REVIEWS + EVENTS + TECH www.modelheliworld.com September 2015
ROBAN’S AH-64D APACHE
Roban continues its military theme with this superb Apache Core 700 Preview
Vario Open Door Day
The Core 700 from Core Helicopters is being released now!
Highlights of Vario’s 2015 Event
Outwards and Upwards
VBAR CONTROL
Use this transmitter to program Mikado’s Gyros Cover_MHWSEP15.indd 1
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Issue 303
● USA HELI SCENE ● SCALE BY SCALE ● IDLING UP
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Electric conversion problems – the S76 build hits a snag
THE BEST IN R/C HELICOPTERS 22/7/15 10:09:13
SEPTEMBER 2015 ISSUE: 303
COVER
REGULARS
The Roban AH-64D Apache has to be the most ambitious ARTF model on the market and the end result is a very impressive model that is very practicable and flies superbly
8 Collectively Speaking Editorial Musings by Jon Tanner
9 What’s On
Dates for your diary
12 Sales Pitch New Items by Richard Morris
16 From the Ground Up Early machines did not stress their component parts like the models of today by Richard Morris
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10 PREVIEW Core 700 Preview
26 Scale by Scale Extraterrestrial Triple Two by Gunther Winkle
The Core 700 from Core Helicopters is being released now! by Nigel Cartwright
60 USA Heli Scene The thrill of speed by James Wang
20 REVIEW VBar Control
66 Idling Up
This month we continue our beginner pilot training by looking at what is needed to start flying your model around confidently by Duncan Osbourn
69 Readers Write
FEATURES
60
Mikado’s new R/C concept provides a full bi-directional link between the VBar Controller and the transmitter for set-up and control by Kevin Targett
32 TECHNICAL Outwards and Upwards
72 Classified Adverts
Electric conversion problems – the S76 build hits a snag by Ed Darter
73 Shopper’s Directory
38 REVIEW Roban’s AH-64D Apache
by Richard Morris
Good Buys!
Shops in your area
74 In the Next Issue
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Roban continues its military theme with this superb Apache fitted with the SM2.0 mechanics by Jon Tanner
50 EVENT Vario Open Door Day Highlights of Vario’s 2015 Event by Fred Annecke and Raimund Zimmermann
54 EVENT Melbourne RC Helicopter Club Celebrating its 25th anniversary and how it all started… by Jeff Sussman 4
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COLLECTIVELY SPEAKING EDITORIAL MUSINGS...
I
know I’ve harped on a bit about how good models are nowadays, but if ever I wanted an indicator of how model flight control has improved, it had to be at the recent scale event I attended. The event was the 2nd HeliPad Model Club Scale Fly-In that also ran a raffle for their nominated charity, Cancer Research UK. What made this raffle stand out was the star prize of a Roban Hughes 500 donated by Quick UK, which in my book makes the owner Bud Boulton a bit of a star too… I know that many of the 3D brigade are not impressed by scale flying but 15 mph winds with frequent gusts of double that would also test many 3D pilots… Big scale models do tend to ride blustery conditions much better than smaller models, particually those with open tail structures like my Starwood Lama – it takes a fair old gust of wind to shift 18 kg of model, but it happened! However despite the wind, that Sunday saw all sizes of scale model flown including flybarless 500 and 600-size scale models that coped remarkably well in conditions that frequently saw hats flying off horizontally! Equally impressive was that the only mishap was due to the ESC in my Vario T-Rex Lama deciding to stop playing resulting in a completely unplanned auto that was also its first – ending in a broken undercarriage. But as I write, the plastic joiners are in the post, the aluminium u/c legs have been straightened, I’ll soon be cleaning the black soot off the model and robbing another for its ESC – it has to be ready for this coming weekend! One thing I’ve noticed is that flyers with several models in their fleet are tending to use more than one transmitter for them, I too am guilty of this resulting in me buying a case that will safely transport two Tx’s. While entry-level transmitters do the job very well, as we progress in the hobby we do need and seek more, so an upgrade becomes almost inevitable. On the other hand, some simply like having the latest… I’m lucky as part of my job is to review some of the latest sets. For many years, I’ve been using JR and Spektrum radio with both systems using the DSM2 technology, so I have quite a few of these receivers and am very happy with them. However, when JR introduced their DMSS technology I wanted to try it along with the mini TAGS gyro that will only work with DMSS hence my second Tx is an XG14, and my older DSX12 is for models fitted with DSM2 receivers. JR is not alone in using different transmission technologies as Futaba now has its FASSTest, FASST and S-FHSS along with T-FHSS and FHSS, all which isn’t as complicated as it sounds because some of their transmitters, such as the T10J, can operate on three of these 2.4 GHz technologies. So, my regular use of 2 transmitters has resulted in me adding another item to the mental check list I run through before driving off to a flying field: model – check, rotor blades – check, fuel – check, batteries – check, tools – check; oh and have I got the right transmitter!
EDITORIAL MUSINGS...
Jon Tanner
Jon.Tanner@traplet.com
Vario T-Rex 700 Lama
Following the ESC failure mentioned in the above ‘Musings’, which I think was in part due to me running the rotor head at too low a rpm, I have decided to fly the model using 10S LiPo packs, which will reduce the rpm range by 16.6%. This means the max. rpm will now be some 1600 rpm, so 1400 rpm will be well within the HeliJIVE capabilities that I have now fitted. Less volts, means higher current so I will be using slightly higher capacity packs to offset this, namely the OptiPOWER 4700 mAh 5S ULTRA packs.
Model Helicopter World now available as a digital edition You can now buy Model Helicopter World magazine as a digital magazine, which you can access from your computer. The digital editions are compatible with Macs and PCs. If you have a smart phone or tablet, you can also purchase the magazine as an Apple or Android App. For more information, see our advert on page 71 for more information.
IMPORTANT – CHANGE OF DATE
Watford Scale Helicopter Club Fun Fly August 23rd Following the success of previous fun-flys, this year’s event will now be on Sunday 6th September again held at the Cuffley site: www.cuffleymfc.co.uk/location/ The charge for flying is £4, there will be a BBQ on the day with refreshments and all funds raised will be donated to the Herts Air Ambulance and East Anglian Air Ambulance. For more information, contact Brett Houghton, Tel: 07809 421731 or Email: hertfordshiresecurity@gmail.com
EDITOR Jon Tanner mhw@traplet.com REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS Ed Darter, Denis Stretton, Mike Eddington, Richard Morris, James Wang, Tom Scully, Jason Markey and Nigel Cartwright MANAGING DIRECTOR Tony Stephenson OPERATIONS DIRECTOR Tom Stephenson DESIGN AND PRODUCTION MANAGER Nick Powell DESIGNER Katy Evans ADVERTISING & TRADE SALES EXECUTIVE Helen Lockley Tel: 01684 588548 email: helen.lockley@traplet.com ADVERTISING COPY CONTROLLER Cindi Griffiths Tel: 01684 588517 email: adcopy@traplet.com MARKETING EXECUTIVE Wendy Adams Tel: 01684 588521 email: wendy.adams@traplet.com PRINTER Warners plc NEWS STAND DISTRIBUTION Seymour Distribution Ltd. (020 7429 4000) US DISTRIBUTION Traplet Distribution USA Ltd., 816 Country Fair Drive Suite 5, Champaign, Il 61821 Order hotline and Customer services Pat: 217-355-2970 Fax: 217-954-0372 AUSTRALIAN DISTRIBUTION Traplet Publications and Hobbies, P.O. Box 501, Engadine, NSW 2233, Australia. Tel: (02) 9520 0933 Fax: (02) 9520 0032 email: sales@traplet.com.au SOUTH AFRICAN DISTRIBUTION Traplet Publications South Africa PO Box 1067, Oudtshoorn, 6620, South Africa Telephone: (044) 272 5978 Email: southafrica@traplet.com PUBLISHED BY Traplet Publications, Traplet House, Willow End Park, Blackmore Park Rd, Malvern WR13 6NN Tel: 01684 588500 Fax: 01684 578558 email: customerservice@traplet.com SUBSCRIPTIONS 1 Year subscription prices: UK £54.00 Europe £76.80 W/Wide £80.40 USA & Canada US $132.48 2 Years subscription prices: UK £108.00 Europe £153.60 W/Wide £160.80 USA & Canada US $264.96 BACK ISSUES UK £4.50/US $9.99 Customer Service: 01684 588500 Order Hotline: 01684 588599 Online Ordering: www.trapletshop.com
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REVIEW words/PICTURES: Jon Tanner
Roban’s
AH-64D Apache
Roban continues its military theme with this superb Apache fitted with the SM2.0 mechanics
R
oban’s growth as a producer of highly detailed ARTF scale models started in 2012 and hasn’t ceased, rather the models have both become more detailed and have improved and now we also have a new improved set of mechanics. This level of success is not without frustrations and this fantastic AH-64D Apache is one such because it was expected last summer, but did not appear until early 2015. But, boy, was it worth the wait!
Three colour schemes of the AH64D are available, the olive green, grey and the desert you see here. The model is big at 1692 mm nose to tail and 620 mm wide producing a scale of about 1:9.2. It is supplied as seen here (less the pilots, motor, ESC and radio) complete with the new SM2.0 mechanics and the four blade main and tail rotor heads. The model joins their other Roban 700 class super scale models and uses the supplied 700 mm main rotor blades that give it a diameter
of 1560. The mechanics are designed for a 450 kV motor running on 12S 5000 mAh LiPo battery power. The specs suggest an 8500 kg take-off weight with a conservative 5 minute flight time. The kit includes all the scale detail you see here, including the lighting system that includes a backlit instrument display. You will need to supply a 700 class motor, 120 A HV ESC, receiver and four high speed/torque servos, a flybarless 3 axis gyro and suitable battery packs.
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Roban’s AH-64D Apache
Well-packed plain box
Bubble wrapped fuselage
A box of boxed scale parts
Mechanics, rotor heads, wheels and who knows what!
Opening The Box
Scale model helicopter manufacturers don’t really ‘do’ presentation, so a large plain cardboard box is what I expected and what I got. It always amazes me how much can be packaged in such a compact manner and the Apache is a good example. As with other Roban Super Scale models, the tail section of the fuselage is a separate moulding, which means a smaller box can be used, inside which I found plenty of other boxes all positioned around the main fuselage. Unpacking it saw an impressively growing pile of scale detail parts, plus of course the new SM2.0 mechanics, metal rotor heads, and rotor blades etc. I took the time to look at most of the parts marvelling at the scale detail and quality of the moulding and finish.
How it arrives, with so much already done for you
Nice detail of carbon reinforcing
Woodwork is pre installed and painted
Tail as supplied
Lovely moulded scale detail
Even the infrared exhaust suppressors are pre installed 39
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