RC Airplanes | Gliders | Helicopters
Test Report Allusive LMR Glider
OCTOBER 2014
EXCLUSIVE
HUGE WENATCHEE HUCKFEST 2014 SPREAD
• Birds in Paradise • How to Cover Wing Tips • Building Decathlon Wings • Blade® 350 QX Quad • Hitec - Charger Stack • E-flite Pitts UMX
USA & CANADA $6.49
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TABLE OF CONTENTS DEPARTMENTS
GET SOME SIMPLE TIPS & TRICKS FOR BALANCING YOUR MODELS.
10 LEADING EDGE 12 HOT PRODUCTS 96 AD INDEX 97 MYSTERY PLANE EVENT
HOW TO
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WENATCHEE HUCKFEST ‘14 WE GIVE YOU A 14PAGE SPREAD OF PHOTOS ON THIS ANNUAL EVENT. By Wil Byers
MAKE QUICK MOLDS YOU CAN ADAPT THIS TECHNIQUE FOR MANY APPLICATIONS. By Robert Caso
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BALANCE LARGE AIRPLANES
PG 46
50 COVERING WING TIPS
LEARN MULTIPLE METHODS TO PROPERLY BLANCE YOUR MODELS. By Wil Byers
SEE HOW EASY IT IS TO DO A PROFESSIONAL LOOKING JOB . By Jerry Smith
SEE LOTS OF EXCITING 3D ACTION THROWN DOWN AT HUCKFEST 2014.
PG 22
D-EAZY
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3-VIEW
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DALLACH DIABOLO CHECK OUT A 260-HORSEPOWER AEROBAT. By Hans-Jürgen Fischer RC SPORT FLYER . OCTOBER 2014
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OCTOBER 2014
BUILD
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DECATHLON WINGS, PART #3 OUR PRO BUILDER SHOWS YOU HOW TO CARVE WING TIPS THAT WILL BE LIGHTWEIGHT BUT VERY STRONG. By Jeff Troy
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BIRDS IN PARADISE LUCIDITY FLIES A FIRST-PERSON QUAD WHILE ON VACATION IN HAWAII. By Patrick Sherman
E-POWER IS FLAPPING TAKE A CLOSE-UP LOOK AT HOW AN ELECTRICPOWERED BIRD WORKS. By Andrew Gibbs
REVIEWS
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PG 84 TAKE A LOOK AT THIS MICRO BIPLANE FOR YOUR INDOOR SEASON.
ALLUSIVE 2.2M LMR GLIDER DISCOVER WHY THIS LMR GLIDER MAKES A FUN SOARER & AEROBAT. By Gene Cope
SEE WHY THIS NEW CHARGER & POWER SUPPLY LEAVES A SMALL FOOTPRINT ON YOUR BENCH. By Wil Byers
E-FLITE UMX PITTS S-1S
350 QX2 90 BLADE COMBO RTF
IT’S A MICRO THAT IS THE SPITTING IMAGE OF A PITTS S-1S, BUT HAS BIG AIRPLANE FEEL. By James VanWinkle
PG 90
IT’S A STACKABLE COMBO THAT MAKES CHARGING FUN & EASY. rc-sportflyer.tumblr.com
RCD X1 80 HITEC PRO COMBO
THIS QUAD IS A SAFE WAY TO GET AERIAL VIDEO AND PHOTOS. SEE WHY AND HOW. By Staff
IT’S A QUAD PURPOSE BUILT FOR TAKING PHOTOS AND VIDEOS.
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HOT PRODUCTS ARES ETHOS PQ READY-TO-FLY
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res’ Ethos PQ is small in size, but has many features and capabilites. The 6-axis control system offers pilots a choice of either agile flight or maximum stability, and the Automatic Flip Mode allows almost anyone to perform 360 degree flips with just a push of the transmitter’s button. Its unique canopy design combines with different colored LED lights on the front and back to help maintain orientation during flight and to improve visibility in the dark. Also, its pico-micro size allows for comfortable flying in Specifications even the smallest indoor spaces! Length 63.48 mm The Ethos PQ is a Ready-ToHeight 1 in. (26.5 mm) Fly quad, so it comes factory Main rotor 9 mm assembled, with everything diameter including AA batteries for the Weight with 12 g 2.4-GHz 4-channel transmitter, a battery 100-mAh 1S 3.7-volt LiPo battery, Motors Coreless and a USB cord for charging from any electronic device with a USB Battery 1s 3.7-V 100-mAh LiPo outlet. Available in both blue and Charger 5v DC 120-mA USB red color options. Transmitter 4 Channel 2.4-GHz Price
$49.99 (AZSH1500)
On-board 3-in-1 control board electronics
Distributor HOBBYTOWN USA 1233 Libra Drive Lincoln, NE 68512 Phone: 402-434-5050 Hobbytown.com
FUTABA 14SG 14-CHANNEL 2.4-GHZ TRANSMITTER
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he 14SG now delivers 14-channel control with revolutionary and reliable 2.4-GHz FASSTest™ technology, 30-model memory, and a list of other features. It’s compatible with Futaba FASST and S-FHSS™ protocols, so you can use any Futaba air receiver on the market and fly with complete confidence. Even better, the 14SG is telemetry enabled. The Futaba telemetry sensors, sold separately, allow you to monitor flight data, receive alerts, and more, straight from your radio. It even includes flybarless gyro support for flawless flybarless flights. Features • 14-channel system with 2.4-GHz FASSTest technology • Compatible with all 2.4-GHz Futaba air receivers • Transmits and receives telemetry data using Futaba telemetry sensors (sold separately) to monitor flight information, receive in-flight alerts, and more • Comfortable rubber grips minimize flyer fatigue • Supports 3-axis gyros, making it ideal for flybarless flight • 12 proportional channels, 2 switched channels • Comes with a high-voltage R7008SB receiver • User-updateable software • Large 1.75 x 3 in. backlit LCD screen • SensorTouch™ programming Distributor • 30-model memory HOBBICO • 10-character user and model naming 2904 Research Rd. • SD card compatibility Price
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$599.97 (LXCVPZ) RC SPORT FLYER . OCTOBER 2014
Champaign, IL 61822 Phone: 217-398-0007 Hobbico.com twitter.com/rcsportflyer
FUTABA S.BUS2 SERVOS
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ith exceptional performance in a compact size, S.Bus2 servos are just what today’s pilot is looking for. SV servos are designed to work well with 2S LiPo packs, while a removable connector makes SVi servos extremely versatile. And don’t forget the added power that BLS brushless servos deliver! Features • New S.Bus2 servo options for a wide range of applications • BLS servos with brushless motors offer 5x longer life over standard servos, along with incredible holding power • SVi servos feature a removable connector that allows modelers to use whatever length lead best fits their model • All SV (high voltage) servos can handle up to 2S LiPo power, without the need for a regulator FUTM0126 S3174SV Glider Wing HV Servo $64.99
he Glider Repair Lab 2 is a new advanced training video program that shows you how to complete a variety of repairs on severely crashdamaged composite RC aircraft airframes constructed with fiberglass, carbon fiber, and Kevlar®. The focus of this program is to make strong and flight-safe composite repairs without adding unnecessary
HOBBICO 2904 Research Rd. Champaign, IL 61822 Phone: 217 398-0007 Hobbico.com
FUTM0146 BLS273SV Heli FBL S.Bus2 HV Servo $249.99 FUTM0147 BLS274SV S.Bus2 HV Programmable Tail Servo $154.99 FUTM0148 BLS276SV S.Bus2 HV Programmable HS Servo $94.99 FUTM0160 BLS671SV Mini 1/12 SBus HV Servo $159.99 FUTM0180 S3173SVi Glider S.Bus2 HV Servo $64.99 FUTM0182 S3270SVi Micro S.Bus2 Servo $59.99
FUTM0137 BLS173SV Mini Airplane S.Bus2 HV Servo $137.99
FUTM0184 BLS173SVi Mini Airplane S.Bus2 HV Servo $139.99
FUTM0143 BLS251SB Heli Rudder S.Bus2 Servo $169.99
FUTM0186 BLS671SVi Mini 1/12 S.Bus2 HV Servo $169.99
RADIO CARBON ART GLIDER REPAIR 2 LAB TRAINING VIDEO
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Distributor
weight, along with restoring factory rigging angles and airfoil integrity to the airframe. With some basic repair materials and the techniques taught in this two-hour program, you can repair just about any composite airplane or glider. Expert Paul Naton repairs on camera a carbon fiber fuselage broken in three pieces. He restores to safe flying status a
composite hollow-moulded wing heavily damaged in a high-speed crash. You’ll learn every step in the process from damage evaluation, parts preparation, lamination schedules, wetting-out, and final finishing. Tips on wet sanding, applying high-tech body fillers, surface preparations for paint, and getting good results from inexpensive spray can paints are also included. Features • Making a carbon fuselage repair doubler • Carbon stitching crack repair • Using peel-ply release material • Fuselage repainting • Internal crack lamination technique • Joiner box repair • Drag spar repair • Filling surface holes • Fuselage straightening • Micro balloon fillers • Wet sanding & fairing • Proper painting techniques • Great finishes from rattle cans Price 2-hour Digital Download $19.95 2-hour DVD $21.95
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EVENT
They look much closer than they really are, but even so, these pilots had to be on top of the control sticks to put their models this close together during their hovers.
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WENATCHEE HUCKFEST 2014 IT’S A HUCK OF A 3D FEST IN WENATCHEE, WASHINGTON
BY WIL BYERS
For those RC pilots who don’t live in the Northwest, it’s likely you’ve never heard about the fantastic flying site used and managed by the Wenatchee Red Apple Flyers. Their airfield is located in upper eastern Washington state, very near the Columbia River in East Wenatchee. The Wenatchee valley area is known for its abundant and world renowned apple orchards and the crops they produce. The Red Apple Flyers’ RC airfield is also now known for the rather large gathering of 3D flyers that it attracts to participate in their Wenatchee Huckfest event each year. The Huckfest is an event with a huge dose of fun as its focus, with a whole bunch of large-scale extreme 3D flying in its laid-back, relaxed format. rc-sportflyer.tumblr.com
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BUILD
DECATHLON WINGS, PART 3 LEARN HOW TO CARVE YOUR MODEL INTO SHAPE
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BY JEFF TROY
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Wingtips will be installed in this installment, but first, the tip rib must be trimmed to length. Lay a metal straightedge against the trailing-edge, extending past the tip rib.
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Mark the tip rib where it’s intersected by the straightedge, then cut it slightly oversize of the mark. Use the Easy-Touch sander to sand it flush with the mark.
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Trace the outline of the tip ribs onto the wingtip blocks. Cut the blocks slightly outside of the outline. I use a scroll saw, but most handsaws work well enough for this job.
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Use medium CA to tack-glue the tip blocks onto the tip ribs. Position the blocks so that all edges extend beyond the outside of the ribs — no low spots allowed!
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he wing panels for my Dynaflite Super Decathlon have been coming along nicely, and in this installment, I will add the finishing touches. These steps include carving and hollowing the wingtip blocks, constructing the ailerons, and matesanding the panels at the center section. If you are not building the Decathlon along with me, I hope you will take advantage of some of the methods I describe when constructing your own favorite models. The following steps apply to both wing panels. TIP BLOCKS The tip rib must be trimmed to length before tack-gluing the tip block and carving it to shape. The easiest way to trim the rib correctly is to lay a metal straightedge along the trailingedge, positioning the straightedge rc-sportflyer.tumblr.com
so it extends beyond the rib, then making a pencil mark on the cap strip over the tip rib where it’s crossed by the straightedge. I use a Zona® saw to cut off the cap strips slightly outside the mark, then sand them back to the mark with coarse sandpaper on the Easy-Touch bar sander. It’s best to cut the tip block to shape before installing it to the wingtip. Place the block against the wingtip so the four sides of the block are all positioned beyond the perimeter of the tip; if any part of the block is inside the tip’s outline, it will require filler to repair the resulting low spot, so be careful. Use a pencil or a thin maker to trace the outline of the tip rib onto the wingtip blocks, then pull the block away and set the wing panel aside. The tip block should be cut slightly outside of the outline by
approximately 1/16-in. of an inch. The blocks in the Dynaflite kit are made of relatively hard balsa, which makes them somewhat tedious to cut with hand tools. Cutting the blocks will be easier if you have access to a band saw or a scroll saw. If you don’t’ have a proper power tool, you can get the job done with a Zona saw and a screwdriver. Here’s one way to do it: position the saw blade at 45 degrees to the forward side of the block and cut off a section of the bottom of the block. The hand saw is not as deep as the block, and will only let the blade get about halfway through the thickness of the block, so stop sawing at the halfway point and use a thin-blade screwdriver to pry the cut area away from the block. It’s a bit sloppy, but it works, and will save you from having to buy a costly tool that you may not need too often. One RC-SF.COM
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HOW TO
QUICK MOLDS PART DEAUX BY ROBERT J. CASO
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These photos show the balsa channel box and the vinyl sheet I used to make the mold. This setup was made long enough to yield two parts.
The opposing balsa caps were first pinned to the box, after making sure they were equidistant. Then clamps were applied to squeeze the ends.
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es, I am at it again. This time, it’s for my 66-in. wingspan Tiger Moth, which is finally nearing completion. Its conclusion can’t come soon enough because I am looking forward to a couple other ambitious projects. I built a mostly scale, functional landing gear for the model. It was complete with a pair of inexpensive, but eventually highly modified aluminum oleo struts, courtesy of Hobby King. At about four inches long, they were nicely made and were perfect for the Tiggie, but I had to beat them into a pulp to get them to fit and work properly. I could write a book on what I did, but briefly, they required a machined aluminum upper mount, a sprung, steel shaft to replace the nice aluminum job so it would
It is critical in this process is to make sure the ends of the vinyl sheet meet up perfectly, and that the run down the middle is straight.
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A TECHNIQUE THAT CAN BE ADAPTED FOR MANY APPLICATIONS accept the pivoting axle and a new set of springs. I also had a shop TIG weld on a couple of aluminum tabs to accept the drag link to the airplane’s nose. The rest of the landing gear I fabricated from music wire, brass tube, steel sheet and, of all things, a steel insert from a hanging type file folder. It required a lot of cutting and soldering. Amazingly, it all seems to work okay after I fiddled around with some alternate springs. Through all this, in the back of my mind was, “What was I going to do for a pair of streamlined tubes?” The tubes cover the oleo struts on the full-scale airplane. My original plan of using K&S aluminum streamlined tube was thrown out the window because it would not go over the 0.6-in. diameter of the oleos — bummer!
Soldering together some brass sheet was certainly an option for the streamlined fairings. I’ve done so before, but I wanted to experiment, and besides you really need a jig to go the brass route. Aluminum sheet was out since it can’t be soldered, and steel was deemed to be too heavy and too hard to work into form. Running out of options fast, I turned to fiberglass. However, I didn’t want to make a mold because it would require too much work. Then I remembered that epoxy does not really stick to vinyl. After pulling out a piece of 0.010-
A stiff, strong streamlined tube was revealed after peeling away the vinyl sheet. Hot soap and water was used to eliminate the mold release agent.
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in. vinyl sheet, I maneuvered it into a streamlined shape by hand. I quickly realized I needed a way to keep the shape constant along its length, and in the correct width to fit over the oleos. Consequently, I made a U-shaped channel from 1/4-in. balsa sheet. The channel forced the vinyl sheet into a “U” when the vinyl sheet was pressed down into the channel. To squeeze the ends together to complete the streamlined shape, I simply cut some more 1/4-in. balsa, beveled the edges and then pinned and clamped opposing sections to the top of the balsa channel box. These pieces
The thin balsa caps each have a beveled edge to prevent deformation of the vinyl tube upon clamping. The edges should just meet at the tip.
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HOW TO
BALANCE LARGE-SCALE HANG ‘EM HIGH N THEY’LL FLY HIGH BY WIL BYERS
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t turns out that one of the most important things you can do when setting up your RC airplane is to get its center of gravity (CG) set properly. Doing so will make all the difference in the world in how your aircraft will respond to control inputs. If it is not set properly, you may not even get one flight from it before disaster strikes. If you’ve been in this hobby for any length of time at all, you know what I’m talking about. A pilot who tries to fly their model without setting the CG properly will see that when the model takes flight, it either pitches nose down or nose up and immediately crashes. Alternately, as the model takes flight, a wing tip stalls and the model proceeds to snap roll into the ground. AeroWorks’ CG Buddy system is one of the easiest balancing methods you’ll find anywhere. It comes in some of the AeroWorks kits as an option.
You’ll find the CG Buddy is easy to use; it simply connects around the wing joiner rod, with the twine’s attach point being the CG position.
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The carbon fiber handle lets you easily pick the model up to determine its attitude. You want the model to balance very slightly nose down.
SET IT So, let me explain three ways that I’ve been using to balance my models. All three methods work well! You can adapt them to pretty much any model you have in your hangar. Alternately, you can use one of the EZ Balancers (ezbalancer.com) units, which we reported on in an earlier issue. However, the methods we’re showing here are inexpensive and pretty much foolproof ways to set CG. AeroWorks CB Buddy is one of the best balancing methods we’ve seen offered by any kit manufacturer. It is absolutely dummy proof, so you know you’ll get your model’s CG set properly if you follow AeroWorks’ step-by-step procedure. Quickly, the process is to fasten the plywood CG Buddy templates around the wing joiner of the model airplane and then hang the model from the Buddy’s attachment twine. The CG Buddy comes with a carbon fiber handle that makes it easy to pick up your model. If the model’s CG is set properly, the model will take a nose down position at about a fivedegree angle. Obviously, if the model has a tail-down attitude, you must add weight to the nose of the model until it hangs at the slightly nose down attitude. Once you’ve flown the airplane, you can adjust its balance point until it flies the way you like it to feel. Remember, you must make the model’s first flight with a CG position that provides good handling and is safe. Then you can adjust it to your piloting preference. Shop Hung is another way to get your model into balance, or to set its CG properly. This method requires a couple of hooks in the ceiling of your shop that will support the models’ weight and a length of twine long enough to wrap around the wing joiner tube, through the ceiling hangars, and then back around the wing joiner tube. This method
This is an inexpensive, homemade solution to setting a model’s CG. It uses twine you’ll attach to the ceiling and wrap around the wing rod.
This nose-down attitude tells you that the model is nose heavy. You’ll need to add enough weight to the tail to bring the model to a level position . rc-sportflyer.tumblr.com
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HOW TO
COVER WING TIPS IT’S AS EASY AS FOLLOWING THE PLANE BY JERRY SMITH
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overing a model’s wing with plastic film (Monokote®, UltraCote®, etc.) is quite easy until you come to the wing tips. You look at them and probably think to yourself, “I can do these in one piece.” Then, as you pull the covering around the back edge and work
toward the front of a tip, the covering material begins to gather because of the compound curve. The material ends in a bunch of wrinkles that are impossible to get out because the plastic film will only shrink so much, no matter how much heat you apply. To solve this problem, I always
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This is the type of wing tip that must be covered with a separate piece. Wrap the covering over the last rib to be sure it doesn’t pull off when shrinking. Note the tip support pieces are hollowed in, so the covering will not stick to them.
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Tack the covering to the rib and tip, pulling and arranging it in the plane I detail in the text. Start from the trailing-edge and work forward. Put a mark at the trailing-edge so you can place it in the same location. Place small dots along the rib 1/2-in. apart.
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Remove the covering from the tip. Note that the dots you put on the covering material are not in a straight line.
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Lay the material on a flat surface and cut from dot to dot. Use a curve and razor, or do it with scissors. Just connect the dots.
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cover my models’ wing tips separately. By doing so, there is a seam on the end rib, of course, but that to me is better than a tip that has wrinkled material! Most film coverings seam quite well — hidden from all but the closest inspections. It’s also likely you’ll want to make the wing tip a different color, so a seam is a nonissue. When covering a wing, I almost always treat the wing tip as a separate entity. Some wings’ tips lend themselves to being covered with one sheet of material for the entire wing and tip. You can quickly determine if this is the case by looking for severe
compound curves along the front of the tip. If there is one, it will spell trouble if you try to cover the wing and tip in one piece. I have covered many airplanes through the years and have developed a procedure that lets me successfully cover the type of wing tip shown here. Looking at the tip closely, you’ll see there is a flat plane from the end rib to the edge of the tip. You can lay a straight edge across these points and follow it around the tip and see what happens. As the plane moves around the tip, it changes angle but remains a flat plane. Knowing this will help you place the covering on the tip and pull
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Lay the covering back on the tip, aligning it with the mark you made at the trailing edge. Overlap the seam 1/4-in. Pull, arrange, and iron on the material permanently. Work from the trailing edge forward, pulling out as many wrinkles as possible.
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Remove the Sharpie dots with alcohol, trim the excess covering from the tip, and iron down all seams before shrinking the covering. Use an iron set at the right temperature — not a heat gun — for shrinking.
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it in the right direction. Start by cutting a square piece of covering that is over-size, which gives you enough extra material to pull on. Starting at the trailing-edge, tack an edge to the rib and tip. Move forward, tacking every inch or two — keeping in mind the flat plane — from the rib to the tip. Pull the covering in the direction of the plane. As you near the front, you will notice an excess of covering over the rib. With the covering tacked in place, use a Sharpie marker to place series of dots inline, 1/2-in. spacing, along the top of the rib. Now, remove the covering. I use a curved ruler to join the dots, but
When properly covered, but before the material has been shrunk, the tip should look like this. RC-SF.COM
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3-VIEW
DALLACH DIABOLO DRAWINGS BY HANS-JĂœRGEN FISCHER
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olfgang Dallach began his aircraft design career with an aerobatic airplane, the Diabolo. Dallach wanted to create an aircraft that would be lighter and less sluggish than the then prevailing Pitts and Zlin. His new Diabolo was therefore fitted with a 260-horsepower Lycoming AEIO 540 D4B5 six-cylinder boxer type engine. What made his new design revolutionary was its hollow-molded wing construction, which made for an airplane that weighed only 1540 pounds (700 kg). Twice, Dallach was the German viceaerobatic champion, and once he also became the overall European vicechampion.
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BIRDS IN PARADISE FIRST-PERSON VIEW HOBBY FLYING ON VACATION
BY LUCIDITY, ROSWELL FLIGHT TEST CREW
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acation is fun. Flying FPV is fun. So what could possibly be more fun than doing both at the same time? Maybe nothing, but only if you’re well-prepared before you leave home. Here at the Roswell Flight Test Crew, we learned some lessons during a recent trip to the Kona coast on the big island of Hawaii that might help you enjoy your next FPVacation (TM) just a little bit more. GETTING THERE IS (NOT) HALF THE FUN Although the notion invokes an
ancient philosophical conundrum like the sound of one hand clapping, your FPV vacation starts at home. The very first thing that you must do is determine how you are going to get your aircraft and all of your support equipment safely to your destination. There isn’t one single reader of RC Sport Flyer magazine to whom I need to explain the fact that model aircraft are fragile, awkward creations that can be put out of service by a single errant bump — so careful packaging is absolutely essential. The best possible solution is a hard case
with a foam insert custom cut to the dimensions of your aircraft. We’re big fans of GoProfessional cases, the leading producer of travel cases for multirotors. See the sidebar for more details. Unfortunately, we started traveling with our birds before GoProfessional had made a big splash in the multirotor sector. After an exhaustive online search, we decided the best we could do was a bicycle case; it’s (relatively) lightweight and (relatively) cheap and, with a few modifications, was capable of safely transporting a
RQCX-3 “Raven,” the Roswell Flight Test Crew’s flagship hexacopter, sits earthbound among several of the six-meter radio telescopes that make up the Submillimeter Array. Raven’s control transmissions and FPV video signals could have interfered with the work of the array, which studies molecular clouds responsible for the formation of new stars in deep space, as well as distant galaxies. rc-sportflyer.tumblr.com
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COLUMN
E-POWER 11 FLAPPING ITS WAY TO EFFICIENCY BY ANDREW GIBBS
These images give you an idea of the model’s appearance as it flaps its way through the air.
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Patrick is seen here about to launch his fascinating Kestrel ornithopter for a bird-like flight.
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e start this column by featuring an unorthodox model in the shape of an ornithopter. The electric power systems discussion in this column deals with the performance of electric motors. KESTREL ORNITHOPTER FROM PATRICK ARNOLD This fascinating model comes from Patrick Arnold. The design originated in the U.S. Unfortunately, it’s no longer in production, although plans are available from R & R Model Aircraft: Randrmodelaircraft.com. Patrick has owned his Kestrel since 2002, and in that time he has flown it for several hundred hours. The model has been incredibly reliable — Patrick says the only repairs that have been necessary were to replace the original set of 3/16-in. carbon wing spars, which delaminated under the stresses of the flapping. The new spars are slightly larger, and these have remained intact. The 40-in. wingspan of the Kestrel is extremely critical for its center of gravity (CG), or balance point. Patrick reports it must be within 3/32 inch (2 mm) of the optimum position or the model simply will not fly.
POWER SYSTEM Perhaps surprisingly, the model is powered by a Speed 300 6-volt brushed motor. Not only is this modest power plant quite sufficient, but remarkably, the model is still using its original motor! Patrick has tried a couple of brushless motors, but found the model performed better with the original, so it was reinstalled. However, he and I are confident the right brushless motor would represent an improvement over the original. The Speed 300 motor is geared 6:1. and was originally powered by a 7-cell 600-mAh NiMH battery. Thus equipped, the ornithopter delivered about five-minute flights. The NiMH battery has been replaced with a 1000-mAh 2S LiPo, with flight durations now up to a maximum of
The tail rotates left and right for steering. The tail surface is attached directly to the servo — simple and effective. rc-sportflyer.tumblr.com
around 30 minutes. The increase in duration (around six-fold) seems out of proportion to the increase in battery capacity, which has risen by a factor of less than two. The discrepancy may be explained by a couple of factors: the LiPo battery has a higher load voltage and weighs less than the NiMH pack. The LiPo battery also has a considerably lower internal resistance, meaning that far less energy is wasted producing battery heat. It could also be that the NiMH battery was not actually delivering its rated capacity. The flight duration of a model tells us about the average current drawn by the motor. For example, if this model could fly for one hour with its 1000-mAh battery, then the average current would be one amp. This is because the very definition of a 1000-
The mechanism for flapping the wings is surprisingly simple — a rotatory drive system. RC-SF.COM
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REVIEW
ALLUSIVE™ 2.2M IT’S A THERMAL SOARER AND A FUN AEROBATIC MACHINE ALL IN ONE! BY GENE COPE
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-flite® just introduced their new 2.2-meter wingspan electric-powered sailplane, the Allusive™. It is built with the same well-known quality of construction as their Mystique 2.9-meter ARF. This smaller limited-motor-run glider is an ideal model for pilots who want get their glider to altitude quickly for super soaring as well as doing aerobatics. It’s also the perfect size for traveling because it can be broken down into three parts — five if you remove the V-tails. Using an E-flite 40-amp electronic speed controller (ESC), a Power 15-size outrunner with a 12 x 8 propeller, and Spektrum™ servos, it takes little time at all to assemble and to be in flying in thermal heaven.
The sailplane is solidly built with foam core sheeted wings and sheeted stabilizers (V-tails) that are strong, expertly finished, and superbly covered. The lower surfaces of the wings are covered in a metallic charcoal plastic film with orange colored wingtips, while the tops are white with orange tips. Both color schemes let the glider be seen well, even at extreme distances. The Allusive’s white molded fiberglass composite fuselage with fitted canopy is nicely engineered and built, too. When I got the model out of the kit box, I found that there were some wrinkles in the covering material — which are not unexpected in a model that goes from factory to distributor to customer — but they were easily twitter.com/rcsportflyer
The Allusive comes as a very complete almost-ready-to-fly kit. You’ll need to buy the motor, ESC, battery, servos, and Rx, but everything integrates well.
Here are the parts you’ll need to power up your Allusive. E-flite lists everything on their website, so you can have the model and its parts arrive together.
Push the throttle up and the Allusive will blast off, headed for soaring altitude in a hurry. Cut the power, and you’ll have a soaring machine that is spritely.
The Allusive is not just a good thermal soarer — it’s also a fun glider for flying aerobatics because it will fly fast. It also delivers excellent roll and pitch control. It’s just fun to fly! rc-sportflyer.tumblr.com
Notice how the model has contrasting colors from top to bottom, plus the bright yellow wingtips. This is an immense help in staying oriented with the glider no matter its flight attitude. RC-SF.COM
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Camera passes are always fun, and even more so when you know the airplane is going to remain exactly where it was placed thanks to the AS3X system housed in the Spektrum receiver.
UMX™ PITTS® S-1S IT’S THE MICRO SPITTING IMAGE OF A PITTS S-1S
BY JAMES VANWINKLE
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ince its first flight in 1944, the Pitts Special has been an icon in the world of aerobatics. Domination for more than two decades has placed the Pitts firmly in the vernacular of any serious aerobatic conversation. Although monoplanes own the competition today, the Pitts is still a venerable performer in the lower divisions of the sport and in nearly every air show around the world. E-flite offers a great flying airplane in a very miniature version that uses
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RC SPORT FLYER . OCTOBER 2014
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Horizon’s UMX protocol. Utilizing the awesome Spektrum™ AS3X® technology, this airplane is extremely stable, especially for such a tiny model. IN THE AIR Plugging in the battery and waiting the few seconds for its AS3X initialize is all that’s required to get the Pitts ready for flight. The landing gear is tiny, but the tail wheel is completely steerable, allowing for great ground handling. Forget any notion of the airplane veering off to the left during the take-off roll thanks to the onboard AS3X stability system. It tracks straight as an arrow, while any other taildragger would require serious rudder control. I took my Pitts off from an asphalt surface and landed there too, though hand launches are super easy if there isn’t a great place for takeoffs. Grass is a no go though, unless you own a golf course green. The wheels are pretty tiny, and there isn’t much room under the wheel pants on this scaled-down beauty. I should add that you can hear the servos working to keep the model stable once the stability system is working — it corrects for any disturbances. Picking up the Pitts and rolling it side to side, you can see the AS3X performing its magic and countering with slightly opposite control throws in an attempt to hold the model’s position steady. In the air, this system works overtime to ensure
The Pitts comes fully assembled in the kit box, requiring a battery and a receiver bind to any DSM2 or DSMX transmitter. Then it’s ready to take to the skies for a fun time of flying!
This tiny 2S 200-mAh battery powers the Pitts for about 5 minutes per flight. It may last longer, but I recommend you use a charger that can monitor the milliamps required for recharge.
the Pitts tracks smoothly and acts as stable as a much larger airplane. I found the Pitts to be amazingly stable, even with the slightly gusty afternoon winds in my area. Stronger winds are actually no problem for its stability, though it is harder to get the Pitts to fly back home from downwind. Because it weighs just a bit over three ounces and has twowing drag, you’ll need some extra power to cut through more than a slight breeze. The bright red color scheme It’s hard to explain just how incredibly tiny this airplane is — the transmitter is nearly as long as the Pitts itself! ! Even so, this model is a very nice little flyer. rc-sportflyer.tumblr.com
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350 QX2 AP COMBO RTF IT’S A SAFE® WAY TO GET AERIAL PHOTOS & VIDEO BY STAFF 90
RC SPORT FLYER . OCTOBER 2014
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It doesn’t have to be that way! If you pick the Blade 350 QX2 AP Combo RTF package from Horizon Hobby Distributors, you’ll get everything you need to start shooting high quality video and photos in their kit box. This high-quality machine is designed for those pilots who want to have fun flying a quad, but who don’t want to spend hours researching all the hardware and software options that are available to a quad pilot. Also, the Blade package eliminates the likelihood that you’ll buy something that doesn’t work with your transmitter, receiver, GPS, Rf unit, etc. This package is built so you can start taking high-quality video and photos in about 30 minutes from the time you open the kit box. You’ll need only to charge the quad’s LiPo pack, install the AA batteries in the transmitter, and charge the camera’s battery. It’s that easy to get up and running! Your 350 QX2 AP quad combo comes neatly packed in a foam carrying case. The RTF package includes everything, including transmitter and charger.
The RTF package gives you everything you need to start shooting photos and video within about 30 minutes of opening the box.
INCLUDES • Airframe Blade 350 QX2 AP buadcopter • GB200 2-axis brushless gimbal • 3000-mAh 3S 11.1-volt 20C LiPo battery • 3S DC LiPo balancing charger with 5-amp AC power supply • Spektrum® DX4 DSMX 4-channel transmitter • 4 AA batteries • CGO 1 080p HD Camera • Tx cell phone mount
You get the quad plus a very well made and designed two-axis camera gimbal. The gimbal accepts the CGO 1080p HD camera.
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icking the right quad for shooting photos and video can be a daunting task in today’s market! Every company seems to be boasting about what their quad can do, or what add-ons it’s capable of carrying. There are so many options to pick from, with each company providing different levels of communication and signal quality. It’s enough to make you wonder whether you need to go get your Masters in electrical engineering, with an emphasis on WiFi and Rf networks!
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