it`s showtime! - Trabuco RC Flyers

IT’S
SHOWTIME!
What you’ll
learn:
Get ready to put on a
show! In this chapter, top
pilots show you how to do
advanced aerobatic maneuvers such as the Cuban-8,
the elevator, the harrier, the
blender, the humpty-bump,
the shark’s tooth—and
more! The secrets to success? Lots of practice, and
always keep your plane at
least two mistakes high!
4
Master
the
Cuban-8
—by Rick Bell
illustrations by FX Models
The Immelmann turn is a
half inside loop with a
half-roll at the top, and a
split-S is a half-roll followed by a half inside
loop back to level flight.
These maneuvers are just
pieces of loops and rolls
strung together. There are
many more loop/roll
combinations, but two of
the most impressive are
the Cuban-8 and the
Reverse Cuban-8.
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4
3
Maneuver origins
Flying for the Cuban government during 1936, American pilot Len Povey
competed in an aerobatic competition
called the “All American Show” in
Miami, FL. During the competition,
he planned to do—as an extra maneuver— three snap rolls at the top of a
loop. At the top of the loop, though,
Povey realized that he was going too
fast to do the snaps. He continued the
loop and immediately did a half-roll.
He then repeated the maneuver to
create what looked like a figure-8 lying
on its side. Jimmy Doolittle (leader of
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It’s showtime!
the famous raid on Tokyo in WW II)
was one of the judges, and he asked
Povey whether he had a name for
his exciting maneuver. Povey quickly
dubbed it the Cuban-8. The name
stuck, and as they say, the rest is history (although some controversy
surrounds this account of the maneuver’s origin).
Cuban-8
The Cuban-8 consists of a three-quarter loop with a half-roll as the plane
flies inverted downward at a 45-degree
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heading downward at a 45-degree
angle. The first time you do the
maneuver, release the elevator and
roll right-side up as soon as the plane
is slightly nose-down, or just past the
top of the Immelmann. Make sure
that you let go of the up-elevator
before you do the roll; if you don’t,
it will pull the plane off to one side
during the roll. Also, be sure to keep
the wings level during the loop.
After doing the roll, let the plane
continue downward until it is at the
1
Smoothly apply power and up-elevator
to start a loop.
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1
As the plane goes over the top of the loop, release
elevator and reduce power.
3
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Apply aileron and roll upright.
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angle followed by another threequarter loop and another half-roll
during the second descending angle.
It is an easy maneuver to perform,
and it’s impressive when it’s done
close to the ground.
Start the maneuver by flying at full
power, straight and level — with the
wind or downwind. Apply up-elevator as if you’re going to do a loop.
Remember the point at which you
roll out at the top when you do an
Immelmann? Well, this time, continue
the loop until the plane is inverted and
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Add throttle and up-elevator to start the second
half of the maneuver.
Master the Cuban-8
61
Start a Reverse Cuban-8 by pulling up and doing the roll first, followed by the loop.
same altitude as when you started the
maneuver, and then smoothly pull up
into another three-quarter loop and
finish the maneuver in the same way
as you did the first half. When you
exit, you should be flying in the same
direction and at the same altitude as
when you started the maneuver.
As you become more proficient
doing Cuban-8s, make the loops larger,
and pause for a second or two before
doing the roll. Try to place the roll in
the second half of the maneuver in the
same place as you do in the first half
so the maneuver looks symmetrical.
Reverse Cuban-8
The Reverse Cuban-8 looks just like a
normal Cuban-8, but you pull up and
do the roll first. Start the maneuver at
a safe altitude, and apply up-elevator
to make the plane climb at a 45-degree
angle. Roll to inverted, decrease throttle to idle and “pull” up-elevator until
the plane completes the last part of a
loop. Recover in a normal flying attitude, and then increase the power and
do the other half of the maneuver in
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It’s showtime!
the same way as you did the first. It’s an
exciting variation that’s easy to fly and
looks really cool when done well.
Wrap-up
The Cuban-8 and Reverse Cuban-8
are easy to learn, and when you fly
them with precision, they are beautiful. There are many variations on the
Cuban-8: try flying the maneuver
inverted or do point rolls instead of a
continuous roll. The variations are
limited only by your imagination!
Practice makes perfect. Whenever you
learn new maneuvers, fly at least two
mistakes high. After you’ve mastered
them, you’ll be well on your way to
becoming a backyard ace!
How to
hover
—by Erick Royer
illustrations by Paul Perreault
So you want to learn to hover? Start with the right plane and power system.
The idea of hovering an airplane vertically and remaining aloft solely from
the thrust of the propeller was unheard
of just a few years ago. With recent
advances in airframe, motor and battery technology, we now have lighter
and stronger models, more efficient
and powerful motors and most important, lightweight batteries with very
high energy outputs. Combine the
three, and you have a power system
that can produce thrust that exceeds
the weight of the plane.
What are 3D maneuvers,
and what makes
a good 3D airplane?
3D maneuvers are best described as
maneuvers that have unusual angles
and attitudes. These maneuvers include
torque rolls, descending while the nose
is held high at a 45-degree angle, rapid
tumbling nose over tail and, of course,
hovering. They require a different
control setup with extreme control
throws and an aft center of gravity.
To successfully hover a plane,
it must meet certain requirements.
It needs large control surfaces; a strong,
light airframe; fast servos; and most
important, a motor/propeller/battery
combination that provides a minimum
of a 1.5:1 thrust-to-weight ratio.
The control surfaces must be substantial and capable of being deflected
to extreme angles. The elevator
should be at least 50 percent of the
horizontal stabilizer’s size, and the
ailerons should be a minimum of
30 percent of the wing. The ailerons
should also span the length of each
panel so that their inboard portions
are in the propeller blast. When the
plane hangs vertically (hovers), there
isn’t any airflow over the wing’s outboard sections, so the outer portions
of the ailerons are useless. The rudder
should move to the extreme left and
right without touching the elevators.
The servos that you use should be
based on the manufacturer’s recommendations. Fast servos allow the
control surfaces to respond much
more quickly to your stick inputs.
Your power system should be able
to hover the plane at 1⁄2 throttle.
This means it should have a thrustto-weight ratio of 1.5:1. For example,
if the model weighs 1 pound,
the motor/prop/battery should generate 11⁄2 pounds of thrust. You can
hover a plane with a 1:1 ratio, but
that wouldn’t give you any reserve
power to pull out if you get into
trouble. I prefer a 2:1 ratio (2 pounds
of thrust for each pound of weight).
A brushless motor combined with the
new Li-poly batteries from Kokam,
Thunder Power, or E-Tec is an excellent way to go.
If you want to
hover an aircraft,
you need to fly an
RC helicopter—right?
Wrong! Three-dimensional (3D) flying has
been around for a few
years, and this flying
craze is now taking a
firm grip on park fliers.
How to hover
63
Full-span
ailerons
I have the right equipment.
Now what?
Sustained hovering is one of the most
difficult 3D maneuvers to perform with
a model. There are two ways to learn
how to hover: flying high and flying
low. Many pilots feel that learning to
hover at a low altitude makes it easier
for you to see what the model is doing,
and therefore, you can react more
quickly to keep the model in a hover.
But if you mess up, there isn’t much
room for you to get out of a jam.
Conversely, hovering at a higher altitude gives you a lot more room for
error, but it’s more difficult to see the
model and, therefore, to react to what
it’s doing. I think it’s best to start learning to hover at least “two mistakes
high” until you are comfortable with
the control inputs that are required to
prevent the model from “falling out” of
the maneuver. As you progress, you can
hover lower and lower until you are
only a few inches from the ground.
The model must be set up with
a center of gravity that’s farther aft
(compared with normal flying), and the
control throws should be set up with
high and low dual rates. Low rate is
for general all-around flying, and on
high rate, the controls should be maxed
out with around 45 degrees of deflection. To soften the controls around
neutral, dial in 25 to 50 percent of
exponential, depending on your radio
and preferences.
Hovering
To enter a hover, first switch to high
rates, then fly the model slowly enough
for you to quickly apply full up-elevator
Oversize
rudder
Large
elevators
and have the model “snap” into a
vertical attitude. If the model doesn’t
snap or requires a lot of throttle to
maintain a vertical attitude, it is probably nose-heavy, and the CG should be
moved slightly aft. It’s easier to practice hovering with the canopy facing
you, and I like to focus on the nose of
the plane. To maintain control, apply
inputs that are the opposite of the nose
attitude. If the nose starts to fall toward
the belly, pull up-elevator; if it falls to
the right, add left rudder — you get the
idea. As the nose points to the sky,
you must balance the throttle to
prevent the plane from climbing or
descending while you work the
ailerons, rudder and elevator to
prevent it from falling out of the
maneuver. The key to hovering is to
get enough experience to be able to
anticipate what the plane is going to
do before it happens; you’ll then be
able to react with appropriate control
inputs. If you notice the plane start to
fall out and your corrections are not
helping, simply relax the controls and
allow the plane to fly again while you
add power. Switch back to low rates
so you do not over-control the plane.
To truly master hovering, you will
need to practice, practice, practice.
It isn’t uncommon for someone to fly
many, many flights before getting the
hang of it. One day, however, you will
notice that you are hovering effortlessly. The control inputs become
second nature, just as they did when
you first learned how to take off and
land. Happy hovering!
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2
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1. Using high rates, slowly fly the model.
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It’s showtime!
2. Quickly apply up-elevator so the
model “snaps” vertical.
3. Use throttle and the other controls
so the model hangs by the prop.
Fly the
elevator
& the
harrier
—by John Reid
illustrations by Paul Perreault
During a harrier, the plane slowly flies across the field at a high angle of attack.
The elevator and the harrier maneuvers
can be done with any 3D-capable
electric aerobatic plane that meets
the usual requirements for 3D flight:
large control surfaces with 45 degrees
of movement; a strong, light airframe
balanced slightly aftward; and —
especially important — a motor that
can hover the plane on 1⁄2 throttle.
To get this much power, a brushless
motor and the new Li-poly batteries
are excellent choices. Although not
absolutely necessary, a plane that uses
a computer radio and a spoileron mix
(you’ll need to use a servo for each
aileron) will make flying these maneuvers easier. This mix helps steady the
wings and prevents them from teetering back and forth.
A computer radio will give you better control during the slow-speed high
angle of attack (AoA) needed for these
maneuvers. To do this, program the
radio by assigning the elevator as the
master channel and the flaps (ailerons)
as the slave. Set up the mix values so
that when the elevator is at full deflection, both ailerons move up a little;
this helps stabilize the plane at the slow
speed needed to perform the elevator
and harrier. Keep in mind that many
smaller and lighter 3D electric planes
may do just fine without any mixing
during slow-speed, high-AoA maneuvers. The best way to find out whether
this mixing is needed is to try out these
maneuvers at plenty of altitude so you
have time to correct any mistakes.
If the plane is difficult to control and
teeters back and forth quite a bit,
then the spoileron mix may be required
for that plane.
The harrier
When you’re first learning this 3D
maneuver, practice with some altitude,
even though it’s commonly performed
close to the ground. The harrier is
simply very slow forward flight with
the plane in a stalled attitude that’s
roughly at a 45-degree, nose-up angle.
The flight path should run parallel to
the ground with no gain or loss in
altitude as the plane travels forward.
Tournament of Champions pilot
Jason Shulman recommends flying
this maneuver at a safe altitude and
flying into the wind. Begin by slowing
the plane down, and maintain altitude
with the elevator until it is at full
deflection; carry a bit of power to
keep the plane level. You may have
to increase or decrease power until
you’ve found the correct combination
of elevator and power to keep the
nose high while the plane flies level.
You may also need to use some aileron
and rudder to keep the wings level.
Again, use the power to drive the
plane across the field. When you are
ready to exit the maneuver, power up
and decrease the elevator until you’re
flying straight and level again.
The trickiest part of flying the harrier is using the rudder to steer the
plane. Try not to use the ailerons too
much, as they could cause the plane to
wobble from side to side. Keeping up
Today’s powerful brushless motors and high-ampdriving batteries have
advanced park flyers
from models that once
required great skill to fly
for just a few minutes to
rock-stable aircraft that
almost fly themselves for
20 minutes or more (OK;
maybe I’m exaggerating
a bit here). Many park
flyers are now capable of
a wide array of flying performances that include
3D aerobatics and two
maneuvers that will really
wow a crowd — the elevator and the harrier.
Fly the elvator & the harrier
65
In an elevator, your plane should drop vertically while it’s at a high angle of attack.
with that will test your thumbs’
dexterity. This is a great transitional
maneuver to follow the elevator and
lead into a rolling harrier or a torque
roll. For advanced flying, slowly lose
altitude and do a harrier landing.
Let the plane land softly on the rear
wheel, and add a touch of power so
the main gears settle gently onto
the runway.
The elevator
In the elevator maneuver, the plane
drops vertically in a nose-high attitude.
During your first attempts, the plane
may drop at a 45-degree angle, but as
you practice and gain experience,
it will soon drop straight down.
Flying into a headwind will improve
the look of the elevator, and if there
is a good wind, the plane may even
go backwards a little.
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It’s showtime!
Again, Jason Shulman recommends
starting this maneuver at a high
altitude — at least three mistakes
high — while flying into the wind.
Begin the entry at a slow speed
(about 1⁄4 throttle), and slowly
increase the elevator to full
deflection. As the airplane slows, use
the ailerons and rudder to keep the
plane straight. You will have to adjust
the power to keep the nose slightly
high, but be sure not to add too
much power, as that will cause the
plane to fly forward. When you are
ready to exit the maneuver, increase
the power and decrease the elevator
until you are flying straight and level.
The trickiest part of flying the
elevator is learning how to steer the
plane down by juggling back and
forth between the rudder and throttle. This is a great maneuver to lead
right into a harrier. For advanced
flying, take the elevator all the way
down to the ground, add a little
power just before touchdown to slow
the descent, and land the plane.
Remember two things while flying
these maneuvers: always start with
plenty of altitude, and don’t let your
direction (rudder) get away from you.
Forgetting either of these could result
in your snapping the plane while too
low and ending your performance
with a dirt nap—not the best way
to finish the day!
The elevator and the harrier are
impressive maneuvers in any aerobatic performance, especially when
flown close to the ground. Most 3Dcapable planes will fly them well;
all that’s required for you to master
the tricks are the right setup and
some practice.
Fly the
blender
—by Mike McConville
illustrations by FX Models
The blender is an impressive maneuver
that incorporates a vertical flat spin.
In the late ’90s, Quique Somenzini
brought this maneuver into the public
eye when he did it in his Tournament
of Champions freestyle routine. In his
unique and amazing presentation,
it was performed very low and at show
center; everyone at the field gasped
when they saw it. Quique called it the
“panic,” but it soon became known as
the “blender.”
If you’re looking to expand your 3Dflight regimen, the blender is a good
maneuver to start with. What makes
the blender unique? It looks very
impressive yet is actually very simple
to do. Although many more involved
3D maneuvers require that a pilot
master coordination of the rudder with
rolls and have a lot of flying experience, the blender can be done with
just a few simple stick movements.
The airplane
The blender can be done with many
different models, from big 40-percent
gassers to small foamies. A model
needs only the four basic functions:
rudder, elevator, aileron and throttle.
A design that is typically low- or midwing that doesn’t have much dihedral
but has enough elevator authority to
do an inverted flat spin is perfect for
this maneuver.
The maneuver
The blender can be broken down into
four basic elements: a vertical dive,
rolls, a snap to an inverted flat spin,
and the exit. Although these elements
may sound a bit involved, they aren’t
that hard. Let’s walk through the
entire maneuver.
First, get plenty of altitude. Even
today, I always like to be a few mistakes
high when I attempt a new maneuver.
At altitude, throttle back to low power.
Flip your elevator, rudder and aileron
rates to high. Push the nose straight
down and start to dive. As soon as the
model is vertical, give left aileron and
start a left-rolling dive. So far, so good;
I told you it was simple…right? Now,
let’s add some excitement — as you
continue to roll left, push in some right
rudder (about 1⁄2 stick). The model
will start to wobble as it rolls, and the
descent will slow. After holding those
inputs for a quick three-count, quickly
push the sticks into the inside corners,
i.e., full left aileron, full down-elevator
and full right rudder. The model will
very quickly enter an inverted snap.
Although the blender is
considered one of the more
dramatic 3D maneuvers,
it actually predates 3D
flight. I remember seeing
variations of it done more
than a dozen years ago,
and it was even described
in the manuals of some
aerobatic-model kits that
I designed for Midwest
Products back in the mid90s. The basic maneuver
existed long before it had
a name.
Fly the blender
67
1
f
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1
2
Reduce power and start a vertical dive
with down-elevator.
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2
After only a second or less, quickly
move the ailerons from full left to
neutral (or even a little right) while
you hold full down-elevator and full
right rudder. The model will transition
from the inverted snap to an inverted
flat spin and very quickly decelerate
its downward movement.
If your model’s control throws are
set properly, the first three parts of
the blender are now complete. If you
do this a few mistakes high, you will
be able to exit by neutralizing all of
the controls, and at the same time,
flipping back to low rates (to avoid
over-controlling) and adding power
to fly out of it. As you gain experience and learn other 3D maneuvers,
you can combine them with the
blender. Try to exit the maneuver by
rolling out into a harrier or neutralizing the aileron and rudder so your
plane falls into an inverted elevator.
Blender with a Twist
Release the elevator, and apply left aileron.
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3
After completing two rolls, add some right rudder.
3
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4
4
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As the model starts to wobble, add full
down-elevator, left aileron and right rudder.
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To add a little twist to this maneuver,
do the blender without using 1⁄2 right
rudder input when the model is rolling
toward the ground. Do everything
else as described above, but leave that
step out. When you quickly push the
sticks into the corners, the snap to
inverted will be faster and more violent because there isn’t any 1⁄2 right
rudder to slow the descent before the
snap. That looks cool, but be careful!
It can be quite violent and put a lot
of stress on your model. I’m not
responsible for any broken wings.
Once you get the hang of the
blender, start bringing it lower to the
ground before you do the snap into
the flat spin. Pretty soon, you’ll have
it mastered and will be able to move
on to learning another 3D trick.
Remember: practice, practice, practice, and above all — have fun!
Welcome to the world of 3D flying!
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Exit the maneuver by neutralizing
the controls and rolling upright.
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It’s showtime!
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* For your first roll, pull the plane’s nose up and apply aileron.
It should take two or three seconds to complete the roll.
Master
precision
rolls
—by John Reid
—illustrations by FX Models
Getting started
If you have flown for any length of
time at all, you have probably already
done some rolls. If you’re like me,
you most likely just banged the aileron
stick over to the right or the left and
watched as the plane performed a
very fast roll. When the plane was
upright, you just released the stick,
and the roll was completed. But when
you slowed down the roll (to two to
three seconds per roll), the plane
started to fall out of the sky and lost
quite a bit of altitude by the time the
maneuver was over. I quickly learned
that I needed to make some corrections throughout the maneuver to
keep the plane flying straight and
level. To start our first roll, we will
make corrections only at the start of
the maneuver.
With your plane heading into the
wind or downwind, enter the maneuver with the plane flying straight and
level and then add some up-elevator
to get the plane pointing upward
about 20 degrees. Now input enough
aileron to make the plane do a slow
roll. Try to judge the amount of aileron
input so that the plane will take two
to three seconds to complete the roll.
During the maneuver, the plane’s nose
will drop because of decreased lift as
the plane rolls over. If you have started
the maneuver at the proper angle,
the plane will describe a shallow arc
during the roll and then exit right-side
up at the same altitude as it entered
the maneuver. You may be required
to add a little up-elevator as the plane
exits the roll to keep it flying straight
and level. If you end up at a higher
altitude when you exit, start with a
little lower heading. If you wind up at
a lower altitude on exiting, start the
maneuver with a little higher heading.
Continue to practice this slow roll
until you can exit at the same altitude
as you entered every time.
Your first true roll
Now that you have mastered your
first roll with only up-elevator correction, you are ready to move on to your
first true roll. This involves applying
some down-elevator (that is, pushing
the transmitter stick forward) while
the plane is flying through the inverted
part of the roll.
Begin the maneuver by flying
straight and level either into the wind
or downwind, and add a little up-elevator to move the plane’s nose upward.
Because you’ll be compensating for
the loss of altitude when the plane is
inverted, you won’t need to input as
much up-elevator at the start of the
maneuver; the nose will have to point
upward only a couple of degrees.
Begin your roll by applying a little
aileron, again timing it so it lasts for
two to three seconds. When the wing
has rolled past vertical (knife-edge),
begin applying down-elevator.
You should start out with just a little
elevator and increase it until the plane
is completely inverted. You want to
apply only enough elevator to keep
the plane flying level. As the wing
continues to rotate past inverted,
reduce the elevator input until the
elevator stick is in the neutral position.
This should be at the same time as the
wing enters the second vertical position, three quarters of the way through
the roll. The plane should rotate back
into the upright position and exit the
maneuver at the same altitude.
Because the plane is still losing
altitude throughout the knife-edge part
of the roll, the maneuver will still have
A roll is a maneuver that
many pilots generally learn
within the first couple of
flights. Just hold full right
or left aileron, and the
plane will most likely
perform a roll. But rolls
are an integral part of
many aerobatic routines.
Throughout many
advanced routines, rolls
are often a predominant
part of the maneuver.
Learning to do rolls is
easy; learning to do them
with precision is not so
easy, but with practice,
it can be done.
* Note: All stick movements have been
exaggerated for clarity.
Master precision rolls
69
1
2
1
2
f
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Start the roll as before; raise the nose
and apply aileron.
As the model rolls inverted, apply some
down-elevator to maintain altitude.
a slight arc as the plane tracks through
the sky. Problems can occur throughout this roll if you push too much
down-elevator while the plane is
inverted. Another frequent error is
pushing the elevator stick too soon —
while the plane is still right-side up —
or not releasing the elevator soon
enough as the airplane rolls back over.
Once you have mastered the timing
of applying the proper amount of
down-elevator throughout the roll,
the plane will remain at about the
same altitude throughout the maneuver, and you’ll be ready to move on
to the precision roll.
hand. We will use the rudder stick to
work in unison with the elevator
throughout the roll to maintain the
plane’s heading and altitude so that it
will appear to track in a straight line.
Begin by entering the maneuver
straight and level and then initiate the
roll with a little aileron; constantly
maintain that amount throughout
the maneuver. As the plane starts to
roll, immediately start applying the
appropriate rudder to maintain a
straight and level heading. For example, a right roll will require left
rudder to maintain the plane’s altitude. The maximum amount of
rudder input will be required when the
wing reaches vertical. Once the plane’s
wing has rolled past vertical, start to
ease off on the rudder, and begin to
apply down-elevator until the plane
is inverted. At this point, you should
have no rudder input, and you should
have applied the maximum downelevator needed to maintain level
flight. As the roll continues, begin to
Mastering precision rolls
Up to this point, only one of your
hands was moving throughout the
entire maneuver (for most of us,
this would be the right hand because
it controls both the elevator and
aileron inputs). But to make the roll
follow a perfectly straight path, you will
need to solicit the help of your left
1
ease off the elevator and apply the
appropriate rudder (at this point,
for a right roll, you will need right
rudder) to maintain altitude as the
plane rolls around again to vertical.
When the wing is in the second vertical position, the plane should again
have the maximum amount of rudder, with no elevator input necessary
to maintain level flight. The wing
will continue to roll over until the
plane is in the upright position.
During this time, slowly release the
rudder stick so that there is no rudder
input at the exact time the plane
reaches the upright position. If everything was timed correctly, the plane
should exit at the same altitude as it
started the maneuver.
Executing a precision roll is a
maneuver that anyone can master with
a wide variety of planes. Now that
you know the correct control inputs,
the only thing preventing you from
flying that perfect roll is practice,
practice and more practice.
2
3
4
f
Begin the precision roll straight and level,
and apply aileron.
f
70
It’s showtime!
2
As the roll begins, apply rudder. If the roll is to the
right, use left rudder.
3
Next, slowly release the rudder and apply
down-elevator.
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1
f
4
As the roll continues, slowly release the elevator and
apply left rudder. Level the plane as it exits the roll.
2
Push into a 45degree down-line;
pull power to idle.
Figure 1
Basic shark’s
tooth
Perfect the
shark’s tooth
—by John Reid
illustrations by FX Models
1
At full power,
pull into a
vertical up-line.
The shark’s tooth is one of those maneuvers that — at first glance — seems quite
simple. In reality, to perform it well
requires a lot of practice. Simply
put, the shark’s tooth is a vertical
climb that’s followed by a 45degree down line to form the
outline of what appears to
be a shark’s tooth.
Setup
This maneuver can be done by any
plane that can fly an outside loop,
can easily fly inverted and is set up with
mid to low control rates. The shark’s
tooth is more about finesse and precision control than about banging sticks
from one corner to the other.
Another important consideration
is the wind direction. If possible,
try to fly into the wind when entering
this maneuver. As most of us know,
however, Murphy’s Law dictates that
if the wind is blowing, it will most
likely be a crosswind to the runway.
If this should happen to you, adjust to
the situation by crabbing the plane
into the wind. Crabbing is when you
use your rudder to point the nose of
the plane slightly into the wind,
especially while on the upward path
of this maneuver. This allows the plane
to continue on a straight, vertical,
up line without drifting off the line
with the wind.
Flying the shark’s tooth
In its simplest form, the shark’s tooth
is executed by flying your plane into
the wind on a straight and level path
that’s parallel to the runway (Figure 1).
Use an entry altitude of between 25 and
100 feet, depending on the size of your
plane (you’ll want to be able to see it
clearly). At full throttle, pull back on the
elevator stick so the plane does a 1⁄4
inside loop and enters a vertical climb.
Extend the up line for about 200 to 300
feet; make adjustments for the wind
to maintain a true vertical up line.
When your plane has reached the
top of the maneuver, push it over (using
down-elevator) into a 135-degree outside loop. The radius of this push should
be roughly the same radius as you used
to enter the up line. Immediately after
you’ve got the plane pointing in the
45-degree down line, reduce the
throttle to idle. The idea here is to
have the plane complete the rest of
the maneuver at about the same speed
as it entered it.
Continue flying the 45-degree
down line until the plane reaches the
same altitude as the entry. Exit the
maneuver by pulling a bit of up-elevator until the plane is again flying
straight, level and parallel to the runway. The radius of this pull should be
the same radius as the previous two
pulls. That’s it; you’ve completed the
simple shark’s-tooth maneuver.
3
Pull back into straight and level flight;
exit at same altitude as you entered.
Perfect the shark’s tooth
71
One variation
To make the shark’s tooth a little more
challenging, you can change the direction of the pulls and add snap rolls to
the up or down lines. Figure 2 shows
a twist on the shark’s-tooth maneuver;
it’s flown in reverse yet maintains the
shark’s-tooth outline.
Begin this maneuver as you did
before by pulling into the vertical up
line. But this time, when you reach
the top of the line, pull back on the
elevator stick so that the plane pulls
back into roughly a 135-degree inside
loop to establish the 45-degree down
line while inverted. Reduce the throttle
to idle, and let the plane fly inverted.
At approximately a third of the way
through the down line, perform 2
points of a 4-point roll so that the
plane flies right-side up for the last
third of the 45-degree down line.
Apply the ailerons precisely so that
the two points are well defined,
and stop at the knife-edge point for
only a moment. You may have to
compensate with some throttle and
rudder management to keep the
45-degree down line straight and
true. When the plane reaches the
same altitude as the maneuver’s entry,
pull back on the elevator so the plane
will exit straight and level and parallel
to the runway. Again, the radius of all
the pulls should be the same.
Figure 2
Shark’s tooth
with a twist
2
Unlimited possibilities
There are dozens of shark’s-tooth
variations. Experiment, and then go
ahead and practice this challenging
maneuver. After you’ve mastered the
simple shark’s tooth, move on
to the more advanced variations. Throw in a few point
rolls or snaps, and you’ll
keep this maneuver
fresh and interesting. Have fun!
3
1
4
f
It’s showtime!
f
f
Execute 2 points of a 4-point roll to the right; adjust throttle and rudder to
maintain a straight down-line.
72
2
Pull up into an inverted 45-degree down-line; pull power to idle.
At full power, pull into a vertical up-line.
3
f
1
f
f
4
Pull to straight and level; exit at same atltitude as you entered.
3
1⁄2
inside loop
The humpty bump can be used as a
nice turnaround maneuver, or with a
few rolls thrown in, it becomes a center-stage crowd-pleaser. Because you
can add a lot of challenging components to the humpty bump, this
maneuver will always test your abilities
as your flying skills increase. The best
part of the basic humpty bump is that
it is the perfect springboard for entrylevel aerobatic pilots.
Learn
the
humpty
bump
Humpty-bump primer
Before doing even a basic humpty
bump, take the time to perfect simple
maneuvers such as nicely executed
inside and outside loops, crisp rolls in
either direction and keeping your park
flyer straight and level before you pull
into a nice vertical up-line. It’s also
good to know how to use rudder correction during a loop.
You don’t need a high-end aerobatic
performance plane to fly a basic
—by John Reid
illustrations by FX Models
2
1⁄2
right roll
f
f
4
1
Maintain
vertical
down-line
Go to full throttle, and pull up-elevator into a
straight, vertical up-line.
2
f
1⁄4 loop to
upright
Execute a full roll.
1
f
f
3
The humpty bump is
one of the most versatile
aerobatic maneuvers out
there because it can be
performed by pilots of
any ability. An
average pilot can
fly the simple
version with just
about any plane,
but the more
complex humpty
bump, with snap rolls
or 45-degree up lines,
can be quite challenging,
even for the best pilots
with the hottest aerobatic aircraft.
1⁄4
loop;
pull to up-line
Pull up-elevator, and perform a half-loop while at
the same time reducing throttle to idle.
f
f
4
Enter
Exit
Maintain vertical down-line
Learn the humpty bump
73
humpty bump. Any park flyer with
decent vertical performance will execute the basic maneuver. For the more
intricate variations, however, you will
need an airplane that has good powerto-weight performance and is capable
of an extended vertical climbout.
Down to basics
The basic humpty bump is the perfect
turnaround maneuver, and unless it is
performed center stage, most of the
time, you will be doing it as the plane
is flying away from you. Begin the
humpty bump by doing a flyby down
the runway. Be sure that the plane is
straight and level in upright flight. As
soon as the plane has passed you and is
flying away from you, go to full power
and pull into a 1⁄4 inside loop to establish a straight vertical up-line. It is
extremely important to fly straight and
level before you enter the 1⁄4 inside
loop. If one wing is low, even just a little bit, your vertical up-line won’t be
straight, and you’ll need to make a
74
It’s showtime!
noticeable correction with your rudder.
If you notice that one wing is lower
than the other when the plane flies
past you, make a slight aileron correction to get the wings level before you
pull into the 1⁄4 inside loop.
After you’ve established a nice vertical up-line, do a 1⁄2 roll in either
direction, and continue with the vertical up-line for roughly the same
distance as you flew before the roll.
Pull into 1⁄2 inside loop, and gradually
reduce the throttle to idle. Establish a
straight down-line, and continue so
that it is longer than the up-line. Pull
another 1⁄4 loop and exit straight and
level, flying slightly lower and in the
direction opposite to the one in which
you entered the maneuver.
As you can see, the beauty of the
humpty bump is that it can be a simple
maneuver or as complicated as you
like. Just add extra rolls, reverse rolls,
point rolls, or snap-rolls on the up- or
down-line. But remember that as you
add maneuvers to the up- and down-
lines, they’ll become longer, and the
plane will need enough power to carry
it to the top. Always give yourself
enough altitude to have room to perform complicated down-lines. Even at
idle, a plane will accelerate on the
down-line.
So what’s next?
Once you’ve mastered the basic
humpty bump, try variations such as
altering the direction or position of the
exit point. This can be the same as the
entrance point or may run parallel to
it. Another variable is to do a reverse
humpty bump; start at the top with a
down-line to the humpty bump, which
you do at the bottom, and then enter
the up-line and exit at the top. You can
even fly a variation in which the vertical lines are tilted at a 45-degree angle.
But no matter what you add to it or
how you execute it, the humpty bump
will always provide a challenge.
FIGURE 1 Ordinary Loop
3
The
avalanche
—simple &
complex!
Continue holding
up-elevator
In addition to making
the loop perfectly
round and properly
positioned, you also
have to make it the
proper size.
2
—Mike McConville
illustrations by FX Models
Pull up
4
1
Exit straight
and level
The “avalanche.” With a
name like that, it must
be a wild 3D maneuver,
right? Not really! The
avalanche was around
long before 3D aerobatics were ever dreamed of,
and in various forms, it
has been a maneuver in
the precision schedules
of many patterns for
competition.
Enter straight and
level, full power
As I’ve said before, even if you’re interested only in 3D aerobatics, it will help
your 3D flying immensely to learn the
fundamentals of flying precision
maneuvers. The discipline you gain
from flying precision will make your
3D flying more intentional, and it will
result in a much more planned and
well-executed presentation. Whether
you never intend to compete or you
have every intention of one day competing, read on; you won’t be sorry you
learned this maneuver.
top. Sounds easy, doesn’t it? Actually,
it is—once you understand the
maneuver’s elements and where and
when to do them.
You begin with the proper execution
of the loop element. A loop is simply a
circle done vertically in the sky along
the model’s pitch axis. That just means
that when starting from level flight,
you pull up-elevator and hold on until
the model loops through 360 degrees
and returns to level flight (see figure 1).
Now, let’s turn an ordinary loop into a
well-presented, precision loop:
What is it?
In simplest terms, the avalanche is a
loop with a snap roll executed at the
Step 1. Put it in the right place.
When starting the loop, fly the model
parallel to the runway in front of you.
Don’t start the loop if the model is flying at an angle toward or away from
you. Doing that makes it impossible to
see the loop’s symmetry.
Step 2. Center the loop on yourself.
The loop should start just as the model
reaches center or is exactly in front of
you. Just as it reaches that point, pull
back on the elevator.
Step 3. Shape it right. The loop should
be a perfect circle drawn in the sky—
not an oval. It should start and end at
the same altitude, and when done correctly, it actually starts and ends at the
The avalanche—simple & complex!
75
FIGURE 2 Precision Loop
4
5
Adjust elevator pressure,
check for wings level
Increase up-elevator,
reduce power
3
2
6
Pull up-elevator (use
less than full up)
Increase power
7
1
exact same point no closer or farther
away from you (see figure 2). Trying to
do this might highlight any trimming
issues your airplane might have. Much
has been written about trimming models for proper loop tracking, so I won’t
go into that here.
In addition to making the loop perfectly round and properly positioned,
you also have to make it the proper
size—not too small and not too large.
If it’s too small, it looks rushed and also
leaves you little room (and time) to
place the snap at the top. If it’s too
large, it becomes difficult to make the
loop round and hold the proper heading.
76
Begin relaxing
up-elevator
It’s showtime!
Exit at same altitude
as entered
Enter straight and level, full power
Furthermore, you may run out of
power at the top, and that will make
the snap roll impossible.
The proper loop size really depends
on the hardware you are flying. A
larger airplane with a lot of power
would naturally do a larger loop than a
smaller airplane or one with less power
would. Experiment with your model
until you arrive at the loop size that is
best for your airplane.
When doing the loop, remember
that, although this is a simple maneuver, it is one that you fly through. Do
not pull full up-elevator and watch it
go; in fact, you should never be at full
up-elevator. Pull back a little, and vary
the amount of elevator used to make
the loop the correct size and shape.
Since gravity is at work, you have to
pull more elevator at the beginning of
the loop, and then, as the model passes
through vertical and to inverted, relax
the elevator to keep the loop round. As
the model starts down the back side of
the loop, increase the elevator again to
overcome gravity and make the loop
round. It’s also a good idea to reduce
the power as the model starts to come
over the top of the loop and down the
back side. Full power makes the loop
appear rushed, and with larger airplanes, full power in a dive is a big
no-no; it could even cause problems
such as control-surface flutter and
structural failure. Practice doing the
“perfect” loop until you are comfortable with it.
When you have mastered the loop,
it’s time to turn that loop into an avalanche. Do the same loop, but just as
the model reaches the top of the loop,
do one snap roll. Stop the snap at
exactly one turn so that the model is in
the same attitude as it was before the
snap. Now reduce power, and complete
the loop just as before.
Snap-roll technique will impact the
attitude of the model as it exits the
snap, and to be honest, the art of the
snap roll is a topic that I could easily
write another entire article about. But
since I don’t have room to go into
detail on snap-roll techniques here, I’ll
just describe some basics. For now, do
the snap, but corner both sticks: that is,
full up-elevator, full aileron and full
rudder in the same direction as the
aileron. In my next article, I’ll go into
detail on “flying” snaps properly.
Here are some common mistakes
people make when doing the snap roll
on an avalanche:
nose through the snap, and it will
exit the snap nose down, so it’s
impossible to keep the loop round.
Maintain power until the snap has
been completed.
• Snapping too early or too late.
When done properly, the snap
should be at the top of the loop.
Don’t get trigger-happy and snap
while the model is still climbing.
Don’t wait too long and snap after
the model is on its way back down.
• Throttling back before the snap.
This will cause the model to drop the
• Over- or under-snapping. Be sure to
stop at one snap. If you over- or under-
FIGURE 3 Avalanche
4
5
Full up-elevator, full left
rudder and aileron for
one rotation of snap roll
Increase up-elevator,
reduce power
3
Begin relaxing
up-elevator
Master the avalanche,
and you’ll become a
more disciplined pilot
who’s in better control
of his model.
2
6
Pull up-elevator,
use less than
full up
Increase power
7
1
Exit at same altitude
as entered
Enter straight and level, full power
The avalanche—simple & complex!
77
snap, the wings won’t be level, so as
you start to pull through the back side
of the loop, the model will start to
corkscrew.
To make the avalanche look the
best, here’s a pro tip: always snap
away from the flightline. For example,
when you enter the maneuver from
the left, do the snap roll to the left
(left aileron and rudder). That makes
the model appear to stay in line better
and not veer in the direction of the
snap. The only exception is if you’re
flying in a strong crosswind that’s
blowing away from the flightline. The
avalanche requires that you learn to
snap roll equally well to both the left
and the right, and that’s also important to becoming a well-rounded
aerobatic pilot.
Variations
The almost endless supply of variations
can make the avalanche much more
challenging. During my years of aerobatic competition, I’ve had the
opportunity to tackle a lot of them. If
you want to work on a few variations,
here are a few good ones:
• Do the same maneuver but start
inverted. Make the loop an outside
loop, and at the top, do a negative
snap (full down-elevator, full aileron
and full opposite rudder).
• Do the avalanche normally, but do
two complete snap rolls at the top, or
try it inverted with two complete
negative snaps at the top.
78
It’s showtime!
Here’s one of the toughest variations. Start inverted and do an outside
loop. At the top, do 11⁄2 positive snap
rolls so that the model stops inverted at
the top; then immediately do 11⁄2 negative snap rolls in the opposite roll
direction back to upright and complete
the outside loop. When doing one like
that, you have to start the first snap
before the airplane reaches the top,
since the snaps take up so much space.
After the last snap, it should be over
the top of the loop and at the same
point past the top as it was before the
first snap was done. Flying or “unloading” the snaps becomes very important
in a move like this, but that’s for my
next article.
One of the most difficult variations
requires that you start high and do a
loop starting from the top; then at the
bottom of the loop, do the snap and
continue back up to finish at the top.
I hope I’ve given you something to
think about. Next time you’re out flying, give the avalanche a try. Once you
have mastered it, you’ll be one step farther down the road to becoming a
disciplined pilot who’s in better control
of his model, and more important,
you’ll be having more fun flying!
79
SOURCE GUIDE
A&A Engineering
(714) 952-2114; a-aengineering.com.
Carl Goldberg Products Ltd.
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ABC Radio Control Hobbies (956) 722-2845.
Castle Creations
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E-Tec; dist. by Air Craft Inc.; aircraft-world.com.
F&M Enterprises (817) 279-8045; stits.com.
Ace Hobby Distributors
(949) 833-0088; acehobby.com.
Aerospace Composite Products;
acp-composites.com.
Cedar Hobbies
(832) 202-7343; cedarhobbies.com.
Century Helicopter Products
(800) 686-8588; centuryheli.com.
Falcon Trading Co.
(800) 591-2896; falcon-trading.com.
Fiberglass Specialties (810) 677-0213.
Flight Line Toys (417) 883-2510.
FlyZone by Hobbico; dist. by Great Planes.
AeroWorks (303) 366-4205; aero-works.net.
Cermark (562) 906-0808; cermark.com.
AirBorne Models
(925) 371-0922; airborne-models.com.
FMA Direct (800) 343-2934; fmadirect.com.
Chase-Durer
(800) 544-4365; chase-durer.com.
FPF Inc. (877) FLY-FOAM; fpf-inc.com.
CheapBatteryPacks.com (503) 356-5567.
Futaba Corp. of America;
dist. by Great Planes; futaba-rc.com.
Chief Aircraft Inc.
(877) 219-4489; chiefaircraft.com.
G and P Sales (707) 965-1216.
America’s Hobby Center; ahc1931.com.
Choppahedz LLC
(310) 787-9909; choppahedz.com.
Georgia Aircraft Modelers Assoc.
(478) 328-2689; gama.rcclubs.com.
Amondo Tech
(408) 747-1123; amondotech.com.
Cleveland Model & Supply Co.
(317) 257-7878.
Glenn Torrance Models
(919) 643-1001; gtmodels.
Anything R/C (509) 747-2526; anything-rc.com
Communications Specialists Inc.
(800) 854-0547; com-spec.com.
Global Hobby Distributors
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Composite ARF Co. Ltd.; composite-arf.com.
Graupner; dist. by Hobby Lobby Intl.
D&L Designs (520) 887-0771.
Great Northern Models (905) 320-7979.
Dave Brown Products
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Great Planes Model Distributors
(217) 398-6300; (800) 682-8948;
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Dave Patrick Models
(815) 457-3128; davepatrickmodels.com.
GWS USA (909) 594-4979; gws.com.tw.
Debece Co. (615) 238-4884; debece.net.
Hacker Brushless Motors
(480) 726-7519; hackerbrushless.com.
Blue Arrow; ltair.com.
Desert Aircraft
(520) 722-0607; desertaircraft.com.
Hayes Products (714) 554-0531.
Bluejay Airplane Kits
(308) 276-2322; bridiairplanes.com.
Diversity Model Aircraft (858) 693-8188.
Hitec RCD Inc. (858) 748-6948; hitecrcd.com.
Doppeldecker Corp.
(800) 777-2090; 2decker.com.
Hobbico; dist. by Great Planes; hobbico.com.
Airfoil Aviation Inc.
(217) 938-4473; airfoilaviation.com.
Airplane Factory Inc. (800) 264-7840.
Airtronics (714) 978-1895; airtronics.net.
APC Props; dist. by Landing Products;
apcprop.com.
AstroFlight Inc.
(310) 821-6242; astroflight.com.
Autogyro Co. of Arizona
(888) 783-0101;autogyro-rc.com.
Batteries America
(608) 831-3443; batteriesamerica.com.
Berg; dist. by Castle Creations.
BME Engines
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Du-Bro Products (800) 848-9411; dubro.com.
Bob Smith Industries
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Bruckner Hobbies
(800) 288-8185; brucknerhobbies.com.
Brushless Motors Inc.
(386) 985-0288; brushless-motor.com.
Byron Originals
(712) 364-3165; byronfuels.com.
80
Dumas (800) 458-2828.
EaglePicher Kokam Ltd.; dist. by FMA Direct.
Eagle Tree Systems
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Hobbies & Helis Intl. (610) 282-4811.
Hobby Group Inc.
(562) 240-2134; nwhobbyexpo.com.
Hobby Lobby Intl.
(615) 373-1444; hobby-lobby.com.
Hobby People; dist. by Global Hobby
(800) 854-8471; hobbypeople.net.
Eddie A. Aircraft Original Scale Classics
(201) 337-5075.
HobbyZone; dist. by Horizon Hobby Inc.
E-flite; dist. by Horizon Hobby Inc.
Horizon Hobby Inc.
(800) 338-4639; horizonhobby.com.
Cactus Aviation
(520) 721-0087; cactusaviation.com.
ElectriFly; dist. by Great Planes.
CAF96th Squadron; caf96th.com.
ElectroDynamics (734) 422-5420.
Cal-Grafx; cal-grafx.com.
Empire Hobby (480) 982-0909; empirerc.com.
CAModel USA
(786) 999-6253; camodel.com.ar.
Evergreen Scale Models Inc.
(425) 402-4918; evergreenscalemodels.com.
Carden Aircraft (828) 697-7177.
Experimental Aircraft Models (800) 297-1707.
Hydrimax by Hobbico; dist. by Great Planes.
ICARE Sailplanes
(450) 449-9094; icare-rc.com.
Ikarus USA (239) 690-0003; ikarus.net.
Innovative Home Products
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Internet-RC (602) 347-1600; Internet-RC.com.
OK Models; dist. by MRC.
Iron Bay Model Co.
(304) 232-7511; ironbaymodelcompany.com.
O.S. Engines; dist. by Great Planes.
Sullivan Products
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T&D Plan Sales; classicairplanemodels.com.
Palmer Plans (818) 348-0879.
J&Z Products (310) 539-2313.
Jet Hangar Hobbies (562) 467-0260.
Jeti; dist. by Hobby Lobby Intl.
Tekoa: The Center of Design (909) 763-0464.
Paul K. Gullow Inc.
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Peck-Polymers
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JR; dist. by Horizon Hobby Inc.
K&S Engineering
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Performance Devices Inc.;
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Performance R/C (504) 832-2028.
Kangke USA (877) 203-2377; kangkeusa.com.
The Ornithopter Zone
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The World Models Mfg. Co. Ltd.;
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theworldmodels.com.
Thunder Power Batteries; dist. by Hobby Lobby
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Plastruct Inc. (626) 912-7016, plastruct.com.
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Polk’s Hobby; polkshobby.com.
Kokam; see EaglePicher Kokam.
Kondor Model Products
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Kress Technologies Inc.
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PowerMaster Hobby Products Inc.
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Tower Hobbies
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Trick R/C (310) 301-1614; zagi.com.
Propwash Video
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Tru-Turn Precision Model Products;
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Quantum Models
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Quique’s Aircraft Co.; somenzini.com.
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R/C Direct (858) 277-4531; rc-direct.com.
Vanguard Vancouver; pacifier.com/~vvancou.
R/C Showcase
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WattAge; dist. by Global Hobby.
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Macs Products (916) 456-6932; macspro.com.
Radical RC (937) 237-7889; radicalrc.com.
Magnum; dist. by Global Hobby.
RAM RC
(847) 740-8726; ramrcandramtrack.com.
Kyosho Corp. of America
(800) 716-4518; kyoshoamerica.com.
Landing Products (916) 661-0399.
Lanier RC (770) 532-6401; lanierrc.com.
WeMoTec; wemotec.com.
Maiden Model Products (612) 730-7151.
West Mountain Radio
(203) 853-8080; westmountainradio.com.
Weston USA (508) 520-1170; westonusa.com.
RC Superstore; rcsuperstore.com.
Master Airscrew; dist. by Windsor Propeller Co.
Maxx Products Intl. (MPI)
(800) 416-6299; maxxprod.com.
RCAT Systems
(408) 292-9794; rcatsystems.com.
Wide Canyon Engines
(253) 653-9481; widecanyonengines.com.
Wildcat Fuels (859) 885-5619; wildcatfuel.com.
RCV Engines Ltd.; dist. by Wildcat Fuels.
Micro Fasteners (908) 806-4050.
Windsor Propeller Co. (916) 631-8385.
Midwest Products (800) 348-3497.
Richmond RC Supply
(877) 727-2329; richmondrc.com.
Wing Mfg. (269) 665-9630; wingmfg.com.
Miller R/C Products (707) 833-5905.
Robart Mfg. (630) 584-7616; robart.com.
WRAM Inc.; wram.org.
Model Machining Service
(949) 631-2982; innerdemon.com.
RTL Fasteners
(800) 239-6010; rtlfasteners.com.
Zap (800) 538-3091; zapglue.com.
MonoKote; dist. by Great Planes.
Sherline Products Inc.
170 Navajo St., San Marcos, CA 92069-2593.
Zinger; dist. by J&Z Products; zingerpropeller.com.
Mosquitobite Plans
(613) 256-0008; mosquitobiteplans.com.
MP Jet; dist. by Hobby Lobby; mpjet.com.
MRC (732) 225-2100; modelrec.com.
Sig Mfg. Co. Inc. (800) 247-5008; sigmfg.com.
SKS Video Productions
(800) 988-6488; sksvideo.com.
Multiplex; dist. by Hitec RCD.
Sky Hooks & Rigging
(905) 257-2101; microrc.com.
Nick Ziroli Plans
(516) 467-4765; ziroliplans.com.
Skyshark R/C Corp.
(866) 854-6100; skysharkrc.com.
Northeast Sailplane Products
(802) 655-7700; nesail.com.
Smithy (800) 476-4849; smithy.com.
Northeast Screen Graphics
(800) 557-5617; majordecals.com.
Zurich Intl. (800) 533-5665.
SoarSoft Software (810) 225-1165.
81
rcstore.com
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