RC Sport Flyer June 2013 (Vol 18-06) by RC Flyer News

PART 2 —ASK-18 GLIDER BUILD p. 20 World’s Most In-Depth RC Aircraft Magazine

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Learn how-to-refinish models tips and tricks from our pro builder.

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EVENT

MULTI-ROTOR CHALLENGE See why multi-rotor copters are giving a fresh face to RC. By Wil Byers

BUILD

BUILD AN ASK-18 PART 2 Get the step-by-step details of how to build the wings of this glider. By Gene Cope SPACE WALKER WINGS PART 3 In Part 3 you will discover how easy it is to build straight and true sport plane wings. By Jeff Troy RC SPORT FLYER â&#x20AC;&#x201D; JUNE 2013

Get the straight scoop on how the new gaspowered O.S. GT60 engine peforms.

PG 72

HOW TO

AEROBATICS PART 3 Follow along as Daniel explains how to put controls systems into an airplane. By Daniel Holman RETRACT SERVO FABRICATION IS FUN We show you how to design a servo mount that travels with the landing gear strut. By Wil Byers

REVIEWS

FLYZONE TIDEWATER You’ll get all wet and excited when you read about this new fun-to-fly seaplane. By Gene Cope PREMIER PILOTS Take a look at this review if you are looking for a great pilot for your next scale model. By Staff

LUSCOMBE SILVAIRE 8 Check out this monoplane plan if you are looking for something different to build. By Wendell Hostetler

PLAN

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COMMANDER EP (40) See why this pattern airplane may be just what you are looking for to hone your pilot skills. By James VanWinkle EF EXTRA 300 We show you why the Extreme Flight 104-in. Extra 300 delivers topnotch quality and performance. By Daniel Holman PULSAR 2E ARF If you are looking for an excellent ALES glider, read this review to see how this one measures up. By Wil Byers

PLUS: PHOTO

JEFF WHITFORD’S P-47 THUNDERBOLT By Jerry Smith

REPORT

EAGLE TREE 2D/3D GUARDIAN By Gene Cope

PG 88 See why this new ALES glider should be on your 2013 shopping list.

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Editor in Chief:

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Contributing Editors: Don Bailey, Rob Caso, Gene Cope, Daniel Holman, Mike Hoffmeister, Richard Kuns, Bob McGowan, Joe Nave, Vincenzo Pedrelli, Steve Rojecki, Gary Ritchie, Mike Shellim, Jerry Smith, Jeff Troy, James VanWinkle RC Sport Flyer (ISSN: 1941-3467) is published monthly for $24.95 per year by Kiona Publishing, Inc., P.O. Box 4250, W. Richland, WA 99353-4004. Periodicals postage paid at Richland, WA and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to RC Sport Flyer, P.O. Box 4250, W. Richland, WA 99353-4004. Office: (509) 967-0831 Hours: M–Th 8-4, Closed Fri, Sat & Sun. Subscriptions: kionasubscribe.com Toll Free (Orders Only) (866) 967-0831 Editor/Ads/Design: (509) 967-0832 E-mail: subscriptions@kionapublishing.com Fax Number: (509) 967-2400 Ask for RC Sport Flyer at your local hobby shop! Hobby Shop Orders (800) 558-1544 ext. 818 www.retailers.kalmbach.com

Hobby Shop distribution by: Kalmbach Publishing Co. (800) 558-1544 ext. 818 Subscriptions: USA and possessions and Canada: $24.95 per year, $54.95 overseas. Washington residents add 8.3% sales tax. Single copies $6.49 plus $3.50 S&H U.S. All payments must be in U.S. funds. Visa, Mastercard, Amex, and Discover accepted. Send to: RC Sport Flyer – Circulation, P.O. Box 4250, W. Richland, WA 99353-4004. Please allow eight weeks for change of address. Contributions: Articles and photographs are welcome, but cannot be considered unless guaranteed exclusive. When requested we will endeavor to return all materials in good condition if accompanied by return postage. RC Sport Flyer assumes no responsibility for loss of or damage to editorial contributions received. Any material accepted is subject to possible revision at the discretion of the publisher. Publisher assumes no responsibility for accuracy of content. Opinions of contributing authors do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher. RC Sport Flyer will retain author’s rights, title to and interest in the editorial contributions as described above in both print and electronic media unless prior arrangement has been made in writing. Payment for editorial materials will be made at our current rate. Submission of editorial material to RC Sport Flyer expresses a warranty by the author that such material is in no way an infringement upon the rights of others. The contents of this magazine may not be reprinted traditionally or electronically without permission of the publisher.

RC SPORT FLYER — JUNE 2013

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WIL BYERS

’ve been writing this Leading Edge column for 18 years now. It seems like it was just yesterday that the first issue of this magazine came together and went to print, but it’s not. I have much more grey hair now, my stomach is not as flat as it once was and I’m crankier than ever. The good news is that I’ve had the opportunity to see lots of change in the hobby and fly a whole bunch of truly fantastic airplanes. Also, some of these issues just seem to fall together, while others are much more problematic getting to print. This one has come together quite easily, and it has some really good content—not that they all don’t. As always, give me your feedback. On that note, remember I said I was crankier, but I do still pay attention to what you want and need in terms of content for this magazine. 3D Printing I just came back from the Toledo Weak Signals trade show. As always, I had a lot of fun, got to visit with old friends and see some very interesting new model airplanes and products. There was, however, one product that totally impressed me! It was the 3D printing system for pilot busts and figures that was being shown by 3D FigureWorks. George Walrath was there with a camera system that was absolutely state of the art for shooting 3D images. His system uses 16 cameras to take a photo of a person, animal or object, doing so from 16 different angles. The photos are then automatically uploaded to his laptop computer. The laptop uses software to merge the 16 photos into a 3D image of the object or person—in my case it was my pilot bust. 3D FigureWorks then uses the 3D image of my bust to print a 3D image of me as a pilot figure, which I can use in my scale models. It was truly stunning to see what 3DFigureWorks’ cameras, software and printing system could create using a 3D printer. I recommend you point your browser at 3dfigureworks.com to see what George and his company are doing. It is pretty amazing. While George’s company is making absolutely stunning pilot figures and busts, just think what you too could do with a 3D printer. For example, if you are a scale modeler you could create complete cockpits or their parts. You could make external details that replicate that of the full-scale airplane’s. Alternately, you could use 3D printing to make patterns to then make molds. You could make control horns, servo trays, etc. The possibilities are truly limitless. I did a little searching online and found some 3D printers. Their starting price seems to be about $1200, but you can spend much more. The printer I found at cubify.com is selling for $1299 and will shoot ABS and PLA materials. Their site has many details about what you might need to buy to get started. They have a top-end model that sells for $3999. These will print images as large as a basketball. If you want to go really crazy with 3D printing you could point your browser at studiofathom.com. They have some serious hardware, including their Objet24, which can build parts as big as 9.2 x 7.6 x 5.9-in. This unit is a desktop model too—wow! It is pretty amazing to think how this technology will evolve and benefit us in the hobby. I think we will soon see some outstanding products coming out of these machines. Is anyone reading this column thinking engines, motors, propellers, wheels, fuselages, wingtips, etc.? I am. Visalia Aerotow 2013 - May 17, 18, 19 Well, that about wraps it up for this month. I’m going back to the shop to finish up my 1/3-scale ASG-29. I’ll be attending the Visalia Aerotow in a month for a little fun and relaxation, as well as photo taking. I’m hopeful that I’ll see you there. Hopefully, it will be a weekend with thermal-filled skies. I know there will be a whole lot of hot air going up under my tent. Until next month, my gear is up and locked.

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2013 MULTI-ROTOR CHALLENGE THIS CALIFORNIA EVENT PUTS A NEW TWIST ON RC

RC SPORT FLYER â&#x20AC;&#x201D; JUNE 2013

2013 MULTI-ROTOR CHALLENGE

t was like getting a breath of fresh RC air to attend the first annual Multi-Rotor Challenge, hosted at the Palomar Flyers Club airfield in Fallbrook, California. The event took place over the weekend of March 23rd and 24th. It was sponsored by Innov8tive Designs and had the support of magazines Heli Pilot and RC Sport Flyer, as well as companies such as DIY Drones, 3D Robotics, ROC Batteries, DJI Innovations, R/C Dude Hobbies, QuadCoptersPlus.com and the San Diego Chapter of the AUVSI, to name a few.

FRESH FACES

What made the Multi-Rotor

Challenge a breath of fresh air was seeing the new faces of the pilots who attended, along with the companies that are pretty much as yet unknown in the RC community. The exception to this is of course Lucien Miller, the owner of Innov8tive Designs. In all, there were about 62 pilots entered in the event, with many spectators eager to see the latest in this new facet of the hobby/industry. Fresh air how? Well, I got to meet Ben Berrey of DIYcopters.com. This young man is doing things with his quad-copters that would make any pilot, fixed-wing or rotor, sit up and take notice. For example, he is programming his aircraft’s controllers

to reverse when needed so he can fly them upside down. Ben and his brother have created some pretty inexpensive, wooden airframes that are just beyond interesting. They even have them painted by a local artist to give them the most unique looks in the air and on the ground. By the way, you really should visit Ben’s website because he has lots of useful information posted on it about multirotors and first-person-view flying. I must say it was inspiring to see pilots like those from team Innov8tive Designs too. These young guys were turning in some flights that had me saying to myself, “I gotta learn how to program these machines and do

This is one of the kits from innov8tivedesigns.com. As you can see it is fitted with a GPS unit and a NAZA controller. The unit uses wooden blades to reduce blade flex. Innov8tive can set you up with everything you need to start flying multirotors. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @RCSPORTFLYER

RC-SF.COM

Here Ben Berrey of DIYcopters.com is flying one of his inexpensive multi-rotor machines, which uses a wood frame to keep costs down.

what they are doing.” For example, one of the pilots had his quad-copter programmed with the “Go Home” feature. To demonstrate this feature to the crowd he flew his quad-copter out about 200 yards and up to about 400 feet or so. He subsequently flipped a control switch on his radio transmitter that activated the Go-Home-program sequence. The quad-copter had stored in its memory the location from which its control system was initialized. The pilot then turned around to face the crowd and put his transmitter on the ground, then walked 20 feet away. The quad-copter then flew back to its origin point and landed, without the control of the pilot. I’m not talking landed, I’m underscoring that it landed perfectly and gently! This was beyond interesting to me and I found myself wanting to do the same with

Ben Berrey of DIYcopers.com is shown here flying his company’s multi-rotor machine. Notice the frame is wood and props are plastic to keep costs down.

Ben’s brother shows me one of their frames. They are doing some very innovative things including reprogramming controllers.

Lucien Miller is the man behind Innov8tive Designs. He is the promotor of the 2013 Multi-Roto Challenge event—a huge success.

These are some of the fresh faces of multi-rotor pilots. They are team pilots for Innov8tive Designs, and are doing some amazing things with their copters.

4 Multi-rotor machines are coming in a number of different shapes anbd sizes. Here is another unit from Innov8tive Designs.

RC SPORT FLYER — JUNE 2013

Many of the pilots are into writing code for the multirotors as well as using them as camera platforms.

2013 MULTI-ROTOR CHALLENGE my NAZA-controlled hexa-copter. You owe it to yourself to point your browser at innov8tivedesigns.com to learn a whole lot more about what they have to sell in the way of motor, controllers, airframes, etc. Ted Carancho of aeroquad.com then wowed me further. He walked to the flightline, readied his quadcopter and proceeded to throw it in the air sidearm. And, I do mean throw it! His machine righted itself in the blink of an eye and hovered there. Honestly, I would not have believed this possible only a couple of years ago. But these guys and their companies are pushing the outside of the design and performance envelope with lots of new, multi-rotor machines and associated hardware. I talked with Ted in the pit area and he explained that his company has multirotors starting for as little as $449. Moreover, his machines are using a 32-bit ARM processor—that means lightning-fast response times to sensors and control inputs. He even explained that some of his machines

This is just one of the many multi-rotors that you can buy from AeroQuad. They make high-quality products, such as this quad-copter.

Ted Carancho show us one of his tri-rotor machines. Ted likes the redundant motor configuration as a way to add protection against motor failure.

Owner of AeroQuad, Ted Carancho, shows off his pretty amazing quad-copter. His website is aeroquadstore.com. It provides lots of good info.

6 8

You can see the quality of AeroQuad’s multi-rotors in this photo. Look at how the motor is captured in its frame, plus the wires are all internal too.

In this photo Ted uses a sidearm throw to launch his quad. It immediately righted itself, and did so without any pilot input— the controller did the flying.

Look at how AeroQuad’s redundant motor system is configured. Note that all the parts are easily interchangeable. Ted tells me their controller code is open source so users can modify it.

RC-SF.COM

have two motors per arm as a way to provide redundancy against motor control failure, which could easily cost hundreds of dollars if a machine crashes. Again, this technology is new to me and I walked away knowing I needed to jump on the learning curve.

9 The Rosewell Flight Test Crew were flying this hexa-copter to capture video and fly FPV. Notice the GoPro up front.

Techinstein is the pilot for the Roswell group. Here is flying their Little Bird to capture video of the event. His partner in Crew is Lucidity. Little Bird is a hexa-copter that sports a

10 450-mm span. The unit uses a 900-MHz band to transmit the video for their first-person-view system.

You gotta love it. These guys came with

11 patches and the whole works to this

event. I like the fact that they are into the technical side of their systems. The hexa-copter was carrying its twin

12 battery pack on the bottom. I did not

see a gyro on this system, so I assume he was flying it in control mode. Note the pilot arms the copterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s control

13 system at the launch point as a way 9

This pilot was flying a copter that carries a Canon camera system. He was smooth on the controls and it flew for about 12 minutes.

RC SPORT FLYER â&#x20AC;&#x201D; JUNE 2013

for the control system to have a GPS reference point.

13 Notice that all the motor wires run inside the motor booms, which reduces drag. The camera gimbal is design to keep the camera level in flight.

The Roswell Flight Test Crew came down from Oregon to fly both their multi-rotor systems and FPV gear. If you want to see the 2013 Multi-Rotor Challenge from the air all you need do is point your browser at roswellflighttestcrew.com. There you will see exactly what these guys were doing at the event. It was quite impressive to see them flying their hexa-copter around the airfield, all the while capturing high-quality video for playback later. There were many vendors that attended the 2013 Multi-Rotor Challenge too. You had see some of the hardware, like that from fightingwalrus.com. They are designing systems to interface their machines to iPad and iPhones. Some of the vendors such as 3D Robotics, at diydrones.com, were showing you the gear you’d need to build a multi-rotor machine or to upgrade the one you are currently flying. Others like ROC Battery Company (rocbattery.com) were there to display their new line

2013 MULTI-ROTOR CHALLENGE

This is just one of the examples of the unusual multi-rotors flown and shown at the event. It had a camera mounted in its cowl up front.

Here Ben Berrey is flying his quadcopter upside down. Notice the great paint scheme that he had custom painted on the frame.

This shows you just how big DIYcopters.com multi-rotor machines are. The wood frames make them very inexpensive to buy and to repair.

Ben reprogrammed the motors’ speed

15 controllers to reverse motor direction

when he flips the quad-coptor over, so that he can fly inverted. Wiring a multi-rotor may seem

This quad is from 3D Robotics. Notice the 2.4-GHz antenna that rises from the control board. Also, the battery mounts on the bottom of the frame.

16 intimidating, but it’s actually pretty easy if you go step-by-step, one controller and motor at a time.

Notice how this tri-rotor has a red propeller. The pilots do this to help them stay oriented with their machines when they are at high altitude.

RC-SF.COM

2013 MULTI-ROTOR CHALLENGE

This is what a high-end octo-copter looks like. This machine is used by dronedudes.com to shoot video-for-hire projects.

Besides using eight speed controllers, this

17 model uses a NAZA controller, a GPS unit

and two huge LiPo battery packs to carry camera and video equipment. This shows you what they see from their

19 octo-copter’s video systems. Jeffrey told

me that they use wood propellers on the copter to reduce propeller flexing.

The receiver on this Drone Dudes copter is an AR8000 DSMX that gets telemetry data from a TM1000 system. Again, notice that one motor arm is a different color.

RC SPORT FLYER — JUNE 2013

Jeffrey Bland and Andrew Peterson own

18 Drone Dudes. They just won a contract to fly their machine in New Zealand for 21 days to film movie scenes—FUN! Their radio is a Spektrum DX8. The

20 transmitter tray is from Esprit Models. Notice Jeffery is a thumb-and-fingercontrol flyer.

of LiPo cells that are powering some of these new multi-rotor machines. E-Power had a huge tent and lots of goodies, as did others. One company that had the best carrying cases I’d even seen was from goprocases.com. If you are looking for a case to carry your helicopters, airplanes, gliders and multi-rotors, you must take a look at their product line. They’ll even custom build you a case.

50 GRAND

If you want to really, really impress me and the crowd, you do as dronedudes.com does. You hang a $50,000 Red camera below your very, very expensive octo-copter that is outfitted with every possible option you can imagine. Then you fly it around the airfield like it is not a big deal. That is exactly what Jeffery Blank and Andrew Petersen were doing with their camera platform. You see they are way, way into using multirotor machines for documentaries and film-making. In fact they are currently in New Zealand using their octo-copter to get aerial footage for a movie. What impressed me about these two young guys was that they were working as a team. They had a vision for the future. They put together the hardware, built it, programmed it, outfitted it and learned to fly it extremely well. Then they went on to market their talent in order to offer something unique to their customer. It is a business model that I hope other young pilots will emulate.

2014

I don’t know the dates for the 2014 event yet, but when I do I will share them with you. I absolutely plan to attend next year because I think the evolution of these multi-rotor machines is going to go exponential. What we see next year should be nothing short of amazing. Hopefully, by then I will have studied up on the technology such that I can share much, much more of the latest and greatest with you.

BY Gene Cope

ASK-18 PART 2

WINGS WILL DEFINITELY SET YOU STRAIGHT ON BUILDING

A dry assembly of the wing jointer tube assembly was put together to see how all ribs fit before building starts.

building wings from scratch for me is a love/hate relationship! I prefer to have them built for me. The truth is, however, that if you are scratch building there is no way to avoid building wings. So, here is what you’ll do. You’ll build one wing and then the other. I wish it were that easy, but it is not. Let me explain what you’ll need to do. I started by considering the construction methods for the ASK18 wings. One option was to build the wings using a foam core, which would use sheeting on the D-box and trailing edges with balsa cap strips to simulate ribs. The other would be a built-up structure as per the full-scale sailplane. The latter method was what I decided on, so design work began. In keeping with a Martin Simon three-view drawing, the main wing spar would not be built parallel to the wing’s leading edge. This would therefore require a double-spar system to carry the wing load. The joiner tube would be a carbon fiber 20

RC SPORT FLYER — JUNE 2013

tube, with double ribs mating to it at each end of the tube. After deciding on this construction method, the wing ribs were router cut from 3/32-in. three-layer plywood. The wing ribs were designed such that the wing’s washout was built in. Also, they employed construction tabs and a pre-set dihedral was built into the root ribs. This design work was done using Profili 2.2. The wings’ sixfoot Sitka spruce spar material was purchased from Aircraft Spruce & Specialty Co. To start wing construction, I began by spending two weeks off and on in preparation. This meant cutting and truing spar notches, making up trailing edges and laminating up the main wing spars. Once that was complete the wing started to

ASK-18 PART 2

2 Even though the plywood wing ribs were routed, a 123 block was used to help square the notches before final trimming.

3 The 3/32-in. plywood shear webs were pre-tapered to rib height before cutting into segments.

4 This view shows how the spar splice between the 1/2-in. to 1/4-in.-wide Sitka spruce spar pieces provided the best strength. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @RCSPORTFLYER

take shape, with the lower spars, wing ribs, jointer tube and plywood shear webbing. All the plywood shear webbing was tapered to wing thicknesses and precisely cut to length so the center of each bay rib was exactly the same. The inner panel bay ribs are 2.268 in., while the outer bay ribs are 2.5 in on center. This made placing the ribs easy when I used a “123” block to keep the ribs vertical during their placement in the structure. A 123 block is a steel block with a series of 3/8-16 taped holes. The block is precision ground to have sides that are exactly square and parallel to each other. It measures 1 × 2 × 3 in. and is within 0.0005 tolerance. I know, it may be a little overkill for this job, but it made placing the ribs easy and precise because the weight of the blocks kept the wood parts in place during their assembly. The ribs’ leading edges were butted against a 1 × 3-in. × 8-ft. piece of straight oak to ensure proper orientation. An 1/8 × 3/16-in. spruce sub leading edge was used to keep the center-to-center rib spacing at the leading edge. When the spar box area was fixed in position the rest of the wing ribs were then placed, with their vertical-grain, balsa shear webbing cut to maintain the center-to-center rib spacing. When RC-SF.COM

A sanding jig was made from scrap material to precisely bevel the 1/16-in. balsa on the trailing edge lamination.

The main spar lamination at the reduction splice of the spar, showing the 1/2-in. lower piece extending to the end of the splice area.

all the wing ribs were glued in their respective places the top spars were glued in and left to cure. The trailing edge strips were laminated out of 1/32-in. plywood and 1/16-in. balsa as a way to achieve the 3/32-in. spar cap thickness. They were then spliced to achieve the lengths required. The balsa side of the trailing edge was sanded to taper 1/32 in. to achieve a 1/16-in. thick wing trailing edge when the wing was finished. The top trailing edge strip was glued in position using a shear web template to maintain the center-tocenter rib spacing and the 123 block 22

The left wing shown here with trailing edge, ready for the installation of the leading-edge balsa wood.

RC SPORT FLYER — JUNE 2013

Plywood reinforcement donuts were used on each end of the wing incidence tube to provide additional support.

was used to keep the ribs vertical while the glue set. This first part of the build required one and a half days of work. To keep the wings at the same level of completeness, the right wing was built to this point before proceeding further. The next step in construction was the wing leading edges. These were made from straight pieces of 1- × 1/2-in. and 3/4- × 1/2-in. × 48-in. straight grain balsa. These were then spliced together using a 1-to-4 taper ratio at the splice, which makes the strongest splice. The splicing was

done on a flat surface. A five-foot metal straight edge was also used to provide a straight edge to butt the leading edges against while they were glued. When the glue cured, the balsa leading edges were tapered roughly to match the leading-edge ribs from root to tip. Once this was complete, glue was then placed on each leadingedge rib as well as the 1/8- × 3/16-in. sub-leading-edge spruce. The balsa leading edge was then firmly clamped to the wing’s spruce sub-leading edge. The leading-edge wood was subsequently checked to ensure that wood was visible on the upper and

ASK-18 PART 2

9 The leading-edge balsa required a final sanding to the rib profiles before the leading-edge balsa sheeting could be done.

11 Wing-root sheeting was done with the wings mounted to make sure the wing-to-fuselage match was even.

lower edges of the wing ribs before the glue was allowed to cure. This process was the repeated on the other wing panel. Using a model wood plane and a 24-in.-long sanding block, the leading edges were cut and sanded to the contour with the wing ribs, both top and bottom. The next step was to splice the wing sheeting. Again, this was done at a 1-to-4 taper ratio. The sheets were glued on a flat surface, also using a straight edge to keep one edge of the sheets true. Once the glue cured, the sheets were sanded smooth. I used 220-grit sandpaper that was bonded to a 1/2- × 4- × 8-in. aluminum block with M77 spray adhesive. The 3/32-in. balsa wing sheeting was then cut so that its aft-edge position centered on FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @RCSPORTFLYER

The leading-edge sheeting was spliced together as one piece before sanding prior to glueing on the wing.

Using a 1 1/2-in.-diameter cutting wheel, the construction tabs on the lower surface of the ribs were cut off. With a little sanding they were ready to cap.

the main spar and running forward to the wing’s leading edge, with a little extra extending beyond the leadingedge wood. Starting with the lower forward sheeting, and then the upper sheeting, the “D” section sheet was applied as one length from root to tip. The upper tip panel sheeting was spliced and sanded in the same manner as the “D” section sheeting. It was applied as a sheet from the chord break to the tip, and between the trailing-edge lamination and upper wing sheeting. Upper cap strips were then cut and glued in position. The spoiler cover sheeting will be covered in the next segment of this build series. Next I had to cut off the construction tabs from the lower

section of the wing ribs. A 1-1/2-in.diameter wood-cutting wheel in my Dremel too worked great. Then with a little sanding at the tab’s cut points, the lower cap strips were ready to be glued in position. Before the lower outboard panel sheeting could be glued on, the aileron servo mount rails were glued in position. Also, the servo arm for the ailerons was positioned at 90 degrees to the aileron hinge line. A sub cover was glued between the ribs. It provided extra strength in this area too. Once the lower wing sheeting was glued in place I cut the aileron free. I did this by using a hacksaw blade. I cut between the locations for the 1/8-in. balsa aileron facing. A razor saw was used to cut through the RC-SF.COM

13 Note the small angle at the rib of the aileron servo to keep the servo arm 90 degrees to the aileron hinge line while mount holes were drilled.

A plywood sub sheet was used to straighten the aileron servo location.

Using a hacksaw blade, the wing ribs were cut between the marked aileron facing lines.

16 Using a piece of 1 x 2 x 36-in. straight poplar with 120-grit sandpaper, Wil is putting the final touch to the shaping of the leading edges.

1/8-in.-thick balsa wood strips were used to face both the wing and aileron.

With the wing and aileron facings trimmed, the four hinge locations were marked on the top surfaces of the wing and aileron.

17 24

RC SPORT FLYER â&#x20AC;&#x201D; JUNE 2013

ASK-18 PART 2

19 With the hinge locations cut, the aileron is fitted to make sure the upper wing-to-aileron surfaces are smooth and even prior to covering.

trailing edge plywood. Note you must make this cut at a 90-degree angle to the wing’s leading edge. Using the 1-1/2-in.-diameter wood-cutting tool in a Dremel too, the aileron ribs were trimmed. Using a 24-in. sanding block the ribs were trued and ready for facing. Next the wings start to get to the point where they are looking finished and it is fun. I installed the Maxx Products electric-powered spoilers (covered in the next issue), hinged the ailerons and installed the ailerons servos. Du-Bro Heavy Duty Hinges No. 257 were used to top-hinge the ailerons, not unlike that of the full-scale ASK18. The Du-Bro hinge tool was used to cut a slot in the wing and control surface, which positions the top surface of the hinges’ knuckle even with the upper-wing surface of the wing’s profile. A hinge segment was used to check the accuracy of the slots. Then the wings’ leading edges and tips were sanded to shape. I used a 33-in. Great Planes® Easy-Touch bar sander for the leading edges and a smaller bar for the wing tips. Next the wings were covered in Hangar 9® Ultracote material. I started this job with the ailerons because they are smaller and easier FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @RCSPORTFLYER

20 After final sanding the wing got a good brush vacuum followed by a wipe with tack cloth to remove any stray debris just before the covering was applied.

to do. Using a temperature of about 250 degrees F on the covering iron, the edges of the lower aileron covering were tacked firmly down, the edges sealed, rounded and the excess material trimmed away. Using a heat gun, the covering was tightened but not made taut. Then heat was applied again and the material was rubbed down on the wood lightly with a soft cotton cloth, in this case an old T-shirt. The color scheme for the wings is dark red on the bottom with white on the top surfaces, using dark red trim on the tips and ailerons, with dark red leading edges. Also, a parallel strip runs back from the leading edges as you’ll see in the photos. This was done in the hope of giving the ASK-18 maximum visibility in the air. The only deviation from that of the full-scale ASK-18’s color scheme was the solid red on the lower wing surfaces. The lower wing surface was prepared by sanding it with 320 grit. It was the then vacuumed and wiped with a tack cloth to remove any derby. With the covering cut to the approximate size, it was positioned over the lower surface and smoothed by hand to remove any wrinkles. Then I started the covering process at the wing root. There the covering

was tacked to the leading edge and trailing-edge corners. The covering was then slightly tensioned and tacked at the leading and trailing edges of the tip. With the covering iron set to 250 degrees the edges of the wing’s covering were tacked down, working from center to both the root and tip on both the leading and trailing edges. Once tacked in place, the trailing edge’s material could be sealed to the wing trailing edge and trimmed. This was repeated on the leading edge. Then the heat gun was used to tighten the covering, but again not taut. (You just want to remove the wrinkles.) Next, I again used the heat gun to heat the covering material and the cotton cloth to rub it down onto the wood. To bond the covering to the undercamber of the wing ribs, the covering iron was followed immediately by the cotton cloth. Once the covering was bonded to the ribs, the covering iron was used to tighten the film between the wing ribs. The procedure was then repeated on the wing’s upper surfaces. Once the wings were covered I cut the spoilers’ locations open. A trim iron was used to finish them as well as the dark red trim accents. The covering iron was set at about RC-SF.COM

ASK-18 PART 2

With the wing covered the spoiler cap locations can be carefully cut open to allow the spoiler to open.

With the aileron mounted, the upper wing surface is smooth and even with nearzero gap as the hinge pivot rod blocks any air transfer.

To securely bond the covering to the under camber of the wing, a soft cotton cloth followed the covering iron, pressing the covering to the rib-cap strips.

With the use of a trim iron, the edges of the spoiler bays are easily finished.

23 200 degrees to tack down the trim. Any bubbling areas of the film were pierced with the tip of an X-Acto blade and reheated to flatten them. The final hinging of the ailerons required that I carefully cut the wing and aileron covering. I wanted a clean, sharp line at the upper wingto-aileron line. The hinges’ slots were cut just enough to allow adhesive to enter them cleanly, which also reduced the amount of glue that I had to clean from the wing once the hinges were installed. My ASK-18 uses one long 0.047-in.-diameter music wire for the hinges’ pin. I positioned the hinges 26

RC SPORT FLYER — JUNE 2013

24 along the length of the wire at the approximate locations of the hinge slots. I installed the hinges in the wing with the wire flush with the aileron’s face. The aileron was then positioned over the aileron hinge slots and moved forward to butt against the hinge pivot wire. This was done as a trial fit. If done correctly the hinge knuckle will be flush with the wing upper surface, with the aileron and wing hinge line smooth and even. Note that when you make a final install like this you must coat the hinge knuckles with petroleum jelly to prevent any bonding of adhesive. I used a small syringe to shoot

Gorilla® Glue into the hinge slots. A light mist of water was applied to the hinges before inserting them into the slots on both the wing and aileron. Then the aileron was taped into position while the glue cured. I double-checked to see that the hinge line was tight, and that the aileron-towing joint was flush. After about 45 minutes the tape was removed and the aileron was rotated throughout its travel to clean up any excess adhesive. Then the wing was left to let the glue cure completely. The wings turned out better than I thought they would, but then again I prefer finished wings!

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BY Jeff Troy

SPACEWALKER II WING, PART 3 The left wing of the Sig Spacewalker II is shown here, ready to mate with its righthand counterpart and receive the centersection sheeting. This installment shows you a few of the methods I used to complete the underside of this panel.

he Spacewalker II is a quarterscale model of the full-scale airplane flown by the former owners of Sig Manufacturing Company in Montezuma, Iowa. The model spans 84 inches and is intended for two- or four-stroke glow power, although my Spacewalker II will be modified to accept electric power. If you are a new reader of my “Building Model Airplanes” series, please be aware that its purpose is not to simply follow the instructions and build a collection of airplanes. My intent is to pass along many helpful hints and tips to make building these and any other model airplanes easier, faster, better and more enjoyable. Whenever the opportunities arise during construction, I will use that step to describe some little bit of information that you may find useful when building your own models. You may be enlightened by some of 28

RC SPORT FLYER — JUNE 2013

my ramblings, or you might feel that they merely echo what you already know. You may even have your own, better way of doing the same thing. The important point is that you can always learn something from anyone, even if it’s what not to do. In my previous two installments for RC Sport Flyer, I constructed the upper portion of the Spacewalker II’s left-wing panel. I wrote that I would conclude the wing construction in this installment, but later realized that the wing cannot be finished until a good portion of the fuselage construction is underway. That will happen soon, but not yet, so stay with me while I finish the underside of the wing. I chose Bob Smith Industries (BSI) Insta-Cure+ gap-filling CA and InstaCure thin CA for most of the wing’s construction steps. In this installment, I will also take advantage of the slowcure character of BSI’s Maxi-Cure, extra-thick CA. Before the trailing-edge sheeting can be added, the stands at the trailing edges of the ribs must be removed. Don’t just cut and hack. Score the stands by making several passes of your hobby blade over the cut line. Make each pass a little deeper than the pass before it.

Scoring produces a cleaner and more accurate cut. Any excess balsa from the trailing-edge stands should be sanded down with coarse sandpaper on a Tee-Bar or Easy-Touch bar sander. This can be a somewhat clumsy procedure because the airfoil shape doesn’t let the wing rest flat on the work surface. You can remedy this by positioning the trailing edge of the wing at the edge of your work surface, then pressing it down so at least the rearmost section of the wing is down flat. Sand any excess wood on the ribs to match the flow of the airfoil, and remember to hold the sander at roughly 45 degrees to the ribs and spars. This angle will give you the best possible chance to protect against the sides or ends of the sander digging into and gouging the delicate balsa framework. A slight bevel must be sanded into the trailing-edge sheeting. Again, with the tail-end of the wing held down against the surface, sand lightly in several passes to get an even bevel along the entire trailing-edge sheet. In addition to a thinner trailing edge, the bevel ensures greater gluing area where the upper and lower sheeting come together.

SPACEWALKER II WING, PART 3

3 Flip the wing upside down and trim the tail stands away from the trailing edges of the ribs. Instead of slicing right through the balsa, score the stands by making repeated passes of the blade, each one a little bit deeper than the previous pass.

Position the trailing edge of the wing at the edge of your work surface, and sand the tails of the ribs to match the flow of the airfoil. Remember to hold the sander approximately 45 degrees to the ribs and spars. You will also be sanding a slight bevel into the trailing-edge sheeting.

5 Use BSI Maxi-Cure or your own favorite brand of thick CA to attach the lower trailing-edge sheeting. Draw a pencil line to indicate the rib locations, then run a bead of thick CA over each of the lines and along the rear of the sheet where it will contact the upper sheet.

Thick CA gives you increased working time over gap-filling CA. This is especially useful when installing wing sheeting. Bob Smith Industries (BSI) Maxi-Cure is a high-quality, thick CA. Use it, or your own favorite brand, to attach the lower trailingedge sheeting. Hold the trailing-edge sheet against the tail of the wing and mark the rib locations on the sheet with a soft pencil. Run a bead of thick CA over each of the pencil lines, and another bead along the edge of the sheet where it will contact the upper sheet. Remember that your wing is inverted, so the upper sheet is against the bench and the lower sheet is FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @RCSPORTFLYER

All sheeting, including the leading-edge sheeting, must fit tightly to the ribs. Use a razor plane to take down most of the excess material from the balsa sub-leading edge, followed by using a Tee-Bar or Easy-Touch bar sander to contour the planed edge to the precise curvature of the rib noses.

the one being added to the wing assembly. Lay the lower sheeting over the assembly, carefully aligning the rear edge of the sheet with the rear edge of the upper sheet. One bay (the area between any two ribs) at a time, press down on the sheeting and hit the still-uncured CA with a shot of accelerator to secure the bond. The contour of the ribs must flow smoothly into the contour of the sub-leading edge so the sheeting can fit flush to the structure. Use a razor plane to remove the excess balsa from the sub-leading edge, followed by passes of the bar sander to perfect the contour. Install the 3/16in. balsa sub-spar, and attach one edge

of the lower leading-edge sheeting to the sub-spar. Gap-filling CA works fine here. Pulling the leading-edge sheet forward and down over the subleading edge is easily done with Maxi-Cure as the bonding agent. With the wing standing on its trailing edge, lift the sheeting slightly and apply Maxi-Cure or another thick CA to the edges of the nose ribs under the sheeting. You wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be able to reach all the way down, but letting the CA dribble down will get the job done. Run another bead of thick CA along the edge of the sub-leading edge and press the sheeting down over it. Again, working just one or two bays RC-SF.COM

7 Insta-Cure+ or another brand of gap filler can be used to attach the leading-edge sheet to the balsa spar. Stand the wing on its trailing edge and dribble Maxi-Cure or another thick CA so that it flows along the mating edge of each rib. Now run a bead of thick CA along the edge of the sub-leading edge and press the sheeting down over it. Press down on only one or two bays at a time, shooting a bit of CA accelerator to “kick” the adhesive as you continue along the length of the sheeting.

9 Use gap-filling CA to adhere the balsa leading-edge cap over the sub-leading edge. The image shows how to trap the leading-edge cap between your fingers to center it over the sub-leading edge and sheeting.

at a time, spray the mating areas sparingly with CA accelerator to cure the adhesive as you go. The upper and lower sheeting must be sanded flush with the sub-leading edge. Use a single-edge razor blade to cut away the excess overhanging sheeting to roughly 1/16 in. ahead of the sub-leading edge. Finish flushing the sheeting with the bar sander. Keep the sander flat against the sub-leading edge, and don’t allow it to wobble or the leading edge cap won’t be able to fit without gaps. Use gap-filling CA to attach the 30

Trim the excess upper and lower leading-edge sheeting close to the sub-leading edge, then use the bar sander to sand the sheeting flush with the face of the sub-leading edge. Don’t let the sander wobble; the face must be dead flat.

RC SPORT FLYER — JUNE 2013

A paper template for the leading edge is printed in the instruction manual. Cut it out slightly oversize, and glue it to a piece of light cardboard with Titebond, white paste or craft glue. Cut the template out on the lines and use it as a guide to help you plane and sand the leading edge consistently along its entire span.

leading-edge cap over the sub-leading edge. Trap the cap between your thumb and middle finger, with your fingers overhanging the cap and contacting the wing structure to keep the cap centered. Use your forefinger to press the cap against the subleading edge. Slide your fingers quickly back and forth along the wingspan, pressing and centering the leading-edge cap until the CA cures. Use the razor plane to trim the excess balsa from the leading-edge cap, followed by the bar sander to get the surfaces flush. Finish shaping the leading-edge cap, planing and

sanding it to match the shape of the provided template. This template is printed on one of the manual pages. Just cut it out and glue it to a piece of cardboard or scrap balsa. Using the template helps you keep the leading-edge shape consistent along the wingspan. Install the 1/8 x 3/16-in. aileron/ trailing-edge spars. Add the cap strips and the aileron pushrod’s exit sheet. After the cap strips have all been installed, cut and install the spruce sticks used to support the hatch cover for the aileron servo. The hatch cover is retained by

SPACEWALKER II WING, PART 3

11 Install the cap strips. Remember the trick I showed you previously? Glue an inch or two of the forward end of the cap strip over the rib, butted up against the leading-edge sheeting. Now use the bar sander to trim the tail end of the strip to fit snugly against the trailing-edge sheeting. Work slowly, repeatedly pressing down on the cap strip and checking the fit until you’ve sanded away exactly the right amount of wood. When the fit is finally correct, apply gap-filling CA over the edge of the rib, then press and hold the cap strip down over the rib until the CA cures.

Four holes must be drilled for the screws that secure the aileron servo cover. To ensure the best fit, drill only one hole, then put a screw in that hole and snug it down. Now you can drill the remaining three holes without worrying about the cover shifting out of position.

13 Here’s the servo bay cover, temporarily fastened down with #2 x 3/8-in., sheet-metal screws. Note the equal width of the gap on all four sides. This cover’s edges have been sanded to allow for a double thickness of covering material and/or paint.

four sheet-metal screws. Center the cover over the framework with an equidistant gap between all four sides and the wing structure, then drill just one hole for one of the screws. Drive the screw in just snugly enough to prevent the cover from shifting. Now you can drill the remaining three holes without fear of misalignment. Remove the screws and the cover, and add a drop or two of thin CA to the drilled holes in the wing. Mark the underside of the cover “left” or “right” so you’ll know where each cover belongs after the model has been covered and painted. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @RCSPORTFLYER

Use a razor saw or a hobby knife to cut the aileron away from the wing assembly. The gap between the two is wide enough for the saw blade to fit.

Cutting the aileron away from the wing assembly is easy because the Spacewalker’s construction design gives you a wide gap to work with between the parts. You can cut the aileron away with a hobby knife, although I prefer using my Zona razor saw. Start by centering the saw or knife blade between the aileron and the wing assembly, cutting downward until your tool has cut through the sheeting on the upper wing. Things get trickier at the aileron root because the Lite-Ply root rib is glued to a balsa spacer between it and the W-2 wing rib. Use a razor

saw to make this cut. After the aileron is free of the wing, the angled leading edge of the aileron and the trailing edge of the aileron recess in the wing must be sanded flush. Cut the excess rib debris away with a saw or hobby blade, then use the bar sander to finish the job. Don’t forget to sand the root and tip ends of the aileron, and the rib end of the aileron recess in the wing. The kit comes with 3/32 x 1-1/2 x 21-in. balsa sheets. Use two of them to cap the leading edge of the aileron and the trailing edge of the RC-SF.COM

SPACEWALKER II WING, PART 3

15 There’s a lot of excess scrap to trim from the aileron after cutting it away from the wing. A little elbow grease and coarse sandpaper on the bar sander can take care of it in short order.

17 The Spacewalker II has ABS-plastic wingtips that fit over a LitePly tip rib. Sand the tip rib to approximately 1/16 in. inside the end of the wing’s airfoil shape, then glue it over the end of the wing with gap-filling CA.

aileron recess. Use gap-filling CA to install the sheets, then plane and sand them flush to the airfoil. While you’re working near the wingtip, cut away any overhanging sheeting, spars or leading-edge parts with a razor saw. Cut them close to the end rib, but not flush. Use the bar sander to sand the end of the wing flush. Instead of wooden blocks that require carving and sanding, the Sig Spacewalker II comes with molded, ABS-plastic wingtips. These wingtips are made to fit over Lite-Ply tip ribs that glue over the wing’s end ribs. Hold one of these tip ribs over the end of your wing panel, and check its fit. It should follow the same airfoil shape as the wing, and its edge should be approximately 1/16 in. 32

Use the bar sander to sand the rear edge of the aileron recess in the wing. Cap the area with the provided balsa sheet. Do the same for the leading edge of the aileron, and sand all of the sheeting flush to the airfoil contours of the aileron and wing.

RC SPORT FLYER — JUNE 2013

The nearly completed wing panels will be joined in my next installment. Center-section sheeting, wingtips and aileron control horns will also be installed. I hope you’ll join me once again.

smaller than the airfoil of the wing all around. If it fits that way, great, but don’t count on it. Sand the tip rib a few inches at a time along its entire perimeter until it fits roughly 1/16 in. inside the end of the wing. When you have it right, glue the tip rib to the end rib with gap-filling CA. Well, that’s it for another installment. Joining the two nearly completed Spacewalker II wing panels will happen in the next article, along with sheeting the center section, installing the ABS wingtips and fitting the aileron details. I’d love to have you here with me to share it. Many of the techniques I describe in this “Building Model Airplanes” series for RC Sport Flyer have been demonstrated in previous

installments. If you are enjoying the series, and find your building skills improving from the information presented, please consider having back issues on hand for reference— just in case you want a refresher or may have missed something along the way. Back issues can be ordered from the publisher, and subscriptions to the magazine are available at $24 for 12 issues. Building model airplanes is fun, 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, and your skills are surely developing.

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HOW TO

REFINISHING AN OLD MODEL INSPIRATION A 1/32 die-cast model of an SBD from the USS Lexington served as the inspiration for my new paint scheme. The yellow here is an incorrect shade.

My “old” Dauntless is first wet sanded to smooth the existing finish and to remove the markings.

designed and built my E-powered, 33-in. Dauntless back in 2005, painting it in the color scheme of an SBD employed in the Coral Sea engagement in 1942. I initially flew the model with a 2S Lithium Polymer (LiPo) on a 9 x 4.5-in. propeller and, while the model flew well, I was always wanting for a bit more zip. As a result, I didn’t really fly it that much. For last year’s NEAT fair, I decided to up-gun the model with a 3S 1000-mAh LiPo and an 8 x 6-in. propellor, which has become my standard one-pound warbird setup. What a difference this made. While it was certainly quite a bit faster having now about 100 watts/pound of power, it flew much more scale like, was easier to hand launch and was more maneuverable. Except for the

A close up of the sanded markings. Use a gray primer to cover smoothed but stubborn markings.

paint scheme, it was like having a new model. Hand launch, belly-landing models always accumulate wear and tear faster than their wheeled counterparts and, even though it 34

RC SPORT FLYER — JUNE 2013

REFINISHING AN OLD MODEL A few cracks and dents in the plastic cowl were repaired using auto body filler. CA some fiberglass behind any significant issues before filling them.

Here the wing has been primed with flat white and the markings further sanded to eliminate high spots.

I applied medium CA to repair cracks in the wood skin.

didn’t have much air time, the SBD was starting to look a bit weary. It had even been caught in the rain at a NEAT fair years ago, ruining all my carefully applied panel lines. When I built the model, I remember being torn between doing the blue/gray WWII or the pre-war, “yellow wing” scheme. Time for a “yellow wing” facelift!

SCOPE

With so much wing, this model, like all dive bombers, can handle a

I then faired the edge with auto body filler and wet sanded it smooth.

A good sanding with 220 paper will smooth out recently cured CA. Next, I lined the open area with a curved piece of .010” plastic installed at an angle.

I decided to open up the scale vents on the fuselage. Here I have cut a rectangle in the fuselage.

To make the faux opening more prominent and to yield a clean edge, I lined the aft edge of the opening with a strip of .010” plastic.

RC-SF.COM

Here, the entire empennage has been primed with flat white and wet sanded with 600.

The final multi-colored insignia. To do the “B”, the stripe was masked and then white was sprayed. The “B” mask was applied and then the area was sprayed red.

To prepare for spraying the silver, I masked the canopy and the primed tail areas with aluminum foil and auto body tape.

A clear shelf-paper mask for the “2” and “1”. A general mask of auto body tape and foil is applied, but tape this only to the clear mask, not to the model.

lot of weight. While I had thoughts of going crazy with flaps and dive brakes, retracts, lights and a full cockpit, I decided to keep it relatively simple as doing these things would have been fairly invasive and time consuming. Backpedaling a bit, I instead decided to fluff up the model to a lesser degree with a decent crew, a bomb drop and my “yellow wing” thing. I felt that this would be enough for a small model, and I have 32 other projects going on.

PREP

As I mentioned, the model needed some cosmetic fixing, and this was done first. I repaired some holed 36

RC SPORT FLYER — JUNE 2013

covering, filled in cracks in the skin and cowl from less-than-perfect landings, and gave the model a good cleaning to rid it of grass stains and dirt. I discovered a loose motor mount and this was repaired with slow-set epoxy and cut glass fiber strands. Since I originally painted all nomenclature with enamel, I removed most of it with lacquer thinner, which didn’t touch the latex base coat. A good wet sanding was next, first with 400 and then 600 paper, which also further smoothed down the remnants of the national insignia and eliminated bumps and rough spots. Since I planned on installing the cockpit details through the wing

bay, I then masked off the clear areas of the canopy rather than removing it. Duplicolor filler/primer was then applied to cover any remaining color variations and to highlight surface issues. I then wet sanded the model again. Be careful sanding open framework areas, like over-wing ribs, as it is all too easy to sand through the covering.

REPAINT

Color and number combinations were employed on U.S. naval aircraft during the 1930’s. They identified the aircraft and its ship and most had their wings painted yellow, but all this changed with the start of

REFINISHING AN OLD MODEL Here you can see the paint pulled up from the covering when I removed the mask.

The pulled areas were primed with flat white and wet sanded.

After spraying the matching chrome yellow, I used a decal this time for the “2” and gloss coated the wings.

Then yellow was airbrushed in locally to provide a good base for the chrome yellow.

WWII. After basecoating the model’s fuselage with silver, and the soon-tobe yellow areas with white, I painted the markings to represent a section leader (numeral “1”) of bombing squadron two (“2B”) from the USS Lexington (yellow tail). Although I love yellow on model airplanes, it is somewhat weak as a color—it really cannot be applied over anything but white. To prime for the yellow areas, I sprayed Krylon flat white in multiple light coats to avoid building up a lot of paint and weight. Any orange peel or less-than-perfect surfaces were wet sanded with 400. I made sure the white primer coat fully covered any dark spots as these will show through the yellow. Although Krylon silver covers well, silver is a very unforgiving color as it will highlight the minutest surface defect, so I spent some time fixing surface issues with filler and sandpaper. If you really want a great finish, apply silver to a model just prior to applying its final color and fix all the problems that the silver highlights. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @RCSPORTFLYER

The markings were painted using clear shelf-paper masks and the color shot with an airbrush at a very low pressure to reduce the chance of spray getting under the masks. I used Tamiya tape for straight lines and aluminum foil to mask general areas. Since the yellow and silver areas were a semi-gloss, I used Major Decals waterslide 1/12-scale stars (set #7000) on the wings. To apply them, I followed the procedures outlined in my previous “Decals” article in the February, 2013, issue of RC Sport Flyer.

FIXING PROBLEMS

Sometimes, no matter how careful you are, you can run into problems. If you do a lot of painting, it’s almost inevitable. I covered the outer panels of the model’s wing years ago with Coverlite to keep the weight down and I remember that it didn’t hold paint very well. This, compounded with my applying a mask to a glossy surface, resulted in pulling paint off the covering when I removed the

mask for the black “2” on the wing. I very rarely work with glossy paint and have never encountered this issue with matte finishes. Experience is something you get after you need it! To add insult to injury, the clear shelf-paper mask also left an adhesive residue when I pulled it up. Again, this does not normally happen with matte surfaces. Using paint thinner, I removed the adhesive—and my black “2”—without affecting the yellow much. I then had dark spots on the wing which a yellow re-spray will not cover, so I brushed some flat white on these to prime them for more yellow. I then hand painted and airbrushed on some insignia yellow. Since I localized the airbrushing to a confined area, I simply held paper towel masks over areas I did not want to hit. Then I used my spray can of chrome yellow to blend the area to the original finish. In retrospect, a wet-sanded swipe of white filler might have also been an option here since there was a slight surface deviation between RC-SF.COM

REFINISHING AN OLD MODEL the pulled paint and the areas that were still OK. The key to solving issues such as these is to not try to fix them right away. Walk away, let everything set up overnight and work on something else. When you come back to it fresh the next day, the solutions will come easily.

FINISHING UP

I panel-lined the model using a pencil and then applied some light weathering here and there. I also decided to break up the monochromatic look of the silver fuselage by lightly airbrushing various panels a different shade of silver. I really like the result, but I should have done this before the markings were applied—a take-away for next time. Since the Tamiya® chrome yellow spray is a semi-gloss, I used Testor’s® Dullcote to dull things down and to blend in the markings. I did this also for the silver areas to protect the panel lines, and it didn’t change the hue of the

I highlighted various panels with Model Master silver.

paint scheme and, at the same time, resurrecting a good flying model that will see a lot of front-line service this year.

silver much. For a little bling, I added a bomb-wielding, “Felix the Cat” logo to the left side of the fuselage and installed the crew and a few of the more prominent details in the cockpit.

CONCLUSION

While I could have built an entirely new airframe, this was a relatively quick project and yielded what is pretty much a factory-fresh airplane. As a bonus, the model took second in electric scale at the recent WRAM show. It was fun doing the historical research for the 38

RC SPORT FLYER — JUNE 2013

The completed refinish.

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

DA-200

Price $2795

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

DA-150

Price $1395

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

DA-100L

Price $999

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

DA-50-R

Price $595

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

DA-170

Price $1695

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

DA-120

Price $1199

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

DA-85

Price $795

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

BY Daniel Holman

AEROBATICS PART 3 I Performing extreme aerobatics precisely, right off the deck at high speeds, grabs attention like nothing else! Here I am bringing my Extreme Flight® 104” Extra 300 across the runway in a high-speed, slowrolling circle during the noontime demo at the Wenatchee, Washington, Huckfest.

RC SPORT FLYER — JUNE 2013

hope the information I provided you in the last two issues has helped you choose the right aerobatic airframe to suit your needs. The list of my favorite aerobatic airplanes covered a very broad range of airframe sizes. While each of these requires slightly different techniques to achieve the perfect aerobatic setup, most of the fundamental rules apply to aerobatic aircraft in general. During the building and setup of these airplanes you must always keep in mind that the airplane, with all its components, will be subjected to extremely high gravitational loads, which do not stop at the wing spar. Rather, they stress every part of the airplane—to the last screw and servo connector. It’s been said that every time we fly these airplanes, we crash them without hitting the ground. All of the best airframe manufacturers have worked hard to ensure that the airframes they sell are capable of withstanding intense stress. However, it is up to you as builders to ensure that you don’t put a weak link in the safety chain.

AEROBATICS PART 3

[ BUILDING ]

Most of the modern ARF (almostready-to-fly) airframes come highly pre-fabricated, with little assembly left for the builder to do. However, many precautionary steps must be taken to ensure the airplane is safe to fly. I recommend you follow the manufacturer’s instruction manual throughout the build—take this instruction seriously. Every metal-

to-metal fastener must have thread locker used. Every wood screw must thread into a hole soaked with thinCA (cyanoacrylate glue), every major wood joint should be wicked with thin-CA too, and all pin-type hinges and composite parts should be lightly scuffed with sandpaper prior to bonding, etc. All servo mounts should be saturated with thin CA as well. Remember that while the servo may

be capable of outputting over 450 oz-in. of torque, the stress it endures under load is exponentially magnified onto the servo mount. All in all, these new airframes assemble quickly and easily, but you must consider the stresses that each part will be subjected to when your airplane is in flight, and imparting high G forces to them as it performs maneuvers.

[ EQUIPMENT SETUP ]

This is where the proverbial rubber meets the road. Setting up the airplane and its control equipment correctly is crucial to success. So, let’s go through some of the necessities of setting up servos, linkages, installing batteries, radio equipment, installing the engine/motor and more. Servos On the small electric-powered airplanes, each control surface typically only uses one servo, which greatly simplifies the install and radio programming. On giant-scale airplanes, however, multiple servos are often used for a single surface, which complicates the setup. It’s nothing to be intimidated by as long as you follow the correct procedure. Because of the extreme loads demanded of an aerobatic airplane’s control surfaces and servos, having the highest possible mechanical advantage for control is a must. A good rule to follow when setting up extreme throws is to use a servo horn that is the same length as the distance from the control surface’s hinge line to the hole in its control horn. (When setting up an airplane for precision aerobatics this rule does not apply.) Also, when the control surface is at its maximum deflection, the servo’s throw should be at its maximum deflection, and in the same direction. If using a JR or Spektrum radio, this means that when the elevator is deflected up at max throw, the servo’s endpoint is set to 150 percent, with the transmitter’s dual rate set to 100 percent. Note that if a servo horn requires that you set the endpoints below 100 percent, you should attach the FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @RCSPORTFLYER

pushrod linkage to the servo horn closer to the servo, or use a shorter control arm. This requires that the servo move farther to achieve the same amount of throw on the airplane’s control surface, but it will boost the mechanical advantage of the servo’s control authority. In many situations, the pushrod geometry is such that it must be connected to the top of the servo horn. However, if at all possible, you should connect it to the bottom side of the horn because it greatly reduces the side load that is put on the servo’s output spline. Dual Elevator Servos Setting up dual elevator servos to operate in perfect sync is quite easy, once you understand one important fact—the pushrods for each elevator must be of identical length!

When setting up dual elevator servos, it is crucial to make the pushrods of equal length so that the servo horns are always perfectly parallel to each other throughout the full range of motion.

Unfortunately, achieving this setup usually requires some sub-trimming in the transmitter to match the servos. Fortunately, most good servos utilize splines that allow for quite small servo-arm adjustments on the spline. The reason that both pushrods must be of identical length is that the servos are not linear in their motion, but radial. Consequently, if the servo horns are set at different angles when the elevators are at their neutral positions, the elevators will not travel synchronously, even if the maximum servo control throw is equal. Some radios such as the Spektrum® DX18 have a function that allows the servos’ travel to be manipulated to RC-SF.COM

Achieving the maximum possible mechanical advantage in your servo linkages is a must on any aerobatic airplane. Notice how this servo is at nearly full throw while the elevator is fully deflected.

each direction. Once this is done, set the sub-trim and endpoints on the other servo, but without it connected to the control surface. Its settings must match that of the connected servo exactly. Once you’ve programmed it as such, connect the servo to the aileron. Then ensure that both servos share the control loads equally—and that they do not work against each other over the control surface’s range of travel.

achieve synchronized deflections for the elevators. However, I believe strongly that the airplane should be set up as mechanically perfect as possible first. Then fine tuning can be done with the radio, but nothing more. If your airplane’s elevator servos mount inside the horizontal stabilizers, it is ideal to have the servo horns and pushrods at exactly 90 degrees to each other when the elevators are neutral. There are a few exceptions to this rule, but this holds true for most airplanes. Dual Aileron Servos Running dual servos on any control surface requires similar techniques to those that I just outlined for the elevators. That said, each surface will require its little setup tricks. Wings that have been designed to utilize dual aileron servos for control are usually designed so that both pushrods must be the same length, but not always. Instead of ensuring that both pushrods are of identical length—as you would for elevators— the angle between each servo horn and the connected pushrod must be identical when the surface is neutral. Again, because the servos are not linear in their travel, they must travel

RC SPORT FLYER — JUNE 2013

such that their arms are always parallel. Just as important as it is for the servos to move in sync, it is equally important to make certain that the distance from the aileron hinge line to the point on the control horn at which the pushrods attach is equal. If these distances are not equal, the servos will not share the load correctly and will require vastly different amounts of travel. When synchronizing the servos, here is what you must do first. Only connect one servo to the aileron. Then program the transmitter for the connected servo to center when the aileron is neutral. Next, set the desired amount of surface travel in

Giant-scale aerobats of 33% scale and larger almost always use at least two servos per aileron. When setting these up, it is mandatory to ensure that all servo horns be parallel with each other and travel in perfect sync. If one servo horn is just slightly off, the servos will bind and be unable to share the load correctly.

Dual Rudder Servos Setting up dual rudder servos in a pull-pull cable configuration is very simple. It requires only that both servo horns are parallel and travel equal distances. If setting up dual-rudder servos in a push-pull configuration, you must ensure that both servo horns are at exactly 90 degrees to their pushrods. Control Throw When setting up an airplane for 3D, freestyle and extreme aerobatics, you must make certain that the control surfaces have at least 50 degrees of elevator and rudder throw off their centers. You’ll also want to have at least 40 degrees of aileron control throw. More is not always better, but these are good numbers to use as a starting place when figuring out what length control horns your airplane’s control surfaces will need.

AEROBATICS PART 3

[ ENGINE/MOTOR INSTALLATION ]

There isn’t a whole lot about engine/motor mounting that needs explanation, but here are a few rules I follow: For giant-scale airplanes, when mounting the engine do not trust blind-nuts to hold. Always use high-strength lock-nuts, with large fender washers on the back side of the firewall. The fender washers will spread the engine loads across the firewall’s wood. Baffling the engine/motor is worth the effort required to add them. They only add a small amount of weight, which will not impact performance. I like to use thin balsa or Depron foam to form ducts that then direct airflow over the engine/motor. The air exit holes in the cowling and or fuselage should always be larger than the intake holes, which will create a pressure differential to pull cool air over the engine/motor. Other than that, I simply recommend following the airplane’s manual for this process.

Engine and motor baffling is crucial, especially if you fly in a hot climate. Using Depron foam and/or balsa, directing air over the power plant is quite simple and will increase its performance and lifespan.

[ ELECTRONICS ]

I cringe every time I look into airplanes and see the control gear poorly installed: loose servo leads and wires, poorly secured battery packs and receivers, etc.—scary! You need to know that all the control systems, down to the last servo extension, will be stressed during extreme aerobatics and many times during a fight. Your airplane is only as safe as its weakest link in the control chain. If a part fails

Taking a look under the hood of my Hangar 9® 35% Extra 300, you can see how I tied all the wires down securely, using foam to protect the connectors. Also, using spiral wrap on the spark plug cables is a must.

it can result in a lost airplane or worse. Countless airplanes have been lost due to connectors that came unplugged in flight, failed solder joints due to vibration, and physical stress and short circuits. So, you must install the control components properly. Do so by preplanning! Choose where to mount different components in the fuselage to ensure that high-G loads and vibrations will not tear things loose during flight. For example, if you are making the decisions about where

When mounting your batteries, always choose a place that will be able to handle at least 15 times their weight, as it will have to under high-G loads. You will also want to use good mounting foam to dampen the vibration.

RC-SF.COM

Although some say that I went overboard when wiring my Extreme Flight® 104” Extra 300, I feel very comfortable that everything is snug and secure when putting it through hard maneuvers. On each side of the receiver you can see the batteryconnection “beds” that I made to take the physical load off the Deans plugs.

to mount a battery that weighs eight ounces, find a place on the airframe that will be able to withstand the forces that will try to tear it loose when it weighs 10 pounds under load. Consequently, you must use enough Velcro strapping and/or Zip Ties to hold at least that much weight. Also, if your airplane is powered by an internal combustion engine, you must use foam-rubber padding around the battery to isolate it from vibration. Mounting the receiver and all the electronics require these same measures be taken to ensure that they do not come loose or fail in flight. More than any other component, the receiver should always have some sort of vibration dampening incorporated into its mount. All servo, battery and ignition wires should be tied down every eight inches or so to ensure that they do not flop around such that they rub on anything abrasive. Servo connections absolutely must be secured in such a way that they do not come unplugged in flight. For the

connections between the removable surfaces, I use safety clips at each servo connection. Note that I use shrink tubing over any connector that I do not need to unplug on a regular basis. When shrink-tubing the servos’ connectors, I always leave a little extra tubing on each side of the connector. Then when it’s shrunk, the extra material helps support the wires as they exit the connector, which takes some stress off of the wire-to-connector pin connection.

When setting up giant-scale airplanes, I recommend you make a place to strap the battery connectors down after the connections are made. This generally consists of a small piece of soft foam rubber with a Velcro strap, which will hold the connectors secure to the foam pad. Each model’s setup will be slightly different, but make certain that all connections are secured such that they cannot flop around inside the model when it is in flight.

[ FUEL TANK INSTALL ]

Just like the battery packs, the fuel and smoke tanks must be secured in the airplane extremely well. A full gas tank weighs a pound or more. Under high-G-flight loads, the tank will require a significant amount of holding power to prevent it from breaking loose in the airplane. Also, when installing fuel lines, always route the vent line around the back of the tank before it exits the fuselage. This will prevent fuel syphoning. Also, avoid tight radiuses in the fuel line, which will prevent air bubble creation. Using a fuel filter is a good idea too, but I do NOT recommend A full 32-oz gas tank weighs around 2 pounds, as seen here. At 15G’s, on the other hand, we’re looking at 30 pounds! Don’t cut corners when mounting anything, especially heavy components!

RC SPORT FLYER — JUNE 2013

AEROBATICS PART 3 Photos By Daniel Holman, Michael Holman, Wil Byers, Tom Seres

[ OVERALL ]

putting one between the fuel tank and carburetor as the feed line should be straight and unhindered. Installing one on the fill line is the safest option. I prefer using propellers made of carbon fiber on my giant-scale airplanes. This is for a couple of reasons: (1) They do not flex as much as wooden propellers do under load, which means they provide slightly better performance, and (2) the hub does not compress when the propeller bolts are torqued down properly. A wood propeller is not a bad option, and is safer in some ways because it will break more easily in the case of a crash or propeller strike. On the other hand, the fact that a wood propeller is not as stiff and strong can create a problem if you do not torque the propeller bolts correctly. What happens is the wood will compress under the washer and cause the bolts to loosen. When loose, the bolts are subjected to shear forces because there is no longer a strong sandwich effect between the washer and the motor’s hub. In this picture, you can see the compressed hub on one of my airplane’s propellers. Because wood compresses, please follow these steps when your model is

Even on the highest-quality airframes I always go over high-stress points with a little thin CA. A little extra time doing this when the airplane is new will give the frame a longer lifespan.

I’ve now covered most of the tips, tricks and special building techniques that should be followed during the build of most aerobatic airplanes. Use this information, and then carefully build your new aerobat step by step. You must recognize that each part in your airplane must withstand hundreds of intense vibrations and high-G loads. In the next part of my “Aerobatics” series I will tell you my thoughts on setting an airplane’s center of gravity (CG), control throws and radio setup. I’ll include information on dual/triple rates, exponential settings and more. After I’ve covered that, I’ll go through proper test flying procedures and explain the process of fine-tuning an airplane to the point at which it will be the perfect tool for helping you learn to fly extreme!

fitted with a wood propeller: First, torque the propeller bolts to the manufacturer’s specifications. You will then want to ground-run the engine for a while. Avoid hard throttle transitions and full throttle power during this run. After a good groundrun, re-torque the propeller bolts. You must also torque the propeller bolts after each of the first few flights, or until the bolts retain the correct torque after a flight. For what it’s worth, I’m speaking from experience.

RC-SF.COM

BY Wil Byers

RETRACT SERVO FABRICATION IS FUN AND REWARDING—TRY IT

here is one part of the hobby that is hugely overlooked—the fabrication and modification of almost-readyto-fly (ARF) airplanes. Typically the buyer of an ARF just builds it as the plans outline, which is all well and good in most cases. However, there are times when you must engineer solutions to the way an ARF is built. Alternately, you may just want to make the ARF better than what it was when you got it from the manufacturer/distributor. Then too, there are ARFs that come without assembly instructions, which then forces you to engineer solutions when building or assembling the model.

1 This sailplane retract is engineered to provide shock absorption on landing. There is a shock absorber fitted in the back of the unit, with springs that tension the landing gear. It is hinged at the front so that the frame can rotate back and up a bit during landings to absorb the shocks from bumps.

The DS8411 servo’s frame was made of a piece of aluminum angle that I bought at Home Depot. I cut it to fit the servo with a Dremel saw that was fitted with a metal cutting blade. It was then drilled to accept the RTL Fasteners’ servo screws with a drill press. I recommend you make it a tight fit.

RC SPORT FLYER — JUNE 2013

SHOCK ABSORBING RETRACT I’ve been working on my 1/3-scale ASG-29 sailplane lately. I bought it a while back from Icare Sailplanes I used RTL Fasteners’ Allen head bolts and lock nuts to bolt the servo to its mount. I also applied a bit of Loctite to the bolt threads as well, just to make certain the screws remain snug in the mount. Be sure to use removable Loctite or you will regret it later.

2 3

RETRACT SERVO The sailplane is definitely an ARF, so it has gone together quite easily. But, when installing the retract in the model, my friend, Gene Cope, recognized that if the servo was hard-mounted to the side of the fuselage, the servo would suffer shock loads as the retract absorbs the shock of landings. His suggestion was to mount the servo to the retractable landing gear, which is what he and I proceeded to do. As you can see in photograph one, the gear has a shock absorber at its aft end. It is also spring loaded. It appears to be made of 6061 aluminum flat stock, or some such very strong aluminum. The frame is very well made. Gene’s suggestion was to mount the servo to the frame of the landing gear. In so doing, the servo would move with the gear frame as it absorbs landing loads, which would

then not shock load the servo, which could otherwise possibly strip its gears. I liked the idea. The problem was how would we mount the servo. The answer turns out to be quite straightforward. So, after a quick trip to Home Depot® for a short piece of aluminum stock, Gene and I were busy fabricating a servo mount that we would attach to the retractable landing gear’s frame. The servo would then mount in the frame. It would use a short pushrod to drive the gear. It would travel with the gear’s frame. It turns out that it was a clean installation. It was easy to do. It was inexpensive. Moreover, it was fun to do! I’ll explain in the photo captions. So, read along to see how easy this servo installation is to fabricate. You just may want to adapt it to your next model build.

4 This photo provides a good look at how the servo mounts to the side of the retract as well as how the shock absorber works on the retract. Notice that you are looking down on the retract and servo from above. The gear will extend down and out of the landing gear. The servo moves with the gear’s frame.

and Electrics (icare-rc.com). It is a fantastic, all-molded, composite, 6-meter wingspan glider. I’m quite anxious to finish it and take it to the Visalia, California aerotow event. However, it did not come with an instruction manual. Rather, there was one drawing included. It only provides a rough idea of where the hardware gets installed.

6 This shows you what the gear looks like when it is extended. Note that you must program the servo’s travel such that it does not overdrive the gear to its stop, which would stall the servo and result in it drawing lots of current. That will drain the battery pack fast and could result in a crash.

5 We drilled and tapped the gear frame so that the servo mount could be bolted to the retract’s frame. You’ll definitely want to use Loctite on the threads of the bolts that hold the servo frame to the retractable gear to prevent the bolts from coming loose over time and with use.

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We have the hardware you need at a fraction of retail! Order today at:

www.rtlfasteners.com or call 800-239-6010

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RC-SF.COM

BY Mike Hoffmeister

ENGINE TEST

O.S. GT60 2-STROKE

AN ENGINE THAT WILL GAS UP YOUR 50- TO 60-SIZE AIRPLANES!

.S. Engines is a leading model engine manufacturer. They are known for quality, reliability, ease of tuning and innovation in internal combustion engines. Following the introduction of their first gasoline-powered engine, the GT55, O.S. introduced the GT33 (tested in RC Sport Flyerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s June 2012 issue), followed by the GT22. Now they are applying all of their technology to the new GT60! The release of the GT60 is well-timed, as the 50- to 60-cc class airplanes are more popular than ever. The pilots are therefore demanding compact, lightweight, high-performance engines with unwavering reliability. The GT60 uses the same rear-mounted carburetor and improved, IG-02 ignition system as the proven GT33 and GT22

RC SPORT FLYER â&#x20AC;&#x201D; JUNE 2013

engines. Plus the GT60 engine uses the new linerless configuration on its cylinders, for less weight, better cooling and better performance. O.S. also offers the engine in two configurations, one with an O.S. E-6020 Pitts-style muffler and one without.

The O.S. GT60 engine comes well packed in an attractive, high-quality box, and includes instructions, decals, ignition system, muffler, prop washer/bolts, spark plug and exhaust gasket.

O.S. GT60 2-STROKE Note the rear-intake carburetor location vs. the front intake of the GT55. The crankcases are very compact, but with sturdy mounting legs on the rear-case half, and rigid bearing supports in the front-case half.

WHY TO BUY

The 50- to 60-cc class of airplanes is likely the most popular class of large-scale gasoline aircraft today. O.S. releases the GT60 based on their vast experience over decades of building top-notch RC engines, as well as their experience building gasoline-powered GT22, GT33 and GT55. The GT60 is powerful, lightweight, easy to tune, compact and is offered with or without a muffler. The version with muffler is only $70 more, so if you’re planning to use a Pitts-style muffler, you can save a few bucks by getting the version with muffler vs. buying it separately. Finally, O.S. backs the GT60 with a two-year warranty.

BREAK-IN AND PERFORMANCE TESTING The first step in my engine test was to adapt the GT60 to the

This right-side view gives a good overall perspective of the engine. Note how compact the front of the engine is, and the usual top-notch quality of the castings and the distinctive “60GT” and “O.S.” logos.

This front view shows how compact the engine is, yet with generous cooling fin area. Note the cooling fins are biased to the exhaust side to maintain more even temperatures, and the spark plug is slightly angled.

The Walbro carburetor and reed valve block fit nicely into the rear housing. Also, O.S. did a great job of integrating mounting tabs into the rear housing, which are reinforced for extra strength.

RC-SF.COM

E-6020 MUFFLER

The E-6020 muffler fits the GT60 perfectly, and has some nice features that make it more robust, including internal anti-crush tubes where the mounting bolts pass through, and reinforcing braces in key high-stress areas.

O.S. added greatly to the value of the GT60 engine by including a top-quality E-6020 muffler! It fits great, looks good and delivers a modest exhaust tone and decibel level. These views show how well it fits the engine and its compact size.

These views of the new linerless cylinder show off the outstanding casting quality, generous cooling fin area, and substantial transfer port size of the GT60 cylinder.

The GT60 uses a reed valve induction system, through the engine’s rear crankcase casting. The system is very compact, and offers a straight path to feed the air/fuel charge into the crankcase.

RC SPORT FLYER — JUNE 2013

computer-controlled thrust test stand. This turned out to be a simple task because the mounting pattern is nearly identical to engines I tested previously, so I didn’t need to make a new adapter. Also, the throttle linkage proved to be easy to rig because the rear-mounted carburetor and pre-installed control horn on the carburetor butterfly shaft were easily accessible. With the engine mounted on the stand and wires/fuel lines secured, it was time to fuel the test stand’s fuel tank and start the engine. The first propeller used was an APC 22×10. A fresh gallon of regular unleaded gasoline was mixed at 40:1 with Royal Purple® synthetic two-cycle oil. The O.S. manual has detailed instructions on oil mix ratios for running-in plus general use after break-in, so it’s important to follow the manual. I have had good results with Royal

NEW LINERLESS CYLINDER

REED VALVE INDUCTION SYSTEM

O.S. GT60 2-STROKE Purple oil with other gas engines, so it was used for this test. The manual has detailed instructions for starting the engine either with an electric starter or

with a stick (flipping by hand). Most of the instructions are assuming the engine is mounted inverted. Due to the configuration of the test stand, it was necessary to mount the engine

upright. The engine drew fuel to the carburetor readily, while flipping by hand with the throttle open, choke closed and ignition off. The engine was flipped about 10 more times

With the crankshaft oriented to put the piston at top-dead-center, it is easier to see the beefy aluminum connecting rod. The rod features needle roller bearings at both ends. This view also shows the intake passage through the rear crankcase, where the carb and reed valve block mount.

This view shows the piston in the full down position, which is the time when the transfer ports are fully open and flowing the most. It is important that the piston skirt window is as large as possible to minimize obstruction of flow into the port. O.S. has done it well, as the picture shows.

PISTON

The connecting rod is centered on the piston end, as shown in this view, by the small clearance between the sides of the connecting rod and the piston pin bosses inside the piston.

This hardware layout shot shows the major parts that make up the GT60, minus fasteners. Casting and machine finish quality is all typical O.S.â&#x20AC;&#x201D;superb!

The included ignition system is incredibly efficient, consuming only 0.11 amps at idle, and 0.41 amps at top rpm. It is also compatible with a wide range of battery power sources, without use of a regulator.

IGNITION SYSTEM

RC-SF.COM

Here is the GT60 in action, during break-in running with an APC 22X10 propeller attached. With this prop, it turned 7,300 rpm, producing 30 lb thrust!

after fuel reached the carburetor, to allow filling of its passages and cavities with fuel, plus initial priming of the engine. Then, with the choke open, throttle at about 10 percent, and ignition on, the engine fired. I ran the engine’s rpm up and down to load it. I opened the lowspeed needle about a half turn to help the engine get more fuel during run-in. After the first tank, I ran the engine up to longer periods of fullthrottle, and then started to tune the carburetor to obtain cleaner running, while still being cautious to keep the high-speed needle slightly on the rich side. I found the carburetor very easy to tune, giving great feedback to adjustments but without being overly sensitive. The instructions include a clear, step-by-step approach to tuning the carburetor. With the larger propellers, the engine could easily hold 1200 rpm idle without stumbling upon quick throttle opening, and it also held steady rpm at full throttle. With the smaller propellers (having less rotational inertia, or “flywheel” effect) it seemed more comfortable and smooth with an idle rpm of 1300–1500. The standard test run has the engine running for five seconds at 52

RC SPORT FLYER — JUNE 2013

The baseplate of the test stand rides on a re-circulating, rollerbearing linear slide, allowing for accurate measurement of thrust with the engine running. The Medusa Research Power Analyzer Pro data system is used to collect thrust, rpm, and ignition current data, plus it drives the throttle servo allowing completely automated engine running and data collection for thrust tests.

This front view shows how the exhaust stack is perfectly on center with the engine, and also the carbon fiber weave pattern of the Mejzlik 24X10TH propeller. The small device behind the propeller with a gray wire is the optical tachometer sensor.

stable idle, then five seconds at 20 percent throttle, then five seconds at 40 percent throttle and so on, with the final five seconds at wideopen throttle. All the while, the Medusa Research Power Analyzer Pro data system is capturing rpm, thrust, throttle position, ignition current draw and temperature. In a test taking less than one minute, a large amount of data is captured, which then allows graphing of the results so that they can be easily interpreted, and various propellers

can be compared to each other. After this first test with the APC 22×10, I then changed propellers several times until I had a good clean test run for each of the seven propellers used for this review. Four of the seven propellers tested delivered 30 lb thrust or more, which is very good for an engine of this size. I found that the high-speed needle required only a very slight adjustment from the lowest load to the highest load propeller. Considering the wide range of propellers used, I was amazed at

This table shows the top rpm, static thrust, pitch speed and dB level achieved with each of the seven propellers tested.

RPM

Static Thrust (lb)

Pitch Speed (MPH)

Sound Pressure Level (dBA)

APC 22X10

7300

30.0

69.1

100.6

Mejzlik 21X12

6900

28.0

78.4

98.6

Mejzlik 24X10TH

6025

29.4

57.1

98.7

Menz 22X10

6800

27.8

64.4

99.1

Vess 22B

7725

32.5

58.5

102.8

Vess 23A

6875

34.2

45.6

102.5

Xoar 23X10

6350

31.2

60.1

97.8

Xoar 23X10

O.S. GT60 Two-Stroke Gasoline Engine

Vess 23A

Vess 22B

Menz 22X10

Mejzlik 21X12

APC 22X10

how little adjustment was needed! Later in the day, after all testing was completed, I checked the needle valve settings and confirmed the following settings: highspeed 1-7/8 turns, low-speed 1-1/2 turns. With these settings, the engine idled smoothly, had great throttle response and ran cleanly at full throttle, but was just a bit rich on the high-speed needle to run about 100 rpm down from peak. A digital sound pressure level meter was set up to capture decibel levels, set to the A-weighting scale, which simulates the response of the human ear. With the meter at a distance of 10 feet from the propeller, at a 45-degree angle to the side and rear of the engine, the sound pressure levels ranged from 97.8 to 102.8 dBA, which is fairly reasonable. Much of the noise came from the propeller, especially for the lower load propellers that allow higher rpm. Finally, a few comments about the features of the ignition system. The unit is compatible with a wide variety of power sourcesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; from 4- to 6-cell NiCd or NiMh packs, to 2-cell A123 packs, to 2-cell LiPo packs, all without needing a voltage regulator. Measured data, while running on a regulated 6-volt power source,

Mejzlik 24X10TH

O.S. GT60 2-STROKE

These are the seven propellers used on the GT60 as part of this test review. The engine was happy to swing any of them, showing its ability to cover a wide range of propeller sizes, types and applications.

RC-SF.COM

O.S. GT60 Ignition Current vs. RPM (at 6V)

Thrust vs. Pitch Speed

0.5

0.4

25 Static Thrust (lb)

Ignition Current (amps)

APC 22X10 Mejzlik 21X12 Mejzlik 24X10TH Menz 22X10 Vess 22B Vess 23A Xoar 23X10

0.3 0.2 0.1

20 15 10 5

0.0 1,000

0 2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

8,000

RPM The yellow line shows the ignition current draw across the rpm range, using a regulated 6.0-volt power source. The ignition system is extremely efficient, drawing only 0.41 amps at top rpm, and a miserly 0.11 amp at idle!

demonstrates the high efficiency of the system. It drew a measured 0.41 amp at top rpm and at idle, and the draw is only 0.11 amp. (See the included graph for the profile of current draw vs. rpm across the operating speed range.) One note of caution: the engine demonstrated a tendency to start and run backwards occasionally. As always, it’s best to start the engine at a low throttle setting and if you observe that it is running backwards (is easy to detect), shut it down and restart.

HARDWARE LAYOUT

First, it is necessary to point out that disassembling the engine should not be necessary, and if for some reason it is required, the best approach is to have a qualified service center do the work. Having said this, I tore the engine down most of the way, in order to show more of the engine in this review. We did a partial disassembly of the GT60, stopping short of steps that could have torn gaskets. With the linerless cylinder, there is no separate sleeve, so removing the cylinder is as simple as taking out the four mounting bolts and lifting the cylinder off the piston and engine crankcases. Care must be taken to avoid tearing/damaging the cylinder base gasket should it stick. Once removed, it is easy to inspect the cylinder bore and ports. 54

RC SPORT FLYER — JUNE 2013

Pitch Speed (MPH) This shows how static thrust and static pitch speed relate to each other. If you want maximum static thrust then just pick the one with highest thrust, but if you want to trade off some static thrust for more pitch speed, this graph can help you visualize the tradeoff.

Piston retention is via conventional circlips (one on each end of the piston pin) and the ID of the piston pin is threaded to assist in removal if needed. The piston features a single, thin ring, which was easy to remove and reinstall. Removal of the connecting rod requires more special tools (which I did not have) to remove the crank-pin stop screw, so we left that in place. This combined with concerns over tearing the crankcase gasket also prevented removal of the crankshaft, which is why the parts layout photos don’t show the crankshaft and connecting rod outside of the engine cases. The new rear-intake carburetor and reed-valve system is easy to remove and re-install with no special tools. The orientation of the carburetor puts the adjustment screws straight up, assuming an

inverted mounting position of the engine.

CONCLUSIONS

The new O.S. GT60 engine proved to be a strong performer, with good manners in terms of tuning and

Specifications Type

Two-stroke gas

Displacement

3.65 cu in. (59.91 cc)

Bore

1.73 in. (44.0 mm)

Stroke

1.551 in. (39.4 mm)

Cylinders

Single

Engine Weight

49.38 oz (1400 g)

Ignition Weight

3.7 oz (105 g)

Muffler Weight

6.3 oz (178 g)

Total Weight

59.4 oz (1683 g)

Propellers

23 x 8 (break-in), 22 x 10-12, 23 x 8-10, 24 x 8-10

Rpm range

1600–8000

Horsepower

6.0 @ 7000 rpm

Fuel

Gas (unleaded) at 30–50:1 ratio

Mounting dimensions

See towerhobbies.com or osengines.com

Muffler type

O.S. E-6020 pitts-style (included)

Ignition

O.S. IG-02 electronic ignition, 4.8–7.6 volt

Cylinder type

Plated aluminum, linerless

Carb type

Walbro pumper, two needle valve

Crank type

Dual Ball Bearing

Vendors Great Planes Model Distributors P.O. Box 9021 Champaign, IL 61826-9021 greatplanes.com O.S. Engines osengines.com Tower Hobbies P.O. Box 9078 Champaign, IL 61826-9078 800-637-4989 towerhobbies.com

O.S. GT60 2-STROKE Thrust vs. RPM

Thrust vs. Throttle Position

Static Thrust (lb)

25 20

30 25 Static Thrust (lb)

35 APC 22X10 Mejzlik 21X12 Mejzlik 24X10TH Menz 22X10 Vess 22B Vess 23A Xoar 23X10

15 10 5 0 1,000

20 15

APC 22X10 Mejzlik 21X12 Mejzlik 24X10TH Menz 22X10 Vess 22B Vess 23A Xoar 23X10

10 5 0

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

8,000

RPM

100

Throttle Stick Position (%)

This graph shows how thrust relates to engine rpm for each of the seven propellers tested. This also helps visualize the relative load each propeller will impart to the engine across the rpm range. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll want to study this graph to pick the propeller that will work best on the model youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be using this engine in.

throttle response. It ran extremely well with each of the seven propellers tested, covering a wide range of rpm and load conditions. The price point is similar to other premium engine brands, especially when taking into account the

See how thrust output varies with throttle. As throttle is advanced to around 60%, thrust increases rapidly, and fairly linearly. Beyond 60% throttle, thrust increases more gradually and at a decreasing rate as throttle is moved to 100%. Use of a throttle curve or exponential could help make the thrust response feel more linear.

discount offers that are frequently available at towerhobbies.com, and the fact that a quality muffler can be included at a minimal additional cost. For all of these reasons, the new GT60 should certainly be considered as you make the decision as to which

power plant to select for your 50- to 60-cc class airplane! To see and hear the GT60 engine run, please see the videos we posted at youtube.com by searching on RCSportFlyer.

RC-SF.COM

BY Jerry Smith

he Republic Aviation P-47 Thunderbolt, also know as the “Jug,” was the largest, heaviest—weighing up to eight tons when fully loaded—and most expensive fighter aircraft in history to be powered by a single reciprocating engine. It was heavily armed with eight 50-cal machine guns, four per wing. The cockpit was roomy and comfortable, even providing air conditioning. It was especially effective in high-altitude, air-to-air combat and very adept at ground attack. The P-47, dispatched to England in 1942, was one of the main United States Army Air Forces fighters of World War II and also served with other Allied air forces. Because of the propeller ground clearance, the pilot had to make a long run on takeoff, holding the tail low, until flying speed was reached. The model you see featured here was built by retired airline and corporate pilot Jeff Whitford of

Alpharetta, Georgia. Jeff likes to build warbirds and has a few others in his hangar. The P-47 is his latest. I sat down with Jeff and asked him about his build and what he did to achieve this great-looking warbird. “My P-47 project started out as a package deal purchased from another modeler who gave up on completing it, consisting of Ziroli plans, Zirolisupplied fuselage, cowl and canopy, and a full wood kit from Precision Kit Cutters,” Jeff said. He sourced a new 3W-75 engine and a set of Robart retracts for about half price on RCUniverse. He started the build as

JEFF WHITFORD’S P-47 A LARGE-SCALE,WELLBUILT THUNDERBOLT

RC SPORT FLYER — JUNE 2013

JEFF WHITFORD’S P-47 a P-47N in order to have the bigger wing but later changed it to a P-47D. The result was a bigger wing with rounded wingtips instead of squaredoff wingtips that the “N” should have, and a 97-in. wingspan instead of the 92-in. that the “D” model should have. “It’s not that noticeable unless you really know P-47s,” Jeff said. The overall scale is about 1:6. A few items used were the

Century Jet cowl attach system that hides the screws inside the cowl, and special flap hinges that Meister sells. The cockpit detail is actually a P-40 cockpit salvaged from a Jack Devine P-40 that met an early demise. Jeff said, “I went the cheap route on paint, using Krylon Matte Aluminum. It looks okay, but really shows fingerprints and smudges.” The airplane weighs 38 lb and is

the first model that Jeff has built that balanced out perfectly without adding any nose weight. The first flight was perfect, requiring only one click of elevator trim, and no carburetor adjustments were necessary. The airplane is very stable, but according to its builder could use a little more power. “There’s no such thing as too much power in a warbird, right?”

Jeff Whitford’s P-47 leaves you with no doubt that his model replicates a full-scale P-47 as it does a fly-by at the airfield. The quality of workmanship, and its flight performance are exceptional. This is the kind of model that will turn you into a scale enthusiast!

™

EF11 S EF Spor Sp ortt R Race Ra cerr ARF A F AR

51.9” wingspan

RACE COURSE READY! Designed by respected pylon racer Jim Allen, the Proud Bird backs up its streamlined appearance with 100+ mph speeds that let you compete in any EF1 class pylon race. And the Proud Bird has the features pilots look for in an everyday aerobat. It handles the demands of high speeds and thrill-a-minute maneuvers, with predictable takeoffs and landings that will inspire confidence. And because the Proud Bird comes covered in a gleaming all-white MonoKote finish, you’re one step closer to making this plane your own, with a customized trim scheme that’ll make it stand out at the field.

Shown with custom trim scheme, pilot not included.

RC SPORT FLYER — JUNE 2013

he full-scale Luscombe 8 is a high-wing, side-by-side monoplane that sports conventional landing gear. It was designed in 1937 and subsequently built by Luscombe Aircraft. The Luscombe Model 8 was built using a metal airframe. It has a monocoque fuselage, with fabric-covered metal wings, which makes for a lightweight aircraft, but one that is very strong. The Luscombe aircraft were and are efficient, so they provided for a cruise speed that was 10 to 20 mph faster than its competition of the day. The Luscombes sold well, so the factory made upgrades to it. They include a Continental A-65 engine of 65 horsepower. Luscombe certified this engine on the Model 8, and began producing it as the Model 8A. In 1938 and 1939 Don Luscombe was forced out of the company. In March of 1940 Luscombe introduced the Model 8B. This aircraft got power from a Lycoming O-145-B3 engine of 65 horsepower (48 kW). Then a month later, the company introduced the deluxe model 8C, powered by a Continental C-75-8J engine. The interior was finished in maroon cloth and tan leather upholstery. The deluxe model was named the Silvaire. When WWII started aluminum was rationed. Since the Model 8 was widely used in the Civilian Pilot Training Program, Luscombe was able to maintain production and get a reasonable allotment of the lightweight metal. Luscombe then developed the model 8D. The instrument panel was equipped with the necessary instruments for IFR flight and training. The 8D used the same 75 hp (56 kW) Continental engine as the 8C, but had two 11.5-gallon wing tanks installed for better range.

TNT Landing Gear Products 10530 Airport Highway Swanton, OH 43558 Phone 419-868-5408 E-mail: tntlandinggear@att.net”

Kirby’s Kustom Vinyl Graphics 903 Settemire Rd. Lebanon, OH 40536 kirbysgraphics.com

Fiberglass Specialties 15715 Ashmore Dr. Garfield, Arkansas 72732 Phone: 479-359-2429 fiberglassspecialtiesinc.com

Suppliers

LUSCOMBE SILVAIRE 8

A MONOPLANE WITH SUPER LOOKS AND PERFORMANCE

LUSCOMBE SILVAIRE 8

BY Wendell Hostetler

RC-SF.COM

1 passenger

20 ft 0 in.

35 ft 0 in.

6 ft 3 in.

140 ft2

870 lb

1400 lb

25 US gallons

Continental C90 air-cooled flat four, 90 hp

2-blade metal fixed pitch, 5 ft 11 in. diameter

128 mph

120 mph

40 mph

500 mile

17,000 ft

Capacity

Length

Wingspan

Height

Wing area

Empty weight

Gross weight

Fuel capacity

Powerplant

Propellers

Maximum speed

Cruise speed

Stall speed

Range

Service ceiling

121.8 in.

69.6 in.

1703 in.2

17–19 lb

2–3 in.2

Wingspan

Length

Wing area

Weight

Power

Wendell Hostetler’s Plans 545 Jerome Drive Orrville, OH 44667 Phone: 330-682-8896 e-mail: whplans@aol.com Hostetlersplans.com

Plan

29%.

Scale

Model Specifications

Crew

Aircraft Specifications

BY Gene Cope

TIDEWATER TX-R™

IT FLOATS LIKE A CORK, BUT FLIES LIKE A DREAM

RC SPORT FLYER — JUNE 2013

FLYZONE™ TIDEWATER TX-R™

The Tactic™TTX404 4-channel transmitter was used for flight testing. It is an inexpensive radio, but works great in this application. The classic lines were a real eye-catcher for the spectators watching this flight as the Tidewater glides in for a touch-n-go landing.

If you like flying seaplanes, you are going to love flying the new Flyzone Tidewater EP. It will get you all wet and excited for flying.

f you like flying seaplanes, you are going to love flying the new Flyzone Tidewater EP. It will get you all wet and excited for flying. The Tidewater is available in both ready-to-fly (RTF) or transmitter ready (Tx-R™) versions. The Tx-R version that I’m reviewing here requires the use of at least a Tactic™ four-channel transmitter or an AnyLink® module for your transmitter that would not be equipped with secure link technology (SLT™). The Tactic radio and AnyLink systems bind unbelievably easily with the Tactic six-channel SLT receiver that comes factory installed in the Tidewater. For this review a Tactic TTX404 four-channel transmitter was used for piloting. Note that you must buy a 2200mAh 3S 11.1-volt LiPo battery to complete the Tidewater package. You’ll need a LiPo charger too, unless of course you have a real electric personality that pumps electrons. The Tidewater seaplane is constructed of molded AeroCell foam, which means that it is extremely durable. Also, the bottom of the forward part of the fuselage is molded of hard plastic, so it will and does absorb the abuse and abrasions that this part of a seaplane’s airframe normally gets.

IN FLIGHT

The pond where I test flew the Tidewater is a backwater of the Columbia river near Kennewick, Washington. It was a warm, sunny FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @RCSPORTFLYER

spring day with very little wind and the water was pretty much calm and flat. In the water, the Tidewater maneuvers easily. Its water rudder sits on the bottom of the rudder, so any movement on the rudder results in a responsive turn when the model is in the water. I started my flight test by taxing the model around a bit to get the feel of its power and how it handled. Then the Tidewater was turned into the wind and throttle increased to about 75 percent to get it on step. It wasn’t long before the model was running along the water, ready to take to the air. The brushless motor in the Tidewater delivers plenty of power, so you can get it off the water and in the air quickly if you want. I just eased back on the center of gravity and my Tidewater was airborne and climbing briskly. There was, however, a minor problem. With the model’s center of gravity (CG) set as per the instruction manual (1-7/8 in. back of the wing’s leading edge) the airplane would dive when I let off the up elevator control. Even with full up trim added to the transmitter’s settings it would still pitch down a bit. So, I landed the model and moved the LiPo battery back about 1/2 in. Then I flew the model again. This was better, but it still would pitch down a bit when the motor was running at half throttle. The battery was moved back a little further. It was better. Then it was moved back again. It was right on! The final position has the RC-SF.COM

The motor pylon fits neatly into the top of the wing. The propeller hub comes premounted on the brushless motor.

Two nylon bolts hold the motor pylon firmly to the top of the wing. Be sure you tighten them properly before flying the model.

The Tidewater tip floats are mounted by just pushing the struts into the receivers located on the bottom of the wing.

The factory installed the servos and the covers. The covers protect the servos from water spray very well.

The elevator linkage is adjusted after the horizontal stabilizer gets mounted. The pushrod must be removed if you want to remove the stabilizer.

6 3

The electronic speed controller gets mounted to the inside surface with hook-n-loop material, just under the hatch opening.

7 The wing fastens to the fuselage by way of two plastic pins at its leading edge and a nylon bolt at the trailing edge.

4 5

8 The hatch area provides easy access to the 2200-mAh 3S LiPo pack. Buy a couple to maximize your flying times with the Tidewater.

9 The spinner back plate and propeller get secured to the propeller hub. Then you use two screws to attach the spinner.

7 RC SPORT FLYER â&#x20AC;&#x201D; JUNE 2013

FLYZONE™ TIDEWATER TX-R™

There is very little left to assemble on the Tidewater airframe once it is removed from the manufacturer’s shipping box.

Tidewater’s CG at 2-1/2 in. back of the wing’s leading edge. This results in the airplane flying level when the motor is running at its half-throttle position, which makes for very relaxed flying. I would add that you should always test fly a model at the manufacturer’s recommended CG location, unless of course you know from others that there is a better FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @RCSPORTFLYER

position. Once the model’s CG was set I checked its flight performance. I found that slow-speed stalls result in a sharp break, with the wing dropping and the model falling into a spiral dive. The model recovers well once power is applied and airspeed is regained. Then you just pull back on the stick gently to resume level flight.

However, a slow-speed stall below 20 feet could result in the model meeting terra firma quickly. The Tidewater is pretty responsive to control inputs. So, I recommend a soft touch on the transmitter control sticks to get smooth and steady flight. You can do basic aerobatics, but the fun of this model is doing touch-andgo maneuvers on the water. RC-SF.COM

Once the CG of the model was set properly, the Tidewater was at home with this seagull and the water.

The Tidewater floats like a cork. It is shown here taxiing during water maneuvers and before the model’s first flight.

Just touching water after its first flight, the Tidewater skims the surface nicely. Notice the up trim required before the the CG was adjusted.

Once I got the model’s CG set properly, a half-throttle low pass was easy to do and did not present any trimming problems.

Here is the result of a low-speed stall just above the water. No damage was incurred due to the strength of the model’s AeroCell construction.

RC SPORT FLYER — JUNE 2013

FLYZONE™ TIDEWATER TX-R™ Here is how I landed my Tidewater: I set it up on approach, pulled the power back to about 10 percent throttle setting, and then just let it glide to about a foot off the water. There I pulled the power off completely and let the model settle onto the surface. The motor doesn’t have a cutoff warning. Rather the model’s propeller will just start to free wheel. You’ll want to allow the Tidewater to just glide down for a landing. I did a battery capacity test on the charged 2200-mAh pack. I flew the Tidewater at half throttle except for takeoff and three short, full-throttle runs. The short, full-throttle runs were done The Tidewater’s extended water rudder provides positive water maneuvering because it is built into the airplane’s rudder.

at 5,10 and 15 minutes. At about 14 minutes a couple of clicks of throttle trim were required to increase the throttle on the transmitter so the Tidewater would maintain level during flight. What I found is that this is a good indicator that it is time to land the model. My model’s motor quit at 16:57 minutes during my test. So be sure to watch your model’s air time, that is if you don’t want to go for a swim to retrieve your seaplane. Remember, motor run time is dependent on throttle usage. You may want to set a transmitter timer to alarm at say 13 minutes or so, depending on how you fly your Tidewater.

DOCKSIDE

One battery pack will not be enough to really enjoy flying the Tidewater. I recommend you have a second pack. That way after you’ve flown out the first pack you can be flying the model with the second. You can charge the first while doing so. Maybe you may even want a third pack because this little model is just a whole lot of fun to fly. I’d sum my experience with my Tidewater this way: It is priced right. It’s super easy to assemble. It’s a great looker. It floats like a cork. It will do the basic aerobatic maneuvers. More importantly, it is a riot to fly. Buy one!

Specifications Wingspan

41.5 in.

Length

36 in.

Weight (RTF)

30–32 oz

Actual Weight

30 oz

Motor

Brushless 28–26-1250 Kv

ESC

XP-30A-SW-F

Battery

Electrifly® 3S 11.1-volt 30C LiPo

Price

$169.98

Control Travels Up

Down

Ailerons

3/8 in.

Elevator

5/16 in.

Rudder

7/8 in.

The Tactic™ TTX404 does not have dual rates, so the control surface travels were set between the published high and low settings except for the rudder.

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

The Tidewater is an agile seaplane. It is very responsive to control inputs, so go easy on the controls for the first few flights.

ASSEMBLY It only takes a few minutes to assemble the Tidewater Tx-R— really! This little model goes together in a snap. You’ll need both a small #1 Phillips and a standard flathead screwdriver. Be sure to use ones with a good tip that fits the screw heads exactly. A worn tip or the use of the wrong size tip can cause damage to the screw head. There are only four screws and a screw lock connector required to assemble the Tidewater. An 8-mm, box-end wrench or a small adjustable wrench is required to secure the propeller nut. Then you can attach the spinner. The

kit’s propeller required balancing prior to mounting it on the propeller hub shaft. It’s always a good idea to check a propeller for balance before using it so as to stop vibration and optimize performance. The battery was positioned and fastened in place with hook-n-loop material. It was positioned at 1-7/8 in. back of the wing’s leading edge to set the model’s CG for the initial test flights. You’ll also want to give the 2200-mAh LiPo pack a balance charge. Then you will only need to find a pond, lake or a patch of nice flat water.

RC-SF.COM

BY Gene Cope

GUARDIAN

2D/3D

IF YOU ARE OFF KILTER, THIS UNIT MIGHT JUST FIX YOU

f late I’ve had a tendency to lose the orientation of the wings of my large-scale gliders when they get way, way out during a search for thermals or sometimes during a high aerotow launch. As a result, I was searching for a stabilization system that would help if and when I should lose orientation with my model. About the same time this started happening to me Eagle Tree Systems introduced their new Guardian 2D/3D Stabilizer system. It was just the control system interface I needed to keep the wings of my sailplane level during tow and on a long-distance thermal search. With the Guardian 2D/3D Stabilizer programmed to keep my model’s wings level, the stress level for me dropped a bunch, especially during those high-altitude aerotows. What makes the Guardian 2D/3D such a powerful stabilization tool is

RC SPORT FLYER — JUNE 2013

The Guardian comes with a wiring harness that provides the connections between the unit and the radio receiver.

GUARDIAN 2D/3D A USB cable is inserted into the Guardian to utilize Eagle Tree’s free software programming interface for your computer.

that it is programmable to provide true wing stabilization. When you have it in your aircraft it will maintain level flight or return your model to level flight. It will control the roll, pitch and yaw inputs, without you having to touch the transmitter sticks. The unit even has built-in rudder compensation adjustments, which you can program to aid in making aileron/rudder-coordinated turns.

SETUP

The installation is quick and easy. All you need to do is mount the Guardian level in your airplane—it can even be install upside down. It is best if you mount it near the center of gravity. Note that the packaging includes a small airplane logo printed on the top of the guardian, which represents how it must be installed in the airplane with respect to orientation—the mounting direction

is therefore unmistakable. For my airplane the best mounting position was on top of the wheel pan. I would add that it is very important that the Guardian does not change or shift in position, because if it does it will have a direct effect on control surface movement. So, secure it in your aircraft well. Also, at only 11 grams it is lightweight and will fit in almost any airplane, big or small. The Guardian 2D/3D comes with a wiring harness. The harness connects the Guardian input to the channels on the receiver. The respective control channels then connect to the appropriate channels on the Guardian. There are two ways to program the Guardian 2D/3D Stabilizer. The instruction manual covers both in detail. The first programming option is to use the transmitter’s control sticks to select and enter information. The Guardian uses an LED user interface to verify that you have entered the programmable setting properly. The alternate programming method is with a computer. In that case you will need to connect a USB cable to the Guardian and to a Windows-based computer. Eagle Tree provides a free software download that you will use as the programming interface to the unit. What makes the computer interface nice is that the positions of the adjustment pots are shown on the computer screen as you turn them with a small screwdriver on the Guardian. You can even reverse servo travels via the unit’s gains. You simply turn the pot to its opposite side from the vertical position. Here is what is really nice: When all the inputs and settings have been programmed into the unit via the computer interface, you simply press the Load Config button and the Guardian will load the settings and store them for your airplane’s

EEN SCRHOT S

This general screen shot shows the gain pots, pitch, turn gauge and program buttons that the software provides.

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GUARDIAN 2D/3D

EEN SCRHOT S

Servo control ranges can be set using the sliders so you can see the recorded deflections prior to saving them.

This screen allows you to select the percentage of gain by way of a slider with the incremental value shown to the right.

control. Also, the configuration can be saved in the computer if you need to reload it in the future. The versatility of this little unit is well worth its price of $74.99. It is easy to install, program and use in the airplane. But what makes this unit truly amazing is that it provides both 2D and 3D stabilization. Consequently, you can use it for simple wing leveling, but you can also use it to make flying your 3D airplane that much easier to do. In the case of 3D, the Guardian 2D/3D Stabilizer will aid you in controlling your model in almost any attitude. Also, you can turn it off and on with just a convenient flip of the spare channel 68

RC SPORT FLYER — JUNE 2013

EEN SCRHOT S

Control gains can be set for 2D stabilization. You can also do automatic turn coordination with the Guardian.

Servo configurations can be seen on this screen, with their adjustment frequency controlled by a slider, with values shown on the right.

switch on your radio transmitter.

In 2D mode the Guardian will make flying much smoother. It will level the wings because it “remembers” the airplane’s level attitude. It will also maintain the airplane’s heading. So, this is a perfect pick for the beginner pilot who wants to add stability or for the airplane that is not as stable as the one you’ve been flying. It will just take the twitchiness out of the airplane.

What the Guardian does for the 3D pilot is monitor the airplane’s

attitude and update the control position extremely fast such that the pilot’s workload is significantly reduced. Is so doing, the pilot can concentrate on flying the maneuvers while the Guardian stabilizes it in its respective attitude.

FPV

If you are into On Screen Display (OSD) for First Person View (FPV), the Guardian will provide you with FPV stabilization with artificial horizon display. Even without OSD the Guardian will help you stabilize any FPV aircraft, so you can have fun flying the airplane, not worrying if it is stable in flight.

BY Staff

REPORT

PREMIER PILOTS DON’T LOOK ANY FARTHER THAN THESE PILOTS FOR YOUR NEXT MODEL

f you are frustrated by the lack of availability of good pilot figures to put in your model aircraft you need to know about Premier Pilots from RD Enterprises. Their new line of pilots is a welcome addition to the scale builders’ market. These pilots will let you emulate the full-scale aircraft you are modeling by adding a very lifelike pilot figure. What is outstanding about these new pilots is that each general aviation pilot has a full body. Moreover, it only weighs 5.5 oz when it is clothed and ready to install in the model. Without a doubt Premier Pilots are the lightest articulating pilots you’ll find anywhere. Each pilot body is fabricated by employing 17 different moulds. The result is that you get a pilot that lets you create lifelike poses in your aircraft. Each pilot’s shoulders are adjustable in width from 3-3/4 to 4-1/4 in. The shoes and legs can be removed to fit in cockpits with limited space. The pilot suits and uniforms are sewn from cloth fabric to give them a look that you’d expect to see in a scale model. Also, you have four different shirt colors to pick from: red, white, blue and light blue. All pilots come with tan pants, a brown belt and brown shoes. Premiere pilots offers white shirts and white caps, so that you can dye them to your favorite color too.

INCLUDES

White cap, sunglasses, headset, parachute bag and harness, four-point harness with seat belts and watch

RC SPORT FLYER — JUNE 2013

PREMIER PILOTS

ACCESSORIES

English driving hat, flight suit, leather jacket and helmet, goggles

PILOTS

General Aviation, WWI, WWII (USAAF, Luftwaffe and RAF) and Plane Jane.

DIMENSIONS

Butt to shoe top: 8 in. Butt to cap top: 8-3/4 in.

TESTIMONIAL

Having searched for pilots for many years for projects around the office we can tell you that the new Premier Pilots are simply outstanding. They are extremely lightweight. You’ll love the way they fit in the cockpit because you can move the pilot’s body parts as needed to fit in the aircraft’s seat and around the instrument panels. Also, the feet are very lightweight so they will not slam around inside the cockpit during maneuvers. We especially like the quality of the clothing, as well as the

Supplier RD Enterprises 4885 Mt Durban Dr San Diego, CA 92117 Phone: 858-222-4574 premierpilots.net

caps and seat belts with parachute harness. If you are looking for a pilot for your airplane, helicopter or glider, these pilots are high on the RC Sport Flyer recommendation list—this is especially so in light of the fact that you can have one delivered to you from California in only a couple of days. We recommend you navigate over the Premier Pilots website to see their complete line of pilots. At last you have an affordable solution to putting a scale pilot in your next model aircraft. Note, their pilots start at only $129. You can’t beat it! RC-SF.COM

BY James VanWinkle

Push the throttle up and you’ll discover that the brushless motor under the cowl delivers plenty of power for vertical climbs and more.

COMMANDER EP (40) OWN & FLY THIS PATTERN MACHINE, BUT WITHOUT BREAKING THE BANK

The World Models™ continue to amaze with their wide variety of excellent airframes, which are priced most affordably. Now they introduce the Commander EP (40). It is designed to satisfy the desires of those who want to fly precision aerobatics, but without the need to break the bank. The real fun of flying this model comes from the confidence gained when you master the Commander in patterns.

RC SPORT FLYER — JUNE 2013

WORLD MODELS™ COMMANDER EP (40)

My photographer, Kyle, holds the Commander to show the scale of this model. It is easy to see in maneuvers and small enough to fit in any vehicle.

N THE AIR “Wow” is the first thing that comes to mind when I consider the performance of the Commander. I expected the airplane to fly well because all the airplanes I’ve flown from the World Models™ excel in the sky. I was, however, not prepared for how well this airplane was going to perform once it went “wheels up.” Though I am not a pattern/F3A competitor, I do like to fly my models as smoothly and precisely as my abilities allow. What you’ll discover is it’s pretty easy to do that with this airplane because the Commander flies very smooth straight lines with little pilot effort. There is also plenty of power to carry the model vertically at a nice moderate pace, similar to other pattern-type airplanes. The factory’s color scheme makes the Commander very easy to spot in the air. It has a brightly colored pattern on the tops of the wings and fuselage, with nice bright stripes on the bottoms and tail, which help keep the pilot oriented in all flight attitudes. Takeoffs are very easy, especially for a taildragger. No rudder control input is needed to keep it tracking straight because the tail stays on the ground until it reaches flying airspeed, at which point it comes off the runway smoothly and climbs as fast as the pilot wants to let it. Flights at 75 percent throttle power are very satisfying, and advancing the throttle does not give it a tendency to climb or dive, which lets you keep the model’s nose level as its velocity increases. If

The Commander weighs in at 62 oz ready to fly. It has enough weight to handle moderate winds, yet it’s light enough to go vertically! FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @RCSPORTFLYER

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3 RC SPORT FLYER â&#x20AC;&#x201D; JUNE 2013

The adhesive required for this model is for the horizontal and vertical stabilizers. The screws, magnets and rubber bands are already installed. A look inside the servo compartments shows the rudder and elevator servos are constrained with screws for a solid, secure connection.

The Commander is laid out on the ground, showing just how much of this model comes assembled. Expect to finish the assembly in a few hours.

WORLD MODELS™ COMMANDER EP (40) you point its nose skyward and add full throttle it keeps climbing nearly limitlessly, and without slowing at all. Coming back down is easy too—just retard the throttle stick and simply pointing the nose back at the earth. There is very little tendency for it to pull its nose up once airspeed comes up in the descent. Rolls are pretty straight, with just a bit of rudder and down elevator needed as the model revolves around its axis. Loops are simple thanks to the power that this stock motor setup offers. Plenty of power is available for vertical maneuvers, so be sure to pull the throttle back during nose-down flight or the Commander will pick up speed very rapidly. Note that no model should be flown at high throttle settings when its nose is pointed down. I did not push the issue with my new Commander to see what would happen if I broke the rule. Normal level flight is about as straight as you would expect once you’ve trimmed the model properly. Inverted flight requires a little bit of down-elevator stick pressure for the Commander to maintain altitude. A stall can happen at very slow speeds; expect a wing to drop

7 4

Motor comes ready to connect to the ESC and the propeller on the other end. It comes factory installed, which is just one more reason to love this model.

Small magnets hold the canopy in position, and come factory installed. Just put the canopy on and listen to it snap into place.

Held on with a collet-type mount, the factory-supplied propeller goes on in a minute. It is marked as an 11x8E and worked well.

Nice! The landing gear, including the wheels and wheel pants come assembled. One bolt secures the strut to the fuselage.

You’ll need to install the pushrods to the elevator and to the rudder, but that will only take you about five minutes to do.

9 FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @RCSPORTFLYER

10 RC-SF.COM

when one occurs. Such is the way of a low-wing aerobatic aircraft, though it is predictable and easily avoided. The addition of power brings the model back to stable flight in no time though. Knife-edge flight is exceptional. There is a bit of a tendency to roll out and a slight push toward the gear when the model is turned on its side. However, I’ve not flown an airplane that did not need a little bit of control mixing to keep it flying perfectly straight. For my Futaba setup, I added five percent up elevator mix when the rudder is deflected and three percent of opposite aileron, also mixed with the rudder. Don’t be surprised if one side needs a little more mixing than the other, depending on which side the model is rolled toward. This is perfectly normal due to the many forces acting upon our airplane because of airflow from the propeller, the direction of rotation of the motor and other forces. The Commander 3D is not really designed to perform 3D, but I was able to increase the throws and fly it through a very high alpha at slow airspeeds pretty successfully. It will hover, but the ailerons don’t run the full length of the wing so there is not an abundance of aileron in the airflow at slow speeds, meaning control is significantly lessened. The Commander will perform a pretty impressive rolling circle though, which should be expected of a pattern style aircraft. It will roll very quickly if desired and hold a nice line as it traverses the sky. Landings are pretty simple, though don’t expect to stop this model on a dime. The Commander has an average rollout after touchdown. Landings should be made with about 25 percent throttle or slightly less. The key to a good 76

RC SPORT FLYER — JUNE 2013

The tail wheel also comes factory installed. It provides for outstanding, positive tracking on the ground.

There is plenty of room for the battery in the fuselage. It uses a 3000-mAh 4-cell LiPo battery, which will deliver about 10 minutes of flight time.

Rolling in close for a photo is easy and fun with the Commander. The model goes exactly where it is pointed, giving the pilot lots of confidence.

Inverted flight is rock solid but requires just a bit of down elevator control to hold a perfectly level flight line.

Yes, knife-edge is this easy. With a tiny bit of control mixing the Commander will hold this position with only rudder and throttle.

WORLD MODELS™ COMMANDER EP (40)

Specifications

landing is a steady approach to touchdown, with no wild power changes. Once on the ground the tail wheel provides excellent tracking. Flight durations for the Commander are about seven to eight minutes when you are flying it hard. The motor gets juice from a 3000mAh 4-cell LiPo pack, so perhaps you can get a minute or two more if you just fly it for lazy circles. Get a few batteries to keep the Commander in the air the whole day.

CONCLUSION

The World Models™ Commander is a pattern airplane for pilots who want to fly a straight line, without spending a fortune. The model is quick to assemble and easy to fly, allowing pilots to spend more time practicing maneuvers instead wasting it on assembly and maintenance that the more traditional pattern airplanes require. With its bright color scheme and sleek styling, the Commander is sure to garner its share of attention at any airfield whether sitting on the runway or drawing lines in the sky.

52 in.

Fuselage length

53 in.

Wing area

497 in.2

Flying weight

62 oz

Transmitter

Futaba® 12 FGH 2.4 GHz

Receiver

Futaba® 2.4 GHz 7-channel

Battery

3000-mAh LiPo 4-cell

ESC

E-Flite 40-amp ESC

Propeller

Plastic 11x8E

Price

$159.99 (assembled combo)

Price

$89.99 (kit)

Distributor

The underside of the Commander has a different color scheme, so the pilot will stay oriented with the aircraft during maneuvers.

Airborne Models 2403 Research Drive Livermore, California 94550 Phone: 925-371-0922 Email: abmodels@aol.com airborne-models.com

Control Throws It is an excellent addition to your hangar and will give you lots of flight time.

ASSEMBLY When you open the box, three things are going to stick out: (1) this model is larger than you would anticipate, which is a good thing because larger airplanes fly better; (2) the Commander is going to take to the skies very quickly due to the amount of assembly done at the factory; and (3) the EP foam is lightweight and is very strong too. The Commander arrives mostly assembled with servos installed in the fuselage and wings—even the motor is in position, ready for the propeller and spinner that are included in the kit. The wheels, wheel pants and other hardware are assembled, so their assembly is a snap. The landing gear merely needs to be fastened to the fuselage. A tail wheel is already in place attached to the rudder. The canopy utilizes magnets as fasteners, which snap in position on the fuselage. The canopy fits very well with a good clean look, though it did come loose once in flight during a fast outside maneuver. After that I added a bit of tape as a precautionary measure. There are only two items that require adhesive, the horizontal and vertical stabilizers. Everything else is either bolted into position or factory assembled. In fact, I wanted to get a look at the servos in the wings and fuselage to see how they were attached. To do so requires removing four screws in each compartment as well as removal of the hot glue used to help secure the covers in place. All components were adequately bolted down and

Wingspan

Elevator

.75 in.

Rudder

1.5 in.

Ailerons

.75 in.

Center of gravity

4.5 in. back of the leading edge at fuselage

attached properly, so the covers were reattached. Installing an electronic speed control (ESC) is quick and easy. The motor comes from the factory installed and ready for the ESC to mate to the three wires. No soldering is required because bullet connectors are used on the motor wires. The battery compartment is easy to get to when the canopy is removed, and the receiver sits directly behind the battery. There is plenty of room to add the receiver and battery without having to wedge parts in place. The final step to completing the model is to add the spinner and propeller. This model truly assembles quickly. Note that the instruction manual is very complete, with plenty of photos and drawings included. It has 10 pages, which might seem short but there is plenty of information. It also provides the layout for the decals. The build part that takes the longest is the cutting out of the decals and placing them in their proper locations. Adding the color scheme actually takes longer than the entire build. When done, however, the Commander is quite colorful because of the many decals that make up the airplane’s scheme. Once complete, the Commander looks great. There is nothing difficult about the assembly, and even beginner builders will have no problem getting the Commander assembled. A simple screwdriver and a bit of epoxy will have this model ready to fly in an hour or two.

RC-SF.COM

BY Daniel Holman

REPORT

NOTHING LIKE IT IN 3D AEROBATICS

EXTREME FLIGHT 104-IN. EXTRA 300 Pouring a cloud of smoke onto the runway is always fun and demands attention. In a hover, this airplane almost hangs by itself!

From left to right; author Daniel Holman, Chris Hinson, Michael Holman, RJ Gritter, Devin McGrath and Jase Dussia. Chris Hinson provided excellent support as the rest of us flew our 104-in. Extra 300s through the competition. Team Extreme made up one third of the 2012 XFC!

n the past nine years of building and flying remote controlled airplanes, I’ve honestly never been this excited about an airplane! In the last five years, all of the airplanes that I’ve bought have been from Extreme Flight RC. Chris Hinson, owner of Extreme Flight and head aircraft designer, has worked hard to produce the very best precision and 3D aerobatic airplanes on the market. I have to say that their newest giantscale release is like nothing you’ve ever seen before.

RC SPORT FLYER — JUNE 2013

OVERVIEW

With three years of development into this project, the new Extreme Flight 104-in. Extra 300 is a superb design. While many companies try to bring as many airplanes to the market as possible, Chris Hinson perfected this design. Extreme Flight Championships (XFC) is the largest freestyle

aerobatic competition in the U.S. I began preparation for the 2012 XFC last spring, with a new Extra 300. The first shipment of Extreme Flight 104-in. Extra 300s came in just a few weeks before the event. Out of the 18 pilots who flew in the competition, five of them chose this airframe and a sixth borrowed one at the last minute.

EXTREME FLIGHT 104-IN. EXTRA 300

Performing a rolling harrier into a 10-mph headwind, its ground speed was close to walking pace, leaving plenty of time for pictures.

The brand new Extreme Flight 104in. Extra 300 looks stunning in the air with a beautiful re-creation of Jeff Bourbonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s patriotic paint scheme.

The punch-out power is incredible with the DA-120, and the Extra shines as it breaks the cloud line pulling vertical out of a hover. Hovering between myself and the camera, the Extra has the control authority to stay right where you want it, even in the wind.

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OUT OF THE BOX My Extreme Flight 104 Extra 300 came well-packaged in three large corrugated boxes. The first one had the fuselage, horizontal stabilizers, rudder, landing gear and hardware, the second box contained the main wings and carbon-fiber wing tube, while the third box held the beautifully crafted fiberglass cowl. Every part comes in individual plastic bags and all the hardware is sorted and labeled for its purpose. The construction of this airplane is astounding and I can easily say it’s the most well-built airplane that I’ve seen! The laser-cut, interlocking plywood frame is extremely strong and lightweight, and there are 1/4-in. carbon fiber stringers running the length of the fuselage. The wings have four full-length, 1/4-in. carbon spars, as well as a double sheer web. They slide onto a strong, carbon-fiber, wing-joiner tube.

WHAT YOU GET

Pulling the nose up past 45 degrees, the ailerons are still effective and the Extra will not hang up in a rolling harrier with this kind of throw!

HIGH-QUALITY ALUMINUM WHEEL HUBS

TAIL FEATHERS

CARBON-FIBER LANDING GEAR AND TAILWHEEL ASSEMBLY

COWL

WING PANELS FIBERGLASS WHEEL PANTS AND LANDING GEAR CUFFS

HARDWARE CANOPY

FUSELAGE

(Not shown) • Wing and horizontal stabilizer bags • Sunshade canopy cover • Pre-painted fiberglass helmethead-style pilot bust and built-up

RC SPORT FLYER — JUNE 2013

CARBON FIBER WING AND STABILIZER TUBES

•

instrument panel High-quality hardware package with phenolic control horns, M3 heavy-duty ball links, titanium turnbuckles, and every piece of

• • •

hardware needed with the exception of engine-mounting bolts. Pre-mounted cowl ring Tuned pipe and canister mounts Side Force Generator (SFG) set

EXTREME FLIGHT 104-IN. EXTRA 300

ASSEMBLY This airplane is competition-ready right out of the box! I made no modifications to the airframe, even though I was building it for competition. The instruction Here’s a close look at the high-quality, pre-assembled Check out the huge tail surfaces on the 104-in. Extra manual is very tailwheel. The short elevator and rudder linkages are 300. The bevels on the elevators allow for up to 65 thorough and easy virtually slop free, easy to install and extremely strong. degrees of throw, which can produce some insane gyroscopic maneuvers! to follow, so I’m not going to cover everything. There 30-minute epoxy as the adhesive. The Measure all the horns because are a few things that I must point out though. On all combustionRobart-style pin hinges are factory they are not all the same size. The engine-powered airplanes, you must installed but must be glued in. Note outboard aileron horn has the hole use blue thread-lock on all bolts that there are three hinges on each drilled further out on the horn than because the vibration will cause the elevator that have been cut on one the inboard. fasteners to back out. Going over side. The short side must be used You’ll install the servos and all high-stress areas—such as servo on the inboard part of the stabilizer linkages next. Wick the thin CA mounts and all accessible joints— as they must not hit the joiner tube. around the mounts and into the with thin cyanoacrylate (CA) glue With this exception, the ailerons, wood holes for the servos. You is a must. All screw holes should elevators and rudder are all hinged will have the option of running the be soaked with thin CA as well to using the same method. rudder servo in the tail with a short, prevent thread-stripping. Servo lead The next step was to epoxy direct-drive linkage, or in the fuselage connectors must be either tied with all the phenolic control horns into with a pull-pull linkage. I chose to dental floss or shrink-wrapped to their respective surfaces. After run the servo in the tail. It got a 2-in. prevent connection failure. Long roughing up the contact surfaces of SWB servo arm. The rudder servo servo extensions must be secured, the horns with 60-grit sandpaper, requires a 40-in. servo extension. preferably every 12 inches or so, as I slid a phenolic baseplate onto a The elevator servos mount in the high-G maneuvers will cause them to pair of them. A generous amount of horizontal stabilizers. A pair of 48-in. flop around and rub on other parts. 30-minute epoxy and milled fiberglass servo extensions are required. I began my model’s build by was used to bond these into the For the aileron servos, you’ll hingeing all the control surfaces, using ailerons, elevators and rudder. need a set of 24-in. servo extensions for the outboards, but none for the inboards. This gives you about three inches of extra lead. It works well when you use 12-in. servo extensions from the receiver. Next you will thread heavyduty ball links onto the titanium turnbuckles. Ensure that the length is correct and then bolt them onto the control horn first and then to the servo arm. This airplane uses two aileron servos per wing, so you must wait to connect the pushrod of the outboard servos until your transmitter is programmed properly. The Spektrum AR12200 is an excellent unit and I highly recommend it. The large plywood trays in the fuselage make mounting of all your radio equipment easy, with lots of options.

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A work of art, the Red Aero 40% visor-down pilot bust really looks good in the 104-in. Extra. I cut the bust to height and used four zip ties and 30-minute epoxy to secure it.

To program and synchronize the aileron servos, you must start by setting the aileron’s control surface throws using only the inboard servos. Once their control throws are set, you’ll program the outboard servos to precisely match the inboard servos’ travel ranges. When finished, bolt the outboard ball links to the

Two 32-ounce tanks fit perfectly side by side without crowding out access to the inside of the engine box. Note the battery placement right behind the firewall.

servo horns and double-check their travels. Next you’ll install the landing gear. The beautifully crafted, carbonfiber landing gears are pre-drilled and bolt onto the fuselage with four bolts, washers and locknuts. After gluing the landing-gear fairings on, with Goop® as the adhesive, I installed

the titanium axles and aluminum wheel hubs. The wheel pants fasten in place with M3 bolts and blind nuts. The pre-assembled tailwheel is also fastened with three M3 bolts. You’ll install a 2-56 ball link into the bottom of the rudder for the tiller arm—use epoxy. Next, mount the engine. This

During my freestyle demo at the 2012 Huckfest in Wenatchee, WA, I brought the Extra down for a low, inverted pass at over 100 mph. This airplane inspires confidence like no other!

RC SPORT FLYER — JUNE 2013

EXTREME FLIGHT 104-IN. EXTRA 300 airplane is built around the DA-120. You must drill four holes in the firewall. Then you’ll bolt the engine in place using 1/4-20 bolts, lock washers and 1-in. standoffs. There is a servo mount in the bottom of the engine box for the throttle servo, but Simple and strong, the aileron servo linkages are easy Looking at the wing’s root rib, you can see the four, because I used a to install and work great. The Spot-On servo horns 1/4-in.-square, carbon-fiber spars which run the full shorter servo horn, are easy to work with and add a little ‘bling’ to the length of the wing. The plywood “tongue” slides into airplane. the fuselage and is bolted down from the top. There is I mounted the servo also a thumb screw right next to the rear, anti-rotation right next to the pin that is installed from inside the fuselage. mount. After drilling a 3/8-in. hole in the firewall, I installed the throttle pushrod. I recommend you use 1/2-in. mounting foam and a Velcro strap to secure the ignition module to the inside of the removable plate on the top of the motor box. The spark-plug cables route out each side. The Desert Aircraft DA-120 engine provides excellent The beautifully crafted and strong, carbon-fiber You’ll mount the power and bolts right up to the firewall with 1-in. landing gear and fiberglass wheel pants are showroom spacers. Note the location of the Fromeco 2300mah quality and add a beautiful finishing touch to the ignition battery on A123 ignition battery. airplane’s landing gear. the outside of the motor box. Tie all the wiring down and then bolt the top plate onto the pump and its plumbing next to the My model’s receiver batteries are motor box. throttle servo. Connect its supply mounted behind the firewall, with the The Extreme Flight® 104-in. Extra lines to the mufflers. Sensor Switch installed in the side of 300 provides for a few exhaust Mount the cowl next. Use a the fuselage. I mounted a Fromeco® ® options. It comes tuned pipe and Dremel tool to cut the cowl for the Badger switch right in front of the canister ready, with removable plates engine’s exhaust stacks. The cowl ring wing for the ignition. on the bottom of the pipe tunnel. My is factory installed, which eliminates After mounting my model’s pilot model uses the stock mufflers. any guess work for mounting. and panel, I bolted the horizontal I installed a 32-oz Danhakl Design At this point, you can install the stabilizers to the fuselage and put tank. It was purchased from Aeropropeller and spinner. its wings on. I then programmed graphix®. You’ll want to use 1/2-in. Next you’ll install the receiver. My the Extra’s control settings into my mounting foam and a pair of heavymodel is fitted with the new Spektrum® Spektrum DX-18 transmitter. duty Velcro straps. My Extra uses AR12200 Cockpit receiver. This unit The dry weight center of gravity a second, 32-oz tank next to the is a Powerbox® and a receiver in (CG) should be right on the center gas tank for the smoke oil. Also, my one. I recommend it although it’s not of the wing tube as a starting point. model uses a 1/4-turn fuel dot on mandatory. The Cockpit allows you My preferred CG is right around the the side of the fuselage. I routed the to gang servos together, but to then front of the tube. vent line around the back of the tank program them independently, with the As a precautionary step, go over and out the bottom of the fuselage result being that they work as a single all the covering edges with a sealing right behind the firewall. The fuel line channel. It also precisely regulates the iron to ensure that they are tight. to the carburetor should exit the voltage output to each servo and will If you follow the manual fuselage next to the throttle servo. isolate a jammed servo’s circuit from closely, you’ll have an enjoyable and I recommend you install the smoke the others. successful build. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @RCSPORTFLYER

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Precision aerobatics are silky smooth with the Extreme Flight Extra 300 and are always predictable, even when the airplane is on the deck at high speeds!

FLYING With the Extreme Flight Championships two weeks away, I was eager to get as many flights as possible on the Extra! Chris Hinson went to the airfield with me for the maiden. He took the first start. Choked, the engine took around 15 flips to suck gas into the carburetor and pop. Seven flips after turning the choke off, the new DA-120 started. I let it run for about two minutes before taxing the model onto the runway. 84

RC SPORT FLYER — JUNE 2013

The Extreme Flight 104-in. Extra 300 is available in two gorgeous Ultracote® color schemes. This is Chris Hinson’s personal 104-in. Extra 300 which I put lots of time on. Both colors show up extremely well and look awesome!

By this time the sun was just above the horizon and the air was crisp and calm. Ground handling as with any airplane in this category is a non issue. So, I lined it up on the grass runway and did one last control check. I slowly advanced the throttle and the Extra tracked straight and true down the runway. After it rolled about 50 feet I opened up the throttle to about 65 percent and

immediately lifted the Extra off the ground. Even at 65% throttle the DA120 in combination with the Vess 28B Stealth propeller pulled the airplane up to a steep climb, with power to spare! Only a few clicks of trim were required and the airplane was already tracking beautifully. Then I started flying it through precision maneuvers and testing its response to different control rates. Having already flown one of the prototypes, I knew how well the airplane flew, but to have mine setup the way I like was a thrill! This is, in my opinion, the best tracking 35-percent airplane out there. It is the airplane to have if you’re into the International Miniature Aerobatic Club (IMAC) competition and don’t want to move up to a 40-percenter. Snap rolls are crisp, true and stop hard. There is minimal knife-edge coupling, which I mixed out in the radio. IMAC spins are easy to enter correctly and stop instantly as the sticks are centered. Rolls are very axial—mine does not use aileron differential. Slow rolls are truly a joy to perform because the Extra tracks so true that doing them from one horizon to the other is effortless! After going easy on the Extra a couple minutes, the engine was warm and I was ready to practice. One of the known maneuvers for the 2012 XFC is a double-positive snap, immediately followed by an opposite double-negative snap. This is a very difficult maneuver to perform correctly, but the 104-in. Extra flew through it very well. I flew it through the other XFC known maneuvers as well as a few figures from my freestyle routines. In the landing pattern the Extra is extremely stable and will not stall unless induced. The roll-out for my Extra was only about 150 feet. Thoroughly excited about how near perfect the airplane flew, I did a post flight check and re-fueled. The second flight was nothing like the first. I immediately went into

EXTREME FLIGHT 104-IN. EXTRA 300 practicing my freestyle, flying the airplane as if it was a year old. One of my favorite parts of the Extreme Flight 104-in. Extra 300 is that the construction is so rigid that it’s virtually impossible to break with out being stupid! Earlier in the year I had figured out how to do a knife-edge wall in such a way that the airplane does not lose altitude as it instantly turned 90 degrees in a knife-edge attitude. Doing this maneuver from 75 percent throttle would blow up many airframes, but not this one! I kept doing it again and again closely watching the wings and I could never detect any flex anywhere in the airframe. I also put the Extra through full-throttle tumbles that I would cringe to see any other airframe do. This thing will wind up so fast in gyroscopic maneuvers that it will blow your mind. Every 3D maneuver is extremely stable and the control surfaces remain powerful well beyond the point of stall. Once locked into a hover, it almost hangs by itself requiring only tiny inputs from the elevator and rudder. Harriers are silly easy and there’s no wing rock unless it’s sitting at about 20 degrees positive angle of attack (AOA) right side up and even then it’s minimal. After that, I was at the airfield almost every day for the following two weeks becoming one with the airplane and refining my freestyle routines. Flying almost every day for that long and working on airplanes when you’re not at the field can get very tiring, but it all felt worth it with every flight. Every time I put the Extra back in the air it was another adventure as the airplane is so good that I am hardly limited by the equipment and the possibilities are almost endless. A set of Side Force Generators (SFGs) are included in the kit, but I did not use them last year. I started using them this year, and although the airplane will do it all without them, they do help some maneuvers by magnifying the rudder authority. The Vess 28B Stealth propeller is the prop for this airplane if you are into 3D. One week before XFC however, I switched to a Falcon 27x12, which is not as good for 3D. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @RCSPORTFLYER

The Extreme Flight 104-in. Extra is capable of insanely fast, knife-edge spins thanks to the amazing elevator authority. Throwing smoke as it plummets straight down, its dizzyingly fast spins make for an amazing show!

However, it increases the Extra’s top speed dramatically, which worked better for my high-energy freestyle routine. After trying a couple other

propellers, my current favorite propeller is the Falcon 27x11 carbon fiber.

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Here I am walking my Extra back into the pitt area after another successful freestyle flight at the Extreme Flight Championships. What a great feeling!

CONCLUSION This review may sound too good to be true, but I have just given you my honest opinion about what I believe is the best 35-percent airplane. The Extra assembles quite easily, with an outstanding fit and finish.

Chris Hinson—owner of Extreme Flight and designer of the 104-in. Extra 300—and I pose with his masterpiece right after the Extreme Flight Championships. Chris’ hard work paid off. The result being, what is in my honest opinion, the best 35% Freestyle and IMAC machine ever produced!

RC SPORT FLYER — JUNE 2013

My father Paul and little brother Joshua came out to support Michael and me as we flew in the XFC. In its first large competition, the brand new Extreme Flight 104-in. Extra 300 placed in the top three and performed beautifully!

Its flight performance is astounding. The paint scheme is gorgeous in the air and I have mine tricked out with custom graphics from B&E Graphix. The airframe is built amazingly strong and will take any abuse that you want to throw at it, making the flying experience that much more fun. It doesn’t matter if you are a weekend flyer looking for a giant-

scale airplane, a hardcore 3D pilot or a serious IMAC competitor wanting the most precise 35-percent airplane that money can buy, this airplane will exceed your expectations in every way! I am excited about mine and look forward to many more excellent flights at its controls. XFC 2013 is planned.

EXTREME FLIGHT 104-IN. EXTRA 300

NEEDED TO COMPLETE The following is a list of items needed to complete the model, plus the actual parts selected for the build: Engine Desert Aircraft DA-120, 120cc gas powered two-stroke Muffler Desert Aircraft stock mufflers Propeller Vess 28B Stealth, Falcon 27x11 (the author flew the Extra with both) Spinner SMJ 5-in. carbon fiber spinner with an aluminum backplate (True-Turn 5-in. ultimate-style anodized spinner used at the XFC) Transmitter Spektrum DX-18 2.4-GHz Receiver Spektrum AR 12200 Cockpit receiver Servos Six JR 8911HV (high voltage) metal gear (ailerons and elevators), one JR 8711HV metal gear (rudder), one JR 8917HV (throttle) Servo arms Four 1.5-in. (ailerons), two 1.75-in. (elevators), one 2-in. (rudder) one 1.25-in. (throttle); used Spot-On servo horns with an SWB servo horn on the rudder RX power Two Fromeco 5200-mAh 2S Li-Ions with

18-in. leads Ignition battery Fromeco 2300-mAh 2S A-123 Switch Powerbox Sensor Switch (Included with the Spektrum AR 12200), Fromeco Badger switch (ignition) Gas tank Danhakl Design 32 ounce Miscellaneous HD servo extensions (TailDragger RCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s heavy-duty, 20-gauge extensions are highly recommended for the best power transfer over long distances), CA glue and accelerator, 30-minute epoxy, blue thread-locking compound, mounting foam, hook-and-loop straps and adhesive-backed strips, zip ties, servo- extension safety clips

OPTIONAL

Smoke system Scale pilot bust Graphics

Sulivan Skywriter (the author has since changed to the new Seacraft smoke pump), 32-ounce smoke tank, 2S 850- mAh LiPo battery Red Aero 40% visor-down B&E Graphix custom package

Specifications Wingspan

104 in.

Length

101.5 in.

Weight

27â&#x20AC;&#x201C;29 lb (dry)

Airfoils

Symmetrical

Construction

Built-up light plywood, balsa and carbon-fiber covered in genuine Ultracote. Carbon-fiber wing and stabilizer joiner tubes, fiberglass cowl, wheel pants and landinggear fairings, pre-mounted canopy

Control throws and Exponential (throw/expo) Low

High

Elevator

20/20

45/30

55/32

Rudder

35/20

45/25

50/27

Aileron

30/25

35/30

50/32

Note: This is how I have my airplane set up and it might not be the right setup for you. I like a very sensitive control feel and most pilots prefer more expo than I use. I would recommend starting with 50% expo on the ailerons and elevator and 35% on the rudder, with a little less on low rates to adjust for your flying style.

I was blessed to win the 2012 Pacific Coast Freestyle Championships for the third year in a row with my new Extreme Flight 104-in. Extra 300! This airplane is the ultimate freestyle machine!

Photography BY Higher Plane Productions, Daniel Holman, Paul Holman, JohnVH Photography, Penny Bailey, Jerry Smith, Tom Seres RC-SF.COM

BY Wil Byers

A 2-METER MACHINE THAT IS ROCK-N-ROLL READY FOR ALES

PULSAR 2E I’ve flown some absolutely “killer” ALES (altitude-limited, electricsoaring machines) in the last year—some high-powered and some not so much so. Each one turns my wick! However, the Esprit Models Pulsar 2E is one glider any red-blooded, glider guider will want to fly. It truly has lots going for it in terms of ease of assembly, quality of construction, power, control and real thermal-soaring ability. This limited motor-run glider will be a contest winner in 2013.

N THE BOX a living-type Kevlar hinge, which is Let me start by saying that that used on all the control surfaces) Esprit Models did an outstanding and left and right wingtips. The wings job of shipping my new Pulsar are gorgeous. They are built utilizing 2E in a box that protected it well a carbon D-Box section, while the from any shipping damage. So, when I ribs are carbon-capped balsa. The opened the box each part and piece trailing edges are carbon. The rudder was in excellent condition. It was like has a built-up structure to keep it I walked across the street to take extremely lightweight, and it has two delivery from the factory. What you are going to get with a Pulsar 2E when you order one is a white, gel-coated fuselage pod, with its slip-on nose cone. There is a tapered carbon tailboom that fits the pod like a silk glove. The wing is in three pieces: center section (it Because the Pulsar 2E has a very long tail moment it is Note that I had the propeller bolts tightened just a bit has the flap factory very stable in thermal turns and when tracking across too much on the yoke. You want to make certain that it the sky to the next thermal. moves freely on the yoke so it will fold easily. installed by way of 88

RC SPORT FLYER — JUNE 2013

ESPRIT MODELS PULSAR 2E

With the propeller folded and the glider trimmed, the Pulsar 2E has a very flat glide, which makes it an excellent thermal searching machine, especially in lightair conditions.

The Hacker motor, in combination with the Thunder Power pack, makes plenty of power for the Pulsar 2E to go vertical if you want it to do so. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @RCSPORTFLYER

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servo boxes built in. The elevator is also built up, with a reinforced carbon center section. The rudder and the elevator use carbon-capped balsa ribs. The wings come covered in transparent Ultracote®, which is quite strong but also pretty lightweight. The hardware package includes servo covers, screws, fiberglass control horns and their pushrods.

NEEDED TO COMPLETE

• Motor Hacker B20 18L 4:1 • ESC Jeti Spin Pro 22 • Battery TP1800 3S battery • Propeller 11×8 carbon folder • Servos (4) HS-45HB, (1) HS-65HB servo (flap) • Spinner BB 30/3/8-mm folder • Connector Deans • Extension (2) 24-in., (2) 18-in. • Strap Velco propeller strap • Transmitter Jeti DC-16 • Receiver Jeti R6light 6-channel (w telemetry)

IN FLIGHT

You’ll want to hit the “gas” on this machine the minute you have its center of gravity set, but be certain to do a proper radio range check before doing so. Then just friggin cut loose! This 2-meter LMR glider is an absolute blast to fly. My test flight started by having a friend just give it an easy, straightforward throw off the top of a hill. In so doing, I wanted to test its glide and set the control trims, but without the motor running. I like my thermal soaring models sensitive on the controls, so I set the Pulsar 2E’s center of gravity at very nearly the aft position of 3.15 inches. For me this setting turned out to be almost perfect, although I’m probably going to move the battery back another 1/8-in. or so to give it that real thermal searching/indicating feel 90

RC SPORT FLYER — JUNE 2013

You’ll get all of this in a very durable shipping box when you order from Esprit Models. It will take you about 16 hours to complete the assembly.

ESPRIT MODELS PULSAR 2E

I BOUGHT EVERYTHING I NEEDED TO ASSEMBLE THE MODEL FROM ESPRIT, EXCEPT FOR THE HACKER MOTOR AND TP LIPO BATTERY PACK.

WHEN I ORDERED THE HACKER MOTOR I OPTED TO BUY THEIR HIGH-QUALITY, CARBON-FIBER PROPELLER TOO, WHICH GIVES MORE POWER TO THE MODEL.

THE JETI ADVANCE 18 PRO ESC COMES WITH A SWITCH AND A BUILT-IN BATTERY ELIMINATOR CIRCUIT, SO YOU WILL NOT NEED A SEPARATE Rx BATTERY.

THE NEW JETI DUPLEX R6 LIGHT RX IS A PERFECT PICK FOR RADIO CONTROL OF THE PULSAR BECAUSE I’M USING THE JETI DC-16 TRANSMITTER TOO.

After you’ve cut a slot in the control surface for the control horn you will glue the horn in position. Use CA sparingly! I used the recommended Hitec HS-65HB servo to drive the flap on the Pulsar 2E. It works very well!

You’ll want to use Hitec HS-45HB servos for the elevator and the rudder. You’ll glue them in place.

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in the air. Where I had the battery positioned I had to add a couple clicks of up trim to get the model flying level in glide. It needed no left or right control trim, which is to say the wings were built very straight. While the Pulsar sports only a 78.75-meter wingspan and an AG 25 airfoil it is is quite fast. I found it has surprisingly good penetration, although the glide does steepen when you push on the down elevator control. Its roll rate is exceptional for a rudder-and-elevator-controlled model. When you put it in a thermal turn and ease back on the elevator control to maintain its angle of attack, this machine is going to climb like a homesick angel—even in the relatively weak lift that I had on my test flight day I was able to climb the model up to at least 500 feet in little time. You are going to like how tight the Pulsar 2E will circle too, which means you are going to be able to exploit even small, low-level thermals. Finally, when you do hit the gas, this little glider is going to take off for the sky. It will climb straight up if you want it to, but the real fun is flying it at about a 45 degree angle and letting the wing push it to altitude in almost no time. I must have hit the throttle a dozen times and still had lots of capacity left in the model’s Thunder Power 1800mAh 3S 70C LiPo pack. I’d have to say the combination of Hacker motor, TP battery and Hacker carbon-fiber propeller is a marriage made in thermal land because it really delivers for this 2-meter, limited-motor-run glider. Landing the Pulsar 2E amounts to dropping the big flap and then driving it to the ground with rudder and elevator control. Please know that you’re going to need a flap-toelevator mix of about 20 percent down elevator to keep the model from pitching up when you drop the flap. When you have it set right you are going to enjoy watching this model slow down to a crawl. I would caution that it will stall when you slow it down too much. However, I found that the stall was straight forward, and that the model musses quite noticeably before a full stall happens. So, the model will give 92

RC SPORT FLYER — JUNE 2013

Notice the tight tolerances between the spinner and the fuselage. This makes for a clean, low-drag fit between spinner and fuselage.

The switch is glued to the side of the motor pod. A Deans connector is used for the battery-toESC connection and fits inside the pod during flight.

This drawing shows outboard servos but you can ignore them because they are not used on the 2-meter Pulsar 2E. Other than that, here is all the instruction you need to build this model.

ESPRIT MODELS PULSAR 2E

Here the Pulsar 2E is soaring with a jet liner at high altitude. Well, it is not really as high as the jet, but then it is fun to think that way.

In this case the glider really is soaring with a little falcon that came over to have a look at what my bird was doing.

You will discover that the Pulsar 2E has lots of power by way of the Hacker B20 18L 4:1 motor. So hit the â&#x20AC;&#x153;gasâ&#x20AC;? and have fun!

The control responses from this rudder-and-elevator-controlled model are excellent, so you can thermal it very easily. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @RCSPORTFLYER

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you a good warning before the stall happens. You just need to be paying attention to its airspeed and the lack of rudder response before it stalls.

OPINION

I could jump up and down and shout buy one!—but I won’t. This glider is an excellent pick if you want to get into doing ALES competition. It is also a good pick if you just want to enjoy thermal soaring as a casual “Saturday afternoon” pilot. It is, however, not an inexpensive machine. You’ll spend a couple of bucks on this glider. However, in my opinion you get what you pay for when you buy this glider. You will get a high-quality product that definitely delivers super soaring performance. What I like about this model is that you can put it in the family sedan for your outings to the local airfield. Once there and assembled, it is going to deliver real thermal-searching-and-soaring performance. In other words, you are going to like this model a lot. So, point your browser at espritmodel. com. Then click on the sailplane tab and select the F5J/ALES drop-down. The Pulsar 2E ARF will be on the second page. Buy one and come flying with me—Rock-N-Roll!

The transparent Ultracoate covering lets the light shine through, which makes it easy to see.

Specifications Wingspan

78.75 in.

Airfoil

AG 25

Wing area

496 in.2

Empty weight

13 oz

RTF weight

23 oz

Wing loading

6.5 oz/ft2

Length

43 in.

Controls

Elevator, Rudder, Flaps, Motor

Motor

Hacker B20 18L 4:1

ESC

Jeti Spin Pro 22

Battery

TP1800 3S battery

Propeller

11×8 carbon folder

Spinner

30 mm

Battery

TP 1800-mAh 3S 70C

Here I’m pulling the model’s nose up just before hitting the throttle for another climb to altitude.

Distributor Esprit Model 1240 Clearmont St NE, Unit 12 Palm Bay, FL 32905 Phone: 321-729-4287 Espritmodel.com

RC SPORT FLYER — JUNE 2013

This shows how the propeller should fold when the yoke is not too tight on the propeller.

ESPRIT MODELS PULSAR 2E

You can only do so much with Photoshop. The glider looks great no matter how old the pilot is.

This photo underscores what soaring is all about. It is artfully searching for lift and finding quiet joy!

ASSEMBLY This glider is not a beginner’s build project. However, it’s not a difficult assembly either. If you’ve never built a model such as this one, I recommend you enlist the help of a builder who has experience building this type of model because there a few minor tricks you’ll want to use to get it assembled properly. Let me go over the highlights of getting this model built right. First, the flap servo installs in a servo well in the wing. There is nothing difficult about its install. You’ll need to adjust the servo for maximum-control travel before you glue it in place. You must also cut a slot in the flap’s control surface for the fiberglass control horn to fit into. You do not want to oversize the slot! You must also form-shape the control horn to fit the leading edge of the flap. This is easy, but I recommend you do a quality install so that the model’s controls are slop free and deliver positive control responses. Once the flap servo is installed it gets covered by a carbon-fiber servo cover. I used packing tape that was cut to be approximately 1/4-in. wide. It works well. Note that the rudder and elevator servos get installed in the vertical fin of the Pulsar 2E in a similar fashion to that of the flap. The difference is, however, that you will glue them in position using the bottom of the servo mated to the fin ribs. This is easy. The trick here is that you’re going to need to cut the lead on the servo and rout it down through the fin. The servo leads will then be soldered to a servo extension that runs through the carbon-fiber tailboom. I used a four-wire, 22-gauge, stranded lead to run in the boom. In so doing the positive and negative leads of the servos share a common wire on the extension, with the signal wire using separate wires. At the receiver end of the extension, the male ends of the servo leads are soldered to the extension, with plus and negative leads being broken out again. Note that you must center the servos before you glue them into the fin. You’ll also want to use the lightweight servo arms as per the photos in this article. Again, you must cut slots in the control surfaces to receive the control horns. Also, I only used Z-bends on the pushrods. You’ll want to measure twice (or three times) FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @RCSPORTFLYER

before bending. If you bend these properly you will need little if any control trim to have the controls centered properly. Once the horizontal stabilizer is mounted to the tailboom (two screws) you’ll glue the boom to the fuselage’s pod. You will want to mount the wing’s center section to the pod and align the horizontal stabilizer to the wing such that they are absolutely parallel to one another. If you get this wrong the model will not turn linearly both left and right, so do this right. I recommend you use 30-minute epoxy to glue the boom to the pod. It will give you plenty of working time to get the wing/ stabilizer alignment set right. Installing the motor is possibly the most difficult part of the build. However, if you mount the motor to its mount and then use the spinner to align the motor to the fuselage, the install is not that difficult. Again, I recommend using 30-minute epoxy to glue the motor mount to the fuselage. To complete the assembly you’ll need to solder the ESC leads to the motor and a Deans connector to the ESC and one on the Thunder Power 1800-mAh 3S 70C pack. A 70C is probably not necessary, but I think it will give you the most motor run time and the greatest number of charge/discharge cycles—spend the extra money. Finally, I glued the on/off switch to the opening in the nose cone. To power the ESC, I slid the battery in from the back, fed the Deans connector up through the opening in the nosecone, connected it to the ESC, and then slid it back into the nosecone. You’ll slide the nosecone back onto the pod far enough to connect the ESC’s lead to the receiver. Then you will turn on the switch to make the motor live. Be absolutely certain that the transmitter and receiver are on before you turn on the ESC motor switch. Center of Gravity 2.75–3.15 in. back of the lead edge at wing root.

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