electric flight uk - British Electric Flight Association

ELECTRIC FLIGHT U.K.
ISSUE No. 69 SUMMER 2002
THE MAGAZINE OF THE
BRITISH ELECTRIC
FLIGHT ASSOCIATION
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Electric Flight - U.K.
Issue 69 - Summer 2002
"To Encourage and Further all Aspects of Electric Model Flight in
the British Isles and Elsewhere" - B.E.F.A. Constitution
CONTENTS
BEFA Committee 2002/3 ......................... 4
Chairman's Chatter ................................. 5
Current Lines ......................................... 5
New-2-U ................................................. 6
EDF - The Way Ahead! ........................ 13
A Parky ................................................ 20
Hints & Tips ........................................ 21
Readers' Models .................................. 22
Dakota Tales ........................................ 23
Flying the Starburst .............................
Traunreut 2002 .....................................
The BMFA Southern Area Fly-In ........
Electrifying the Sunday Flyer ...............
For Sale ................................................
Event Calendar .....................................
New to Electric Flight? Start Here ........
BEFA Sales ..........................................
Advertisers Index .................................
35
42
57
61
63
66
72
74
74
Cover Photo: This is the 54" span De Havilland Hornet scratch built by Cyril
Carr. It is powered by 2 Kyosho Xmotors in series on 16 Sub-C cells, running
through Master 2.5:1 gearboxes.
The model is interchangeable between NF Mk 21 (shown here) & F Mk 20 versions
by removing the nose cone and rear cockpit, and replacing them with the alternate
items shown on the grass in front of the nose. It is fitted with home made retracts
to get the required retraction angle (~105°). It hasn’t flown yet, but is very close.
The expected flying weight is around 7 lb.
NEXT ISSUE. The copy date for the Autumn 2002 issue is 1st September 2002,
with the magazine due for publication by 1st October 2002.
DISCLAIMER
B.E.F.A. and Electric Flight U.K. wish to point out that the content, techniques
and opinions expressed in this magazine are those of the individual authors and
do not necessarily represent the views of either the Editor of this magazine or
B.E.F.A. and its committee. All reasonable care is taken in the preparation and
compilation of the magazine, but B.E.F.A. and its committee cannot be held liable
for any error or omission in the content of this magazine or any subsequent
damage or loss arising howsoever caused.
E.F.-U.K.
3
BEFA Committee 2002/3
Chairman
Robert Mahoney
123 Lane End Road, High Wycombe, Bucks. HP12 4HF
EMail:
Secretary
[email protected]
Peter Turner
37 Church Street, Horsley, Derbyshire. DE21 5BQ
Email:
Membership Secretary
David Andrews
2 Gainsborough Road, Kibworth Harcourt, Leicester. LE8 0SG
Email:
Treasurer
[email protected]
[email protected]
Roger Winsor
14 Butler Gardens, Market Harborough, Leics. LE16 9LY
Email:
[email protected]
Editor EF-UK
Jan Bassett
111 Plantagenet Chase, Yeovil, Somerset. BA20 2PR
Tel. 01935 472743, E-mail: [email protected]
Production Editor
Brian Boughton
'Red Roofs', Vicarage Road, Thetford, Norfolk. IP24 2LH
Events Co-ordinator
Terry Stuckey
31 Dysart Avenue, Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey. KT2 5QZ
Competition Secretary
David Beavor
34 Chestnut Close, Brampton, Huntingdon, Cambs.
Midlands Representative
Roger Winsor, details as Treasurer
Northern Representative
Bob Smith, details as Secretary.
Southern Representative
Dave Chinery
251 Station Road, Hayes, Middx. UB3 4JD
South West Representative Jan Bassett, details as Editor EF-UK
Indoor & Free-Flight Rep.
Gordon Tarling
87 Cowley Mill Road, Uxbridge, Middx. UB8 2QD
Email:
Technical Liaison Officer
Alan Bedingham
17 Highcliffe Close, Wickford, Essex. SS11 8JZ
Email:
Public Relations Officer
[email protected]
[email protected]
Dave Perrett
10 High Lees, Sharnford, Leicester. LE10 3PW
Tel: 01455 272297, Email: [email protected]
Webmaster
Jan Bassett, details as Editor EF-UK - (www.befa.org.uk)
Please enclose an SAE with all correspondence to the committee.
4
E.F.-U.K.
Chairman’s Chatter
Welcome to issue No 69
I like to apologise to all those members who turned up to the Norfolk fly-in on
June 9th! We had to cancel the event due to the MOD use of the airfield! I was
there with Mike Woodhouse of the FFTC whose event was also cancelled, we did
put up signs on the gate informing members that it was cancelled, but some missed
them! We stayed there till 10.30, and with the weather getting very windy and
with some rain, we decided to drive home for lunch, again sorry but it was beyond
our control.
As I write this, the weather has got better, lets hope for the rest of the flying
season.
Information for the members who could not get to the AGM this year, I have put
up a PRIZE for the best photo that appears in EF-UK before the 2003 AGM. So get
snapping and send them to Jan. That's all for now, see you around the fly-ins.
That’s all for now so KEEP THE WATTS UP!
Robert Mahoney
Current Lines
from the Editor
Despite my pleas, the amount of information coming in seems to be dwindling
even further. I appreciate that almost everyone nowadays is extremely busy
(including me). However, I again urge that everyone try and submit something,
even if only a photograph of a model and it’s details. This simple act, taking only
a few moments of your time, will save me untold hours running around trying to
get additional content.
Also, if you see something new let me know so I can do some digging around for
more information. I’ve tried to include quite a bit of new equipment that is recently
or soon to be available, hopefully you find these interesting.
Jan
E.F.-U.K.
5
New-2-U
A Brief Round-up of New Items of Interest
Falcon Vintage Model Kits
Following on from their very successful range of super-scale indoor r/c models,
Falcon have moved outdoors with the new range of high quality Vintage models.
These are miniature versions of known vintage designs from a bygone era.
Finished Falcon 36 fuselage with plan and kit contents
The kits now available are the Falcon 36, the Brigadier 36 and the Scram 36.
Each kit contains all the parts necessary to complete the model for r/c or free
flight. To maintain the authenticity of the vintage range, Falcon have included
genuine Trexler pneumatic balloon wheels. These kits offer the modeller greater
flexibility of modelling discipline and choice when purchasing the power unit.
Completed Brigadier 36 structure
6
E.F.-U.K.
These kits have undergone extensive testing in the hands of many experienced
and less experienced modellers, both r/c and free flight. They have proved to be
excellent flyers with forgiving characteristics and have been flown in moderate
winds. Electric r/c with 7 cell 300mAh NiMH packs have flights in excess of 8 - 10
minutes - reaching a considerable height resulting in a very rewarding flight
using standard GWS motor/gearbox, Rx, ESC and servos.
Wing span 914mm (36”), Electric powered r/c version - Mass 220g (7.7oz) - Finished
airframe mass only 112g (4.5oz)
Recommended r/c equipment: 1 x 7.5g GWS Rx with 3 channels, 2 x 5.5g GWS
servos (11g), 1 x 2 to 5A GWS ESC (7g), 1 x RCS Technik 7 cell 300mAh NiMH
battery pack (51g), 1 x GWS 150 Motor/gearbox (30g), Total 106.5g
Kits Contents:
Detailed colour CAD plans (2’ x 4’ ), Full instruction manual with colour
photographs, Falcon Kits decals, 4 CNC cut balsa sheets, 1 CNC cut ply sheet,
strip wood, balsa block wood, hardwood engine bearers, wire, 1 set CNC scored
windscreen parts, Airspan covering, Nuts/bolts/washers, Mylar hinges, genuine
Trexler pneumatic balloon wheels.
Price £44.45
Available from: RCS Technik, 22 Dartmouth Park Avenue, London. NW5 1JN
020 7267 9049 www.rcscale.co.uk email: [email protected]
The front of the completed electric Falcon 36
E.F.-U.K.
7
Two new models from Graupner that you might find interesting. The picture
above shows the Kitty Hawk, which is intended for beginners, and comes virtually
ready-to-fly in bright yellow. If follows the recent trend in this class of providing
only rudder and motor control. The wing span is 70cm (27½”), and the wing
area 7.3dm2 (113 sq. in.). The flying weight is given as 175g (6.2 oz.) giving a
wing loading of 19.7 g/dm2 (6.5 oz./sq.ft.). It comes complete with a 27MHz
transmitter, battery pack and timed charger.
Below is the 1:14 scale Ryan M-2, “Spirit of St. Louis”. The wing span is 100cm,
length 67cm, wing area 16.2 dm2 and flying weight 650g. It is ARTF and includes
instructions in German & English. Finished covered parts (fuselage, tail &
elevator, wing & ailerons). Plastic nose moulding with dummy motor, bent
undercarriage, wheels, small parts & accessories for controls and generous decals.
They recommend 3 x C261 servos for ailerons, elevator and rudder.
8
E.F.-U.K.
This is the GWS DHC2 Beaver
which should be available by
the time you read this. It is
designed for EPS-100C-AS
(280 motor) or EPS-300C-CS
(370 motor) geared power
systems and 10" x 8" propeller.
The wing span is 101cm, wing area 16.8dm2 (263sq.in.) and flying weight between
290 and 400g depending on motor and pack. The battery pack is 6 cell 400mAh for
280 motor, or 500 to 600mAh for 370 motor. It requires 2-3 channel radio with 2
sub-micro, micro or mini servos and electronic speed controller or auto cut-off.
Also recently released by
GWS are kits of the P-51D
Mustang, Spitfire, Me109 and
Zero. Each model varies
slightly, but they are around
34” span, 210 sq.in. wing
area and flying weight of up
to 410g. They are designed for the EPS-300C-CS geared power system and 10”x8”
propeller or EDP-400C (400 direct drive) power system with 7”x3½” propeller.
The battery pack is intended to be 7 cells between 400 and 600mAh. and 4-5
channel radio gear is required.
Ever wanted more power for your ‘stick’ model, but were stumped for alternatives.
Well GWS might be about to answer your prayers. The IPS-D is a dual motor
version of the popular IPS power systems supplied with the ‘stick’ models. It will
be available with gear ratios between 3.5:1 and 11.8:1 and with either 4.8v or 7.2v
motors. The 4.8v version will suit packs between 2.4v and 4.8v and propellers
from 7”x6” up to 15”x10”. The 7.2v version suits
propellers from 8”x4.3” up to 15”x10”on 6v to 8.4v.
The diagram below shows the construction of the IPSD, which is broadly the same as the IPS. Further
details including gear ratio, battery pack and
propeller combinations is available on the GWS
website at www.gws.com.tw.
E.F.-U.K.
9
Another new power system available from GWS is
the LPS series. This is available in 3 types using
different motors as shown in the exploded view
above. The RXC is for 4 to 6 cells and propellers
ranging from 6”x3” to 10”x4.7”, giving up to 18W.
The RLC is for 2 to 4 cells and 7”x3½” to 9”x7”
propellers and up to 18W. The B2C uses a smaller
motors, which is lighter and is designed for 5 to 7 cells and propellers from 5”x3”
to 7”x6” at up to 8W. Again further details are available from www.gws.com.tw
Graham McAllister has added 2 new model
kits to his range.
The first is the SkyHawk, designed to be
reminiscent of the early days of 'pod and boom'
gliders. SkyHawk is great fun whether
soaring or doing 'touch and go's' in the wet
grass! So much fun for so little cost. The
SkyHawk is an easy hand launch & lands on
it's skid. Great fun in, & above!, the smallest
fields.
The model is 58” span, a wing area of 500 sq.
in. and for a flying weight up to 20 oz. It is
powered by a Speed 400 7.2v, direct drive to a
Günther 125mm x 110mm propeller. The
battery pack is 7 x 700AA cells or similar. The
fuselage is built from balsa and liteply, with a
foam wing.
The 'PLAN PACK' includes: the wing ready cut from lightweight foam (no covering
needed), GMD 'LiteSnake' control snake inners & outers, wing 'strut' wire, a roll
of coloured wing reinforcing tape, 2 sheet computer drawn full size plan &
comprehensive step-by-step building instructions. All this for only £21.95 (+£2.50
where posted).
The 2nd model is the TwinHawk, which is a twin version of the SkyHawk design.
10
E.F.-U.K.
For lovers of the sight and sound of a twin
motored aircraft there can surely be no
simpler introduction. The dimensions,
weight, battery pack & kit price are the same
as the SkyHawk. The only real difference is
that 2x Speed 280 6v motors with Günther
125mm x 110mm propellers are used. The
TwinHawk retains the glide performance of
the SkyHawk and the longest flight in testing
was 35 minutes on 7x1000 NiCds.
Details can be found on the website at
www.mcallisterdesigns.co.uk. Both kits
are available from Graham McAllister
Designs, 60 School Road, Wales Village, Nr.
Sheffield. S26 5QJ. Tel. 01909 774220
These are 9 & 12 channel synthesised receivers
available from Multiplex stockists from August
2002. The major advantage of the synthesizer
is that it can generate any frequency you with
to use within a certain band, so it is the
equivalent to having all the crystals! Multiplex
have designed these Receivers in such a way
that is virtually impossible to set up the wrong
channel accidentally.
They are programmed using a push button and
ANY make of Tx. The channel is selected using
a button on the Rx. The Rx scans the band and
detects it's own Tx. You can then operate the
Tx controls to check the Rx is responding
correctly. Only if this is successful, would the
Rx be used. If you have the Rx installed in a
model, the process can be carried out using a
remote setup lead.
Top is the RX-9 SYNTH DS IPD, available for
35 or 40Mhz, is fitted with UNI plugs, and will
have a retail price of £79.99. The 9 channel Rx
is a compact unit suitable for most modellers. The power supply is 4-6 cells, it
measures 47mm x 42mm x 21mm and weighs 44g.
Bottom is the RX-12 SYNTH DS IPD with an expected retail price of £115.00. As
per the RX-9, except 12 channel and the Rx can use 2 identical 5 cell batteries,
controlled by an integral switch.
Also available will be a Remote Set-up Lead with button & LED, selling for £7.75.
E.F.-U.K.
11
The photograph
on the right
shows an addition
to the range of
Motor Mount
Shells from MicroMold, with these
designed for a
Speed 700 motor.
The pack includes
two half shells,
which are made
from galvanised
steel. They are
designed to mount
a Speed 700 (or
similar) motor to
conventional mounting rails and may simplify the conversion of an i.c. design.
The pair of shells weigh just under 1 oz. (actually 26g).
These should shortly be available through all model shops.
uzzflight
167 Duffield Road, Derby. DE22 1AJ
Telephone: 01332 601693
Email:
[email protected]
Website:
www.buzzflight.co.uk
Hummingbird
the definitive control-line trainer - ideal for youngsters
Deluxe Kit - complete with motor, propeller, prop. adapter, spinner, wheels, balsa,
u/c wire, control-line / power wire, on-off switch, battery connectors, sundries,
building instructions & full-size plan, bellcrank and control handle. The only
other items needed are the covering and a 12v 7AH battery. £39.99 + £2.50 P&P.
Standard Kit - contains balsa, u/c wire, control-line / power wire, on-off switch,
battery connectors, sundries, building instructions & full-size plan, bellcrank and
control handle. Again the covering and a 12v 7AH battery are not included. £24.99
+ £2.50 P&P.
Plans & Instructions - £7.99 including P&P, add £5.99 for control-line / power
wire and switch. Please contact us for Overseas prices.
Please make cheques payable to Buzzflight and allow 14 days for delivery.
12
E.F.-U.K.
EDF - The Way Ahead!
by Chris Golds
Like most people faced with the desire to make the decision to "go electric" I did
nothing about it. That is, until my 60th birthday!
For years I had progressed steadily in ICDF (Internal Combustion Ducted Fan) to
the point where I was flying a large (seventeen feet one inch span) B-52, which
weighed an astounding 87 pounds when fully fuelled. It flew like a trainer and had
tons of thrust to spare, and of course, EDF (Electric Dusted Fan) never would
have thrust to spare, would they - so why bother?
Then at my birthday party in 1996 at my remote North Devon home, a modelling
friend Dave Gardner had come, with his wife Katie, to enjoy my brand of BBQ and
Whisky. He also brought a present of a box containing all the bits I needed to get
airborne using EDF as a thrust source.
I didn't have to know anything about 'e', just plug it all together, said Dave, and
it will work! Three days later it did, and I began my 'e' flying with two Speed 400
motors, two Brian Gaskin 400 fans, a Robbe Speed Switch (either on or off) and
eight small NiCd rechargeable cells!
The 1st of the breed - 2 x Gaskin Speed 400 Fans
I designed and built a very simple shoulder wing model with the ducts mounted
either side of the nose, which weighed 44 ounces and was to be hand launched - it
flew! I was simply amazed and just had to fit it with a simple two-wheeled main
undercarriage to see if it would take-off from tarmac - IT DID - Yippee !!!
E.F.-U.K.
13
I was getting somewhere even though the flights were only a couple of minutes
long. Having built two B-52 models by then, that combination of eight units was
to me the logical choice. So over the phone I met His Royal Highness, the Gaskin
of Kent and there began a lasting friendship with an electrical 'nut-case!'. He
bundled off to me eight more units and I was away with B-52 number three.
The 1st electric B-52, 8 WeMoTec 480 fans with 8 x Speed 480 motors
Models came thick and fast as, subsequent to my second retirement from Royal
Air Force service (in the Hawk Simulator at RAF Chivenor), I had plenty of time
to spend on designing, building, flying, plan drawing and article writing to my
heart's content. Via Concorde, Me163, DH 108, Tornado F3, A-3D, Supermarine
Swift, Arado 234, DH Venom (for free flight), Supermarine Attacker, Vulcan,
Concorde climbs away on 4 x
Plettenberg 200-20-6 motors
14
E.F.-U.K.
Free flight Venom FB Mk 4 with KP 44mm
fan with 1/72 plastic model made in 1956
of my original aircraft as a pilot of XI Sqn
another Hunter, Hawker Sea
Hawk and a few more I have
managed to explore the EDF
scene with some successes.
YB-49 with 8x WeMoTec 480
fans on cooking motors, 144”
span, a gentle balloon!
I have formed a view that the
future lies, for ducted fan flying,
in the employment of brushless
motors powered by the latest
batteries, possibly NiMH or
whatever comes next. Having
just watched a few hours of my
old video tapes of my ICDF
models, I am certain that those
noise levels will soon not be
tolerated.
And once that happens, oily props will go too. Simply, the public intolerance to
noise will kill the IC world. Than all that will be left will be us with our electric
motors and batteries, and small gas turbines. Then the 'e' world will definitely
take-off as the big manufacturers come to 'e' to sell their goods.
Profile Vulcan with 4 x 480 fans
We can already see the future within our grasp with modern fans, motors and
cells all coming together to produce levels of performance that not long ago we
could only dream about. And two more B-52 models came to fruition - a baby with
eight KP 44mm fans, and a large one powered by eight WeMoTec 480 mini-fans
E.F.-U.K.
15
Profile Me163 Komet with a WeMoTec 480 fan
with Plettenberg 200-20-6 motors off 48 x 2000 NiCds. This latter featured nosewheel steering, flaps, six-leg retracts and a working drag-chute, and weighs 28½
pounds at take-off (Ed. - & landing). A majestic and very nearly scale models
which flies splendidly with thrust to spare and is now looking for a good home!
So there we are then, one man's view of the way ahead. Now, where did I put that
pencil and ruler?
A-3D Skywarrior for 2x WeMoTec 480 fans and Plettenberg motors
16
E.F.-U.K.
Tornado F3 with in-flight swinging of the wings, shown at full sweep of 67°.
Powered by 2x WeMoTec 480 fans with Plettenberg motors.
Supermarine Attacker - my 1st EDF capable of true vertical manoeuvres
E.F.-U.K.
17
B-2 Spirit for 4x WeMoTec 480 fans, my 1st true finless flying
My Hunter XE546 for WeMoTec Micro 50mm fan
18
E.F.-U.K.
Arado 234c conversion from the original
2x Cox TD020 to 4x KP 44mm fans for
radio control
My latest, a Hawker Sea Hawk for
WeMoTec Midi fan and Plettenberg
290-20-7 motor. It features retracts, flaps
and a working deck hook.
The Biggie - B-52 with 8x WeMoTec 480 fans and Plettenberg 200-25-4 motors
Note from the Editor: Chris has offered to send up-to-date mini-articles about
what he is currently doing, and not only EDF, but ‘e-props’ as well. I intend to
take him up on the offer, so we should see more in the future.
E.F.-U.K.
19
A Parky
by Rob Ireland
At a BEFA technical workshop some three years ago, I was being assisted by my
eldest, Lewis, on our trade stall. This was another opportunity to interest him in
electric flight. We were located next to Eric Leadley, who seemed much more busy
than us that Sunday. Lewis had looked round the hall a few times, and filled the
rest of the afternoon with trips to the coffee bar for coke and crisps. He wasn’t
wild with excitement but also hadn’t asked me what time we would be going
home, every ten minutes.
By the end of the afternoon we were clearing up, when Eric presented Lewis with
one of his plans which he pulled out of a box. Lewis was delighted with the gift,
and as he thanked Eric, I tried to understand how the spark was kindled. After
all, I had some plans of my own which I considered to be the best. There were also
a number of models built already which could be flown straight away. I believe it
was the encouragement shown by somebody in addition to his father, which helped
him along that day.
The plan was for a Parky and Lewis wanted to build it straight away. I was not
keen because I had none of the right r/c equipment for this model, and a park flyer
was not on my building list.
In the intervening period, I did an electric conversion of a foam Skyrider glider.
Its GWS receiver suffered from glitches every time it flew and it had to be repaired
every night. After its final crash I ditched it and put the equipment aside. Apart
from the range limited receiver (contrary to the range specifications provided on
the leaflet in the box, and assurances from the shop, later information appeared
to confirm suspicions that this was really an indoor receiver), the Skyrider had
flown using 2 speed 280’s wired in parallel. Power was from 7 Sanyo 1100AAU
cells, Kontronik Easy 1000 controller. Günther props glued to the motor shafts
pushed the model along.
Lewis was not interested in the failed
Skyrider. Instead he wanted to build his
model Parky from his plan, and then fly it.
One weekend I relented. I had pulled out the
plan again for one of those closer looks, and
thought that it would convert to a nice
simple twin, using the equipment from the
Skyrider. Lewis agreed and we were both
satisfied. He would build his modified Parky
(photographed with Lewis) and I would help
him, satisfying my inability to build anything
exactly as it said in the plans.
20
E.F.-U.K.
Hints & Tips
An occasional feature allowing the sharing of hints,
tips and useful knowledge with the members
Battery Cooler. Whilst not claiming to have had the original idea, John Anderson
has assembled a battery cooler in the hope we have some good weather this summer.
It is built using a 3” square fan from an old computer power supply, which can be
picked up for about £1 at a computer fair. This is fitted into a cylinder, in this case
a piece of domestic soil pipe, which was supplied by a club member in the building
trade for nothing. This pipe is ideal as the fan outer case is exactly the internal
diameter of the soil pipe connection collar.
The fan label says it is 12v DC Brushless and draws 0.15A, which means it can
run all day without noticeable drain on the supply battery, be it from the car or
leisure battery. These fans are designed to run non stop for 20 years so there is
likely to be enough life left in them for our intermittent use. Inside the pipe, an
open rack was stuck to the floor so that air can freely flow over all surfaces of the
battery being cooled. A plywood cradle holds the assembly level.
Left is the completed
battery cooler taken
from the fan end.
Bottom left is the
battery end showing
2 packs in place.
Bottom right shows
the simple open
rack fitted to
support the battery
pack(s).
E.F.-U.K.
21
Readers' Models
Your chance to show the members your model(s).
To allow proper appreciation of the models, colours copies of these photographs
will be posted on the BEFA website a short while after publication of the magazine.
If you can, check them out at www.befa.org.uk
The above model is the Bora III of Hubert Fehenberger, which was submitted by
Franz Stockinger, email [email protected].
The model is 155 cm (61”) span, 121 cm (47.6”) long, has a wing area of 34,5 dm²
(535 sq. in.) and is fitted with Goldberg retracts. The wing section is Eppler 374
with no washout, but no tip stalling is apparent. An Ultra 300/30/3 on 16 Sanyo
2000 cells powers it, and flights are 5 to 8 minutes long. The flying weight is 2.8kg
(6 lb. 3 oz.), giving a wing loading of 81 g/dm² (26.6 oz./sq. ft.).
Franz says they are planning to have a team of 4 models in our club. Hubert made
a mould for the fuselage, cowl and canopy. We did the moulding together and
already made four fuselages.
He also says that a plan for the whole model is available, contact him for more
details (if you don’t have an email facility, contact can be made via the Editor).
22
E.F.-U.K.
Dakota Tales
by Trevor Hewson
(adapted articles originally in Sloping Off, the newsletter of the Christchurch & District MFC)
The Portpatrick Princess, pictured at Farnborough
I have always liked the DC3 (aka Dakota, Gooney Bird, C47 etc.), but I would
have a hard time explaining exactly why. When trying to think of a realistic subject
for electric flight with a retractable undercarriage, it wasn’t long before the Dakota
came to mind. One of the main attractions was the fact that there are no
undercarriage doors to bother with.
Whilst on holiday in the USA in 1998, I got to look around a rather battered
specimen and discovered that the retract mechanism itself was in fact far from
straightforward. The wheel swings up forwards, pivoting on the rear attachment
point, the main leg folding in half at the knee, so to speak. This was enough to put
me off the idea, and I started to look for another subject.
Twelve months later, I had still not made my mind up and then, in the June 1999
edition of Radio Control Scale International, there was a review of the TopFlite
DC3 kit, for which custom retracts were available. I had inspected one or two
TopFlite kits during my quest and they are definitely builders' kits. The wood
selection was also better than many US kits I have seen - an important consideration
when thinking about electric conversion.
I was tempted to order the kit via the internet ($220 as opposed to £270!) but felt
that I ought to try to get to see what I was buying. I eventually tracked down a kit
locally and, within a matter of minutes, I was in the shop spreading bundles of
wood all over the counter. Not very much later I was staggering out of the shop
E.F.-U.K.
23
Centre Section showing Retract Installation
with a rather large box into which had been added a pair of retracts and a 'Robart
Air Kit' which I apparently would need to make them go up and down.
The TopFlite DC3 is to 1/14 scale, spans 82.5" and is designed to be powered by
two .25 to .40 2-stroke engines or .40 to .52 four strokes. The weight range given
is 8lb to 10lb. The RCSI review model was powered by two MVVS .40s. After
discovering that the take off run was about ten feet, the reviewer concluded that
two .25s would have been more than enough! Unfortunately he doesn't say what
weight his model came out at.
Weighty Matters
I assumed that the main sources of weight variation would be engine size and
whether or not the optional flaps and retracts were to be fitted. Since I intended to
use both flaps and retracts (that was after all why I was building the model in the
first place!), my scope for coming in below the upper limit seemed pretty limited.
Then of course there is the small matter of the battery.
I reckoned that 24 cells (i.e. three 8-cell packs) would weigh 3lbs, but that, somehow,
somewhere I could save one pound, giving me an all-up weight of around 12lb.
Now it's time to get out the rule book. The popular 50 watts per lb rule works out
well - 24 cells drawing 25 amps gives us 600 watts, which, at 50 watts per pound
will fly our 12lb aeroplane perfectly. Next we need to find some suitable motors.
Whilst browsing through my collection of motor information I came across an
article by Matthew Orme in which he suggests an alternative rule of thumb - One
cell for every 50 sq. ins of wing area. A glance at the box lid shows the wing area
of the DC3 to be 750sq. ins, so this suggests a cell count of 750÷50=15. Now, I
know this is not an exact science but there is a lot of difference between 24 cells
and 15, 18oz of battery weight for a start!
24
E.F.-U.K.
It wasn't particularly hard to work out why these 2 rules were giving such different
answers and soon I was doing the sum which I should have done at the outset the wing loading. My 24 cell, 12lb approach would result in a wing loading of
37oz/ft2 Matthew Orme had assumed a much more sensible figure of between 20
and 25oz. The message from all of this was clear, if unpalatable: Either get the
weight back nearer to 8lb than 12lb or expect the DC3 to fly more like a fighter
than an airliner.
Trying to think positively, if we could get down to the 8lb to 9lb range, the model
would probably fly on 16 cells. Two motors in series would be working on 8 cells
each, so we are now talking about nothing more than a powerful 540 or 600 size
motor with a suitable gearbox.
Gear Up
Gearboxes must come a close second to weight on the electric modeller's worry
list. In this case there is an added problem. The engine nacelles on the DC3 are
very close to the fuselage, limiting the prop diameter to 10". Three bladed props
are therefore recommended and will be more true to scale anyway. This does mean
though that there is little scope for tuning the drive system by changing the prop
size. I therefore felt that I needed a gearbox with a good range of ratios that could
easily be changed retrospectively. The MEC Superbox seemed to fit the bill and is
very light, so now we can return to the subject of motor choice.
Power Up
Doing the 50 watts per pound sum again on an all-up weight of 9lbs gives us 450
watts. I therefore needed to find a 540 size motor capable of taking 220 to 250
watts of input power. One motor that would definitely do the job is the WEP
Turbo 10. This is a very hot (14 turn) motor and is designed to take this sort of
power, operating at very high rpm, typically through a 6:1 gearbox. The only
downside is that, at £55 each, they are twice the cost of most 'good' buggy motors.
Then inspiration struck! I have a Graupner Sukhoi which doesn't get flown very
often (it is a bit heavily loaded and frightens me silly!). In it is a Dave Chinery
Team Gear 40 unit which consists of two good buggy motors geared to a single
shaft. A phone call to Dave ascertained that these motors were 16 turn and rated
at 200 watts. Whilst the power rating is a bit marginal, for this type of aeroplane
I should only need full power for the take off, so I felt that this was a good enough
start point - particularly since they were in stock!
Stick Up
After all this anguish over the power plant, it came as something of a relief to
start sticking bits of balsa together. If you want to find out more about the
construction, I recommend the RCSI review, which is also available on the TopFlite
web site by the way. Meanwhile, the pictures should give you some idea of the
construction. The general quality and fit was first class.
E.F.-U.K.
25
Measure your building board before you start!
Servos and Linkages
As drawn, the DC3 uses nine servos in all: six standard ones (ailerons[2], flaps[2],
elevator and rudder/tailwheel) and three micro servos (throttles[2], plus air valve
for the retracts). This is one obvious opportunity for weight saving and, after
some thought, Hitec HS81 servos were used throughout. I did though use the
metal geared version for ailerons, elevator and rudder. These so far have proven
to be up to the job, although one metal geared example does suffer from poor
centring. Fortunately it is on the rudder/tailwheel and causes no problem.
I very much liked the snake cum pushrod arrangements supplied for the rudder
and elevator. These use quite slender piano wire, onto which short (1cm) sections
of the snake inner are fitted at roughly 12" intervals (choose your own preferred
units!). This assembly then slides into a light, thin-walled outer, giving you a
wire pushrod, supported every foot or so. Low weight, low friction, no slop - very
impressive.
When I showed this to clubmate Clive, he rubbed his chin for a moment and then
asked why I hadn't mounted the servos under the tailplane and dispensed with 2x
60cm of linkage entirely! He was right of course, so I then spent several evenings
working out how best to fit the servos in the tail and adapt the tailwheel and
rudder linkages.
26
E.F.-U.K.
The DC3 has split trailing edge flaps, in three sections. They are a real fiddle to
make, but look great when you finally get them working properly. Having now
landed the model both with and without flaps, I can confirm they are well worth
the trouble.
Internal operation of split flaps
The flaps are bottom hinged and I was somewhat surprised to see them operated
by external pushrods under the wing, necessitating long, dangly horns. Since the
HS81 and its servo horn fit easily within the depth of the wing, I opted instead to
fit internal horns to the flaps, so the whole linkage is invisible. The only problem
with this arrangement was in working out a way of assembling it all - the three
sections of flap have to be slid together on their joiner rods and tubes, then offered
up to their hinges as one piece. At some point in this process, the flap horns have
to be engaged with the L-bends in the end of the pushrods. Several more evenings
of fiddling and fettling can be attributed to this departure from the book, but this
time I couldn't blame anyone but myself.
Plastic bits
The kit includes plastic mouldings for the engine cowls, rear tailcone, the cabin
and the gigantic wing fairings. I was showing these to clubmate Mick, commenting
on their high quality. Now, it seems Mick has been taking lessons from Clive on
more than just flying - as soon as he rubbed his chin, I knew I was in trouble. If
E.F.-U.K.
27
you need any spare mouldings for a 1/14 DC3, I'm your man! Well, at least I was
allowed to use the cowls.
If you are going to paint your DC3, there is no reason not to use the mouldings
provided (but do check that the full size aircraft you are modelling actually had
the tailcone fitted. I discovered that many military examples, including 'mine',
didn't.) However, for reasons of weight and personal preference, I had decided to
cover my 'Dak' in Profilm and, particularly in the case of the cabin and the wing
fairings, I didn't fancy my chances of getting a good match with the painted plastic
parts. I reckon that this particular decision added another fortnight onto the
building programme but, again, I don't regret it. And yes, the cowls are painted
and, no, they don't match the Profilm!
Cockpit and Windows
The instructions recommend you simulate the cabin windows by simply sticking
on patches of black trim film, although they do give you the option of cutting out
'real' windows if you wish. I built my wooden cabin with open windows then
realised that this gave a beautiful view of bare balsa and I had neither the information
nor the inclination to do a fully fitted out cockpit interior. The answer to this
dilemma came somewhat surprisingly from my wife's hobby - patchwork.
There is a material called template plastic which can best be described as the
plastic equivalent of tinted glass. In truth, it is closer to frosted glass, having a
rough finish on one side which diffuses the light just enough to let you think you
can see through it, but without being able to make out any detail - perfect!
There are of course lots more windows on the DC3 but I am afraid these got the
black trim treatment. The overall effect though is not bad.
The finished model
28
E.F.-U.K.
The Real Thing
Although there are many full size examples to choose from, when it comes to
colour schemes, most of them fall into one of two categories, either military
camouflage or civil examples in bare aluminium with a coloured stripe of some
sort down the side and a logo on the fin. I needed a colour scheme that was
suitable for a Profilm finish, which ruled out the camouflaged specimens and I
really wasn't keen on the aluminium look.
Then I came across a couple of pictures of the Portpatrick Princess, operated by
the Royal Aircraft Establishment, painted in the well known 'raspberry ripple'
colours. I made a few enquiries and learned that the aircraft is still flying but is
now with the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and no longer sports the red white
and blue colours. However, a call to the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency
at Farnborough led to an invitation to peruse some photos from their archives
and I was able to order copies of enough to create a reasonably faithful model.
Maiden Fright
If you decided, as I often do, to read this bit first, you may have been surprised not
to find it at the end. Well, I reached the point in late June where the model,
although far from finished, was basically covered and, once I could balance it and
work out where and how to fit the battery, there was nothing in what remained to
be done that would increase its chances of a successful first flight. I reckoned that
Close-up of the nose, chowing the simple detailing used.
E.F.-U.K.
29
I would enjoy the finishing and detailing a whole lot more if I knew for sure that
it was all going to be worth it, so the flying programme was brought forward.
Unfortunately the two 16 turn motors out of the Dave Chinery TG40 unit didn't
quite live up to their early promise. One of them in particular substantially underperformed the other and spewed carbon out of the back! I took them both to be
serviced and, although they both now perform similarly, they haven't quite come
up to my original expectations (I may have over advanced the timing in my earlier
tests, giving a somewhat optimistic impression).
As well as being a bit down on power, the model also turned out a bit heavier than
I had hoped, at around 9lb 8oz. This was though still within the 8-10lb range
recommended for the i.c. version, so it should fly okay - if there is enough power!
With flaps and air retracts, this is by far the most complicated model I have
operated, so I took the precaution of writing out a couple of checklists; one to
make sure I didn't leave anything at home (such as the pump for the retracts) and
a pre-flight sequence, so that I didn't get the model all assembled only to discover
that an important lead was still buried deep inside the wing.
Call me paranoid if you like, but I also worked out a flight plan. The main objective
of the flight would be to test the model's behaviour when the flaps were deployed,
so that I could decide whether to use them for the landing. I also needed a take off
circuit that didn't depend on clearing any trees!
A fast taxi run indicated that the DC3 should be airborne just after the halfway
point of the runway, which was reassuring, so the battery was topped up and the
Dak was lined up ready to go.
Take-off!
30
E.F.-U.K.
This time, my rudder thumb seemed a bit more nervous and the model weaved
somewhat as it accelerated down the runway. As a result, the fence was looming
by the time it lifted off, so there was no opportunity to skim along the strip letting
the speed build up before starting to climb out. Once over the fence, I started a
gentle right turn over the cornfield, but the model really needed more speed and
we were still only about six feet above the corn!
Halfway round that turn, and still struggling to gain height or speed, it became
clear that the turn was not tight enough to clear the pit area. Not daring to bank
any more steeply, I instead turned the other way and started a gentle 270 degree
left turn, now flying at around ten feet altitude - and a long way away. Halfway
round this turn and with another five feet of altitude gained, a brain cell or two
somehow managed to disengage themselves from the task of stopping the model
from falling out of the sky and put up a flag to their colleagues, saying 'gear!' I
flicked the switch, up came the wheels and suddenly, maintaining speed was no
longer a problem and a steady climb was at last established.
After a few circuits, and the injection of a fair bit of up trim, the model was quite
comfortable to fly, so it was time to test the flaps. Unfortunately this resulted in
serious ballooning and the unscheduled exploration of the tip stall behaviour.
This took the form of a 180° stall turn. Fortunately there was more than enough
height to recover from the ensuing steep dive.
Returning to the flight plan, a flapless landing was called and, although the elevator
seemed to lack authority on the flair out, the touchdown was smooth, if a little
fast and the model rolled down the strip to a halt. After a few deep breaths, I really
enjoyed the taxiing back - even if my knees were shaking somewhat.
Several lessons were learned from this short first flight. Adjusting the elevator
trim and the flap/elevator mixing were no problem but, after replaying that
frightening first circuit in my head several times over the next few days, I had to
accept that the addition of a couple more cells would make it a much safer aeroplane.
This was an unwelcome conclusion. First off it meant that the model would now
get even heavier. In fact, when finished and equipped with 18 cells, it came out
just on 10lbs.
Second, whichever way I looked at my assortment of 7-cell and 8-cell packs, there
was no sensible way to make up an 18-cell pack, so three 6-cell 2400 packs were
purchased at great expense. Thirdly, three 6-cell packs don't fit where two 8-cell
packs went! In fact the battery stowage arrangement was totally re-worked, the
good news being that the new arrangement is actually much better.
The static tests on 18 cells threw up a few teething troubles - a badly soldered
brush braid on one motor and a chip falling out of the speed controller! Once
these were sorted the rpm and current draw looked good, so off we went for flight
No. 2. By now the cowls were fitted and some of the markings were in place so the
model was beginning to look more like the real thing.
E.F.-U.K.
31
Flight 2
This time the wind direction meant that the climb out circuit had to be to the
right, and had to clear the trees. I was glad I had gone for those extra cells! Sure
enough, the take off was brisk and the climb out secure, although I had to hold
down elevator in to moderate the climb.
Unfortunately, deploying the flaps still resulted in a strong nose up pitching
movement, which meant another flapless landing. This one was rather bouncy,
which simultaneously tested the robustness of the retracts and the deliberate
weak link in the battery retention system. After taxiing back with the belly hatch
drooping somewhat, an inspection revealed no damage other than the breakage of
the balsa sticks used to peg the battery in place.
Flights 3,4 & 5
Having had my fill of flapless landings, I was determined this time to get the flap/
elevator mixing sorted. The Multiplex Profi transmitter features a 'Digi adjuster'
which enables any selected aspect of the Tx programming to be adjusted in flight.
Using this, I was able to ease in just a little bit of flap and use the digi adjuster to
re-trim the elevator. To my delight, when I then fed in more flap, no further
adjustment was needed.
Flight 3 ended with a smooth landing using half flap, Flight 4 was a repeat, this
time using full flap. With the flaps deployed, there is no difficulty in extending the
flair and quite a bit of speed can be bled off before touchdown. Just as well really,
because on flight 5 I caught the grass at the side of the strip just after touchdown
which sent the model hopping sideways down the runway on one wheel. The
retracts survived that too - they are clearly stronger than they look!
The model is now a joy to fly and I am now fine tuning it with a bit of throttle/
elevator coupling to overcome the tendency to put its nose up a bit on take off
(probably due to my reducing the recommended down-thrust a bit too much). The
gear and flaps can now be operated without the need for elevator input from the
pilot and the main flight controls are smooth and progressive. Power is now more
than adequate as inadvertently demonstrated when I had to abort a fully flapped
landing approach. I am still stretching the flight duration gradually. Discharging
the battery after flight indicates that flights of 8 or 9 minutes should be possible.
Some carbon discharge is evident from the motors, so it remains to be seen what
the interval between brush changes will be.
Finishing Touches
Encouraged by the early flight tests, I was able to relax and enjoy the detailing of
the model. I always agonise over just how much detail to include, and I still have
more to do around the engine nacelles and cowlings. However, the model is now
unmistakably the Portpatrick Princess (if only because it says so on the side of
the cockpit!) and, for the present, I am enjoying flying it.
32
E.F.-U.K.
Motor Upgrade - April 2001
Because of the short brush life (5 flights) experienced with the ferrite car motors,
I decided to upgrade to Astro 035s. I kept the Graupner 10"x 7" three bladed
propellers and the MEC gearboxes. The gear ratio was changed from 4.29:1 to
3.33:1 by switching to 18 tooth pinions.
The installation of Astro 035, MEC gearbox & Graupner 10” x 7” 3-bladed propeller
Because of the protruding brush holder, the carburettor air scoops were added at
the same time and hopefully direct more cooling air onto the brushgear. While
working on the nacelles, I decided to make dummy engines and paint the propellers.
Dummy engine and painted propellers.
E.F.-U.K.
33
The biggest challenge in flying the model (apart from remembering to do the right
things with retracts and flaps, which are all new to me), is judging how slowly to
fly it. It feels very solid in the air even when slowed up but, climbing out after one
moderately slow pass, the model pitched up steadily but uncontrollably, resulting
in a rather graceful, not very scale-like and totally terrifying chandelle. Since
then, I have dialled in a bit more down elevator mix on the throttle channel but
fly-bys are still slow *or* low, but definitely not both!
Airframe:
Wingspan:
82.5"
Weight:
10lbs.
Wing Area:
750 sq ins
Wing Loading:
30.7 oz/ft2
Power system:
Motors:
Astro 035, wired in series
Battery:
18 x 2400mah
Gearboxes:
MEC Superboxes (3.33:1)
Propellers:
Graupner 3-bladed 10" x 7"
Performance:
Based on:
7,200rpm at 27amps
Power loading:
53W/lb.
Calculated thrust:
5lb. 11oz.
Typical duration:
6 - 7 minutes
Trevor (right) with the DC3 at a fly-in
34
E.F.-U.K.
Flying the Starburst
by Nick Fitton
There is a tendency these days to use rhyming titles for articles. In the hope of
starting a trend, the title of this article means exactly what it says. Where it has
been necessary to quote measurements I use Imperial measure, without apology.
The Starburst was my second E/F (Electric Flight) model, the first being the
Early Bird on which I had learned E/F R/C flying following a long lay off from
modelling. After the sedate Early Bird the Starburst was not a happy choice as a
follow on project. The flying characteristics of these two models are as related as
a Formula One car is to a jelly on springs. That both models are still in flying
condition attests to the dogged persistence of the author and his skills retrieving
bits of balsa from deep grass.
As the reader may know the Starburst was designed by Duncan Hutson. It is a
58½” span low wing aerobatic model with neither dihedral nor washout, and with
inset ailerons. It is short coupled, with neutral stability in pitch and roll. It was
designed for Speed 600 power on seven cells, an 8” x 4” prop and a flying weight
of 3 lbs. If the model comes out slightly overweight as did mine at 3¼ lbs., this
represents about 47 watts per pound (say 20 amps at 7.6 volts).
The Skeleton of a Starburst
As a newcomer to E/F I didn’t know that Speed motors are throwaway items and
as such can be “missile rated” On eight cells at 30 amps with a Race 600, I could
have achieved 80 W/lb, which is much healthier. The motor would not have lasted
long at the high temperature, but so what? (Editor - I’ve been using one at 36A
static for about 2 years now with no obvious ill effects).
However, I had no knowledge of the Watts per pound guidelines, or indeed that
there were any such guidelines. Had I known my 8.4-volt Speed 600 BB SP would
be operating at some 47 – 50 W/lb, I would have had a rethink. RCM&E stated
that Duncan Hutson can fly the full schedule on Speed 600 power and I’ve no
doubt he can. In a previous article I expressed the opinion that many E/F models
have just enough power to get one into trouble, and the Starburst at 50 W/lb is
one such case. I was soon to discover this.
When I read the RCM&E review of the kit, I thought this is just the model for me
E.F.-U.K.
35
– after all, didn’t I once own a full-size Chipmunk, not to mention experience
flying Tiger Moth’s and Stampes? If you are interested in the full-size, they were
Moth’s G-ACDC, G-AXBZ and Stampe G-ATKC at Fairoaks and Redhill. A piddly
little model would be a doddle to an ace like me! I was to discover that flying a
neutrally stable and highly responsive low wing model was more difficult than
flying the real thing.
Having learned to throw the Early Bird around without having to take a bin bag
to the flying site, my test pilot Nigel and I and set off for the flying field with my
built-to-perfection Starburst. At least I had the humility to realise that I should
employ the services of an experienced pilot for the first flight.
In the full size world of aviation I had learned a hard, and nearly fatal lesson that
pre flight and pre take off checks were essential. I had also had a nearly fatal
experience because of misinterpretation of the “you have control” – “I have control”
convention, more of which later.
Thus I was determined to get it right, even in the world of model aeroplanes. So
having checked the model thoroughly, or so I thought, I handed the T/X to Nigel
with the injunction, “you have control”. On his command I launched my pride
and joy heavenward. At 50 W/lb the rate of climb was hardly homesick angel stuff,
but adequate, as they say.
There was no sink on take off and I commented so to Nigel, who made no response.
The impressive swoops and swerves told me he was enjoying himself, and I made
some suitable comment, expecting to receive a plaudit for my building skills –
again, no answer. Commenting on the attempted flick roll produced the response
“for Christ’s sake shut up”. That’s not very nice on a Thursday, I thought, and
turned to remonstrate with him.
Only then did I see his face which was a picture of desperate concentration. It was
apparent he only had marginal control and I realised I would be lucky not to be
filling a bin bag in a few minutes. To make his life more interesting I had
thoughtfully covered the model in white Solarfilm with blue Solartrim, carefully
making the top and undersides identical - well, how was I to know?
Having thrashed around the sky to gain height Nigel eventually established a
degree of control, but the subsequent landing was a frightening affair saved only
by the long grass and Nigel’s youthful reactions.
An aerodynamicist by profession, Nigel said the CG was too far aft and asked if I
had checked it. Evasively I replied that I built the model exactly to spec, the CG
must be OK, but I owned up to not checking it: so much for my pre-flight checks!
After showing Nigel my birth certificate to refute his allegations about my
parentage, we checked the CG to discover it was so far aft as to make the model
almost unflyable. At this point I remembered the instructions had said to build
the tail light, an injunction I had not bothered about.
36
E.F.-U.K.
The normal battery location and hatch for a Starburst
A call to Duncan Hutson revealed that one might have to add an ounce or so of
lead, this conveniently not stated in the instructions. Now like most E/F modellers,
I am incapable of willingly adding lead. Parasitic weight is, in Billy Connolly’s
famous comment, “about as welcome a fart in a space suit” – colourful if coarse!
My solution was to turn the pack round so that the seventh cell was now forward.
This produced some improvement but not enough, so I cut away the forward ply
former to enable me to push the pack so far forward that the seventh cell was
within a few thou’ of the motor terminals. This helped greatly but I had to devise
a new means of securing the top hatch. It also meant I had to re route the power
cables from the pack to the Schulze ESC, thus putting them very close to the Rx.
This is not good practice, so I wrapped the RX in foil, and have had no problems.
These mods put the CG aft of the ideal position by approx ½”, a great improvement
so I decided to fly. This was a bad decision as the Starburst probably in common
with most aircraft, is very sensitive to CG. My test pilot, with ill concealed
apprehension once again took to the skies and discovered that the model, whilst
flyable, was still very twitchy. He felt sufficiently confident to give me the Tx for
my first twiddle on the sticks. I was horrified to find just how twitchy it was,
especially compared to the Early Bird, so I hurriedly gave the Tx back to Nigel.
Still determined to avoid adding lead I took the plunge and carried out a major
mod to move the motor forward. This had the added benefit of making the nose
more streamlined by way of an 8” x 4½” CAM folder.
The CG was now too far forward, but was easily corrected by moving the battery
aft on its Velcro bed. Nigel was still the main pilot, but I was gaining confidence
with every flight. The aeroplane now flew well, but the twitchness together with
orientation difficulties made flying a trial – modelling should be pleasant!
Having made so many mods, and with new RC-2400’s, I felt Nigel should have the
first flight (just in case) but he made a sudden and inexplicable decision to emigrate.
So off to the flying field myself, solo for the first time! Although apprehensive, I
knew the aeroplane flew, so nothing could go wrong, right? – wrong!
E.F.-U.K.
37
Because my flying field is rough grass I have to hand launch, so full of expectation
I ran the Speed 600 up to its full magnificence, and urged the model skyward – the
word “hurl” upsets me. I remained calm and detached as I picked wreckage out of
the grass a few yards from my feet, the smell of instantly cut grass mingling
enticingly with that of melting backplate.
The impossible had happened - what could it be? This is your chance, reader, to
solve the riddle. Answer at the end of the article. First correct answer wins a
week’s holiday in Wigan. Second, two weeks in Wigan.
Re-building is (sometimes) quicker than starting from scratch, and I soon had the
beastie ready for flight. At long last I achieved success, or at least partial success,
as the model sometimes seemed to be flying me, rather than visa versa. My early
flights were barely survivable affairs, culminating in damaging landings. An ancient
Chinese curse is “may you live in interesting times”. As I already said I was hand
launching over rough grass and, landings were always going to be interesting.
I had been advised to leave the U/C off, but my theory was that the torsion U/C
would absorb the impact of landing. I say impact as the Starburst glides fast
(“quite quickly” it says pleasantly in the flying notes), and it’s so aerodynamically
clean it is difficult to bleed off speed. Consequently there is always the temptation
to “lead sled” it when within easy reach of the launch point. Kinetic energy is a
function of velocity squared, so landing twice as fast as necessary means one has
four times the energy to dissipate. In my case some was dissipated by the U/C, the
remainder by the wing tearing itself out by the roots.
This was to be a frequent occurrence until I modified the wing mounting method
by making a 1/8th ply plate running right through the fuselage, as opposed to
slotting into the thin ply fuselage doublers as in the original design. I think the
original wing bolt was steel, but I can’t remember. If it was I now replaced it with
a frangible (good word that!) plastic one.
To make hand launching easier I took the U/C off and built in some thumb slots.
This indeed made T/O easier as I could get a better push: as a added benefit, it
saved over two ounces of weight.
It did however make landing more difficult, as anything other than a completely
wings level landing produced a ground loop. The rotational energy imparted to the
battery pack was now dissipated by the long suffering wing / fuselage joint, which
sometimes gave up the fight.
The reader must be wondering if my luck was about to change, and sure enough it
did, for the worse!
Now the mighty Speed 600 BB SP began to loose power, probably due to lack of
cooling. Aerobatics, never enthralling on 50 W/lb, became positively dangerous
due to lack of speed and thrust. I read in S&E Modeler that a ferrite will loose 43%
of its power due to poor cooling. I partially solved this by drilling the spinner and
backplate, but it was evident that I needed a better power plant.
38
E.F.-U.K.
I had changed the Early Bird power train from the “powerful 540” of the advertising
blurb to a 7.2 volt Speed 500 RACE No.1789 mated to a Graupner gearbox turning
an 11” x 8” CAM folder. This combination was a great success so I resolved to try
it in the Starburst. Once again, more mods to the rapidly lengthening nose and
presto, a massive gain in performance.
Not only that, I discovered that if I did not use the ESC’s brake option, thus
allowing the prop to freewheel, the additional drag helped to bleed of speed for
landing. I had by this time learned to get the speed back whilst downwind, trimming
aft, making the turn on to finals at stall speed plus a healthy smidgen.
As the Starburst has no washout it has the endearing habit of dropping a wing at
the stall – this is bad news at 5’. To make landings even more exciting, my particular
model has a little wash-in on one wing. I also discovered that if it were necessary
to overshoot, the amount of aft trim used for the preceding approach meant that
the elevator did not have sufficient authority to control the pitch up on application
of full power – why do fellow club members down trannies to watch my landings!
I have now tamed the Starburst and no longer fear it. It has cost two major rebuilds
and innumerable repairs, but in the process I have learned a lot. Following one
major crash due to disorientation the HS81 servo gears stripped, so now I use
81MG’s for all my E/F models. The Starburst is now so much repaired and modified
that it must be overweight, and is now my test bed for new drive train ideas and
for rough and ready sessions.
The model is close to retirement as I am starting to worry about its structural
integrity at the higher powers I am using. This is not to reflect on the soundness
of Hutson’s design, merely on the fact that so many repairs have been done. I refer
you to the Omagh Model Flying Club website, www.omagh-mfc.co.uk, you might
find more pictures of me and my Starburst.
My Starburst now has a 35000 rpm Kyosho Xspeed buggy motor, timing advance
fixed at 200 , with a Graupner 2.8:1 gearbox, 8 RC-2400 cells and CAM 9”x5”,
pulling 29A. I chose the Xspeed solely because it was the only buggy motor in the
shop – my logic was that it must be better than the 500 Race and at under £20 I
might as well try it. The model now flies with great authority and in the right
hands will fly the book. It can just about do a vertical roll from straight & level.
The final step in taming the Starburst was the use of 70% negative exponential on
ailerons and elevator. This greatly reduces the sensitivity, yet does not compromise
aerobatic capability at my modest level. The control response, particularly on finals
at low speed, is far less unforgiving of coarse stick inputs.
Before Duncan Hutson ceased production I bought a second Starburst kit. This is
awaiting next winter as a building project and I will incorporate my painfully
learned mods. If Duncan Hutson reads this I would plead with him to get someone
(Peter Ross?) to take over the production of this outstanding aeroplane. Along with
the Crossfire, it’s far too good to be left out of the inventory of electric models. If
anyone personally knows Duncan, please ask him.
E.F.-U.K.
39
Nick Fitton with his Crossfire (left), Starburst (right) and Early Bird (bottom)
My new Starburst will be powered by a Kyosho Atomic Force 17T on 8 cells, a
Moorcraft 3.9 box with a CAM 11” x 8” folder. MotoCalc predicts 81W/lb, a motor
efficiency of 81%, 29 amps, and 36 ozs thrust. Motor temp is predicted as 72oC,
which is OK for a ferrite. As soon as I can get them I intend using the new CP1700 2/3 Sub-C cells, which will boost the Watts/lb. figure.
I chose the Atomic Force because someone in ezonemag.com raved about its big
brushes, ball bearings, light weight, could be timed, and was cheap. MotoCalc has
the constants for most Kyosho motors, and I have a policy of not buying any
motor for which the constants are not quoted. I can measure them myself now,
but why bother?
I have learned some very important points since I entered E Flight. In no particular
order of importance, they are: 1.
Get MotoCalc or similar. It really is essential given the vast number of
possible permutations and combinations of drive train components.
2.
Only use motors for which the constants are quoted. If you have to measure
them, Kv and Io are easy, but Rm must be calculated statistically from a number
of measured results. Do we use the mean, median or mode value?
3.
Keep to one type of speed controller and connector for all your models.
Sooner or later you will want to interchange components. I use Schulze controllers
and their 3.5mm gold connectors exclusively.
40
E.F.-U.K.
4.
Fly your models as you would the real thing – i.e. do pre-T/O checks, plan
circuit direction with respect to obstacles and wind. Reduce speed on the downwind
leg. A good landing is one not requiring the use of a bin bag!
5.
Check CG – author please note!
6.
Generally speaking, geared installations are better than direct drive, except
with low Kv motors. A gearbox will help to overcome the inherent deficiencies of
the ferrite motor, i.e. low efficiency & temperature resistance. Having said that I
use a direct drive Irvine Cobalt 0507 (identical to Maxx 1507) in my Crossfire on
8 cells. Is this the ideal all round electric model?
To finish this article, I’ll tell you how I nearly killed myself by way of the “you
have control” – “I have control” protocol. I had just purchased the Chipmunk
and with uncharacteristic caution decided I should get someone to check me out.
The hero I chose was a professional Irish pilot – (no jokes please), a BAe 146
jockey. To avoid being sued for libel I shall call him XXX, not his real name.
With XXX humming happily in the back, my take off was uneventful. A climb to
2000’ for some general handling and a stall or two – yes, I KNOW one should be
higher for stall practice, but we were time limited as the bar was about to open.
Returning to Newtownards, XXX said, “oi’ll take de ting” (the Southern Irish
can’t pronounce the “th” sound) so I said, “you have control” – answered as
expected by “oi have control”. Some serious split arsing around the airfield followed,
seldom exceeding 700'. After a few minutes I noticed we were in a left-hand spiral,
speed increasing, altimeter needle unwinding towards the makers name. Just before
it started to read in fathoms I said jokingly “are you flying this, XXX”? A distinct
pause was followed by “pardon”? I repeated the question, this time my voice an
octave higher. “….oi don’t tink oi am” said XXX casually.
How I missed terra firma I don’t know, but I did and landed shakily, with XXX
now engaged enthusiastically on “John Browns Body”. To cap it all a comedian in
the bar said, “that looked impressive” and would I please do it again?
I swear to this day XXX had not handed control back to me.
I wonder what he hummed after “John Browns Body”? Probably the old wartime
pilots song “They scraped him off the runway like a lump of strawberry jam”
which is sung to the same tune!
Quiz answer. I had forgotten to put Velcro on the new 2400 pack. Consequently, it
slid fully aft – ‘nuff said!
Editor: The first two photographs are of a different Starburst and are included (by
me) for general information.
E.F.-U.K.
41
Traunreut 2002
by David Theunissen
OK, hands up those who are crazy enough to leave home at 4 am, drive to Folkestone
to catch a 6am train, and then spend another 11 hours driving across Europe to
crash model aeroplanes. Not many; I thought not. Well, that’s I what I did in the
middle of May.
My job requires me to travel a bit, and since I was at home with (almost) nothing
better to do, I thought I would take the opportunity to attend the Traunreut
event. Most of you probably subscribe to QEFI so I will not repeat what I have
submitted to them. The site is located in Bavaria, almost as far as Salzburg in
Austria. Mike Payne normally attends, and being a clever guy, he flies out. Not
only is it quicker but cheaper too. Channel crossings are expensive exercises.
Well, I knew that the Germans had not seen my Fly Baby yet, and being such a
great model, I thought I should take this with me. Sadly, I brought it back in
pieces (not my fault, promise) but it did perform nicely a few times. I took my
Stearman along as backup. It too performed well until the rate settings went from
0% to +255% between flights which suggested to me I should quit before I lost
this model too. The Stearman was duly grounded and made it safely home!
The event is advertised as ‘semi-scale’. The AndNow model is so impressive and,
as it originated in Germany, I thought it fitting to demonstrate this end of the size
range too. However, the model is not scale, so I decided I needed a scale version. I
searched for 3-views of suitable models on the web and this led to the Extra 300
Franz Schmid’s 5.2m, 9.9kg Bleriot XI (No. 10).
42
E.F.-U.K.
which I built. The model has a reasonably accurate profile fuselage, with the
flying surfaces are somewhere between scale and those of the AndNow. Good enough
for a depron model which is going to get beaten up the first time I fly indoors. If
you want a souped up version of the AndNow, which also passes as scale model
take a look at www.flyelectric.ukgateway.net/indoor.htm#extra. This model
is still being developed so if you can suggest improvements, please do.
As mentioned, the event is advertised as a semi-scale event, and most planes are
scale. However, there are also a fair number of sport models, particularly on the
Thursday/Friday of the event. The full list is published later, from which you can
see all the models entered. The planes are generally big, which is what you would
expect from a major event, but even so it is impressive.
Franz Schmid’s models help bring up the averages, but even so, there were many
other large models. Franz’s main models ranged from the baby 17 ft Bleriot to the
new 34 ft Horten with the 22 ft Klemm in between. His ‘sport’ model was a Bellanca
Citabria with an 8ft wing and 30 cells! This one was a little tatty but was hugely
over-powered and he let rip with some low knife-edge flight and other silly
manoeuvres. These models all fit inside one van, although this year he had to
have the rear door partially open with pieces of plastic-covered wing protruding.
Another person who made me feel green with envy was Klaus Seidel. His SE 5a is
larger than my Stearman but only a third of the weight! OK mine was built to
F4C standards and I have many moulded components because I want to make a
spare at the time. However, Klaus’ model performs exceedingly well. Flat spins
Klaus Seidel and his 2.0m span, 2.9kg RAF SE5a (No. 66).
E.F.-U.K.
43
Ralf Dvorak’s “El Bandito” 1.23m span EDF models, & launch ramp (No. 20 & 21).
from almost no height and frolicking about with abandon just a few feet from the
deck is ‘Bubbles’ type behaviour, it’s rare to see nice scale biplanes have such nice
characteristics! He and a few others flew large models on 10 cells with high gearing
and large props. An interesting way to go with large models.
Ralf Dvorak is an airline pilot in real life, and has developed a fast ducted fan
model which he calls ‘El Bandito’. Bob Violet apparently has a larger model called
the Bandit which is very successful in IC circles. Ralf’s model is electric powered
and similar to the Bandit is shape and profile, hence the name. Nothing has actually
been copied but the lines are similar enough to have a similar name.
I know nothing about EDF and could not compare the speed with any other, but
the fact that the model was at least as fast as the others on display, and he flew
such long times (7 minutes on 2400’s), meant the model had to be very capable.
EDF has the reputation of only looking good at full throttle, and this will typically
only give 3 to 4 minute flights. The mouldings for Ralf’s kit are make in the Czech
Republic and you can contact him through his web site www.rd-jets.de. Ralf speaks
excellent English.
Franz Stockinger deserves special mention. He is the main contact for the event
and also speaks excellent English to help us hopeless foreigners. He happily arranged
accommodation for me at a very cheap and very comfortable B&B which was just
5 minutes from the site. 15 euros is not bad for a large room, quiet setting and
generous breakfast. When is Britain adopting the euro? Oops, sorry, but the “single
currency” does make travelling on the Continent very easy. Franz flew a couple of
bipes, one a Sopworth Tabloid (I know that because of the large letters down the
side of the fuz!) and the other a Rheinland Schalbe.
44
E.F.-U.K.
Franz Stockinger and his red Rheinland Schalbe, 1.6m and 4.75kg (No. 15).
I beat Franz up as representative of the whole of Germany: too many scale models
had no pilot! The planes look dreadful in flight!!! Even a profile depron head would
improve the effect immeasurably. I’m not returning until every scale model has a
pilot (well, unless Franz Schmid builds another huge model). Thanks for all your
hard work in making my visit and the event a success, Franz. I know there is a
large team in addition to Franz so forgive me for not mentioning them by name.
There were also many other superb models and flyers (some even had pilots), but
it’s difficult to keep track. I’m fond on the Actro motors but for the adventurous
and engineering oriented, the homemade LRK motors covered in the last EF-UK
look very impressive in the flesh. Every component can be bought at events such
as these, but decide what you want before attending, perhaps with alternatives,
as the choice is vast.
Steve Pinder is an ex Brit now living in Munich. He alerted me to a new material
with which he is experimenting. It is called ‘Selitac’ and is basically 2mm Depron
which comes as a 1x15m roll. It has a very pronounced grain, so much so that the
‘weak’ direction can fold to about a 1/8 inch diameter without creasing. The ‘strong’
direction is similar in strength to normal Depron sheets of similar thickness. It is
difficult to use due to the natural curvature, but it would be ideal for dual skin
applications (wings and fuz’s). I made a Pibros using the material. With 3mm
Depron ribs spaced 100mm apart, the skin looked a bit ‘starved’. However, 50mm
(2 inch) spacing should be ideal for ‘built up’ wings and a single section could be
used to form both upper and lower surfaces with a perfect continuous curve around
E.F.-U.K.
45
The 2.96m span, 8.8kg Lufthansa Douglas DC3 of Charlie Binder (No. 16).
the leading edge if required. 3mm Depron weighs about 135g per square meter;
this stuff weighs 82g for the same area. The material is used as a floor underlay to
reduce tread noise. I bought mine from ‘OBI’ in Germany but other DIY stores
which specialise in wooden flooring should stock it. One roll cost under 18 euros
(£12). I don’t know if it is available in the UK.
Well, that’s it for now. Jan will no doubt publish as many pictures as he can.
Email me if you have any queries [email protected].
The Dorner of Georg Höfelschweiger, 2m span and weighs 1.8kg (No. 37).
46
E.F.-U.K.
Franz Schmid plus helpers ready the Horten IIIe for flight. This huge model is 10.5m
spand and weighs 19.9kg (No. 11).
The Horten IIIe (No. 11) of Franz Schmid takes to the air.
E.F.-U.K.
47
This shows the amount of work that Franz Schmid has undertaken into creating the
Horten IIIe (No. 11). Each rib is constructed in this manner and, dut to the tapering
wing, only 2 ribs of each size are required.
The 2.2m, 4.8kg Dornier 328 of Wilfried Theuerlein (No. 77 background) and
the 1.8m span and 3.8kg BAe 146 of Helmut Thurner (No. 74 foreground).
48
E.F.-U.K.
Top & bottom: The 2.0m span, 2.2kg Sopwith Tabloid of Franz Stockinger (No. 14).
An excellently turned out Saab 105 OE “Tiger” from Andreas Pohn, 1.29m span and
2.7kg weight (No. 56).
Goerg Höfelschweiger’s 2.84m span, 6.0kg Fiesler Storch (No. 38).
Bruno Schmalzgruber and his Gotha Go 151 (No. 68), 2.48m and 5.6kg
The Siebel Fh 104
“Hallore” (No. 40) of
Christian Hoffman,
2.4m span and 6.3kg,
doing a low flypast
with the
undercarriage
retracted.
E.F.-U.K.
51
52
E.F.-U.K.
E.F.-U.K.
53
54
E.F.-U.K.
E.F.-U.K.
55
The Siebel Fh 104 “Hallore” (No. 40) of Christian Hoffman back in the pits.
In the background is the 1.4m span, 1.6kg, Bristol Beaufighter Mk 6 (No. 58) of Andreas
Pohn, and in the foreground the 1.36m, 1.65kg, Mitchell B25 (No. 26) of Uwe Forster.
56
E.F.-U.K.
The BMFA Southern Area
Electric Fly-In
at Winchester MAC on 16 June 2002
by Jan Bassett
The predicted weather wasn’t exactly inspiring, with the 4 different sources checked
giving differing gloomy forecasts. Not the ideal day for a fly-in with the average
forecast being intermittent fog and a 10% chance of rain. Still, as the site is only
about 80 miles away it was worth making the effort. During the drive to the site,
it turned out that all the forecasts where correct as the weather varied from light
rain in fog to dull overcast on the way.
I arrived at the site at 9.30am to find over a dozen other pilot’s had already
arrived, and general preparations were under way. It was extremely mirky and
everyone was taking their time, hoping for an improvement in the weather.
A shot along the pits at about 10:30am
The site is quite large and immaculately prepared with the grass mown short and
the surface good. A pits area and pilot’s box had been marked on the grass which
was useful. Surrounding the ‘patch’ on two sides was a 3’ high crop, with long
grass on a third and trees behind the pits and parking.
Around 10:30am, in poor visibility due to mist, the first pilot decided to take-off
and promptly vanished into low cloud at about 50ft. Having flown a couple of
circuits he wisely landed and the waiting continued. The conditions did improve
and by 11am the cloud had lift to around 200ft and the mist had cleared slighty.
E.F.-U.K.
57
This is Cyril Carr’s collection of Avro Vulcan, Convair XFY-1 Pogo, de Havilland Hornet
and profile Bede BD5. The Convair was a vertical take-off aircraft originally powered
by two engines driving contra-rotating propellers. The model is powered by a single
Perkins 480 motor with Mini Olympus gearbox, driving 2x 3-blade propellers that
rotate in the same direction.
This prompted a number of pilot’s to brave the elements. Aerobatics could be
flown provided you pulled the tight, or didn’t mind disappearing at the top of
loops and stall turns.
The Winchester MAC provided a barbecue at lunch time, with free sausages and
bread rolls to all attendees. This was definitely appreciated by everyone there, and
it also coincided with the weather clamping down again, limiting flying.
It was diffcult to judge the height and distance over the crop, and it managed to
catch a few models (including one of mine due to undershooting). The grass remained
damp, because of the mist, and the long grass caught a number of models as they
slid off the patch (sometimes when the model touched down before half way across).
The All-Up-Last-Down competition was due to start at 1pm, but was delayed until
2pm to allow the weather to improve. Despite poor conditions the winner completed
a flight over well over an hour!
The mist persisted throughout the day to a great of lesser extent, and was joined.
periodically by a few spots of rain. Apparently just 5 miles down the road it had
been raining all morning. Considering the weather, the turn-out was good with
several interesting models. I have tried to pick the highlights to give a flavour of
the models present.
My thanks, and I’m sure that of all pilot’s attending, goes to the Winchester MAC
for an excellent event
58
E.F.-U.K.
Three models brought by Brian Jones. The Red Baron was stunning and is powered by a
??? brushless motor and ??? propeller on 12 RC-2000 cells. It really tore around the
sky, along with almost identical model of Kevin Saunders (in the foreground below),
with supreme authority. The F9F Panther flew really well and sounded the part. It is
powered by a Plettenberg 200/20/7 motor on 16 RC-2000, driving a WeMoTec Midi-fan.
The Starfighter hadn’t flown before the event so remained on the ground. This has a very
small wing area and is powered by a Graupner Speed 480 Race BB motor on 10 CP1300 cells driving a WeMoTec 480 fan.
E.F.-U.K.
Certainly the fastest
model (silver model
in foreground)
belonged to Kevin
Saunders. This small
EDF model running
on only 6 cells was
phenomenally quick
and had excellent
duration. It used a
home made carbon
fan, which Jepé may
produce .It is also
flown on 8 cells,
when it goes even
quicker!
59
Also extremely interesting was Cyril’s de Havilland Hornet, which can be configured as
either the NF Mk 21 or F Mk 20 variants. The photograph on the front cover shows the
NF Mk 21 variant, and the picture below the F Mk 20. The model is 54" span and
powered by 2 Kyosho Xmotors in series, driving Master 2.5:1 gearboxes. This
combination and the 16 Sub-C cells will provide 2.5lbs thrust per motor.
The photograph shows the model fitted with the dummy propeller blades. Each spinner
had been drilled and tapped to take two additional blades. The propeller blades are
drilled and fitted with the M3 studs and are screwed in for display and removed for
flight. The fitting and removal is extremely easy and quick. I’ve finally found a use for
all those one bladed propellers I’ve been hoarding.
The model is fitted with home made retracts to get the required retraction angle (~105°).
Flying weight expected to be 7 lb. The models has not yet flown, but is very close.
Pitcured here are the
Stearman, the “Endo
Plasma” Speedy Bee
and Depron Extra 300
of David Theunissen
and the Elipstik,
Aquila and Depron
Extra 300 of
60
E.F.-U.K.
Electrifying the Sunday Flyer
by Mike Pirie
A well-known law of aeromodelling states that when you have a new model to fly,
the weather turns against you. Here in Aberdeen, the awful weather of late May
/ early June certainly put paid to any thoughts of possible 'Blenheim' flying, and
frustration levels were building up. I couldn't just keep pacing the house like a
bear with a sore head forever, so I had to find a 'fill-in' project to tide me over.
My Sunday Flyer (plan RC 1595) had been stripped of its Vega 25 four-stroke
engine last year with a view to an electric conversion, so this seemed to fit the bill.
The motor I had in mind was the AP-29L, which was now spare since purchasing
a Plettenberg for my Kyosho T33. Having estimated the flying weight of the electric
Sunday Flyer at about 1600g, I was reckoning on a power input of about 180W
for a successful ROG (using the 50 watts/lb rule of thumb). With a wing loading of
about 12oz/sq.ft, I suspected that this figure was probably more than enough.
A word with Gordon Tarling established the desired current levels for this motor.
The recommended maximum is 25 amps, but it can be pushed to 30 or 35 amps at
Mike and his Sunday Flyer.
E.F.-U.K.
61
the expense of motor life. So for my 180 watts I was looking at 25 to 30 amps and
6 or 7 cells. A session with MotoCalc told me the motor would turn a 10" x 6”
propeller with 3:1 gearing and would draw 25 amps on 6 cells.
This seemed too good to be true, as the Vega engine turned a similar sized propeller.
The MotoCalc 'in-flight' results showed that the plane would fly very well, and
this was confirmed by ElectriCalc (although it was a little optimistic). So, satisfied
that I had found a suitable power train, I immediately sent off to Gordon Tarling
for a Modelair-Tech Belt Drive, and set about the modifications to the model. I
had a 10” x 7” folding propeller available so I decided to use that.
The first thing to do was to strip the fuselage of its oil-soaked tissue. After this, I
set about stripping out the redundant items such as the fuel tank and throttle
servo, and stripping the nose back to the first bulkhead (except for the top
planking). Eighty per cent of the ply bulkhead was removed and a lite-ply former
installed further forward as a support for the belt-drive. The wheels were replaced
with 75mm sponge wheels from Graham McAllister. A lite-ply battery tray was
designed and fitted, and the nose built up again with soft balsa. The fuselage was
covered in polyester tissue from Mike Woodhouse.
It was at this point that I made the happy discovery. An oz. of lead had been used
at the tail of the model to achieve the C of G, which was promptly removed. I was
very impressed with the polyester tissue. At 25g/m2, it is not much heavier than
doped tissue and much tougher. Best of all, it only needs one coat of 50/50 dope. At
the end, the model was weighed and was 1440g - 30g lighter than the i.c. version!
As luck would have it, and in complete defiance of the aforementioned law, the
completion of the model happily coincided with a calm sunny morning. So I was
off to the local park with my plane and a brand new 6-cell pack of the new Sanyo
RC-3000HVs. Nose into the wind, and full throttle applied, the Sunday Flyer
performed a perfect ground loop - oops - wrong stick - it's rudder/elevator only!
On the second attempt, this time using the aileron stick to steer rather than the
rudder stick, a successful take-off was achieved. Climbing smartly into the breeze,
it was soon at about 100 feet. I throttled back gradually, until, at quarter throttle,
it eventually stopped climbing! After eleven minutes of pleasant flying, gentle
aerobatics and general stooging around, I was back on the ground - a great first
flight. Subsequent flights have been no less successful, the best duration to date
being twelve and a half minutes. Now where's that Mannock!
Specification:
Wing Span:
46½”
118 cm
Wing Area:
668 in2
43.1 dm2
Weight:
51 oz. 1.44kg
Wing Loading: 11.0 oz/ft2 33.4 g/dm2
Power/Weight: 47 W / lb.
Flight Time:
~11 minutes
Equipment:
Kyosho AP29L, Modelair-Tech H-50x0 belt-drive 3:1,
Aero-Naut 10” x 7” folder, Schulze slim-50be,
6 x Sanyo RC-3000HV NiMH cells
62
E.F.-U.K.
FOR SALE / WANTED
Member's Sales & Wants
For Sale on behalf of the estate of the late Sqn Ldr Ken Wood, MBE. All reasonable
offers considered as his daughter mainly wants them to go to a good home. The
models are all fully built and shipping would be difficult. Delivery and/or viewing
can be arrange at any of the BEFA fly-ins. All have been statically tested and are
fully functional. For more details (or digital photographs), contact Jan Bassett on
01935 472743 or email [email protected]:
• Graupner Electro-UHU (1.9m span version) with SpeedGear 500 2.8:1,
Graupner 12” x 10” folding propeller, Fleet FPS-24A speed control, Micron
Mini Rx, 2 x Futaab S133 servos. Only requires a 7 cell Sub-C pack to fly.
• Graupner Electro-UHU (1.6m span version) with SpeedGear 500 2.8:1,
Graupner 12” x 10” folding propeller, Fleet FPS-24A speed control, µ6Rx,
2 x Futaba S133 servos. Only requires a 7 cell Sub-C pack to fly.
• Goldberg Electra powered sailplane with modified nose shape (78” span
single-piece wing of 663 sq.in.). Fitted with 1x Hitec HS-80 and 1x Futaba
S143 servos. The motor mounting tube is designed for a Keller 22/12
motor, but would fit a Speed 600 motor & compact gearbox with little or
no modification. Covered in Solarfilm, the fuselage, fin and wing centre
panels are red, with the tailplane, elevator and rudder in white and yellow
outboard panels on the wings. Intended for 7 Sub-C cells, but would take
8x Sub-C or 10x 4/5 Sub-C.
• Goldberg Electra powered sailplane with modified nose shape (78” span
single-piece wing of 663 sq.in.). Fitted with Keller 22/12 motor, Graupner
10” x 6” folding propeller, Fleet FPS-24A speed control, Micron Mini Rx
and 2x Fleet FPS-18 mini servos. Covered overall in Fibafilm with the
fuselage, elevator & rudder in white and the wings, tailplane & fin in red.
Intended for 7 Sub-C cells, but would take 8x Sub-C or 10x 4/5 Sub-C.
For Sale by Eric Cable, the following motors which are boxed and unflown.
Contact Eric on telephone 01935 478974 (Yeovil).
• Plettenberg HP 200/20/12 motor - £75
• Astro 05 FAI, 6 turn motor, geared 2.2:1 - £95
• LRP Super 400 - £25
For Sale by Dave Chinery, a Aveox 1406-2Y and controller - £120 ono. Contact
him on 020 8573 4687 or at email [email protected]
E.F.-U.K.
63
For Sale by Mike Pitchers (Nr. Leicester). He says he is not giving up but
clearing loft of unwanted models, no reasonable offer refused, he just wants them
to go to a “good home”. All are airworthy and in smart condition. Motor batteries
are included with power models. Contact Mike on telephone number 01530 242856
or email him at [email protected]. He said he will supply digital
photographs if required, email him to request them.
• Wik Kestrel 114" span glider full controls including spoilers, servos
included.
• 100" Standard glider originally based on "Monteray", old but in good
airworthy condition, servos included. A very good flyer.
• Semi-scale AV22s, 6' span, tailless glider, appeared as my plan in RCM.
Very unusual with swept forward wings, OK on slope or winch/bungee.
Airframe only. Requires some flying skill!
• "Fulmar" my original model (Plans published in RCM&E) electric
competition glider including everything but radio.
• Silent Knight electric glider complete with motor, folding propeller
and Hitec servos. Has its own box to take on holiday. A very reliable
trainer aircraft.
• "Sportwagon" vintage (1946?), has won competitions. airframe, geared
motor, propeller and speed controller.
• Slope soarer for light winds (own design), aileron & elevators, including
servos.
Aveox F16FMR brushless motor
CETO RX, 2 WES servos & JMP ESC
For Sale by Neil Stainton, telephone him on 01926 314011 or email at
[email protected]
64
• An Aveox F16FMR competition / hot sports brushless motor including
integral 3.7:1 gearbox (see photograph above). 10-20 cells, max 80A,
Kv=2000rpm/V, Rm=0.018R, Io=2.5A. Good working condition but some
abrasion to the blue cable's insulation - £135
E.F.-U.K.
• A new un-run Mega AC brushless n22/30/4 motor. 6-30 cells, max 50A,
Kv = 940 rpm/V, Rm=0.056R, Io=1.65A - £79
• Ceto 35Mhz receiver hard wired to two WES Technik 2.4g servos and
JMP 6A ESC (photograph on previous page). Complete weight of Rx /
ESC / servo brick is 10g. Rx xtal not included - £75
• ToyTronix blimp with 3 channel IR Tx & Rx - £35
For Sale by Gordon Tarling, an X-Models 'Little Star' glider. Complete with
AP29BB motor with Kruse 'Introgear' gearbox, Aeronaut 10 x 6 Folding Propeller,
Micro-Star 20BEC Motor controller, Futaba 3 channel receiver, 2 x JR341 servos
and 7 x 1000SCR battery pack. Little flown and all in excellent condition. Readyto-fly at £220 o.n.o. Contact Gordon Tarling - [email protected]
For Sale - Electric beginners outfit with brand new electro tutor kit, only rear
wing & fin built, complete with electric power train (motor, gearbox, batteries &
speed controller). Brand new unused JR XP652 computer radio set, which is fully
NiCd and complete with 4 servos. CSM v9.1 RC aeroplane & helicopter simulator
for PC with interface cable to suit the JR radio set. A truly complete beginners
outfit, all superb condition, genuine reason for sale. Worth around £425, all brand
new, price :- £250. Contact Tony Bryan on telephone 01455 446701 (and leave a
message if unavailable) or email at [email protected]
Wanted - a 4 channel radio gear with servos, batteries, charger etc. Any
information ring 01825 872752 East Sussex and ask for Chris.
Wanted by the Editor (contact details on page 4) any of the following:
• Articles
• Photographs of models (with dimensions & equipment installed please).
All photographs will be returned after publication (unless you specify otherwise).
• New items of interest for inclusion in this magazine
Requests for inclusion in the For Sale & Wanted pages can be made by email, post
or by telephone, to the Editor using the contact details on page 4. Entries can also
be submitted on-line from the For Sale & Wanted page on the BEFA website at
www.befa.org.uk
If you wish to have pictures included with your entry, post photograph prints, or
email graphic files, to the Editor.
Adverts will be included in both E.F.-U.K. and on the BEFA Website unless
instructed otherwise.
E.F.-U.K.
65
Electric Flight Calendar
If you would like details of your event to appear in these pages please send full
details to the Editor, contact details on page 4.
Dates, times and, even, locations of events can all change at the last minute. You
are strongly advised to check details with the given contacts before setting out on
a long journey to any event. You are asked to please check with the organisers of
non-BEFA events for their requirements.
All BEFA flying events require proof of BMFA or equivalent insurance
to fly. Additionally, all models must have been satisfactorily test flown
prior to the BEFA event to fly - no test flights on the day.
Despite rumours to the contrary, BEFA has not set qualifications to fly at our
events. All that is expected is basic flying competency, no BMFA certificates are
required to fly.
July 2002
21st
BEFA Fly-In at North Leamington School, Leamington Spa.
All the usual fun with Scale, Vintage and All-Up-Last-Down
competitions being held. Pilots briefing will be at 10am, for safety
reasons you don’t want to miss it (or you may not be allowed to fly).
Contact Jan Bassett for more information, details on page 4.
21st
Ebor E-Slot Little League Event No 3 in York area (venue TBC).
A series of 4 events in the York area. Prizes for each event each day
and for the best results 3 from the 4 days in each league. These
events have been planned to help beginners to electric competitions
to have-a-go, but are for old hands as well.
BARCS rules in the morning, BEFA rules in the afternoon. The use
of the 2 sets of rules allows for plenty of flying with one model and
the opportunity to experience both sets of rules. Please note that
these events do not form part of the BEFA E-Slot leagues, and will
not count towards scores.
For more information, contact Barry Flude on 01904 782552 or email
[email protected] or Mike Proctor on 01904 489386 or
[email protected]
August 2002
4th
66
BEFA Fly-In at Woburn Abbey. The usual fun-fly with Scale,
Vintage and All-Up-Last-Down competitions. Pilots briefing will be
at 10am, for safety reasons you don’t want to miss it. There is
something for everyone to do at this superb site, so bring the whole
family. For further details contact Robert Mahoney (see page 4).
E.F.-U.K.
11th
BEFA Fly-In at Exeter, at the Exeter Racecourse. Another new
venue for this year. Signposted on the A38 at the top of Haldon Hill.
All the usual fun with Scale, Vintage and AULD competitions being
held. Pilots briefing will be at 10am, for safety reasons you don’t
want to miss it. Contact Jan Bassett for more information.
11th
Ebor E-Slot Little League Event No 4 in York area (venue TBC).
See entry on 21st July for more information.
11th
Furness Model Aircraft Society Electric Fly-in at the Rakesmoor
Lane flying site at Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria. Electric models of
all types and sizes welcome. Starts at 10am. All entrants must show
proof of insurance on the day. Entry £4. Contact –
Gary Knight. Tel 01229 467447, email [email protected]
17th/18th
Greenacres MAC Electric Fun-Fly at Walsall Airport. There is
no fee for spectators, but there will be charge per frequency. Full Tx
control & signal monitoring. Toilets & catering facilities will be
present. Camping facilities are available provided you book at least 1
week before the event. For more details/charges contact Peter Hubbard
on 01922 860144 or email [email protected]
18th
Woodspring E-Fly, at Woodspring Wings Airfield, Nr Yatton. All
electric models are welcome, with flying starting at 10am until around
5pm. Pilot pre-registration is required and entry is free. Spectators
will be charged £5 per car for parking. For more details see the poster
on page 70, their website at www.woodspringwings.co.uk, contact
Bob Everitt at [email protected] or tel. 01275 842651
18th
Phoenix MFC Electric Fly-In with BBQ at Pakefield, Lowestoft,
Suffolk. Events to include, AULD, Stand-off Scale and "Best Turned".
No fees. BMFA insurance required. For complete details contact
Tom Taylor at 01493 668555 or email [email protected], also
club information available at www.phoenix-mfc.freeserve.co.uk
18th
BMFA Northern Area Electric Fly-In at Knavesmire, York.
See the poster on page 69 for details.
24th - 26th BEFA Electroslot / E400 League Event at the BMFA Silent Flight
Nationals. Contact BMFA on 0116 2440028 or [email protected]
September 2002
1st
North London RCMFC Electric Fly-In at Baldock, Herts.
8th
Bath SpaRCS All Electric Fly-in at RAF Colerne, Wiltshire.
Airfield with grass & tarmac runways. No comp’s. Proof of BMFA
membership necessary. Regret no facilities for spectators. Pilots
briefing 10:00. Contact Bob Partington Tel 01225 891441 or
[email protected]
E.F.-U.K.
67
September 2002
(continued)
15th
BEFA Electroslot / E400 League Event at York.
For more information contact Dave Perrett on 01455 272297 at
[email protected] or Mike Proctor on 01904 489386 or
[email protected]
22nd
BEFA Electroslot / E400 League Event at Pillerton Hersey.
For more information contact Dave Perrett on 01455 272297 at
[email protected] or Terry Stuckey, details on page 4.
22nd
The West Calder Aeromodellers Electric Fly-in. No entry fee,
all welcome. Tarmac and grass runways. SAA Bronze or BMFA "A"
and proof of insurance required. Further details at
www.modelclub.org or from [email protected]
TBC
BEFA Electroslot / E400 League Reserve Event at York.
Please note this event will only take place if insufficient events have
been completed. For more information check the contest calendar on
the BEFA website (www.befa.org.uk) or contact Dave Perrett on
01455 272297 or at [email protected] or Mike Proctor
on 01904 489386 or [email protected]
For last minute information on BEFA events, check out the events list onthe
BEFA website at www.befa.org.uk
E D L Plans
Specialists in Plans and Accessories for Electric Flight.
E D Leadley, 3 The Glade, York. YO31 1LA.
01904 422615
Email:- [email protected]
Why spend a fortune on ready builts when for a few pounds, for materials, you can have
the satisfaction of building your own flying model
16 plans to choose from, Scale, Sport, Aerobatic, Electroslot, E 400, Flying wings etc.
All proven fliers. Prices from £5.50 to £6.50 per plan incl. P&P.
Speed 400 motors - 6 and 7.2 volt – £6 incl. P&P
Collet type prop adapters, more accurate fitting than grub screw type
Shaft sizes:- 2.3, 3.17, 4.0, 5.0 and 6.0mm diameter – £ 3.20 incl. P&P
ROBBE 6” x 3.5” folding props for Speed 400 motors – £ 8 incl. P&P
COSMOTECH Speed 400 gearbox, weighs 30 grammes. Ratio 4.5:1 – £33 incl. P&P
Ask for cells, battery packs, heatshrink, braid and 1.5 & 2.5mm2 flexible battery wire.
If you want advice or information please contact me, if I cannot help you I usually know a
man who can (no obligation). Send SAE or Email for full details.
68
E.F.-U.K.
E.F.-U.K.
69
70
E.F.-U.K.
ALAN FRY
29 BRAISWICK
CO4 5AU
ImporTekniK
17 YEARS YOUNG and still THE BEST
E.F.-U.K.
16 Cell Racing Pack
14 Cell Racing Pack
12 Cell Racing Pack
10 Cell Racing Pack
8 Cell Racing Pack
7 Cell Racing Pack
6 Cell Racing Pack
15 Cell Pack
12 Cell Pack
10 Cell Pack
8 Cell Pack
7 Cell Pack
6 Cell Pack
10x Single Cell
Single Cell
FULL PRICE LIST - LARGE (A4) S.A.E.
100 Page Information Pack
£3
Cheques Payable to “ALAN FRY” Please
Minimum Order £10
Minimum Postage usually £3
N.B. Mail Order
COLCHESTER
ESSEX
01206 852209
71
NEW TO ELECTRIC FLIGHT?
START HERE . . . . .
You may be taking up Electric Flight for the first time, you may be converting
from another discipline. Whatever your situation, help and advice is available.
BEFA has prepared an information sheet which details further sources of
information which you may find useful when just joining the hobby. To receive a
copy, please send a Stamped Addressed Envelope (SAE) to Robert Mahoney, address
on page 4.
BEGINNER'S GUIDE
A Beginner’s Guide to Electric Flight is available, which explains many of the
'Mysteries' of Electrics’ and will, hopefully, set you off on the right foot. Please
send £3.00, per copy required, to The Editor of EF-UK at the address on page 4.
Please add £1.00 extra for overseas postage and remit in Sterling, cheques payable
to BEFA.
TECHNICAL HELP SERVICE
Technical help is now available again for the use of all members. We regret that
no telephone service is available, but all questions in writing (or email) will be
answered by our new Technical Liaison Officer (TLO). Please refer your queries
to our TLO, to the postal or email address on page 4. Please ensure that you
include an SAE for a reply.
CONNECTIONS SERVICE
Requests are frequently received from members who wish to be put in contact
with other members living in the same area. The easiest method of doing this is
to place a free 'wanted' advert in the classified section of this magazine.
Alternatively, a request may be made IN WRITING to the Membership Secretary
who is allowed to divulge such information to members ONLY. Please supply as
much information about your location as possible and please remember to include
an SAE for your reply.
B.E.F.A. MEMBERSHIP
Membership of the Association is open to all members of the BMFA. Those who
are not members of our national controlling body may only subscribe to EF-UK
with no other benefits of membership. Overseas members are very welcome and
will be classed as full members if they belong to their own national controlling
body.
CONTACT
For full details, please send an SAE to the Membership Secretary (address on page
4) requesting a membership application form. Those with Internet access may
visit the B.E.F.A. website at http://www.befa.org.uk, where you will find all the
membership application form & information you should require.
72
E.F.-U.K.
MAIL ORDER MODEL SUPPLY
GOLD PLUGS Ideal for Speed 400/600
2mm plug 75p; cuts into two giving one plug/socket
2mm solder socket 43p. 2mm plug and a 2mm socket £1.15
Lightweight 2mm plug and socket 55p; Max 15A motor current draw
Spares. 2mm light plug 40p. 2mm light socket 20p
Pack of red/black shrink: 3.2mm or 4.8mm 50p
GOLD PLUGS 600 or larger motor
4mm plug 90p; cuts into plug/socket. Very low resistance
4mm hollow plug and a separate 4mm solder socket £1.15
Spares. 4mm hollow plug 85p. 4mm solder socket 43p
Lightweight 4mm plug and socket 75p; Max motor current 35A suggested
Spares. 4mm light plug 55p. 4mm light socket 25p
Pack of red/black shrink: 6.4mm £1.25: 4.8mm 75p
Providing that you bear in mind the suggested amp ratings all the 2mm and 4mm plugs are
interchangeable. All fit any of the same size.
EXTRA FLEXIBLE WIRE. 0.5mm2, 129 strands, Max 10A, 35p/metre
Red or Black or White. Park Flyers etc. or servo extensions.
EXTRA FLEXIBLE WIRE
Supplied in packs of 1 metre of red and 1 metre of black, i.e. 2 metres of wire
0.75mm2, 196 strands; ideal for weight saving, Max 15A, £1.00/pack
1.00mm2, 258 strands; ideal for weight saving for speed 400, Max 19A, £1.40/pack
1.50mm2, 378 strands; ideal for speed 400, £2.00/pack
4mm2, 1036 strands; £3.50/pack
SILICONE INSULATED WIRE. Pack of 1 metre of red and 1 metre of black
1.5mm2, 378 strands. £2.50
2.5mm2, 651 strands. £3.00
All wire can be cut off the roll, in longer lengths if required.
CELL HEATSHRINK metre lengths
25mm 50p; suits single AAA or AA cells or any same size
48mm 75p; suits single sub C cells/sticks or packs of dumpy 600
65mm 85p; suits 1700 or 2000 packs, also RC oblong sticks etc.
94mm 95p; suits double deck packs (1700 etc.)
All sizes layflat width, supplied in clear. 48mm available in opaque blue also.
WIRE HEATSHRINK metre lengths
1.6mm 50p; 2.4mm 60p; 9.5mm £1.00. Black only
3.2mm 75p; 4.8mm 80p; 6.4mm 95p. All in red or black.
ALL ORDERS PLUS POSTAGE: 60p UK; £1.10 Europe; £1.70 World
M. E. DONKIN, 37 WYDALE ROAD, OSBALDWICK, YORK, YO10 3PG
Tel/Fax 01904 414738. Mobile 0771 202 8329.
E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected]
All messages - an attempt will be made to contact you. (I work shifts)
Computer faxes must send start signal before my fax will respond!
E.F.-U.K.
73
B.E.F.A. Sales
BEFA Round, Coloured Rub-down Decals - 50p each
'BEFA 2000' Millennium Decals - £1.00 each
Back Issues of EF-UK - No's 38, 39, 40, 41, 43, 44, 47, 48, 49, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55,
56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 62 and 63 at £1.00 each for BEFA members, or £2.00 each to
non-members. Issues 64, 65, 66 and 67 are also available to BEFA members at
£3.00 each, or £5.00 each to non-members. These prices include UK P&P, overseas
rates on application. Please Note these are the ONLY back issues still available.
EF-UK Index. A comprehensive index of EF-UK from issue 28 to 59 is available
by sending a £1 coin to cover copying and postage cost.
Binders:- are available to hold eight issues of Electric Flight U.K. Produced in
dark blue with gold lettering on the spine, these cost £4.50 each including U.K.
postage. Please add £1 for European postage and £2 for Worldwide postage.
Sweat Shirts & Tee-Shirts: Stock of these is now almost all gone - please
contact Robert Mahoney regarding remaining stock, sizes and prices.
Please send all orders to Robert Mahoney at the address on page 4.
PLEASE REMIT IN STERLING ONLY,
WITH ALL CHEQUES MADE PAYABLE TO B.E.F.A.
Advertisers Index
BEFA Sales .................................................................. 74
Buzzflight .................................................................... 12
EDL ............................................................................. 68
E-Zone ...............................................Inside Front Cover
Fanfare ............................................... Inside Back Cover
For Sale / Wanted ........................................................ 63
ImporTekniK ............................................................... 71
Mail Order Model Supply............................................ 73
Traplet ............................................. Outside Back Cover
E.F.-U.K. advertising rates are £20 per full page, £10 per half page, per issue.
Please contact the Editor for further information.
74
E.F.-U.K.
– MAIL ORDER –
SPORTS ELECTRIC FLIGHT
FANS AND GEARBOXES
GEARBOXES
FANS
Morley ‘Jet Elec’ Fan .............................. £15.00
Adaptors for
480 & 410 motors .................................... £3.00
WeMoTec MiniFan 480 .......................... £28.00
MidiFan for 540’s, 600’s 930’s .............. £38.00
Master Airscrew 2.5, 3, 3.5:1 ............... £16.00
Superbox ............................................... £40.00
TAB Inline 2.65 540/600’s .................... £40.00
TAB Inline 2.08 & 3.05 480’s ............. £40.00
TAB Inline 2.1 700’s .............................. £50.00
Mini Olympus ....... £8.00 Olympus ...... £12.00
MOTORS
WEP Turbo 10 ........................................ £55.00
Speed 500 E Race ................................. £14.00
Speed 600 8.4v BB SP .......................... £15.00
Speed 600 8.4v Race ............................ £18.00
Speed 650 9.6v BB Race ...................... £33.00
Speed 700 ............................................. £22.00
Neodym ..................................... £38.00
RE 380 / Rocket 400 ................................ £4.50
Speed 480 PB .. £14.00 BB ................ £19.00
Pro 400 ............... £5.00 Pro 480 .......... £6.00
MOTORS
MFA 2.5:1 N.I.L. with 540 ...................... £21.00
Speed 400 FG3 ..................................... £17.00
SpeedGear 400 4:1 Inline ...................... £32.00
SpeedGear 480 3.45:1 .......................... £46.00
SpeedGear 500 2.8:1 ............................ £40.00
SpeedGear 600 2.8:1 ............................ £41.00
SpeedGear 700 2.7:1 9.6v .................... £60.00
SpeedGear 700 Neo .............................. £78.00
Mini-Olympus & RE380 .......................... £12.00
Olympus & 540 ...................................... £19.00
Robbe 410/35/45 ................................... £36.00
MAXCIM BRUSHLESS
PROPS
Max Neo 13Y 1430 rpm/v ................... £160.00
Max Neo 13D 2470 rpm/v .................... £160.00
21 Cell Controller ................................. £140.00
25 Cell Controller ................................. £180.00
Superbox 1.6 to 4.28:1 ......................... £35.00
Monsterbox 4 to 6.8:1 .......................... £50.00
Motor Mount ........................................... £12.00
CHARGERS
Speed 1 Pulse / Pk
Det 4-8 cells ........................................... £25.00
Speed Ex Digital
as above with discharge ...................... £55.00
Simprop 25 cell .................................... £100.00
M.A. Folding
12x8 ............... £12.50
15x12 ............. £13.50
M.A. Wood Electric
10x6/10x8 ........ £3.75
11x7/11x9 ........ £4.00
12x8/12x10 ...... £4.25
13x8/13x10 ...... £4.50
Carbon Folders
7x4 ................... £6.00
8x4.5 ................ £6.00
11x8 ................. £9.00
Slimprops 8x4, 8x6, 9x5, 9x6 .............. £3.50
Selection of Graupner & Aeronaut
folding & fixed props.
Wheels, Wire, Servos, Fuses, Caps,
Powerpole, 4mm & 2mm gold conns.
FANFARE • 18 HILLSIDE ROAD • TANKERTON • WHITSTABLE • KENT • CT5 3EX
‘Sports Electric’ Helpline - Phone / Fax: (01227) 771331 - E-mail: [email protected]