RC Sport Flyer Magazine
A Competitor’s Report World’s Most In-Depth RC Aircraft Magazine
E-flite Hawker Hurricane & Flyzone® Fw 190 Flight Tests
Hawker Hurricane & Beechcraft Staggerwing
Flight Tests
A Competitor’s XFC Report
Our Experts Explain How To Make Scale Pilots Build Dummy Engines
Building Dummy Engines august 2012 Volume 17 Issue 06
Plus:
august 2012
USA & Canada $6.49
rc-sf.com
Airplane Lights Mr Mulligan Plan J3 Cub Photo Spread & Fw 190
We give you the first in-depth look at the powerful, new RCGF 40-cc twin-cylinder, gas-power engine. Pg 46
Beechcraft Staggerwing Page 82
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RC SPORT FLYER — august 2012
Take aim at this exciting Fw 190 to discover why warbirds are the hottest thing going right now. Pg 88.
august 2012
DEPARTMENTS 10
leading edge
14
Hot Products
104
advertiser index
105
Mystery airplane
26
event
xfc 2012 Get a winning pilot’s inside look at the10th anniversary Extreme Flight Championships. By Daniel Holman
BUILD
36
Wings Part 4b Jeff finishes sheeting the Fokker Dr. I’s vintage scale wings in this continuation of last month’s column. By Jeff Troy
42
Scale pilots This month’s column details how to give your model the finishing touch with a scale pilot in the cockpit. By Rob Caso
60
64
how to
dummy engines This easy, inexpensive upgrade of plastic and paint will give your model a standout scale appearance. By Bob Mitchell LED Light system See just how simple and cheap it is to add a light system to your model for some fun night flying. By James VanWinkle
68 photos
j3 cub Built from Bob Neltiz’ plans, this classic beauty is hard to distinguish from the full-scale version. By Jerry Smith
14 Hot Products
46
test
rcgf 40-cc engine We test this affordable, compact engine with its six propellers on our automated system. By Mike Hoffmeister
54 plan
mister mulligan Examine this plan for the Howard DGA-6 to see if you want the challenge of building one. By Wendell Hostetler
See why Mike Lee thinks this new Xplorer 3800 is a winning competition machine. Pg 74
56
74
nan models xplorer-ii Lightweight and strong, this new glider is very competitive in F3J. By Mike Lee
82
E-flite staggerwing A scale biplane that offers tons of nostalgia and good performance. By Gene Cope
88
flyzone fw 190 Superb scale details, power and value make this fighter a winner! By Gene Cope
96
hawker hurricane Easy and fun to fly, this gorgeous RAF fighter is a real warbird. By Wil Byers
Conversion
stinger 40 See how easy it is to convert this airplane from glow power to a clean, electric motor system. By Jerry Smith
reviews
RC-SF.COM
7
Blade® 300 X BNF
Horizon Hobby 4105 Fieldstone Rd. Champaign, IL 61822 Phone: 217-352-1913 bladehelis.com
T
he nimble Blade® 300 X packs big 3D performance into a compact 300-size frame that’s small enough to fly in many indoor spaces. At the heart of its amazing performance is the Spektrum™ AR7200BX Flybarless Control System with integrated BeastX™ technology. The amazing precision and agility of this system perfectly complement the impressive power of the E-flite® 320-H, 4500-Kv brushless motor and high-output 3S 30C LiPo battery. The model has even been flight tested and had the rotors balanced at the factory. You simply charge the battery, bind the receiver to your DSM2®/ DSMX® transmitter and fly. • Spektrum™ AR7200BX flybarless control system • Powerful E-flite 320H 4500-Kv brushless
Platinum Series Albatros D.Va 25e ARF
Horizon Hobby, Inc. 4105 Fieldstone Rd. Champaign, IL 61822 Phone: 217-352-1913 www.e-fliterc.com www.horizonhobby.com
T
he E-flite Platinum Series Albatros D.Va 25e is an accurate, electric-powered reproduction of Germany’s famed fighter, very much like those used during World War I with the Jasta 18 squadron. E-flite has faithfully replicated the red-nosed hunter from laser-cut balsa, and even the most particular modeler will appreciate the exceptional level of detail; the fit-and-finish is second to none. The painted fiberglass parts and accurate
motor • E-flite 25-amp S-BEC ESC • Extremely rigid and lightweight, two-piece main frame • 245-mm symmetrical main blades • Spektrum DS76 digital sub-micro cyclic servos • Spektrum DS76T digital sub-micro tail servo • Composite aluminum/fiber-reinforced swashplate • Triple-ball-bearing-supported, hardenedsteel main shaft • Belt-driven tail rotor • Weighted tail blade mounting hardware • Aluminum tail boom • Thrust bearings installed on tail and main grips • E-flite 3S 11.1-volt 1350-mAh 30C LiPo battery • DC LiPo balancing charger • Requires a 6+ channel DSM2/ DSMX computer transmitter with helicopter programming (sold separately)
Specifications
scale lozenge camouflage covering on the bottom of the wings truly give the model that authentic, battle-bird look.
Specifications
• Fully-functional, shock-absorbing landing gear with scale wheels • Top and bottom plug-in wings with carbonfiber tube support • To-scale Mercedes engine, air-cooler and Spandau machine gun detail • Genuine UltraCote® film covering and lozenge-pattern • Authentic wire rigging and optional pullpull controls included • Spring-loaded, to-scale wooden tail skid with varnish finish • Unique, painted aluminum spinner included • Enormous top hatch provides access to all equipment • Painted pilot figure included • optional cockpit kit (EFL460516) available The E-flite Platinum Series Albatros D.Va 25e is designed to be flown with either
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RC SPORT FLYER — august 2012
Main Rotor Diameter
21.7 in. (550 mm)
Tail Rotor Diameter
5.50 in. (140 mm)
Height
7.70 in. (195 mm)
Length
20.1 in. (510 mm)
Weight with Battery
17.3 oz (491 g)
Price (BLH4580)
$379.99
Wingspan
53.0 in. (1350 mm)
Wing Area
755 in.2 (48.7 dm2)
Length
44.0 in. (1120 mm)
Flying Weight
6.00–6.40 lb (2.70–2.90 kg)
Motor Size
Power 25–32 brushless outrunner
Speed Control
40A SW ESC
Servos
2 mini servos, 2 micro servos required
Radio
5+ channel transmitter and receiver radio system
Battery
14.8-V 3200-mAh 4S LiPo
Price (EFL4605)
$329.99
the reliable E-flite Power 25 or Power 32 outrunner motor. Choose the smaller motor for authentic scale feel and performance. The larger motor gives a recommended power advantage that allows the airplane to climb up and away from enemy guns. Either motor choice uses the same great E-flite accessories, so well known for quality and dependability.
HOT PRODUCTS
Blade® 500 X BNF
Horizon Hobby 4105 Fieldstone Rd. Champaign, IL 61822 Phone: 217-352-1913 bladehelis.com horizonhobby.com
T
he Bind-N-Fly® Blade 500 X is one of the hottest 500-Class 3D experiences available in a flight-ready package. The Blade team of experts pulled out all the stops to equip it with just about every high-performance hop-up an experienced 3D pilot could want, including an impressive list of aluminum and carbon-fiber parts.
• Spektrum S300 digital cyclic servos • Spektrum S400G high-speed digital tail servo • CNC-machined-aluminum head block and swashplate • Triple-ball-bearing-supported, hardenedsteel main shaft • Belt-driven tail rotor • Weighted tail blade mounting hardware • Aluminum tail boom • E-flite 6S 22.2-V 2900-mAh 30C Li-Po battery • DC LiPo balancing charge • Requires a 6+ channel DSM2®/DSMX® computer transmitter with helicopter programming (sold separately)
Specifications Main Rotor Diameter
38.2 in. (970 mm)
Tail Rotor Diameter
7.80 in. (198 mm)
Height
11.8 in. (300 mm)
Length
33.5 in. (850 mm)
Weight w/ Battery
3.90 lb (1.80 kg)
Price (BLH4080)
$899.99
• Spektrum™ AR7200BX flybarless control system with remote receiver • Powerful E-flite® 520-H 1320-Kv brushless motor • E-flite 70A S-BEC ESC • Single-piece, carbon-fiber side frames • 425-mm carbon fiber-main blades
Ares™ Chronos CX 75 NanoMicro RTF
T
Firelands Group, LLC Ares-RC.com E-mail: deborahgray@ firelandsgroup.com
he incredible stability and unbelievable durability of the Ares™ [air–eez] Chronos CX 75 make it easy and fun for anyone to fly an RC helicopter. The coaxial, counter-rotating blade design offers unsurpassed stability that will have any pilot hovering like a pro in no time while fully proportional controls deliver excellent maneuverability and precise control. The Chronos CX 75’s nano-micro size and
low weight make it possible to fly indoors just about anytime and anywhere. The helicopter comes 100% factory assembled and ready to fly right out of the box, plus it really is durable! A full line of replacement parts is available in the rare case you need them. Also in the box is everything needed to fly the helicopter including AA batteries for the three-channel 2.4-GHz-transmitter that is equipped with digital trims and a built-in LiPo battery charger. The included 110-mAh 1S 3.7-V LiPo battery delivers plenty of power and long flight times of up to 10+ minutes per charge. The all-new Chronos CX 75 Nano-Micro RTF is available in HobbyTown USA stores and at HobbyTown.com now!
Specifications Length
7.3 in. (185 mm)
Height
3.5 in. (90 mm)
Rotor Diameter
6.9 in. (175 mm)
Weight w/ Battery
0.7 oz (21 g)
Main Motor
Micro coreless (2)
Battery
110-mAh 1S 3.7-V LiPo
Charger
1S 3.7-V LiPo
Transmitter
3‐channel 2.4-GHz w/ LiPo charger
Receiver
4-in-1
ESC
2 w/mixer/gyro
RC-SF.COM
15
XFC 2012
BY Daniel Holman
It’s All About Extreme Aerobatics Competition
A
fter a month of intense preparation for one of the largest freestyle aerobatic competitions in the world, I am more than ready to sit down, relax and write about it. The Extreme Flight Championship (XFC) has truly exploded in popularity over the past decade. It started in 2002 and has without a doubt become the spectator event to attend in the area of extreme aerobatics. The evolution of this contest is amazing in terms of the pilot skill level and how the hardware has advanced every year. The first years of XFC were, for the most part, comprised of simple yet elegant routines. They were, however, limited by the aircrafts’ airframes, engines, servos, etc. Today, with advancements in hardware and software, the flying has evolved into what 3D pilots call Extreme Aerobatics (XA) style flying, where the pilots push the airplanes to and sometimes past their limits, pulling and pushing over +/- 12-G loads (G = force of gravity) at times.
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RC SPORT FLYER — august 2012
Here I am performing a high-alpha knife edge with my Extreme Flight 104-in. Extra 300.
Your 2012 XFC Helicopter champion, Mr. Nick Maxwell, from Ft. Wayne, Indiana. Nick’s flying was mind blowing, and his hard work paid off!
All of the airplanes that are used in this type of a contest boast powerto-weight ratios of roughly 2:1, and they are capable of maneuvers that full-scale aerobatic airplanes just can’t perform. When you couple these amazing machines with 18 of the best XA pilots in the world, it is, simply put, EXTREME! If that isn’t enough, the XFC is not only America’s largest airplane freestyle competition, but it is also one of the largest helicopter freestyle competitions. It too hosts 18 of the world’s best helicopters pilots. They attend this amazing event where the competition alternates between fixed wing and rotary wing wonders throughout the week. Preparing for this event is no small thing, and each pilot puts forth a great deal of time, energy, effort and money just to get into the contest. This was my second year flying in the XFC, and in this report I will give you all the aerobatic details from the competitor’s point of view.
XFC 2012
Arriving at XFC
After an 11-hour drive from Atlanta, GA to the AMA headquarters in Muncie, IN, I felt more like sleeping than practicing, but after a short night’s sleep on Wednesday, we were ready to go at it Thursday. Many pilots come over a week in advance to camp at the site and practice every day leading up to the competition.
Knowns and Unknowns
One of the aspects of the XFC that sets it apart from other competitions is that there are two types of flights that must be performed. There is the “Known” sequence, which is created and choreographed primarily by the pilot, but must include three precision
maneuvers that are predetermined by the XFC committee. These maneuvers are judged for execution, placement and choreography. The second type of sequence is a freestyle, or “Unknown” round which is put together solely by the pilot. It does not require any particular maneuvers. Both of these sequence types are judged for originality, execution, choreography and use of the aircraft’s entire flight envelope. The flight must be four minutes in length and be flown to music for the duration of the program.
Last-Chance Qualifying
Of the 18 places available to the competitors in both the airplane and helicopter classes of the XFC, 15 of each class are given by invitation. The remaining three spots are left for Last Chance Qualifying (LCQ). This selection process is held on Thursday morning, and anyone is welcome to try out to qualify. The top three pilots from LCQ earn a spot in the Extreme Flight Championships starting the following day. After LCQ is complete, the flight line is opened for the competitors to practice. Because all the pilots want to get some practice flights in, there is a lot of waiting during this time. We would push our airplanes into line and then go back and sit in the shade for an hour or so until
XFC 2012 champion Seth Arnold doing a fast Axial roll with smoke on!
Jase “The Ace” Dussia was the youngest pilot in the competition and flew his Extreme Flight 104-in. Extra 300 to an excellent fifth place finish! RC-SF.COM
27
By Jeff Troy
Wings Part 4b Balsa Flies on the Ziroli Fokker Dr.1 Triplane
H
ere we go! This is a continuation of my column from last month. Enjoy. There are two interplane strut supports on the top surface of the wing, one on each side, and you will see that the upper sheeting over the 1 2 spar can’t lie flat until you trim either the sheet The forward sheeting isn’t able to lie flat against the Let the edge of the sheet guide the position of the or the supports. Working spar where the cabane strut supports are mounted. blade while you saw partially through the strut Either the sheeting or the supports will have to be support. Do not saw all the way through the support, with one side of the relieved for a good fit. just down to the level of the top of the spar. wing at a time, use the edge of the sheet as a guide for your Zona kerf saw and start a cut in the support in line with the edge of the sheet. Don’t cut all the way through the support, just down to the level of the main spar, and then use your hobby knife to cut away the wood from the 3 4 support over the spar and up to the saw cut. Lift the sheeting and use a hobby knife to trim the When properly made, the notch acts as a ledge to What you have now is a front of the support flush with the top of the spar. let the upper sheeting lie flat against the main spar. Use the spar as a guide for the knife blade as you Little or no gap is visible between the sheeting and perfectly fitted notch to work toward the saw cut. the strut support. let the sheeting lie flat on top of the spar. The upper sheeting is now attached to the entire length of the trailing edge, and your next step is to attach the forward portion of the sheeting. With the wing resting on its trailing edge, carefully raise the sheeting over the center 5 6 section enough to get a decent view of the Stand the wing on its trailing edge, gently lift the top Drip generous beads of gap-filling CA over the rib rib edges and internal sheeting and examine the area of the center section edges, spars and anywhere else you can’t reach with under the sheet. The object is to know exactly where the glue nozzle. You can’t get all the way back, so the structure underneath the adhesive must be applied without wasting too beads will run rearward and do the job for you. After that will be inaccessible much time in the process. you apply the adhesive inside the center section, lay the wing flat and hold the sheeting down against after the sheeting is the framework until the adhesive cures. with the glue nozzle. When all the attached. Drip generous beads of center section until the adhesive internal contact points are sufficiently gap-filling CA over the rib edges, cures. wetted with adhesive, quickly lay the letting the beads accumulate and Flip the wing over again, and apply wing flat on the work surface and flow downward toward the spar into gap-filling CA to the underside of all the areas that cannot be reached hold the sheeting down over the 36
RC SPORT FLYER — august 2012
Wings Part 4b one side of the sheeting where it will engage the main spar. Use gentle pressure to hold the wing down against the work surface, trapping the sheeting between the work surface and the main spar, and ensuring a straight surface and a good bond 7 8 over the length of one With the center section secured, work from the Install the upper cap strips and sand them to half of the wing. Now bottom of the wing to attach the upper sheeting blend neatly into the wing sheeting. Pay particular repeat the procedure to the top of the main spar. Then attach the upper attention to the strut supports, which must also be sheeting to the ribs and the leading edge. The bend sanded to the correct airfoil shape. for the other half of the is far less severe, so no water or glass cleaner should wing. be needed, and it’s easy to drip CA along the ribto-sheeting and sheeting-to-leading edge joints by slipping the CA nozzle in Attaching the between the upper and lower spars and giving the bottle a gentle squeeze. forward edge of the upper sheeting is like attaching the lower edge, but you won’t have such an extreme curve to deal with where the sheet meets the leading edge, so no wetting should be required. Hold the upper sheet tightly against one of the wing ribs, slip the 9 10 CA bottle in between the upper and lower Flip the wing over and sand the bottom cap strips to Use the razor plane to put a flat face on the spars and drip a line of blend into the sheeting on the underside of the wing. upper and lower sheeting along the leading edge of the wing. Remember that there is a thin CA along the joint 1/4-in.-square leading edge piece under all between the rib and the that sheeting, and your objective here is to sheeting. Do the same for the next down the forward edges of the upper expose approximately 1/16-in. of that leading edge stick along the entire length of the wing. rib, and when the adhesive is cured, and lower sheets. The object is to Work carefully to prevent removing too much hold the sheeting between the two plane the edges of the sheets down material, but be sure to get enough. The exposed leading edge will give you an excellent ribs against the leading edge and drip flat enough to expose 1/16-in. of the guideline to follow on either side. Just keep another line along the leading-edgeleading edge stick under the sheets. the guidelines parallel and you’ll be okay. to-sheeting joint. When you finish that, work the razor Continue working one rib bay plane at 45 degrees to the upper and at a time until the sheeting is firmly lower sides of the face cut to begin Wing tip blocks are often attached along the entire length rounding the leading edge. Finish considered difficult to shape, but of the wing, then cut away the rounding the leading edge sheeting there’s a way to do it quickly and overhanging excess sheeting. Add the with the bar sander. easily. Use the bar sander to sand all 12 upper cap strips in the same manner as the lower cap strips, and once they are installed, use the bar sander to blend the strips into the sheeting. Remember to work at an angle with only light pressure when you sand to prevent dinging the cap strips or wing skins. 11 12 Stand the wing on Here’s the Dr’s lower wing’s leading edge, all planed Use the razor plane again to make additional cuts its trailing edge and use to a flat face with approximately 1/16 in. of the 1/4at approximate 45-degree angles to the flat cut. the razor plane to take in. leading edge stick exposed. RC-SF.COM
37
BY Rob Caso
Scale Airplane Pilots Modifying Pilot Figures
The open cockpit on my DH2 is prominently positioned at the very nose of the model, making a pilot—or the lack thereof—the first thing you notice.
Here a foam torso and legs have been added to the bust with epoxy. The added areas are covered with a heavy application of vinyl spackle/ Minwax Polycrylic to hide the foam texture and later create wrinkles in the flight suit.
I
hate to step on the cake here, but all scale models must have a pilot. Even if it’s an almost-ready-to-fly (ARF) airplane, I cringe when I see a model whiz by with no pilot. If it’s an open cockpit biplane, then it’s time for another visit with my therapist. It makes me crazy! Then too, for open cockpit models, just a pilot won’t do—it should be a good one. Let’s face it, as scale modelers our lofty goal is the achievement of realism. The effect of a good or even a great model is spoiled, for me at least, with a weak pilot figure. There are two forces that stand in the way of our goal here. First, a pilot is most often considered late in the build, when we are nearing the “I’m sick of working on this model” stage, to the point where pilot detail almost is an afterthought. And many efforts exhibit this phenomenon. Second, figure modeling and the 42
RC SPORT FLYER — august 2012
I made a template for the left arm to show the proper angle for the pilot to operate a control, then attached and rounded in the arm. Toothpicks were slid into the elbow to support the arm during sanding and finishing.
Since the pilot is such a tight fit in the cockpit (as per the real airplane), multiple test fits in the model were required.
Scale Airplane Pilots An arm from stiff copper wire was made for each hand, dividing the strands into five groups to form the fingers. Use your own hand as a guide to shape and size the fingers. Note that the thumb comes off the side of the hand. After this, I applied two-part EvercoatÂŽ auto-body filler to each hand and worked with files to define the fingers.
After smoothing down the multiple applications of spackle with 150 and then 220 sandpaper, I brushed on Polycrylic over the spackled areas and primed the figure with very light coats of auto body primer. I fluffed in the gauntlets with more Evercoat and base-coated the figure with an airbrushing of the appropriate colors. I later changed the color of the headgear.
Once the base coat was done, I shaded the underarms and creases with darker-colored base coats.
The skin tone is a mixture of oil paints—burnt sienna, raw umber and yellow ochre. It is applied over a base coat mixture of Model Master panzer yellow and skin tone.
After 15 minutes, I wiped off the dark oil mix with a clean brush, applied yellow ochre, left it for 45 minutes and wiped off and blended it in with a clean brush.
To finish up, I applied white oil paint, left it for about 15 minutes and then wiped and blended.
related painting are almost too much of an art for most of us, and thence somewhat scary to attempt. Hey, I can mask a panel and shoot that with nimble aplomb, but shading? Fagettaboutit! Knowing full well that I was not
good at those skills, I made it my mission to improve. The pilot was on my mind when I glued the first two sticks of balsa together for my 1/9-scale DH2, which is the example I am using for this article. Having to make a pilot was hanging over my
head like an anvil the entire build. After all, there was no canopy to hide him behind, no wing to hide him under and no engine in close proximity to draw attention away from the cockpit. Rather, the gaping hole of a cockpit was going to be RC-SF.COM
43
BY Mike Hoffmeister
RCGF 40-cc Engine Twin-Cylinder TwoStroke Gasoline Engine
W
e’ve seen the 50-cc-andbelow gasoline-powered engine and airplane market grow rapidly over the past few years. Now things get even more interesting as RCGF offers an affordable, compact 40-cc twin-cylinder engine that provides the sound, low vibration and appearance that singlecylinder engines can’t match. This new engine comes complete with ignition, mufflers and mount kit. With a street price of under $500, it is sure to be popular. BP Hobbies provided the engine for this review. They are the U.S. distributor for it and many other RCGF gasolinepowered engines in the 15- to 150-cc ranges.
Why Buy
The RCGF 40-cc engine produces outstanding power for its size, delivers up to 22 pounds of thrust and weighs just less than four pounds, including the mufflers and ignition unit. The price tag of only $489.95 makes this a powerful, low-cost engine that is also economical to operate due to the extremely low fuel cost
The RCGF 40-cc engine comes with instructions, tuning tip sheet, ignition system, spark plugs, mufflers, mount plate (pre-installed), exhaust gaskets, carburetor arm, spark plug wire protective sheaths, propeller bolts/ washer and warranty card.
(vs. glow fuel). Also, as a twin-cylinder engine, its vibration level is quite low, and the unmistakable sound of a twin will surely make your airplane’s flights more pleasing!
Break-In and Performance Testing
The first step was mounting the engine to the thrust test stand. Thanks to the simple, pre-installed rear mount plate, it was very easy to drill a few new holes into the thrust test stand adapter plate and attach the engine. After that, rigging the throttle servo, the fuel line and installing the RCGF 20×8 wood propeller went very quickly. The engine was mounted with mufflers and carburetor pointing up (“upside down” vs. most airplane installations), due to the test stand’s constraints. After these steps, I fueled the test stand tank with a 32-to-1 mix This front view shows off the quality and compactness of the machined crankcase, and thick flanges on the cylinders that assure a good seal and rigid cylinder bores. Also note the ample cooling fins on the cylinder and compact reed valve block.
46
RC SPORT FLYER — august 2012
RCGF 40-cc Engine This front view, with mufflers fitted, shows how compact the overall power plant is. Weighing in at just less than four pounds, including mufflers and ignition, the engine should be a good fit for many different types of models.
For the first 20 minutes or so, I ran the engine in the lower and mid rpm range, with the carburetor set slightly rich. Then I started to run the engine up to high power for short bursts, and after another 20 minutes I tuned the carburetor progressively toward optimum power settings. I found the original carburetor settings to be quite close, plus the engine came with a tuning recommendation sheet
ratio of pump gasoline and Royal Purple synthetic twostroke oil. Then I connected the hoses and double-checked everything. I closed the choke completely and opened the throttle. Then with the ignition OFF, flipped the propeller a few times until I saw fuel in the hose all the way up to the carburetor. I flipped it a few more revolutions to fill up the carburetor and move fuel into the engine. With the choke closed and carburetor at about half-throttle, I switched on the ignition, and after several flips the engine started! This rear view shows the pre-installed engine mount plate, which makes mounting a snap. It also shows the orientation of the needle valves and the straight, line-of-sight access to the throttle arm.
The RCGF 40-cc twin looks great and would make a modeler proud to display what is “under the hood� on their newest model. The propeller bolt pattern is the same as the popular DA-50/60 and DLE-55.
specific to this engine. Once this initial break-in was complete, I tuned the low and high needle valves to give a slow and steady idle with clean acceleration even when the throttle opened rapidly. The high needle was set just slightly richer than peak rpm (about 100 rpm on the rich side of peak). With the carburetor set and initial break-in complete, the engine idled very smoothly and consistently, took throttle well, quickly accelerated to top rpm and ran clean during sustained full-throttle operation. A computer runs and monitors the test stand, assuring that the same test can be run over and over with minimal variation. My standard test is to run the engine for five seconds at stable idle, then five seconds at RC-SF.COM
47
BY Wendell Hostetler
Howard DGA-6 Mister Mulligan A Historic Racer with a Noteworthy Record
G
ordon Israel and Benjamin Howard designed and built the sole DGA-6 in 1934. Their airplane featured a steel tube fuselage with a wing that was plywood skinned. The DGA-6 was designed to race. Unfortunately, while in route to the 1934 air races, the airplane’s oxygen and fuel system developed problems, which forced an off-field landing. The results were a damaged propeller and landing gear, so it missed the 1934 race season. In the 1935 Bendix race, however, the aircraft carried 300 gallons of gasoline and 30 gallons of oil. It was also fitted with oxygen equipment for two. Consequently, it was capable of seven hours of flight at 22,000 feet. Carrying a load like that, the aircraft required 1500 feet of runway to take off, but it had an initial climb out of close to 2000 fpm! For the 1935 Bendix race, Benny Howard was pilot and Gordon Israel was copilot. Mister Mulligan placed first in the race from Los Angeles to Cleveland, with an average speed of 238.7 mph. This win was followed by Harold Neumann’s flying the DGA-6 in the 1935 Thompson Trophy after Roscoe Turner’s airplane lost its engine. Then Mister Mulligan lost a 54
RC SPORT FLYER — august 2012
propeller blade in the 1936 Bendix race. It was totaled in an off-airport landing, but without loss of life. Howard then produced a commercial version of the aircraft, the DGA-8, which was followed by the DGA-9, DGA-11 and DGA-12.
Full-Scale Specifications
Wingspan 31 ft 8 in. Length 25 ft 1 in. Wing Area 150.7 ft2 Airfoil NACA 2412 Max Speed 287 mph (830 hp) at SL (Thompson Trophy Race 1935) Top Speed 251 mph (550 hp) at SL
Plan
Now you can build one of these very special and historic aircraft from a 26-percent-scale set of plans from Wendell Hostetler Plans. Wendell’s plan is superbly drawn, and it includes every detail you’ll need to build the model. If you are interested, point your browser at his website to order a set. Wendell Hostetler Plans 545 Jerome Dr Orrville, OH 44667 Phone: 330-682-8896 hostetlersplans.com
Plan Specifications Scale Wingpan Length Weight Wing Area Power
26 Percent 98.8 in. 78.26 in. 22–26 lb 1544 in. 45- to 75-cc
Howard DGA-6 Mister Mulligan
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708 Battlefield Blvd South #107 Chesapeake, VA 23322 RC-SF.COM
55
BY Jerry Smith
Stinger .40 An Easy-to-Do Conversion to Electric Power!
T
he Great Planes Stinger .40 is a nice-flying airplane in its redesigned form. I had the chance to review it for Model Aviation magazine some time ago. Moreover, I was also quite involved with the original airplane. Lately, I asked myself, why must it be glow-engine powered? I suspect this is because the manufacturers married it to a glow engine. However, glow-powered airplanes are not as popular as they once were because of the high price of fuel nowadays. So, why not make the Stinger an electricpowered ARF. Since they didn’t, I did!
Now I’m am about to show you how easy it is to convert the Stinger .40 to electric power. Looking at the Stinger, I determined what parts needed to be removed as well as what needed to be added. I had to remove the engine and mount, the fuel tank (filled with fuel), the receiver battery and the throttle servo. Out of curiosity I weighed them. I discovered they weighed a little over two pounds. The airframe weighed exactly three pounds without them. I then weighed the four-cell LiPo battery, electronic speed controller, motor and newly
These are the components I removed from the Stinger before the conversion. I filled the fuel tank with fuel to simulate flying weight. Total weight of these components was 2.1 lb, leaving a three-pound airframe.
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built motor box, and they weighed 1.2 pounds. So, the conversion would take a little less then one pound out of the airplane. More about this later. The most difficult part of the conversion was building the motor box. I chose to build mine out of 1/8in. aircraft plywood for two reasons. First, the aircraft plywood is much stronger than liteply. Second, I knew the model would need weight up front for balance purposes. Oneeighth-inch aircraft grade plywood is available at most hobby shops, or you can get it from Balsa USA. It comes in sizes as small as 6x12 in., which
These are the components I put back in the Stinger. They weigh considerably less at 1.3 lb. In the beginning the Stinger was inherently nose heavy, so this helped, but I still had to add weight to the nose for proper balance.
Great Planes Stinger .40 is more than enough to build the motor box. It is not cheap, however. When designing the new motor box I opted to make mine fit between the cowl mounting blocks on the firewall, which would provide a good reference for locating it. This turned out to be a 2.5-in. square mounting surface for the motor. That much area let me easily center the box between the cowl blocks from side to side. The length of the box was determined by installing the cowl and measuring the distance from the firewall to its front surface. Then I added 3/32 in. From that measure, I then subtracted the length of the motor from its mounting backplate to propeller hub surface. With the dimensions determined, I was ready My electric-powered GP Stinger flies fantastic, with plenty of power thanks to the motor system I chose for it. And, the model lost 1.3 lb in weight by using an electric motor over glow.
This is the space where you will install the battery and electronic speed controller after removing the fuel tank. There is not much room to shift the battery’s position for balancing, so you’ll need to add nose weight to CG the airplane.
With the firewall cleared off, I decided to make the motor box fit between the horizontal cowl mounting blocks. That let me place it accurately with respect to the thrust line—keeping the same thrust line is important for airplane performance.
The firewall for mounting the motor came out to 2.5 in. square. I drew lines from corner to corner to find the square’s center and drilled a hole in the plywood with a 7/8-in. Forstner bit. I then centered the motor mount on it and tack glued it with thin CA. Then I match drilled the mounting holes with a drill press.
Before assembling the motor box, I re-drilled the mounting holes to fit the 4-40 blind nuts. You’ll want to hammer them in. Just make sure they are level with the wooden surface. Don’t forget to apply a little glue to the holes, which helps hold them in place. You can use CA glue if you want.
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BY Bob Mitchell
Painting Dummy Engines W
hether you’re superdetailing a contest-quality, scratch-built warbird or merely wish to get your ARF trainer to stand out in the crowd, installing a realistic motor in your aircraft can add a lot to its distinctive appearance and uniqueness. The ready availability of a wide range of lightweight molded plastic engines makes this project a simple one, well within the abilities of everyone. Your bird’s appearance will benefit tangibly from the easy upgrade, as the nose is something everyone looks at first! You’ll get standout looks for very little effort, and your airplane won’t look just like everyone else’s at the airfield—not a bad idea! Measuring your cowl carefully, and/or consulting with the experts at your local hobby shop, is an important step at the front end of the project, as is the fun of doing a little research if you’re emulating a scale airplane. Note that Piper® J-3 Cubs did not come with Wasp radial engines! Once you’ve obtained the appropriate motor, carefully cut off any extraneous plastic from the casting. Some trimming may be done with sharp scissors, but I prefer a
Painting dummy engines is not hard! You’ll need some basic tools like scissors, tape, paper, a hobby knike, paint brush and even a bit of Silly Putty, as I explain in the text.
(new) hobby knife. It is really easy to slip when cutting since some molded vinyls are very slick, so take your time and watch your fingers. A good tip is to lightly scribe a path for the blade with an initial shallow cut, then go over the track you scratched with increased pressure. When you really bear down on a knife, you have less control, so several light cuts are best.
You’ll want to have an area where you can spray paint the plastic parts of the dummy engine. I use paint bomb cans.
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This applies to all cutting tasks. I’ve worked with a wide range of resins and plastics, and I’ve encountered several that have a chemical mold release on them. This release agent resists paint adhesion, so I habitually wash parts in warm soapy water, even scrubbing cast resin parts with a toothbrush. Obviously, avoid getting skin oils on washed
You can do create an very realistic looking dummy engine by applying a bit of Artist Black with a brush.
Painting Dummy Engines parts before painting them. As you already know, painting can make or break a model’s appearance. Even a small detail like the motor can really add eye appeal to your aircraft. With just a little bit of effort, I’ll show you how to attain scale realism without airbrushes, compressors or any really heavy lifting. Aerosol paint in spray cans will save the day! I get no residuals, but I’m really hooked on the Tamiya® brand spray paints. They’re not cheap, but I’m convinced they are superior to the big-box stores’ 99-cent aerosols. The colors are superb, faithful to the prototype, wide ranging and easy to use. I’m also a model train nut, and I use these paints extensively for locomotives, cars and structure models. The downside is, they really stink. You must use a real paint mask, not a paper dust mask. And you must ventilate your spray booth, or do what I do, paint outside. Remember to use the respirator, even outdoors. If you’re unfamiliar with spray painting, it’s cool to practice on unessential parts. It’s not hard to do, but a bit of finesse will give you the results you want. I warm my paint (not in a microwave oven!) by immersing the cans in warm water. I maintain that this results in a finer mist. Read the directions and get a feel for what distances from the motor will give a wet, but not thick, coat. Shake the can obsessively. For my model’s radial engine, I spraypainted the entire casting flat grey. Again, a little research will give you the correct prototype color scheme. Or, just wing it and pick colors you like! I wanted silvery metallic cylinders, but also wanted the center of the engine to remain flat grey. The solution was obvious—mask the center, then apply silver to the cylinders’ jugs. The challenge was to accurately cover the intricate curves of the engine while leaving the cylinders exposed. By building a simple paper collar and cover, I managed to protect most of the engine block, but soon realized that applying low-tack blue painter’s masking tape around each of the (many) cylinders would take a long time and not be much fun. I needed a shortcut.
Here is the dummy engine I made for my Mister Mulligan airplane. Without the cowl you can see how easy it is to install on the model. Note that my model is electric powered, so the motor extends through the dummy engine and will be hid by the propeller somewhat.
Of course, the answer was in that marvelous childhood goo: Silly Putty®! I can’t tell you how many hours I spent with the viscous brown rubber, transferring cartoon pictures and stretching the stuff with delight. Now I find it makes a fabulous masking material. Conforming to any complex
shape, it will not stick to painted parts, is effortlessly removed and it is reusable! I may choose expensive spray paint, but I love a bargain. This stuff is a great bargain, as well as a best-kept painters’ secret. Plus, it’s fun to use—stretching and warming it in your hands makes it more pliable RC-SF.COM
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BY James VanWinkle
BP Hobbies LED There Be Light B
y now most of us have seen lights attached to RC aircraft. The most spectacular use of them that I’ve seen is the perfectly choreographed nighttime helicopter routine put on by Bobby Watts at the recent XFC event (rc-sf.com). He synchronized his model’s lights to music and some outstanding fireworks. Then he flew a precise but absolutely wild-looking performance in the dark. Most of us can’t fly like these hobby professionals! However, we can add some of the same bling they use to our models to help us stand out from the crowd. The best part
is we can spice things up without spending much money or effort.
What are They?
BP Hobbies offers a host of flexible LED (light-emitting diode) light strips that you can put on your model. They come in a multitude of colors as well as lengths, so you can create a customized fit for your airplane or helicopter application. BP’s lights come in a standard length of 39 inches. You can cut them with a pair of scissors to any length you need. I’ve been putting them on airplanes and helicopters.
In the package, the LED light strip comes as a 100cm strand with bare wires ready to solder to the preferred connector type.
With a simple nine-volt battery, the LEDs come to life during a bench test right out of the package. Multiple power sources can be used, which means LiPos for my preferred setup.
Located every few inches is a spot on the LED strand where it can be cut to a shorter length. The small solder spots serve as tabs to connect wires, turning a single strand into multiple shorter strands. Just look for the scissors symbol and cut along the line.
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A soldering iron and some spare connectors come in handy. Where did the connectors come from? Broken servos and old batteries are a great source. It doesn’t matter which connector is used or if the strands are soldered directly to each other. To offer the most flexibility this setup uses servo lead connectors. The tabs to solder to are shown with no connector on one LED strand and the soldered connector in place on the other strand. It doesn’t get much easier than this to turn one strand into two.
However, the lights are waterproof so you can use them on boats or other applications without the worry of ruining them with an electrical short. Note too that you can string the lights together using Y-connectors and extensions. In so doing you can make up a set that will fit any airframe. The BP lights can also be used with a flasher unit, which is placed between the power source and the lights. The flasher unit lets you control blink intensity and rate. It
BP Hobbies LeD There Be Light Y-harness connected to Y-harness can make for a lot of wires in one area. Velcro or a zip tie is an easy way to keep the area tidy. The strands come together near the canopy where they enter the fuselage and eventually the power source.
makes it possible to simulate the anti-collision lights or beacons on full-scale airplanes. Also, using a Y-harness with them lets you connect multiple lights to the same battery. Connecting multiple strands to one power source does not present a problem because the current draw of the LEDs is very low. A typical servo wire will conduct roughly 3.0 amps, and these LEDs pull only about 0.4 amps per strand. That means seven strands should be fine in terms of current draw, though I would stick to about four or five strands at the most to keep the current consumption reasonable. I also recommend that you outfit your model with a dedicated power source for the LEDs as a way to keep
A low pass as the sun was setting made for some nice colorful shots.
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All Photos BY Jerry Smith
J3 Cub T
his classic J3 Cub was built by Pedro Sanchez of Lawrenceville, Georgia. Pedro tells us that he builds models to create airplanes that have outstanding detail and realism. Pedro built his model following a set of plans from Bob Neltiz. The Cub took over four months to build, cover and finish. It is powered with an O.S. 320 four-stroke engine. The Cub was covered in fabric using the Stits system and finished with dope. Pedro’s J3 Cub has a ready-to-fly weight of 35 pounds. His model is both a beauty and a joy to see in flight. It is certainly what scale airplanes are all about, wouldn’t you agree?
Look at that engine cowling, cylinder heads and propeller combination. This is what scale airplanes are all about—details, details.
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J3 Cub
From pilot to pitot tube this J3 Cub is well done. Even the spark plug wires look to scale on Pedro’s model. You would have a difficult time telling this model apart from the full-scale airplane if you were just looking at this photo.
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BY Mike Lee
NAN Models Xplorer-II Explore the Competition with this F3J/TD Sailplane!
The Xplorer-II is a potent competition machine just as you see it here straight out of its shipping box.
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t started in 2008 when Benedikt Feigl of Slovakia won the F3J World Championship with a relatively new model from NAN Models of Bulgaria. It was called the Xplorer, and it soon became not only one of the most popular competition sailplanes in the world, but also one of the winningest models anywhere. The first of these aircraft arrived on the North American continent in July, 2008 and was reviewed for you right here in RC Sport Flyer magazine. The original Xplorer was a 3.5-meter aircraft that weighed 74 ounces. It was one of the first Xplorer models to feature the cross-tail design, when the norm in Europe was to use a V-tail design. The V-tail models weighed 69 ounces, which was considered to be very lightweight for the time. I was able to acquire the first of the “carbon-lite” versions, which used more carbon and lighter lay ups. The result was a 68-ounce, 3.5-meter cross-tail model that simply hung in the air, but also had good penetration when modestly 74
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ballasted. In late 2009, the Xplorer 3.8 debuted, providing a larger model with a lighter wing loading for light thermal conditions. I have owned two of them, and both of my 3.8s have weighed in at only 72 ounces, yielding a wing load of 8.21 ounces per square foot. Very shortly after, the massive four-meter Xplorer arrived to provide the ultimate float machine for those daybreak/sunset flights when lift is truly rare. Competition generates innovation and changes in strategy, which in the case of F3J competition was to stay
An “X-ray” view of the right horizontal stab shows the spar design inside this hollow-molded tail feather.
on the launch line for the absolute minimum amount of time, while at the same time giving the pilot a chance of finding a low-level thermal. A one-second launch was suddenly a game changer, and in order to get away with that, you needed a model that was lightweight (for float), fast (to take advantage of the zoom and range out quickly) and able to penetrate the wind or range out. Being fast and ranging out meant covering more airspace for finding lift. Thus was born the Xplorer-II model. The Xplorer-II (X-II) looks just like the original Xplorer in shape and planform. In fact, all of the outer dimensions and shapes are exactly the same, attesting to the successful planform. The differences show up in two areas—the wing airfoil and the weight. The airfoil is still described as being the “NAN F3J,” but the discerning eye will see the difference at the wing’s center section. It is there that you can see a smoothing of the airfoil’s undercamber, making the airfoil a bit closer to being semi-symmetrical. The second major change is the use of spread tow carbon construction. While later examples of the original Xplorer also had spread tow carbon construction, the construction and layout of X-II’s
NAN Models “Xplorer-II” carbon material is optimized to yield high strength and low overall weight.
Assembly Work
There is not much to do to make the X-II airworthy. If you are used to building models, even ARFs, you probably look forward to at least applying glue In this view of the flap servo bay, you can see the At the center section of the outer rib, you see the to the hinges. Sorry to mild diamond shapes of carbon fiber material, which main wing joiner box, a smaller rectangular hole for is the signature design of a spread tow carbon skin. aileron servo wires and the aluminum alignment pins. disappoint you, but you This adds a ton of strength to the model. The fit and finish are superb. won’t need to do that with the X-II. But in case you were wondering what to expect in the shipping box, you’ll find a fine, 2.4-friendly fuselage, a very nice wing center section with two outer wing panels that match perfectly to the center section and a pair of stabilizer halves for the tail. There is also a hardware bag that has threaded “turnbuckle” This shows the wing saddle and the molded-in cavity On the fuselage bottom, you’ll find the factorystyle pushrods for the for a DB-9 multi-pin connector used for the wing’s installed tow hook. The hook’s location on the bottom wing, chrome spring wiring harness to seat in. of the fuselage is adjustable. steel clevices, brassthreaded control precise and consistent connection horns and other small every time the wing is mated to the hardware items. fuselage. In the morning, I finish the I started the assembly work connector install by driving a couple by installing the wiring harness, of self-tapping screws through the which was purchased from RC lugs of the DB-9 connectors. Harness (rcharness.com). It is a DB-9 MKS DS6125 thin servos are used connector that is completely wired, to drive the flaps. They are set into ready to install and expertly done. MKS plywood servo mounts, which The wire is a standard 24-gauge are laser-cut, high-density aircraft servo wire with female servo plywood. The mounts were glued connectors at the end of each wire in place with Zap Goo adhesive. set. I pride myself on making my Before installing any of the wing model’s wiring harnesses, which takes servos, make sure you center them me two evenings. Then I agonize over by plugging them into the receiver making them fit into the model’s and turning on the system. Once wings due to their thickness. The the servo frames are set and the wiring harness from RC Harness was adhesive has cured, the servos are much better than mine, providing installed. Then you can start on the a trouble-free installation and fit. I outer panels. I chose MKS DS6100 also used their matching fuselage sub-micro servos for the ailerons. wiring harness. I use Zap® Goo I glued these servos directly to the inner wing skin of the aileron servo adhesive to attach the connector to bay, again using Zap Goo. In my the fuselage, mating the wing to the This is the vertical fin and rudder, which four years of flying Xplorer models, fuselage quickly, and then allowing although nothing special, are notable for their finish. You can just make out the I have yet to break or damage an the adhesive to cure overnight. This reflection of my photographer on the aileron servo. I chose the MKS servos installation method provides for a skin’s surface. RC-SF.COM
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BY Gene Cope
Beechcraft Staggerwing 480 A Beautiful Biplane Gets Recreated as an Electric
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hen I saw the new Beechcraft Staggerwing 480 ARF kit advertised on the E-flite website I just had to have one in my hangar. After all, the full-scale Staggerwing was an airplane with a spectacular history… Then too, its design lines are some of the most beautiful ever created in an airplane, with its reverse stagger wing, big and powerful radial engine and a cockpit sized for comfort and elegance. When I opened the kit box for the Staggerwing, I saw in miniature the aircraft that Walter Beech envisioned long ago as an executive transport airplane. The E-flite kit underscores his daring to build such a beautiful, classy and expensive airplane in the midst of the Great Depression era. This model took me to the historic time of 1932 when the first Beechcraft Staggerwing flew. It made me feel the excitement that must have embraced all of the Beechcraft team when they finished this
My Beechcraft Staggerwing is photographed making a nice pass in front of Mt. Adams during an early spring day.
Take a look at the design lines of this biplane as it makes an approach at the cameraman—this is one classy airplane.
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E-flite® Beechcraft Staggerwing 480
Here is the airplane that you’ll get in your E-flite kit. I added the pneumatic retractable landing gear to my model.
200-mph airplane that had a range of over 800 miles. Then too, I could not help but think how the full-scale airplane served in so many roles—as executive aircraft, air racer, record setter, military liaison, light personnel transport, even air ambulance and, oddly enough, bomber. The E-flite model is patterned after the U.S. Navy’s VIP transport. It is made of molded Z-Foam™, which employs carbon rods for spars in the upper and lower wings to make it strong enough even for aggressive pilots. E-flite’s Staggerwing design includes a great paint scheme, a detailed cockpit, simulated ribs, antennas, mass-balance tabs, decals and the optional retractable landing
gear. If you add an optional servo you’ll even get working flaps on this beautiful, little scale airplane.
What I Got
Here is what I got with my E-flite Staggerwing: durable Z-Foam construction fuselage, upper wing, lower wing, empennage, cowling and canopy hatch. Note that I bought the servo so that my model would have functional flaps, and I opted for the pneumatic retracts too. The model has a steerable tail wheel. It is powered by an E-flite Park 480 1020-Kv brushless outrunner that turns a three-blade plastic propeller, with snap-together spinner. You will discover that the model has a nice magnetic hatch in the cowl that provides easy access for the battery
These are the components that come in the Beechcraft Staggerwing’s kit, which includes the fixed landing gear.
and receiver. The kit includes the inner-plane struts, a pushrod set and hardware, plus wing bolts. The foam wheels are two inches in diameter too, so it can be flown off grass runways—short grass! Finally, because I chose to use the pneumatic retracts I bought the 100PSI air pump with gauge to fill the air reservoir.
In Flight
I found that marrying the E-flite Park 480 BL 1020-Kv outrunner motor to the E-flite 40-amp Pro Brushless BEC and E-flite 2100mAh 3S, 20C LiPo provides plenty of power for this little model. The Staggerwing jumped off the runway at my airfield, which is paved. Even at just over half throttle the model
You’ll need to buy these components to complete the assembly of the Staggerwing and ready it for flight.
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BY Gene Cope
Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A Fighter that’ll Make You a Winner Flying it
No matter how you look at this little airplane—kit, build, price—it is a winner!
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n August of 1941 the full-scale, single-engine, single-seat FockeWulf Fw 190s went into service over France. These fearsome machines were powered by a radial engine that gave them the ability to climb fast and deliver large payloads in their role as fighter bombers, although they also served as fighters and ground-attack aircraft. The Fw 190s saw service in all the WWII European theater campaigns for the Luftwaffe right up to the end of the war. Flyzone’s 44.5-in. wingspan, readyto-fly (RTF) Focke-Wulf Fw 190 has captured the character of its fullscale counterpart in a highly detailed, durable AeroCell™airframe model airplane. This exciting little scale fighter comes complete and ready to fly right out of the kit box. The RTF package includes a superb six-channel Tactic™ brand 2.4-GHz transmitter and receiver, as well as the servos and receiver, which are factory installed in the model.
In the Air
The Flyzone Focke-Wulf Fw 190 is flat out a winner, from the moment you push the throttle forward. This little model will leap into the air! 88
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You’ll want to be on the ready on the rudder as you push the throttle forward, adding right rudder as it hurtles forward. Once in the air, you’ll find that the ailerons are super responsive, so you can fly this model like a fighter. Then too, when you suck up the gear the Fw 190 is pretty fast. We flew our model on a rather cold morning, but it delivered lots of
You get everything you need to start flying this little fighter in the kit. It even comes with the four AA batteries for the transmitter.
Flyzone™ Focke-Wulf Fw 190 performance nonetheless. It would roll, loop and fly knife-edge a bit, and it climbed great too. With the flaps down, the Fw 190 slows well for long, straight-in approaches. The brushless motor runs flawlessly and gives the model plenty of power for steep climbs and fast, tight turns. Dropping the gear on this model adds a bit of drag, but the airplane is still pretty fast on the landing. So, drop the flaps to slow the model down and fly it right down the center of the runway to make a nice landing approach. About 10 feet off the runway you’ll want to begin to pull back on the elevator to slow the model further. Then you’ll just fly it into ground effect and wait for it to settle onto the runway. We kept a bit of power applied, and the model landed in a near three-point touch down. Finally, you can expect about 10- to 12-minute flights from this
A TACTIC TTX600 transmitter is included in the model’s kit package. This is the perfect match for the Fw 190 airplane. It’s a 2.4-GHz system too!
The Fw 190 is a fun airplane to fly! This shot shows the split flaps partially deployed to slow the model for the photos.
airplane, depending on how you manage the throttle. Flyzone offers a FlightPower 2100-mAh pack that will give your model another couple of minutes of flight time as well. I’d suggest just getting another 1800mAh pack because they are super affordable.
Assembly
To make your model flight ready you’ll want to charge the 1800-mAh LiPo battery as soon as you take it out of the kit box. The kit includes a 12-volt charger, which
The propeller even includes a fan to deliver cooling air to the motor and speed controller, and it is a three-blade too, which is just plain cool.
You’ll install the LiPo pack through the access hatch in the top of the fuselage’s cowl. It makes for easy in and easy out! RC-SF.COM
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BY Wil Byers
Hawker Hurricane BNF An RAF Fighter that will Distinguish You at the Airfield
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he Hawker Hurricane was a WWII fighter that set itself apart from other aircraft with truly distinguished service to the Royal Air Force. It is now an E-flite Bind-N-Fly (BNF) kit that promises to distinguish you at the RC airfield. Sydney Camm designed the original Hawker Hurricane. He started work on the aircraft’s design in 1934, with the prototype making its maiden flight on November 6,1935. Production Hurricanes then entered RAF service in December 1937 with the No. 111 Squadron. Powered by the famous Rolls-Royce Merlin engine, the Hurricane became the first RAF monoplane fighter with an enclosed cockpit and retractable landing gear. It was the first RAF fighter monoplane capable of exceeding 300 mph in level flight. On February 10, 1938, the squadron leader J. W. Gillan demonstrated the prowess of the Hurricane by flying from Edinburgh to Northolt at an average speed of 408 mph. Consequently, squadrons were
rapidly equipped with the Hurricane. At the start of the war on September 3, 1939, nearly 500 Hurricanes had been delivered, equipping eighteen squadrons. The Hurricane I, at 7127 pounds, had a maximum speed of 325 mph at 17,500 feet, and a range of 700 miles at 200 mph at 15,000 feet.
The E-flite Hawker Hurricane will definitely have heads turning at your airfield when you taxi it onto the flight line!
Its service ceiling was 36,000 feet, with a climb to 20,000 feet of only nine minutes. While not as fast at the RAF’s Spitfire, the Hurricanes could turn tighter and faster than many of the enemy fighters.
Model
With a history like that of the Hurricane, the new E-flite BNF model has a lot to live up to. I was eager to fly it. It is made of Z-Foam™ material, so it is tough and quick to build. The model is powered by a 25-size motor that is married to a 11.1-volt 3200mAh battery pack, so plenty of power is available for fast climbs to altitude. The BNF model is equipped with This full-scale Hawker Hurricane is the epitome of design change forced by the rigors of war and the need for speed and maneuverability!
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E-flite Hawker Hurricane BNF digital servos, functional flaps and a Spektrum DSMX receiver—already installed. You scale buffs will like the fact that the model is detailed in the authentic RAF No. 1 Squadron paint scheme too.
Features • • • •
Z-Foam™ construction 25-size 1000-Kv brushless motor E-flite 60-amp Pro brushless ESC Spektrum 6-channel AR600
• • • • • • •
DSMX receiver High-speed digital metal hybrid gear servos 3S 3200-mAh 11.1-V 30C LiPo battery 3S variable rate DC LiPo balancing charger Flaps installed Retracts ready RAF No. 1 Squadron paint scheme Simulated engine exhaust, air-
foiled tail section, scale pilot and clear navigation light lenses
Needed to Complete
Five-channel-plus DSM aircraft transmitter (six channels with flaps and retracts).
Fight Report
After the quick and easy assembly, the model was loaded into the airplane transport vehicle (van). The
This close-in, banking pass shows you why this model is an extremely popular warbird—it has the great looks and detailing that set it apart from others.
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