RC Flyer News July 2017 (Vol-22-03)

The RC Pilots’ Source

JULY 2017

F EEATU AT UR RE PSS SlOPING

BUILD: DHC-6 TWIN OTTER

EXCLUSIVE:

2017 B E I J I N G MODEL EXPO COVERAGE

• FIESELER FI 156 STORCH • GLIDER SETUPS BASICS • VAN’S RV-14/14A PLAN

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Cylon X-tail Carbon $589.99 Carbon/Glass $479.99 2.0-meter Slope Racer 2 Versions: Fiberglass+Carbon: Hollow-molded fiberglass construction reinforced with carbon fiber, which gives adequate stiffness and torsional rigidity — recommended for sport flying.

Includes: Ballast tube, servo tray, push rod, clevises, linkages, control horns, servo covers, wing joiner, tail joiner, servo plate

Carbon: Wings are full carbon cloth, carbon reinforced fuselage, with carbon from leading edge of the wing to the tail — significant stiffness and torsional rigidity.

Specifications: Wingspan Length Wing area Weight

Features: • Ailerons, rudder, elevator, and flaps.

• Two-piece hollow molded composite carbon fiber or glass wing design • Carbon fiber square wing joiner • Live hinges on the wing and rudder, with wipers • Gel-coated finish with pre-painted graphics • Full-flying stabilizer with pre-installed bellcrank

CG Transmitter Servos wings Servos fuselage Battery

2000 mm (78.75 in.)

1250 mm (49.21 in.)

34.9 dm2 (3.75 sq ft) ≈1600 g (57 oz) 90 – 95 mm back of leading edge 7 channel King Max CLS0911W (4) King Max (2) 4.8 – 8.4 Volts

Designed and Built for Sailplane Modelers RCRCM Gliders Give You More for Less

Mini Vector X-tail

Sunbird X-tail

Carbon $389.99 Carbon/Glass $319.99 1.69-meter Aerobatic Glider

Carbon $349.99 Carbon/Glass $259.99 1.5-meter Sport Sloper

2 Versions:

Includes:

Fiberglass+Carbon: Hollow-molded fiberglass construction reinforced with carbon fiber, which gives adequate stiffness and torsional rigidity — recommended for sport flying.

Carbon: Wings are full carbon cloth, carbon reinforced fuselage, with carbon from leading edge of the wing to the tail — significant stiffness and torsional rigidity.

Features: • Ailerons, rudder, elevator, and flaps.

• Two-piece hollow molded composite carbon fiber or glass wing design • Carbon fiber square wing joiner • Live hinges on the wing and rudder, with wipers • Gel-coated finish with pre-painted graphics • Full-flying stabilizer with pre-installed bellcrank

Ballast tube, servo tray, push rod, clevises, linkages, control horns, servo covers, wing joiner, tail joiner, servo plate

Specifications: Wingspan Length Weight (glass/ carbon) Weight (carbon) Airfoil CG Radio Servos wings Servos fuselage Battery

1690 mm (66.54 in.)

1070 mm (42.13 in.)

720 g (25.40 oz) 830g (29.28 oz) JH8-10 Symmetrical 72 mm back of leading edge 7 channels King Max CLS0911W (4) King Max (2) 4.8 – 8.4 Volts

Includes:

2 Versions: Fiberglass+Carbon: Hollow-molded fiberglass construction reinforced with carbon fiber, which provides the required stiffness and torsional rigidity for sport and aerobatic flying.

Carbon: Wings are full carbon cloth, with carbon from leading edge of the wing to the tail — provides significant stiffness and torsional rigidity, yet is lightweight and strong.

Features: • Ailerons, elevator, flaps, and rudder control • Two-piece hollow molded composite carbon or fiberglass wing design • Carbon wing joiner • Live hinges on the wing and rudder, with wipers • Gel-coat finish, with pre-painted graphics • Full-flying stabilizer with pre-installed bellcrank

Ballast tube, motor mount, servo tray, pushrod, clevises, linkages, control horns, servo covers, wing joiner, tail joiner, servo plate

Specifications: Wingspan Length Weight (glass/ carbon) Weight (carbon) Airfoil CG Radio Servos wings Servos fuselage Battery

Strega V-tail

2 Versions:

2 Versions:

Carbon: Wings are full carbon cloth, with carbon from leading edge of the wing to the tail — provides significant stiffness and torsional rigidity, yet is lightweight and strong.

Features: • Ailerons, elevator, flaps, and rudder control • Two-piece hollow molded composite carbon or fiberglass wing design • Carbon wing joiner • Live hinges on the wing and rudder, with wipers • Gel-coat finish, with pre-painted graphics • Full-flying stabilizer with pre-installed bellcrank

550 g 640 g JH Series 60–65 mm back of leading edge 7 channels King Max CLS0911W (4) King Max Mini (2) 4.8 – 8.4 Volts

Tabu V-tail

Carbon $839.99 Carbon/Glass $709.99 2.9-meter F3F Racer Fiberglass+Carbon: Hollow-molded fiberglass construction reinforced with carbon fiber, which provides the required stiffness and torsional rigidity for sport and aerobatic flying.

1500 mm 900 mm

Includes: Ballast tube, motor mount, servo tray, pushrod, clevises, linkages, control horns, servo covers, wing joiner, tail joiner, servo plate

Specifications: Wingspan Length Weight (glass/ carbon) Weight (carbon) Airfoil CG Radio Servos wings Servos fuselage Battery

2880 mm (113.4 in.)

1470 mm (57.9 in.)

Fiberglass+Carbon: Hollow-molded fiberglass construction reinforced with carbon fiber, which provides the required stiffness and torsional rigidity for sport and aerobatic flying.

Carbon: Wings are full carbon cloth, with carbon from leading edge of the wing to the tail — provides significant stiffness and torsional rigidity, yet is lightweight and strong.

1610 g (56.80 oz)

Features:

1720 g (60.67 oz) JH8 Blend 102–110 mm back of leading edge 7 channels King Max CLS0911W (4) King Max (2) 4.8 – 8.4 Volts

• Ailerons, elevator, flaps, and rudder control • Two-piece hollow molded composite carbon or fiberglass wing design • Carbon wing joiner • Live hinges on the wing and rudder, with wipers • Gel-coat finish, with pre-painted graphics • Full-flying stabilizer with pre-installed bellcrank

Carbon $1299.99 Carbon/Glass $1119.99 3.0-meter F3B/F3F Glider Includes: Ballast tube, motor mount, servo tray, pushrod, clevises, linkages, control horns, servo covers, wing joiner, tail joiner, servo plate

Specifications: Wingspan Length Weight (glass/ carbon) Weight (carbon) CG Radio Servos wings Servos fuselage Battery

2976 mm (117.17 in.)

1500 mm (59.06 in.)

1680 g (59.26 oz) 1760 g (62.08 oz) 90–95 mm back of leading edge 7 channels King Max CLS0911W (4) King Max (2) 4.8 – 8.4 Volts

Toba V-tail

Tomcat X-tail

Carbon $959.99 Carbon/Glass $829.99 3-meter F3B Glider

Carbon $669.99 Carbon/Glass $489.99 2.5-meter F3F Racer

2 Versions: Fiberglass+Carbon: Hollow-molded fiberglass construction reinforced with carbon fiber, which provides the required stiffness and torsional rigidity for sport and aerobatic flying.

Carbon: Wings are full carbon cloth, with carbon from leading edge of the wing to the tail — provides significant stiffness and torsional rigidity, yet is lightweight and strong.

Features: • Ailerons, elevator, flaps, and rudder control • Two-piece hollow molded composite carbon or fiberglass wing design • Carbon wing joiner • Live hinges on the wing and rudder, with wipers • Gel-coat finish, with pre-painted graphics • Full-flying stabilizer with pre-installed bellcrank

Includes: Ballast tube, motor mount, servo tray, pushrod, clevises, linkages, control horns, servo covers, wing joiner, tail joiner, servo plate

Specifications: Wingspan Length Wing area Weight (carbon/ glass) Wing airfoil Stabilizer airfoil Radio Servos wings Servos fuselage Battery

3085mm (121.46 in.)

1456mm (57.32 in.)

58dm2 (6.24ft2) ≈2000 g (74.07 oz) RCRCM2010-8 RCRCM2010-10 7 channels King Max CLS0911W (4) King Max (2) 4.8 – 8.4 Volts

2 Versions: Fiberglass+Carbon: Hollow-molded fiberglass construction reinforced with carbon fiber, which provides the required stiffness and torsional rigidity for sport and aerobatic flying.

Carbon: Wings are full carbon cloth, with carbon from leading edge of the wing to the tail — provides significant stiffness and torsional rigidity, yet is lightweight and strong.

Features: • Ailerons, elevator, flaps, and rudder control • Two-piece hollow molded composite carbon or fiberglass wing design • Carbon wing joiner • Live hinges on the wing and rudder, with wipers • Gel-coat finish, with pre-painted graphics • Full-flying stabilizer with pre-installed bellcrank

Tornado V-tail

Features:

2480 mm 1280 mm 1240 g 1310 g 96 mm back of leading edge 7 channels King Max CLS0911W (4) King Max (2) 4.8 – 8.4 Volts

Carbon $1269.99 Carbon/Glass $1079.99 2.9-meter F3F Racer

2 Versions:

• Ailerons, elevator, flaps, and rudder control • Two-piece hollow molded composite carbon or fiberglass wing design • Carbon wing joiner • Live hinges on the wing and rudder, with wipers • Gel-coat finish, with pre-painted graphics • Full-flying stabilizer with pre-installed bellcrank

Specifications: Wingspan Length Weight (glass/ carbon) Weight (carbon) CG Radio Servos wings Servos fuselage Battery

Typhoon Plus X-tail

Carbon $1299.99 Carbon/Glass $1099.99 2.9-meter F3B Glider Fiberglass+Carbon: Hollow-molded fiberglass construction reinforced with carbon fiber, which provides the required stiffness and torsional rigidity for sport and aerobatic flying.

Carbon: Wings are full carbon cloth, with carbon from leading edge of the wing to the tail — provides significant stiffness and torsional rigidity, yet is lightweight and strong.

Includes: Ballast tube, motor mount, servo tray, pushrod, clevises, linkages, control horns, servo covers, wing joiner, tail joiner, servo plate

2 Versions:

Specifications:

Fiberglass+Carbon: Hollow-molded fiberglass construction reinforced with carbon fiber, which provides the required stiffness and torsional rigidity for sport and aerobatic flying.

Carbon: Wings are full carbon cloth, with carbon from leading edge of the wing to the tail — provides significant stiffness and torsional rigidity, yet is lightweight and strong.

Wingspan Length Weight (glass/ carbon) Weight (carbon) CG Radio Servos wings Servos fuselage Battery

• Ailerons, elevator, flaps, and rudder control • Two-piece hollow molded composite carbon or fiberglass wing design • Carbon wing joiner • Live hinges on the wing and rudder, with wipers • Gel-coat finish, with pre-painted graphics • Full-flying stabilizer with pre-installed bellcrank

Includes: Ballast tube, motor mount, servo tray, pushrod, clevises, linkages, control horns, servo covers, wing joiner, tail joiner, servo plate

2900 mm 1490 mm 1550 g 1640 g 95 mm back of leading edge 7 channels King Max CLS0911W (4) King Max (2) 4.8 – 8.4 Volts

Features:

Includes: Ballast tube, motor mount, servo tray, pushrod, clevises, linkages, control horns, servo covers, wing joiner, tail joiner, servo plate

Specifications: Wingspan Length Wing area Weight (glass) Weight (carbon) Airfoil CG Radio Servos wings Servos fuselage Battery

2940 mm (115.75 in.)

1560 mm (61.42 in.)

57 dm2 (6.13 ft2) ≈1640 g (57.85 oz) ≈1740 g (61.38 oz) JH* 96 mm back of leading edge 7 channels King Max CLS0911W (4) King Max (2) 4.8 – 8.4 Volts

Typhoon X-tail Carbon $519.99 Carbon/Glass $419.99 2-meter Slope Soarer 2 Versions:

Sold by RCSportFlyer.com we Save You Money

Fiberglass+Carbon: Hollow-molded fiberglass construction reinforced with carbon fiber, which provides the required stiffness and torsional rigidity for sport and aerobatic flying.

Carbon: Wings are full carbon cloth, with carbon from leading edge of the wing to the tail — provides significant stiffness and torsional rigidity, yet is lightweight and strong.

Features: • Ailerons, elevator, flaps, and rudder control • Two-piece hollow molded composite carbon or fiberglass wing design • Carbon wing joiner • Live hinges on the wing and rudder, with wipers • Gel-coat finish, with pre-painted graphics • Full-flying stabilizer with pre-installed bellcrank

Includes: Ballast tube, motor mount, servo tray, pushrod, clevises, linkages, control horns, servo covers, wing joiner, tail joiner, servo plate

Specifications: Wingspan Length Wing area Weight Weight (Glass) Weight (Carbon) Airfoil CG Radio Servos wings Servos fuselage Battery

2000 mm (78.75 in.)

1210 mm (49.21 in.)

34.9 dm2 (3.75 sq ft) ≈1600 g (57 oz) 900 g (31.75 oz) 960 g (33.86 oz) JH8 82 mm back of leading edge 7 channels King Max CLS0911W (4) King Max (2) 4.8 – 8.4 Volts

TABLE OF CONTENTS DEPARTMENTS

10 LEADING EDGE 86 ADS INDEX 87 MYSTERY PLANE Photo by Simon Cocker PSS Soaring at Abersoch, United Kingdom.

FEATURE

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POWER SCALE SOARING SEE HOW AIRCRAFT ARE ADAPTED FOR SLOPE SOARING AND HOW THEY PERFORM IN LIFT. Simon Cocker

EVENT HOBBY 26 BEIJING EXPOSITION 2017 GO INSIDE THIS ANNUAL EXPO WITH US TO SEE WHAT IS NEW AND COMING FOR THE 2017/18 SEASON. Wil Byers

BUILD

36

SUPER SPORTSTER 60 FINISHING LEARN A FEW TRICKS AND TIPS THAT WILL MAKE YOUR MODEL LAST FOR MANY SEASONS TO COME. Jeff Troy

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RC FLYER NEWS • July 2017 - Digital

HAVILLAND DHC-6 42 DE CANADA DISCOVER HOW TO BUILD A TWIN-MOTOR-POWERED AIRPLANE FROM A SET OF PLANS AND WOOD. Henrik Grane twitter.com/rcflyernews

JULY 2017

HOW TO

3-VIEW

TRIM & SETUP 54 GLIDER PROCEDURES

62

MASTER THESE METHODS AND YOU’RE GOING TO END UP LANDING YOUR MODELS IN THE WINNER’S CIRCLE. RCF Staff

FIESELER FI 156 STORCH LEARN WHY THIS LONG-LEGGED BEAUTY MADE WWII HISTORY BOOKS. Hans-Jürgen Fischer

PLAN

72

VAN’S AIRCRAFT RV-14/14A THIS LOW-WING AIRPLANE PLAN IS ONE YOU’LL DEFINITELY WANT TO BUILD! Wendel Hosteller

REVIEWS

78

E-FLITE UMX A-10 EDF JET TAKE A LOOK AT THIS LITTLE TWIN-DUCTEDFAN POWERED JET TO SEE HOW IT PERFORMS. Wil Byers

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EDITOR IN CHIEF Wil Byers wil@rc-sf.com ASSISTANT EDITORS James T Baker Asa Clinton

Doris Chen Jenn Hart

PRODUCTION Ilya Zhivko Ilya@kionapublishing.com PHOTOGRAPHY Wil Byers GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Meng Zhe

Bess Byers Jess James

WEBMASTER CONTACT Vivian Wells OFFICE MANAGER Jenn Hart support@kionapublishing.com OFFICE ASSISTANT Terra Woodford CIRCULATION Christian Wells MARKETING Wil Byers ads@rc-sf.com

Point Your browser at the new

RCSPORTFLYER.COM STORE to get other great RC-SF products.

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Christian Belleau, Rob Caso, Gene Cope, Richard Kuns, David Phelps, Steve Rojecki, Jeff Troy, Robert Vest, James VanWinkle, Tom Wolfe RC Flyer News (ISSN: 1941-3467) is published bi-monthly for $19.95 a year ($2.19 ea digital) in the USA by Kiona Publishing, Inc., 1754 Sagewood, Richland, WA 99352. Periodicals postage paid at Richland, WA and additional mailing offices.

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8

RC FLYER NEWS • July 2017 - Digital

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Maxx Products is your complete source for Electric Airplane Accessories

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Gearboxes - Assorted planetary and offset gearboxes to fit a variety of motors.

Tools - Universal Pinion Puller. Universal Extracting Tool

1570 Switch - This simple switch temporarily disconnects BEC power to the radio system between flights.

• Micro wire (32AWG) extensions, Y-harness, switch harness for small electric airplanes, • Full line of Himax Brushless motors and gear motors, • Full line of ferrite motors and high performance cobalt & neodymium motors, Micro servos, micro receivers, and battery packs.

Visit Our Website to See the Complete Line!

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Wheels - Light weight wheels with strong hubs Sizes: 1.25”, 1.5”, 2”, 2.5”, and 3.00”

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www.maxxprod.com

LEADING EDGE

WIL BYERS

A

s you see by the magazine’s new masthead, RC Sport Flyer is now RC Flyer News (RCFN). The reasons are pretty straightforward. First and foremost, RC Sport Flyer has been, and will continue as RCFN, to be a source of news for its readers. Second, the publishing/media business has changed and is likely to continue, which means magazines (either hardcopy or digital) must evolve with the times. So, as a newsstanddistributed title, the new name is likely to capture the attentions of more buyers, or at least that is what our distributors tell us. In that respect, we feel it is vitally important to have a name that will hopefully bring new pilots to the hobby by way of exposure to the hobby via our newsstand sales and read-on-rack views. We firmly believe that enthusiasts come to the hobby by way of hardcopy pages, which they find on the newsstands and in the dwindling number of hobby shops that still stock magazines. Finally, we want to underscore and emphasize to our readers and potential buyers that this magazine is about RC news from cover to cover, whether it be for the rank beginner, accomplished competitor, or professional pilot, because news is what readers demand to stay on the leading edge of the hobby.

And so it goes….

PSS Our pages have not seen much information about Power Scale Soaring (PSS) slope soaring in quite some time. This month we present a nice spread on PSS done from the slopes in Great Britain. What attracted me to the piece was the number of successful models that were scratch built. These models emphasize that just about any model type is capable of being converted for the purposes of slope soaring. It also details that if a kit is not available for a particular model that scratch building can create a suitable model for your needs and wants, which is really what modeling is about; and, what you will not get from an almost-ready-to-fly (ARF) model. Have a look at this piece and see if you might find fun in this facet of the hobby, if not from scratch building your next model.

Setup As it is said so often in the RC community, proper setup is everything — radio programming and mechanical!

This month’s article on glider trim and setup provides an excellent starting point for aircraft settings, especially for those pilots new to RC glider and sailplane flying. As you’ll read it can make the difference between flying your model through lift or exploiting it. Moreover, proper setup of any model will significantly reduce the pilot’s workload, which will make the flying more enjoyable than it otherwise might.

Give this article a read to learn the basics for some generic setup procedures.

10

RC FLYER NEWS • July 2017 - Digital

Beijing 2017 As I have in many years past, I attended the 2017 Beijing Model Exposition in April. As always, I wanted to see what was new and upcoming for our hobby by way of the Chinese manufacturers. We’ve included my report in this issues.

Unfortunately, this year I was somewhat disappointed by the presenting companies, even though there were lots of new models and hardware on display. What I saw was a real lack of anything earth shattering. Most of what was shown was a repeat or rehash of what has been — even in the area of drones there was much of the same from years past.

As I left the trade show, I could not help but wonder if this is not a result of the lack of innovation coming out of the U.S. model community, even though drone innovation was by way of the Chinese. Historically, U.S. RC pilots have been innovators for everything from 2.4-GHz radios to 3D helicopters. I suspect that aspect of the hobby will change in the future as the Chinese are now embracing RC aviation in an unprecedented way, with everything from new factories to superb new RC airfields such as the one just finished in Zhongshan, Guangdong Province — all built by the government. Also, you can see in the models that the Chinese are starting to innovate in everything from DLGs to top performing jets and their systems. It does, however, remain to be seen if the Chinese can embrace the niche RC markets, where limited production runs are the norm, such as in gliders, warbirds, floatplanes, and true giant-scale models, etc.. Rather it seems the Chinese manufacturers want to build 10,000 of every model or system, which just isn’t practical for many of our niches. One wonders if the government isn’t pushing the factories to create jobs by way of large numbers of everthing from fidget spinners to head massage tools.

One bright spot of innovation in the show was, however, shown at the King Max servo booth. This is a self-serving plug for their servos because we now sell them, but it is real progress. You see, King Max was showing their new line of servos with built-in telemetry. No longer, will pilots guess at servo power and performance. Not! When they use King Max servos in their model their radio will get telemetry data in the form of voltage, current, and position, with the voltage and current being interpolated into torque. If you want to know more, keep and eye on our Instagram posts for a video to come soon. Further, you’ll be able to buy them at www.rcsportflyer.com in the very near future.

See you next month from our new office in Moses Lake, WA, where the airfield is near, clear, and the skies are not cloudy all day.

Stay informed at RC Flyer News Facebook: www.facebook.com/rcflyernews Instagram: www.instagram.com/rcflyernews Tumblr www.rcflyernews.tumblr.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/rcflyernews YouTube: www.youtube.com/rcflyernews

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FEATURE

PSS SLOPING POWER SCALE SOARING GETS UP YOU CLOSE AND PERSONAL

BY SIMON COCKER

This is the pinnacle of PSS — a day with idyllic lift conditions. Here I’m flying with best buddy Phil Cooke. We’re practicing our formation flying over the Bay in Wales, with EPP T-33s from Wade Kloos’ company.

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RC FLYER NEWS • July 2017 - Digital

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P

ower Scale Soaring needs no introduction. This niche of our sport has blossomed again in recent years. Although PSS over the past thirty years has never become a mainstream like scale sailplanes or electric-powered airplanes, it has dedicated enthusiasts. New pockets of PSS followers have emerged too.

The main PSS scene in the UK takes place on the Great Orme in Llandudno in Wales. It is led by Phil Cooke. He organizes a number of Power Scale Soaring Association (PSSA) events each year. Depending on the wind’s direction and speeds in Wales, the slope lift can be phenomenally powerful and smooth.

PSS is dependent on good lift. In good conditions, the models really rcflyernews.tumblr.com

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FEATURE

PSS SLOPING

The Great Orme is as intimidating as is the angry sea below. Close formation requires concentration, skill, and the trust of your wingman. The picturesque town of Llandudno and Conway are lay the corner. Phil’s T-33 Canadian color scheme is stunning in the clear Welsh sky.

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RC FLYER NEWS • July 2017 - Digital

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perform — as if they are propeller driven. And, thankfully, the north coast of Wales is accessible for PSS pilots. It is a must-visit area for PSS pilots from everywhere!

Another great site is the Lleyn Peninsula at Abersoch, which is also a stunning PSS site. Without exception, it leaves a lasting impression on the tourists who have encountered our PSS models soaring overhead while they’re strolling the beautiful coastline. I recall chatting with gentleman, watching our PSS models dive out and down towards the sea.

They were performing big loops and then close-in formation rolls. He remarked how impressed he was with

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FEATURE

PSS SLOPING

the power of the aircraft, as well as how quiet the jet engines were; he did wonder why we flew in such windy conditions. After lengthy explanations, he was unconvinced that the wind was able to generate such formidable propulsion. Later in the day, we enjoyed a visit from a British Airways Captain. He was absolutely astounded by the slope soaring — staggered by the scale like performance of all of the aircraft, especially the mighty Canberra, with its awesome flight envelope.

PSS got some bad press in the past because some of the models did not perform as they were promoted. Alternately, Ashford Models’ Aermacchi MB-339 kit was delightful because it had the right

Pilots unite on the slope’s edge with anemometers galore. It is fascinating how the meters all read a similar but different wind speed — may need some calibrations.

These PSS pilots are on the Great Orme in light wind conditions. Note the blue dive bomber was converted from an OS-120-powered model. It performs impressively.

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RC FLYER NEWS • July 2017 - Digital

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The balsa and lite plywood Vulcan receives an excellent twohanded launch from John Hey — throwing from its leading edges as he releases Matt Jones’ aircraft into a 30-mph wind.

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amount of wing area, an Eppler 374 airfoil, a relatively low wing loading, and little profile drag. Then too, the Fouga Magister provided rock-solid performance, which was produced by the late Ray Jones of Dragon Models.

These days PSS models are mostly builder/pilot designs. It is no coincidence that the aircraft types mirror the topography of the modelers’ local slopes. Hence the U-2/TR-1 and the B-52 or B-36 are designed for PSS flying on the less vigorous slope sites. While the Tornado TR1 and F-16 are built for the more radical coastal cliffs where the lift may be four times that, for a given wind speed, as the softer inland slopes.

Interestingly, some of the

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17

FEATURE

PSS SLOPING

Matthew Jones built this superb Vulcan, which can fly in wind speeds from as little as 15- to 45-mph. Interestingly, it uses the same wing section as that of full-scale aircraft.

dedicated electric designs have been adapted for PSS, although not many have been a success. Even so, they have taught us much about successful PSS model design.

We’ve also learned how to build model types for varying wind conditions. As such, it is conceivable you could have one model for all conditions and all slopes. They might be in the range of three- to fourmeter wingspan such as the U-2 or B-52. I find my U-2 is perfect for light-wind days, without the fear of it sinking out and ending up in the water.

Alternately, when the wind is up I prefer the propeller type PSS model such as the Sea Fury, which sports an RG-14 wing section. It can carry

The mammoth Antonov 225 is being readied for launch. The wind was a gentle 20 mph. The Antonov’s grace in the air is awesome. Its agility through big maneuvers is surprising.

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The Antonov is amazing to watch in flight. It has lots of kinetic energy to carry it thru big, impressive maneuvers. It requires four people to launch safely, but it trundles into the air over the sea and cruises effortlessly.

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PSS SLOPING

It is somewhat surprising how well the Antonov performs in a 20-mph wind, but it has lots of wing area just like its full-scale counterpart, which is the heaviest aircraft ever built.

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a load of ballast, so it can rip up the slope in a 50-mph gale. Then too, the Cold War type jets are popular these days as they are well-proportioned designs with plenty of wing area.

Matt Jones has recently completed a stunning Sea Vixen at 1/6-scale.

It is a masterpiece of modeling, including a very effective sound system. The model is an impressive size — the result of a 300-hour build.

It has a huge flight envelope too. My Canberra is a 100-in. machine that weighs in at 25 lb, with an impressive in-air presence.

Note that some of us enjoy flying sorties with the Canberra, Vulcan, B-52, and some fighters (both prop and jet) together. PSS pilot Phil Cooke and I enjoy practicing our close formation flying. We have been flying together 25 years, so we

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intuitively pair our models precisely, usually without collision! Generally, we fly a neat, tight display. Our favorite PSS machine is the expanded polypropylene (EPP) T-33, which we purchased from Wade Kloos of DAModels many years ago. EPP, of course, absorbed most of the collision damage, save for a smashed canopy.

Included in this report are some superb photos of my Antonov 225 being flown off the massive limestone rock at Llandudno. The Antonov is the largest full-scale aircraft in the world. The model was featured in the Guinness Book of Records in 1997 with a large photograph, which is very rare for the book. The model has an 18-ft wingspan, is over 16 feet long, and weighs 50 lb. The seagulls were completely baffled by this behemoth, nearly bumping into it as they soared

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The Canberra delivers lots of energy in big winds and in the slope’s compression zone. It is capable of large, smooth, aerobatics and high energy maneuvers. Phil Cooke launches it for me.

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PSS SLOPING

My 100-in. wingspan Canberra has amassed many hours of high-energy sorties. I’ll paired it with an A-10 and my 14-foot span B-52 for some formation flying this season.

Matthew Jones is a PSS guru, a prolific builder, and excellent pilot. His SU-27 is shown in full afterburner (LED lights) in this photo, which adds realism its performances.

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the cliff. The cruise speed is slow enough to provide a nice scale flight envelope. It is easy to fly the Antonov, so low-level passes and high-banked turns present the model to the spectators. I have been flying this aircraft for 20 years, even with some serious repairs along the way.

Other models of note are my U-2.

It was built from PAF Flugmodellbau composite model kit. The model sports a 10-ft wingspan. It was converted to PSS from turbine power.

It has been a success in no small part due to the Eppler 374 wing section.

It also carries scale retractable undercarriages as well as lighting system. The air intakes are left open and the internal ducting delivers the airflow cleanly through the model, which results in little additional drag judging by the great penetration of this U-2.

Another delightful model is the 1/25-scale Boeing 707, which was built by Rick Munsh. It has a 71-in. wingspan and flies at a weight of six pounds twelve ounces. I have seen the model fly on one our excellent inland slopes. It performs brilliantly, looking so realistic it’s amazing. The model’s wing section at the root is a Selig 4233 transitioning to an Eppler 205. Rick has done fantastic finishing and detailing on his 707, making it a standout.

The ethos of PSS these days is to keep it low key and high fun, so we come away from a day of flying feeling exhaustingly elated. As a result, PSS is more than just surviving in the UK. It is very much thriving and growing. If you want to learn more, go to our website www.pssaonline.co.uk there is lots of inspiring information available.

There is also a mass build program every other year, which has been hugely successful. The enthusiasm for the two projects so far is the Jet Provost and the Scooter (Sky Hawk). These are getting worldwide participation. The next subject for the mass build is a superb Hawker Hurricane designed by Matt Jones. I have piloted the prototype and it flies beautifully, with plenty of drive and a wicked all-around flight profile, so keep your eyes open for it. twitter.com/rcflyernews

Matthew’s SU-27 flies great in the Great Orme’s lift — better than at any other slope in North Wales. The afterburner LED ring lights show up best as dusk approaches.

Built from a plan designed by Andy Conway, the SU-27 has been very popular with pilots and spectators, but it needs the big slope lift to perform well.

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PSS SLOPING

This BAE Hawk was converted from EDF powered model to PSS. It is a good candidate for PSS conversion.

It flew in light lift but lacked real penetration or cruise speed. It might need more weight for energy.

This foamy TR-1 is launched into light lift by Matt Jones. It performs admirably, flying like a glider.

My U-2 is a molded model and sports a 10-ft wingspan. It was built from PAF Flugmodellbau composite model kit.

The 1/25-scale Boeing 707 was built by Rick Munsh. It has a 71-in. span. Rick’s detailing of the model is superb.

The Russian Space Shuttle, Buran, flies off the top of the Antonov 225, and does well for a stodgy model.

This is just one of the sites where we meet to fly PSS gliders and other scale machines. As you can see it is quite large and receives winds coming off the ocean.

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The Andy Conway designed this BAE Hawk. It flies brilliantly at our slope sites in most lift conditions.

The Russian Space Shuttle, Buran, flies off the top of the Antonov 225, and does surprisingly well as a sloper.

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This coming season we have a full calendar of events, as well as some impromptu sorties when the right conditions prevail. I’ll also keep you posted on the new huge A-10 Warthogs build being done by Josh Harrell. The prototype has been hacking up the slopes in impressive style, with two more to follow shortly.

PSS is such a unique and exciting facet of slope soaring! It provides a format where almost anything can be flown, provided your slope soaring site is big enough for powerful lift.

Finally, those of us in the PSSA are still mad about flying silent, inexpensive scale models — even after thirty years of doing so!

Happy landings, over and out.

Phil Cooke and Rez Manzoori display their immaculate, handcrafted BAE Hawks, which are based on Andy Conway’s design. A link to the plans is found on the PSSA site available.

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EVENT

Each year the Beijing Model Exposition is held in the city’s Exhibition Center, which was built in 1954 and includes three rather large halls, which get filled with vendor booths.

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BEIJING MODEL EXPO 2017 MADE IN CHINA

BY WIL BYERS

E

ach year for the last 20 years or so, Beijing has played host to model buyers from around the globe. The show is held at the Beijing Exhibition Center, which was built in 1954 and includes three rather large halls. The annual event showcases products made by Chinese manufacturers for the RC hobby from air to sea.

What was once a rather small show has become quite a large one, now pretty much filling all the halls. Even so, I was somewhat disappointed in the showings this year. I was because in the past this show, and other Chinese trade shows,

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BEIJING MODEL EXPO 2017

FMS was showing their soon-to-be-released Martin B-26 Marauder. The model will come in this bright silver liverly. Not sure if it will have retractable gear or not.

FMS’s 59.1-in. wingspan A-10 Warthog captured our eye. It uses two 1850 KV motors that use 6S LiPo power. The model has ailerons, rudder, elevator, flaps, throttle, and retracts.

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We’re not surprised to see the Curtis P-40 being offered by FMS, since the First American Volunteer Group of the Chinese Air Force flew them from 1941 – 42 as the Flying Tigers.

FMS’s Pilatus PC-21 is electric powered and comes with a four-blade propeller and retractable landing gear. It features ailerons, elevator, rudder, throttle and retracts.

FMS was showing their new F7F Tigercat at the show. It is slated to have a 67-in. wingspan. It will have shock-absorbing landing gear that is retractable.

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have been the place where new and innovative products have debuted.

This year the products were mostly redoes of those from past years, with a few exceptions.

What was in evidence is that the quality of the products is getting better. Of course, this was lead by the drone segments, with DJI and Yuneec taking the lead. DJI was showing their Mavic Pro, which promises to be a personal drone that will deliver professional quality video and images. Its foldable arms and the new controller, with cell phone mount, underscores how DJI has come a long way since my meeting with Frank Wang at the Shanghai show in 2010.

Yuneec wasn’t far behind with their new Breeze, which you can control with your cell phone. It is, however, much more affordable at only $399.99 as compared to the Mavic Pro that is selling for $999.

One of the standout multi rotors was the Zhang 184, which is touted as a man-carrying machine. It features a single-person enclosed cockpit. The flight power comes from eight motors that are configured in two-motor pairs for reliability. And, it has four motor masts that extend out from the body.

While this machine has wow factor plus, you will not find me getting in one any time soon!

Also, T-Motor Company was displaying their high-end quadcopter.

Besides having a massive controller, with a huge video display, the quad’s carbon propeller blades have moldedin winglets for reduced drag and noise, which I found most interesting.

Honestly, what turned me on the most, however, was the race drones and the new headsets. While they were not revolutionary in terms of design, they were lots of them.

Many came as complete packages, with others completely built and in carrying cases. I’d expect that prices will come down significantly in the very near future because of the plethora of supply.

With respect to fixed-wing aircraft, I think the FMS Company had the newest offerings. I especially liked their 67-in. wingspan, twin-electricpowered F7F Tigercat, with its retractable landing gear — very cool!

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They were also showing an impressive electric-ducted-fan (EDF) model in the form of a 59.1-in. wingspan A-10 Warthog. The A-10 comes nicely detailed, including a pilot. FMS was presenting their soon-to-be-released Martin B-26 Marauder. It is coming in a silver livery and is designated as the Barracuda.

The new Goblin line of helicopters also captured my attentions. Their Comet, with its 1626-mm main rotor (with 720-mm blades) looks to be a winner both in terms of its performance as well as in its outstanding color scheme. They were also showing their new Black Thunder and Urukay. I’m not much into helicopters, but these machines look to be first quality throughout and are certainly landing in the winners’ circles lately.

We’re now selling King Max servos via our online store rcsportflyer.com.

We were, therefore, quite pleased to see King Max challenging the competition with their new line of telemetry servos, which we believe will change the way we control our airplanes, helicopters, and gliders in the near future. These new servos let you monitor the voltage, current, and position, which can then be interpolated into torque power. Then too, King Max was showing their complete line of brushless servos, in addition to their exciting new mini servo that boasts outstanding resolution, deadband, and torque.

We’ll keep you posted on availability at rc-sf.com.

All in all, the show was worth attending because it did show me what is new and upcoming in a few areas of RC. We’re hoping that in 2018 we’ll see more fixed-wing aircraft, scale models, and hopefully some giant-scale gliders. However, we’ll not hold a lung full of Beijing air waiting for that to happen.

Tour If you are a serious modeler, I recommend you attend the Beijing Model Exposition. Doing so will give you the opportunity to meet the manufacturers and to see what’s up and coming.

Don’t, however, go to China

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EHang is convinced that this will be the way you’ll fly to the office in the future. It may be just that, but I’m not ready to climb in for more than a low-level hover.

If you’re looking for an unusual scale model, FMS is offering the Chinese Air Force’s CJ-6. It sports a 40.2-in. wingspan and is powered by a 3541 brushless motor.

This Razorback version of the venerable P-47 comes as a plug-and-play model from FMS. It has a 59-in. wingspan and is powered by a 4258 motor. twitter.com/rcsportflyer twitter.com/rcflyernews

This T-Motor quad was one of the high-end offerings that was being shown at Beijing. It is definitely pointed at the professional videographer, etc.

Here you can see the level of detail that is being offered in FMS’s new F7F Tigercat, twin-motorpowered scale offering — nicely done!

You get a sense of the size of E-Power Technologies controller for their quad system. It is definitely not meant for the weekend flyer.

Taft Hobby offers a number of EDF jets, which utilize a foam airframe. They include flaps, ailerons, rudder, elevator, and motor controls.

Here you get a good look at T-Motor’s new line of carbon fiber propellers with molded-in winglets for reduced drag and noise.

EHang uses two motors in combination to increase reliability, explaining that their quad can lose one motor’s power and still fly stably. rcflyernews.tumblr.com

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T-Motor’s new foldable carbon-fiber propellers feature a winglet on their ends to reduce drag and noise. They have them all the way up to 36.2 × 11.8-in. size.

Yuneec’s Typhoon H was being shown. It features a 4K and 12 megapixel camera capable of 720P. If you’re interested go to: rcsportflyer.com

This camera is built into the quad that was shown in the U-Power Technologies booth. As you can see it is a high-end unit with pan and tilt features.

The Yuneec Q500 comes with everything you need to get started taking 4K video. You can order yours at our online store: rcsportflyer.com The Yuneec Breeze also has a 4K camera. It has automated flight modes as well. Plus the built-in software lets you connect to your social networks.

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DJI’s Mavic Pro was impressive in that it features

RC FLYER NEWS • July 2017 - Digital folding arms, a 4K video camera with 3-axis control

and 27-minute flight times.

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Awesome was showing their complete line of race drones.

They come nearly ready to fly less battery pack. The rotor blades are made of extremely durable plastic too.

Here is another on of the Awesome race drones. They promise good performance at an affordable price. You get everything you need in one package, less the battery packs.

Holybro was showing their new drone kit the Shuriken X1.

It features a 32-bit F3 Flight Controller, MPU6050 Gyro/ Accelerometer and five-inch propellers.

This Phantom XY is a very affordable option for those pilots that are on a tight budget but want to start shooting airborne video. It comes with everything you’ll need too.

without taking in a few of the sites as a tourist. I’ve found over the years that exploring China has given me a much better understanding of Chinese history, as well as how and why they interact with the world as they do in today’s global economy.

To start, of course, you’ll want to take in the Great Wall. Every tourist to China is obliged to see it. Up close and personal you will understand how the Chinese toiled for the security of their empire via the wall.

Tiananmen Square will also be worth your while. You must be prepared for waiting in lines though rcflyernews.tumblr.com

because lots Chinese come every day to visit the Square. In my opinion, just the visit to the National Museum makes the wait worthwhile. It is amazing!

Then you’ll also want to visit The Forbidden City. It is where the Emperor and his 70 wives lived, with the Empress in charge. You’ll be able to see his library and many of the buildings where he reigned over his kingdom, sometimes with love and other times with fierce brutality. Note that the Shang dynasty goes back to 1500 BC, so you’ll get a minor feel for the empire by visiting the City.

Wangfujing Street in Beijing is just a fun place to visit with sights, sounds and the unique smells of China filling the air. It is a huge market area where you can eat and shop, plus check out all the locals who shop there. Be sure to bargain with the vendors — always cutting their price to start by at least 60 percent, but don’t be rude either.

If you really want an education into the evolution of China commencing from July 7, 1937, you must jump on a high-speed train (about 200 mph) and travel to visit Nanjing’s World War II Memorial. If you have a heart at all, it is advised that you bring a Subscribe @ RCSportFlyer.com

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If you want a good drone to start shooting photos and video, this Phantom XY is a good choice and good for night flying too.

The Goblin Urukay Carbon was shown. It sports 730-mm blades and a 8.6 – 11.9:1 gear ratio. The model weighs 4280 grams without battery.

Hubsan had a number of new models they were introducing, including this H501S High Edition, which now has a 450 meter control range.

Black Thunder by Goblin is built for 650-mm blades. It uses a typical 12S LiPo battery setup, with a motor that will draw about 130 amps.

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3D Hobby Shop’s new Demonstrator was on display. The color scheme alone had me wanting one to add to my hangar! twitter.com/rcflyernews

One of the Chinese pilots put on an impressive showing with the new XK K120 3D helicopter — small with big performance!

Goblin’s Comet comes is bold in the air. It features 720-mm blades and uses an 8.6 – 11.9:1 gear ratio. The model weighs 4280 grams without battery.

This was a prototype of the new King Max mini servo, with 132 oz-in. of torque on 7.4 volts. Learn more at: rcsportflyer.com

Check this pack out! It delivers a 100C rating and 200C burst. These should be outstanding in helicopter applications.

Origin Hobby was offering their new LMR glider the Rapide. I was impressed by the quality of the foam moldings as well as the motor system.

handkerchief because this is the most powerful exhibit I’ve ever visited. I caution you, this Memorial focuses on the Chinese sufferings before and during World War II. It will explain much about how Chinese peoples’ thinking after September 9, 1945. By the way, Nanjing’s Jinling Hotel is quite nice and affordable if you book your room online.

Nanjing’s Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum pays homage Dr. Sun Yat-sen (1866–1925) with beautiful gardens and a monument. Dr. Sun is known in Mandarin as Sun Zhongshan. Sun is considered by People’s Republic of China to be the “Father of Modern rcflyernews.tumblr.com

You’ll likely be seeing some of the new KD LiPo packs in the near future. Their Gold editions offer a 1-year warranty.

China.” Do a little history research before you go to understand what was happening between Sun and Chiang Kai-shek after 1915. You’ll find it most interesting.

Mt Niushou, which sits on the outskirts of Nanjing, will absolutely stun you with its lavishly appointed temple. It is a Buddhist temple, but likely not like any temple you’ve ever visited. It is perched on a mountaintop with gardens all around. Inside, of course, there is a huge Buddha. I won’t say more, other than it is an extremely calming and peaceful experience.

If you want to experience the

feel and flavor of ancient China, I recommend you stop in Tai’ An City to take the gondola ride to the top Taishan Mountain. There, you’ll have a splendid view of the countryside.

You’ll also have the privilege of visiting a historic Chinese temple, which sits at the very top of the mountain.

Let me end this article by recommending that you leave your preconceived notions about China behind in your country. Be prepared to embrace the old and the new China. You’ll be much richer for your experience. And, you’ll have a wonderful time seeing the new models at the show.

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BUILD

SUPER SPORTSTER 60 FINISHING DETAILS TO MAKE IT LAST

BY JEFF TROY

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1

Every flying model’s exposed areas of wood must be adequately protected from dirt, fuel, and cleaners. I use a Hobbico® throwaway epoxy brush to coat these areas with Aero-Gloss Dope.

2

For added protection in the engine compartment, I apply a topcoat of Bob Smith Industries (BSI) Mid-Cure Epoxy. This isn’t necessary for the landing gear slots or cockpit interior.

3

After cutting the CA hinges from the material provided in the Great Planes SS60 kit, I like to cut angles from the corners to help the hinges insert into the wood more easily.

4

Insert the hinges to their halfway point into the control surfaces, then apply a small drop of BSI thin CA to tack them in position. One aileron is shown here.

M

y Great Planes Super Sportster 60 has been a fun-filled project. I hope you were able to use one or more of the building and covering suggestions I’ve shared here. This final SS60 installment will give you all of my remaining tips for completing the model.

The SS60 is not electric powered. It uses a glow engine, so thinking about how to keep the model protected from raw-fuel and fuel-residue damage is important. MonoKote® seams seal extremely well when the material is properly applied, but how about the areas that can’t be so easily covered with film? The SS60 has a few of these, and they include the cockpit area, the engine compartment, and the slots in the landing gear blocks. rcflyernews.tumblr.com

After sealing the covering down over the edges of these areas, I suggest a coat of Aero-Gloss Dope to cover the bare wood. Use a 3/4-in. camelhair brush or a Great Planes throwaway epoxy brush to apply the dope. Brush on a fairly wet coat, and be sure to slightly overlap the edges of the film covering to prevent seepage along the seams. Give the dope at least 24 hours to dry, although 72 are better if you want to be sure the solvents have dissipated.

Mix a batch of 15- or 30-minute epoxy — I use Bob Smith Industries (BSI) Mid-Cure or Slow-Cure (bsiinc.com) — and apply a light, even coat over the dope in the engine compartment. Doing this isn’t necessary in the cockpit because the SS60 wears a full canopy. Also,

applying it inside of the landing gear slots can ruin the fit of the gear legs and prevent them from fully seating.

Just do the engine compartment, and if you chose the trike version of the Super Sportster, as I did, be sure to coat the nose gear opening in the chin block. Epoxy tends to drip and run if applied too heavily, so prevent any potential damage to your work surface by placing a length of wax paper under the nose of your model while the epoxy cures.

Set the fuselage and wing aside for now, and prepare the hinges for installation into the control surfaces.

Control surfaces are the ailerons, elevator panels, and rudder. You’ve already used the Great Planes Slot Machine to cut hinge slots into these pieces in a previous issue of RCSF, so Subscribe @ RCSportFlyer.com

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5

Use the hinged control surfaces to locate their mating slots in the flying surfaces. Slit the covering and slip in the hinged control surfaces. Secure each hinge with thin CA.

6

No matter how nicely an airplane is built, appearance suffers when a pilot should be visible but is not present. This is a factory-painted 1/5 Civilian Pilot from Great Planes.

7

Attach the canopy with Pacer Industries’ Formula 560 around the inside perimeter. Fit the canopy over the cockpit, wipe away excess adhesive with alcohol, and secure it with masking tape.

8

Snug the propeller nut with an adjustable wrench. Set the propeller so the right-hand blade points to approximately 2 o-clock at the compression stroke. Then the nut can be tightened.

use a fingernail to locate the slots. I use an Excel Hobby Blades #11 blade in the #1 knife to slit the covering over the slots. The SS60 provides a strip of CS hinge material in the kit, and this strip should be cut into 3/4-inch-wide pieces for the hinges. As hard-corner rectangles, hinges can be difficult to insert, but snipping off an angle at each corner will eliminate the problem. Do it.

Most aeromodeling instructions will have you stick a pin into the center of each hinge, then insert the hinges between the control surfaces and flying surfaces (flying surfaces are the wing, horizontal stabilizer, and vertical fin). This works fine, but I find it easier and more expedient to eliminate the pins. One at a time, just insert the hinges halfway into each

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slot in the control surfaces, followed by a tiny drop of BSI Insta-Cure (thin) cyanoacrylate (CA) glue at the center point of where the hinge and the control surface mate. Do this for each hinge, and allow a few minutes for the CA to cure sufficiently. The trick here is to tack the hinges halfway into the slots without using pins to hold them at their halfway point.

You may have found it difficult to locate the hinge slots in the covered control surfaces, but now that you’ve done it, you can use those newly hinged control surfaces to quickly locate the slots in the flying surfaces.

Just hold the control surfaces up against the flying surfaces and make a mark on each side of each hinge.

Slice the covering between the marks and you’re all set. Now you can slip

the hinged control surfaces into place.

Finish the task by deflecting each control surface in one direction and applying a few drops of thin CA to each hinge. Capillary action will draw the adhesive into the slots to make a secure bond. After a few minutes, deflect the surface in the opposite direction and apply CA to that side of the hinges. Absolutely do not use accelerator for the hinging process!

The cockpit area is next, and it’s my belief if your model was a fullscale airplane and its pilot would be visible, there must be a visible pilot in the model. The SS60 is a sport model that does not emulate a full-scale airplane, so a full cockpit treatment with instruments, a seat, and yoke is hardly necessary. However, watching an SS60 fly without a pilot under that twitter.com/rcflyernews

9

Center the landing gear straps over the slots. Drill 1/16” pilot holes for the four screws. Insert the gear leg, position the straps, then insert and tighten down the screws.

10

This image shows the Enya engine installation, complete with muffler, 11 x 8 wood propeller and a white spinner with an aluminum backplate from Great Planes. Du-Bro Standard line connects the tank.

11

Connect the servo end of the pushrods. I like the security of Z-bends for the elevator and rudder rods, with Du-Bro EZ Connectors for the nose gear and throttle rods.

12

Install the radio’s on-off switch in an easily accessible location on the fuselage side that’s opposite the engine exhaust. Center it to avoid using extensions to the receiver and battery.

big canopy would look a bit silly, so here’s the quick cure. Great Planes offers 1/5-scale Civilian Pilot busts in red, yellow, and blue. I chose the blue one (GPMQ9063) to complement my covering scheme.

The pilot needs a bit of alteration to fit under the dome, so I cut away some of his torso with a Zona Saw so the canopy could go over him. I also had to remove a bit of shoulder on each side to help him fit between the cockpit sides. Because the pilot is hollow, removing the bottom negated my use of screws through the floor to permanently fasten him in the cockpit.

My alternative was a bead of BSI Qwik-Cure (5-minute) epoxy around the body and over the shoulders.

Have you ever had a canopy pop on a hot, sunny day? There’s an oldrcflyernews.tumblr.com

school remedy for this, and it only takes a minute to apply. Just drill a 1/16-in. hole through the side of the canopy on the opposite side of the engine exhaust. Now, instead of expanding and maybe popping your canopy, that hot, expanding summer air will have an escape route.

You fitted your canopy several installments ago, but now is a good time to double-check the final fit and make any necessary adjustments.

Happy? Okay. I use Pacer Industries’ Formula 560 to attach my models’ canopies over most surfaces, including the MonoKote. Apply a bead of 560 around the perimeter on the inside of the canopy, spread the sides wide and drape the canopy over the cockpit. Use alcohol on a paper towel to wipe away any excess adhesive,

then use masking tape to hold the canopy in position overnight while the 560 sets.

All of the engine compartment drillings were done in previous installments, so now it’s just a matter of installing the fuel tank with the lines passing through the firewall; screwing the engine mount to the firewall; inserting the nose gear, tiller arm, and retaining collar through the holes in the engine mount; attaching the nose gear pushrod, and dropping the Enya .60III engine over the mounting rails. After screwing down the engine, run the throttle pushrod through the guide tube, connect it to the carburetor arm, and then install the muffler. The Great Planes spinner has an aluminum backplate. Slide that on first over the propeller shaft, then Subscribe @ RCSportFlyer.com

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the propeller, washer, and hex nut. To help prevent blade strikes on noseovers — however unlikely they may be with a tricycle-gear setup — habit has me always setting a propeller with the right-hand blade pointing at approximately 2 o’clock against the compression stroke. In the event of a dead-stick, you won’t have a blade stopping at 6 o’clock where it would be most prone to breakage.

Pick up the wing and insert the main landing gear legs into their respective slots in the underside. Drill 1/6-in. pilot holes and secure the legs with the four nylon straps. Mount the aileron servo and attach the pushrods.

Adjustable linkage is provided for the threaded ends of the rods, and I like to form Z-bends at the ends that go to the servo arm. A Z-bend uses no hardware, so there is no solder joint to fail, and no clevis or ball link to pop off, snap, or wear out.

Install the control horns on the elevator and rudder. Mount the elevator, rudder, and throttle servos on their rails inside the fuselage and use the radio to center the servo arms.

From inside of the fuselage, slide the rudder and elevator pushrods through their guide tubes, gently pushing the rods against the covering to mark the exit spots. Cut away the covering over the exits, remove the pushrods, attach the clevises to the threaded end of the rods, and reinsert the rods from the rear end of the model.

Temporarily connect the pushrods’ clevises to the rudder and elevator horns, and mark the rods where they pass over the centered servo arms.

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RC FLYER NEWS • July 2017 - Digital

Disconnect the clevises and remove the pushrods, then use a Great Planes Precision Z-Bend Pliers (GPMR8025) to make a Z-bend at the mark on each rod. Remove the clevises at the ends of the rods and reinsert the rods through the guide tubes from inside of the fuselage. Remove the elevator servo arm, fit the Z-bend into the arm and reattach the arm to the servo.

Remove the rudder servo arm and attach a #121 Du-Bro EZ Connector (dubro.com) to the nose-gear side of the arm. Now you can connect the rudder Z-bend to the servo arm and reattach the arm to the servo. Thread the clevises back onto the pushrods and reattach them to the rudder and elevator control horns.

Slide the nose gear pushrod through the bore in the EZ Connector, center the nose wheel and tighten the connector’s retaining screw. Mount another EZ Connector on the throttle servo arm and connect the throttle pushrod. With the radio on, final adjustments are made to set the high,

low, and low-trim travels. Ideally, fullstick travel should have the throttle barrel wide open. Low-throttle stick with the trim centered should have the barrel at idle. Low-throttle stick with full-low trim should shut down the engine.

Mount the radio switch on the side of the fuselage opposite the engine exhaust. Try to center it between the receiver and battery locations to negate any need for extensions.

Connect the switch and servos, and run a 6-in. extension from the aileron channel of the receiver. That 6-in. pigtail lets you connect the aileron servo without having it go directly into the receiver. Wrap the receiver and battery in Du-Bro 1/4-in. Protective Foam Rubber (#513), and stuff them into their respective locations inside of the fuselage. If necessary, cut lengths of 1/8-in. dowel to fit between the fuselage sides to prevent these components from shifting. Use a drop of BSI Insta-Cure + (medium CA) on each side the dowels to secure them.

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13

Prevent fuel seepage into the fuselage by lining the wing mounting area with Du-Bro Instant Stik Foam Tape For Wing Saddles. One package is enough for the Super Sportster 60.

SOURCES

With fuel protection still in mind, apply a strip of Du-Bro Instant Stik Foam Tape For Wing Saddles (#163) to each of the fuselage sides where the wing is mounted.

Use the four included nylon 1/4-20 screws to mount the wing, and that’s about all there is for the SS60. The final steps are to balance the model, charge the radio, adjust the control surface travels, set the rates and expo, and head for the flying site. Up next will be covering that big and beautiful Dynaflite Super Decathlon with Coverite 21st Century Fabric. Don’t miss it.

Many of the techniques I describe in my series for RC Sport Flyer have been demonstrated in previous installments. If you are enjoying the series, and find your building skills improving from the information presented, please consider having back issues at rcsportflyer.com. Get a subscription for only 19.95 too.

Bob Smith Industries Atascadero, CA bsi-inc.com Du-Bro Products P.O. Box 815 Wauconda IL 60084 847-526-2136 dubro.com Excel Hobby Blades South Paterson NJ excelhobbyblades.com Coverite, Great Planes,Hobbico, Top Flite P.O. Box 9021 Champaign, IL 61821 Phone: 800-637-7660 bestrc.com

14

Here’s my Lanier Stinger 120 after covering and final assembly. The covering seams are attached over balsa runners in the open bays.

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41

BUILD

THE De Havilland DHC-6 Canada Twin Otter

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RC FLYER NEWS • July 2017 - Digital

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IN A SEARCH FOR A NEW STABLE, HIGH-WING, SCALE MODEL, I FOUND THE VERY LIKABLE TWIN OTTER.

BY HENRIK GRANE

The Full-Scale Airplane The Twin Otter was designed and developed in the beginning of the 1960s by the aircraft factory De Havilland in Canada. The Twin Otter is one of the most ideal airplanes for use in the most remote places of the world, — far away from the established airports — due to its sturdy construction and STOL (Short takeoff and landing) capabilities. Large areas of Greenland would still be inaccessible and unknown without the Twin Otter. This versatile aircraft has other uses as well; for example, the air forces of several countries use the Twin Otter for different purposes, and in Maldives, the Twin Otter is equipped with floats and flies tourists from the main island out to the surrounding holiday islands. rcflyernews.tumblr.com

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BUILD

DE HAVILLAND TWIN OTTER

2

I like to build my models over the plans as you can see in this photo.

You’ll use lots of small clamps to hold the parts together when gluing.

2

The model is a conventional built-up plywood, pine stringers, and balsa construction. Here it sits over the plans.

2

The nose is removeable. This allows easy access to the nosegear and its servo, which are coupled with the servo for the rudder.

2

Here you’re looking down into the fuselage from the wing attachment point. Notice the internal stringers and sheeted sides.

Full Size Specifications Wingspan 65 ft (19.8 m) Wing airfoil Based on NACA 6A Turboprop 2 P. & W. Canada engines PT6A Landing gear Fixed Possibilities Skis, floats, Conversions Tundra Tires Literature Otter & Twin Otter

by Sean Rossiter Max. passengers 22 The Model Airplane It has been somewhat difficult to find satisfactory documentation, despite the fact that the Twin Otter

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RC FLYER NEWS • July 2017 - Digital

has been in service for many years.

Hundreds of side, front, and rear view photos are available on the internet, but there are almost none of the airplane from the top or bottom, and very few close-ups. However, a couple of three-view drawings from Aeromax Scale Documentation in Germany and Bob Banka’s Aircraft Documentation in the USA have helped.

The model is based on 1/8-scale CAD drawings (two 3 x 12 ft sheets — $59.95 plus $10.00 shipping) from John’s Plans and Kits, downsized to 1/10 scale. This means a wingspan of 80 in. (1980 mm).

Generally, CAD-drawings are reliable and exact, but I found several errors, which I corrected during the building of the model. Furthermore, several changes and improvements have been made to the building process as it’s described. The model is a conventional built-up plywood with pine stringers and balsa construction.

Fuselage, Landing Gear, Fin, and Rudder The full-size airplane can be seen as a long (as shown on the drawing) or short nose. I built the model with the short nose, as it looks best, in my opinion. The nose is removable, (not twitter.com/rcflyernews

2

The hinging of, and the front of the rudder, has also been corrected somewhat from the plans.

2

The elevator is operated from a servo positioned below the removeable support plate via a long pushrod and vertical bellcrank in the fin.

2

The lower part of the faring around the leg (close to the wheel) is made of thin plywood and the upper part is made of thin aluminium.

2

Here you see the landing gear leg before the aluminum fairings where fastened in place.

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arrangement” because of the big rubber blocks which dampen the movements of the wheels when they are pressed together; pieces of high pressure hose make up the “nut” on the model. Each landing gear leg is a piece of 4-mm diameter piano wire hard-soldered to a short tube for bearing in the lower part of the fuselage. The lower part of the faring around the leg (close to the wheel) is made of thin plywood, and the upper part is made of thin aluminum.

The upper part of the fairing fixed to the lower side of the fuselage is made of thin plywood, but the lower part is made of thin aluminum and is

removable. The main wheels are 3.5 inches in diameter.

The last three formers of the fuselage are incorrect, and have

SPECIFICATIONS (CONTROL SURFACE THROWS)

shown in the drawing). This allows easy access to the nose gear and servo, which is coupled together with the servo for the rudder. I made a strut out of stainless steel. This consisted of a U-bracket and a tube hard-soldered together with an aluminum bracket for a bearing. A piece of soft rubber hose around the upper part of the tube acts as shock absorber. A torque link is added for scale only. The nose wheel diameter is three inches.

The main landing gear is far from the simple sheet metal bracket shown on the drawing. I designed my model’s similar to that of the full size-airplane. It’s called a “nutcracker

Elevator : 0.59 in. (15 mm) up and down Rudder : 1.18 in. (30 mm) left and right Ailerons : 0.39 in. (10 mm) up, 0.2 in. (5 mm) down (50% DIFF), (80% EXP.) Flaps : 15 degrees (start), 30 degrees max.

25% rudder is mixed in with ailerons (1-4) 10% elevator down is mixed in with flaps (5-2) Subscribe @ RCSportFlyer.com

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BUILD

DE HAVILLAND TWIN OTTER

2

Each landing gear leg is 4-mm piano wire hard-soldered to a short tube, which becomes pivots on rod in the fuselage.

2

Here you see the gear legs installed on their bearing rods in the fuselage. Notice the rubber shock absorbers below them.

2

These aluminum pieces capture the gear legs such that they cannot rotate too far below the airplane when in flight.

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This photo shows how the fairings ride next to the fuselage and allow the gear to move up and down as needed.

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From the bottom of the model you can see how nicely the fairings fit the fuselage while letting the landing gear work.

2

Even sitting on the gear, the fairings fit the fuselage’s fairings nicely, with only a slight gap between the two.

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RC FLYER NEWS • July 2017 - Digital

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2

The nose gear’s servos is coupled together with the servo for the rudder, which makes ground handling easy.

therefore been modified to match the transition between the fuselage and fin as shown on the 3-view drawing.

The hinging and the front of the rudder have also been corrected somewhat. The small servo for the rudder is positioned in the rudder itself, and the servo arm is fixed to a bracket on the fin.

Tailplane The tailplane’s airfoil is an upside down profile, as is the full-size airplane’s. However, the shape of the rear of the stabilizer and the front of the elevator is not shown correctly. A NASA report from September 2000 rcflyernews.tumblr.com

2

A torque link was added to the nosegear for a scale look. The nosewheel is a three-inch. diameter part.

2

For some of the controls I was forced to use bellcranks such as you see here. They work well and are slop free.

titled “DHC-6 Twin Otter Tailplane Airfoil Section Testing in Ohio State University 7 x 10 Wind Tunnel” clarified the conditions. The shape of the parts is built as shown in the report.

The elevator is operated from a servo positioned below the removable support plate for the receiver via a long pushrod and vertical bellcrank in the vertical fin.

Wings, Nacelles, and Exterior Lighting Systems The wing is a traditional builtup construction, as is the fuselage.

Ailerons and flaps are hinged as they are on the full size. One servo in each

wing half operates the ailerons (the model does not have integrated flap servos) via short pushrods attached to a small steel pin embedded in the very top of the ailerons. One servo in the center of the wing operates the flaps, via pushrods, bellcranks, and short pushrods. Two-mm diameter aluminum pins embedded in the leading-edge of the flaps catch eyes on the end of the short pushrods when they slide into locking position.

The fastening of the wing to the fuselage is my own design. Two holes at the front of the wing’s center part catch two pins on top of the fuselage former, and a spring-loaded double Subscribe @ RCSportFlyer.com

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BUILD

DE HAVILLAND TWIN OTTER

2

I used 2-mm aluminum pins embedded in the leading edge of the flaps.

They are captured by rods in the wings’ trailing edges.

2

Here you see the 2-mm aluminum rods in their latched positions, which run through the flap pins’ eyes.

2

This photo shows how the rods capture the eyes in the flaps. It makes the flaps easily removable.

2

I decided to make the front parts of rings machined from obechi wood, using aircraft’s original photos for guidance.

2

Here I’m fitting the motors’ fairings to the air inlet rings. You can see the photos of the full-scale aircraft behind.

2

This is what the finish motor boxes look like. There is plenty of room for easy access to the motors from the boxes’ tops.

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RC FLYER NEWS • July 2017 - Digital

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The green motor brackets are made of plywood and are resting in four expansion type rubber vibration dampers.

Johns Plans and Kits (USA) : Scale: 1/6, wingspan 130 in. (3302 mm) Johns Plans and Kits (USA) : Scale: 1/8, wingspan 98 in. (2477 mm) Ivans RC Planes (Canada) : Wingspan: 84 in. (2135 mm) Ivans RC Planes (Canada) : Wingspan 67 in. (1702 mm) Hangar 9, (ARF), Aufwind : Nr. 6, 2010, wingspan: 79 in. (2010 mm) Model Builder, July 1976 : Wingspan: 87 in. (2200 mm) Model Airplane News, : Wingspan: 65 in. (1650 mm) May 2002

2 LIST OF MANUFACTURERS

ALTERNATIVE DHC-6 MODELS

2

Ten 0.354-in.cooling air holes were drilled in the backplates, with air exit holes in the backs of the nacelles.

Hobby King Turnigy, Mystery, Zippy, Lightmax, and Blue Bird Flying Anderson Taiwan 2-in. aluminum spinner, Part No. 150510 www.RC.OZ5N.dk For the OZ Five N

VMAR Products (ARF) : Wingspan: 61 in. (1540 mm)

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49

BUILD

2

DE HAVILLAND TWIN OTTER

The elevators are built with big flutter tabs on their ends. A pin slides in from the ends of the elevators to fasten them in place.

2

This is how the elevators look once they are locked in position with their hinge pins. It works very well.

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The rudder’s small servo is positioned inside. The servo arm is fixed to a bracket on the fin.

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RC FLYER NEWS • July 2017 - Digital

2

I like to use this incidence meter to check that the washout is the same from side to side of my models — simple to use too.

2

The ailerons and flaps of my Twin Otter are hinged as per that of the full-scale airplane. twitter.com/rcflyernews

2

Here you see how the flaps are designed to work as slotted flaps, which helps the model slow way down for landings.

pair at the rear, catches two small rectangular slots in the fuselage’s top. The release arm can be reached through an “open window” in the right side of the model. No tools are necessary for installation and removal of the wing, and there are no visible screws on top.

2

2

Windows were cut from black covering material. The panel lines were done with a black Penol 700 and 775 permanent marker.

The drawing shows the front of the nacelles is made of fiberglass, and can be ordered from John. I did not have that possibility because I downsized the drawing. Instead, I decided to make the front parts of rings machined from obechi wood, using original photos as guidance. The

cooling air outlets on the underside of the rear of the nacelles appear on the model version only.

The green plywood motor brackets rest in four expansion-type rubber vibration dampers. Ten 0.354in. (9-mm.) diameter cooling air holes have been drilled in the backplate of

The exterior lighting system is Flight-Line 0610 from OZ Five N. Two white LED (including a booster) are for the landing lights. rcflyernews.tumblr.com

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DE HAVILLAND TWIN OTTER

the two 2.0-in. diameter aluminum spinners. In the photos, you can see the final nacelles.

The exterior lighting system — a Flight-Line 0610 from OZ Five N — is positioned in the wing center part.

It consists of a programable unit, a red and and green LED lights for the wing tips, a white flashing LED light for the top of the fin, and two white LED lights (including a booster) for the landing light. The reflector units are homemade. Plugs, socket and wiring are doll house equipment.

Covering and Panel Lines The model is covered with Oracover Film, silver (matte finish) No. 91 and Oracover Film, Ferrari red, No. 23. Windows are cut out from black covering. Panel lines are done with a black Penol 700 and 775 permanent marker. The oblong, half round grooves (corrugation), which strengthen the thin aluminum plates on the upper and lower side of

ailerons, flaps, elevator, and rudder on the full size airplane, are made with a homemade hole-template, slid along the trailing-edge as a guide. Quite a job, by the way!

Flying The model pulls absolutely straight on takeoff because of the counter rotating propellers. The drawing says the distance from the leading edge of the wing to the center of gravity should be 2.471 in. (63 mm). I did a test flight with that CG position and found it tail heavy. I had to checked it and then realized the drawing was downsized! The right distance is 1.98 in. (50 mm). Now, with the two motor batteries moved forward, the model flies very well — faster than I had expected, but it is very stable. The sound from the two brushless motors is very close to the sound from the geared turbo prop engines on the fullsize airplane.

SPECIFICATIONS

BUILD

Model type : Scale, stand-off.

Wingspan : 80 in. (1980 mm) Chord : 8.2 in. (209 mm) Aspect ratio : 9.5 Length : 57 in. (1450 mm) Airfoil and : Same as full size airplane incidence Wing area : 633 in.² (41 dm²) Weight : 132 oz (3750 g) Wing loading : 30 oz/ft² (92 g/dm²) Washout : Yes Stabilizer span : 25.2 in. (640 mm) Stabilizer area : 145 in.² (9.4 dm² ) Motors : Turnigy D 3548/6, 790 Kv Speed controllers : Mystery 40-amp Y-wired to receiver and positioned in the fuselage.

Batteries : 20C LiPo, 3S 2650-mAh Current draw : 25 amps per motor Watts : 235 watts per motor Flight times : 5 to 8 minutes.

Propellers : Zinger wood 12 x 8 in., one normal prop for the right motor, one pusher prop for the left motor Spinners : 2-in. Alum. Flying Anderson Radio receiver : Futaba R138DP, 8-ch PCM Elevator servo : Hitec HS-225 BB Flaps servo : Hitec HS-225 BB Nose gear servo : Hitec HS-225 BB Aileron servos : Hitec HS-82 MG Rudder servo : Blue Bird BMS-373 MG

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RC FLYER NEWS • July 2017 - Digital

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53

HOW TO

GLIDER TRIM & SETUP SUCCESS IS FOUND IN PROPER SETUP

BY STAFF

Proper setup and tons of practice is what it takes to win, as it was for Brendon Beardsley with his Royale glider in Visalia, CA.

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RC FLYER NEWS • July 2017 - Digital

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L PRE-MAIDEN SETUP

et’s begin by underscoring that the key to successful competition glider flight is repeatable setup and trim!

This article will provide a basic procedure for setting up your glider to be competition ready. If you have any questions, please feel free to email us at: news@rc-sf.com Flaperons : ≈15 – 20 mm up and down deflection (both sides symmetrical) Rudder : ≈10 – 15 mm left and right deflection (symmetrical) Elevator : ≈10 mm up, max down deflection Brakes : ≈45 – 60 degrees down deflection Center of : as per manufacturer’s Gravity (CG) specification Flight modes : as per your preference

Hand Toss We recommend that every new glider first be trimmed to fly straight and level following an overhand toss.

Trim for Launch, Thermal, Speed, and Cruise modes Once the glider has been trimmed for level and stable flight from an

overhand toss, you’ll want to add the launch flight mode. We recommend about three millimeters of up elevator trim. The launch mode is momentary, used to pitch the glider upwards during a launch. It is terminated after a fraction of a second — as soon as the glider reaches its climb angle.

Test the launch mode carefully.

Add power gradually to ensure the glider is trimmed safely.

Center of Gravity (CG) Aircraft CG position is a personal preference. However, a forward CG is the best place to start. Why? Because a forward CG provides a stabile flight condition. As such, the pilot has the ability to auto-correct small inefficiencies in the glider’s flight attitude, but without constant pilot input, which can rob energy from the glider’s flight. It, therefore, increases the overall flight efficiency while reducing the pilot’s load. When the glider is trimmed for stable flight, you can pay attention to how it reacts with its environment. Consequently, you’ll have a more accurate ‘feel’ for the glider’s air. Also, as the pilot’s workload decreases, you will also

have more time to observe other gliders in flight, as well as the pilots’ strategies being implemented by others around you.

The Dive Test We recommend you set your glider’s CG by first setting your glider to fly in speed mode, in level flight.

The glider must be high enough to perform this maneuver, say, roughly 25 meters or above.

While in speed mode, add enough down elevator control for the glider to enter roughly a 45-degree dive.

Then neutralize the down-elevator control. If the glider pulls out of the dive by itself, it is nose heavy. If the dive steepens by itself, the glider is tail heavy. Add or remove nose weight, trim again, and retry.

You are seeking to have your glider remain in a dive at a constant angle while in speed mode, or pull out of the dive ever so slowly. Set up in this way, the glider will have a very slightly nose-heavy condition, which lends is best for a forward CG preference.

When the CG is set in this fashion it will be a good starting point for further trimming for thermal soaring.

Pilots at the F3J World Champs in France are walking out for their next round of competition. It’s time to measure up! rcflyernews.tumblr.com

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HOW TO

GLIDER TRIM & SETUP

You’ll want to test the CG’s position during soaring. This procedure will, however, typically get it set within one or two millimeters of the the optimized setting.

Flight Mode Optimization

Pilot Brendon Beardsley and timer/caller, Connor Laurel, after a 100-point landing. When you “nail” the spot its often called a “Hunski.”

SETUP AND FUNCTION

Flight modes are also a pilot preference. Typically, you want at a minimum four basic modes: Launch, Speed, Cruise, and Thermal.

Some flights modes you may want to use are:

Launch : Sets climb attitude Zoom : Sets the climb after line release Speed : Used for glider acceleration Cruise 1 : Best L/D for distance Cruise 2 : Provides lower L/D but higher lift Thermal 1 : Provides higher lift when climbing Thermal 2 Gives best hang-time in calm air conditions

Launch

Models are lined up in the staging area at the Fall Soaring Festival in Visalia, CA. This is the premiere soaring competition each year.

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RC FLYER NEWS • July 2017 - Digital

This is a momentary mode you’ll want to use for a fraction of a second after the release of the glider to tow.

It will rotate the glider’s attitude to an angle of your choice. It may also be used during transition to Speed (or Zoom) mode. Launch allows the glider to continue straight up at an angle to reach the highest possible height. It is typically set with three millimeters or so of up elevator deflection for the main rotation, with two or three millimeters of right rudder deflection (right-hand launches) to compensate for any slight give in the rudder linkage (normal). There is also about two to three millimeters of down flaperon set to assist in rotating the glider efficiently. You may also want to add a few clicks of right aileron trim (right-hand throw) to compensate for some launch, yaw-induced roll. You’ll want to test and refine your settings until your glider has the best setup to reach its maximum altitude following a launch. The use of an altimeter telemetry will help you optimize the mode’s settings.

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Speed Speed mode serves in several ways. It should be used to give the glider the lowest drag combined with the lowest lift. Speed mode is used during the zoom phase, for accelerating, and sometimes for penetrating the model back to the airfield from downwind position. You also trim the elevator so the glider tracks straight during the climb phase.

Note that the wing’s camber settings will usually be a pre-determined value set by the model’s manufacturer or from their vendor. You may opt to tweak the manufacturer’s recommendations slightly to achieve the flight performance you desire.

Cruise It is a mode that is a very pilotdependent. Cruise is a fine balance setting between the low-drag of speed and the high-lift thermal mode.

You’ll use cruise to search for lift often, so the camber setting is pilot dependent. There is no ‘best’ setting.

Try different settings until you find one

that fits your piloting preference. It is suggested that you trim the elevator so the glider flies straight, level, and stable without pilot inputs.

Thermal Thermal is the mode used when you want the wing to generate lift to get the glider to its minimum sink. This is not the model’s best lift-over-drag setting, but rather the setting where the model can take best advantage of the environments rising air. Trailing-edge camber used in this mode will generate more wing lift. It will also make the wing more sensitive to stall and turbulence; and, it will also increase drag. Typically the maximum camber setting is provided by the manufacturer or vendor. To test camber settings it is recommended to do repeated, timed flights on either a very calm morning or evening. You’ll want to launch the glider, then push it over, and allow the glider to fly large, smooth circles around the airfield with as little pilot input as possible in thermal mode. During each camber

adjustment you must make sure you trim the elevator so the glider flies straight, level, and stable while pretty much hands-off the control sticks.

You’ll need to record the flight times and control settings. Then you can analyze your data to find the best combination for the mode.

Flaps Flaps will increase drag and slow down your glider during landing. They will also change the glider’s angle to attack.

You’ll want to control the flaps with the throttle stick. They should be set to provide fully proportional control, which will let you accurately control the drag and speed of the glider during approach.

In nearly all cases, elevator compensation must be used to adjust the glider’s angle of attack as flaps are applied. Typically elevator compensation will require at least a three-point curve setting so that as the control is applied the glider remains at a constant attitude. As an example of the settings: 0% brakes >

Proper setup and tons of practice is what it takes to win. Brendon Beardsley is shown with his Royale in Visalia, CA. rcflyernews.tumblr.com

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57

HOW TO

GLIDER TRIM & SETUP

Sunlight reflects off the monofilament launching lines during this F3J mass launch. All the gliders are at nearly the same height.

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RC FLYER NEWS • July 2017 - Digital

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When you love to fly, you fly in any weather — even in the snow! Mark Vance flies his Royale in some pretty nasty conditions.

Brendon Beardsley is shown here posing with Joe Wurts between rounds of competition.

Both are World Champions.

0% down elevator; 50% brakes > 25% down elevator; 100% brakes > 35% down elevator. This is only reference example. Your model will have its own unique settings. If your transmitter allows for more points in the curve it is best to use them to get a smooth transition throughout the flap’s travel.

Elevator compensation will also provide for nose-down approach for landing ease.

Differential Ailerons obviously control the glider’s bank angle. Therefore, the application of aileron control must not induce adverse yaw (right aileron causes the model to yaw left) or pitch changes.

To assess adverse yaw you’ll need to launch the model, then transition to level flight. Once the model is flying straight and level apply aileron control, but without adding in other controls. You want to apply left, right, left, right, left, right control inputs at around one second intervals. If the glider has a tendency towards adverse yaw you must add more up aileron control to the opposite side of the yaw direction; i.e., yaws left add more up aileron control on the right. Alternately, if the glider has a rcflyernews.tumblr.com

tendency to pitch up with aileron control add reverse differential (more down, less up). If the glider exhibits a pitch-down tendency, add positive differential (more up, less down).

Do this test for all flight modes, and independently trim the differential values for each flight mode.

In the case of a rudderless glider, you will want to add a little more reverse differential, because there is no rudder control to push the nose down into the turn.

Aileron-to-Rudder Mix Some pilots like to add an aileronto-rudder mix, which when trimmed properly, can make it is easier to enter a turn smoothly. Alternately, the pilot must lead aileron control with rudder in order to fly a turn that is coordinated.

An aileron-to-rudder mix occurs when the rudder moves in conjunction with the ailerons. As an example, if you apply left roll (ailerons) control, the rudder will also move to the left. You’ll want to trim the mix value until a push of the ailerons’ control sticks initiates a smooth, coordinated turn.

Typically, this mix is only used in cruise and thermal modes, so trim the

values for each mode independently until your model has a good feel in the turns.

Elevator-to-Camber Mix Efficiency of the glider’s flight can be increased during pitching maneuvers by adding an elevator-tocamber mix. Depending on the flight mode used, wing camber is coupled to elevator control, which then changes lift characteristics. We do not recommend this for every flight mode, but it can help in thermal and speed.

What you’ll see if you create this mix is that up elevator deflection will result in the wing getting down camber deflection. Alternately, down elevator deflection will result in the wing’s tailing edge getting up deflection.

We recommend you start by adding a 2 – 5% mix. Then you’ll adjust the up and down deflections per flight mode independently to optimize the glider’s performance.

Again, you must create the mixes independent of each flight mode.

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HOW TO

GLIDER TRIM & SETUP

you can use a two- or three-position switch to change the amount of travel on the control surfaces. We believe it is best to use one switch to reconfigure the entire aircraft’s control rates rather than a switch for each control. In so doing, you’ll won’t be searching for switches or get confused throwing multiple switches.

Using dual or triple rates will let you optimize the glider for each mode you’ll fly. For example, you’ll likely want high rates when climbing on tow, low rates when searching for lift, and middle rates when circling in lift. You’ll want to tune the model’s rates to your liking, however, a good starting point may be 100% for high, 80% for middle, and 50% for low.

Note that you must set up the glider for 100% throws when programming the transmitter’s settings before you set the dual or triple rates.

Exponential (Expo) Exponential is a control function to facilitate the change in control response relative to control sticks positions. Exponential control is a programmed function that lets you control how much a surface moves

when you move the transmitter’s stick. For example, you may want the expo set to move the ailerons very little around the sticks center position, but move them 100% when the stick is pushed to its full extreme.

Consequently, the further you move transmitter’s sticks from their neutral position the more the control surfaces react. We suggest that you start with 20% exponential programming and then increase it until it give your model the control responses you like.

Again, you’ll want to program these for each of your flight modes.

Synopsis Gliders must fly efficiently if you want to land in the winner’s circle or get maximum air time.

To be efficient in flight, your model will not normally use large control surface deflections. Rather, you must optimize its flight by using small control deflections. You will, however, want plenty of downelevator deflection for good pushover authority at the apex of launches.

For the flaperons, you’ll usually set 60% > 80% > 100% rates. We suggest you fly on the lowest or

medium rates in thermal mode, and only use high rates when you need maximum maneuvering, such as making tight turns in the landing zone or elsewhere.

Remember you’ll want to program your transmitter for 10 – 30% expo to reduce control-induced drag from unwanted stick movements around the center positions — you’ll want to optimize this setting for your aircraft and piloting preferences. Some pilots like to use more exponential on down-elevator deflections to get the elevator response as symmetrical as possible near the stick’s center.

If you want your piloting to match your model’s performance, you must spend the time required to trim it to its optimum performance. This may require a few flight sessions dedicated to trimming only. We recommend you adjust the transmitter’s program settings until your model is flying at its best. Make it fit your piloting style too.

Importantly, you must make incremental changes. You’ll document the aircraft’s performance after each change. Then you’ll want to record your final settings for all of its flight parameters such that you can have it flying at its optimum.

It looks chaotic, but it is the reality of the competition when pilots must launch their models in mass.

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RC FLYER NEWS • July 2017 - Digital

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World Champion pilot, Cody Remington, holds maximum line tension seconds before the launch of his 3.7-meter Muller Espada RL.

It was not the best landing, but it “stuck� and got points for Brendon Beardsley with a 4-meter Explorer at the F3J World Champs in South Africa. rcflyernews.tumblr.com

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3-VIEW

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. FEBRUARY SPORT FLYER 2017 RC RC FLYER NEWS • July 2017 - Digital

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FIESELER FI 156 STORCH

IT’S A LONG-LEGGED BEAUTY WITH STOL PERFORMANCE PLUS

BY HANS-JÜRGEN FISCHER

T

he Fieseler Fi 156 Storch (Stork) was a German designed liaison aircraft. It was built by Fieseler before and during World War II. It is famous for its outstanding short-takeoff-and-landing (STOL ) performance.

History In 1935, the Reichsluftfahrtministerium, Reich Aviation Ministry (RLM) tendered several companies for a new Luftwaffe aircraft suitable for liaison, army rcflyernews.tumblr.com

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COLUMN

FIESELER FI 156 STORCH

Fieseler Fi 156 Storch

0

64

1

2

3m

RC FLYER NEWS • July 2017 - Digital

Zeichnung

ER

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Fahrwerk ganz ausgefedert

X-X

Scheinwerfer

N

N

N-N X

X

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65

COLUMN

FIESELER FI 156 STORCH

forward air control, and medical evacuations. Interestingly, the Messerschmitt Bf 163 and Siebel Si 201 competed against the Fieseler firm’s tender.

Fieseler’s design had superb STOL performance thanks to Designer Reinhold Mewes and technical director Erich Bachem. Their Storch incorporated a fixed slat along the entire length of the leading edge of the long wings, with hinged and slotted control surfaces the length of trailing edges. The Fi 156 trailing edge panels were split nearly 50/50 between the inboard-located flaps and outboard-located ailerons.

A design feature enabled the wings of the Storch to be folded along the fuselage’s sides. The primary hinge was located in the wing root, where the rear wing spar met the cabin.

The long legs of the landing gear contained oil-and-sprung shock The Storch had many color schemes. This one was typical of those used during WWII by the German forces.

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COLUMN

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FIESELER FI 156 STORCH

RC FLYER NEWS • July 2017 - Digital

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absorbers that could travel 40 cm (15-3/4 inches), allowing the aircraft to land on rough and uneven surfaces — this was in combination with pretravel distance of 20 cm. In flight, the landing gear hung down, giving the aircraft the appearance of a longlegged stork.

The instrument panel contained only a basic set of instruments and radio gear. As you can see, even the seat was simple and designed for utility.

WWII Storch were deployed in all European and North African theaters of World War II. However, its most notable role was in the 1943 Operation Eiche. There it helped rescue the deposed Italian dictator Benito Mussolini from a boulderstrewn mountaintop near the Gran Sasso. While the mountain was surrounded by Italian troops, German commando Otto Skorzeny and 90 paratroopers used gliders to land on the peak. They quickly captured it, but there was a problem of how to get back off. Pilot Heinrich Gerlach flew in with a Storch, which he landed in 30 m (100 ft). After Mussolini and

It wasn’t an attractive airplane sitting on the ground, however, it was extremely functional in the air. It a STOL type wing for very low airspeed landings and steep climbouts.

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COLUMN

FIESELER FI 156 STORCH

This Storch has been fitted with a radial engine. Many were utilized by other countries after the war.

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Post WWII The French Air Force (Armée de l’Air) and the French Army Light Aviation (Aviation Légère de l’Armée de Terre) used the Criquet from 1945 to 1958 throughout the Indochina War and the Algerian War. The Swiss Air Force and other mountainous European countries continued to use the Storch for rescues where STOL performance was required. Many Storches are still operational today in varying capacities, and are often on display at air shows. In North America, both the Collings Foundation and the Fantasy of Flight museum have airworthy Fi 156 Storch aircraft.

Clones Because of its STOL characteristics, many attempts have been made to recreate the Storch. These include the 3/4-scale homebuilt aircraft Pazmany PL-9 Stork and Roger Mann’s RagWing RW19 Stork. There

is also the Slepcev Storch, which is a 3/4-scale reproduction of the original with some simplifications. Modern materials provides better STOL performance than the original.

SPECIFICATIONS

Skorzeny boarded the airplane was overload, but it took off in only 80 m (250 ft).

On 26 April 1945, during death throes of the Third Reich, a Storch was one of the aircraft to land on the improvised airstrip in the Tiergarten near the Brandenburg Gate during the Battle of Berlin. It was flown by the test pilot Hanna Reitsch. She flew Generalfeldmarschall Robert Ritter von Greim from Munich to Berlin to answer a summons from Hitler.

Field Marshal Rommel used Storch aircraft for transport as well as battlefield surveillance during the North African desert campaign.

A number of Storch were captured by the Allies during and following the end to the war. One became the personal aircraft of Field Marshal Montgomery. The British captured 145, of that number, 64 were given to the French as war compensation from Germany.

Crew : Two Length : 9.9 m (32 ft 6 in.)

Wingspan : 14.3 m (46 ft 9 in.)

Height : 3.1 m (10 ft 0 in.)

Wing area : 26 m² (280 ft²) Weight empty : 860 kg (1,900 lb) Weight loaded : 1,260 kg (2,780 lb) Engine : Argus As 10, air-cooled inverted V8, 180 kW (240 hp) Maximum : 175 km/h (109 mph) airspeed at 300 m (1,000 ft) Range : 380 km (210 nmi, 240 mi) Service ceiling : 4,600 m (15,090 ft) Rate of climb : 4.8 m/s (945 ft/min) Wing loading : 48.5 kg/m² (9.9 lb/ft²) Guns : 1 × MG 15 machine gun twitter.com/rcflyernews

The MS-501 versions used a 233 hp Renault 6Q inverted, air-cooled “straight six” engine instead of the Argus inverted V8.

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71

PLAN

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RC FLYER NEWS • July 2017 - Digital

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VAN’S AIRCRAFT, INC. RV-14/14A A LOW-WING AIRPLANE DESIGNED FOR 120-CC POWER

BY WENDELL HOSTETLER

T

he RV-14 and 14A is manufactured as a kit airplane

by Van’s Aircraft, Inc. in Aurora, Oregon. RV-14s were designed by Richard VanGrunsven. It was debuted to the public at AirVenture in July 2012. It improves on Van’s other successful side-by-side series of twoseat kit aircraft, the RV-6, RV-7, RV-9, and RV-12.

The new RV-14 aircraft is designed to provide upright seating positions, with a large bubble canopy to provide superb visibility in all directions. The 14’s cabin is big and roomy, with lots rcflyernews.tumblr.com

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73

PLAN

VAN’S ARV-14/14A

of leg and headroom.

Even as a kit airplane, it a twoseater, capable of aerobatics. The design goals included visibility, a roomy cabin, a low landing airspeed with more effective flaps, good rateof-climb and glide ratio, landing gear that meets FAR Part 23 certification standards, and an airframe that accommodates the Lycoming IO-390 engine. The 14A features a low-wing design and fixed tricycle landing gear.

Van’s RV-14s will accommodate several instrument panels, including one designed to take modern EFIS systems.

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VAN’S ARV-14/14A

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RC FLYER NEWS • July 2017 - Digital

Wingspan : 27 ft Length : 21 ft 1 in.

Height : 8 ft 2 in.

Wing area : 126.1 ft2 Empty weight : 1240 lb Gross weight : 2050 lb Wing loading : 16.25 lb/ft2 (gross) Engine : 210 hp

Fuel capacity : 50 U.S. gal Rate of climb : 1500 ft/min Service ceiling : 18000+ ft.

Top speed : 205 mph Cruise : 195 mph (75% @ 8000 ft) Cruise : 2050 lb Stall speed : 54 mph Baggage : 100 lb

Propeller : Hartzell c/s

MANUFACTURE PLANS

Plan The plan is designed to emulate the full-scale airplane very accurately.

It can be powered by either the DLE 120-cc twin-cylinder gas-powered engine or the DA-120. Accessories are available for the RV-14 plan. They include: a fiberglass cowl and wheel pants, the main landing gear, a springloaded nose gear, differential electricpowered brakes, a canopy, and decal set.

SPECIFICATIONS

PLAN

Hostetler’s Plans hostetlersplans.com

Van’s Aircraft 14401 Keil Road NE Aurora, OR 97002

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77

REVIEW

UMX A-10 GET ON TARGET WITH THIS WARTHOG

BY WIL BYERS

F

airchild Republic’s A-10 Thunderbolt II is a single-seat, low-wing, twin-turbofanpowered, jet aircraft developed for the United States Air Force. The A-10 was designed for close-air support, to attack armored vehicles and tanks, and for quick-action against enemy ground forces. It entered service in 1976.

The E-flite UMX A-10 will not attack enemy forces, but it will put you in the pilot’s seat of a fun-to-fly, twin-powered electric-ducted-fan

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RC FLYER NEWS • July 2017 - Digital

(EDF) model. It will do it in a hurry too — without costing you much in the way of hobby money. Plus, the A-10 comes with AS3X® stabilization technology built into its receiver, which means you get a copilot that is there working for you all the time.

Needed • Full-range, 4+ channel DSMX®/ DSM2® transmitter • 450 – 800-mAh 2S LiPo battery • 2S LiPo charger • Intermediate pilot

Assembly What assembly? The UMX A-10 comes in a box that doubles as a carrying case. You simply bind the model to your respective transmitter (a Spektrum® DX6E), charge the 800mAh 7.4-volt 30C LiPo battery with a Dynamite charger, check the control throws for proper directions, and your model is ready to fly. I recommend you check that the model rolls straight and true on a smooth, level surface because you may need to adjust the nose gear before the model’s twitter.com/rcflyernews

Ysha shows off the bold, meant-for-business lines of the E-flite UMX A-10. The model sports a 22.1-in. wingspan and gets power from two 28-mm electric ducted fans. rcflyernews.tumblr.com

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REVIEW

AEROWORKS® CESSNA 195

maiden flight. Doing so is as simple as bending the piano wire pushrod in the fuselage — it is quick and easy to do too.

In Flight You’re going to find that the 13,500 Kv, twin 28-mm ducted fan brushless motors make plenty of power to thrill you each flight. The A-10 delivers superb climb performance and is quite maneuverable when using out-of-the-box program settings. For its size, it is quite fast which makes for some interesting sorties — diving down on imaginary enemy forces on the field and long strafing runs take out enemy tanks.

While you’ll want to use throttle management during its flights, the 800-mAh LiPo (sold separately) delivers about five-plus minutes of flight. I think if I had backed off on the power I could have floated the A-10 around the sky and got the seven minutes of flight time that E-flite claims.

I found the A-10 will do just about anything you want. On a fresh charge it will deliver huge loops, rolls, knife-edge flight, spins, and even fly inverted; albeit, you're going to need to use down-elevator control when flying it on its back.

The A-10 has removable landing gear, so you can "clean it up" for hand launches it if you want. However, I enjoyed the takeoffs and landings from the pavement, so I did not remove the gear. Removing it would certainly increase its aispeed some and likely provide for longer flight times as well.

E-flite has done a very nice job of detailing the little 22.1-in. (562 mm) wingspan model, so I just had a blast flying it around the field and doing low-level passes and dives onto my imaginary tanks, ready to pull the trigger on the cannon in the model’s nose. The A-10 just looks that cool and fun in the air!

What makes the UMX A-10 even more outstanding is the feel of the AS3X system that comes built into the model’s receiver system. When E-flite tells you that AS3X smooths out the bumps from wind turbulence and thermals, they really are understating how well this system works. While you

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RC FLYER NEWS • July 2017 - Digital

I used the inexpensive DX6e to control the UMX A-10. It requires four AA dry cells for power. While inexpensive this radio offers some superb programming features.

Binding the UMX A-10 to the DX6e transmitter could not be easier. You simply go to the bind menu under the system settings and hit bind. It will bind the Tx to the Rx quickly.

E-flite has done a nice job of detailing this little injectionmolded foam model. It looks great both on the ground and in the air, so get one before they're sold out. twitter.com/rcflyernews

Check out the two 28-mm ducted fans on this little machine. They make lots of thrust, so you can fly the model for giant climbs and other maneuvers.

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81

REVIEW

AEROWORKS® CESSNA 195

still get some of the feels of a small, lightweight model, AS3X imparts a control feel that you are flying a much larger airplane. The maiden flight of my model was done when the environment was pretty hot and the wind was blowing about 10 miles an hour. Once the model was in the air, it had the feel and responsiveness of a much bigger model. I want you to know that I have some pretty big models, so I know the difference between big and small. The A-10 really does have the control feel of a larger model, which is a huge plus — at least from this pilot’s perspective.

Synopsis Don’t be fooled by this model’s size or by its low price of only $149.99. The E-flite UMX A-10 is an absolute blast to fly. I recommend you buy at least four 800-mAh 2S 7.4-volt 30C LiPo (#EFLB8002SJ30).

They’re selling for only $16.99 on E-flite’s website. You’ll be glad you did because you’ll get hours of continuous airtime with this model.

Furthermore, you can throw this model in the backseat of your Farri 812superfast and be off to the airfield in style.

I found that I wanted more battery packs because I was not very patient waiting for the two packs I have to charge between flights — packs are inexpensive too.

SPECIFICATIONS

Wingspan : 22.1 in. (562 mm) Length : 20.3 in. (516 mm) Wing Area : 83.7 in.2 (5.40 dm²) Weight : 5.9 oz (168 g) Motor : BL180m, 13500 Kv inrunner brushless Battery : 800-mAh 7.4-volt 30C LiPo w/ JST Radio Spektrum : DX6E Center of Gravity : 36 mm back leading edge @ root Skill Level : Intermediate

DISTRIBUTOR

Price : $149.99 #EFLU3750

Horizon Hobby 4105 Fieldstone Road Champaign, IL 61822 Phone: 800-338-4639 horizonhobby.com

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RC FLYER NEWS • July 2017 - Digital

The E-flite UMX A-10 just has the look of an airplane you want to fly. It doesn't leave you lacking for fun factor either because there is plenty of power and performance built in. twitter.com/rcflyernews

This factory photo does the model justice. If you're wanting in-air photos, be sure you have a long lens and you crank the ISO up because it is pretty fast in the air.

The landing gear is removable if you want to clean the model up. We liked the ability to take off and land from pavement, so we never stripped them from the aircraft. rcflyernews.tumblr.com

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83

1815 South Research Loop Tucson, Arizona 85710 Phone: (520) 722-0607 E-mail: info@desertaircraft.com Web Site: desertaircraft.com DA-200

DA-100I

Price $2795

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

Price $Call

Displacement: 6.10 ci (100 cc) Output: 10 hp Weight: 7.0 lb (3.18 kg) Length: 9.3 in.

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)

DA-150

DA-70

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)

Price $749

Displacement: 4.28 ci (70 cc) Output: 11 hp Weight: 3.55 lb (1.61 kg) Length: 5.54 in. (141 ,,)

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)

DA-100L

DA-60

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)

Price $649

Displacement: 3.7 ci (60.5 cc) Output: 1200–7200 Weight: 3.1 lb (1.41 kg) Length: 6.7 in. (170 mm)

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)

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)

All Desert Aircraft engines come with a Manufacturer’s Warranty

DA-35

Price $449

Displacement: 2.14 ci (35 cc) Output: 1,500–8,200 rpm Weight: 2.06 lb (935 kg) Length: 6.35 in. (161 mm)

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P o i n t Yo u r b r o w s e r a t t h e N E W

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TRAILING EDGE Trailing Edge Have you ever felt like you just could not get your arms around the RC hobby in its entirety? I know I have! There are so many facets to the hobby, and now there are many niches within niches. While reading the article about glider trim and setup I remembered when the soaring niches were pretty much F3B, thermal duration, scale, and some slope racing. Today, soaring has become F3B, F3J, F3K, F3H, etc….

One facet of the hobby I recently witnessed in Montague, California absolutely captured me. It is GPS racing. It did so because it most closely replicates full-scale sailplane racing competition.

GPS racing is about flying large-scale gliders/sailplanes around a triangular course where the turn points are GPS coordinates. Each model carries a GPS unit, which is linked to a variometer. The unit transmits aircraft data to a stand-alone receiver or by radio telemetry systems. The data is displayed as a triangle course, with the model’s position displayed on the course. The GPS system can provide the model’s glide angle, speed, wind drift, rate of climb, and other data.

Currently, there are two classes: third scale, where the model must replicate in 1/3-scale that of a full-scale glider/ sailplane, and the open class, which allows any scale model — up to a max weight of 25 kilograms — to be flown.

GPS’s task is to fly as many laps around the course as possible in 30 minutes. Models are aerotowed to height. They then enter the course at less than 500 meters altitude, at less than 120 km/h — verified by the GPS data. After the glider/sailplane has entered the course, the pilot is free to fly their model where he or she likes to find the lift and to complete as many laps as possible. The best of gliders/sailplanes will fly less than four laps in still air, and will be on the ground in less than 15 minutes. So soaring the model in lift is essential to earning a good score — number of laps around the course. The pilot must read the conditions, and learn when to search for the lift or to push on around the course.

The triangular course measures at 2.41 km per lap, with the first turn point 500 m away from the start line. The second point is 500 m from the first and at 90 degrees to the start line, and the third point is 500 m in the opposite direction to turn one. The course is flown left hand, with the turns rounded in order. Each turn point has two radiating lines set at 45 degrees from the turn to form a sector. A turn is considered to be taken if the model passes into this sector.

The winner is the pilot that flies their model for most laps in 30 minutes, however, if two or more models complete the same number then the model with the best average speed is deemed to have won.

If GPS racing does not become a significant part of the soaring community, the community will have missed a significant opportunity to finally, truly emulate that of full-scale soaring. I put forward the challenge.

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THE Mystery AIRPLANE

WIN

A FREE SPORT FLYER HAT

Give us the name of this cockpit to

win!

Last month’s

ANSWER

cockpit was Me-262 fighter. We hope you enter to be a winner in this month’s Mystery Airplane/Cockpit contest.

SUBMISSION INFORMATION Please e-mail your response to

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Providing superior quality, unmatched variety, and excellent service since 1989.

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Pro Features in a Consumer Friendly Package

Get advanced aerial photography and videography is this new compact-size hexacopter from Yuneec.

Typhoon H delivers capabilities previously only found in high-end professional offerings — now consumer priced.

Typhoon H offers flight durations of up to 25 minutes while filming with the CGO3+ 4K UHD camera. The Android powered ST16 Ground Station features a 7-inch touchscreen display that delivers live footage of the flight in HD 720p resolution and enables a wide variety of autonomous flight modes.

Typhoon H with Intel® RealSense™ Technology is capable of detecting obstacles and intelligently navigating around them.

RealSense integrates with Follow Me mode to avoid objects while filming in any direction. The Intel® RealSense™ R200 camera with Intel® Atom™ powered module builds a 3D model of the world!

•

Typhoon H uses GPS — not just vision — to track targets.

Typhoon H can navigate around obstacles, regardless of size, and stay on subject even if it becomes obscured.

•

Features: • Collision Prevention and advanced obstacle navigation • Intelligent front sonar sensors lets Typhoon H stop short of obstacles automatically.

• Orbit Me mode lets Typhoon H fly a circular path around you, while keeping the camera trained on you.

• Point Of Interest mode gives you the option to select a subject and Typhoon H will orbit that subject autonomously, all the

ORDER YOUR TYPHOON H AND SKYVIEW GOGGLES AT:

•

•

time keeping the camera trained on the point of interest.

• In Journey Mode Typhoon H will go up and out, as far as 150 feet, and capture the perfect aerial selfie.

• Curve Cable Cam lets you program an invisible route for Typhoon H to fly, while it independently controls the camera position.

• Return Home with just the flick of a switch on the ST16 controller, and Typhoon H will fly home and land automatically.

• Smart Safety ensures the Typhoon H will not enter FAA “No Fly” zones. The No Fly Zone feature also prevents flight above 400 feet from the ground. The built-in GPS establishes a 26-ft (8-m) diameter Smart Circle around the pilot when taking off and landing. It also creates a Geo Fence to keep the hexacopter from traveling farther than 300 ft (91 m) from the pilot’s position.

The ST16 Ground Station is an integrated transmitter, receiver and Android platform that gives you control over Typhoon H. You can program autonomous flight and capture stunning photos and videos. The large, 7-inch screen displays real-time footage of flights.

Using Team Mode, you can bind one Ground Station to Typhoon H and another Ground Station to the CGO3+ camera simultaneously.

Real-time telemetry data is on screen during flights, including: flight mode, altitude, speed over ground, distance from home, camera status, GPS position coordinates, and aircraft battery status. Controls include: adjustable video resolution and white balance, while exposures can be controlled automatically or manually, including ISO and Shutter Speed. The camera allows for pictures in RAW (DNG) and JPEG format.

Typhoon H is also compatible with the new, ergonomic and durable SkyView FPV headset.

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FOLLOW NO ONE BLADE® INDUCTRIX® FPV PRO

INDUCTRIX® FPV PRO IMPROVED FRAME Based on the Inductrix ® FPV, the updated frame design boasts added reinforcements in addition to a much stronger material.

BETAFLIGHT CONFIGURABLE The flight controller comes preflashed and tuned with Betaflight firmware, yet allows a pilot to adjust all flight characteristics, modes, rates and gains to their preference.

DESIGNED FOR THE MICRO RACER The Inductrix® FPV Pro is the racer’s dream micro FPV machine.

Building on the popular Inductrix® platform, this micro FPV drone answers the call to those seeking heightened performance in a light and durable racer. Motors are upgraded to 19,000Kv, the camera and VTX combo showcase a lighter and cleaner profile, the frame design adds strength, and the F3 flight controller is Betaflight configurable.

With the Bind-N-Fly™ completion level, all you have to do is bind a compatible Spektrum™ transmitter and you’re off to the races.

See more at

HIGH SPEED MOTORS 19,000Kv plus motors offer rapid throttle response and high top speed while maintaining stability.

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©2017 Horizon Hobby, LLC Blade, Bind-N-Fly, BNF, and the Horizon Hobby logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Horizon Hobby, LLC. The Spektrum trademark is used with permission of Bachmann Industries Inc. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are property of their respective owners. Horizon Hobby, LLC | 4105 Fieldstone Rd | Champaign, IL 61822 USA | 800.338. 55128

Take Your Model’s Performance to

the MAX with KingMax Servos.

Deadband: 2 μs default

BLS1204L LOW-PROFILE SERVO

Dimensions: 41.1 x 20 x 26.5 mm /1.6 x 0.78x1.03 in.

Working Frequency: 1520 μs / 330 Hz

Stall Torque: 8.8 kg-cm (122.23 oz-in.) (6.0V) 12 kg-cm (166.68 oz-in.) (7.4V) 14 kg-cm (194.46 oz-in.) (8.4V) Weight: 50g (1.76 oz)

Connector Type: JR

Deadband: 2 μs default

BLS2507S L ARGE-AIRPLANE SERVO

Stall Torque: 22.2 kg-cm (308.36 oz-in.) (6.0V) 25 kg-cm (347.25 oz-in.) (7.4V) 28 kg-cm (388.92 oz-in.) (8.4V) Connector Type: JR

Stall Torque: 14.2 kg-cm (197.24 oz-in.) (6.0V) 16 kg-cm (222.24 oz-in.) (7.4V) 18.5 kg-cm (256.97 oz-in.)

Connector Type: JR

Stall Torque: 27.8 kg-cm (386.14 oz/in.) (6.0V) 30 kg-cm (416.7 oz/in.) (7.4V) 35 kg-cm (486.15 oz/in.) (8.4V) Connector Type: JR

Wire Length: 333 mm (13 in.)

Dimensions: 41.1 x 20 x 26.5 mm /1.6 x 0.78x1.03 in.

Working Frequency: 1520 μs / 330 Hz

Operating Voltage: DC 4.8 – 8.4 V

Operating Speed: 0.11 sec/60º (6.0V) 0.13 sec/60º (7.4V) Stall Torque: 7.5 kg-cm (104.18 oz-in.) (6.0V) 9.2 kg-cm (127.79 oz-in.) (7.4V) Weight: 26.20 g (0.92 oz)

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Operating Voltage: DC 6.0 – 8.4V

Operating Speed: 0.18 sec/60º (6.0V) 0.15 sec/60º (7.4V) 0.13 sec/60º(8.4V)

Deadband: 2 μs

THIN-WING SERVO

Wire Length: 333 mm (13 in.)

Dimensions: 40 x 20 x 40.9 mm /1.56 x 0.78 x 1.6 in.

Working Frequency: 1520 μs / 330 Hz

Weight: 80g (2.82 oz)

CLS0911W

Operating Voltage: DC 6.0 – 8.4V

Operating Speed: 0.07 sec/60º (6.0V) 0.06 sec/60º (7.4V) 0.05 sec/60º(8.4V)

Deadband: 2 μs default

LARGE-AIRPLANE SERVO

Wire Length: 333 mm (13 in.)

Dimensions: 40 x 20 x 40.9 mm / 1.56 x 0.78 x 1.6 in.

Working Frequency: 1520 μs / 330 Hz

Weight: 71 g (2.5 oz)

CLS3015S

Operating Voltage: DC 6.0 – 8.4V

Operating Speed: 0.08 sec/60º (6.0V) 0.07 sec/60º (7.4V) 0.06 sec/60º(8.4V)

Deadband: 2 μs default

AIRPLANE SERVO

Wire Length: 190 mm (7.41 in.)

Dimensions: 40 x 20 x 40.9 mm / 1.56 x 0.78 x 1.6 in.

Working Frequency: 1520 μs / 330 Hz

Weight: 69 g (2.43 oz)

CLS1606S

Operating Voltage: DC 6.0 – 8.4V

Operating Speed: 0.05 sec/60º (6.0V) 0.04 sec/60º (7.4V) 0.037 sec/60º(8.4V)

Connector Type: JR

RCSportFlyer.com

Wire Length: 185 mm (7.28 in.)