RCM&E May issue **FREE 20 PAGE PREVIEW**

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VOL.67NO.5MAY2024 RONICS www.modelflying.co.uk FREE PRO-PLAN! SIMILAMANDERHEINKELIKE’SOTHERNA PREPARINGFORPONTE SINGLECHANNEL&RETROFLY-IN PLUSII FUTABAT16IZS-‘SUPER’RADIOREVIEWED II CHIPMUNKCOWL-DIYSCALEMOULDING BIRDJET H M E! R A D I N T R O L M O D E L S A N D E L E C T R BUILDASIMP EINKELIKE I FUNFLYNATIONALS BURSTINGBALLOONSATBUCKMINSTER

WelcometotheMay2024issue ofRCM&E.

Althoughspringhas wellandtrulyarrivedthewetweather continuestoputadampeneronpretty muchallmyattemptstogoflying. Evenmorefrustratingisthatalthough conditions‘uptop’havesometimes beenveryfavourable,thesoakingwet farmstripsIusuallyflyfromarestill morepuddlesthangrass,preventing anyattemptsattake-offs,evenwithmy SuperCubfittedwithhugebushplane wheels.ThisyearIalsolearnedtomy costthatsuchwetandmuddyconditions canbedangeroustowanderaroundin, havingslippedoverwhenoutflying, whichcausedsofttissuedamageto myleftarmandlowerleg.Thankfully therewerenobrokenbones,butIcould dowithoutthenaggingpainsthatstill persistweekslater.Somemightsaythat suchwetconditionsareperfectforflying floatequippedmodelsfrom,butguess whatIwasinvestigatingonesuchbig puddleforwhenmybootsgotbogged downandoverIwent…Sopleasedotake careoutthere!

Fingerscrossedthesunwillshinesoon anddryoutallthemud,sowiththatin mindlet’stakealookatwhatwehave instoreforyouinthisissueofRCM&E, startingwithourregularcolumns. ShaunGarrity(RetroRamblings)eases usingentlyashelooksforwardtothis summer’sSingleChannel&RetroFly-In atPontefract’sPANDASclub.Danny Fenton(MakeItScale)continuesto makegoodprogresswithhislatest deHavillandChipmunkasheaddssome finishingtouchestothemodel’scowl. Next,JohnStennard(TheInsider)signs inwithanotherselectionofindoor flyingtopicsbeforeDaveGoodenough (OneMan&HisShed)joinsusformore workshoptipsasheshowshowtosecure LiPobatteriesandputbendsintobalsa. Onreview,yourstrulyinvestigates theFutabaT16IZSuperradiosystemas

mynew‘everyday’radioset.Thenit’s onwardstoafewfeaturearticles,kicked offbyTestFlyingwithJeffBarringer,who runsthroughthewell-establishedcheck listthatheusesbeforeanewmodel evenleavestheground.DudleyPattison continueshisautobiographicalseries, ACompanyCalledFlairasherecalls thefirstmodelkitsproducedbyFlair Products,followedbyDickvanMourik withStrikingTheRightBalance,inwhich Dickdiscussesfindingthebalancepoint ofamodelaircraftanditsinfluencing factors.Asregularreaderswillknowwe trytoincludeaneventreportineach issueandthistimeMikeBellreports fromtheflightlineatthe2023Fun FlyNationals.

WrappingitallupisourfreepulloutPro-Plan.Thismonth’sdoublesidedcentre-foldsheetisdedicatedto Heinkelike,ColinBaxter’ssemi-scale versionoftheHeinkelHe162whichis poweredbyapylonmountedEDFunit. Ihopeyouenjoyreadingitall.

HappyFlying!

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Onthecover

Photo: ColinBaxter WearesurethattheHeinkel He162needsverylittle introductionasjudgingby thenumbersofmodelsofthe typethatweseesubmitted forPilot’sPictorialitseems tobeaverypopularsubject forR/Cmodels.Onesuch aircraftisthissimplified version,appropriatelycalled theHeinkelike,designedby ColinBaxter.

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6 | RCM&E
48 HEINKELIKE ColinBaxterintroduceshisvery(!) semi-scaleversionoftheHeinkel He162

Columns

Contents
8 SWITCHON Ourlatestroundupofmodelflying news. 18 ALLWRITE HaveyoursayinRCM&E’smonthly chatroom 44 PILOTS’PICTORIAL Sendusapictureofaneworfavourite modelanditcouldappearinour regularreaders’modelsgallery 61 COUNTERPOINT Aselectionofnewgadgets,kitsand bitsforyoutobuy 92 GOINGPLACES Ourupdatedlistofmodelshows, eventsandcompetitionsforyoutovisit overthenextfewmonths 94 MARKETPLACE Selloffyourunwantedairframesand enginesormaybebuyafewnewones 95 NEXTISSUE Takealookatwhat’scominginthe June‘24issueofRCM&E 98 PARTINGSHOT GrahamAshbyremindsusofthe popularPrecedentStampewithanouttakefromhisKickTheTyrescolumn.
10 FUTABAT16IZSUPER Withaneyetothefuture,KevinCrozier lookstoreplacehis‘everyday’radioset
28 TESTFLYING-PART1 JeffBarringerrunsthroughawellestablishedchecklistwhichheuses beforeanewmodelevenleavesthe ground 62 ACOMPANYCALLEDFLAIR DudleyPattisoncontinueshis autobiographicalseriesasherecalls thefirstmodelkitsproducedbyFlair Products 72 STRIKINGTHERIGHTBALANCE DickvanMourikdiscussesfindingthe balancepointofamodelaircraftand itsinfluencingfactors 80 FUNFLYNATIONALS MikeBellreportsfromtheflightlineat the2023FunFlyNats
Regulars
Reviews
Features
22 RETRORAMBLINGS ShaunGarritylooksforwardtothis summer’sSingleChannel&RetroFlyInatthePANDASclubpatch 34 MAKEITSCALE DannyFentonaddssomefinishing touchestohisnewChipmunkcowl 66 THEINSIDER JohnStennardsignsinwithanother selectionofindoorflyingtopics 86 ONEMAN&HISSHED JoinDaveGoodenoughasheshows howtosecureLiPobatteriesandput bendsintobalsa 34 22 Volume67|Issue05 SUBSCRIBE… ...andreceiveLuftwaffeFighters &SupermarineSecretProjects FREE!Seepage42fordetails
May2024|www.modelflying.co.uk RCM&E | 7
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Ourlatestroundupofmodelflyingnewsandmiscellany

DELYNMFC‘ALEXWHITTAKERMEMORIALCUP’

Asweemergefromthelong,dampanddark daysofwinterit’snicetohavesomeindoorclub eventstoattendtogetusinthemoodforthe comingflyingseason.Ourclubhashelda WinterBuildcompetitionformanyyearsand afterAlex’sdeathwerenameditinhishonour.

So,onthe14thMarch,DelynMFCheldits monthlyclubmeetingthatincorporatedthe AlexWhittakerMemorialCup.

COMEFLY(AND DRIVE)WITHJP

AmongstAlex’smanytalentswerehisdesign andbuildskillsandthereforehisappreciation offinecraftsmanshipwheneverhesawit, especiallyintraditionallybuiltbalsaandply models.Withthatinmind,thisyear’saward wenttoBrianM.EvansforhissuperbManx Queen,asfeaturedinthisJanuary’sedition ofRCM&EbyShaunGarrityinhisRetro Ramblingscolumn.Brian’sManxQueenisseen hereinitsmilitarycamouflagelivery.

Forthesecondyearrunningtheclubwas delightedtowelcomeAlex’swidowFredato presentthecuptoBrian(‘Meredith’asAlex usedtoaddresshim)andI’msureAlexwould haveapprovedofourdecisionwholeheartedly.

Withtheever-expandingrangeofworldleadingbrandsdistributedbyJ.Perkins comesadesiretomakeafussofthem andgetasmuchseenbyourcustomers aspossible.We’rehugelyproudofour products,weactivelyfly,driveandsail themourselvesandwewantyouto enjoythemasmuchaswedo.Thisbeing thecase,we’velandedanopportunity foryoutodojustthatbyjoiningusfora weekendofflyinganddrivingatBMFA Buckminsteronthe1stand2ndJune. Withahugerangeofaircraft,vehicles, kitandequipmentondisplay,alongwith workshops,displays,camping,foodand festivities,we’dlovetoseeyouandwe’d alsoencourageyoutobringyourmodels, flyanddrivewithus,watchtheUK’stop displayteamsinactionandfindoutat first-handwhatallthefussisabout. GrahamAshby, MarketingManager,J.PerkinsR/C Division

NOTSOEXPENSIVETISSUE

Whoops!InCounterpoint inthelastissue,we inadvertentlyhikedupthe priceofDeluxeMaterials’ newBlackEzeTissueto almostninetypounds! Theretailpriceisofcourse amuchmorereasonable £8.50.

Ourapologiesgoto DeluxeMaterialsandtheir distributorRipmax. Thisdoes,however,giveus theexcusetoshowyouthis rathernicepictureofwhat canbeachievedwithBlack EzeTissuewhencombined withotherEzeTissues.

NG335RW SupplyingtheR/Chobbyforover45years BMFA andcampingcontact Manny@BMFA.org JPerkins contact Paul@jperkins.com •HugerangeofR/Cproductsondisplay •Traxxasrockcrawlertrackandbashingarea •HitecandFutabaworkshops •DailyflightlinerunbyTeamRenegade •SeesomeoftheUK’stopdisplayteamsinflight: AZAerosports,Renegade,RJ,TeamTJDWarbirds •WatchJP’sFutabateampilotsflying •Joininandbringyourownmodelstoflyordrive •Campingavailable •On-sitecafe Andmanymore JPproducts /WeAreJPerkins N Buckm nster Sewstern Lincs FREEENTRY
8 | RCM&E www.modelflying.co.uk|May2024

LASERENGINESTOCLOSE

TotheLaserEngineCommunity, It’swithaheavyheartthatImustinformyou thatAGCSales/Laserengineswillbeclosinginthe nearfuture.

After40yearsofdevelopingandbuilding LaserEnginesit’stimeformetoretireandclose AGCEngineeringwhichproducesthemany componentsrequiredtobuildahigh-qualityLaser engine.Ithasbeenanincrediblejourneywithan invaluablelearningcurveandweleaveknowing wehavecreatedaqualityproduct.

Toourcustomersandsupporters:thankyou. Yourbeliefandtrustinushasbeenthedriving forcebehindoureverystep.

Tomydedicatedteam:Jonforyourdesign creativityandChrisforturningtheideainto reality.Yourpassionandhardworkhavebeenthe coreofourjourney.Iamgratefulbeyondwords foreverymoment.

Whilethischapterends,thebondsand memorieswe’vecreatedendure.

Wearededicatedtoensuringasmooth transitionforourcustomersinthecomingweeks. Foranyqueriesyoumayhavewehavecreated alistofFAQsthatmayassistyouwhichwillbe releasedsoon.

I’meternallygratefultoeveryonethatwas involved,especiallymyfather,RegGrossandNeil Tideywhobychancein1982mettocreatethe Laser61engine.

I’dliketotakethisopportunitytowishmy teamofsuppliersandcustomersallthebestin thefuture.

GeoffreyGross, Director,AGCEngineering&AGCSales

Thisisverysadnewsanditcameasa completeshocktouswhenitwasannounced ontheforumatRCM&E’smodelflying. co.ukwebsiteonMarch14th: https://forums. modelflying.co.uk/

Laserenginesareverymuchlovedand respectedandareusedbymodellersall aroundtheworld.Onbehalfofourreaders, wehavesentourbestwishestoJon,Geoff andallatAGC.

Wearesurethatmoreupdateswillbe providedontheLaserEngineswebsite: https://www.laserengines.com

Butfornow,hereisaselectionofuseful informationcompiledbyJonatAGC:

Q:Whenwillproductioncease?

A: Noexactdatehasbeenset.Weareinthe processofmanufacturingthepartsneededto balanceupcomponentswehaveinstocksothe enginescanbefinished.Thiswillcontinueuntil thecomponentsupplyhasbeendepleted.Most likelythefinalengineswillbecompletedinthe earlysummer.

Q:Whataboutwarrantyonthesenew enginesforsale?

A: Warrantysupportwillbeprovidedon allenginessoldwithinayearofthefinal closedate.Thisisforwarrantysupport onlyandthingslikecrashdamagewill notbecoveredirrespectiveoftheageof theengine.

Laserengine picturescourtesy ofBarryAtkinson.

PSSAD-DAY80THANNIVERSARYEVENT

AspartoftheGreatOrme‘FlyforFun’meeting on18th/19thMay2024thePowerScaleSoaring Associationareplanningtocommemorate the80thAnniversaryoftheD-DayLanding operationbybringingtogetherasmanyPSS modelsadornedwiththeblackandwhite D-Daystripemarkingsastheycanmuster. Thereisnocompetitiveelementbuttherewill beadedicatedstaticareaenablingalltheallied invasionaircrafttobeviewedupclosetogether withgroupphotosanddedicated‘D-Day’flying

slotsbeingrunbothdaysshouldconditions allow.ThePSSAarekeentomaximisethe numberofmodelstakingpartsoifyouhavea PSSmodelofanaircraftassociatedwithD-Day andmarkedupwiththefamousblackand whitestripesthenpleasedocomeandjoinusat TheGreatOrme.Itshouldbequiteaspectacle! SeeGoingPlacesforfulleventdetailsor contactPhilCookeon07772224719,email webmaster@pssaonline.co.ukorgoto www. pssaonline.co.uk/about-us/events/

Q:Whataboutspares?

A: Provisionforsparessupportwillbemadeand themostcommonspareswillbeavailableintothe future.Onceproductionoftheenginesthemselves isfinishedandtotalremainingpartsisknowna finalproductionrunofspareswilltakeplaceto giveagoodstockforfutureyears.Thereisnoneed topanicbuyspares.

Q:WillIbeabletogetmyenginesserviced?

A: Effectiveimmediatelywecannolonger acceptenginesbacktothefactoryforservice. Othercompaniesofferrebuildservicesand theyshouldbecontactedforyourservicing needs.AnexceptionwilllikelybemadeforLaser inlineengines,butIwilldiscussthiswiththeir respectiveownersaswegoalong.

Q:Howmanynewenginesarecomingand canIpreorderone?

A: Batchesofmostsizesofenginearecurrently underwayorplanned.Batchsizesvaryandare notyetconfirmed.Exceptionsaretheinline engines,petrolenginesandall160sizeenginesas therearenoplanstomakemoreofanyofthem. Theremaybeafew160v’stowardstheend,but thatisnotclearatthemoment.

Wewillnotbeabletoacceptanydirectsales andwillnotacceptpreordersforitemsnotin stock.Allenginesandspareswillbepurchased throughModelShopLeeds.

kcrozier@mortons.co.uk Getintouch
May2024|www.modelflying.co.uk RCM&E | 9

TFUTABA T16IZ SUPER

Withaneyetothefuture

hingscangetalittlebittribalwhenit comestowhichradiosystemsa modellerdecidestooperatehismodel aircrafton.Thedecisionoverwhich brandtobuyintoisoftentheresultofmany factors,nottheleastbeingprice.Butthereis alsoalotofsenseinstickingtothoseradio manufacturerswhoseproductsarethemost popularatthelocalmodelflyingclub.

OvertheyearsIhavebeenfaithfultoa fewwell-knownradiobrands,startingwith MacGregorDigimacson27MHzbeforethe introductionof35MHzsawtheneedforme toupgradetoamoreuptodatesystem,this timeintheformofSanwawhichofferedaccess toadecentqualityJapanesemaderadioatan affordableprice.AfteracoupleoftheirsetsI

KevinCrozier lookstoreplacehis‘everyday’radioset

switchedtoJRPropo,whichIhaveusedin themaineversince,aidedinnosmall parttohavingworkedfortheirUK distributor(weeMacGregoragain!)for manyyears,followedbymorerecent dallianceswithSpektrumsets,which wereanaturalprogressionthanksto theirearlyassociationswithJR.MyJR andSpektrumtransmittershaveall performedwellandfingerscrossedthey willcontinuetodosoasIhavequiteafew modelsequippedwiththeirreceivers.But withrecentpurchasesofafewlargeraircraft, mostlyaerobatictypes,whichdemandtheuse ofmodernhighvoltagedigitalservos,thetime wasripetothinkaboutbuyinganewradioto usewithsuchaircraftoverthenextfewyears.

Neat displaybox comeswithegg cartonstyleinner packagingsoiseasyto recycle.

Words&Photos: KevinCrozier
10 | RCM&E www.modelflying.co.uk|May2024

Boxcontents.Theshortmanualishandytokeepina carrycase(notsupplied)forquickreferenceatthefield. AfullversioncanbefoundontheJPerkinswebsite.

Goingbacktothe‘buytheradiobrandwhich ismostusedlocally’reasoning,thiscanalso beextendedtousingthatwhichisthemost popularradiousedbytheparticipantsina particulardiscipline.Andforthoserecently acquiredhighperformanceaerobaticmodels thatIhaveinvestedin,followingmyresearch anddiscussionswithleadingaerobaticand F3Apilotstherewasaclearfirstchoiceandthat wasFutaba.Ataroundthesametime,latelast year,somemomentousnewswasheard,with J.PerkinsbeingannouncedasFutaba’snew distributorintheUK,thusgivingmeplenty ofreassurancethatthismostfamousofradio controlbrandswouldbewidelyavailablefor manyyearstocome.

So,thedecisiononwhichmakewasnow made,butwhichoneoftheirmanyaircraft setsshouldIbuy?WhilstthetoprangeFutaba sets,the32MZ-WCandthe18SZwereboth verytempting,tobequitehonestatmylevel offlying(anexperiencedBstandardclubpilot)

amid-rangesetwouldbemorethan enough.So,Ifinallysettledonthe recentlyintroducedSuperversionofthe 18-channelT16IZ.

Whatfollowsisnotafeature-by-feature reviewofthisveryattractiveandnodoubt highlycompetenthigher/mid-rangeradio controlsystem.Ratheritissimplyjustmy initialobservationsasanewcomertothis mostfamousofR/CbrandswhichIhopemay beofinterestforanyoneinasimilarposition tomeandwhomaybeinabitofadilemma overwhichwaytojumpwhentryingtofuture proofthemselveswhendecidingtobuyanew radioset.

FIRSTIMPRESSIONS

Togiveititsfullname,the‘Futaba16IZS 18-ChannelAirRadio(Multi-Mode)with R7208SBRx’isaratherattractivepieceof tech.NotowninganyotherFutabareceivers, Ielectedtobuythe‘witheightchannelRx’

“…followingmy discussionswith leadingaerobaticand F3Apilotstherewas aclearfirstchoice andthatwasFutaba”

versiontogetmestarted,especiallyasIneeded ahigh-qualityreceiverformynewPilot-RC Extra,recentlyreviewed.However,aTxonly versionisalsoavailableforthosewhohave alreadyinvestedinafewFutabareceivers.

Theboxcontentsshotwas missingtheR7208SB receiverbecauseIhad alreadyfitteditinto myPilot-RCExtra!

Here’soneI purchasedlater.

Sticktensionisabittighterandtheratchetstronger thanIamusedtofromothermakesbutbothare easilyadjustedviatherearpanel.

Nicelygroupedshoulderswitchesarereplicatedon theotherside.

May2024|www.modelflying.co.uk RCM&E | 11 TESTING,TESTING | Radiocontrolsystem

Rearmountedsliderswitchesfalleasilytohand.

Thesystemissuppliedineggcartonstyleinner packaging,allwrappedupinashinyblackcube styleouterbox.Italllooksverystylish.

Thetransmitteritselfsportsa‘gunmetal’ colouredfrontcaseattachedtoacleanly mouldedbuteasytoholdblackplastic rearpanel.Asyou’dexpectfromanR/C manufacturerwithsuchalonglineage,Futaba knowfullwellhowtomakeaneasy-to-handle radiosetandtheT16IZSisnoexception.

Antennamustbeswungoutbeforeuse.Itcanalso swiveldownwards,whichisrecommendedforbest signalstrength.

Onbothshouldersaretheusualselectionof userdefinableswitches,withlongandshort three-positionunitsatthefrontandapair oflongtwo-positionswitchesattherear,the sprungoneontheleftbeingmomentary.There arefourswitchesoneachshoulderaswellasa sliderswitchoneachsideoftheTx,justbelow eachswitchbank.

Atthetopofthecase,justinfrontofthe foldableantenna,areapairofknobswhich

“T16IZSinternalmemoryprovides enoughstoragefor30models”

canbeusedtocontrolthe‘volumes’ofmixes andtheirdirectionofmovement.Theantenna itselfnestlessafelyinaneathousingjust behindtheseknobswhilstnotinuse.Itneeds toberotatedbackwardsandthenflippedup whenflying.Asisusualwith2.4GHzaerialsit givesoffitshighestpowertothesidesandis lowestatthetipsoyoushouldavoidpointing itdirectlyatyourmodelinflight.Thebestway todothisistoinclineitdownwards;infact, thereisaconvenient‘step’thatcanbefeltat45 degreestoencourageyoutodothis.

UndertheantennaisamicroSDcardslot andaPCport.ThePCportallowstheTxtobe usedasagamecontrollerbyconnectingitto acomputerviaaUSBcable.Iguessthemost obvioususeforthisistoallowittobeused withanR/Csimulator.ThemicroSDcard (notsupplied)isusedforstoring/backing upmodeldataaswellasforupdating thetransmitter’ssoftware.TheT16IZS internalmemoryprovides enoughstoragefor30 models(morethan enoughformostofus!) butthiscapabilitycanbe greatlyexpandedbyuse ofamicroSDcardofup to32GB.

Rearpanelshowingthe largebatteryaccesshatch andtherubbercovers mentionedinthetext.

UnderneaththeantennayouwillfindaPCportand themicroSDcardslot.
12 | RCM&E www.modelflying.co.uk|May2024

ROUNDTHEBACK

Underneaththehandleareacoupleofswing out‘kickstands’.Ifyouareinthehabitofplacing yourtransmitteronthegroundthenthesewill propitupabitmore,whichcouldbehandy whenstartinganICengine.

Insetinthebackoftherearcasearethree accesspointsforadjustingthetensionofeach stickunitoralteringtheratchetsifchanging stickmodes,aswellasaTrainerCordPortand anS-BusInterfacePort.Eachoftheseaccess pointsiscoveredbyarubberplug(asistheSD card/PCportundertheantenna)andthese shouldworkwelltokeepdustanddebrisaway fromthesensitivecomponentswithin.Asimilar plugcoversthebatterychargingportinthe baseofthetransmitterbutsadlyonmysetthis plugrefusestoseatfullybackintoposition.It’s

nobiggieasI’mafusspotwithmytransmitters andIamunlikelytosetitdowninwetgrassbut evensoit’smildlyannoying.

Thechargepointallowsthe2000mAhLi-Ion batterysuppliedtobeconnectedtoasuitable USB-A5V2Aadapterplug.Takeheedofthat lastfigureasyou’llwanttouseadecentlyrated one,notthecommonsubone-ampunitsifyou don’twanttowaitagesforittocharge!The hardcasedbatteryneedstobeinsertedinto thesetandconnectedbeforeuse.Afterthat itcanbeconnectedtotheUSBadapter(ora FutabaACadapter)viatheUSBleadsupplied. WhilstchargingadualcolourLEDlightsupred, changingtogreenwhenfullycharged.

ALLSYSTEMSGO

thebuzzersoundsandtheredlightflashesto drawmyattentiontoswitchingtheswitchoff beforeitwillswitchtheRFon.Asimilarthing happensforotherusersetswitchconditions orifthethrottlestickisraisedatall,stopping theTxfromtransmittinguntilthethrottle stickislowered.Afulllistof‘WarningSettings’ isavailablefromthe‘Linkage’menuandthe warningtypecanbechangedorswitchedoff ifrequired.

Ifyouneedtomakeanyindepth adjustmentstoamodel’ssetup,thenRFcan alsobeswitchedoffmanuallytosavebattery power.Thisissimplydonebyholdingdownthe Menubutton(totherightofthescreen)whilst switchingontheradio.

DATAFILE

Name: T16IZS 18-Channel Air Radio

Manufacturer: Futaba

UK importer: J Perkins https://www jperkins com/ products/FUT05003195-3

RRP: £689 99

KeyFeatures

18channels(16+2)

S-FHSS,T-FHSS&FASSTestprotocols

Fullcolour4.3inchtouchscreen

30modelmemories

Aircraft,helicopterandgliderprogramming

Fulltelemetrysupport

MicroSDcardport

2000mAhLi-Ionbattery

8flightconditions

10freeprogrammablemixers

S.BUS2enabled

Soundand/orvibrationalert

Telemetrydataspeech

7fixedwingtypes

3fixedwingtailtypes

8helicopterswashtypes

Earphonejack

Externalsticktensionadjust

Presstheshinypowerbuttonbetweenthestick unitsandthesetwillwakeupwithacheery beepwhilstilluminatingthe4.3-inchfull colourtouchscreen.ApairofRFmonitorlights, situatedjustabovethepowerswitch,willalso lightup.TheredlightontheleftindicatesRFoff, whilstthebluelightontheright(togetherwith thered)indicatesRFon.

Iusethelongtwopositionswitch,leftrear shoulder,asathrottlecutswitchtodisarmthe motorsinmyelectricmodelsandifthisisleft engaged(whichitusuallyis)whenswitchedon

Straightoutoftheboxthatlovelyhigh resolutioncolourtouchscreenisprotectedbya thintransparentsheet.Ileftitinplaceforages tostopmyscreenfrombeingcoveredinlotsof fingerprintsbuteventuallyIhadtotakeitoff totakethestudiopicturesforthisreview.So nowIuseasmallmicrofibreclothfromanold spectaclescasetokeepitascleanasIcan.Ihave also‘borrowed’thestylusfromagreatlyunder usedhandheldvideogamewithwhichtomake handoffpressesofthevarioustouchscreen

Txswitchedonandshowing boththeredandblueLEDs illuminatedjustabovethe switch.Thisindicatesthat RFison. Left: Ahigh capacity2000mAh Li-Ionhardcase batterywillallowfor longflyingsessions. Anotherrubbercoverisusedtoprotectthechargingportinthebaseof theTx.Unfortunately,thisonedoesn’tsealproperlyonthereviewset. Rubbercoversprotectthesticktensionandratchetadjustersaswellasthetrainer cordandS-BUSinterfaceconnectors.
May2024|www.modelflying.co.uk RCM&E | 13 TESTING,TESTING | Radiocontrolsystem

T16IZSsupportsthesefourmodeltypes. Homescreen.

functions.Iwouldhighlyrecommendtheuseof suchastylusaswithmysausagefingersit’sall tooeasytopressadjacentscreenfunctionswith amisplacedfingertip.Thisstylusnowresides permanentlyintheT16IZ’scarrycase(oneof thosebudgetaluminiumaffairs)alongsidethe neckstrapthatcamewiththeset.

System,LinkageandModelmenusgivinganideaof theversatilityofthisstate-of-the-artradio.

Talkingaboutneckstraps,this oneisquiteathinaffairandatsome stageIwillneedtoinvestinamuch moresubstantialstrap,maybeone ofthosenicebrightorangeFutaba ones.Otherwise,I’llbeshowingmypast allegiancesbyusinganoldbutmuchmore substantialJRstrap!

HOMESCREEN

Thehomescreen,whichpopsupwhenthesetis switchedon,showsamultitudeofinformation. Topleftisthereceiverbattery voltage(inFASSTestandT-FHSS modes)aswellasanindicator ofsignalreceptionfromtheRx totheTx.Acrossthemiddle ofthescreenaretwolarge

timerdisplaysandunderneaththosearethe digitaltrimsettingsandthemenubuttonsto accesstheSystem,LinkageandModelSelect menus.TotherightofthescreenistheModel menubuttonwhichdisplaysapictureofthe modeltype,whetherthatisanAirplane[sic], Glider,HelicopterorMulticopter.Justunderthis isanindicatoroftheSystemTypebeingused (FASSTest,T-FHSSetc.)andconfirmationofthe RFstatustobackupthosetwobrightLEDsup top.

Idon’tproposetogointothewealthof settingsavailableundereachofthosemenu optionsotherwiseIwillbefillingupyour magazinewitharepeatofthefullmanual, whichyoucanlookathereifinterested:

Left: I’mgraduallybuildingupagoodreserve ofcompatibleFutabareceivers.Ontheleftis anR7208SBFASSTestassuppliedwiththisset. AlongsideisanR3008SB8-channelT-FHSS receiver,withits6-channelsiblingbelow.I’llbe usingFASSTestinthosebig(expensive!) aerobaticmodels,butT-FHSSislikelyto becomemynormalchoiceforeverydayuse. Left: SystemType menuiswhereyou selectyourchosen protocolandlink thesettoareceiver. Right: Asyou’d expectaradioof thisclasscanbe usedwithawide varietyof telemetrysensors. Clearandcolourfulgraphicshelp withamodel’ssetup. Thewellproportionedfullcolour screenisbestaccessedusinga touchscreenstylus.
4 | RCM&E www.modelflying.co.uk|May2024

https://d3if9wubzr0anm.cloudfront.net/ manuals/FUT05003195-3-1.pdf Sufficetosay thattheT16IZSuperisequippedwithallthe functionsthatyouwouldexpectfromahigh tomid-rangeradiocontrolset(seeDatafilefor alistofkeyfeatures).Plus,itisS.BUS/S.BUS2

enabledandsupportsawiderangeoftelemetry sensors,bothofwhichwerehighonmymust havelistfor‘futureproofing’,particularlyformy newEpilogue1900F3AmodelwhichIwrote aboutinthelastissue.Ifyouwanttoknow moreaboutS.BUS(andothersimilarserialbus systems)thentakealookatDavidAshby’s‘One LeadtoRuleThemAll’featureintheOctober 2019issueofRCM&E,whichprovidesagood introductiontothesystem.IthinkthatDavid’s brother,Graham,mightalsobewritingmore onthissubjectinfutureeditionsofhis‘KickThe Tyres’column.

“ComingfromaJR/Spektrumbackground IampleasedtoreportthatIdidn’tfindany troubleinsettingupmylatestmodels”

SUMMARY

I’llsignoffnowotherwiseasIsaidbefore I’llenduprewritingthemanual–andnot necessarilyinagoodway!ButtosumupIam verypleasedwithmynewacquisition.Coming fromaJR/Spektrumbackground(andmostly 10-year-oldplussystemsatthat!)Iampleased toreportthatIdidn’tfindanytroublein settingupmylatestmodelswithallthe usualbasicfunctions,plusafewofmy ownfavouritessuchastheThrottle Holdswitchmentionedearlier anda3-positionFlight Modeswitch,eachwith differentrateandexpo settings. ■

AlastlookattheFutabaT16IZ Super.WhySuper?Apparently,this relatestothegunmetalfinishandit cannowalsobeusedwithan SBS-01MLtelemetryadapterfor Pixhawk,adroneflightcontroller. (No,meneither…)

Anexampleofagraphicaldisplay,thisoneshowingdualratesandexpo. MythreepositionFlightModeswitchsettings.There maybeotherwaystodoit,butthisworksforme!
May2024|www.modelflying.co.uk RCM&E | 15 TESTING,TESTING | Radiocontrolsystem

HaveyoursayinRCM&E’smonthlychatroom

ForhisletterthismonthJimDowewinsa compacte455multichemistryACinput chargercourtesyofOverlanderBatterieswww.overlander.co.uk

INSTITCHES

There’sbeensomediscussionrecentlyabout whattousetosimulateribstitches.I’m buildingtheDBSport&ScaleBlackburn Monoplane.Thishasaconcaveribsection anduseswingwarpingforrollcontrol. Therefore,I’mstitchingittostopthefabric pullingofftheunder-camber.Thepictures showthetopandbottomwingstitches.

So,ifyouwanttoshowstitching,stitchit! JimDowe

SERVOCALCULATIONS

TherecentservoarticleinRCM&Ewasvery helpful!InthelastmonthsImadequitealotof calculationsonrequiredservostrengthandthe outcomeofallthosecalculationsgavemeone conclusion-allmyservosweretoostrongfor therequiredjob!Butbettersafethansorry! MyfirstaeroplanewastheKleineUhu,a Graupnerproduct,alongtimeagoin1958.Free flight,ofcourse.IliveintheNetherlandsand loveRCM&Eandlotsmoreofthesemagazines. Designingelectroglidersismythinginthelast coupleofyears.Ilovetotrytoimproveseveral designsbutmostofthetimetheresultisrather disappointing-theoriginalisoftenbetter.But mybiggestchallengeis:howdoIcalculate/ estimatewhichservoIhavetouse?Upuntilnow Ihaveguessedthesizeandpowerandthathas workedfinebutsometimemyluckwillrunout.

HEINKELIKEPOWEROPTION

Duetotheincreasingnoisesensitivityofour clubfieldandthehigh-pitchedshriekofthe DancingWings45mmeightbladedfan,over thewinterIhavemanagedtoshoehorna50 mmfanintotheHeinkelike,afanthatIbought from4-Maxinthefirstplace!Itisthe50mm3S FMS11-blade(originallyboughtfortheNijhuis HunterthatI’venotyetmade): https://www.4-max.co.uk/edf-fms-50mm-3S.html

Itfittedbycarefulopeningoutoftheoriginal nacelleasontheplan.Afairamountofsanding wasneededbutitsavedmakinganewone!I willuseaGensAce1800mAh3SLiPoweighing 145g.IhavealsochangedtheESCtoa45Aitem. Itbalancesokaywiththeaboveitems,but theAUWhasincreasedbynearly100gto585g. Ihavenotyetflownitinitsnewspec,butIdon’t foreseeanymajorissues.However,mygut feelingisthatanyhigherweightcouldstart becominganissue-forme,ifnotthemodel! Attachedisaphotowiththenewfanfitted. ColinBaxter

CHILLIBREEZE SPARSLOTS

IwasdisappointedtoreadinFebruary’s RCM&Ethatsomeonehadfoundthespar slotstobe 1⁄32”toowideintheirlasercutribsfor theChilliBreeze.Ihaveasetoflasercutribs whichwereproducedusingthesamefilesas Sarikusedandthesparsareacomfortablefit intheslots(takeaccountalsothatthespars passacrosstheribsatanangle).Ihavejust measuredthethicknessoffoursheetseachof 1 4”and 3⁄16”balsaandtheresultsinmmwere: 6.6/6.8/6.6/6.5and4.8/5.0/4.7/4.9respectively. Mystockof 1 16”sheetvariesbetween1.62and 1.80mm.Idon’tregardthisasaproblem-it’s justthewaythingsare.Ihavecheckedmy filesandmeasuredtheslotsonthepublished planandtheyareNOT 1 32”/0.8mmtoowide soitwouldleaveonetoconcludethatthe sparsprovidedinthewoodpackwereunder size.Balsasizesarerarelyexactowingtothe natureofthebeast(shrinkageetc.)andthe thicknesscanvaryslightlyfromsidetoside andalsoalongthelengthofanygivensheet orstripandwillrarelybetheexactsize.This begsthequestion‘whatistheexactsize?’For anygivensize,SLECquotebothmetricand imperialvalues(SLECwoodisusedbySarik–KC). CADusersseemtoworkinmetricsizingand modellers’tendencytouseimperialvaluesfor largerdimensionssuchaswingspansetc.and metricvaluesforsmaller,exactmeasurements furthercomplicatesthesituation.Ithastobe acceptedthat 1⁄16”- 3 32”- 1⁄4”etcareonly‘nominal’ valuesandifanexactvalueisrequireditisupto themodellerto‘workitout’.Iliketocutmyown stripwoodforsparsetcanduseaProxxonKS 230tablesaw(anextremelyusefullittletool!) whichallowsmetomatchthespartotheslotin therib,bearinginmindthatisfarpreferableto haveacomfortablefitthantootightafit. MikeDelacole

DERBYSHIRERADIO CONTROLFLYERS

Iwouldreallyappreciateitifyoucouldwrite anarticleonhowtocalculateservodimensions andrequiredpower/force.Asmentioned, guessingisnice,butknowing/calculatingis muchbetter.Ididlookatvarioussites,butIdid notfindasoundanswer.

HenkjanLouman,Netherlands

Thankyouforyourmessage,Henkjan.Ihaveput somefeelersoutregardinganotherservoarticlesuch asyoumention.Butinthemeantime,maybesome ofourreaderscanhelpoutwithrecommendations ofonlineservocalculatorsandpossiblyotherservo calculationarticles.Theremayevenbeonethose lurkingintheRCM&Earchivesoifanyonecan remembersuchanarticlethenpleasepointusinthe rightdirection!

KC

DerbyshireRadioControlFlyersareavery friendlyandlong-establishedclubthatare BMFAregistered(clubnumber008).OurlongtermbasehasbeenatAshbourneaerodrome ontheedgeofthebeautifulPeakDistrictwhere wehavebothtarmacandgrassrunwaystofly from.Morerecentlywehavealsoobtaineda secondsiteatthenearbyvillageofLongford,a mostattractivegrasssitewithaclubhutwith electricalpowerandtoiletsavailable.

Duringthewintermonthswehaveindoor clubflyingwithveryinformalmeetings,with teaandcoffee,onafortnightlybasisinthe admittedlysmallvillagehallofHullandWard.

Mosttypesofmodelbuildingandflying areenthusiasticallyparticipatedin,with24/7 accesstotheflyingsites.Wewouldwelcome anynewmemberswishingtojointheclub. Pleasetakealookatourwebsitewww.drcf. co.ukformoredetails. TedGriffiths

18 | RCM&E AllWrite
www.modelflying.co.uk|May2024
R s t w S i
Topletter

HANDSAWNJUG

IenjoyedtherecentarticlesbyJanHermkens onhislargeP-47Thunderbolt.

Superbworkmanship!

Curiositygotthebetterofme,resulting inthisemail.Underthephotographson page81ofthefirstarticleitisindicatedthat theformers,andsomeothercomponents were‘handsawn’.Theformersappearquite complexinformandarebeautifullycut withnovisiblebreak-outofthesurface plylayer.InmyyouthIstruggledtocutply partstomysatisfactionuntilIacquireda DremelJigSaw(scrollsaw).Iwondered whethertheterm‘handsawn’meansthat Janusesaeitherajeweller’spiercingsaw orsomethingsimilar(fullymanual)oran electricscrollsawratherthansayCNCor CAD/lasercutting?Itwasthequalityof hisworkmanshipthatcaughtmyeye,soI wonderedifIwasmissingatrick.

KeithCherrington

By‘handsawn’Imeanpartssawnbyhandwithmy electricscrollsaw,madebyaprofessionalGerman brandcalledHegner.Ithasanextra-largetableand adeeparm.Thesawsareveryfine.

Further,Iuseabandsawmachinefittedwitha bandwithverysmallteethThisisalsobyanother professionalGermantoolbrand,Scheppach.Seethe picturesofbothmysaws.

ThereisnoCNCorCADlasercuttingatall. JanHermkens

ORIGINALOODALALLYARTICLE

RegardingthearticlebyPeter Millerontheelectrificationof hisOodalally,Idointendto buildit.However,isitpossible toobtainabackissueofApril 2013issuewiththeoriginal articleaboutthemodel.Ihave theoriginalplanbutnothaving builtanythingfordecadesit wouldbeuseful.

Ihavetriedtocontact Sariktoseeiftheyintend producingashortkitofthe electrifiedversionbuttono avail.

Canyouhelp? DenisWelchman

HiDenis, Theusualplacetofindbackissues ofRCM&Eisclassicmagazines. co.ukbutthisonlygoesbackasfar asFebruary2021.

Thebestplacetosearchfor olderbackissuesofRCM&Eisthe magazineexchange.co.ukbutIsee thatprintcopiesoftheApril2013 issuearenotcurrentlyavailable: https://www.magazineexchange. co.uk/cw/rcme-magazine-april2013-issue.html

Thenextbestoptionwouldbe tobuyadigitalcopyandyouwill seethattheabovelinkrefersyou toPocketmagsforthat:https:// pocketmags.com/rcmandemagazine/april-2013

However,ifyouareadigital subscriber(orprint&digital customer)toRCM&Ethen youwillalsobeabletoview theoriginalOodalallyarticle atnoextracostusingthe RCM&EDigitalArchiveon ourmodelflying.co.ukwebsite. Pleaseusethedropdown‘Digital Archive’menutoaccessthis, usingyouremailaddressand CustomerIDassociatedwith yoursubscription.

Finally,SarikHobbieshave expressedinterestinsupporting theOodalallyelectricconversion andwehaverecentlysupplied themwithfulldetailsofPeter’s modificationstotheoriginal ICplan.So,itmaybeworth contactingthemagaintosee iftheyareintendingtooffer anyadditionalproductsfor thisdesign.

RCM&E | 9 kcrozier@mortons.co.uk May2024|www.modelflying.co.uk
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