Electric Flight - July 2014

Transcription

FILM TO
REALITY!
Avatar
Gunship
RADIO CONTROL PLANES,
HELICOPTERS, JETS & GEAR
3D
PILOT
APPROVED!
E-flite Carbon-Z Yak
WOW THE CROWD!
INVERTED
FLIGHT MOVES
5 FLIGHT
TESTS
HOBBYKING
SKIPPER
All-terrain plane
E-FLITE
P-51D
Foam fighter
WEEKENDER
CORSAIR
Gull-wing
classic
AXE 100 CX
Indoor heli
ARES
MUSTANG
Allied
dogfighter
Display until June 24, 2014
July 2014 US $6.99 Canada $8.99
GET READY TO ROCK!
ModelAirplaneNews.com
p. 47
contents
Volume 13
Number 4
July 2014
Features
24 Ready for Takeoff
The basics of electric power
By Gerry Yarrish
38 From the Workshop: Building Avatar’s
Samson Gunship
An RC twin-tilt-rotor design that really performs!
By Uwe Grenda
52 Homebuilt: The Volksplane
Building William Evans’ classic
experimental homebuilt
By Pat Tritle
60
44
Pilot Reports
18 E-flite/Horizon Hobby
Carbon-Z Yak 54 3X
is gorgeous 3D machine has
Th
incredible flight abilities
By Mike Gantt
30 Ares P-51D Mustang 350
This easy-to-fly warbird comes with everything
By Don Edberg
34 Hitec Weekender Corsair
Great scale appearance and amazingly
easy to transport!
By Norm Bogenschild
56 HobbyKing Skipper
This all-terrain plane adds a fun new twist
to your flight time
By Kevin Bauder
60 E-flite/Horizon Hobby
P-51D Mustang 280
This fun warbird is killer in the air!
By Don Edberg
44 Special
Helicopter Section
44 Heli Talk: Easy Battery Swaps
Installing a quick-change tray in a 12-cell bird
By Jim Ryan
48 Heli-Max Axe 100 CX
This ready to fly coaxial heli is so easy to fly,
even a first-time RC pilot can be successful
By Gerry Yarrish
On the cover: Looking for a mid-size electric
aerobat that flies as smooth as a 50cc plane? Well,
you’re in luck — the E-flite/Horizon Hobby Carbon-Z
Yak 54 3X is just that. Check out our review on page 18.
56
Departments
Columns
6 On the Web
8 From the Cockpit
10 Airmail
12 Current News
55 AirAgeStore.com
64 Aerobatics Made Easy
Inverted Harrier Into a Torque Roll
By John Glezellis
66 Tailview
Small Scale, Big Details
By Jim Ryan
Electric Flight (USPS # 021-655; ISSN# 2159-0672) is published bimonthly by Air Age Media, 88 Danbury Road, Wilton, CT 06897 USA. Copyright 2014, all rights reserved. Periodicals postage permit paid at Wilton, CT and additional offices. Canadian
Post Publications Mail Agreement No. 40008153. SUBSCRIPTIONS: Go to ModelAirplaneNews.com USA: call (800) 479-5849; Canada and elsewhere: call (386) 246-3323; fax (386) 447-2321. USA: $29 (1 year); Canada: $34 including GST (1 year); elsewhere:
$39 (1 year). All international orders must be prepaid in U.S. funds; Visa, MC, Discover and AmEx accepted. EDITORIAL: Send correspondence to Electric Flight, 88 Danbury Road, Wilton, CT 06897 USA; email: [email protected]. We welcome all
editorial submissions but assume no responsibility for the loss of or damage to unsolicited material. To authors, photographers and people featured in this magazine: all materials published in Electric Flight become the exclusive property of Air Age Media
unless prior arrangement is made in writing with the Publisher. ADVERTISING: Send advertising materials to Advertising Dept., Electric Flight, 88 Danbury Road, Wilton, CT 06897 USA; (203) 431-9000; fax (203) 529-3010; [email protected]. CHANGE OF
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On the Web
ModelAirplaneNews.com
ELECTRIC RAZOR
Called the “Flying Razor” by Allied
pilots, the Fokker D.VIII was a fearsome
aerial opponent, and Dave Perrone’s
e-powered version certainly does the
full-size justice. Dave built his impressive
giant-scale model from a Glenn Torrance
Models kit and powers it with an AXI
5360/20 Special brushless motor
swinging a custom-cut 30×20 Axial
prop from Seidel. Dave will be competing
at the Top Gun Scale Invitational this
year, and in the September issue we’ll
report on how the D.VIII and other
electric planes score against their
nitro- and gas-powered brethren.
Meanwhile, get more details and photos
of this WW I masterpiece online at
ModelAirplaneNews.com/TG14.
ACTION VIDEOS
“Aerobatics Made Easy” columnist John Glezellis and
illustrations from FX Models bring the inverted torque roll
to life in this month’s print issue, and the video in the digital
edition shows you exactly what this maneuver should
look like! The digital edition also has embedded video of
our cover plane, the E-flite Carbon-Z Yak at the flying field.
If you’re a subscriber, you can get the digital edition free!
Head to ModelAirplane News.com to get the scoop.
E-NEWSLETTER:
GET IN THE KNOW
What’s the easiest way to prevent vibration? Balance
your prop! If you get our free weekly newsletter, you
know exactly how to do it. If not, sign up today at
ModelAirplaneNews.com and you’ll get in the know.
HOW TO: CUSTOM SERVO
INSTALLATIONS
What do you do when your servos
don’t quite fit the space provided in your
ARF plane’s wing? Follow along as Carl
Layden takes you step by step through
the custom servo installation in his
electric ducted fan jet’s wing panels. Carl
even added custom servo hatches for
a streamlined look. Get all the details at
ModelAirplaneNews.com.
WE WELCOME YOUR FEEDBACK! Please tell us what YOU want to see! Find us
online at ModelAirplaneNews.com, and on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Tumblr,
Instagram, or Pinterest. You can also always drop us a line at [email protected]!
6 MORE FROM THIS ISSUE AT MODELAIRPLANENEWS.COM
From the Cockpit
By Gerry Yarrish
Golden Age of Electrics
As our hobby of building and flying electric-powered airplanes continues to mature, we
enjoy the latest that technology has to offer. But, we have to remember that every year a
new batch of first-time modelers discovers our great pastime, and we should try to help
pass on our knowledge to benefit the new generation. I first flew an electric-powered
airplane back in the mid 1980s when I installed an Astro Flight 05 motor, an on/off switch,
and several AA Ni-Cd cells I soldered together in an Electricus 2-meter glider designed by
Larry Jolly. For its time, this model was great and you didn’t need to winch-launch it to get
it airborne. Because of the weight of the motor and batteries, the wing loading was a bit on
the high side, but I had a lot of fun joining the “silent revolution”! Today, getting into electric
power is much easier, and the selection of excellent-flying planes is just about limitless.
We now truly live in the Golden Age of electrics.
In this issue, we offer a great introduction to electric power, with the newcomer in mind.
To really be successful, you have to know the basics to avoid all those inevitable miscues
and mistakes beginners fall prey to. If you haven’t tried e-power yet, check out our article
“Ready for Takeoff — The Basics of Electric Flight.” It will get you going in the right direction
for fun and success.
Editorial
Executive Editor Debra Cleghorn ›› [email protected]
Senior Technical Editor Gerry Yarrish ›› [email protected]
West Coast Senior Editor John Reid ›› [email protected]
Deputy Managing Editor Katherine Pierpont
Copyeditor Suzanne Saunders
Contributors
Bob Aberle, Gary Allen, Jason Benson, Roy Day, Don Edberg,
Mike Gantt, Dave Garwood, Greg Gimlick, John Glezellis,
Aaron Ham, Jim Newman, Mark Rittinger, Jim Ryan, David
Scott, Jerry Smith, Quique Somenzini, Aaron Strietzel, Faye
Stilley, Michael Stroup, John Tanzer, Richard Thompson,
Craig Trachten, Paul Tradelius, Pat Tritle, Rich Uravitch, David
Vaught, Michael York, Nick Ziroli Sr.
ART
Creative Director Betty K. Nero
Art Director Kevin Monahan
digital media
Web Producer Holly Hansen
Video/Photography
Photographers/Videographers Peter Hall,
Adam Lebenstein
ADVERTISING
Advertising Director Mitch Brian ›› 203.529.4609
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marketing & Events
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PUBLISHING
Group Publishers Louis V. DeFrancesco Jr.,
Yvonne M. DeFrancesco
RCX: Greatest RC Show
on Earth!
The ultimate radio control expo is right around
the corner, and this year it’s headed to the OC
Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa, CA! Held the
weekend of May 17th and 18th, RCX features the
latest helicopters, multi-rotors, and gear, along
with RC planes, trucks, robots, and more! This
year’s RCX attractions will include outdoor and
indoor fly zones, a drift track, robot battles, a
diecast area, and much more — not to mention
fantastic sales on the products you want. And
back by popular demand, the Battle of the
Builders static competition will again be hosted by
the Scale Squadron of Southern California and will
award over $1,500 in cash and prizes to winners in
a multitude of classes. Entry into the competition
is free and includes a free RCX pass, so to
guarantee a spot, register in advance (details on
ModelAirplaneNews.com).
Buy tickets now at RCX.com
and mark your calendars!
88 Danbury Road
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Email [email protected]
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Airmail
Email: [email protected] | Mail: Airmail, Air Age Media, 88 Danbury Road, Wilton, CT 06897 USA
EYE IN THE SKY
U I was impressed with your May 2014
cover. I had no idea that quadcopters
had evolved so much over the last few
years. I bought a cheap indoor quad
flying toy a couple years back and quickly
broke it when I flew it into a ceiling fan.
I was less than impressed. However,
with today’s larger GPS- and computerguided quadcopters, like the 350 QX you
reviewed from Blade, I think I am ready
to buy a personal drone. I already have
a GoPro sports camera and use it every
now and then strapped to one of my RC planes. Quadcopters are a natural
platform for taking amazing aerial videos! Thanks for the information.
Kenneth Maxwell, Alexandria, VA
Kenneth, thanks writing in. Yes, quadcopters, and rotordrones in general,
have really evolved, and there are all types of these aero vehicles to
choose from. What we like about the most about rotordrones is that with
a GoPro or other miniature video camera on board, you are freed from
the local flying field to discover the rest of the world. From waterfalls
and oceanfront beaches, to lakes, rivers, sporting events, and even local
parks, once you get permission to fly your eye in the sky, you’ll see your
local surroundings like never before. Be sure to keep an eye out for our
new RotorDrone special magazine, and check out our new website,
RotorDroneMag.com —GY
No, it’s not a UFO! This is how heli
flying looks at night.
Model Airplane News on the Web
Electric Flight is your magazine and our editors are always
listening to our readers. We often post polls and questions
online to learn what you really think. Recently, we posted a
story about Renault’s new concept car that comes with a
quadcopter. Unveiled at the Delhi Auto Show, the Renault’s
Kwid comes with a “Flying Companion” that is stored in
the car’s roof, and will allow drivers to avoid traffic jams,
find parking spots, and use GPS to
scout locations. A built-in screen
in the dash allows the driver or
HEARD ON
passenger to control it and see live
video. We just want to know when
we can get one! Here are some of
your comments about this new
innovation.
I see this crazy idea as the
same as Amazon’s drone
delivery system. No real
reason for it, just some
engineer’s dream. Drones
are cool but I think they are
being envisioned in needless
situations such as this.
—Richard
Oh, this is most interesting. Of
course this could be done with any
car today. Let me think, LOL. —Roger
Forgues
The first car to come with a
drone was the Mach 5. Just
ask Speed Racer. —Joe
What do you
think about it?
44%
35%
Like it and think
it’s a cool idea.
Are against
it. Too many
distracted
drivers already.
21%
Discussed
various dronerelated social
issues.
HELI NIGHT FLYING
Easier to just open your Maps app
and turn on traffic. —Tim Johnson
on making LED-equipped rotor blades. I have watched in amazement
as advanced fliers with lit up helis fly at night with night blades! I was
impressed with how easy it is. Jim’s informative column has me all fired up
to try it myself.
Craig Rankowski, Brooklyn, NY
This is the future! Go on a road trip, program in the
destination, and your car will drive itself while you
“sightsee” via FPV! —Jim Pratt
U Kudos to your “Heli Talk” columnist Jim Ryan for his great article
Craig, thanks for the words of encouragement. Jim Ryan is a talented,
hands-on type of modeler, and he has really impressed all of us with his
amazing helicopter projects. When it comes to impressive tech articles,
Jim is the man. We’ll pass along your praise. —GY But most people can’t even chew gum and drive, let alone
send out a drone. What’s the next campaign that overtakes “don’t
text and drive?” ... “Don’t drone me, dude?” —Ruffcutt Rawlins
WRITE TO US! We welcome your comments and suggestions. Address letters to “Airmail,” Electric Flight, Air Age Media, 88 Danbury Rd.,
Wilton, CT 06897-7337 USA; send emails [email protected]. Letters may be edited for clarity and brevity. We regret that, owing to the
tremendous numbers of letters we receive, we cannot respond to every one.
P
O
H
S
TIPS
Hatch Leash
A great way to ensure your canopy arrives attached to your plane, rather than flying
off one way and the plane going the other, is to use two small pieces of wood from a
matchstick or a wooden BBQ skewer. I epoxy one for the inside of the foam canopy
and the other for the inside of the fuselage, then I wrap a small length of dental floss
(which is strong and light) to each piece. I do this before pushing them into the foam
while the epoxy is still wet. This system adds minimal weight to the plane, but ensures
I don’t end up losing the canopy! My Multiplex Easy Cub is shown here.
Barbara Mommsen, Herberton, Queensland, Australia
Custom Sanding Sticks
For neat and straight edges on parts I cut for my airplanes, I find it helpful to make
custom-sized sanding sticks to fit into tight areas. Simply get some stick-on
sandpaper (usually for electric sanders) and cut it into strips. Make your sanding stick
to fit and then apply the sandpaper. The end result is clean edges for a professionallooking job.
Chip Koenig, Boca Raton, FL
The Perfect
Building Guide
Here is the way to use your
old credit cards and build
straight at the same time.
While building wing panels
on plans, you have to ensure
the ribs are 90 degrees
to the building board. Old
plastic credit cards are great
building guides as their
edges are perfectly square
and the corners are rounded
so they don’t get glued to
the rib during construction.
When they get ratty just
throw them away, they don’t
cost a thing — that is, if you
have a good credit score!
Geoff Cozine,
State College, PA
Quick Connections
I’ve found that even when servo labels stay on, it is much too tedious to plug them
all in properly. So, this is my solution. I bought several different colors of heat-shrink
tubing: 3/8 inch for the female connectors and 1/4 inch for the male. To make it easy
to determine the correct polarity, I draw dots on the tubing with a felt-tip marker to
make connecting them a snap.
Carl Wilcox, Concord, NC
SEND IN YOUR IDEAS and if we pick your tip, we’ll send you an Electric Flight baseball cap! You can
send in a photo or sketch describing your favorite shop trick to: “Shop Tips,” c/o Electric Flight, 88 Danbury Rd., Suite 2B, Wilton,
CT 06897 or email us at [email protected]. Be sure to include your name and mailing address. We’re sorry to say that due
to the number of hobby-related ideas we receive, we can neither acknowledge each one, nor return unused material.
Current News
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN ELECTRIC RC
AirCore
Zero
& Fw 190
Designed to be powered by a Power
Core (sold separately), these two
new warbirds can be assembled
and flight-ready in seconds. The
22-inch-span Fw 190 and 21.5-inchspan Zero (available in green and
light gray schemes)
have a lot of scale detail,
and their spinner and
prop detach to prevent
damage in the case of a
hard landing. Each costs
$44.99. rcaircore.com
ParkZone ArtiZan
Looking for a grab-and-go aerobat for anytime, anywhere flying fun?
This lightweight Z-Foam model has a powerful 480-size motor system
installed, so it has a great blend of slow-speed stability and high-speed
performance. And with built-in AS3X technology, it has flight stabilization
to handle windy days. The 42.5-inch-span BNF model costs $249.99 and
PNP for $184.99. parkzonerc.com
Spektrum DX6
With an affordable price tag of just $229.99, this DSMX radio
offers airplane, helicopter, and sailplane programming, as well
as voice alerts, a wireless trainer link feature, and enough
internal memory for up to 250 models! It supports the most
popular Spektrum Telemetry sensors and comes with a fullrange AR6210 receiver. spektrumrc.com
E-flite UMX Radian
This micro glider is a handful of fun! Its brushless
power system and 150mAh battery offer more than
enough performance to impress your friends in a
backyard or local park. The 3-channel plane has a
removeable wing and sports a 28.7-inch wingspan;
the BNF model costs $89.99. e-fliterc.com
Protect
YOUR RC INVESTMENT!
You take enough risks in the air. Get organized and keep
your gear safe during storage and transport.
HIGH-QUALITY TOTES ARE
CUSTOM-ENGINEERED FOR:
■
■
■
■
One- and two-piece wings
Radios & propellers
Helicopters & rotor blades
Radios & flightline gear
WING TOTES
With foam and fleece dividers to
separate & protect wings. Three sizes
of each to choose from.
Starting at $59.99
FIELD TOTE
Carry tools, parts
batteries, chargers,
fuel, & more.
$49.99
RADIO TOTE
With die-cut foam for your radio,
batteries, chargers & more. $49.99
Available at the finest shops nationwide
wingtote.com
Current News
Blade 300 CFX
With the optimized servo geometry of
Blade’s 700 X Pro heli, this flybarless
300-size machine has brushless
power, carbon-fiber main frames,
and a CNC aluminum rotor head.
It can fly for 3.5 to 4 minutes on a
3S 1350mAh pack (not included)
and is intended for expert pilots.
The Blade 300 CFX costs $399.99.
bladehelis.com
Tactic TTX850
This 8-channel radio has 30-model memory,
push-button controls, and a large, backlit
LED screen. Fixed-wing and helicopter
pre-programmed mixes make it easy to
use with all the planes and helis in your
hangar. A 4-channel Tactic TTX410 radio and
6-channel TTX610 radio will also be available
soon. tacticrc.com
Great Planes
Curtiss P-6E
Modeled after the only P-6E Hawk still in existence
(at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, OH), this built-up beauty
is intended for a 24-50 800rpm/volt motor. This plane features built-up construction with
MonoKote covering, and assembly takes just a few hours. This 43.5-inch-span plane costs
$249.99. greatplanes.com
Spektrum
AS3X Receivers
At last! The flight stabilization of AS3X is available
built in to a receiver! Four new next-generation
receivers will make fixed-wing flying easier than
ever, and their programming software makes it
simple to adjust the AS3X settings. They are available
from nanolite to standard sizes and with 6 to 9
channels; they start at $69.99. spektrumrc.com
E-flite
Allusive 2.2m ARF
From gliding through the clouds to sport aerobatics, this
V-tail thermal ship has performance to please. The 87.5-inchspan plane has a balsa-sheeted foam-core wing and painted
fiberglass fuselage, and requires a 15-size brushless motor and 4-channel
radio system. It costs $329.99. e-fliterc.com
Pilot Report
E-flite/Horizon Hobby
Carbon-Z
Yak 54 3X
This gorgeous 3D machine
has incredible flight
abilities
By Mike Gantt Photos by John Reid & Mike Gantt
Carbon-Z technology is like rock and roll;
it is here to stay. When the concept was introduced I
spoke to creator Quique Somenzini, who informed me
that the sky was literally the limit with the new building
technique. A model built with Carbon-Z, a blend of
a “carved,” ribbed foam structure with carbon fiber
and wood supports added in key areas, can withstand
extreme flight maneuvers. This combined with a potent
power system means that a pilot can have a hardcore
3D plane that will do fast flight transitions such as
“walls” or “pop-ups” without worry over whether
the wings will “taco.” Another thing is that heat and
humidity can do funny things to covered airplanes.
With a Carbon-Z plane you will never need to iron,
heat or re-cover any part of it and regular CA touched
up with 99¢ acrylic craft-store paint can be used for
most repairs. The original Carbon-Z Yak 54 has a
proven track record and one heck of a following.
E-flite has now delivered the Carbon-Z Yak 54 3X.
Refinements to a model with such great success
are always welcome and I just had to have it!
SPECIFICATIONS
Model: Carbon-Z Yak 54 3X
Manufacturer: E-flite (efliterc.com)
Distributor: Horizon Hobby
(horizonhobby.com)
Type: Foam aerobat
Length: 48.5 in.
Wingspan: 48 in.
Wing area: 525 sq. in.
Weight: 63.1 oz.
Wing loading: 17.3 oz/sq. ft.
Motor incl’d: Power 25 outrunner
Radio req’d: 4+ channel
Price: $380
GEAR USED
Radio: JR 9303 DSM2 (jrradios.com),
Spektrum AR635 (spektrumrc.com),
(4) E-flite 7155 digital metal gear servos
(receiver and servos included)
Motor: E-flite Power 25 1000KV, E-flite 60A
Pro V2 (installed) (e-fliterc.com)
Battery: E-flite 4S 2800 30C (included)
Prop: 12x5.25 V2 (included)
HIGHLIGHTS
+ Sweet color scheme by Mirco
Pecorari
+ Outstanding flight performance out
of the box
+ AS3X allows for “rock-less”
harriers
+ Incredible inertia makes for killer
tumbles
JULY 2014 19
This model airplane was
designed to not only fly highalpha, but to also perform
precise maneuvers.
In the Air
H
aving flown the Yak from a paved surface, it is obvious that there is more than enough
power on tap to pull the plane away from Earth in short order. Making the model leap
up in a few feet and climb vertically is always fun and also gets you up to knife-edge
spin and blender territory in seconds. The AS3X stabilization system manages the
control surfaces so well that you might think you are flying a 50cc plane. Throttle
management will be a factor for flight times and when you decide to land, just fly it home with
the prop turning and manage the elevator all the way to touchdown. A taller landing gear keeps
the prop away from that “mean old” tarmac if you should bounce on your first attempt like I did.
GENERAL FLIGHT PERFORMANCE
Stability: The gear switch operates two flight modes and this was pre-programmed at the
factory. When switched to “normal” mode, throws are reduced. This along with the stabilization
system makes you feel comfortable right when you take off. In flight, you will be impressed with
how solid the model feels at all times.
Tracking: This model airplane was designed to not only fly high-alpha but to also perform precise
maneuvers. The Yak carries speed well and does an excellent job of executing IMAC-style moves
for its size. Thumb control seems to be the only limitation.
Aerobatics: Flip the switch from “normal” to “3D” and off you go. Huge power means huge
maneuvers; no matter if you like giant loops and long slow rolls or crazy tumbles and high alpha
flight the Carbon Z Yak 3X has what it takes. The AS3X gets kudos for practically rock-less
harriers, and this plane was very easy to steer around post-stall.
Glide and stall performance: The glide is easy to manage: just keep the nose slightly below
level. When forced to stall a wing will want to drop, and all I had to do to recover from this was
neutralize, add power and remained free and clear from those “plane-grabbing hands” that
reach up and reside down below terra firma.
PILOT DEBRIEFING
After being told that the spirit of this plane is to excel at high-energy 3D as well as precision
flight made me immediately want to add it to my hangar. Also, the ability to open a box and
almost instantly fly a model airplane like this is incredible and demonstrates how far technology
has advanced.
A quick flip of a hex wrench and you have quick access to the receiver. The AS3X system performed
perfectly and its gains are easily adjustable.
Custom 3-Axis Stabilization
The louvers, V2 prop and spinner finish off the front
end of this gorgeous model; taller landing gear allows for plenty of prop clearance, even with larger
diameters.
Unique features
After tearing the cardboard away like a child
on Christmas morning, I paused to admire the
contents and foam insert, which must have
had an incredible engineering source. The
airframe parts and accessories are packed with
interlocking foam braces in the craftiest way. First
thing’s first: I extracted and placed the included
4S 2800 LiPo on a balance charge. Laying out
the small amount of parts on a table is a good
idea and I decided to install the landing gear first.
This helps to keep the plane on its “feet” during
the remaining assembly. All required holes were
in place, screws are easy to identify and install,
and in less than 5 minutes I had the gear on and
the fairings applied. The fairings have notches
and snap over the wire landing legs to create a
clean look. The model’s wheels and wheel pants
are completely pre-installed. The rudder has
CA hinges attached to it and they need to be
glued into the tail (BSI InstaFlex CA is my favorite
adhesive to use for this). The rudder control horn
is preinstalled as are the elevator and aileron
control horns, not to mention those control
When added to an airplane like the supercapable Carbon-Z Yak 54 3X, the artificial
3-axis stabilization may not be what you
are used to. At first, the instructions tell
you to dial in some expo for your flights,
but a mere 10% is recommended! I fly
with way more than that typically. The
reason for this is because the receiver
has some control “dampening” due to the
AS3X programming, so you can adjust
according to your style. Rates of 50% or
higher are always to be used and 125% is
stated as servo travel setting. Three (red,
blue and green) LED lights flash during
use and are used to indicate selections
during programming, which consists of
gain adjustments. Setting the gain values
is simple and takes little time. The colors
mentioned above relate to roll, pitch and yaw
respectively and the AR635 user guide says
to gradually increase the values until a slight
oscillation is noticed in flight. Slow down, land the airplane and then lower the level(s) a step or
two and retest. I left the factory settings alone for the test flights, which proved to be perfect,
but the cool thing is that AS3X can be tweaked to your liking.
surfaces are CA-hinged at the factory.
High-speed digital, metal-gear servos have
already been installed for you throughout
and their corresponding linkages are a clever
combination of ball links and clevises. All
actuators are also wired up and connected to
an included Spektrum AR635 AS3X receiver.
A bind plug is included and after it has been
connected to your radio, the AR635 provides
3-axis stabilization that is fully adjustable on this
hardcore, dedicated 3D airplane. Intermediate
pilots moving up from sport planes will love the
Yak 3X and experienced pilots will be impressed
with its low and slow stability.
The wings and stabs are screwed in and are
supported by carbon fiber tubing and rods.
Powering the Yak is a brushless setup that puts
out some serious watts and pulls the plane at a
2:1 thrust-to-weight ratio. The aforementioned
is all pre-installed and a V2 prop with a nice size
Hex headed fasteners offer positive tool contact points when needed and the balltype linkages shown here move smoothly and are easy to adjust.
matching spinner completes the nose. A tinted
canopy, pilot bust and cockpit detailing are cool
finishing touches but the real finish is the color
scheme: Mirco Pecorari designs amazingly vivid
airplane graphics for full scale and model aircraft
and the look generated for the Yak 54 3X is just
one more of his killer creations.
Conclusion
Open the box, charge the included battery
and begin assembly. An included illustrated
assembly manual is almost unnecessary
due to the level of prefabrication. When you
finish the “build” you will still be waiting for
the LiPo, but when done you end up with a
gorgeous 3D machine with incredible abilities.
The included guidance system features AS3X
stabilization and performs extremely well giving
intermediate 3D pilots more confidence and the
chance to try new and extreme maneuvers. 
Wire gear, wheels and pants round out the ground rolling package and are assembled at the factory. Four fasteners keep the landing gear in place.
JULY 2014 21
Ready for
Takeoff!
The basics of electric power
By Gerry Yarrish
We are living in the golden age of e-power! A few
years ago, when electric motors, batteries, and speed
controllers were a pick-and-choose proposition, you
really had to know your stuff to produce a reliable,
safe airplane that was propelled by an electric motor
system. But even with all the easy-to-assemble
ARF planes available today, you should still
know the basics to prevent mistakes
that can ruin your entire power
system.
To get the best performance from
your airplane, you have to install the
proper power system. You have to
decide how much power is needed.
To be successful, you have to look at
your model’s power system with all
its components as a whole.
THE WHOLE PACKAGE
It is important to look at your airplane’s power
system as a whole. For it all to work together and
produce maximum power and efficiency, you
need to determine how much power is needed
to fly your model properly. Whether it is a microindoor flyer, a sport flyer, or a big 3D aerobatic
machine, its overall performance is based on the
amount of power it can develop relative to its
overall flying weight. If you are putting together
your airplane starting with a separate airframe
and power system components, then you have to
know that everything will work safely together.
MAKING E-POWER
Electric motors, propellers and battery packs
along with a suitable electronic speed control
make up your basic power system. To determine
the power of your model’s power system, you
need to measure the voltage and current while
the motor is running. The three important parts
of the power formula are amps (A), volts (V) and
watts (W). But before we can talk about selecting
power systems, we need to understand some
very basic things about electric power.
A watt is the unit of electric power in the
same way that horsepower is used to express
power for an internal combustion engine. You
produce a certain number of watts by moving
electricity through a device that converts it to
power. Movement of electricity through a power
system is described by the term ampere (amp)
PRO TIP Given a choice, it is always
better to increase power by increasing
your power system’s voltage (by
increasing the number of cells in your
battery), than increasing amps (by
running a larger propeller.)
and the force that causes it to move is the volt.
The basic relationship between these units is
expressed with the equation: Watts = Volts x
Amps (W=VxA).
The most important thing for modelers to
understand is that you can produce watts by
using a lot of volts and just a few amps or you can
use a small amount of voltage and lots of amps.
It all works together. What this means is you can
use a small amount of battery voltage and a large
Above left: Propellers designed for electric power
are highly efficient and help maximize your model’s
power output. Above right: Electronic speed controls
like this Castle Creations unit are categorized by the
amps and their maximum voltage capacity.
propeller diameter/pitch size or a larger battery
voltage and a smaller propeller depending on the
requirements of your model.
BATTERIES
LiPo battery packs
come in all sizes, shapes,
voltages and capacities.
Choosing the correct
voltage and capacity is
extremely important.
FAST FACT
746 watts = 1 horsepower
Lithium Polymer (LiPo) battery packs are the
norm for powering our electric planes today.
They produce a nominal voltage of 3.7V per cell
and provide much larger capacities along with
an impressive weight saving when compared
to the older NiCd (nickel cadmium) and NiMH
(nickel metal hydride) packs. By weight and size,
LiPo packs offer more voltage and capacity and
lighter wing loadings for overall improved flight
performance.
CHARGING
Watts Per Pound
To properly power your model, use the simple rule referred to as “Watts
per Pound.” This is a loose and flexible way to estimate how much power is
needed for a specific size airplane while providing the required performance
for safe flight. The rule helps determine how many watts of power are
needed per pound of your airplane’s weight. It is expressed as: W/lb.
50W/lb. or less. Enough power for very
lightweight, micro RC and park flyers.
50-75W/lb. Provides adequate power for
sport-class powered sailplanes and gliders,
basic trainers, and lightweight scale airplanes.
75-100W/lb. This is a good range for basic
sport flyers, intermediate aerobatic planes,
scale low-wing designs and medium-sized
warbirds.
100-150W/lb. This is the power range for
advanced aerobatics, pattern flying, 3D
planes, large warbirds and electric ducted
fan jets.
150-200 plus W/lb. This is the power
requirement for Unlimited 3D aerobatics,
very large warbirds and large electric jets.
LiPo batteries must be charged with chargers
designed specifically for LiPo packs. For the
best battery pack longevity, you should use a 1C
charge rate (1 times the capacity of the battery.)
Example: 3A for a battery pack with a 3000mAh
capacity.
Because of their internal makeup, you should
never overcharge a LiPo battery as this may
cause the pack to burst and vent violently, even
causing the pack to catch fire. While discharging
the pack during flight, most speed controls today
allow you to set a low-voltage cutoff value to
protect from discharging too much. A voltage of
3.0V per cell is the absolute minimum you should
allow your LiPo cells to discharge to. Going below
this value will cause damage to them. Always
follow the battery manufacturer’s instructions for
proper use.
LiPo battery packs also have secondary
wire leads and connectors that are used to
JULY 2014 25
READY FOR TAKEOFF!
LiPo Care and Feeding
Lithium polymer batteries can be
stored for one to two months without
significant loss of charge.
Lithium batteries should never be
trickle-charged.
Typical maximum and minimum voltage
for LiPo cells should be from 4.23V and
3.0V volts per cell, respectively.
Top left: For LiPo batteries, use a charger that is designed for charging these types of battery packs. Top
right: For testing your model’s setup, a good power
meter comes in handy for getting real-time numbers.
Above: Use a balancing board with your charger to
keep your LiPo packs properly balanced.
balance-charge all the internal cells. Be sure to get
into the habit or regularly balancing your battery
packs. When you fly and discharge your pack, the
internal cells can discharge at slightly different rates.
MOTOR TYPES
Motor design has come a long way from the older
DC Mabuchi Graupner Speed types that were
so popular many years ago. These older types
of motors are referred to as brushed motors
and equipped with two power wires positive and
negative. A brushed motor uses a spinning rotor
that obtains its power through a set of small
contacts called brushes. These contacts ride on
a portion of the rotor called the commutator.
The rotor has many wire coils that interact with
fixed magnets in the motor’s body. When the
motor is powered, the commutator and brushes
The speed at which your
model performs and how much it
weighs all determine how much
power is needed.
adjust the polarity of the rotor sections and the
interaction of motor’s magnetic fields, and the
wire coils causes the rotor to spin. The motor’s
output shaft is attached to the rotor.
Brushed motors are significantly cheaper
than the brushless motors but brushless motors
are much more efficient, require almost no
maintenance and deliver much more power.
BRUSHLESS MOTORS
This type of motor is quickly becoming the
standard today. They are controlled by special
brushless electronic speed controls that control
the motor’s speed by quickly switching the
motor windings on and off at the proper time
relative to the motor’s magnet positions. You can
not control brushless motors with speed controls
intended for brushed, commutator-equipped
motors.
There are two types of brushless motors.
Inrunners have their internal rotational core
contained within the motor’s housing, much like
a standard brushed motor. Inrunners are used
with higher rpm setups and can sometimes be
attached to a propeller reduction drive gearbox.
Outrunners operate with their outer shell (or
motor housing) connected to and rotating with
the output shaft. The extra inertia of this setup
provides more torque, so in general, outrunners
are more powerful than inrunners and rarely
require gearing.
MOTORS AND CONTROLLERS
The brushless electronic speed control basically
regulates how much current is given to the motor
and how fast the motor runs. Today’s speed
controls are categorized by their amp rating and
READY FOR TAKEOFF!
Above: Brushless motors are the default choice for most electric airplanes
today. They provide impressive torque
and power and are very efficient. Outrunners are the most popular. Right:
Inrunners are also brushless motors
and they are intended for higher rpm
and less torque.
you should match your speed control to the
motor you are using to power your model. It is
very important to read all the instructions that
come with both your motor and your speed
control. Speed controls will often have a battery
eliminator circuit that can be used to power the
model’s receiver by simply plugging its receiver
lead into the receiver’s throttle port.
PROPELLERS
Propellers designed for electric power are more
efficient than those used for glow and gas
engines. Typically, an electric plane similar in size
to a glow power aircraft will use a slightly larger
propeller with a higher pitch. The diameter and
pitch, along with its highly efficient airfoil, will all
affect the amp draw of the power system. When
selecting a propeller, start with the size and pitch
recommended by the motor’s manufacturer and
then use a watt/power meter to check the actual
current going through your system. You want to
use the propeller that keeps the power system
operating in the range specified for your ESC. This
is one place you don’t want to guess about.
CONNECTORS
The most important thing to remember about
connectors is to use the proper size for your
battery and power system. Most battery
manufacturers include connectors attached to
the power leads or at least include them with
the battery. Don’t use inexpensive, low-quality
connectors or ones that are too small. Doing this
increases the wiring resistance and translates to
heat and power loss. Use as few connectors as
you can to maximize power system efficiency.
Experienced modelers often eliminate the
connectors between the motor and speed
control by soldering the power leads together.
The most common are Deans Ultra
You have to use a specifically designed speed control to power your brushless motor.
(T-configured connectors) and Anderson
Powerpole (APP), often referred to as Sermos
connectors. Deans connectors require soldering
and some heat shrink tubing, while APP
connectors can be soldered or crimped onto the
power leads with a special crimping tool.
BE A SUCCESS!
Don’t guess when it comes to electric power. To
operate your electric-powered airplane properly,
you need to understand its overall requirements
and how much power you’ll need to produce to
fly it safely. Look at your overall power system
as a whole, and always match and balance the
components accordingly. Ask more experienced
modelers what they use and whenever
possible, use the same brand equipment. Read
the directions that come with your equipment
completely to see what the manufacturer
suggests for its proper use. The two most common connectors that minimize
resistanceare Deans Ultra (T-configured connectors)
and Anderson Powerpole (APP). APP connectors can
be soldered or crimped into place with a special APP
crimping tool.
Vintage
Cover
Posters
60
Posters
to
choose
from
Display aviation history with
these striking color posters
from the early issues of Model
Airplane News. Full-size cover
replicas from the 1920s through
the 1950s feature artwork
highlighting the style and
images popular in decades
past. These posters are highquality, non-tear stock and are
suitable for framing.
24" x 33" | $44.95 each
1/2V.indd 1
9/24/13 12:41 PM
1/6H.indd 1
5/7/13 10:02 AM
Available only at
AirAgeStore.com
Pilot Report
Ares
P-51D
Mustang 350
This easy-to-fly warbird
comes with everything
By Don Edberg Photos by John Reid, Don Edberg
SPECIFICATIONS
Model: P-51D Mustang 350
Manufacturer: Ares (ares-rc.com)
Distributor: HobbyTown USA
(hobbytownusa.com)
Type: Sport scale
Length: 25.6 in.
Wingspan: 29.5 in.
Weight: 12.9 oz.
Wing loading: 15.92 oz./sq. ft.
Motor incl’d: 350 brushless
Radio incl’d: 4 channel
Price: $189.99
GEAR USED
The Ares P-51D Mustang 350 is a sport scale model that’s “almost ready-tofly,” extensively factory prefabricated from durable EPO foam. The complete kit comes
with everything needed to fly, including a 6-channel transmitter, alkaline batteries, and
a complete airframe with all radio parts installed and ready to use. It even comes with a
screwdriver! Everything is carefully packaged into foam beds within a protective box.
The plane has conventional controls: ailerons for roll, elevator for pitch, and rudder for
yaw, and the receiver is already bound to the transmitter. The wing and ailerons are
reinforced with wood and carbon-fiber rod respectively, for more strength. Landing gear
may be easily installed or removed without any tools.
The model comes painted and with invasion stripes and even a pilot with instruments
in the canopy! There is no finishing required. Many scale aircraft are difficult to fly, but this
one flies very easily, and very well, and it can be flown at parks or athletic fields.
Radio: Ares 6HPA 6-channel transmitter w/
AZS1206 Park Flyer receiver (included), three
AZS1207 micro servos (installed)
Motor: 350 brushless outrunner motor w/ 15A
brushless speed control (installed)
Battery: Ares 3S 600mAh 20C LiPo (included)
Prop: 6.5×4 2-blade and 6.6x5 4-blade
(included)
HIGHLIGHTS
+ Power & radio systems installed
+ 2- and 4-blade props included
+ Easy to fly at low speeds
+ Great scale looks
JULY 2014 31
This one is a crowd-pleaser,
with its scale appearance
and its realistic performance.
In the Air
T
o fly the Ares P-51D, a park or
football field will work fine. With
landing gear, taking off from a
smooth runway is simple, as long
as you don’t advance throttle too
quickly and nose over! Without gear, hand
launches are required. To hand launch,
grasp the plane from its top, in front of the
canopy, and toss the plane underhanded
straight ahead with about 2/3 throttle —
she’ll fly right out of your hand. With no
gear to protect the bottom, a grass field is
best, but soft dirt for landing would be ok.
The plane does just fine in winds. For
beginners who are hand-launching, I would
recommend 5 to 10mph winds to make
things easier.
Stability: The Ares P-51D is quite stable. On
its first flight, I was able to fly very low and
slow with only 20-30% throttle to take the
photos you see. The trims were all correct
with factory-neutral settings as delivered
on the aircraft, and on the transmitter. A
steerable tailwheel makes ground handling
easy.
Tracking : The plane flies straight unless you tell it otherwise.
Aerobatics: The Ares P-51D Mustang 350 can do steady rolls with
moderate amounts of aileron. Loops can be done from level flight, just
like its namesake, and are tight and there is no tendency to drop a wing.
The Ares P-51 comes with
landing gear that can easily
be installed or removed
without tools. The color
scheme shown comes
out of the box.
The elevator is adequate but not powerful.
The Ares P-51D does well at maintaining
its energy and does climbing vertical
maneuvers and point rolls just like its
namesake!
Glide and stall performance: Landings are
easy and can be accomplished by throttling
to 30% power, flaring slightly and cutting
power just above the ground. The key of
course is to maintain your airspeed! Keep it
moving and you’ll be fine. With gear, there
may be a tendency to flip over on all but the
smoothest of runways, so you may want to
buy some spare props. Without gear, land
in grass so you won’t damage the plane’s
bottom.
On its first touchdown, one of the main
gear’s tires rolled off its wheel, causing
the landing to be a bit rough. You should
check to see if the rubber tires are properly
attached to the wheels. If not, two drops of
CA will solve the problem.
PILOT DEBRIEFING
This one is a crowd-pleaser, with its scale
appearance and its realistic performance.
The Ares P-51D Mustang 350 has lots of
power and looks like a real Mustang in the air. This cool little replica is a
fun plane for all pilots, even beginners: it looks great, handles well, and
has no bad tendencies at all, even at the lowest speeds.
The flight battery has its own access hatch for quick entry. Neither the canopy nor
the wing needs to be removed to swap batteries.
Unique features
The Ares P-51D Mustang 350 is completely
prefabricated and ready to assemble. Its electric
motor is installed and the receiver, speed control,
and three servos are installed with pushrods
attached and plugged into the receiver. In
addition, the container also holds a 600mAH
3-cell LiPo battery, a plug-in LiPo wall charger,
a 2.4GHz transmitter and alkaline batteries,
all fasteners and hardware for assembly, a
screwdriver, and a detailed instruction manual.
The P-51D’s scale details include invasion
stripes on the wing and fuselage bottom, yellow
coloring on the nose top and spinner, Army Air
Corps emblems, numbering, etc., and even a
pilot and cockpit. The model has six machine
guns, three molded into each wing! This is a very
realistic model and looks great on the ground or
in the air.
The model’s elevator and rudder have
conventional pushrods with clevis endings.
Ailerons are driven by torque rods, so there are
no control horns visible on the wing. Assembly
consists of a few steps: join the horizontal tail
to the fuselage with two fasteners, connect
the elevator and rudder pushrods to the
All pushrods are factory-installed and attached, and even include silicone “keepers” to ensure that clevises stay closed and attached. A steerable tailwheel helps
with ground handling during taxiing, and ailerons are driven by torque rods and
have no visible horns.
horns, thread the wing servo connector into
the fuselage and plug it into the receiver, use
a fastener to join the wing to the fuselage, and
(optional) install the main landing gear under the
wing.
At first glance, it appeared that the wing had
to be removed to install the flight battery. But
I quickly learned that there is a small battery
hatch on the bottom of the fuselage just in front
of the wing that allows quick battery installation
and removal without removing the wing—a great
feature!
The plane comes with a very nice scalelooking four-blade prop with matching spinner,
and one two-blade prop with a second spinner.
The manual suggests that the 4-blade prop
offers a scale look and delivers good speed and
thrust, while the 2-blade delivers added speed
and thrust. On the ground, she looked really
good with the 4-bladed
prop installed!
The Ares P-51D
model comes with
scale-looking main
landing gear. The gear
easily slide in and out
of their mounts underneath the wing, so if you
want to fly on a grass field, they’re very easy to
remove. If you do, the plane will land on its scale
radiator on the bottom of the fuselage, under
the wing. Although the scale radiator is made of
plastic, a soft landing surface would be best.
Conclusion
The Ares P-51D Mustang 350 is a complete,
prefabricated kit, so anyone can quickly
assemble it while waiting for its battery to
charge. While it would be a good second plane, it
has enough performance for intermediate and
advanced pilots. The model sure looks good on
the ground and in the air, and will do any desired
maneuvers or aerobatics. It’s very efficient and
stable, and a nice first model for beginning scale
pilots. 
The P-51 includes
two propellers — this
four-blade version
and a two-blade
version — and can be
flown with either.
Are More Blades Better?
The Ares P-51 350 kit comes with two propellers, a 2-blade and 4-blade.
Why do props have different numbers of blades? Does it affect the way
the plane flies? This is one of those situations where size does matter.
Going back a bit in time, some of the earlier aircraft in WW II used larger,
3-bladed props, the F4U Corsair being a good example. The Corsair
featured an “inverted gull wing” to accommodate the more than 13-foot
diameter of its 3-bladed prop.
Adding more blades to a prop allows it to absorb the engine’s power
with smaller diameter blades but more overall blade area. According
to the Smithsonian Institution’s website, 4-blade props with smaller
diameter replaced 3-blade props during the end of WW II. Even later,
propellers with five and six blades were introduced for the same reason.
A further development is the contra-rotating propeller: actually, two
propellers operating one in front of the other. The aft prop rotates in
the opposite direction to the forward prop, thus cancelling out a large
part of the “twist” imparted to the air passing through the forward prop,
improving efficiency.
A higher number of propeller blades increases efficiency, which is why
turbofan engines have a large number of smaller blades, providing the
highest possible fuel economy for today’s transport aircraft.
JULY 2014 33
Pilot Report
Hitec
Weekender
Corsair
Great scale appearance and amazingly easy to transport!
By Norm Bogenschild Photos by John Reid
SPECIFICATIONS
Model: Weekender F4U Corsair
Distributor: Hitec (hitecrcd.com)
Type: Scale WW II
Wingspan: 29.5 in.
Wing Area: 148 sq. in.
Weight: 15 oz.
Wing Loading: 14.6 oz/sq. ft.
Length: 24 in.
Power incl’d: 1300 volts/rpm brushless
motor
Radio req’d: 4-channel
Price: $119.99
GEAR USED
Part of Hitec’s Weekender series, this scale F4U Corsair has great scale
details at a very affordable price. It’s designed to get you in the air very quickly and is
constructed mainly of durable EPO foam, with molded-in details that add a high level
of realism. I received the F4U Corsair in a large, well-packed box, with absolutely no
shipping damage. The F4U Corsair comes with four micro servos, a brushless outrunner
motor, and a 12-amp electronic speed control all installed. Even the realistic-looking
three-blade propeller arrived installed on the outrunner motor, and the water-transfer
decals are factory applied. Optional scale fuel tanks and rockets are included in the
package but are not attached to the underside of the wing. You’ll need a 1000mAh 7.4V
LiPo battery with a JST connector and a 4-channel radio and receiver. Even though it’s
easy to assemble, this warbird is best suited to intermediate to advanced pilots.
Radio: Spektrum DX7 and AR6000
receiver (spektrumrc.com); 4 microservos
(installed)
Motor: 1300 brushless outrunner w/
12-amp speed control (installed)
Battery: Hobby People 2-cell 1300mAh
(hobbypeople.net)
Prop: 3-blade (included)
HIGHLIGHTS
+ Minimal assembly time
+ Extremely rugged EPO foam
+ Stunning scale appearance
JULY 2014 35
Inverted flight takes nearly no aileron input
to keep it upside-down, and low-altitude,
full-throttle passes look spectacular!
Taxiing on a smooth surface is
a pleasure with the steerable
tailwheel.
In the Air
T
he F4U Corsair should be flown from
a paved runway; small wheels and
very close propeller clearances make
takeoffs from grass or dirt a serious
challenge. Line it up on the runway,
roll onto the throttle and the plane will rotate
onto its main gear quickly. Don’t pull up on the
stick until the plane has gained some airspeed
to avoid a tip-stall. Very little rudder correction
is required to keep the plane moving straight
down the runway, and the steerable tailwheel
makes taxiing simple. Once tracking straight
on the mains, advance the throttle to full and
ease the plane upward. The Corsair slows down
very quickly, so don’t be tempted to chop the
throttles for landing. Keep the throttles at half
all the way to the ground. Removing the scale
rockets and external fuel tacks improves this
warbird’s low speed handling.
Stability: The F4U Corsair’s inverted gull wing
and high center of gravity make it turn very
easily. Inverted flight is easily maintained with
almost no roll input. Full to 3/4 throttle settings
will prevent tip stalls and the natural tendency
to become inverted.
Tracking: Once trimmed out, the F4U Corsair
tracks straight and true. Almost no trim
adjustment is needed between low and high
power settings.
Aerobatics: This is a scale warbird and should
be flown accordingly. The 7.4V power system
doesn’t provide the extra power needed for real
aerobatics. Rolls are axial with little elevator
input. Loops tend to fall out prior to reaching
the top. Inverted flight takes nearly no aileron
input to keep it upside-down. Low-altitude,
full-throttle passes look spectacular!
Glide and stall performance: If your timer tells
you to land, get back to the strip quickly. With
its fixed gear and especially with its optional
scale drop tanks on, the F4U Corsair does not
glide well and slows very quickly. Stalls have
a tendency to drop the right wing severely
making recovery at low altitude interesting, to
say the least.
PILOT DEBRIEFING
Hitec has done a good job of developing a small
scale aircraft with scale flight characteristics.
You can burn up the sky for about four minutes
at full throttle or pull it back and fly for 6 to 7
minutes. Leaving off the scale drop tanks and
rockets improves flight performance. Don’t be
tempted to increase aileron travel to increase
roll rates without adding expo as low-speed
tip stalls will result. Use only the low rates
on ailerons for takeoff and landing. The EPO
airframe is incredibly durable and easy to repair
should a mishap occur.
SUPERIOR AIR
POWER
Two small magnets hold the battery hatch on very
nicely. Changing
flight packs is
quick and easy.
Unique features
The F4U Corsair can be assembled in under
an hour. The airframe is EPO foam reinforced
in strategic locations with molded plastic and
plywood. All of the control surfaces use the
EPO itself as the hinge. All four servos are
installed with the wires routed to the appropriate
locations. Each aileron has its own servo, and a
Y-harness is included. The hardware to connect
the servos to the control surfaces is installed
but does require adjustment. The fixed landing
gear is installed into extremely durable plastic
mounting points in the wings and has molded
plastic covers that resemble oleo struts. The
Corsair comes with an outrunner brushless
motor installed into a plywood bulkhead. The
motor can easily be removed with a single
Philips head screw on the motor mount. I
always suggest checking any factory-installed
hardware and in this case am happy to report
that nothing was loose. The included three-blade
The development of the
F4U Corsair was originally
the result of a request by
the U.S. Navy for a carrierbased aircraft. One of the
most powerful, 16-cylinder,
double-row, radial engines
of the time, the Pratt &
Whitney Double Wasp, was
selected as the powerplant.
In the production aircraft,
this engine produced
around 2,000 horsepower
using a mechanical supercharger, and this power was transferred to the air with a 13-footdiameter propeller—one of the largest ever used on a single engine fighter at that time! The
large propeller and the need for short retractable landing gear was the driving force behind
the inverted gull wing design. Nasty stall characteristics and bouncy landing gear precluded
the F4U Corsair from carrier service during its initial years in service, but leading edge and
landing gear upgrades finally solved these issues and the Corsair’s high power and good
maneuverability made it an excellent fighter. The Marines made good use of F4U Corsairs
from land-based fields during WW II, and use of various models of the Corsair continued on all
the way into the Korean War era.
propeller has individually replaceable blades that
mount to a plastic hub, which is held in place by
a singe metric nut. The 12-amp speed control is
connected to the motor with push connectors
and has a JST connector for the battery.
The majority of the assembly time was
spent programming the radio; assembly
really couldn’t be much simpler. Although the
propeller comes installed, I took it off during the
radio programming and testing to prevent any
unwanted bench flights. I installed a Spektrum
AR6000 receiver, which fit perfectly in the small
hatch opening, and secured it with self-adhesive
hook-and-loop fastener. There is plenty of
room to route the wires to the receiver, and the
only challenge is fishing the Y-harness for the
ailerons up though the fuselage while holding
the wing. Fortunately, the Corsair’s small size
allows for easy transportation even with the
wing left on, so you’ll only need to do this once.
A single screw secures the wing to the fuselage.
Instead of using hook-and-loop fasteners to secure the battery in the tight space,
a small piece of foam was used to keep the flight pack from moving.
The flight pack fits into the top of the F4U Corsair
through the hatch just in front of the canopy.
The hatch is secured by two small magnets.
The battery can be moved forward or back for
balancing and when I was happy with the plane’s
center of gravity, I placed a small piece of foam
between the battery and receiver to keep the
battery from moving. The instructions call for a
1000mAh 7.4V flight pack, and the 1300mAh
pack I used allowed a few extra minutes of flight
time with no real weight penalty.
Conclusion
The Hitec Weekender F4U Corsair is a scale
warbird that provides a great bang for the buck.
It goes from box to the field in under an hour
and looks amazing. Having a wingspan just shy
of 30 inches makes the F4U Corsair very easy
to transport, even when the removable wing is
left attached. The level of scale detail is quite
impressive. 
The molded plastic covers on the landing gear are some of the scale details that set
this model apart from other small scale WW II aircraft.
JULY 2014 37
From the Workshop:
twin-tiltBuilding Avatar’s AnrotorRCdesign
that
Samson Gunship really performs!
By Uwe Grenda Photos by Ralph Kayser, Eckard Wagener, Uwe Grenda
M
any RC modelers who saw the sci-fi
movie Avatar were enthusiastic about
the spectacular CGI-animated aircraft
that flew in the skies over Pandora.
One of the Apache-like aircraft flown
by actress Michelle Rodriguez was a duo-copter
design called the Samson, and when Ralph Kayser
saw it operating in both an attack roll and as a troop
carrier, the idea was born to make an RC version
that would perform just like the movie’s impressive
co-star.
WHO, WHAT, HOW
Custom builds are nothing new to out-of-thebox thinker and inventor Ralph Kayser, as he has
experimented a lot with German electric-ductedfan pioneer Heino Dittman. So to get started, Ralph
got on his home PC to search for information on
this sleek helicopter-like aircraft. By searching for
“Samson,” Ralph found several images, film clips ,
drawings and a building report on the use of a real
copter used in the making of Avatar. There are also
Photo courtesy 20th Century Fox
BUILDER’S BIO
Ralph Kayser is a 49-year-old
Master Electrician who has been
a modeler since childhood, having
been introduced to the hobby by
his father. Ralph has been flying
RC helicopters since 1984 and
electric RC planes since 1990. In
1993, through the acquaintance
with Heino Dittmar, he has built and
flown several electric-ducted fan jet
aircraft, many of which have been
scratch-built and his own design
projects.
SPECIFICATIONS
Model: Avatar Samson
Designer: Ralph Kayser
Length: 33 in.
Width: 29.5 in.
Height: 9.8 in.
Weight: 3.26 lb.
Fuselage construction: Formed, molded
fiberglass
Power: 2x Brushless Dymond AL 3530 1100
KV w/30A speed controls and 2x GWS
9.5 3-blade, counter-rotating props; 3S
2100mAh LiPo
Radio gear: 2x Graupner DES 658 BB MG
servos, HobbyKing KK 2.0 Duocopter
Software 1.2
Ralph Kayser with his
Samson gunship.
JULY 2014 39
a lot of online gaming sites tied to Avatar and a
lot of aircraft specifications. Ralph’s searches
led to other modelers like Gary Gress in Canada,
who experimented on a promising duo-rotor
or bicopter design. It was interesting but more
in the direction of full-size aircraft such as the
V-22 Osprey. The Samson gunship from the film
possessed equally large tilt rotors, but does not
have stubby wings for level flight.
It soon became clear that the project
would deal somewhat less with technology
for quadrocopters and would need further
development using RC helicopter principles.
First attempts
This older RC Hughes 500 was pressed into
service as a test rig for the tilt rotor mechanism as well as the control board.
The overall collections of design ideas were
realized in a simplified structure made from a
modified RC helicopter chassis with tilt rotor
mechanisms. It used two Dymond 2826
brushless motors with two 18A speed controls
and counter-rotating GWS 9x5 three-blade
propellers. Then he added three helicopter rotors,
V-cables and mixers and Ralph had the basic test
platform, which looked promising. Unfortunately,
the subsequent flight tests conducted using
different setups only produced a few hops with
no small consumption of GWS propellers. Further
experiments with an adjustable battery holder,
which allowed for a shift in CG balance during
flight, also provided less than useful results.
Not to be disheartened, Ralph pressed on but
it wasn’t until he found a video of Korean Minsoo
Here’s Ralph Kayser holding
his Samson duocopter after
a successful test flight.
Kim with his duocopter that he got on the right
track. Ralph then ordered Kim’s control electronics
with duocopter “Blue Board” software. The
“Blue Board” was then joined to Ralph’s tilt rotor
mechanisms in an old RC Hughes 500, and the
combination worked right away. The subsequent
fine-tuning and adjustment of the actuators,
drive mechanics and software took about 50
flights to complete. The control behavior was still
somewhat imprecise, but it was followed by fewer
and fewer crashes and consumption of GWS
propellers. A successful beginning had been made!
NEW IDEAS
Here laid out on the worktable is a complete set of molded parts for the Samson gunship.
To achieve complete airworthiness, there
were still some hurdles to overcome. While
experiments in setups continued, it made sense
to start making the fuselage’s fiberglass molds.
Ralph created templates for the master patterns
using copied and enlarged photos and illustrations
from the Internet.
Oriol is a good plastic often used for the
production of master models but Ralph had little
experience working with it, so his model airplane
friends Heino Dittmar and Thomas Korte gave
him advice and helped to produce the molds. To
improve the quality of the fuselage parts, Ralph
built a large heat and vacuum-forming box to
produce the cockpit and window areas. The first
fuselage he produced looked really good, but
unfortunately, it was a bit too heavy. The second
attempt was more successful and Ralph began
with the installation of the components.
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JULY 2014
41
The tilt mechanics were once again revised and
strengthened, and the outer rings were attached
to the rotors. There was a lot of shop-engineering
used. As an example, some blade holders from a
25-year-old Heim RC helicopter were pressed
into use as the guides for the rotor axles. The
two original motors were replaced by two new
Dymond AL 3530 and the 18A controllers were
swapped out for a pair of 30A units. The new
few test flights showed more progress and the
Samson now had relatively precise control, but
still made a little trouble at high speeds and during
windy weather conditions.
Eventually, the user-programmable KK
2.0 Control Board became available from
HobbyKing and Ralph replaced the proven Blue
Board software. The new board also offered
the possibility of adding another 18A controller
to drive a smaller tail rotor, which significantly
improved the Samson’s flight characteristics at
high speeds and in windy conditions. So when
I asked if the Samson was really a tricopter,
Ralph reply was no, as the little 5x3 tail propeller
produces only a marginal stabilizing effect.
DESIGN VARIABLES
With original designs such as the V-22 Osprey
there is A) higher inertia and B) each of its
rotors/propellers has drives and a swashplate
for increased cyclic pitch, which greatly effects
controllability.
In a smaller, lighter vehicle like the Samson,
there is less inertia and with two rigid 3-blade
propellers, the drive mechanisms affect control
behavior significantly less and in some flight
conditions control and lift is helped by the
small propeller under the rear tail boom. A final
improvement was made to the Samson’s control
sensitivity was achieved by changing out the
This shows the tilt-rotor mechanism installed with moldings in place and the KK 2.0 Control Board from Hobby
King installed (lower center). Control response and performance is great with this control board.
original analog GWS 200MG servos controlling
the tilt mechanism with digital Graupner DES658
BB MG servos.
Ralph added new details such as the Cable
Cutter on the fuselage and LED lighting. The
finishing touch is the scale pilot in the Samson’s
cockpit which is a toy figure from Mattel of the
appropriate scale size.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Ralph is planning on building two more machines
in this size, including a fully scaled-out machine
Samson gunship ready for takeoff. Notice the small rotor blades
under the tail.
complete with sliding side doors and complete
interior detail and the rest of the crew members.
This version will also be flown with 4S LiPo packs.
Then he wants to build a larger version, and finally
a scale replica of the Bell XV-15, the predecessor
of the V-22 Osprey.
Ralph is pleased with his realization of the
fantasy Avatar Samson duocopter. It flies and
performs with precision and the whole project
has proven very satisfying. The larger, more
detailed version is really going to be an eyeopener. Pilot your adventure.



Experience
the Rotor Drone revolution!
April 22, 2014
On screens, newsstands,
and in hobby shops
RotorDroneMag.com
SPECIAL
H E L I CO P T E R
SECTION
Twelve-cell helicopters like
the Blade 600 X offer outstanding power while keeping
the amps within reason. Adding a quick-change battery
tray makes flight prep fast and
convenient.
Heli Talk: Easy Battery Swaps
SP E CIAL H E L I CO P T E R SE C T I O N
Installing a quick-change tray in a 12-cell bird
Twelve-cell power is the hot trend for helis
in the 600 and larger classes. These highvoltage setups offer outstanding power
while keeping current within reason, and
“pass-through” frame designs have the
flexibility to fit a variety of battery sizes. My
new Blade 600 X fits in this class, and I love
the heli’s engineering and performance,
but battery installation is a little
cumbersome. Since 12S packs are usually
made up of two 6S packs connected in
series, a quick-change battery tray would
be a real plus. Blade’s larger 700 X does
have a removable tray, so I decided to use
the 700 X parts as the basis for a tray for
600-size machines. While the following
uses the 600 X as an example, this basic
design will work with nearly any heli with a
pass-through frame.
1
By Jim Ryan
The first challenge is that the tray mounting posts are sized
for the 700 X, which has 60mm frame spacing, while the 600
X has 52mm spacing. I used my lathe to shorten the posts,
but a cordless drill and Dremel cut-off wheel would work
almost as easily.
2
3
A battery mounting plate is cut
1mm narrower than the 52mm
frame spacing. I used 2mm carbon
fiber for my mount, but reinforced
fiberglass, or even 1/8-inch
birch ply, would work. Note that
the holes for the screws are
countersunk to provide a smooth
surface for the battery packs.
On the 600 X, the baseplate
must be trimmed off
forward of the front landing
skid mount so that the
forward mounting post can
be screwed in its place. Drill
new holes for securing the
baseplate just aft of the skid
mounts, and drill holes at the
rear of the frames for the
rear mounting post.
4
The one fiddly step was
that I had to shorten the
release latch to fit inside
the narrower frame. I cut
the latch in half and then
rejoined
rejoined it with a small carbon-fiber
doubler.
BOTTOM
TOP
5
Here the battery mount is
ready to install. I milled slots for
the rear battery strap, but you
could also file shallow notches
in the edges of the plate.
JULY 2014 45
6
The battery packs are neatly secured on the
quick-change mount. I added an extension
to the rear pack’s balancing lead to make
it easier to connect both packs to my
Progressive RC Parallel Charge Board.
7
Here’s the
finished
battery
tray locked
in place.
Installation and removal
takes just seconds, so if
you build a couple of trays,
you can have two flight
packs ready for instant
use. This simple project
makes flight prep a snap
and adds some “cool
factor” too!
Night Magic Blades
One of the most exciting products showcased at last year’s IRCHA
Jamboree was the animated night blade system Robert Sixt of Germany
featured in his night flying routine. These blades flashed various graphics
in sync with Robert’s soundtrack, and the effect was truly awesome.
Well, I had to know more!
It turns out that these amazing blades are commercially available from
nightmagicblades.com, a relatively young technology company based in
Slovakia. They offer a range of blades from 325 to 710mm, spanning all
popular heli classes from 450 to 700 size. Prices for complete systems
range from $198 to $419.
These carbon-fiber blades are self-contained technical marvels.
Each blade has an
array of LEDs molded
inside: red on top of
one blade and green
on the bottom of the
other. An embedded
chip controls the LEDs,
and even the LiPo cell
is molded inside. The
only external fitting is
an infrared LED that’s
mounted on the tail
boom to give the blades
a reference point for
syncing the images and
for sensing head rpm.
A small USB dongle allows charging the internal LiPos and
programming “playlists” of images into the blades using your laptop.
These playlists can be put together using a Windows-based app,
Night Magic blades are a huge crowd-pleaser. As you fly, the
blades flash a sequence of pre-programmed images. The white
blade tips make it easy to maintain orientation while the blades
put on a show of their own. The Windows-based desktop
app allows you to organize “playlists” using stock images or
to design your own graphics. The animated Batman logo is
particularly impressive.
available for download from Night Magic’s website. You
can string together any combination of the included
stock images, design your own graphics, or even import
them from other graphics applications.
The effect of these blades is truly dazzling. Not only can they show
sequences of still graphics, but by programming a series of rapidly
changing images, animations are also possible. The possibilities are
limited only by your imagination. READY TO ROCK!
12th Annual
The Ultimate in RC & Hobby
Entertainment!
tickets, info &
video preview at
RCX.com
MAY 17-18, 2014
47 MORE FROM THIS ISSUE AT RCCARACTION.COM
try-me tracks fly zones
thrilling demos celebrities
FULL-SIZE CARS DRONES
retail specials races & more!
ORANGE COUNTY FAIR & EVENT CENTER
COSTA MESA, CAlifornia
ROTOR
DRONE
SPECIAL
H E L I CO P T E R
SECTION
Heli-Max
Axe
100 CX
This ready to fly coaxial heli is so easy to fly,
even a first-time RC pilot can be successful
By Gerry Yarrish Photos by Peter Hall
When it comes to top helicopter brand recognition, it is hard
not to notice all the advancements made by Heli-Max. For just
about every category for heli size, type and performance, there
are several to choose from with the Heli-Max brand name. Most
recently, the newest addition in the micro coaxial category is
the Heli-Max Axe 100 CX. Perfect for indoor RC fun, the Axe 100
CX comes out of the box ready for action. Intended for the basic
beginner or for the experienced budget-minded RC flier looking
for a new fun hovering machine, the Axe 100 CX provides plenty
of stability with just the right amount of big machine styling to
satisfy everyone.
UNIQUE FEATURES
Available as a ready to fly (RTF) or as a transmitter ready (Tx-R)
version, the Axe 100 CX, comes with all you need. The RTF version
is fully assembled and all you need to do is charge the LiPo flight
battery (with the included USB charger) and install the included AA
batteries in the transmitter, and you ready to go. The Tx-R version
comes with everything the RTF
version does, except for the HeliMax TX410 SLT transmitter.
Specifications
The Tx-R version is compatible
Manufacturer: Heli-Max (helimax-rc.com)
with any SLT transmitter
Distributor: Hobbico (hobbico.com)
including the Tactic 4 channel and
Rotor Diameter: 7.4 in.
6-channel 2.4GHz transmitter or
Length: 9.0 in.
any other brand of transmitter
Height:5.0 in.
equipped with the Tactic AnyLink
Weight: 1.1 oz (w/battery)
2.4GHz Radio Adapter.
Price: $74.98 (RTF); $59.98 (Tx-R)
With its coaxial rotor head
design, the Axe 100 CX is
so stable that you can be a
Included Gear
successful RC helicopter even
Heli-Max
TX410
2.4GHz
SLT
+
if it’s your very first RC model.
transmitter
With its on-board electronics
+ 3.7V 150mAh 1S LiPo flight battery w/
and receiver already installed
USB-compatible charger
and covered with its durable full+ AA transmitter batteries
length fuselage, there’s nothing
+ 1S 3.7V 150mAh LiPo flight battery
to assemble. It’s compact size
makes it ideal for anytime indoor
+ Miniature Phillips screwdriver and
instructions
flying and it extremely durable,
crash-resistant construction is
great for the less experienced
modeler who might experience an unexpectedly hard landing.
The RTF version’s 4-channel, 2.4GHz transmitter includes
Beginner and Expert flight modes so as you gain experience and
confidence, you can switch the reaction of the heli and experience
more maneuverability for even more fun.
BOTTOM LINE
With a full battery charge, I consistently get flight times of about
8 to 10 minutes and I find the Axe 100 CX a delight to operate.
Whether you are a absolute first-time beginner, or if you are
looking for a fun, keep-in-your-car heli for anytime flights around
the home or office, the Heli-Max Axe 100 CX is a perfect choice.
It is rugged enough for the novice and it is plenty responsive to
keep the more experienced heli guy entertained indoors as well as
outside in calm wind conditions.
Here's the RTF Axe 100 CX with transmitter,
battery pack, and USB charger. The batteries for the
transmitter are also included.
JULY 2014 49
In the Air
With the RTF version, you can literally be flying in as
long as it takes to charge the included LiPo Flight battery. For the test model, the battery was fully charged with the USB charger in about
15 minutes. Simply power up the transmitter, then slide the LiPo battery into place
and place the heli on a level surface. When the LED indicator stops flashing, the heli
is bound to the transmitter and you’re good to go.
Stability: The Axe 100 CX is one of the most stable coaxial helis I have tested and
it really is ideal as a first-time RC pilot. In both Beginner and in Expert flight modes,
the heli remains well behaved and offers almost effortless hovering performance.
Response: Being coaxial, the heli remains well behaved in forward flight. Side to
side cyclic response is crisp and nose yaw is smooth and fairly quick. I did have to
add 4 or 5 clicks or right rudder for the heli to remain pointed in one direction while in
hover. Fore and aft response is also quick and you can easily start and stop forward
or aft flight simply by neutralizing the stick.
PILOT DEBRIEFING
Of all the cyclic commands, aft and left are a bit more responsive than are forward
and right, but only slightly so. There’s no real chance of over-controlling the Axe
100 CX. The instructions are very complete and also have a detailed section for
maintenance with directions for removing and replacing any broken parts should you
manage to damage the heli. SP E CIAL H E L I CO P T E R SE C T I O N
AnyLink2 Transmitter Adaptor
If you do not have a Tactic SLT Transmitter, you can easily convert your existing
transmitter, with the AnyLink2 Adaptor module, so you can control any Transmitter Ready
(Tx-R) model. The easy to setup module enables your 2.4GHz aircraft transmitter to
operate with any Tx-R model as well as any aircraft with a 2.4GHz SLT receiver, (including
huge scale aircraft, park flyers and helis using glow, electric, or gasoline power.) The
AnyLink2 module converts the transmitter into a frequency-hopping, spread-spectrum
system using SLT (Secure Link Technology) and is compatible with most aircraft
transmitters with a functioning trainer jack, including Airtronics, and even non-2.4GHz
transmitters.
The AnyLink2 comes with a 1S 3.7V 450mAh LiPo battery, Cable A, (JR, Spektrum,
Graupner), Cable B, (Futaba Square) and Cable C, (Hitec). The three adapter cables come
equipped with headphone-type connectors for easy plug-in installation. Also included are
a TC10 USB Charger 2 Hard-Locking Adhesive Strips and Instruction sheet. Charging the
battery with the included USB charger is required before use. The adapter cables from the
original AnyLink and the new AnyLink2 modules are not cross compatible.
The included Heli-Max USB charger takes about
10 to 15 minutes to charge the battery depending
on how much it has been used.
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HOMEBUILT
By Pat Tritle
The Volksplane
Building William Evans’ classic experimental homebuilt
D
Designed by aeronautical engineer William
Evans, The Volksplane first flew in 1968. It
was designed around the 40hp Volkswagen
4-cylinder air-cooled engine, and was intended
as a safe design for the armature builder. It
resembled a large model airplane that took the
pilot along for the ride.
The Volksplane was made primarily with
all-wood construction and was very easy to
build. A rather small airplane, it has a wingspan
of only 24 feet and is just 18 feet long. With a
cruising speed of 75mph, the Volksplane won’t
get you anywhere too quickly, but with a stall
speed of only 40mph, landings won’t create any
unnecessary tension either. Empty weight is
440 pounds with a gross weight of 750 pounds
The wing panels are easy to assemble and are built directly over the plans. Be sure
to protect the plans with some clear plastic.
and a climb rate of 400 feet/minute.
My 1/8-scale model is designed as a simple
4-channel park flyer, and like its full-scale
counterpart, is of all-wood construction. It is
simple, lightweight, and flies beautifully on a
low cost electric power system, and anyone
who has ever built an RC model should have no
trouble building the Volksplane.
BUILDING THE WINGS
The Volksplane is not difficult to transport.
However, the wings plug in and are retained
by the functional struts. No tools are required
for either take-down or reassembly. Begin by
building the rear spar assembly. Align and glue
The vertical tail surface pivots about a brass tube. Note the airfoil shape of the
structure similar to the horizontal stabilizer.
The Volksplane ready for takeoff!
A3 in place on A2 per the Detail Drawings – be
sure to build a left- and a right-hand assembly.
Pin SM1 in place over the plan, pin the Rear
Spar Assembly in place over the plan and glue
to SM1. Pin the Main Spar A1 in place, then dry
assemble all of the ribs onto the spars. Fit and
glue the Leading and Trailing edges in place,
then tack glue all points of contact. Add SM2
and SM3 to the Servo Mount Plate, followed by
the A4 and A5 Lift Strut Mounts.
The ailerons are built in place on the wing
assembly. Begin by beveling the bottom of A6
using the rib drawing R6 for reference. Align
and glue all of the ribs and A7
in place to complete the basic
assembly. Once the glue has
Specifications
dried thoroughly, remove the
Wingspan: 36 inches
Wing Panels from the plan and
Length: 28 inches
sand to basic shape. Remove
the ailerons and sand to final
Flying weight: 8.2 oz.
shape, cut in the hinges and
horn from a 1/8-inch
Wing loading: 5.25 oz./ sq. ft.
dry fit in place. Now you can
wheel collar and the 1/32assemble the AB1/AB2 aileron
inch plywood control horn.
counter-balance panels, but
Note the orientation of the
Gear Used
don’t glue them in place until
set screw when gluing the
Radio: Spektrum DX-7
after the ailerons are covered.
control horn in place.
transmitter w/ AR-6000
Start building the
And finally, cut the 1/8-inch OD
receiver 4- 6 – 9 gram Subelevator by building up
Brass Wing Retention Tubes to
Micro Servos
Hinge Assembly B1, B2, B3
length and glue them in place
Drive Unit: Maxx Products
& B4 per the Assembly
followed by the 1/16-inch O.
EPU-4 Gear Drive with a 6A ESC
Detail Drawing. Cut the
D. Aluminum Strut Retention
w/BEC
1/8-inch square balsa
Tubes. Lash them in place with
Propeller: GWS 8-6
Main Spar and mark the
sewing thread and secure with a
Battery: 2S 450 - 800mAh LiPo
rib locations per the plan.
drop of thin CA. Lastly, glue the
Slip the ribs into the spar
servos into the trays with a drop
in their respective locations followed by the
of silicone caulk and set aside to dry.
Hinge Assembly. Cut the leading and trailing
Tail section
edge shims from 1/8-inch square balsa and lay
We’ll begin with the rudder. Cut the 1/8-inch
them in place over the plan. Pin the 1/8-inch
sq. balsa main spar to length and mark each
square balsa leading edge over the plan, then
of the rib locations. Then slip the ribs into each
align and glue each of the ribs in place against
of their respective locations, align and glue in
the leading edge. And finally, align and glue the
place followed by the 1/8-inch sq. balsa leading
1/16 x 1/8-inch balsa trailing edge and C5 in
edge and the 1/16 x 1/4-inch balsa trailing
place. When dry, remove the elevator assembly
edge and the Trim Tab RTT. Sand the rudder
from the board and sand to shape. Build up the
assembly to final shape. Cut the 1/8-inch O. D.
counter balance assemblies from parts CW and
Brass Tube Hinge to length fit it into the rudder
CW1, but don’t glue them in place until after the
assembly and glue in place. Build up the control
model is covered.
Here the fuselage sides have been joined with the crosspieces and the top formers.
Fuselage
Begin with the side frames. Pin B1 in place over
the plan and then build the frame around it
using the wood sizes shown. When both frames
are assembled, glue B3 in place on the inside of
each frame making left and right Hand sides.
To join the sides, pin the landing gear mount
beams over the framing plan followed by the
side frames, formers 1 – 6 and the bottom
cross pieces. Next, “crack” the upper and lower
longerons at the location shown. Angle the
sides back to Former 7, align and glue in place
followed by the upper and lower cross pieces.
And finally, align and glue the upper and lower
B2 rudder hinge plates in place. Align these
parts carefully to insure the rudder will stand up
straight.
Once the glue dries, lift the frame from
the board and add the 1/16 X 1/8-inch balsa
stringers. Bend the landing gear struts from
.046 steel wire. Tape the struts in place on the
mount beams and solder them together at
the bottom. Now you can lash the gear to the
beams with thread and secure with a drop of
thin CYA. The tail skid is bent from .032-inch
steel wire and glued in place on Former 7.
Build up the motor nount assembly per the
Detail Drawing and glue in place on the firewall.
Here the single piece tail surfaces have been fitted into place. There are no fixed tail
surfaces hinged to the control surfaces.
JULY 2014 53
HOMEBUILT THE VOLKSPLANE
The aileron servo installation is straightforward for a direct connect linkage setup.
No down thrust is needed, but 1.5 degrees of
right thrust is built into the mount, so be sure
to align the mount properly, and then mount
the motor. Cut and fit the 5/32-inch O. D.
aluminum wing receiver tubes into the fuselage
and glue them in place. Build up the servo
mounts as shown and mount the servos on the
beams with the rudder servo on the centerline.
Build up the elevator pushrod and rudder cables
Cockpit detail is as simple as the entire aircraft. Windshield has yet to be glued into
place.
and dry fit into the fuselage. And finally, add the
file folder paper fairings to the forward fuselage,
turtle deck and head rest assembly to complete
the fuselage assembly.
COVERING
The key to a good flying model is weight, so
whichever one you choose to cover it with,
keep it light. Avoid using MonoKote or UltraCote
as they are relatively heavy, and the excessive
shrinkage will introduce twists and warps into
the light structure. Before the cover is applied,
hook up the receiver and test the system for
proper operation while things are still easy
to access should there be a problem. And
when testing the motor for proper direction
of rotation, do it with the prop removed to
avoid any surprises. Then when everything
is functioning properly, take the model apart
and do one more detail sanding to remove
any unwanted bumps and boo-boos and
you’re ready to cover. Apply the cover per the
manufacturer’s recommendations and trim
as desired, but don’t cover the bottom of the
fuselage until after the rudder and elevator
have been set up.
FINAL ASSEMBLY
Begin by setting up the rudder. Fit the control
horn in place and tie off the pull/pull cables.
Adjust the control horn and lower set collar so
that the rudder moves freely with no excess
slop. Run the rudder cables up to the servo
and adjust the tension and secure at the servo.
Evans’ Volksplane |
K0714A
Wingspan: 36 in.; Length: 28 in.; Power: Maxx Products EPU-4 Gear Drive; LD: 2;
2 sheets; $21.95
To order the full-size plan, visit AirAgeStore.com
Wing struts, headrest and wing walks all add to the Volksplane’s scale appearance.
Glue the elevator control horn in place, slip the
pushrod into the horn and insert the rod into the
fuselage through the slot in Former 7. Slip the
hinges in place and secure with canopy glue.
To adjust the pushrod, set the top longeron
level with the building board, and adjust the
elevator equal-distant from the work surface
at the leading and trailing edges and secure
the pushrod at the servo. That will set the stab
incidence at zero degrees in relation to the
datum line. The wing will be roughly 1/2 degree
positive at the airfoil camber line as compared
A few more details and some custom decals and the Volksplane is ready to fly!
to the stab. The model might need a dab of trim
once in flight, but this set up will get you started
without any big surprises.
Now you can build up and install the elevator
and aileron counter-balance assemblies,
wheels, windshield, headrest, nose cowl, engine
details to whatever level of detail is desired.
Build up the battery hatch per the drawings
on the plans and fit it into the opening at the
location shown.
Moving on to the wings, glue the aileron
hinges in place with canopy glue. Bend the
pushrods from .032-inch steel wire and fit
them into the servo arm. Slip the control horns
over the wire, align the ailerons in their neutral
position and glue the horns in place. Fit the
wings onto the fuselage and set up the struts.
They are functional, so don’t leave them off.
And with that, the Volksplane is basically
finished! Balance the model in the location
shown on the plans, and set all of the control
throws as shown.
In the air
The Volksplane is a very stable and a docile
flyer. In spite of the tailskid, ground handling is
good, and though not overly active, the rudder
is effective and well balanced. Once in the air,
the ailerons are smooth and effective, and
exhibit little or no adverse yaw, so no rudder
coordination was needed. The model will also
turn pretty well on just rudder. It enters the turn
fine, but recovery is a bit sluggish. And because
of the long tail moment and extremely aft
location of the elevator the model is also quite
docile in pitch. The elevator pre-set should have
you in the ballpark, but if a little trim is needed,
set it up for straight and level flight at cruise
power.
Landings and touch-and-gos are fun too.
The model slows down nicely with a predictable
stall. Then once the model is in ground effect,
the sink rate will drop off nicely, and though
the model is not what I would call “a floater,”
landings are soft with no tendency to bounce
back into the air. Generally speaking, the
Volksplane is very well behaved and really easy
to fly, and might just do well as a first low-wing
scale model. Give it a try and see what you
think! 
JULY 2014 55
Pilot Report
HobbyKing
Skipper
This all-terrain plane adds a fun new twist
to your flight time
By Kevin Bauder Photos by John Reid
The HobbyKing Skipper can take off
—
and land — on most terrain: ice, snow, sand, grass
… you name it! And with a price tag over $100
with power system and radio gear installed, it’s an
exceptional value. The Skipper is constructed out of
EPO foam and takes just minutes to assemble, and
you supply a flight battery, transmitter, and receiver.
Some of the items that you’ll find in the box are a
user manual, fuselage, wing, horizontal stabilizer,
and some hardware including carbon-fiber spars,
a spare prop, control linkage, hex key and a balloon
to keep your receiver dry. The wings and horizontal
stabilizer each come in two pieces and are reinforced
by carbon-fiber spars. The Skipper can be assembled
and flown by a new modeler, but even expert pilots
will have fun with this plane.
SPECIFICATIONS
The 40A brushless power system and large control
surfaces afford the Skipper a wide flight envelope.
Model: Skipper All Terrain Plane
Manufacturer: HobbyKing (hobbyking.com)
Type: Sport
Length: 38.19 in.
Wingspan: 27.56 in.
Wing area: 318.43 sq. in.
Weight: 19.2 oz.
Motor inc’d: Brushless system installed
Price: $112.57
GEAR USED
Radio: Spektrum DX18QQ & AR6200
receiver (spektrum.com)
Motor: 40A brushless power system
(installed)
Battery: Turnigy Nano-Tech 1300mAh 3S
25-50C LiPo (hobbyking.com)
Prop: 6x4 installed
HIGHLIGHTS
+ Multi-surface takeoffs and landings
+ Quick and easy build
+ Sporty flight characteristics
+ Affordable fun!
JULY 2014 57
The swept leading edge of the wings
makes for a plane with excellent
slow-speed characteristics.
In the Air
T
he Skipper is designed to operate primarily off water, but you can also
fly it off grass or snow. The Skipper requires a large area that’s free of
obstructions. Despite the fact that it is a small, foam aircraft, this model
moves pretty quick and uses up some airspace. On the water, steering is a
little mild and you will want to plan ahead. On takeoff, the plane tracked very
straight and displayed no bad habits.
General Flight Performance
Stability: The Skipper was very stable in the air. The swept leading edge of the wings
makes for a plane with excellent slow speed characteristics, and at high speed I could
not get the plane to stall. Even full-elevator turns were 100% solid with no indication
of the Skipper wanting to snap out of the turn.
Tracking: Tracking on the Skipper is very straight. The only time I noticed any
deviation from the flight path was after making a low and slow flyby. When you bring
the throttle back up, the plane wants to drop its nose a bit due to the thrust line being
above the wings. It was not bad but it was noticeable and something to keep in mind
in case you end up aborting a landing and bring the throttle up quickly. Just be ready
with a little up-elevator to compensate.
Aerobatics: The Skipper can do all the basics: loops, rolls, snap rolls, you name
it. It flew all of them with ease and it was a lot of fun. The provided motor and
propeller gave the Skipper more than enough power to fly big, round loops and the
recommended throws gave more than enough authority to fly any maneuver you
could want to try.
Glide and stall performance: With the power off, the Skipper glides well and with its
slick lines, it also retains energy really well. As for stalls, the Skipper’s stall is almost
nonexistent. The plane simply falls forward and keeps flying. I was able to bring the
nose up to about a 30-degree angle and add power and the plane kept flying around
like I was performing a 3D harrier maneuver.
Pilot Debriefing
The Skipper is a unique looking plane that is a lot of fun to fly. It looks fast while sitting
still and it is definitely a sports car like in the air.
The Skipper is a uniquelooking plane that is a lot of
fun to fly. It looks fast while
sitting still and it feels like a
sports car in the air!
About The Author: Kevin Bauder
My introduction to flying RC happened in 1989,
at age 10, by my dad. In 1990, I began learning to
fly thermal gliders at a local field with the Inland
Soaring Society. My first few gliders were shared
with my dad (Wanderer, Icarus, Gentle Lady). As
a member of the Inland Soaring Society, I became
the “club trainer,” teaching newcomers how to
fly. By 1991, I was flying contests with a custom
glider and putting the hurt on the adults.
These days I have moved away from thermal
soaring into power planes. I would have to say
that two of my favorite types of planes to fly are
WW II warbirds and anything aerobatic.
My favorite spot to fly is a private location. It
offers a nice runway, and a large open area to play
around in. Aside from that I enjoy flying electrics
with some of my old friends from ISS, at their
field in Riverside, CA.
If you are someone who wants to get started in
this hobby, my best advice to you is to find a local
club and learn to fly in a community. The experience and help of others is invaluable, not to
mention it will save you lots of time and money on crashed airplanes!
Waterproof power system and servos are preinstalled making assembly fast!
Unique features
The control surfaces on the Skipper come as
a one-piece setup. Each of these pieces and
their control surfaces are molded out of one
piece of EPO foam. Because the hinges for
the ailerons, horizontal and vertical stabilizers
are incorporated as one-piece units, they are
sealed.
As an all-terrain plane, the Skipper has no
wheels, so it can take off and land from surfaces
such as grass, sand, ice, and water. The lack of
wheels makes takeoffs and landings less critical
when compared to a traditional gear/wheel
aircraft.
This model is virtually all EPO foam with the
exception of the electronics, battery tray etc.
There is no cutting, drilling, pre-fitting required.
Everything in the box basically just plugs right
in and is designed to be held in place with preinstalled double-sided tape.
The decals on the top of the Skipper are
impressive; they’re thicker and of better quality
than I am use to seeing on models, and best of
all they were already stuck on for me from the
factory, wrinkle-free.
The hardware on the plane, such as the set
screws and hex key, is metric. The hex key
that was supplied seemed to be pinched on
the tips in a way that didn’t allow it to easily fit
into the set screws on the control horns, so I
grabbed my own to finish assembly. I deviated
from the user manual and opted to glue the
wing halves into place in conjunction with the
double-sided tape. I also glued in the horizontal
stabilizer after seeing that recommendation
on hobbyking.com I also glued in the horizontal
and vertical stabilizer after seeing that
With space to spare, things fit neatly under the canopy of the Skipper.
recommendation on hobbyking.com. Gluing is
essential as I am almost certain that the thrust
of the motor would blow the vertical stab off
at some point. One additional modification I
made was adding a way to secure the receiver
into its compartment: I sandwiched a strip of
hook-and-loop fastener between two pieces
of double-sided tape and used this to securely
strap the receiver into its new home. This also
helped to reduce small CG changes.
Conclusion
The HobbyKing Skipper takes virtually no time
to assemble; I was finished even before the
battery was charged. I spent about an hour on
assembly and programming, taking care making
sure everything went together nicely. There is
absolutely nothing difficult about building or
flying the Skipper, and when you add in that
it’s extremely affordable and you get to fly it off
water, you definitely have a winner. 
A bead of foam-safe CA helps to keep the fuselage and wing halves together.
JULY 2014 59
Pilot Report
E-flite/Horizon Hobby
P-51D
Mustang 280
This fun warbird is killer in the air!
By Don Edberg Photos by John Reid & Don Edberg
The North American P-51 Mustang is a classic that everyone recognizes, and
it’s one of my all-time favorites. The P-51 was one of few fighter aircraft that had enough
range to be able to escort Allied bombers all the way to their targets and back. It’s worth
your while to go to an airshow to hear a full-size P-51 Mustang: the sound of its RollsRoyce Merlin V-12 engine is just awesome!
The E-flite P-51D Mustang 280 BNF is a sport scale model that’s almost ready-tofly, extensively factory prefabricated and molded out of foam. The kit comes carefully
packaged in a protective box, and its airframe is complete: all radio parts are installed and
ready to use. The plane has conventional controls: ailerons for roll, elevator for pitch, and
rudder, and it works with a standard 4-channel radio.
There is absolutely no finishing required. The model comes as you see it in the photos:
silver base color, scale stripes and markings, even a pilot with instrument panel in the
canopy! Because of its sleek and scale appearance, you might think that this is not a
beginner’s plane, but you would be wrong! It flies very easily, and very well. It is well
suited to fly at a park or athletic field.
SPECIFICATIONS
Model: P-51D Mustang 280 BNF
Manufacturer: E-flite (e-fliterc.com)
Distributor: Horizon Hobby
(horizonhobby.com)
Type: Sport scale
Length: 22.1 in.
Wingspan: 25.5 in.
Weight: 7.4 oz.
Motor incl’d: BL280 1800KV outrunner
Price: $169.99
GEAR USED
Radio: Spektrum DX7; Spektrum AR6310
DSMX Nanolite receiver & three 3.5-gram
servos (installed)
Motor: BL280 outrunner w/ 10A speed
control (installed))
Prop: 6.8×3.5 w/ matching spinner
(included)
Battery: 3S 450mAh 30C LiPo (included)
HIGHLIGHTS
+ Power & radio systems included
and installed
+ Binds to any DSM2- or DSMXcompatible transmitter.
+ Easy to fly at low speeds, yet fully
aerobatic
JULY 2014 61
Even though it’s small, this P-51D
does well at maintaining its
energy and does climbing vertical
maneuvers and point rolls.
In the Air
T
o fly the E-flite P-51D, you don’t need a large field; a park or
football field work fine. With no landing gear, hand launches
are required. A grass field is best, but soft dirt for landing would
also be fine. The plane
does great in winds. For
beginning pilots, I would recommend
5-10mph winds for easier hand
launching. To hand launch, grasp
the plane from its top in front of
the canopy, and toss the plane
underhanded, straight ahead with
about 2/3 throttle. She’ll fly right
out of your hand and begin a nice
gentle climb.
Aerobatics: The E-flite P-51D Mustang can do steady rolls with moderate
amounts of aileron. Loops are large as long as airspeed is maintained,
and there was no tendency to drop a wing. With recommended CG, the
elevator is adequate but not powerful.
Even though it’s small, this P-51D
does well at maintaining its energy
and does climbing vertical maneuvers
and point rolls—just like its namesake!
Glide and stall performance: Landings
are easy and can be accomplished
by throttling to about 30% power
and flaring and cutting power just
above the ground. The key of course
is to maintain your airspeed! Keep it
moving, especially in gusty winds, and
you’ll be fine. Try to land in grass so
you won’t damage the plane’s bottom.
GENERAL FLIGHT
PERFORMANCE
Stability: The E-flite P-51D is quite
stable. On its first flight, was able
to fly very low and slow with only
20-30% throttle. The trims were
all correct with factory-neutral
settings.
Tracking: I know it’s a cliché, but
the P-51D flew as though on rails. I
used the dual rate and exponential
settings given in the manual. At low rates, maneuvers were slow and
scale-like. At higher rates, fast aerobatics were possible.
The P-51 can easily be handlaunched. The trick is to grip
the top of the model as shown,
then make a smooth, straight
underhand toss.
PILOT DEBRIEFING
This one is a crowd-pleaser, with its
scale color scheme, cockpit area, and
its realistic performance. The E-flite
P-51D Mustang has lots of power and
looks like a full-size Mustang in the
air. This cool little replica is a fun plane
for all pilots, even beginners: it looks great, handles well, and has no bad
tendencies at all, even at the lowest speeds.
Removing the canopy and hatch couldn’t be easier: just lift the rear up and pull back slightly. This
will allow you to instantly install or remove the flight battery, which slides forward for proper CG. A
strong magnet holds the canopy in place for flight.
The only non-scale parts are control horns to drive the elevator
and rudder. Ailerons are driven by hidden torque rods. All controls
and pushrods come ready to fly out of the box!
Unique features
The E-flite P-51D Mustang is completely
prefabricated and ready to assemble: when
you pull it from its box, you find that the
electric motor has prop and spinner installed;
the receiver, electronic speed control, and
three servos are pre-installed with pushrods
attached; the canopy is snapped into place and
held there by a powerful permanent magnet.
In addition, the box also holds a 450mAh 3-cell
LiPo battery, a display stand (yes! a display
stand), and a detailed instruction manual. The
only thing that is not included is a 4-channel
transmitter.
The attractive finish you see in the photos,
including invasion stripes on the wing and
fuselage bottom, blue anti-glare coloring
on the nose top, Army Air Corps emblems,
numbering, etc., is as-delivered, as are the
pilot and instrument panel detail. The model
even has black smoke streaks trailing behind
the machine guns on the wings! This is a very
realistic model and looks great on the ground
or in the air.
The model comes with servos installed,
pushrods attached, and surfaces hinged. The
ailerons are driven by torque rods supported
A Mustang Glider?
In addition to the simulated machine gun smoke
deposits shown here, it has a pilot in the cockpit and
authentic markings for the ultimate in realism!
by plastic pivots, so there are no control horns
visible on the wing. Elevator and rudder have
conventional pushrods with clevis endings.
The only assembly step is to join the wing to
the fuselage: thread the wing servo connector
into the fuselage and plug it into the receiver
and bolt the wing onto the body with a single
fastener. The horizontal and vertical tails are
already attached.
The supplied 3S battery fit snugly but it was
easy to move fore and aft to achieve the proper
When you think of a P-51 Mustang, you immediately imagine a powerful
WW II fighter aircraft. But did you know that a P-51 was flown as a glider
by NACA, the predecessor to NASA, in the early 1940s?
Scientists studying aerodynamics were interested in validating wind
tunnel drag measurements. The belief was that the lift and drag forces
measured on a scale model of an aircraft in a wind tunnel mounted to
a sensitive balance could be scaled up to predict the actual forces on a
full-sized aircraft, but no one had completely verified this assumption. So
NACA decided to fly a full-size P-51 to be sure.
The wind-tunnel scale model had no propeller, so the full-size P-51
would have to have its prop removed, and it would have to fly without
power. The “real” P-51’s oil and coolant ducts were blocked so that it
CG location. After binding the receiver to my
transmitter, the factory-set neutral positions
of all of the flying surfaces were just right, and
the settings worked well when I test-flew the
plane.
The E-flite P-51D model does not have
any landing gear, so it must be landed on its
belly (actually it lands on the scale radiator on
the bottom of the fuselage, under the wing). I
recommend that you fly this model on a field
with grass rather than pavement. In addition, I
added clear tape to the bottom to help reduce
“road rash.” The scale radiator is made of plastic
and will take some abuse, but a soft landing
surface would be best.
Conclusion
The E-flite P-51D Mustang is a complete,
prefabricated kit, so anyone can quickly
assemble it while waiting for its battery to
charge. It is a newer pilot’s plane; while not a
first aircraft, it would be a good second one.
The model sure looks good on the ground and
in the air, and will do any desired maneuvers
or aerobatics. It’s very efficient and stable, and
for beginning scale pilots, it will fly fine on half
throttle or less. 
had the same geometry as the wind tunnel model. To fly as a glider,
the aircraft was towed to altitude by a P-61 Black Widow aircraft with
tow cables, and it was then released to fly as a glider. By carefully
measuring the aircraft’s forward speed and descent rate, it was possible
to determine aircraft’s drag, after which the Mustang’s pilot made a
powerless landing.
During one flight, the tow cables were inadvertently released by the
P-61 and wrapped around the P-51. Although the cables interfered with
the pilot’s controls and resulted in a crash-landing, the pilot survived
without major injury. Comparison of flight measurements with data from
the wind tunnel showed good agreement, validating the wind-tunneltesting assumptions. For more information, the curious reader is referred
to NASA Report SP-3300, “Flight Research At NASA Ames.”
JULY 2014 63
Aerobatics Made Easy
By John Glezellis Illustrations by FX Models
Inverted Harrier
Into a Torque Roll
A
erobatic pilots like the adrenaline
of performing new and exciting
maneuvers, often low to the ground.
Experienced aerobatic pilots will be
able to perform certain maneuvers without
thinking and by using pure instinct. Instead of
thinking about key control inputs, they focus on
positioning their aircraft and placing it exactly
where they desire.
The maneuver of the month requires some
of these key instincts, but like all things in life,
this will develop after many flights and proper
practice techniques. To start, this move requires
that you’re familiar with both performing the
inverted harrier as well as the torque roll, and
you should know proper control inputs that may
be required for all orientations of the aircraft.
Our example airframe this month is the
E-flite Carbon-Z Yak 54. Although it’s a park
flyer, this airplane features flight characteristics
found in larger and more expensive models,
making it a great practice aircraft. We’ll
discuss a proper aerobatic setup as well as
the key control inputs needed for this exciting
maneuver combination as well as explore a few
“tricks of the trade” to make matters easier.
Without further hesitation, let’s get started!
Setup tips
Current aerobatic airplanes are capable of flying
a wide variety of maneuvers, from extreme
freestyle stunts like this month’s combination
to many precision moves. However, different
control throw and exponential amounts are
needed to perform each type of maneuver
with utmost accuracy. While a maximum
deflection of 12 degrees on aileron and elevator
and 30 degrees of rudder may work well for
precise rolling maneuvers, it will not be enough
deflection for the inverted harrier and hover
combination. For this maneuver, you’ll need
what we call “3D” rates. This simply means
that about 40 to 45 degrees of deflection are
needed on all control surfaces, with the proper
use of exponential.
Whenever you use large amounts of control
surface deflection, you should use a fair amount
of exponential. It is surprising to see how many
pilots have computer radios but do not take full
advantage of their capabilities, one of which
is exponential. Typically, a great starting point
is around 65% exponential with 45 degrees
of deflection. Exponential will soften how the
airplane will respond to certain control inputs
around neutral, but maximum travel can be
obtained by moving the control stick to the
maximum amount.
Overview
For your first few attempts, perform this
maneuver at a generous altitude, parallel to the
runway and into the wind. After you’ve rolled
your aircraft to inverted and pulled the throttle
back to idle, activate the 3D flight mode and
slowly feed in down-elevator to get the airplane
into an inverted harrier. A proper balance of
elevator input and throttle will cause the plane
airplane to travel at a high angle of attack while
inverted, without any loss in altitude. After the
aircraft has travelled down the runway and is
about to approach you, hold down-elevator and
apply throttle to get the airplane facing vertical,
and release all elevator input. Now, the airplane
will be in a hovering attitude. You’ll need to
balance throttle to maintain altitude and apply
rudder, aileron, and elevator corrections to keep
the airplane in this orientation while the airplane
rolls to the left on its own due to torque. When
you’re ready to exit the maneuver, advance
throttle to climb and apply a small amount
of down-elevator to push out of the vertical
attitude and transition into forward upright level
flight.
Now let’s divide this exciting landing into four
separate steps.
Step 1: Begin by lining the aircraft up to the
runway so that it is travelling into the wind at a
fairly high altitude and inverted. Then, decrease
throttle and activate your 3D flight mode. As
airspeed begins to decrease, you’ll have to feed
in down-elevator to maintain altitude. Slowly
feed in more down-elevator to increase the
angle of attack and apply only enough throttle
to maintain altitude while at this angle. Apply
any minor rudder and aileron corrections to
keep the airplane lined up with the runway.
Step 2: While your plane is performing an
inverted harrier, apply full down-elevator in a
fairly constant manner and only make changes
to the throttle to maintain altitude. In most
cases, your plane’s angle will be anywhere
between 30 and 45 degrees.
Step 3: To get the aircraft in a vertical attitude
and begin the hovering and torque rolling
segment, continue to hold in full down-elevator
and enough throttle to get the aircraft to
transition to vertical. During the transition, you’ll
Entry: Inverted
straight and level.
need to begin releasing the down-elevator you
don’t want this when the airplane is vertical.
Now, balance throttle, aileron, elevator and
rudder inputs so the airplane stays at the same
altitude and remains vertical.
Step 4: When you want to exit, wait until the
top of the airplane is facing you. Then, advance
the throttle and watch as the airplane executes
a vertical up-line. Push lightly on the elevator
to perform a 90-degree radius to upright level
flight as the airplane is on the Z-axis. Return
the aircraft to the normal flight and get ready to
give this maneuver another try!
4
Exit the maneuver
by pushing in some
down elevator and exit in
upright straight and level
flight.
EXIT: Exit the torque
roll by adding
power to climb out
vertically.
WHEN THE PLANE IS LOW TO THE
GROUND, ADDING THE WRONG
RUDDER WILL BECOME FATAL
FAIRLY QUICKLY!
3
Continue to adjust
the controls to
maintain position and
enter the torque roll.
2
Apply more downelevator to enter
a momentary vertical
hover.
1
Enter a slow inverted
harrier making slight
throttle adjustments to
maintain altitude.
TROUBLESHOOTING TIPS
Many pilots have difficulty applying corrective
rudder inputs when the aircraft is in a torquerolling attitude. For example, when the airplane
is vertical and the top of the wing is facing you,
it is fairly easy to correct the aircraft in rudder
as if the airplane leans to your left, right rudder
is needed. However, I have seen pilots crash
their models due to wrong rudder input when
the bottom of the aircraft is facing them. When
the plane is low to the ground, adding the wrong
rudder will become fatal fairly quickly! As a tip,
if the bottom of the airplane is facing you and it
leans toward your left shoulder, add the same
direction rudder input (in this case, left rudder).
Similarly, if the airplane leans to your right
shoulder, add right rudder.
Also, if you see too much wing rock during the
inverted harrier segment and need to constantly
change the elevator input to keep the airplane
at a defined angle relative to the horizon, ensure
that the center of gravity is at the recommended
point. Your plane may also have too much
elevator deflection. Although you may try to get
the most deflection you can from the aircraft,
when performing the actual maneuver you may
not be using full deflection on a given control
surface. I like to hold full down-elevator in the
inverted harrier and have the aircraft maintain
about a 40- to 45-degree angle of attack
relative to the horizon with no wing rock, and this
is often done with smaller elevator amounts.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Now you can combine an inverted harrier and a
torque roll into one show-stopping maneuver!
While practice makes perfect, equally important
is the proper aircraft setup. Taking time to ensure
that all linkages are tight on the aircraft and that
you have the correct control deflections and
exponential, etc., will enable you to consistently
perform complex maneuvers day after day. JULY 2014 65
Tailview
By Jim Ryan
Matt Andren’s Canadair CRJ-200 was
one of the big hits at the 2014 E-Fest.
Structure is primarily Depron foam, and
the all-up weight is just over 8 ounces.
Small Scale, Big Details
Matt Andren’s amazing indoor regional jet
O
ne happy side benefit of the explosion
of micro scale ARFs is the ready availability of super-light and reliable radio
and power systems for indoor scale
scratch-builders. No one knows that
better than Matt Andren of Horizon Hobby. Matt
is an inventive and talented builder, and he has
produced a whole range of detailed indoor scale
models, ranging from an RC conversion of Herr’s
rubber free-flight Helio Courier kit to a fantastic
scratch-designed Blohm & Voss BV-238 sixengine flying boat. Matt’s builds are based on
the inexpensive E-flite and ParkZone systems,
just as you might find in any of their Ultra Micro
series RTF and BNF aircraft.
At the 2014 E-Fest, Matt unveiled his latest
indoor scale creation, an exquisitely detailed
Canadair CRJ-200 regional jet in American Eagle
The functioning trailing link landing gear struts are one of the most impressive
features of this terrific model. They’re fabricated from Robart Hinge Points!
livery. Crafted primarily from Depron foam, this
fascinating model spans 27 inches and weighs
just 8 1/4 ounces. The jet features full 6-channel control, with functioning articulated landing gear and Fowler flaps. Power is provided by
two of the brushless 28mm EDF units from the
E-flite UMX MiG-15.
The airframe structure is fascinating. At first
glance, the fuselage appears to be made up of
hollow foam cylinders, but Matt showed that
the jet has an internal cruciform frame, wrapped
with a Depron skin just 1mm thick. Radio and
battery access are through the scale cabin door
and luggage compartment hatch. The American Eagle markings were printed on Testor’s
waterslide decal stock using a standard ink-jet
printer.
The 6-channel control system uses E-flite’s
ultra-micro linear servos, with the more powerful versions from the Blade 130X helicopter used
for more demanding functions like the ailerons,
flaps and landing gear. For elevator control, Matt
installed a full-flying stabilizer, just like that on
the full-scale RJ.
This is one of those models where the longer
you look, the more cool things you see. During
our preview of this jet, Matt grinned and said,
“Did you see the landing gear? They’re Robart
Hinge Points!” Sure enough, the functional
sprung gear struts were fabricated from Hinge
Points. The effect is both realistic and very
strong. This is the sort of ingenuity that makes
scale modelers such a blast to be around.
Matt has flown his RJ in the Illinois University
Armory, but he said it’s a little tight on space,
such that it wasn’t practical to demo it in the
more confined airspace at E-Fest. He commented, “I’m really looking forward to flying
it at the club field on those flat calm summer
evenings. It ought to really look great then.” It
should indeed. 
Access to the radio and flight battery are through the scale cabin door and cargo
compartment hatch. E-flite linear servos control all functions.

Electric Flight - July 2014

Transcription

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