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FEBRUARY 2017
step-by-step
COLUMBIA 400
BUILD REPORT
SHOESTRING RACER MORE:
VAN’S FIESLER STORCH NIMBUS 4DM RV-14 Plan Documentation Feature
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TABLE OF CONTENTS DEPARTMENTS
10 LEADING EDGE 86 ADS INDEX 87 MYSTERY PLANE
Photo by the late Jochen Ewald Nimbus-4 DLM soars above the mountains at Kirchheim unter Teck, near the renowned Schempp-Hirth factory.
FEATURE
BUILD
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PART V 26 COVERINGS, SEE HOW JEFF’S SUPER
NIMBUS-4 DLM SAILPLANE GET AN INSIDE LOOK AT HOW THIS PERFORMANCE OPTIMIZED MACHINE ASSEMBLES AND SOARS. Jochen Ewald
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SPORTSTER 60 FUSELAGE AND TAIL GETS COVERED IN PLASTIC FILM TO HAVE A PROFESSIONAL LOOK. Jeff Troy twitter.com/rcsportflyer
FEBRUARY 2017
REVIEWS
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E-FLITE SHOESTRING 15E IT’S AN NMPRA LEGAL RACER THAT WILL LET YOU GO FAST AND TURN LEFT TO THE WINNER’S CIRCLE! Daniel Holman
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PILOT RC 35% COLUMBIA 400 WE DETAIL FOR YOU HOW THIS DISTINCTIVE SCALE CIVILIAN DESIGN ASSEMBLES. Wil Byers
PLAN
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VAN’S AIRCRAFT RV-14/14A THIS LOW-WING AIRPLANE PLAN IS ONE YOU’LL DEFINITELY WANT TO BUILD! Wendel Hosteller
HOW TO
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HpH 304 SHARF EDF INSTALL THIS MODIFICATION SHOWS YOU HOW TO INSTALL AN EDF POWER SYSTEM IN A SCALE SAILPLANE. Dennis Brandt
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38 GIANT-SCALE CONTROL HORNS CHECK OUT HOW THESE CONTROL HORNS ARE MADE FOR USE IN GIANT-SCALE SAILPLANES AND AIRPLANES. Gene Cope
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FIESELER FI 156 STORCH LEARN WHY THIS LONG-LEGGED BEAUTY MADE WWII HISTORY BOOKS. Hans-Jürgen Fischer
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FEATURE
NIMBUS 4DLM
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SCHEMPP-HIRTH’S PERFORMANCE OPTIMIZED TWO-SEATER FLAGSHIP BY THE LATE JOCHEN EWALD
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chempp-Hirth’s Nimbus 4D was their flagship two-seater design. Competition results show clearly, that it remains one of the absolutely top competing sailplanes in the Open Class. There are, however, larger and much more expensive sailplanes competing against it. Like the DuoDiscus XL, the Nimbus two seater is in production in an upgraded version with the new fuselage of the Schempp-Hirth two-seaters. At the Hahnweide airfield of Kirchheim/Teck, where the factory is located (East of rc-sportflyer.tumblr.com
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BUILD
IRON-ON COVERINGS, PART 5 SUPER SPORTSTER 60 FUSELAGE AND TAIL BY JEFF TROY
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f you’ve been covering a model using the methods I’ve described, you now have a wing, stabilizer, and elevators covered in multiple colors of Top Flite MonoKote or a similar iron-on film, with separation strips highlighting the color changes in the upper surfaces. The lower surfaces are covered with a single, dark color that you find most visible at altitude. This installment will finish your covering exercise by addressing
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the fin and fuselage. Covering the Great Planes Super Sportster 60 began by ironing thin strips of covering material along the joints between the nose and tail fairings and the bottom of the wing, the stabilizer and fuselage, and the vertical fin and fuselage. These “Joint Strips” ensure the complete covering of these joints to prevent fuel and grime seepage, and to provide an ample base for the surface coverings
to grab when they are ironed down along the joints. So far, these strips have done their job in all places but the fin-to-fuselage joint. That joint will be handled now. If you’ve paid attention to my covering-preparation notes in previous issues, you will have already vacuumed and tack-ragged any surfaces to be covered just before covering them. Begin by cutting a piece of covering to cover one side of twitter.com/rcsportflyer
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Rear Deck — Notch the deck covering to slide around the fin, and trim the covering to get the tail blocks covered. Wrap the covering around the deck and seal the tail ends.
the vertical fin, making it at least 1 inch larger around the leading edge (LE) and trailing edge (TE), and 2 inches larger around the curvature at the upper leading edge of the fin. You’ll like having this extra area to grab and pull when you heat and stretch the material around the curve. Use a straightedge to cut the bottom edge of the covering, peel away the backing sheet, and lay the covering—glue side down, please— over the fin with the lower, straightcut edge over the joint strip between the fin and fuselage. Touch the iron to the rear corner of the covering over the joint strip, then pull the forward edge tight and touch the iron to the covering over the forward edge. Use my Divide-By-Half (DBH) method to seal the covering along the joint strip. With the bottom of the fin covering sealed along the joint strip, pull the covering snugly upward and over the tip of the fin at the TE. Touch rc-sportflyer.tumblr.com
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Covering Fin — Iron an oversize piece of covering over the vertical fin. Pull the material to opposite sides along the joint strip between the fin and fuselage. Iron the perimeter, then seal.
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Deck Behind Cockpit Area — Stretch the covering tightly and iron down a small area at the center of the deck, just behind the rear canopy bulkhead. Pull the covering straight to remove any wrinkles.
the iron there to seal. Now pull the covering tightly around the curvature of the fin at the upper LE and iron it there. Use the DBH method to seal the perimeter of the fin covering, first along the TE and then the LE. The rear deck—that stringered, upper fuselage section from behind the canopy to the TE of the fin— is next. Cut an oversize piece of covering, allowing for an ample amount of extra material for pulling and stretching. Cut a slit in the tail end of the covering, allowing it to slide past the vertical fin and back to the tail of the fuselage. Trim the tail ends of the deck film to cover the tail blocks between the joint strips along the fin and stabilizer. Working outward in all directions from the center of the tail blocks, use only moderate heat to seal the covering to the tail blocks and the joint strips. Pull the forward end of the deck covering toward the nose of the
airplane. Get it just past the rear canopy bulkhead, being careful to pull it straight ahead to eliminate any wrinkles or gathers that could result from a sideways pull. Touch the iron to the covering at the top of the canopy bulkhead. One side at a time, pull the lower ends of the deck covering forward and down over the canopy bulkhead as if you were aiming the ends of the covering in the direction of the LE of the wing saddle. Pulling the covering tightly to smooth it ahead of the iron, tack down the covering along the outline of the canopy bulkhead. Use the DBH method to seal the covering along the upper fuselage sides below the area of the deck stringers. Allow for at least 1/2” of solid wood under the covering to ensure a good grip and eliminate any chance of the covering creeping away from the seal during the shrink process. Because you are working over solid balsa, and Subscribe @ RCSportFlyer.com
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HOW TO
304 SHARK EDF MAKE YOUR GIANT-SCALE SAILPLANE A SELF-LAUNCHER BY DENNIS BRANDT
Exclusively imported by SoaringUSA.com, the Jetec 120 delivers plenty of thrust to easily hustle this 35-pound sailplane up to soaring altitude in a hurry.
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RC SPORT FLYER • FEB 2017 - Digital
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A
The rear wing alignment pin was removed by simply heating it with a soldering iron; and, then I chucked a cordless drill to it and pulled it out. It is now one-in. stubs both sides.
After I cut the hatch free of the fuselage, I applied mold release to the fuselage. Then I laid up the front and rear hatch seats on the fuselage. Once cured they were trimmed to fit.
Here, I’m checking fitment of the rear hatch seat. Note that, I used West Systems 105 epoxy and 206 hardener throughout this project because of its high quality and workability. rc-sportflyer.tumblr.com
erotowing large-scale sailplanes and gliders have been my passion for many years. I’ve owned a number of large-scale sailplanes and gliders, purpose built for aerotowing by large and powerful tugs. It is pretty much a team sport, with the need for a tug pilot, sailplane pilot, and a spotter. Obviously, without a tug aircraft and pilot, I’m not able to fly large-scale sailplanes or gliders. That was before the advent of upand-go systems, and now retractable electric-ducted-fan (EDF) power systems. While the up-and-go systems worked, they imparted a significant nose-down pitching moment on the aircraft during power. This is due to the moment arm of the pylon, which holds the motor quite a few inches above the fuselage. The length of the pylon is usually determined by the size of the propeller the motor turns. Alternately, the new Jetec 120 EDF system nearly eliminates the pitching moment because the fan rises just high enough to clear the fuselage. Its thrust line is also nearly at the aircraft’s center of gravity. Plus, the Jetec 120 makes lots of thrust even for a 35-pound sailplane. In this article, I’ll show you what is required to fit a 1/3-scale HpH scale sailplane with the new Jetec EDF. It takes a bit of work but is certainly doable for most large-scale machines. Needed Jetec 120 EDF system FEMA retractable gear West Systems epoxy Carbon fiber Fiberglass Zona Saw Two 6S 5000-mAh LiPo packs Two 2S LiFe packs Plywood 12 gauge wire Blind nuts Velcro & strapping Build After you have all the parts and supplies available, you will want to start by removing HpH’s retractable landing gear. Then you will take a deep breath and cut the EDF’s hatch free of the fuselage. You absolutely Subscribe @ RCSportFlyer.com
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3-VIEW
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RC SPORT FLYER • FEB 2017 - Digital
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FIESELER FI 156 STORCH
IT’S A LONG-LEGGED BEAUTY WITH STOL PERFORMANCE PLUS BY HANS-JÜRGEN FISCHER
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he Fieseler Fi 156 Storch (Stork) was a German designed liaison aircraft. It was built by Fieseler before and during World War II. It is famous for its outstanding short-takeoff-and-landing (STOL ) performance. History In 1935, the Reichsluftfahrtministerium, Reich Aviation Ministry (RLM) tendered several companies for a new Luftwaffe aircraft suitable for liaison, army rc-sportflyer.tumblr.com
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PLAN
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RC SPORT FLYER • FEB 2017 - Digital
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VAN’S AIRCRAFT, INC. RV-14/14A A LOW-WING AIRPLANE DESIGNED FOR 120-CC POWER
BY WENDELL HOSTETLER
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he RV-14 and 14A is manufactured as a kit airplane by Van’s Aircraft, Inc. in Aurora, Oregon. RV-14s were designed by Richard VanGrunsven. It was debuted to the public at AirVenture in July 2012. It improves on Van’s other successful side-by-side series of twoseat kit aircraft, the RV-6, RV-7, RV-9, and RV-12. The new RV-14 aircraft is designed to provide upright seating positions, with a large bubble canopy to provide superb visibility in all directions. The 14’s cabin is big and roomy, with lots rc-sportflyer.tumblr.com
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REVIEW
RC 35%
COLUMBIA 400 A MODERN DAY DESIGN THAT IS DISTINCTIVE IN THE AIR BY WIL BYERS
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This is a full-scale Columbia 400 tied down at a local airport. Pilot RC copied this color scheme for my model, with the exception that we changed the gold to silver for the striping.
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RC SPORT FLYER • FEB 2017 - Digital
ilot RC’s Columbia 400 design is a scale airplane copied after the full-scale airplane designed and produced by Columbia Aircraft Manufacturing Corporation. The aircraft was design by Lance Neibauer of the Lancair fame. The Columbia 400 was engineered to have great looks combined with high performance capabilities. Pilot RC’s Columbia 400 copies that design philosophy with the attractive appearance of a low-wing airplane, a sleek low-drag fuselage, and the power of a DLE 120 gaspowered engine in the cowl. The 35-percent-scale airplane uses a wooden fuselage and wings, with a fiberglass cowl and wheel pants. It sits tall on its tricycle landing gear. twitter.com/rcsportflyer
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REVIEW
SHOESTRING 15E
The E-flite Shoestring looks fast just sitting on the runway at the Goldendale, WA airport, with Mount Adams as the backdrop. It is “fueled” and ready for some racing.
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RC SPORT FLYER • FEB 2017 - Digital
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NMPRA LEGAL — GO FAST AND TURN LEFT BY DANIEL HOLMAN
W The E-flite Power 25 motor is rated at 1250 Kv. It is turning an 8 x8 APC E type propeller, so it makes plenty of power.
The model has a very low profile drag, which means it literally slices thru the air to get it to speeds of over 100 mph.
The bright color scheme makes it very easy to see in the air, but you’ll want to stay focused because it can cover the sky quickly. facebook.com/rcsportflyer rc-sportflyer.tumblr.com
hile Horizon’s E-flite® Shoestring 15e has been around for a couple of years, it remains an absolutely formidable little racer. It is National Miniature Pylon Racing Association (NMPRA) legal; and, it is an electric-powered, competitive, go-fast airplane. The Shoestring will challenge and thrill even the most competent RC pilot. You’ll discover the Shoestring can be flown as a hot, little sport model or to fill your need for competitive racing. It can be tamed down by powering it with the E-flite Power 15 motor. Alternately, if you want a spirited, competitive NMPRA racer in the EF1-class for pylon racing you’ll want the E-flite Power 25 BL 1250-Kv outrunner motor, a 60-amp brushless electronic speed controller (ESC), and use 4S 2500-mAh 14.8-volt 30C LiPo battery. This 4S setup will let the Shoestring turn and burn! The Shoestring 15e is a mid-wing airplane. The fuselage is composite while the wings are balsa-cover foam. It comes as an almost-readyto-fly (ARF) model, that requires little assembly. You’ll need to install the servos, motor, ESC, battery, receiver, and an APC electric type propeller. NEEDED •• DX6 Transmitter or better •• Spektrum® AR636 6-channel receiver •• A5030 mini servos •• Power 25 BL 1250-Kv motor •• E-flite 60-amp BEC ESC •• 4S 2500-mAh 14.8-volt 30C LiPo battery •• 1.50-in. aluminum bullet spinner w/ 5-mm collet •• 8 x 8E APC propeller •• 6-in. heavy-duty servo extensions •• Hook-and-loop strap Subscribe @ RCSportFlyer.com
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