the Harford County Radio Control Modelers (HCRCM) flies at a much lower altitude than a passing jetliner leading its contrail thousands of feet overhead. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)
Club vice president Drew Wilkerson, Associate Director of Vehicles Technology Directorate at Aberdeen Proving Grounds and UMBC lecturer, said members will fly their model planes year round as long as it’s not raining or high wind. They will fly even if there’s snow on the ground; they just put skis on the landing gears.
Some of these planes, with wingspan over 10 feet, are made of hundreds of pieces of light weight balsa wood painstakingly put together by the modelers. They can perform amazing aerobatics in the hands of a skilled RC pilot. One can even fly it as if he is in the cockpit through the use of modern digital camera and FPV goggle.
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