Welcome
Welcome to the February 2025 issue of RCM&E.
In his ‘Kick TheTyres’ column in the lastissue, GrahamAshbydiscussed airmanship when �lying R/C model aircra�t. One of the examples he gavewas turning up at theclubfield on aperfect dayand justnot ‘feeling it’and sonot �lying. Ihaveseen this myself on many occasions, with my clubmates being happytosimplywatch proceedings andnot even assemble amodel.
Imust admit to having let out asmall ‘harrumph’when reading thataspreparing for a�lying session, charging batteries andthen transporting at least twomodels to a�lying field takesquiteabit of e�fort. So,I’m blowedifI’d miss out on the opportunity to �lyhaving done all that! However, Imust admit that areluctanceto�ly does sometimes a��lict me too. But when it does,I don’tevenget as far as the frontdoor! Even worse, when it does happen my break from stickstirring will invariablylast forweeks. Thetriggeriso�ten aforecastofstronggusts of wind on an otherwise fine�lying day. In the past Iwould have �lown in practicallyall-weather conditions,bar rain, but these days Idon’t enjoygetting my models being bounced around whilst Iam�lying. Sucha day dawned in earlyNovember but otherwise it wasa cracker, with clearblueskies.But instead of �lying Iopted fortidying up the garden. Aweek later the same thing happened andonce again the forecast wasfor abreezy day. From past experience Iknew that such absences from the�lying field could multiplysoIreallyshould have dragged myself to the car with agyroequipped model anddone battle with Boreas
To cut alongstory short,hereIam, following twostorms,abad cold, plus a weekend visit to seefamilybeforeChristmas andmytransmitters haven’tseen the light of dayfor over fiveweeks! To topit allmy local �lying fields arenow �looded a�ter the aforementioned storms so there’slittle prospect of me going �lying anytime soon. Maybe next time I’mfeeling atinybit jaded with the weather I’ll learn my lessonand just go foritasyou never know what’s coming round the corner.But,sad to say, IknowI’ll bunko�f again –Ialwaysdo…
Nowfor aquick look at some of the main articles in this month’s magazine.JohnDanielsstarts the
ball rolling withareview of twomicro models from Volantex, the Sport Cuband the new brushless 400 mm P-51D Mustang. Danny Fenton (MakeItScale) prepareshis models for the British Scale Nationals,including fettling his BrianTaylorHurricanefor the F4Ccomp, then it’s overtoChris Williams (Scale Gliding) who maidens his latest ASK18, nowatjust over1/4 scale.Inthe past two issues we’vebeen following RoyThompsonasherestores aBowmanMiles Magister back to �lying condition; this time we join Royashis latest scale model takestothe air Ourpull-out Pro-Planthismonth is courtesy of Tonvan Munsteren who presents his delightful NewStyle glider; it’ll be an ideal winter build without breaking the bank. BarryStevens gets readytotop up his LiPocollectionashetests Overlander’s new RC-S100neo charger,then Dave Goodenough (One Man&His Shed)joins us with more clubmantopics,including extolling the virtues of lightweight closed loopcontrol systems.JohnStennard(Insider) looks back at the IFOseries of indoormodels,then we join SteveTew at the Prestbury Park scale heli meet Finally, yourstrulysigns things o�fwith alook at DJI’s Neopalm sizedrone
Ihope youenjoyreading it all.
HappyFlying!
Editor: Kevin Crozier
MortonsMediaGroup,MediaCentre, Morton Way, Horncastle,Lincs LN9 6JR kcrozier@mortons.co.uk
PRINT AND DIGITAL
Thewhole package –just £5.50 per issuefor a printed anddigital version www.classicmagazines.co.uk/subscription/RCM
The Tyres’ in gave was the club field
On thecover
Photo: DannyFenton
Sixyears ago, Nick Fellah purcha sedaDBSport &Scale 1/4scale SE5a from amodeller whowas notgoing to build thekit.Nick’smaininterest is WW1modelsand this kit suited hisneed sper fectly.He visited OldWardenand spent some time admiring theSE5a in theShuttleworthCollection. He decidedtoset himselfa challengetosee if he could buildanearscale replic aofthe aeroplaneatOld Walden
Contents
Regulars
8 SWITCH ON
Ourlatestround up of model� lying news
44 PILOTS’PICTORIAL
Send us apic ture of anew or favourite modeland it couldappearinour reader s’ models galler y
59 COUNTERPOINT
Aselec tion of newkit s, bits and gadget sfor youtobuy
72 ALLWRITE
Have your sayinRCM&E’s monthly chat room
92 GOINGPLACES
Ourupd ated list of modelevent sand competitions foryou to visitoverthe next fewmonths
94 MARKETPLACE
Sell o� fyourunwanted airframesand enginesormaybe buya fewnew ones
95 NEXT ISSUE
Take alookatwhat’scominginthe March ‘25issue of RCM&E
98 PARTINGSHOT
ChrisWilliamsc apturesTrevor Hewson’s Dougla sDC-3inthe RAe’s ‘Por tpatrick Princess’liver y
Volume 68 |Issue 02
Features
22 MODELMAGIC
Nick Fellah tellsthe stor yofbuilding hisDBSES5a,withadditionalstatic pictures supplied by DannyFenton
38 MILESMAGISTER
RoyThompsonfinishes and� lies his newlyrestoredBowmans semi-scale kit
82 PRESTBURYHELIDAY
La st summer thePrestbury Park club hosted theirfirstscale helicopter event. SteveTew report sonthe wide variet y of models present
Columns
16 MAKE IT SCALE
DannyFentonhad afew jobs to do in ordertoready hisF4C Hurric ane andF4H Au ster forthe BMFA Sc ale Nationals
32 SCALEGLIDING
ChrisWilliamsand friend senjoy anotherscale gettogetheratopWhite SheetHill, plus CW maidensyet anothersoarer
60 ONEMAN &HIS SHED
Reviews
10 VOLANTEX P-51DMUSTANG &SPORT CUB
John Danielstests acoupleofmini models idealfor smallfield� lying
46 ARISMMINIKIT
JamesAndrew sees in theNew Year with Sparma x’s‘Christma sEdition’ airbru sh andcompressorgi� tset
66 OVERLANDER RC-S100neo
Barr yStevens upgr ades to anew balancecharger
86 DJINEO
TheEditor� lighttests apalmsized photodrone
Dave Goodenough begins this month’s selectionofshedand �lying field topics with adodgy test �light
74 INSIDER
This time John Stennard covers abit of ‘retro’indoor� lying, plus some up-to-date models andfurther No-Cal adventures
Free Pro-Plan
48 NEWSTYLE
Buildthissimpletobuild smallglider andgobacktobasic swhenlaunching it.Ton vanMunsteren showshow
BOOK RE VIEW:APILOT’S UPSAND DOWNS
Each year at Christmas Iamlucky enough to receive several booksas gi�ts andIusuallymanage to polish o�fatleast oneinbetween December25th andthe New ear. But not this year! ou see,Ihad finished my final book of 2024 a fewdaysearly so Iwas le�twithout my usual reading fix.Ialmost dipped intothe unreadnovels in my Kindle library, but my eyewas drawntothe review copyof Alasdair Sutherland’s new book ‘A Pilot’s psand Downs’which was sitting on my desk, awaiting attentionuponmyreturn to work in January.So, Ipicked it up as a stop gapmeasure but started enjoying it so much that Idecided that my new presents could wait until a�terIhad finishedit!
Subtitled ‘Memoirs of aBritish airline pilot’this book fullyfulfils its brief.Itbegins with Alasdair’s schooldays in Glasgow, wherea burgeoning interest in aviation wasencouraged by his father, who brought back Airfixkits on his return from work trips to the Paris andFarnborough Airshows Even in his younger yearsweare soonmadeaware of Alasdair’s attractiontothe opposite sex, a theme that is returned to many times in later pages.But it’s all
GOINGPLACE S
OurregularGoing Places section at the back of the magazine is sure to start filling up quicklyassoonas the New eargets up androlling So,ifyou areplanning an aeromodelling event overthe next fewmonths then please send details,upto100 wordsmaximum, to Beth Ashbyat: Beth.Ashby@ artichokehq.com
Please be awarethat Beth’s address changed afew issuesback so please bee sure to use this new
handled very tastefullyand with duerespect to his wifeofmany decades,Anne. And, of course,you would probably be disappointed if abook covering working foran airline didn’t include afew tales of the funand games enjoyedby cabincrews when o�fduty ouwouldalso rightly expect suchabook to be part travelogue andinthat respect ‘A Pilot’s psand Downs’scoreshighlyasAlasdair regales the reader withhis ventures to andaroundcities alloverthe world. Manypeoplethese days are well travelled, although maybe not so much as an airline pilot, so I foundmyself nodding sagelywhen hecovered hisstopovers at some of the places Itoo have been lucky enough to visit
But,ofcourse, as alifelong aviationenthusiastand fellow pilot (albeit at PPL level) it’s the �lying parts of this book thatwere of most interesttome. Alasdair’s journey to sitinthe Captain’s seat in large British Airways airliners started with Glasgow niversity’s Air Squadron,wherehewas taught to �lyinRAF Chipmunks.Academically, the university is wherehestudied Aeronautics,a subject forwhich he is well known to many readers, having written aprevious book and
oneor, if in doubt,simplysend her arepeat of the informationto makesurethat your event gets into the list at the appropriatepoint in the year
Ourbrownie pointsfor the earliest submissionsfor 2025 go to twoslope soaring communities, the PowerScale Soaring Association andthe WhiteSheet Radio Flying Club.The former is famous fororganising well attended get togethers of PSSA
PSSA CALENDAR2025
12th /13thApril
PSSA ‘Fly forFun’event –The Great Orme,Llandudno,North Wales
Meet at the ‘TankTrack’ car park forpilots’ briefing at 10am each day.
17th /18thMay
PSSA ‘Fly forFun’event –The Great Orme,Llandudno,North Wales
many articles forR/C magazines on model aircra�taerodynamics
A�ter university Alasdair continued his �light training at the BEA/ BOAC College of AirTraining at Hamble �lying Piper Cherokees and Beechcra�t Barontwins
Thenext chapter is about how civil aviationworks andismost interesting, covering topics like instrument �lying, navigationaids andweather radarbut in an easyto-readmanner,plus awealth of informationon�lying airliners.For instance,you mayhavewondered whypilots turn onto arunway, then spool up atwin aircra�t’s
members who enjoy�lying glider adaptations of awide variety of scale poweredaircra�t, from WW2 warbirds to widebodied modern jet airliners.WhiteSheet Hill will be widelyrecognised by regular readers of Chris Williams’ ‘Scale Soaring’column as the venuefor regulargatherings of classic and modern scale sailplanes which WSRFCmembers andvisitors enjoywhen �lying together at the club’s numerous Scale Events
engines at lowpower but the jet just sits there. Afew seconds later the pilots give it full power, release the brakes andyou get that big push in the back of your seat.This is because jet engines vary in the time they taketoreach full power, with most di�ference being at the bottom end.So, sitting stationary on the brakes at 25 powergives them the best chance to stabilise beforefull powerisapplied. Such anecdotescomethick and fast throughout this book, liberally sprinkled with the aforementioned stories about cabin crews and travel, ending with his final trip as Captain on aBritish Airways 6 to Entebbe in ganda. Foranyonewith asmattering of interest in full size aviation, which Ihazard to guess covers most aeromodellers,it’sa must do read.I thoroughlyenjoyed it,right to the end, which includes a final chapter on Alasdair’s activities as amodel aircra�tdesigner,builder andairshowpilot.
KevinCrozier
Publisher Austin Macauley Publishers www.austimmacauley.com Pages 194
ISBN 9 81035819 82
RRP £9.99
covering (weather permitting!) nine months of the year.Besides scale events WhiteSheet RFCalso host aseries of ‘Open Slope’days andF3F timed speed competitions They willalso be hosting the F3F English Open on August 23rdand 24th.
If youintend to visit anyevents listed, either hereorinGoing Places,then please check with the organisers beforetravelling in case of anylast-minutechanges
Meet at the ‘TankTrack’ carpark forpilots’ briefing at 10am each day.
(Please notethat duetoslope access restrictions in place during Spring the Apriland Mayevents will not run as listed if the prevailing winds are Easterly andmodels would need to �ly over the pier.Inthiscasea decision will be takeninthe week running up to the eventand thePSSA willlook to defer the date as best they can.)
28th June to 6thJuly
PSSA ‘Fly forFun’event with the Lleyn MAC, Nr.Abersoch, North Wales.Meet at the Londis car park in Llanbedrog for09 30 am each day. Aslope map will be le�t in the shop windowfor late arrivals (weekends only).
2nd/3rd August
PSSA ‘Fly forFun’event at The WhiteHorse,Westbury,Wiltshire
JUST ASK
Powerscale soaringgliders take many formsfromWW2 warbirds to wide bodied airliners. Most military jets have been adaptedasPSS soarerstoo,includingthe F-4Phantom.
Meet at the WhiteHorse car park.Pilots’ briefing at slope locationat10 30ameachday
Note this meeting willonlyrun with locallyforecastwinds from West through to North
16th /17thAugust
PSSA Fly-In,The Bwlch, Nant-yMoel, Bridgend, South Wales
Kindlysupported by the SWSA http //a4 0soaring.blogspot.co.uk/ Meet at the ‘Ice-Cream’car park for10ameachday
20th /21stSeptember
PSSA ‘Fly forFun’event at The Great Orme,Llandudno,North Wales
Meet at the ‘TankTrack’ carpark forapilots’ briefing 10ameachday
18th /19thOctober
PSSA ‘Fly forFun’event atThe Great Orme,Llandudno, North Wales
Meet at the ‘TankTrack’ car park fora pilots’ briefing 10am each day.
ProofofBMFA(or equivalent) insurance andPilot Competency certificate is required forall PSSA events.All models must be labelled with acompliantCAA Operator ID number. Formoreinformationon these PSSA events please contact Phil Cookeon 0 2 224 19,email webmaster@ pssaonline.co.uk or go to // www.pssaonline.co.uk/aboutus/events/
WHITESHEET RFCCALENDAR2025
Scale Days could be either Saturday or Sunday, with the preferred day always being aSunday. A�ter analysing the forecasted conditions,the Scale Secretary will
makethe final on/o�f call on.Please notethe reserve dates in brackets
Open Slope days arefor Vintage Scale,ModernScale soarers,F3f andF5j competitionmodels or
4 June 1st (22nd) 5July 6th (2 th)
6 August 3rd(31st) September th (28th)
8October 5th (12th)
9November 9th (30th)
F3F Events
1 January 26th (25th) WSRFCF3f Winter League
2 May8th (Jun 8th) BMFA F3f
Forpeace of mind andtoensure the regulardelivery of thelatest copyofRCM&Estraighttotheir frontdoormanyofour readers opt to purchase asubscription. Thereare several options besides the usualAnnual subscriptionsotosee what might be best foryou please click on the ‘Subscribe’tab,top le�t of the RCM&E Home Page at https://www.model�lying.co.uk
What’s more,ifyou opt for either adigital subscriptionora combined digital/print package
the uniquesubscriber allocated to youwill also provide website access to ourdigitalarchive of back issues,along with bonus content
However, RCM&Eisalso available to buyfromall good newsagents.Mostnewsagents will allowyou to reserve acopy, along-time favouriteway of securing each issueofyour favouritemodel magazine
Some stores mayevenbeable to arrange forittobedeliveredto your home.It’seasy -Just Ask!
Don’tmissout! Just ask your local newsagenttoo ryou today. Simplyfill in theformand hand it over to your local newsagent (A copyofyourdetails will be fineifyou don’twanttocut the coupon out.) Once set up your copy of RCM&E will be heldfor youtocollect everymonth. It’s easy –Just Ask!
First name Surname Address
‘Anything In Between’, such as PSS gliders.The scheduledSundays are preferred but as always Saturdays areanoption. TheOpen Slopes Secretary willanalysethe forecast andattempt to choose the most suitable day. Thedecisionis usuallymadeonthe Fridaybefore the event,occasionallyearlierif conditions aremoresettled. Please check withthe WSRFC beforetravelling https:// whitesheet.bmfa.club/scalecalendar/
Open Slopes
1. March 23rd
2April 13th
3May 18th
4 June 15th
5July 20th
6 August 1 th September 21st
8October 19th
9November 2nd
10 December th
Afi�thscale Skylark4byChris Williams is seen turninghighover WhiteSheet duringone of the WSRFC’sregular scalemeetings. Look outfor adoubleissue free Pro-Plan for this model, coming soon in RCM&E.
VOLANTEX P-51D
MUSTANG&SPORT CUB
Words John Daniels
One of my monthlytreats ismymodel club’sindoor�lying session.Wehave the use of afour-court school sports hall but at around 50foot in width youdoneed to have your eyeonthe ball when �lying otherwise those all toosolidwalls on either side canloomupand provide an unintentional crash barrier to ourfragile indoor models.
Around tenorsoyears ago ReadyToFly indoormodels were relatively easy to come by Alot of my models’ datefromaroundthat time but whilst Iamfairly accomplished at missing those walls my concentration does lapse from time to time,somymodels arestarting to showtheir agea�ter several meetings with the brickwork! nfortunately, theredoesn’t seem to be the demandfor such models these days,maybe because a lot of modellers arenow retiredand havethe time to build their ownlightweightindoor models.However,I’m still awageslave so I prefer to spend my limited spare building
Photos Kevin Crozier
John Danielstestsa couple of mini models thatare idealfor small field �lying
SportCub isn’tsoscale like butisfun to lyinthe rightconditionswhenspace is limited.
olante ’s new mm P- Mustang wouldn’t look outofplace on displayinyourlivingroom.
time making larger R/C models.Someof those small, traditionallybuiltscale models do look appealing though, so maybe oneday
CASTINGAROUND
Imentioned this dilemma to oureditor, Kevin anditseems that he washaving similar thoughts.Hehad cast around formodernday RTFindoormodels andthought he hadthe answer in the form of the Volantexseries of small 400 mm spanwarbirds.But these proved fartoo sprightlyto�ly indoors in asimilar sized hall. Those walls did provethe valueof Volantex’s pop o�fpropeller savers though! He also tried the400 mm span, 3-channel Sport Cubfromthe same series andbyincreasing therudderthrow to allowittoturntightly enough to miss the walls this little yellowhigh winger did allowhim to enjoya few�lights.But, likethe warbirds,itreally is abit toofast for indooruse,sohehad retired it,saving itfor those fabled calm, sunnysummer evenings which sadlydidn’t reallymaterialise much last year
Volantex’s K distributor,CML, then sent over oneofthe larger 500 mm P-51D Mustangs to review.The original 400 mm Mustang, likeothers in thesameseries,including the SportCub,are poweredby1SLiPopowered brushed motors, but
ndersideviewshowing theneatlyapplied invasion stripes.
the new larger models have 2S brushless power systems.Thisrules them outfor indoor�lying, unless youhaveaccesstoa reallybig hall, Iguess But as KC wanted aquickreview of the P-51D,he asked me to takea look andtosee what Ithought of the little yellowSport CubwhileI wasatit!
MUSTANGFIRST
Theoriginal Volantex warbirdseries comprises of several popularWW2 aircra�tincluding a Spitfire, aP-40,a eroand twoMustangs in di�ferent colourschemes.Theyare all 4-channel of 400 mm wingspanand come complete
Mustangissuppliedina handycarry case.
Main wheels area push fitintoslots underneath each wing.
with atransmitter,spare props,a 1S 400 mAh LiPoand amatching charger
Thenew 500 mm wingspan4-channel P-51D Mustang is,tomyeyes, amorescale like representationand would, at aquick glance, easilypass as awell finished plastic kit.It wouldn’t be out of place on displayona shelf in your living room
Painted to replicatethe Delaware based Mustang ‘Never Miss’,this neatlittle fighter is painted matt green on topwith asilver underside andneatlyapplied invasionstripes.It comes with twofour-blade propellers,slide on main wheels completewith doors,4 x2gdigital servos, aready paired 4-ch. transmitter anda 2S 400 mAh LiPowith matching SB charger.The motor has been upgraded to brushless andit fair nips along, pacified in great part by an onboard -Pilot 6-axis gyrostabilisationsystem.
Theone-piece aircra�tisverynearlyready to �lyand just requires the fittingofthe neat scale likeprop, which clips securely in place with afirm push. It’s fitted with averye�fective prop saver. In fact,when �lyingitoveranything less bowling green standard turf the chances arethat it will pop o�fa�ter every�light when it catches the grass.But that’s no badthingas I’drather have that thanbending or breaking apropevery time it is �lown. It also means that the model will go back inside its carrybox for storage between �lying sessions. If youleave the prop in place,itcannot be stored in the box.
Itend to leave the main andtail wheels o�f when �lying as it looks so much better ‘wheels up’, as anyWW2 warbirddoes when in �light Themain legs simplypush into place into square slots on the underside of each wing and
DATAFILE
Model P-51D Mustang, Green
Model type Mini warbird
Manufacturer Volantex
K importer CML Distribution https //www cmldistribution.co.uk
RRP £124.99
Length 318 mm (12.5 )
Wingspan 500 mm (19. )
Motorsize 1806 Brushless
Servos 2g x3,plus -Pilotgyro stabilisation
Functions (servos) Ailerons, elevator,rudder, throttle LiPo 2S 400 mAh
will click intoplace if pushed right in. But Istop just beforethis point so that the legs canbe easilyremovedbeforea �lying session.
A�ter fitting the prop all that needs to be done is to charge the 2S LiPosupplied andtofitfour AA cellsintothe batterybox at the back of theTx. A SB charger is supplied to charge the 2S LiPo, but Iprefertouse the balance functionofmy AC/DC charger.The pack is fitted with ared JST connector andan Hbalance leadsoconnecting it to a‘proper’charger is quick andeasy to do
“I tend to leave the main and tail wheels off when fying as it lookssomuch better wheels up”
FIRSTSORTIE
Plug in the LiPoand the -Pilot stabiliser kicks in immediately, twitching the tinyservos, with the miniwarbirdshowing its eagerness to get airborne.The transmitter is supplied as Mode 2 andfeaturesthree �light modes Full Assist,So�t Assist or No Assist.The mode selectswitch is on the topright shoulder of the Tx but features adi�ferentset of nomenclature.Pushing the switch away to its Expert positionwill give you No Assist,Midd setting givesyou So�t Assist whilst pulling the switch towardsyou enables Beginner mode andFullAssist.I recalled David Ashby’s reviews of some similarsmall warbirds andherecommended using the Midd position formost of his �lying so that’s whereI started.
A�ter checking that all the controls were moving in the correct directions andthat they were also responding correctlytothe -Pilot as it wasswung on each axis in pitch,roll andyaw,the throttle was raised andthe little Mustang wasgiven agentle underarmtoss intothe sky.Evenonpartial throttle the small 1806 brushless motor and2Scombo has plenty to give and‘NeverMiss’ washappilyzipping around andputting abig smile on my face.She displayeda slightamount of porpoising in pitch but other than that sheprovedveryeasy to �ly. ou’ll want to keep her close though as at those sort of speeds shecovers ground very quicklyand youdon’t want to find yourself hearing the Signal Loss Alarm, which kicks in at themaximumrange of 656 feet
A S chargerissuppliedfor the2S4 mAhLiPo butthankstothe useofpopular connectors it is easily matcheduptoanAC C charger.
Simple transmitterhas agyromodeswitchtop right andanAerobaticspushbuttontop le�t. he Sport Cubhas asimilar ,but theAerobatic switch mount is blankedo f.
Time nowtoexplore some aerobatics.Evenin the Midd setting there’squitea lot of elevator so the Mustang caneasilybeguidedthrough some nicelyrounded loops.However, applicationof full aileron merelyresults in the beginnings of atight turn. On the le�t shoulder of the Tx is a ‘One-key Aerobatics’ button andwhen pressed
ail wheelisasimplepush-in fit too.
Asingleservo drives both ailerons.
ail linkages. eutral adjustmentsare made by closingore panding the bends in thepushrods.
heLiPoslidesverticallyintothe batterybay
this automaticallyfeeds in the additional aileron throwneeded to performa roll. Iquickly becameaccomplished at pressingthisbutton andthen immediatelypushing the aileron stick to the le�t or right to initiatearoll.Itworks with elevator toobut as mentioned beforethere’s plenty of movement theretoperformloops without assistance,atleast in Midd mode
EXPERT &BEGINNERMODES
Flicking the mode switch to Expert turnso�f the -Pilot stabiliser system andI immediately regretted doing so,evenwith 40 plus yearsof �lying experience undermybelt! To be fair the instructions cautiontouse the -Pilot whilst �lying, which sort of begs the question why makeitsoitcan be switched o�f Afew hairy seconds later Ihad it back at the Midd position, so it wasnow time to try�lyingthe Mustangin Beginner mode.Asexpected, thiscalmsthings down alot,but it also reduces the model’s turning capabilities which is nota good thing in my book duetothe model’s fairly high �lying
speed. With Beginner mode selectedand an inexperienced pilot on the sticks Ican easilysee it quicklygoing outofrange andmaybe �lying out of sight
So,sticktothe Midd setting andyou’ll have a ball with this little fighter!
ONE-KE YTAKEOFF
As discussed previously, on thele�t shoulder of the Tx is the One-key Aerobaticsbutton.This kind of ‘does what it says on the tin’but it has anotherfunction as it provides what is called ‘One-key Takeo�f’.Ifpressed beforeraising thethrottleand launching themodel it will hold the Mustang level as it climbs.Then, to quotethe manual, ‘ ea r lane w ll ta e o automatically to aproper altitude andhoverina certain area.’ Maybe loiter is abetter word than
hover, butI’veyet to see this in actionbecauseif youtouch anyofthe controls then theplane will exit this functionand return control to thepilot –and Ican’t help but touchthe sticks!The best I’veachieved is ashort auto climb out before I felt the need to takebackcontrol, but it didn’t feel anymorestable thananormal climb out
To be honest this is the sort of autopilot functionthat is aimed at new pilots trying to �lyontheir own, but Iwouldn’t want to recommend this kind of model to abeginner es, youcould probablyget away with making afew short �lights whilst banging the sticks around, but will it reallyteach youanything useful Farbetter to join amodel club and get instructionona proper trainer.Eventually you’ll likelyeither break something or the plane could�ly away
t’s aneatlooking mini warbirdand idealfor smallfieldorlarge garden lying.
Like theMustang, SportCub comesina handy carrycase.
MUSTANGSUMMARY
In my opinion, whilst this new,larger Volantex P-51D is reallynot amodel fornovice pilots it is great funto�ly foranyonewith a modicumofstick time.The Midd positionfor the -Pilot system is the best Goldilocks setting so leave it thereand you’ll have lots of fun zipping her around, looping androlling.Just remember to push the Aerobatics button before moving the aileronsifyou want to perform those kinds of stunts!
SPORTCUB
There’sa new,larger,brushless versionofthe Sport Cubtoo in redorblue. But shown hereis the original 400 mm yellowversionfresh from its aborted indoor�lying sessions.
“Middposition for the X-Pilot systemis the best Goldilocks settingsoleave it there and you’ll have lots of fun”
Presentationissimilartothe Mustang with the one-piece airframesupplied in asquare carrybox andprotected by an inner foam tray It comes with the same type of transmitter, although in this case theAerobatics button is not present andthe switch positionisblanked o�f. The -Pilot controls arethe same andasbefore Istarted �lying at theMidd setting. Ironically, this givesthis smart little high winger alittle toomuchcontrol andIactuallyprefer�lying her in Beginner mode.Soequipped she will �loat around the sky in large circuits andfiguresof eight.Aerobatics area bit of a�lop so it’s best to forego those (maybe get a500 mm Mustang instead!) andjust enjoysomesimple R/C �lying.
TheSport Cubcomes with asimple wire push-in undercarriage butunless youare �lying
over very short grass it is best omitted otherwise there’sa danger of �lipping the modelover everytime youlandit. Kevin said that it worked fine though fortaking o�fand landing in a sports hall –ifyou canfind abig enough venue! Sport Cubcomes with atwo-blade prop andtwo spares, plus aspare prop saver.
The1S400 mAh is best charged using the SB charge leadsupplied. Icouldn’t use my normal charger this time as it only worksfor 2–6Spacks
ANDFINALLY…
Both of these small models arefun to �lybut in very di�ferent ways.Choose the Sport Cub forgentle,nofrills �loating around, whilst the larger 500 mm brushless P-51D Mustang is sure to puta smile on your face whether zooming around on fast passes or performing neat loops andassisted rolls
Whilst they will never surpass my larger sport andscale models for�lying at club level, Ican see them earning awell-deservedplace in the carfor taking on holidayorsimplyfor popping out to anearbyplaying field fora quick session on acalmsummer’s evening ■
SportCub is less scalelikebut it’s clearwhich aircra� titrepresents.
A S4 mAhLiPopowersthe olante 4 mm series of mini models
his time theLiPogoesinlengthwaysinits batterybay.
Smallbut mighty controlsurfaces, so much so that much prefer lying it with reducedcontrolsin eginner mode. t’salmostlikeguidedfree light
ABRITISHSCALE NATIONALS
DannyFenton hadafew jobs to do in ordertoready his F4CHurricaneand F4HAusterfor the UK’s topscale competitionatBMFABuckminster
nextremely busy fewmonths distractedmefrommyongoing projects andalthough Iwas keen to get back to my quarter scale
Chipmunk the British Scale Nationals held in mid-September focussed my thoughts
Iwas disappointed that support forF4B (scale control line) in the UK haddropped to such an extent that therewerenot enough
entrants to hold acompetitionfor theclass at the Nats.Atleast threeentries arerequired andIwas theonlyone.Chatting with Matt Cordwell, it has happened before. Ijust hope the exposure F4B got from the WorldChamps, andour success there, will inspireafew to give scale control line ago. It would be wonderful to field afullteamofthree pilots when we,the UK, host the WorldChampionships in 2026. In
fairness,fourmodellers were in touchoverthe Nats weekend andare indeed keen to give it a go.So, fingers crossed!
Ihaverealised that my Chipmunk wasnot a good choicetomaximise the scoring potential Ihaveselectedmy2026 control line subject, but Iwill keep that decisionclose to my chest until nearertothe event such there were not World Championships 2026
ave
words& photos DannyFenton
Charles lewhis wonderful yphoon to win old in F4Catthe ritishScale ationals.
My models,anAuster,Chipmunkand urricane, ready to do battle at the ritishScale ationals at uckminster
HURRICANE FLAP SERVOS
So,with my Chipmunknot competingatthe Nats,Iturned my attentiontomyF4H and F4C models.Idecided that it wastime that my Hurricane, which Ibuilt in 2009, �lew andto that end Istarted getting it readyfor F4C. The�laps hadshi�ted over time andthe four (yes,four) smallservos’ end points were out.When Ibuilt this BrianTaylordesign, I struggled with operating all four �laps and tried all sorts of ways to move them with just oneoreventwo servos,but Istruggled. In the end Iused four small servosand aJR Multibox. This unit allows four servostobe drivenbyone channel andthe endpoints set foreachservo.Fortunately, Ihad made the Multiboxaccessible in awheel well anda quick refresh of the instructions hadthe �laps all nicelysynchronised.
in the urricane’s wheelwell e posedthe R Multibo . hissynchronisesthe four mini lap servos.
“When Ibuiltthis BrianTaylordesign, Istruggled with operating all four faps”
STATIC PROP
Ineeded to makeascale prop forthe Hurricane, so Idownloaded photographs from theweb forreferenceand carved ablade frommapleusing aspokeshave.I could have used aso�terwood forthis,suchasbalsa, but I enjoythe close grain andrugged properties of
maple.Italso allows forfine edges without the risk of breakage
This single blade wasthen used to createa mould. Unfortunately, my silicone hadgone abit ‘funny’ andwas very thick. This meant the mould wasfull of bubbles that resisted removal, even using avacuumchamber
Amazingly, threeblades were cast using Biresin G26, an unfilled fast cast polyurethane resin, anddespitebeing very rough they cleaned up well. Ineeded to fill afew pin holes andsando�f thelumps produced by the voids in the mould but within acouple of hours the blades were readyfor primer
Ahub wasmadetohold theblades from more mapleand the blades were sprayed satin black. Istill need to work out howto applylettering as some areinwhiteand that probablymeans dryrubs will be needed.
Removing the loor
hethree blades a� tercleaningupwithPerma- rittools in the remel.
chose to makethe hub ahe agon. his allowed a lat side to rest on the tableofthe drillpress and made drillingaccurateholes forthe blades straightforward.
neededtomakeascale prop formy urricane,which wasentered in F4C.
hebladeswerepainted satinblack andfi edtothe maplehub.
Thehub wassimple andwas made using a paper templatetack-glued to ablock of maple; this made sure it wasaccurate. Theblades were fitted andglued in place.With hindsight it mayhavebeen better,for storage reasons, to make the blades apushfitsothat the prop could be dismantled.
Theblades were painted satin black andfixedtothe maple hub. Thetips were masked andpainted, the circularlogo added using paintmasks andthe yellowcarefully airbrushed. Tamiya water-based paint was used with a.3mmnozzleand 25 psi in my Harder &Steenbeck airbrush.Someadditional stencillingordecals areneeded but that ’s for alater date.
NEWBATTERIES
Iremovedthe twelve 4600 mAh A123 cells (6S 2P), replacing them with 2x5S2700 (5400 mAh) LiPopacks.Unfortunately, the wing needs to be removedtoaccess the new batteries; the A123 cells were charged
in the model which is not something I would advocate with LiPo packs.The CofG needed some work as the LiPopacks were a little lighter
Theonlyremaining task wastofitnew O-ringsinthe retractair valveasthe existing rings hadbecome �lattened over theyears
DB AUSTER
My DB Sport &Scale Auster was�lying in F4H at the Nats andittoo needed afew upgrades
Thelast time the aircra�t�lew it reallydidn’t �lywell. Itracked the problems down to the gyrosettings in the FrSkyreceiver. Icompletely started again, including the gyrocalibration. This appears to have sorted the model andit nowgoes whereIwantitto! Istill need to dial in the throwrates andthe gyrobut at least nowitis�lyable.
Ascale prop wasmadefor the Auster.Rather thancarve it from scratchI started with a13x 8beech prop.The outline andthe tips were all wrongbut with some careful sanding
Astaticpropwas also made formyAusterwhich was lyinginF4 .
Andy owman hadtorepairabroken lyingwireon his iger Moth. twas fortunatethatSteve ackson came so well e uipped Andygot on much better when he switched from sunglasses to an un-tintedpair.
“Unfortunately,the weather playeda part in ruining my plans for fying the Hurricane”
something close wascreated.Satinblack and some masking of the yellowtipscompleted the exercise
Ialso changed the wheel covers forsomenice cast resin wheels.This wasmuchmorelikethe full size
Unfortunately, the weatherplayeda part in ruining my plans for�lyingthe Hurricane and Ididn’t get an opportunity in the twoweeks beforethe Nationals to test �lythe model. So, alas,itcouldn’t completeany �lights, but it did at least get astatic score,which wasofinterest
BACK TO BUCK MINSTER
Models were assembled in the Goldsmith Hangar from Thursdayevening, with static starting earlyonFriday. Theatmosphere wasgreat,asusual, with everybody catching up andenjoying the social sideof scale competition.
Thefirst �lights of allroundsstarted on Fridaya�ternoon. Theforecast wasn’t great for Sundaysoweneeded to makethe most of the weather whilst we could
igel i on’s lovely ucano
Pierre elrieu and ubertSacriste came over fromFranceand it waslovelytosee them -and Pierre’s Storch.
ave Charlesaccepts histrophyfor winningF4C from anPallister,FSMAE.
Ihad agreat event.Mymodelsdidn’tdowell but it isn’t always about that.One thingthat does su�fer when IcompeteisthatI do notget picturesofall the modelssothereare only a fewshown here. But it waslovelytosee the two British team members from Romania �lytheir models,Nigel Nixon in F4H with hisTucanoand
MatDawson�lying his Blackburn Firecrest but this time in F4C.
IT’S AWRAP
Th at just about wraps up ar eal ly good Br itish Scal eNational s. Th erad io contr ol classes we re we ll sup ported an dweh ad a
gr eat competition. Howe ve r, Fr ee Fl ight an d Contr ol Line didn’t get the number s. If any of yo uare inter ested in fl ying contr ol line scale,p lease get in to uc h-wen eed an F4 B te am for2 026
As always if youwanttodropmeane-mail, I canbereached at cammnut@gmail.com ■
Martin Fardellwon F4 f lyinghis delightful Avro 4.
igel i on wonthe Flying nly classwithhis scar.
Mat awson lewhis Firecrest with a fivebladed prop. oesn’t it lookawesome