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AEROBATICS AT THE NATS FOR .20 - .25 GLOW ENGINES The R/C Modeller's Magazine **COVER_RCMW.NOV15.indd 1
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CONTENTS
FEATURES
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MASTER STICK
Frank Skilbeck tests Hacker Model Production’s high wing sports aerobat to the limit – and beyond! Thank goodness for its resilient EPP foam construction...
We prepare for winter flying with a look at some new fleece lined beanie hats and a pair of EVA moulded welly boots
Mal Luff tests an affordable 3-D printer and makes his own scale model accessories. The results are surprisingly good and when painted would make even the simplest of subjects really stand out on the flight line
REGULARS 6
PRE FLIGHT
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TAKE OFF
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SHOP WINDOW
Introducing this issue
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Gray reports from North Cotswold MAC’s summer ‘Fly For Fun’ event
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FITTING OUT A WW1 SCALE COCKPIT
Grahame Wren shows how to add those all important scale touches to the instrument panel of a WW1 scout
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GOLD FEVER
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YORK ELECTRIC FLY-IN
A look at the latest R/C products
113 THE SPORT CHANNEL
RETURN OF THE RED BARON
Donatas Paužuolis interviews Depron wizard Jürgen Schönle about his fabulous half scale Depron Fokker Triplane
Latest R/C model flying news
Get ready for winter with our latest list of indoor model flying events
TRAPLET OPEN SCALE 2015
Peter Maw reports from the Traplet ‘War of the Roses’ competitions hosted by the Pontefract and District Flyers and Bickershaw MFC. Who was best – east or west?
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112 DIARY DATES
WARBIRDS OVER THE BEACH
‘Mossie’ enthusiast, Neil Hutchinson crosses the Atlantic to see one of the last remaining de Havilland Mosquitos in flight at the Military Aviation Museum’s airshow, Warbirds Over The Beach
102 REPRAPPRO FISHER FRONT COVER
NOVEMBER 2015 • IISSUE #382
REVIEWS
100 HATS & BOOTS
Kevin Caton proudly displays his sleek Oxai Citrin biplane on the F3A flight line at the BMFA Nats. Turn to page 66 for Matt Hoyland's report on the precision aerobatics event
RC
Peter Miller’s semi-scale Formula 1 racer for .20 to .25 engines is fast, aerobatic and easy to build
Bruce Corfe attends another successful EP fly-in at the York Model Aeroplane Society's Wilberfoss flying site
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MESSERSCHMITT BF 109E If you’ve built Adrian Britton‘s Spitfire, which was the free plan in our R/C Warbirds Special, here is its classic opponent
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QUADCOPTER QUANDRY
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ON WITH THE SHOW
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Our tame ‘Brit In Brittany’, Dave Goodenough helps out with a drone rescue and goes in search of a pilot with soggy boots!
Dave Bishop of DB Sound recalls how he learnt to leave a competition model’s trim settings well alone
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ROBERT MAHONEY MEMORIAL ELECTRIC FLY-IN
Dave Chinery reports from the annual Southern Area Electric Fly-In, held in memory of its late organiser, Robert Mahoney
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MISTAKES WE MAKE
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A FIRST TIME VIEW...
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SCALE MODEL BUILDING FOR FUN
From South Africa, Chris Freeman shows how simple errors can make an R/C model aircraft unflyable, and how to fix those mistakes
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Of the BMFA Nationals. Vaughn Entwistle attends his first ‘Power Nats’ and discovers what makes this mass celebration of model flying so special
Peter Maw completes his Fokker DVIII build from Traplet plan MW3599 and adds an Eagle Tree gyro system for easier take-offs and landings
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FOKKER EINDECKER
In his latest ‘Model Spotlight’ feature, Mark Beacham talks to Hermann Wirtz about his fabulous Fokker EIII, complete with wing warping flight control!
110 UPDATING A CLASSIC
Chris Freeman and his fellow club members have fun going back to basics with their enlargements of the Vic Smeed designed Tomboy
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F3A AEROBATICS AT THE NATS Matt Hoyland reports from the precision aerobatic flight line at the BMFA Power Nationals
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he title of F3A British National Champion and the SMAE Radio Control Trophy was contested by seven pilots over the August Bank Holiday weekend. The SMAE Radio Control trophy was first awarded in 1949, with many famous names adorning the trophy such as Ken Binks and Terry Westrop. Three previous winners were in attendance this year, Kevin Caton, Brandon Ransley and I, Matt Hoyland, as the current holder. Two-time winner Kevin Caton first won the trophy back in 1996, and then again in 1998. Also returning to the fold after a few years sabbatical was Brandon Ransley, a four-time winner and most recently taking the title in 2010. Kevin, Brandon and I were joined in the top class by Steve Underwood, Adrian Mansell, Gerhard Fehringer and Arthur Silsby. All pilots were flying electric models this year using either the Hacker C50 13XL or the Q80 out runner motor on either a 2-blade or 3-blade propeller, all powered with 10-cell lithium polymer batteries. The field was equally split between biplanes and monoplanes, with the Oxai Citrin being the biplane of choice for Arthur, Kevin and I. Adrian Mansell was flying his own design Boson with new wings for 2015 and a throttle activated brake on the caniliser to slow the model on the downlines. FAI P15 and F15 and overall F3A BMFA Nationals Champion, Matt Hoyland and his Oxai Citrin biplane
Steve Underwood flew his Spark Evo hybrid, powered by a Hacker C50-13XL energised from 5000 mAh Overlander Fullymax LiPo’s 66
Adrian Mansell continues to evolve his own design Bosun, now equipped with a new set of wings and a throttle activated brake on the caniliser
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FLIGHT LINES
Four Round Decider Six rounds were planned for the weekend: four rounds of the P-15 schedule and two rounds of the harder F-15 schedule. Unfortunately the weather curtailed events late on Sunday evening with the four P-15 rounds having been completed. I managed to hold onto the title to take my second BMFA Nationals title, winning three of the four rounds. Steve Underwood finished second, winning the fourth round and pipping Adrian Mansell by three points, who placed third.
Kevin was fourth, followed by Brandon, Gerhard and Arthur. Champions All The GBR/CAA, who run the event on behalf of the BMFA, also award a Nationals Champion crown to those pilots flying the Preliminary Only, Masters, Intermediate and Clubman schedules, where Clubman is aimed at beginners to our sport where anybody with a B certificate is capable of flying 11 basic manoeuvres. The P Only trophy is for those pilots who do not want
to fly the more difficult finals schedule and is always hotly contested. Peter Scoles prevailed this year, winning three of the four rounds, with Adrian Harrison in second place and Brian Hoare in third. Lee Backrath won Masters, Ian Mould won Intermediate and Graeme Jones won Clubman. For more information on F3A and precision aerobatics in the UK please visit: www.gbrcaa.org RCMW
Our cover star this month, Kevin Caton with his Citrin bipe. Hacker Q80-14XS in the nose, fitted with a 3-blade PT 20 x 13 prop
It was good to see four times F3A Nats Champion Brandon Ransley flying again at Barkston. Brandon flew his 8-year old Oxalys in his first competition since 2011
Gerhard Fehringer was contesting the P&F schedules for the first time this season. It is also his first season flying the Oxai Galaktik. Small curved tips on the Ulsamer 21” x 14” prop help with battery consumption
Isle of Man resident Arthur Silsby was another to favour the Oxai Citrin. Arthur’s model is powered by a Q80-14 XS, fitted with a 21” x 13.5” Falcon carbon prop
First place in GBR/CAA Intermediate Schedule went to Ian Mould, with Mark Allen finishing second
Lee Backrath was top of FAI A16 GBR/CAA Masters
FAI P15 Schedule was won by Peter Scoles
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