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PART 2 —ASK-18 GLIDER BUILD p. 20 World’s Most In-Depth RC Aircraft Magazine

See why this Hacker-motorpowered Pulsar 2E Glider

GETS TO ALTITUDE IN A HURRY! LEARN HOW EASY

refinishing models is—make yours flyable again

GET AN INSIDE

look at the 2013 MultiRotor Challenge Action

TAKE A FIRST LOOK AT the New

Tidewater Seaplane USA & CANADA $6.49

JUNE 2013

RC-SF.COM

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DEPARTMENTS

10 96 97

LEADING EDGE ADVERTISER INDEX MYSTERY AIRPLANE

Learn how-to-refinish models tips and tricks from our pro builder.

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EVENT

MULTI-ROTOR CHALLENGE See why multi-rotor copters are giving a fresh face to RC. By Wil Byers

BUILD

BUILD AN ASK-18 PART 2 Get the step-by-step details of how to build the wings of this glider. By Gene Cope SPACE WALKER WINGS PART 3 In Part 3 you will discover how easy it is to build straight and true sport plane wings. By Jeff Troy RC SPORT FLYER â€” JUNE 2013

Get the straight scoop on how the new gaspowered O.S. GT60 engine peforms.

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HOW TO

AEROBATICS PART 3 Follow along as Daniel explains how to put controls systems into an airplane. By Daniel Holman RETRACT SERVO FABRICATION IS FUN We show you how to design a servo mount that travels with the landing gear strut. By Wil Byers

REVIEWS

FLYZONE TIDEWATER You’ll get all wet and excited when you read about this new fun-to-fly seaplane. By Gene Cope PREMIER PILOTS Take a look at this review if you are looking for a great pilot for your next scale model. By Staff

LUSCOMBE SILVAIRE 8 Check out this monoplane plan if you are looking for something different to build. By Wendell Hostetler

PLAN

JUNE 2013

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COMMANDER EP (40) See why this pattern airplane may be just what you are looking for to hone your pilot skills. By James VanWinkle EF EXTRA 300 We show you why the Extreme Flight 104-in. Extra 300 delivers topnotch quality and performance. By Daniel Holman PULSAR 2E ARF If you are looking for an excellent ALES glider, read this review to see how this one measures up. By Wil Byers

PLUS: PHOTO

JEFF WHITFORD’S P-47 THUNDERBOLT By Jerry Smith

REPORT

EAGLE TREE 2D/3D GUARDIAN By Gene Cope

PG 88 See why this new ALES glider should be on your 2013 shopping list.

RC-SF.COM

BY Wil Byers

2013 MULTI-ROTOR CHALLENGE THIS CALIFORNIA EVENT PUTS A NEW TWIST ON RC

RC SPORT FLYER â€” JUNE 2013

2013 MULTI-ROTOR CHALLENGE

t was like getting a breath of fresh RC air to attend the first annual Multi-Rotor Challenge, hosted at the Palomar Flyers Club airfield in Fallbrook, California. The event took place over the weekend of March 23rd and 24th. It was sponsored by Innov8tive Designs and had the support of magazines Heli Pilot and RC Sport Flyer, as well as companies such as DIY Drones, 3D Robotics, ROC Batteries, DJI Innovations, R/C Dude Hobbies, QuadCoptersPlus.com and the San Diego Chapter of the AUVSI, to name a few.

FRESH FACES

What made the Multi-Rotor

Challenge a breath of fresh air was seeing the new faces of the pilots who attended, along with the companies that are pretty much as yet unknown in the RC community. The exception to this is of course Lucien Miller, the owner of Innov8tive Designs. In all, there were about 62 pilots entered in the event, with many spectators eager to see the latest in this new facet of the hobby/industry. Fresh air how? Well, I got to meet Ben Berrey of DIYcopters.com. This young man is doing things with his quad-copters that would make any pilot, fixed-wing or rotor, sit up and take notice. For example, he is programming his aircraft’s controllers

to reverse when needed so he can fly them upside down. Ben and his brother have created some pretty inexpensive, wooden airframes that are just beyond interesting. They even have them painted by a local artist to give them the most unique looks in the air and on the ground. By the way, you really should visit Ben’s website because he has lots of useful information posted on it about multirotors and first-person-view flying. I must say it was inspiring to see pilots like those from team Innov8tive Designs too. These young guys were turning in some flights that had me saying to myself, “I gotta learn how to program these machines and do

This is one of the kits from innov8tivedesigns.com. As you can see it is fitted with a GPS unit and a NAZA controller. The unit uses wooden blades to reduce blade flex. Innov8tive can set you up with everything you need to start flying multirotors. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @RCSPORTFLYER

RC-SF.COM

BY Gene Cope

ASK-18 PART 2

WINGS WILL DEFINITELY SET YOU STRAIGHT ON BUILDING

A dry assembly of the wing jointer tube assembly was put together to see how all ribs fit before building starts.

building wings from scratch for me is a love/hate relationship! I prefer to have them built for me. The truth is, however, that if you are scratch building there is no way to avoid building wings. So, here is what you’ll do. You’ll build one wing and then the other. I wish it were that easy, but it is not. Let me explain what you’ll need to do. I started by considering the construction methods for the ASK18 wings. One option was to build the wings using a foam core, which would use sheeting on the D-box and trailing edges with balsa cap strips to simulate ribs. The other would be a built-up structure as per the full-scale sailplane. The latter method was what I decided on, so design work began. In keeping with a Martin Simon three-view drawing, the main wing spar would not be built parallel to the wing’s leading edge. This would therefore require a double-spar system to carry the wing load. The joiner tube would be a carbon fiber 20

RC SPORT FLYER — JUNE 2013

tube, with double ribs mating to it at each end of the tube. After deciding on this construction method, the wing ribs were router cut from 3/32-in. three-layer plywood. The wing ribs were designed such that the wing’s washout was built in. Also, they employed construction tabs and a pre-set dihedral was built into the root ribs. This design work was done using Profili 2.2. The wings’ sixfoot Sitka spruce spar material was purchased from Aircraft Spruce & Specialty Co. To start wing construction, I began by spending two weeks off and on in preparation. This meant cutting and truing spar notches, making up trailing edges and laminating up the main wing spars. Once that was complete the wing started to

ASK-18 PART 2

2 Even though the plywood wing ribs were routed, a 123 block was used to help square the notches before final trimming.

3 The 3/32-in. plywood shear webs were pre-tapered to rib height before cutting into segments.

4 This view shows how the spar splice between the 1/2-in. to 1/4-in.-wide Sitka spruce spar pieces provided the best strength. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @RCSPORTFLYER

take shape, with the lower spars, wing ribs, jointer tube and plywood shear webbing. All the plywood shear webbing was tapered to wing thicknesses and precisely cut to length so the center of each bay rib was exactly the same. The inner panel bay ribs are 2.268 in., while the outer bay ribs are 2.5 in on center. This made placing the ribs easy when I used a “123” block to keep the ribs vertical during their placement in the structure. A 123 block is a steel block with a series of 3/8-16 taped holes. The block is precision ground to have sides that are exactly square and parallel to each other. It measures 1 × 2 × 3 in. and is within 0.0005 tolerance. I know, it may be a little overkill for this job, but it made placing the ribs easy and precise because the weight of the blocks kept the wood parts in place during their assembly. The ribs’ leading edges were butted against a 1 × 3-in. × 8-ft. piece of straight oak to ensure proper orientation. An 1/8 × 3/16-in. spruce sub leading edge was used to keep the center-to-center rib spacing at the leading edge. When the spar box area was fixed in position the rest of the wing ribs were then placed, with their vertical-grain, balsa shear webbing cut to maintain the center-to-center rib spacing. When RC-SF.COM

BY Jeff Troy

SPACEWALKER II WING, PART 3 The left wing of the Sig Spacewalker II is shown here, ready to mate with its righthand counterpart and receive the centersection sheeting. This installment shows you a few of the methods I used to complete the underside of this panel.

he Spacewalker II is a quarterscale model of the full-scale airplane flown by the former owners of Sig Manufacturing Company in Montezuma, Iowa. The model spans 84 inches and is intended for two- or four-stroke glow power, although my Spacewalker II will be modified to accept electric power. If you are a new reader of my “Building Model Airplanes” series, please be aware that its purpose is not to simply follow the instructions and build a collection of airplanes. My intent is to pass along many helpful hints and tips to make building these and any other model airplanes easier, faster, better and more enjoyable. Whenever the opportunities arise during construction, I will use that step to describe some little bit of information that you may find useful when building your own models. You may be enlightened by some of 28

RC SPORT FLYER — JUNE 2013

my ramblings, or you might feel that they merely echo what you already know. You may even have your own, better way of doing the same thing. The important point is that you can always learn something from anyone, even if it’s what not to do. In my previous two installments for RC Sport Flyer, I constructed the upper portion of the Spacewalker II’s left-wing panel. I wrote that I would conclude the wing construction in this installment, but later realized that the wing cannot be finished until a good portion of the fuselage construction is underway. That will happen soon, but not yet, so stay with me while I finish the underside of the wing. I chose Bob Smith Industries (BSI) Insta-Cure+ gap-filling CA and InstaCure thin CA for most of the wing’s construction steps. In this installment, I will also take advantage of the slowcure character of BSI’s Maxi-Cure, extra-thick CA. Before the trailing-edge sheeting can be added, the stands at the trailing edges of the ribs must be removed. Don’t just cut and hack. Score the stands by making several passes of your hobby blade over the cut line. Make each pass a little deeper than the pass before it.

Scoring produces a cleaner and more accurate cut. Any excess balsa from the trailing-edge stands should be sanded down with coarse sandpaper on a Tee-Bar or Easy-Touch bar sander. This can be a somewhat clumsy procedure because the airfoil shape doesn’t let the wing rest flat on the work surface. You can remedy this by positioning the trailing edge of the wing at the edge of your work surface, then pressing it down so at least the rearmost section of the wing is down flat. Sand any excess wood on the ribs to match the flow of the airfoil, and remember to hold the sander at roughly 45 degrees to the ribs and spars. This angle will give you the best possible chance to protect against the sides or ends of the sander digging into and gouging the delicate balsa framework. A slight bevel must be sanded into the trailing-edge sheeting. Again, with the tail-end of the wing held down against the surface, sand lightly in several passes to get an even bevel along the entire trailing-edge sheet. In addition to a thinner trailing edge, the bevel ensures greater gluing area where the upper and lower sheeting come together.

SPACEWALKER II WING, PART 3

3 Flip the wing upside down and trim the tail stands away from the trailing edges of the ribs. Instead of slicing right through the balsa, score the stands by making repeated passes of the blade, each one a little bit deeper than the previous pass.

Position the trailing edge of the wing at the edge of your work surface, and sand the tails of the ribs to match the flow of the airfoil. Remember to hold the sander approximately 45 degrees to the ribs and spars. You will also be sanding a slight bevel into the trailing-edge sheeting.

5 Use BSI Maxi-Cure or your own favorite brand of thick CA to attach the lower trailing-edge sheeting. Draw a pencil line to indicate the rib locations, then run a bead of thick CA over each of the lines and along the rear of the sheet where it will contact the upper sheet.

Thick CA gives you increased working time over gap-filling CA. This is especially useful when installing wing sheeting. Bob Smith Industries (BSI) Maxi-Cure is a high-quality, thick CA. Use it, or your own favorite brand, to attach the lower trailingedge sheeting. Hold the trailing-edge sheet against the tail of the wing and mark the rib locations on the sheet with a soft pencil. Run a bead of thick CA over each of the pencil lines, and another bead along the edge of the sheet where it will contact the upper sheet. Remember that your wing is inverted, so the upper sheet is against the bench and the lower sheet is FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @RCSPORTFLYER

All sheeting, including the leading-edge sheeting, must fit tightly to the ribs. Use a razor plane to take down most of the excess material from the balsa sub-leading edge, followed by using a Tee-Bar or Easy-Touch bar sander to contour the planed edge to the precise curvature of the rib noses.

the one being added to the wing assembly. Lay the lower sheeting over the assembly, carefully aligning the rear edge of the sheet with the rear edge of the upper sheet. One bay (the area between any two ribs) at a time, press down on the sheeting and hit the still-uncured CA with a shot of accelerator to secure the bond. The contour of the ribs must flow smoothly into the contour of the sub-leading edge so the sheeting can fit flush to the structure. Use a razor plane to remove the excess balsa from the sub-leading edge, followed by passes of the bar sander to perfect the contour. Install the 3/16in. balsa sub-spar, and attach one edge

of the lower leading-edge sheeting to the sub-spar. Gap-filling CA works fine here. Pulling the leading-edge sheet forward and down over the subleading edge is easily done with Maxi-Cure as the bonding agent. With the wing standing on its trailing edge, lift the sheeting slightly and apply Maxi-Cure or another thick CA to the edges of the nose ribs under the sheeting. You wonâ€™t be able to reach all the way down, but letting the CA dribble down will get the job done. Run another bead of thick CA along the edge of the sub-leading edge and press the sheeting down over it. Again, working just one or two bays RC-SF.COM

BY Rob Caso

HOW TO

REFINISHING AN OLD MODEL INSPIRATION A 1/32 die-cast model of an SBD from the USS Lexington served as the inspiration for my new paint scheme. The yellow here is an incorrect shade.

My “old” Dauntless is first wet sanded to smooth the existing finish and to remove the markings.

designed and built my E-powered, 33-in. Dauntless back in 2005, painting it in the color scheme of an SBD employed in the Coral Sea engagement in 1942. I initially flew the model with a 2S Lithium Polymer (LiPo) on a 9 x 4.5-in. propeller and, while the model flew well, I was always wanting for a bit more zip. As a result, I didn’t really fly it that much. For last year’s NEAT fair, I decided to up-gun the model with a 3S 1000-mAh LiPo and an 8 x 6-in. propellor, which has become my standard one-pound warbird setup. What a difference this made. While it was certainly quite a bit faster having now about 100 watts/pound of power, it flew much more scale like, was easier to hand launch and was more maneuverable. Except for the

A close up of the sanded markings. Use a gray primer to cover smoothed but stubborn markings.

paint scheme, it was like having a new model. Hand launch, belly-landing models always accumulate wear and tear faster than their wheeled counterparts and, even though it 34

RC SPORT FLYER — JUNE 2013

REFINISHING AN OLD MODEL A few cracks and dents in the plastic cowl were repaired using auto body filler. CA some fiberglass behind any significant issues before filling them.

Here the wing has been primed with flat white and the markings further sanded to eliminate high spots.

I applied medium CA to repair cracks in the wood skin.

didn’t have much air time, the SBD was starting to look a bit weary. It had even been caught in the rain at a NEAT fair years ago, ruining all my carefully applied panel lines. When I built the model, I remember being torn between doing the blue/gray WWII or the pre-war, “yellow wing” scheme. Time for a “yellow wing” facelift!

SCOPE

With so much wing, this model, like all dive bombers, can handle a

I then faired the edge with auto body filler and wet sanded it smooth.

A good sanding with 220 paper will smooth out recently cured CA. Next, I lined the open area with a curved piece of .010” plastic installed at an angle.

I decided to open up the scale vents on the fuselage. Here I have cut a rectangle in the fuselage.

To make the faux opening more prominent and to yield a clean edge, I lined the aft edge of the opening with a strip of .010” plastic.

RC-SF.COM

BY Daniel Holman

AEROBATICS PART 3 I Performing extreme aerobatics precisely, right off the deck at high speeds, grabs attention like nothing else! Here I am bringing my Extreme Flight® 104” Extra 300 across the runway in a high-speed, slowrolling circle during the noontime demo at the Wenatchee, Washington, Huckfest.

RC SPORT FLYER — JUNE 2013

hope the information I provided you in the last two issues has helped you choose the right aerobatic airframe to suit your needs. The list of my favorite aerobatic airplanes covered a very broad range of airframe sizes. While each of these requires slightly different techniques to achieve the perfect aerobatic setup, most of the fundamental rules apply to aerobatic aircraft in general. During the building and setup of these airplanes you must always keep in mind that the airplane, with all its components, will be subjected to extremely high gravitational loads, which do not stop at the wing spar. Rather, they stress every part of the airplane—to the last screw and servo connector. It’s been said that every time we fly these airplanes, we crash them without hitting the ground. All of the best airframe manufacturers have worked hard to ensure that the airframes they sell are capable of withstanding intense stress. However, it is up to you as builders to ensure that you don’t put a weak link in the safety chain.

AEROBATICS PART 3

[ BUILDING ]

Most of the modern ARF (almostready-to-fly) airframes come highly pre-fabricated, with little assembly left for the builder to do. However, many precautionary steps must be taken to ensure the airplane is safe to fly. I recommend you follow the manufacturer’s instruction manual throughout the build—take this instruction seriously. Every metal-

to-metal fastener must have thread locker used. Every wood screw must thread into a hole soaked with thinCA (cyanoacrylate glue), every major wood joint should be wicked with thin-CA too, and all pin-type hinges and composite parts should be lightly scuffed with sandpaper prior to bonding, etc. All servo mounts should be saturated with thin CA as well. Remember that while the servo may

be capable of outputting over 450 oz-in. of torque, the stress it endures under load is exponentially magnified onto the servo mount. All in all, these new airframes assemble quickly and easily, but you must consider the stresses that each part will be subjected to when your airplane is in flight, and imparting high G forces to them as it performs maneuvers.

[ EQUIPMENT SETUP ]

This is where the proverbial rubber meets the road. Setting up the airplane and its control equipment correctly is crucial to success. So, let’s go through some of the necessities of setting up servos, linkages, installing batteries, radio equipment, installing the engine/motor and more. Servos On the small electric-powered airplanes, each control surface typically only uses one servo, which greatly simplifies the install and radio programming. On giant-scale airplanes, however, multiple servos are often used for a single surface, which complicates the setup. It’s nothing to be intimidated by as long as you follow the correct procedure. Because of the extreme loads demanded of an aerobatic airplane’s control surfaces and servos, having the highest possible mechanical advantage for control is a must. A good rule to follow when setting up extreme throws is to use a servo horn that is the same length as the distance from the control surface’s hinge line to the hole in its control horn. (When setting up an airplane for precision aerobatics this rule does not apply.) Also, when the control surface is at its maximum deflection, the servo’s throw should be at its maximum deflection, and in the same direction. If using a JR or Spektrum radio, this means that when the elevator is deflected up at max throw, the servo’s endpoint is set to 150 percent, with the transmitter’s dual rate set to 100 percent. Note that if a servo horn requires that you set the endpoints below 100 percent, you should attach the FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @RCSPORTFLYER

pushrod linkage to the servo horn closer to the servo, or use a shorter control arm. This requires that the servo move farther to achieve the same amount of throw on the airplane’s control surface, but it will boost the mechanical advantage of the servo’s control authority. In many situations, the pushrod geometry is such that it must be connected to the top of the servo horn. However, if at all possible, you should connect it to the bottom side of the horn because it greatly reduces the side load that is put on the servo’s output spline. Dual Elevator Servos Setting up dual elevator servos to operate in perfect sync is quite easy, once you understand one important fact—the pushrods for each elevator must be of identical length!

When setting up dual elevator servos, it is crucial to make the pushrods of equal length so that the servo horns are always perfectly parallel to each other throughout the full range of motion.

Unfortunately, achieving this setup usually requires some sub-trimming in the transmitter to match the servos. Fortunately, most good servos utilize splines that allow for quite small servo-arm adjustments on the spline. The reason that both pushrods must be of identical length is that the servos are not linear in their motion, but radial. Consequently, if the servo horns are set at different angles when the elevators are at their neutral positions, the elevators will not travel synchronously, even if the maximum servo control throw is equal. Some radios such as the Spektrum® DX18 have a function that allows the servos’ travel to be manipulated to RC-SF.COM

BY Wil Byers

RETRACT SERVO FABRICATION IS FUN AND REWARDING—TRY IT

here is one part of the hobby that is hugely overlooked—the fabrication and modification of almost-readyto-fly (ARF) airplanes. Typically the buyer of an ARF just builds it as the plans outline, which is all well and good in most cases. However, there are times when you must engineer solutions to the way an ARF is built. Alternately, you may just want to make the ARF better than what it was when you got it from the manufacturer/distributor. Then too, there are ARFs that come without assembly instructions, which then forces you to engineer solutions when building or assembling the model.

1 This sailplane retract is engineered to provide shock absorption on landing. There is a shock absorber fitted in the back of the unit, with springs that tension the landing gear. It is hinged at the front so that the frame can rotate back and up a bit during landings to absorb the shocks from bumps.

The DS8411 servo’s frame was made of a piece of aluminum angle that I bought at Home Depot. I cut it to fit the servo with a Dremel saw that was fitted with a metal cutting blade. It was then drilled to accept the RTL Fasteners’ servo screws with a drill press. I recommend you make it a tight fit.

RC SPORT FLYER — JUNE 2013

SHOCK ABSORBING RETRACT I’ve been working on my 1/3-scale ASG-29 sailplane lately. I bought it a while back from Icare Sailplanes I used RTL Fasteners’ Allen head bolts and lock nuts to bolt the servo to its mount. I also applied a bit of Loctite to the bolt threads as well, just to make certain the screws remain snug in the mount. Be sure to use removable Loctite or you will regret it later.

2 3

RETRACT SERVO The sailplane is definitely an ARF, so it has gone together quite easily. But, when installing the retract in the model, my friend, Gene Cope, recognized that if the servo was hard-mounted to the side of the fuselage, the servo would suffer shock loads as the retract absorbs the shock of landings. His suggestion was to mount the servo to the retractable landing gear, which is what he and I proceeded to do. As you can see in photograph one, the gear has a shock absorber at its aft end. It is also spring loaded. It appears to be made of 6061 aluminum flat stock, or some such very strong aluminum. The frame is very well made. Gene’s suggestion was to mount the servo to the frame of the landing gear. In so doing, the servo would move with the gear frame as it absorbs landing loads, which would

then not shock load the servo, which could otherwise possibly strip its gears. I liked the idea. The problem was how would we mount the servo. The answer turns out to be quite straightforward. So, after a quick trip to Home Depot® for a short piece of aluminum stock, Gene and I were busy fabricating a servo mount that we would attach to the retractable landing gear’s frame. The servo would then mount in the frame. It would use a short pushrod to drive the gear. It would travel with the gear’s frame. It turns out that it was a clean installation. It was easy to do. It was inexpensive. Moreover, it was fun to do! I’ll explain in the photo captions. So, read along to see how easy this servo installation is to fabricate. You just may want to adapt it to your next model build.

4 This photo provides a good look at how the servo mounts to the side of the retract as well as how the shock absorber works on the retract. Notice that you are looking down on the retract and servo from above. The gear will extend down and out of the landing gear. The servo moves with the gear’s frame.

and Electrics (icare-rc.com). It is a fantastic, all-molded, composite, 6-meter wingspan glider. I’m quite anxious to finish it and take it to the Visalia, California aerotow event. However, it did not come with an instruction manual. Rather, there was one drawing included. It only provides a rough idea of where the hardware gets installed.

6 This shows you what the gear looks like when it is extended. Note that you must program the servo’s travel such that it does not overdrive the gear to its stop, which would stall the servo and result in it drawing lots of current. That will drain the battery pack fast and could result in a crash.

5 We drilled and tapped the gear frame so that the servo mount could be bolted to the retract’s frame. You’ll definitely want to use Loctite on the threads of the bolts that hold the servo frame to the retractable gear to prevent the bolts from coming loose over time and with use.

Why Pay a Dollar for just 4 Screws?

We have the hardware you need at a fraction of retail! Order today at:

www.rtlfasteners.com or call 800-239-6010

708 Battlefield Blvd South #107 Chesapeake, VA 23322

RC-SF.COM

BY Mike Hoffmeister

ENGINE TEST

O.S. GT60 2-STROKE

AN ENGINE THAT WILL GAS UP YOUR 50- TO 60-SIZE AIRPLANES!

.S. Engines is a leading model engine manufacturer. They are known for quality, reliability, ease of tuning and innovation in internal combustion engines. Following the introduction of their first gasoline-powered engine, the GT55, O.S. introduced the GT33 (tested in RC Sport Flyerâ€™s June 2012 issue), followed by the GT22. Now they are applying all of their technology to the new GT60! The release of the GT60 is well-timed, as the 50- to 60-cc class airplanes are more popular than ever. The pilots are therefore demanding compact, lightweight, high-performance engines with unwavering reliability. The GT60 uses the same rear-mounted carburetor and improved, IG-02 ignition system as the proven GT33 and GT22

RC SPORT FLYER â€” JUNE 2013

engines. Plus the GT60 engine uses the new linerless configuration on its cylinders, for less weight, better cooling and better performance. O.S. also offers the engine in two configurations, one with an O.S. E-6020 Pitts-style muffler and one without.

The O.S. GT60 engine comes well packed in an attractive, high-quality box, and includes instructions, decals, ignition system, muffler, prop washer/bolts, spark plug and exhaust gasket.

O.S. GT60 2-STROKE Note the rear-intake carburetor location vs. the front intake of the GT55. The crankcases are very compact, but with sturdy mounting legs on the rear-case half, and rigid bearing supports in the front-case half.

WHY TO BUY

The 50- to 60-cc class of airplanes is likely the most popular class of large-scale gasoline aircraft today. O.S. releases the GT60 based on their vast experience over decades of building top-notch RC engines, as well as their experience building gasoline-powered GT22, GT33 and GT55. The GT60 is powerful, lightweight, easy to tune, compact and is offered with or without a muffler. The version with muffler is only $70 more, so if you’re planning to use a Pitts-style muffler, you can save a few bucks by getting the version with muffler vs. buying it separately. Finally, O.S. backs the GT60 with a two-year warranty.

BREAK-IN AND PERFORMANCE TESTING The first step in my engine test was to adapt the GT60 to the

This right-side view gives a good overall perspective of the engine. Note how compact the front of the engine is, and the usual top-notch quality of the castings and the distinctive “60GT” and “O.S.” logos.

This front view shows how compact the engine is, yet with generous cooling fin area. Note the cooling fins are biased to the exhaust side to maintain more even temperatures, and the spark plug is slightly angled.

The Walbro carburetor and reed valve block fit nicely into the rear housing. Also, O.S. did a great job of integrating mounting tabs into the rear housing, which are reinforced for extra strength.

RC-SF.COM

BY Jerry Smith

he Republic Aviation P-47 Thunderbolt, also know as the “Jug,” was the largest, heaviest—weighing up to eight tons when fully loaded—and most expensive fighter aircraft in history to be powered by a single reciprocating engine. It was heavily armed with eight 50-cal machine guns, four per wing. The cockpit was roomy and comfortable, even providing air conditioning. It was especially effective in high-altitude, air-to-air combat and very adept at ground attack. The P-47, dispatched to England in 1942, was one of the main United States Army Air Forces fighters of World War II and also served with other Allied air forces. Because of the propeller ground clearance, the pilot had to make a long run on takeoff, holding the tail low, until flying speed was reached. The model you see featured here was built by retired airline and corporate pilot Jeff Whitford of

Alpharetta, Georgia. Jeff likes to build warbirds and has a few others in his hangar. The P-47 is his latest. I sat down with Jeff and asked him about his build and what he did to achieve this great-looking warbird. “My P-47 project started out as a package deal purchased from another modeler who gave up on completing it, consisting of Ziroli plans, Zirolisupplied fuselage, cowl and canopy, and a full wood kit from Precision Kit Cutters,” Jeff said. He sourced a new 3W-75 engine and a set of Robart retracts for about half price on RCUniverse. He started the build as

JEFF WHITFORD’S P-47 A LARGE-SCALE,WELLBUILT THUNDERBOLT

RC SPORT FLYER — JUNE 2013

JEFF WHITFORD’S P-47 a P-47N in order to have the bigger wing but later changed it to a P-47D. The result was a bigger wing with rounded wingtips instead of squaredoff wingtips that the “N” should have, and a 97-in. wingspan instead of the 92-in. that the “D” model should have. “It’s not that noticeable unless you really know P-47s,” Jeff said. The overall scale is about 1:6. A few items used were the

Century Jet cowl attach system that hides the screws inside the cowl, and special flap hinges that Meister sells. The cockpit detail is actually a P-40 cockpit salvaged from a Jack Devine P-40 that met an early demise. Jeff said, “I went the cheap route on paint, using Krylon Matte Aluminum. It looks okay, but really shows fingerprints and smudges.” The airplane weighs 38 lb and is

the first model that Jeff has built that balanced out perfectly without adding any nose weight. The first flight was perfect, requiring only one click of elevator trim, and no carburetor adjustments were necessary. The airplane is very stable, but according to its builder could use a little more power. “There’s no such thing as too much power in a warbird, right?”

Jeff Whitford’s P-47 leaves you with no doubt that his model replicates a full-scale P-47 as it does a fly-by at the airfield. The quality of workmanship, and its flight performance are exceptional. This is the kind of model that will turn you into a scale enthusiast!

™

EF11 S EF Spor Sp ortt R Race Ra cerr ARF A F AR

51.9” wingspan

RACE COURSE READY! Designed by respected pylon racer Jim Allen, the Proud Bird backs up its streamlined appearance with 100+ mph speeds that let you compete in any EF1 class pylon race. And the Proud Bird has the features pilots look for in an everyday aerobat. It handles the demands of high speeds and thrill-a-minute maneuvers, with predictable takeoffs and landings that will inspire confidence. And because the Proud Bird comes covered in a gleaming all-white MonoKote finish, you’re one step closer to making this plane your own, with a customized trim scheme that’ll make it stand out at the field.

Shown with custom trim scheme, pilot not included.

BY Gene Cope

TIDEWATER TX-R™

IT FLOATS LIKE A CORK, BUT FLIES LIKE A DREAM

RC SPORT FLYER — JUNE 2013

FLYZONE™ TIDEWATER TX-R™

The Tactic™TTX404 4-channel transmitter was used for flight testing. It is an inexpensive radio, but works great in this application. The classic lines were a real eye-catcher for the spectators watching this flight as the Tidewater glides in for a touch-n-go landing.

If you like flying seaplanes, you are going to love flying the new Flyzone Tidewater EP. It will get you all wet and excited for flying.

f you like flying seaplanes, you are going to love flying the new Flyzone Tidewater EP. It will get you all wet and excited for flying. The Tidewater is available in both ready-to-fly (RTF) or transmitter ready (Tx-R™) versions. The Tx-R version that I’m reviewing here requires the use of at least a Tactic™ four-channel transmitter or an AnyLink® module for your transmitter that would not be equipped with secure link technology (SLT™). The Tactic radio and AnyLink systems bind unbelievably easily with the Tactic six-channel SLT receiver that comes factory installed in the Tidewater. For this review a Tactic TTX404 four-channel transmitter was used for piloting. Note that you must buy a 2200mAh 3S 11.1-volt LiPo battery to complete the Tidewater package. You’ll need a LiPo charger too, unless of course you have a real electric personality that pumps electrons. The Tidewater seaplane is constructed of molded AeroCell foam, which means that it is extremely durable. Also, the bottom of the forward part of the fuselage is molded of hard plastic, so it will and does absorb the abuse and abrasions that this part of a seaplane’s airframe normally gets.

IN FLIGHT

The pond where I test flew the Tidewater is a backwater of the Columbia river near Kennewick, Washington. It was a warm, sunny FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @RCSPORTFLYER

spring day with very little wind and the water was pretty much calm and flat. In the water, the Tidewater maneuvers easily. Its water rudder sits on the bottom of the rudder, so any movement on the rudder results in a responsive turn when the model is in the water. I started my flight test by taxing the model around a bit to get the feel of its power and how it handled. Then the Tidewater was turned into the wind and throttle increased to about 75 percent to get it on step. It wasn’t long before the model was running along the water, ready to take to the air. The brushless motor in the Tidewater delivers plenty of power, so you can get it off the water and in the air quickly if you want. I just eased back on the center of gravity and my Tidewater was airborne and climbing briskly. There was, however, a minor problem. With the model’s center of gravity (CG) set as per the instruction manual (1-7/8 in. back of the wing’s leading edge) the airplane would dive when I let off the up elevator control. Even with full up trim added to the transmitter’s settings it would still pitch down a bit. So, I landed the model and moved the LiPo battery back about 1/2 in. Then I flew the model again. This was better, but it still would pitch down a bit when the motor was running at half throttle. The battery was moved back a little further. It was better. Then it was moved back again. It was right on! The final position has the RC-SF.COM

BY Gene Cope

GUARDIAN

2D/3D

IF YOU ARE OFF KILTER, THIS UNIT MIGHT JUST FIX YOU

f late I’ve had a tendency to lose the orientation of the wings of my large-scale gliders when they get way, way out during a search for thermals or sometimes during a high aerotow launch. As a result, I was searching for a stabilization system that would help if and when I should lose orientation with my model. About the same time this started happening to me Eagle Tree Systems introduced their new Guardian 2D/3D Stabilizer system. It was just the control system interface I needed to keep the wings of my sailplane level during tow and on a long-distance thermal search. With the Guardian 2D/3D Stabilizer programmed to keep my model’s wings level, the stress level for me dropped a bunch, especially during those high-altitude aerotows. What makes the Guardian 2D/3D such a powerful stabilization tool is

RC SPORT FLYER — JUNE 2013

The Guardian comes with a wiring harness that provides the connections between the unit and the radio receiver.

GUARDIAN 2D/3D A USB cable is inserted into the Guardian to utilize Eagle Tree’s free software programming interface for your computer.

that it is programmable to provide true wing stabilization. When you have it in your aircraft it will maintain level flight or return your model to level flight. It will control the roll, pitch and yaw inputs, without you having to touch the transmitter sticks. The unit even has built-in rudder compensation adjustments, which you can program to aid in making aileron/rudder-coordinated turns.

SETUP

The installation is quick and easy. All you need to do is mount the Guardian level in your airplane—it can even be install upside down. It is best if you mount it near the center of gravity. Note that the packaging includes a small airplane logo printed on the top of the guardian, which represents how it must be installed in the airplane with respect to orientation—the mounting direction

is therefore unmistakable. For my airplane the best mounting position was on top of the wheel pan. I would add that it is very important that the Guardian does not change or shift in position, because if it does it will have a direct effect on control surface movement. So, secure it in your aircraft well. Also, at only 11 grams it is lightweight and will fit in almost any airplane, big or small. The Guardian 2D/3D comes with a wiring harness. The harness connects the Guardian input to the channels on the receiver. The respective control channels then connect to the appropriate channels on the Guardian. There are two ways to program the Guardian 2D/3D Stabilizer. The instruction manual covers both in detail. The first programming option is to use the transmitter’s control sticks to select and enter information. The Guardian uses an LED user interface to verify that you have entered the programmable setting properly. The alternate programming method is with a computer. In that case you will need to connect a USB cable to the Guardian and to a Windows-based computer. Eagle Tree provides a free software download that you will use as the programming interface to the unit. What makes the computer interface nice is that the positions of the adjustment pots are shown on the computer screen as you turn them with a small screwdriver on the Guardian. You can even reverse servo travels via the unit’s gains. You simply turn the pot to its opposite side from the vertical position. Here is what is really nice: When all the inputs and settings have been programmed into the unit via the computer interface, you simply press the Load Config button and the Guardian will load the settings and store them for your airplane’s

EEN SCRHOT S

This general screen shot shows the gain pots, pitch, turn gauge and program buttons that the software provides.

RC-SF.COM

BY Staff

REPORT

PREMIER PILOTS DON’T LOOK ANY FARTHER THAN THESE PILOTS FOR YOUR NEXT MODEL

f you are frustrated by the lack of availability of good pilot figures to put in your model aircraft you need to know about Premier Pilots from RD Enterprises. Their new line of pilots is a welcome addition to the scale builders’ market. These pilots will let you emulate the full-scale aircraft you are modeling by adding a very lifelike pilot figure. What is outstanding about these new pilots is that each general aviation pilot has a full body. Moreover, it only weighs 5.5 oz when it is clothed and ready to install in the model. Without a doubt Premier Pilots are the lightest articulating pilots you’ll find anywhere. Each pilot body is fabricated by employing 17 different moulds. The result is that you get a pilot that lets you create lifelike poses in your aircraft. Each pilot’s shoulders are adjustable in width from 3-3/4 to 4-1/4 in. The shoes and legs can be removed to fit in cockpits with limited space. The pilot suits and uniforms are sewn from cloth fabric to give them a look that you’d expect to see in a scale model. Also, you have four different shirt colors to pick from: red, white, blue and light blue. All pilots come with tan pants, a brown belt and brown shoes. Premiere pilots offers white shirts and white caps, so that you can dye them to your favorite color too.

INCLUDES

White cap, sunglasses, headset, parachute bag and harness, four-point harness with seat belts and watch

RC SPORT FLYER — JUNE 2013

PREMIER PILOTS

ACCESSORIES

English driving hat, flight suit, leather jacket and helmet, goggles

PILOTS

General Aviation, WWI, WWII (USAAF, Luftwaffe and RAF) and Plane Jane.

DIMENSIONS

Butt to shoe top: 8 in. Butt to cap top: 8-3/4 in.

TESTIMONIAL

Having searched for pilots for many years for projects around the office we can tell you that the new Premier Pilots are simply outstanding. They are extremely lightweight. You’ll love the way they fit in the cockpit because you can move the pilot’s body parts as needed to fit in the aircraft’s seat and around the instrument panels. Also, the feet are very lightweight so they will not slam around inside the cockpit during maneuvers. We especially like the quality of the clothing, as well as the

Supplier RD Enterprises 4885 Mt Durban Dr San Diego, CA 92117 Phone: 858-222-4574 premierpilots.net

caps and seat belts with parachute harness. If you are looking for a pilot for your airplane, helicopter or glider, these pilots are high on the RC Sport Flyer recommendation list—this is especially so in light of the fact that you can have one delivered to you from California in only a couple of days. We recommend you navigate over the Premier Pilots website to see their complete line of pilots. At last you have an affordable solution to putting a scale pilot in your next model aircraft. Note, their pilots start at only $129. You can’t beat it! RC-SF.COM

BY James VanWinkle

Push the throttle up and you’ll discover that the brushless motor under the cowl delivers plenty of power for vertical climbs and more.

COMMANDER EP (40) OWN & FLY THIS PATTERN MACHINE, BUT WITHOUT BREAKING THE BANK

The World Models™ continue to amaze with their wide variety of excellent airframes, which are priced most affordably. Now they introduce the Commander EP (40). It is designed to satisfy the desires of those who want to fly precision aerobatics, but without the need to break the bank. The real fun of flying this model comes from the confidence gained when you master the Commander in patterns.

RC SPORT FLYER — JUNE 2013

WORLD MODELS™ COMMANDER EP (40)

My photographer, Kyle, holds the Commander to show the scale of this model. It is easy to see in maneuvers and small enough to fit in any vehicle.

N THE AIR “Wow” is the first thing that comes to mind when I consider the performance of the Commander. I expected the airplane to fly well because all the airplanes I’ve flown from the World Models™ excel in the sky. I was, however, not prepared for how well this airplane was going to perform once it went “wheels up.” Though I am not a pattern/F3A competitor, I do like to fly my models as smoothly and precisely as my abilities allow. What you’ll discover is it’s pretty easy to do that with this airplane because the Commander flies very smooth straight lines with little pilot effort. There is also plenty of power to carry the model vertically at a nice moderate pace, similar to other pattern-type airplanes. The factory’s color scheme makes the Commander very easy to spot in the air. It has a brightly colored pattern on the tops of the wings and fuselage, with nice bright stripes on the bottoms and tail, which help keep the pilot oriented in all flight attitudes. Takeoffs are very easy, especially for a taildragger. No rudder control input is needed to keep it tracking straight because the tail stays on the ground until it reaches flying airspeed, at which point it comes off the runway smoothly and climbs as fast as the pilot wants to let it. Flights at 75 percent throttle power are very satisfying, and advancing the throttle does not give it a tendency to climb or dive, which lets you keep the model’s nose level as its velocity increases. If

The Commander weighs in at 62 oz ready to fly. It has enough weight to handle moderate winds, yet it’s light enough to go vertically! FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @RCSPORTFLYER

RC-SF.COM

BY Daniel Holman

REPORT

NOTHING LIKE IT IN 3D AEROBATICS

EXTREME FLIGHT 104-IN. EXTRA 300 Pouring a cloud of smoke onto the runway is always fun and demands attention. In a hover, this airplane almost hangs by itself!

From left to right; author Daniel Holman, Chris Hinson, Michael Holman, RJ Gritter, Devin McGrath and Jase Dussia. Chris Hinson provided excellent support as the rest of us flew our 104-in. Extra 300s through the competition. Team Extreme made up one third of the 2012 XFC!

n the past nine years of building and flying remote controlled airplanes, I’ve honestly never been this excited about an airplane! In the last five years, all of the airplanes that I’ve bought have been from Extreme Flight RC. Chris Hinson, owner of Extreme Flight and head aircraft designer, has worked hard to produce the very best precision and 3D aerobatic airplanes on the market. I have to say that their newest giantscale release is like nothing you’ve ever seen before.

RC SPORT FLYER — JUNE 2013

OVERVIEW

With three years of development into this project, the new Extreme Flight 104-in. Extra 300 is a superb design. While many companies try to bring as many airplanes to the market as possible, Chris Hinson perfected this design. Extreme Flight Championships (XFC) is the largest freestyle

aerobatic competition in the U.S. I began preparation for the 2012 XFC last spring, with a new Extra 300. The first shipment of Extreme Flight 104-in. Extra 300s came in just a few weeks before the event. Out of the 18 pilots who flew in the competition, five of them chose this airframe and a sixth borrowed one at the last minute.

EXTREME FLIGHT 104-IN. EXTRA 300

Performing a rolling harrier into a 10-mph headwind, its ground speed was close to walking pace, leaving plenty of time for pictures.

The brand new Extreme Flight 104in. Extra 300 looks stunning in the air with a beautiful re-creation of Jeff Bourbonâ€™s patriotic paint scheme.

The punch-out power is incredible with the DA-120, and the Extra shines as it breaks the cloud line pulling vertical out of a hover. Hovering between myself and the camera, the Extra has the control authority to stay right where you want it, even in the wind.

RC-SF.COM

BY Wil Byers

A 2-METER MACHINE THAT IS ROCK-N-ROLL READY FOR ALES

PULSAR 2E I’ve flown some absolutely “killer” ALES (altitude-limited, electricsoaring machines) in the last year—some high-powered and some not so much so. Each one turns my wick! However, the Esprit Models Pulsar 2E is one glider any red-blooded, glider guider will want to fly. It truly has lots going for it in terms of ease of assembly, quality of construction, power, control and real thermal-soaring ability. This limited motor-run glider will be a contest winner in 2013.

N THE BOX a living-type Kevlar hinge, which is Let me start by saying that that used on all the control surfaces) Esprit Models did an outstanding and left and right wingtips. The wings job of shipping my new Pulsar are gorgeous. They are built utilizing 2E in a box that protected it well a carbon D-Box section, while the from any shipping damage. So, when I ribs are carbon-capped balsa. The opened the box each part and piece trailing edges are carbon. The rudder was in excellent condition. It was like has a built-up structure to keep it I walked across the street to take extremely lightweight, and it has two delivery from the factory. What you are going to get with a Pulsar 2E when you order one is a white, gel-coated fuselage pod, with its slip-on nose cone. There is a tapered carbon tailboom that fits the pod like a silk glove. The wing is in three pieces: center section (it Because the Pulsar 2E has a very long tail moment it is Note that I had the propeller bolts tightened just a bit has the flap factory very stable in thermal turns and when tracking across too much on the yoke. You want to make certain that it the sky to the next thermal. moves freely on the yoke so it will fold easily. installed by way of 88

RC SPORT FLYER — JUNE 2013

ESPRIT MODELS PULSAR 2E

With the propeller folded and the glider trimmed, the Pulsar 2E has a very flat glide, which makes it an excellent thermal searching machine, especially in lightair conditions.

The Hacker motor, in combination with the Thunder Power pack, makes plenty of power for the Pulsar 2E to go vertical if you want it to do so. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @RCSPORTFLYER

RC-SF.COM

RC Sport Flyer June 2013 (Vol 18-06)