RC Sport Flyer Jan 2014 (Vol 19-01)

RC Airplanes | Gliders | Helicopters

WHO, WHAT, WHERE MONSTER PLANES 2013

J-3 CUB 450

FLY A CLASSIC WIN $10,000

WITH THE DRONE SOCIAL IMPACT AWARD RC-SF.COM

• Do Pro-Looking Trim Colors • Build Cockpit Door Latches • Swordfish Biplane Bomb

JANUARY 2014

USA & CANADA $6.49

HOW TO

Aerial video

The Blade® 180 QX HD quadcopter is the ideal aerial video platform for anyone looking to capture aerial video with ease. Thanks to the inclusion of SAFE™ technology, nearly anyone can operate this dynamic quadcopter with minimal effort regardless of their skill level. With SAFE technology active, the 180 QX HD operates with advanced stability in three dynamic flight modes, each of which influences the quadcopter’s ability to capture steady HD video on the fly. The included EFC™-720 camera can switch between image and video capture with the push of a button. Best of all, a 2GB Micro SD storage solution and transfer cables are included, so you don’t need any additional equipment to start capturing aerial video. Just another way Horizon Hobby is making aerial video capture attainable to anyone.

ENGINEERED WITH

Stability Mode - Limited flight envelope with high and low angle self-leveling

Agility Mode - Full flight envelope for aerobatic maneuvers

HD Camera Included - Software enhanced 720p resolution video capture capability

Video Recording and Image capture 2GB Micro SD card included for storing flight videos and still images

facebook.com/bladehelis

©2013 Horizon Hobby, Inc. Blade, SAFE, the SAFE logo, EFC, Serious Fun and the Horizon Hobby logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Horizon Hobby, Inc. All other trademarks, service marks and logos are property of their respective owners. Patents Pending. Actual product may vary slightly from photos shown. 43397

f u n o n t h e f l y.

EFC-720 camera The EFC-720 camera (EFLA800) is included with both BNF and RTF versions of the 180 QX quadcopter.

This small camera comes with a 2GB micro SD card as well as transfer and charging cables and can be used with additional Horizon Hobby products.

see it in action at BladeQuad.com

VISIT

Your Local Retailer

CLICK

horizonhobby.com

CALL

1.800.338.4639

SERIOUS FUN ®

Best plane parts support

All spare parts are available On-line

Almost-Ready to Fly

The 1/4 scale Hall Cherokee ARF was based on the 1/4 scale plan from David Smith that was published in Quiet Flyer magazine. The all wood construction of the model captured the original essence of the home built glider designed by Stan Hall, with structure almost identical to the full size glider.

G336

1/4 Scale Wing Span Wing Area Flying Weight Fuselage Length Requires: 5-channel

Hall Cherokee II

130.7 in / 3320 mm 1190 sq in / 76.8 sq dm 8.3 Ibs / 3780 g 64.5 in / 1637 mm radio w/ 7 Standard servos.

$499. 99

- A l l w o o d s t r u c t u r e c o v e r e d w i t h To u g h L o n c o v e r i n g .

- Servo operated tow hook provided.

$49. 99

- Wi n g b a g i n c l u d e d f o r c a r r y a r o u n d p r o t e c t i o n .

- Optional fiber glass scratch guard available.

Free scratch guard for the first 30 customer order, while supply last.

H urting your fingers and almost break the fuselage when unplugging the connectors? EZ Connector Puller battery compartment for small models. Works with World Models 2-pin and 3-pin 40A EZ connectors.

PL8210030 KP0011213 KP0011312 KP0011214 KP0011313 KP0011210 KP0011310 KP00

EZ Connector Puller 2-pin EZ Connector (3 pairs) with Puller 3-pin EZ Connector (2 pairs) with Puller 2-pin EZ Connector (4 pairs) 3-pin EZ Connector (3 pairs) 2-pin EZ Connector 3-pin EZ Connector

$3.50 $7.99 $7.99 $7.99 $7.99 $2.99 $3.99

All products specifications and prices are subject to change without notice.

can easily unplug connectors in tight

3-pin EZ Connector (2 pairs) with Puller

2-pin EZ Connector (3 pairs) with Puller

Jeti a ESPRIT s u l e d mo

www.ESPRITMODEL.com

(1) 321-729-4287

www.JetiUSA.com

TABLE OF CONTENTS Pitch Angle or Angle of Incidence

DEPARTMENTS

10 LEADING EDGE 14 HOT PRODUCTS

Tip Path Plane Angle of Attack

Relative Wind

96 ADVERTISERS’ INDEX 97 MYSTERY AIRPLANE EVENT

26

MONSTER PLANES 2013 WE TAKE YOU INSIDE THIS EVENT TO SEE THE ACTION AND BIG, MONSTERSIZE AIRPLANES.

By Bess Byers

Pitch Attitude

LEARN ABOUT TIP PATH PLANE AND RELATIVE WIND WITH RESPECT TO HELICOPTER DESIGN AND ENGINEERING.

PG 72 BUILD

36

FAIREY SWORDFISH LEARN HOW EASY IT IS TO FABRICATE A WORKING TOPEDO FOR YOUR NEXT FLOAT AIRPLANE.

By Bob Zychal

40

ADDING TRIM COLORS

46

OUR MODEL BUILDING PRO SHOWS YOU HOW TO ADD COLOR TO MAKE ANY MODEL TRULY YOURS.

By Jeff Troy

BUILD A DOOR LATCH THIS STEP-BY-STEP REPORT EXPLAINS HOW TO ADD A WORKING DOOR LOCK TO YOUR MODEL’S COCKPIT.

By Rob Caso

HOW TO

PG 26

52

GET COMPLETE CONTROL OF AN AIRPLANE ON THE RUNWAY WITH A SET OF BRAKES.

By Tom Wolf

The “Flip-Out“

PG 56

6

RC SPORT FLYER . JANUARY 2014

BRAKE CONTROL

56

AEROBATICS PART 10 THIS MONTH DANIEL EXPLAINS HOW TO DO THE FLIP-OUT AND KNIFE-WALL MANEUVERS.

By Daniel Holman

JANUARY 2014

COLUMN

62

E-POWER

66

BUILD A DRONE AND WIN!

WHEN CURRENT FLOWS IN ELECTRIC MOTOR SYSTEMS THEY GENERATE HEAT. LEARN HOW AND WHY THEY DO.

By Andrew Gibbs

READ THIS ARTICLE TO DISCOVER HOW YOU MAY BE ABLE TO WIN $10,000 DESIGNING AND BUILDING A DRONE.

By Lucidity

DISCOVER HOW YOU COULD WIN $10,000 DESIGNING AND BUILDING A DDRONE..

72

HELICOPTERS 101, PART 2 DAVE EXPLAINS TO YOU THAT A HELICOPTER IS REALLY A BUNCH OF PARTS WORKING IN TIGHT FORMATION.

By Dave Phelps

PG 66 88

PG 80

E-FLITE J-3 CUB 450 TAKE A HOP AROUND THE PATCH IN OUR REVIEW TO SEE WHY THIS J-3 IS SPECIAL.

By Dan Deckert

PG 88 REVIEW

80

AEROWORKS GT TRAINER INSIDE AND OUT, THIS NEW MODEL IS MUCH MORE THAN A TRAINER, AS WE DETAIL HERE.

By Richard Kuns RC-SF.COM

7

RC SPORT FLYER MAGAZINE

RC Airplanes | Gliders | Helicopters

P80 1/4-SCALE SUPER CUB GETS E-POWER

CUBS N’ COUSINS 2013 EXCLUSIVE EVENT REPORT H HANGAR 9 1/4-SCALE SUPER CUB H FIRST PERSON VIEW EXPLAINED

THE RC AIRCRAFT PILOTS AND BUILDERS MAGAZINE

Exclusive Event Report Cubs n’ Cousins 2013

Airborne Models’ 1/3-scale Clipped Wing Cub hovers on power from a DA-100 engine

PUTS YOU

IN THE ACTION TESTED

NOVEMBER 2013 VOLUME 18 ISSUE 11

O.S. GF40 4-Stroke Gas Engine NEW JR XG14 Transmitter Moswey Glider

USA & CANADA $6.49

A 26-CC POWERED TAYLORCRAFT

That is Bind-N-Fly Fun!

RC-SF.COM NOVERMBER 2013

SUBSCRIBE@RC-SF.COM for

ONLY 29.95 $

EDITOR IN CHIEF Wil Byers wil@rc-sf.com ASSISTANT EDITORS Caroline Minard Bess Byers Lucy Teng Asa Clinton PRODUCTION Zhe Meng mengzhe@kionapublishing.com PHOTOGRAPHY Wil Byers Bess Byers GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Zhe Meng Bess Byers Shi Yuang graphics@rc-sf.com WEBMASTER CONTACT Chang Liang web@kionapublishing.com OFFICE MANAGER/ Sue Wharton CIRCULATION support@kionapublishing.com OFFICE ASSISTANT Sue Wharton CIRCULATION Christian Wells MARKETING Wil Byers Sue Wharton ads@rc-sf.com CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Rob Caso, Gene Cope, Andrew Gibbs, Daniel Holman, Mike Hoffmeister, Richard Kuns, Joe Nave, David Phelps, Steve Rojecki, Gary Ritchie, Mike Shellim, Patrick Sherman, Jerry Smith, Jeff Troy, James VanWinkle, Tom Wolfe 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

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HOBBY SHOP DISTRIBUTION BY

Kalmbach Publishing Co. (800) 558-1544 ext. 818 Subscriptions: USA and possessions and Canada: $29.95 per year, $49.95 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.

MEDIA USE:

FOR PRESENTATION PROJECTIONS, FLAT SCREEN MONITORS, CRT MONITORS USE

a. HEXACHROME #09195B or b. R = 9 G = 25 B = 91

FOR PRINT (Lithography, Screen printing), USE

a. PMS 294 Uncoated b. C = 95 M = 65 Y = 17 K=5

or

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.

Copyright ©2013 All rights reserved.

Printed in the USA

8

RC SPORT FLYER . JANUARY 2014

FREE

HPP-22 &

RX OFFER!

With dual processors providing industry-leading, ultra-smooth 4096 resolution, lightning-fast low latency and 7ms frame rate, the Aurora 9X delivers response, precision and accuracy beyond compare. Fine-tune control like never before with the extended versatility provided by 30 additional programming enhancements. The Aurora 9X is also the first triple protocol radio, allowing you to select from our Generation 1 and 2 AFHSS or the industry-standard Secure Link Technology - it’s precisely what you need. Buy an Aurora 9X between Oct. 1st - Dec. 31st, 2013 and receive a FREE HPP-22 and Optima 7 Receiver.

Hitec RCD USA, Inc.

12115 Paine Street • Poway, CA 92064 (858) 748-6948 • www.hitecrcd.com

LEADING EDGE

WIL BYERS

J

effery P Bezos, we were one step ahead of you. No, we were a number of years in front of you!

We’re modelers, dude. Think of it this way Jeff, we gave you something to scratch your head about, and then to get way, way stoked about. To the extent that you’re now going to drop some serious pocket change.

I don’t know about you guys, but I think it is pretty darn cool that a guy with pockets as deep as Jeff Bezos is wanting to copy what some of us modelers—in this exceedingly cool hobby—designed, engineered and then built. Ponder this: Forbes Magazine has Jeff’s net worth estimated at $27.2 billion—that is with a Large Capital B. Jeff is from Seattle, Washington, where there’s a Starbucks® coffee shop on every corner—and it is my hometown too, where intelligence and attractiveness are part of the genetic code. He is a super smart guy who reinvented book publishing and distribution. He has built a true empire for himself and for his very forward thinking company. Then too, Jeff Bezos is ranked by Forbes as the 15th most powerful man in the world. No matter, he is copying what some us of do. I, therefore, find it stellar that Jeff and Amazon® are doing it as a way to save money on package delivery, as well as no doubt to make more money for Amazon®. We’re doing it, however, for entertainment and fun. Nevertheless, modelers seriously blazed the path forward for others to follow!

So it is, if you look at our legacy as modelers, that we’ve been pretty innovative with our models from land to water to space, and now to these multi-rotor delivery systems “soon” flying from distribution centers to homes. How cool is that?

Our cover this month underscores that drones are having a real impact all over the world in many different ways—and, not just for military purposes either.

Significantly, some drones are now being designed, engineered, built and flown as a way to have a positive social impact on communities everywhere. Consequently,

this magazine and its staff are beyond proud to be able publish a cover cutline that reads, “WIN $10,000 WITH THE DRONE SOCIAL IMPACT AWARD.” How cool is that? It’s very cool!

I’d absolutely suggest you read Lucidity’s article. Do it even if you have a bias against multi-rotor machines. I say this because I know for certain there was a contingent in this hobby many years ago that had a bias against modelers flying remote controlled (RC) airplanes. That said, the world didn’t stop turning on its axis because RC happened.

Rather, RC airplanes and their builder and pilots contributed significantly to sport, general and commercial aviation by way of education, engineering, design and on and on! I think the same will be said for multi-rotor aircraft as the technology advances.

2014 Events I woke up this morning to below freezing temperatures and snow on the ground. Just to make myself feel upbeat, I started thinking about upcoming 2014 events. As always, I want to tell you to check out the Academy of Model Aeronautics contest calendar and start planning for 2014. I can’t emphasize it enough when I say that attending model aviation events is much fun. Attending them will help you educate yourself about airplanes, hardware, software, building techniques, etc. You’ll meet a lot of great people and pilots too, which is probably the most important reason to attend.

Then too, I want to unabashedly promote two of the local events that will be happening in the Northwest in 2014. They are Cubs N’ Cousins in Othello, Washington, and the Washington Warbirds event in Richland, Washington. For more information go to rc-cubsncousins. com and rc-warbirdflyer.com I’ll end by telling you I mostly have my head in the clouds—some would say in a fog. At any rate, I’ve been a Mac computer person since 1985. I started using the ‘cloud’ for communication as soon as it was introduced.

Consequently, if you too are ‘in the cloud’ you can add me to your chat buddies by using my Apple ID address wilbyers@icloud.com.

Lastly, I’m wishing you a wonderful holiday season, with lots of toys (I mean model aircraft) under the Christmas tree...

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RC SPORT FLYER . JANUARY 2014

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Small-Block Gas Revolution

33cc 20cc

10cc

15cc

THE EVOLUTION GaS ENGiNE aDvaNTaGE ®

The 10GX, 15GX and 20GX engines feature a specially engineered fuel regulation system while the 33GX uses a custom Walbro carburetor.

Lightweight ignition provides superior reliability and long run times on a 2S Li-Po battery without a regulator.

Since the release of the Evolution 10GX small-block engine countless modelers have discovered the benefits 10cc gas power offers in aircraft formerly dominated by .40-size glow power. Now there are equally phenomenal gas engine choices for airplane fans requiring an engine in the .61–1.80-class. Purpose built for RC, the new 15GX, 20GX and 33GX engines are designed to meet the demands that matter most – performance and reliability. But the advantages don’t stop there.

• Great power and performance for demanding RC pilots • Dramatically reduces fuel cost to pennies per flight • Broader torque curve allows a wider range of propeller choices • Standard beam mount makes installation effortless • Every engine includes a muffler and the primary accessories required to make your installation successful Evolution is revolutionizing the way RC modelers are enjoying engine powered models.

To learn more, go to EvolutionEngines.com

VISIT

Your Local Retailer

CLICK

horizonhobby.com

CALL

1.800.338.4639

©2013 Horizon Hobby, Inc. Evolution, the Evolution logo and the Horizon Hobby logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Horizon Hobby, Inc. Walbro is a registered trademark of Walbro Engine Management, LLC. 41264

SERIOUS FUN.™

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

HOT PRODUCTS Specifications

AEROWORKS TRAINER GT QUICK BUILD ARF

Wingspan Wing area Length Cowl width Spinner Weight Engine Radio

N

ew from AeroWorks comes the 20- to 30-cc Trainer GT. It is designed for gas-powered engines, and for the firsttime pilot wanting to learn to fly. It is also pointed at pilots that want a larger and more versatile sport airplane that can be used as a trainer, but one suitable for sport and fun-fly flying. This new trainer is also for the seasoned pilot who wants something different to fly. Now, too, you can take your son or daughter to the RC airfield and let them fly RC with you. Add the drop module and the Trainer GT is perfect for bombing candy at your club’s next event.

Features • Strong, lightweight construction • Two-piece wing • Semi-symmetrical wing airfoil • Aluminum wing tube • Large, beveled control surfaces for maximum throws • Pre-hinged surfaces w/ pin hinges • One servo per wing • Ultracote® covered /w extra • Reinforced landing gear mounting area • Painted and pre-mounted 7075 aluminum landing gear • High quality SAE hardware package • Adjustable pushrods w/ centering nut • Pull-pull hardware • 4-40 ball Links • Pre-mounted fiberglass cowl w/ templates • Quick-release top hatch • Pre installed and fuel-proof firewall • Laser-cut engine mounting templates • Designed for DLE-20 and DLE-30 engines • Custom choke bracket and linkage for DLE-20 • Pre assembled gas fuel tank • CG Buddy included • Decal set • 8 to 10 hours assembly • Detailed instructions on CD Optional Accessories • Wheel pants • Candy drop Price $449.95

RC SPORT FLYER . JANUARY 2014

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

T

he new Great Planes Escapade MX is designed to combine classic sport engineering with the pilot features you’ve come to expect from Great Planes. It builds fast, and it flies even faster. It uses commonplace components, and its bright trim scheme is as eye-catching as it is unique. You can even choose between the option of glow or electric power. It is an airplane that let’s you have a sport airplane that’s a break from the common place.

Features • Fast, easy glue-free assembly • Choose glow or electric power • Two-piece wing simplifies assembly and transport #GPMA1202 $139.99

AeroWorks 4903 Nome Street Denver, CO 80239 Phone: 303-371-4222 aero-works.net

Distributor

GREAT PLANES ESCAPADE

Price

14

Distributor

88 in.

1320 in.2 74 in. overall 6.25 in.

3 in.

11 to 13 lb 20- to 30-cc 6-channel min

Specifications Wingspan Wing area Weight Wing loading Length Engine Motor ESC Battery Radio Servos

52 in. (1,320 mm) 449 in. (29 dm.)

5 – 5.5 lb (2270 – 2490 g) 26 – 28 oz/ft2 (79 - 85 g/dm2) 45 in. (1145 mm) 2-stroke .46 – .55 42-60-480 Kv outrunner 60 amp 14.8-volt 3350-mAh LiPo 4-channel 4–5

AIRBORNE MODELS 1/4-SCALE HALL CHEROKEE II

A

Specifications Wingspan Wing area RTF Weight Length Radio

130.7 in. (3320 mm) 1190 in.2 (76.8 sq dm2) 8.3 Ib (3780 g) 64.5 in. (1637 mm) 5-channel w/ 7 standard servos

Distributor Airborne Models 4749-K Bennett Dr Livermore, CA 94551 Phone: 925-371-0922 airborne-models.com

irborne Model’s all new 1/4-scale Hall Cherokee ARF is based on Dave Smith’s plan that was published in Quiet Flyer magazine (prior to RC Sport Flyer). The model’s wood construction captures the nostalgia of the original full-scale glider, which was a home-built glider designed

by Stan Hall. The model replicates the structure of the full-scale glider almost identically.

This model is the perfect fit for any pilot that is hungering for a chance to participate in aero-towing. However, it is at home thermal soaring or even slope soaring in light wind conditions. The model’s light wing loading makes it easy to soar, even in weak thermal lift conditions.

Airborne Models has priced this glider for nearly any glider pilot’s budget at only $499.99, plus standard size servos.

Watch for an in-depth report on the Hall Cherokee II in an upcoming issue of this magazine.

Features • High-quality wood structure • ToughLon™ covering material • Two-piece wing • Aluminum Joiner • Bolt-on horizontal stabilizer • Finished canopy • Quick servos installations • Servo-operated tow release installed • Wing bag included • Optional fiberglass scratch guard Price $499.99

ESTES PROTO X

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

T

ake a look at the new Proto X from Estes, the brand name you know and trust.

The Estes Proto X is super-small, it’s also one of the world’s lightest quadcopters. The Proto X is tiny, ideal for indoor flying—and it weighs less than one half ounce. Bright, built-in LEDs make it easy to see the Proto X in low-light conditions. A 2.4-GHz radio not only allows for interference free flight, but it makes it easy for multiple Proto X helis to fly at once in the same environment. A 3.7-volt 100-mAh LiPo battery, USB charge cord and spare rotor blades are included in this Estes ready-to-fly package. All you need to add are two AAA type batteries and you’ll be set and ready to start flying.

Price

#ESTE4606 $39.99 RC-SF.COM

15

HOT PRODUCTS

ESPRIT STREGA 2.9E COMPETITION

Distributor

E

sprit is offering the new RcRCM Strega 2.9E Competition as a compact, precision, all composite, hollow-molded sailplane. This new sailplane is designed and built to be extremely lightweight, with superb strength for competition performance.

With its clean, efficient design it is sure to satisfy the most demanding pilots. RcRCM Strega 2.9E is factory built and ready to fly. Its two-piece, hollow-molded, carbon fiber reinforced wing incorporates just a slight amount of dihedral, and has beautifully curved leading edges. The servo pockets are reinforced with carbon fiber and come finished. All control surfaces are live hinged, with wipers. The model uses an incredibly strong, square, carbon fiber wing joiner. The gel-coated, fiberglass and carbon fiber reinforced fuselage is 2.4-GHz friendly. The fuselage has for Esprit’s electric motor system and up to 5S battery. The V-tail’s control horns and pushrods come factory-installed. The glider has been prepainted in the molds, for flawless external finishes.

Versions • Fiberglass, w/ carbon fiber reinforcements.

• Carbon cloth wings w/ carbon reinforced fuselage

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

Specifications 113.75 in.

58.5 in. ≈110 oz Hyperion GS3032-8 Thunder Power 4S 3300-mAh Channels 6–7

Wingspan Length Weight Motor Battery

Price $795–$945

HELI-MAX 1SI QUADCOPTER

Q

uadcopter flying is easier and more fun than ever when you are piloting the 1Si. Heli-Max’s TAGS-FX system eliminates control drift and compensate for wind speed and direction. Plus, Actual Direction Control keeps flight direction the same as stick movement regardless of orientation. Expert pilots can choose to deactivate this system and fly it unassisted. There’s also a Return to Pilot button that automatically makes the helicopter fly back to the transmitter. It also has an optional digital camera you can trigger from the transmitter for amazing aerial still images or for taking video.

Features • Incredibly stable, so it is perfect for new pilots.

• Return-to-Pilot by just pressing a transmitter button to immediately recover your helicopter.

• Intelligent Control Modes are easy to activate for simplified flight or deactivate for greater challenges.

• Integrated LEDs make flying in low-light conditions easier.

• Tx465 4-channel 2.4-GHz SLT radio has simple buttons for all functions.

• Include 1S 350-mAh LiPo battery • USB charger • Extra rotor blades and propeller guards.

Specifications

Price

HMXE0830 w/o cam $99.99 HMXE0832 w/ cam $139.99

16

RC SPORT FLYER . JANUARY 2014

Diagonal 4.8 in. (123 mm) Rotor Diameter 2.2 in. (56 mm)

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

AEROWORKS CANDY-DROP MODULE

T Specifications Length Width Height Weight

11.5 in.

6 in.

3.25 in.

6.5 oz

he Aeroworks candy-drop module is the perfect solution for pilots looking to add this feature to their model airplane. With its large storage comportment and big doors, the drop module suites a wide range of payload options.

Designed to use a single high torque servo to open and close its doors, the payload is always dropped accurately and reliable. Paired with the new Aeroworks GT Trainer, this new module is the perfect for payloads up to two pounds. It is sure to make your model popular at your RC airfield’s next fun fly or AMA sanctioned event.

Features • Strong, lightweight plywood • Installs on flat-bottom fuselage • Ultracote™ covering • Bomb bay type doors • Only needs servo • Mounting hardware • Internal door mechanism Price $24.95

Distributor AeroWorks 4903 Nome Street Denver, CO 80239 Phone: 303-371-4222 aero-works.net

SIG KADET SENIOR SPORT EG

T

Specifications

Distributor SIG Mfg. Co., Inc. 401 South Front Street Montezuma, IA 50171-0520 Phone: 641-623-5154 sigmfg.com

78 in. (1980 mm) 1148 in.2 (74.1 dm2) 65 in. (1651 mm) 8 – 8.5 lb (2720 - 2950 g) 12.0 – 13.0 oz./sq.ft. (36-39 g/dm2) 4-channel w/ 5 standard servos .40 – .53 cu in. (6.5 – 8.7 cc) 2-stroke .50 – .61 cu in. (8.1 – 10 cc) 4-stroke Electric Power Brushless outrunner (600 – 1100 w, 500 –800 Kv, 42 – 50-mm case) ESC 60 – 75 amp Battery 4 – 6S, 4000 – 5000-mAh Lipo Wingspan Wing area Length Weight Wing loading Radio Glow power

he legendary SIG Kadet Senior is one of the most versatile RC model airplanes. Originally intended for training, its light wing loading, inherent stability and slow flight speed make it the near perfect student pilot airplane because they get the time to think, react and learn. Over the years the Kadet Senior has also proven to be a multi-purpose workhorse: float flying, banner or glider towing, airborne camera platform, parachute drop airplane, night flying with addon lights and just about any other load carrying task is easy for the giant Kadet Senior. The huge two-piece wing provides massive lifting ability, even when flown using .40- to .46-size engines, or equivalent electric motor power.

This latest rendition of the venerable Kadet Senior has been “sportized” with a tail dragger landing gear and wheel pants. It is perfect for RC pilots of any skill level who want relaxed flying sessions—just doing leisurely touch-n-go landings at walking speeds on that dreamed about beautiful, calm summer evening. The Kadet Senior Sport ARF features traditional, wood construction and has the kind of beauty and performance only balsa models offer!

RC-SF.COM

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HOT PRODUCTS

ESPRIT PREDATOR PIII 2.96E

R

cRCM’s Predator PIII 2.96E Competition is part of a new generation of composite, hollowmolded sailplanes. This new sailplane is extremely lightweight, yet super strong for competition performance.

RcRCM Predator PIII 2.96E is built on a two-piece, hollow-molded, carbon fiber reinforced wing that has a bit of dihedral and beautifully curved leading edges. Its gel-coated, fiberglass-carbon reinforced fuselage is 2.4-GHz friendly, with enough room for a 5S battery, motor and speed controller. The V-tail control horns and pushrods come preinstalled. The glider comes pre-painted (done in the molds), with a flawless finish. All control surfaces employ live hinges and wipers, which means minimum drag in all flight regimes.

Price $795–$895

Specifications

ICARE 1/3.5-SCALE SB-14

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

Specifications Wingspan Length Weight Motor Propeller Battery Spinner Channels

Versions • Fiberglass, w/ carbon fiber reinforcements • Carbon cloth wings w/ carbon reinforced fuselage

Scale Wingspan Length Weight Wing Area Wing Loading Airfoil Radio

Distributor

116.5 in.

58.5 in. ≈96 oz Hyperion Gs3032-8 16x8 Thunder Power 4S 3300-mAh 38 mm 6–7

1/3.5 202.3 in. (5.14 m) 83 in. (2.1 m) 230 oz (6.5 kg) 1371 in.2 (88.5 dm2) 24 oz/ft2 (73 g/dm2) GS1 (11-10-9-9%) 6-channel

I

CARE has just announced their new high performance scale sailplane, the SB-14.

This gorgeous sailplane is all-molded and ideally suited for thermal soaring as well as GPS cross-country flying.

It sports a wingspan of 5.14 meters and has been designed for scale aerotowing.

This new offering has a wide speed range, nice energy retention and gentle control handling. It is built using the latest in F3J/F3B molding technologies, including being mastered in CNC machine molds. The SB-14 is a very strong, yet has a lightweight airframe. It features a massive, square, carbon fiber wing joiner that floats in the fuselage. The wing’s control surfaces employ RDS linkages, which makes the model’s wing very clean and efficient.

This model promises to be the ultimate in scale soaring for its size.

Features • CNC mold tooling • High quality molded, composite construction • Finished fuselage, w/ retract installed • Two-piece wing • RDS linkages • Six-servo control (flaps, camber, ailerons) • Huge, square, carbon fiber, floating wing joiner • Canopy fitted w/ lock Price TBD

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RC SPORT FLYER . JANUARY 2014

Distributor ICARE 890 ch. D’Anjou, Unit 1 Boucherville, QC, J4B 5E4 Phone: 450-449-9094 icare-rc.com

HITEC WEEKENDER WARBIRDS

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et ready for big fun with the new Weekender Warbirds from Hitec. These great little warbirds feature assembled airframes, with pre-installed servos, powerful brushless motors and efficient speed controls. They include: the P-51D Mustang, the F4U Corsair and the Hawker Hurricane Mk IIB. This Weekender line is the ultimate in Plug-In-To-Go flying action and excitement.

Each Weekender model is made of durable foam. The each have a realistic WWII military paint scheme and full-house, four-channel control with ailerons, elevator, rudder and throttle. These aren’t just airplanes, these are full-on Warbirds. Check them out at Hitec today.

F4U Corsair Specifications Wingspan Weight Length Motor ESC

29.5 in.

14.8 oz 24 in.

WBL-1300 WBE-12A

Price $119.99

P-51D Mustang Specifications Wingspan Weight Length Motor ESC

29.5 in.

15 oz 25.5 in.

WBL-1200 WBE-12A

Hawker Hurricane MKIIB Specifications Wingspan Weight Length Motor ESC

29.5 in.

14.9 oz.

24.5 in.

WBL-1300 WBE-12A

Distributor Hitec RCD 12115 Paine Street Poway, CA 92064 Phone: 858-748-6948 ext. 317 hitecrcd.com

COMMON SENSE RC LECTRON PRO Specifications

Distributor Common Sense RC PO Box 3546 Chatsworth, CA 91313 Phone: 818-718-1893 commonsenserc.com

Voltage Capacity Rating Connector Dimensions Weight

11.1 volt 2700 mAh 35C XT60 100 x 35 x 26mm 6.7 oz (190 g)

G

et more runtime for your DJI Phantom, with Common Sense RC’s new three-cell 2700-mAh 35C LiPo battery. It is the same size as a typical 2200-mAh LiPo, but it provides you with nearly 25 percent more flight time. It includes an XT60 connector, and is promoted as the perfect size, shape and weight for the DJI Phantom quadcopter. Common Sense says it is rated and has been tested at 94.5 amps continuous discharge, without any degradation in performance.

Price $36.95 RC-SF.COM

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HOT PRODUCTS Specifications

HELI-MAX AXE 100 CX

H

eli-Max just introduced the Axe 100 CX, a compact electric-powered helicopter that’s everything a first-time flier needs: sturdy, inexpensive, readyto-fly and engineered for stable, confidence-boosting flight.

Even absolute beginners can succeed with the Axe 100 CX. It features a coaxial rotor head with counter-rotating blades—a design that eliminates the natural tendency that helicopters have to spin. The Axe 100 CX also resists damage!

Impressive crash resistance comes to an inexperienced pilot’s rescue in the event of an unexpected crash.

The RTF version includes a 4-channel, 2.4-GHz SLT radio with dual rates. New pilots can use the Beginner mode to reduce control sensitivity, making the model easier to fly. As their skills grow, they can switch to Expert mode and enjoy greater maneuverability.

The Axe 100 CX is ready for indoor action any time of day, any time of year.

Rotor Diameter Length Weight Tx-R Requires

7.4 in. (190 mm) 9.0 in. (230 mm) 1.1 oz (33 g) 4-channel 2.4-GHz SLT Tx

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

Features • Assembled—charge the battery and its ready to fly.

• Coaxial rotor head design provides maximum flight stability.

• Durable, crash-resistant construction increases pilot confidence.

• On-board electronics and SLT-compatible receiver are installed.

• Attractive, full fuselage has a high-visibility trim scheme.

• Compact size is perfect for flying indoors.

• Includes an easy-to-install LiPo flight battery and USBcompatible LiPo charger.

• Available in ready-to-fly (RTF) and Transmitter-Ready (Tx-R) • versions.

Price

HMXE0818 RTF $74.99 HMXE0819 Tx-R $59.99

ESPRIT TOMCAT 2.5E

T

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

Wingspan Length Weight Motor Propeller Battery Channels

98 in.

51.5 in. ≈80 oz MVVS 4.6/480 14x8 Thunder Power 3S 2700-mAh 6–7

he RcRCM Tomcat 2.5E is a new generation compact, composite, hollow-molded sailplane. This sailplane is designed and built to be extremely lightweight, yet super strong for the demands of competition.

The Tomcat 2.5E comes factory built and ready to fly. The twopiece, hollow molded, carbon fiber reinforced wing is incredibly strong, and uses a square carbon fiber joiner. All control surfaces use living hinges and the servos’ wing pockets are pre-finished.

The wings and stabilizers are removable. The fuselage is gelcoated fiberglass with carbon reinforcing. Its fuselage is 2.4-GHz friendly, with room for a motor system and 4S battery. The canopy provides plenty of room for easy radio installation and battery access. The elevator’s bellcrank and pushrod are factory installed.

The glider comes pre-painted, with a flawless finish.

Versions • Fiberglass, w/ carbon fiber reinforcements • Carbon cloth wings w/ carbon reinforced fuselage Price $595–$795

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RC SPORT FLYER . JANUARY 2014

Distributor

HITEC BATTERY BUZZER

H

itec has just introduced their new Battery Buzzer. It is a compact, convenient, low battery voltage alarm. No longer will you wonder about your model’s flight pack condition. The Hitec Battery Buzzer warns you when the pack is getting close to the end of its charge, and will then annunciate that it is time to land your model.

With a programmable voltage threshold, you decide how much advance warning you want from the Battery Buzzer. Not only does it protect your model from unexpected off-field landings, the Battery Buzzer also protects your battery from being damaged from a deep discharge, which maximizes your investment in LiPos. Because it is inexpensive and lightweight, the Hitec Battery Buzzer is a must-have accessory for all your electric-powered models.

Hitec RCD 12115 Paine Street Poway, CA 92064 Phone: 858-748-6948 ext. 317 hitecrcd.com

Features • High-pitch warning sound • Input voltage: 7.4 – 16.8 volts • Battery type: 2 – 4S LiPo • LED status indicator • Voltage select: 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5 volts ±0.05V • Net weight: 11g • Dimension: 1.97 x 1.10 x .49 in.

Price $9.99

NINE EAGLE SOLO PRO 290 LAMA ELECTRICS

R

C pilots of all skill levels will find flying the Solo Pro 290 Lama to be an enjoyable model to fly. The Solo Pro 290 Lama helicopters have all the perks aspiring pilots want in an electric-powered machine: a collective-pitch main rotor, brushless motor, shaft-drive tail rotor and more. The gyro, ESC, mixer and receiver are combined into one efficient unit. Modelers also have the choice of going for convenience with the RTF, with a 6-channel SLT radio, or the TR version that allows pilots to fly the Solo Pro 290 Lama with their transmitter.

Features • Realistic appearance • Collective-pitch 3-rotor blade system • 4-in-1 control unit w/ 3-axis gyro, 20-amp ESC, mixer and receiver • Brushless motor • 8- and 9-g tail lock servos • Efficient shaft-drive tail rotor system • Stable hovering, w/ a 3D aerobatic envelope • RTF versions include a 6-channel 2.4-GHz SLT radio system • 3S 11.1-volt 1100-mAh 25C LiPo battery

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

Main rotor diameter Tail rotor diameter Length Width Height RTF weight

17.7 in. (450 mm) 4.7 in. (120 mm) 18 in. (456 mm) 3.7 in. (95 mm) 6.4 in. (163 mm) 16.5 oz (470 g)

Price NEAE0100 RTF-Red/Yellow $399.99 NEAE0101 TR-Red/Yellow $349.99 NEAE0105 RTF-Black $399.99 NEAE0106 TR-Black $349.99

RC-SF.COM

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HOT PRODUCTS

JR AMERICA XBUS SYSTEMS

I

nstalling XBus in your new model is like installing a local area network for its control system.

So it is that an XBus serial communication system allows your model’s JR receiver to control up to 56 servos (14 channel transmitter). Yet, you can independently tune each servo for direction, endpoint/travel and neutral. The full line-up of PWM converters makes this simple. It also ends the clutter, and the RF generating wiring associated with long servo leads and Y-harnesses.

Even so, multiple servos can demand high currents. XBus has Power Hubs. XBus utilizes small, convenient hubs that get their power from the XBus serial cable. These shared hubs let you plug in batteries anywhere in the system to meet the current needs of the associated servos. JR’s exclusive XB1CHB Heavy Duty Center Hub eliminates the high cost and complexity of Power-Bus and Matching type devices. The XB1 is prewired with Deans connectors for one or two batteries; and, its internal balancer keeps packs operating optimally during discharge. Then too, the power and serial information bus allows you to connect up to five XBus converters.

Features • Simple and efficient distribution of control information and power throughout the model • Intelligent Output System—effectively and efficiently manages channel signals and frame rates.

• Set up and adjustments can be done wirelessly from your transmitter—no PC required • Compatibility: Mode A - JR Proprietary, Mode B - V-Bar, Beast X, and others • XBus Accessories—provides unmatched configurability and scalability • XBus is backwards compatible with XG6 / XG8, with user upgrades via SD Card

Distributor JR Americas Phone: 217-369-8611 jramericas.com

XB1-CPG XBus Channel Programmer JRPXO3674, MAP $39.99 The XB1-CPG Channel Programmer allows for bench top XBus servo channel assignments during radio installation without the need for access to an XBus transmitter for programming.

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RC SPORT FLYER . JANUARY 2014

XB1-HB5 XBus Shared Hub (5 ports) JRPXO3673, MAP $24.99 The HB5 XBus Servo connector is designed to be powered by a secondary flight pack battery for enhanced power distribution. It allows for connection of up to five XBus dedicated servos.

XB1-CHB Heavy Duty Center Hub JRPXO3675, MAP $119.99 The JR Heavy Duty Center Hub is designed to provide XBus users with a safe, simple, and reliable high-current power distribution bus that is ideal for large-scale aircraft that use multiple servos per channel.

• Dual battery support with built-in balancing • Allows for power distribution of up to five channels / four servos per channel • Complete with reliable JR E-Switch default ON switch harness • Eliminates the needs for expensive power bus matching devices • Simple, easy to use and affordable XB1-HB6 XBus Dedicated Hub (6 ports) JRPXO3672, MAP $24.99 The HB6 XBus Servo connector block is designed to be powered by the primary flight pack battery. It provides for connections of up to six XBus dedicated servos.

XB1-CV4 (300mm) PWM Converter (4 ports) JRPXO3671, MAP $42.99 The CV4 XBus Servo Adapter is designed for standard-duty applications where weight is a concern. The CV4 allows for connection and independent adjustment of up to four conventional (analog / digital) servos.

XB1-CV1 (300mm) PWM Converter (1 port) JRPXO3670, MAP $32.99 The CV1 XBus Servo Adapter is designed for standard duty applications where weight is a concern. The CV1 allows for connection and independent adjustment for a single conventional (analog / digital) servos—to be used with heavy duty center hub or dedicated hub.

XB1-PC4 PWM Converter Heavy Duty Type (4 ports) JRPXO3676, MAP $44.99 The PC4 XBus Servo Adapter is designed for heavy-duty applications where high-current power distribution is required.

The PC4 allows for connection and independent adjustment of up to four conventional (analog / digital) servos—to be used with heavy duty center hub or dedicated hub.

HITEC MAXIMA 6 / 9

H Maxima 6 Specifications Operating voltage Dimensions Weight Price

3.7–9.0 volts 1.30 x 0.82 x 0.42 in.

0.23 oz $54.99

Maxima 9 Specifications

Distributor Hitec 12115 Paine Street Poway, CA 92064 Phone: 858-748-6948 ext. 317 hitecrcd.com

Operating voltage Dimensions Weight Price

3.7–9.0 volts 1.46 x 0.96 x 0.57 in.

0.29 oz $69.99

itec RC announces their new high-response, lowlatency micro receivers: the 6-channel Maxima 6 and the 9-channel Maxima 9.

These micro receivers are designed to work with all Hitec Generation 2 Adaptive Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum Technology radios, and their line of digital servos. These new receivers deliver the ultimate in high resolution response and reliability.

Their full-range capability combines with lightning fast 7-millisecond refresh frame rates, as well as secure hold and fail-safe functions. This make them the perfect micro receivers for intermediate and advanced pilots that require bullet-proof performance from their radio gear. The Maxima 9 has a dual-diversity standard antenna (non-BODA), while the Maxima 6 is engineered with the dual diversity mini-boosted omnidirectional antenna (M-BODA). Pair these receivers with Hitec’s new Aurora 9X, Flash 8 and/or Flash 7 (Hitec Flash transmitters are due in early 2014) radio systems and you will get the ultimate in radio control technology.

ICARE SCALE FOLDING PROPELLERS

I Distributor ICARE 890 ch. D’Anjou, Unit 1 Boucherville, QC, J4B 5E4 Phone: 450-449-9094 icare-rc.com

care now offers a complete line of scale folding propellers assemblies that are the perfect match for scale gliders. With sustainer systems becoming more and more popular for use in gliders, Icare’s new scale propellers may be the perfect fit for your electric-powered gliders and sailplanes.

Icare’s scale, folding propeller assemblies are made of molded carbon fiber. Their turbo spinner uses a blunt shape to mate it to the nose shape of most scale glider fuselages. These spinners come in a white lacquered finish. Note that these are Rudy Freudentahler blades, purposefully designed to fold tight against your model’s white fuselage, so they appear to disappear from view when the model is in flight.

The spinners and propellers come in a variety of sizes, so point your browser at the icare-icarus.com website.

RC-SF.COM

23

Hot New Gliders From Competitive Pricing • Superb Service & Support

Online & Phone Ordering • World-Wide Shipping

NAN Xplorer 4.0

FOSA F3B

Valenta 1/3 Fox

Orion F5J/ALES/LMR Stobel V3 DHLG

AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR:

(626) 967-6660 Monday - Friday 9am - 4pm, PST E-Mail: info@soaringusa.com

Phoenix Edge series ESCs are intended for use in helicopters ranging from 450 to 800 size, and up to 1.20 size fixed wing aircraft.

The all new Vertigo line of heli motors is available for sizes 450, 500, 550, 600 and 700 class helis and offer superior quality and performance.

EVENT HOW TO

THEY’RE BIG, BEAUTIFUL AND POWERFUL MONSTERS!

MONSTER

BY Bess Byers

R

C Pilots from all over the world know Monster Planes USA is about flying big, expensive, exciting and fun-tofly airplanes. Some enter Monster Planes USA to compete for Best Jet, Best Multi-Engine, Best Military, Best WWI, Best WWII, etc. The reality is, though, every pilot that registers at Monster Planes wins. That’s because this AMA sanctioned event is a huge fun fly, where like-minded aviation enthusiasts come together for a weekend of fun and relaxed monster airplane flying. It is an event that has been copied around the U.S., but not really duplicated. After all, how can you duplicate an event that takes

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RC SPORT FLYER . JANUARY 2014

place in the heart of Florida, where the sun shines from morning till night.

Monster Planes USA 2013 was, and has been, held in Lakeland, FL for a number of years now. This time it was hosted from October 24 thru 26. The RC airfield adjoins Lakeland Linder airfield. It is a gorgeous site, with close-cut grass and plenty of room for the modelers’ pit areas, as well as several vendors.

The event is hosted by Frank Tiano—a legend in the hobby industry—and by ZAP® Glue. You’ll want to check out the list of other sponsors as well. They’re the ones that make this event happen from

year to year by supporting Paradise Field and the events hosted at this oneof-a-kind airfield.

This year’s event had 78 pilots registered. They came mostly from the U.S., but one pilot came from Western Canada, Dave Collis, attended. He made the longest drive to Lakeland, traveling 3500 miles from Pitt Meadows, British Columbia—seven days down and seven days back! Ali Machinchy also traveled a significant distance to fly at Monster

Planes by coming from the United Kingdom. Other pilots were mostly from the Florida, Georgia and the surrounding areas, with a few down from the upper states.

The thing about Monster Planes USA 2013, as I saw it, was pilots came to fly—they weren’t there to show and crow. Nope, they were there to log airtime on their airplanes.

As such, Frank tells me there were 238 flight logged over this threeday event. Among the airplanes flown were fixed-wing WWI, WWII, civilian, etc., plus there were some turbine-powered models and a few helicopters. Nearly every model I saw was detailed to the nth degree—let me tell you my dad would have been jealous. Then too, you would have been impressed by the piloting. If you saw any of our Facebook posts, you know many of the models

flown and shown at Monster Planes were not for the faint-of-heart pilot.

Rather, most of the pilots that flew their models were extremely skilled, knowing how to get their monsters up and down in stellar fashion.

When you consider many of the models took a few hundred hours, if not a thousand, to build, with some costing upwards of $20,000 to complete, it is impressive to see them flying down the runway just inches off the grass, and doing so in knife-edge flight.

All in all, I had a very enjoyable time at Paradise Field, reporting on this event for RC-SF. You will too, that is if you opt to attend the event in 2014. I’ve looked at my calendar and it appears the 2014 event will be scheduled for October 23, 24 and 25. I’d say start planning now to attend this event. If you are from my

generation (20 years plus) consider being there. I intend to, and; I’d really like to see you flying your scale airplanes, jets and helicopters there.

Dad tells me turbine-powered scale helicopters are extremely impressive flyers, so I’d like to see one of you flying one. I’ll be shooting lots of photos, getting video and posting to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

I want to photograph your models and make you famous—or at least in our minds anyway.

Now enjoy the photos from this year’s Monster Planes USA. Also, watch for more photos on our website rc-sf.com, and on Facebook.

I’ll be posting them as soon as this magazine goes to print.

For more information on Monster Planes 2014 point your browser at franktiano.com.

PLANES 2013

RC-SF.COM

27

EVENT

MONSTER PLANES 2013

This Kangke Monocoupe was built and flown by Alex Acuti. It has a 96-in. wingspan and weighs 21 lb ready to fly.

The model is electric powered and is fitted with Spektrum® radio gear.

This Waco YMF 5 is a 40% AMR kit, powered with a Moki 400 radial engine that swings a 40x18 Biela propeller. The flying wires are from Aeroscale in Switzerland.

This is Moki radio engine that powers Stearman biplane is an example of the scale detail these Monster Plane pilots put into their models. It started with just a flip.

Scott Prossen’s Grumman F4F Wildcat was nicely detailed, including the pilot’s love I suppose.

Looking at it, I thought the skin was aluminum, but it is made of fiberglass.

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RC SPORT FLYER . JANUARY 2014

Dave Collis drove seven days from B.C. Canada to attend Monster Planes 2013. His Waco weighs about 76 lb. It uses Hitec 7955 and 7950 servos. The model has 62 flights on it.

I learned this model replicates a WWII Japanese Mitsuhishi A6M2 - type Zero fighter. These were apparently state-ofthe-art fighting machines at the time of the war in the Pacific.

The cockpit detail in some of the models was truly amazing. You would never know this was a model if you were just looking at a photo.

The level of detail was as good up close as it is in these photos.

This is a very well-done cockpit. Notice how the modeler has weathered the cockpit panel to simulate the wear that would occur when the pilot got in and out of the airplane.

This A-10 Warthog as a big cannon stuck in its nose. The canopy was servo actuated. The model was very scale even down to the brakes on the landing gear.

Mike Barbee is a very nice man and a very good builder—just look at the cockpit on his big T-34B. His model was scratch built. It sports a wingspan of 151 in. and is 121 in. long.

Mike’s T-34B weighs 115 lb. The propeller its engine is turning is a 31x14 Falcon. The model has electric-powered retractable gear and is controlled by a Futaba radio system, including a Futaba 12MZ. RC-SF.COM

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EVENT

MONSTER PLANES 2013

Scott Marr’s BAE Hawk had its cockpit detailed to the max. It has two pilots, simulated ejection seats, heads-up display and pretty much the works. Notice all the finish details throughout.

Ali Machinchy put Scott Marr’s turbine-powered BAE Hawk through its paces in the air. This was a very impressive jet to see in flight, especially if you’ve never seen a turbine-powered model before!

Pablo Fenandez was flying E-flite Blanik. The turbine that powers it is a JetCentral USA BEE II. The turbine puts out about 15.5 lb of thrust @ 180,000 rpm.

Bill Conklin was flying this gorgeous Christian Eagle biplane. It was built from a Hangar-9® kit and has a wingspan of 119.3 in. Power is by a 3W 240-cc 4-cylinder engine.

The E-flite L-13 flies on a 4.2-meter wingspan.

It put on quite a show for the spectators, being powered by a turbine engine. You can even see the heat waves coming off the turbine in this pass.

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RC SPORT FLYER . JANUARY 2014

This big, beautiful Ultimate biplane is owned and flown by Bill Conklin.

It has a 100-in. wingspan and gets power from a DA-150 engine on RE3 pipes. JR is used for control.

This very nicely done P-38 Lightning was campaigned by Arnold Marcus. It sports a 114-in. wingspan and tips the scales at 44 lb. The propellers are 20x10 APC.

This F100 Sabre Jet even had a drogue chute to slow it down on landing. This shows the level of detail that many of the builders/pilots put into their models.

This pilot’s Grumman F8F Bearcat had a drop tank attached to its belly.

The pilot did not drop the tank though. I was told that the F8F aircraft was even used by the South Vietnam Air Force.

Frank Tiano’s big 110-in. wingspan Corsair is powered by a Moki 250-cc radial engine. The model tips the scales at 53 pounds. It uses Sierra Custom landing gear and is controlled by a Futaba 18MZ, and Frank :-)

Here is another example of a beautiful Corsair F4U that was dressed in U.S. Navy colors. Notice the very scale cowl and wing flaps. If you look closely you can even see the trim tabs on the elevator.

RC-SF.COM

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EVENT

MONSTER PLANES 2013

This McDonnel Douglas MD 600N helicopter made a very cool flyby pass at the event.

I’m thinking it would make for an impressive turbine-powered model, so dad says anyway.

David Shulman puts on one hell of a show when he flies his 90-in. wingspan, 37-lb, Thunder Power, Jetcat 1605X turbine-powered Shockwave. He flat puts in down on the runway!

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RC SPORT FLYER . JANUARY 2014

Monster Planes 2014 needs guys like RJ Gonzalez and girls to attract young, hot pilots to fly big, Monster airplanes. We had a blast chatting about what happens in Lakeland.

Eduardo Esteves, his wife Ana, were flying this super looking Boeing B-17G four-engine bomber. The model was built by Bill Fuori. It sports a 154-in. wingspan and tips the scales at 65 lb.

The Esteves’ bomber is running 18x8 three-blade propellers, which are from Xoar. The engines turn them at about 7000 rpm. Radio gear is all JR.

SPONSORS

These guys had a successful flight with their Russian Yak, but you would never know it by the look on their faces. I feared for my life thinking they knew I was a CIA agent doing a bit of espionage in Florida.

Primary Horizon Hobby ZAP Glue Associate Sponsors Aircraft Model Research Authentic Scale BOLD Props FTE INC. Goldfinger Enterprises RC Sport Flyer magazine SPEKTRUM RADIO Supporting Sponsors EZ Balancer FLY RC magazine Flying Models magazine FLY Girls Maniacs Hobby Complex

Frank put me into this five-star one-room hotel, which was very near the RC airfield. Next year, I plan to stay in the four-star hotel with all the other pilots, even though the pool here was awesome. Kidding, Frank!

SPECIAL AWARDS AWARD BEST WW1 BEST GOLDEN AGE BEST PRE-WWII BEST WWII BEST MILITARY BEST CIVILIAN SINGLE BEST FLIGHT BEST CRAFTSMANSHIP MOST AWESOME FLIGHT BEST JET BEST BIPLANE BEST MULTI-ENGINE JUST PLANE AWESOME SPECIAL RECOGNITION SPECIAL RECOGNITION SPECIAL RECOGNITION CRITIC’S CHOICE RUNNER-UP CRITICS’ CHOICE

SPONSOR FLY RC magazine Goldfinger Enterprises Justmodelprops.com Aircraft Model Research Horizon Hobby Authentic Scale Frank Tiano Enterprises ZAP Glue Maniacs Hobby Complex Model Airplane News BOLD Props EZ BALANCER RC Sport Flyer magazine Flying Models magazine Spektrum Radio Justmodelprops.com ZAP Glue Horizon Hobby

WINNER Sopwith Camel PT-19 WACO P-47 T-34 Christen Eagle Blanik Glider Sopwith Pup B-17G BAE Hawk Stearman B-17 T-6 F-16 C-45 P-47 Stearman P-47

PILOT Todd Bixby Mark Kasunic Dave Collis Eduardo Esteves Mike Barbee Bill Conklin Pablo Fernandez Bob Curry Dino DiGiorgio Greg Foushi Pedro Sanchez Eduardo Esteves Scott Prossen Dustin Buescher Sam Parfitt Bill McCallie Pedro Sanchez Scott Prossen RC-SF.COM

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RC SPORT FLYER . JANUARY 2014

BUILD

FAIREY SWORDFISH

HOW TO ADD A DROPPABLE, MOTORIZED TORPEDO TO THIS FISH

BY Bob Zychal

I finished my Swordfish in Royal Navy colors using Rustoleum paint. It works well and is definitely waterproof, as the airplane testifies.

H

ISTORY When I first learned that the great battleship Bismarck was crippled by an attack of Fairey Swordfish biplanes, I became interested in building the model. Although the Bismarck wasn’t actually sunk by them, their torpedoes disabled the ship’s rudders such that the Royal Navy could then catch and finish her off.

The success of this biplane against such a formidable target proved the versatility of the little aircraft affectionately called Stringbag for all of the various armaments hung from it during the war.

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In searching for a Swordfish model I came across Rob Caso’s design and kit, which was featured in the May ‘05 issue of Model Airplane News. However, since my airplane building experience is limited, I preferred to purchase the kit to save building time.

BUILDING & MODIFICATIONS Rob’s short kit was very easy to build because it includes laser-cut parts, which also have slots in their outer edges for alignment of ribs and braces. Consequently, within two weeks my Swordfish was framed and ready for covering. It was then

that I decided to add additional scale features, including a domed center section and wing braces.

The domed center-wing section was formed by adding two extra 1/16-in. balsa sheets on top and sanding them down to the edges to create the dome. To hollow out the underside I taped sandpaper to a round waste basket and slid the section back and forth over it until the concave depth was achieved in the wood.

Also, because the bottom ribs were exposed at this point in the build, I opted to cover them with a sheet of 1/32-in. plywood as a way

I’m shown here with my modified Swordfish biplane. I fly my models with the members of Simsbury RC Club in Connecticut.

Initial water trials showed that the bow splash interfered with the propeller, which was later solved by adding spray rails to the floats.

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FAIREY SWORDFISH

Modifications include domed wing center, wing braces, aluminum struts and floats with spray rails. The dummy engine adds to the look of the model on the ground and in the air.

to seal the bottom and give the airframe added strength.

After covering the model, it was painted in a camouflage pattern that I copied from a Canadian registered swordfish, that often appears in air shows.

Once the wings were covered and attached to the fuselage, the V-shaped wing braces were cut and shaped from 1/8-in. plywood, and fastened to the airplane.

Although the kit instructions called for traditional landing gear, I decided to build it as the float version, which was often carried on convoys. Using photos from the Internet I estimated the height, separation and length of the original float structure. To save build time I looked for ready-made float sets and chose GWS floats because they are very lightweight, shaped correctly and are approximately the right length. The float struts were then constructed of semi-flattened 1/4-in. aluminum tubing. I did this by laying the tubing flat on a table with a 1/8-in. block at each end. Then pressed a board down on the tubing until a 1/8-in. elliptical shape was formed. I could then easily flatten and bend the ends to fit the airplane at the proper locations. I mounted the float’s struts with screws to small pieces of plywood that had been previously installed in the fuselage.

The bottom ends of the struts were flattened and fitted into slots cut into the centrally-mounted wood sections installed in the pontoon.

The servos and power system were then installed in the model.

Since I wasn’t sure how much power the Swordfish would need with floats rather than conventional landing gear, I choose a Hobby King NTM 28-26A 1200-Kv motor. It was married to 30-amp electronic speed controller (ESC) that was compatible with 3S or 4S LiPo power.

To enhance the model’s scale look, I choose a Master Airscrew 8x6 3-blade propeller. In combination with the motor, ESC and 4S LiPo the

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8x6 results in 240 watts of power.

At this point in the build, I found that the model only weighed 26 ounces ready to fly. With 240 watts of power, I thought my Swordfish model would be capable of carrying a motorized torpedo.

TORPEDO Ironically, I found information on torpedo designs on a German website for submarine modelers.

The information obtained, explained that the trick to motorizing a torpedo is to use an internal magnetic on/off switch, so that the torpedo will start automatically when dropped. The torpedo is loaded live, and a magnet attached to the airplane keeps it shut off. When

These are the torpedo’s components and wiring. A central magnetic switch is wired in the normally closed (NC) position, so when the torpedo is dropped it starts the motor.

dropped the switch transitions to the on position.

Designing the torpedo was relatively simple. As is shown in the accompanying photos, the torpedo houses a lightweight three-volt LiPo camera battery, a magnetic switch and a small six-volt motor. The outer is one-inch diameter plastic tube and the front and rear pieces were formed on a lathe out of wood. A small piece of fuel tubing is used to connect the motor to the propeller shaft, and silicon grease is used when assembling the drive shaft to

SPECIFICATIONS

Scale : 1/16 Wingspan : 37 in.

Wing Area : 360 in.2 Weight RTF : 30 oz w/ 4-oz torpedo Motor : HK NTM 28-26A 100 Kv 240 watts Propeller : Master Air Screw 8x6 3-blade ESC : 30 amp Transmitter : Spektrum® DX7 Controls : Ailerons, elevator, rudder, throttle, torpedo drop

SOURCES

Features : GWS pontoons, motorized torpedo

This photo gives you a look at the servo and torpedo release mechanism.

The side-wall servo pushes the latch open.

keep it watertight. The weight of the torpedo is roughly four ounces, and travels in water partially submerged at a very scale-like fast walking pace.

For the release mechanism I used a cord with a metal eyelet attached.

The eyelet goes through the hatch cover where a simple pivoting clasp engages it. A servo mounted on the inside wall of the body is used to push the clasp open.

A magnet is also attached to the hatch cover bottom such that the torpedo can be fitted to the cover while it is removed. Then the torpedo and cover can be attached to the airplane as a unit. This keeps the torpedo turned off while torpedoing the Swordfish.

Initial flight tests evidenced that the airplane’s propeller hit the bow

splash from the floats, so spray rails were added to solve the problem.

Further tests have shown that care must be taken during takeoff to gain enough airspeed before going airborne. The airplane wants to jump into the air too soon if too much up elevator is applied, which can lead to a stall. Once airborne, the airplane flies great with plenty of power and lands without much piloting effort.

Dropping the torpedo is fun, and best performed by bringing the Swordfish in low to the water, as if you are going land it, and then releasing. Note that the sudden fourounce weight reduction will cause the airplane to rise after the drop.

At the time of this article, I continue to work on the improving torpedo performance because it

Here you see the model is torpedoed up, with the release cord wrapped around its middle.

GWS gwsus.com Hobby King hobbyking.com Rob Caso quack916@aol.com

often veers in the water, rather than traveling straight to the target. I’ve found that using smaller fins and allowing it to rotate in the water helps, but it does not yet perform consistently. I also plan to add a timer switch to the torpedo because its motor currently runs until I can retrieve it.

SYNOPSIS Overall, researching and building my Swordfish model has been an enjoyable experience. The airplane is unique in both design and historical significance, and the torpedo drop just adds to the fun of flying it.

A rare earth magnet keeps the torpedo’s switch ‘open’ while slung. A pen line indicates the torpedo’s CG, which is aligned to the model’s.

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TRIM COLORS

MAKE IT YOURS! LAY ON SOME COLOR AND A UNIQUE SCHEME

BY Jeff Troy

H

ow I covered my 108-in.

Dallaire Sportster with natural, white fabric was my December 2013 RC Sport Flyer article. At the close of that installment, I promised you the red and blue trim colors would soon be added, along with the possibility of a little yellow thrown into the mix. That time is now.

I’m trimming my Dallaire with colored fabric. If you have ever

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tried to iron plastic film over plastic film, you’re already aware that one non-porous surface over another non-porous surface can only result in blisters and bubbles. These are caused by the trapped air between the non-porous surfaces. There is no way to prevent them. Fabric is a different story.

ADHESION Although the Coverite fabric I’m

using is coated with adhesive on the back, the top side of the fabric’s weave has more than enough depth to act as an escape route for any air between the layers. The end result is that you can iron fabric over fabric without fear of excessive blistering or bubbling. The word “excessive” is used because you must still be prudent about the way the fabric is applied. Sealing one, two or even three edges is a good way to do it.

1

Trim colors add character to a model, but how will you know where to apply them? The best way is to draw sketches of different color schemes, eventually settling on the one you like best. Pleasing colors and good visibility must be considered in your scheme.

2

Use Balsarite, Balsaloc, or a similar product to coat surfaces where trim pieces will be applied.

3

Iron temperature is critical for attaching trim pieces. It must be hot enough to activate the adhesive, but cool enough to keep the trim from shrinking and distorting.

4

Familiarize yourself with the process by attaching the smallest trim piece to the smallest model component: in this case, the blue trim on the base of the Dallaire Sportster’s vertical fin.

5

Wrap the trim around the edges of the components, seal them and trim away the excess material.

6

The Dallaire’s fuselage is a sizable affair, but the technique for trimming it is the same as it is for the smaller components. Always work the iron gently when sealing along a color-change line.

You can work most of the air out from the fourth edge before you seal it. Doing so ensures the best possible trim work, with little to no bubbling.

Selecting the correct iron temperature for applying the fabric trim colors is critical. The iron must be hot enough to activate

the adhesive, but it positively must not cause the trim to shrink and distort. Because the adhesive will have only minimal grab at such RC-SF.COM

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7

The red trim on the tail surfaces and wing have two color-change lines. Use the overlap method and a pencil or Sharpie to mark the cut line for the red trim.

8

I’ve attached the red trim piece to the vertical fin, but notice how I separated the red trim from the blue trim. This is an effective way to make the work easy while giving the appearance of a more complex scheme.

9

Here are my Dallaire Sportstrer’s blue- and red-trimmed horizontal stabilizer and vertical fin. Instead of cutting a strip for rudder attachment away from the stabilizer’s blue panels, I cut two separate, mirror-image panels.

10

Separate blue panels were also cut for the wing’s root trim. Use a variation of my “four corners” method to iron down the red trim panel. Start by ironing down a small area at the root side of the trim.

a low temperature, I apply a coat of Balsarite® Balsaloc® or similar adhesive coating in the areas where the trim colors will be attached.

This coating improves the bond, particularly when working at lower iron temperatures.

Fabrics can differ from one another in operating temperatures, so be sure to read the instruction that come with the fabric you choose.

Super Coverite can be ironed down at 200 degrees Fahrenheit without shrinking, and if you’re very careful about how long you hold the iron over the fabric, you can take it up to 250 with no negative effect. Always test the temperature with a piece of trim fabric over a scrap of base fabric before attempting to iron it onto your model. If the trim fabric

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is allowed to shrink at the straight edges, your color-change line—the line where the trim color meets the base fabric’s color—will be wavy and distorted instead of straight.

TRIM I usually cut the trim pieces over a sheet of glass, using a new no. 11 blade in my knife handle. A metal straightedge is the best tool for ensuring straight cuts. Most of the time, one straight cut at the colorchange line is all you need. The trim will often hang over the airframe component on the other three sides, so you’ll only have to make your cuts exact where they will be visible and necessary. I started the trim work for the Dallaire with light blue Coverite on the smallest component: the

vertical fin.

Before touching the iron to the fabric, understand this, fabric is not film. It is thicker than film, and this means that the adhesive will take slightly longer to activate. This doesn’t mean that you should raise your iron’s temperature; it means that the iron must be held in place a little longer to heat the adhesive through the thicker-than-film fabric.

With this newfound understanding, practice with that scrap again—don’t forget the Balsarite coating—until you can get the fabric to grab without shrinking.

I laid the first piece of blue trim in position over the base of the vertical fin, but what is “in position”? Going back to a previous installment, I suggested drawing a few different

11

Pull the covering toward the wingtip to remove any gathers, creases or wrinkles, then iron down a small area at the tip.

12

Seal the color-change line, then pull the covering toward and around the leading edge, sealing one bay at a time to ensure the absence of trapped air.

13

Balsarite is again applied in the areas that will receive additional trim-color treatments.

14

Blue, red, and yellow trim stripes were added behind each component’s trim panels. I ironed down the blue and red stripes first, which made it easier to eyeball the central yellow stripes.

color schemes on paper to see what your model might look like if your scheme is used. If you’ve done this, and settled for a scheme that you found attractive, your drawing will define the position of each trim piece.

My blue trim piece has only one color-change line, so only that one edge was cut with the straightedge.

The other three edges hang over the edges of the fin. Working at 200 degrees Fahrenheit with very little pressure, I used the iron to attach the neatly cut edge of the blue trim to the fin. Next, I pulled the loose end of the trim past the base of the fin, and sealed that edge with the iron. The trailing edge was next, then the leading edge. Before sealing the leading edge, I used my fingertips to

push out any potentially offending air. With the trim piece attached and sealed around the perimeter, I used a constant circular motion to iron down the center area of the fabric.

Pull the edges of the fabric around the edges of the fin, seal them with the iron and trim away the excess. You don’t need a straightedge because the leading edge, trailing edge and base of the fin are straight lines. Just use those straight pieces of wood as straightedges to make the cuts. Now you can flip the fin over and add the matching blue trim to that side.

I wanted the upper sides of the Dallaire’s fuselage to be trimmed in blue. The application process is identical, but the piece of trim fabric is much longer than that of the fin.

Before ironing down the colorchange line, I attached a small area of the blue trim piece to the fin post, then pulled it gently past the nose before touching the iron to a small area of trim fabric at the nose. Pulling the material to remove wrinkles, gathers and creases, before touching it with the iron, ensures that no wrinkles, gathers, or creases can be ironed in.

With the trim fabric tacked in position over one fuselage side, you can seal the color-change line, then work upward toward the top of the fuselage, always pulling and stretching the fabric before touching it with the iron. When the trim piece is ironed down and sealed to the white fabric underneath, cut away the excess fabric and seal the edges RC-SF.COM

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TRIM COLORS

Except for the faux side windows, the Dallaire’s covering work has been completed. Only a few additional steps to finishing are required before the model can be prepared for final assembly.

These will come in my next installment. Please be here with me to share it.

tightly. Repeat this process for the opposite side of the fuselage and both sides of the horizontal stabilizer.

My red trim pieces have two color-change lines: one where they meet the white fabric underneath and the other where they will meet the adjacent blue trim. Working on the small vertical fin before trying your hand at larger components, place a piece of red trim in position, slightly overlapping the blue trim.

Use a pencil or a fine Sharpie® to trace the angle of the blue trim onto the edge of the red fabric. Remove the fabric and cut the line slightly behind the mark.

Instead of butting the red fabric against the blue trim, I like to show a little bit of base white between the trim colors. Place the red trim where you like it best, and attach it to the fin at 200 degrees. Use the same described technique—seal the color-change line, pull and seal the

leading edge, then the root and tip, pushing out as much air as possible before sealing the last edge. Flip the fin over and add the red trim. Then add red trim pieces to the horizontal stabilizer.

I’ve intentionally delayed trimming the wing, not because it’s more difficult, but because it’s a much larger component. Begin by cutting four pieces of blue center trim. The inboard (root) edges and outboard (facing the tip) edges are the ones that need to be cut accurately. The outboard edges are straight lines, although I chose to cut the inboard edges straight as well, adding a piece of red between them on top to bridge the open seam. Iron down the blue trim pieces.

Start the red trim at the root.

Cut one piece of red trim to your drawn shape, and use the method I described to mark the edge where it meets the blue trim. Attach a small area of red trim on the colorchange line near the root, then pull the material toward the tip and iron down a small section at the tip.

Seal the trim piece along the colorchange line, then pull it around the leading edge of the wing and seal it.

You should have this process pretty well in hand by now, so add the opposite trim piece on the bottom, then flip the wing and trim the top side.

STRIPES Okay. I now have a white Dallaire

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Sportster with most of its blue and red trim applied. Now I want to add blue, red and yellow trim stripes behind each of my red trim panels.

Having the blue and red panels attached gives me a better idea of where I will place these trim stripes, so now I can coat those areas with Balsarite.

I wanted the trim stripes to be a uniform thickness on the fin and rudder, stabilizer and elevator, and on the fuselage. I wanted slightly thicker trim stripes on the wing. I picked a narrow (side-to-side) metal ruler and a wider metal ruler, and used them as straightedge guides to cut the trim stripes—four of each color for the wing, and eight of each color for the fuselage and tail surfaces. The overlap-and-Sharpie method over the trim panels was used to cut the forward mating edges of the trim stripes.

Still working at 200 degrees Fahrenheit, I attached the trim stripes to my model’s components. Because the tail surfaces involve a hinge line, I held each pair together while positioning the first stripe. I ironed the stripe to the flying surface, then pulled away the control surface, cut and sealed the trailing edge of the trim stripe. I put the control surface back up against the flying surface, using the forward stripe as a guide to position the rear stripe, which I would hold over the control surface, moving it around until it aligned perfectly with the sealed strip on the flying surface. When I had it right, I sealed the stripe, cutting and sealing the edges.

My Dallaire Sportster is now fully covered in white, and trimmed in blue, red, and yellow. The basic covering job is complete, but the model’s finish has a few steps to go before the airplane can be assembled and prepared for its maiden flight. Be here for the February issue, and I’ll show what I did to finish this oldtimer classic.

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 need back issues, you can order them from the magazine.

BUILD

COCKPIT DOOR LATCH CLOSE THE DOOR BEHIND YOURSELF, WILL YA?

BY Rob Caso

O

ftentimes, scale details take longer to design in my mind than they take to build. In the case of my 66-in. wingspan Tiger Moth, late in the build I decided to make the cockpit doors functional and needed a way to keep them reliably closed when in flight. I made the doors from fiberglass using my “quickie mold” process described more thoroughly in the October issue of RC-SF, hinged with a couple of Robart 1/2-A pin hinges.

This aspect of the process was a mere sideshow to the main event— designing and fabricating the latch mechanism. Even though my Moth

The components of the latch, the most important of which is the 3/4-in spring. You should roughen the aluminum for better adhesion.

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is almost 1/5 scale, a look at some drawings showed that the latch—a long box tube with retractable pins at each end—was a scant 3/16-in. or so in overall width, or about an inch on the full scale, which seemed about right. Although I could find no drawings or photos of the internal mechanism, it all had to work in a fairly confined environment and with everything situated inside a long, thin tube. After conjuring a number of design ideas, why not simply design it using an educated guess as to what was on the real airplane? Spring loaded tubes seemed like they would work on the model and it would

make sense that the prototype had them also.

I knew I was in business when my junk drawer yielded a couple of firm, 1/4 inch long by 3/32-in. diameter compression springs from Reid Tool and the rest of the materials came from my tube and rod supply. The theory behind the design is that two opposed, sliding 1/16-in. diameter pins would each ride in sections of aluminum 3/32-in. diameter tubes.

The aluminum tubes are in turn mounted to plywood pads on a ply plate, the pads being needed for clearance for the sliding mechanism and spring. The 1/16-in. diameter

pins are actually tube stock and the key to the system is the 0.030-in. wire rod that is soldered inside one pin assembly, but is left free to slide in and out of the other, with the spring in the middle. The 0.030-in. wire rod keeps the opposing tubes and pins in alignment, while also trapping the spring and keeping it centered. The outer ends of the 1/16-in. diameter pins protrude beyond the ends of the aluminum tubes, slotting into holes in the edge of the cockpit, thus keeping the door closed. Brass bushings on either side of the spring, and soldered to the sliding pins, keep everything together. A further scale wrinkle here is the two vertical posts that are soldered to each of the sliding pin’s

The completed latch is only about 3 inches long on my model. CA glue only the aluminum tubes to the plywood plate.

bushings, and which provide the pilot (or you) the means of retracting the pins to open the door. Once the internal mechanism was fabricated, it was a simple matter to box it all in

with either plywood or plastic sheet, leaving a slot for the vertical posts.

Keep in mind that the total combined travel of the sliding pins cannot be less than their total exposed lengths at the ends of the mechanism. If they are, the pins will not retract completely, although this is an easy fix.

While this mechanism is about as small as I could humanly make it, the design could easily be scaled up by simply substituting the components in the drawing with larger telescoping sections of rod and tube. I needed two of these and

The completed latch is affixed to the fiberglass cockpit door.

Corresponding tubes should be let into the cockpit sides on the fuselage.

You will simply squeeze the door latch release levers to open the door. The tube lock pins will then retract for the cockpit’s tubes.

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COCKPIT DOOR LATCH

Tiger Moth Cockpit Door Latch

Drawn By: Robert J. Caso

Assembly “A” 3/32 Alum Tube

1/16 Brass Tube

3/32 Brass Tube

.030 Brass Wire

= Solder

Assembly “B” 3/32 Brass Tube

1/16 Brass Tube

3/32 Alum Tube

= Solder

Plywood Mounting Base 1/64 Ply Plate

1/64 Ply Pads Plywood Pads Support Aluminum Tube

Final Assembly 3/4-in. Spring

Assy “A”

Assy “B”

Brass Wire Levers Ply Mounting Base

= Solder

although the first one took me over an hour to make, the second was done in about 20 minutes. Some fabrication tips include deburring the inside of the tubes after these are cut to length and using solder sparingly. Possibilities abound for this design to be used in other ways,

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RC SPORT FLYER . JANUARY 2014

Install Spring Under Slight Compression

such as for a bomb drop or a single sided mechanism and the pins could be hooked up to a servo mounted cam arrangement, or to cables.

In retrospect, this design couldn’t be more simple; and, the simplest designs are generally the easiest to make and are the most reliable.

These are diagrams of the mechanism. Note that only diameter dimensions are given as the lengths should be customized to the model.

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photo by Greg Wolf

HOW TO

BRAKE CONTROL GIVE YOUR MODEL RUNWAY DIRECTIONAL CONTROL

BY Tom Wolf

H

ave you struggled to maintain runway heading during takeoff when flying an airplane with conventional landing gear (also known as a “tail dragger”)?

A swing on takeoff can be the result of P-factor, engine torque, or crosswind conditions. A more significant factor for multi-engine airplanes is uneven engine transition from low to full throttle, which results in a

that airplane headed down the runway during takeoff. Most takeoff attempts resulted in aborts because the airplane was headed off the side of the runway long before it had reached flying airspeed.

A particularly frustrating aspect was that it could swing either left or right; there was no consistent pattern. The Mosquito is notorious for poor ground handling on takeoff because the relatively small vertical tail and rudder are located on the aircraft’s centerline, out of the propeller’s blast. Until flying speed is reached, the rudder has almost no control authority. During a normal takeoff, the tail comes up almost immediately, effectively negating any tail-wheel steering long before the rudder is effective.

SOLUTION After months of frustration, I found a solution that has been very effective and trouble free for the 20 years I have been flying this airplane. The solution to this problem involves something that full-scale airplanes use: Differential braking of the wheels on the main landing

photo by Kelly Collin

52

significant swing towards the weaker engine. Any of these conditions is difficult to manage during the initial part of the takeoff roll when the tail gets light but there is little airspeed to provide good rudder control authority.

About 20 years ago I built an 1/8-scale DeHavilland Mosquito, and while it flew great once it was airborne, I just could not keep

RC SPORT FLYER . JANUARY 2014

This braking system utilizes a simple torsion spring and a bronze brake bushing. The torsion spring is a slip fit onto

1

The brake bushing’s pin engages a hole drilled in the side of the wheel hub.

3

the brake bushing. Braking action is achieved when one leg of the spring is deflected while the other leg is held stationary.

2

This is the brake bushing I fabricated for my 1/5-scale Mosquito. The pin engages a hole in the side of the wheel hub and the bushing rotates on the axle together with the wheel.

gear to provide directional control.

I cannot take credit for the idea of trying this on my Mosquito: After witnessing my continued frustration, Tom Protheroe, a fellow member of the Santa Barbara Radio Control Modelers, suggested I try adding brakes that are slaved to the rudder.

After a few weeks of considering how to implement them, I built a simple brake system connected to pull-strings that ran to the rudder servo. The resulting improvement in directional control was simply

The brake system shown utilizes two dedicated servos to operate the brakes, which is the configuration that was used for my 1/5-scale Mosquito. Smaller aircraft can use only one servo to operate both brakes, as was the case for my 1/8-scale Mosquito.

4

BRAKE SERVOS: BOTH ARE CONNECTED TO RUDDER CHANNEL WITH “Y” HARNESSES RIGHT RUDDER

RIGHT RUDDER .032 DIA SULLIVAN FLEX CABLE PUSHROD PRODUCT NO. S507 MONFILAMENT FISHING LINE

TORSION SPRING

BRAKE ACTIVATE

BRAKE BUSHING THIS END FIXED

LEFT MAIN WHEEL DIRECTION OF ROTATION

RIGHT MAIN WHEEL

BRAKE SYSTEM SCHEMATIC RC-SF.COM

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HOW TO

BRAKE CONTROL

NOTES: 1. MATERIAL: BRONZE (ALT: FREE MACHINING BRASS) 2. NOTED DIAMETER IS A SLIP FIT TO SPRING I.D. (.002 -­‐ .005 CLEARANCE) 3. FOR USE WITH LEE SPRING P/N LTL045H04S

O.375

O.093 PIANO WIRE PRESS FIT OR LOCTITE IN PLACE

.19

.295 O.75

.10 (O.485) NOTE 2

5 This is the fabrication drawing I used to make the brake bushings for my 58-lb 1/5-scale DH Mosquito.

incredible. Takeoffs were now down the runway centerline, and I had complete control even when taking the airplane off in crosswind conditions. More recently, I built a 1/5-scale (124 inch wing span, 58 pounds) Mosquito and installed a scaled-up version of this brake system. It has proven to be equally effective for this much larger airplane.

BRAKE SYSTEM The braking system operates as follows: Right rudder adds drag to the right main wheel and left rudder adds drag to the left main wheel.

When the rudder is centered, there essentially is no braking action.

The brake is simply a torsion spring that is a slip-fit on a bronze brake bushing (figure 1). The brake bushing is pinned to the wheel hub and rotates with the wheel (figures 2 and 3). One arm of the torsion spring is fixed to the landing gear leg, and the

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RC SPORT FLYER . JANUARY 2014

.400 .56

TOLERANCES: .XX +/-­‐ .02 .XXX +/-­‐ .005

other leg is attached to a length of monofilament line that is attached to a servo connected to the rudder channel. When the line is pulled, the spring winds up, which reduces its inside diameter and causes it to rub on the bushing, thus creating the braking action. This type of brake was available from model aircraft accessory suppliers many years ago and was typically attached to the nose wheel and activated by the application of down elevator.

Figure 4 provides a schematic representation of the brake system configured for directional control.

DESIGN Now that the basics of the brake system have been described, I’ll provide specific design details of the system I built for my 1/5-scale Mosquito. The brake bushing was sized to match up with a stock Lee Spring of reasonable diameter and wire size to provide appropriate

O.257 THRU

BUSHING, BRAKE DRAWN BY: T. R. WOLF DATE: 8/4/2011

braking effectiveness. Figure 5 is the fabrication drawing that I used to make this bushing. The required torsion spring is specified in note 3 on the drawing.

Figure 6 shows the torsion spring and brake bushing installed in the scale brake shroud. Note the fixed leg of the spring is constrained in the slot toward the rear (right side) of the shroud. The shroud is bolted to the landing gear leg to prevent rotation.

For my model’s purposes, I used a spring with the legs 180 degrees apart. Other configurations can be used (i.e., 90 degree or 270 degree), depending upon the installation.

Because the Mosquito’s landing gear retracts, the routing of the pullline is such that it goes slack when the gear is retracted, thus preventing excessive loads on the brake servo.

Figures 7, 8, 9 show the routing used. I used Futaba S3010 servos for the brakes, and they have plenty of torque for effective operation.

The torsion spring is housed within the scale brake shrouds on my Mosquito. The fixed leg of the spring is constrained in the slot on the upper right, while the actuating leg extends out a slot in the front of the shroud.

The landing gear leg is inverted in this photograph and the 0.250-in. axle is partially inserted through the brake bushing to hold it in position.

SUPPLIERS

6

Lee Spring Corp leespring.com phone: 888-777-4647 Sullivan Products sullivanproducts.com phone: 410-732-3500

IMPORTANT FACTORS When building this system there are a few key factors that should be observed to ensure success. First, the spring orientation is important. The actuation leg of the spring must be towards the bottom of the spring and facing forward as shown in figure 4. This will prevent the spring from grabbing when braking is applied at high speed. In this case, the friction during braking is working to unwind the spring and therefore the brake is self-releasing. If the actuating arm is facing to the rear, the braking friction will tend to wind the spring up and thus increase the braking action, potentially “locking up” the brake.

This would be a very undesirable operational condition.

Second, during assembly a very light coat of grease on the brake bushing will ensure long operational life with little wear on the bushing.

The grease should be applied to the surfaces that the spring runs on. As an example of brake life expectancy when properly assembled, I’ve been running the same set of springs and bushings on my 1/8-scale Mosquito for the last 10 years.

Finally, the pull-lines should be adjusted so the springs just start to rub on the bushing when the rudder is centered. This will provide almost no braking with the rudder centered, while providing a reasonable amount of braking on the appropriate wheel with rudder inputs.

CONCLUSION The brake system described in this article is relatively simple to implement, does not require periodic adjustment, and has proven to be maintenance-free over many

The monofilament line is routed through a short piece of brass tubing that is attached to the inside surface of the landing gear leg. This prevents the line from becoming fouled with landing gear hardware during gear retraction and extension. The landing gear leg is inverted in this photograph.

8

7 The brake actuation arm extends out the front of the brake shroud.

Monofilament fishing line is routed up through a guide on the inside edge of the landing gear leg. See figures 8 and 9 for additional details.

9 years of operation. I would not consider building a twin-engine conventionally geared airplane without including this system. If you have any questions about building a brake system, I’d be glad to address them. Just send me an e-mail at: tomdebwolf@cox.net.

The upper section of the monofilament line is routed through the brass tube guide (upper left) and then is tied off to a loop in the end of the Sullivan cable pushrod (right center). The other end of the pushrod cable is attached to the brake servo. The cable tie point is located slightly aft of the landing gear pivot point (bottom center), so the pull line goes slack when the gear retracts. The landing gear leg is shown inverted in this photograph.

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HOW TO

Gabriel Altuz and I are shown here as we prepare to fly a formation aerobatics demonstration flight at the Wenatchee, Washington’s Huckfest. We are tight competitors, but also the best of friends!

AEROBATICS PART 10 YOU’LL FLIP OUT WHEN YOU DO A KNIFE-EDGE WALL

BY Daniel Holman

A

significant step to becoming an expert aerobatic pilot is learning and knowing your airplane’s handling characteristics so well that you aren’t afraid to try new maneuvers. Building confidence as a pilot is necessary, and it will help you even with the basics. Often crashes are the result of the pilot losing his or her nerve during a maneuver, which then results in a fatal mistake.

However, once you reach the skill level of knowing exactly what is going to happen to your model with each control input it is much

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RC SPORT FLYER . JANUARY 2014

easier to remain calm and collected during a maneuver—even when your airplane appears to be in a bad situation. Without knowing your airplane’s handling inside and out, would you ever think to burying full down elevator control when flying it in a low knife-edge pass? Or what about a maneuver that requires you to give an up-elevator input from low inverted flight? These examples sound scary to do, but are standard procedure for most professional aerobatic pilots.

In this issue, I will break down,

and explain, two more extreme aerobatic maneuvers that demand you know your airplane well!

FLIP-OUT The first aerobatic maneuver I pioneered is called the Flip-Out. I learned this maneuver near the beginning of 2010. I used it in the Extreme Flight Championship as well as the Pacific Coast Freestyle Championship later that year. It was met with much surprise at both events and is now used by many extreme aerobatic pilots.

Let’s take a look at what is required to do this maneuver.

The Flip-Out is entered from inverted flight and is basically half of an extremely deep positive snap.

During this snap, the airplane makes a 90-degree heading change while it is stalled. The airplane exits the maneuver upright, having made an almost instant right-angle turn. As with the Vortex maneuver, that I detailed in the December 2013 issue, the Flip-Out is all about timing.

This maneuver can be entered from any airspeed, but is easiest to perfect when done from a slow to moderate entry airspeed. Performing the Flip-Out from a fast entry speed is very exciting, but much more difficult. Also, this is a fairly torquesensitive maneuver and can be performed much cleaner from right to left, with a left snap.

Now let’s break the maneuver down and talk about the control inputs.

From inverted flight, I open the throttle to about 75 percent to ensure that lots of air is flowing over the control surfaces. Immediately after opening the throttle, I input approximately 30 degrees of upelevator control, along with around

25 degrees of left aileron. At the same time, I bump full left rudder for a split second and then neutralize it as soon as the airplane stalls and begins to rotate. Once the airplane has rolled 90 degrees and turned approximately 45 degrees, I input almost full right rudder and relax the up-elevator input. Also at this point, I start to neutralize the aileron input so that I reach neutral once the airplane has rolled 180 degrees. Once the wings are level, I am holding almost full right rudder along with 75 percent throttle while making small

Although the Flip-Out maneuver is very daunting at first, it can be performed as low as my model is being flown here. This is a perfect entry to this maneuver, with a slow airspeed, wings level and a very slight positive angle of attack.

Performing the Knife-Edge Wall from high speeds is a real show stopper. As long as the airplane’s entry is perfect, this maneuver can be performed safely with minimal altitude.

Just make sure your airplane can handle the resulting G-forces!

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HOW TO

AEROBATICS PART 10

The “Flip-Out“

corrections with the elevator and ailerons to maintain a level attitude as the airplane accelerates out of the maneuver. During this acceleration, I smoothly release the right rudder input.

There you have the basic control inputs required for this maneuver.

Each airplane will require a slightly different technique, but most welldesigned and setup aerobats are going to react quite similarly through this maneuver. That being said, having its center of gravity (CG) set correct is very crucial. An airplane that has a tail-heavy CG will make it very difficult to exit this maneuver cleanly. You should always setup your aerobat’s center of gravity just a hair forward of neutral for the best flight performance.

VARIATIONS Because this maneuver is based on half of a very deep positive snap roll, it can be done in different configurations with a positive or negative snap roll from upright or inverted. When doing this maneuver with a negative snap roll (down elevator), keep in mind that much less elevator input is required as the airplane will want to enter a tumble and will easily overrotate the maneuver and end up pointing straight down. This is not something to fear—just be aware of it. Try everything a couple mistakes high, and then bring it down once you get comfortable with how the airplane reacts.

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KNIFE-EDGE WALL The second maneuver I want to explain is actually quite simple, but requires a little bit of mind-overmatter at first. I’ve named it the Knife-Edge Wall.

A simple Wall is performed by flying your airplane straight and level (upright or inverted), and then pulling or pushing it to a vertical climb instantly. The maneuver should look like the airplane hit a wall and is climbing it.

As you probably guessed, the Knife-Edge Wall is simply a horizontal version of this maneuver in which the airplane performs a Wall from knife-edge flight. The only really difficult aspect of this maneuver is that the airplane will generally want to snap-roll when “hard” elevator input is given while the airplane is in knife-edge.

The secret to overcome this snap-rolling tendency is actually quite simple and lies in the entry attitude. When performing a knifeedge, top (up) rudder control is being held to maintain a slight positive angle of attack, which allows the airplane’s fuselage to create lift and thereby hold a horizontal flight path.

If you input full elevator control while holding top rudder, one wing will always stall first. This will initiate a snap roll, which usually leaves the airplane pointed nose down in an unsightly attitude. Keeping this in mind, the trick to avoiding a snap roll is to completely release the rudder, and ensuring the airplane’s wings

are in a perfectly vertical, knife-edge attitude prior to performing this maneuver.

Now, let’s look at it step by step.

From knife-edge flight, I ensure the wings are perfectly vertical. Then smoothly, but quickly, I neutralize the top-rudder input while increasing the throttle to about 75 percent.

As soon as the airplane’s angle of attack reaches zero, I input full down elevator while maintaining power. Once the airplane has turned 90 degrees, I smoothly release the down-elevator input and then smoothly input a slight amount of top-rudder to maintain the airplane’s initial altitude. Throughout the maneuver, minute aileron inputs are required to hold the knife-edge attitude. However, there is no aileron input that is always the same each time this maneuver is performed.

Ok, that was a basic explanation of a negative-G (G=force of gravity) Knife-Edge Wall. A positive-G KnifeEdge Wall is slightly more difficult because when you pull full upelevator, the vertical stabilizer and rudder are stuck in a vacuum effect that is created by the horizontal stabilizer, which leads the vertical in the air. Consequently, the airplane will have a tendency to slide around through a positive-G Knife-Edge Wall. Because the rudder is much less effective in this situation, proper and fast aileron correction is key to maintaining the airplane’s knife-edge attitude. Almost always, the airplane will tend to roll out to level as soon

PHOTOS BY Lori Wiles, Tom Seres, Higher Plane Productions, Michael Holman

The “Knife-Edge Wall“

as a positive elevator input is given.

To counter this, a very small amount of aileron in the opposite direction of top rudder should be input simultaneously with the elevator.

This input often must be increased until the elevator input is neutralized.

At that point, I smoothly release the ailerons as the airplane accelerates out of the maneuver.

TORQUE SENSITIVITY As with many extreme aerobatic maneuvers, the Knife-Edge Wall is slightly torque sensitive. Keep in mind that almost all maneuvers utilizing gyroscopic forces and exhibiting high deceleration and acceleration rates are torque sensitive. Once again, this is due to asymmetric blade effect or P-factor, which I wrote about in the November 2013 issue of RC-SF. LESS IS MORE One principle you will find applies to almost all aerobatic maneuvers is often that smaller control inputs will take you farther. Many maneuvers

can be performed by “beating” the airplane into submission with tons of control authority, but alternately using just enough is a much better option. In most of the extreme aerobatic maneuvers I’ve been writing about, at least part of the airplane will stall at some point. A clean exit to these maneuvers usually relies on your ability to recover the airplane from a stalled attitude in a smooth and controlled fashion, and with perfect timing. The deeper the stall you put your airplane in, the more control authority and throttle is required to recover from the stall.

Knowing the exact point at which your airplane stalls and recovers is crucial to flying the maneuvers properly. If you know precisely where its stall line is, you will have the ability to barely cross it through the maneuver, and to recover from it faster and cleaner than you would otherwise. So, you’ll find that finesse is a huge part of making your airplane do what you want it to do, when you want it to do it.

OVERVIEW There you have two new and exciting maneuvers to practice! Be sure to try them with your airplane high enough to recover from a mistake. When you have it perfected, then you can bring it down.

Note that after inventing the Flip-Out, I would always keep the airplane 50 feet or more above the ground. After becoming 100 percent comfortable with it, I only need about one wingspan of altitude to do it safely. The Knife-Edge Wall is another maneuver that you can perform right off the deck once you’ve perfected it.

Keep in mind too, when setup correctly, your airplane is a predictable machine. You only need to know where the limits are in your piloting skills as well as the airplane’s capabilities. Remember that the former is usually the limiting factor, so keep practicing. Then too, don’t forget, the ground is the limit and not the sky!

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COLUMN HOW TO

This view of the Komet shows you its unusual WWII Alexander Lippisch design, which featured it being a rocket-powered airplane. The elevons are in the 10 degrees up position for level flight.

E-POWER

POWER IS HEAT—THE HOW AND WHY OF IT

BY Andrew Gibbs

I

n this installment I start to explain motor efficiency. First, let’s look at an inspirational model.

Full-scale pilot and modeler, Rick Morris shows us his Me163 Komet. This small model gets a lot of interest from other modelers at the airfield. It has also given Rick much piloting pleasure.

The model is shown here with its original, fixed-pitch, non-folding propeller. The bungee’s hook can be seen on the Komet’s belly. The wheels are a scale detail that Rick uses for display only.

The absence of formers makes positioning equipment easy. Foam rubber in front of the battery maximizes its chance of survival in the event of a hard landing.

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RC SPORT FLYER . JANUARY 2014

ME163 KOMET Recently, I met Rick Morris at a model event. He is a retired pilot. We talked about flying models and fullscale airplanes. He also showed me his Me163 Komet.

Rick’s Komet is based on a vintage glider by English modeler Keith Humber, which Keith designed for slope soaring. However, Rick installed an electric power system in his model. He has also changed the airfoil section and altered the

The Komet is positioned on its launch ramp, ready to be bungee launched. The motor is started only after the model has cleared the ramp and become airborne.

The Me163 Komet sits in a menacing stance ready to chase down the enemy, and hoping that it made a kill before it ran out of rocket power. The propeller is not noticeable in flight.

Rick’s model was retrofitted with a folding propeller because the nonfolder kept breaking on landings. The cowl is cut down from a Brian Taylor part.

This is the release mechanism that Rick uses with his bungee launching. When you step down on the pedal it pushes the string of the peg and release the bungee. I like the warning!

fuselage construction considerably.

Rick chose a NACA 2312 semisymmetrical section, which is 14% thick at the wing root. It uses a 16% thick airfoil that closely resembles a Clarke Y section at the wing tip, with four degrees of washout. This, plus the fact the tip has a relatively thick section as compared to the root results in very safe stalling characteristics. Rick says the model has no defined stall as such, but comes down flat “like a pancake” if the airspeed goes low enough.

The fuselage design is also altered. The original design used formers. Rick’s model has none,

The Me163 Komet is positioned on the ramp and ready for launch. Once the release pedal is pressed, the bungee will accelerate the model to flying speed, after which the motor is started.

being of monocoque construction.

Consequently, the RC gear and power system were positioned in the fuselage as needed.

The power system consists of a Hacker A30-12M and a 3S 2100-mAh LiPo battery, which provides fiveminute flights. The 8x6 propeller is of the folding type.

FLIGHT TESTING Flight testing was flown in a coat of green primer over the undercoat.

The test flights were undertaken without the power system installed as a way to reduce weight, and thus the chance of damage. The model

was bungee launched and flown over long grass. This gave Rick the opportunity to find the model’s best center of gravity position, and to determine elevon control throws.

A setting of around 10 degrees up elevon is required for level flight.

IN FLIGHT The model is bungee launched.

Rick’s technique is to hold full up elevator for launch, easing off once the model gains airspeed.

Rick has devised launch ramp that is noteworthy because it takes up very little space to store and transport. I’ve include several pictures of this system so you can copy it.

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E-POWER

This is what the WWII pilots must have seen as the Me163 returned from a flight. Rick has developed this into an enjoyable, well-sorted, small electric-powered machine that’s fun to fly.

The left and right wing spars are joined to each other using thin, curved plywood joiners that have been glued to the spars. This makes for a very strong wing joint.

The launch ramp is being assembled in this photo. It is made of PVC pipes, metal tubes, a little wood and pipe holders. All the parts can be purchased from most good hardware stores.

SPECIFICATIONS

The pipe clip’s faces must be trimmed to provide a smooth, low-friction surface for the model to ride on when it is slung forward by the bungee cord.

Wingspan : 44 in.

Weight : 3 lb 8 oz Motor : Hacker A30-12M ESC : 40-amp Jeti Battery : Thunder Power 3S 2100-mAh Propeller : 8x6 Aeronaut folder Radio : Spektrum 2.4-GHz Servos : Hitec HS5245MG (2) Flights : 5 min ≈1800-mAh

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This view shows how the Komet, bungee and the pedal release system are positioned for a launch. Notice how all the lines are V for the release.

ELECTRIC POWER PART 4

MOTOR EFFICIENCY The cooling fins on the dummy cylinders of Chris Golds’ electricpowered Westland Interceptor underscore just how much heat a real gas-powered engine must dissipate when it is in flight.

An important aspect of any power system is efficiency of the motor. Efficiency and power are sometimes confused. It is important to appreciate that efficiency has a specific meaning; it is the term used to define the ratio of output power to input power. For example, if a motor consumes 200 watts (input power) from the battery, but produces 100 watts of mechanical power to turn the propeller (output power), then it is wasting half the power. In this case, we would say that the efficiency of the motor is 50 percent. Similarly, a motor system that consumes 1000 watts, but only delivers 750 watts is 75 percent efficient.

Efficiency can be expressed in this simple way: Efficiency = Power Out divided by Power In x 100% What happens to the wasted energy?

It does not just disappear. The energy must go somewhere. It turns into waste heat.

This explains why motors become warm when run. Even the best electric motors are not 100 percent efficient, so there is always wasted energy.

The overall efficiency of a power system’s components is determined by multiplying their individual efficiencies together. For example, if a system has a battery operating at 90 percent, an ESC at 80 percent and a motor at 70 percent, the overall efficiency of the system is 0.9 x 0.8 x 0.7 x 100 = 50.4 percent. Note that this is better than a gas engine, which only achieves about 20 to 25 percent efficiency.

SYSTEM HEAT

Efficiency applies to all components in the power system, not just to the motor.

This is because when current passes through resistance heat is generated. The higher the resistance and/or current flow, the greater the heat. Motors, ESCs and batteries all have electrical resistance. Therefore, heat is

No electric motor is 100% efficient. The efficiency will depend on the quality of the wire and magnets, the number of laminations and how much current is running through it.

generated when current flows through it. This is especially so in high-power systems.

Power, measured in watts, is found by using the formula P = I²R. In modeling terms: Power = Current2 x Resistance One point worth expanding on is that this formula shows us the heat generated is proportional to the current squared. This means if current doubles, the heat generated in a resistance will rise by a factor of four.

To illustrate this, let’s consider a motor with an electrical resistance of 0.1 ohms. We can calculate the heat generated at both 10 amps and at 20 amps: At 10 amps, the heat generated is: 102 x 0.1 = 10 Watts At 20 amps, the heat generated is: 202 x 0.1 = 40 Watts So, it is important to know the current drawn by a motor system. It is essential the motor, ESC and battery are optimized for the current they must conduct.

INQUIRY

Fred Burman wrote, Hi Andrew, my Multiplex Cularis manual says to use a separate battery for the receiver and servos instead of the supply from the ESC, but does not give a reason. Would it be in case the main power battery is drained to the point where it could not power the receiver and servos? The Cularis’ BEC is rated at three amps. The setup I am using will have telemetry, so I can monitor the main battery voltage and land before it gets too low. In this case do you think a separate battery would still be necessary?

Hi Fred, like any electronic device, the Battery Eliminator Circuit (BEC) in an ESC has its limitations. The most important is the maximum current output it can sustain.

All BECs have a current limit. It must not be exceeded if the equipment is to function reliably. Since the BEC is a safety-critical component, it must not be ignored. If the maximum current is exceeded, the system may shut down or cease working, which would result in the loss of model control.

The current drawn by the model’s servos depends on the number, type, size of the control surfaces and their deflections, the airspeed of the model and the amount of friction in the control system.

In the case of the Cularis, it has six servos: rudder, elevator, flaps (2) and ailerons (2). Together, they could demand more than three amps from the BEC. This is most likely why the manual calls out a separate power source for the Cularis’ RC system.

If no BEC is used, there are three basic options for providing power to an RC system: 1. A dedicated 4-cell receiver battery.

2. A 2- or 3-cell LiPo in conjunction with a standalone BEC. Standalone BEC or Universal Battery Elimination Circuit (UBEC) are usually rated for higher currents than the BEC in an ESC. 3. A UBEC that draws its power from the motor battery.

I would probably use a UBEC, and wire it so it draws its power from the motor battery. This has the advantage of being a lightweight, one-battery solution. However, a UBEC can be a source of possible radio interference. Locate it at least two inches away from the receiver, servos and servo wiring.

LVC

As to the issue of the motor battery being drained. This shouldn’t be a concern, because of Low Voltage Cutoff (LVC) in the ESC. If the LVC circuit senses the battery’s voltage is low, it will reduce or cut motor power, ensuring there is sufficient power for the BEC.

NEXT MONTH

In my next column, I’ll show you another model, and I’ll start to discuss the internal workings of motors.

You can reach me at: andrew@gibbsguides.com If you’d like to see your model appear in my column, send at least one high-quality photograph, along with the details of your airplane.

RC-SF.COM

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COLUMN

BUILD A DRONE HELP YOUR COMMUNITY WIN $10,000 IN COLD, HARD CASH

BY Lucidity, Roswell Flight Test Crew The Drone Social Impact Award seeks to inspire and recognize individuals and groups doing beneficial and humanitarian work with home-made drone aircraft.

The video can be seen on the front page of the organization’s website:

www.bansheereeksnp.org

Scenic Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve in Loudoun County, Virginia, was the location of one community service project conducted by the D.C. Area Drone User Group (DC DUG), which could serve as an example for a possible entry in the Drone Social Impact Award. Group members used their systems to capture aerial footage of the area and created a promotional video, which they then provided free of charge to the Friends of Banshee Reeks.

H

ere at the Roswell Flight Test Crew, we’ve found some kindred spirits among the fast-growing membership of the Drone User Group Network (DUGN) and most especially its founder, Timothy Reuter.

Like us, Timothy believes that First-Person View (FPV) technology and automated flight systems will transform the economy and save

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RC SPORT FLYER . JANUARY 2014

lives—and, owing to a quirk of fate, hobbyists have a unique and profound role to play in making that happen.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has been caught flat-footed by the drone revolution that has emerged over the past few years. As a result, they have clamped down on all commercial operations until 2015 at the earliest,

which has effectively locked the big corporations out of the domestic industry. However, RC enthusiasts are permitted to fly drones under FAA Advisory Circular 91-57.

It’s as if following the invention of the cell phone, AT&T and Verizon and all the rest of them had to sit on the sidelines and only ham radio operators were allowed to play around with this new technology.

This is a moment that is almost unprecedented in human history— and, like us, Timothy decided he wanted to be a part of it. He wants you to be a part of it, too, and he’s got $10,000 on the line to prove it.

TALK = CHEAP According to Timothy, awarding a prize for demonstrating the positive uses of hobbyist drones is a natural continuation of what he’s already doing in the hobby.

“For the past year, we’ve been constantly thinking about how to expand the impact of our work with drones. We want to make the world a better place with flying robot technology,” he told me. “I started by founding a group in my own community, the Washington, D.C., Area Drone Users Group (DC DUG), and then I went on from there to establish a nationwide alliance of similar groups, which is the Drone User Group Network.

“The next logical step was to offer a prize for people to demonstrate beneficial social impacts of this technology, to start building up a catalog of cases studies to show what is possible.”

Timothy explained that he was inspired by the original Ansari X Prize, which was awarded to Burt Rutan’s Scaled Composite in 2004 for conducting two sub-orbital flights in a reusable spacecraft within a two-

week period.

“I was also inspired by the ‘Grand Challenges’ that are being offered by different agencies of the federal government to The primary video capture platform used to produce the video was a Mikrokopter-based octocopter, which is owned encourage technological

by Nils Granholm. innovation,” Timothy said. “The United States Agency for International Development, for example, has one that is looking at how to “But the fact is that we’re living in prevent atrocities and crimes against amazing times when you can get humanity, and NASA has one looking useful results for a couple of hundred for ways to achieve sense-and-avoid bucks.” capability with Unmanned Aircraft To be considered for the award, Systems (UAS) operating in the the project must be accomplished National Air Space.” using a drone that costs less than His hope is to get people to move $3,000. Entries must include a beyond tinkering with their aircraft written overview of the cost, and to finding practical applications for finalists will be contacted to provide them. a detailed financial breakdown of the “There are a lot of people active in platform that they are using, so hang this community right now, including on to those receipts. me, who are very much in love with “We included the $3,000 limit the technology—I want to get them for three reasons,” said Timothy. thinking about how they can use it to “First of all, we want these projects solve real-world problems,” he said. to be something achievable by “I hear people talking all the time an individual or a small group. about these great ideas. My goal is Second, we wanted the prize to be to get them to stop talking and start proportional to the amount spent doing.” on equipment, and third, I think that putting a constraint on resources RESULTS = $10,000 forces people to think outside the “In many people’s minds, drones box.” are only for governments and large Timothy said he is leaving the corporations,” Timothy explained. term “social impact” vague for a RC-SF.COM

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BUILD A DRONE

Nils Granholm, a member of DC DUG, pilots his octocopter, capturing video imagery of the Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve.

good reason.

“We’ve deliberately designed the criteria to be very broad,” he said.

“We don’t want to stifle anybody’s creativity. We believe that the best uses of this technology haven’t even been discovered yet. Like the smartphone, we see this as a technology that allows for emergent applications—and we’re still right at the beginning of its development.

“I think the hobbyists and the amateurs have an opportunity to disrupt what is already a disruptive innovation, even before it ever gets going. This is truly a golden age of maker aviation.”

The last thing that I want to do is stifle your creativity, but I thought a few concrete examples might be helpful, so I followed up with Timothy on that point.

He replied: “The DC Area Drone User Group has been helping a local park map their natural resources using drones. My favorite example of people using flying platforms to help communities comes from the aftermath of the

THE FINE PRINT

Capturing aerial video with Nils Granholm’s octocopter required a twoperson team. While Granholm himself piloted the aircraft line of sight, DC DUG’s Director of Flying Robot Arts, Kevin Good, used a hooded video screen to watch a real-time video feed and pivot the camera by means of an on board gimbal.

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Here are the rules that all entrants must abide by to be eligible to win the $5,000 Drone Social Impact Award: • All entries are due by March 10, 2014, and should consist of a twoto four-minute YouTube video along with a one- to two-page write up. E-mail entries to: prizes@ dugn.org • The prize will be awarded for work that has already been done.

Ongoing efforts may be submitted, but only the portion of the project that has been completed will be considered in making the award.

• For the purposes of this contest, a “drone” is considered to be an unmanned aircraft that is either operated remotely or autonomously by a computer system.

• Any individual, group of individuals, community organization, non-profit group, business or corporation anywhere in the world is eligible to win the

•

•

• •

prize, provided that it is legal to transfer funds to them from the United States. A group working in a country currently under U.S. sanctions may be recognized for their efforts, but will not receive the prize money.

The total cost for the drone used to accomplish the activity to be considered for this award must not exceed $3,000. This includes the aircraft itself and any on board systems, such as cameras and other sensors, as well as ground station equipment. Indirect costs—such as travel expenses, labor, postprocessing of imagery—are not included in the total.

The contest will be judged and the award determination made by the leaders of the Drone User Group Network and a select panel of experts. No one involved in the judging is eligible to win the award.

For complete information about the award, judging criteria and other details, visit: dugn.org/prizes

Deepwater Horizon oil spill, when volunteer organizations used aerial photography to document the environmental damage communities had suffered, which helped those communities make requests for compensation. In that case, they were using cameras attached to balloons, but the exact same opportunities exist to document environmental damage or expose corruption with drones.

“We also love what the Roswell Flight Test Crew has been doing with first responders to show the potential of UAVs to improve public safety and search and rescue. That’s why we wanted you to be advisers and judges for this effort, since you have already been doing these kinds of things with your equipment and inspiring others in the way we hope to do with our prize.

“People are already doing these things with higher-end systems—we just want to see what people can accomplish with a smaller budget that is in reach for more people.”

GET IN THE GAME In order to be considered for the award, you need to submit your project to “prizes@dugn.org” by March 10, 2014. I’ve put together a sidebar with all the particulars, including the DUGN website where you can find additional information.

If you have any questions about the contest prior to making your submission, you can send an e-mail to that same address.

Like Timothy, we’re excited to see what you guys create in response to this challenge. As he mentioned above, he’s brought us on board to help judge the competition. That being the case, our advice would be to communicate your goal and how you accomplished it very clearly.

Remember, the ultimate aim of this entire project is to allow other folks to replicate your results and help their own communities.

All of us who fly FPV or play around with autonomous flight control systems have been given an extraordinary opportunity to play an important role in the future of a technology that will ultimately change the world. We need

Kevin Good, Director of Flying Robot Arts for DC DUG, frames up a shot using a remote control gimbal and a real-time video feed.

WE’RE DUGN IT! The Drone User Group Network (DUGN) is a nationwide coalition of community groups and clubs that are dedicated to building and operating their own drone aircraft. Its mission is to foster interest in the use of civilian unmanned aerial technology and demonstrate its positive potential for humanity. The network seeks to fulfill this mission through community service projects, educational events, build parties, art projects, fly-ins and advocacy.

A QUICK PATCH

In our October 2013 video about putting on an FPV demonstration at the Portland Mini Maker Faire, we challenged our hard-core fans to identify where we would next publicly use the phrase “... the aforementioned steelreinforced concrete bridge piling.”

As readers of this magazine will now recognize, it appeared on page 57 of the November 2013 issue of RC Sport Flyer. The first

The organization has over 1,500 members who participate with affiliated groups located in Washington, D.C.; Los Angeles and Orange County, California; North Texas; Fairbanks, Alaska; San Francisco, California; Dayton, Ohio; San Diego, California; Portland, Oregon; South East Queensland, Australia; and, Mexico City, Mexico. The Roswell Flight Test Crew is active with the group in Portland, Oregon: PDXDrones.

For additional information about DUGN, or how to start a chapter in your area, visit the organization’s website: dugn.org

among our fans to correctly identify the source was Steve of Lakemoor, Illinois. For demonstrating such keen attention to detail, we sent Steve a Roswell Flight Test Crew shoulder patch that he can wear with pride.

The patch depicts our honorary — and most likely, mythic — founders: the alien beings who crashed outside the town of Roswell, New Mexico, in 1947. Our Latin motto, “Semper Cadentes” is translated into English as, “Always Crashing.”

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Members of the D.C. Area Drone User Group (DC DUG) meet for a fly-in held April 2013 in Virginia to demonstrate their aircraft.

everybody’s ideas, creativity and input to get to a good outcome, and you might as well take a shot at winning the $10,000 prize while you’re at it.

At a fly-in held in Maryland this past May, members of the D.C. Area Drone User Group (DC DUG) await a flight demonstration from an autonomous fixed-wing platform.

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COLUMN HOW TO

HELICOPTERS 101,PART 2 A HELICOPTER IS NOTHING MORE THAN A WHOLE BUNCH OF PARTS FLYING IN TIGHT FORMATION, EACH ONE YEARNING TO BE FREE.

BY Dave Phelps Tip Path Plane and the Rotor Disk

Rotor Disk

Tip Path Plane

The tip path plane is the flat plane formed by the tips of the rotor blades as they travel around the circle. The orientation of the tip path plane is controlled by the cyclic control and is used to control the helicopter both laterally and longitudinally.

The rotor disk is the term used to describe the disk formed by the entire rotating rotor system.

L

ast month, we discussed basic aerodynamics as they apply to airplanes and helicopters alike.

This month we’re going to focus on helicopters. For the sake of simplicity, our discussion will be concerned with one specific type of helicopter; one with a conventional two-blade single rotor system that turns clockwise when viewed from above, with collective pitch and a single variable pitch tail rotor. There are many other types of helicopters available to the modeler and when it’s appropriate, we will mention specific factors as they apply to variations on the conventional helicopter.

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It’s probably best at this point to define some commonly used terms.

Let’s start with the “tip path plane,” which is the plane formed by the tips of the rotor blades as they travel around the circle. The circle formed by the tips is often referred to as the “rotor disk”. When the rotor system is lifting, the blades don’t form a flat disk, they form more of a shallow cone. The angle formed between the blades and a perfectly flat disk is called the coning angle. While this may seem to be a distinction without a difference, it does have an effect, however small, on the aerodynamics of the rotor

system. So it’s a distinction worth knowing.

Coning angle, like so many other seemingly insignificant factors affecting helicopter flight is one of those things that can work alone to produce a very minimal effect, in opposition to other forces, which effectively cancel each other out, or it can be one of several factors working in unison to create a much more significant overall effect. We will expand on its importance and effects in future installments.

WHICH PITCH IS WHICH? The term “pitch” will be used a lot

Coning Angle

Coning Angle Coning Angle

The coning angle is the angle formed by the rotor blades in reference to the tip path plane. When the blades are under load, they form a shallow cone rather than a flat disk. The amount of coning is determined by the weight and distribution of the weight of the rotor blades, the load that the rotor system is supporting and the rotational speed of the blades.

Centrifugal force keeps the coning angle from becoming too acute.

as we proceed. For our purposes, it actually has two different meanings.

It is used to describe one of the three axes of motion (pitch, roll and yaw) and in this context refers to the nose up or down orientation of the aircraft relative to the horizon or its attitude (not to be confused with the term used in the teacher’s notes section on a report card, which in my case usually indicated a need for major adjustment).

When used in the context of rotor blades, pitch refers to the angle of incidence, which is the angle formed by the chord-line of the rotor blade in reference to the tip path plane.

(Which pitch is which? Just be glad we don’t have to tune rotor blades like a piano or coat them with pine tar to make them stick. Either one would be confusing, and I’d need a beer first).

The words pitch and angle of attack are sometimes used interchangeably. While this is more or less accepted practice, it’s not always entirely accurate so an understanding of the difference is beneficial (crucial in the case of a standardization check ride).

When used in the context of rotor blades, pitch refers to a mechanical measurement, while angle of attack, as we learned last month, is an aerodynamic measurement. Only in a no-wind, stable and motionless

Tip Path Plane Rotor Blade

hover would pitch and angle of attack seem to be more or less the same. But even then they really aren’t, as we’ll see later.

OF STICKS AND LEVERS There are four controls that the pilot of a helicopter uses: cyclic pitch, collective pitch, throttle and anti-torque. Cyclic pitch controls the pitch and roll orientation of the tip path plane, while anti-torque controls yaw, or heading (nose left and right, like the rudder of an airplane). Collective pitch and throttle combine to control the overall lift, or the total force the rotor system produces.

If we envision the rotor system as a simple fan, collective pitch controls how much air the fan blows while cyclic pitch controls the direction it is blowing. Throttle is used to control the rotational speed of the rotor system and anti-torque is used to control the yaw axis and to counter the rotation of the fuselage caused by the torque applied to the rotor system. When the radio is set up in Mode 2 (the most commonly used mode in the U.S.) the right stick controls cyclic pitch and the left stick controls collective pitch, throttle and anti-torque.

A term that is often used to refer to the combined effect of engine torque and lift as a control function

Coning Angle

is “power”. You will sometimes hear the collective stick referred to as the power lever (pronounced powah leevah), especially by those in the UK. This is actually a very accurate description, probably more accurate than the term “collective stick” used by us rebellious colonists. You will also sometimes hear a Brit refer to the cyclic stick as the “pole”. I’ll let you use your imagination to fill in the blanks about my reaction to the request of an RAF helicopter pilot with whom I traded nickel rides in our respective aircraft (his was a Westland Lynx, mine a Bell AH-1S Cobra), when he asked me, “Can I hold your pole, mate?”

I think I got more ride for the taxpayer’s nickel though. The pole and lever in that Lynx are bolted to an absolutely amazing machine. The Cobra is no slouch when it comes to brute horsepower and agility, but in air-to-air combat, because it can operate at zero or even negative G’s, the Lynx wins pretty much every time. That is unless the Snake is flown in a wholly “Un-British” (read that sneaky) manner. In other words, if you want to get a decent bead on a Lynx, you gotta cheat. Hold my pole, indeed.

THE RIGHT STICK - CYCLIC The cyclic stick controls the pitch and consequently the angle RC-SF.COM

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of attack of the rotor blades as they pass through different portions of the rotor disk. Cyclic pitch as a basic control can be likened to aileron and elevator controls on an airplane. The pitch of the rotor blades is increased and decreased by different amounts as they pass or cycle through different regions of the disk. This is called “cyclic feathering” and is used to control the orientation of the tip path plane, which in turn, controls the roll and pitch attitudes of the aircraft. The swashplate, pushrods, mixing levers and/or radio are set up to make these pitch changes so that a fore and aft movement of the stick causes a corresponding fore and aft movement of the rotor disk, lateral movement of the stick produces a lateral movement of the rotor disk. This task is not quite as simply accomplished as it sounds, as we’ll see next month.

THE LEFT STICK—COLLECTIVE, THROTTLE AND ANTI-TORQUE, ALL MIXED UP Collective pitch is the control that is used to increase or decrease the amount of lift that the rotor system produces. This is usually (not always) accomplished through the same linkage that the cyclic controls use. Whatever the linkage system, it changes the pitch of the blades uniformly or collectively around the entire rotor disk.

We learned last month that as the rotor system produces lift, it also produces a corresponding amount of induced drag. To overcome changes in drag, the throttle must be controlled in a manner that keeps the rotor speed constant. This is commonly called “pitch/throttle mixing” and is accomplished through the use of adjustable bellcranks (older models—you newbies have no idea how good you have it), radio mixing and more recently through the use of a governor. Ideally, the rotor rpm should remain constant, whatever the collective pitch setting is and should require no action by the pilot to maintain.

As torque is applied to the rotor system by the engine (or motor), an equal force is applied to the fuselage, but in the opposite direction. The

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Pitch Pitch Angle or Angle of Incidence Tip Path Plane Relative Wind

Angle of Attack

Pitch Attitude

rotational force applied to the fuselage is overcome by the antitorque control, or in the case of most single rotor model helicopters, the tail rotor.

The tail rotor is generally a twoblade rotor that changes its thrust by changing its collective pitch.

Anti-torque control is commonly mixed with the throttle and collective pitch controls through the use of adjustable bellcranks (you guys REALLY don’t know how good you have it), radio mixing, and/or through an electronically simulated gyroscopic stabilizer, or “gyro”.

When the anti-torque mixing and/ or gyro are set up properly, tail rotor thrust is constantly adjusted by an amount commensurate with the torque required by the main rotor drive system and forces created by airframe aerodynamics so that other than pointing the nose in the desired direction, no action from the pilot is needed—thank your lucky stars.

The tail rotor may seem to be pretty simple and straightforward in its operation, control and function, but there’s actually quite a bit more going on back there both physically and aerodynamically than is apparent to the casual observer. Stay tuned for details in my upcoming columns in this magazine.

THE SWASHPLATE The swashplate is the device used to deliver the linear control

Rotor blade pitch angle, also known as the angle of incidence is the angle formed by the chord line of the blade and the tip path plane. This illustration shows the helicopter in a slight descent or in a nose high decelerating attitude, so the tip path plane and the relative wind are not parallel. In this case, the relative wind is coming from below the tip path plane making the resulting angle of attack greater than the pitch angle.

The word “pitch” is also as an expression of aircraft attitude, referring to the nose up or down angle of the fuselage from level.

movements of the servos to the rotating rotor system. It consists of two disks joined together with a bearing in a sort of Lazy Susan arrangement. The bottom disk does not rotate and is connected by pushrods to the servos. The upper disk rotates with the rotor system and is connected by pushrods to the blade grips either directly or through the flybar using mixing levers. The swashplate and rotor system are usually set up to make the tip path plane follow the orientation of the swashplate, in other words, if the swashplate is tilted forward, the tip path plane will tilt forward.

There are many different methods designers use to accomplish this task; the main differences between them being the number of servos used, the pickup points on the lower disk where the servos are connected and whether the swashplate is part of the collective pitch control system or not. In addition, the design of the rotor head is integral to the design of the swashplate. The two together,

coupled with specific radio mixing form one integrated and sometimes very complex system. At some point in the future we will examine the pros and cons of some of these different control system designs (all of them contain compromises of one sort or another), but for now, it’s enough just to understand what the swashplate does.

THE FLYBAR The flybar is an integral part of the cyclic control system. It acts as a gyroscopic stabilizer and through mixing levers attached with pushrods to the swashplate and the blade grips, slows the rapid and unstable movement of the tip path plane that would occur if pilot input and aerodynamic forces were controlling it directly without stabilization.

Symmetrical airfoil shaped paddles are normally attached to the ends of the bar. They don’t provide any lift, instead they are set up through differential linkage on the mixing levers to displace at a different rate than the tip path plane. When coupled with gyroscopic forces the paddles and weight of the flybar combine to create an adjustable stabilizing force to the rotor system.

The system is designed such that the flybar and tip path plane will always orient to travel in parallel planes.

When the pilot makes a cyclic input, the input is split by the mixing levers between the flybar and the blade grips and because of the gyroscopic force, the flybar reacts

Cyclic Feathering Less Pitch=Less Lift A

B More Pitch=More Lift

to the input more slowly than the tip path plane. The ratio of the split is determined by the designer and is generally not adjustable. When an outside force is applied to the tip path plane, the flybar resists changing its orientation, thereby stabilizing the system.

The amount of stabilizing force that the flybar contributes to the tip path plane is adjusted by changing both the position and amount of weight on the bar. The heavier it is at the end of the bar near the paddles, the more it resists changes in its orientation and the more stabilization it adds to the rotor system. The lighter it is at the ends, the less gyroscopic force the paddles have to overcome, consequently the more compliant the rotor disk is to pilot input and the less resistant the tip path plane is to changes in

Collective Pitch C

C

The orientation of the tip path plane is controlled by cyclic feathering. As the blades pass or “cycle” through different regions of the rotor disk, the pitch is changed resulting in regions of more lift and less lift. The unequal lifting force causes the rotor disk to tilt. Cyclic feathering is controlled by the swashplate.

its orientation, whatever the source of the input. This is good if you’re a “hot stick,” not so good if you have a tendency to over-control.

LOOK MA! NO BAR! A newer trend with RC helicopters is to use no flybar at all. In this case, gyroscopic stabilizers like the one used to stabilize the yaw axis are used to dampen out cyclic instability.

There are distinct advantages to this system, primarily it’s absolutely instantaneous reaction to pilot input.

Next is its ability to be tuned in each individual axis. The rolling and pitch moments of all helicopters are very different not only in each axis, but in each direction for reasons we will discuss later.

When a flybar is used, you’re kind of stuck with a “one size fits all” stabilization solution. But with a flybarless system, you can tune each axis individually. Plus the parts count and the resulting cumulative

Assuming a constant rotational speed, the amount of total force that the rotor system produces is controlled by collective pitch. A change in collective pitch results in an overall increase or decrease of the pitch angle of each rotor blade uniformly or “collectively” around the rotor disk. Generally speaking, the greater the pitch angle the more total force is produced.

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slop in the system is a lot lower, as is the rotating mass. If there is one disadvantage, it’s that the gyro’s reference and input are derived from fuselage movement, not directly from the tip path plane. It’s still cool stuff, but not all that new. They were using three axis rate referenced gyros in a system called SCAS (Stability and Control Augmentation System) to stabilize a flybarless rotor system on full scale Cobras 45 years ago.

Nothing but blade, baby.

SO WHAT’S NEXT? We’re just getting started. Next month, we’ll examine some rotary wing physics and other peculiarities, and then we’ll slew to a five foot hover and study some air flow.

I’d also like to hear what you have to say. What are you flying? Is anyone into older helicopters, like the Champion or the GMP Cricket? Does anyone have a flying Hirobo Shuttle they’d like to share? Or a MiniBoy? How about the first RC sling wing kit, the Schluter AH-1 Cobra? Any Kalt Baron guys out there? E-mail me

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RC SPORT FLYER . JANUARY 2014

The Swashplate

To Rotor Head

The swashplate is the device that converts linear servo motion to rotary motion and is used to control cyclic feathering. It is comprised of two disks joined together with a bearing that allows the top disk to rotate with the rotor system while the bottom disk remains stationary. The servos are connected with pushrods to the bottom disk and the rotor head is connected using pushrods to the upper disk. A control movement that causes a tilting of the swashplate will result in a corresponding tilt in the tip path plane.

To Servos

with photos and details and I’ll see if I can talk Wil into publishing them.

Until then, may your spare set of rotor blades stay comfortably out of sight when your significant other decides to paint the kitchen. It seems they make very effective paint stirrers and I’m told that I shouldn’t worry,

latex paint washes right off. I know, right? Might not have been so bad if she had followed up with, “Hey, can I hold your pole, mate?”

Just checking to see if you’re still paying attention, Wil. E-mail me at: david.phelps7@ frontier.com.

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er & rt Fly n o p S RC iatio d by: ft Assoc e r o s a Spon ure Aircr at Mini

ore For M tion and a Inform istration: eg om Pre-R irdflyer.c rb rc-wa e: Phon 7-0831 96 509-

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REVIEW HOW TO

GT TRAINER

IT’S MORE THAN A TRAINER, AND IT’S 30-CC GAS POWERED

BY Richard Kuns

W

hile attending the annual Weak Signals show in Toledo, Ohio last year, I was surprised to see a large trainer airplane in the Aeroworks booth. I was so because Aeroworks is known for its excellent selection of aerobatic airplanes, and more recently for several superb scale model offerings.

Aeroworks’ new, giant trainer/ sport airplane, however, caught my attention at the show. It is designed

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for power from either a DLE-20 or 30 gas-powered engine. After studying it in their booth and reading the specifications, I was eager to assemble one and fly it. I wanted to see how much of Aeroworks’ aerobatic tradition had found its way into this attractive trainer/sport airplane.

KIT CONTENTS • Fuselage

• • • • • • • • • • • •

Right & left wing Horizontal stabilizer w/ elevator Vertical stabilizer w/ rudder Windshield w/ mounting screws Front & rear side windows Cowl w/ mounting screws Aluminum wing tube Nose wheel steering pushrod Throttle/choke Linkage Pre-drilled nylon engine mount 3.5-in. wheels & axle set Nose wheel strut w/mount

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The Aeroworks GT Trainer features brightly colored, plastic film covered wood airframe components. It comes with cowl, windows, wing tube and many other accessories, including a good hardware package.

• Foam pack w/ one wrap strap • Ball link, control horn, pushrods & pull-pull sets • 15-oz fuel tank • Aluminum landing gear w/ bolts • Decal set • CD manual The GT Trainer ships packaged very well. Aeroworks puts it into a sturdy cardboard box that uses dividers between major components.

In the kit box they also include a box that contains all the optional accessories. All the parts and pieces come individually wrapped in plastic bags, with the wings protected inside bubble wrap. Then too the parts are taped in position so they do not shift during transport. All the hardware is bagged according to its function, which eliminates the need to identify and sort parts. The model comes with its hinges glued in place—it was nice to see they were factory done. The plastic film covering was excellent, but with a few of the typical bubbles to shrink out.

Excellent hardware is a hallmark of Aeroworks’ airplanes— everything needed is included.

There is no reason to even consider substitutions. And, assembly instructions come on compact disc.

In addition to the kit, I bought several optional accessories: a color matched spinner, wheel pants and a A tablet like my iPad is good way to reference the manual while you are in the shop working on the model. You’ll simply download the manual from Aeroworks and then scroll from page to page.

It works great!

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The kit’s hardware package is very complete with landing gear, instruction CD, extra covering, colorful decals, templates for cowl openings, CG Buddy and lots of hardware individually bagged.

drop box for candy.

USED TO COMPLETE • DLE-30 gas engine • Propeller Xoar 18x8 • Aeroworks 3-in. spinner • 3 Hitec HS-645MG servos • 1 Hitec HS-5645MG servo • Futaba R6008HS receiver • Servo extensions: 36-in. (1), 12-in. (2), 18 in. (2) • 5-cell NiMh 2,000 mAh (2) • 4-cell NiMh 2,000 mAh (1) • EMS DSC heavy duty switch (3) • Opto kill switch

This is the radio gear that I chose to control my GT Trainer: receiver, servos, extensions, batteries, switches and optical ignition switch. You can buy pretty much all of it from Aeroworks too.

Aeroworks provides templates for trimming the cowl for the two engine choices they offer for this model. You’ll find that they will save you lots of time, and maybe money, picking the right places to cut the cowl.

FLYING At the RC airfield, on a chilly late fall day, I fueled and started the DLE-30. After taxiing it out onto the runway, I applied about one-third throttle. The GT Trainer sped down the runway and took to the air, climbing rapidly to pattern altitude.

At pattern altitude, I found that it only needed two clicks of down-elevator trim to maintain level flight.

Then I started to explore its performance and handling. The GT Trainer’s stalls are gentle and

Optional accessories include the candy drop box, wheel pants that included smaller wheels for flying the model off pavement, and 3-in. spinner. The candy drop box will fasten to the belly of the airplane.

The firewall must be modified to fit the DLE-30. You’ll remove the existing blind nuts (DLE-20 mounting) and drill new mounting holes—template provided.

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A standard muffler fits inside cowl and its exhaust clears the bottom nicely. Wire ties are used to support choke pushrod.

The DLE-30 engine comes with all the hardware, including standoffs, ignition and muffler, 1/4-in. spacers were left over from a previous airplane.

Here you see that the choke’s pushrod is bent so it does not touch the engine’s crankcase while it is running.

Here you see the rudder servo, with the pull-pull linkage attached. The steering pushrod is attached to one side, closer to the center of servo arm so nose wheel throw is less. The receiver batteries are behind the cockpit to aid in getting the balance set properly.

A large hole in firewall accommodates high tension ignition lead and the spark plug boot.

There is a standard nose wheel mount and steering arm in the center. The hole for pushrod needed to be enlarged to clear clevis.

For balance purposes, the ignition battery was moved to the cockpit.

The receiver is near the end of platform to increase its distance from ignition components.

Note one antenna is mounted vertically on cross brace.

I cut two balsa posts from scrap to fit in fin mount holes to help align and index the horizontal stabilizer during the gluing process. They were then removed before the epoxy cured.

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Pull-pull cables exit the fuselage through provided guides. Typical Aeroworks linkages includes two metal horns with ball clevis. Locking nuts were tightened after I set the rudder’s control throws.

The GT Trainer’s elevator linkage uses pushrod with left and right hand threads. That way you can adjust the elevator’s trim by turning centered nut to lengthen or shorten the rod’s length. The same linkage type is provided for the ailerons.

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My GT Trainer easily locks into knife-edge flight, and it does so with only a slight pull to its belly.

straight forward. Next, I moved on to flying it through some aerobatics. It loops and rolls very easily. Inverted flight requires only very slight down pressure on the elevator’s control stick. Rolling it into knife-edge, I was pleasantly surprised that it locked in with only a slight tendency to

As you can see by looking at the elevator, inverted flight requires only a touch of down elevator control to maintain level flight.

pull towards its bottom. Apparently the GT Trainer thinks it’s another Aeroworks aerobatic!

With its light wing loading and solid stall characteristics, the GT Trainer is also quite easy to land.

After refueling my model, I passed the transmitter around to the

line of waiting pilots. More loops, rolls, knife-edges, spins, stall turns, inverted flight and outside loops ensued. One pilot even discovered that it hovers easily. Clearly the DLE30 delivers plenty of power for this 13-lb airplane.

I had the GT Trainer fitted with its attractive (accessory) wheel pants and smaller wheels for the model’s early flights. This turned out to be somewhat impractical in the wet, thick grass at our RC airfield. While landing it in the grass, the nose wheel pant caught. The model when up on its nose, resulting in a broken propeller. Subsequent flights were then made with the standard, larger wheels and without wheel pants—all without incident.

ANALYSIS So, is the Aeroworks GT Trainer for you? It is perfect for experienced modelers looking for a gas-powered sport airplane, with its exceptional handling characteristics. It’s also a good way to experience the excellence of the Aeroworks QuickBuild kits. It can be used for club events, dropping candy or carrying parachutists. It is also a fine airplane for demonstration flights or training a family member. The GT Trainer is a wonderful airplane and a good value, considering it sells for only $449.95 plus shipping and handling.

My Futaba T8FG radio is a perfect match for controlling the Aeroworks GT Trainer. And, it is a very affordable option for the airplane too.

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RC SPORT FLYER . JANUARY 2014

SUPPLIERS

AeroWorks 4903 Nome Street Denver, CO 80239 Phone: 303-371-4222 aero-works.net Hitec RCD 12115 Paine Street Poway, CA 92064 Phone: 858-748-6948 hitecrcd.com Futaba 3002 N Apollo Drive, Suite #1 Champaign, IL 61822 Phone: 217-398-0007 futaba-rc.com Tower Hobbies – DLE Engines P.O. Box 9078 Champaign, IL 61826 Phone: 217-398-3636 towerhobbies.com

SPECIFICATIONS

ASSEMBLY Aircraft type : High wing sport aerobat trainer Pilot skill : Intermediate Wingspan : 88 in.

Length : 70.5 in. rudder to front of cowl Wing area : 1,320 sq2 Airfoils : Semi-symmetric Weight : 13 lb Wing loading : 22.7 oz /ft2 Controls : Aileron, elevator, rudder, and throttle Construction : Built-up balsa and plywood structure Landing Gear : aluminum main landing gear, wire nose gear Cowl : fiberglass cowl Radio Channels : 5 required, 6 used Price : $449.95 plus S&H

FINAL CONTROL THROWS/EXPO ELEVATOR RUDDER AILERON

Lo 10°/-40% 30°/-30% 15°/-40%

High 25°/-65% 30°/-30% 30°/-65%

CENTER OF GRAVITY Five inches back from the wing’s leading edge measured at wing root

This is a Quick Build kit. So, as I expected, many time consuming assembly jobs were completed at the factory: surfaces are hinged, mounting holes are drilled in the canopy and cowl, fuel tubing with barbs installed in stopper, and provisions are made for mounting ignition, batteries, servos and receiver.

There are only two steps that require gluing—the tail feathers and side windows. I took care to get the tail surfaces square with the airplane, and then allowed plenty of drying time for the adhesive to cure well. Pre-covered triangle braces are used to strengthen joints too.

Rather than use canopy glue, I used clear silicone caulk to attach the side windows. Silicone fills gaps better, grabs quickly and dries faster than conventional canopy glue. Once these few items were assembled and glued, the remainder of the assembly is essentially screwing on the various parts to the airframe.

Mounting the DLE-30 requires some modification to the firewall.

Blind nuts for the DLE-20 must be pressed out. Then you’ll want to patch the holes. AeroWorks provides small pieces of dowel for the patches. Then new mounting holes for the DLE-30

must be drilled. Aeroworks provides a template. Note that you’ll use 1/4-in. spacers to mount the engine at the correct distance for a proper fitting of the cowl.

There were several minor discrepancies between the parts supplied and the instructions. For example, 16-mm screws were called for to attach elevator’s control horns.

These would have been too long, but shorter screws were included in the hardware package. Also, for the landing gear, two 4-mm wheel collars were called out for each axle. Only one is provided because the axle now has a wider shoulder that eliminates the need for the inner collar.

Finally, the initial balance of the GT Trainer showed it was nose heavy.

To bring my GT Trainer into balance, I moved the ignition battery from the ignition compartment to the radio tray and mounted the receiver batteries behind the rudder servo. I also doubled the balsa with 1/8-in. lite plywood as a way to support the receiver batteries.

All in all, the build/assembly of this model went very well. I would recommend it even for the beginner builder, especially when the CD’s stepby-step instructions are followed.

RC-SF.COM

87

REVIEW HOW TO

J-3 CUB 450

THE 25-SIZE’S LITTLE BROTHER THAT HAS BIG BOY CHARACTER

BY Dan Deckert

My new E-flite® J-3 Cub 450 sits on the ramp at the RC airfield, waiting for its maiden flight. This model is the little brother to my 25-size E-flite J-3 Cub.

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RC SPORT FLYER . JANUARY 2014

W

hen I saw the new E-flite J-3 Cub 450 , it was a have-to-have airplane for me. Its 51-inch wingspan isn’t much smaller than its big brother, the E-flite 25-size J-3, which sports a 62-inch wingspan. Even so, it just had the right feel in terms of size to meet my Piper Cub obsession.

Because I already have the E-flite 25-size J-3 Cub, the decision to own this new 450 model was an easy one to make. A huge bonus is the fact this is an airplane that is balsa built, with factory done covering, rather than some of molded foam models that are often commonly seen at the RC airfield. Then too, E-flite almost-ready-to-fly (ARF) kits are easy to assembly. So, I knew the J-3

Cub 450 wouldn’t disappoint me in terms of quality of build, fit and finish and certainly in terms of flight performance.

KIT CONTENTS First, and importantly, the J-3 Cub 450 comes well packaged with each part being individually wrapped, bagged and separated.

My kit arrived with no damage.

The covering did, however, require some ironing to remove a few small wrinkles in places. Otherwise, my E-flite J-3 Cub 450 ’s airframe was beautifully covered in plastic film.

Also, you’ll see almost immediately, upon opening the box, that the J-3 will require little time and effort to assemble and ready for flight.

• Scale design lines • Laser-cut balsa and plywood construction • Factory-built airframe • Hangar 9® UltraCote® covering • Ready-to-mount a motor • Struts and jury struts • Pre-painted fiberglass cowling w/ engine details • Cross-brace and instrument panel cockpit detail • Internal servo mounting for scale integrity • Pre-cut clear plastic windshield • Pre-formed side windows • Authentic Cub wheels and finished wire landing gear • Battery hatch w/ magnetic latch • Steerable tailwheel • Hardware package n decalscal set RC-SF.COM

89

REVIEW

E-FLITE® J-3 CUB 450

The factory recommended control systems for the J-3 Cub 450 made the build very simple because all the parts make for excellent fit.

The pre-cut side windows are a big time saver during the build. The front window matched the airplane’s frame perfectly, which made it easy to install too.

E-flite used scale details throughout in this kit, including the landing gear and wheels, which I think adds to the attractiveness of this airplane.

NEEDED TO COMPLETE You’ll need the usual assortment of hobby tools, (Phillips screwdrivers, pliers, hobby knife with blades, pin drill). I recommend you also use removable thread locker, thin cyanoacrylate (CA) glue and epoxy.

Also I recommend you use fine-tip applicators for the CA to get it into the tight spots. You should use heatshrink tube to hold the connections together on the extension wires. If you opt to paint the control horns, pushrods, screws and struts to hide the white plastic parts, as I did, you need Testors #1114 yellow paint too.

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RC SPORT FLYER . JANUARY 2014

It matches the covering perfectly and adds to the finished look of your airplane.

• Motor Park 450 / Park 480 • ESC E-flite 30-amp / 40-amp • Battery E-flite 3S 11.1-volt 1800-mAh LiPo • Propeller 10x7E / 12x6E • Transmitter Spektrum DX6i • Receiver Spektrum AR610 DSMX

• Servos E-flite DS76 sub-micro (4) • Extensions 6-in. (2), 9-in. (2) • Y harness 3-in. reversing type IN THE AIR I was curious about the power the E-flite Power 450 motor would produce, when in combination with the 30-amp ESC and 3S LiPo pack.

So, before I flew the model I installed a wattmeter between the battery and the ESC to see how much power this system delivers. I was pleasantly

There is a left and right side to the struts. I recommend you dryfit the pieces to make sure they fit airplane properly before you do the final install.

I used shrink tube on my J-3’s extension connectors instead of string or clip locks because they are secure, and they pull through the wing easily.

The front plate is for the optional pilot. The factory installed panel decal is another very nice touch that adds to the scale detailing of the J-3 Cub 450.

surprised. The motor system pulls four amps at half throttle, which is 50 watts on my meter. At full throttle the Power 450 pulls 18 amps or the equivalent of 200 watts—very nice!

As a point of reference, both my tests were done with the motor turning a 10x7 wooden propeller.

The day I test flew my J-3 Cub, the morning started off at seven degrees above zero. By the time the model was set up and ready to fly at the RC airfield the temperature was hovering around 20 degrees. No matter, the sun was out and it was a no-wind day, so I was ready to make

some hops around the patch.

The 200 watts delivered by the Power 450 motor, 30-amp ESC and 3S LiPo proved to be plenty of power for this little Cub. After taxiing it onto the runway, I applied power gradually. The model’s tail came up after about 10 feet of roll. I had no trouble driving it down the centerline of the runway because the rudder is quite effective. Then at about 50 percent power the model lifted off.

Even at 50 percent power the model climbs well. At full throttle it climbs aggressively, to say the least!

I found the model needed three

To make the build easy, E-flite has pre-mounted blind nuts installed in the firewall. They are designed to fit the Park 450 or Park 480 motor.

clicks of right aileron trim, two clicks of up elevator and no rudder trim. It flew well right off the building bench.

Power-off stalls are tame—even with full up elevator control, this little Cub just mushes straight forward, dropping slowly in elevation. Note that my model never did drop a wing or fall into a spin. I had to force it to spin. Then too from straight and level flight, I applied full power and pulled the Cub up into some big inside loops. The Cub showed no tendency to fall out of the loops at the top.

Also, roll control for the Cub is quite good. I was able to roll the Cub after RC-SF.COM

91

REVIEW

E-FLITE® J-3 CUB 450

You’ll want to install the radio gear before you install the side windows. Note that the cabin area is fairly tight once the windows are in place.

In the final setup, my J-3’s ESC connections were run through the bottom of the motor box instead of inside the battery compartment.

Putting an E-flite pilot in the cockpit adds much to the scale appearance of the model both on the ground and in the air. It is worth the few extra dollars!

I epoxied the wing joiners into the airplane’s center section. Be sure to let the epoxy cure completely before you attach the wings to the center.

This shot was taken while I was marveling at just how attractive this little airplane is on the tarmac. It definitely needs the optional pilot!

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RC SPORT FLYER . JANUARY 2014

a fashion, but it required lots of down elevator during the inverted part of the roll—keep it high for when rolling it because you may need room to recover. High-bank turns are easy to do when you coordinate them with rudder and elevator control.

Additionally, the airplane flies straight and level at half throttle, pretty much without pilot input. Landings are a breeze because the model flies slow enough that even my first landing was near perfect. Nothing during the flight tests revealed any quirks in the model’s flight handling and performance.

Note that even on this cold winter day, the Cub turned in a few flights.

The final flight was seven minutes

You’d be hard pressed to know this airplane is actually an RC model if you were seeing this view of it from the air—it is that good!

There’s nothing like a slow fly-by that accentuates the beauty and flight characteristics of this new E-flite J-3 Cub 450. I added the wooden propeller to give it an extra touch of scale detailing.

You will delight in how well the new J-3 Cub 450 flies. I found that all the controls are well coordinated, and the ailerons are especially powerful.

Even, so any intermediate pilot will enjoy flying this model.

The J-3’s departure profile would probably have most individuals believing this is a full-scale Cub headed back home on a beautiful day—it was actually 20 degrees outside.

As you can see from this photo, I’ll be buying the optional scale pilot to put in the cockpit soon. This is such a nicely detailed model that not having a pilot simply leaves something out of pictures like this one.

RC-SF.COM

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REVIEW

E-FLITEÂŽ J-3 CUB 450

This is a half-throttle pass over the runway to allow the pilot to check for obstacles before he sets it up for landing. Notice how good those Cub wheels look!

I kept a little bit of power on for my first landing of the Cub. I was able to put it down smoothly. You will like how easily this model sets up for landings and how nice it touches down.

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RC SPORT FLYER . JANUARY 2014

This reminds me of the many times I’ve watched those fortunate fullscale Cub pilots departing the airfield on a perfect blue-sky day, headed for some secret destination in the mountains.

SPECIFICATIONS

HANGAR DEBRIEF E-flite’s engineers did a terrific job of designing and having this model turned in to an ARF. The addition of the jury struts, the covering on the landing gear legs and the well-done cowl details make for a near-scale appearance of the new E-flite J-3 Cub 450 . Also, I think it is superb that E-flite offers the Cub buyers two options for the power system. This J-3 Cub is easy to transport, even in a small car or truck. My final analysis is, I’m a happy E-flite J-3 Cub pilot that knows his money was spent well.

Aircraft Type : Scale Pilot Skill : Intermediate Wingspan : 51 in. (1300 mm) Length : 32.9 in. (835 mm) Wing Area : 374 in² (24.1 dm²) Airfoils : Semi-symmetrical Weight : 33.2–35.5 oz (940-1005 g) Controls : Aileron, elevator, rudder and throttle Construction : Balsa w/ UltraCote® Radio Channels : 4 required Motor : Park 450 or 480 ESC : E-flite 30-amp (Park 450) E-flite 40-amp (Park 480) Propeller : 10x7E for the 450 12x6E for the 480 Flight Times : 10~15 minutes Transmitter : Spektrum DX7 Receiver : Spektrum AR610 DSMX Battery : E-flite 3S 1800-mAh 30C Servos : E-flite DS76 sub-micro servos Manual : Photo illustrated w/ text Price : $169.99

DISTRIBUTOR

in the 20-degree weather. The LiPo pack was fully charged when the flight started. After the flight, and back at the charging station, the 1800-mAh pack took 800 milliamps to recharge fully. Do the math on that one and you’ll realize that you’re going to get at least 12-minute flights, with plenty of reserve power for go-arounds if needed.

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

CONTROL THROWS Low Rate High Rate ELEVATOR +/- 5/8 in. +/- 3/4 in.

RUDDER +/- 5/8 in. +/- 3/4 in.

AILERON +7/16 / -5/16 in. +9/16 / -1/2 in.

CENTER OF GRAVITY 1-3/8 to 1-3/4 in. back of the leading edge of wing

THE BUILD

The build of the E-flite J-3 Cub 450 is about as straightforward as it gets. The manual is well documented, with instructions and images, so even a beginner should have no trouble building this airplane.

I must disclose three things: First, I use an EDR-203 Servo-Ciser for my builds. It allows me to center and test servos, without using a radio. It’s a huge time saver during a build. Second, I didn’t follow the build manual sequences because there were times when I was waiting for glue to cure, etc. Third, I ironed the wrinkles out of the covering material while everything was in separate pieces because the parts were easier to work on then.

I started the build with the wings and servo pockets. I ran the screws through the cover plates and into the wings to open up their holes. Then I removed the screws and applied thin CA to the holes to harden them.

Next, I centered the ailerons’ servos and worked on the installing the servos’ mounting blocks. Double-sided Scotch® tape works well for holding the servos in place while you mark where the mounting blocks go. I used this technique. The mounting blocks were then glued in place with epoxy.

Once the epoxy cured, I pre-drill the mounting blocks and harden the holes as I did for the cover plates.

You’ll want to dry-fit the controls’ hinges to be sure the hinge slots are aligned between the wing and aileron. After you’re sure the hinges fit properly they’ll get glued in place as per the manual. Next you’ll attach the wings to the fuselage’s center section. I installed the joiners in the center section and allowed the epoxy to cure. Then you can epoxy each wing in position. A light coating of Vaseline® on the exposed covering will prevent excess epoxy from adhering where it’s not wanted so you can remove it easily. Then you will install the servos and control horns. Be sure to trim the control horns so they do not poke

through the top covering. Next, you’ll use the factory-installed pull strings to pull the extensions into the wings.

Once this is done you’ll install the Cub’s struts and jury struts.

The fuselage’s assembly starts with mounting the tail feathers. Be sure to rough up the elevator’s joiner wire with sandpaper so the epoxy adheres to it. Note that there is a left and right elevator—one has a pre-cut slot for the control horn. Next you’ll want to install the elevators’ hinges and set them aside to cure. Then the servos and main landing gear get mounted.

At this point, you’ll fasten the tail sections. I used blue painter’s tape on the horizontal stabilizer to keep epoxy off while it was installed. I recommend you do the same.

Once the tail sections and wing are complete, you’ll attach the motor’s X-mount and mount the motor. Don’t mount the ESC until you set the model’s center of gravity. I recommend you use Velcro® to mount the Cub’s receiver to the interior’s framing. Next you’ll mount the cowl. Be sure to mark the screws’ hole locations carefully. If you get them too far back from the firewall there’s only balsa and the screws will not hold in it. To do this place the propeller adapter on the motor and dry-fit the cowl for a proper fit. Next you’ll mount the main gear and wheels. Be sure use thread locker on the set screws.

At this point you’ll want to lay the airplane on its side and glued the side windows in position using a glue like Formula 560 as the adhesive. None of the Cub’s windows required any trimming. They fit perfectly. For the Cub’s windshield, I recommend you use double-stick Scotch tape around its edges. Doing so, will allow you remove it relatively easily for those just-in-case situations—you won’t have screws showing either.

To finish the assembly you’ll bolt the wings on, slide the battery in and set the model’s center of gravity.

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