RC Airplanes | Gliders | Helicopters
We Push the Limits of the Carbon-Z® Yak 54 with AS3X®
SEPTEMBER 2014
300 CFX
See why this machine is not
just another pretty face PLUS
• • • •
PowerBox Bus System Aerial Cinematography 3DRobotics® APM 2.6 Lock for Retracts
Check out the Huge Hot Products Section Inside Learn How A Fieseler Fi-156 Storch Gets Built USA & CANADA $6.49
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TABLE OF CONTENTS DEPARTMENTS
10 LEADING EDGE 14 HOT PRODUCTS 80 AD INDEX 81 MYSTERY PLANE
SEE HOW AN S-BUS WORKS.
PG 50
HOT PRODUCTS
BUILD
14
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NEW RC GEAR CHECK OUT 38+ AIRPLANES, RADIOS, SERVOS, BATTERY CHARGERS, ENGINES, ETC. YOU CAN ADD TO YOUR 2014 CHRISTMAS WISH LIST. By Staff
FIESLER FI-156 STORCH SEE HOW THIS 1/6-SCALE MILITARY MODEL FINALLY FLEW. By Rob Caso
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DECATHLON WINGS, PT 2 JEFF FINISHES DETAILING HOW TO BUILD WINGS FRROM A KIT. By Jeff Troy
PG 34
PG 14 6
RC SPORT FLYER . SEPTEMBER 2014
ROB SHOWS YOU HOW COMING BACK TO A NEGLECTED PROJECT AFTER YEARS CAN BE A REWARDING EXPERIENCE. twitter.com/rcsportflyer
SEPTEMBER 2014
HOW TO
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RETRACT LOCK SYSTEM
COLUMN
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THIS MECHANISM WILL HELP YOU KEEP YOUR MODEL’S GEAR UP. By Tom Wolf
ARDUPILOT APM 2.6 GET THE INSIDE SCOOP ON HOW TO SET UP AN RC AUTOPILOT. By James VanWinkle
50 POWERBUS SECURITY
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LEARN THE ADVANTAGES OF USING AN S-BUS IN YOUR AIRPLANES. By Karl-Heinz Keufner
DRONE CLASSES PATRICK DETAILS WHY AERIAL DRONES ARE THE NEXT BIG THING IN FILM PRODUCTION AND MOVIE MAKING. By Lucidity
PG 56 THE E-FLITE CARBON-Z YAK 54 3X MAKES 3D EASIER THAN EVER.
3-VIEW
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ASK-16 DRAWINGS A POPULAR GERMAN DESIGNED MOTOR GLIDER By Hans-Jürgen Fischer
PG 72
PG 64
RIGHT OUT OF THE BOX, THIS HELICOPTER IS AN ADRENALINE RUSH!
REVIEWS
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E-FLITE CARBON-Z YAK 54 3X DISCOVER WHY AS3X TECHNOLOGY TURNS A GOOD AIRPLANE INTO A GREAT 3D MACHINE. By James VanWinkle
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BLADE 300 CFX HELI IT’S AS SIMPLE AS BIND-N-FLY TO HAVE THIS HELICOPTER DOING TIC TOCS AND MUCH MORE. By Wil Byers RC-SF.COM
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HOT PRODUCTS AERO-MODEL NEW AERO-MODEL HIGH CAPACITY LITHIUM POLYMER BATTERIES
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ero-Model has announced their expanded line of 30C and 65C Lithium Polymer batteries! Because of the growing size and requirements of multirotor and mid-sized sport aircraft, Aero-Model has developed four new high-capacity batteries. These new packs provide reliable, consistent power output and industryleading cycle life while remaining an excellent value. Now available in 3S 3300-mAh, 4000mAh, 5000-mAh, and 4S 5000-mAh sizes. Aero-Model’s lineup of 30C “Silver Series” and 65C “Gold Series” are available for all
popular applications. Aero-Model has over a decade of industry-leading electric power system experience in competition and sport flying, so its line of batteries meets the needs of all electric-powered aircraft, and surpasses expectations in performance, quality, and value. Price
$59.00 & up
Distributor AERO-MODEL 2122 W. 5th Pl. Tempe, AZ 85281 Phone: 480-726-7519 Aero-Model.com
ALIGN T-REX 550L DOMINATOR SUPER COMBO
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ake a look at the new T-REX 550L Dominator Super Combo. It includes the most upto-date, sophisticated equipment. The T-REX 550L, paired with high-tech Gyro, is compatible with a convenient Android/iOS app for ease of operation. It also includes the effective, high-torque BL815 and BL855 servos. Innovations adapted from the 700E series have been incorporated into the T-REX 550L, with a new bottom plate and main frame embedded structure for a center of gravity position that keeps maneuvers solid and precise in every flight. Price
Specifications
$1199.99 (RH55E09X)
Distributor ASSURANCE R/C USA 3626 Briggeman Dr. Los Alamitos, CA 90720 Phone: 562-598-4700 Alignrcusa.com
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RC SPORT FLYER . SEPTEMBER 2014
Length Height Width Main blade length Main rotor diameter Tail rotor diameter Motor drive gear Main drive gear Autorotation tail drive gear Tail drive gear Drive gear ratio Weight( w/o power system)
1070 mm 337 mm 210 mm 50 mm 1248 mm 254 mm 16 T 112 T 131 T 34 T 1:7:3.85 2790 g
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ATLANTA HOBBY TAU 2 INFRARED CAMERA
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tlantaHobby.com and UAVExperts.aero have partnered with FLIR Systems, Inc. to bring both professionals and hobbyists the Tau 2 Infrared Camera, the latest product of the FLIR Tau family of thermal imaging camera cores. FLIR Systems, Inc. is the world leader in thermal imaging, night vision, and infrared cameras. Infrared technology uses thermal radiation instead of visible light, making it useful for nighttime or severe weather use, as it detects temperature differences. AtlantaHobby.com president, Cliff Whitney, stated “With my background in photography and the combination of our custom stabilized camera gimbals, small UAV systems and FLIR’s Infrared cameras, we have developed easy to use, cost-effective flight systems that are helping municipalities stay in budget and equip their fire and police departments for new capabilities in search and rescue and emergency response. Other systems are hundreds of thousands of dollars, but we have developed small, fully electric, GPS-equipped flight systems with full video downlinks starting at under $5000. These systems fit in a small carry case that can easily fit in a squad car or fire truck, are easy to fly, and can stay in the air for long periods of time. FLIR cameras and our flight systems greatly complement each other and with our expertise in small UAVs and photography, these systems are giving companies and municipalities the ability to get the job done and save lives.”
Distributor
Price $1695.99
SIG SIG CANOPY GLUE Distributor SIG Mfg. Co., Inc. 401 South Front Street P O Box 520 Montezuma, IA 50171 Phone: 641-623-5154 Sigmfg.com
ATLANTA HOBBY 6110 Parkway North Dr. Cumming, GA 30041 Phone: 678-513-4450 Atlantahobby.com
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IG’s canopy glue is provides excellent adhesion to plastic materials. It is flexible after drying. It dries clear. It is a good glue to use for fastening a plastic canopy to plastic covering material, painted surfaces, wood, fiberglass, or other plastics (ABS, PETG, butyrate, vinyl, styrene). SIG canopy glue will also withstand shocks and vibration. And, you can use water to clean up, plus it is nontoxic. Price $3.95
SOARING USA PIKE PERFECTION F5J EXTREME LIGHT
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Distributor Soaring USA 827 N. Glendora Av. Covina, CA 91724 Phone: 626-967-6660 Soaringusa.com
Specifications Wingspan Airfoil Length Weight Controls
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146 in. 1177 in.2 PK 36.5 oz (1038 g) Empty Ailerons, elevator, rudder, flaps, throttle
he Samba Models Pike Perfection F5J Extreme Light has arrived at Soaring USA. This new sailplane’s layup tips the scales at an amazing 1300 grams all-up weight, with the recommended gear. The contest-winning twopiece wing design is efficient and extremely sensitive to air movement. Wing construction is incredibly light, with a combination of Rohacell foam and Spread Tow 40 g/ m2 /25 g/m2 fiberglass towards the tip. The main spar is Tenax UMS 40 skinned. The 2.4-GHz-friendly fuselage is streamlined for less drag and smaller motor applications. The oversized and very effective tail surfaces are removable for ease of transport. The overall Perfection design concentrates all weight down the model’s center for improved circling at low airspeeds. This may be your next contest-winning Samba Models sailplane. Price $2399.95 RC-SF.COM
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BUILD
FIESELER FI-156 STORCH 1/6-SCALE IS A BIG PROJECT
BY ROB CASO PHOTOS BY THAYER SYME AND JAMIE HOLZSCHUH
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The definitive treatise on the Storch, which is becoming harder to find. Need one? Check with the Oberschleissheim location of the Deutsches Museum.
he Storch is one of those planes that you either love or loathe. For me, it’s its honesty of purpose, its function over form, which transforms it from an ugly duckling into a swan. It does what it’s designed to do very well, and shows you how it’s doing it all during the process. You can certainly see it working hard in the air, with its control surfaces flapping all over the place to keep it in a straight line, but it also shows you what it’s doing as it touches down, takes off, or even as it just sits there with its landing gear spread wide. It’s simply doing its thing all the time. The Storch was an animated workhorse, and one that tells you about it in detail. It’s become my favorite airplane. Although good three views are surprisingly difficult to find, much has been written on the aircraft, mostly in soft cover, magazinetype publications which feature it in articles on restorations and historical accounts. There are at least two comprehensive books on the airplane, the better one in German, of course. A LITTLE HISTORY My model comes with a bit of romantic history, with my late father lugging the gigantic Svenson kit all
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the way back from Germany in the 80s for a birthday present. Even then, those kits were somewhat rare — the only sixth scale game in town in the day — and I remember him telling me that he didn’t check it as baggage, fearing the worst. Where exactly it was stowed during the flight is a story lost to history. When I started the model in the 90s, I somehow happened upon a great Storch enthusiast by the name of Roland Hicks, who also has since passed away. The Storch is a surprisingly complex subject in every regard — building, detailing, equipping, and flying — and I remember quite readily the endless strings of evening phone calls to Roland for help, sometimes two or three times a night. There were no such things as “email” or “cell phones” in those days, and Roland held my hand every step of the way. This was my first serious scale subject, and I would say that Roland is personally responsible for the success of my model. Its existence, in essence, is a tribute to both him and my father. There are also some rather humorous anecdotes connected with this airplane. I had decided that a glass cowl would be the best choice for this model but, at the time I had no idea how to make one. Mark Frankel, who I twitter.com/rcsportflyer
This is an MG-15 I built from scratch. Soon after I built mine, Dragon came out with a dandy in 1/6-scale — such is scale modeling.
Extra ammo cases for the MG-15 were also made from scratch. You probably won’t need that many.
had recently befriended, came to the rescue, showing me the process and materials. He also made the mistake of allowing me access to his paint booth so I could keep my marriage intact. Those of you who spray epoxy know what I mean here. OK, so I get the model “finished enough” and bring it to the WRAM show static display, whereupon I place second in post-WWI scale. Not bad just out of the box, right? The trouble was, Mark had also entered a model, but his took a third. I tried to find the exit fast that Sunday, but to no avail. “That’s the last time I let you use my paint booth” I remember him scolding. THE SVENSON KIT Perhaps the Svenson kit is rare for a good reason. It’s not a good one. At the time, however, to me a kit was a kit and I dove right in. Certainly, as I have proven, if you rc-sportflyer.tumblr.com
One of the significant challenges with this model is keeping RC stuff out of the cockpit, which is, of course, the most convenient location.
Although it looks otherwise, the Storch is not a relaxing model to fly. It’s sensitive in roll and needs constant rudder and throttle.
want to build it, it can be made into a successful model, but it wasn’t easy. I still have my original plans, which are festooned with probably a thousand notes. No kidding. Most of these came from Roland, with him advising me of known problems, since he had already built one. Some of the notes also came from my desire to keep the weight off and to make the model accurate and flying field-friendly. For anyone interested, I contemporaneously kept notes on the needed changes and compiled a four-page list of these that I still have, and would be happy to share. The kit’s value lies in many of the fuselage parts (to be used as templates), the wing and sprung landing gear parts, and perhaps the plans. Forget about the rest. The instructions are terrible, the model as designed is overbuilt, and there are absolutely no details on how to really build it. The fact that
Roland’s model initially came out to over 18 pounds is proof of that. He redid much of it later and got it down to 16 pounds. Mine weighed in at 14.5. If I had to do it again, I bet it could be a 13-pound model, which would be just about perfect. A LITTLE MORE HISTORY When I said that I had the model “finished enough,” it really wasn’t ready to fly. It was painted (!) and presentable, but it needed a muffler, a scale cockpit, and a proper set up for flight. I remember being so sick of working on it I just let life and other modeling projects get in the way. The year was 1993. Soon after, I was engaged with motorcycles and racing, building small models and starting to learn CAD and laser cutting. Loved but ignored, the Storch waited patiently for me to come back. I remember feeling sorry for it each time I walked RC-SF.COM
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HOW TO
LOCK FOR RETRACTS NO MAJOR REDESIGN REQUIRED, AND IT’S INEXPENSIVE! BY TOM WOLF
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RC SPORT FLYER . SEPTEMBER 2014
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The landing gear on the Mosquito is scratch-built and replicates a lot of the detail found on the full-scale Mosquito. However, the initial version of the landing gear did not include an up-lock.
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hen I scratch-built the retractable landing gear for my 1/5-scale de Havilland Mosquito, I followed the design scheme and component geometry utilized on the full-scale aircraft. It employs dual oleo struts supporting the wheel and axle, pivoting rearward to retract, and supported by two trailing links that lock slightly over-
The landing gear for the Mosquito utilizes two oleo struts supported by two trailing links. The trailing links provide an over-center down-lock, but there is no up-lock in this basic unit.
center to provide a down-lock. The full-scale airplane utilizes a hydraulic cylinder to drive the landing gear, while my model uses a pneumatic cylinder. While this retraction scheme was relatively simple to implement, the problem I encountered is that unlike the full-scale landing gear, my model’s landing gear did not have an up-lock. As a result, the model’s
gear doors would pop open and the landing gear would come out for a little “peek-a-boo” every time I pulled it through positive G maneuvers, such as during a steep turn or an abrupt pull-up. This situation was unsatisfactory for an airplane intended for scale competition, so I had to come up with a fix. Since the gear was already
The up-lock unit is shown here in the lock-released position. The geometry of the moving arm is such that the latch moves up and away from the trailing link cross-member, releasing the gear to allow it to move to the gear down position. This photo shows how the spring latch moves out of the way while the trailing link crossmember passes by during landing gear retraction. As soon as the crossmember passes by sufficiently, the latch springs back into its rest position (shown on next page). At that point, the gear is locked in the up position.
The up-lock unit is shown here in the lock-enabled position. The spring-loaded latch is the black nylon part located on the rotating arm to the right side of the assembly. Note that the servo arm is positioned to isolate gravity loading from the landing gear to prevent backdriving the servo. The up-lock assembly is in the lock-enabled position and viewed from the opposite side relative to the photo above. A torsion spring provides the springloaded functionality. The half-round relief in the structure just below the latch provides clearance for the trailing link crossmember.
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HOW TO
MULTIROTOR ARDUPILOT APM 2.6
IT’S EASY AND FUN TO DO. TRY IT! BY JAMES VANWINKLE
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few months ago I wrote about a fabulous multirotor and promised a follow-up about the autopilot I use for stability and control. There are several options to choose from these days, but in my opinion, one stood above all others, and that one is the 3DRobotics® APM 2.6. I am still flying it, and have since bought another to add to an airplane.
WHAT IT’S GOOD FOR What makes the APM so special is its ability to turn an air or ground vehicle into a completely autonomous system that can follow GPS waypoints programmed through a point-and-click interface. Amazing features include things like a return to home function, bringing your aircraft back to you in the case of a lost
This is the system as it comes out of box, including a power cable for the unit and various data cables. Added to the ArduPilot is the required GPS/Compass plus my receiver. The system is installed on a Bat Bone’s frame, with the wires tidied up a bit. The new units come with connectors on the ends, so the install is even more compact. Try to keep the compass away from other electronics if possible. There isn’t a lot of room here, but I try to keep it away from the model’s ESCs and receiver.
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RC SPORT FLYER . SEPTEMBER 2014
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This shot was taken with my tricopter while using my FPV setup. Believe it or not, I flew the tow plane and took this KA8 up, released, landed, then took my tricopter up to get some photos and video.
signal or when you accidentally flip a switch. Another great feature is the basic stability system, which is always turned on for multirotors. It works to keep the aircraft level and limits the pitch and roll angle of the vehicle. If for some reason orientation is lost, simply letting go of the sticks will level and stabilize the craft, allowing the operator to orient themself without worrying about some of the dire consequences often experienced with loss of orientation. This mode can be muted, but it is on by default, and it’s hard to imagine any reason for turning it off unless the pilot wanted to roll or loop, or, in the case of a multirotor, flip the aircraft. The possibilities are endless with the ArduPilot. One of my mostused modes programmed onto my transmitter switches is the loiter function, which I refer to as “park mode.” It will stop my tricopter in
EEN SCRHOT S
place and hold altitude and position, even compensating for the drift due to wind. To demonstrate this mode, I like to park it at 6 feet altitude and walk up to it, drag it several feet away by one of the legs, and let go. The copter moves back into position and even rotates to point exactly where it began. This is also useful if orientation is lost because it stops everything and holds position while the pilot figures things out. Following waypoints programmed via the mission planner is another often-used mode which allows the aircraft to hit points marked on a Google Earth overlay. Each point can have its own altitude set, as well as what to do at that point, such as remain in position for a set time period or even land. Auto land is one of the coolest features, where a simple flip of the switch will bring the model down
The onscreen display is an optional piece of hardware that gives the user a ton of information. It’s up to the pilot where to place the items and how much of the data to display on the screen.
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EEN SCRHOT S
gently until it touches earth. Then, the system will shut off the motors and make the system safe. It does not automatically know the altitude of where it’s landing, so it comes down at a set rate of speed until the accelerometers sense it has touched down. With the use of some add-on equipment, the copter can sense altitude, but for typical landings that’s not required. For airplanes, the ArduPilot is just as amazing. At the flip of a switch, the aircraft will right itself from any position to flying level in about one second. Airplanes can take advantage of all the other functions similar to the way a multi rotor would — except stopping in position, of course, though it will circle in place at a predetermined circle radius. Auto land also works, and I proved this at our airfield when I set up a mission to hit a few points. It flew over the runway, where it cut the engine and glided, wings level, until it gently touched earth. The demonstration was perfect and literally jaw-dropping for one fellow pilot who was quite skeptical of any autopilot (that is, until he witnessed the ArduPilot in action). Another example of flying the system in my airplane occurred during a first person view (FPV) flight. I was flying and exploring from the air when
I don’t like clutter, so I keep my screen’s data to a minimum with heading, airspeed, altitude, and battery life on the display. I also keep the arrow in the middle of the screen, which always points back to home in case I get lost. RC-SF.COM
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HOW TO
POWERBOX BUS SYSTEM CONVENIENT, SIMPLE, AND SAFE BY DIPL. ING. KARL-HEINZ KEUFNER
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owerBox Systems has a history of enhancing safety in flying large, valuable model aircraft. PowerBox’s latest product — the PowerBus — builds on this design philosophy. The technology is not new; bus systems represent the state-of-theart in the RC industry. In basic terms, the servo data is transmitted serially at high speed using a single cable — a bus. Current model airplanes carry a great deal of extremely sophisticated
electronics, so it was really only a matter of time before bus systems were introduced into model aircraft. PowerBox Systems is an innovative company that has now introduced such a system. This article will clarify how their system works. It will also convey some of the technical background relating to bus technology and outline its advantages as they apply to model aircraft. I’ll share our laboratory tests on the components of the PowerBus system.
THE FUNDAMENTALS Serial bus technology is employed in every area of modern telecommunication and data transmission in order to cope with the continuing increase in the quantities of data which must be handled. The most important feature of a serial bus system is that it requires only one cable, which supplies both energy and information to multiple devices. In terms of model aircraft, the most obvious feature of this
FIG. 1
This method of connecting servos is not very suitable for largescale models, because it offers no security features of any kind.
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RC SPORT FLYER . SEPTEMBER 2014
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FIG. 2
Much better and safer, in this system the servos are connected using a highperformance battery backer.
FIG. 3
An enhancement in security is the redundancy of the receivers and serial connections between the receivers and the backer.
modern method of data transfer is that all servos are connected using a single cable; i.e., one bus branch. Naturally this means the bus cable has to handle data at a much higher sample rate than a conventional radial (hub-and-spoke) wiring arrangement, where each servo is connected separately to the receiver. Although this principle is a departure for the model aircraft world, it is a totally mature technology. In our everyday lives we constantly use data transfer structures of this type, and they work very efficiently. For example, most peripheral devices rc-sportflyer.tumblr.com
— such as printers — are connected to a PC using a USB interface; i.e., as in the case of the Universal Serial Bus. Nowadays the best method of telephony involves the use of a digital data cable and Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) telephones or similar digital terminal devices. This arrangement allows several digital telephones to operate using a common bus. When it is necessary to use conventional analogue telephones, appropriate adapters are employed. This again is a serial bus: the ISDN bus. In the world of professional telecommunications technology, the ISDN bus is now a fundamental component. Connecting each telephone to a central hub
using separate cables in a radial arrangement would be far too complex and prone to problems. However, the radial method is exactly how we have always wired up the equipment in our model aircraft: all the servos are fed information via dedicated cables. One result is complex, confusing wiring in the model, combined with excessive weight. Anyone who has tried wiring a glider’s servos that uses three control surfaces and an airbrake per wing panel is well aware of these problems. If that includes you, you will be delighted to find that the PowerBus enables the same system to be wired in a wing using just one cable. Note that the data on the bus RC-SF.COM
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3-VIEW
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RC SPORT FLYER . SEPTEMBER 2014
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ASK 16 BY HANS-JÜRGEN FISCHER
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SPECIFICATIONS
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udolf Kaiser designed the ASK 16 motor glider. It was first flown February 2, 1971 and was subsequently put into production by Alexander Schleicher GmbH & Co. of Furth, Germany. They built a total of 44 gilders, which were sold to private pilots and used by many clubs as trainer aircraft. Many of the ASK 16s are still flying, with most of them located in Germany, Ireland, Italy, Switzerland, and Great Britain. The glider employs a welded-tube frame, wooden wings, and fabriccovered tail feathers. The aircraft is a low-wing design, as shown in the accompanying photos. By today’s standards, the wing has a relatively low aspect ratio. The design provides for a side-by-side seating arrangement, and the canopy is sidehinged. The ASK 16 has a retractable tail-wheel and main gear, with the mains retracting inwards. It has dual controls, which accommodates its use as a primary trainer.
Crew : 2 Payload : 290 kg (630 lb) Wingspan : 16.01 m (52 ft 6 in.) Length : 7.34 m (24 ft 1 in.) Height : 2.08 m (6 ft 10 in.) Wing area : 16.0 m² (205 ft²) Empty weight : 460 kg (1012 lb) Max. takeoff : 750 kg (1650 lb) weight Powerplant : 1 × Limbach SL.1700.EBI piston engine, 54 kW (72 hp) Maximum : 200 km/h (108 knots, 124 airspeed mph) Cruise speed : 171 km/h (92 knots, 106 mph) Range : 330 km (178 nmi, 205 mi) Rate of climb : 2.5 m/s (492 ft/m)
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COLUMN
LIGHTS, CAMERA, DRONE!
Participants gather around the first station at the first-ever NAB Aerial Videography Field Trip to learn about the fundamentals of multirotor flight operations. In total, about 50 film and television professionals attended the day-long session.
HOLLYWOOD GETS A LESSON IN UNMANNED AERIAL CINEMATOGRAPHY BY LUCIDITY, ROSWELL FLIGHT TEST CREW 58
RC SPORT FLYER . SEPTEMBER 2014
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Established in 1861 to support miners working the Techatticup gold mine in Eldorado Canyon, Nelson, Nevada, has evolved from a ghost town into a rustic roadside attraction, with on-site caretakers who offer tours of the abandoned mine and kayak rentals.
A playground for photographers of both the aerial and ground-based persuasions, the sun-bleached ghost town of Nelson, Nevada, offers a collection of decaying classic cars, rusty industrial equipment, aged wooden buildings, and even a wrecked airplane. Just watch out for cactus and rattlesnakes.
A DJI Phantom 2 Vision piloted by one of the participants in the NAB Aerial Videography Field Trip floats among corrugated iron roofs and disused storage tanks that lend the ghost town of Nelson, Nevada its roughhewn charm. Attendees were advised to bring their own micro-SD cards to capture their aerial exploits.
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lthough the Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) predicts that agriculture will account for about 80 percent of the domestic drone market in the years ahead, film and television producers have firmly established themselves early adopters of this new technology. The reasons are as clear as the taut action thriller unfolding in glorious, 1080p high-definition video on your 52-inch flat screen TV. Drones are not only cheaper and safer than manned aircraft, they can also get shots that rc-sportflyer.tumblr.com
would be impossible with a full-sized helicopter. Cheaper, safer and better is always winning formula, but that goes double for an industry where “low budget” is a product category. However, with the commercial use of drones still mired in what might charitably be called a legal “gray area” — or perhaps, in a more forthright manner, a “Kafkaesque nightmare” — there has been an absence of authoritative information on the subject, even for those working in the film and television industry.
I’M HUNGRY That started to change this spring when the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) offered a one-day introduction to aerial filmmaking as a part of its annual trade show in Las Vegas, Nevada. About 50 film and video professionals rode out across the desert to Nelson, a tiny mining town established in 1861 at the foot of the Techatticup gold mine. Once the richest mines in the entire state, Techatticup — a phrase that means “I’m hungry” in the language of the local native peoples RC-SF.COM
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REVIEW
CARBON-Z® YAK 54 3X 64
RC SPORT FLYER . SEPTEMBER 2014
BY JAMES VANWINKLE
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Knife-edge fight is as easy as rolling the Carbon-Z Yak 54 on its side and holding rudder and throttle. The AS3X does the work of keeping the wings in position and the nose pointed properly.
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et me introduce you to a new brand of awesomeness known as the E-flite® Carbon-Z® Yak 54 3X! It incorporates Spektrum™ AS3X® technology into a proven aerobatic performer. Beginning as part of the Blade® helicopter series, AS3X technology takes a great flying airplane and turns it into an amazing machine, able to fly like airplanes several times its size — with extreme precision too. Extremely quick to build and flying like nothing else it its category, the Carbon-Z Yak 54 3X is just phenomenal in every sense of the word. It looks great and flies even better! IN THE AIR My first impression of this aircraft is: WOW! The original Carbon-Z Yak 54 flew very well, but this one is simply amazing. During the maiden flight, I found myself doing things I would never dream of doing with a new model thanks to the AS3X system contained on the AR635 receiver. Bright red, white, and gold make up the model’s color scheme, which looks wonderful on the ground and presents very well in the air. You should have no trouble determining orientation because the model’s
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bottom sports black and white stripes, opposing the bold scheme on the top. Immediately after takeoff, it was apparent the AS3X was doing its thing. There was no need to trim anything, which seemed odd because every airplane can use a bit of trim whether the surfaces are straight or not, but in this case the system was doing its magic and working to hold the airplane’s orientation perfectly. The Carbon-Z Yak 54 moves effortlessly through the air, holding the commanded position and flying like a much larger aircraft. While straight and level flight is nothing short of spectacular, the Yak is still a fully capable 3D machine as well. Holding it in a hover has never been easier thanks to the 3-axis stabilization. It won’t hover the airplane for you, but it will help maintain the positions and lessen the workload on the pilot to hold the attitude steady. Pull-out is easy too: just advance the throttle to full, and the model will climb gently and effortlessly into the clouds. Knife-edge flight is a lot of fun, and while with the proper setup nearly all aerobatic airplanes can perform this maneuver without trouble, the Carbon-Z Yak 54 does
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REVIEW
Even if you are not a competitionlevel 3D heli pilot, or capable of tic tocs, this machine is guaranteed to give you a great andrenaline rush! The heli comes as you see it here, with the exception of the battery — just add a battery and then bind the transmitter to the receiver.
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BLADE 300 CFX BNF BASIC GET A REAL CNC / CARBON FIBER QUALITY ADRENALIN RUSH
I
can’t tic toc, piro pogo, chaos, tumble, or do any of the outrageous 3D maneuvers that I’m so envious of when watching pro pilots. What I do well while flying this new Blade® 300 CFX is get a serious adrenaline rush, the same as any professional helicopter pilot competing at a world championship. What causes such an adrenaline rush? For one, the Blade 300 CFX is significant upgrade to the popular 300 X model. Blade not only added carbon fiber and aluminum parts, but also outfitted this machine with some of the same ground-breaking design elements used on their Blade 700 X Pro Series helicopters.
collective response feel natural. Then too... FEATURES • Carbon fiber main frame • Optimized servo geometry • 245-mm carbon fiber main blades • CNC-machined aluminum head
BY WIL BYERS
• Integrated bearing block servo mounts • 11-tooth pinion, installed • Spektrum™ AR7200BX flybarless control system • E-flite® 320H 4500-Kv brushless motor • E-flite 25A brushless heli ESC
FLAWLESS RESPONSE THRU ENHANCED GEOMETRY I’m not a 3D heli junky, but I learned from Blade’s site that this machine uses the same servo geometry as their Blade 700 X Pro Series heli. It eliminates mechanical inefficiency by keeping the swashplate links near vertical throughout their range of motion, so cyclic and The carbon fiber blades and the CNC-machined aluminum rotor head make this helicopter a super 3D machine right out of the BNF box. rc-sportflyer.tumblr.com
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