RC Sport Flyer Jan/Feb 2012 (Vol 17-01)

Inside & Out

O.S.155 FS-a Engine Test!

World’s Most In-Depth RC Aircraft Magazine

35% Extra 300

We Take it to

the Limit!

Reviews

ElectriFly® Citabria E-flite® Super Cub Spektrum® DX8 Tx & telemetry |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

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How It Works

program Mixing January/february 2012

USA & Canada $6.49

rc-sf.com

World Jet Masters

Report& Pictorial

Three reasons You’ll love FlYing wiTh as3X The revolutionary AS3X™ (Artificial Stabilization - 3 aXis) System, developed exclusively by Horizon Hobby, is the best thing to happen for your ultra micro flying experience since Bind-N-Fly®. Why?

1.) More Opportunities to Fly When flying outdoors, the AS3X System gives any ultra micro a big-aircraft feel by smoothing out the effects of light wind and turbulence. No longer do you have to find a place to fly indoors if conditions are less than perfect. With the AS3X System, you’ll be able to fly outside more often and have more fun when you do.

2.) No Setup or Programming Required All tuning of the AS3X System software is done at the factory. Because the programming is essentially “built into” the aircraft, you can enjoy a wider range of ultra micro experiences with basic, full-range transmitters like the Spektrum DX4e or DX5e.

3.) A Better Flying Experience Right out of the Box The sense of control the AS3X System delivers right out of the box is so natural and precise you may feel you don’t have to make any adjustments at all. Your ultra micro will feel like it’s been expertly tuned, first flight and every flight.

UMX GEE BEE R2 (EFLU4580) This awe-inspiring UMX™ Gee Bee® R2 replica boasts remarkably smooth handling that simply wouldn’t be possible without the AS3X System.

Available in Bind-N-Fly

Control the Air

UMX HYPER TAXI (EFLU4780) Besides outstanding agility, the AS3X System gives the amazing UMX Hyper Taxi™ the VTOL stability you need to blast off and touch-down vertically.

Available in Bind-N-Fly.

mCP X v2 (BLH3600, BLH3680) This amazing ultra micro helicopter can flip, funnel, loop and roll in spaces no larger than a living room thanks to the crisp, precise response AS3X technology delivers.

Available in Ready-To-Fly and Bind-N-Fly.

mQX (BLH7500, BLH7580) The nimble mQX is a pilot’s quadcopter that’s been engineered with the AS3X System to be remarkably responsive and fun to fly. Indoors or out, breezy conditions or calm, you’ll be able to fly the mQX with complete confidence just about anywhere, anytime.

Available in Ready-To-Fly and Bind-N-Fly.

horizonhobby.com Every AS3X-equipped ultra micro is backed by the unbeatable service and technical support of Horizon Hobby. To see the entire selection and learn more about how the AS3X System works, visit horizonhobby.com or your favorite RC retailer.

© 2012 Horizon Hobby, Inc. E-flite, Blade, AS3X, UMX, Hyper Taxi, Bind-N-Fly, and the Horizon Hobby logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Horizon Hobby, Inc. GEE BEE is a registered trademark of KW Intellectual Properties, Inc. and is used under license. US D578,146. US 7,898,130. PRC ZL 200720069025.2. Other Patents Pending. 35965

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Get the inside scoop on the Cremona Vintage Scale Glider event in Italy as only Vencinzo Pedrelli can tell it!

We provide a 12-page spread on the Jet World Masters, held at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force.

New Extra 300

Test Report pg 60 6

RC SPORT FLYER — january/february 2012

DEPARTMENTS 10 leading edge 96

advertisers index

97

Mystery airplane

EventS 24 Jet World Masters

JANUARY/February 2012

We give you the details on the Jet World Masters that took place in Dayton, OH last summer.

By Calvin Mitchell

38

Vintage Glider Meet See why glider pilots love to fly vintage machines in this article we got from our Italian reporter.

By Vincenzo Pedrelli

pg 80 See why the Spektrum DX8, with the TM1000 telemetry, is creating such a buzz in model airplane circles everywhere!

ColumnS 12 Build

reviews 54 Programming

If you want to know how to program radio mixes, this must-read article will help.

By Richard Kuns

60

hangar 9 35% Extra Our test pilot gives this beauty a build and a few 3D flights. See what he thinks about this airplane.

By Daniel Holman

72

ElectriFly Citabria James wrings out ElectriFly’s little foamy and has lots of great things to say about it—discover why.

By James VanWinkle

80

Spektrum DX8 We give you a good look at why the DX8 radio package is a standout value in RC.

By Don Porten

88

E-flite Super Cub There are lots of Super Cub ARFs, but we think you should know why this one is a super buy.

By Gene Cope

50

photo

canberra PSS Look at this huge PSS machine.

By Simon Cocker

Learn from a master the right way to sand and plane the wood parts on your model airplane.

By Jeff Troy

20

sukhoi Build In Part II of this report we explain the why and how of assembling a large-scale ARF.

By Wil Byers

Engine 42 O.S. 155 FS-A

If you’re looking for an engine upgrade, read this article to learn how well this engine performs.

By Mike Hoffmeister RC-SF.COM

7

Editor in Chief: Assistant Editor:

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Contributing Editors: Don Bailey, Sleepy Cinch, Daniel Holman, Mike Hoffmeister, Richard Kuns, Bob McGowan, Joe Nave, Steve Rojecki, Gary Ritchie, Richard Tacklind, Jeff Troy, James VanWinkle RC Sport Flyer (ISSN: 1941-3467) is published monthly for $24.95 per year by Kiona Publishing, Inc., P.O. Box 4250, W. Richland, WA 99353-4004. Periodicals postage paid at Richland, WA and additional mailing offices.

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RC Sport Flyer will retain author’s rights, title to and interest in the editorial contributions as described above in both print and electronic media unless prior arrangement has been made in writing. Payment for editorial materials will be made at our current rate. Submission of editorial material to RC Sport Flyer expresses a warranty by the author that such material is in no way an infringement upon the rights of others. The contents of this magazine may not be reprinted traditionally or electronically without permission of the publisher.

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8

Zhe Meng

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O.S. PERFORMANCE GOES ELECTRIC. Pilots loyal to O.S. performance and reliability — but eager to fly electric — now have the perfect solution: O.S. brushless motors.

They’re manufactured to the same high quality standards that have made O.S. engines the worldwide favorite for over 75 years.

Painstaking research by O.S. engineers led to significant improvements in motor design. For example, O.S. developed an innovative system for effective cooling that doesn’t use energydraining fans. Instead, O.S. motors turn that energy into more power.

To handle the additional muscle, O.S. also developed a sturdier can that resists heat-related distortion — and includes a stronger, stainless steel prop shaft. Three high-quality ball bearings erase friction, and a shortened motor length simplifies installations.

With these brushless motors, O.S. reaffirms its standing as your most innovative resource for R/C model power. See osengines.com today for more details.

All O.S. brushless motors include a strong stainless steel prop shaft, back plate and gold-plated connectors.

osengines.com / 106F Patent pending.

© 2011 Hobbico®, Inc. All rights reserved. 3071367

WIL BYERS

Y

ou either love or hate technology. I love it! I’ve had a passion for the physics of this world since I was a kid. Then, I was fascinated by electric-powered model trains, specifically how the transformers worked. They were magical, making the train run, but without shocking me if I touched the tracks. On the other hand, I knew if I plugged a knife into the socket on the wall it would give me a jolt. Then I got pretty blown away in 1981 while working for Westinghouse. I had to take a machine code class to be able to work on embedded controllers in instrumentation. I wasn’t too good at it at first, but a fellow worker explained what was going on with the ones and zeros inside the machine.

It was cool! Right now, I’m reminded that this computer is still just processing ones and zeros as hexadecimal code; albeit, in a 64-bit word, not the eight of the “old days.”

Well, all those ones and zeros are making our life as modelers just fantastic, as you’ll read in this issue. The article that Gene Cope writes about telemetry makes me glad I still have the kid in me, because I can’t wait to start using telemetry in my airplanes and sailplanes. The packets of data that my transmitter will get from the receiver promise to change the way I’ll fly my airplanes. For example, using a telemetry system in a sailplane I can now set the center of gravity to perfection. I can know what minimum sinking airspeed is and I can also learn what its best lift-over-drag ratio is when I combine telemetry with a global position system. For you powered-airplane guys, you can know the head temperature of your model’s engine, its rpm, the onboard battery voltage (which makes the cost of telemetry worth it itself), how much fuel the airplane has onboard, the airspeed of the model, etc. This is just fantastic! So, be sure to give Gene’s article a read. iPad Editions Talk about ones and zeros racing around at light speed inside computers, and you must talk about what is going on in the digital publishing world, especially in the way of iPad editions.

Now look, I know everyone doesn’t have one because they don’t give them away yet, and the price still needs to come down a couple hundred bucks. No matter, if you want to rock your world, check out browsing the web or reading a book on an iPad. It has for us at Kiona Publishing, Inc. So, starting with our April issue you will be able to read this magazine on your iPad and on paper. You’ll download the digital edition from the iTunes store. Please know we’re going to make it very, very affordable for you too, so that can offset the cost of the iPad by what you’ll save in buying our magazines—well not quite. But, you will be able to afford our digital editions.

I’ll underscore that after completing most of our development work, I think you’re going to like the reading experience you’ll get on your iPad. We’re going to give you enough interactivity with the app that you’ll get more from each issue than we can possibly offer in hardcopy, but not so much you’ll be overwhelmed by it.

Most importantly, we want to continue to give you more content than ever by being able to save money on paper, postage, shipping, ink, distribution, etc. because we love what we do, and we want to do more of it. So, stay tuned! The ones and zeros are happily at work for you!

APC Competition propellers for the intermediate and

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Over 400 pitch/diameters available ranging from slow-flyer electric to High performance Giant Scale Racers.

Visit the APC Prop Website for product selection and detailed information on product design and features.

LANDING PRODUCTS All propellers are in stock and overnight delivery is available.

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RC SPORT FLYER — january/february 2012

1222 Harter Ave., Woodland, CA 95776 (530) 661-0399 est. 1989 by Mr. Fred Burgdorf

The Go-Anywhere

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The NEW Ultra Micro Series F4U Corsair from ParkZone For many, the F4U Corsair was the ultimate expression of U.S. airpower in the Pacific during World War II. Its incredible 400+ mph top speed and awesome firepower had few equals. Now you can fly this iconic warbird most anywhere, anytime with the Ultra Micro Series F4U Corsair from ParkZone. It has the same winning flying characteristics that made the bigger ParkZone® Corsair such a hit and comes with scale details like molded panel lines, three-bladed prop and a clear canopy. You also get two sets of decals so you can deck it out with the markings of Black Sheep leader “Pappy” Boyington or U.S. Navy ace “Ike” Kepford.

Get to ParkZone.com right now for complete details on this thrilling Ultra Micro Series addition and to find the ParkZone retailer nearest you.

Wingspan: 15.9 in (405 mm) Length: 12.8 in (326 mm) Flying Weight: 1.45 oz (41.5 g) Motor: 8.5mm brushed (installed) Battery: 1S 3.7V 150mAh Li-Po (included) Receiver: Spektrum™ AR6400L DSM2™ Receiver/ESC unit (installed) Charger: 1S 3.7V DC Li-Po (included) Transmitter: 4+ channel DSM® (included w/RTF only)

RTF (PKZU1600) BNF (PKZU1680) “Pappy” Boyington and “Ike” Kepford Decal Sets Included

Lots of Scale Details

©2011 Horizon Hobby, Inc. The Spektrum trademark is used with permission of Bachmann Industries, Inc. 28641 ParkZone, just fly, DSM and DSM2 and are trademarks or registered trademarks of Horizon Hobby, Inc. US D578,146. PRC ZL 200720069025.2. US 7,391,320. Other patents pending.

BY Jeff Troy

Building Model Airplanes Part 5: Planing and Sanding

A

fter finishing four build articles for RC Sport Flyer, I now have the constructed and hinged empennage for five model airplanes on or near my workbench. If you are building an airplane along with me, you should have your model’s constructed and hinged empennage too.

Building these tail surfaces has covered different types of model airplane construction and a collection of basic and advanced techniques.

Hinging them demonstrated the installation of five hinge types. Now it’s time to see how these surfaces are brought to their final shape before they are covered, painted or mounted onto an airframe.

Before any of the shaping begins, it’s important to ensure that your airplane’s empennage is even, smooth

01 Flat Sand DECATH

and perfectly aligned. The objective is to remove any high or low spots that resulted from the surfaces coming together. The first move toward doing this is to insert the hinges into your model’s horizontal stabilizer and vertical fin, followed by the elevator(s) and rudder. Be sure that the surfaces are joined as closely to one another as possible. Then place the joined assemblies flat on your work surface.

You have already been shown a few things about flat sanding 02 Flat Sand DALL 03 Flat Sand SPACEWALKER The first step toward final sanding and shaping is to insert the hinges and join the tail parts, then use a bar sander to remove any high or low spots between the surfaces.

The objective is always a perfect mating, with no variance in thickness between the components.

You must always sand at an angle that inhibits gouging, breaking or otherwise damaging any parts.

04 Solingen Razor Plane and Blades 05 Blade Angle The Sollingen Balsa Planer and extra blades are sold by Hobby Lobby International. This tool is ideal for rough-shaping balsa, spruce and basswood prior to sanding. Like a guillotine, the blade should be set at a slight angle to deliver its most efficient capacity for cutting and shaving.

12

RC SPORT FLYER — january/february 2012

in article three (RC-SF October 2011). If your model’s surfaces are of sheet construction like my Super Sportster 60, you can flat-sand them easily without too much concern for damaging them in any way. If the surfaces are built-up construction, you must be sure to hold your sanding tools at an angle, usually 45 degrees. In so doing, your sanding block will not catch, gouge or break the ribs or any other parts.

Begin with the fin-rudder assembly because it’s usually smaller and easier

Building Model Airplane

06 Plane LE Dr1 07 Plane LE Dr1 Use the razor plane to cut 45-degree angles in the upper and lower faces of the Dr.1 leading edge, then continue planing to produce a neatly rounded edge.

08 Plane Elev Ribs Dr1 09 Perma Flat Elevator Dr1 The Dr.1 elevators are thinner at the trailing edge than they are at the leading edge. Use the razor plane to shave a smooth transition into the ribs, then finish the blend with a flat Perma-Grit tool or a bar sander.

10 Perma Smooth Tip and LE 11 Rough Sanded Elev Tip Dr1 After rough-shaping with the razor plane, use a Perma-Grit tool or a bar sander to shape the leading edges of the stabilizer and elevator so they blend smoothly into one another. Continue to plane and sand around the elevator tips.

to handle than the stabilizer-elevator assembly. The T-Bar or Easy-Touch bar sander fitted with a fine Perma-Grit surface or medium sandpaper is the ideal sanding tool of choice for this step. Hold the fin-rudder assembly down firmly against the work surface with one hand while you sand the flat side of the parts with the tool held in your other hand. Do not apply heavy pressure, but continue to sand in light, even and deliberate passes until the surfaces are uniform.

When you’re happy with the way the top of the surfaces align, flip the assembly over and flat-sand the bottoms. I stress that you must hold the sanding tool at an angle and avoiding the use of excessive pressure. You don’t want to repair

or replace cracked or broken ribs, gouged leadings and trailing edges, or sand unwanted dips in the ribs between the leading and trailing edges.

With the fin-rudder assembly flatsanded evenly, turn your attention toward the stabilizer-elevator assembly and repeat the procedure.

When all the empennage components are sanded, separate the surfaces and remove the hinges because it’s time to address the perimeters.

If you enjoy building model airplanes and do not yet own a highquality razor plane, it’s time to get one. You can perform any modeling task without a razor plane, but using one will, literally, shave major time and effort from your work.

My favorite razor planes are the standard- and large-size tools from FIX. These tools were a treasured gift to me from my longtime soaring friends Bob and Katy Martin.

Unfortunately, I can no longer find a source for the FIX planes, but an excellent alternative is still readily available. The Sollingen Balsa Planer (HLAE801: $13.95) is sold by Hobby Lobby International in Brentwood, Tennessee (hobby-lobby.com), and the company also carries spare blades (HLAE802: $10.99) in packages of five. This isn’t a lot of money, so I urge you to get one of these fine tools—and at least one set of five extra blades. I promise you will never regret it.

To give the leading edge of RC-SF.COM

13

12 Perma Rudder Outline Dr1 13 45-Degree Angle Dr1 The full-scale Dr.1 rudder was formed from round tubing, so round the edges of the rudder over its entire perimeter. First sand 45-degree angles into the sharp edges, then sand those sharp angles round.

14 Sanded Rudder LE Dr1

the Fokker Dr.1 a nicely rounded shape, you could use a sanding bar to cut small, 45-degree angles into the upper and lower corners or the leading edge. Looking from the end, you want the shape to emulate one half of an eight-sided sign, flat on the top, bottom and front, with the 45-degree angles between the front, top and bottom. When you’re satisfied with your 45-degree anglesanding, I want you to hit those angles again, this time rounding their hard edges to create a true half-circle for the leading edge of your model.

All this can be done with relative ease with a sanding bar or a PermaGrit tool, but wait until you try it with a good razor plane. Prepare for the job by loading a fresh blade

into the tool and adjusting it so that approximately 1/32 in. to 1/16 in. of the blade is exposed. Then be sure that the edge of the blade is set at a slight angle to the tool. Think of it as guillotine, where the blade cuts much more effectively when the edge is angled to the work. Then you and your razor plane are ready.

Working with the grain of the wood whenever possible, gently shave the upper and lower 45-degree angles into the leading edge of the horizontal stabilizer or vertical fin.

Work slowly because the tool has the capacity to remove a lot of wood in short order, and you don’t want a knife-edge shape to the leading edge.

When you have the desired eightsided sign thing going on, you can 15 Finished Dr1 The empennage of Jeff’s Nick Ziroli Dr.1 triplane have been shaped, razor-planed and sanded, and are very close to ready for covering.

16 Vacuum Shaping and sanding of any kind make a big mess, so it’s a good idea to keep a shop vacuum somewhere in your work area. When you vacuum, don’t forget to do the tool racks, walls and ceiling as well as the obvious work surface.

14

RC SPORT FLYER — january/february 2012

take the hard edges away with the razor plane, then switch to the bar sander to fine-tune the roundness of the leading edge.

The full-scale Dr.1 stabilizer was made of tubing, so you can continue to round the other edges of that part. Same goes for the DR.1 elevator panels and rudder. This is not the case with the other four models I am building, so unless your airplane is meant to emulate tube-built surfaces, round only the leading edges of the stabilizer and fin.

With the exception of the trailing edges of the stabilizer and fin, and the leading edges of the elevators and rudder, the solid-sheet surfaces of the Super Sportster 60 should all be planed and sanded round. The same goes for the tail surfaces of the Super Decathlon. The trailing edges of the stabilizer and fin should be allowed to remain square, while the leading edges of the elevators and rudder will receive a “bevel”.

A bevel is an angle that you will plane or sand into these surfaces, generally, although not always, cut at 45 degrees. Think of the eightsided sign without the flat face in front. What you’re looking for are 45-degree angles at both the top and

Building Model Airplane

17 Shaped LE SPACE The razor-planed and sanded leading edge of the Spacewalker II rudder is shown here. Getting that rounded leading edge was the result of the same procedure used for the Dr.1 rudder. Portions of the empennage parts of the DynafliteÂŽ Super Decathlon, Great Planes Super Sportster 60 and Shive Specialties Dallaire Sportster are also rounded in the same manner.

bottom of the leading edges.

The easiest way to get an even bezel is to mark the center line of the elevator and rudder leading edge.

You can do this by inserting a ballpoint pen refill into the Robart Drill Jig and simply drawing the center line along each part. An alternative method is to measure the thickness of the trailing edge and divide it by half. Mark the center at each end of the part and insert a large or medium T-pin at each end. Stretch a metal straight-edge along the center line, snugging it against the pins, then draw a pencil line along the straight-edge down the entire length of the leading edge.

I like to use the razor plane to rough-shape my bevel angles, then

use the edge-of-the-bench sanding technique to finish the angles with medium paper on my bar sander.

Hold the sander flat against the edge of your work bench, then, with the elevator or rudder resting flat on the bench, bring the leading edge flat against the sander. Pull the control surface back approximately 1/8 in. Tilt the sander toward the part and sand.

The edge of the bench will keep your line straight, but you must be careful to hold the sander at a constant angle. Continue by moving the part closer to the edge of the bench in 1/8-in. increments and sanding until the cut is even with your drawn centerline. When it is, flip the part over and sand the same angle into the opposite side of the part.

One problem with barreled hinges is the gap they can create between a model’s flying surfaces (wing, stabilizer, vertical fin) and control surfaces (ailerons, elevator, rudder).

To reduce or even eliminate this gap, I use a hobby knife with a fresh #11 blade to cut recesses for the hinge barrels into my control surfaces.

Make a vertical cut in the wood at the outside edge of each hinge barrel, followed by angled cuts that are parallel to the hinge line both above and below the hinge barrel. These recesses accommodate and partially bury the barrels, resulting in a gapfree fit between the surfaces.

That covers the flats, the rounded edges and the beveled edges, but what about tail surfaces that are not flat but airfoil shaped? Jobs like this make another great case for the razor plane, and my ideal example is the Shive Specialties Dallaire Sportster. The leading edges of the Dallaire’s elevators and rudder are 1/2-in. wide, but the trailing edges are only 1/8 in. The ribs between these leading and trailing edges must be shaped to blend nicely and yield a sweet covering job.

You can sand the ribs down carefully with a bar sander at 45

18 Sanding Hinge Line Bevel SPACE 19 Hinge Line Bevel SPACE A bevel is sanded into the centerline of the leading edge of the elevator panels of the Sig Spacewalker II, the Super Decathlon and the Super Sportster 60. After using the plane to roughshape the angle, Jeff uses his edgeof-the-bench sanding technique to ensure that the sanded bevel remains straight along the entire span of each part. Do the top first, then flip the part over and sand the bevel into the bottom side.

20 Hinge Recess SPACE 21 Finished SPACE After cutting the bevel, use a hobby knife to cut recesses for the hinge barrels. Doing this reduces the gap between the flying surfaces and control surfaces.

RC-SF.COM

15

22 Mark Hinge Borders DECATH 23 Hinge Recessed DECATH The hinge recess technique is further demonstrated on the Dynaflite Super Decathlon. Guide marks are drawn and the barrel recesses are cut, completely closing the gap between the elevators and the stabilizer.

24 Perma Round for Dorsal 25 Perma Half Round for Dorsal The convex upper edge of a dorsal fin is almost impossible to sand correctly with a flat sander. Jeff uses the round or half-round Perma-Grit tool to get a smooth angle sanded into the dorsal of his Super Decathlon. Finished tail parts all mate tightly and transition perfectly into one another.

26 Dorsal Sanded 27 Finished Empennage DECATH

degrees to the parts, then sand the trailing edges to follow and blend into the angle on the ribs. I prefer to use my razor plane to take the ribs down faster with less chance of damage, then plane the trailing edges to approximately the same angle as the ribs. When you get out near the tips, you’ll appreciate why I suggested adding bits of scrap balsa between the leading edges, trailing edges and tip formers.

Use the razor plane to take down the balsa scraps in the same manner as the ribs. What you’re striving to accomplish is the smooth and graceful blend of all parts between the leading and trailing edges, with the perimeters of all the tip parts maintaining the 1/8-in. thickness of 16

the tip formers. You can also use the razor plane to accomplish a smooth and graceful transition between the 1/2-in.-wide leading edge and the 1/8-in.-thick tip formers. After rough shaping the Dallaire’s empennage parts with the razor plane, the bar sander is the right tool to finish all of the blending. Plane and sand one side of each surface at a time, then go around the entire part and round all the edges.

The Dallaire’s stabilizer and vertical fin are shaped differently.

Instead of planing and sanding the ribs flat between the leading and trailing edges, these parts should have a gentle curve sanded between their leading and trailing edges.

The rearward half of each rib can

RC SPORT FLYER — january/february 2012

remain flat, so just concentrate on a smooth and gentle transition from the forward half of each rib into the leading edge. There isn’t much material that needs to be removed on this particular airplane because the leading edges are 3/8-in. thick.

Use the razor plane to rough-shape the ribs and leading edge, then finish with the bar sander. Shape the stabilizer and fin tips in the same manner as the elevator and rudder tips.

Because the Dallaire’s empennage parts use 1/2-in. wood that is only 1/8-in. thick, it’s impossible to recess the hinge barrels for a gapfree fit. Because this model is an old timer and far from what most contemporary RC pilots would call

Building Model Airplane

28 Razor Plane Elev SS60 29 Perma Elev SS60 Slab-construction surfaces can be shaped to an airfoil by shaving with a razor plane and finishing with a bar sander. Adjust the blade to shave only a thin slice at a time to prevent gouging and removing too much material.

a high-performance subject, having hinge line gaps in the empennage is not really a problem. In this case, the gap caused by the barrels of the Du-Bro Standard-Size hinges should be regarded as what will give the Dallaire’s rudder and elevators the freedom to travel without binding.

When tail components use slab construction like those of the Super Sportster 60, it can suffice just to flat-sand, round the edges and bevel the leading of the elevators and rudder. If you want to add a little style to your model, it isn’t too difficult to give the elevators and rudder a bit of an airfoil shape.

You can get the job done with a flat Perma-Grit tool or a bar sander, but the razor plane is my preferred tool of choice.

With the rudder held flat against the work surface, use the razor plane to shave away at the thickness of the rudder between the trailing edge and approximately one half of the rudder’s chord. Adjust the blade so that only a small shaving occurs with each pass, and work very carefully to prevent gouging or removing too much material, which could cause the rudder to warp when the covering material is applied.

30 Smooth Tip SS60 Blend the tips of the elevators and stabilizer with the hinges inserted and the surfaces pressed together.

Use an ADC Mini Sander with 320-grit sandpaper or a fine foam sanding pad to put a soft, blended edge on your work.

When you’ve created a somewhat-flowing angle with the razor plane, smooth it out with the bar sander, then flip the rudder over and repeat the procedure for the opposite side. Happy? Good. Now repeat it all again on both sides of the elevator panels.

Most angles you encounter when shaping empennage components are concave, which makes them very easy to manage. Occasionally, a model will have a dorsal fin at the base of its rudder, and unless the dorsal is flat along its entire top edge, its curve will most likely require sanding to a convex form. A bar sander is not the best choice for convex angles, but solutions are easy.

My favorite tools for sanding convex angles into model airplane parts are the round and half-round Perma-Grit tools. Or you could simply wrap some sticky-back ADC or Great Planes® sandpaper around a piece of PVC pipe, a glass jar, a wooden dowel or any round or curved object with a circumference that comes close to the curve you wish to sand. My photos show the use of the Perma-Grit round and halfround tools to sand the convex angle into the dorsal fin of my Dynaflite Super Decathlon.

When all of the empennage’s parts are razor-planed and sanded, insert the hinges and fit the components together once again, then use the

31 Elevator Taper SS60 32 Finished SS60 Looking from the tip down the hinge line reveals the gentle taper that has been planed and sanded into the Super Sportster 60 elevator panels. The sanded surfaces are now ready for covering and installation into the airframe.

RC-SF.COM

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Building Model Airplane

33 Dall Rudder Tip 34 Rudder and Fin Tips DALL Note how the tip of the Shive Specialties Dallaire Sportster has been planed and sanded.

The balsa scraps that Jeff added between the leading and trailing edges built up the tip outlines to eliminate dimples and snags when the component is covered.

Empennage components are hinged and pressed together for final shaping of the tips, and the result is a beautifully built tail section that will complement this classic old-timer.

35 Finished Dallaire

bar sander with fine sandpaper to go over all the tip sections to achieve a smooth blend between them. Sand so that any reduction in thickness at the tips is equal in both joined parts,

and so that the curved or flat shapes of the tips are even and flowing. My favorite example of moving your hand through the air to describe a flowing angle to a friend applies

once again. Make sure that all of your tip sections end up with that same graceful, flowing angle.

Constructing model airplane wings may appear to be intimidating if you’ve never done it, but beginning in my next installment, I’ll show you just how easy it is to set that intimidation aside and build a few sets of beautiful, straight and sturdy wings.

Building model airplanes is fun and rewarding, and there’s no feeling more rewarding than stepping back from an ongoing project, looking at what you’ve accomplished and mulling over the “you” that’s become a built-in part of the model. This is art, dude, and your skills are surely developing.

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BY Wil Byers

Sukhoi SU-26 A Step-by-Step Large-Scale Build Report II

I

n this Build Report Part II I’ve reached the point where my airplane is coming together as a complete model. Most builders would have had this airplane built and flown in less than a week of working four-hour build sessions. However, I’m taking photos and notes, examining each and every step and You must align the servo arms for the elevators’ so that they are exactly parallel to the 1 servos 2 reading the manual hinge lines of the control surfaces! carefully to make sure I’m not leaving out any important step that could cause a component failure when the Sukhoi is in the air.

I’ve also made a few phone calls to friends to ask for guidance where I felt their expertise would help.

So far, the only real troublesome point for me has been with installing the fuel tank and plumbing the This shot shows you how the control horn on the fuel lines, which I will aligns with the control arm of the servo.

3 aileron 4 It is important that the control rod runs pretty explain later. Other than straight with the arm at full travel values. plumbing the tank, all the other steps have been Build straightforward and documented well I resumed the Suhkoi build by in the manual. What follows is what centering the elevators’ JR 8911 HV I’ve learned, while I’ve had a ton of servos. I did this with the aid of my fun at the same time. So, if you are JR® 11X transmitter and a Spektrum® an old hotrod enthusiast like me, AR9010 DSMX receiver. You must you’ll totally get off on building a make absolutely certain that the large-scale airplane. Don’t be scared transmitter’s trims are set to their away from a project like this by the neutral points, and that there is no words “large scale.” Heck, if for no sub trim programmed on either of other reason, do one just for the fun the Tx’s control channels for the of it, or do it for a friend. You’ll enjoy servos. Then you must adjust the yourself throughout the process. sub trims so that the servos’ control 20

RC SPORT FLYER — january/february 2012

As you can see, the ball link is attached to the farthest hole in the control arm. Note the blue thread locker on the screw head.

There is not much to say about installing a tail wheel on this model, but you MUST use thin CA glue on the holes you’ll drill in the rudder as a way to harden the wood.

arms align parallel to the hingeline of the elevators. This is pretty much a no-brainer, but you must use removable LocTite® (blue) on the set screws on the servo arms and on the screws that hold the servos’ arms tight to the servos when set. Once that step is complete, you’ll connect the pushrod and ball links to the servos’ output arms and the control horns on the elevators. When the servos have moved to their extreme ends of travel, the pushrods should

Hangar 9 Sukhoi SU-26 you did on the elevator servos—the control arms must align parallel to the hingeline at their center positions. In the case of the Sukhoi you’ll be using two servos to drive the rudder, so you must program the transmitter to mix the two servos. This is done without either servo working against the other—servo conflicts Again, you must set up the servos’ control The gorgeous fiberglass wheel pants for the 5 horns for the rudder so that they are aligned 6 Sukhoi come with blind nuts installed. You must mean big current draws parallel to the hinge line of the rudder. Don’t make sure the pants align with each other, and and short battery life. forget the thread locker. you’ll want to use thread lock on the bolts.

So, do this right or get help from someone who knows how to set up such a control system.

All I can say about doing the wheel pants on this airplane is, use blue LocTite on the screws that mate to the pants’ blind nuts.

Now here comes the fun—the motor box, fitting the tuned pipes, doing the engine install and fitting the cowl.

The Sukhoi comes The engine’s box has the right thrust built in, Here you can see the throttle servo is already 7 and blind nuts are installed on the back side.

8 installed in the bottom of the motor box. Note with the engine box You’ll need to bolt the motor to the box at that the hole in the motor box is laser cut, so you installed and the right least twice, once to prefit the pipes. won’t need to do any cutting. thrust designed into it.

It comes with the blind nuts for the engine bolts already installed as well. So, there is not much you’ll need to do when installing a DA170 engine. You will need to install the tuned pipes first though. And, you’ll want to adjust the header clamps as needed so that the pipes are positioned appropriately and pointing out the These are the pipe holders that you must You’ll need to premount the motor once as a 9 install for the MTW RE3 canister pipes. The 10 way to align the pipes and get the clamps set on bottom of the airplane rubber tubing is used to isolate the pipes from them. Note that the throttle servo is running just so that the exhaust exits any vibration in the airframe. a bit off center in relation to the pipes. without being restricted by a fuselage stringer. It takes a bit of fitting, and you’ll need align pretty much straight with the (CA) in the screw holes before to mount the engine to do this, but it control horns. screwing the screws into the wood. certainly is not difficult.

Installing the tailwheel and The CA will penetrate the wood, and After you’ve got the tuned pipes connecting its springs to the control when it cures it will harden the wood installed, you’ll remove the engine horn on the rudder is easy. My only against stripping. and glue the cowl frame in place on comment here would be to make Next, you must use the same the motor box. Again, this is not a certain you put thin cyanoacrylate procedure on the rudder servos as RC-SF.COM

21

difficult step. I started by fitting it into position and then marking with a fine-tipped pen where the the frame must be glued. This does require that you attach the cowl to the airplane and the frame as a method of aligning all the parts properly. I also recommend you use blue low-tack masking tape to outline where This shows the prefitting of the cowl frame to actually gluing it in place. The pipes are the frame will glue to 11 prior 12 already installed. I recommend using low-tack the engine box as a way painters’ tape to avoid getting glue on the box. of preventing excess glue getting where it should not go. fabrication work required.

By the way, in the case of glue, more My next step was installing a is not always better, so go sparingly Fromco 6.6-volt 2300-mAh 5.4-oz with it—only use what is needed, A123 battery for the ignition. If you not more! Then you will cut a thin use one too, you will not need a strip of covering away from the voltage regulator, which is nice, and motor box and glue the cowl frame the Fromco pack fits the airplane’s in place. I recommend you let the motor box perfectly. I fastened it glue on the cowl frame dry overnight to the motor box with sticky-back before removing the cowl to install Velcro® material that was purchased the engine too. That will guarantee at HomeDepot®. that the glue has cured and the cowl After the motor is mounted and frame will not inadvertently move. you’ve installed the ignition battery, If the frame should move while the you can remount the bottom half glue is drying, the cowl will not fit of the engine cowl. Then you’ll the airframe properly—not good! install the ignition module and route When mounting the engine, install the spark plug wires. As you’ll see the engine bolts with blue LocTite, in the photos, this is extremely tighten them well, attach the header straightforward. I mounted the pipes to the engine (use high-temp ignition module on top of the ignition thread locker on the bolts) and then attach the throttle linkage. The linkage comes in the kit and is made the proper length, so there is no

14

22

I used two strips of Velcro sticky-backed tape to hold the ignition battery to the motor box. The Fromeco pack is super because you don’t need to use a voltage regulator with it.

RC SPORT FLYER — january/february 2012

15

When the cowl frame is being glued to the motor box, you must install the cowl to hold the frame in place. It is best to let the glue dry overnight!

13

This photo shows you what a clean install it is with the engine mounted and the ignition wires running from the module through the cowl frame.

When you do the final install of the pipes, you’ll want to use hightemperature thread locker to make sure they don’t come loose in flight.

16

I used two strips of sticky-backed Velcro to fasten the ignition module to the Fromeco pack, with Velcro fastening them to the box.

Hangar 9 Sukhoi SU-26 side I used two ZipTies to make certain the line was tight to the brass tube that connects to the clunk. You also want to route the vent line around the tank as shown in the photos to prevent siphoning.

The vent line runs to the front and exits out the bottom of the cowl.

The fuel tank is held in place by an “X” of Velcro This photo shows you how I fastened the fuel The AeroWorks fuel dots are some of the to the T-fitting that comes in the Suhkoi best you can buy. I used this one, which material on the floor of 17 tubing 18 kit. You must make certain nothing is going to simply screws to the side of the fuselage. I the fuselage, with two come loose in flight, especially the fuel supply. added plywood reinforcement inside. hook-and-loop straps battery. Again, I used sticky-backed the trick. The ignition battery and the fastening it in place.

Velcro between the battery and the module are fastened to the motor Next Time module—two short pieces will do box with a hook-and-loop strap.

In the next issue, I’ll explain my The next step was installing Suhkoi’s control system, wire routing the gas tank. The tank, some fuel and how I program the transmitter. tubing, a fuel dot and the fuel I’ll also give you a detailed report on T-fitting are providing in the kit. how this airplane performs in flight You’ll want to place the T-fitting both for International Miniature between the fuel line that comes Aircraft Club (IMAC) and for 3D. I’m from the clunk side of the tank not much of a 3D pilot for certain, so and the engine’s carburetor. we’ll put this airplane in the capable You’ll need to use about eight hands of Daniel Holman. I guarantee inches of fuel tubing to connect you, you’ll get the inside story on the leg of the T-fitting to the how this airplane performs by way of fuel dot. For my Suhkoi I’m his analysis. using a fuel dot I bought from Until then, get building! It is a AeroWorks. It is a very wellBLAST ;-) made dot and simply screws On the vent side of the tank I used the kit’s fuel clamps, but on the clunk side of the tank I to the side of the airplane—I 19 line thought it best to use two Zip-Ties as a way to added a small (2-in.) piece of get a good grip on the brass feed tube. scrap plywood to the inside of the fuselage as reinforcement.

Specifications At the tank I used the kit’s fuel Wingspan 122 in. (3.1m) tubing clamps for the vent side of the tank, but on the clunk Length 116 in. (3m) Wing Area

2770 sq in (179 sq dm)

Weight

38–42 lb (17.2–19.2 kg)

Transmitter

JR® 11x

Receiver

Spektrum® AR9110 9-channel DSMX

Servos

DS 8911HV, 537HV

Engine

DA 170-cc gas-powered

Kit Price

$1799.99

Distributor

20

An X of Velcro tape is used between the tank and fuselage floor as way to prevent the tank from moving in flight.

21

This shows the vent line wrapping back and around the tank as a way to prevent in-flight siphoning of fuel. Hook-and-loop material holds the tank in place.

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RC-SF.COM

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BY Calvin Mitchell

2011 Jet World Masters National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, July 24 through August 6 Oleg Zahkarok ( left) and Boris Satovskly ( right) from Russia pose with their custom-built Mig 27.

A

nyone who has worked at organizing an air show, even for a club, knows the amount of work and coordination of resources it takes to make one a success. Imagine what it takes to put on a two-week air show that involves the best flyers in the world.

That was the task undertaken by Dewey Davenport and

Roger Shipley for the International Jet Model Committee. Their first order of business was to find a venue capable of hosting a two-week, world-class event. This would be the first time the Jet World Masters (JWM), which is held every two years, would be held in the United States.

Oleg and Boris tug their Mig 27 back to the hangar so they can prep for the next flight. Pilots are also judged for realism of flight so any advantage is a plus.

24

RC SPORT FLYER — january/february 2012

The Mig 27 was one of the favorites of all. It’s probably one of the most advanced RC aircraft seen today because of the highly sophisticated landing gear geometry and swing wing design.

So, Dewey and Roger wanted it to be first class all the way. Consequently, they wanted to hold it at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, located on WrightPatterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio—home of the Wright Brothers.

What better place to hold the competition than the Dayton area, which is hallowed ground for anyone who knows the history of flight?

2011 Jet World Masters The background of the aircraft hangars located on Wright Patterson Air Force Base sure is beautiful.

Oleg Zahkarok and Boris Satovskly’s Mig 27 is worth $400,000 U.S., which shows you the level of investment these pilots make.

There was no detail overlooked in this model. From bombs to landing gear, this model was finely crafted.

Quite conveniently, there is a runway directly behind the Museum that would be perfect for the competition.

Getting permission to hold an event of this size and complexity was the first order of business. Dewey had to contact the Museum officials with a proposal and the event specifics.

The officials had to give approval at several levels.

Fortunately, then Dave

Look at this cockpit. It included everything from a rearview mirror to a working display. Even the weathering on this model was exceptional, which left you feeling like you were looking at the real thing.

The detail in the landing gear design and aircraft weathering demonstrates the level of competition held at this Jet World Masters. The level of scale has been raised to a new tier.

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Lance Campbell taxies his SR-71 Blackbird out for a noontime flight. The aircraft was designed and custom built by Lance Campbell and Jerry Crow.

The SR-71 makes a smooth pass over the airfield. Two Jet Cat turbines power Lance’s SR-71, which even features afterburner lights.

The SR-71 is captured here in an afterburner pass.

Thomas and Teresa Montgomery became involved as Museum special events coordinators. They worked tirelessly doing paperwork, designing the judges’ stand and arranging meetings with all the parties involved.

Then after it was approved, they went to work to make it happen, even picking up paper on the site. And, since the event would be held on Air Force property, they had to make certain the flyers from the 14 world teams had proper documentation in place. Dave and Teresa had to 26

coordinate the receipt of airplanes and equipment for the teams and their lodging, and arrange for their meals through local restaurants.

They arranged for the food and drink vendors, several circus tents, airconditioned trailers, cooling tents, signs, volunteers to work the event and publicity.

The week before the event, the team members’ crated airplanes and support equipment began to arrive at the Museum. Team members were awed when they saw the Museum

RC SPORT FLYER — january/february 2012

and the airfield. They all toured the museum, which consists of several enormous hangars that are filled with full-size airplanes. The airplanes are displayed according to era from the Wright 1909 Military Flyer to a full-size F-22 Raptor. It even includes a huge missile silo. There are flight simulators and an IMAX® theatre that features movies of flight and aircraft.

Admission to the Museum is free (the teams were amazed), and it’s open year round—it makes a superb day trip, with an opportunity to learn a

2011 Jet World Masters

Gerald Rutten placed seventh in the 20-kg class. Here he is landing his Scale-Jets F-16. Gerald was the first foreign competitor to ever receive an experimental turbine waiver from the AMA.

bit of aviation history.

Most Americans don’t know what a jewel they have in National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. The Museum has a website where you can take a virtual tour of the facility at nationalmuseum.af.mil.

Teams represented at the World Jet Masters were Belgium, Canada, China, England, Germany,

The Italian team poses with Gianluca De Marchia’s (Luca) G-91. Luca placed second in the 20-kg class.

The G-91 on takeoff during the JWM. Luca’s large G-91 flew extremely well.

RC-SF.COM

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Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Russia, South Africa, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand and the USA. Each team’s base was a large circus tent.

Sunday, July 24

A severe thunderstorm struck, accompanied by very high winds, which blew through the Miami Valley around 3 p.m. The winds were strong enough to uproot and blow away one of the circus tents, which contained a team’s airplanes. It was blown several hundred feet, almost to the fence line, taking with it banners and equipment. A man and a woman were transported to a local hospital for minor injuries.

The competition would be starting in two days, and the site was a complete mess! It took many phone

calls, dozens of volunteers, lots of hours of work and much scrambling to put the site back in order, ready for the competition.

Sadly, the South African team had their airplanes (crates and all) destroyed beyond repair. Imagine losing your world-class jet, which you put your heart and soul, and hundreds of hours of work into, destroyed by a random thunderstorm two days before the start of the event.

Scott Harris of the American team came to the rescue. Many of you have seen Scott’s beautiful Patriot F-16 either at jet shows, or on the cover of Model Aviation magazine. Scott sold his F-16 to one of the South African pilots for $1.00 (because the flyer must own their aircraft) for the

Roger Thoma, of Switzerland, finished 14th flying his Hawker Hunter in the skies over the National Museum of the United States Air Force.

Brice Watson and his crew pose with his huge B1-B bomber. Brice has been working for many years in designing and building this B1-B.

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RC SPORT FLYER — january/february 2012

A scale shot of the B1-B. We can never go far enough when it comes to scale. Pilot, ejection seats and cruise missiles all make the Jet World Masters truly the best.

2011 Jet World Masters duration of the event, after which the transaction was reversed. It was an unselfish act that became one of the great stories of this year’s JWM.

Wednesday, July 27

The Opening Ceremony kicked off the competition. It was followed by the static judging. Competitors must provide documentation of the airplane they are modeling. The documentation usually consists of pictures, drawings and specifications.

The judges spend about 30 minutes inspecting each detail, and then scored how well the aircraft has been reproduced. For the 2011 JWM event the highest score went to the Russian team’s Vitaly Robertus, with his Yak130. The highest static score for the

Vitaly Robertus’ Yak-130 features landing gear made of state-of-the-art materials. It was a beauty for each and every person to see. He also had safety wire run to each and every bolt on the wheel. The safety wire was even routed in the proper direction.

First in the 20-kg class, Vitaly Robertus’ Yak-130 sets up for landing with gear down, flaps down, light on and front intakes closed for this much-anticipated landing.

This aircraft has raised the bar for the next JWM.

The Yak-130 front view. Vitaly received the highest static score for the entire event.

Details of the cockpit make it a very important part of a scale competition. Vitaly’s Yak-130 cockpit even had an EFIS instrument panel for everyone to view.

Vitaly’s detail, such as the nose gear strut, is what makes a world champion. Look at the light, the strut, and the finish details. There is nothing left out!

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U.S. team went to Jason Bauer with his beautiful F-15 Eagle. Jason says he spent over 100 hours detailing just the tail of his F-15. One of the pilots’ favorites was a MiG-27 (rumored to be worth $400,000). It featured electric retracts and a wing that sweeps in flight. It’s realistic all the way down to miniature flat screen monitors that work.

Side note: I live in Ann Arbor, Michigan. I’m an instructor for my club, the Milan Flyers on their beginner‘s night. So, imagine my surprise when I saw Jason Bauer on the flight line for the first time for the U.S. team. I’d help him learn to fly with a buddy box system. As you can imagine, it gave me great pride and pleasure to see how well my student has done. Jason says he carries the spirit of our club wherever he goes. I was touched.

There are two classes: 13.5 and 20 kg (27 and 44 lb). In the 20-kg class, the American team consisted of Scott Harris, Kim Foster, Rod Snyder and Bob Bush. The 13.5-kg

in their custom-made stand. Then the competitors began the first of three rounds of flights. Their task is to simulate the flight of the full-size airplane as best they can.

On the airfield, the temperatures reached into the mid-90s every day. It quickly became clear that part of the competition was to survive the hot, humid weather and the even hotter tarmac.

There was a noontime show each day demonstrating various types of flight from helicopters, a jet-powered glider, the award winning German synchronized jet team, and flights from Lewis (The General) Patton and his F-15. The show even included a couple of prop-driven airplanes for good measure. Derk van der Vecht, of the Netherlands team, flew his F-3A competition airplane at the noontime show too. Derk, along with Andy Lau of the Chinese team, competed in both the JWM and the F-3A World Championship, which was held at the same time in Muncie, Indiana. They commuted—180

class consisted of David Shulman and Jason Bauer. These guys did an admirable job representing the U.S. in the competition and made for an exceptional host team for the event.

miles round trip—between the two sites daily. Clearly, these guys came to fly!

Friday, July 29

The competition flying started on Friday. The judges were positioned

Monday, August 1

The Museum hosted International night. A banquet was set up in the hangar that houses the F-22 Raptor.

Speeches and gifts were given by all

USA’s David Schulman placed third in the 13.5-kg class. David was flying a composite ARF Mig 15.

David finished detailing his aircraft at the event.

30

Andy Lau from China-Hong Kong placed 10th in the 20-Kg class with his beautiful F-16 Falcon. Andy also competed in the F3A pattern World Championships commuting to Muncie,IN during the same time as the JWM.

RC SPORT FLYER — january/february 2012

Calvin Mitchell and Jason Bauer from the USA. were flying an F-15 Eagle. Jason was the highest American to place in the static competition.

2011 Jet World Masters

Philip Avonds of Belgium placed first in the 13.5-kg class with his Fouga Magister. Philip flew the full-size Fouga Magister in the Belgium Air Force.

Roald Dogge, and caller China-Hong Kong, pose with Roald’s L-39 Albatros. Roald finished in 30th place in the 20-kg class.

of the teams and everyone had a great time. The Russians gifted the Museum with an authentic cosmonaut space helmet.

Flight Results

The Russian team’s Vitaly Roberts took first place in the 20-kg class with his Yak 130. Scott Harris was the highest scoring American in that

class. Philip Avonds of Belgium took top honors in the 13.5-kg class. David Shulman was the highest scoring American coming in third place with his MiG-15. Italy, Switzerland, and the Netherlands took first, second, and third respectively in the team competition.

Debrief

Many of the competitors had

never been to the U.S. All were amazed with how well they were treated by staff and pilots. One of the teams said that their waitress was so friendly she invited the whole team to her house for a small party. A team member from South Africa said he had been to New York years ago and found it to be cold and unfriendly. He

Paul Dunkley was the only competitor from England.

Paul and his T-45 Goshawk put on a great show for all the spectators, finishing 11th in the 20-Kg class.

This BAe Hawk is captured just before touchdown. The Hawk has been a very popular aircraft for the past three Jet World Masters.

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Mikhail Balenko from Russia flying his Mig 15, to a 13th place finish in the 13.5-kg class. This beautiful aircraft demonstrates the detail he put into the panel lines and rivets.

Dewey Davenport, co-organizer, announcer and everything in between had gray hair by the time the event was over.

Scott Harris from team USA taxies his BVM F-86 out for yet another flight. Scott finished 15th in the 20-kg class. Scott has been flying on the USA JWM team for many years.

Chantip Seevaranont and Passakorn Yenpunya from Thailand entered two Alpha Jets to compete in the 13.5-kg class. Chantip placed ninth, and Passakorn finished in eleventh place.

32

RC SPORT FLYER — january/february 2012

After the event The Thailand team gave the transmitter to about everyone at the event so they could take the Alpha Jet for a spin around the pattern.

2011 Jet World Masters says that his experience in Dayton was opposite that of New York, so he now has a different impression of America. “Most of you Americans aren’t like the people we see in the movies.” Another thing they mentioned was that the size of the U.S. was much bigger than that of other countries.

Throughout the competition, Dewey Davenport, with the assistance of the U.S. team and

coordinators, was the hardestworking man on the lot from sun up to way past sun down. He not only coordinated the event, he did the announcing, was the go-to-man whenever anybody had any problem and even manned the Pepsi® booth.

Present but not flying in the competition was JWM Contest Director, Lance Campbell’s gorgeous 13-ft-long SR-71 Blackbird. He flew it for several demonstration flights,

Kim Foster from the U.S. lands his F-86 Sabre to finish up his flight. This was Kim’s first JWM completion.

Kim and his F-86 finished 25th in the 20-kg class.

which drew lots of attention from the spectators. It is the result of nine years of effort. Lance’s SR-71 is a marvel on the tarmac and definitely in the air. Also present was Bryce Watson’s 151-inch-long B-1 bomber, (its wings do swing in flight) which is powered by two JetCat turbines.

Bryce even brought flight attendants!

Bryce said it’s almost ready for its maiden flight. Both the SR-71 and the B-1 were amazingly detailed.

Lewis (General) Patton was the open CD and noontime demo pilot. Lewis put his F-15 through its paces. Every year Lewis hosts Jets Over Kentucky.

Jet World Masters Team Trophy #

Class

Pilot

Constructor

44 13.5 Kg Federico Rosina Mauro Pirotti 41

20 Kg

Adrian Senn

18 13.5 Kg

Derk van der Vecht

Reto Senn

Country Italy Switzerland

Gerald Rutten Netherlands

Plane

Flight1 Flight2 Flight3

Total Flight Static score Bonus Total score Ranking score (50%) (50%) (max.150) (max 3150)

2492.5

2457.5

1237.50

1229.0

22.0

2488.50

1

1975.0

2405.0

2497.5

1225.63

1127.5

70.0

2423.13

2

F-16 Fighting 2307.5 Falcon

2422.5

2430.0

1213.13

1130.3

34.0

2377.38

3

L-39 Albatros 2327.5 F-86 Sabre

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Jet World Masters Final scoring and classification 13.5 Kg Class #

Class

Pilot

Country

Plane

Flight1

Flight2

Flight3

Total Flight score (50%)

Static score (50%)

Bonus (max.150)

Total score (max 3150)

Ranking

12

13.5 Kg

Philip Avonds

Belgium

Fouga Magister

2350.0

2395.0

2305.0

1186.25

1364.0

106.00

2656.25

1

44

13.5 Kg

Federico Rosina

Italy

L-39 Albatros

2327.5

2492.5

2457.5

1237.5

1229.0

22.00

2488.50

2

50

13.5 Kg

David Shulman

USA

Mig 15

2612.5

2557.5

2647.5

1315.00

1071.0

82.00

2468.00

3

53

13.5 Kg

Alesandro Rosina

Italy

L-39 Albatros

2225.0

2357.5

2372.5

1182.5

1243.5

22.00

2448.00

4

9

13.5 Kg

Heiko Gaertner

Germany

F-86 Sabre

2327.5

2320.0

2410.0

1184.38

1177.0

70.00

2431.38

5

18

13.5 Kg

Derk van der Vecht

Netherlands

F-16 Fighting Falcon

2307.5

2422.5

2430.0

1213.13

1130.3

34.00

2377.38

6

21

13.5 Kg

Marc Froehn

Gremany

MiG 15

2280.0

2262.5

2450.0

1182.50

1070.8

82.00

2335.25

7

39

13.5 Kg

Jason Bauer

USA

F-15 Eagle

1747.5

1927.5

2190.0

1029.38

1170.3

18.00

2217.63

8

15

13.5 Kg

Chantip Seevaranont

Thailand

Alpha Jet

2252.5

2345.0

2337.5

1170.63

910.5

75.00

2156.13

9

56

13.5 Kg

Dean Wichmann

Canada

F-86 Sabre

2042.5

2157.5

2147.5

1076.25

986.5

80.00

2142.75

10

Roger Shipley, one of the organizers of the event, presented Vitaly Robertus with the Jet World Masters trophy. Watching Philip Avonds and Vitaly Robertus receive their first-place trophies had to be one of the most exciting parts of the event.

34

RC SPORT FLYER — january/february 2012

Look for these airplanes in future competitions.

The closing ceremonies were held in the hangar. This time the U.S. Air Force Band of Flight entertained by playing ‘30s swing music, which was enjoyed by all, while a wonderful meal was served. There were speeches, the winners were announced, many stories were shared, people were thanked and the flag was presented for the next Jet World Masters. It will be held in Switzerland. All present agreed that this event was by far the best JWM ever, and that the Swiss will have a hard time surpassing it in 2013!

2011 Jet World Masters Jet World Masters Final scoring and classification 20 Kg Class #

Class

Pilot

Country

Plane

Flight1

Flight2

Flight3

Total Flight score (50%)

Static score (50%)

Bonus (max.150)

Total score (max 3150)

Ranking

54

20 Kg

Vitaly Robertus

Russia

Yak-130

2415.0

2617.5

2602.5

1305.00

1428.8

100.00

2833.75

1

59

20 Kg

Gianluca De Marchia

Italy

G-91

2415.0

2592.5

2635.0

1306.88

1296.3

118.00

2721.13

2

36

20 Kg

Stephan Voelker

Germany

BAe Hawk

2577.5

2700.0

2705.0

1351.25

1276.5

30.00

2657.75

3

17

20 Kg

Dylan Roberts

South Africa

DH115 Vampire

2255.0

2472.5

2587.5

1265.00

1284.8

82.00

2631.75

4

55

20 Kg

Thomas Gleisner

Germany

Aermacchi MB-339

2665.0

2682.5

2685.0

1341.88

1241.0

44.00

2626.88

5

33

20 Kg

Sebastiano Silvestri

Italy

F-16 Fighting Falcon

2437.5

2312.5

2552.5

1247.5

1324.5

34.00

2606.00

6

32

20 Kg

Gerald Rutten

Netherlands

F-16 Fighting Falcon

0.0

2350.5

2507.5

1214.38

1353.3

34.00

2601.63

7

45

20 Kg

Roy Puchtinger

Germany

BAe Hawk

2542.5

2650.0

2640.0

1322.5

1256.0

0.00

2578.50

8

4

20 Kg

Raimund Wehrle

Switzerland

L-39 Albatros

2512.5

2487.5

2595.0

1276.88

1264.0

22.00

2562.88

9

42

20 Kg

Oleg Zahkarov

Russia

MiG 27

2357.5

2367.5

2495.0

1215.63

1278.3

50.00

2543.88

10

Jet World Masters Overall highest flight score

By highest score out 3 rounds.

Flight1 Flight2 Flight3

Total Flight Ranking score

#

Class

Pilot

Country

Plane

36

20 Kg

Stephan Voelker

Germany

BAe Hawk

2577.5

2700.0

2705.0

2705.0

1

55

20 Kg

Thomas Gleisner

Germany

Aermacchi MB-339

2665.0

2682.5

2685.0

2685.0

2

45

20 Kg

Roy Puchtinger

Germany

BAe Hawk

2542.5

2650.0

2640.0

2650.0

3

50 13.5 Kg

David Shulman

USA

MiG 15

2612.5

2557.5

2647.5

2647.5

4

59

20 Kg

Gianluca De Marchia

Italy

G-91

2415.0

2592.5

2635.0

2635.0

5

54

20 Kg

Vitaly Robertus

Russia

Yak-130

2415.0

2617.5

2602.5

2617.5

6

4

20 Kg

Raimund Wehrle

Switzerland

L-39 Albatros 2512.5

2487.5

2595.0

2595.0

7

17

20 Kg

Dylan Roberts

South Africa

DH115 Vampire

2255.0

2472.5

2587.5

2587.5

8

35

20 Kg

Christian Lohwasser

Germany

Aermacchi MB-339

2450.0

2565.0

2585.0

2585.0

9

49

20 Kg

Martin Sannwald

Switzerland

BAe Hawk

845.0

2445.0

2555.0

2555.0

10

Top three positions in the 20-kg class: (left) Stephen Voelker (Germany), (Middle) Vitaly Robertus ( Russia), (right) Gianluca De Marchia (Italy).

RC-SF.COM

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RC-SF.COM

37

BY Vincenzo Pedrelli

2nd Italian Vintage Glider Meeting Classics that Turn Your Head on Every FlyBy

C

remona, about 50 km southeast of Milano, is famous worldwide for Stradivarius and the art of making stringed instruments. Lying on the banks of the river Po, Cremona has played a leading role in Italian history and culture since the Roman times. This area is characterized by a flourishing agriculture and zootechny and is the most famous producer of “ Torrone,” a kind of nougat, and “marubini” and “mostarda,” sweet fruit pickles. The cuisine is rich and tasty, distinguished by exclusive dishes made up of ingredients produced in the area. Yes, definitely a place to visit!

Today, among model builders, Cremona has become famous for organizing unique vintage 38

glider model meetings, like the ones arranged by the “Gruppo Aeromodellistico Cremonese” and led by their President, Marco Pattoni.

This group counts 33 members with an average age of 45–50 years. Tullio Facchini is the oldest member of the group (84 years old) and the leader of the meeting. The youngest member is Giorgio, the son of President Pattoni, who is only 10 years old.

On Sunday, September 25, 2011, in the airfield of Annicco in the outskirts of Cremona, the group organized the second aerotow vintage-scale sailplane meeting. It was a non-competitive event where 25 pilots with 32 vintage model sailplanes met in friendship and flew the whole day, blessed by excellent

RC SPORT FLYER — january/february 2012

weather. This second meeting exceeded the success of the previous year by the number of participants and the variety of the model gliders.

All models were reproduction, toscale sailplanes designed before 1960 and built as the originals were, with wood and fabric. Ready-to-fly models were not permitted to participate according to the meeting regulations.

A rather high number of models were reproductions of very famous German sailplanes, such as the Weihe, Rhoensperber, Habicht, Sperber Junior, Reiher, Ka2, Minimoa, Fafnir, SG38, ASK13 and the famous Meise, winner of the competition for the Olympic glider design of 1939. Other nicely built scale models were of Slingsby design, like the Petrel and

2nd Italian Vintage Glider Meeting This gaggle of birds shows you what a nice assortment of airplanes came to this event for vintage gliders and sailplanes.

the Kirby Kite. From the USA, the SGS 1-26 Schweizer and the Super Albatross designed by Hawley Bowlus were also impressive. The Super Albatross, built in 1:2 scale, was full of details based on the drawings from Martin Simons’ famous book Sailplanes.

To add an international flavor, the event also featured a quarter-scale

Maeda 703, designed by the Japanese Kennichi Maeda in 1940. The only Italian-designed model was the Borea, the last project of Luigi Teichfuss, which was built in Pavullo in 1942 and never flew because of WWII. I should not forget all the other model sailplanes participating in the meeting, such as the Jastrzab, SZD Bocian, Pyonir, Lunak, Harbinger, Moswey III, Ulf 1 and Macka. I think it was the first time in Italy one could see so many vintage scale sailplanes all together at an RC aerotow meet.

Five skilled pilots with their

Here is another look at the fantastic wood gliders that were flown at the second Italian Vintage Glider Meeting.

efficient tow airplanes were very busy the whole day towing all the sailplane models. Some of the tow airplanes, after having released the sailplane, flew back to the ground while showing off aerobatic maneuvers, including inverted flight very close to the runway, offering a spectacular performance.

The good thermals in the afternoon gave the pilots a chance to bring their models to a high altitude, allowing for long-lasting flights.

A lunch in the airfield was organized by the group so everyone

The Borea has the classic lines of the Habicht, but has what I’d say is much cleaner and more aerodynamic fuselage. I like the look of the sun shining through the wings.

This vintage glider is a Maeda. Here you see it is about to be aerotowed. If you want to know more about some of these gliders you can buy Vincenzo’s book from RC Sport Flyer.

RC-SF.COM

39

This shows you the outstanding design lines of the famous Harbinger glider. Unfortunately for many modelers, you don’t find these gliders in ARF kits.

Glider enthusiasts know the classic lines of the Habicht as well as its distinctive paint scheme. You don’t find this much in the fiberglass sailplanes of today.

This photo shows you what the Minimoa looks like on tow. If you fly this model, you’ll discover that it has docile flight characteristics but soars extremely well because of its light wing loading.

If you really want to buy a vintage glider, you can find the famous Minimoa in kit and in ARF form—all the way from 1/5- to 1/2.5-scale. Look for them online.

Cockpit detailing like this glider’s sets the modelers apart from the pilots. It is truly part of the fun you can have if you are both a builder and a flyer.

The full-scale Super Albatross was sometimes home built. This scale aircraft was scratch built. It would make for an outstanding ARF kit, don’t you think?

40

RC SPORT FLYER — january/february 2012

2nd Italian Vintage Glider Meeting Here is the Schweizer SGS-1 on final approach to the airfield. What you don’t get when you fly glider is a second go-round of the airfield to make a perfect landing—only one try.

could talk and compare their building and flying experiences while enjoying tasty food and a glass of good Italian wine.

In the end, the meeting in Annicco gave everyone a great opportunity to get together and share their interest in scale vintage sailplanes.

All members of the group were quite satisfied and agreed to meet again next year in the same place, possibly bringing more Italian-designed models.

FMI: vincenzopedrielli.it.

The pilot of the big Super Albatross readies it for an aerotow. At altitude this is the type of glider that will soar for hours, even if the lift is only moderately strong.

Here you get a sense of the scale of this huge Super Albatross glider as it is being towed back to the pits by its pilot. As they say, the bigger they are, the better they fly.

Notice that the Bocian uses top and bottom spoilers, which are extremely effective in getting it down from altitude, even when the lift conditions are strong.

This glider is a replica of the Polish design SZD Bocian. It is 1/3-scale and is an all-wood airplane. It has a look that separates it from any other model on the airfield.

RC-SF.COM

41

BY Mike Hoffmeister

O.S. 155 FS-a Pumped Four-Stroke Glow S

ince the introduction of the O.S. 56 FS-a in 2007, the first in the new “Alpha series’ lineup of four-stroke glow-powered engines, O.S. has introduced five sizes. Their new engine is the O.S. 155 FS-a pumped engine. The “Alpha series” engines feature an all-new look, plus some interesting new features aimed at minimizing the mess in and around the engine

compartment of your airplane—all with mounting interchangeability, light weight and compact size, which make them easy to

install in many airplanes. The intent of the O.S. 155 FS-a pumped engine is to produce an engine that has 200size power yet fits 120-size mounts, with 120-size weight. Using a pump gives consistency and power that is independent of mounting position or angle. As our test results show, O.S. has achieved its design goals with the 155 FS-a engine!

Why to Buy

The 155 FS-a is easy to start and tune and has excellent idle characteristics, transition and power—plus it fits into 120-size mounts. It also has innovative features that nearly eliminate fuel and oil mess in the engine compartment.

It can also happily swing a large range of propeller sizes. Since it includes a pump system, you can expect extremely consistent fuel mixture control in any mounting or flight orientation. Plus this engine is backed by a two-year warranty.

While engines in this size are not inexpensive, you can usually find a discount offer at towerhobbies.com, which will reduce the purchase price.

Break-In

I used Wildcat 15 percent fuel for break-in and testing. I’ve found that using a higher nitro content in fourstroke engines improves their idle, transition and ease of tuning—plus it provides a slight

This side view shows off the 155 FS-a’s beefy cylinder, cool new look and superb finish—with the FS Alpha 155 logo clearly displayed.

42

RC SPORT FLYER — january/february 2012

O.S. 155 FS-a Pumped Four-Stroke Glow The O.S. 155 FS-a comes well packed in a high-quality box with open spaces filled with expanded foam, and includes muffler, instructions and a flexible extension plus knob for the high-speed needle valve.

This front view clearly shows the new cooling fin arrangement, narrow profile and machined aluminum pushrod tubes. The logo on the rocker cover is also a nice touch! Also visible are the sturdy mount lugs, beefy cylinder head around the exhaust header threads and easyaccess high-speed needle valve.

boost in power, particularly when running a higher-load propeller. So, I fuel my 155 with the upper end of the 5–20 percent nitro that is recommended in the manual. Just make sure that the fuel you select complies with the requirements listed in the user manual. The manual lists a wide range of propellers that are suitable for the engine, from a 16×8 to a 17×12. I tested my 155 engine with all six APC propellers that fall within this size range, as well as a Master Airscrew 16×8.

This left side view shows the classic “O.S.” logo cast into the cylinder, and it also shows just how nice of a job O.S. has done packaging the fuel pump system, which fits neatly between the carburetor and back plate of the engine.

Performance Testing

After securing the engine to the test stand and fitting the APC 16×8 (lowest load) propeller, I fueled the test stand’s tank and connected the hoses. Then I doublechecked everything.

Next I turned over the engine slowly a couple of revolutions until I saw fuel in the hose all the way up to the carburetor, then turned it a couple more revolutions. Fuel draw is quick and deliberate, thanks to the pump. Then, a quick spin from a Sullivan Dynatron starter immediately brought the engine to life!

The break-in process requires running the engine wide open but with a widely varying high-speed needle setting. Basically you run the engine very rich for several seconds, then lean it until revolutions per minute comes up and it’s running clean at near-peak revs. You hold that setting for a few seconds, and then you immediately richen the high needle until the engine slows RC-SF.COM

43

The F-6020 muffler has large diameter inlet and outlet for maximum flow, and it uses a greatlooking machined aluminum center section to add to the looks and the noise abatement. Note the absence of a pressure fitting. Since the engine is equipped with a fuel pump, tank pressure from the muffler is not needed.

considerably and starts blowing a lot of smoke and fuel mist from the exhaust. Then you repeat. Over the course of the first two tanks of fuel, this process is repeated over and over, with steadily increasing duration of near-peak rev periods of operation.

This process is intended to run the engine through varying loads and rpm ranges, and also to heat-cycle the engine by getting it warm during the running done with near-peak needle settings, and then cooling and lubricating it quickly with a bunch of fuel when the needle is opened for the periods of rich-running. I found that cycling the high needle from two

While at first this looks like “just another engine hardware layout,” it’s worth taking a very close look at each part.

This engine is truly a work of art with casting quality, machine finish and overall parts fit that are second to none. Also worth pointing out … there are NO paper gaskets anywhere in this engine, which makes working on it a joy.

The 155 FS-a engine and F-6020 muffler both share distinctive styling, and the muffler mounting offers 360-degree adjustability.

The 155 FS-a uses large valves and a neatly designed combustion chamber, with just enough breathing room around the valve heads.

Removal of the piston and connecting rod requires pulling the cylinder sleeve out of the crankcase, then using a small pin or hex key to push the piston pin out the access hole in the rear of the casting (note the pin and Teflon button protruding). Once the pin is out, the piston/ring and connecting rod can be removed.

44

RC SPORT FLYER — january/february 2012

and one quarter turns to three turns was an effective range for the break-in procedure.

Once the break-in was complete, I tuned the low and high needle valves in a back-andforth manner until I had a slow and steady idle, with clean acceleration even when the throttle was opened rapidly. I set the high needle about 200 rpm on the rich side of peak—a few clicks more open on the high needle, than the setting that

produces highest rpm. The instructions include a clear, step-bystep approach to tuning the carburetor. With this engine, more than most, I found it could run richer on the high needle with noticeably more smoke, but with little loss of rpm. I liked

O.S. 155 FS-a Pumped Four-Stroke Glow The valve train is typical O.S.—nicely designed and machined and easy to maintain. The locking nut and hex socket bolt on the right side of the rocker arm are used to adjust the valve clearance.

Both the crankshaft and camshaft are finely machined works of metallic art! Fit and finish exemplify typical O.S. precision and workmanship.

Note how neatly packaged the fuel pump system is! The pump bolts inside the back plate of the engine, with a very short jumper tube to give it a pressure pulse signal to drive the diaphragm, while the other half of the pump system is integrated into the 70R carburetor body.

This rear view shows how O.S. has angled the intake manifold to get the carburetor centered side to side. The 70R carburetor has a large bore, and the included venturi tube is both functional and good looking!

The connecting rod and piston are both machined from aluminum billet and are quite sturdily designed. The wrist pin is retained with a c-clip on the forward side and a Teflon button on the rear size.

this because then it could run a bit on the rich side, which keeps the engine happy, without giving up much performance. I found the high needle to be very smooth to adjust, and not overly sensitive. From the highest-load to the lowest-load propellers, the high needle valve setting ranged from two-and-three-quarters turns out, to two-and-one-quarter turns out.

With the larger propellers, the engine would easily hold 1600 rpm idle without stumbling upon quick

throttle opening, and it also held steady rpm at full throttle. The exhaust note is quite pleasing, with the included F-6020 aluminum muffler doing a nice job. Decibel levels ranged from 91.2–96.7 dBA, measured at a 45 degree angle to the rear, at a distance of 10 ft.

The first propeller run on the 155 for performance testing was the APC 17Ă—8. It turned an impressive 8650 rpm, producing right at 18 lb of thrust, with a 65.5 mph pitch speed. Idle was very steady, and the engine simply ran flawlessly regardless of throttle movements or extended periods of idling.

As it would turn out, this propeller produced the most thrust of the seven propellers tested.

After this first test, the testing was repeated for each of the other six propellers included in this review. By comparison, the maximum thrust measured on the O.S. FS-200S, during my earlier testing, was 16.6 lb, and at a lower pitch speed, which really shows just RC-SF.COM

45

The 155 FS-a is attached to the test stand via adjustable mount legs.

Note the servo mounted to the rear to drive the throttle via manual or PC control during testing.

This is an overall view of the test setup. The engine is mounted to the thrust test stand, while the PC is located slightly away (for safety and to keep the exhaust oil off the PC). The digital sound pressure level meter is in the foreground, used for measuring noise level with each propeller tested.

This top view shows the business end of the thrust test stand, with the 155 FS-a running at a high idle.

The small circuit board just behind the propeller hub is the optical tachometer, which is part of the Medusa Research “Power Analyzer Pro” data system.

This table shows the top rpm, static thrust and pitch speed achieved with each of the seven propellers tested. The APC 17X8 propeller produced 18 lb of thrust, while the others all produced in excess of 14 lb of thrust!

46

how strong the new 155 FS-a engine performs! Finally, note that O.S. posts typical rpm figures for each of the recommended propeller sizes on their Japan website at os-engines.co.jp/ english/101009e/. In every case, our test results showed 100–200 rpm more than what O.S. quotes. This underscores that in an age of hype and overstated claims, O.S. provides real-world figures that if anything are slightly conservative!

The test stand is run and monitored by computer, so it’s possible to do exactly the same test over and over with minimal variation.

The standard test that I run has the engine running for five seconds at stable idle, then five seconds at 20% throttle, then five seconds at 40% throttle and so on, with the final five seconds at wide-open throttle. All the while, the data system is capturing rpm, thrust, ambient temperature and throttle position. In a test taking less O.S. 155 FS-a Four-Stroke Glow RPM

Static Thrust Pitch Speed Sound Pressure (lb) (MPH) Level (dBA)

APC 16X8

9,225

17.9

69.9

96.5

MA 16X8

9,275

17.3

70.3

96.7

APC 16X10

8,700

15.8

82.4

96.1

APC 16X12

7,950

14.6

90.3

93.3

APC 17X8

8,650

18.0

65.5

95.5

APC 17X10

7,800

16.4

73.9

93.3

APC 17X12

7,200

14.8

81.8

91.2

RC SPORT FLYER — january/february 2012

than one minute, a large amount of data is captured, which then allows graphing of the results so that they are easily interpreted, and various propellers can be compared with each other.

Engine Hardware Layout

All four-stroke engines involve a certain amount of complexity to disassemble (and more importantly to reassemble), due to parts count and things like getting valve keepers back in place and cam timing set correctly. I must say the O.S. 155 FS-a is as easy as they come. The engine does not use any paper gaskets, with all interfaces using rubber seals or metal-to-metal contact of the very finely machined surfaces. This makes maintenance much easier, with minimal fear of tearing a gasket.

Also, the propeller hub is locked (rotationally) to the crankshaft by a key, so you don’t have to have a puller to get the drive hub off the crankshaft. It simply slides off and the key can be picked out with bare fingers. The fuel pump is integrated into the back plate of the engine and fits neatly in front of the carburetor—completely out of the way.

The 155 FS-a features a lubrication scheme that eliminates the overboard crankcase breather, which is common to most fourstroke glow engines. Instead, this

O.S. 155 FS-a Pumped Four-Stroke Glow

Here are the seven propellers tested as part of this review—APC 16X8/10/12, APC 17X8/10/12 and Master Airscrew 16X8.

This low angle shows the engine in action and the adjustable mount legs which can accommodate a large variety of glow-type engines.

engine directs excess lubricating oil that accumulates in the crankcase forward through the crankshaft, up through the cam box and pushrod tubes and into the rocker-cover area, where it is finally fed to the intake port to be recycled. As the oil flows through these various passages and parts of the engine, it is lubricating

the various parts along the way. O.S. has also added a specially designed long venturi tube that attaches to the inlet side of the carburetor to minimize spit-back (more accurately called “reversion”). The other benefit of this venturi tube is to eliminate fuel lost out of the carburetor, so fuel efficiency is improved slightly. I found the engine to stay quite clean and dry, with very little fuel/oil mist landing on the test stand.

About the only engine maintenance required for the 155 FS-a is to occasionally adjust the valve clearance. This is documented well in the instruction manual, including illustrations. As the engine breaks in, the valve clearance can change slightly, and readjustment of the clearance is necessary to maintain optimum performance. If allowed to get too tight, the valves might not fully close, allowing leakage and loss of compression. If valve clearance gets excessively large, there

will be an increase in valve train noise, and power loss due to the valve not opening as far or staying open as long. This is not unique to the 155FS-a, and is common to all four-stroke RC aircraft engines. I checked the clearances after all test running and found them to be within specifications, so no adjustment was required.

I have found O.S. engine castings and finish-machining to be of extremely high quality, but they have raised the bar even further with this engine! I have never seen castings so finely finished, with sections carefully thinned down for weight savings.

Final Analysis

The O.S. 155 FS-a is a compact powerhouse of an engine, even besting the larger O.S. FS-200S’s performance. It is well mannered and smooth running and has a low noise level with a very pleasing exhaust note. It is easy to tune, produces excellent power and happily swings a very wide range of propellers. It is one of the cleanest-running fourRC-SF.COM

47

O.S. 155 FS-a Pumped Four-Stroke Glow strokes I have seen, due to the unique lubrication system and extended carburetor venturi. Whether you are equipping a new model or upgrading the engine on an existing model, the O.S. 155 FS-a is a great choice. To see and hear the engine run, please see the video at rc-sf.com.

Thrust vs. RPM   18  16  14

Static Thrust (lb)



 12  10

8



6

 APC 16X8  MA 16X8

4

Specifications

 APC 16X10

APC 16X12 

2

APC 17X8 

0  1,000

APC 17X12 

Type

Four-stroke glow-ignition

Displacement

1.548 in.3 (25.36 cc)

Bore

1.323 in. (33.6 mm)

Stroke

1.126 in. (28.6 mm)

Cylinders

Single

Total weight

31.75 oz (900 grams)

Engine (only) weight

28.4 oz (805 grams)

Muffler weight

3.35 oz (95 grams)

16 

Crankshaft threads

5/16-24

14 

Prop range

13×9 – 16×8

12 

Rpm range

2000–10,000 rpm

10 

Fuel

5–20 percent nitro

Mounting dimensions

Towerhobbies.com

Muffler type

F6020 cast body with machined center section

Cylinder type

Plated sleeve

Carburetor type

70R barrel-type 2-needle, with PD-08 pump

Crankshaft type

Dual Ball Bearing

Web price

$499.98 (towerhobbies. com)

APC 17X10 

 2,000

 3,000

 4,000

 5,000

 6,000

 7,000



 8,000

 9,000

 10,000

RPM

This graph shows how thrust relates to engine rpm for each of the seven propellers tested.

Thrust vs. Throttle Position



Static Thrust (lb)



18 

8



6

APC 16X8 

4

APC 16X10 

2

APC 17X8 

0

MA 16X8  APC 16X12  APC 17X10  APC 17X12 

0

 10

 20

 30

 40

 50

 60



 70

 80

 90

 100

Throttle Stick Position (%)

This graph shows how thrust output varies with throttle position. Note how linear (compared with most other engines) and smooth the relationship between throttle position and thrust is. As an example, for a 12-lb. 3D plane, an APC 16X8 prop would hover the airplane at about 40% throttle.

Vendors Great Planes P.O. Box 9021 Champaign, IL 61821 Phone: 800-637-7660 greatplanes.com

 Thrust vs. Pitch Speed

 18  16  14

Tower Hobbies P.O. Box 9078 Champaign, IL 61826-9078 800-637-4989 (orders) towerhobbies.com

Static Thrust (lb)



 12  10

8



APC 16X8 

6

MA 16X8  APC 16X10 

4

APC 16X12  APC 17X8 

2 0

APC 17X10  APC 17X12 

0

 10

 20

 30

 40

 50

 60



Pitch Speed (MPH)

48

RC SPORT FLYER — january/february 2012

 70

 80

 90

This graph shows how static thrust and static pitch speed relate to each other. If you want maximum static thrust then just pick the one with highest thrust, but if you want to trade off some static thrust for more pitch speed, this graph can help you visualize the tradeoff. The APC 16X10 seems to give a great combination of both, with nearly 16 lb of static thrust on tap, and pitch speed of nearly 85 mph.

LET’S SEE THAT AGAIN...AND AGAIN...AND AGAIN.

You can’t rewind real life — but you CAN rewind RealFlight.

It’s an incredible flight training tool — so simple, yet so revolutionary. With the Rewind feature you can instantly stop your flight, go back to any previous point, and start flying again from there. A “seek” function lets you precisely pause the action so you can analyze what went wrong and work on correcting it as many times as you want. And all done in virtual flight, with no consequence for your real airplane.

It’s just one of the many exemplary features you’ll find on RealFlight 6. Try it out on the RealFlight kiosk at your local hobby dealer. Once you’ve experienced Rewind, you won’t want to virtually fly without it.

®

®

True to Life

™

realflight.com/109m ©2011 Hobbico®, Inc. All Rights Reserved – 3072819

50

RC SPORT FLYER — january/february 2012

Photo Spread Canberra

S

imon Cocker just sent us some great shots of his big Power Scale Soaring (PSS) Big Canberra. Simon built this model from scratch, and he flies from the slopes overlooking the Atlantic Ocean from England, which is his home country. Simon is into scale sailplane no matter their kind or size, but from what we’ve seen, he loves large-scale airplanes.

For more information, contact: Simon Cocker flyersanonymous1@aol.co.uk

RC-SF.COM

51

Your “Butcher Bird” awaits.

Known as WWII’s “Butcher Bird,” the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 was a formidable foe for the Allies’ finest fighters. Flyzone h recreated d this h ffearless l ffavorite in Ready-to-Fly d l (RTF) has and Receiver-Ready (Rx-R) Select Scale models that capture every last nuance of the original.

Both versions are constructed of tough Aerocell™ foam, and finished in an authentic Luftwaffe trim scheme. A brushless motor, ESC and servos are included with both, as are flaps and retractable landing gear. The Rx-R lets you add the radio, battery and charger of your choice.

The RTF is complete and ready to go, featuring a Tactic™ TTX600 2.4GHz radio, an 11.1V 1800mAh LiPo battery, balancing charger and “AA” cells.

Regardless of your choice, you can expect the same superior flight characteristics and exceptional details in this Fw 190 from Flyzone!

Wingspan: 44.5 in (1130 mm) RTF Version Requires: Nothing!

Rx-R Version Requires: Radio system with a minimum of 6 channels, 11.1V 1800mAh LiPo battery & charger

The Focke-Wulf Fw 190’s many scale extras include shock-absorbing, retractable landing gear and scale “split” flaps.

™

© 2011 Hobbico®, Inc. – 3074538. All rights reserved.

flyzoneplanes.com/107n

BY Richard Kuns

Programming Radio Mixes Here are the Basics You Need to Know

The JR X9503 and Spektrum DX6i are two examples of computer-programmable transmitters. They offer pilots a variety of programmable mixes. The pictures in this article show menu settings to accomplish similar settings on each radio. You will see that the nine-channel transmitter has more choices in each menu. Typically radios with more channels also have more programming features.

O

ne of the challenges that seems to stymie new RC pilots is programming their shiny new computer-programmable radios. The menu structures and sometimes vague instructions can complicate even seemingly simple programming. This can be compounded by the variations in radio design as well as the nomenclature used by the various manufacturers. This how-to article is a basic overview of programming mixes, with some general tips that apply to all radios. Photos used in this article of the Spektrum DX6i and JR X9503 are to illustrate some

54

common mixes. With the ideas from this article, you should be prepared to follow use your radio’s manual to get mixes programmed.

What is It?

Without using a programmed mix, a transmitter’s control stick, knob or switch operates a servo that moves in response to the control’s movement. As soon as one or more servos moves in response to one or more control inputs, some form of mixing is involved. The simplest mix to see and understand is that when a Y-harness is used between two servos. Then when the radio’s

RC SPORT FLYER — january/february 2012

control stick is moved instead of one servo moving, the harness makes two servos move in the same direction.

Sometimes the Y-harness has an extra feature to reverse one servo or even allows separate trim adjustments for each servo.

However, if you move the “function” of the Y-harnesses inside the radio, you have programmed radio mixing. You may ask, why would I want to make something so simple more complicated? There are two good reasons: flexibility and redundancy.

The flexibility gained from radio mixing allows each servo to be

Programming Radio Mixes

This is the Spektrum DX6i main menu display. Programming is accessed via the roller dial, which is simply pressed to enter the menu system. There are two menus: Setup and Adjust. Use the roller dial to move to the bottom of the list for the selection to switch between the menus. Roll back to the top and select Main to exit programming.

The FLAPS menu on the DX6i shows the amount of flap deflection as well as the amount of up elevator to apply with the flaps. The first line is the normal position when the flap switch is in the “0” position and the flaps are retracted. The second line called “LAND” is the position used when the flap switched is set to “1”. Here it specifies the flaps will be down 30% and the elevator up 10%.

A MIX on the DX6i is used to eliminate pitch coupling from the rudder for knife-edge flight. The elevator will move 10% when the rudder is fully deflected. Notice that it is specified for each direction of rudder throw. The switch selection is set to be permanently ON and the trim is set to INH (inhibit) because the elevator should not be trimmed along with the rudder.

Another mix on the DX6i is used to eliminate roll coupling from the rudder. The ailerons will move 10% when the rudder is fully deflected. The roll will be left or right depending on the direction of the rudder. The switch selection of ON means this mix will always be on. Trim is set to INH so the aileron will not be trimmed with the rudder.

adjusted for reversing, sub trim and endpoint adjustments. Further, it enables the servos that are mixed to move in different proportions. An example of this is when your airplane uses a separate nose gear from that of the rudder. Typically an airplane’s nose gear needs less movement than the rudder to have the same yaw result.

A servo failure or even an intermittent connection to one servo on a Y-harness will often disable the other servo. So, it is far better to isolate each servo to an individual radio channel. Consequently, if one aileron servo misbehaves, the other

will probably still function. This could make the difference between a safe landing and one where the model is lost to a crash.

Now let me explain some of the options available when configuring a mix. Let’s start by telling you that the channel that controls the mix is called the master channel. The channel that is mixed to the master is called the slave channel.

Now here are some common mix practices:

not want a trim adjustment from one servo to influence another. For example, if you use a program mix to operate two elevator servos, you will want the elevator’s control stick trim to adjust both elevator halves when it is used. On the other hand, if you use a program mix to control the nose gear steering with the rudder stick, you would want the rudder’s control trim to adjust yaw in flight, but not to change nose gear’s centering.

Trim

In most cases you want a program mix to be active all the time. In other instances, however, you’ll want to

When two control surfaces are mixed together, you might or might

Switch

RC-SF.COM

55

Use the Monitor display on the DX6i to check that your programmed mixes have the desired result. Be sure to double-check the directions that the surfaces actually move on the model before flight.

turn the mix on and off with a switch.

An example of using a switch to turn off a mix would be when your airplane has a retractable nose gear.

While the steering is mixed with the rudder when the gear is down you’ll want to turn the nose gear’s mix off when the retract switch is activated.

In so doing the nose gear’s wheel stays centered when it is retracted.

This is often desirable to prevent snags or jams as the gear retracts.

Another example of a switched mix might be for flight testing. In that case your airplane is not locked into a mix. However, you can compare the airplane’s flight characteristics with

and without the mix. Once the mix is confirmed and fine-tuned, the switch parameter can be set to always on.

Offset

Offset is commonly misunderstood. It is used as an offset parameter to change the neutral point of a slave servo whenever the programmed mix is active. An example is to add elevator down trim when the flaps are deployed.

Link

The link option controls if a program mix to the master servo will impact the slave servo. For common

The JR X9503 has more controls and a larger display. The ENT button is used to enter the programming modes, and the LIST button shows all the available menus. Holding the ENT button while turning power on enters the menu to select models and configure basic information on how the channels are to be used.

56

The WINGTAILMIX menu on the DX 6i controls the configuration of the ailerons and tail. Here the DUALAILE means that two aileron servos are used. The radio will lower both ailerons when the flap LAND position is selected.

RC SPORT FLYER — january/february 2012

mixes, link is usually set on. If two servos are used for the ailerons, a mix to eliminate roll coupling as a result of rudder travel would need link set to ON so that both ailerons are moved by the mix. In some instances, however, you would not want link on. For example, if you have the rudder mixed to two ailerons that are also used as flaps and a second flap-to-elevator mix. You may not want rudder movements included in the mix to the elevator when the flaps are deployed.

In some radios, the link parameter may be implemented with origin master channels designated with a

In the X9503 the FLAP System menu controls a dedicated flap servo.

Three positions can be set, controlled by the flap switch as well as corresponding amounts of elevator, to compensate for pitch changes from the flap. Here the setting of the flap servo of D100%, 0% and U100% means that the flap linkage is installed so the center position of the servo corresponds to half flap.

Programming Radio Mixes

A point mix is used to eliminate pitch coupling from the rudder for knife-edge flight. Only three points are specified; the radio interpolates where points are inhibited. A nice graph is displayed showing how the mix will function. The vertical line moves left to right with changes to the rudder showing where on the curve the output will be used. A numeric version of this is simultaneously displayed next to IN and OUT.

A basic mix on the X9503 is used here to eliminate roll coupling from the rudder. The ailerons are moved 10% when the rudder is fully deflected. Since POS 0 is specified and all the switches are set to POS 0, this mix is always on.

Use the Monitor display on the X9503 to check that your programmed mixes have the desired result. Be sure to double-check the directions that the surfaces actually move on the model before flight.

The DEVSEL menu is used to turn on the system Flap menu. It also specifies that the FLAP switch be used to operate the flaps.

“#” in front of the channel name, like “#AIL.’ Specifying the origin master channel is the same as specifying that the link is off.

Coupling

Now that you understand the basic parameters, let’s look at some examples of removing undesired coupling. A handy tool on many programmable transmitters is the servo monitor display. It shows the positions and movements of all your airplane’s servos. Use this display as you try the following examples so you can quickly check that the transmitter’s programming is having

the desired result.

During flight, you may notice that when you move the rudder in either direction that the nose of the airplane pitches down. This is typically noticed in knife-edge flight when the airplane’s nose moves towards the bottom of the aircraft. To correct this you need a rudder-to-elevator mix.

You’ll want to add a small amount of up elevator whenever the rudder is moved. To do so, locate a program mix on your transmitter, and then specify the master channel as the rudder, with the slave servo being the elevator’s. Add a small percentage of mix so that the elevator moves in the

up direction no matter the direction of the rudder’s travel. If you have twin elevator servos connected to separate radio channels, you will also need to turn on the link function.

Double-check the throws on the model before flight. Make sure the elevator moves up when the rudder is moved both left and right. You’ll need to test the result of the mix in flight to see if the pitch coupling is mixed out.

Correcting for pitch coupling with the rudder’s movement when the airplane pitches up is just the opposite of the steps in the previous paragraph. The elevator should move RC-SF.COM

57

Programming Radio Mixes mix and specify the rudder as the master and the aileron as the slave. Turn the link function on if you are using separate channels for the aileron servos. Add a small percentage of mix so that the ailerons move in the opposite direction as the roll you observed.

For dual aileron servos on the X9503, the Wing Type menu is used to Unlike the rudderspecify that for this model the GEAR channel be used for the second to-elevator mix, aileron servo. the ailerons must down with both left and right rudder move in different directions as you travel. apply left or right rudder. Confirm Another common coupling that the ailerons move in the correct problem is when the model rolls directions before flight. Then during when the rudder is applied. Ideally, flight, check to see if the roll coupling the airplane should only yaw without has been eliminated. roll. In order to mix out roll coupling, During aerobatic maneuvers, you carefully observe the roll as rudder will often fly your model straight is applied during level flight when the down with the engine at idle. If you model is flying into the wind. Often, notice that the airplane pitches the airplane will roll in the same towards its canopy you can correct direction as the rudder’s deflection. it with a mix from the throttle to When your model is on the ground, the elevator. To do so, locate a free locate an available programmable programmable mix. Then specify

the throttle as the master and the elevator as the slave. Again set the link on if you have two elevator servos. Specify a switch to turn the mix off and on so that you can disable it during landing. Then add a small mix percentage so that the elevator moves down when the throttle is at idle. If you have a point mix, you should use it so that the mix is only active at the bottom of the throttle’s range. Again double-check the movement and switch control on the ground before checking the results in flight.

Confidence

Hopefully, you now have the confidence to dive into your radio’s instruction manual and start using your transmitter’s mix menus. If you are puzzled by the steps needed to create a control function mix, you might want to try using an Internet search engine to find online help.

Simply type a few words identifying your transmitter type and the mix you’re trying to program. You’ll likely find a number of references telling you exactly how to do it.

Stay SHarp

NEW Hangar 9 Katana 50 ®

Staying at the top of your aerobatic game takes practice, practice, practice. But if you fly giant-scale, you may not always feel like risking an expensive competition plane to try something new.

The Hangar 9 Katana 50 is the perfect knock around plane for honing your 3D or precision aerobatic skills, whether you fly giant- scale or not. ®

Designed by aerobatic champ, Mike McConville, the Katana 50 is exceptionally lightweight without sacrificing strength or agility. The amazing powerto-weight ratio this construction makes possible is complemented by an airfoil that has been specially designed for aggressive 3D flight. The result is explosive aerobatic performance that will let you boldly explore the limits of your abilities while enjoying absolute precision and control at every corner of the envelope.

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Get to Hangar-9.com right now to see the Katana 50 in action and to find the Hangar 9 retailer near you. horizonhobby.com

© 2011 Horizon Hobby, Inc. Hangar 9, Side Force Generators and the Horizon Hobby logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Horizon Hobby, Inc. 35158

BY Daniel Holman

35% Extra 300 A Competition-Ready IMAC and 3D MACHINE!

I

nspired by the enormously successful Hangar 9 35%-scale Extra 260, the new 35% Extra 300 is the result of Mike McConville’s engineering and design. Based on the mid-wing version of the full-scale Extra 300, the model exhibits excellent precision flight characteristics while staying well within the 10% rule for International Miniature Aircraft Club (IMAC) competitions. Extra-type aircraft are a sizable percentage of the International Aerobatic Club (IAC) competitors’ airplanes and are the most popular aircraft series in IMAC and Freestyle competitions.

Hangar 9 has taken the basic Extra 300 and made it into an excellent almost-ready-to-fly (ARF) airplane.

They’ve made it lightweight yet extremely rigid, which gives you an outstanding performer in all aspects

of aerobatic flight. Moreover, the Extra has been proven a worthy competition machine, taking top honors at the 2011 Extreme Flight Championships when flown by Seth Arnold. Already popular less than a year into production, this Extra will continue its presence in the competition scene.

What You Get

The Extra kit comes in three boxes. The largest box contains the fuselage, rudder, horizontal stabilizers, wing and stabilizer tubes, landing gear, pilot bust and all the hardware. The second box contains the wing panels.

The third box is for the fiberglass cowl. The airframe parts are wrapped in large, plastic bags to protect their finish. The hardware comes in bags marked per their need in the assembly.

The kit’s prefabrication is extensive. It includes a cowl that comes mounted, canopy and wheel pants done, a preassembled tail wheel, and a pre-plumbed and mounted gas tank. All control surfaces come prehinged with control horns installed.

The kit promised me a nosweat, enjoyable build, so my first impressions were high.

Kit Components

• Major airframe parts: fuselage, wing panels, tail pieces, cowl and canopy • Painted aluminum landing gear with fiberglass wheel pants and gear cuffs, high-quality rubber wheels, preassembled carbon fiber tailwheel assembly • Carbon fiber wing and stabilizer tubes

This shot was taken during the airplane’s taxiing out for its maiden flight.

The top and bottom color schemes are very different, which makes for excellent orientation against the sky in every attitude.

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Hangar 9 35% Extra 300 • Painted helmet-head style pilot bust • Detailed instruction manual with quality photos of the build steps • All the necessary hardware including: gas tank, preinstalled control horns, Hangar 9 titanium pro-links and heavy-duty balllinks, engine mounting bolts with hardwood standoffs, premounted cowl ring, etc.

• Battery and ignition system mounting straps • Mounts for tuned pipe and canisters • Decal sheets

Needed to Complete

The following is a list of the items needed to complete the model, plus the actual parts selected for the build: Engine Desert Aircraft DA-120 120-cc gas-powered two-stroke

Hovering a plane of this size is relatively easy because of the powerful control surfaces and strong-running DA-120 engine.

At the end of the airfield there’s an old barn. I had fun playing in this area right next the building. The model had plenty of power for climb-outs.

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Another view the DA-120 powerhouse. Note the routing of the spark plug wires as a way to avoid contacting the mufflers.

The beautiful DA-120 produces excellent power with great reliability. Note the foam wrapping on the ignition wiring.

Muffler Desert Aircraft stock Servos Seven JR 8911HV (highvoltage) metal-gear (ailerons, elevators and rudder), one JR DS821HV (throttle), two JR Matchboxes (ailerons) Contorl Arms Seven Hangar 9 1.5-in. aluminum Transmitter JR 11X 2.4-GHz Receiver Spektrum AR9100 Power-Safe Rx Power Two Spektrum 4000-mAh, 2S LiPos w/ two 24-in. battery extensions (EC-3 connectors) Switch JR heavy duty

The throttle servo installation is simple and easily accessible. The fuel line going to the carburetor exits the engine box directly in front of the throttle servo.

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Ignition Battery Fromeco 2300-mAh A123 2-cell Propeller Falcon 28x10 carbon fiber Spinner TruTurn 4.5-in.

Ultimate-style aluminum Fuel Dot Hangar 9 fuel dot filler with T coupler Miscellaneous HD servo extensions, CA glue and accelerator, epoxy, thread-locking compound, mounting foam The Hangar 9 35%-scale Extra 300 looks stunning in the air performing a knife-edge pass, which was effortless to do.

In the Air

At the airfield, the airplane was quick to assemble. Then I performed a thorough radio system range check.

Then it was time to start the engine—choked, it took only five flips of the propeller for the DA-120 to give its distinctive pop.

Choke off, the engine started on the seventh flip—outstanding! Then I ran about a tank of fuel through the engine for break in.

The air was calm and crisp. So, I taxied the Extra 300 out about 100 ft to my left. It ground handles well. Then I lined The 4.5-in. TruTurn Ultimate style spinner the airplane up with the really sets the airplane off, and the beautifully runway and performed crafted Falcon propeller provides excellent performance. a last control check.

Hangar 9 35% Extra 300 Next, I clicked the idle trim up two clicks and increased the throttle to about 65 percent. The airplane surged forward straight and true. With a touch of back elevator, it climbed into the air after about 150 ft.

The airplane’s climb-out was fast.

At 65 percent throttle, the DA-120 in combination with its Falcon 28x10 propeller hauls the 29-lb Extra 300 up at a 45-degree climb angle easily.

I leveled the Extra off around 500 ft, and with a few trim clicks, it was flying straight. Its center of

gravity (CG) was perfect, so I began performing IMAC maneuvers to familiarize myself with the airplane.

The Extra performs fast, clean and precise snap rolls, which stop immediately as you center the sticks. It performs beautiful spins, recovering the instant the sticks are centered. Also, the airplane only stalls when induced to do so. Due to the outstanding tracking, slow rolls and point rolls are effortless. The builtin thrust line felt perfect as vertical lines are almost hands off. Knife-edge

flight is outstanding and requires very little rudder input. There is a small amount of pitch coupling to the gear, but roll coupling is nonexistent even when full rudder is used during a knife-edge climb.

At this point, the engine was warm. So, I brought it down low for Wil to get some photos. Around 200 ft in altitude, I cut the throttle, and after slowing the Extra I yanked fullrate 3D elevator control. The airplane pitched up to about 45 degrees and stopped without a hint of stalling.

My new Hangar 9 35%-scale Extra 300 is captured here popping up into a hover. Let me say that this new Extra commands attention from the spectators!

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Bringing the throttle up slightly, I flew the Extra in a harrier down to head level. At 3 ft off the deck, a small blip of the throttle stopped its descent. Then I held it at 2 ft high and flew it down the length of the runway. The Extra flat turns quite well, so I brought it back to center field, where I rolled it to inverted.

The only wing rock I noticed was with it between 10–30 degrees nose high upright. I found that when the airplane is inverted, some left rudder

The spacious interior of the fuselage makes work inside the model easy and provides lots of wire routing options. Note the foam and Velcro vibration dampening at the connectors right behind the batteries.

The Spektrum AR9100 Power-Safe® receiver is mounted with its battery leads towards the nose. You can see the plastic conduit that holds the tail servo extensions under the turtle deck.

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Rolling harriers seem to be in slow motion. The barn in the background made for some picturesque, beautiful shots of the Extra 300 in action.

Hangar 9 35% Extra 300 and opposite aileron are required because you must compensate for prop torque if the angle of attack (AOA) is past 40 degrees.

After an inverted harrier circuit of the airfield, I opened up the throttle to about 60 percent, with full down elevator and a little left rudder. The Extra stood on its tail and did The wheel pants are aerodynamic to lower The nicely molded fiberglass landing gear cuffs really a beautiful torque roll, drag. They come out of the kit with blind nuts add to the scale appearance and are attached with preinstalled, which makes installation as easy as silicone. See the vent line exiting to the right side of which required only installing two 4×40 bolts with washers. this gear leg. slight corrections from the elevator and rudder.

If you put in full left aileron during and inverted flat spins, coming out simply reverse the rudder to exit level when blipping the throttle and them in a slow flat spin, or center the a hover it produces a blindingly fast releasing the rudder one quarter turn sticks to exit on a straight downline. torque roll that looks stunning! before its exit path. Depending on Tumbles and pop-tops are incredible From the torque roll I pushed the rate of the spin, a little opposite because the airplane carries a lot of the airplane’s nose over and started rudder might be necessary when momentum. A fun tumble to do with a harrier rolling circle that was just blipping the throttle. this airplane is to pull it to vertical feet off the deck. The ailerons are Knife-edge spins are very easy to with full power and 3D rates on, very powerful, which makes roll enter, fast and predictable. You will then throw the rudder stick about reversal at low airspeeds easy. Highalpha four-point rolls are doable with only minimal opposite aileron at every point. Also, high-alpha knifeedge flight is good, but there is a little pitch coupling. You’ll find that the Extra flattens out very well in upright

The aileron servo pushrods, ball links and horns are high quality. They are straightforward to install, so you won’t have any problems with this step. Be sure to use thread locker on the horn’s threads.

The carbon fiber tail wheel assembly is lightweight yet strong. With the elevator and rudder servos in the tail, the linkages are short, which makes them slop free.

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Control Throws and Exponential Low (O)

High (O)

3D (O)

Elevator

20

45

50

Rudder

30

45

50

Aileron

25

30

40

Exponential

20%

25%

27%

Note: I prefer a sensitive and light feel to my airplanes. I recommend that most pilots start out with around 50% exponential on high and 3D rates, then tweak to your liking. I also use 5% less exponential on the rudder than the elevator and ailerons to make the elevator and rudder inputs similar in rolling maneuvers.

50 percent to the left, immediately following that with full down elevator and 30 percent left aileron while reducing the throttle to 50 percent. With correct timing, the airplane exhibits a climbing tumble.

Expanding the maneuver, reverse the aileron just before running out of energy, and it will do half a rotation in a stationary flat spin, stopping at the top—very exhilarating!

After what most pilots would consider a crazy test flight (Wil was pushing me!), I was ready to land

My photographer (the editor) wanted me to do a bit of barnyard “hucking,” which I gladly provided— it let me do a little showboating ;-)

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the Extra. Clicking the idle trim back three clicks, I flew the airplane for a long downwind leg. Then I pulled the throttle all the way back on the turn to base leg. I dropped most of the airplane’s altitude on the base leg, which was followed by a gentle turn to final. Then I put the airplane in a 20-degree sideslip. The Extra gracefully slowed, while shedding its remaining altitude. Ten feet off the end of the runway I leveled its wings and held the slightest amount of up elevator control. The airplane descended slowly in a three-point attitude. At a foot off the grass I gently increased the throttle,

Hangar 9 35% Extra 300 Glistening in the morning sunlight, the Extra sets up for a high-speed pass down the runway. This is one fun airplane to fly in all attitudes.

The generously sized ailerons make for powerful, fast roll rates even in high-alpha flight attitudes. Talk about fun!

I guess my smile says it all about how this airplane performs. I was extremely pleased with what this airplane is capable of delivering in terms of IMAC and 3D.

The airfield where I typically fly my models has surrounding hills that provide a beautiful backdrop for knife-edge passes and more.

which nearly stopped its descent, whereupon it kissed the ground.

The rollout was around 200 ft and straight as an arrow. Whipping the Extra’s tail around, I taxied it back to the pits in a scale fashion, with just a touch of showoff for the guys.

My brother and I did a complete post-flight inspection. Then we refueled it and took to the skies again.

Because everything checked out in the previous rather excessive test flight, it was time to beat it up. Opening the throttle and never backing off 3D rates, I was brutal to the airplane. The Hangar 9 Extra 300 took everything I threw at it, even when pushed hard! As with any high-

powered, lightweight airplane, I must emphasize about using good judgment with the throttle management. If you were to overspeed your airplane it could result in disaster.

Debrief

For an out-of-the-box IMAC airplane, the 35% Extra 300 is an excellent machine. Due to its large

size and light wing loading, all 3D maneuvers leave the pilot with plenty of time to think. So, the Extra will reward you with easy, stress-free flight performance that is rarely equaled in a mass-produced ARF. This model can be flown by an intermediate-level pilot when the controls are set to low rates, or as a serious IMAC machine, or you can fly RC-SF.COM

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Riding the fine line between a harrier and a hover, you can “walk” the airplane around any airfield, but you definitely must be managing controls.

On final approach the model is slowing down for a beautiful landing. The Extra is rock solid all the way to when the wheels touch.

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Hangar 9 35% Extra 300

2011 XFC Champion Seth Arnold’s personal airplane sports custom side-force-generators and DA-120 power also.

At the Illini Super Jets Event Seth put on a great show for the spectators by bringing his Extra 300 down almost onto the deck while in an inverted harrier.

it as an all-out 3D Freestyle monster when using high rates! The color scheme is simple but beautiful, so it is easy to see against the sky in all attitudes. It is easy to transport also, and will fit in a standard SUV with the seats down because it has removable horizontal stabilizers. Although it takes some time to do, the rudder is removable as well. Setup at the airfield is fast, and with the huge removable canopy, equipment access is unhindered.

Priced at just $1099.99, it is an excellent value. I would recommend this Extra 300 to both intermediate pilots and serious competitors.

Specifications Aircraft type

Aerobatic/3D, giant-scale, gas-powered, mid-wing monoplane

Pilot skill

Intermediate to advanced

Wingspan

105 in.

Length

98 in. (rudder to front of cowling)

Wing Area

2003 sq in.

Airfoils

Symmetric

Weight

27–30 lb (ready-to-fly, no fuel)

Wing Loading

30.0 oz/ft2

Controls

Aileron, elevator, rudder, and throttle

Construction

Built-up balsa and plywood structure, carbon fiber wing and stabilizer joiner tubes, aluminum landing gear, fiberglass cowl, wheel pants, and gear cuffs

Channels

6 required and used

Engine

Desert Aircraft DA-120 120cc gas-powered two-stroke

Muffler

Desert Aircraft stock mufflers

Propeller

Falcon 28x10 carbon fiber

Fromeco Scale Avionics 37631 Green Mountain St. Sandy, OR 97055 Phone: 503-715-0020 fromeco.org

Flight Times

10+ minutes depending on throttle management

Transmitter

JR 11X 2.4-Ghz Tx

Receiver

AR9100 Rx

Falcon Propellers 815 Oakwood Road, Unit D Lake Zurich, IL 60047 Phone: 847-438-2233 falconpropellers.com

Batteries

(2) Spektrum 4000-mAh LiPo packs (2S 7.4-volt)

Servos

Seven JR 8911HV highvoltage, digital metalgear servos (ailerons, elevators and rudder), one JR DS821HV highvoltage (throttle) two JR Matchboxes (ailerons)

Instruction Manual

Well written, photo illustrated

References Horizon Hobby 4105 Fieldstone Road Champaign, IL 61822 Phone: 217-352-1913 horizonhobby.com Desert Aircraft 1815 South Research Loop Tucson, Arizona 85710 Phone: 520-722-0607 desertaircraft.com

Tru-Turn ROMCO Manufacturing, Inc 100 West 1st Street Deer Park, Texas 77536 Phone: 281-479-9600 truturn.com

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Hangar 9 35% Extra 300

The Build The instruction manual is thorough, so there is no need for a rewrite here. This section will simply emphasize a few build tips that I think will help you.

The Extra’s kit may seem a little intimidating due to its large size, but don’t worry—most of the parts of this giant-scale airplane are already built.

Additionally, the building process is as simple as installing radio equipment, mounting the engine and installing the landing gear and a few finishing details.

One point that must be stressed before the build is that internal combustion engines in giant-scale airplanes subject the airframe to vibration and stresses throughout the flight. So, the use of blue thread-locker compound on ALL bolts, including engine mounting bolts, control surface linkages, landing gear bolts, etc. is crucial. I recommend thread-locking the cowl and canopy bolts upon initial installation as well.

For the same reason, use thin cyanoacrylate (CA) glue in ALL servo screw holes.

Without using CA, the screws will, in time, strip out of the wood.

Start Here

The build starts with the wing panels. Because the control horns are preinstalled, you only need to install the servos and linkages. Be sure to tie the servo extension connections together with string or with shrink-wrap to prevent them from pulling apart. For the best mechanical advantage, ensure there is perfect parallel alignment between the servos’ control horns and the hinge line of the ailerons. You must install both linkages, but leave the outboard servo unattached. You’ll then program the transmitter so the servos are aligned and in sync. You can use either a JR Matchbox® to sync the aileron servos, or do so mechanically using a heavy duty Y-harness.

Next you’ll assemble the elevator linkages. For this step, the control surfaces must be set to neutral with the servo horn perfectly perpendicular to the chord.

The rudder installation requires some care, and having a second set of hands to help with this step is best. The hinges are glued in the vertical fin and the rudder, but to mount the rudder the connecting wire must be pushed through the hinges.

Using a pin vice to twist the wire will reduce the chance of it hanging up between holes. Lubricating the wire is a must too—have patience and work it slowly.

The rudder servo installation is similar to that of the ailerons’ servos. You’ll, install the servo and ensure a parallel alignment between the servo horn and rudder hinge line. If you’re using low-torque servos there are instructions in the manual for using two—you’ll just mirror the first side.

Installing the preassembled tailwheel is documented well in the manual. Note that the review model’s tailwheel wire did not have one of the locknuts threaded as far as necessary, which resulted in the lower nut backing out during the test flight.

Landing gear installation is easy because it comes predrilled for the axles. The wheel pants have preinstalled blind nuts, and they bolt on with two 4-40 bolts and washers. The fiberglass gear cuffs simply glue on with Shoo-Goo or silicone.

The firewall comes with blind nuts preinstalled. When you use the included 1/4×20 bolts and hardwood standoffs, you can mount the engine in just a few minutes. The throttle servo linkage requires that you cut a slot in the bottom of the firewall, which I did with a Dremel® tool. Unfortunately, my model’s throttle pushrod was too short for perfect geometry, so I made one with comparable size wire. The manual shows the ball link bolted to the outside of the throttle arm, but with the stock mufflers I found it necessary to use the other side of the arm closest to the carburetor to eliminate the linkage rubbing the muffler. I also had to shorten the bolt at the arm for it to clear everything.

I mounted the ignition per the manual and wrapped the spark plug cords with spiral wrap to prevent chafing. The fact that the engine box gets the most 70

RC SPORT FLYER — january/february 2012

vibration of any point on the airplane can cause problems with the battery connections. So, to prevent connector wear, I wrap the connections with foam padding, and then Zip Tie the bundle down so it can’t move.

For the ignition battery I chose a Fromeco 2300-mAh A123 pack. The A123 batteries put out 6.6 volts, which eliminates the need for a voltage regulator. I mounted it neatly beside the receiver packs.

When routing the gas lines, avoid making tight radius bends that could create air bubbles. Secure the lines every eight inches or so with Zip Ties. The Hangar 9 fuel dot and T-fitting were used. Mount the fuel dot per the manual. Next you’ll need to cut the gas line about 10 inches long. It will fit on the clunk’s fitting of the fuel tank and one side of the T-fitting. On the T side of the fitting you will use about six inches of fuel line. It will go to the fuel dot. On the engine side of the T-fitting you will connect enough fuel line to make the run to the engine. Then you’ll drill a hole in the bottom of the engine box in front of the throttle servo. The fuel line will pass through the hole and connect to the carburetor. Make certain that the fuel line will not touch the muffler when it is hot. Use a Zip Tie or safety wire on the connection to the carburetor to ensure that it does not slide off. Route the vent line around the back of the tank as a way to prevent siphoning and out per the manual.

At this point you are ready to mount the cowling. Because the cowl ring comes premounted, it’s as simple as cutting it out to clear the mufflers and bolting it to the firewall with the six 4×40 bolts.

The pilot bust was glued in with 30-minute epoxy mixed with milled fiberglass. Don’t skimp on the amount of glue used because you do not want the pilot being ejected in flight.

At this point, the airframe is complete. All that’s left to do is mount the receiver and soft switch per the manual and tidy up the wiring. As you can see in the interior pictures, I made soft foam mounts with hook and loop straps to hold the connectors down and isolate them from vibration. I recommend doing this because airplanes have been lost due to connector tugging, which can interrupt the connection. I never leave more than eight inches of wire laying loose without securing it.

Next you’ll program your transmitter—in my case a JR 11X. I start by setting the aileron’s control surface throws using only the inboard servos. When the desired controls throws are set, you’ll turn the wings upside down and deflect the ailerons each way to their maximum travel. Then you must check that the outboard servos travel the same amount as the inboards do. Double-check that the ball links always align with the hole in the servo horn. When finished, bolt the outboard ball links to the control horns and double-check their travel.

Here is a caution for the throttle servo: Before binding the transmitter to the receiver, set the throttle servos travel volume in the transmitter to 25 percent each way. Then you increase travel while watching the butterfly valve in the carburetor to make sure the servo doesn’t get over driven.

Once programming is complete, re-bind the receiver to set the failsafe.

Next, bolt the propeller and spinner to the engine. Torque the bolts as recommended by the manufacture. Then assemble the airplane. The dry-weight CG should be four to four and three quarters inches back from the leading edge at the wingtip.

I recommend you tighten the covering with the heat gun and go over all the covering edges with an sealing iron.

There is a nice decal package included in the airplane’s kit, which I installed on my model. However, if you would like to design a graphics package and have it cut, I recommend contacting B&E Graphix (bandegraphix.com).

That’s it! You’re now ready to break in the engine and fly it.

1815 South Research Loop Tucson, Arizona 85710 Phone: (520) 722-0607 E-mail: info@desertaircraft.com Web Site: desertaircraft.com

DA-200

Price $2795

Displacement: 12.20 cin (200 cc) Output: 19 hp Weight: 10.95 lb (4.95 kilos) Length: 9.625 in. (244 mm) Warranty: Two Years

DA-150

Price $1395

Displacement: 9.15 ci (150 cc) Output: 16.5 hp Weight: 7.96 lb (3.61 kilos) Length: 7.67 in. (195 mm) Warranty: Three year

DA-100L

Price $999

Displacement: 6.10 ci (100 cc) Output: 9.8 hp Weight: 5.57 lb (2.53 kilos) Length: 6.5 in. (162.5 mm) Warranty: Three year

DA-50-R

Price $595

Displacement: 3.05 ci (50 cc) Output: 5.0 hp Weight: 2.94 lb (1.33 kilos) Length: 6.7 (170 mm) Warranty: Three year

DA-170

Price $1695

Displacement: 10.48 ci (171.8 cc) Output: 18 hp Weight: 8.05 lb (3.56 kilos) Length: 7.67 in. (195 mm) Warranty: Three year

DA-120

Price $1199

Displacement: 7.4 ci (121 cc) Output: 11 hp Weight: 4.95 lb (2.25 kilos) Length: 6.25 in. (159 mm) Warranty: Three year

DA-85

Price $795

Displacement: 5.24 ci (85.9 cc) Output: 8.5 hp Weight: 4.3 lb (1.95 kilos) Length: 5.9 in. (150 mm) Warranty: Three year

BY James VanWinkle

Citabria

Hang it on its Propeller.You’ll love it!

Complete and sitting on the work bench, the Citabria looks more like a trainer than the 3D-capable performer it proves to be in the air.

W

hether it is aerobatics, bush piloting or glider towing, the Citabria excels at it. Since entering production in the ‘60s, over 5,000 copies of the aircraft have exited the assembly line. Surprising to many, Citabria is actually airbatic spelled backwards.

It was the only production aircraft to be rated for aerobatics when it entered production, and many can still be found at just about any U.S. airport.

Great Planes® has just introduced an exceptional version of this classic, capable of 3D flight for indoors or out. Made of EP foam and colored in a bright red scheme, the Citabria can be ready to take to the skies in a single day. Also, the factory’s recommended setup provides plenty of horsepower to do anything a pilot desires.

Straight from the box, the Citabria comes mostly built with many parts taped or glued in position. This model is easy to assemble.

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Kit

The kit comes packaged well against shipping damage. It includes the following items: • Wings • Fuselage

RC SPORT FLYER — january/february 2012

• • • • •

Landing gear Motor mount Pushrod Control horns Building jigs

Great Planes® ElectriFly® Citabria

Needed to Complete • • •

• • •

Futaba® 8FG 2.4-GHz FAST transmitter ElectriFly RimFire™ 250 outrunner motor FlightPower® EON-X™ Lite 11.1volt 350-mAh 25C LiPo FlightPower 10-amp brushless ESC (3) Futaba S3114 micro high-torque servos ElectriFly PowerFlow™ 8x3.5 Slo-Flyer electric propeller

These are the parts required to get the Citabria ready to fly. No servo extensions or special components are rquired.

With the “crutches” installed, the airplane goes together very quickly with all parts aligned properly. Additional crutches are provided when working on the bottom part of the model, though not shown in this photo.

In the Air

This little airplane looks sharp! But, its capabilities will dazzle anyone.

You must, however, start by following all the recommended cautions about aircraft’s balance, servo directions, battery The standard servo arms are long, but not long charge and just as enough to provide the extreme surface throws this Citabria needs. So an arm is provided that screws onto importantly, cycling the the ailerons’ servo arm. throttle while having someone hold the model to ensure the motor is delivering plenty of power. Since it’s an airplane capable of extreme flight control surfaces throws, I recommend you set up your model as detailed in the manual.

Once you’ve preflighted the airplane you’re ready to go flying.

Advance the throttle and the Citabria leaps off the ground. It can fly pretty fast, but it excels at the slow flight modes that make 3D so impressive. While it is stable in wings-level flight, this airplane is not a trainer by any standard, so flight experience is needed to maintain control. The Citabria fits pilot skill somewhere between intermediate to advanced. It was designed for

Propeller savers prevent firewall damage to the aircraft in the case of a mishap. The rubber band is strong enough to transfer power from the motor to the propeller, yet will snap off if the propeller hits something other than air.

Knife-edge flight is so easy with the model that it inspires confidence to take it extremely low to the ground without crash worries.

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all-out aerobatics, and that is where it wants to be flown. The control throws are extreme, and the Rimfire® power plant provides good 3D performance.

I found that the loops are smooth and rolls are wonderful. The deflection of the control surfaces provides fast roll rates and very quick changes of direction. Knife-edge flight is very smooth and stable thanks to the large side area of Using the methods outlined in the manual, the The ailerons’ servo is installed under the wing. Look the fuselage. Even on pushrod lengths are guaranteed to come out perfect closely and you’ll see that it just glues between some the first flight, I was every time. They attach to this uniquely stiff control foam, so the install is very quick and easy, something horn that is glued to the control surfaces. The horn I really like. comfortable getting the provides the extreme deflections needed for 3D. model extremely low to the ground in knife-edge.

Flat spins, waterfalls and the list goes on and on of what this airplane can do. The lightweight Rimfire motor just delivers a ton of power.

High-alpha maneuvers, where the nose is pitched up somewhere around 45 degrees yet altitude is level or even sinking is a classic 3D maneuver referred to as harrier flight, named for the military’s AV-8 Harrier, which can take off and land vertically.

Most airplanes are not capable of this type of flight for various reasons, such as control throws and lack of sufficient power from the motor, but the Citabria excels in this mode.

It is very easy to fly nose pitched high, while making circles around the airfield at less than one mph. If there is any wind at all, the harrier can be flown into the wind and the Pushrod guides keep the rod running straight This view shows everything installed on the model won’t move forward and instead of bending as the controls are cycled.

Citabria. The battery had to be placed back Each guide fits into a pre-cut slot, so they along the fuselage to obtain proper balance. may even move backward. Even line up without any chance of binding.

The motor used will determine where items purpose-designed 3D aircraft might like the battery should be placed for balance.

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Great Planes® ElectriFly® Citabria There is plenty of rudder on this little Citabria to drive it around the skies as you like, even when you have it inverted and doing harriers—lots of fun!

Inverted flight is a non-issue! Just roll it inverted and fly it like you would when upright. The rudder control is the only thing that takes some getting used to because it moves opposite from the upright position.

experience wing rocking, where the airplane rolls left and right. The Citabria never did for me. It simply locks into high-alpha flight and stays there, with the right combination of elevator and throttle. It is also a good idea to steer more with the rudder in this flight regime rather than use the ailerons, because in so doing the air streams under both wings at all times.

If the airplane should roll and lift is lost, additional throttle and rudder can be used to keep altitude until the wings are level again. It might sound intimidating, but practice on a simulator and in no time this type of flight will become second nature. It is also sure to impress anyone at the airfield, no matter their skill level.

Landings: The Citabria doesn’t need much space, with 10 feet or less being plenty of room to put it down.

A smooth surface is required because the wheels are small and the wheel pants can catch in grass and flip the model. The Citabria does not need much room to fly either. In fact, I flew it in my cul-de-sac several times without ever leaving a 75-ft radius.

Obviously don’t do such a thing until you are very familiar with the aircraft and comfortable flying it. Although small and lightweight, this aircraft is still capable of causing damage to property and people. So fly it in a space that corresponds to your experience level.

Expect flight times of approximately eight minutes when

You can’t get any lower than this! Touching the tail to the ground is a nice challenge, but be careful not to strip the servo’s nylon gears— throttle control is the key.

Slow flight is something the Citabria excels at, and as the speed slows the nose comes up to maintain altitude. The model is very stable throughout the nose-high or high-alpha flight.

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the model is fitted with a 350-mAh battery.

The Citabria did not exhibit any bad flight characteristics such as the tendency to tip stall a wing at low airspeeds.

Rather, the airplane just stops flying and then drops from the sky, wings level until power is advanced again to regain All components get installed in the “fuselage,” as wind under the wings. you can see in this photo. You’ll need glue and some The Citabria is an Velcro to hold things in place. outstanding airplane to fly—giving any intermediate pilot great, builds easily and flies plenty to do to keep entertained. wonderfully. The model can perform It is also a wonderful platform to feats that the full-scale aircraft practice your 3D techniques, all cannot. Any intermediate without risking expensive, larger pilot, to the most aircraft—foam is easy to repaire. This advanced little airplane is all thumbs up across competitor, the board for outstanding flight will find characteristics. joy flying this

As you can see, the airplane uses carbon fiber bracing for the wing. You will not have any trouble installing it. It is explained well in the instructions.

Conclusion

The Great Planes® Citabria is a phenomenal airplane. It looks

3D-capable ElectriFly Citabria.

This gives you a second look at the carbon fiber braces that you must install between the wings and the fuselage.

This model performs in knife-edge flight extremely well. I was doing these types of maneuvers even on the first flight!

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RC SPORT FLYER — january/february 2012

Great Planes® ElectriFly® Citabria

Assembly Like many foamy type airplanes, this aircraft can be ready to fly in a day. There are wonderfully detailed instructions in the manual with plenty of photos to provide visuals for assembly. However, this airplane has some extras included to help get it in the air faster and with less “gotchas.”

The airplane’s assembly is divided into sections, with several already complete.

The landing gear comes assembled, the elevator is already taped in place, as are the ailerons and rudder. There is carbon fiber to stiffen the surfaces, which comes embedded in the parts. That leaves just a few steps to get the airplane from the workbench to the airfield.

After the model was removed from the kit box, I noticed that there were sheets of foam with odd shaped cutouts. After reading the instruction manual I learned these are build crutches. They are designed to provide alignment for the parts as they are glued together.

Assembly of the Citabria is a snap thanks to the detailed manual and preformed parts. The carbon fiber supports for the wings and landing gear are already cut to the perfect lengths, so no effort is required other than placing With its generously sized ailerons, the Citabria is quite easy to hover, and the motor provides plenty of power for this type of fun.

them in the provided slots and gluing them in position.

Pushrods are provided too, with a sidebar in the manual detailing how to set them to the proper lengths. You must glue the pushrod guides to the fuselage to keep the rods from flexing.

Other extras include a large control horn for the ailerons. It mates to a standard servo control horn. This long control horn then provides the large surface deflections that this model uses.

The motor utilizes a propeller saver setup, so if the airplane should land in a position other than wheels first, the firewall won’t break free of the airframe. This is always an issue with foamy type airplanes, so the propeller will prolong the life of the model.

Expect to spend about four to six hours building this model. Much of the work is already done for you, and the provided crutches make the build easier.

Balance the aircraft per the instruction booklet. Note that there are different motor options and depending on which is used, where the battery is positioned will vary.

Distributor Great Planes P.O. Box 9078 Champaign, IL 61826-9078 Phone: 800-637-7660 greatplanes.com

Specifications Wingspan

33 in.

Wing Area

243 in.2

Weight

6 – 6.5 oz

Wing loading

3.6 oz./ft2

Center of gravity

1–15/16 in. back of wing’s leading edge

Transmitter

Futaba 8FG 2.4-GHz FASST

Receiver

Futaba R6004FF mini 4-channel 2.4-GHz FASST

Servos

Futaba S3114 micro high torque (3)

Motor

Electrifly Rimfire outrunner 300

ESC

FlightPower brushless 10-amp

Battery

Great Planes 300-mAh 11.1-volt

Propeller

Great Planes PowerFlow 8x3.5

Retail Price

$49.99

The color scheme on the Citabria is great for contrast between airplane and sky, so you don’t lose orientation in a maneuver.

Here it captured doing rolling harriers, which I proceeded to do all around the airfield. This is one fun little foamy to fly anywhere, anytime.

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Starting with our March 2012 issue, you can get RC Sport Flyer magazine on your iPad. Visit the iTunes store or go to our Website to get a link to where you can download the app.

Once you’ve downloaded it you’ll discover an interactive magazine that offers you more real, useable information than ever before. So you now get both hardcopy and a softcopy issues of RC Sport Flyer just for pointing your browser at: rc-sf.com or by launching the App Store on your iPad.

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RC SPORT FLYER — january/february 2012

•Superior Performance •Selection • Price

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Mark Your Calendar for the Yakima Aerotow The landing fee is just $15 for the weekend.

The skies will be filled with great thermals and, as always, are free.

This site is Glessner Airfield.

The new challenge flight program will be an option to test your soaring abilities. Using the new DX8 telemetry system you will be challenged to release your glider from tow at 300 or 500 feet. Then the challenge is to see who can get the longest flight.

For more information contact

Gene Cope

gliderflyer@gmail.com

F l y

h i g h

w i t h

ICARE

Sailplanes & Electrics Gladiator G2-E Electric Powered Glider Sale Price $399

Wingspan:

1.49 m (59 in.)

Wing Area:

21.5 dm2 (334 sq. in.)

Wing Airfoil:

HN 487

Wing Loading:

13 g/dm2 (3.9 oz/sq. ft.)

1.49 m (59 in.)

Flying Weight:

430 g (15 oz)

Wing Area:

21.7 dm2 (336 sq. in.)

Radio:

Wing Airfoil:

ag455ct-02r to ag47ct-02r

(4) Sub Micro servos and micro receiver recommended Compact 480 brushless

Wing Loading:

13 g/dm2 (3.9 oz/sq. ft.)

Flying Weight:

270-310 g (9-11 oz)

Radio:

Sub Micro servos and micro receiver recommended

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BY Don Porten

DX8 TX w/ AR8000 receiver & TM1000 telemetry Module

DX8

The DX8 is Spektrum’s first aircraft system to incorporate an integrated telemetry system. The transmitter’s screen displays real-time telemetry information.

T

he Spektrum DX8 is the newest member of the Spektrum DSM2TM 2.4-GHz family of RC transmitters. To describe its place in the family, we are going to draw an analogy that certainly all baby boomers in the hobby, and most other younger members as well, can identify with. The comparison is between be the Spektrum DSM2TM 2.4-GHz family in the RC world and the classic Chevrolet family of cars in the late 1950s to early 1960s in automobiles.

Being avid readers of RC Sport Flyer, we are aware (c.f., the inside front cover of the May 2010 issue) that there is a Spektrum DX5e, a DX6i and a DX7.

Taking all of you back to the wonderful days of yesteryear, in 1961 Chevrolet had the three

Case Back The DX8 transmitter uses a 4.8-volt 2000-mAh NiMH battery for power.

The case features a trainer input port, a handle and hand grips that are extremely comfortable in the pilot’s hands.

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RC SPORT FLYER — january/february 2012

traditional levels of car models: Bel Air, Biscayne, and Impala. These models differed in ascending order by increased features and luxury, and also generally in increased cost over the one below it. So it is with Spektrum radios, starting with the DX5e at the bottom, and the DX7 at the top. Not quite so well known was that there was actually a fourth level, the Impala Super Sport, with the Impala SS 409 being at the top of the heap. Now, back to the present, we can put the DX8 where it rightly belongs. The DX8 is truly the Impala SS of the Spectrum DSM2TM 2.4GHz family of radios. We can actually further the analogy, when we realize

Spektrum DX8 transmitter

Left Top Switches and Button

You will not be searching for the F MODE 3-position switch or the gear. They are well placed on the upper left side of the transmitter, as is the Trainer/Bind button.

Right Top Switches and Dial

The rudder’s dual rate switch, a mix/hold switch and the AUX 3 dial are positioned on the top right of the Tx’s case. Again, you will not need to search for them.

that the upper-end cousins, the JR radios, are similar to what the Cadillac is to the Chevy.

DX8 System Features

• Digital DSM2TM spread spectrum modulation • AR8000 dual receivers with 1.25in. antennas • Eight channels • 30 model memory • TM1000 telemetry bodule • SD memory card capability • Improved ergonomics including quad-bearing gimbals • New AirWare airplane and helicopter programming capability • Programmable switch assignment • 3-axis dual rate and exponential • End point adjustments, sub trims, servo reversing • Six programmable mixes • Five-point helicopter throttle and pitch curves • CCPM – 3 Types • Gyro programming • Model Match® • Servo Sync • 1500-mAh NiMH Tx pack and charger

Telemetry

One of the major advancements that the DX8 brings to the consumer is the telemetry. The DX8 is the first eight-channel system that includes the safety and advantages of telemetry, which transmits vital realRC-SF.COM

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Upper Left Corner Switches & Trimmer

You’ll find two 3-position switches above the left stick. They are for elevator dual rate and flap/gyro. There is also a left trimmer. Notice the digital trim levers.

time aircraft status information from the airplane to the transmitter.

What you get in this new system is the ability to get flight and engine information back from the airplane.

The TM1000 Fly-By telemetry module provides peace of mind by keeping track of aircraft vitals. It provides temperature, receiver battery voltage, quality of signal and rpm sensor information, all at a glance of the transmitter’s LCD screen. Onboard sensors allow rpm, battery voltage and temperature to be displayed on screen in real time. Alarms can be programmed to warn of low battery, over temperature, high rpm, and diminished radio frequency signal strength. Its compact, lightweight design offers Fly-By Telemetry data to be transmitted at full range that is typical for the radio transmitter.

Realizing that this new standard of information gathering from the airplane is absolutely certain to evolve, the DX8 is SD-card compatible, which lets you make firmware updates by downloading them from the spektrumrc.com website. That way you will always have the latest software running in your transmitter.

Upper Right Corner Switches & Trimmer

Airborne Components, Plus …

You get an AR8000 DSMX receiver with remote receiver, a TM1000 telemetry module, a 128 MB SD card and the temperature and rpm sensor, plus a Spektrum Tx neck strap.

Servo Setup Screen The DX8 utilizes a roller that can be rotated or pressed and two buttons, Back and Clear, that are used to used to access and program all the functions. Press the ROLLER to access screens or functions. Rotate the ROLLER to adjust values or to select options. Pressing the ROLLER for more than three seconds will return to the main screen. Pressing the CLEAR button returns the highlighted value to its default setting. Press the BACK button to return the previous screen.

Ergonomics

Starting with how the Spektrum DX8 feels in your hands, it is lightweight, with a case that provides a good grip by way of high quality Elastomer material. For a smoother control input feel, it features quad82

You’ll find two 3-position switches above the left stick. They are for aileron dual rate and AUX 2/GOV. There is also a right trimmer. Notice the digital trim levers.

bearing gimbals, which are a huge step up from the brushed gimbals used in the original DX7.

As can be seen from the three close-up photos of the front face and

RC SPORT FLYER — january/february 2012

the top of the DX8 transmitter, the unit incorporates a big, high-contrast liquid crystal display screen that is easy to read even in bright light conditions.

Spektrum DX8 transmitter All of the switches (3-position w/ and mix and gear switch plus an AUX3 dial and trainer button) are laid out well. The trims are all digital and there are two trimmers one right (left of the AUX 2/GOV switch) and

one left (right of the FLAP/GYRO switch). The DX8 has both long and short 3-position toggle switches on both the upper left and right front face. These are easy to reach and very distinguishable by feel, without

System Setup Mode The DX8 organizes the programming screens in two separate categories: System Setup Mode and Functions Mode. The System Setup Mode contains programming that is generally used when initially setting up a model, and is seldom used at the field. System Setup functions includes Model Type, Model Name, Wing Type, (Swashplate Type for Helis) Model Reset, etc. To access the System Setup List, press and hold the roller while turning on the transmitter. When System Setup appears on the screen, release the roller. The DX8 is now in System Setup Mode.

Dual Rate / Exponential To get into the Dual Rate / Exponential screen you simply press the Roller once. Then you “roll” down to the setup screen you want to modify. Note that in this screen you can adjust the exponential curve for any of the three positions of the aileron dual rate switch.

Differential Settings Screen You’ll use this screen to set up differentials (precise up and down travel values) for control such as ailerons. You can program up to three values with switch assignment. You can inhibit any of the available channels as well.

Throttle Curve Screen If you are a helicopter pilot or doing 3D you’ll want to use the throttle curve screen to program your transmitter for the curve that suits your aircraft. You’ll use this to give a linear rate of throttle to stick position or for throttle response sensitivity.

the need to look down at the radio.

Altogether, the DX8 offers eight switches, all of which are program selectable to meet your models’ control configuration preferences.

Notice that each switch is clearly labeled in multi-colored symbols to designate their function. I will make the case here that this is a distinct advantage over other receivers that label switches with only single letters or numbers. The generic labeling of switches is justified in the name of flexibility in assigning functions to the switches. For me this only adds to the complexity of programming the radio. For the less-than-expert pilots, like myself, having the switches hard-labeled is the way to go. All of the stick trims are digital. Two trimmers, one for left, and one for right, are provided. These can be used for trimming all of the controls of the radio. They are well placed, yet out of the way to avoid accidental trimming also.

Ease of Programming

As mentioned above, there is an immediate simplification of programming attained just by the simple issue of the labeling of switches. Beyond that, Spektrum has created an interface and logic in their latest DX8 radio that is easy to use and easy to understand. A much more expansive and user-friendly AirWare software has been incorporated, which offers sophisticated programming to meet the demands of even the most experienced airplane, glider and helicopter pilots, yet an easy-to-use rolling selector combined with intuitive software that makes setting up models quick and easy.

The DX8 organizes the programming screens into two separate categories: 1) System Setup Mode and 2) Functions Mode.

The System Setup Mode contains programming that is generally used when initially setting up a model, and is seldom used at the airfield. System Setup functions includes Model Type, Model Name, Wing Type, (Swashplate Type for Helis) Model Reset, etc. The DX8 includes a 20-model memory for helicopters and aircraft. Function Mode programming adjusts a model’s flight characteristics, such as Dual RC-SF.COM

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Rates (D/R) and exponential, and mixing, at the field.

Programming the DX8 is as easy as click and roll. Press the roller to access screens or functions. Rotate the roller to adjust values or to

select options. To access the System Setup List, press and hold the roller while turning on the transmitter.

When System Setup appears on the screen, release the roller. The DX8 is now in System Setup Mode, from

Flap Setup Screen In this case the Flap screen is inhibited, but you’ll want to use it to program up to three flap positions (normal, mid or land). You can assign these positions to a variety of switches, and you can set up the rate of travel for the flaps here too.

Channel Mix Screen This might be one of the most powerful screens in the radio’s programming. Here you can mix any channel with another. You’d use this for mixing controls such as ailerons to rudder, or elevator to flaps, or spoilers to elevator, etc.

Timers The DX8 has a few options for timing. You can program either a countdown time or a count-up timer. These timers have a alarm built in, so it will annunciate when your time has reached a set point. You can program it to start by way of specific switches or with the throttle stick.

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which selections (Model Type, Model Name, Wing Type, etc.) are made by rolling the roller. To access the Function List, with the transmitter on and the main or telemetry screen displayed (as they would be with an aircraft in the air), one only needs to press the roller. The Function list will then display. Now, selections (D/R, exponential, differential, throttle cuts and curves, and mixing) are made by rolling the roller. It could not be easier; as a matter of fact, the cousin to this radio mentioned earlier uses the same system.

Another welcome feature is the SD memory card capability that allows you to stay up to date with the newest AirWare advancements.

Setting up models goes more quickly with presets available.

Value

At the DX8’s price of $429, with an eight-channel AR8000 receiver and TM1000 telemetry module, it is definitely a good buy for the RC consumer. With further advancements in telemetry coming, this base price is an excellent opportunity to step up to 2.4-GHz technology if you are still using a 72-MHz system. Additionally, if you want to start getting real-time data back from your aircraft, the DX8 system is the way to start doing it now.

Specifications Band

2.4 GHz

Computer Radio

Yes

Experience Level

Advanced

Model Memory

30

Model Type

Airplane

Model Type

Helicopter

Servo Monitor

Model Type

Sailplane

This screen is super valuable during any programming process. It lets you see graphically where the radio says the servos’ travels should be. As you can see, these values are displayed as positive and negative values.

Modes

Selectable 1, 2, 3 or 4

Modulation

DSM2/DSMX

Number of Channels

8

Programming Features

Airplane, Helicopter

Range

Full

Receiver

AR8000

Telemetry

Yes

Price

$429.99

RC SPORT FLYER — january/february 2012

Spektrum DX8 transmitter

SPektrum DX8 Telemetry

By Gene Cope

A NEW Way to Advantage the Pilot The ability to release a sailplane from the tug that is towing it at a set altitude has lots of advantages for both sailplane and tug pilot. The new Spektrum DX8 transmitter, with the telemetry module, provides this capability and more.

So, I just had to have one.

What I discovered is that when using this new system, when a tug or sailplane reaches a preset altitude, an alarm buzzer, vibration or both will go off. Then the pilot knows it is time to release the sailplane from tow. Also, the DX8 transmitter now provides a screen that delivers constant telemetry data including data from the the TM1000 module for battery voltage and engine temperature. If you add the optional modules you can also get altitude, airspeed and engine rpm.

This is the install configuration I used for the AR8000 receivers and TM1000 telemetry modules. The airspeed and altitude modules are daisy-chained to the TM1000 module.

The temperature sensor was attached to the top of the rear cylinder while the rpm sensor was placed behind the engine to pick up a signal from the crankshaft’s pin.

My Setup

For my Cub that I use for aerotowing, I installed two AR8000 receivers. They were bound to the transmitter before the telemetry module was mounted and then bound to the system. The instructions provide easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions.

Once the binding process was done and the transmitter and receiver systems are turned, the telemetry screen on the transmitter displays the receiver voltage.

My Cub is outfitted with a PowerBox system as a way to provide regulated 5.8 volts to the receivers. So, I connected the second lead of the telemetry system to one of the two 4600-mAh A-123 batteries. It monitors the flight pack’s voltage.

The temperature and rpm sensor leads were not long enough to reach from the engine to the telemetry module in this application, so I used the optional 24-in.

The leads from the rpm and temperature sensors were wrapped in a plastic sleeve material for protection against abrasion.

and 12-in. extensions to connect the sensors to the telemetry module. The air speed pitot tube was mounted to the airplane’s right wing support strut. Its tubing gets routed up the rear support and into the wing and exits the wing root, where it is then connected to the airspeed module in the airplane. I chose this location to keep the pitot tube out of the propeller’s wash so that it would record accurate airspeed readings. Note that I daisy chained the altitude and airspeed modules to the telemetry module. Mounting the rpm sensor required some trial fitting to get the proper location of the sensor relative to the engine. The temperature sensor was wrapped around the rear cylinder near the top of the combustion chamber.

In The Air

For testing purposes I set the altitude at 200 feet, but you can certainly set it for any altitude. The alarm was set to tone on both altitude and battery voltage. Note that when you turn off the aircraft’s battery pack the low-voltage alarm will sound on the transmitter until it is also turned off—that makes sense, right? Also, the DX8 transmitter will provide an alarm warning when it is turned on if the throttle’s control stick is set higher than idle, or if the flap switch is in position one or two.

Some errors were encountered on the The location for the airspeed’s pitot tube was placed first attempt to use on the wing’s right strut support. I used plastic wire ties to fasten it in place. The tubing was routed up the the telemetry system. rear strut and into the wing, exiting at the root. The While the altitude alarm tubing then attaches to the airspeed module when I setting was for 200 feet, assemble the model.

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Spektrum DX8 transmitter the transmitter alarm went off at 20 feet. On the next flight the altitude alarm was reset for 1000 feet and went off at 100 feet while the rpm sensor did not provide any readout.

The transmitter’s displays for altitude, airspeed, temperature and voltage were working fine.

A call to the Horizon’s customer support provided an answer to the altitude problem. It was corrected with a firmware 2.03 upgrade to the DX8 transmitter. The problem with the rpm sensor was a bad connection, which I’d made. It was easy to fix, and then the system worked flawlessly.

With the altitude alarm set for 200 feet, a warning screen comes up on the transmitter. It will provide you with the aircraft’s current altitude when the altitude set point is exceeded.

This photo shows that the Super Cub has reached an altitude of 723.7 feet and is flying at an airspeed of 21 miles per hour.

Synopsis

I found the tone alarm to be quite annoying, so I suggest you use the vibrate option for non-vital alarms while keeping tone for The Min/Max screen provides a readout of the The rpm sensor required an adjustment in scaling aircraft’s flight monitored parameters. The maximum via a firmware update. It then provided an accurate more serious issues. values will be stored in the transmitter’s memory until reading, in this case a 2.00-to-1 ratio in the rpm With the problems the Tx is turned off. telemetry setup screen. corrected, using the Spektrum TM1000 gives me what I’ve be longing for in a telemetry system . … year for aerotowing sailplanes. I’ve already thought about having a low-altitude The rpm, temperature and voltage worked flawlessly. I had hoped that the airspeed release contest, where the sailplanes are only towed to say 300 feet and then sensor would go lower because my big Super Cub will fly slower than 15 miles per released. The object would be to see who can gain the most altitude in the shortest amount of time, or get the longest flight. It’s just a thought, but it does hour, which is the low end of airspeed’s sensing range. show you that telemetry offers pilots some new options.

I’ll tell you this much though, I will be using the TM1000 telemetry system next Even with all the new telemetry information available via your transmitter, it is still up to the pilot to make good landings. I’m working on that every flight also.

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RC SPORT FLYER — january/february 2012

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BY Gene Cope

Super Cub 25e It flies like a Giant-Scale but Costs a Whole Lot Less

As you can see, this little airplane will have other pilots’ heads turning when you show up at the airfield with it.

I

’ve got a big, beautiful 40%-scale Super Cub that is powered by a DA-170 engine. It is a ton of fun to fly. Taking it out the airfield and setting it up is another story altogether. It takes a bit of time to get everything in the truck, then unloaded and assembled.

So, I wanted a Super Cub that would fly well, but not require so much time Here are and effort to get to the major the RC airfield. When components I went looking around of the E-flite® Super Cub 25e at different airplanes I ARF airplane. kept coming back to the This is a very E-flite Super Cub 25e. It complete ARF. looked the perfect size for me at a wingspan of 68 inches. Plus it was electric powered, so I knew there would not be any cleanup required after a day of flying.

Importantly, it would fit into my van easily. Also, considering the size of the outrunner motor I was pretty confident that this airplane would have quite good performance in all types of flight.

The items you’ll need to buy include motor, speed controller, receiver, battery and six servos (the Besides, I just like the optional cockpit detail is nice). great looks of this Super 88

RC SPORT FLYER — january/february 2012

Mounting the E-flite® 32 outrunner motor means POWER! It is secured to the motor box by 4-40 socket head cap screws.

E-flite Super Cub 25e Cub with its detailed flaps and easy-to-see-inthe-sky color scheme.

What more could I ask,—how about great price? At $249.99, I thought it was priced right.

What you Get

• Fuselage, wing, empennage built • Top quality balsa Because the wheel collar is contained inside the hub, and light plywood there is lots of room on the wheel for you to add the scale hubcap. Look and you’ll see that even the struts construction have fairings like on the full-scale.

• Covered in genuine ® ® Hangar 9 UltraCote covering • Functional, shock-absorbing main • Factory-painted fiberglass cowl gear with panel lines and magnets • Durable Super Cub wheels and • Corrugation detail on flaps’ and tires ailerons’ control surfaces • Shock-absorbing leaf spring • Functional split-fold cockpit door tailwheel assembly • Scale aluminum wing struts

Carbon rods hold the stabilizer in place. The support wires strengthen the tail assembly.

Careful adjusting is required to avoid warping in the horizontal stabilizer.

• Traditional Super Cub trim scheme • Two-piece plug-in wings Look at how well this airplane is trimmed out. The CG was set per the instruction manual, and no trim adjustments were required.

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Need to Complete

• 5-channel transmitter and receiver • mini servos (6) • 25- to 32-size brushless Mmotor • 60-amp ESC • 4S 14.8-volt 2800to 3200-mAh LiPo battery • 13×6.5 or 14×7 electric propeller • 2-inch aluminum Spinner • Cockpit interior details (EFL460018) • Pilot figure • Light kit

Note that you must slide the retaining rings onto the control clevis after final surface adjustments are made. Here they are not yet in place.

The rudder and elevator servos are easy to install, and they mount neatly in position in the fuselage’s plywood servo tray.

In the Air

From the minute I took control of my E-flite Super Cub 25e I knew I’d made the right choice in a new airplane. This model flies like my large-scale Super Cub, but is definitely easy to transport, assembly and fly.

In the air this model’s E-flite 32 outrunner motor provides tons of power. You can just hit the throttle and watch this little Cub climb, and I mean climb! It is very maneuverable; in fact, I flew it on low-rate controls most of the time. I did not fly it upside down, but I’m sure it would do so, albeit you will need to add a lot of down-elevator control. When I deployed the flaps the airplane slowed right down. I will tell you, that during my first outing with the

If you use the cockpit interior, the receiver mounts to a plate, back with the rudder and elevator servos, which leaves the interior open for the kit install.

In flight, this model is as scale as you could want in an ARF. It looks for all the world like the full-scale airplane.

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RC SPORT FLYER — january/february 2012

The servos mount to the covers rigidly, so in combination with the short control rods, they provide for a strong and reliable control system.

E-flite Super Cub 25e

The Power 32 outrunner definitely gives this model lots of climbing power, while still providing good duration.

Cub I did not have the elevator compensation set right, so after the model landed I added 25 percent flap-to-elevator mix.

I let the editor fly it a bit, and he liked the Cub as well. What he said was that this model is very predictable. It wasn’t tip stall prone, and it slowed down nicely when you pulled the throttle back.

He also found that it was very easy to coordinate turns, you just needed to add a bit of rudder control when applying ailerons. Wil landed the model and confirmed that with flaps down for landing the airplane slows down well. He and I both agree that the spring tension on the tailwheel could be a bit stronger because once the tail drops, the wheel

The wingtip lamp covers are secured in place with a 2×10-mm screw. These lights look fantastic against a dark sky or late in the day.

The rudder’s clear LED light gets soldered to a 36-in. extension in a staggered fashion. It is then glued in the rudder.

The wingtip’s green LED is shown in position, but before the lens cover is glued in position. I recommend you buy the lighting kit!

Two clear LED lamps are used for the wing’s landing light. The connections must be staggered to let them slide through the wing tube.

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is not as effective as we’d both like it.

Assembly

This ARF is very easy to assemble—it doesn’t get much better than this.

What you’ll need to do is install the servos.

That is quick and simple because the servo mounts are done for you. All you do is install If you install the cockpit interior parts, they cover The aluminum spinner finishes the cowling detail the servos in them in the the inside of the cockpit from front to back, which off very well. It is worth the little bit extra it costs in finishes it nicely. terms of adding to the airplane’s looks. proper orientation.

The landing gear is not at all difficult to assemble. It fastens to the airplane by way for four allen head screws. What is really The kit provides panels that fit between the vertical posts and a rear deck that finishes the cockpit’s back. A nice great is that it functions like its fullthree-dimensional instrument panel is provided. The control stick, rudder pedals, brake pedals and removable seats scale version, making for stress-free give this model a nice finishing touch. landings for the airframe.

When the wings are attached to the fuselage, the upper door is held up against the wing by a small magnet The horizontal stabilizer uses two that’s hidden in the wing. A pilot is required for such a nice cockpit. I found one lying around the shop, but she needed a slight alteration in her apparel.

Super Cubs were built to be flown as

Cockpit interior

bush airplanes. Here the pilot makes a pass at an old gravel pit checking out the landing strip.

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RC SPORT FLYER — january/february 2012

E-flite Super Cub 25e

Lighting kit The aircraft’s lighting should be installed before the cockpit interior is installed, which provides better access for leads to the light controller. Also, you’ll need to do a bit of careful soldering of small diameter wires to install the lights. A small-tipped soldering iron is best. Note that the connections must be staggered to provide room in the tubing for the leads. If the heat-shrink tubing overlaps each other, the leads will not fit in the tubing in the wings. In my Cub the controller is plugged into the AUX 2 position on the AR7010 receiver. It was selected on the Mix switch in the setup screen of the DX-8 Transmitter, which lets me turn them off and on.

Here you see how the landing light looks when it is finish and the lens is glued in place—nice touch!

carbon rods, which adds structural integrity to the airplane, as does the tail bracing. These are quick to attach to the empennage.

The windows fit the airplane perfectly. All that is left for you to do is add a small bead of canopy glue to fasten them to the airplane. I used low-tack painters’ tape to keep my model’s windows in place while the glue was setting overnight. In the morning they were glued in tight.

This shows you how well the cockpit looks when it is detailed with the optional kit.

Note the door magnets to fasten it closed.

Look how the LED lights look in action. You really need to see them when the airplane is in flight to appreciate the effect.

Conclusion

For a price of just $249.99 you can’t beat this little airplane in terms of fun factor. I love my 40%-scale Super Cub, but this E-flite Super Cub 25e is an outstanding value for my taste in airplanes. It is easy to transport to the airfield, quick to assemble, has a great set of landing lights, fantastic landing, functional flaps that are detailed per the fullscale Cub and is absolutely a joy to fly.

If I had to rate this model, it would get a huge two thumbs up from me. This is a model that will not be a hangar queen. It will be flown lots in the coming year.

Specifications Experience Level

Intermediate

Wingspan

68.0 in. (1730 mm)

Length

45.5 in. (1160 mm)

Wing Area

670 sq in. (43.3 sq dm)

RTF Weight

5.85–6.40 lb (2.65–2.9 kg) w/ battery

Wing Loading

20.1-22.0 oz/ft2

Propeller

13×6.5E

Spinner

2 in.

Battery

14.8-volt 3200-mAh 4S LiPo

Motor Size

Power 25–32

Trim Scheme Colors

White (U870), True Red (U866)

Center of gravity

2.75–3.00 in. (70.0–76.0mm) back of leading edge

Price

$249.99

Distributor Horizon Hobby 4105 Fieldstone Road Champaign, IL 61822 Phone: 217-352-1913 Horizonhobby.com

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Almost Ready-to-Fly Electric Sport-Scale Airplane

A new “take” on a ‘30s legend. ® ®

greatplanes.com/102g © 2011 Hobbico®, Inc. All rights reserved. 3072779 Distributed by: Great Planes Model Distributors® Company, P.O. Box 9021, Champaign, IL 61826-9021

Like the original, this Mr. Mulligan is a clear winner.

Just 52” in span, it uses a wood airframe, MonoKote® film and painted fiberglass make the profile appear fast, and a replica radial adds more to the authentic detail.

You get a built-for-brushless design and the ease of prehinged ailerons and flaps. Get Mr. Mulligan… and fly a legend today.

Success takes hard work and reliable equipment.

Dave estimates he’s put in 3,500 practice flights since 2006, building up to his win in 2011.

Airplane info: • Wistmodels Bravo, 10.25 lbs • Neu-Motors 1513-2Y F3A • Castle Creations Phoenix Ice HV80 • 10S 5,000 mAh cells • Falcon 20.5 x 14.5 • 3,500 watts peak draw

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Fly like an eagle

NEW Hangar 9 Christen eagle ii 90 ®

Charlie Hillard. Tom Poberezny. Gene Soucy. Together, they formed one of the most electrifying air show acts of all time; The Eagles Aerobatic Flight Team. From 1979 to 1995, the trio thrilled millions while flying modified versions of Frank Christensen’s remarkable Christen Eagle II aerobatic kit plane.

SPECIFICATIONS | HAN5010 Wingspan Length Wing Area Weight Engine

54.0 in (137 cm) 50.8 in (129 cm) 878 sq in (56.6 sq dm) 8.50–10.0 lb (3.85–4.54 kg) .75–.91 2-stroke glow, 1.15–1.25 4-stroke glow Electric Motor: 90-size brushless outrunner Transmitter 4+ channel with 5 servos & Servos (4 servos if electric power)

Now you can fly like an Eagle with this .90-size Hangar 9 ARF that possesses the same eager control response, bulldog charm and vibrant trim scheme that made the original Christen Eagle II such a fantastic performer. Constructed of top quality balsa and light plywood, it comes decked out in a genuine 8-color UltraCote® trim scheme that brilliantly replicates the colorful Eagle design.

Other scale touches include painted fiberglass wheel pants, a painted fiberglass cowl, pilot figure and instrument panel details. You even have the option of flying with glow or electric power.

Shown with optional spinner.

Get to Hangar-9.com right now to see the Christen Eagle II 90 in action and to find the Hangar 9 retailer near you. horizonhobby.com

© 2011 Horizon Hobby, Inc. Hangar 9, UltraCote and the Horizon Hobby logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Horizon Hobby, Inc. Aviat®, Aviat Aircraft™ and Eagle II™ are trademarks or registered trademarks of Aviat Aircraft, Inc. 33198