RC Sport Flyer May 2012 (Vol 17-03) by RC Flyer News

J-10B EDF Test pg 76 World’s Most In-Depth RC Aircraft

Sukhoi SU-26MM Flight Report

3 BIG BUILDS

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Chris Wolfe, an aerospace engineer, resides in San Diego, California and flies at scale rallies and competitions in the Western US. His skills come from years of work developing kits and products for Jet Hangar Hobbies, Inc. Jet info: • Kit: Jet Hangar Hobbies, Inc. (ALL details were scratch built) • Fan: JHH 12s E-Turbax EDF • ESC: Castle Creations Phoenix Ice2 HV 160 • Motor: Neu 1527/1.5Y motor • Battery: Neu Energy 12s1p 6200 mah

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Jim Cooney launches his Multiplex Cularis RTF glider at the Alpine Soaring Adventure—pg 41

Get the inside scoop on how to build this Mountain Models Hiperbipe electric-powered airplane—pg 24.

Daniel Holman gives you a very in-depth flight report of how the huge Hangar 9 ARF 3.1m Sukhoi SU-26MM performs when powered by DA-170 two-cylinder engine.

HUGE! Hangar 9® 3.1m Sukhoi SU-26 MM Flight Report, pg 54 6

RC SPORT FLYER — MAY 2012

DEPARTMENTS 10

LEADING EDGE

ADVERTISER INDEX

MYSTERY AIRPLANE

BUILD

WINGS, PART TWO The second part of Building Wings explains how to cut, sand and make wing ribs and sheeting. By Jeff Troy

SORRELL SNS-7 HIPERBIPE See why building a laser-cut kit can and does provide real enjoyment for you as a modeler and pilot. By Jerry Smith

THUNDER TIGER RAPTOR This step-by-step build on the new Raptor G4 will show you how a pro builds an RC helicopter. By Marcus Hubbard

MARCH/APRIL 2012 SOARING—FOX GLIDER Learn how to make a direct-drive rudder control system for your next large-scale glider. By Wil Byers

AEROTOW GLIDER Dave shows you how he converts an Easy Glider to a glider that can be used as an aerotow trainer. By Dave Darr

PARKZONE SPITFIRE Check out this liittle warbird to see why it makes for a great looking and flying WWII fighter. By Marcus Hubbard

WING MAKER J-10B EDF In this report, we put you in the cockpit of this electric-powered ducted fan Chinese jet fighter. By James VanWinkle

PARKZONE F-27 STRYKER See why pilots are raving about how much fun this new UM F-27Q Stryker flying wing is to fly. By Daniel Holman

pg 45

PHOTO SPREAD PAU 35% EXTRA 300 Get a close-up look at Herve Lejeune’s big DA-120-powered PAU Extra 300 3D machine. By Joe Nave

COLUMN

HOW TO

REVIEWS

FLIGHT TEST

HANGAR 9 SUKHOI SU-26 We give you a huge test report on the DA-170-powered 40-percentscale 3.1m Sukhoi SU-26MM. By Wil Byers & Daniel Holman

pg 70

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RC SPORT FLYER — MAY 2012

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Contributing Editors: Don Bailey, Sleepy Cinch, Gene Cope, Daniel Holman, Mike Hoffmeister, Marcus Hubbard, Richard Kuns, Bob McGowan, Joe Nave, Steve Rojecki, Gary Ritchie, Richard Tacklind, Jeff Troy, James VanWinkle

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WIL BYERS

hank goodness that the flying season is but a few weeks away for those of us that live in the northern climes. It has been a long winter! I’m now looking forward to attending the Southeast Electric Flight Festival (SEFF) in Americus, Georgia. It has become the quintessential electric event. This year it runs from April 23rd thru the 29th. This is an extremely fun, fun fly type event, that happens at Hodges Airfield. There are thousands of models to see, many super nice people to chat with, lots of flying of all types, a fantastic barbecue on Saturday night and the weather promises to be superb, which I desperately need. I hope to see many of you there. Build ‘Em This month we have three build articles packed into the issue, plus my own how-to article in

the soaring column. If you have a want to build an airplane rather and buy one you should read the Hiperbipe build article by AMA Hall of Famer Jerry Smith. He explains how you too can get real joy out of building a Mountain Models’ Sorrel SNS-7 HiperBipe. Jerry recommends kit building as a change from almost-ready-to-fly (ARF) airplanes, and I agree. Helicopter pilots will be very interested in Marcus Hubbard’s part one report on assembling the new Thunder Tiger Raptor G4 glow-fuel-powered model. This new flybarless helicopter is setting new standards in terms of engineering and performance, which means the Raptor is now the helicopter that pilots want to fly. Marcus’ Raptor is powered by the O.S. Engines tuned .91 HZ-R 3D engine that is married to a Hatori SB-21FH pipe, so it pumps out some real power. In the next issue, we’ll give you a complete flight report on this helicopter, plus some outstanding video that you’ll be able to see on YouTube. As always, you’ll get a very in-depth report on this superb machine. In part seven of Jeff Troy’s build series he takes you step by step through how he builds the wings for his 108-inch wingspan Dallaire Sportster. Again, he gives you the straight scoop on how you should build a set of wings if you want them to be straight, strong, and to work properly to fly your airplane. As I read his columns each month I keep learning new ways of building. You will too! So, don’t skip a one. And, even if you don’t build from scratch you’ll learn some professional tricks and tips that will give you the skills to repair your model should it be damaged, which can save you lots of money in the long run. The soaring column this month has me explaining how I installed a direct-drive servo system for the rudder of my 33%-scale Fox glider. I had lots of fun engineering this system and then installing it in the model. I must say that when I plugged the servo into the receiver and tested how the direct-drive system worked it was a real joy to watch it run. If you’re like me and enjoy a challenge or learning a new way of building give this article a read. Don’t forget to give me your feedback because I always like learning new tips and tricks from you. Let me end this column by pointing out that RC Sport Flyer magazine is hosting two events this year. The first is the annual Alpine Soaring Adventure that is held in Joseph, Oregon (July 5–8). You’ll read more about it in my soaring column. The second event is the new Washington Warbirds event (Aug 31 thru Sept 2, 2012). It will be held at a fantastic site, the Goldendale, Washington Municipal Airport, which is 3490 feet long. You’ll be able to get more information shortly from RC-WarBirdFlyer.com. We look forward to seeing you in Goldendale.

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BY Jeff Troy

WINGS, PART TWO HOW TO GIVE YOUR AIRPLANE’S WINGS A LIFT

hile the fuselage of an airplane typically carries the pilot, the engine and all or part of the landing gear, the wing is the airframe component that carries it aloft. Five wings will be constructed in this build series, each of which will present an opportunity to pass along a few tips to make building more fun, more accurate and easier than ever. My last installment showed you the basic framing of three one-piece wings for the Fokker Dr.1 triplane, a quarter-scale model designed by Nick Ziroli. Future installments will detail the Super Sportster 60 aerobat from Great Planes® Model Manufacturing Company, the sporty Super Decathlon from Dynaflite® and the popular two-place Spacewalker II, a quarter-scale kit from the Sig® Manufacturing Company. Today’s installment covers the wing framing of the 108-inch Dallaire Sportster, an absolutely lovely version of the classic oldtimer design, brought to you in kit form by Bill Shive and Bob Klaus of Shive Specialties and sold exclusively through Penn Valley Hobby Center (pennvalleyhobbycenter.com). The Dallaire Sportster features a

combination of cleanly die-cut wing ribs, dozens of hand-selected balsa sheets and sticks, laser-cut flying surface tip pieces, an ample selection of hardwood sticks, music wire for the landing gear, clear acetate for the cockpit glass and a few bits of hardware. The Dallaire’s instruction manual assumes that the kit builder has some degree of previous modeling experience, and when you think about it for a minute, it’s a very logical assumption. The Dallaire Sportster spans 108 inches, which makes it a fairly sizable airplane. It’s also a basic “stick” model, so very little in the way of bulkheads, formers, keels or other factory-formed parts are needed. Construction is easy, but different in many ways from how many contemporary model airplanes are constructed. A beginner can get through it, but his or her absolute attention and concentration are mandatory. RC pilots who are just getting into model airplane construction would have no reason to know about one of the legendary Carl Goldberg’s most significant contributions to the aeromodeling hobby: the Eaglet 50 trainer. Regardless of whether you

The shape of the Shive Specialties Dallaire Sportster’s undercamber airfoil is clearly demonstrated against the grid lines of this Excel cutting mat. The bottom of each rib is concave, much like the wing of a bird.

RC SPORT FLYER — MAY 2012

built the Eaglet for three-channel flight or chose to add ailerons for four-channel, full-house control, the Eagle 50 was a very nice airplane. However, the little Eaglet’s groundbreaking feature was not its performance, not its kit quality and not its good looks. It was the instructions. Mr. Goldberg changed the way the entire hobby industry operates with his innovative and then-unique, step-by-step manual for the model. Before the Eaglet 50, most airplane kits had a good portion of their written instruction printed directly on the plans in short bursts of text. Now and then you might find some form of detail in those instructions, but more often than not, all you got was a simple, “Build the wing according to plan.” Carl Goldberg’s game-changing manual took you through every phase of his Eaglet’s construction from basic preparation to adhesive and accessory selection and specific recommendations, to sanding procedures, covering instructions and even basic flying techniques. Each step had a photo or drawing to complement the information on the full-size plans, and every

Four ribs must be trimmed to accommodate the wing’s 1/16-in. center-section sheeting. I made quick work of this by positioning one rib over another rib with a 1/16-in. difference, then trimming the edge of the lower rib. I made the bottom cut first, then the top.

WINGS, PART TWO

This image clarifies the trimming required for the four centersection ribs. Lay one rib down on the work surface, then place another rib over the first rib, sliding it slightly upward and then downward to get its edge 1/16 in. away from the edge of the lower rib.

Several sheets of 1/16-in. balsa are provided in the Dallaire Sportster kit. A few of these are used to create the wing’s center-section sheeting. Measure the width of the sheeting, then use a straightedge over the sheets to ensure a straight cut with the hobby knife and the least amount of waste.

step concluded with a check box to remind you that it had been completed and the next step could be started. Today, almost every model you purchase comes with just such a manual, and because of this, the chances of beginners building a properly constructed model have gone from merely hopeful to almost certain. I’ve explained all this to help you understand why the Dallaire Sportster is not recommended as a beginner’s project. The kit is professionally done, the quality of the contents is top shelf and the model isn’t particularly difficult to construct, but missing from the kit, and the reason that some degree of previous modeling experience will be helpful if you choose to build one, are all those

The Dallaire’s wing tips are made from three laser-cut balsa parts. Pin the center part, then hold the other two parts in position while applying thin CA adhesive. Parts can all be pinned down for a few minutes to ensure a thorough cure.

Five lengths of 1/16-in. balsa are glued together to make each of the four required sheets. Line the pieces up as closely as possible and glue them together with drops of thin CA along each seam.

Goldberg-esque infinite details in the instruction manual. The model comes with a manual, and it’s a very good one, but it’s written for people who already have a basic understanding of model airplane construction. It just doesn’t go into all the little items that an experienced builder would most likely take for granted but a newbie would have no reason to know. That’s where RC Sport Flyer and I come in: the primary purpose of this ongoing build series is to suggest methods and materials to help you build better model aircraft. The primary difference between the Dallaire’s wing and most modern model airplane wings is its undercamber airfoil. Undercamber indicates that the airfoil shape of

the bottom of the wing is neither flat nor convex, but concave. Almost all early full-scale aeroplanes used undercamber in an attempt to emulate the wings of a bird. It worked but gradually fell to the wayside as aircraft designers strove to attain greater airspeed and aerobatic capacity from their aircraft.

UNDERCAMBERED

Model wings with undercamber can sometimes be time-consuming or even difficult to construct, but not the Dallaire Sportster’s wing. Begin by taping the plans to your work surface and covering them with waxed paper, baking parchment or Great Planes Plans Protector, then follow the parts locator in the manual to collect all the sticks, sheets, die-cut and laserRC-SF.COM

cut parts for the model’s wings. Sand the back of each sheet of die-cut ribs. Use 100-grit sandpaper on a Great Planes Easy-Sander or ADC Tee-Bar Sander, or a 150-grit Perma-Grit flat tool. Work carefully, and use only moderate pressure on the sander to prevent breaking the parts out of the sheets. After cleaning the sanding dust from your work area, remove the ribs from the sheets and check the number of parts against their locations on the full-size plans. After you’ve framed the Dallaire’s wing panels, the center section will be sheeted with 1/16-inch balsa on the top and bottom. To prevent the sheeting from bulging the wing at its center section, the ribs that fit between the sheeting must be trimmed, top and bottom, by 1/16

7 16

of an inch. I found that the quickest and easiest way to do this was to lay one rib down on the work surface, then place another rib over the first rib, sliding it slightly upward to get its bottom edge 1/16 of an inch away from the bottom edge of the lower rib. When the placement looks right, use light strokes of a no. 11 blade in a no. 1 knife handle to cut away the exposed 1/16-inch of wood from the lower rib. Now repeat the same procedure for the upper edge of the rib. A total of four ribs will have to be trimmed in this manner. It’s a good idea to prepare the center-section sheeting now while the work area is still reasonably clear of wing structure and debris. Use the plans to determine the correct width of the sheeting, then add approximately 1/4 inch to give you

When the cyanoacrylate glue has penetrated and cured, use 180- to 220-grit sandpaper on a bar sander to flat-sand one side of each sheet.

Here are the prepared center-section sheets and wing tip parts for the 108-in. Dallaire Sportster. This model is manufactured by Shive Specialties and available exclusively through Penn Valley Hobby Center in Lansdale, Pennsylvania. RC SPORT FLYER — MAY 2012

some excess for sanding. Cut the necessary number of pieces from the 1/16-inch balsa sheets so the grain of the wood will run spanwise (rootto-tip) when the center section is sheeted. Glue five pieces of sheeting together by holding them end-toend and applying a drop of thin CA adhesive at every inch or so along the joint line. Capillary action will draw the adhesive into the joint and spread along the seam. You will need a total of four completed sheets to cover the center sections of the two wing panels: two sheets for the bottoms and two more for the tops. Once the adhesive on the four sheets has thoroughly cured, turn the sheets over and flat-sand them smooth with 180- or 220-grit paper

One edge of each sheet must be trued to create a properly finished look beneath the model’s covering. Here I show my edgeof-the-bench technique for sanding a dead-straight line.

For the first wing panel, I cut a length of 1/16-in. balsa to elevate (shim) the forward edge of the trailing edge part. This shim ran the full length of the wing panel. Notice how I’ve pinned the part to the plan.

WINGS, PART TWO

The Dallaireâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s trailing edge is pinned down with its forward edge resting on the 1/16-in. shim. This sets the trailing at an angle that matches the angle of the wing ribs. Note the use of a metal straightedge to ensure that the trailing edge is pinned down straight along its entire length.

Sheer webs are vertical-grain sheets that fit between the ribs and tie the upper and lower spars together. Their purpose is to prevent wing failure from spar separation, so be certain that each web is accurately fitted and glued securely against the faces of the upper and lower spars.

on the bar sander, then use the sander to even the sheeting along one edge. This finished edge will be the outside edge of each sheet, the edge that faces the wing tip. The flat-sanded side of the sheets will go on the outside of the wing with the un-sanded side facing the inside of the wing. The wing tips are each constructed from three laser-cut parts. They are best joined by pinning the outermost part down over the plans, then holding each of the other two parts tightly against the first while you wick a few drop of thin CA into the joint. Where working space permits, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll find that holding

A small upright tool or triangle is helpful to set each rib at the correct 90-degree angle to the work surface. These small, metal tools are available in an inexpensive set from Great Planes Model Manufacturing Company. Straight is straight, and you just canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t beat having the right tools to get the job done.

The Dallaire wing carries a rear spar between the trailing edge and the main spar. The rear spar is sometimes referred to as a sub spar or drag spar. Note that a number of individual shims are now supporting the trailing edge, which worked out much better than the full-length shim.

these parts while applying glue can sometimes give a tighter joint than pinning them down. Now that the center ribs, sheets and tips are prepared, you can begin to frame the wing panels. The rib spacing is the same from root to tip, so the left and right panels can both be built over the single-panel drawing on the plans. Just remember to build one right and one left panel, not two lefts or two rights. Begin framing by positioning the trailing edge. Because of the flow angle of the undercamber, the trailing edge does not get pinned down flat to the work surface. Instead, the forward edge must be blocked up

by 1/16 of an inch along its entire length. I made a shim for the first wing panel by cutting a full-length strip of 1/16-inch balsa sheeting and pinning it down so that approximately 1/32 of an inch would be under the forward edge of the trailing edge. Then I positioned the trailing edge and pinned it down. This worked out fairly well, but because the full-length shim came into contact with each rib-to-trailing edge joint, the shim was glued to the structure at almost every joint. When I built the second wing panel, I used several scraps of 1/16-inch wood for shims. When these single lengths were glued in, they were much easier RC-SF.COM

The leading edge must be centered over the nose of each rib. I use thin CA to hold the leading edge in position until the panel is removed from the work surface. Then a proper fillet of gapfilling CA can be applied to each joint.

The Zona kerf saw is the ideal tool for quickly cutting the balsa strips into 45-degree triangles. Cuts are not critical because each triangle will be sanded to fit as it’s installed, but try to get as close as you can to 45 degrees with each cut.

to break or sand away from the ribto-trailing edge joints. Plans can often shrink or expand with temperature and humidity, so use a few ribs with their tails against the trailing edge to ensure the correct location of the main spar. This is an appropriate place for me to mention that the ribs in the Dallaire kit are all die-cut neatly, with the notches being a good fit to the spar. Pin down the main spar, then position one of the ribs. It’s helpful to use a small triangle or upright tool to ensure that each rib stands at a perfect 90 degrees to the work surface. Now that you have the procedure down, add all the remaining ribs except the root rib. The root rib will be installed at an angle to match the dihedral brace 18

RC SPORT FLYER — MAY 2012

Trailing edge joints can always benefit from a little reinforcement, especially when the trailing edges are not notched to accept the ribs. Try stacking a few sheets of 1/8-in. balsa and cutting them lengthwise to use as trailing edge braces.

When cut correctly, each triangle will have its grain running at 45 degrees to both the trailing edge and the wing rib. This grain direction provides the maximum strength to the balsa-to-balsa joints at the trailing edge.

that holds the two panels together. The simplest way to get the angle right is to create a template from cardstock or light cardboard. Use the dihedral brace to make the template, then use the template to set the angle of the center rib. The center rib can be placed into the structure, but will not be glued into the wing until after the two wing panels have been joined. Add the upper spar, followed by the rear spar, which is also often referred to as the sub spar or drag spar. Sheer webs are installed next, and the Dallaire’s webs are factory cut slightly oversize to ensure proper fit by the builder. Because of this, each one must be trimmed at one edge to fit correctly between the ribs. The purpose of the sheer webs

is to tie the upper and lower spars together so they cannot separate under load, which basically means carrying the weight of the model in flight or through maneuvers without wing failure. Use a small metal straightedge to trim each sheer web, then check it carefully for proper fit before gluing it into the structure. Each web must rest flat on the work surface and be glued to the forward face of the upper and lower spars, and to the ribs on either side of the web. My adhesive of choice for this task is gap-filling CA because it will give you a few seconds of working time to make sure that each web rests tightly against the spars. The leading edge is next, and it must be notched to accommodate

WINGS, PART TWO the balsa wing tip. This is exactly the same construction technique used for the Dallaire Sportster’s stabilizer/ elevator and vertical fin/rudder components. Apart from notching the tip end, the only caution for installing the leading edge is to be certain that it is centered evenly against the nose of each rib. Thin or gap-filling CA is fine for the spars and leading edge. I am not a big fan of trailing edgeto-rib joints without notches in the trailing edge. Joints like those are all too easy to separate if there is any stress on the trailing edge. In this case, notching the trailing edge would have altered the chord dimension of the wing, so I chose an even better method of reinforcement—small

balsa triangles that fit neatly against each rib-trailing edge joint. Stack three or four sheets of 1/8inch balsa, then use a straightedge to cut them into 1-inch-wide strips. Use the Zona® kerf saw to cut the strips at 45-degree angles, which will form triangles. Note that cutting the triangles in this manner results in the grain of the wood running at a 45-degree angle to the ribs and trailing edge, which provides the greatest strength to the joint. I installed one triangle on each side of each rib, but only on the inside surface of the tip rib. Try to center the triangles so they will not contact the model’s covering when it is applied.

Wing tip supports are glued into the structure at the main and drag spar locations. Note that the shape of these parts causes the wing tip to bow upward rather than stay level. The trailing edge must be cut at a matching angle to the rear of the wing tip, and the leading edge must be notched to accept the front of the wing tip.

The center, or root, rib will not be permanently installed until the wing panels have been joined. It is, however, necessary to temporarily install it so that the center-section sheeting can be properly trimmed to fit. I use a straightedge to ensure that the rib does not bow inward or outward along its length.

The wing tips are supported by two balsa parts that follow the run of the main and drag spars. These parts are notched at the ends to accept the wing tips. The trailing edge must be trimmed to match the angle of the wing tip, and the Zona saw is the ideal tool for the job. After the tip support parts are glued into the structure, you can trial fit the wing tip by applying thin or gap-filling CA when the tip fits tightly against the trailing edge, and into the notches in the leading edge and support parts. Remember those root ribs that haven’t been installed yet? Well, they still won’t be permanently glued into the structure, but you will use them now to sand angles into the ends of

In this image, the wing panel is resting upside-down on the work surface with the wing tip glued into its proper position. The image also shows off the undercamber shape of the airfoil, as well as the upward bow of the wing tip.

Tack-glue the center rib to the structure with just a single drop of thin CA at each contact point. Use a bar sander to cut the correct angle into the leading edge, trailing edge and spars.

RC-SF.COM

WINGS, PART TWO

Position one piece of center-section sheeting over the wing panel with the trimmed edge aligned with the outer rib. Hold the sheeting in position while you draw the contour of the root rib onto the underside of the sheet.

After trimming the edge to the pencil line, place the sheeting over the wing and clean the edge with a bar sander. The objective is for the edge of the sheeting to conform to the angle of the root rib. Carefully break the root ribs away from the structure when the sanding is finished.

the spars, leading edges and trailing edges, and to rough-trim the inside edges of the upper wing sheeting. Use the cardboard template you made to position the center rib at the correct angle, then use a straightedge to ensure that the rib is

RC SPORT FLYER — MAY 2012

Use a no. 11 blade in a no. 1 hobby knife handle to cut the sheeting along the pencil line. Here I’m free-hand cutting the sheets, but you might want to use a ruler. Also, don’t try to make the cut in one pass—take a few to get it right.

Two wing panels, two root ribs, three plywood dihedral braces and four center-section sheets will be used to complete the Dallaire Sportster wing in the next issue of RC Sport Flyer. The sheeting for the three Ziroli Dr.1 triplane wings will also be installed in that lesson.

dead straight along its entire length. Once the rib is positioned correctly, use a small drop of thin CA at each contact point to hold the rib while you work. Don’t overdo the adhesive: your goal is to tack-glue the rib so it can be broken out of the structure later without damaging the rib or the parts it contacts. With the root rib tacked in, use the bar sander to flatsand the correct angles on the spars, leading and trailing edges. Place one of the balsa centersection sheets you made over the center section of the wing panel. The sheet should overhang the root rib and line up with either the leading edge or the trailing edge. The sanded edge of the sheet should be evenly aligned with the second rib. Holding the sheet in that position, use a soft pencil to mark the root rib angle

onto the underside of the sheet. Cut the sheet along the pencil line, then fit it back over the wing panel and flat-sand the edge with the bar sander. The sheeting will be cut to fit between the spars and installed after the wing panels have been joined with the three plywood dihedral braces. That will happen, along with installing the wing sheeting for the Ziroli Dr.1 triplane, in my next installment for RC Sport Flyer. 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.

RC SPORT FLYER â&#x20AC;&#x201D; MAY 2012

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BY Jerry Smith

THE SORREL SNS-7 HIPERBIPE MOUNTAIN MODELS RECREATES AN EXCITING BIPLANE

ack in the “old days,” and I was there, model airplane kits were built by the modelers who flew them. The kit came in a box that was adorned with an enticing picture of the airplane on it. The airplane on the box was built by a professional, so it looked its best. Inside the box were the construction plans, sticks of wood along with sheet balsa that had printed parts on them, and there was some hardware included too. Cutting the parts from the sheets of wood was the hard part. How well you cut the parts The Hyperbipe kit parts are laser-cut sheets—37 in out of the wood was all. The windshield and cowl are vacuum-formed. It directly proportional comes with Du-Bro hardware and the necessary music wire for landing gear and servo linkages, plus a great to the fit when building. set of instructions. What a pain! I can remember filling the gaps between parts with designed offered almost every white glue. At that point in time it month. Alternately, there are a few was a fun and rewarding experience. manufacturers who have remained It was another age. committed to the kit builder. Today the manufacturers sell However, their kits do often provide almost-ready-to-fly (ARF) aircraft. the builder with laser-cut parts. It seems that there is a new Mountain Models is one such 24

RC SPORT FLYER — MAY 2012

The Sorrel SNS-7 Hiperbipe looks fantastic from any angle. It is a Mountain Models laser-cut kit that you must build. The model is powered by an electric motor and a LiPo.

The cabin area is shown complete and ready for the sides to be joined. Note that there isometric drawings in the instructions, which provide and excellent references for the builder. The sides are precisely keyed to the cabin.

manufacture. The company is located in Wisconsin and operated by Brian Eberwein. Brian’s kits are laser cut. Mountain Models’ kit parts offer breath-taking accuracy for ease of assembly. Brian has taken his kits a step further by providing an

THE SORREL SNS-7 HIPERBIPE instruction manual with isometric 3D CAD drawings of the parts as they must be assembled. This provides a very clear picture of assembly for the builders. This is the first kit that I have seen where the manual offers this level of detailâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and I have looked at many! To see their manual go to mountainmodels.com, click on HiperBipe, then the manual tab. You will see what I mean.

This shows the nearly complete fuselage. When the sides are joined, everything is squared before glue is appliedâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;no worry about a crooked fuselage. Just make sure the tabs are fully engaged.

The tail feathers build fast because of their interlocking joints. No plans are required either. Just press the parts together, apply thin CA on each joint and you are done with the part. What could be easier

The tail feathers are shown installed. The laser-cut parts mean all the parts are located properly. The vertical locks into a slot in the horizontal stabilizer, with the sub fin providing positive alignment for both.

Here you get a good look at the underside of the fuselage and how well all laser-cut parts fit together on my little HiperBipe. It made for a very fun project as well as good flyer.

HISTORY

The full-scale HiperBipe was never offered as a real plansbuilt airplane. Instead the builder got four wood wings. They were built like an RC airplane wing: wood spars, wood ribs and plywood sheeting on the bottom surface. They were ready for inspection and closing up by the builder.

This gives you a good look at the airplane and what a nice model it makes. The full-scale airplane was also a kit project for homebuilders.

The fuselage was delivered with the left and right sides welded to form the airfoil shape, but the builder had to weld the tubing! Add to that the fabrication of the aileron/flap mixer (a whole lot of parts), as well as the rest of the airplane and you can see that the build had about 3,000 manhours to get the airplane airworthy.

The electric motor system I used in this Hiperbipe provides lots of power for steep climbs, aerobatics, and just fun, relaxing sport flying

RC-SF.COM

When complete, the airplane had a 47-inchwide comfy cabin, a top speed of 190 mph, (165 cruise) and it was highly aerobatic. It is a great airplane! There are about 53 HyperBipes still flying today.

KIT CONTENTS

• 37 sheets of laser-cut balsa and plywood • Hardware: nuts, bolts, dowels, carbon fiber, magnets, wheels, pushrod housings, pushrods, and Velcro® • Vacuum-formed cowling and windshield

Windshield is removable part, which then provides access for installing battery. It is held in place with clips at one side of the fuselage and magnets at the other. It won’t come loose it in flight either—an excellent design feature!

The aileron servos are located in the lower wing, and are laid on their side. I found this somewhat problematic, but with a little patience I got them installed. The screw holes were drilled at a slight angle with a pin vice drill.

•

NEEDED TO COMPLETE

• Power: Scorpion 2215-1127 outrunner 20-amp ESC • Four Hitec HS-55 servos • Battery (3S-1300–1500 LiPo) • Mini Rx (Berg 4L, Spektrum® 6110e) APC 10x5e

propeller Transmitter (4 channel+) • 2 Rolls So-Lite covering • 1 to 2 rolls SolarTrim

TOOLS

• Hobby knife and blades • Pliers, screwdrivers, etc. Thin and thick CA Soldering iron Soldering paste/flux Solder •

Sanding

The nice thing about this model is that it as easy build, and you can dress it up in a number of bright and colorful covering schemes.

bar and sandpaper Wire Cutters • Covering iron

IN FLIGHT

The flat plate with the four screws captures the wire strut for the pants. Balsa pieces are glued to the wire strut to make it look more realistic. I bushed the wheel axles with 3/32-in. ID brass tubing to make them run true.

RC SPORT FLYER — MAY 2012

At this point in the build the completed airframe is ready for sanding and then covering. It is a great looking airplane. The accuracy of laser cutting makes this airframe possible. And you can build it without plans!

At home, I readied the Hiperbipe for flight by programming the recommended control throws and rates into my transmitter. I also balanced the model at the manufacture’s recommendation at leading edge of the

THE SORREL SNS-7 HIPERBIPE upper wing, which makes it slightly nose heavy. It balanced perfectly when the three-cell 1300-mAh LiPo was installed. I also checked that all the linkages were secure. At the airfield I installed the battery, turned on my transmitter and then the receiver. The I checked the controls for proper travel directions and performed a radio range check. My good friend Chris Hensen, president of Extreme Flight RC and expert pilot, did the maiden for me while I manned the camera to get the flight photos. Sitting the biplane down on the

runway, Chris headed it into the wind and slowly advanced the throttle just feeling the amount of power needed for good flight. It was off before we knew it—the reason was the 300 watts under the hood. At altitude Chris trimmed it for level flight. He flew it around some and then landed. He had one word to describe the flight. Challenging! I did the next flight and flew out a battery charge. Here is what I learned about the Hiperbipe: To begin with the

airplane is a little quirky in flight because of its size and being short coupled. You wouldn’t think so to look at it, but the rudder is very sensitive. It has a profound effect when applied, which also induces roll coupling, which can be eliminated by mixing ailerons with the rudder control. The airplane is very prone to adverse yaw and requires rudder input when banking. I had the ailerons hooked up on a “Y” connector, so I use a mix switch on my transmitter to mix rudder with aileron control. Additionally, the airplane is highly aerobatic and you can throw it around all you want—it will take it. The Hiperbipe can be tamed down with some mixing and

Even the landing gear is included in the kit. You don’t need to buy that much extra hardware to have this airplane ready to fly either.

programming in the transmitter. However, without using some mixing it is a handful. So, take the time needed to trim and tune it properly. You’ll find it friendly and fun to fly.

DEBRIEF At this point in the build the completed airframe is ready for sanding and then covering. It is a great looking airplane. The accuracy of laser cutting has makes this airframe possible. And you can build it without plans!

Because I chose a different motor than that recommended, I had to build a new motor box. The motor’s mounting footprint was larger than that of the recommended motor. I built the new one from scrap material.

The hatch on the fuselage’s bottom gives you access to the radio and servos. There is plenty of room to get your fingers in there to install servos and make adjustments. One servo drives both ailerons.

The battery was mounted in this location for the airplane’s first flight. This position made the Hiperbipe slightly nose heavy. On later flights I moved the battery back to get a better center of gravity.

The Mountain Models Hiperbipe is a well designed and engineered model. I recommend it only for the experienced builder and pilot. Although the price of the kit is a little on the high side, the quality of this airplane kit makes it a good value. I was very pleased with the laser-cut parts, the way it went together, the ease of construction and the excellent instructions. The flight envelope of this model is exceptional too, especially for a small airplane. You’ll like the way it looks in the sky too. I’d say that if you RC-SF.COM

THE SORREL SNS-7 HIPERBIPE

THE BUILD I started by reading the manual carefully. Then I found that the kit comes with 37 sheets of laser-cut wood parts—not a wood stick included. The parts are held in place with small lands. Only remove the parts that you need at each step of assembly. When removing a part use an Exacto® knife and cut each land until the part falls out. Also, if you want to remove the charred edges caused by the laser cutting process, lightly dampen a cloth with bleach, and then gently rub the edges. After clearing off the workbench, I started building the fuselage, removing only the parts required for the first five steps. This went fast. A lot of the cabin area parts are pushed together, but without glue to ensure proper placement and fit. Only then do you apply the glue. Then I completed the fuselage. The parts fit is great. The only complaint I have is that part numbers on the wood sheets are hard to see. For the tail feathers, I carefully cut the parts free of the sheet and arranged then in order. There are no plans, but you won’t need them because the parts are self-jigging and aligning, and the manual describes where each part goes. On a flat surface I spread some wax paper and pressed the parts together on it. This went surprisingly fast. A few drops of thin cyanoacrylate (CA) glue on each joint and all was complete and ready for sanding. That was fun! Because it is a biplane, you must build two wings. I built them one at a time, and started with the upper wing. Because the laser cutting machine format will only cut parts to a certain length, the spar webbing and spars had to be spliced together, and certain ribs had to be laminated, which I did with thick CA. The ribs are then installed in slots in the webbing, after which the spars are installed on the top and bottom. Then the leading edge and trailing edge parts are installed. No glue is applied yet! Next, I laid the structure on a flat surface and squared everything using a square at the end of the wing. The wing was then weighted down and thin CA was applied to all the joints. The 3/32-in. stringers on the top and bottom leading

Manufacture Mountain Models 2935 N Lynndale Dr Appleton, WI 54914 Phone: 920-840-6036 mountainmodels.com Extreme Flight RC 3600 North Pkwy, Suite 101 Cumming, GA 30040 Phone: 770-887-1794 extremeflightrc.com Du-Bro Products Inc. 480 Bonner Rd. Wauconda, IL 60084 Phone: 847-887-2136 dubro.com

We found that the Hiperbipe flies well upside down. You’ll need to add some down elevator control, but it is happy in inverted flight.

RC SPORT FLYER — MAY 2012

edge of the wing are laser cut. Stick wood is notoriously out of tolerance. So, by laser cutting these sticks Mountain Models parts have a better fit with the notches in the ribs. The HipeBipe’s ailerons use identical construction except that the control horn fittings are different. I hinged them with Du-Bro Hinging Tape. I found that even the wing hold-down dowels fit their respective holes in the bulkhead; something that is typically problematic. You must bend the landing gear to the proper fit. The tail wheel strut, aileron, rudder, and elevator pushrods must also be fabricated. I used the Du-Bro wire bender #480 to bend the .032 and .045 wire parts. Then I trimmed them to length using a Dremel® cut-off wheel. Note too I used the large K&S wire bender to bend the 3/32-in. wire landing gear struts. Once the wheel pants built, I sanded the entire airframe with 320-grit sandpaper to ready the airframe for covering. Take your time because how well the covering looks depends on the airframe under it. I covered the HiperBipe with Solarfilm because, in solid colors it, offers the best opaque. To learn more about covering go torcgroups.com/forums/showthread. php?t=711624. Bruce Aldridge demonstrates how he covers a model. My HipeBipe is fitted with an Extreme Flight RC Torque 1095 Kv (rpm per volt) and their Airboss 35A electronic speed controller. The motor turns an APC 10x4.5 propeller. I’ve found the Torque motors to be reliable and quality products. Installing the Torque motor required that I build a different motor box because the box provided is for a different manufacture’s motor. If you use the recommended Scorpion motor the kit’s motor box will fit perfectly. That was about all it took to get this model ready for flight. Of course I had to fit the battery, install the electronic speed controller and servos, and program my transmitter. It was a most enjoyable project—one I suspect you’d enjoy building and flying too!

Specifications Wingspan

35.38 in.

Length

31.3 in.

Wing area

358 in.2

Weight

20–24 oz RTF

Wing loading

8.0 to 9.6 oz/ft2

Cube Loading

5.1 to 6.1

Controls

aileron, elevator, rudder, throttle)

Power

Scorpion S2 2215-1127 outrunner

Battery

3S 1300–1500-mAh LiPo

decide to build a HiperBipe, you won’t be disappointed. It is a fun airplane to build and fly and will challenge your piloting skills. Note too, you can’t buy a kit like this one anywhere but at Mountain Models. So point your browser at mountainmodels.com.

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BY Marcus Hubbard

THUNDER TIGER RAPTOR G4 With all the standard features and a beautiful color-changing canopy, the Thunder Tiger Raptor 90 G4 Nitro is designed to please the crowd at any RC airfield.

started attending helicopter fun fly events in 2006. Then you could walk down the flightline and see that almost everyone flew some version of the Thunder Tiger Raptor. The following year other companies realized that helicopters in the U.S. were selling much better than airplanes. Suddenly there were many alternatives to the Raptors being marketed. This year Thunder Tiger introduced their new flagship, the Raptor 90 G4 series. It is available as a nitro- or electricpowered helicopter. You get it with a flybar or as the new flybarless version. With its patentpending Quick Calibration System, and abundance of aluminum and carbon fiber components, Thunder Tiger has established once again that their Raptor is the one to beat!

The hardened steel 15-mm main shaft and all aluminum parts are nicely packaged and covered in clear plastic that will catch your eye as soon as you open the box.

KIT

You’ll be impressed by the packaging of this helicopter. It comes in four large boxes. All the aluminum pieces are well packed in cutouts in the injection-molded foam box inner. They are shrinkwrapped so they are the first thing to catch your eye. In the largest box you’ll find a beautifully painted canopy that changes its hue between blue and green when viewed from different angles. The large box also contains a few bags of components that you’ll 30

RC SPORT FLYER — MAY 2012

find inside the canopy. There is a long, thin box that contains the carbon fiber tailboom, boom supports and tail control rod for the rudder. The last box in the package contains some tools and the rest of the parts, including the carbon fiber frames

and instruction manual. Don’t worry about the thickness of the manual. Thunder Tiger printed one manual for the four versions of the G4, which is nice if you decide to convert your model to electric power or vice versa.

THUNDER TIGER RAPTOR G4

KIT CONTENTS

• Hue-changing fiberglass canopy • 2-mm carbon fiber frames • Carbon fiber tailboom, boom supports and tail fin • Torque tube drive system • Aluminum head, tail and frame components • Aluminum control arms with Futaba servo horns • Various plastic components • Various hex wrenches and special Torx driver • Pre-assembled control rods • Pre-assembled 650 cc main and header tank

Futaba’s BLS256HV servo is designed for precise tail control while getting power from the high-voltage 2S LiPo power system. It has a speed of .050 sec/60° and a torque of 69.5 oz/in.

The Futaba S9070SB is the perfect servo for a highvoltage throttle setup. It is smaller and lighter than the standard servo and at 7.4 V produces 94.5 oz/in. at a speed of .012 sec/60°.

Futaba’s BLS255HV high speed cyclic servos are a perfect match for the Raptor G4 and Futaba’s CGY750. At 7.4 V they produce 166.7 oz/in. with an amazing .08 sec/60°.

Futaba’s full range FASST receiver is high voltage capable and is the perfect setup to use with Futaba’s CGY750 3-axis gyro. With a weight of 7.2 g, it makes saving weight a breeze.

NEEDED TO COMPLETE

• Motor—O.S. Speed Tuned .91 HZ-R 3D This inverted shot took very little effort to achieve. The CGY750’s stability again impressed me. I was able to let the heli hover with almost zero cyclic inputs. Everything was very smooth throughout the flight.

RC-SF.COM

Here you can see how small electronics have become. This is a 3-axis gyro in a package 12 mm wide. It’s astonishing to think that just a few years ago a rudder gyro was twice this size. O.S.’s .91 HZ-R 3D Speed Helicopter motor was designed for full-blown 3D competition. A Demand Regulator System keeps fuel flow consistent throughout the tank and produces 3.55HP at 15,500 rpm.

• Exhaust—Hatori SB-21FH (SPEED 91HZR) • Transmitter—Futaba 8FG Super • Receiver—Futaba R6203SB HV • 3-axis gyro—Futaba CGY750 Flybarless Control Gyro/ Governor • Cyclic servo—Futaba BLS255HV • Throttle servo—Futaba S9070SB • Rudder servo —Futaba BLS256HV • Battery—FlightPower 2S2P 3200mAh RX LiPo • Main blades—Mavrikk G5 Pro 690-mm FBL WC • Governor sensor—Futaba BPS-1 (O.S. Backplate) • Power switch —Futaba FUTM4385 • Glow igniter—SwitchGlo Pro

THE BUILD

If you want to be successful in building this model, or any other for that matter, start by reading the manual thoroughly. The G4 manual includes the four versions of this helicopter, so make sure you are reading the part that pertains to your helicopter version. If you have never built a Thunder Tiger helicopter before, a section on page five explains the format and defines the symbols that are used throughout. To start the actual build, I

recommend you use some sort of cleaner to remove the cutting oil from all bolts before applying thread-locker compound. Then you can be positive it will do its job. The first portion of the assembly deals with the main rotor system. One feature of this kit is an added rotor grip lever. This is the bracket that attaches to the inside of the blade grip, and it can easily be changed in the event a crash damages the area. Since the bracket is removable, you can change only the lever instead of the whole blade grip that is typical in traditional helicopter designs, which will ultimately save you money. I removed the thrust bearings from the blade grips to check that they had enough lubrication in their races and that they had been installed correctly at the factory. Then they were reinstalled. Follow the instructions closely when reinstalling them. As a reminder, the outside race is the one with the smaller inside diameter. This large, efficient aluminum fan is not only lightweight, but also produces the large volume of airflow required to keep today’s high-performance helicopters engines cool, no matter how hard they are pushed. Notice the helical gears in this completed tail section for the Raptor 90 G4. I assembled the tail blade grips backwards in this photo but reinstalled them correctly before flight.

RC SPORT FLYER — MAY 2012

O’Donnell Heli Fuel was a great match for the O.S. .91 HZ-R. It ran smoothly and was easily tuned for maximum performance while reducing heat and internal wear.

The only item that seemed missing from the manual was where to mount the washout base on the large 15-mm hardened steel main shaft. Fortunately I was able to look at one of the pictures on the outside of the box for reference and realize

THUNDER TIGER RAPTOR G4 it mounted flush under the head block. You’ll install the tailboom bracket next. I really enjoyed assembling and pinning all the gears. It will mean that you’ll spend several more minutes of repair time, but it saves waste in the local refuse centers if and when you strip a gear—every little detail The 2-mm carbon fiber frames and aluminum parts helps when building a provide an attractive but sound structure for the high-performance accessories that will be installed in helicopter. the heli. Next you will assemble the meat and potatoes of the helicopter—the main frames. I recommend wet sanding all edges of both sides of the frames with a finegrit of sandpaper. Carbon fiber is sharp, so sanding the edges ensures that neither you nor any control wires get cut. During this portion of the build The tail section on this helicopter employs helical cut everything went as gears that provide quiet, low-friction performance planned, with one side for maximum efficiency during flight and utilize every ounce of energy during aerobatic auto rotations. note. When installing the elevator control arm link, make sure you position it with the larger-diameter hole to the inside so it will pop onto the swash plate correctly. Thunder Tiger supplies you with a Torx wrench and 3-mm Torx screws for assembling the frames. The screws give the finished helicopter a nice look. My helicopter is powered by the new Hatori’s SB-21FH is designed specifically for use O.S. .91 HZ-R Speed with the O.S. .91 HZ-R Speed 3D motor. You can see there is no pressure tap because the Speed 3D utilizes 3D motor. It is paired pressure from the motor’s backplate. with a Hatori SB-21FH Nitro Pipe set for the speed of 3D. Since I planned to use are a few methods of doing this. I 30 percent nitro fuel, the manual chose a slightly different method recommended removing the head and that provides less opportunity for adding the supplied spacer. damage to the motor. I inserted Once you’ve completed that approximately four inches of fuel step you need to install the fan tubing inside the exhaust port assembly on the motor. There and then closed the piston. The

Here is a photo of the completed Raptor 90 G4 with its lid off for viewing. The Mavrikk 690-mm G5 Pro Flybarless blades are an excellent match for this heli’s 3D capability.

Futaba’s CGY750 3-axis gyro mounts up front between the frames under the canopy where it is well protected from any exhaust oils. You can also see the 3-mm Torx screws used for the frame assembly.

Thunder Tiger provides plenty of shelf space for your favorite power sources and electronics. Notice how much smaller the throttle servo is in length. A small piece of scrap plastic will do the trick for the install.

piston will be unable to move up to complete the stroke. You can then use a piston lock to tighten the fan onto the crankshaft, but without imparting excess force to the head. Don’t forget that you must remove the fuel tubing when the fan assembly RC-SF.COM

(CA) glue on the skid pipe caps. Another helicopter I owned threw one of these pipe caps while it was inverted and stressfractured a main blade enough to render it useless. The tail assembly is straightforward, as long as you pay Thunder Tiger’s patent-pending Quick Calibration The SwitchGlo Pro ignition system provides 20 attention to detail. I System allows you to set up the helicopter level and seconds of power to the glow plug when activated by made a small mistake centered and then tighten the clamp and set screws a spare switch on your radio. All the servo wires are for perfect servo centering with zero sub-trim. tucked away on the back side of the throttle servo. when connecting the tail slider to the blade grips. The tail blade grips should be leading edge control, but I reversed the grip and installed them trailing edge control. I caught this mistake while programming my transmitter. It took only a minute to fix. Note too that Thunder Tiger added a twist to the tail gears The 17-mm vented helical cut main gear provides FlightPower’s 2S2P 3200-mAh receiver pack supplies plenty of surface area for the powerful O.S. the juice for this Futaba HV setup. The pack provides with their new helical .91 HZ-R, along with perfect mesh and quiet just enough weight up front to bring the Raptor G4 to design, which makes operation. the perfect balance. them very smooth running and quiet. They also included thin washers in the kit so you can shim the gears for a perfect mesh. I recommend adding a drop of CA to the ball linkage when mounting it to the plastic tail pitch control lever, which will give you more peace of mind. Preparing the torque The O.S. engine requires the BPS-1 governor sensor Here is a shot of the right side of the Raptor G4 that is mounted in the specially designed backplate. without the lid. You can see the rudder control arm tube for final assembly The pressure line is also attached to the center of that runs through the center section of the frames to required gluing the two the backplate with an inline one-way valve. keep it from obstructing the outside of the frames. bearings into place and then installing the is attached. The head assembly and the main tube into the tailboom. Make sure Your next step will be to attach gear are a breeze to install. The you don’t over-tighten the screws the engine mount and then mount lightweight, vented 17-mm helical on the tail assembly, since the tail the engine between the frames. main gear is attractive, much quieter stopper is made of plastic. Thunder Tiger has a winning design and smoother than traditional Servo installation looks to be here. With most RC helicopters you straight gears. However, make sure quite elaborate in the instruction must remove the fan shroud and the you lower the upper main block to manual, but once you’ve studied landing skids to remove the engine. eliminate any up-and-down play in the the pictures it is straightforward. The G4 is just the opposite; engine main shaft. Also, when mounting the What confused me at first was that removal is quick and easy without the landing skids and skid pipes, consider the servo horns design was unlike need to remove anything else. using a small amount of cyanoacrylate any I’d seen before. This is due to 34

RC SPORT FLYER — MAY 2012

THUNDER TIGER RAPTOR G4 the Quick Calibration System, which I might add is amazing! My only disappointment in the hardware package was that Thunder Tiger did not include screws to install the servos. The standard screws that came with the servos are too small for their mounting brackets. Consequently, I had to purchase twenty The aluminum head is lightweight and easy on the M2.5x12 for the servos. eyes. The rotor grip lever is mounted on the back side of the blade grips. If damaged, it can be replaced Interestingly, the kit did rather than changing out the entire blade grip. include four M2.5x12 for the rudder servo tray. I should add that when you are helicopters—all different brands mounting the servo horns, make sure and types. My new Thunder Tiger the set screws are pointing where Raptor G4 helicopter significantly you can access them inside the frame. exceeded my expectations in Also make sure the socket screws are terms of design, innovation pointing up so you can tighten them and quality. With its new Quick from the top during programming. Calibration System, and features At this point in the assembly, you that come standard on this can now install the servo linkages, machine, which are upgrades on which have preset lengths. These run many other helicopters, the new from the servo to the control lever. G4 easily wins my vote as the You’ll also install the tail’s control rod top-of-the-line helicopter for through the center portion of the today’s RC pilots frame. This design feature gives the Next month I’ll give you the Raptor a much cleaner look from the flight report, so stay tuned. outside. Last, you must attach the bottom Specifications clip to the canopy so that it cannot Type 3D/F3C lift while the helicopter is in flight. Pilot skill Intermediate Once the rubber grommets and the canopy spacer are added, you’ll install Length 1366 mm the canopy. Then step back and look Width 221 mm at the completed Raptor G4 for the Main blade 690–720 mm first time. Wrap Up Building the Thunder Tiger Raptor was a joy for me for many reasons. I have built more than a hundred

Tail rotor

105 mm

Weight

9.2 lb w/o fuel

Construction

Carbon fiber, aluminum, plastic

Transmitter

Minimum 6 channels

Price

$999.99 kit only

Price as tested

$3100 minus transmitter

This view lets you see the elevator servo location and shows how everything looks from topside. The beefy plastic elevator control arm also prevents the swash plate from rotating.

The Raptor G4 canopy has been painted with huechanging color in the clear coat. You can notice on the wind screen how the color switches from green on the side to blue on top.

References Great Planes P.O. Box 9021 Champaign, IL 61821 Phone: 800-637-7660 greatplanes.com Futaba 3002 N. Apolo Drive, Suite #1 Champaign, IL 61822 Phone: 217-398-0007 futaba-rc.com Hatori USA P.O. Box 285 Niagara Falls, NY 14304 Phone: 716-297-3295 hatoriusa.com Mavrikk Blades Heli Proz 2885 Farley Lane Suite 1 Billings, MT 59101 Phone: 877-435-4776 heliproz.com

This is the Raptor G4 on its maiden flight. Futaba’s CGY750 did its job perfectly, so no unfavorable characteristics sprang to attention before the next flight. The green in that canopy sure is bright!

Switch Glo / ZRC 9207 Deering Ave. Suite B Chatsworth, CA 91311 Phone: 818-709-0268 SwitchGlo.com

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BY Wil Byers

RUDDER CONTROL HOW TO DIRECT DRIVE A FOX’S RUDDER

efore becoming a magazine publisher I had a love of building gliders and sailplanes— mostly from scratch. I found it amazingly relaxing to build molds, cut foam cores, sheet wings, vacuum-bag foam cores, etc. The payoff of course was getting to fly the sailplanes and gliders after they were finished. These days my rear is mostly parked in the editor’s chair, not at the workbench. However, I try to build at least one day a week, usually on Saturdays when the phone isn’t ringing off the hook and there are no interruptions. And, I still have a passion for building sailplanes. I think that is because I love the art of quiet flight! You see, only when you fly a glider or sailplane do you go in search of thermals as a way to keep the aircraft aloft. Alternately, gliders let you blast off when slope soaring (Spencer Lisenby turned in a 468 mph DS run on February 2, 2011), where you can take advantage of the wind and the huge lift it can and does generate.

I used one of Hitec’s large plastic servo wheels as the output from the servo to the rudder. I felt the wheel would be more rigid than just an arm. Then too, the wheel needed some kind of coupling to the rudder. I found some 4-40 shoulder bolts in my RTL Fasteners kit, which I though would work well. I used my Dremel tool to cut the heads off the bolts and my sander to round the ends on the bolts. If you make this drive system, you’ll need to screw some 4-40 nuts on the bolts and add a washer to each. I recommend using either LocTite® or cyanoacrylate (CA) glue to lock the nuts in place on the bolt. Then I drilled the wheel to accept the bolts. Once you have the bolts in place, bolt them to the wheel with an additional nut and lock them in place so they do not come loose in flight.

I get pretty enthused about new ways of building a model or controlling it, too. So when my new 33-percent-scale Fox glider arrived from Soaring USA, I enjoyed looking over the assembly plans to see how Valenta Model recommends building their glider. I was immediately intrigued by their recommendation for the control of the rudder. Note that large-scale gliders typically come with very limited instructions, if any. My Fox came with only a two-page drawing that detailed where the servos, battery, receiver, etc. were

My dial indicator was used to determine that the shanks of the bolts were .106 in. in diameter. You’ll need something that will glue in the rudder and mate with the shank of the bolt. I recommend some kind of plastic that will fit the shank snuggly and provide frictionfree movement.

RC SPORT FLYER — MAY 2012

RUDDER CONTROL In my case I wanted to make the fit between the shank of the bolt and the bushing loose enough to provide the friction-free movement required. I pulled a .108 drill bit from my drill index and fitted it into my cordless drill. It is only .002 inches oversize, but guarantees the bushing fit is not too tight.

to be installed. In the drawing, they recommended using a servo to drive the rudder direct. Unfortunately, there were no additional details. Consequently, I set about engineering how I would engineer a system to drive my Fox’s rudder.

HOW TO

Here is my solution for how to drive the rudder on the Valenta Fox, along with step-by-step photos. First, I decided to use a Hitec RCD servo to drive the rudder. The rudder is pretty large, which means it will require a significant amount of torque to drive it, especially during high-speed maneuvers. The servo I chose is a high-voltage, digital HS7950TH. The reason I chose this servo is that it delivers 486 oz-in. of torque when powered by a 7.4-volt LiPo battery, which I planned to use in the Fox. Also, the servo uses dual ball bearings, which means a smooth, friction-free output travel. The servo has an extremely durable titanium gear train, so it will take a beating and keep on ticking! The aluminum case works as a heatsink, even though

What I found in the workshop to use as a bushing was a T-fitting for a fuel system. All you’ll want to do is drill it out with the .108in. drill bit. That will give the shank of the bolt just a little room to move inside the bushing, but without binding, which would consume the servo’s power.

In this photo you see how I cut the T-fitting so that I had two parts to fit over the bolt shanks. You’ll want to rough them up a bit with some sandpaper as a way to get a strong bond between the plastic and the epoxy resin that you’ll use to bond them into the base of the rudder. RC-SF.COM

Oops, I missed a step in my procedure that I did not photograph. But I can explain what you need to do. Before you install the bolts into the servo wheel, you’ll use the wheel as a template to mark the bottom of the rudder where it must be drilled. You must make certain that the wheel’s center aligns with the rudder’s pivot point center. Then you’ll drill for the bushings.

I doubt the servo will generate that much heat in a glider, but then in blustery wind conditions the servo certainly might need cooling. Finally, it has eight O-rings to seal the servo against dust, and at Eagle Butte— where I like to slope soar—it can sometimes be pretty dusty. Now follow the photos to see how I designed a solution to the rudder’s drive.

Vaseline® petroleum jelly has many uses around the workshop. Here I put it on the shanks of the bolts to prevent any excess epoxy from sticking to them while the bushings are being glued into the rudder. You’ll want to mix some Great Planes® 30-minute epoxy with microballoons. You’ll use this mixture to glue the bushings into the base of the rudder. Make your mixture the consistency of runny peanut butter.

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RC SPORT FLYER — MAY 2012

RUDDER CONTROL

Here is how the bushings fit into the rudder’s bottom. At this point, I put some CA glue on the bushings. Then I slid them into the rudder to their full depth of penetration, moving the rudder back and forth as the glue cured. I moved the rudder back and forth to make certain the epoxy ran around the bushings completely while it cured. It takes a while, so you might want to watch TV while doing so.

Once the CA has cured, put some epoxy on the bushings to secure them in place inside the rudder. I cut a small opening in the bottom of the rudder to give me access and applied 30-minute epoxy around the bushings. I put the wheel with its shanks onto the rudder to prevent the bushings from moving while the epoxy cured. As you can see, the assembly fits the rudder very well.

For the next step you’ll glue the fiberglass rudder hinge in the top of the rudder. There is nothing special about this step, other than cutting a slot into the rudder post and sanding the edges of the fin a bit for good adhesion between the hinge, the fin and the epoxy resin. Be certain that the hinge is not pressed into the fin too tightly, or you’ll get binding of the rudder. And make sure it is not out too far, or you’ll get a sloppy, loose fit. Find that happy medium where the rudder runs free but is a nice fit to the fin.

When you glue the rudder’s hinge into the vertical fin, you must make certain the rudder is aligned with the fin. You can do it as shown here. Just slide the hinge into place with the epoxy resin coating its edge. Then fit the rudder to the fin and slide the hinge pin down through the rudder and hinge. This is not as easy as it sounds, so be patient and use slow-setting epoxy, which will provide you with the necessary working time. You’ll want to tape the rudder into place while the epoxy cures. I left my model overnight to make certain the 30-minute epoxy was completely cured. RC-SF.COM

The Hitec HS7950TH does not fit the factory-made hole in the fuselage. And if you use the servo tray that they provide, the servo will sit too high in the fuselage to fit the rudder. So, you’ll want to glue a small piece of wood in the factory-cut hole to make it fit the 7950 servo. I recommend you apply one layer of 1.4-oz fiberglass to the wood area to reinforce it before installing the servo.

This is what the finished direct-drive rudder servo looks like when it is installed in the fuselage of your glider. There is no free-play in the control, and it fits snug to the rudder. This is a control system that will deliver absolutely excellent rudder control. You won’t worry about cable stretch or control horns sticking out the side of the rudder.

ALPINE SOARING ADVENTURE 2012 The one time of the year when I totally let down and have fun flying model airplanes with my old friends while making new ones, is during RC Sport Flyer’s Alpine Soaring Adventure. This year’s event is slated for the weekend of July 5, 6, 7 and 8 in the little western town of Joseph, Oregon. Why don’t you join in this year? There are lots of pilots that attend. It is a whole different kind of event for gliders, airplanes and even helicopters. It is truly four days of just plain, relaxed fun and flying. If you want to see an outstanding fireworks show, be sure to arrive on July 4. You will not be disappointed. Here is what happens if you decide to make the Adventure: 1) You get to fly your airplanes from a beautifully mown field that is just one mile from downtown Joseph, Oregon. The field sits at an elevation of 4,000 feet above sea level (ASL), and the thermals really kick from morning till late afternoon. 2) You can trek to the Memaloose airstrip, which is about 55 miles from Joseph. The airstrip is 3,300 feet long, and on its southern end it falls over a mile into the Snake River Canyon. The thermals rocket out of the canyon from about 9 a.m. until about 4 p.m., but if it is an exceptionally hot day they can go until late into the evening. The view from Memaloose will blow your mind! 3) You can bring a floatplane and have a blast at Wallowa Lake. 4) You can ride the gondola to the top of Mt Howard

RC SPORT FLYER — MAY 2012

and fly your glider at an elevation of 8,400 feet ASL, and have a fantastic lunch with a breathtaking view of the Wallowa Valley. 5) You can share in the no-host barbecue on Saturday night at the southern end of the lake. 6) You can go hiking, horseback riding, fishing, canoeing, waterskiing, wakeboarding, paddleboarding, antiquing or anything else your family might want to do. This is a resort town that offers true outdoor adventures. 6) You can have some great food with or without a bunch of modelers in tow. 7) You might even want to take an airplane ride out of the Joseph airport to see the area from above. Suffice it to say, you won’t have just a model airplane adventure. The Alpine Soaring Adventure is unlike any other event in the U.S. Also, don’t look for bigtime organization at this event. Participating in the Adventure is about showing up with your AMA card, donating to the farmer that lets us use his land, flying safely and just plain having fun with some truly exceptional people. So if you are interested, please point your browser at alpinesoaring.com to learn more. We look forward to having you attend. By the way, if you want to fly your private airplane to Joseph, Oregon, there is a good airport that even supports private jets. I’ll pick you up from your Gulfstream® if you want :-)

RUDDER CONTROL Michael O’Rourke lets us fly our models from his 36-acre golf driving range. About 300 acres surround the range. I would ask that you be prepared to donate generously to him because without him we would not be able to fly in town. I’m asking $15 a day to fly from the driving range—all of it will go to Mike. By the way, Mike is selling his 107-acre ranch, which would make for an excellent model airplane site, especially since it is in a stunningly beautiful recreation area!

Jim Cooney launches his Cularis into lift over the Imnaha canyon. The mountains in the background are the Wallowas. The highest peak is 11,400 ft ASL.

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My friend, Dr. Kelly Couch, flew in for the event with his wife in his Mooney. The runway is 4,200 ft ASL and is 5,000 ft long. There is jet fuel on site too!

Here you see Kelly’s LMR machine rocketing skyward. That motor will guarantee your model a hilltop landing or a good chance at getting it into a thermal.

This is what the driving range that Michael owns looks like. It is a pretty darn nice place to fly, and you won’t find a bluer sky!

RC SPORT FLYER — MAY 2012

RUDDER CONTROL

You can fly discus-launched gliders as well as sailplanes at this event. Again, it is about having fun, so we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t prohibit any type of airplane from flying.

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll have aerotow tugs available at the driving range at least two days out of the four for pilots that need to have their sailplanes pulled to altitude.

RC-SF.COM

If you are planning to fly at Memaloose, you’ll want an airplane with a good lift-over-drag ratio to search for thermals, or maybe have a limited-motor-run machine just in case you miss the lift and get low in the canyon.

It is best if you bring some type of shade tent, sunscreen and a couple of lawn chairs. You’ll get lots of flying and a ton of sun at the Alpine Soaring Adventure.

RC SPORT FLYER — MAY 2012

RUDDER CONTROL

You can fly helicopters on the right side of the driving range too. So pack a helicopter for the event and enjoy some flying fun.

As you can see, even this rudder and elevator airplane can be flown in the thermals that drift up from the Snake River canyon to the airport.

RC-SF.COM

This is the view you’ll get from the Memaloose airstrip’s flying site. It is about 6,100 feet to the Snake River below from the south lip of the airport.

RC SPORT FLYER — MAY 2012

You can fly about anything at the Adventure, from this super-flying little Easy Glider all the way up to a 33-percent-scale glider. You just need to go for it!

RUDDER CONTROL

The Wallowa Lake Lodge is a historic place to stay. They have excellent accommodations, including a superb breakfast each morning, as well as great dinners.

A couple from Canada had a great time at the Alpine Soaring Adventure, as you can see by the look on their face during the Saturday barbecue.

Those pilots with guts will search out the lift with a pure sailplane and then blast off for some seriously high-speed passes in front of the launch site. It is FUN!

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his 35%-scale Extra 300SP—big brother to the 30% version—is owned and flown by Herve Lejeune. It is powered by a DA-120 engine on stock mufflers. Its guidance system is by Futaba. The model has a wingspan of 105 inches, is 101 inches long (including spinner) and weighs 26 lb. The 42% high-performance, precision and 3D airplane took

RC SPORT FLYER — MAY 2012

third place at the 2011 Futaba XFC in Indiana in June. The 100-ccpowered version took second place in freestyle at the 2011 Tucson Aerobatic Shootout in October with Gabriel Altuz at the controls.

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RC SPORT FLYER â&#x20AC;&#x201D; MAY 2012

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BY Wil Byers & Daniel Holman

3.1m SUKHOI SU-26MM PRECISION AND GRACE WITH 3D PERFORMANCE!

I’m flipping the DA-170 to life while Daniel gets ready to fly the Sukhoi. It took only about five flips on this brisk morning to bring the DA-170 to life. It has tons of power too!

RC SPORT FLYER — MAY 2012

HANGAR 9® 3.1M SUKHOI SU-26MM

The big Sukhoi leapt down the runway once Daniel hit the power! It took only about 30 feet of roll before it was in the air and climbing.

t has been about four months since I first received the Hangar-9 3.1m Sukhoi SU-26MM. From start to finish, building this airplane has been a fun and educational experience for me. I’ve learned how to install radio gear, battery packs and an engine and fuel system in a large-scale airplane, and how to program the radio for proper control, set up rates, etc. Although I’m not a International Miniature Aircraft Club (IMAC) pilot, I just plain love airplanes, especially big, powerful machines

that make your eyes open wide when you look at them. Moreover, largescale airplane feel fantastic to fly! They have grace and power that puts them in a league of their own. And while not cheap, they do take you to a whole new level in terms of being an RC pilot. The culmination of this project was getting to see the Sukhoi fly. Even though I did not have my hands on the control sticks for this first outing—read why I didn’t later—I had a blast! I have to tell you, standing in front of that DA-170-powered airplane and looking at the big purple TruTurn spinner while I flipped the engine to life was a real turn on.

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Low and slow does not provide any handling problems, and the Sukhoi will never stall without giving the pilot lots of warning.

Flying around the pattern, the airplane is extremely stable and predictable even at slow airspeeds.

Then, listening to the power of the airframe and engine combination was truly thrilling. Moreover, watching Daniel put this machine through its paces was awesome—although sometimes my wallet was yelling out,

“BE CAREFUL, DANIEL!” So now, read what Daniel has to tell you about how this airplane flies. He gives you a complete insight into what you’ll get if you buy and build this Sukhoi also.

FLIGHT REPORT—DANIEL Wil and I were chomping at the bit to get this large-scale 3.1m Hangar 9 Sukhoi flown, especially since we’d finished the build on it about a month earlier. The wintry

Due to the symmetrical airfoil, inverted flight requires just a touch of down elevator control, and the airplane is just as stable inverted as it is in upright flight.

RC SPORT FLYER — MAY 2012

HANGAR 9® 3.1M SUKHOI SU-26MM Performing an inverted-slip pass, the Sukhoi presents an unusual attitude as it crabs down the runway. The spectators enjoyed watching it perform!

weather just would not give way to a decent day for the maiden flight. Finally, on March 7, we got a beautiful blue-sky day. So after an excited call to Wil and his subsequent trip to Goldendale, Washington, we had the opportunity to fly the Sukhoi! Arriving at the airfield, we were full of anticipation because the weather was perfect not only for flying the Sukhoi, but also for getting the necessary photos for this flight report. After topping off the flight battery packs’ charges, gassing up and assembling the airplane, we were more than ready to see it fly. The DA-170 started on the fifth flip of the propeller. It sounded great and ran heartily, despite having had less than 30 ounces of gas burned through it. Then I taxied

Knife-edge flight is very solid, with rudder authority to spare. Also, there is very little pitchcoupling on the controls.

the airplane out onto the airport’s runway, where I warmed the engine for a minute and performed a quick run-up. Next was the moment we were waiting for— flying this airplane. As with any first takeoff, I advanced the throttle slowly, using

just a hint of rudder to keep it on the centerline. It took off straight and true. The DA-170-powered Sukhoi rolled only about 30 feet after I opened the throttle to about 60 percent. It leaped into the air and began accelerating rapidly at a 45 degree angle. I flew it to about two hundred feet before leveling it off. A few clicks of trim, and it was flying perfectly straight no matter which way the wind hit it. Rolling the

airplane to inverted, I ensured that the center of gravity was set properly. Everything checked out very well. Then it was on to the fun! Upright and inverted passes at head-level gave Wil the photos of the airplane in wings-level attitudes. Then bringing the airspeed up to what is typical for a precision aerobatic sequence, I did a long slow roll from horizon to horizon followed by a humpty-bump and a four-point roll in the other direction. IMAC (International Miniature Aerobatic Club) is what the airplane was really designed for, and it flew all the precision maneuvers that I asked of it with precision and grace. Going further into the flight I flew some Unlimited IMAC maneuvers including multiple vertical snap rolls, spins, reversing snap rolls, tail-slides, hammer-heads, eight-point rolls, slow rolling circles RC-SF.COM

Bringing it down in a high-alpha knifeedge flight for the camera. “Keep it coming down!” I can still hear Wil saying.

Well, I did keep it coming down—all the way! Wil got the shot he wanted as the airplane gently scraped the runway.

Deciding that one scrape was enough, I went into harrier roll right off the deck, and continue down the length of the runway.

Wil and I both decided that the airplane is now more valuable, having tempted fate and survived!

and much more. Snap rolls were very fast for a 40-percent-size airplane, and they stopped hard as soon as the control sticks were neutralized. Spins broke cleanly and also stopped instantly with the centering of the sticks. Tracking was excellent too, requiring only a slight up-elevatorto-rudder mix. The wind during the test flights was strong enough to tell that the airplane had excellent selfcorrection characteristics. Precision aerobatics came to a sudden halt when Wil called out, “Enough of that! We need some pictures” or something like that. Previous to takeoff, I mentioned to those gathered that I don’t usually fly low, crazy 3D maneuvers on a maiden flight. Well, this was not a general test flight! The first thing that Wil wanted was a knife-edge right off the deck. Bringing an airplane down low on a test flight is against my rules, but this wasn’t my airplane and I obeyed with a grin:-). Doing a deep snap and a quarter at the far end of the airfield, I stuck it in a high-alpha knife-edge, easing it down to about six inches off 58

RC SPORT FLYER — MAY 2012

the runway and holding it there until it was well past the pit area. “Was that good?” I yelled to Wil. “Uh, do it again,” he yelled back. I walked over to where he was photographing from to get his view of the airplane as I lined the airplane up for another pass. Sticking it in the same high-alpha attitude, I again eased it down to what I thought was low enough. The fact of the matter

is that when Wil and I are doing a photo-shoot, it is his opinion that counts. I thought it was low enough. Wil did not. I can still hear him saying, “Bring it down, keep bringing it down, good, keep bringing it down.” I did! All the way. Right before reaching center field, our ears detected that I had gone low enough as the elevator was cleanly filed by the one-inch rise in the asphalt!

HANGAR 9® 3.1M SUKHOI SU-26MM Climbing out, I glanced over at Wil. Well, he told me “lower.” We both laughed and had to “cool down” after that pass. Having had it as low as it would go, we decided to throw it all down and get some more shots. I did some rolling, upright and inverted harriers right off the deck. Rolling harriers are a blast with a huge airplane like this, and are very predictable. The largesized ailerons will keep a fast roll rate even at low airspeeds, and the elevator and rudder always remain extremely effective. Of course I popped it up into a torque roll right

after harriering it around and brought it down right off the deck. The 3.1m Sukhoi SU-26MM feels like a huge 3D foamy in a hover and demands the attention of every person at the airfield. The punch-out power that the DA-170 on RE-3 pipes produces also feels like a foamy, and it kept accelerating vertically until it was hard to see. Pushing the nose over, I did a fast knife-edge spin all the way down, and then put it into an inverted flat spin at the end. Flat spins flatten out very well upright and inverted, even with a forward center of gravity. Exiting the flat

spins happens almost instantly with just a blip of throttle and a touch of opposite aileron and rudder. During the first flight I also stress-tested the airframe doing some lomchevac tumbles and knife-edge walls. Tumbles were quite fast, and I got three full rotations before the airplane ran out of inertia. Right before landing it, I opened up the throttle and did a huge and fast vertical rolling figure eight. The DA-170 kept hauling it up, and the roll rate never really slowed down through the top of the maneuver. There was not a time where I felt the need for more power.

We are very blessed to have such a gorgeous place to fly model airplanes, the Goldendale, WA municipal airport! Mt. Adams provides a beautiful background for this pictures.

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Setting up for landing, I put the airplane in a hard slip to shed the altitude and airspeed. It was almost impossible for the airplane to stall unless induced, and slipping it at a 45-degree angle was very predictable. Leveling off 10 feet above the deck, I flew it all the way to the runway and killed the engine as it rolled out. After exchanging a couple big grins and a high five, Wil and I took the airplane back to the pit area where all the spectators quickly came over to examine the scrape on the elevator. After Michael refueled the airplane, we wanted to take it up again and dunk the tail in a small pond for some unique pictures. Taking off, I had more fun while warming up the engine prior to the tail dipping routine. I put the Sukhoi through more extreme aerobatics and was

rewarded with every maneuver I threw at it. Walking over to the little pond, I brought it down in a torque roll while Wil got into position to take photos. At first I gently dipped the tail in the water about an inch, and although Wil got the shot, we wanted more. Getting the Sukhoi lined up between Wil and Mt. Adams in the background, I let it come down a little too far and hit the bottom of what turned out to be a four-inch deep puddle! Insufficient depth-inspection … Wow! I fire-walled the DA-170 and climbed the airplane quickly. Unfortunately, hitting the pond bottom with the rudder had stripped a control servo. The airplane was then flying in a 45-degree slip, with the rudder and its tailwheel stuck at about 25 degrees to the right. Alerted to the

need for an emergency landing, the spectators cleared the runway. I was left to figure out how to get this 6,000-dollar machine back on the ground in one piece. After a quick analysis of the situation, I decided which way the airplane needed to land to avoid damage from running off the runway. With the rudder and tailwheel stuck to the right at 25 degrees, and having 12-inch runway lights every 50 feet along the runway’s edge, the landing could have gotten complicated. Lining the big Sukhoi up with the runway’s centerline, and with it going from right to left, I flew the airplane so that it would turn away from us upon touchdown. Then I said a silent prayer and brought it down in a 45-degree slip, knowing that I could never really level it off until a wheel touched.

The paint scheme on the underside of the Sukhoi shows up very well and makes for excellent in-air pilot orientation with the model.

RC SPORT FLYER — MAY 2012

ÂŽ HANGAR 9TUCSON 3.1M SUKHOI SHOOTOUT SU-26MM 2011

Holding it a foot off the runway, I flew it to a gap in the runway lights where I wanted it to roll off. After killing the engine, I let it down on one wheel, gently touching the left wingtip to keep it from turning too hard and damaging the landing gear mount. As soon as the tail wheel touched, it instantly turned to the right, now moving slowly enough that it didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even tip as it bounced off the edge of the runway into the fine gravel on the shoulder. Extremely thankful for the blessing of getting it back in one piece, and having all the pictures and flight

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When I see water, I have to play in it.... This was taken right as the Sukhoi pulled out, throwing water to the left with the rudder as it did so.

Getting the rudder wet for the second time. I don’t recommend trying this unless you are very experienced and know the airplane well.

With it’s light wing-loading, excellent power-to-weight ratio and giant control surfaces, the Sukhoi feels like a huge 3D foamy while hovering.

RC SPORT FLYER — MAY 2012

HANGAR 9® 3.1M SUKHOI SU-26MM information we needed, we decided to call it a day. The rudder servo gears would be easy to replace, and other than that, the airplane was unscathed with the exception of a scraped elevator from the knife-edge pass on the previous flight. I am extremely happy with the performance that the Hangar-9 3.1m Sukhoi SU-26MM delivers. I endorse it for the serious IMAC and freestyle competitor, as well as for intermediate pilots who wants a little extra fun and attention at the airfield. This is an airplane that will fly straight lines and precision aerobatics with grace, while having the power and control authority to perform amazing freestyle aerobatics. In the pattern it is extremely predictable and has flight

characteristics that would scare you. I had a blast flying it and can say that it is one of the finest 40-percent-scale airplanes that I’ve ever flown.

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

Control Throws

Specifications Wingspan

122 in. (3.1m)

Length

117 in. (3.0m)

Wing Area

2770 in.2 (179 dm2)

Weight RTF

38.0–42.0 lb (17.2–19.1kg)

Wing Loading

33 oz/ft2

Engine

DA-170 gas powered

Transmitter

JR 11X

Servos

JR 8711 (9)

Propeller

Falcon 32x10

Spinner

TruTurn 5-in.

Batteries

Two (2) 4000-mAh LiPo Rx

Low (expo)

High (expo)

Ailerons

22° (40%)

35° (55%)

Scale

38%

Elevator

12° (40%)

45° (70%)

Assembly Time

20 hours plus

Rudder

25° (40%)

40° (45%)

Skill Level

Advanced

Price

$1799.99

Backing it down for one more tail-dip. We had a blast flying the Sukhoi and look forward to flying it again in the very near future.

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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

BY Dave Darr

EASY GLIDER PRO RR M A PERFECT PICK FOR AEROTOW TRAINING

ultiplex introduced their Easy Glider Pro a few years ago. This 70-inch wingspan sailplane has become a powerhouse in the world of slope, hi-start and aerotow gliding. The Easy Glider Pro is a serious glider, so don’t let its size fool you. You can also build it as an electric-powered glider, which will let you fly just about anywhere. Our group, the HighPoint Aviation Aerotow Team, has adapted the Easy Glider Pro exclusively as a training platform for aerotowing. What we discovered, right from the first flights behind our Telemaster 40, is that the Easy Glider makes a fantastic aerotow trainer. Moreover, while traveling around the country we have logged hundreds of flights with RC pilots at the controls of the Easy Glider, and typically they have had little or no aerotowing experience.

Our completed Easy Glider Pro got its wing tips painted to help students with airplane flight orientation. We also applied clear packing tape to the bottom of the fuselage to let the Easy Glider Pro slide across the grass during the tow.

Most of the assembly is done for you.The kit comes with a good manual that will walk you through the building process. All the wiring is installed, complete with aileron extensions in the wings and fuselage. Even the control horns and canopy mounts are installed. Here are the parts to buy for your Easy Glider Pro. You’ll need to score on a six-channel receiver, although you’ll likely only use four of the six channels. I recommend the Hitec Optima and at least an Optic sixchannel transmitter. You must make a small hole in each end of the battery and insert a small nylon tube through its center. This allows the 0.047-in. piano wire to run through the tube from the servo to the release mechanism. The nylon tube also acts as an insulator so the wire does not short the battery pack. The Easy Glider Pro’s nosecone comes with a hole in its center that is designed for the Multiplex Aerotow Coupling (# 72-3470). Once you install the aerotow release mechanism, the nosecone fits in a keyed recess in the fuselage, which makes alignment quick.

RC SPORT FLYER — MAY 2012

MULTIPLEX EASY GLIDER PRO RR They experienced the joy of discovering how easy it is to do aerotowing, thanks to the gentle handling characteristics of the Easy Glider Pro—even when flown behind a tug. That is because of the Easy Glider’s wide wing chord, shouldermounted and cambered You’ll need to insert the Multiplex Aerotow Coupling wing, upswept tips and in the nose cone. Then turn it until the crossbar is ailerons. Consequently, horizontal with the center hole. CA is then applied to the coupling, and accelerator is used to kick it. anyone with a little RC experience can feel the sense of accomplishment and fun that aerotowing offers pilots. The Easy Glider Pro is a Multiplex product. Multiplex airplanes are made of Elapor® foam, not Styrofoam. Elapormolded foam airplanes are durable and easy to build—even for the rank beginner. You glue them together with medium The wings for the Easy Glider Pro RR come with the viscosity cyanoacrylate servos and their leads installed in the wings, which (CA) adhesive and CA makes assembly very quick. You’ll discover that working with Elapor is easy. accelerator to make the CA “kick.” You simply spray one side of the parts that will be glued together with the accelerator and apply the glue to the other. Then you hold them together, making sure the parts are properly aligned, and in an instant you have a bonded part. It doesn’t take long before you’ll have an Elapor airplane built and ready to fly. Even though accidents do happen on the airfield, if you have some CA and accelerator in your flight box you’ll have your glider flying again in no time. Also, Multiplex now offers a Receiver Ready (RR) version of the Easy Glider Pro. The RR version requires only minimal effort by the modeler to have it ready to fly. These new Multiplex RR versions come with all servos, wiring and pushrods installed in the airplane. You simply add a receiver and battery to have it flight ready.

AEROTOW GLIDER

The Easy Glider Pro is an excellent glider, as it is built by

On the rear of the Elapor nosecone there is a key to align it with the fuselage. It makes fitting the nosecone to the fuselage a snap. The release wire will connect to the Coupling.

Like the nosecone, the fuselage’s tailboom is keyed to the vertical stabilizer, as is the horizontal stabilizer. Multiplex goes above and beyond to make it easy for you to get this airplane.

Notice that Multiplex has even installed the rudder’s control horn. You’ll fall in love with this kind of construction because it will get you to the airfield quickly. Their new Cularis RR uses the same type of construction.

This shows you how the elevator’s control horn is installed as well as how the elevator’s underside is keyed to mate to the tailboom. You’ll want to doublecheck all the glue joints.

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MULTIPLEX EASY GLIDER PRO RR Multiplex. We wanted the glider to train pilots on how to do aerotowing behind a tug aircraft. That meant a little modification to the glider, but nothing that would challenge any modeler, even the beginner. Here is the hardware that you’ll need: • Hitec HS-65HB servo This shows you how easy it is to install the ailerons’ • Multiplex Aero-Tow linkage. Look at it! It is a straight shot from the servo Coupling part #72-3470 horn to the control horn, so you will not have any binding of the linkages. • A short piece of 0.047-in. music wire • A short piece of nylon tube • A small EZ connector

This is how the Easy Glider Pro’s fuselage comes from the Manufacturer! Everything you’ll need to make this an aerotow airplane is there, minus the release servo mechanism and battery.

To see how we converted an Easy Glider Pro to an aerotow machine, follow along with the step-by-step photo-illustrated instructions I’ve

Distributor Hitec RCD 12115 Paine Street Poway, CA 92064 Phone: 858-748-6948 hitecrcd.com

Specifications Pilot

Beginner/intermediate

Wingspan

72 in.

Wing area

645 in.

Wing Loading

6.25 oz/ft2

Length

44 in.

Weight

34 oz

Transmitter

Hitec RCD Eclipse 7 Pro

Receiver

Hitec RCD Mini 6S

Battery

HydriMax 4.8-volt 2000mAh

Servos

HS-82HD (2), HS-55 (2)

Price

$110

For More Information rcaerotowing.com

RC SPORT FLYER — MAY 2012

It is this simple to add the release servo and battery. The pull wire for the release mechanism runs through the battery to the HS-65HB.

While this is our new Easy Glider, we still have our original Easy Glider in service. Even after three years and scores of pilots being trained on it, it is in regular use, giving pilots a first try at aerotowing.

provided. This model will go together very easily for you, and adding a tow release mechanism to the nose is quite simple too.

STEP-BY-STEP

Follow along with the step-bystep photo pictorial I’ve provided for you to see just how easy this modification is to make. Once you’ve made the mods, hook it to one of your club members’ tug aircraft to have some serious fun doing a bit of aerotowing. You will discover this is a great way to get your glider aloft, but be prepared—you might go crazy for aerotowing!

BY Marcus Hubbard

SPITFIRE MK IX

n February 1942 the Supermarine Spitfire Mk IX was flown for the first time. Its designers and the military wanted it to combat Germany’s FockeWulf 190A. Later that year the Spitfire Mk IX was flown against a captured FW 190A, and the Spitfire proved to be the fighter the RAF needed. The Spitfire IX had a top speed of 409 mph and was able to reach an altitude of 43,000 feet. It was outfitted with four 20-mm cannons, so it was a formidable fight machine. And, on October 5, 1944, the Spitfire was the first fighter to shoot down an Me262 jet fighter, which underscores its performance in the combat. Horizon Hobby’s Parkzone brand has recreated this beautiful and historical aircraft in the form of a park flyer. Now any RC pilot can enjoy flying this historic fighter. 70

RC SPORT FLYER — MAY 2012

THE KIT

Upon opening the kit box you will notice how neatly all the components are packaged in foam, which protects them from damage during shipping. The fuselage comes with the motor, electronic speed controller, receiver and rudder and elevator servo installed. The wing has separate aileron servos, which are also factory installed. There are extensions included for the optional retractable gear system. The horizontal stabilizer halves mount to the ver tical fin by way of a rod, with a rear spar for additional suppor t. The two- or three-cell DC charger and 3S 2200-mAh battery are also included in the kit, as is a small bag of hardware needed to complete the assembly.

WHAT COMES IN THE KIT • • • • • • • •

Z-foam Airframe 15-size BL outrunner 950 Kv E-flite® 30-amp Pro ESC Four sub micro servos installed 11.1-volt 2200-mAh 3S 25C LiPo 2- to 3-cell DC charger SpektrumTM AR600 receiver Metal landing gear and foam wheels • 20-mm cannons

ITEMS NEEDED TO COMPLETE

• 4-channel DSM2 or DSMX transmitter • 10–15-size main retracts (EFLG100) • Pre-bent landing gear struts (PKZ5717) • Optional equipment

PARKZONE® SPITFIRE MK IX

This airplane will put you at the controls of a famous WWII fighter airplane, and it will turn heads at any airfield. Check it out at e-fliterc.com.

IN THE AIR

At the airfield, I completed a radio range check. Then the Spitfire Mk IX was ready for its maiden flight. I pointed the Spitfire into the wind and slowly added power until the Spitfire reached full power—a small amount of right rudder control was required to counteract the propeller forces—and then it was airborne. Once in the air, it was time to flip the retract switch. It was fun watching the gear retract outwardly instead of the traditional inward rotation. After I got the Spitfire to altitude, I trimmed the airplane. It needed two clicks of left aileron and two clicks of You can go on multiple missions and sorties when you fly this electric-powered Spitfire. It comes as an RTF kit, so you’ll have it in the air in no time.

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Here you see everything that you’ll get in the kit. It comes with a battery and charger too. While you are charging the battery, you can have this model assembled and ready to fly.

Here is how your airplane will come packaged. Everything in the kit is packed well, so it will arrive in perfect condition, ready for you to put it together. This airplane has lots of history behind it. The E-flite kit replicates the full-scale aircraft quite well, even in terms of performance!

I decided to install the optional electric retracts in my model. They are the finishing touch, especially in the air when you see them retract into the airplane’s wings.

E-flite offers a set of retractable landing gear as an option. These are electric powered, so you can have them installed in just a few minutes.

RC SPORT FLYER — MAY 2012

PARKZONEÂŽ SPITFIRE MK IX

Here the Spitfire is preparing for a strafing run on the spectators, with the throttle cranked wide open for a high-speed pass.

Look at those radiators under the wings. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d never know this airplane was foam when it is in the air, especially when you see its performance.

This shot of the airplane provides you with an excellent look at the profile of the wing, the tailboom and the retracts. This is one COOL airplane!

Your model will come with a pilot, cannons in the wings and a radio antenna mast. Just look at the color scheme on this machine.

The electric motor, ESC and battery pack included in the kit provide lots of power for highspeed passes and steep climb outs.

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ASSEMBLY I started by reading the manual! Parkzone states that you can assemble the Spitfire in one hour. I found it took longer to charger the 3S 2200-mAh battery than it did to assemble the aircraft— including the installation of the retracts. The first step in assembly is to bind the AR600 to a DSM2 or DSMX compatible transmitter. I chose to bind my Spitfires receiver to my trusty DX7. It was easy! You’ll be able to do it too, simply by following the manual’s step-by-step instructions. Parkzone adds a neat little trick to getting access to the battery compartment. They have added clear tape that has been folded over twice and attached to the rear portion of the battery hatch. This makes for easy access instead of constantly having to squeeze or pull on the battery hatch. I skipped ahead for the next step to install the retractable landing gear before attaching the wing to the fuselage. You’ll be impressed by the fact that Parkzone has installed the servo extensions for the retracts in the wing. This is a big help, and their installation took less than 10 minutes. You will need to bolt each unit into the wing (there are four screws per unit), connect the servo extensions and install the pre-bent landing gear wire into the units. Next you’ll install the foam wheels, but make sure the raised wheel hubs are towards the airplane’s center— if they’re not, the wheels might rub on the gear legs during landing or takeoff, which could cause the airplane to nose over due to the braking action. You’ll then pop on the plastic gear door, and the gear install will be done. This was by far the easiest retract installation that I’ve ever done. Next you’ll need to connect the aileron and gear extensions to the receiver.

Just pull the throttle back and fly the Spitfire in for a landing. It will get into ground effect and give you a smooth touchdown.

RC SPORT FLYER — MAY 2012

Then you can attach the wing to the fuselage. There are two bolts supplied. Installing the horizontal stabilizer was also quick and easy. You’ll install the tube in the forward hole of the horizontal stabilizer and then slide the two halves through the vertical stabilizer, pushing them together. To secure the horizontal stabilizer to the vertical fin, use four pieces of clear tape. Finally, you must install the antenna, which just pops in behind the canopy. You’ll also install, and secure with four screws, the 20-mm cannons in the leading edge of the wing. Programming the radio transmitter is very simple; just follow the manual’s instructions. I would underscore that you must make certain the controls are going in the proper directions relative to transmitter stick movements. Lastly, check that the airplane’s center of gravity is set properly. Failure to do so will adversely affect the airplane’s performance and handling. Control Throws High (mm)

Low (mm)

Elevator

Rudder

Aileron

Exponential

20%

10%

Center of Gravity

65 mm from leading edge

PARKZONE® SPITFIRE MK IX nose down trim, which allowed it to fly at three-quar ters throttle in level flight. The Spitfire was very docile on low-rate control and was a pleasure to fly in all attitudes. When switched to high-rate control, the Spitfire was still a pleasure to fly in all regimes but was a little quicker in response. The Spitfire looks superb in inver ted flight, with the landing gear buried in the wing away from the center of the fuselage. Approximately three-quar ters of the up-elevator control was required to fly it inver ted, but that’s not out of the norm for a scale airplane. I did a number of touch-and-go landings before the 2200-mAh battery was depleted. The Spitfire excels at them. Some of the touch-and- go landings were done with power on and some without. I found that the Spitfire performs well in both modes,

You’ll need to add a bit of down elevator control for inverted flight, but the model will fly upside down just fine, which will let you do some great flybys.

so you can make a great landing either way.

BACK AT THE HANGAR

As with every successful maiden flight, you must perform a post flight inspection of the airplane to make cer tain the airplane remains air wor thy. In my case everything about the Spitfire was in perfect condition. Also, I found that after seven minutes of flight the 2200-mAh battery had

used just over 1400 milliamps. So, I can now increase the flight time another minute, which get the pack closer to the rule of 80 percent of charge used on LiPo cells. Suffice it to say that Horizon Hobby has created another winner in their Parkzone Spitfire Mk IX park flyer. It definitely brings a little history and fun to the airfield.

Specifications Type

Sport Scale

Pilot skill

Intermediate

Wingspan

32.2 in.

Length

37.3 in.

Retractable gear down and locked, the Spitfire sets up for a landing approach. You’ll be pleased with how it handles gear up and gear down.

Wing area

305 in.2

Weight

41.1 oz

Controls

Throttle, elevator, rudder, aileron

Reference

Construction

Z-FoamTM, plastic

Radio

4-channel required, 5- for optional retract

Price

$249.99

Retracts

$88.98

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

RC-SF.COM

BY James VanWinkle

THE WINGS MAKER’S J-10B JET FIGHTER AN EDF FIGHTER YOU’LL WANT TO FLY

The full-scale J-10B is a formidable fighting machine in the modern day Chinese Air Force. It is making a mark at air shows around the world for its fighter capabilities.

Mostly assembled, the J-10B will go together for you very rapidly. The color scheme is bright and easy to see in the air.

RC SPORT FLYER — MAY 2012

THE WINGS MAKERâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S J-10B JET FIGHTER

hina has been quietly developing a formidable air force! For decades the Chinese have relied primarily on Russian airframes, although the modern aircraft in the Chinese Air Force inventory are increasingly domestic designs. Aircraft such as the Chengdu J-10B, known as the Vigorous Dragon in the West, are providing a multi-role, all-weather strike capability. With its very agile airframe married to a Russian jet engine, the J-10B is thought to provide a strong match to the F-18 Hornet, the mainstay of the United States

Navy. Moreover, several countries such as Pakistan are looking at the J-10 to equip their air forces. Distributed by The World Models, The Wings Maker has introduced an elegant, agile version of the J-10B, made up in the brightly colored air show paint scheme. This jet comes mostly assembled, so it can be in the air within a few hours.

IN FLIGHT

With the model built, balanced, and batteries charged, my J-10 was ready to take to the skies. One last check of

proper flight control deflections and a smooth application of power had my model rocketing down the runway. Its takeoff required only about 40 feet of runway, with the jet then climbing well to altitude. With ailerons and elevator mixed in the transmitterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s programming, the airplane provides plenty of authority at high and low speeds. Computer radios make the setup of the airplane pretty straightforward without any special mixes other than selection of elevons. The rudder and the nose wheel use the same servo, so only the throttle

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programming is required because the elevators and ailerons share servos. Agile is an understatement for the J-10B. Using maximum control throws is not a good idea for this model; instead you must follow the manualâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recommendation. Not following this guideline results in a blistering roll rate that can get away from a pilot pretty easily. Rolls are very straight and extremely fast. The use of the rudder definitely helps keep the rolls on a straight axis. The rudder provides enough throw to keep the J-10B in knife-edge flight at high speeds. With a large surface area when on its side, the airplane handles flight in knife-edge very well. It tends to move around a bit,

The landing gear comes assembled and needs only to be secured in place with small keepers that are part of the supplied hardware.

The aileron/elevator servos are installed in the wing. The linkage is attached at the factory. Even though all parts were attached, it is always a good idea to double-check them in case something is loose.

I removed some of the interior wooden plate to accommodate the battery and then cut small holes in the fuselage for thin Velcro straps to hold the battery in place. The blue marks on the foam let me position the battery for balance.

The battery fit perfectly in position once part of the wooden plate was removed. The Velcro holds the battery securely in position. The electronic speed controller is located toward the back, and the wires are taped in place to keep them out of the way.

Steering is by way of the moveable nose wheel, with a control rod that runs through the bottom of the fuselage and across the intake, where it hooks into the servo control horn. Lots of movement is available for tight turns.

but with some practice the jet will do air show type rolls at speeds that would cause a full-scale pilot to go cross-eyed. Inver ted is just as easy to fly as upright. The J-10B tracks perfectly and only needs a slight down pressure on the control stick to maintain level flight. It turns very well when inver ted, actually better than propeller-driven aircraft due to the lack of propeller wash acting on the rudder. The wing area of the J-10 is quite large, allowing for a lot of lift, and this comes in handy during landings. The airplane slows down very well and lands at a nice slow to moderate 78

RC SPORT FLYER â&#x20AC;&#x201D; MAY 2012

airspeed without poor handling when down low and slow. Making an approach is similar to propeller-driven aircraft, in that a bit of throttle should be maintained to establish a nice glide slope to touchdown. The rollout is typical for jets, meaning it takes a little extra room to stop, but the typical RC airfield will provide more than enough room for takeoff and landing. Expect flight times of five minutes as a star ting point when using the recommended 4-cell 2100-mAh battery pack. Ducted fans draw lots of power, and the J-10B is no exception. Monitor how much charge goes back into the battery to prolong the charge and keep from damaging the battery. Hot or swollen battery packs are dangerous, so caution is required when flying any airplane, but especially aircraft like electric-powered ducted fans.

THE WINGS MAKERâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S J-10B JET FIGHTER

Sitting on the runway, the J-10B is a real attention getter. Once it takes to the skies everyone will enjoy watching it. A fellow pilot even wanted to buy mine right after the maiden flight!

Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll discover that this electric-powered ducted fan model offers plenty of power as well as superb maneuverability. In fact, you might need to tame the controls with lower rates on your Tx. These are the air show colors that the Chinese use on their demonstration J-10B.

A real J-10B Chinese jet fighter sits near the Third Ring Road in Beijing, next to the aviation center. It shows how the Chinese are growing their aircraft design capabilities for their Air Force.

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ASSEMBLY The J-10B comes mostly assembled, so there is not a lot to say about assembly. The manufacturer has done much of the work to help you get the airplane in the air quickly. The color scheme is bright, and the paint scheme is the same as the Chinese demonstration aircraft one might see at an air show somewhere in the world. The aircraft is made mostly of foam components, with a plastic nose section and canopy. There is a small wing tube made of carbon fiber, which is glued in place when the wings are joined. Everything fits nicely, reflecting attention to detail during the design of this model. There is no cutting or fitting of parts required, just straightforward assembly of a few components. The manual for the J-10 is detailed and easy to follow. There is not much to do for assembly other than joining the wings, canards and vertical tail, and putting the landing gear on the model. Each step is very straightforward, and some foam-safe cyanoacrylate glue will have this airplane complete in a few hours. A fuselage hatch is provided for access to the battery, receiver and electronic speed controller. The method of attachment is a small tab that fits in a slot, plus two strong magnets. Once in place it will not come off in flight. My battery did not fit, which required modifying the gear compartment, though no modification was required to the hatch. The landing gear is already assembled, so you’ll only be dropping it in place and adding a few keepers and screws for security. The vertical stabilizer drops into place, and then the rudder control is attached. All servos are already solidly in position, with the pushrods already in place as well. There are three servos, one for the tail and nose wheel, and one for each aileron/elevator. The jet uses elevons, meaning the ailerons are mixed with the elevators. This setup works perfectly on this model with plenty of throw for ample lift and roll. Because everything is already in place, simply check the parts to ensure they are secure and then move on to the next step. Most radios have a setup for elevons. The J-10B is not your everyday EDF model. It sports a canard and has aileron, elevator and throttle control—at high rates, hang on for some fun!

RC SPORT FLYER — MAY 2012

Powering the J-10 is a preassembled fan unit. There is plenty of inlet air available to keep the fan generating lots of thrust. Everything needed is included in the kit, save adding a speed controller, receiver and battery to make the J-10 flight ready. During assembly, there was only one “gotcha,” which was trying to find a place for the battery to fit in the airplane while maintaining balance. The only place it would fit turned out to be the thinnest part of the fuselage. There was a wooden tray holding a servo in place that provided a spot to add Velcro® to secure a battery and receiver. It also happened to be about one quarter inch off the floor of the fuselage interior, which was my interference point for the battery. A few Dremel cuts later and my battery fit. Since the wooden part was no longer present for the Velcro straps, I had to cut small slits in the fuselage so the Velcro could be threaded through. It was easy and quick, and now the hatch fits perfectly. To keep the various wires from making their way into the fan section, I taped them into position with medical tape. This included the wires from the servos and the speed controller. A wire in the fan is a very bad thing, causing a loss of power and most likely flight control when the wire is damaged. Tape is just a simple precaution that saves a potential headache later, though the tape should be secured too, or it could enter the fan through one of the air ducts in the equipment compartment of the J-10B. Expect about three hours of assembly Center of Gravity to get the J-10 ready to fly. This includes 4.92 in. from the leading all assembly as well as adding the edge of the wing. supplied stickers to the airplane. The stickers were easy to add, although they probably took the most time for me to do.

THE WINGS MAKER’S J-10B JET FIGHTER

Specifications Wingspan

28.7 in.

Wing area

310 in.2

Fuselage length

42.7 in.

Weight

32 oz

Receiver

6-channel w/ mixing

ESC

40-amp brushless

Battery

4-cell 2100-mAh LiPo

Retail Price

$184.99 (assembled)

Distributor AirBorne Models LLC 4749 - K, Bennett Drive Livermore CA 94551, U.S.A. Phone: 925-371-0922 airborne-models.com

The J-10B flies like a fighter should, with the added great looks of a unique airframe, meaning this model is sure to take to the skies often.

DEBRIEF

Jets are always a lot of fun to fly, and they draw a crowd when they take to the skies. Fur thermore, they sound unique, look unique and have an appearance of sophistication. The J-10B is a solid design that provides spectacular looks with wonderful performance. Zipping across the sky, rolling multiple times faster than any full-scale aircraft and finishing with nice predictable slow flight characteristics for landings make this a definite attention getter at the airfield. The J-10B is a good intermediate pilot airplane because it does not exhibit any unusual handling characteristics. If you are a pilot who wants to sling a model around the sky with speed and performance, the J-10B is the perfect pick, and it sells at a great price too.

Step on the “gas,” and this machine is going to head for the heavens. You’re going to have lots of fun flying this airplane!

RC-SF.COM

BY Daniel Holman

UM F-27Q STRYKER WILD, CRAZY AND THRILLING FLIGHT IN A LITTLE FLYING WING

he Parkzone® UM F-27Q Stryker is a model that you could take the airfield in your bicycle basket. It is the cutest little flying wing you’ll ever lay eyes on. Yet, it is a basket full of thrills to fly! What you get in the Stryker is an airplane that is ready to fly. All you’ll need to do is charge its battery pack and bind your 2.4-GHz DSMX transmitter to its receiver. The manual gives you all the set up data you’ll need too. So, from kit box to airfield should not be more than 30-minutes, unless of course you’re charging the battery with solar power.

The model kit is very complete. All you’ll need to provide is a 2.4-GHz DSMX transmitter.

IN THE AIR

Takeoff and launch of the UM F-27Q Stryker is very simple. My preferred technique is to throw it fairly hard straight ahead, but with the motor off to ensure that the

My brother Michael launched by little Styker for me. It has handholds in the bottom, so launching is easy.

Here I’m flying my model in knife-edge flight, which it will do, but you need to work at them a bit.

RC SPORT FLYER — MAY 2012

UM F-27Q STRYKER 180 BNF

propeller doesn’t accidentally cut my hand if the model should veer during the launch. Then as soon as it leaves my hand, I just open up the throttle to 60% or so and fly the little wing up, up and away. It is very stable in normal flight, slow flight is quite good but the controls start to mush before it stalls due to the fact that it’s a pusherpowered design. Inverted flight is also quite stable, and the airplane only requires a little down elevator control to remain in level flight. What I found when flying my model is that knife-edge flight is sketchy, but it can be done. The dual rudders are very powerful, so inverted flat spins are a blast—the are very flat and slow too, which you’ll enjoy just watching. Upright spins can be done, but they don’t flatten out as well as those when it is inverted.

The day we flew our UM Stryker it was a little breezy, but the model performed well. Don’t fly it in winds more than 10 mph.

Snap rolls are one of my favorite maneuvers to do with this little wing. With the dual rudders and maxed-out throws on the elevons, it will do wildly fast snaps, and then it will exit them quite predictably. Another fun thing to do with the UM Stryker is take it very high and then cut the throttle while you hold full, high-rate, up elevator control. Using the rudders to keep it flying straight, the airplane will float almost straight down, if it is pointed into AJ Byers shows off the size of the little Stryker. As you can see this is a flying wing type airplane that gets power from a pusher propeller.

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You can do lots of fun maneuvers with the UM Stryker. It will roll, loop, and do fantastic spins.

the wind. You can do the same thing if it is inverted, but it requires a little more piloting with the rudders and elevons. Spinning tumbles are fun too! You can really get it to wind up fast. You’ll want to take it up to a good altitude, then roll it to knife-edge and use

RC SPORT FLYER — MAY 2012

This shot shows just how sleek and streamline the little Styrker, which means pretty good speed and penetration.

full up elevator with full aileron and rudder in the same direction. When done correctly, it will almost do a pinwheel around the fuselage. Exiting the maneuver is just a matter of pointing the nose down and powering out. FUN! The airplane flies well in wind for

a micro, but I don’t recommend flying it in anything above eight miles per hour or so. We test flew it in winds between 12 and 16 mph. That outing resulted in the need for a couple drops of foam-safe cyanoacrylate glue. Landing the Stryker is very easy.

UM F-27Q STRYKER 180 BNF It is simply a matter of pointing it at the desired landing spot and then flying it, with the throttle cut, all the way until about four inches off the ground. At that point, you’ll just need to pull full up elevator control and let it stall onto the grass. It can also be caught, but you must cut the throttle complete before reaching out to snatch it out of the air.

BUY ONE

I’ll end by telling you that this model provides exceptional dollarto-fun-factor ratio. It’ll fit in any size car, so get one and take it to the office for some fun during lunch. You’ll be glad you did. Here it is bearing down on the camera, which makes it look fearsome, but it is actually pretty tame while a blast to fly.

Specifications Type

Sport Planes

Experience Level

Intermediate

Wingspan

17.0 in. (432 mm)

Overall Length

10.8 in. (275 mm)

Weight

2.15 oz (60 g) w/o battery

Motor Size

180-size 3000 Kv brushless outrunner

Battery

7.4-volt 200-mAh 2S 25C LiPo (included)

Propeller

3.75 x 3

Center of Gravity

2.6 in. (67 mm) forward of firewall

Environment

Outdoor

Assembly Required

Price

$129.99

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

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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

AeroWorks

aero-works.net

Maxx Products

maxxprod.com

Airborne Models

airborne-models.com

Micro Fasteners

microfasteners.com

Atlanta Hobby

atlantahobby.com

Multiplex

multiplexusa.com

APC Propellers

apcprops.com

New England Aerotow

rcaerotow.com

Blade

bladehelis.com

Parkzone

parkzone.com

2, 3

BP Hobbies

bphobbies.com

RealFlight

realflight.com

Bob Smith Industries

bsi-inc.com

RTL Fasteners

rtlfasteners.com

Castle Creations

castlecreations.com

OLE RC

olerc.com

Central Hobbies

centralhobbies.com

Saito

saitoengines.com

Clover Creek Invitational

clovercreekaerodrome.net

Smart-Fly

smart-fly.com

Desert Aircraft

desertaircraft.com

Soaring USA

soaringusa.com

Eagle Tree

eagletreesystems.com

Spektrum

spektrumrc.com

11, 12

Great Planes

greatplanes.com

ThunderPower

thunderpowerrc.com

Hangar 9

hangar-9.com

TruTurn

tru-turn.com

Icare

icare-rc.com

Yakima Aerotow

gliderflyer@gmail.com

JR Aerotow

jrradios.com

Zap

zapglue.com

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