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BY DE B R A CL E G HOR N

THE HEAVYWEIGHTS

Everybody loves big, scale warbirds: they look and sound like their full-scale brothers and always wow the crowd. In most every RC pilot’s journey, there comes a time when you want one of your very own it’s inevitable You can get started fairly quickly with an Almost Ready to Fly (ARF) model, and there a ton of terrific ARF options out there. You may also choose to build a big bird from plans, a kit, or assemble a composite ARF But before you start on your giant-scale journey, there are a few things to know. These larger aircraft typically weigh significantly more and have much higher wing loadings than typical RC planes, and these factors require honed piloting skills. In this issue, longtime Model Airplane News contributor Rich Uravitch takes us through the basics, from choosing your first big bird to operating flaps and retracts Of course, giant-scale models get all the attention and are the flightline showstoppers, but bigger really does fly better!

THE LIGHT WEIGHTS

On the other side of the modeling spectrum, we have foamies. They’re generally durable and can take a beating, but just like anything else, after a hard landing they can break Check out our “Easy Foam Fixes” with stepby-step advice to get your foam ARF airborne again. From dents and dings to broken wings, you can fix it. Don’t trash your next crash!

STRUT YOUR STUFF

Send us a tip and photo for “Hobby Hacks,” or a picture of your latest aircraft for “Pilot Projects!” If your entry is featured in the magazine, you’ll win a free, one-year subscription to The Hangar, our membership website with exclusive content and the Model Airplane News archives Send your entries to MAN@airage com

FREE NEWSLETTER!

Don’t miss out on your free Model Airplane News weekly newsletter. Join our list of thousands of newsletter subscribers today at ModelAirplaneNews.com. Get the latest in RC videos, how-tos, and news. It’s a great way to get your RC fix between issues and keep up with the latest There’s no such thing as a free lunch, but at least there’s a free Model Airplane News newsletter!

HUEY

Morley, Mahtomedi, Minnesota

A15th anniversary gift from Matt’s wife, this 800mm size Huey is built from a Roban kit from Motion RC Matt built a test rig to fly the mechanics and get the bugs out prior to installing in the fuselage After reading the Robert Mason novel “Chicken Hawk,” Matt knew he had to finish the Huey in First Air Calvary livery

PILOT PROJECT OFTHE MONTH

SPEEDY PETE E- 4

Mark Sirianni, Kane, Pennsylvania

Another in the line of “Pete” models designed by Mark is the “Speedy Pete,” a 42-inch-span model that is 43 inches long and weighs in at 42-ouces. The Speedy Pete uses an electric power system with a Hacker motor and reportedly flies very well The Pete series of designs are named after Mark’s son

GICOLOR

Francisco Reifschneider, Brasília, Brazil

Built from the Classic Trainer kit and adapted to floats, this Gicolor is powered by an O.S. .55 glow engine. The wings are covered by silk and colored dope. On step, takeoffs are very gentle and require just 50% power, and landings are very slow and docile. Francisco says that it’s “a breeze to fly on lakes, even in rough water and mild winds.”

Matt

TAPERED SCREWS

No matter how precisely you think you’ve drilled your holes in your model airplane, when it’s time to screw in bolts and other threaded fasteners that center up with the internal threads it is best to use a Dremel tool or bench grinder to taper the front end of the screw This allows the fastener to self-center so that the threads don’t bind. I use this on cowl and other screws that are hard to get perfectly lined up

Tony Lively, Jacksonville, Florida

FUEL LINE HANGING

Hard landings, bouncing trailers, or hanging in storage are all ways that a fuel link clunk can get tucked in the forward portion of your fuel tank, eventually running your engine dry. Take a piece of plastic straw and slip it over the fuel line; it will still flex enough to pick up fuel but it won’t get hung up in the front of the fuel tank

Chet Blake, Elwood City, Pennslyvania

INDEXING MARKS

Even though you make a habit of using thread-locker on bolts, use a Sharpee marker to put index marks on critical bolts like engine mounts. Bolts in high-vibration areas should be checked regularly, and this is a great way to get a quick visual confirmation that nothing is coming loose

Kevin Garland, Phoenix, Arizona

GLUE WHERE YOU WANT IT

Epoxy bottles occasionally get hard to read after a while. If you mix different types of epoxies, they may not harden correctly or in the right time frame. To avoid this, I mark matching resin and hardener with colored electrical tape or different color vinyl for 5-minute, 15-minute etc This helps me to keep all of my glues straight.

Steve Mills, Mankato, Minnesota

Model Airplane News Hangar website Send high-res digital images, your name and address, and a brief description to MAN@airage com

O N T H E F L I G H T L I N E

NEW PRODUCTS

RBC KITS P -80 SHOOTING STAR

This wood kit comes with CNC-cut ribs and formers featuring a tab-lock design for easier assembly Full-size rolled plans, downloadable instructions and photos, tip tank ducting, paper inlet and outlet ducting, and sheeting are all included The P-80 is designed for a 90mm Midi Fan EVO electric-ducted fan unit on 8 cells This kit costs $280 fanjetsusa.com

SPEKTRUM IX14

This intelligent transmitter is intended for intermediate to advanced level pilots who fly mid- to high-end performance RC aircraft, including electricand turbine-powered jets. It offers 14 channels and includes many of the latest Spektrum advances in connectivity, programmability, and ergonomics Features include a fast Android interface, Smart Technology compatibility, precise Hall-effect gimbals and more The iX14 costs $900 horizonhobby.com

SEAGULL MODELS CESSNA L-19A BIRD DOG

Intended for a 35 to 40cc gas engine (or glow or electric equivalent), this 102-inch-span model features built-up construction and comes with flaps, painted aluminum gear, and a painted fiberglass cowl. A removeable antenna, scale cockpit/cabin, and LED navigation system add to its scale appeal. The Bird Dog has plug-in wing halves costs $696. legendhobby com

E-FLITE ERATIX 3D FF

This flat-foam model can perform aggressive aerobatics yet can be smooth and slow for sport flying. It comes with an installed brushless motor, Avian Smart speed control and three servos and can be bolted/snapped together in minutes no glue or tape required! It uses a 3S, 600 to 850mAh battery The Plug-N-Play version costs $200; it’s also available as a Bind-NFly with AS3X and Safe Select for $220 horizonhobby.com

R E V I E W S | P E R S O N A L I T I E S | G E A R | F U N S T U F F | N E W S

RC P L AN E STAN DS CLASSIC II

APPROVED

have the option of painting or staining the stand with your choice of finish, but I like the way it looks as is. A bag of high-quality hardware is also included

Similar to how many small businesses start, Glen Hackler was making aircraft stands for his personal use in his home wood shop. When his friends at his local field saw the stands, they asked him to make stands for them and when word got out and demand started snowballing, Glen decided to make it a business.

In the January 2022 issue I reviewed the RC Plane Stands benchtop model airplane stand and at the

time I mentioned that this was something I would use often, maybe daily That has turned out to be 100% true. To accommodate my larger models, I ordered the Classic II model with laser engraving as well as an optional tool tray

All of the stands are made from Baltic birch plywood. This plywood is several thin layers and is extremely dense and strong They arrive CNC-cut, finishsanded, and take about 30 minutes to assemble. You

Having owned an RC Airplane Stands floor stand, I was excited to see the improvements that Glen made to the original design. One primary weakness of the original was the ability to tighten it down to hold heavier models Glen added one-way ratcheting handles that allow me to get a far better grip than the star-shaped knobs and are much easier to get tight. He also added notches for the support struts for them to lock into. Both additions make the stand nearly bulletproof when holding heavier models and eliminate the need for the spanner wrench that was easy to lose track of.

Also, the use of Velcro straps between the aircraft supports allows you to make a sling This keeps models supported without actually resting their weight on the wood parts of the stand. This

came in handy especially when using the stand for my HSD T-33, which is a large foam model. The 12S 110mm EDF is heavy enough that simply resting it in a stand dent the foam, but the Velcro straps support it perfectly and without any damage.

The stands have a couple of options. I chose to get the wheel upgrade package This allows me to easily move the stand around my shop or garage and the wheels can be locked to hold the stand in place for storage or transportation. I also added on the tool shelf; it’s easy to install and remove and makes a great platform to keep some tools handy while working.

This was another worthwhile addition to my workshop and one I use almost daily. In addition, I can take it to the field and use it to assemble and prepare models for flight It breaks down to take up relatively little space and is easy to pack in my truck or trailer. The Classic II starts at $359 – Andrew Griffith rcplanestands.com

Shown with the HSD T-33, the floor stand easily supports this heavy foam jet without damaging the delicate foam.

The optional tool tray is handy for keeping frequently used tools handy while working on projects

A great addition to the floor stands are these “lock in” notches that enhance the weight bearing capacity of the stand without needing to add more material.

Velcro straps allow models to be cradled without putting their weight on the wood parts

These ratcheting handles make securely tightening the stand very easy on the hands

DU - B RO KWI K - SAN D HAND SANDERS

By Andrew Griffith

APPROVED

Our friends at DuBro keep bringing out useful products that I love having in the shop Having the right tool makes the project at hand go so much easier! I recently received their new Kwik-Sand hand sanders in both 5 5- and 11-inch lengths. Each comes with a starter kit of adhesive backed sandpaper pieces in 80-, 150-, and 220-grit The sandpaper is cut to the shape of the sander and uses peel-and-stick adhesive to attach to the bar You can order sandpaper refills from Du-Bro, or if you need a different grit paper than they have available you can use 3M 77 Contact cement and apply your own custom-cut sandpaper.

Sanding blocks are nothing new of course. When I was a wee modeler, I remember

showing up to the field with my first glider, a kit-built Craft Air Drifter II Despite hours of hand sanding while I tried to maintain the right pressure and alignment, the leading edges of the wings looked like a poorly performed field sobriety test. Henry Haffke approached me and said, “Hey kid, let me show you a trick ” His trick of course was a variety of sanding blocks and T-bar sanders that he had in his shop to work on his famous Gee Bee Racers

My next build, a Goldberg Gentle Lady, was stunningly different and that was the beginning of knowing that having the right tool for the job was paramount Bar sanders allow you to produce nice straight edges, which are both aesthetically pleasing and more importantly are critical to strength when

gluing the finished pieces together.

What makes the Du-Bro Kwik-Sand better than a typical T-bar sander? Instead of trying to pinch the handle on a T-bar, the Kwik-Sand bar is a new ergonomic design that fits comfortably in your hand That may not sound revolutionary, but when you’re doing a lot

of sanding the ease and comfort makes a difference in fatigue

If you do any building or repairs that require a lot of sanding, the Kwik-Sanders should be in your collection

By Andrew Griffith

dubro.com

The Kwik-Sand bars fit very comfortably in your hand and make sanding chores easy to manage

The Du-Bro KwikSand hand sanding bars are a great addition to any workshop!

Greg Hahn’s Caproni

Held on October 7 and 8, the biannual Dawn Patrol Rendezvous WW I Fly-In took place at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force Adjacent to Wright Patterson AFB in Dayton, Ohio, this amazing aerial event features RC giant-scale WW I aircraft as well as full-size homebuilt replicas of famous WW I fighter aircraft. As always, there’s a lot to see, including

reenactor encampments, antique cars, aviation workshops, and guest speakers to educate everyone about the Great War. Taking place throughout the museum complex, the Rendezvous highlights the events of WW I and America’s early aircraft development as well as interesting hands-on educational activities and food trucks.

Specially for the Rendezvous event,

the Museum creates a grass runway and uses a roller for several days prior to the event so the sod runway and flightline are in great condition. The RC models are in support of the full-scale activities, with one or the other group attempting to keep planes in the air all the time This year’s high winds and bitter cold did make this very difficult.

Full-Size Demoiselle

The largest entry was a 100% full-scale RC version of the 1909 Demoiselle. Built by Gary Denzler, the 95-pound Demoiselle has a 17-foot wingspan and is powered by a Desert Aircraft DA170 twin-cylinder gas engine. Flown by Paul Westrich, the Demoiselle only has three channels (throttle, rudder and elevator) and is covered with Sig Coverall. It carries a full-size model

of Brazilian pilot/designer Alberto Dumont with an animated head, so he can scan the skies as he flies. Built using conventional RC materials, the model has tail booms made of 3/4 -inch hardwood dowels made to look like the lengths of bamboo (using thick cord and filler putty) used on the actual aircraft’s construction.

Gary Denzler poses with his full-scale 17-foot wingspan Demoiselle

Powered by a Desert Aircraft DA170 twin-cylinder gas engine, Gary’s RC Demoiselle has more power than the original

The majority of the airplanes at the event were kit built like this 1/3-scale Albatros from the Balsa USA kit

Half -Scale Fokker Dr.1 Triplane

Built from enlarged Glenn Torrance 1/3-scale planes, this amazing half-scale Triplane is the handiwork of by Bill Holland of Prague, Oklahoma With a wingspan of 142.2 inches, the triplane is 108.7 inches long and weighs 120 pounds. The Fokker is powered by a 3W 275cc engine turning a 37 x 13 Radio prop. The covering

is Poly Fiber and Ceconite 102, painted with PolyTone paint All the hinges are scale and homemade for elevator, rudder, and ailerons The control surfaces use scale pull-pull cable setups, and the 16-inch-spoked wheels come from Tractor Supply. Bill’s Triplane won the Best Central Powers award.

Sal Calvagna and his amazing Sikorsky Ilya Muromets ready for some flights

Bill Holland poses with his half-scale Fokker Dr 1 Triplane

Sal makes flying his huge 16-foot bomber look easy.

One of four resin-cast V-8 engines on Sal’s Russian bomber Each engine conceals an electric motor

RC F L IG H T L I N E

Seventy-five registered pilots came from 16 different states and brought about 100 models About half were 1/3 scale, and 60% of the models were built from kits, most being Balsa USA About a quarter of the models were scratchbuilt RC contest director Douglas Cox and RC event director Lee McDuffee made sure that the event ran smoothly. Because the Rendezvous takes place at a government installation, they also had to coordinate with the FAA, who was on hand checking everyone’s paperwork. Additional RC help came from AMA AVP Randy Adams, who helped interpret and respond to FAA requirements, Mike and Donna Smith, (who solicited the many door prizes), and Helen McDuffee, Kathy Cox, and Robin Adams Also deserving a mention are Lauryn Bayliff, Special Events Manager, NMUSAF/ MUS and the 2022 event Air Boss John J Vance, Director, Special Operations, 88 Operations Support Squadron, WrightPatterson AFB

With a landing fee of only $20, RC pilots were well-received For their registration fee, each pilot received an event t-shirt, a box lunch for Friday and Saturday served on the flightline, and an after-hours Welcome Banquet held in the WW I/Early Aviation section of the USAF Museum When it comes to scale aircraft, this year was certainly the year for half-scale aircraft. There were several truly huge models and in fact it’s hard to refer to these gigantic RC aircraft as models; in every sense of the word, they were indeed homebuilt aircraft, albeit not man-carrying

These days, WW I events really draw a big crowd and the Rendezvous is no exception Highlighting just some of the more unusual aircraft, Peter Hanley brought his impressive scratch-built Martin-Handysyde #3 monoplane.

With a 10-foot wingspan, the 1/4-scale model weighed 22 pounds and was powered by an inline 4-cylinder O S DiaStar IL300 glow engine.

Equally unusual was well known RC

personality Greg Hahn’s Caproni CA 3 Powered by three DLE 35cc gas engines (two tractor and one pusher), Greg’s scratch-built 1/4-scale Caproni has a 240-inch wingspan and weighs 54 pounds Covered with Solartex fabric, it has 180 ribs in the wings and some 275 feet of rigging cables holding the structures together. Greg says it took one year to draw the plans and another year to build his Italian bomber

Other well-known modelers in attendance were Roy Vaillancourt with his 1/3-scale SE5 and Sopwith Dolphin, Gene Gavin and his 1/3-scale Phönix D.I, and Sal Calvagna with his electric powered 1/6-scale Sikorsky Ilya Muromets Russian bomber Powered by four AXI 130 electric motors, Sal’s bomber had a 192-inch wingspan and weighed 45 pounds, and it won the Best of Show award Perhaps the most colorful aircraft on the flightline was Tim Schurick's 46% Fokker D VII powered by a DA 170cc twin.

John Elliott put in several flights with his full-size Fokker Dr I Triplane It was powered by a Lycoming 320 160HP radial engine

Half -Scale Sopwith Camel

Jim Ellis of Guthrie, Oklahoma, won the Best Entente Powers award with his impressive 50%-scale Sopwith Camel painted in the famous Lt Roy Brown scheme With a 14 -foot wingspan, the British fighter is 8 feet long and weighs 118 pounds Powered by a 5-cylinder Valach 430cc rotary 4 -stroke turning a 40 x 20 propeller, the Camel is finished with Behr household paint over Solartex fabric covering The wings are reinforced with carbon-fiber tube leading edges, and

the landing gear is made from 4130 chromoly steel covered with pine fairings, and the 17-inch spoked wheels are from Tractor Supply Featuring a full detailed interior, the plane also has machine guns built from Balsa USA kits Jim took two years to build the Camel Every thing except the 21-inch engine cowling is hand built, including the hand-stitched leather cockpit coaming

Jim Ellis shows off his impressive 50%-scale Sopwith Camel

A full-scale instrument panel and cockpit interior complete the Camel

Peter Hanley brought with his scratch-built Martin-Handasyde no 3 monoplane He powers it with an O S inline 4-cylinder DiaStar IL300 4-stroke

National Museum of the U.S. Air Force

Located at Wright Patterson Air Force Base near Day ton, Ohio, the National Museum is the oldest and largest military aviation museum in the world!

Established in 1923, the museum houses more than 360 aircraft and missiles and draws more than 1 million visitors each year Consisting of four connected round- topped buildings, the current internal area

housing the museum ’ s collection of aircraft, artifacts and memorabilia is 1,120,000 square feet From early aviation and pioneer aircraft to the most current bombers, strike drones and Presidential aircraft, there is literally something for anyone interested in any genre of man-carrying aircraft

F U L L - SI Z E AVIAT ION

What makes the event even more exciting is that both RC and full-size, homebuilt, man-carrying aircraft share the skies over the USAF Museum Throughout the day, the runway is flagged for specific flight operations to avoid conflicts between models and homebuilts. A Fokker Dr.1 Triplane powered by a Lycoming 320 160hp radial engine and a Fokker D VII powered by an inline, six-cylinder Gypsy Queen 30 engine entertained the crowd Another favorite was a full-scale Nieuport 28 powered by Lycoming 320

Bringing the historical atmosphere down to ground level were acres of WW I reenactors complete with encampments, tents, and period vehicles Considering the cool October temps, the period correct wool uniforms were certainly appropriate Everywhere you looked, Tommys, Huns and even U S troops were well-represented. The event was a great opportunity to learn some history.

If you’re a WW I enthusiast, the Dawn Patrol Rendezvous should be on your bucket list for sure. A biannual event, the next Rendezvous will take place in October 2024. For more information, go to nationalmuseum af mil/ Upcoming/Events.

The flightline was a mix of several different aircraft and various scale sizes.

Here a half-scale Nieuport 11 built by Art Shelton returns to the pit area.

STRAIGHT LINES & TURNS

Take your flying skills to the next level with these tips

Every pilot knows that flying an RC plane in a straight line and making a textbook, picture-perfect procedure turn is easier said than done! In this article, David Scott, the founder and flight instructor for 1st U.S. R/C Flight School as well as a full-size aerobatic pilot, shares his invaluable insights

When most people learn to drive a car, they work hard to keep the car going straight. This is mostly due to holding in the steering wheel corrections too long and trying to “steer” the car straight Yet, after a while we’re able to keep the car straight with very little effort The reason is that we develop an appreciation for the fact that most deviations can be corrected with a simple little nudge upon the wheel, and we’re confident that if one nudge doesn’t do the trick, we can always

apply another. Thus, applying small nudges to the steering wheel produces straighter lines and reduces the number of corrections we have to make. Small, brief bumps of aileron or rudder (not held in) have precisely the same effect to help us fly straighter lines, as well as make small course changes without over-controlling

BUMP APPLICATIONS

Proficient pilots use small bumps of aileron to keep the wings level to maintain straight lines Bumps are also

used to bank the wings slightly and cause an airplane to drift slightly to the left or to the right (Figure 1) As long as the bumps are not too large or held in, the airplane won’t lose altitude after a bump so there is no need for elevator when making small course changes If the airplane features a symmetrical airfoil wing, the course change after an aileron bump will tend to be much more gradual. To affect a more deliberate course change with a symmetrical wing plane, the pilot must also pull a little upelevator and, in effect, perform a mini

F IG U R E 1

F L AT - BOT TOM WI NG

B U M P B U M P

N E U T R AL I Z E N E U T R AL I Z E

Straight lines are maintained using small (brief) aileron bumps to keep the wings level. Small course changes are made using a small bump of aileron (in-andout) to bank the wings slightly

procedure turn (Figure 2).

Because the bump is small, it must be applied and returned to neutral smoothly to give the plane time to respond. Quickly jabbing the aileron will likely produce little or no response. Keep in mind that the slight wing bank and gradual course change after a smooth, small bump may not be immediately obvious. Thus, you must pause for a few

moments after each bump to be certain whether another bump is needed. Remember, over-controlling is usually not caused by aggressive inputs at first, but is the result of holding an input in too long and occurs most often when pilots hold in their inputs waiting to see an obvious reaction of the plane Therefore, it’s better to make two separate bumps, if necessary, rather than hold in the aileron! Bumping the rudder on airplanes without ailerons works just as well, but rudder bumps must be applied very smoothly to have the desired effect The bump technique works great for gradual course adjustments up to 20 to 30 degrees A larger course change will require a deliberate turn involving aileron and elevator

As pilots (like drivers) become more relaxed, they start noticing deviations off the intended path the instant they occur, thus the corresponding bumps become so small that anyone watching won’t even be able to tell that corrections are being made That’s one of the main reasons why really good pilots make flying look so easy

FLYING BETTER STRAIGHT LINES AND A PARALLEL FOUNDATION

If you have ever watched proficient pilots fly (you can tell by their ability to perform one maneuver after another), you may have noticed the absence of visible corrections between their maneuvers often referred to as being smooth The primary reason for their

smooth flying is that they possess a solid foundation of flying consistent parallel lines with the runway

Establishing a parallel foundation starts with picturing the comfortable viewing distance where you want the airplane to be when it passes in front of you, otherwise known as “show center.” Then, project that distance out to your left and right parallel with the runway and pick some ground reference “targets” on the horizon to use as parallel turnaround points (Figure 3). Guiding your airplane toward these points will greatly add to your consistency in the air.

CROSSWIND POSITIONING BASICS AND OBJECTS AS A WHOLE

As a rule, an airplane will fly in a straight line whenever the wings are level. If a crosswind exists, the plane will crab (point) into the wind a bit, but as long as the wings remain level, it will continue to track straight. From the ground, the position of the wings can often be difficult to judge, so rather than relying on the positions of the wing or fuselage, proficient pilots concentrate on where the airplane as a whole is traveling (Figure 4)

It is easy to see deviations when guiding the airplane as a whole toward a distinct target on the horizon. It’s a bit trickier on the return path to show center. To detect deviations from parallel after turning around, keep your eye on where the airplane as a whole is

An airplane will fly in a straight line when the wings are level. Flying in a crosswind causes the fuselage to crab into the wind, yet as long as the wings remain level the plane as a whole will continue to fly in a straight line . Pilots, therefore, need to pay attention to where the airplane as a whole is traveling, not where it is pointing

the direction that the car is traveling, all they have to do is move the steering wheel in the direction that they want the car to go With this in mind, rotate your body to face in the direction the airplane is traveling and think in terms of bumping the control stick in the direction you want the plane to go This reduces left/right confusion when learning to fly (Figure 7) Body rotation will naturally start disappearing within a few days as you shift from thinking about your own orientation to thinking more about guiding the airplane as if you were in it

NOW FOR THE TURN

traveling relative to yourself. That is, ask yourself, “Is it drifting away from me?” (bump it in) “Is it drifting toward me?” (bump it out).

When neither a deviation in nor away from you is detected, the airplane will be tracking generally parallel with the runway (Figure 5).

While wind is often blamed for deviations, it’s actually the wind’s principle effect that helps to exaggerate

deviations and mistakes that pilots can otherwise get away with in calmer conditions For example, when a crosswind exists, amateur pilots often make the mistake of completing their turns when the plane points where they want it to go, and then input a crab into the wind after they detect wind drift. The correct method is to finish your turns a little early or late so that

the required crab angle into the wind is already in place (Figure 6). How early or how late depends on the strength of the crosswind.

A note to beginners regarding left/right confusion when the plane is approaching show center: consider the fact that a person driving a car doesn’t have to think about whether to apply a left or right input Because they’re facing in

When you have mastered flying straight and level, you will need to apply what you learned with bumps to make a smooth procedure turn. Novice pilots typically attempt to turn by reacting to the airplane By definition, reactors need to see a mistake before it occurs to them that they have made one For example, reactors tend to start their turns by holding in some aileron and watching the wings bank. As the bank gets steeper and the airplane starts to

When the airplane as a whole is neither veering in nor away from you approaching show center, the airplane will be flying generally parallel with the runway

When turning into a crosswind, exit the turn a little early to establish the necessary crab angle and prevent getting blown.

CE N T E R

Actual flight path when the fuselage is mistakenly pointed toward show center in a crosswind

When turning with a crosswind, overshoot the turn a little to establish the necessary crab angle and prevent getting blown.

drop, the pilot becomes focused on increasing the elevator and trying to pull out of the dive, all while continuing to hold in the aileron The result is an increasingly steep bank, a progressively tighter spiral, and confusion about why the plane is going down when they are pulling up (Figure 8) Unless you intend to do aerobatics, never hold in the ailerons, especially during a turn!

PROCEDURE TURNS (AILERON TURN)

The term “procedure turn” is taken from fullscale flying and refers to a course reversal turn executed to such precise standards that the results are the same whether performed day or night, in clouds or out. That’s precisely our intention of executing intentional turn inputs that produce consistent turn results whether high or low, near or far

ROTAT ION “Right turn, left correction”

The turn procedure utilized by proficient pilots starts with a smooth, yet brief, aileron input to bank the wings The aileron input is neutralized to avoid entering a downward spiral, and then up-elevator is applied to pull the nose into a turn and keep the turn level. Once the bank has been established, elevator, not aileron, turns the plane (Figure 9).

Fixating on watching the wings at the star t of a turn may cause a pilot to hold in the aileron, resulting in a descending spiral and eventually rolling upside-down

The size of the aileron input determines the degree of bank and therefore the size of the turn, as well as how much elevator will be needed to keep the turn level For example, a smaller aileron input produces a shallower bank and therefore a wider turn, whereas a larger aileron input produces a steeper bank and a tighter turn. The objective is to find the aileron input that consistently produces the degree of bank that you are comfortable with, and then determine the correct amount of elevator to pull each time to keep the turn level. Note that during a mild bank, most of the wing’s lift is still opposing the pull of gravity, and thus very little up-elevator is needed to keep the turn level During a steeper bank, there’s less upward component of lift to oppose gravity As a result, more up-elevator is required to keep the turn level (Figure 10).

A larger aileron input produces a steeper bank, a tighter turn, and requires more up-elevator to keep the turn level

Ailerons bank the wings

Pulling up-elevator begins the turn and keeps the turn level You will not experience tight spiraling turns as long as you do not hold in the ailerons!

To reduce left/right confusion, face in the general direction that the airplane is traveling so that your left and right match that of the plane

BODY

CONSISTENT TURNS

The neutral stick position provides a distinct point from which to gauge the size of each of your control inputs, therefore making correct amounts easier to repeat, and incorrect amounts easier to modify correctly For example, if your initial turn is too tight, reducing the size of your aileron input from neutral next time will result in a shallower bank and wider turn Or, if you initially pull too much elevator and affect a climbing turn, next time repeat the same aileron input but pull less elevator from neutral and the turn will be more level (Figure 11).

Performing a procedure turn can be summed up by the motto, “Trust, and then adjust.” That is, proactively initiate your turns trusting your inputs then adjust (finetune) the amount of elevator you’re holding depending on what you see to keep the turn level (Figure 12). If you see the plane start to lose altitude during the turn, pull more elevator. If the plane starts to climb, lessen the amount of elevator that you’re holding in throughout the remainder of the turn. Keep in mind that, as a rule, it is easier to add more input than it is to recover after over-controlling. Therefore, the best procedure is to target a small amount of elevator at the start of a turn, and then finetune the elevator, if necessary, to maintain a perfectly level turn.

RESTARTING AND TIGHTENING TURNS

In the event that a turn needs to be tightened or restarted, the correct procedure is to smoothly apply a small bump of aileron (in/out) in the direction of the turn while continuing to hold in the elevator to steepen the bank angle (Figure 13) For reasons stated earlier, the aileron bump needs to be briefly applied in and out, not held in!

PROCEDURE TURN CORRECTION

At the point that you want to exit the turn, neutralize the elevator and smoothly apply opposite aileron to level the wings (Figure 14) Note that the key to applying the aileron in the proper direction is reminding yourself which way you’re turning and anticipating opposite aileron before it’s time to correct. The temptation to look at the wings to determine which way to apply the aileron produces hesitation and confusion whenever the position of the wings is not clear. Ultimately, applying the aileron correctly will hinge on how well you start

R E

F IG U R E 12

R E

F IG U R E 14

Ailerons bank the wings Pulling up-elevator turns the airplane To exit the turn, neutralize the elevator and apply opposite aileron to level the wings

Smoothly apply rudder to bank the wings, and then neutralize the rudder to avoid over-banking and entering a downward spiral Pull and maintain up-elevator to keep the turn level throughout

and maintain level turns, because the less demanding the turn is in general, the easier it will be to remember which way to apply the aileron to level the wings

In fact, when a turn is kept level, a person can actually get away with correcting the wrong direction, catch the mistake, and level the wings correctly with minimal altitude loss It can spell the end of an airplane if the pilot corrects the wrong way during a diving turn.

RUDDER TURNS

A rudder turn is performed using the rudder to yaw the nose of the airplane in the direction you want to turn. When the rudder is deflected, the wing on the outside of the turn also travels faster, causing it to generate more lift and therefore bank in the direction that the rudder is applied (Figure 15).

There are basically two different techniques required to turn an airplane without ailerons using the rudder. Planes that exhibit a lot of upright stability, such as a high wing powered plane or glider, typically resist

banking and therefore require you to continue holding in rudder to keep turning. These aircraft typically require a larger rudder input to get the turn started, but once started the rudder has to be reduced to keep the turn from becoming too tight. Note that the inherent skid and subsequent speed loss when applying rudder will most likely require you to combine some up-elevator with the rudder at the start of the turn to keep it from dropping (Figure 16)

F IG U R E 17

Other rudder planes require a technique similar to an aileron turn, where the rudder is applied only long enough to bank the wings, and then it is neutralized to avoid over-banking and entering a downward spiral. The degree of bank and the size of the turn are dictated by the size of the rudder control input. Keep in mind that rudder banks are less precise than aileron banks and will tend to lag behind your inputs if applied too quickly Thus, in

order to achieve results that more closely match your intentions, you must apply all your rudder inputs very smoothly to give the plane a chance to keep up with your inputs.

When you start the turn, you’ll need to adjust the elevator to keep the turn level then level the wings with opposite rudder to exit the turn Returning the wings to level usually takes longer with rudder than it does with aileron, so you’ll have to start leveling the wings prior to the point that you want the turn to stop, and then continue holding in the rudder until the wings are level (Figure 17) Prolonged rudder defections tend to scrub off airspeed, so you will most likely need to hold in a little up-elevator while leveling the wings to keep the plane from dropping

BOTTOM LINE

Consider that when flying straight or when your turn inputs are made correctly, the need for additional corrections may not exist Then you will be free to think ahead of the airplane just like a pro

Prolonged rudder deflections tend to scrub off airspeed during the subsequent yaw/skid Therefore, you will likely have to hold in some up-elevator while leveling the wings to keep the plane from dropping

Here is the typical stick movement for a rudder turn on a plane that exhibits a lot of upright stability

R IG H T T U R N

T I M E Hold left rudder

YAW

G L I DE R R U DDE R T U R N I N P U TS

BY R ICH U R AVI TCH P HOTOS BY DAVI D HART ( CAP T U R E DF ROM T H E HART.COM )

MISSION WARBIRD

Secrets to flying giant-scale military aircraft

For many scale modelers, warbirds have the edge in popularity. It’s hard not to get pumped by Mustangs, Thunderbolts, Spitfires, Hellcats, and Me-109s. Although we generally don’t put them into the category, Panthers, F-86s, F-100s, and F-15s fit here also Models of this type are generally larger, weigh more, and have higher wing loadings than other types, and require an awareness of what these factors mean when flying. It is here where “giant-sizing” our scale warbirds can provide benefits; bigger really does fly better!

WHAT TO EXPECT

Higher wing loadings are not all bad; they reduce the tendency of the model to be easily disturbed by wind gusts and makes landing approaches more predictable and precise. Once the rate of descent is established, it is easily controlled by the application of power At the departure end of the runway, however, is where the higher wing loading can bite you. Haul your new scale beauty off the runway too soon, before the wing starts working, and you’ll likely be rewarded by a stall/snap

back down onto that runway Quick fingers and corrective action may save the day, but don’t count on it How about when you’re rocketing along, straight and level, and start a hard left bank? It looks great so you go a little faster and tighter and bang! You don’t see the onset, but the model shudders, drops the right wing and enters a violent spin Altitude is the only savior here, and you might not have enough.

At the other end of the spectrum are the lightly-loaded scale WW I warbirds like Fokkers, Spads, SE-5s,

and Albatrosses Lighter wing loading may make them a bit easier to fly, but they do require attention and technique to be flown correctly. Making that 180-degree turn with aileron alone won’t cut it. You may need to add rudder either by radio channel mixing or rudder input This is where coordinated rudder/aileron control input is usually necessary Getting used to coordinating the roll and yaw axes will also allow you to execute some of those really neat, cross-control, slipped landings that always look great It’s a great landing

approach maneuver that bleeds off lots of altitude quickly and, once you perfect the technique, you’ll really enjoy doing This technique is far less effective, or required, as the wing loading goes up

IDEAL FIRST BIG WARBIRD

To minimize frustration during your transition from standard-size RC models, choose your first big warbird subject wisely. Sometimes desire overshadows wisdom and we pick subjects that we think we can grow into as our entry point It will still take

a number of intermediate steps until you’re ready for that 120-inch B-25 you’ve always wanted Ignore the temptation to jump directly into complex multi-engine or turbine-powered subjects.

Is there an ideal first scale model? There probably is not because the model choice is usually based on your fascination with, or love of, the real airplane. If you would like to duplicate a specific type in model form, you’ll need to accept the fact that it may not be the best choice from a flying standpoint,

"Heavy-metal" warbirds like these 102-inch-span Meister Scale P-47s built and flown by Herb Johnson (silver) and John Welcome (green) have high wing loadings that require expert piloting skills

and that you’re willing to do what is necessary to master the flying end or resign yourself to having a very large coffee table decoration. If your desire is to fly a scale model and that desire is not driven by a specific love affair with a full-scale warbird, the selection task becomes quite a bit easier

With the number of big military ARFs now available, with more on the way, the most complicated portion of the selection process might picking the size you want. Take the Mustang for example; it’s available in almost every

size imaginable in various forms Other subjects are available, many also in a variety of sizes Some seem to be better than others but all can be made flyable in a fraction of the time it takes to build a model from even a quality kit.

In my view, the ideal first giant-scale warbird subject would be something along the lines of a T-34 Mentor, T-28

Trojan, or similarly configured airplane

Here’s why: they have good proportions, are of low wing configuration, have wide stance, tricycle landing gear, generous wing areas, and adequate dihedral In larger scales, they will also have enough mass and high enough wing loading to fly comfortably in breezy conditions and have comfortable landing and ground

handling qualities WW I subjects like the SE-5, Fokker, Albatros, Nieuport and similar subjects can be very tricky in the wind and their narrow-track gear along with the tailskid at the rear can make ground handling an adventure, especially on paved runways.

FLYING TECHNIQUE DEVELOPMENT

Flying a giant-scale warbird is significantly different than general sport flying or even other categories of scale models. While some of your sport model flying habits and maneuvers will be valuable in your transition to scale flying, flying the big iron involves its own set of disciplines and, like other pursuits, requires practice to maintain any level of proficiency I’ve found that one of the best ways to learn how a scale RC model should be flown is, follow me on this one, by watching full-size airplanes! I know that sounds like I’m stating the obvious, but you’d be amazed at just how “unscale-like” some scale models are flown With all kinds of video references, History/ Discovery/Military channel TV shows, and full-scale air shows available, why not take the time to get a visual flavor of what your model should look like flying? You’ll soon discover that most warbirds don’t leap off the runway and climb at a 45-degree angle. Studying some of these sources will go a long

If you want to build and fly a giant-scale WW I model, you'll find valuable advice and know-how at a Dawn Patrol event.

Matt Balazs starts up his 1/3 7-scale Fw 190

way toward giving you a mental picture of flying your model in a scale fashion. You’ll discover things like a T-6 doesn’t perform a loop like an Extra 300. It slows down at the top where it is just about out of energy before it completes the back side of the maneuver You also may notice that, although your model P-51 may be Lomcevak-capable, the maneuver is not very becoming, nor do real Jugs routinely perform tail slides. With all the effort you took in making your model look exactly like a miniature re-creation, why not continue the illusion by flying it like the real one?

FLAPS ARE FUN!

If this is your first WW II warbird, you will probably want to equip it with flaps. They look really cool on landing and they do make a big difference in approach technique. They shorten and slow the approach, allowing you to carry more power and actually fly the model on to the runway rather than allowing it to float on past you as the headwind disappears. The drag they introduce makes the model slow down dramatically and usually the nose will pitch up slightly Radio mixing will allow you to couple the flap and elevator channels so you can get the required amount of down-elevator as the flaps extend. This mixing eliminates the need to hold down-elevator and operate the flap switch at the same time, which smooths things out and eliminates abrupt pitch up tendencies. I rarely use flaps on takeoff, and if I do it’s because

the judges may want to see them I use 10 to 15 degrees maximum, just enough to be visible yet not quite enough to cause any major changes in flying qualities At these settings the flaps allow the wing to create a bit more lift and aren’t acting as drag devices at all For landing, choose 45 to 60 degrees to get the drag you need These values will vary depending on the model and flying technique; they should all be tried at altitude until you get the desired results

Flying an approach at 200 feet will give you time and altitude to recover from incorrect settings. Start reducing power on the downwind leg, abeam of your position, extend the gear, turn

base and start the flaps coming down The flaps should be fully extended when you turn final, and your intended touchdown point on the runway should already be picked out Control the sink rate with power, flare and touchdown gently with the most perfect twowheel landing you’ve ever done! Stay on the sticks because your warbird is still rolling out Once the tail permanently settles, retract the flaps, hold some upelevator to keep the tail down and taxi back to the pits. Wasn’t that easy?

TUCKING THE WHEELS AWAY

On that perfect landing you just made, you extended the landing gear and it

Marc Shepard's CARF-Models Corsair is an all-composite airframe with a 110-inch wingspan.

Deryl Rolle's Seagull Models P-47 ARF comes built up, covered, and ready for radio and power installations.

worked perfectly Retractable gear systems are almost standard fare on warbirds, especially giant ones. Imagine that 51 we talked about cruising around the pattern with some spindly wire struts sticking out of the wing Yuck! Retract systems have become so sophisticated these days that out of the box you’ve got a scale-looking set that works reliably and installs easily Some ARF manufacturers/ suppliers have even started to include them with the airframes The choices in retract operation fall into pneumatic and mechanical (including electrical) categories with advantages and disadvantages on both sides of the ledger. Scale speed of extension/ retraction can be easily handled by way of control valves, some of which also incorporate porting to control the sequence of the landing gear door cycling. Selection is really a matter of preference, which is usually based on past experience. If this is going to be your first retract-equipped warbird, ask around to see what other scale guys are using in your area.

WHERE TO FLY YOUR WARBIRD

Here’s the thing about giant-scale models: they’re not electric park fliers! You’ll need to make sure that your club flying site will accommodate the size of the model and the airspace it will consume Make sure your chosen flying site will accommodate large, high-performance models If not,

look for a site that will safely handle your activities. If there’s already a scale contingent in your club, you’re in! If you’re a loner, try to hook up with someone with giant-scale experience, don’t try it solo It can be dangerous, especially if it’s all new to you and you haven’t yet recognized the potential hazards of giant-scale modeling. Large props swung by powerful engines can inflict some serious injuries

WHERE THE BOYS ARE

A lot can be learned by observation and discussion at some of the more wellpublicized scale events like Top Gun and the Scale Masters Local-level scale fly-ins are also becoming more popular since the pressure of competition is non-existent Chances are you’ll run across someone who has the same warbird you’re now building and he’ll be eager to share his findings and offer

helpful hints and ideas You’ll also have the opportunity to see just which fellow scale guys really spent some time observing how real warbirds look when flying. Their models will be the ones that not only look real but are convincing in the air as well.

Getting your type rating on a giantscale warbird is an exciting challenge, one which, when achieved, surely entitles you to bragging rights at the field. Just show up with a big warbird and check the reaction Fly that baby skillfully, and you’ll have the most impressive model at the field It takes a fair amount of skill and lots of practice to accomplish the objective, but you set the bar, so enjoy it! There’s a brotherhood of modelers that seem to have been born one generation too late to satisfy their aviation needs, but scale RC flying of WW II heavy metal might just fill the gap.

Tim Sibley built his 1/3-scale Dr 1 triplane from a Balsa USA kit.

A T-34 Mentor, like this one flown by Will Berninger, makes an excellent first giant-scale warbird

BY ADAM ST RONG P HOTOS BY AN DR E W G R I F F I T H

Pa c ke d w i th s c a l e d e ta i ls u n co m m o n i n a j e t th is s i ze a n d w i th a h ig h - p e r fo r m a n ce, 4S 1 1 - b la d e e l e c tr i c- d u c te d -fa n p owe r s ys te m i n s ta l l e d , th is 6 4 m m Ra fa l e is a te r r i fi c o pti o n fo r i n te r m e d ia te p i l ot s I t co m e s m o l d e d o u t of EP O w i th p a n e l l i n e s a n d w i th th e N ATO T ige r M e e t s c h e m e d e c a ls a p p l i e d . A s a p l ug-a n d - p lay m o d e l , a l l s e r vos , l i n kage s , a n d p owe r s ys te m a re i n s ta l l e d a l o ng w i th th e a d d i ti o n of a n F MS Re fl e x V 2 g yro, w h i c h is p rel o a d e d w i th th e m o d e l ’s s e t ti ng s A l l th e re q u i re d h a rdwa re fo r a ss e m b ly is i n c l u d e d , s o yo u s i m p ly u s e th e fo a ms a fe g l u e of yo u r c h o i ce to i n s ta l l th e ve r ti c a l s ta b a n d c a n a rd s . Th e fi xe d la n d i ng gea r i n c l u d e s s c a l e s tr u t s w i th a n i n s ta l l e d s te e r i ng l i n kage a n d s e r vo, m a k i ng s e tu p a b re e ze w h i l e th e m a i n gea r l eg s s i m p ly c l i p i n to p la ce. Eve r y w h e re yo u l o o k o n th e m o d e l yo u w i l l fi n d a fu l l co m p l e m e n t of s c a l e d e ta i ls i n c l u d i ng o rd n a n ce, fu e l p ro b e, a n d a co c k p i t i n te r i o r w i th p i l ot Th e a r m a m e n t s , d ro p ta n k s , a n d la n d i ng gea r a re a l l ea s i ly re m ova b l e, a l l ow i ng yo u to c h o os e b e t we e n g ro u n d ta ke off s a n d h a n d - la u n c h e d fl ig h t

U N I Q U E F E AT U R E S

Th e EP O co n s tr u c ti o n of th e 6 4 m m Ra fa l e is t yp i c a l of a l l F MS m o d e ls w i th m o l d e d ce n te r h i nge s , p a n e l l i n e s , h ig h - q u a l i t y p re -a p p l i e d d e c a ls , a n d s c a l e e l e m e n t s a d d e d eve r y w h e re yo u l o o k . Th e p re - h i nge d s u r fa ce s co m e w i th l i n kage s i n s ta l l e d a t th e p ro p e r l e ng th s a n d s e r vos w i th a l l th e l ea d s a l rea dy ro u te d to th e Re fl e x g yro i n th e n os e Th e F MS l i te ra tu re s ays i t ta ke s 1 0 m i n u te s to a ss e m b l e th e j e t , a n d th ey a re n’ t k i d d i ng ; th e o n ly th i ng th a t m a ke s th is ta ke a ny l o nge r is wa i ti ng fo r g l u e to d r y Th e ra d i o s e tu p is e q u a l ly s i m p l e, re q u i r i ng n o s p e c ia l d e l ta p rog ra m m i ng a s th is is h a n d l e d by th e o n b o a rd Re fl e x g yro s ys te m Th e i n c l u d e d o rd n a n ce s e t is a ls o m o l d e d EP O fo a m w i th m o l d e d p la s ti c p i e ce s fo r th e fi n s a n d c l i ps th a t m o u n t to th e u n d e r s i d e of th e w i ng Th e s c a l e d e ta i ls a re a m i x of p re i n s ta l l e d p la s ti c s a n d e x tra fea tu re s m o l d e d d i re c tly i n to th e a i r fra m e Th e o n ly th i ng s n ot p re i n s ta l l e d a re th e fu e l p ro b e, d ro p ta n k s , a n d o rd n a n ce, s o yo u h ave ve r y l i t tl e to d o o u t of th e

b ox Th e la n d i ng gea r u s e s p la s ti c s tr u t cove r s to a d d eve n m o re d e ta i l w i th th e n os e gea r h avi ng a fu n c ti o n a l s u s p e n s i o n .

D u e to th e s i ze of th e m o d e l , i t is m iss i ng a few th i ng s th a t wo u l d b e p re fe r re d i n a s c a l e m o d e l l i ke re tra c t s , fu n c ti o n a l c a n a rd s , a n d fl a ps I f th e s e a re a d ea l b rea ke r fo r yo u , l o o k a t th e la rge r 80 m m F MS Ra fa l e a s s o m e th i ng s j u s t a re n’ t p ra c ti c a l i n a m o d e l

of th is s i ze Th e o n e th i ng a bs e n t th a t wo u l d rea l ly b e b e n e fi c ia l a re m o l d e d fi nge r h o l d s fo r h a n d la u n c h i ng D u e to th e w i d th of th e i n ta ke s , i t is d i ffi c u l t to ge t a g r i p o n th e u n d e r s i d e of th e a i r fra m e fo r a go o d h a n d - la u n c h p os i ti o n . A s i t co m e s , i f yo u wa n t to h a n d - la u n c h , yo u w i l l n e e d to m o d i f y th e a i r fra m e by c u t ti ng i n s o m e fi nge r h o l d s

A MaxAmps

battery provided plenty of power and worked well for obtaining the proper CG. A PowerBox park flyer receiver paired with my Core radio to provide the guidance.

Lots of scale details including the ejection seat, instrument panel, a refueling probe and a painted jet pilot set this small ARF apart from others in its class

B O T T O M L I N E

Th a n k s to th e h ig h ly fi n is h e d n a tu re of F MS p l ug-a n d - p lay a i r fra m e s , th e Ra fa l e to o k a b o u t h a l f a n h o u r to a ss e m b l e a n d h ave fu l ly p rog ra m m e d i n th e ra d i o Pa i re d w i th a 280 0 m A h 4S L i p o fro m M a x A m ps , th e 1 1 - b la d e 6 4 m m p owe r s ys te m h a s p l e n t y of p owe r o n ta p fo r h ig h -s p e e d a n d h ig ha l p h a fl ig h t , w h i l e th e g yro m a n age s

th e fu l l ra nge of s p e e d ke e p i ng th i ng s s m o oth a n d p re d i c ta b l e. Th is o n e w i l l b e fu n fo r a ny i n te r m e d ia te p i l ot l o o k i ng fo r a s m a l l , n o -fu ss , l ow- b u c k j e t .

I N T H E A I R

Th e a ss e m b l e d m o d e l w i l l fi t i n vi r tu a l ly a ny ve h i c l e w i th n o n e e d to re m ove th e w i ng s m a k i ng i t g rea t to th row i n

a ny ti m e yo u ’re h ea d i ng to th e fi e l d Th e fi xe d gea r w i l l h o l d u p we l l to l e ssth a n p e r fe c t la n d i ng s , th o ug h d u e to th e s m a l l s i ze, a ny th i ng oth e r th a n a ve r y we l l - m a n i c u re d g ra ss fi e l d wo u l d b e a p ro b l e m w i th o u t m o d i f yi ng th e a i r fra m e fo r h a n d - la u n c h i ng

O n my m a i d e n fl ig h t , I s e t th e ce n te r of g ravi t y (CG) wa s s e t to th e m i d d l e of th e p re s c r i b e d ra nge w i th fu l l o rd n a n ce i n s ta l l e d . Th e m o d e l tra c ke d we l l b u t n e e d e d a go o d b i t of u p - e l eva to r to ge t a i r b o r n e fro m o u r p ave d r u nway O n ce i n th e a i r, a l i t tl e b i t of e l eva to r tr i m is a l l th a t wa s n e e d e d to m a i n ta i n h a n d s- off l eve l fl ig h t I fo u n d i t ve r y ea s y to ge t co m fo r ta b l e w i th th e fu l l fl ig h t e nve l o p e a f te r o n ly a few ti m e s a ro u n d th e p a t te r n . Eve n w i th i t s fi xe d c a n a rd , th e Ra fa l e h a s go o d e l eva to r co n tro l a n d eve n s e t tl e s i n to h ig h -a l p h a fl ig h t ea s i ly w h i l e m a i n ta i n i ng co n tro l a u th o r i t y I n a t yp i c a l s tra ig h t fo r wa rd s ta l l , th e m o d e l ge n tly s i n k s fo r wa rd i n to a n os e - d ow n p os i ti o n , b u t fro m th e h ig h -a l p h a p os i ti o n , th e m o d e l w i l l ro l l to o n e s i d e w h e n s ta l l e d a n d n e e d s p owe r a n d a l ti tu d e to re cove r.

To p s p e e d is go o d w i th o u t th e o rd n a n ce, a n d th e 6 4 m m fa n h a s a g rea t s o u n d w i th o u t th e s c rea m i ng h a i rd r ye r p i tc h yo u wo u l d e x p e c t i n s o m e th i ng th is s i ze. W h e n i t’s ti m e to la n d , th e m o d e l tra c k s we l l a n d s e t tl e s i n ea s i ly w i th p owe r o n i n a n os e h ig h a p p ro a c h

I n s u bs e q u e n t fl ig h t s I fo u n d a rea r wa rd CG to a l l evia te th e l o ng ta ke off ro l l a n d re q u i re m u c h l e ss e l eva to r to rota te, a n d w i th re m ove d o rd n a n ce i t wa s fu r th e r i m p rove d I n m os tly h ig h -a l p h a fl ig h t , I fo u n d I co u l d ge t u p to 5 m i n u te s of fl ig h t ti m e fro m th e 280 0 m A h p a c k , w h i c h l e f t th e p a c k a t a ro u n d 2 5 p e rce n t , s o my ti m e r is co n s e r va tive ly s e t fo r th re e a n d a h a l f m i n u te s to ke e p th e ce l ls h a p py M y d ay e n d e d w i th a c ra s h of th e m o d e l w h e n p layi ng w i th th e gu s t y co n d i ti o n s la te r i n th e d ay W h i l e fl yi ng h ig h -a l p h a fi gu re e ig h t s a few fe e t off th e d e c k th e w i n d a b r u ptly d ro p p e d , a n d th e a i r fra m e ro l l e d ove r i n to th e g ro u n d Th a n k s to th e d u ra b l e co n s tr u c ti o n , th e re wa s re la tive ly l i t tl e d a m age w i th a b e n t n os e gea r a n d o n ly a few cos m e ti c s c a r s re m a i n i ng a f te r

Due to its small size, the Rafael features fixed landing gear but they are dressed up nicely with scale looking oleo struts.

The Rafael uses ball link style pushrods on all the surfaces for a slop free control system. All of the servos and pushrods are installed at the factory leaving very little assembly to do

BEHIND THE TIGER STRIPES

The NATO Tiger Association is an informal group that promotes solidarity among NATO air forces, and it’s the reason that NATO combat aircraft are often painted with tiger stripes The first NATO Tiger Meet took place on July 19, 1961, when the U S Air Force 79th Tactical Fighter Squadron, which was stationed in Europe, invited Royal Air Force No 74 Squadron and France’s L'Escadron de Chasse 1/12 Cambresis to an air meet at RAF Woodbridge in England Since then, membership has grown to include 24 full members, 10 honorary members, and seven disbanded members, all of which have a tiger as part of their squadron crests. Annual Tiger Meets allow members to share ideas and experiences as well as promote NATO. a q u i c k re p a i r. G o o d p e r fo r m a n ce a n d d u ra b i l i t y m a ke th is o n e fo r l ow-s tre ss fl yi ng .

G E N E R A L F L I G H T P E R F O R M A N C E Sta b i l i t y: Th e Ra fa l e h a s a s ta b l e a n d ge n tl e fl ig h t c h a ra c te r d u e to th e d e l ta d e s ig n , a n d i t s rea r wa rd CG h e l ps i f yo u ’re l o o k i ng to wo r k o n yo u r h ig ha l p h a s k i l ls . W i th th e h e l p of th e F MS Re fl e x V 2 g yro, th e m o d e l h a n d l e s m o d e ra te w i n d s q u i te we l l Tra c k i ng : Th e m o d e l tra c k s we l l w i th re la tive ly l i t tl e h u n ti ng i n l eve l fl ig h t I fo u n d th a t i t tra c k s b e s t a n d ge n e ra l ly h a n d l e s b e t te r w i th o u t th e o rd n a n ce

i n s ta l l e d u n d e r th e w i ng . Ae ro b a ti c s : S c a l e a e ro b a ti c s a re e xce l l e n t w i th p l e n t y of co n tro l th row a n d th r u s t ava i la b l e fo r a ny s c a l e m a n e uve r W i th th e co n tro l ra te s tu r n e d u p th e re is p l e n t y of a u th o r i t y fo r p os i tive co n tro l i n h ig h -a l p h a fl ig h t G l i d e a n d s ta l l p e r fo rm a n ce : W i th a n os e d ow n a t ti tu d e a n d p owe r off, th e m o d e l s l ows q u i c k ly a n d re m a i n s p re d i c ta b l e i n a g l i d e Sta l l i n n o r m a l fl ig h t is ge n tl e a n d u n eve n t fu l j u s t n e e d i ng n os e d ow n a n d a l i t tl e p owe r to re cove r, b u t fro m h ig h a l p h a th e m o d e l w i l l q u i c k ly ro l l to o n e s i d e a n d d ro p n e e d i ng a l ti tu d e to re cove r

P I L O T D E B R I E F I N G

Th e F MS 6 4 m m Ra fa l e is a g rea t i n te r m e d ia te e l e c tr i c d u c te d fa n j e t fo r a nyo n e l o o k i ng to h ave a fu n , s c a l e we e ke n d wa r r i o r W i th th e a b u n d a n ce of s c a l e d e ta i ls n ot e x p e c te d i n a j e t th is s i ze, i t h a s m o re i n te re s t th a n a t yp i c a l s p o r t j e t , b u t by offe r i ng p l e n t y of a e ro b a ti c c a p a b i l i t y a n d h ig h -a l p h a p e r fo r m a n ce, i t is fu n to fl y. Th e i n c l u d e d m a n u a l l eave s n oth i ng i n q u e s ti o n a n d w i th th e p re - co n fi gu re d g yro th e ra d i o s e tu p is a b o u t a s ea s y a s i t ge t s w i th n o s p e c ia l p rog ra m m i ng re q u i re d .

BY AN DR E W G R I F F I T H P HOTOS BY TONY L IVE LY

G E T T U R B I N E Q UA L I F I E D

It’s easier than you may think!

Jets are cool. Get one out and set it up and you generally get the immediate attention of your fellow modelers and most spectators If you want to take that cool to the next level, you can make the step up to a turbine-powered jet. Turbine jet flying is considered by many as the pinnacle of the hobby and the wide variety of models in many sizes of jets available attests to the popularity of what may be the fastest growing segment of the hobby.

The HSD Jets T-33 105mm EDF is an excellent jet to start training for flying turbines. Learning how to handle a large jet with high wing loading, flaps, and retracts is vitally important before you transition to turbine jets

When you’re ready to take your flying to the next level, you need to learn a new skill set and like any other skill it will require both practice and some qualified assistance When I picked up turbine jet flying several years ago, I felt like a student all over again I worked with experienced jet pilots, learned the procedures and techniques required to be successful, and finally attained my AMA turbine waiver It felt like a great accomplishment, and it’s that waiver process that I wish to discuss with you this month

50-FLIGHT REQUIREMENT

If you’re an AMA member and you aspire to fly turbine jets, you need to complete the turbine waiver process. This is an insurance requirement that will allow you to fly at club fields and AMA events. The waiver process is outlined on the AMA website (modelaircraft org), but it starts with the requirement to

complete at least 50 flights on a highperformance model that’s capable of sustained speeds of 100 mph

The “100 mph” requirement lends itself to a variety of models. As a turbine-qualified CD who spends a lot of time doing turbine-waiver qualification flights, I prefer to see experience with a model that has heavier wing loading and flaps and retracts versus a hotliner that can easily exceed 100 mph but is a different beast entirely to fly

GAINING SKILLS

A large, complex, electric ducted-fan model that’s equipped with flaps, retracts, and brakes and is capable of 100 mph flight is an excellent aircraft with which to begin your transition to turbine flight. You’ll learn how to clean up the model after takeoff (retracting the gear and raising the flaps) for high-speed flight as well as how to slow down, extend the gear and flaps, and set up your approach to prepare

for landing When you’re flying an EDF while preparing to fly a turbine-powered model, you can even simulate the throttle lag of a real turbine engine by slowing the throttle channel on your EDF by 1 or 2 seconds These are all important skills required to operate a jet! If your EDF has sequenced gear doors, you’ll also learn valuable decisionmaking skills when you must deal with an engine-out situation and decide whether you have time to extend the landing gear or bite the bullet and do a belly-landing away from the runway to save your expensive landing gear

TURBINE TRAINER

After you’ve put in your 50 flights and honed your skills, it’s time to turn your attention to a turbine jet. There are many suitable models on the market, but temper your desire for composite scale jet in favor of a “trainer” style jet. This will build up your flight time and confidence and be less stressful to fly

My dream project is this BVM Jets 1/7-scale F-18 Super Hornet I spent a couple of years flying sport and scale EDF jets, then transitioned to a turbine trainer and sport jet before I felt comfortable flying something this large and complex.

for your waiver training and qualification

flight An excellent example of a turbine trainer is the Turbinator 2 sold by Boomerang Jets This is a modestly sized jet that is built up balsa, has the engine mounted on the outside for convenient access, and flies extremely well.

To be eligible for AMA insurance coverage to fly at a club or sanctioned event, you need to have a valid turbine waiver. When you have some buddy

box time on an actual turbine jet and the requisite number of high-performance aircraft flights, it’s time to do your waiver flight That requires two turbine pilots to oversee: a turbine waiver holder and a waiver holder and Contest Director. The purpose of a turbine qualification flight is twofold. Most people think that it’s just making your flight and getting signed off, but properly done it goes deeper I always have a discussion with potential turbine pilots about startup,

ground safety issues, and post-crash fire situations and how each needs to be addressed.

When you’ve completed your waiver, sit back and celebrate! You’ve attained one of the most satisfying ratings available to model airplane pilots and you should be proud of the accomplishment Now you can start shopping for your dream project.

A modestly sized, built-up turbine “trainer” like the Boomerang Jets Turbinator 2 is helpful to build your flying confidence and turbine operation skills. It’s also a less stressful aircraft to fly when you’re doing your waiver training and test flight.

Author’s AMA card with both fixed wing and turbine helicopter certifications Holding a waiver is a requirement to fly at AMA clubs and events to be eligible for AMA insurance while operating a turbine model.

BY

DE B R A CL E G HOR N F L IG H T P HOTOS BY DAVI D HART ( CAP T U R E DF ROM T H E HART.COM )

I L D P HOTOS BY T I M DICK E Y

It’s no surprise that Tim Dickey ’ s beautiful 1/4 -scale Fairchild P T-23 has placed in the top spots at the AMA Scale Nationals, the NASA Championships, the Scale Masters, and Top Gun. It’s a beautifully executed aircraft, with precision scale details from its scale propeller to the pinked edging on its rudder. And when Tim starts up its radial four-stroke engine, everyone stops what they ’ re doing to see it fly. I caught up with Tim to learn more about what drives him to create scale models like this one and to get more details on his incredible 26-month build

Model Airplane News: How long have you been flying RC?

Tim Dickey: I flew control-line as a kid, and I’ve been flying RC for about eight years. I’ve been competing in scale for four years now My friend Charlie Nelson who has won at several Nats and Top Gun competitions taught me the ropes of both flying and building, and he got me into scale He comes to Arizona during the winter, and one day I went to watch a flying competition that he happened to be in A week or two later, I went to the field where he was flying and he asked me to fly my plane for him. I did, and we became good friends We’ve spent countless hours building and at the field practicing and I deeply appreciate his mentorship

MAN: You built your PT-23 from Wendell Hostetler’s PT-19 plans, right? What are

the differences between your aircraft and the plans?

TD: Yes, I used Wendell’s PT-19 plans Major mods include the engine attachment, wing re-engineered for correct dihedral, fuel tanks in the wing center section and removable/airfoiled tail feathers I built the tail feathers from Aviation Concept’s PT-19 kit plans scaled to 25% because Wendell’s plans have slab tail feathers. I wanted scale airfoils, and I wanted to be able to take them apart

MAN: What made you want to build a PT-23?

TD: Fellow competitor Brad Osborne flies a model built from same plans, and I saw Ward Emigh’s PT-23 and fell in love with the radial engine on the front

MAN: Tell us about the scale scheme

and the full-scale aircraft on which it’s based.

TD: Fairchild never sold PTs to the Navy

The owner who restored the full-size aircraft painted it in Navy markings to commemorate his lifelong friend who flew jets in Vietnam. “Felix the Cat” was the first cartoon he saw as a child on reel to reel, so he added that artwork. The full-size aircraft is a true one-of-akind. I met the owner at his house on a hot summer day in Rockford, Illinois to get the actual paint he used; we went up into his attic to find the paint cans.

The owner told me two things about the full-scale that gave it crowd appeal: the engine should sound like three jugs [cylinder heads] are about to depart the aircraft at all times, and long and slow takeoff runs showcase the visual and audio characteristics of the aircraft. The full scale won two awards at the

The engine is composed of precisely machined and cast components. Bob Walker had several contractors manufacturing the components and was very proud that of all parts were manufactured in the U S

Complete engine tear down, valves tuned and cylinders honed. Ward Emigh and Bob Walker consulted on the project

Scale horn recessed in the corner of the aileron with weep vents positioned in the locations of the wing spars.

Retractable landing light is surrounded by metal cowling at the wing root. It adds a nice touch during landings.

Exhaust collector ring cowl was formed from an aluminum bake pan

Horizonal stab is built up with balsa sheeting and modeling plywood complete with weep vents for moisture escape Trim tabs, G10 scale hinges, and access doilies give the elevator true-to-scale appearance.

Positioning of the model for static judging at Top Gun

EAA AirVenture show in Oshkosh, so he added decals of Air Venture blue ribbons they gave to the winners.

MAN: Tell us about the covering, paint, and the other details on your model

TD: The covering is Stits Lite with Klass Kote paint For the details, I used paint masks from Callie Graphics The only two decals on the model replicate the blue decals on the stabilizer of the full-size. I cut the pinked tapes out of SolarTex using my craft cutter The PT-23 has scratch-built flaps and Frise ailerons built with the servos tucked in the wings. The batteries and ignition are in the nose chin with side access via a removable panel The receiver, light controller, and LiPo for the lights are in the fuselage under the front cockpit The air and gauge can be accessed via the oil door on the engine cowl Switches and charge plugs are in the fire extinguisher department The fuel fillers and vents are at scale locations on the top and bottom of the center section.

I made the exhaust cowl from an aluminum baking pan. It was a little tricky as the exhaust port exit directions are not consistent. I made

the nose cowling from aluminum panel, bending it to shape until it looked like the one on the full-size PT-23.

MAN: Your PT-23 has an incredibly detailed cockpit Can you share how you created it?

TD: The cockpit cages are made from polystyrene, are removable and painted with Klass Kote. The instrument controls are from iFlyTailies with aluminum tube and cable linkages. The cockpit coaming is goat skin over Fourmost plastic

MAN: You power your model with a Robart R780 radial engine spinning a 28 x 8 prop Tell us more about that powerplant, its maintenance, and its sound.

TD: It’s a wonderful engine designed by Bob Walker to replicate a Jacobs engine and sold as glow l have another one on a Stearman model, and both are converted to gas I got the Robart engine new (never used) and the crankshaft bolt broke after a couple engine runs, so I took it apart I’m a garage rat: anything I can take apart, fix, or build, I do. It took me about a month to tear the engine down to the very last bolt, do some

maintenance, and put it back together. It has an onboard oil pump with oil passages throughout the engine. Very realistic sound with rollers and pushrod noise. It uses a C&H Ignitions carb and ignition setup

As the fuel tanks are positioned over the center of gravity [CG] but slightly rearward of it, I balance the model with tanks full. However, I did some experiments and found the impact to the CG between full/empty tanks is nearly negligible That “build it scale and everything will work out” rule again!

MAN: How does the PT-23 fly?

TD: The PT-23 weighs 48 pounds, and at 25% it demands attention on flying speed. My routine is mostly low and slow to showcase the engine sounds and colorful markings. It has Sierra brakes, which I use on every taxi and landing.

MAN: Thank you for taking the time to share these details of your PT-23 build. We’re looking forward to seeing you and your Fairchild again on the flightline soon!

True scale aileron horn in aileron corner with weep vents positioned in the locations of the wing spars

Highly detailed cockpits complete with functional control stick chalk, control chains, and a fire extinguisher

BY THE MODEL AIRPLANE

FAST FOAM FIXES

Easy repairs to save your molded model

No matter how careful you are, accidents and hard landings are a normal if disappointing part of the hobby There’s no reason, however, to trash your foam crash! This article will show you how to get back into the air with very little effort. You also can save some cash by repairing your bent bird instead of buying new parts or an entirely new airplane.

WHAT’S NEEDED

You’ll need a hobby knife with sharp replacement blades, some masking tape, a sanding bar with medium sandpaper (100 to 150 grit), and some fine 220-grit sandpaper For glue, you’ll need 15-minute two-part epoxy, foam-safe CA adhesive, and foam-safe accelerator Denatured alcohol is good for cleaning the surface of the foam and for cleaning up excess epoxy from repairs

REMOVING DENTS

S T E P 1 S T E P 2

The leading edge of a foam wing can really take a beating, but dents are only cosmetic issues If you have a minor dent, simply apply a wet paper towel to it and heat with a covering iron Most of the time, the steam will expand the foam and your dent will disappear.

If the dent is more pronounced, you can quickly cut away a section of the damaged material with a razor saw and glue in some new foam.

S T E P 4 S T E P 3

Cut some new foam to length, and glue it in place with foam-safe CA The best way to do this is to cut the foam a bit oversize, and spray foam-safe accelerator to the new material Apply the CA glue to the cutout area, and insert the repair piece Hold it in place until the glue sets Use your saw to remove most of the unwanted material, then use a sanding block to smooth the replacement piece

Apply a little hobby filler around the edges to fill in any gaps (Hobbico HobbyLite Filler is great for this)

S T E P 5

When the filler has dried, use fine sandpaper to smooth the repair If you need to, apply more filler around the repair area to feather out the repair area.

Apply some matching foam-safe paint to complete the leading-edge wing repair. The hardest part of this repair may be finding matching paint Usually, the instructions that come with your airplane will call out the colors used If not, go to the hobby shop and check out the Master Modeler and Tamiya brands of acrylic foam-safe paints You’ll be able to match the color chips and then lighten or darken the colors slightly to match In real life, warbird repairs seldom matched the rest of the airframe, so welcome to scale weathering!

MENDING BROKEN WINGS

S T E P 1

In extreme cases, you might break a foam wing in two (or more!) pieces A great trait of foam is that it is usually very easy to piece back together Mix up a small batch of 15-minute epoxy on a plastic can lid. Run two or three lengths of each part as shown and then mix them together

S T E P 6 S T E P 2

Place some waxed paper or food wrap under the wing pieces and then apply just enough mixed epoxy to cover the exposed ends of the break Use some masking tape to hold the parts together while they rest flat against your work surface Be sure to wipe away any excess epoxy that oozes from the repair using a paper towel and some denatured alcohol

S T E P 3 S T E P 4

If your wing is more than 36 inches in span, use a piece of thin plywood that is 4 to 6 inches long and 1/2 inch wide as an internal brace Using a hobby knife and a razor saw, cut a straight line all the way through the wing, as shown. Test-fit the plywood, then apply foam-safe CA and insert it into the wing Apply some accelerator, and let the glue set

S T E P 5 S T E P 6

S T E P 7

Apply matching foam-safe paint, and let it dry The repair is complete, but you can also apply some decals over the repair area, if you like, to completely cover the mended area

After the epoxy has set, remove the tape Using a sanding bar, smooth out the repair area

After the glue sets, apply model filler to the repair and let the filler dry.

Using fine sandpaper, sand the filler smooth and flush with the rest of the wing surface.

REPAIRING FOAM HINGES

S T E P 1 S T E P 2

It is not possible to repair a live-foam hinge, where the hinge is molded in as part of the control surface. It is best to install new hinges in the damaged surfaces Before removing the surface, mark the locations for the new hinges. For this rudder, we’ll install three 1/8-inch Robart Hinge Points

After marking the hinge locations, take a sharp hobby knife and slice through the molded hinge to separate the rudder from the fin. Use some sandpaper to smooth the mating surfaces

S T E P 3 S T E P 4

Sharpen the end of a 1/8-inch brass tube and use it as a drill to produce the holes for the Hinge Points. This produces much neater holes than a wood drill bit

Mix up some 15-minute epoxy, then use a toothpick to apply the adhesive into each of the holes in the rudder

S T E P 5 S T E P 6

Insert the hinges into the holes, and set aside until the epoxy cures A few drops of light machine or gun oil, or some petroleum jelly, will prevent glue from interfering with the hinge pivot You have about 20 minutes before the epoxy starts to thicken and set.

Apply more glue inside the holes in the vertical fin, and slide the hinges in the rudder into place Again, wipe away any adhesive that oozes out of the holes with paper towels and alcohol Set aside until the epoxy sets

And that’s it! With very little time and effort, your foam flier will be back in the air. Next time your model suffers a hard landing, remember: Don’t trash that crash!

S TA N D A R D J -1

B I P L A N E

B u i l d a 1 / 4 - s ca l e p a r k fl i e r

The Standard J-1 was a primary trainer used by the Army Air Service from 1917 to 1918 The J-1 was developed from the earlier Sloan and Standard H series, designed by Charles Healey Day. A total of 1,601 J-1s were built. The J-1 was a large airplane with a wingspan of 43 feet, 10 inches and a flying weight of 2,100 pounds. The majority of the J-1s built were equipped with the Hall-Scott 4 -cylinder 90hp inline engine.

Though similar in appearance to the Curtiss Jenny, the J-1 was an entirely different airplane It’s been said that the Jenny was easier to fly than the J-1, and due to the unreliable Hall-Scott engine and a propensity to catch fire while airborne, the J-1 never caught on But after the War, many J-1s were refitted with the Hispana-Suiza and Curtiss OX-5 engines and became the first choice of barnstormers and other early aviation pioneers

THE MODEL

This Standard J-1 model is a 1/4-scale park flier with a 60-inch wingspan and a flying weight of only 23 3 ounces With a wing loading of less than 5 ounces per square foot, the model can easily be flown in smaller areas, but is large enough for a club flying site Power is provided by the low-cost TowerPro outrunner motor with a 2-cell LiPo battery It uses four servos to control the rudder, elevator, and ailerons. The wings are removable in pairs for easy transport and quick assembly at the field The fuselage assembly allows the elevator to be a scale-like cable drive system, or for the sake of simplicity, with a typical pushrod arrangement

BUILDING THE J-1

Full-size part templates are provided on the plans, but to save time, Manzanolaser.com offers a short kit containing all of the cut parts A set of plastic parts containing the upper cockpit fairing, louvered fuselage side panels, and the Hall-Scott engine is also available to enhance the model. A materials list is also provided on the plans.

AT A G L A N C E

MODEL: Standard J-1

TYPE: Lightweight RC biplane

WINGSPAN: 60 in

WING AREA: 810 sq.in. WEIGHT: 23.3 oz.

WING LOADING: 4 2 oz /sq ft

RADIO REQ’D: 4 -CHANNEL (RUDDER, THROTTLE, ELEVATOR & AILERONS)

POWER REQ’D: Brushless outrunner

TAIL SECTION

Construction begins by making the rudder, elevator, and wingtip forming patterns from 3⁄16-inch artist foam board. The bows are made using the wood sizes shown Build the vertical and horizontal stabilizers directly over the plans When the frames have been assembled, remove them from the plans and sand the edges round Cut the 5⁄32-inch-wide hinges from light CA hinge material and slot the frames as shown Don’t glue the hinges in place until after the parts are covered.

THE WINGS

The bottom wing halves are built first, and are framed directly over the plans Begin by pinning the spars in place, using a couple of ribs to ensure proper spacing Glue all the ribs in place, followed by the leading and trailing edges and the wingtip bow. Add the strut and wingtip skid hard points to

finish the basic structure Remove the wing panels from the board and sand to shape Next, cut the 3⁄16-inch O D aluminum receiver tubes to length and glue in place in ribs R1 and R2, followed by the brass wing-retention brackets

The top wing is built in the same fashion. Begin by pinning A4 and A5 in place over the plans. Assemble the front spars by gluing A1 and A1A together Assemble the rear spar by gluing A2 and A2A together followed by A3 Assemble the spars and ribs over the plan and glue together. Add the leading edge, trailing edge, and wingtip bows and build the aileron assemblies directly on the wing. When the basic wing is finished, add the rigging hard points and fit the aluminum receiver tubes and glue in place Remove the wings from the board and sand to shape Remove the ailerons from the wing and sand to final shape Slot the hinges into the wing and aileron but don’t glue them in place yet

The rudder assembly is framed directly over the plans Once assembled, the frame is sanded to shape and the hinges installed

The bottom wing halves are built first, and are framed directly over the plans

2

3. The rudder, elevator servos, motor and speed control are mounted in the fuselage and tested for proper operation. If problems are encountered, this is a good time to fix them, while the components are still easily accessible

4. Here’s the firewall and motor mount assembly. The firewall has offset orientation to accommodate right motor thrust. The TowerPro brushless motor is mounted, wired up and tested for proper direction of rotation before adding the cowl details.

5 The rudder and elevator pull-pull control cables are run in and secured to the plywood control horns with a keeper made from 1⁄16-inch O D aluminum tube

6. The Hall-Scott engine is detailed using bits of plastic and wire. The radiator is made from blue foam with a bridal veil used for the inlet screen. The cap was turned from a 1⁄4-inch-diameter wood dowel

THE FUSELAGE

Build the two fuselage side frames directly over the plans. Lift the frames from the plan and score the top longeron and B1, and bend the frames to match the angle shown in the top view of the plans. Gouge a 1⁄16-inch slot into the landing gear beams and pin them in place over the plans. Glue the fuselage side frames in place on the beams taking care to keep them aligned perpendicular to the plans. Locate and glue the four no 4 formers and former 5 in place. Assemble the motor mount onto former 2 Note the orientation of the mount offset. The mount box should favor the left-hand side of the fuselage to accommodate right motor thrust. Glue the assembly in place, followed by formers 1 and 3 Now, block sand the joining bevel into the tail posts and glue

them together Glue formers 6, 7, and 8 in place. Remove the frame from the board and glue the remaining upper and lower cross pieces along with TS1 and TS2 in place. Make the cabane mount beams using the detailed drawing provided and glue them in place. Now, glue the stringers in place from former 1 back to former 5. Once the stringers are in place, trim them at the cockpit openings

Bend the landing gear and cabane strut components from 1⁄16-inchdiameter steel wire. Assemble the landing gear on the fuselage and tape in place. Wrap the joints with fine copper wire and solder together Lash the landing gear to the beams with Kevlar string and secure with thin CA glue Fit the plastic detail parts to the fuselage The top fuselage cover will need to be

trimmed to allow the cabane struts to plug in, and to allow the aileron “Y” leads to pass through at the left front cabane. Make up the lower access hatch cover from sheet styrene. Build the scale engine assembly, but don’t glue it in place until after the fuselage is painted.

RADIO AND DRIVE SYSTEMS

Build the elevator pull-pull control assembly and glue it in place within the fuselage. Install the servo mount and attach the servos to the rails Install your desired elevator control system. Run in the rudder pull-pull cables using the cable routing diagram on the plans. Tape the rudder and elevator in place and tie off the cables to their appropriate control horns Mark the exact location where the cables exit the fuselage and mark the locations on the plans for

1. The fuselage side frames are built directly over the plans then the frames are joined beginning with the landing gear mount beams. Machinist squares are used to ensure the sides are perpendicular to the work surface.

The finished fuselage frame with all the formers, crosspieces, and stringers installed is ready to fit the landing gear and plastic detail parts

G E A R U S E D

RADIO: Spektrum DX-7 w/AR-6000 Rx (horizonhobby.com), four Hitec S-75 microservos (hitecrcd.com)

MOTOR: TowerPro 2409-18 1000KV outrunner w/ TowerPro 20A speed control w/BEC (hobbyking com)

PROP: GWS 10x4 .7 (gwsus.com)

BATTERY: ThunderPower 2100mAh 2S or Flight Power 2170mAh 2S (thunderpower-batteries.com)

reference after the model is covered. Glue the aileron servos in place using a gob of silicone Run the wiring out of the wings using extension leads, or by soldering an extension into the servo lead. Be sure the output arms are centered and that retainer screws are installed before the servos are mounted as they are inaccessible once they’re in place Mount the motor and wire up the speed control. Test-run the system (without the prop to prevent accidental injury) to ensure that it’s working properly and rotating in the right direction.

COVERING AND FINISHING

Do a final detail sanding and fix any

minor boo-boos to prep the airframe for covering. To simplify the task of wiring up the ailerons, don’t cover the top of the wing center section until final assembly The color scheme I selected was for Steve Wittman’s plane and was not available in standard iron-on colors, so I opted to use two different materials I used buff-colored Nelson Lite-Film for the wings and tail sections for a natural linen look. The fuselage is covered with Doculam and painted with Testors Model Master Insignia Red with a few drops of Flat Black added to dull it down. The color was sprayed onto the fuselage and plastic detail parts using an airbrush. I highlighted the fuselage with light gray, and dirtied up and weathered

it using flat black and silver The wings were highlighted and aged with light tan. I then gave the wings and tail section a light dusting with Krylon clear satin to eliminate the shiny look of the Lite-Film The “Atwater” decals on the side of the fuselage come from Callie Graphics (callie-graphics com)

FINAL ASSEMBLY

Begin by gluing the plastic upper fuselage section, side panels and nose bowl in place on the fuselage. Then, glue all the control surface hinges into place using Pacer canopy glue. Plug the bottom wings into the fuselage, and using them for reference, align the horizontal and vertical stabilizers and glue them in place Install all the control cabling and hook up the rudder and elevator Use a small piece of cellophane tape to reinforce the cover where the cables exit the fuselage After the ailerons have been hinged in place, make up the 0.032-inch-diameter steel wire aileron pushrods Align and glue the control horns in place then build the lower hatch Make the wing alignment jig from artist foam board and tape it in place on the fuselage Plug the top wing panels into the center section and fit the

wing onto the cabane struts Plug the outer interplane struts into wings to hold the lateral position of the top wing and glue the center section to the cabane struts using 15-minute epoxy

Now the inner interplane struts can be plugged in, the wings aligned, and the struts secured with a drop of thin CA Run the aileron servo leads in and cover the top of the center section Finally, finish the model by adding any desired additional details The wing rigging is done using 40-pound test Kevlar fishing line Run the rigging in beginning at the top wing inner hard points, over the top wing rigging support and through the outer hard points Then thread the rigging through the struts working both span- and chord-wise toward the wing root. If all goes well, you should be able to rig each side using only four pieces of string. When all the rigging is in place, pull it taught, and with the washout set

properly, secure each point of contact with a drop of CA. Bend the wingtip skid loops from 1⁄16-inch steel wire and glue in place. Add the remaining details as desired Install the battery as low as possible in the fuselage as the model is a bit top heavy and the battery location can adversely affect the way the model flies. Adjust its position to best balance the model

IN THE AIR

The J-1 is a great-flying model, but it’s an old biplane and flies like one I love pure, seat-of-your-pants flying, so I set up my model with no mixing and found it to be a genuine rudder airplane Due to the extreme adverse yaw (without differential aileron mixing), the model won’t turn using ailerons alone, and a good bit of rudder is needed to coax it around. For the less adventurous types, both rudder and differential aileron

mixing can be used to smooth things out. But by doing that, the charm and challenge of flying these raggedy old biplanes can be lost. The model flies nice and slow yet responds well to control input. The elevator is quite lively, but the rudder and ailerons are somewhat docile The main thing is to let the model take its time responding to input, and after you get used to how it responds, you will find it to be gentle, honest, and very pleasant to fly Takeoffs and landings are excellent, and the model has no tendency to ground loop After many flights and more than 60 touchand-go’s, the wingtip skids remain unscathed! In the air, it cruises nicely at 2⁄3 power and will climb at a very scale rate In all, it’s a gentle giant that’s at its best floating around in still morning or evening air When you’ve got some stick time on the J-1, you’ll know the lure of these classic old biplanes

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C O M M E R C I A L

U AV E X P O

Latest innovations in small uncrewed aircraft

Based in Switzerland, Flyability has been a dominant manufacturer of drones specialized for indoor and confined-space inspection since its original Elios took the $1 million prize in the United Arab Emirates’ “Drones for Good” competition in 2015. While it inaugurated an entirely new venue for drone operations, the original Elios was a handful for pilots.

To ensure that it could keep flying after brushing up against an obstacle or even maintaining physical contact with the surface of a structure, the fairly conventional quadcopter was enclosed within an entirely unconventional carbon-fiber cage, which could rotate around the aircraft in three axes This unique configuration made it possible for the aircraft to “roll” along floors, ceilings and walls.

In the hands of a skilled pilot a very skilled pilot it could be invaluable for exploring and inspecting confined spaces like sewers, utility vaults, fuel bunkers, and so on. At the 2022 Commercial UAV Expo held in Las Vegas this past September, the company released the Elios 3.

While it superficially resembles the original Elios with its carbon-fiber cage, it is altogether a different aircraft The cage is fixed, and its ability to stabilize after colliding with obstacles has been maintained through careful refinement of its flight control system, which is even capable of reversing the direction any of its four motors are turning, if that is what the circumstances require to maintain it in flight.

“The big change with the Elios 3 is that it incorporates a LiDAR sensor,”

said company spokesperson Zacc Dukowitz, using the acronym that describes Light Detection and Ranging systems and which accomplishes the same basic task as radar, only using lasers

“LiDAR allows the drone to create 3D models in real time, and then it uses SLAM Simultaneous Localization And Mapping so the drone can position itself in three-dimensional space,” Duckowitz explained. “SLAM also allows the drone to be incredibly stable: it uses three visual sensors as well as the LiDAR sensor to achieve what we call ‘world-class stability ’”

Having had the opportunity to operate the aircraft myself at the show, I can attest to its formidable station-keeping abilities It’s about as steady in the air as a conventional drone from DJI or

The 16,000-lumen lighting array built into the Flyability Elios 3 has been designed to avoid back scatter on dust and debris stirred up by its propwash and provide the operator with a clear view, even in contaminated environments

The Elios 3 from Flyability incorporates a non-stabilized one-axis gimbal at the front of the aircraft, which supports both a visible light and a thermal camera and provides an unimpeded 180-degree field of view, from zenith to nadir

Autel Robotics but that’s with zero GPS input Unlike the original Elios, which required the pilot to manually manage the platform’s momentum and position, all while the protective cage was spinning crazily around it, the Elios 3 basically flies like a conventional drone except in a cave.

Add to that the incredibly precise data that the LiDAR sensor is able to gather and the result is an entirely new capability for indoor inspections.

“We’re discovering new use cases all the time,” said Dukowitz. “LiDAR sensing on an aerial platform in a confined space sounds really niche, but there is actually a lot of potential. We’re seeing the drone used in mining A client recently told me they had a clogged chute in their mine and they had spent two months trying to figure it out … in one ten-minute flight [with Elios 3] using the live, 3D map, they were not only able to identify the cause, but also determine that the efforts they had made during the previous two months were never going to work because the problem was fundamentally different than what they originally imagined ”

Another example Dukowitz described was the inspection of the inside of an oil-storage tank on an off-shore drilling platform. Previous iterations of the Elios had been used for this task, however a human inspector was sometimes still required to enter the tank, just to verify that the drone had examined its entire inner surface However, with the LiDAR developing a 3D map in real time, it is easy to confirm that complete coverage has been obtained

The combination of LiDAR and SLAM technologies has created the possibility of fully autonomous confined space mapping and inspection The Elios 3 also incorporates an array of more conventional sensors, such as a 4K visible light camera and a thermal imaging camera both of which have an unobstructed 180-degree field of view on a user-controllable pitch-axis gimbal.

To aid in the inspection of dark environments, the Elios 3 incorporates a 16,000-lumen lighting array, which has been designed so that it doesn’t directly shine on the dust and dirt that are inevitably stirred up the by the drone’s prop wash, providing for a clear view even in contaminated environments Finally, the Elios 3 has been futureproofed with a modular payload bay, which allows another external sensor to be mounted alongside the LiDAR

For all its capabilities, the aircraft is not without a few disadvantages mostly stemming from the fact it must be able to fit through a standard-sized manhole cover First, with the LiDAR sensor attached, it can only fly for nine minutes on a fully charged battery, which is actually an upgrade from the original Elios Also, its small, fast-turning props emit an ear-splitting racket, requiring hearing protection for the operators.

eBee TAC

Although it might at first glance be mistaken for a $100 Popwing, the eBee has been a mainstay in the aerial surveying and mapping industry for nearly a decade. The flying wing is renowned for its ease of use: plan a

mission on your laptop, take it out to the field, shake it three times and then toss it into the air. A conventional twostick controller isn’t even option with the eBee but with a starting price of $13,500, you’re probably better off letting the computer do the flying, anyway.

With its extensive track record of success in civilian operations, eBee’s developer senseFly acquired by AgEagle from French drone maker Parrot in 2021 decided to create a new version tailored for a group of endusers with an even more urgent and compelling mission: the military

Of course, the tactical use of small UAS immediately conjures up images of a live video feed, revealing the bad guys trying to set up an ambush on the opposite side of a hill from friendly forces However, as a mapping platform, the eBee is ill-suited for that type of real-time reconnaissance. I asked AgEagle’s regional manager for North America, Gary Licquia, to explain conops for the eBee in the battlefield context

“What we’re doing with eBee is cutting out a step in the process for those guys that are right there on the leading edge,” said Licquia “Right now, they have to call in for aerial reconnaissance and they might be 15th in line to get a larger asset overhead So, instead of having to phone the mothership and say, ‘Hey, I need this data,’ they have the drone with them so they can go ahead and do it themselves.”

When the aircraft returns from a mission, the data can be quickly

Incorporating a LiDAR sensor, the Elios 3 from Flyability is able to construct a three-dimensional map of its surroundings in real time, both enhancing the pilot’s situational awareness and providing data for its onboard Simultaneous Localization And Mapping system

While operating in a cargo trailer at the Commercial UAV Expo 2022 in Las Vegas, the LiDAR sensor on board the Elios 3 managed to begin building a 3D map of the entire conference hall through the trailer’s doorway

downloaded and assembled into a map using common software tools such as Pix4D React. And, the resulting data is unclassified, so it can be freely shared across different units operating in the battlespace

The eBee TAC was developed in consultation with military customers and incorporates many features that would be unnecessary, or even counterproductive, in a civilian platform

“We’ve integrated some security features: we have 256-bit encrypted communications, suppressed flight logs

and a secure SD card, so that if anything happens to it, the bad guys aren’t going to be able to pull any useful data off the drone,” Licquia explained “Also, we can fly without any radio communications at all You can upload the mission to the drone beforehand, so it’s stored on board, and then you don’t have to communicate with the drone while it’s performing its mission. You can fly in complete blackout mode, so it’s invisible in terms of RF signals.”

The aircraft also incorporates the ability to add bespoke payloads that

may be required by certain military applications through an open payload design Licquia added: “We give them the specifications in terms of the size, the weight, the center of gravity so they can go ahead and integrate it into the drone themselves.”

The eBee TAC is capable of flying for up to 90 minutes, giving it the ability to map nearly two square miles at a resolution of 1.5 centimeters per pixel. The eBee’s regular black-and-yellow trim has been changed to a speckled black-and-white surface to camouflage the aircraft, which is undetectable visually and acoustically beyond 1,000 feet

The stock configuration includes an electro-optical/infrared payload incorporating a 20-megapixel visible light camera as well as 640x512 thermal imaging sensor from FLIR Standard alternative payloads include the S O D A 3D visible light camera that incorporates an internal roll-axis gimbal to capture both nadir and oblique imagery to enhance the quality of three-dimensional models constructed using photogrammetry, as well as a 24-megapixel visible light camera optimized for low-light performance

Equally important for the prospective military user is the fact that the eBee TAC is approved for use in sensitive applications Indeed, the eBee is the first fixed-wing platform to be recognized as a Blue UAS by the Defense Innovation Unit for use by the United States

The eBee TAC is easily distinguished from its civilian counterpart by its speckled surface, created at the request of its military customers to help camouflage the small aircraft.

The standard payload for the eBee TAC incorporates both a 20-megapixel visible light camera as well as a 640x512 thermal imaging sensor, allowing vital intelligence to be gathered day or night.

To help protect forward deployed military personnel, the eBee TAC incorporates encrypted communications and other data security features to prevent it from giving away friendly positions, even if it is captured by the enemy.

Department of Defense.

DD C CON D OR

The Drone Delivery Canada (DDC) booth at the 2022 Commercial UAV Expo in Las Vegas certainly turned heads with its formidable Condor drone: a single-rotor helicopter with a maximum payload of 180 kilograms, almost 400 pounds south of the border. You don’t need to be a mathematical genius to work out the fact that it could comfortably carry a human being, or two, with that kind of capacity.

That’s no accident: DDC created the Condor by converting an existing, crewed helicopter for service as a drone.

“We buy the shell from a vendor, and then we transform it into an uncrewed platform,” said Armen Keuleyan, the company’s director of sales and marketing

A small conventional helicopter, the Condor is powered by a 90-horsepower, two-stroke gas engine with a range of about 125 miles. The DDC conops calls for the Condor to be operated from a

centralized command center where flights will be monitored remotely by pilots in command. This clearly puts it in the realm of a “beyond visual line of sight” (BVLOS) operation, which is not currently permitted under the aviation regulations of the United States or Canada

“In the beginning, we’re going to use it at shorter ranges, just to prove the concept using the ‘crawl, walk, run’ approach, to demonstrate to the regulator it’s safe to fly, even though our pilots in command are far away,” explained Keuleyan “In the end, however, we want to push the limit and hit that 125-mile range potential while operating fully autonomously ”

Among prospective users who are interested in the system are oil and gas extraction companies with remote facilities spread out across the vast land area of Canada.

The Condor is not the only platform currently under development by DDC. The company also boasts two electrically powered multirotors, the

Sparrow and the Canary, each with a payload capacity of approximately 10 pounds and a 12-mile range. Tying all of these systems together is FLYTE, a software tool that allows for the remote management of UAS operations from the company’s command center in Toronto In addition to allowing remote pilots to monitor the location and performance of every aircraft in its fleet, FLYTE monitors other air traffic, weather conditions and obstacles along the established routes where these aircraft will operate.

DDC is the first company to be certified as a “Compliant Operator” by Transport Canada, the Canadian equivalent of the U S Department of Transportation, which subsumes a role equivalent to the Federal Aviation Administration. The company was recognized with an Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) Xcellence award at the organization’s annual Xponential show in May 2022.

Created by Drone Delivery Canada, the Condor is a package delivery platform developed from a small crewed helicopter airframe with a 20-foot rotor diameter

Powered by a 90-horsepower, two-stroke, gas-burning engine, the Condor from Drone Delivery Canada has a top speed of 75 miles per hour and a maximum range of 125 miles

The Condor, developed by Drone Delivery Canada, has a payload capacity of nearly 400 pounds, prompting the interest of oil and gas extraction firms with operations located deep in the Canadian wilderness

TA L K

By the Model Airplane News crew Photo by David Hart (capturedfromthehart.com)

“ I w a s f l y i n g t h e w r o n g p l a n e ! ” and other top crash excuses

Hard landings, unfortunate midairs, outright crashes … they happen to even the best RC pilots. The rest of us, well, let’s say we ’ ve all have had our share of “accidents ”

When we asked for your best RC crash excuses on our Facebook page, the creativity of Model Airplane News readers didn’t disappoint. Out of over 500 submitted excuses, we picked these favorites Here’s hoping for many more flights before you need to use one of these explanations again!

I don’t know what happened!?

It just nosed over and dove in! Jake Wheat

I should have flown two mistakes high Juergen Roy Mohrweiss

Thought for sure I was on this side of the tree! Chance Arana Hayden

The tree just reached up and grabbed it! Don Weber

What do ya mean it was inverted? Steve Smith

I lost elevator!! Brad Green

Paranormal activity radio interference Diego DeGato

Well if you’re gonna fly, you’re gonna crash Rick Mäki

I thought it was coming toward me, I thought I had enough altitude to pull out. Joe Schmid

Who turned their transmitter on?! Pete Bodiam

I was making PACKING PEANUTS !!! John Scoots Warren

My thumbs just aren t speaking to my brain right now Darren Joss

The Earth reached up and smote me! Earl Schimmel

Oh, I was flying the other plane! Joe Holder

Ran out of skill. Joe Naas

Ran out of talent David Hofman

That was exactly what I was trying to do. John O’Connell

The ground just elevated on me Anders Fridén Was standing in a fire-ant bed Scott Davidson Sr.

I ran out of airspeed, ideas, and altitude at the same time. Andres Turner

My wife called wondering when I’d be home from “work ” Paul Oswald Dumb-thumbed the stick Tracy Reyes

I was in the Bermuda Triangle. Howard Sutch

It was a radio brown-out. Mike Kidd Battery died Dan De

That tree wasn’t there before! Simon Fischer I was pushing the plane to its limitations. Larry Baraniuk