RC Airplanes | Gliders | Helicopters
ANDREW JESKY POCKETS THE DOUGH!
OCT/NOV/DEC 2015
TUCSON SHOOTOUT 2015 13 PHOTO-FILLED PAGES
PLUS
• • • •
Building for Competition Castle Giant-Scale Rally F3B Worlds Report How to Setup GPS
FREESTYLE PILOT, GABRIEL ALTUZ, WINS BIG $$$ USA & CANADA $6.49
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TABLE OF CONTENTS DEPARTMENTS
10 LEADING EDGE 12 HOT PRODUCTS 82 ADS INDEX 83 MYSTERY PLANE GABRIELLE ALTUZ FINISHES THE SHOOTOUT ‘15 WITH A 1ST PLACE FINISH IN FREESTYLE. HERE HE IS SHOWN MAKING A DEAD-ENGINE, INVERTEDPASS LANDING AS A CROWD PLEASER TO END THE WEEKEND.
EVENTS
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AEROBATIC SHOOTOUT ‘15
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WE SHOW YOU THE AIRPLANES AND PILOTS AT THIS HUGE EVENT. Wil Byers 6
RC SPORT FLYER . OCT, NOV, DEC 15
F3B WORLD CHAMPS GET AN INSIDE LOOK AT COMPETITION GLIDERS/FLYERS. Dave Olson
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CASTLE GIANTSCALE FLY-IN CHECK OUT THIS VENUE TO LEARN WHY IT KEEPS GROWING. Rick Maida twitter.com/rcsportflyer
OCT/NOV/DEC 2015
REVIEWS BNF 64 ADAGIO BASIC GLIDER DISCOVER WHY THIS LITTLE ELECTRICPOWERED GLIDER DELIVERS SOARING AND AEROBATICS. Christian Belleau
70 V-VENTURE HOTT FIND OUT HOW YOU CAN LEARN TO FLY RC WITH THIS PUSHER-POWERED 3-CHANNEL FOAMY. Wil Byers
FURY EDF 74 FJ-2 JET WE SHOW YOU HOW THIS MODEL WILL LET YOU EXPERIENCE THE FEELING OF PILOTING A FIGHTER. Wil Byers
BUILD
PLAN
40 COVERINGS, PART II
46 55-PERCENT GILES 202
SEE THE TIPS AND TRICKS OF HOW TO PUT ON COVERING SO IT STAYS TIGHT . Jeff Troy
THIS GIANT-SCALE MODEL IS DESIGNED FOR AERBOTICS AND 3D FUN. Wendel Hosteller
HOW TO FOR 50 BUILDING COMPETITION GET THE INSIDE SCOOP ON HOW TO DOCUMENT YOUR SCALE MODEL. Tom Wolf rc-sportflyer.tumblr.com
3-VIEW UP A 56 SETTING GPS SYSTEM LEARN HOW EASY IT IS TO SET UP A GPS SYSTEM AND THE INFO IT PROVIDES. Karl-Heinz Käufer
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THIS HISTORIC, GERMAN, WOODEN, CONTEST-WINNNGV, AEROBATIC GLIDER. Hans-Jürgen Fischer RC-SF.COM
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EVENT
TUCSON SHOOTOUT 2015 WORLD’S BEST PILOTS COMPETE FOR $100,000! BY WIL BYERS
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Gernot Bruckmann flies his IMAC Freestyle airplane the length of the runway on knifeedge during his competition round. The model is a Krill Extra 300SC. rc-sportflyer.tumblr.com
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EVENT
F3B WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 2015 IT’S DURATION, DISTANCE AND SPEED BY DAVID OLSON
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he F3B World Championships were held on July 26 – August 2, 2015 at Deelen Air Force Base near Arnhem, Netherlands. The F3B World Championship organizers also put on a two-day F3B event prior to the World Championships called the “Arnhem Open” on July 25 and 26 that had 80 pilot entries. F3B has been described as the “Formula One” of sailplane competition, consisting of three separate tasks, which are Duration, Distance, and Speed. Launching is often referred to as the fourth task. Also, if you start a round with one
John Skinner from Team Australia launching Mike Rae’s sailplane in the Arnhem Open Contest.
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airplane you must fly it in all three tasks or you get a zero for the tasks you did not fly it in. The concept is to put the burden on a sailplane designer to basically have one glider that does everything well. The F3B concept was conceived in Italy in the 1970s. Each country sends their best pilots to represent their country. Each country can send four pilots with one being a Junior. The 2015 FAI F3B WC had Teams representing Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Japan, Italy, Netherlands, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, South
Team France about to launch. Team USA’s Kyle Paulson ducking to get out of the way of the release. Kyle was next to launch. twitter.com/rcsportflyer
Team USA flying an early morning Duration flight. It is definitely a team effort.
This is what everyone is trying to win. You can see the USA has had some success over the years.
Team USA. L to R - Darrell Zaballos, Mike Lachowski, Reto Fiolka, Kyle Paulson, Glauco Lago (Team Manager), Dillon Graves, David Olson (kneeling) Team Austria helping out their Junior Pilot, Bernard Flixeder , flying one of his Duration tasks.
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Each team only gets two meters to place their winches. They’re staggered, so they can fit in six winches.
Team Sweden launching for a distance task. Pasi Vaisanen about to release Joakim Stahl’s sailplane.
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EVENT
18 ANNUAL CASTLE GIANTSCALE FLY IN TH
IT’S THE LAND OF THE GIANTS, AND… BY RICK MAIDA
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Ken McSpadden and Mike Adams flew these Skymaster ViperJet, which were powered by JetCat turbines. Mike and Ken have been flying formation together since 1993. rc-sportflyer.tumblr.com
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BUILD
IRON-ON COVERINGS, PART II SUPER SPORTSTER 60 WING
BY JEFF TROY
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hree of my four prime directives for model covering were explained in the first of my film-covering installments (February 2015 RC Sport Flyer). They are: 1) don’t make a seam; change the color, 2) it’s not about shrink; it’s about stretch, and 3) the “Four Corners” application method. In review, changing colors is the smartest way to disguise a seam because no one is going to recognize the joined area as a seam. To the eye, it’s merely the line where the color changes. Stretch is what keeps iron-on coverings tight long after they are applied. Shrink has its place, of
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course, but not in excess. If covering is loosely applied and you rely on a heat gun or iron to shrink it tight, there’s a good chance that the heat of the sun will warm the once-baggy material and cause it to relax, bringing back a percentage of the sags and bags you thought were gone for good. My Four Corners method is the key element behind drum-tight covering, and that is where the previous article left you: with Top Flite Platinum MonoKote® on the underside of my Great Planes® Super Sportster 60 (SS60) wing. My fourth directive, the “Divide by Half” (DBH) perimeter-sealing
Top Flite Metallic Platinum MonoKote now covers the underside of the Super Sportster 60’s wing. Sealing and trimming the perimeter come next, followed by shrinking, then covering the upper surface. RC SPORT FLYER . OCT, NOV, DEC 15
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method, will be explained and demonstrated here, followed by the partial application of the top covering colors. The DBH method ensures sealed perimeters without gathers or creases. It’s a simple technique to use, and it works well. I’ll start you off with the bottom of the SS60 wing, where so far, only the four corners of the covering have been pulled tight and tacked down to the model’s wing structure. Starting with the covering over the leading edge (LE), visually estimate the distance between the tip and the root of the film. To simplify the lesson,
Estimate the center point of the covering at the trailing edge (TE), cut that distance in half, then pull the covering tight and tack it to the TE right there.
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Continue the Divide-by-Half exercise by repeatedly dividing the each of the progressive halves in half, then pulling and tacking until the full length of the covering is sealed (LE shown).
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Heat the covering so it becomes pliable, pulling out any wrinkles and stretching it tightly over the wingtip. The best insurance for a smooth wingtip is experience. You’ll get there from here.
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Use a heat gun to remove any remaining wrinkles after the wingtip covering is sealed. Keep the gun moving in a rapid, circular motion to prevent burning through the covering.
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Wingtips aren’t so hard to do if you remember to keep the material warm and pliable while holding onto that mental picture of covering your model with thin rubber instead of film.
I’ll call it 24 inches. Now estimate the center of that length (12 in.), then grab the edge of the covering at that point and pull the material snugly around the LE. Touch the iron to the covering to tack that area to the LE. The covering is now tacked to the LE at the 0-, 12-, and 24-in. marks. The next step is to divide each of the two halves by half, which means that you will now pull and tack the material down at the 6- and 18-in. positions. Do you see where this is going? Again, you will divide the halves by half, pulling and tacking at the 3-, 9-, 15-, and 21-in. positions. Continue to divide the halves by half until the entire length of the covering is tacked down to the LE. If you had started at one end of the LE and pushed the iron along its length until you reached the opposite end of the LE, you would have ended up rc-sportflyer.tumblr.com
with a fairly large gather of material at the opposite end. The DBH method eliminates any chance of that. With the LE sealed, turn your attention toward the root and the trailing edge (TE). Repeat the DBH procedure, always pulling the material snugly past the TE before touching it with the iron. This is simply a continuation of the stretch principle, which ensures that you will never iron down a baggy portion of covering. Just pretend the MonoKote you’re applying is made of thin rubber— imagine the compounds used in balloons or a Playtex® glove—instead of polyester film, and you’ll do a great job. Thinking about covering a model in thin rubber is one thing, but getting polyester film to behave like thin rubber is quite another matter, especially when your intention is
to wrap it around deep, compound curves like the wingtip of the SS60. Although it seems impossible, it really isn’t difficult at all, and you can do it with the basic covering tools that most experienced modelers have readily at hand. All you need are a good iron and heat gun, and if you don’t mind spending just a few extra dollars, get yourself a Top Flite® Hot Glove from Hobbico. Polyester films such as MonoKote, ToughLon, UltraCote®, and others can be made to mimic thin rubber, and the trick to making that happen is heat. You don’t need excessive heat because excessive heat can demolish the composition of the substrate (film) and cause irreparable damage, but if you apply just the right level of heat, polyester films can be made to soften and relax, so you can pull and stretch them around curves as if they RC-SF.COM
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PLAN
55-PERCENT SCALE GILES 202 A BIG, BEAUTIFUL IMAC CAPABLE MONOPLANE DRAWINGS BY WENDELL HOSTETLER
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In a 1999 airshow, pilot Wayne Handley broke the world’s record for consecutive flat spins in a Giles G-202, performing 78 spins. A Giles 202 crashed on Friday, August 28, 2015, during practice for an air show at Stewart International Airport near New Windsor, New York, which is about 60 miles north of New York City. A bystander’s photos show the tail separating from the aircraft as the pilot was in an ascending maneuver. Sadly, the pilot was killed.
SPECIFICATIONS
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he full-scale Giles G-202 is an unlimited-level airplane that was designed by Richard Giles for aerobatics. It is a monoplane of carbon fiber composite construction. The airplane was manufactured by AkroTech Aviation, which was located Troutdale, Oregon. The tandem, two-seater design was an evolution of the singleseater Giles G-200 airplane. The G-202 was produced and sold as kit airplane by AkroTech, which was subsequently modified slightly by Avions Mudry to become a CAP 222.
Crew : one or two pilots Length : 19 ft 4 in. (5.89 m) Wingspan : 22 ft (6.71 m) Height : 5 ft 7 in. (1.70 m) Empty weight : 992 lb (450-500 kg) Max. takeoff : 1600 lb - cruise (726 kg) weight 1200 lb - aerobatics (540 kg) Powerplant : Lycoming AEIO-360-A1E, 235 hp VNE : 220 Kts Cruise speed : 140 Kts Stall speed : 58 Kts Fuel capacity : 58 gal G-loads : +/- 10 g Roll rate : >400°/sec
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HOW TO
POWERBOX SYSTEMS GPS II SENSOR MAXIMUM PRECISION BY DIPL. ING. KARL-HEINZ KĂ„UFER
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ne of the many advantages of modern 2.4-GHz radio systems is that data can be transmitted to the ground from the model via the downlink channel, thereby keeping the pilot informed of important flight parameters. Many pilots particularly appreciate the ability to monitor the model’s
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altitude and speed, and its distance from the takeoff point. These data are generated by a GPS sensor. Various systems have been introduced, including some which only work with a particular radio control system, and others which can be configured in such a way they can operate in conjunction with a wide range of twitter.com/rcsportflyer
The set contains a patch-lead, a Y-lead and a self-adhesive pad in addition to the sensor itself.
looks like this.
radio equipment. An example of the latter, non-specific type is the GPS II, which has been introduced to the market by the German company PowerBox Systems. For quite a while the firm’s range of products included a GPS sensor, but this was a third-party item. This sensor was required for use with the iGyro in order to supply the speed data which the intelligent gyro needed to respond to particular situations; i.e., gusts of wind — with the appropriate corrective control surface travels, which vary according to the aircraft’s current speed. However, for some time now PowerBox Systems has been producing the GPSII sensor. The in-house unit is higher in quality, and its potential range of applications is wider. ULTRA-MODERN AERIAL TECHNOLOGY The new GPS sensor is fitted with a special GPS aerial of the type rc-sportflyer.tumblr.com
A plastic cover protects the GPS II Sensor’s helical aerial, which on the inside …
Opening the Sensor reveals the neat workmanship.
known as a helical antenna. The aerial body is located under a protective dome on one side, which takes the form of a cylindrical plastic cap. The aerial is spiral in form, and was developed specially for radio traffic involving satellites. Helical antennas feature circular polarization, i.e., they pick up and amplify signals from both polarization planes, and this improves the strength of the received signal. The helical antenna, used in conjunction with a high-quality preamplifier and the latest generation of GPS receiver, produces excellent security of reception even under difficult conditions — as can arise in a constantly moving model aircraft. The net result is the sensor is suitable for use in all flight situations without reservation, even when the model is constantly changing directions at high speed. SETTING UP REQUIRED As already described, the GPS
II can be operated in conjunction with several radio control systems: it supports the telemetry systems of Futaba (FASSTest), Multiplex (M-Link), Graupner (HoTT), Jeti (EX) and JR (DMSS). The sensor must be programmed to match the system in use, to ensure it shares the appropriate telemetry protocol. By default the unit is configured for use with the PowerBox iGyro and/or the M-Link telemetry system, and has to be re-programmed if the owner wishes to employ it in connection with another system. This process requires a PowerBox USB Interface together with the Y-lead supplied in the set; the operating instructions contain all the information required for the procedure. The owner downloads the free Terminal program and associated instructions from the PowerBox Systems website, and installs it on a PC or laptop. I found the software installation and subsequent RC-SF.COM
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3-VIEW
LO-100 DRAWINGS BY HANS-JÜRGEN FISCHER
A Schnitt X-X (Maßstab x 2)
Rumpfverstärkung
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lfred Vogt designed and built the Lo-100 glider in 1952. Its maiden flight was done at Klippeneck Mountain in BadenWürttemberg, Germany. Alfred was a dedicated designer who spent his life in the work of aircraft construction. Interestingly, he designed and built his first glider, the Lo-105 in 1935 with his brother Lothar. Then following WWII, Alfred supervised the design and construction of the Standard-Austria S while at the Schempp-Hirth factory in Kirchheim/Teck. The Lo-100 was designed as an aerobatic glider. It would be the only glider certified for unlimited aerobatics for about twenty years in Germany. Alfred’s Lo-100 glider sports a wingspan of only ten meters, so it is not a large glider, but rather one that earned the respect of aerobatics pilots the world over. The Sudetenland engineer’s glider became the pinnacle of glider aerobatics performance. Pilots such as Albert Falderbaum, Gerhard Pawolka, Herbert Tilling, and others performed their aerobatics routines at airshows everywhere in the little Lo-100. twitter.com/rcsportflyer
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REVIEW
ADAGIO™ 280 BNF BASIC WITH AS3X® TECHNOLOGY A SEXY, SLEEK, AFFORDABLE SOARER YOU’LL LOVE TO FLY BY CHRISTIAN BELLEAU
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The Adagio has a very sexy, sleek look to its design, which makes it stand out from every other model in the air.
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-flite’s Adagio™ 280 limited motor run (LMR) glider is an electric-powered park flyer. It has been designed to let you enjoy soaring from just about any small field or park. The model features a sleek, high-aspect ratio wing that marries to a sexy, attractive, and low-drag
fuselage. The model’s BL280 motor comes installed, with a folding propeller that fairs to the fuselage when the motor is stopped for soaring or gliding. The wing is fitted with ailerons and flaps, so you can optimize the wing’s configuration for either cruise or thermal soaring. The Adagio 280 glider features
Notice that the model’s wings are reinforced with carbon tube spars on the bottom. They make the glider surprisingly strong.
E-flite’s advanced AS3X (Artificial Stabilization - 3-axis) technology. AS3X helps the model maintain smooth, pilot-friendly flight by compensating for such things as P-factor and turbulence. What AS3X does well is make the Adagio feel like you are flying a much larger airplane. As an E-flite Bind-N-Fly® Basic
From tip to tail, this Adagio has a very attractive design that delivers good soaring at an affordable price. rc-sportflyer.tumblr.com
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REVIEW
V-VENTURE HOTT GLIDER RTF TAKE A VENTURE TO THE LIMIT BY WIL BYERS
It is a pusher-powered, limited motor run (LMR) glider that will let any pilot discover the fun to soaring and gliding.
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There are many pluses to this little model. It uses pusher propeller power, a V-tail system, and it has ailerons, rudder, and motor control.
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he V-Venture is an easy-to-fly beginner’s type model. It has good flight performance and handling. The model comes as preassembled airplane that is controlled by a three-channels: ailerons, elevator, and motor. It can be configured to use an optional spoilerons configuration for precision landings. The motor is pylon mounted, so landing the model on grass or even pavement is not a problem — no propeller damage with this model. The model’s battery is easy to access, hidden neatly under the foam canopy. The V-Venture is easy to hand launch. It delivers good climb performance, so you can get it to soaring altitude in no time. Then you’ll rc-sportflyer.tumblr.com
simply shutdown the motor to use the energy stored in thermals to soar the V-Venture for as along as you like. The V-Venture comes equipped with high-quality Graupner engineered and manufactured components. It comes in a Ready to Fly (RTF) version and Almost Ready to Fly (ARF) version. The RTF version is telemetry ready, so you can select from a wide range of sensors and modules, which will give you realtime knowledge of what is happening with your model. Your V-Venture comes with a bright red, black, and white color scheme that makes it easy to see at high altitudes — the wings and V-tail are white on their bottoms.
FEATURES • Designed for beginner to advanced pilots • Lightweight, durable foam construction • Optimized airfoil design • Two aileron servos for “crow” braking • Brushless outrunner pusher type motor • Low-drag, pylon motor mount • Carbon fiber wing tube • V-tail system • Aerobatic flight possible INCLUDES • V-Venture Airframe • Graupner mz-10 telemetry ready radio RC-SF.COM
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REVIEW
Tara Woodford is showing off the great lines of the Fury. The model is electric powered and uses a 4S 3200-mAh LiPo battery pack.
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FJ-2 FURY DUCTED FAN AS3X® MAKES IT STABLE. EDF MAKES IT FAST! BY WIL BYERS
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he North American FJ-2/3 Fury aircraft were a series of sweptwing, carrier-capable fighters designed for the United States Navy and Marine Corps. The FJ-2 were the result of an effort to remake the United States Air Force’s F-86 Sabre into a carrier-capable aircraft. The FJ-2 had folding wings, and a longer nose gear strut, which was designed to increase the jet’s angle of attack for launch, and a longer oleo made to withstand the abuses of aircraft carrier type landings. Although sharing a U.S. Navy’s designation with its distant predecessor, the straight-winged North American FJ-1 Fury, the FJ-2/3 were completely different aircraft. The FJ-2 was also one of a few aircraft used to evaluate the first steam catapult system on a U.S. Navy aircraft-carrier. E-flite’s FJ-2 is designed as a scale airplane that gives you the realism and flight experience of flying the carrier-based airplane. It is an almostready-to-fly (ARF) model that anybody can assemble in about 30 minutes or less. What caught my attention from the minute the ARF’s box was opened, was the high quality of the parts, the level of detail included in the foam moldings, including drop tanks, and
the exceptional level of accuracy in the paint scheme. It was just a model I wanted to assemble and fly. FEATURES • Easy to complete assembly • AS3X® technology built in • Durable, lightweight Z-Foam™ airframe construction • Authentic outline and scale details • Spektrum™ AS3X® AR636A DSMX® 6-channel receiver, installed • Powerful 70-mm EDF unit with a 15-size, 3700-Kv brushless motor
• 60-amp 14.8-volt brushless ESC installed • Scale inlet ducting appearance • Six micro servos for ailerons, elevator, rudder, and nose-wheel steering • Clear canopy, cockpit details, and pilot figure included • Removable fixed landing gear • Removable drop tanks NEEDED • 4-channel-plus DSM2®/DSMX compatible aircraft transmitter
Almost everything you need to start flying this little jet comes in the kit box. You will need a 4S LiPo battery, charger, and transmitter. rc-sportflyer.tumblr.com
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