Electric Flight March 2018

EDITORS’ PICKS
RADIO BEST
BUYS
RADIO CONTROL PLANES, HELIS,
ROTOR DRONES, JETS & GEAR
40 MUST
HAVES
PLANES, RADIOS,
ACCESSORIES & MORE!
E-flite PT-17
DON’T TRASH
THAT CRASH! AEROBATICS
EASY REPAIR TIPS
& TRICKS MADE EASY
WE BREAK DOWN THE
BATTERY COBRA WITH HALF ROLLS
CHARGING March 2018 US $6.99 Canada $8.99
BASICS
Display until February 13, 2018
ModelAirplaneNews.com
001_EF_US.indd 1 11/21/17 11:25 AM

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The classic Stik — like

you’ve never seen before!
The “Stik” design has been a favorite of sport pilots for years, offered in
different sizes with different power options and in kit, ARF and Rx-R versions.
Great Planes’ Giant Big Stik XL incorporates everything that has made this
iconic aircraft so popular, with the stability and high visibility of a 96.5”
wingspan and the option of gasoline or electric power. Final assembly is
easy and straightforward, and its flight characteristics make it a joy to fly.
• Commannds attention with an 8-foot f winggsp spaan.
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Giant-scale proportions accentuate the Giant Big Stik XL’s
unmistakable looks and smooth flying characteristics.
®
greatplanes.com © 2017 Great Planes Model Mfg®, a Hobbico® company. — 3072925
EF 0318 Pgs 1 - 68 v1 digital.indd 2 11/28/17 6:09 PM

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RD 0517 Pgs 1 - 46 V1_cvr0.indd 3 4/25/17 3:46 PM

The fastest way to serious fun!®
HORIZONHOBBY.COM
BEST
BRANDS
IN RC
©2017 Horizon Hobby, LLC. Blade Serious Fun, and the Horizon Hobby logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Horizon Hobby, LLC. The Spektrum trademark is used with permission of Bachmann Industries, Inc.
All other trademarks, service marks and logos are property of their respective owners. 57392
EF 0318 Pgs 1 - 68 v1.indd 2 11/21/17 4:40 PM

CONTENTS
Volume 17
Number 2
March 2018
PILOT REPORTS FEATURES

20 E-flite/Horizon Hobby 38 Tower Hobbies 10 Hot for 2018
More than 40 must-haves to make
PT-17 Sbach 3D EP your RC New Year great
Realistic scale appearance and feel An awesome aerobatic balsa bird
By the Electric Flight Crew
in a convenient-size package By Mike Gantt
By Chris Barrett 28 Jets & Warbirds Join Forces
50 Blejzyk Mefisto A celebration of electric power
24 Blade/Horizon Hobby Stylish design fused with solid
and performance
130 S BNF performance
By Dan Eaton
An aerobatic micro with bailout By Joel Navarro
mode 42 Radio Roundup
By Jim Ryan Top Picks for Programmable RC Systems
By the Electric Flight Crew
34 Multiplex EasyGlider 4 RR
A perfect glider for all fliers, from 58 Repairs Made Easy
beginners to experts Get that bird back in the air quickly
By John Reid By the Electric Flight Crew
64 How to Charge LiPo Batteries

Powering up safely and efficiently
By John Kauk
ON THE COVER: The Stearman PT-17 Bind and Fly from

E-flite has great performance and impressive scale
looks. (Photo by John Reid)
ON THIS PAGE: If you are looking for a new aerobat to

add to your RC hangar, the electric Sbach 3D from Tower
Hobbies is a great choice. (Photo by John Reid)
COLUMNS DEPARTMENTS
56 Aerobatics Made Easy 4 From the Cockpit ELECTRIC FLIGHT (USPS# 021-655; ISSN# 2159-0672) is published bimonthly
Flying the Cobra with Half-Rolls by Air Age, Inc., 88 Danbury Road, Wilton, CT 06897 USA. Copyright 2017, all rights
6 Airmail reserved. Periodicals postage paid at Wilton, CT, and additional mailing offices.
By John Glezellis Canada Post Publications Mail Agreement No. 40008153. SUBSCRIPTIONS: Go to
8 Shop Tips ModelAirplaneNews.com. USA: $29 (1 year); Canada: $35 including GST (1 year);
66 Tailview elsewhere: $41 (1 year). All international orders must be prepaid in U.S. funds; Visa, MC,
Discover, and AmEx accepted. EDITORIAL: Send correspondence to Electric Flight, 88
Jim Soucek’s Proctor Masterpiece: Danbury Road, Wilton, CT 06897 USA; email: electricflight@airage.com. We welcome
the Albatros D.Va all editorial submissions but assume no responsibility for the loss of or damage to
unsolicited material. To authors, photographers, and people featured in this magazine:
By Jim Ryan All materials published in Electric Flight become the exclusive property of Air Age Media
unless prior arrangement is made in writing with the Publisher. ADVERTISING: Send
advertising materials to Advertising Dept., Electric Flight, 88 Danbury Road, Wilton, CT
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click on the customer service link. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Electric
Flight, P.O. Box 420134, Palm Coast, FL 32142-8685 USA.
TOC_EF0318.indd 3 11/21/17 4:57 PM

From the Cockpit
By Gerry Yarrish
EDITORIAL
Executive Editor Debra Cleghorn ii debrac@airage.com
Senior Technical Editor Gerry Yarrish ii gerryy@airage.com
West Coast Senior Editor John Reid ii johnr@airage.com
Associate Editor Matt Boyd ii mattb@airage.com
Copy Editor Suzanne Noel ii suzannen@airage.com
CONTRIBUTORS
Bob Aberle, Jason Benson, Sal Calvagna, Budd Davisson,
Don Edberg, Mike Gantt, Dave Garwood, Greg Gimlick,
John Glezellis, Aaron Ham, John Kauk, Jim Newman,
Mark Rittinger, Jim Ryan, David Scott, Jerry Smith,
Craig Trachten, Paul Tradelius, Pat Tritle, Rich Uravitch,
Michael York, Nick Ziroli Sr.
ART
Creative Director Betty K. Nero
Designer Alan J. Palermo
DIGITAL MEDIA
Web Producer Holly Hansen
VIDEO/PHOTOGRAPHY
Photographer Peter Hall
Videographer Adam Lebenstein
ADVERTISING
Strategic Account Manager Mitch Brian
ii203.529.4609 | mitchb@airage.com
Integrated Account Executives
John Lacasaleii203.529.4628 | johnl@airage.com
Ben Halladayii203.482.8093 | benh@airage.com
Brian Vargasii203.939.9901 | brianv@airage.com
CONSUMER MARKETING/PRODUCTION
Mast Circulation Group, Inc.
MARKETING & EVENTS
Hot for 2018 Marketing Assistant Erica Driver

Event Manager Emil DeFrancesco
PUBLISHING
Time really does fly when you are having RC fun! And it is amazing how Group Publishers Louis V. DeFrancesco Jr.,
Yvonne M. DeFrancesco
quickly our flying season has gone by. As we slow down our trips to the
flying field, we turn our attention to new projects and even think about
building our next dream plane. With that in mind, this issue is a great FOLLOW US
place to start looking for that dream project as well as all the hardware On Facebook: modelairplanenews
Follow us on Twitter: @modelairplane
and products you’ll need. Our “Hot for 2018” features more than 40 of Instagram: instagram/modelairplanenews
Visit us online: ModelAirplaneNews.com
our favorite planes and products that will get your motor racing. Comments may be sent to: electricflight@airage.com
AEROBATICS EXPLAINED work is always less expensive than buying

If you’re looking to add something new to replacement parts or a whole new model.
your aerobatic sequence, columnist John Check out our workshop secrets and save EDITORIAL OFFICE
Glezellis shows us a unique new aerobatic some coin in the process! 88 Danbury Road, 1A, Wilton, CT 06897 USA
move called the “Cobra with half-rolls.” This All this and a whole lot more make this EMAIL electricflight@airage.com
maneuver, which looks deceptively easy to issue of Electric Flight a keeper. So grab a seat
perform, requires a lot of practice and a proper and stay a while. There’s a lot to get excited
airplane/radio program setup to fly smoothly. about.
REPRINTS AND LICENSING
But once you master it, it really shines and can
Contact Wright’s Media at airage@wrightsmedia.com
be used as a center point between turnaround or (877) 652-5295.
maneuvers while using plenty of vertical space
in the aerobatic box.
EASY FIXER UPPER

It always seems to happen, no matter how The Association of The Network for RCX.com
Magazine Media Global Media
careful we are: Sooner or later, your model
airplane will get damaged. Whether it’s made
out of plastic, molded foam, or built-up wood,
our planes are a lot easier to repair than you CUSTOMER SERVICE
might think. It happens to us all the time, so we To subscribe, submit a change of address, or
decided to document some repairs to show for questions about your subscription, go to
how easy it is mend just about any type of ModelAirplaneNews.com/cs.
airplane or airframe part. And doing the repair
PRINTED IN THE USA
PRINTED IN THE USA
4 ModelAirplaneNews.com
Editorial_masthd01-18.indd 4 11/21/17 4:37 PM

EF 0318 Pgs 1 - 68 v1.indd 5 11/21/17 4:41 PM
Airmail
Email: electricflight@airage.com | Mail: Airmail, Air Age Media, 88 Danbury Road, Wilton, CT 06897 USA
We love hearing from our readers. Your emails, tweets, and

comments let us know what you’d like to see more (or less!) of
in our upcoming issues and online. Here’s what some of you are
saying about Electric Flight magazine.
Facebook Ryan Sneak Peek Video Craig

We recently posted a sneak-peek video of our test plane: the new Perkins:
Tower Hobbies Ryan STA. As usual, you all had great things to say. Back in
Here are just a few of your comments. my day, that used to
be called a Kyosho
Ryan STA.
Phil Zwiebel: Oh, my. It almost makes me want to get
back in the hobby. The one I had back in the day was nearly
Carl Edwards: My dad built a Ryan STA from a SIG Mfg. kit
identical.
many years ago. For its size, it was a little underpowered,
with a K&B 60 in the nose, but it was the most beautiful
Paul Slats: Luv it!
model I ever saw. All silk and dope back in the day.
ModelAirplaneNews.com Workshop Tips Facebook First, Latest, and Favorite

For several years, MAN has been highlighting RC
When we posted
projects and workshop builds online to share popular
our question
building tips and techniques. Our readers are always
for what was
asking what is needed to produce these airplanes, so
your first, latest,
we highlighted some of the basics in a MAN post. Here are some of your
and favorite RC
comments regarding editor Gerry Yarrish’s hobby workshop.
airplane, you all
had lots of great
Stan Keeney: It is always difficult for me to keep my working area clean,
comments
especially when building wings. I find also that a workshop is never large enough!
to share.
You always
Paul: If this doesn’t get ‘em building, nothing will!
remember your
first successful
Alicia Russell: A really good workshop is like a man with calluses on his hands.
flight. Here are
You know good hard productive work—and lots of it—has been done. Great shop!
some of the
ones you shared
with us.
From Our Mailbag Top Gun Electric King Air
I recently read your November Steve Conerly: First was a Gentle Lady glider. Latest
issue, and I was amazed is a mini Crack Pitts from Twisted Hobbies. Favorite
at the size, quality, and was my 30% Yak.
performance of the electric-
powered airplanes that were Barry Watts: My first was a HobbyZone Super Cub.
competing at the Top Gun I’d never flown anything RC before and followed the
Scale Invitational this year. I instructions in the manual and loved every minute of
was especially impressed with flying it around in my local park.
Mike Barbee’s Beechcraft King
Air twin that he flew in Team Steve Arpey: I don’t remember what I had first—it
with Frank Noll. Could you tell has been a while. My latest RC “plane” is an Eachine
me, please, if it was scratch-built or was it made from a kit? Thanks for the race drone. My all-time favorite (don’t laugh) is my
information.—Randy Perkins, Los Angeles, California ultra micro UMX T-28 Trojan—the old one with no stabilization.
Randy, thanks for writing in and for reading Electric Flight. From what we’ve Darian Gatling: My first plane was a ParkZone
learned, Mike’s impressive King Air is a composite design with foam-core wings Radian. My latest, which I just bought Thursday, is
and a fiberglass fuselage. The model is a Bob Patton design and has a 110-inch the E-flite P-51 Mustang. My favorite is whichever I
wingspan. Mike laid up the fuselage using Bob’s own molds, and the entire am flying at the time, lol—P-51 Mustang, F4U-4 Corsair, P-47
project took some 1,700 hours spread out over a two-year time period. Thunderbolt/Razorback, Ugly Stik, or E-flite Convergence.
There aren’t any actual paper plans, so it’s definitely not a kit build.—GY
facebook.com/ twitter.com/ pinterest.com/ instagram.com/ youtube.com/ feedback@ Electric Flight

modelairplanenews modelairplanenews modelairplanenews modelairplanenews airagemedia airage.com 88 Danbury Road, Wilton, CT 06897
airmail 03-18.indd 6 11/21/17 4:34 PM

You’d rather be flying!
We know you love to fly—and we have everything you want right here.
Pick your passion, whether it’s gas-and glow-powered model airplanes, electric
aircraft, or multirotor drones—we offer it all. You’ll get product reviews, the latest
gear, expert tips, how-tos, news, DIY projects, flight techniques, and more.
DIGITAL
EDITIONS
INCLUDED!
Model Airplane News deliv- The first magazine of its kind,

ers the thrill and passion of RotorDrone showcases all
building and flying RC aircraft! types of multirotor aircraft as
Launched in 1929, it remains well as all the latest accesso-
the bible of RC aviation. Writ- ries and must-have gear. Get
ten by renowned experts in the professional-quality photos
field, Model Airplane News will and video with our expert
ignite your passion for RC flight tips and insider flight secrets.
with in-depth reviews, flight Learn what it takes to be a
techniques, from-the-flightline drone racer, and get behind the
event coverage, and expert scenes with people who are
how-tos. using these machines for both
recreational and commercial
applications.
Covering all sizes and shapes of aircraft, Electric Flight is the magazine to
get if you prefer clean, quiet e-power. You’ll get the latest reviews, expert
tips on getting the most power (and longest life!) out of your electric
components, flight techniques from the pros, and much more.
AIRAGESTORE.COM
MAN_EF_RD Sub FP 2017.indd 73 11/21/17 3:44 PM
SHOPTips
ALL CHARGED UP
When you go to the flying field for the day, you usually bring along a
few extra battery packs. If you’re attending an out-of-town event,
you’ll more than likely also be bringing along your charger. When
you’re at the field, getting ready for your next flight is not the time
to figure out which packs are fully charged and which have already
been depleted. I bring a few simple clothespins with me and attach
HEAD OVER HEELS
When it comes to mixing and applying epoxy glue, you can do the job
them to my fully charged packs and then when I install them in my
much quicker if you keep your bottles upside down. Make a simple
plane, I remove them. Simple and quick! I once lost a contest because I
holding fixture from some scrap wood, and place the bottles in holes
grabbed a used pack and tried to get another flight out of it.
drilled through the top shelf. If your workshop is not heated, use a heat
Larry Lambert, Las Vegas, NV
gun or hair dryer to heat the bottles before squeezing the resin into a
disposable mixing cup.
Clancy Edmonton, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
USING WHAT’S AT HAND

When you are in a pinch and need an extra set of hands or a holding jig
to make a soldering job easier, try this: Use a set of vise grips to hold a
pair of offset pliers as shown. The vise grips are heavy enough to make
a stable base, and a rubber band wrapped around the pliers’ handles
allows them to clamp your work without slipping.
John Thomas, Storrs, CT
MAGNETIC SCREWDRIVER
The best way to reach into model airplanes and install servo screws
is with a magnetic screwdriver. Of course, you can also make your
own simply by placing an inexpensive button magnet (available at
hardware stores) on the side of your screwdriver. This way, the screw
stays on the tip and you can guide it into the servo grommet and
attachment hole. The magnets are also handy for gathering screws
on the workbench so that they don’t roll around and get lost.
George Lewis, Flemington, NJ
SEND IN YOUR IDEAS Send in a photo or sketch describing your favorite shop trick to: Shop Tips, c/o Electric Flight, 88 Danbury Rd., Wilton, CT
06897, or email us at electricflight@airage.com. Be sure to include your name and mailing address. We’re sorry to say that, due to the number of hobby-
related ideas that we receive, we can neither acknowledge each submission nor return unused material.
Shop Tips0318.indd 8 11/21/17 5:42 PM

EF 0318 Pgs 1 - 68 v1.indd 9 11/21/17 4:41 PM
GR
Hot for
19
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UM
AE
CO
XK
SP
4.
2018
M
DV
GI
XL
EX More than 40
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FP
CE to make your
OR RC New Year
EF great
3D
TO BY THE ELECTRIC
FLIGHT CREW
PI
AR
FR
CR
GR Start flipping through these
PR pages and we guarantee
HI
SE that you’ll start to feel like
SP a kid in a candy store. 2018
TI will be a great year for
BL
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LI new planes and gear! This GREAT PLANES PT-19 Sport Scale .46 ARF
The PT-19 is a classic WW II primary trainer used by thousands
BA article has more than 40 of of cadet pilots to earn their wings. This ARF version is designed
FO for .46 glow engines of similar brushless electric-motor systems.
TA our favorite new releases, It features easy assembly and has excellent sport-flier performance.
FU With a 56.5-inch span, the PT-19 is 46.2 inches long and has a great sport-
from warbirds to aerobats scale appearance. Requires a 4- to 5-channel radio system with four or five
PR
SE and radios to drones. Start servos; a .46 to .55 two-stroke, .70 four-stroke, or a RimFire .32 brushless
outrunner motor with 75A speed control; and a 4S 3000 to 4000mAh LiPo.
ST making that wish list today! greatplanes.com | $159.99
UP
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35
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FO
DR PHOENIX MODEL Spitfire EP/Gas ARF
W With an impressive 95-inch wingspan, the new Phoenix Model Spitfire EP/Gas ARF is a great re-creation of the famous
FI Battle of Britain warbird. Ideal for 55 to 61cc gas engines or similar electric power systems, the Spitfire features a scale
cockpit and pilot figure; an included heavy-duty air-retract system; an air-valve system with hoses, one-way valve, and
UP quick-connect air hoses; a two-piece wing; functional panel flaps; and opening cockpit side doors and sliding canopy.
BL towerhobbies.com | $669.99
TH
PH
EX
35
Hot for 2018_EF0318.indd 10 11/21/17 4:39 PM
SPEKTRUM 4.3-inch
FPV Monitor with DVR
This super-cost-effective FPV monitor features
an integrated digital video recorder, so pilots
can record their inflight FPV footage straight
to a micro SD card. Perfect for models like the
Blade Inductrix FPV+ and the F-27 FPV Wing, the
monitor features a 5.8GHz video receiver that
works with nearly all 5.8GHz video transmitters.
It includes a built-in 5.8GHz receiver with
32 channels, including Raceband. Its inte-
grated DVR records video feed on micro SD
cards up to 32GB, and a Channel Scan button
makes it easy to find your FPV video feed.
spekrumrc.com | $84.99
E-FLITE UMX Aero Commander

With a 28.15-inch wingspan, this model brings the full-size twin-engine icon to life with
180 3000Kv outrunner brushless power, aerobatic capabilities, and exclusive AS3X
technology for an overall rock-solid flight feel. With no assembly required, this micro RC
flier has twin-motor performance and proportional 4-channel control with independent
servos, with built-in Spektrum DSMX 2.4GHz technology. With a 2S 800mAh battery (not
included), you can expect 15- to 20-minute flights.
horizonhobby.com | $149.99 (BNF)
HITEC X2
This high-power, multi-function charger
has dual inputs, a 250-watt power supply,
internal balancing circuits, and ten different
charge/discharge profiles. It can work
with all battery chemistries, including
high-voltage lithium cells, and
its innovative Voice Guide
function even helps you
to program it!
hitecrcd.com |
$149.99
XK Edge A-430
A new brand in the Motion RC hangar, XK’s line
of small RC airplanes are easy to fly, and some
even have FPV options. The Edge A-430 is ideal for
advanced beginners who would like to get into 3D
aerobatics. It comes with power and radio systems
installed, and it even includes a gyro for increased
stability and to help decrease the chance of a crash.
A Futaba radio and 2S LiPo battery and charger get
you airborne quickly.
motionrc.com | $99.00
MARCH 2018 11
Hot for 2018_EF0318.indd 11 11/21/17 4:39 PM

HOT FOR 2018
GREAT PLANES Giant

Big Stik XL ARF
A favorite of sport pilots for decades,
Great Planes has taken the classic
Big Stik to a new dimension with the
Giant Big Stik XL ARF. With a 96.5-inch
wingspan, the Giant Big Stik is ideal for
gasoline or similar electric power systems.
Final assembly is easy, and its flight
characteristics make it a joy to fly. Features
include a two-piece wing that connects with
a sturdy joiner tube and a large hatch for easy
charging of the LiPo battery packs or access
to the fuel tank. Requires a 5- to 6-channel radio
system with six or seven servos, a 55 to 61cc gas
engine or 80-85-160Kv RimFire 65cc electric motor
with 160A speed control, and a 12S (or two 6S) 5000mAh LiPo battery packs and charger.
greatplanes.com | $499.99
PHOENIX MODEL Extra 260 30–35cc

Designed for high-performance aerobatics, the Extra
260 builds fast, flies fast, and even looks fast sitting
still. With a wingspan of 78.7 inches, the Extra 260 is
3D capable with large-surface side-force generators.
Designed for gas-engine or electric-power systems,
all the components are precision made to fit together
easily with lightweight, laser-cut, all-wood construction.
All hardware is included, and the durable fiberglass cowl
MULTIPLEX Extra 330SC is factory painted. Two-piece plug-in wing panels make
Bring your outdoor 3D flight indoors! Replicating the Gernot Bruckmann Extra 330SC transport easy.
design and “shades of blue” color scheme, this indoor version is ideal for intermediate towerhobbies.com | $349.99
to advanced pilots. Made of resilient EPP carbon construction with reinforced wings
and fuselage, this high-performance aerobat handles the most creative and challenging
maneuvers you can throw at it, while maintaining incredibly stable flight characteristics.
weekenderwarehouse.com | $65.99
BLADE Inductrix FPV+ RTF

The next generation of micro FPV drones, this
8mm motor drone comes ready for FPV right
out of the box, with an integrated camera/
video transmitter and a Spektrum 4.3-inch
monitor with digital video recording. SAFE
technology makes flying simple, while the ORIGIN HOBBY
ducted propeller design allows you to bounce
off walls. Innovative Meow mode allows EFUN Brushless 3D Rx-R
you to flip the quadcopter back upright Ideal for intermediate pilots, the
after a crash by quickly reversing the motor 83.5-inch-span EFUN sailplane is equally
direction. Altitude Hold flight mode maintains at home soaring as it is executing aerobatic
the distance from the ground, providing an maneuvers. A choice of screw-on conventional wingtips
intuitive flight experience. The ready-to-fly or winglets helps you optimize performance for either
version features a large-capacity 500mAh flying style. Molded out of durable EPO foam, the EFUN
battery. offers a good power-to-weight ratio, which makes it easy
bladehelis.com/aircraft | $230.00 to catch thermals or do low-altitude aerobatics. Receiver-
ready, the EFUN comes with a 28-20-1000Kv brushless
motor, 30A speed control, and servos all installed for
time-saving convenience. Features include two-piece
fiberglass and carbon-fiber-reinforced wings, a 10x8 fold-
ing propeller, and a belly wheel for smooth landings. It
requires a 4- to 5-channel radio system and a 3S 1800 to
2200mAh LiPo battery pack and charger.
originhobby.com | $149.99
Hot for 2018_EF0318.indd 12 11/21/17 4:39 PM

TOWER HOBBIES Piper Cherokee ARF
With a wingspan of 43.2 inches, this sport-scale civilian classic has a new, sporty
paint scheme, and is available as an ARF or a receiver-ready (Rx-R) version. The
Rx-R version comes with motor, ESC, and servos installed. The ARF version requires
a RimFire .10 outrunner motor, 35A BL ESC, four high-torque micro servos, a
4-channel receiver and transmitter, a 3S 2200–3200mAh LiPo battery, a prop, and
a battery charger. It assembles quickly: six to eight hours for the ARF, and one to
HITEC
two hours for the Rx-R. Featuring lightweight all-wood construction, it has great D-Series Servos
looks and excellent flight performance. Features include a large easy-access Hitec has added five servos to
battery hatch for simple battery changes and sturdy fiberglass wheel pants. its advanced D-series lineup. The
towerhobbies.com | $99.99 (ARF); $169.99 (Rx-R) programmable digital D89MW,
D145SW, D485HW, D646WP,
and D777MG offer incredible
performance and precision in five
distinct sizes, all with 32-bit high-resolution,
ultra-response technology and wide voltage operation.
The new low-profile D777MG servos have evolved directly
from the popular metal-gear HS-7775MG and HS-8775MG
servos. The mighty micro-size D89MW delivers solid power
with a coreless motor. The slim-wing D145SW has heavy-
duty steel gears, providing instant torque and holding
power for slim aircraft and glider wings. Replacing the
standard-size HS-5485HB and HS-5495BH servos, the
sport-class D485HW brings faster response and accuracy
to your various radio-control needs. IP-67 rated with
D-Series enhanced technology, the D646WP is the perfect
answer to its digital predecessor: the HS-5646WP.
hitecrcd.com | $62.99 (D89MW); $59.99 (D145SW); $16.99
(D485HW); $54.99 (D646WP); $74.99 (D777MG)
FREEWING F-8E Crusader

This electric jet reintroduces Freewing and Motion RC’s 64mm Park Jet series of
standoff scale planes of rarely modeled aircraft. Intended for hand launches, the
F-8E would make a perfect first jet as it has good stability. The EPO model comes with
power and radio system installed, and it requires a 4-channel radio and receiver and
3S 1000 to 2200mAh LiPo.
motionrc.com | $99.99
GRAUPNER MZ-12 PRO HoTT Radio

With 12 channels; 250 model memories; real-time voice telemetry;
and modes for airplanes, multirotor, helicopters, cars, and boats,
the MZ-12 PRO sets new standards for versatility. It includes a LiPo
battery and Falcon 12 Rx/flight controller. It has built-in timers for
FPV, and supports output for Crossfire modules. Built-in voice alerts
can be customized and assigned to switches for control feedback.
Its compact size makes it an excellent choice for FPV and DLG pilots.
graupnerusa.com | $200.00
MARCH 2018 13
Hot for 2018_EF0318.indd 13 11/21/17 4:40 PM

HOT FOR 2018
GRAUPNER Falcon 12 DRONE WORLD P4Pro MAXAMPS LiPo 400 2S

The Falcon 12 is a 2.4GHz telemetry
receiver and flight controller for airplanes,
FireBridge RC Upgrade 7.4V Battery 4-Pack for
This souped-up remote controller pro-
helicopters, and multirotors. In Plane
vides guaranteed reception in the most
Babyhawk
mode, it provides flight stabilization, This is the perfect LiPo upgrade for your
adverse conditions and offers 10 times
including Heading and Rate modes. It Emax Babyhawk FPV quadcopter. Get
more performance than the stock. Enjoy
also has a built-in flybarless controller, longer flight times, more power, and more
fully internalized custom Wi-Fi boosters,
which is easy to set up. In Multirotor cycles. Save with the 4-pack and keep
a custom cooling system, and dual
mode, it provides fast, crisp control due to flying by having the next battery charged
helicoil antennas for 4 to 5+ miles of
ultra-fast gyro sensors. It can be set up and ready to go.
range. Drone World takes current P4Pro
directly from any Graupner HoTT radio—no maxamps.com | $70.00
remote controllers and upgrades them
computer or card needed.
before shipping them back to customers
graupnerusa.com | $90.00
free of charge.
droneworld.com | $599.00
SPEKTRUM Lap Timer System

Get the cold truth about your setup and your
skills. The Spektrum Lap Timer System is a
personal lap-timing device that is easy to
use and costs less than $80 to get started.
It’s easy to set up and configure through
your Spektrum transmitter, and there are
no calibrations required. Unlike other timing
systems, the Spektrum Lap Timer System has
infrared technology that offers highly accurate
results and uses the Spektrum telemetry
capability you already have in your transmitter
to deliver information instantly. Spektrum BLADE Theory XL
Gen II/III transmitter users can also have The 5-inch Theory XL Basic race quad is ready to scream past the competition, with no building,
the integrated voice-alert system call out lap tinkering, or tuning necessary. The stretched-X design offers impressive stability in fast-forward
times automatically so that you can keep your flight, and the 4mm frame thickness stands up well to crashes—ideal for a racing drone. New
eyes on the aircraft. The lightweight system 2206–2450Kv Thrust motors and 30-amp BLHeli speed controls make every maneuver feel smooth
is versatile enough to handle any number and locked in. The fully configurable F3 flight controller comes preflashed with Betaflight firmware
of racers at a time, and can be expanded to and is professionally tuned. A 200mW video transmitter with power switch and 700VTL CMOS
optimize gate range and encompass a total of camera provide clean and reliable video in any environment while staying friendly to other pilots.
10 checkpoints (gates). The Theory XL BNF takes the headache out of prerace prep; simply charge and connect a 4S battery
spektrumrc.com | $24.99 (Receiver); $49.99 and you will be zooming through gates in no time.
(Base unit); $5.99 (IR Sensor) bladehelis.com/aircraft | $380.00
Hot for 2018_EF0318.indd 14 11/21/17 4:40 PM

AIKENS AIRCRAFT
TBF Avenger
Distributed by Aiken’s Airplanes, Flight Wing’s 1/18-scale static display model is a replica
of the Avenger flown by Lt. (j.g.) George Bush. Referred to as a “Built N Painted” model, the
Avenger has many movable parts and comes with an expertly applied finish. The Avenger
spans 36 inches and is 27.25 inches long. For a static display model, it is very impressive.
Three posable crewmen as well as a torpedo and eight wing-mounted rockets are included
in the package. The Avenger looks authentic, and the painted finish closely matches Federal
Standard 595B color chips. Also included are retractable landing gear, movable gun turret,
ICARE-ICARUS Graecalis 3.0 and movable control surfaces and flaps. For those who have an interest in naval-aviation
history, the Avenger would make a nice addition to their collection.
This new trend in aerobatic gliders, the Graecalis
3.0 was developed in Italy specifically for unlimited aikensairplanes.com | $198.95
and unrestricted aerobatic flying. It is also a great
ship for aerotowing. With a wingspan of 118 inches,
Graecalis 3.0 is offered in five different colors; kits
are available for an all-molded epoxy fiberglass and
as a carbon version. For the fiberglass version, the
wings, elevator, and rudder are made with classic
hollow-molded sandwich technology with carbon
reinforcement. The carbon version gets a layer of
carbon in the skin sandwich, making it rock solid.
The fuselage is reinforced in both versions, with
carbon-fiber tow in highly stressed areas. A ready-
to-fly (RTF) version with servos installed is also
available.
icare-icarus.com | $1,169.00
REALFLIGHT RealFlight 8 Flight Sim

The newest version of the classic flight simulator,
FUTABA S3777SV RealFlight 8 has enhanced capabilities, with
supremely realistic physics and several key software
Programmable upgrades. Plug in a VR set and you’re instantly
Servo immersed, flying either with the InterLink controller
or a game-console controller. Plus, there are more
This micro digital servo
from Futaba has the than a dozen new aircraft and a customized FPV
speed and torque needed flying site on top of the numerous aircraft and flying
to give maneuvers sites from the RF7.5 version. You can also customize
outstanding quickness aircraft and flying sites with upgraded editing
and agility. Its small size software that can accept even more detailed high-
and big power make the def models. Features include multiplayer combat and
S3777SV ideal for many highly detailed flying fields—day or night, or you can
weight-sensitive models, make your own with FlexiField. There are more than
including electric planes 140 aircraft and 40+ flying sites to choose from.
and small helicopters. realflight.com | $179.99
Features include a
digital microprocessor
for fast response and
increased holding power;
high-voltage design
for maximum speed
and torque; S.Bus/S.
MAXAMPS LiHV+ 1600 4S 15.2V 150C Bus2 compatibility,
High-Voltage LiPo programmable for precise
MaxAmps brings you the latest in LiPo battery technology tuning; three-pole motor;
with its LiHV+ Plus series. These high-voltage batteries will durable metal gears; and
take your high-demand flight applications, like FPV racing, single bearing.
to the next level of power and performance. futabarc.com | $44.99
maxamps.com | $94.99
MARCH 2018 15
Hot for 2018_EF0318.indd 15 11/21/17 4:40 PM

HOT FOR 2018
GEAR JACKS Transport Supports

Gear Jacks are the core products that make a sturdy RC airplane
transport system. There’s a solution for everything, from sport planes
to pattern planes and from giant scale to jets. There are four basic MCDANIELS R/C
models: Strut Supports, Wing Tube Supports, Tail Supports, and Fuselage
Supports. In all cases, Gear Jacks get your model’s wheels off the ground
Go-Slo III
Distributed by Sonic-Tronics, this special servo controller is
to prevent flat spots, they use thick foam pads to cushion the model
designed to slow down the operation of a proportional servo
for transport, and they’re super adjustable, so you can reconfigure your
without affecting the servo’s output torque. It contains
setup in minutes instead of spending the day building a new one.
an internal voltage regulator for stabilization and an 8-bit
randomheli.com | $25.00 to $150.00
microprocessor to perform the precise servo control you need.
There are two “pots” to adjust the servo speed: one controls
the up, and the other controls the down direction. The Go-Slo
III can control up to three servos, which are plugged directly
into the device. Compatible with 4.8 and 6V servo systems, the
unit’s receiver lead is heavy 22 gauge, so it can handle the power
required for three servos. Ideal for working flaps and other
functions that require a slower servo motion, two models are
available: The Mcd880 has two parallel outputs, with the third
output reversed, and the Mcd881, which has three parallel
servo outputs.
sonictronics.com | $42.95
GREAT PLANES Dynaflite Bird of Time EP ARF

An electric-powered version of a 1981 soaring icon, the new Great
Planes 3m Bird of Time sailplane ARF is easy to assemble and adds
even more convenience as no hi-start, towplane, or large launch area
is needed. With the recommended motor, one full battery charge can
power this ARF for many aggressive climbs to altitude. With a 118-inch
wingspan, the Bird of Time EP features strong wood-and-fiberglass
construction, a three-piece wing for easy transportation and storage,
a removable full-flying stabilizer, and a removable fuselage hatch
for quick LiPo changes. It comes with a MonoKote trim scheme and
includes a low-drag folding prop, spinner, and prop adapter. It requires a
3- to 4-channel radio system with one Futaba S9001 standard servo and
one Futaba S3154 digital micro servo, a 2-50-800Kv outrunner motor,
50-60A speed control with BEC, and a 4S 3300 to 3600mAh LiPo.
greatplanes.com | $219.99
YUNEEC Typhoon Q500 4K

A thorough reworking of the already excellent Q500, the 4K adds an
Ultra HD resolution modular camera system with an included SteadyGrip
handheld camera mount. Flight times of 25 minutes, ultra-stable
GPS guidance, and an all-included package make this one worthy of
consideration for any aerial videographer.
yuneec.com | $1,299.00 (Q500); $1,499.99 (w/ case & extra battery)
Hot for 2018_EF0318.indd 16 11/21/17 5:29 PM

HOBBICO Flitt Flying Camera
The Flitt Flying Camera and app are like having your own
personal red-carpet photographer on demand all day,
every day. It’s small and innovative, and designed for fun.
Optical positioning delivers stable pics indoors or out.
Plus, Flitt is equipped with three flight modes to tailor
every flight to
your comfort
level. Built-in
photo modes
maximize your
snapping ease.
It’s quick, easy,
and safe—just fly,
shoot, and share.
hobbico.com |
$100.00
BRODAK MFG. Avro Lancaster

This new 60-inch-span Avro Lancaster bomber
is a dedicated electric RC design and includes
functional flaps. The complete kit contains 15 high-
quality laser-cut balsa-and-plywood-parts sheets, MOTION RC DISTRIBUTING FrSky Radios
25 vacuum-formed detail plastic parts, prebent Motion RC is now happy to offer its customers FrSky transmitters, which provide
landing gear, vinyl decals, four highly detailed full- impressive cost savings without compromising quality and features. The newest in the
size plans sheets, parts ID sheets, and complete lineup is the Taranis Q X7 and X7S. It includes a Haptic Vibration Feedback System, which
step-by-step assembly Instructions. It requires four is an alternative feedback system to voice- and sound-alert warnings. This 16-channel
400-class outrunners, a single 3S 2200mAh LiPo radio runs on OpenTX, and it also has full telemetry capability as well as RSSI signal-
battery pack, and a 5-channel radio system. strength feedback. Motion RC also carries the Horus X10 and X10S, which have a built-in
brodak.com | $229.95 iXJT+ module, a detachable external antenna, and an industrial LCD screen. The X10
series also inherits the wireless trainer system, antenna detection, and SWR warning
functions. It is designed with two internal antennae to improve signal strength and has a
rechargeable Li-Ion battery for improved battery life.
motionrc.com | $135.00 to $399.00
BRODAK MFG. de Havilland Turbo

Beaver
The new Turbo Beaver is a dedicated electric park
flier, with a 60-inch wingspan and functional flaps.
RBC KITS He 162 Volksjager The complete kit contains eight high-quality laser-cut
You’ll turn heads at the field with this unique flier. Designed for a 90mm electric ducted balsa-and-plywood-parts sheets, vacuum-formed detail
fan or small turbine engine, the kit for this 43-inch-span jet includes CNC-cut formers and plastic parts, prebent landing gear, four highly detailed
ribs as well as a CD with a 3D PDF file with construction photos. No hardware is included, full-size plans and pattern sheets, a parts ID sheet, and
but it does come with a vacuum-formed canopy, fairings, nose cone, intake, and wheel complete step-by-step assembly instructions. It requires
doors. It requires a 6-channel radio system. a 450-class outrunner motor, a 2S 2200mAh LiPo battery
rbckits.com | $300.00 pack, and a 5-channel radio system.
brodak.com | $99.95
MARCH 2018 17
Hot for 2018_EF0318.indd 17 11/21/17 4:40 PM

HOT FOR 2018
RTL FASTENERS
Master Assortment #5000
This new and improved Master Assortment has it all, and
CARBON 210 Racing Drone it’s designed by experienced modelers, so you have just
The Redcat Carbon 210 Race Drone is a ready-to-fly professional racing drone. It features the right mix of hardware for your RC building projects.
a full carbon-fiber chassis, HD camera, four 2204Kv 2500 brushless motors, and high-end Owning this hardware assortment is like having your own
electronics to make the Carbon 210 the perfect racing drone for those that want to get private hobby shop available day and night. Included
into racing quickly. The Carbon 210 is FPV ready (goggles not included) and is equipped are four organizer boxes and a high-quality telescoping
with an F3 flight controller, on-screen display module, and a 6-channel 2.4GHz radio. An magnetic pick-up tool to keep things in order. All hardware
aluminum carrying case is also included. The Carbon 210 is 7.3 inches long and 7.2 inches for each assortment size comes in clearly labeled ziplock
wide, and comes with a 1500mAh 25C LiPo battery and charger. Flights are eight to bags, ready to be loaded into the organizers. Standard
10 minutes long. SAE hardware—including socket head capscrews, hex nuts,
redcatracing.com | $359.99 nylon insert locknuts, flat washers, blind (T) nuts, lock
(split) lock washers, miniature brass pan Phillips head
wood screws, and button head socket drive sheet metal
screws—are included in #0, #2, #4 #6 and #8 sizes. Parts
counts range from 12 to 100, depending on type.
rtlfasteners.com | $169.95
RBC KITS Trainer Jimmy

An ideal kit for first-time builders, Trainer Jimmy
comes with full-size rolled plans as well as CNC-cut
ribs and formers, with a tab-lock design that makes
assembly a breeze. When built, this 39-inch-span
model requires a 3-channel radio-control system
and an 1100Kv power system.
rbckits.com | $65.00
TOBYRICH
SmartPlane Pro FPV
Whether you’re flying at walking speed or with Boost
mode for an extra adrenaline rush, this FPV flier is a blast.
It’s controlled by your smartphone with the included
joystick in either Tilt or Joystick mode, and its auto-
AIKENS AIRCRAFT Hobby Master F-35A stabilization keeps it in control in every situation. The
Perfect for your desk or bookshelf, this incredibly detailed 1/72-scale F-35A Lightning II included virtual-reality goggles make FPV flight a breeze.
is based on “Atlas 23,” one of six Lockheed F-35As from the 344th FS/388th FW based tobyrich.com | $299.99
at Hill AFB, Utah, and which flew to RAF Lakenheath in England last April to conduct air
training with other units. On its underside, this diecast model has hatches that open to
reveal scale ordnance and the landing gear.
aikensaircraft.com | $94.95
Hot for 2018_EF0318.indd 18 11/21/17 4:40 PM

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Page19.indd 1 11/21/17 4:15 PM

PILOT REPORT
E-flite/Horizon MODEL
AT A G L A N C E
PT-17 Bind-N-Fly
Hobby PT-17 MANUFACTURER

E-flite (e-fliterc.com)
DISTRIBUTOR
Realistic scale appearance and Horizon Hobby (horizon
feel in a convenient-size package hobby.com)
BY CHRIS BARRETT PHOTOS BY D. K. BARRETT WINGSPAN
44.6 in.
PILOT SKILL LEVEL
Intermediate
This U.S. Navy–inspired replica PT-17 looks ASSEMBLY TIME
20 minutes
outstanding from the ground up. There is amazing
detail from the mockup 7-cylinder radial engine to RADIO REQ’D
6-channel
the functional shock-absorbing landing gear. The
POWER REQ’D
yellow paint scheme and decals are clean and really 3S 2200mAh LiPo
complement the small foam details. It’s easy to see
PRICE
that E-flite put a lot of effort into making this plane $229.99
look as scale as possible.
E-flite sells this PT-17 in both Bind-N-Fly (BNF) W H AT W E L I K E
and Plug-N-Play versions to accommodate your + Quick and easy to build
preference. The BNF version, which I review here, + All electronics installed
comes with everything except a battery and + Realistic scale detail
transmitter. All electronics are installed and the
included Spektrum AR636A receiver comes with SAFE
+ Fun to fly
and AS3X technology. While the AS3X runs the whole

time, the SAFE technology can be enabled or disabled
during the bind process.
This biplane is constructed out of durable EPO
foam that is covered with a thick coat of paint, so it
can withstand plenty of abuse while still preserving
that nice scale look. It is recommended for
intermediate to advanced pilots.
PR Eflite PT17_V2 .indd 20 11/21/17 4:46 PM

E - F L I T E / H O R I Z O N H O B B Y P T - 1 7
ALL IN ALL, THIS PT-17 IS A NICE LITTLE PACKAGE. IT WAS AN EASY BUILD ...
AND AFTER A LITTLE FINE-TUNING DURING THE FIRST FLIGHT, IT WAS A LOT
OF FUN TO FLY. IT LOOKS AMAZING FROM THE GROUND TO THE SKY, AND THE
SCALE DETAILS JUST ADD TO THAT SCALE FEELING IN THE AIR
MARCH 2018 21

E - F L I T E / H O R I Z O N H O B B Y P T - 1 7
UNIQUE FEATURES slides in and out. This makes it easy to install

Everything you need is included in the box, batteries. Pull the tray out, strap the battery
and the plane is screwed together, so there’s on, and then slide it back into place. The speed
no need to deal with the mess of glue. The control and servo wires are all around the battery
first thing I noticed with this kit is how tightly tray, so there is a little finagling to get the tray
everything fit together. Once the plane is back in, but this is still easier than some of the
together, you will appreciate this snug fit. other setups with which I’ve come in contact.
The landing gear requires a couple of the The E-flite 3S 2200mAh LiPo that I used fit
plastic pieces to be unscrewed before you fit perfectly in the provided slot, but it needed to be
it to the fuselage and then screw everything pushed as far forward as possible to get close to
back together. This isn’t mentioned in the the recommended center of gravity.
instructions but is fairly easy to figure out. The
wing struts are another piece that requires a lot IN THE AIR
of force to fit into the lower wing. I cleaned up A somewhat smooth surface is recommended
the edges with a knife before installing, which for this plane. Fine grass or dirt will work, but
helped, but they were still tough to get in and my first flights were done off smooth asphalt.
very solid once installed. Takeoffs were pretty standard; easing up to full
Above: Being a Bind n fly model, the PT-17 comes
The wings are made to be removable and with all radio gear installd.. Below: The dummy radial throttle had the plane off the ground quickly.
can be installed without any tools, but I found engine adds nicely to the model’s realism while the Not much input on the rudder was needed to
that, because of the size of the plane, I could 11x7 propeller provides plenty of thrust for great keep the plane tracking straight for the short
flight performance.
transport it intact. A pair of needle-nose pliers
and a screwdriver are all you need to work on or
make adjustments. All the control surfaces are
held on by foam hinges.
Another nice feature is the battery tray that
GEAR USED
RADIO
Spektrum DX9 w/ AR636A
receiver (spektrumrc.com); four 9g
servos (installed)
MOTOR
BL15 brushless 850Kv, 45A speed
control (installed)
BATTERY
E-flite 3S 2200mAh LiPo
(e-fliterc.com)
PROPS
11x7 (installed)

The Stearman Model-75
In the mid-1930s, the U.S. Army Air
Corps needed a new trainer, and in
1936, the Army bought 26 biplanes
from the Boeing Aircraft Co., which had
just acquired the Stearman Aircraft Co.
Powered by a Lycoming R-680 radial
engine, the new dual-cockpit primary
trainers were quickly renamed the
“PT-13.” The original engines were soon
replaced by the Continental R-670, and
the biplane was designated the “PT-17.”
PHOTO BYLINE SAL CALVAGNA
Throughout its service, these biplanes

were referred to by many names: “the
PT” by the Army, “the N2S” by the
Navy, and “the Kaydet” by Canadian
forces. Officially known as the “Boeing
Model-75,” the PT-17 was often simply
referred to as the “Stearman.”
With a top speed of 124mph, a cruise
speed of 106mph, and a range of roughly
500 miles, the Stearman was an easy-
to-fly, ruggedly built aircraft. By the end
of 1945, more than 10,000 airframes had been built. The Stearman went on to become a popular surplus aircraft that many freshly
discharged pilots bought for their civilian-aviation careers. Throughout the ’50s and ’60s, PT-17s found work as mail planes, crop
dusters, training aircraft, advertising-banner-towing planes, and even barnstorming airshow planes. Today, there are more than 1,000
still in flying condition. In 1942, the average cost of a PT-17 was about $9,800. Today, the much-sought-after biplane will set you back
between $75,000 and $100,000, depending on its condition—not too bad for such a well-used trainer aircraft!
Aerobatics: This plane has a scale feel in the

air, so don’t expect to get too crazy. It has
enough juice to play around with some scale
maneuvers and more than enough power for
just cruising around.
Glide and stall performance: The added wing

of the biplane creates a lot of drag, so don’t
expect to get too much glide out of this plane.
It scrubs speed quickly with the throttle off,
so keep that in mind. Stalls are quick and easy
to recover from.
PILOT DEBRIEFING
This PT-17 has an amazing scale appearance
Here is one of the two aileron servos that come Even the wheels and tires are scale in appearance and and feel in the air, with some extra
installed in the lower wing. look great. performance if you want it. Takeoffs are quick
and easy, and the AS3X system keeps it stable
time the wheels were touching. Landings take Tracking: With all the control surfaces level and in the air. With how quickly this plane takes off
a little more effort; with so much drag from the the battery as far forward as possible, the PT-17 and also scrubs speed, you really don’t need
extra wing, some power and a little speed will needed quite a bit of down trim on the elevator a huge runway once you are comfortable with
help you out until you get comfortable with how to fly level. Once level, though, the plane tracked its flight characteristics. It is a fun plane to fly
the plane handles. A little bit of babying on the straight and held its line well in the turns. once you get the balance and trim dialed in to
landings will keep it smooth, but don’t worry if it your liking.
gets a little rough—this plane can take a beating.
BOTTOM LINE
GENERAL FLIGHT PERFORMANCE All in all, this PT-17 is a nice little package. It was an easy build, which hardly
Stability: The AS3X system does a nice job took any time to put together, and after a little fine-tuning during the first flight,
of keeping this plane stable. It wasn’t getting it was a lot of fun to fly. It looks amazing from the ground to the sky, and the
tossed around much in the breezy conditions
scale details just add to that scale feeling in the air. E-flite did a nice job making
in which we were flying, and it felt like it could
this U.S. Navy–inspired replica come to life.
handle harsher conditions.
MARCH 2018 23

PILOT REPORT
Blade/
Horizon Hobby
130 S BNF
An aerobatic micro
with bailout mode
BY JIM RYAN PHOTOS BY JOHN KAUK & GREG GIMLICK
More and more collective-pitch helicopters are

featuring self-leveling and bailout functions to ease
the learning curve for new pilots and those learning
aerobatics. Having these features can not only
provide a timely rescue to avoid a nasty crash but
also make you a more confident pilot. The new Blade
130 S combines these rescue capabilities with a
small, light, tough airframe that flies remarkably well.
AT A G L A N C E
The 130 S heli
is a nice size for MODEL
backyard flying and Blade 130 S BNF
indoor venues and
is great for keeping MANUFACTURER
in the car for spur- Blade (bladehelis.com)
of-the-moment
flying sessions. DISTRIBUTOR
Horizon Hobby
(horizonhobby.com)
ROTOR DIAMETER:
12.2 in.
PILOT SKILL LEVEL
Intermediate
ASSEMBLY TIME
None
RADIO REQ’D
6-channel DSMX/DSM2
transmitter
POWER REQ’D
3S 300mAh LiPo battery
PRICE
$169.99 (BNF); $219.99
[RTF]
W H AT W E L I K E
+ Panic button for increased

pilot confidence
+ Simple tough design
+ Clear and concise manual
PR Blade 130 S Heli EF0318 .indd 24 11/21/17 4:43 PM

B L A D E / H O R I Z O N H O B B Y 1 3 0 S B N F
THE BLADE 130 S IS A DURABLE MICRO HELICOPTER SUITABLE

FOR LOW-TIME PILOTS OR FOR A BACKYARD PRACTICE BIRD.
WHILE IT’S TOUGH ENOUGH TO WEATHER MOST CRACKUPS
WITHOUT ANY DAMAGE, REPAIRS ARE EASY AND INEXPENSIVE.
The Blade 130 S is a great tool for teaching low-time

pilots basic aerobatics or for experienced pilots to
have fun in small spaces. SAFE technology and a
panic button combine to reduce pilot stress.
MARCH 2018 25

B L A D E / H O R I Z O N H O B B Y 1 3 0 S B N F
The mechanics are simple and tough. All major parts are inexpensive and easy to replace, and the linear-output submicro servos are durable.
UNIQUE FEATURES
The Blade 130 S is one of
the smallest helicopters
on the market to marry
enhanced stabilization
with a truly aerobatic
airframe. SAFE (Sensor
Assisted Flight Envelope)
makes the 130 S
remarkably stable for
such a small and quick
machine. Available in BNF
(Bind-N-Fly) and RTF
(ready-to-fly) versions,
the 130 S will have you
in the air in no more time The 130 S comes ready to bind to your transmitter. Just charge the 3S 300mAh The ultra-low-mass tail rotor provides solid yaw
than it takes to charge battery, and you’re ready to go. control and is flexible, tough, and easy to replace.
the battery.
The mechanics are simple and robust, with a quick to replace in the event of a severe crash.
molded plastic frame and aluminum tail boom. Everything about the 130 S is designed for
GEAR USED The brushless, direct-drive, variable-speed ease of operation and repair.
(DDVS) tail motor is remarkably well protected; The BNF version comes with a manual
RADIO
even in the worst crash, you’d only break a providing recommended program settings for
Spektrum DX9 (spektrumrc.com);
prop, and spares are inexpensive and easy to a range of Spektrum radios, and programming
H2045L linear submicro servos (installed)
swap out. While DDVS tails traditionally aren’t my DX9 transmitter took only a few minutes.
MOTORS quite as precise as belt or torque-tube tails, One key step is to assign the bailout function to
Blade 5650Kv and 4700Kv the low-mass 3-blade tail on the 130 S does an accessible switch; for the DX9, pushbutton
(installed); E-flite dual-output heli speed
remarkably well. “I” is recommended, but you could use toggle
control (installed)
The cyclic servos are the super-light linear “A” if you find it more accessible. With my
BATTERY style commonly seen in micro indoor airplanes, transmitter programmed and the battery
E-flite 3S 300mAh (included) and they’re remarkably fast and durable. charged, it was time to head to the field.
The landing skids and canopy are plastic and

This little machine is fun for skimming the
grass or for dodging around trees in the
backyard. It’s so durable that you can relax
and have fun with it.
IN THE AIR hold pretty solid. I’ve flown the 130 S in winds
The 130 S features three flight modes. In approaching 20mph, which is pretty stout for a
Stability mode, the maximum bank angle is heli this small, and it was able to handle it.
limited to about 30 degrees, and the heli will Aerobatics: With 3D mode selected, the 130 With its small size, the 130 S is agile and can
handle basic 3D as long as you’re careful about
level out when the cyclic stick is released. In S can handle aerobatics like loops, flips, rolls,
energy management.
agility mode, bank limiting and self-leveling and inverted hovering. Note that you don’t
are disabled, but cyclic travel and head speed have unlimited power, so a little finesse on
are fairly conservative. In 3D mode, head the collective will keep the rpm from bogging elect to land in Agility or 3D mode, you’ll need
speed and cyclic travel are increased for down during aerobatics. The panic button to hit throttle hold when you touch down.
improved aerobatic performance. Modes were is really effective. I tested it repeatedly in
incorrectly identified in early manuals, but various attitudes, and it always recovered to PILOT DEBRIEFING
this is being corrected in the online and future level flight. Remember that you do need to The Blade 130 S is a simple and durable micro
versions. Dual rates are also supported, and increase collective pitch in panic recovery or helicopter that can handle aerobatics and
with a heli this small, I would recommend low the helicopter will continue to descend toward basic 3D. Power isn’t unlimited, but it can
rates until you get used to the handling. the ground. manage the normal maneuvers for a heli
Landing: Landing the 130 S is easy as it can be, of this size. The multiple flight modes let
GENERAL FLIGHT PERFORMANCE especially in Stability mode. Make a straight-in you tailor the handling as your flying skills
Stability: In Stability mode and low rates, the approach and reduce throttle to land. If you progress.
130 S is remarkably easy to control for being so
small and light. The self-leveling works nicely BOTTOM LINE
and yet the heli can still fly pretty quickly. If you
The Blade 130 S is a durable micro helicopter suitable for low-time pilots or for
get confused, you can simply release the cyclic
stick and add power to gain a little altitude.
a backyard practice bird. While it’s tough enough to weather most crackups
Tracking: The light and flexible 3-blade tail without any damage, repairs are easy and inexpensive. Best of all, the panic
rotor allows quick rpm changes, making tail button allows you to avoid most impending crashes.
MARCH 2018 27
PR Blade 130 S Heli EF0318 .indd 27 11/22/17 9:18 AM

A CELEBRATION OF ELECTRIC
POWER AND PERFORMANCE!
JETS & WARBIRDS

JOIN FORCES
Every September, it’s time for my annual trek to Ohio for E-Jets International. The official name
was changed last year, so the event is now “E-Jets International and E-Warbirds,” and this was the
ninth year The Ohio Radio Kontrol Society (TORKS) club has hosted it. The event was held at the TORKS
field at Deer Creek State Park near Columbus, Ohio. It’s a great facility with a 900x55-foot runway and
covered charging shelter. Additionally, the club brings in a food vendor for breakfast and lunch, and
provides a large tent with tables, where you can sit sheltered from the sun and inclement weather.
Safe, overnight storage of aircraft is provided by the club in the form of two lockable semitrailers,
which provide plenty of room for all the aircraft. The park in which the club is located features a 1,277-
acre lake with a swimming beach a short walk from the flying field.
Ken Lapointe’s L-39 from an Andy Conway kit. The L-39

used a 90mm Midi fan powered by a Neu 1415/3D motor
on 8S 3300 cells. It was painted with latex paint with the
markings supplied by Callie Graphics.
E-Jet Event EF0318 v2 with 1-3 v ad .indd 28 11/21/17 4:36 PM

Chris True’s Freewing Venom on landing approach.
The meet officially started on Thursday, so

I showed up Wednesday evening. I was able
to get some flying in that evening, along with
some of the other pilots who had shown up
early. We were at it again Thursday morning,
with a clear sky and wind down the runway. At
past E-Jets events, we’ve often had one day
where the weather wouldn’t cooperate, and
it usually fell on the last full day of flying. For a
nice change, this year’s bad weather fell on the Bob Wenger flew this stock
first day, when there weren’t as many people FMS P-47 to good effect.
around. As the day wore on, the winds became
more chaotic. It didn’t keeping anyone from
flying, but flying wasn’t as enjoyable as it could
have been. For the remainder of the event, the
winds calmed down to steadier conditions, and
we got in a lot of great flying.
For those of you who have never attended
this event, it’s low-key and not competitive; the
focus is on flying electric jets or prop-driven
warbirds. It’s common for people to show up
with one-of-a-kind aircraft, but the event
organizers go out of their way to make it an
enjoyable event for all who show up. If the
scratch-built masterpiece you’ve been working
on isn’t ready, then grab an ARF and come have
fun.
Saturday night was the dinner and awards
presentation at the lodge across the lake. We
Chris True had this gorgeous BVM T-33 at the meet. He built it from a BVM kit released back in 1996. Power
had an excellent dinner in a private dining room is provided by a standard 12S EVF2 using three 4S2P packs of either 6600mAh or 8000mAh capacity. All-up
overlooking the lake. After dinner, there was an weight is about 19.5 pounds with the 6600 packs.
MARCH 2018 29

JETS & WARBIRDS JOIN FORCES
Pete Foss was flying this rare Nicesky XB-70. The XB-70 used a 70mm electric Dave Agee’s Carbon-Z T-28 makes a pass down the runway.
ducted fan unit powered with a 4S 2200mAh pack.
auction of two baskets, featuring a number of

nice gifts that a pilot’s significant other might
enjoy. In addition to the baskets, the winners of
the auction also received an aircraft donated by
one of the sponsors. Proceeds from the auction
were donated to the city of Mount Sterling to
help support its charitable causes.
The awards were then handed out. Team
Canada went home with a Special Recognition
Award for coming all the way to E-Jets. Ken
Lapointe scored the Best Sport Jet award for
his nice BVM Maverick, and Chris True took
home the Best Scale Jet award for his BVM
T-33. Keith Numbers earned the Best Warbird
Tim Vincent’s HobbyKing Cobra done up in the Diamondbacks paint scheme.
WW I Airshow D.VIII
Keith Shaw always brings along
interesting scratch-built aircraft to
this meet. His Fokker D.VIII weighs 13
pounds and has an 82-inch wingspan.
Power is provided by a prototype
MegaMax huge inrunner motor, direct
driving a 26/16 prop on a 12-cell A123
pack. The radio is under the pilot seat
and directly drives the column and
rudder bar, which have scale cables to
the control surfaces. The flexible full-
bodied pilot looks as if he is actually
flying the aircraft, which is an effect
Keith had always wanted to do that on
a model since he was a kid.
As frequently happens with Keith’s
planes, there’s an interesting story
behind the full-size version of the
plane. After WW I, aces Ernst Udet and
his friend Max Grimm were worried
about the lack of care of the German
wounded POW. They literally stole two
planes out of the Allied impound one
night and flew illegal “hit-and-run”
airshows around Germany to raise
money for the wounded. Udet’s plane
was a D.VIII (painted in the color
scheme Keith used), while Grimm used Keith Shaw’s scratch-built Fokker D.VIII. Keith’s builds are always interesting aircraft.
a silver-painted D-7. They flew these
illegal airshows from the end of the war through early 1920, when they were finally
caught and grounded. That is why Keith’s D.VIII does not have machine guns as they
were removed when the plane was impounded.

P-51 Mustang “Montana Miss”
I’m always on the lookout for interesting aircraft, and I didn’t have to look far to find Terry Nitsch’s P-51
“Montana Miss.” The kit is a Hangar 9 60cc ARF. Terry made the electric conversion himself and used the
E-flite Power 360 brushless motor with the Castle Phoenix 160-amp, 50-volt speed control. This system
swings a 24x12 electric prop and provides plenty of power. Terry chose this power setup because the majority
of his electric jets use 12-cell 7700mAh battery packs, and this aircraft uses the same battery configuration.
Because of the many fuselage modifications, Terry re-covered the majority of the fuselage to create his own
version of the “Montana Miss.” The aircraft features drop tanks and a realistic sound system. Terry was able
to select from several engine options to get the proper Merlin engine sound. This Real Sound system uses
four transducers mounted in 2-inch speaker frames in the fuselage and wings. The combination of this system
and the Power 360 motor sound fit together well. I was impressed by the sound of the Mustang making low
passes as Terry put it through its paces. Typical flight times are eight to 10 minutes.
Terry Nitsch’s P-51

“Montana Miss.”
award for his de Havilland Sea Hornet, and

Bret Becker’s flying skills were acknowledged
with a Special Recognition for Flight award.
Bob Belluomini received the Best Foam Jet
award for his Freewing Yak-130, and Keith
Shaw received the Pilots’ Choice award for his
scratch-built Yak UT-1.
The TORKS club, which puts on E-Jets and
E-Warbirds, did a great job—as usual. The
club members and those of us who attended
the event are grateful to the event sponsors.
Buddy RC, BVM, Efflux RC, EDCO Tool & Supply,
Horizon Hobby, and Schübeler Technologies
GmbH generously provided the prizes that
Above: Keith Shaw’s

scratch-built
Horten IX is always
a crowd-pleaser.
Although the Horten
has some flying
characteristics that
make it a challenge
to fly, its positive
characteristics
provide a spirited
20-minute flight on
a small 2200mAh
battery pack. Left:
Carl Rich’s Top Models
RC Cougar powered
by a BVM EVF 3-12S
fan running off a
6600mAh pack. Carl
was getting six-
minute flights with
this power combo.
MARCH 2018 31

JETS & WARBIRDS JOIN FORCES
Kevin Cox’s scratch-built FX-32 is powered with a Jetfan 120mm impeller in an Aeronaut TF-4000
shroud powered by a HET 700-98 670Kv motor pushed along by a 12S 5000mAh pack. Flight
controls are two elevators and two ailerons, with thrust vectoring augmenting the elevators for
takeoff. The airframe measures 67 inches long with a 45.5-inch wingspan and weighs about 18
pounds ready to fly.
Chris Baker’s C-119 from a Dare Design kit. Chris modified it by adding plywood formers in the Ken Lapointe’s Top Flite .60-size P-47 powered by a Hacker motor
nose and each engine boom for landing gear. The plane was glassed with 1.2-oz. cloth and Z-poxy A50-16L turning an APC 17x12 prop on an 8S 5300mAh pack. It was
finishing resin. The paint is Model Master enamel. Powered by Turnigy KA22-10 1200Kv outrunners covered in McMaster-Carr aluminum tape, using Callie Graphics for
turning FMS 7.5x4 4-blade props on Turnigy 3S 3650mAh cells. The plane weighs in at 2 pounds 8 the markings.
ounces, and flying weight is right
at 3 pounds.
Centennial
Celebration A-10
Tim Toutant had an
interesting A-10 Warthog
at the meet. He took a
Freewing A-10 and gave
it a custom paint job
to match a centennial-
celebration scheme
in which a bird in the
107th Red Devils has
been painted. The 107th
Fighter Squadron is Tim Toutant’s Freewing A-10 was modified
based at Selfridge Air with a custom paint scheme to match a
National Guard Base in full size A-10, celebrating the centennial of
Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Michigan.
Michigan, where they
are celebrating their
centennial. Tim used
Model Master enamel
paint with markings from Callie Graphics. In addition to the custom paint scheme, Tim added wingtip strobes and a Model
Sounds Inc. sound system, installed with two 20-watt exciter speakers to up the realism factor of this jet in flight.

William Jackson’s Freewing A-10 had a striking paint
scheme based on one that he saw applied to a plastic
model. The jet was painted with Rust-Oleum and the
markings were from Callie Graphics. William modified
the stock Freewing A-10 to provide additional cooling
by adding an air intake at the refueling port, with an
exit port on the left rear side where the APU unit
Rick Bruce’s stock Freewing F-14 comes in for a landing. Rick is one of the folks who come down from Canada to would be.
fly, making E-Jets a truly international event.
were awarded during the event. Many of the

prizes were awarded as pilot prizes. After each
flight, a pilot would fill out a ticket and those
tickets went into a jar from which the winner
was picked during raffles that were conducted
many times during the days we were flying.
As an example of the generosity of the
sponsors, I’ll mention that I got lucky one
day and won a BVM Aeropoxy Glue and
Applicator kit.
To sum things up, it was a fun event with
mostly good weather. The TORKS club has
provided a great facility and has been hosting
this event long enough that the members are
skilled at making sure that folks have a good
time. E-Jets and E-Warbirds will return again
next year in September, so check the club’s
Ken Lapointe’s 63-inch-span FW 190 D9 from a Dave Platt kit. Powered by an E-flite 90 motor turning an APC website (torks.com) for details.
16x10 prop on an 8S 5300mAh pack. The paint scheme was done in Testors Model Master paint with Callie
Graphics markings.
MARCH 2018 33

PILOT REPORT
Multiplex MODEL
AT A G L A N C E
EasyGlider 4 RR
EasyGlider 4 RR MANUFACTURER
Multiplex (multiplexusa.com)
A perfect glider for all fliers, DISTRIBUTOR
Hitec RCD (hitecrcd.com)
from beginners to experts
WINGSPAN
BY JOHN REID PHOTOS BY CHERYL VOMACKA MALTBY
70.9 in.
PILOT SKILL LEVEL
Beginner/intermediate
ASSEMBLY TIME
1 hour
The nice thing about Multiplex aircraft is that RADIO REQ’D
they are generally easy to assemble and durable, 6-channel
and they always fly well. The new EasyGlider 4 POWER REQ’D
fits that description perfectly. The glider comes 3S 1800mAh LiPo
in a well-packed box with only five parts that PRICE
need to be assembled. Multiplex took what it $199.99
learned from the earlier EasyGliders, made some
W H AT W E L I K E
improvements, and has created an incredibly fun
aircraft. Using what it calls “M-Space technology” + Quick assembly
to create a rigid hull from the durable Elapor + All the servos are installed
foam, Multiplex has made a fuselage that feels + Easy setup
solid and provides a solid base for the wings. The + Great flight performance
removable wing halves, although not so easy to

separate once together, span a little more than
70 inches.
The EasyGlider 4 is available in both a kit and
receiver-ready (RR) versions; I reviewed the RR
version. It is equipped with servos (for elevator,
rudder, and ailerons), speed control, and a power-
ful brushless motor. The fuselage has quick
access to the battery/receiver compartment
through an easy-to-pull-off canopy, which locks
on securely. This spacious compartment can
accommodate a range of battery sizes, and it is
easy to adjust them back and forth to achieve
the correct balance. To help with achieving the
correct center of gravity, there are two molded-
in buttons on the bottom of the wings for field
balancing by hand. The EasyGlider 4’s docile flight
performance is intended for beginners but is also
attractive to advanced pilots. It’s perfect for
beginners to learn with while offering up a nice
relaxing day of flight for the experienced pilot.
FT Multiplex EasyGlider 4 .indd 34 11/21/17 4:49 PM

M U L T I P L E X E A S Y G L I D E R 4 R R
SETUP AND CONSTRUCTION ONLY TAKES ABOUT AN HOUR, AND IT IS

SIMPLE AND EASY TO UNDERSTAND. WHILE YOU DO GET SOME GOOD FLIGHT
TIMES FROM THE BATTERY, I WOULD RECOMMEND GETTING ONE OR TWO
ADDITIONAL BATTERIES FOR MORE FLIGHTS.
MARCH 2018 35

M U L T I P L E X E A S Y G L I D E R 4 R R
The servos, pushrods, and protective covers are all preinstalled.
UNIQUE FEATURES installation was just a simple

When opening up the box, I matter of pushing them in place
found the EasyGlider 4 was well and plugging in the ailerons to
packaged; there are only five parts the connections located on the
that needed assembly. All the inside of the fuselage. First, I slid
control surfaces were hinged and one wing panel over the square
servos installed; the wings had the center spar and inserted it into
pushrods attached, while the tail the opening in the fuselage for
surfaces had the pushrods installed the wing; I then slid the other
and connected to the servos. The wing panel onto the spar from the
brushless motor and speed control other side. The wing halves are
are installed, and all that is needed designed not to need any glue
to complete the plane is a 3-cell and the fit is tight, so it took a little
1800 to 2200mAh 20C battery work to get them in correctly. I
pack along with a transmitter and just pushed in from one side, then
receiver. Each part was wrapped in from the other, until both wing
bubble wrap, so once all of that was panels matched up to the contour
off, I checked out everything for any of the fuselage. It was then just a
damage; I’m happy to say there was matter of connecting my receiver
none. All the decals come installed, to the servo leads, which was
The large battery/receiver compartment has room for everything and makes it and the Elapor-foam construction an easy process. The location of
easy to move the battery back and forth for center-of-gravity adjustments. is smooth with a solidly stiff feel. the battery was determined by
One of the nice things about this placing it in and then checking
model is that the entire assembly the plane’s center of gravity. I
can be done without any glue. kept moving the battery until
The instruction book covers the everything balanced. I then used
complete construction of the kit, the included hook-and-loop
so if you have the receiver-ready fastener to secure it in place. The
version, there is no reason to read EasyGlider was now ready for its
all of it—just move on to the latter first flight.
parts of the assembly. I started with
the tail feathers, which include the IN THE AIR
rudder and stabilizer. Both lock into I decided to take the EasyGlider
each other and then this assembly 4 out to our local park early in
is placed on the tail of the fuselage, the morning to avoid any people
which again locks into the fuselage; on the soccer field. The plane
one nylon bolt is used to secure requires a hand-launch to get it
everything in place. The rudder and in the air and is tough enough to
stabilizer pushrods were already in land on any surface, thanks to the
place, and I inserted them into the Elapor foam. Landing on the grass,
connector on the control horns of however, will keep it looking like
Once the tail is bolted in place, it is easy to install the pushrods to each control
each. For the time being, I did not new, whereas a hard surface will
surface.
attach them to the control horns scrape it up some. If you have only
because I first wanted to center the concrete or asphalt to land on, add
servos with the receiver. a few strips of clear packing to the
The wings were next, and bottom of the fuselage to protect

Soldering a New Connector GEAR USED
If your battery packs do not have the Multiplex connector that is on the speed control that
comes in the EasyGlider 4, it’s easy to change that out. All you need is some wire cutters, RADIO
solder, and a soldering iron. Spektrum DX18 and AR9020
Start by cutting off the existing connector from the speed control, then strip off about receiver (spektrumrc.com); Multiplex
1/4 inch of insulation from the end for attaching to the new plug. I like to use rosin-core solder servos installed
for my electrical connections, but any electrical solder will work—you just may have to add MOTOR
your own flux first to clean the surface. Next, cut two 1-inch pieces of shrink tubing for each Roxxy C28-34-850Kv and Roxxy
wire (four total), and slide two of them over the wire away from the end. Apply a small amount BL-Control 720 S-BEC speed control
of solder to the end of each wire and on the connection of the plug; this is called “tinning.” (included)
Use needle-nose pliers to hold the wire; press it down onto the connector pin, and melt the
PROP
solder. Make sure the connectors are the correct polarity to match up with the battery plugs.
9x6 folding (included)
Generally, the solder used on the tinning will be enough, but if you need to add a little more,
do it at this time. Now, bring up one of the pieces of shrink tubing and heat it. Let it cool a bit BATTERY
before sliding the other one over it. This will make a very strong connection. That’s it, the new Hyperion 3S 1800mAh
connector is now ready for your batteries. (hyperion-world.com)
it. It just took a simple toss and the EasyGlider

was off and flying, and after a bit of trimming,
the flight was straight and true. Most of my
flight was done at about one-quarter throttle
and gliding without the motor. I found the
recommended control throws to be just about
perfect for my flying style, and they are a
good starting point for any pilot. Setting up
for landing was easy; the plane does glide for
some distance. I had the EasyGlider at about
eye level when it came around on final, and
that allowed it to land at my feet.
was able to hold onto a knife-edge for some PILOT DEBRIEFING
GENERAL FLIGHT PERFORMANCE distance. This is a great-flying glider, and I would
Stability: Solid at all speed and throttle levels, Glide and stall performance: This is where recommend this plane to any pilot, beginner
this plane feels really good in the air. Even this plane really shines. Glides are lengthy or expert. Flying is as easy as it gets because
when slowing down for landing, I never felt the and smooth with little altitude loss. Stalls this plane has smooth and gentle flying
need to add power for the lack of stability. can happen, but it does take some really characteristics.
Tracking: The solid stability of this plane leads slow speeds.
to nice tracking performance. It didn’t matter if
the throttle was on or off—when I let go of the BOTTOM LINE
sticks, this glider tracked through the sky in a Setup and construction only takes about an hour, and it is simple and easy
straight line with little altitude loss. to understand. While you do get some good flight times from the battery, I
Aerobatics: Not an aerobatic aircraft, but it would recommend getting one or two additional batteries for more flights.
will do combinations of loops and rolls. I was Designed for the beginner, this is the perfect easy-to-fly aircraft to get started
impressed at just how well it performed both in the world of RC, and for the experienced RC pilot, it is a very relaxing plane
maneuvers—even more so when I found it to fly.
MARCH 2018 37

PILOT REPORT
Tower Hobbies
Sbach 3D EP
An awesome aerobatic balsa bird
BY MIKE GANTT PHOTOS BY JOHN REID
There will always be a place in my hangar for a built-up

balsa-and-ply model airplane (or two!). On the short list and
fresh off the laser-cut light-ply assembly line is the Tower
Hobbies Sbach, which is an electric aerobatic machine.
Intermediate/advanced pilots will enjoy the energetic
aerobatics that are achievable. Using the recommended
4-cell power system (or similar) will give the plane unlimited
vertical performance and plenty of pullout power while
flying it poststall. Four mini servos and a small receiver
round out the required guidance gear. This plane was
assembled with some 30-minute epoxy, both thin and
thick CA glues, and a bit of blue thread-locker. Instructions
with good photos and verbiage are included and are also
available online for on-screen viewing. The plane’s structure AT A G L A N C E
looks great, and the covering scheme is fantastic while MODEL
also being extremely visible. Perhaps the ferocious scale Sbach EP
police will find the model a little different than the full-scale MANUFACTURER
airplane, but at this price point, who cares? After all, I’m Tower Hobbies
(towerhobbies.com)
hucking this bird, not entering Top Gun with it. In addition
to the built and covered airframe parts, you get aluminum WINGSPAN
49.5 in.
landing gear, plug-in wings, and a complete hardware
PILOT SKILL LEVEL
package, which will keep you from having to go back to Intermediate/advanced
the hobby shop or, worse, waiting for something to ship.
ASSEMBLY TIME
A fiberglass cowl, fiberglass wheel pants, and a spinner 8 to 12 hours
are also in the box, and everything was well packaged/ RADIO REQ’D
protected upon arrival. 4-channel
POWER REQ’D
42mm brushless
outrunner, 925 watts (or more)
PRICE
$140.00
W H AT W E L I K E
+ Cool color scheme
+ Removable wings for

transport
+ Extremely agile
+ Outstanding power
PR Tower Sbach EF0318.indd 38 11/21/17 4:51 PM

T O W E R H O B B I E S S B A C H 3 D E P
TWO EVENING SESSIONS HAD THE SBACH RANGE CHECK READY FROM THE TIME WHEN
THE BOXES WERE INITIALLY OPENED. AS AN ARF, THIS MODEL WILL REQUIRE A LITTLE
WORK TO BE COMPLETED BY THE END USER. THE INSTRUCTIONS ARE GOOD AND THE
PICTURES ARE PLENTIFUL, MAKING THE FINAL ASSEMBLY PROCESS PAINLESS.
MARCH 2018 39

T O W E R H O B B I E S S B A C H 3 D E P
Above: The recommended Rimfire motor puts out some serious power and can be bolted right on.
Below: The hatch is engaged and stays put under spring-loaded tension.
The 49-inch-span plane easily fits on a table and can quickly be set up
for flight.
UNIQUE FEATURES favor and (always) go over your covering seams covering it up. Metric hardware is provided, and
When the big brown truck dropped off the and verify proper adhesion to the airframe. You everything needed is included in a few sealed
double-boxed Sbach, I opened it up and can also do your model and yourself something bags. Since my fingers wouldn’t cooperate with
removed all the wood parts from their plastic solid by going over the higher-stress airframe the included pull-pull string, I went to my bench,
bags to acclimate things. First thing I noticed areas with some thin CA—specifically, areas pulled out some #60 braided line, and made
was that CA hinges are employed throughout. such as the motor box, wing joiner, servo trays, the swap. Kudos goes to the manufacturer for
While the ailerons arrive prehinged, the tail and landing gear. Hobbico has some sweet CA providing a few extra swages in the kit. If you
surfaces do not, likely due to the shipping applicator tips, which, when added to the end go with the recommended RimFire motor, the
carton size. As with most heat-shrink-covered of a glue bottle, are perfect for doing this. In the install is straightforward and simple because the
balsa birds built overseas, a bit of iron and air, an ounce of prevention is definitely worth
heat-gun work was in order. Do yourself a a pound of cure. It took me about an hour to
iron out and retighten all seven airframe parts
and a few more minutes to glue the previously
GEAR USED mentioned areas. The large hatch is held in place
RADIO with spring-loaded rods up front and wood
Tactic TTX650 and TR625 receiver tabs in the rear. It takes a little persuasion to
(tacticrc.com); four Futaba S3150 servos remove it, and this tells me that it will definitely
(futabarc.com) stay put in flight. The fiberglass work is well
MOTOR done, as the cowl and wheel pants are glassy
RimFire .32 (electrifly. smooth and painted to match the covering
com); Castle Creations ICE Lite 75 colors. The cowl itself is held to the fuselage
(castlecreations.com) with four screws, which feed into preinstalled
T-nuts. The wheel pants are held on to the
BATTERY
FlightPower 4S 3300mAh 25C mains via the axles, and I had to remove a bit
(flightpowerbatteries.com) of material from their interiors to make them
fit properly. This could be avoided if the axles
PROP themselves had a longer threaded section, but
APC 14x7e (apcprop.com); Xoar 14x7
it was an easy two-minute mod. A nice precut
PJN (xoarintl.com)
decal sheet is included, but this Sbach has a There is lots of room available to move the battery
gorgeous color scheme and I just couldn’t bear around.

Also Known as “XA42”
The Sbach 342, which is really a
marketing name for the XA42, was
designed by Philipp Steinbach along with
Albert Mylius and built by XtremeAir of
Germany. Introduced in 2007, the aircraft
is described as an unlimited two-seater
aerobatic monoplane and is a composite/
carbon-fiber structure with fixed
conventional landing gear and tailwheel. A
Lycoming AEIO-580-B1A 315hp 6-cylinder
piston engine spins an 80-inch, 3-blade
propeller.
The XA42
is simply
the tandem
version of
the single-seater XA41 (Sbach category during the German Aerobatic Championships. Perhaps
300), which was designed by the when a plane flies that well it is worth sharing with others,
same team in Speyer in 2004. and the tandem cockpit Sbach was developed. Said XA42
That XA41 prototype was built received a type certificate from the European Aviation Safety
by a small but experienced team Agency in March 2011. In November 2012, it received its type
of five people in just four and a certification through the Federal Aviation Administration.
half months, from construction Performance for the two-seater isn’t at all sluggish, giving
start to its test flight on May pilots a maximum speed of 256mph, a service ceiling of 15000,
19, 2006. A few months later, G limits of +/-10, and a roll rate of 450°/second. Anyone want to
the aircraft won in the Unlimited go for a ride?
tailwheel does a good and knife-edge flight presented no challenge

job getting you where to this airframe. There was some coupling here
you want to go. and there, and I expected it with my initial use of
a fairly forward CG.
GENERAL FLIGHT Glide and stall performance: The first test flights
PERFORMANCE were conducted from a 200x300-foot grassy
Stability: Supersize area, and I couldn’t be happier with the model’s
tail surfaces, large forgiving performance in that space. The
control surfaces, and airplane is great at flying slow and making fairly
an aft center of gravityquick turns without snapping out. Around here,
(CG) are designed to flight tests are really tests, so after pushing
create and control an things a little too far, I’m happy to report the
unstable airplane. This Sbach recovers quickly and will fly out of a stall
combination also allows easily.
The control linkages are easy to set up and adjust. I used a larger elevator servo
horn for more throw.
aerobatic aircraft to do
what we love. That said, PILOT DEBRIEFING
motor box is laser-etched with the appropriate the large tailplane also acts as a super-stabilizer It’s always nice when an ARF model is
motor-mount hole locations. and helps keep things smooth while flying in completed and ready to fly and that it’s at the
the pattern. weight specified in the instruction manual. At
IN THE AIR Tracking: After three or four clicks of trim, the 62 ounces, this Sbach finished out on the lighter
The Sbach does fine on short grass and even Sbach stayed on point quite well and tracked side, which is always welcome. With a wing
better on hard-packed surfaces; tall grass straight ahead at all speeds with little effort. cube loading of just a hair over 10, it has plenty
may tax the gear too much. Short takeoffs Aerobatics: My initial flight had me at ease of energy for tumbles yet can also fly low-and-
are possible, so little runway room is needed immediately, so it was off to the races. Torque slow 3D well.
for departures. Once the wheels leave the rolls, high-alpha rollers, inverted harriers, snaps,
ground, the plane can pull up and go vertically
for as long as your eyes feel comfortable, but BOTTOM LINE
be advised that it gets small fast! Returns will
require a little more room but not much; sports
Two evening sessions had the Sbach range check ready from the time when
fields or similar should be big enough for most the boxes were initially opened. As an ARF, this model will require a little work
pilots. The plane slows down nicely, making to be completed by the end user. If you are proficient with standard modeling
touchdowns predictable. The rollout after tools/glues and have assembled a “built-up” model airplane or two before, you
landing is somewhere between 15 and 30 feet, will find no surprises. The instructions are good and the pictures are plentiful,
depending on the surface. Back on the ground, making the final assembly process painless. Although not necessary, my only
the Sbach rolls around well; the steerable recommendation would be to seal the hinge gaps.
MARCH 2018 41

RADIO
ROUNDUP
TOP PICKS FOR PROGRAMMABLE RC SYSTEMS
BYTHE ELECTRIC FLIGHT CREW
Whether you’re a relatively new RC modeler looking to step up to a radio with

more features, or an experienced pilot wanting to see what else is out there
for programmable transmitters, this radio roundup highlights some of our
editors’ top picks for midlevel systems. We selected these six radios because
they’re ideal for the sport flier and have lots of features for the price, making
them excellent values. Each is a good investment that will pay you dividends
in savings, performance, and ease of use.
Radio Roundup_V2.indd 42 11/21/17 4:53 PM

Spektrum DX6e
$179.99
For the price, the Spektrum DX6e programmable radio offers value. Using
the same DSMX technology and easy-to-use AirWare programming found
in the higher-priced pro-level Spektrum transmitters, the DX6e is loaded
with features normally not found in this price range. For newcomers to
the hobby as well as experienced RC pilots, this well-equipped 6-channel
radio system is a great investment. Beginners can grow into it as their
airplanes become more advanced, and sport pilots will appreciate all the
bells and whistles.
The well-laid-out transmitter has all the standard two- and three-
position switches for mixes, auxiliary channels, and dual rate selection,
and a Bind push button at the upper left. The on/off power
switch is recessed. When switching off the transmitter, you
depress the switch for about three seconds so that there are
no accidental power interruptions. A stylish neck-strap hook is
integrated into the case design, but a lanyard is not included.
With its 250-model memory, we like the way the programming
makes the memory menu easy to navigate. Only the memory
slots that appear are the ones that have model settings saved
to it. This means that you don’t have to scroll through a bunch
of empty slots or move models around should you delete any.
With an attractive price of only $179.99 (with receiver), the
DX6e is far from being just a budget radio. It is a feature-rich
6-channel radio, and it has all the features you’d expect from a
more expensive system.
SPECIFICATIONS
Model: Spektrum DX6e
Manufacturer: Spektrum
(spektrumrc.com)
Distributor: Horizon
Hobby (horizon
hobby.com)
Band: 2.4GHz
Model memory: 250
System: DSMX, DSM2
Telemetry: Yes
Receiver: AR610
(included)
Price: $179.98
WE LIKE
ii 250-memory capacity
ii Easy programming
ii Budget price
MARCH 2018 43

RADIO ROUNDUP
Hitec Aurora 9X
$339.99
The Aurora 9X has four times the resolution (4096) of
the original Aurora 9, and features Hitec’s triple protocol,
allowing selection from the G1 and G2 Adaptive Frequency
Hopping Spread Spectrum (AFHSS), featuring bidirection
and single direction, and Secure Link (SLT) 2.4GHz
technology. The 9X can be used with any transmitter-
ready (Tx-R) model using the SLT protocol as well as
Hitec’s Optima, Minima, and Maxima receivers.
The Aurora 9X has a dual processor, for improved (low-latency) interface response
speeds of 7ms, as well as an extensive telemetry monitoring system and more
than 30 additional programming enhancements. Like the previous version, the 9X
retains the same easy-to-read, 5.1-inch-wide backlit touchscreen. All the switches
are dynamically assignable for the ultimate in easy setup and function placement.
Available with a variety of receivers and as a “transmitter-only” package, you can
order the 9X exactly the way you want it. Another neat feature is an internal vibration
device, so you can choose the feel of the transmitter’s programming
cues and warnings. Most of the mixes have an optional 7-point curve
adjustment. There are four 3-position switches and three 2-position
switches, all assignable.
Everything about navigating its program menus and
adjusting the radio’s features is easy and intuitive. From
the custom submenu to collect your favorite functions
and mixes to assigning switch functions and adding
telemetry function for increased in-flight awareness,
the Aurora 9X provides complete control.
SPECIFICATIONS
Model: Aurora 9X
Manufacturer: Hitec RCD
(hitecrcd.com)
Distributor: Tower Hobbies
(towerhobbies.com)
Band: 2.4GHz
Model memory: 30
System: AFHSS (single- and
bidirection) and SLT
Telemetry: Yes
Receiver: Not included
Price: $339.99
WE LIKE
ii Touchscreen interface
ii Easy setup and
programming
ii Custom screens

SPECIFICATIONS
Model: Taranis X9D Plus
Manufacturer: FrSky
(frsky-rc.com)
Distributor: HobbyKing
(hobbyking.com)
Band: 2.4GHz
Model memory: 60
(expandable with SD card)
System: ACCST
Telemetry: Yes
Receiver: X8R (included)
Price: $230.48
WE LIKE
ii Clean, ergonomic
design
ii Fully programmable
switches and functions
ii Unlimited programming
FrSky Taranis X9D Plus

$230.48
If you like flexibility and the ability to configure your hardware to your particular
tastes, then the FrSky Taranis X9D Plus is for you. Control assignments, transmitting
format, and even the internal firmware can be tailored to fit your individual tastes.
Distributed by HobbyKing, the Taranis is a comfortable-to-hold 2.4GHz transmitter
capable of up to 16 channels. The transmission format is the ACCST frequency-
hopping spread spectrum, and it’s compatible with FrSky’s X series, D series, and
V8-II series receivers. With X and D series receivers, the Taranis can receive real-time
telemetry and will warn you of signal degrades. The X9D also includes a module port
that will accept Spektrum or OrangeRX modules.
Dominated by a large backlit LCD display, the X9D has a variety of two- and three-
position switches, sliders, and knobs, all of which can be configured to control any
function. The radio offers both voice and vibrating prompts to keep you informed
about flight time, low-voltage alarms, and selected flight modes.
Programming is straightforward; you can use the setup wizards or enter settings
manually. The X9D’s mixer capability is truly amazing.
With 64 programmable mixers, you’re unlikely to ever run
out. Telemetry-capable receivers, like the X8R, include
a jumper so that you can select the binding mode. Once
bound, the receiver is assigned to that model memory,
making it nearly impossible to select the wrong model.
Including a completely open programming structure, the
Taranis X9D Plus requires a little more study and initial
setup than some other computer radios, but once you
master the programming and operation, there’s almost
nothing it can’t do.
MARCH 2018 45

RADIO ROUNDUP
Futaba 10J
$319.99
The Futaba 10J boasts an array of features usually found only on high-end, pro-level
transmitters. It has a modern case design with no visible antenna and a backlit, easy-
to-read main display. The 2.4GHz FHSS system includes multirotor, airplane, helicopter,
and glider programming with user-updatable software and a 30-model memory as well
as multirotor programming. The 10J is easily within the budget of the average pilot
and even for first-time pilots.
The 10J is available in two versions: Airplane (10JA) and Helicopter (10JH), both
of which have the same programming. The difference is in the switch layout and
the throttle—the heli version having a smooth throttle versus the airplane version’s
ratcheting throttle. No servos are included, allowing the pilot to choose the appro-
priate ones for the aircraft. In addition to the 10J transmitter, a R3008SB receiver,
switch harness, neck strap, and instruction manual are included. The system is
compatible with all Futaba FHSS receivers. To take advantage of the telemetry fea-
tures, a T-FHSS Air receiver, such as the included R3008SB, is required. The default
communication system is T-FHSS but can be switched to S-FHSS for other receivers
without telemetry. A variety of sensors are available to help you remotely monitor the
aircraft’s condition. No sensor is needed for the receiver voltage data. For aircraft
with many servos, you can use the S.Bus/S.Bus2 system to simplify servo wiring and
clean up their installations.
SPECIFICATIONS
Model: 10J
Manufacturer: Futaba
(futabarc.com)
Distributor: Hobbico
(hobbico.com)
Band: 2.4GHz
Model memory: 30
System: T-FHSS Air, S-FHSS
(switchable)
Telemetry: Yes
Receiver: R3008SB
(included)
Price: $319.99
WE LIKE
ii Easy to program
ii High-end functions
ii Multirotor program
menu

SPECIFICATIONS
Model: HoTT MZ-12
Manufacturer: Graupner
(graupner.de)
Distributor: Open Hobby
(openhobby.com)
Band: 2.4GHz
Model memory: 20
System: FHSS
Telemetry: Yes
Receiver: GR-16L
(included)
Price: $149.00
WE LIKE
ii Budget price
ii Integrated telemetry
screen
ii Easy programming
Graupner MZ-12
$149.00
The MZ-12 is packed with many amenities. The switches are placed for ease of access,
and polished hex-head fasteners lock on the silver gimbal surround plate. Digital trim
tabs and eight directional/selection buttons handle all adjustments and program
setups. The short hinged antenna can be pointed straight out or folded out of the way
at 90 degrees to the case. The silver power switch has raised tabs for positive touch
activation. When powered up, the main logo illuminates in red and the 128x64 backlit
screen lights up in blue. Sixteen bits of info are listed on the main screen, displaying
transmitter/receiver signal strength, radio/receiver
voltages, timers, trim settings, trainer status, model
type, and more. Two operating instruction manuals
are mostly filled with screen shots and info about
navigating through them. An 8-channel, lightweight
receiver (GR-16L) is included, along with a neck strap.
Built-in telemetry includes an integrated screen in
the menu list for easy access. You can see the receiver’s
(in-flight) operating voltage and signal power among
other important flight data, with optional modules/
sensors. The MZ-12 has two extra digital channels when
this combo is used, so more receivers can be connected
to the primary receiver, allowing you to have up to
32 channels. The unique Graupner HoTT transmission
system features built-in telemetry right out of the box.
Programming is intuitive.
MARCH 2018 47

RADIO ROUNDUP
SPECIFICATIONS
Model: FlySky i10
Manufacturer: FlySky
(flyskyrc.com)
Distributor: FlySky
(flyskyrc.com)
Band: 2.4GHz
Model memory: 20
System: AFHDS 2A
Telemetry: Yes
Receiver: 10-channel
(included)
Price: $169.99
WE LIKE
ii Good value
ii Slim, easy-to-hold case
ii Unique display screen
FlySky i10
$169.99
Distributed by Diamond Hobby, the FlySky FS-i10 10-channel radio includes a
10-channel telemetry-capable receiver and four telemetry sensors—one each for
temperature and voltage and two for rpm. Other goodies include an I-Bus receiver,
extensions for the sensors, a bind plug, and reflective foil/magnets for the rpm
sensors. A 55-page instruction manual is on the included CD.
The first thing you notice while handling the transmitter is how incredibly thin it is.
It’s probably half the thickness of a normal transmitter, which also makes it very light.
The interface screen is front and center, and presents a lot of information without
being too busy.
Under the transmitter battery is a port for an SD card. If desired, an external USB
charger and extra transmitter battery pack are available. Using a 2.4GHz AFHDS 2A
(Automatic Frequency Hopping Digital System 2), the radio is designed for fixed-wing
planes, helicopters, and gliders. Loaded with features that you normally wouldn’t
see in a budget radio system, it has a 20-model memory, which is virtually unlimited
with the use of an SD card. The high-resolution color home screen has a touchscreen
interface, and a stylus (stored in the transmitter’s bottom back right corner) is
included to navigate the menus. Using the interface quickly becomes familiar as it’s
much like a smartphone. Eight switches (two three-position and six two-position) and
three rotating knobs and slider switches are all assignable.

SPECIFICATIONS
Model: TTX660
Manufacturer: Tactic
(tacticrc.com)
Distributor: Hobbico
Tactic TTX660
(hobbico.com)
System: FHSS SLT
Band: 2.4GHz
Model memory: 30
Telemetry: No
$139.99
The newest programmable radio to join the Tactic brand of user-friendly radios, the new 6-channel TTX660
Receiver: Optional (not
performs extremely well and has many intuitive features. The TTX660 offers six multiposition switches; two
included)
slider levers; one dial switch; four digital trims; two adjustable, ball-bearing-supported control sticks; a large
Price: $139.99
blue backlit LCD main display screen; and six easy-to-use programming buttons. There is a blue power LED
indicator above the transmitter’s power switch, which starts to flash when the battery voltage drops to about
We Like
4 volts. The radio has programming for three aircraft types—airplane, helicopter, and drone—and a 30-model
ii Easy to program
memory. Featuring Secure Link Technology (SLT) found with all Tactic radios, the Tactic 660 is compatible with
ii Selectable switch
all Tactic SLT receivers. It can also be used with all the Transmitter-Ready (Tx-R) Flyzone, Great Planes, and
assignments
Heli-Max aircraft.
ii Drone programming
The switches on this transmitter are assignable. Identified with the letters A through H, they’re shown
on the menu screen as “SA” for switch A through “SH” for switch H. The screen’s graphic display shows the
various positions of each switch, so it is easy to assign your various functions to the switches you want. All the
switches are two-position switches except switches E and B, which by default are three-position switches. The
two new slider levers (switches I and J) as well as switch B and knob C are not assigned to a function. Switch F
(trainer switch) is spring loaded.
Other standard functions include adjustable LCD screen contrast; adjustable digital trims with slow/fast
adjustment; servo reversing; endpoint adjustment and subtrims for all channels; dual rates and exponential
for aileron, elevator, and rudder; up to 6-point throttle curves; throttle cut and timers (a countdown timer,
count-up stopwatch, and a flight timer); and a throttle hold function. An economical radio system, the TTX660
has a lot of advanced features, making it an excellent value.
MARCH 2018 49

PILOT REPORT
Blejzyk Mefisto AT A G L A N C E
Stylish design fused with MODEL
solid performance Mefisto 1.9
TEXT & PHOTOS BY JOEL NAVARRO MANUFACTURER

Blejzyk
DISTRIBUTOR
Aloft Hobbies (alofthobbies.com)
Harnessing the power of the wind like birds WINGSPAN

74.9 in.
have for millions of years can be a satisfying
PILOT SKILL LEVEL
feeling. Polish glider manufacturer Blejzyk Intermediate
(pronounced BLY-zick) has been producing
ASSEMBLY TIME
high-quality gliders for years that fuse style 4 hours
and performance beautifully, and its 1.9-meter RADIO REQ’D
Mefisto is imported by Aloft Hobbies. Available 6-channel
in a thermal or slope-wing airfoil, the “full- POWER REQ’D
house” wing features ailerons and flaps for 4.8- to 6-volt 1300mAh NiMH
unlimited radio mixing and is finished in a PRICE
veneer hardwood. The lightweight fiberglass $166.00
fuselage mounts a balsa-wood V-tail in the

W H AT W E L I K E
rear, then is reinforced with carbon and Kevlar
for optimal strength. The fuselage features + 80 percent prebuilt
pushrod V-tail controls and a slip-on nose + Full-house wing
cone that conceals all your electronics. You + Strong, lightweight fuselage
will need a computer radio capable of mixing + Solid performance in light and
heavy winds
and six servos to finish the build. The Mefisto
is 80 percent prebuilt and is intended for the
intermediate to advanced pilot.
I can’t ask for a

better home slope
than the beautiful
coastline in
Carlsbad, California.
PR Blejzyk Mefisto EF0318.indd 50 11/21/17 4:47 PM

B L E J Z Y K M E F I S T O
THE MEFISTO FINDS A HAPPY MEDIUM OFFERING THE COMPACT

1.9M DESIGN WITH THE PERFORMANCE OF LARGER GLIDERS.
FINISHING BUILDING THE MEFISTO WAS EASY, WITH ONLY
MINIMAL MATERIALS NEEDED. IN THE AIR, YOU CAN TURN THE
MEFISTO INTO ANYTHING YOU WANT—A LAZY SUNDAY FLIER OR A
SPEED MACHINE THAT CAN PERFORM ANYTHING YOU ASK OF IT.
Although a 1900mm wingspan is on the small size

as far as gliders go, it’s still a 6-foot 2-inch wing!
MARCH 2018 51

B L E J Z Y K M E F I S T O
are clear but short GEAR USED

and sweet. As I
RADIO
was inspecting the
Spektrum DX9 and AR636
contents of the box,
receiver (spektrumrc.com); KS-Servo
I found the build HD 47MG servos
quality of all the
airframe parts to BATTERY
4-cell 1300mAh 4.8-volt NiMH
be of the highest
(included)
quality in fit and
finish. The real star
of this glider is the
wing. Covered with traditional model or finished with wood stain,
a hardwood veneer, which is what I chose to do. The ailerons and
the leading edge flaps are cut from the same veneer sheeting
features a triple taper as the rest of the wing and are mounted using
The lightweight pushrods that control the V-tail feature silky-smooth operation
design, which works live hinges for smooth operations while, at the
for ultimate control. To minimize flex, I added small pieces of plywood where the
control horns mount. its way out to the same time, keeping any gaps tight. The things
beautifully shaped you’ll need to finish the wing are installing four
UNIQUE FEATURES curved-up wingtips. slim wing servos with wire extensions, making
The Mefisto isn’t a kit yet it’s also not ready The trailing edge of the wing is where the cutouts and mounting the servos, installing the
to fly. It comes about 80 percent prebuilt, real magic happens. Aloft Hobbies decided to threaded pushrods with clevises, gluing the
which leaves the modeler with a few hours only import the Mefisto that includes the flap wing joiners and endcaps, and making the wing
of assembly to do. The first thing I did upon option. Coupling the aileron/flap setup to a mounting system. The wing does involve the
opening the box was read the instructions a computer radio capable of mixing unlocks the most assembly, but it’s not very much. Moving
couple of times. This sailplane is intended for Mefisto’s unlimited flight mode possibilities. toward the rear, the balsa-wood V-tail comes
intermediate pilots and up, so the instructions The wood veneer can either be covered like a with the control surfaces already hinged and
glued. You have the option of gluing the V-tail
to the fuselage or mounting it with a couple
of nylon screws, allowing for disassembly and
easy transport. To keep everything lightweight,
I decided to glue the V-tail in place. The only
modification I recommend for the tail is making
and mounting a couple of square pieces where
the plastic V-tail clevises attach to reinforce
the area they are mounted and to minimize
flex. The elegant fuselage includes an inner
nose cone to mount your electronics and
an outer cone to protect them. The inside
is carbon reinforced to increase structural
integrity.
The inner nose cone has plenty of room for your V-tail servos and the 4-cell 1300mAh NiMH receiver battery,
which is included with the Mefisto. IN THE AIR
You can keep the Mefisto simple and use a
4-channel radio with a servo Y-harness for
the V-tail and flaps, and it will fly just fine. If
you want to truly fly, though, without limits,
use a 6+-channel (if you want to add a motor
and prop) computer radio capable of mixing.
I decided to go with the Spektrum DX9 Black
Edition, which can do anything and everything.
When I was ready to power the Mefisto up for
the first time, I had an idea of all the mixing
options I wanted to do with the ailerons, flaps,
and V-tail rudder/elevator mixing. I started
with the wing and assigned switches on the
top right side of the radio to the different
flight modes the programming had to offer,
which included a Launch mode, Cruise mode,
Thermal mode, and Speed mode. The landing
modes I assigned to the right front switches
on the radio were for landing flaps at half and
full deflection, spoilers, and crow (flaps down/
Four servos control the beautiful veneer-covered wood full-house wing. When used with a computer radio, the ailerons up) with half and full deflection. The
mixing possibilities are endless. left front switches of the radio I assigned to

a few flight-enhance mixes that included The wing’s dihedral, triple-tapered leading slope. There’s no need to be concerned
an aileron/flap mix to increase the roll rate, edge and efficient airfoil contribute to super- about sketchy landings; the Mefisto had no ill
an aileron/rudder mix, snap flaps, and low/ stable flight. tendencies when it was low and slow.
medium/high rates for the ailerons. The final Tracking: The sleek construction of the Mefisto
step before the first flight was balancing on allows it to penetrate the wind with very little PILOT DEBRIEFING
the center of gravity. At the recommended effort, and its precise geometry and slippery When you’re ready to step up your glider game,
74mm from the leading-edge starting point, aerodynamics allow it to fly exactly where the Mefisto is the perfect glider for you. With
the Mefisto was a bit tail-heavy, only requiring you point it. At no time during testing did the a budget price of $166, it offers the advanced
14g of lead weight in the nose. Ready to fly, Mefisto feel as if it had wandered or flown features of a glider that costs five times more.
the Mefisto weighed in at a light 643g, which astray; it was just point-and-shoot action. It’s an excellent way hone your flight-mode
should make it a great performer in light winds. Aerobatics: The recommended 9mm elevator and mixing skills with a solid full-house wing
On the day of the maiden flight, the winds up/down with rudder left/right throw gave that performs well within a large range of
were blowing from the west at 10 to 11mph; the Mefisto plenty of pitch and yaw control, wind conditions accompanied with a precision
it was a light wind day but from the perfect and the aileron 10mm up/6mm down throw V-tail. Assembly was a breeze as most of the
direction at my home slope at Dave’s Beach in yielded a respectable amount of quick roll rate. building is done for you. Finishing the wing and
Carlsbad, California. I did a couple of glide tests With that said, the Mefisto was able to perform the V-tail is up to you, and you are offered a
at a nearby park, and with all the controls in any aerobatic maneuver I commanded from it. couple of options. You can build the wing as a
their neutral position, the Mefisto only need Aerobatic performance was even better when one- or two-piece unit, and you can make the
a small amount of elevator up trim to make it I switched on my snap flaps and aileron/flap V-tail removable or fixed. There is plenty of
fly level. Back at the slope, I performed one mixes. room for the electronics, and once mounted,
last range test and off she went on her first Glide and stall performance: There is no it was easy to set up the control surfaces and
flight. The first thing I noticed was how easy question that the Mefisto had better-than- get everything dialed in before your first flight.
the Mefisto gained altitude versus my other great glide performance. The “slope” airfoil All the flight modes and mixes I programmed
gliders. With a couple of passes, it effortlessly proved to be versatile under various conditions, into the Mefisto proved effective and were
reached a higher altitude compared to whether it was in slope conditions on the translated accurately, as intended.
other times I’ve flown in this light of a wind. coast or in thermal conditions on a mountain
Response to my controls was surprisingly
BOTTOM LINE
crisp and immediate, which leads me to believe
that the Mefisto would excel in stronger wind Aloft Hobbies offers a large selection of Blejzyk gliders that range from compact
conditions. 1.5m to large 3m birds, which are specifically designed for various wind/thermal
conditions to competition scenarios. The Mefisto finds a happy medium offering
GENERAL FLIGHT PERFORMANCE the compact 1.9m design with the performance of larger gliders. Finishing
Stability: With a properly balanced center of building the Mefisto was easy, with only minimal materials needed (that you
gravity, the Mefisto’s large wing area yields probably already own) and taking only a few hours to complete. In the air, you can
great stability in all wind conditions. The real turn the Mefisto into anything you want—a lazy Sunday flier or a speed machine
test was performance in light wind conditions. that can perform anything you ask of it.
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Aerobatics Made Easy
By John Glezellis Illustration by FX Models
Flying the Cobra IF YOU FIND IT DIFFICULT

TO PERFORM THIS
with Half-Rolls MANEUVER, PRACTICE
EACH OF THE SEGMENTS
Upright and inverted flight in a triangle SEPARATELY UNTIL YOU
or something a bit out of the ordinary 45-degree upline. Perform a brief line and CAN PERFORM THE
F but not overly demanding, I would like

to cover an aerobatic maneuver called
the “Cobra with half-rolls.” If you are
interested in full-scale aerobatics,
another maneuver goes by a similar name: the
“Pugachev Cobra.”
The Cobra with half-rolls shows poststall
then perform a half-roll to an inverted
45-degree upline. Fly this line segment
the same length of the first line segment,
then pull 90 degrees into a 45-degree
downline. Again, perform a brief line
segment and then execute a half-roll into
an upright 45-degree downline. Note that
ENTIRE MANEUVER.
maneuvering as it displays an abrupt pitch the two half-rolls should be centered on

change and a high angle of attack. The move the line segments. As you near your entry
is similar to the wall, a common 3D maneuver altitude, pull a slight radius back to upright
where the model will transition abruptly from level fight at the same altitude as you
horizontal upright level flight to a vertical began the maneuver.
situation instantly with a hard pull on the You need to become proficient with
elevator control surface. Unlike the Cobra with inverted flight before tackling the Cobra.
half-rolls, however, the model will not return Practice the necessary corrections needed
back to upright level flight after performing the to keep your model on heading, and strive
wall. Three-dimensional aerobatics are exciting to be smooth on the controls. While this
to both watch and perform; however, I always may appear to be a fairly easy maneuver
like to stress the importance of practicing to perform, it will take time to perfect. This
maneuvers that will prepare the pilot for more maneuver combines upright and inverted
ENTER the maneuver.
advanced flight. So in a nutshell, this month’s flight all incorporated within a geometric
topic will do the trick. triangle.
Now, let’s simplify the control inputs
FIRST THINGS FIRST needed and divide the maneuver into four
Before we begin our discussion, let’s talk about steps:
computer radios. I’ve seen many RC pilots
use computer radios but not to their fullest Step 1. For the best possible presentation
1
potential. Be sure to dial in some exponential of this maneuver, orient your model Fly the model
(expo). Without this, a model can be very parallel to the runway while flying at about parallel to the
touchy on all control inputs, making it hard to 100 feet. The power setting needed to runway, and apply
maintain perfection. For a typical aerobatic perform this maneuver will vary from 75% power.
model to execute a maneuver like the Cobra, model to model as all power-to-weight
use about 12 degrees of elevator deflection, ratios differ. With a typical model, 75%
30 degrees of rudder deflection, and 15 throttle is needed for the maneuver.
degrees of aileron deflection. I recommend At about 150 feet before the model
that you start with about 20% expo and either approaches you, add throttle accordingly
increase or decrease the amount to your and begin a gradual pull to a 45-degree
liking. If you feel that your airplane is still very upline.
sensitive around neutral stick, increase the
expo amounts in 5% increments. Similarly, if Step 2. With the model on the 45-degree
your airplane is rather slow to respond, either upline, execute a half-roll centered on
decrease the amount of expo or increase the 45-degree climb portion of the
your endpoint settings for increased control- maneuver. I recommend that you count to
surface throw. Before adding expo, be sure to two (producing a two-second, 45-degree
check your transmitter’s instruction manual upline), perform the half-roll, and count
to ensure that you are adding the exponential to two again. Using the counting method
settings properly. gives you equal spacing, provided
that little or no wind exists. As the model of the downline segment. Again, either use
OVERVIEW approaches the top of the maneuver, you will the counting method or perform the half-roll
The maneuver begins from upright level flight need to pull back ever so slightly to bring the so that it is at the center of the downline
parallel to the runway. Keep in mind that the model into an inverted 45-degree downline, segment. After the half-roll is performed,
maneuver should be centered on the pilot. then decrease the throttle (to anywhere gradually increase throttle slightly to maintain
This means that the top of the maneuver between idle and 25% power). The center of airspeed if needed.
should be performed directly in front of you. the top radius should be directly in front of you.
While traveling parallel to the runway, increase Step 4. To end the downline, perform a gentle
throttle to maximum power and pull into a Step 3. Now perform a half-roll at the center radius (the same size as the first radius) to
AeroEZ0318.indd 56 11/21/17 4:29 PM

4 Decrease power,
and pull to a
45-degree downline.
3 Perform a
half-roll that
is to be centered
on the 45-degree
upline.
5 Centered on
the 45-degree
downline, perform a
half-roll.
6 Pull to level
upright flight.
2 Pull gently into a

45-degree upline.
EXIT the
maneuver in
straight and
level flight at the
same altitude as
the entry.
establish upright level flight. Now return the is no wind present, make all necessary rudder summary, make all necessary corrections to
throttle to 75% power, and exit the maneuver corrections to keep the model parallel to the ensure your airplane travels precisely on the
in upright straight and level flight. Now prepare runway. required flight path of the figure.
to give this maneuver another try. If there is some wind, especially a If you find it difficult to perform this
crosswind, try to keep your model parallel to maneuver, practice each of the segments
WIND AND TORQUE the runway. For example, the airplane can separately until you can perform the entire
You may find that, at times, you’ll need to hold be leaned 5 degrees out (the model’s nose maneuver. Until next time, safe flying and have
rudder input (usually right rudder) throughout leaning into the wind) so that the airplane fun!
the maneuver due to engine torque. If there doesn’t deviate from the flight path. In
MARCH 2018 57
AeroEZ0318.indd 57 11/21/17 4:29 PM

HOW TO
Repairs Made Easy

GET THAT BIRD BACK IN THE AIR QUICKLY BY THE ELECTRIC FLIGHT CREW
One thing that RC pilots know all too well is that accidents are bound to happen,
and when they do, chances are good that your plane is going to suffer some damage.
But in most cases, there is no reason to trash that crash; nearly all damage can be
repaired—it is just a matter of how much time you are willing to spend on it. Most of
the time, repairs are easy, and with a little effort, you can get that plane back in the air,
saving your hard-earned cash for a new plane instead of replacement parts.
Most electric planes are constructed out of foam or wood. Each material needs to be
repaired differently, but with a little time and effort, you can easily create an invisible
repair. Here is how to go about it.
FOAM FIXES Small Dents

MATERIALS NEEDED For small dents in the surface, sometimes it may be easier just to fill them in,
The supplies needed for most foam model repairs will depending on their location. But in most cases, you will want to replace that dent with
include a hobby knife with sharp replacement blades, some new foam, as we are going to do on this leading edge.
razor saw, masking tape, sanding bar with medium
sandpaper (100 to 150 grit), and some finer sandpaper
(220 grit). Glues that will be needed for foam will be 15-
and 30-minute epoxy, foam-safe CA adhesive, along with
some foam-safe accelerator. In addition, you’ll need some
matching foam-safe paint. Denatured alcohol is a good
mild solvent to clean the model surfaces..
Step 1: Cut away a section of

the damaged material using
a fine-tooth razor saw, and
glue in some new foam. We
like to use a small amount of
epoxy glue for this fix, but
you can use foam-safe CA.
Make sure the replacement
piece is a bit oversize, and
spray it with some foam-safe
accelerator. Apply the CA to
the cutout area and insert the
replacement piece, then hold in
place until the glue sets.
In the Workshop Repairs_V2.indd 58 11/21/17 4:58 PM

Step 2. Use a razor saw or
sharp hobby knife to remove
most of the unwanted
material, then use your
sanding block to smooth the
replacement piece.
Step 3. Use a little hobby filler around the edges to fill in any gaps;
Hobbico HobbyLite Filler is great for this.
Step 5. This is actually the hardest part of the entire repair: finding some
matching foam-safe paint to use. Usually, the manual provides some
indication of the color used, but if not, go to your local hobby store and
check out the Master Modeler and Tamiya brands of acrylic foam-safe
paint. If you find something close, you will be able to match it up by slightly
lightening or darkening the color. In real life, warbird repairs seldom
Step 4. When the filler is dry, use the fine sandpaper to smooth out the matched the rest of the airframe, so don’t dwell on it too much. Apply the
repair area. If you need to apply more filler around the repair area, this paint by using a couple of light coats rather than one thick coat of paint.
is the time to do it. Your final pass will ensure that the repaired area is This will help blend the colors and make for a seamless repair.
smooth and feathered out.
MARCH 2018 59

REPAIRS MADE EASY
Mending a Broken Wing

For those extreme hits that break a foam wing (or other parts) in two
or more pieces, repairs can be quite simple. Some of the great traits of
foam are that it is usually easy to piece back together and each part fits
together quite well.
Step 4. Cut a slot across the break and then insert a 1/2x5-inch piece
of 1/32-inch plywood to act as a brace to strengthen the wing. Use slow-
setting CA and insert the plywood so it is below the surface of the wing.
Let it dry.
Step 1. Mix equal parts of epoxy (15- or 30-minute) on a disposable

surface, such as a plastic-can lid. Mix well, and apply just enough epoxy to
cover the exposed ends of the break.
Step 2. Place some waxed paper under the wing pieces to keep the Step 5. Once the glue has dried, use some hobby filler and fill in the
repair area from sticking. Use some masking tape to hold the parts broken area and the brace slot. Let it dry and sand it smooth.
together while they rest flat on the work surface, on top of the waxed
paper. Using a paper towel and some denatured alcohol, wipe away any
excess epoxy that oozes from the repair. Check again after a few minutes
for any extra epoxy that may have made its way out over time.
Step 3. After the epoxy has set, remove the tape and use a sanding bar Step 6. Apply some matching foam-safe paint to the area, and let it dry.
to smooth out the repair. Using some fine sandpaper, sand the surface The repair is complete, but if you like, you can apply some decals over the
smooth and flush with the rest of the wing surface. repair area to completely cover the mended section.

BALSA FIXES
Another material used for our ARF aircrafts is balsa and light wood.
While this type of construction is much more complicated than
foam planes, it is still easy to fix. If you don’t have building skills,
then repairing this type of ARF might seem somewhat complicated.
But we assure you: It can be done, and you will save some big bucks
by doing the repairs yourself. One of the nice things about this type
of construction is that the planes are usually covered in heat-shrink
material, which is easy to use and find matching colors for. So let’s
see how to go about repairing this type of plane.
MATERIALS NEEDED Repairing a broken

For most repairs, the two most important
items are glue and a sharp hobby knife. A
leading edge
good selection of CA glues will be needed
(thin, medium, and thick) along with some
accelerator (kicker); for high-stress areas,
15- or 30-minute epoxy will fit the bill. A sharp
hobby saw is perfect for making smooth
crosscuts in the wood. A good hobby knife
with extra blades will be used for all other cuts.
When it comes time to smooth things out, you’ll
need a couple of sanding blocks or bars with
medium (100- to 150-grit) and fine (220- to
320-grit) sandpaper. If you need to remove
large amounts of material, a good razor plane
is helpful. Also, you’ll need a pencil and pen for
marking, along with a ruler, extra balsa, and
matching covering material. A covering iron and
heat gun will also be required for applying the
covering material.
Step 1. First things first—you have to be able to
see the damage. This will involve removing the
covering material so that you can see exactly
what is busted. Be light with your knife here;
don’t cut deeply into the covering and damage
the balsa sheeting underneath. Using a heat
gun or heat iron on the covering will help it
come up easier.

REPAIRS MADE EASY
Step 4. Here, you can see the replacement LE has been fitted snugly
into place. It is always best to have all replacement parts fit snugly into
place for a good glue joint. Now you can trace a replacement rib from
the undamaged rib next to the damaged one. This will be the best way
to reproduce the same replacement rib. Once the part is cut to shape,
place it against the damaged one, and make sure everything fits before
applying the glue.
Step 2. Now that you can see the damaged area, you need to remove
the sheeting around it. To make straight cuts, use a straightedge to guide
your hobby knife. When the sheeting is removed, you’ll be able to see if
there are any internal parts that need replacing.
Step 3. On this wing, we needed to replace the leading edge (LE) and
part of the rib. By notching out the old LE past the repair opening, you
can get a solid glue joint on the new LE. Using a good sharp razor saw will
make quick work of this joint cutting.

Step 5. Tack-glue the parts into place first, then lightly flow thin CA into Step 7. Using medium-grit sandpaper on a bar, start removing material
the cracks and seams to make sure everything is secure. Before replacing from the leading edge. Then, using fine sandpaper, shape and sand
the top and bottom wing sheeting, you will need to add some doubler strips everything flush and smooth. Next, start filling all the seams with a
under the edges of the undamaged sheeting so that the replacement lightweight spackling compound. To make the filler easier to apply, use a
sheeting has something to adhere to. Another good idea is to glue some damp sponge to lightly moisten the wood around the repair area. Press
doublers to the side of the ribs to form a strong base support for the ends the filler firmly into all the seams and dents, and let this all dry. Use 220-
of the new sheeting. grit sandpaper, sand everything so that it is level and smooth. Wipe and
clean all the dust off the model.
Step 8. Cut the matching

covering to usable lengths, and
use some rubbing alcohol to
degrease the covering around
the repair. Cut the covering about
1 inch larger than the repair area
so that it overlaps the existing
covering. Apply the covering using
the heat gun set to low, and start
working from the center of the
repair out to the edge. This will
help prevent any air bubbles from
forming under the covering. Go back over the covering using a higher heat
Step 6. The new setting, making sure to seal the edges well. Apply any trim covering using
sheeting has been glued this same method, being careful not to create air bubbles between the
in place, but before coverings. Be sure to seal down all the edges securely, and while you are
closing up the bottom of at it, check all the other edges and covering seams on the model and iron
the wing, reglue all the them down as well.
inside seams of the top
sheeting. This will ensure
that you have a strong FINAL THOUGHTS
bond everywhere. Add Don’t look now, but you have the skills to make many repairs that may
the rest of the sheeting, come along as you continue your flying career. The best part is that they
and let everything dry. are easy and fun to do, plus they can save you some big money, which
you can spend instead on new planes and accessories!
MARCH 2018 63

HOW TO: CHARGE LIPO BATTERIES
Powering up safely and efficiently TEXT & PHOTOS BY JOHN KAUK
It is important to always
adjust your charger correctly
for the size and type battery
you are charging.
A LiPo battery’s label has a lot of information on it: cell

count, nominal voltage, capacity in either amp hours (Ah) or
milliamp hours (mAh), and a recommended discharge rate or two
in terms of a multiple of the capacity. This discharge rate is the dreaded
“C rating,” which is a topic for another day. The only things you really need to
know to charge a LiPo well and safely are the battery voltage or cell count and
the capacity.
THE CHARGER an appropriate cell voltage, it becomes much eliminate errors that might cause problems:
The old-school chargers I started out with had harder to make a mistake. If the charger has • Check the battery with a voltage meter to
one pair of leads that connected to the power the cell count and the cell chemistry (LiPo, LiFe make sure that it actually needs charging.
leads on the battery. Either you selected the [lithium iron], etc.) has been selected, then all A battery checker that shows individual cell
cell count as part of the startup sequence, or that remains for a balance charge is to set the voltages is best.
the charger would read the battery voltage and charge current. All of the LiPo batteries that I’ve • Plug the power leads from the battery into the
guess at a cell count for you. Both methods used can be safely charged at a rate equal to the charger’s connectors.
were susceptible to error for various reasons. If battery capacity on the label, otherwise known • Plug the balance lead into the balancing port
you weren’t careful, you could end up charging a as a “1C charge rate.” A 5000mAh battery, or board.
3S LiPo at a 4S voltage, which would lead to an for example, would charge at 5000 milliamps • Confirm that the cell count shows up correctly
exciting conclusion. or 5 amps. Some manufacturers allow higher on the charger display.
Modern chargers have a connection for the charge rates and will note that on the label as a • Set the charge current equal to the battery
battery’s balance lead, so they can balance multiple of C, such as 2C or 3C. While it might be capacity on the label for a 1C charge rate.
the battery’s cells as they charge. This has safe to charge batteries at these higher rates if • Start the charge cycle.
several advantages over the older chargers. you need to, sticking with a 1C rate for routine • Verify that the voltage and current being
First, balance charging is much better for the charging will help the batteries last longer. applied to the battery are appropriate.
batteries. Second, the balance lead gives the • As the charge continues, monitor the process,
charger an accurate way to count the cells in CHARGING checking individual cell voltages. If something
a battery and measure the voltage of each Here’s the process that I go through every time doesn’t look right, stop charging and correct
cell. If the charger knows the cell count and that I charge a battery of any size. Doing it the the issue before continuing.
it has been programmed to stop charging at same way every time as part of a routine helps
HT_Battery Charging_EF0118.indd 64 11/21/17 4:38 PM

HOW MANY WATTS DO YOU NEED?
To determine if a charger is suitable for your
application, you must perform this calculation
to determine the maximum amp rate the
charger can supply: Start by dividing the watts
of the charger by the voltage of the battery
pack. This will tell you the maximum amp rate
the charger can deliver (watts/voltage = amps).
For an example, we have a 6S LiPo battery
pack and a charger that delivers 100 watts to
the charging port (keep in mind that a 100-watt
charger with two charging ports might only
deliver 50 watts per port). Divide 100 watts by
22.2 volts (6 cells) and you get 4.5 amps. This
means that the charger can supply a maximum
of 4.5 amps to a 22.2-volt 6S battery.
Of course, the charging amp rate would
gradually reduce as the battery voltage
increases during the charge cycle. In this
example, you could only charge a 6S 4500mAh
battery at a 1C charging rate. Any battery larger
than that would be charged at less than the 1C
rate, which means it might take a little longer
depending on the discharge of your battery.
BOTTOM LINE
With today’s balancing-charger designs,
These are two of the battery checkers that I use most often. The small one, a CellLog 8S, fits easily
charging a LiPo battery can be a safe and
into a pocket, so I always have it on hand. The larger one, a MaxPro LCD-6, stays in the charger case.
Both show individual cell voltages as well as the total battery voltage. stress-free process. Just remember to read the
battery label and keep in mind that a 1C rate is
usually a safe bet.
Important Charging
Safety Tips
DOs
Always balance-charge the battery. This can
help the charger detect any issue during the
charging process. It is also the best way to
Here is the iCharger 306B display before the charge begins. It shows the charging
extend the battery pack’s life. method in the top line and the selected charge current, battery voltage, and cell
Always use a LiPo charging bag for storage and count in the bottom.
during charging.
Always charge at 1C, when you have the time.
This puts less stress on the battery pack and
will allow more charges on the pack.
DON’Ts
Do not leave the battery in your model when
charging. The battery pack should always Here is the iCharger 306B display after the charging process starts. There’s a
be out of the model when connected to the lot of information there, including charge current and pack voltage up top with
charger. accumulated charge in mAh and elapsed time at the bottom.
Do not leave the battery unattended when
charging. This is perhaps the most important
rule—never leave it alone, and always be in the
same room.
Do not overdischarge the LiPo battery pack.
If your speed control cuts off, land the plane
right away; continuing to fly could ruin the
battery pack.
Here an iCharger 306B display shows individual cell voltages as the charge
progresses. When these get to 4.2 volts, the charge process is complete.
MARCH 2018 65
HT_Battery Charging_EF0118.indd 65 11/21/17 4:38 PM

Tailview
Text by Jim Ryan
Jim Soucek’s
Proctor Masterpiece
THE ALBATROS D.VA
ow and then, you come across a scale model that
N is so outstanding in its attention to detail that

you have to learn more about it. That was certainly
the case with the Albatros D.Va that Jim Soucek of
Mooresville, North Carolina, brought to the 2017 eWeek event
at Triple Tree Aerodrome.
This is one of those models where the longer you look, the more you see. The
D.Va has scale rigging wires and functional pull-pull cables. The lozenge color
scheme shows off well.
After watching Jim’s Albatros put in a flawless one, and you might wait close to a year for it, For the classic German lozenge camo, Jim
flight in the expert hands of his flying buddy but when it shows up, it’s like Christmas. The used preprinted fabric from Glenn Torrance
Ronnie Lambert, I had a chance to talk with hardware and everything is just beautiful.” Models, and he topped it off with scale rib
Jim about his beautiful World War I fighter. His With its plywood-skinned semi-monocoque stitching, using ribbon tape laminated over
comment that the project started as a Proctor fuselage, the Albatros is particularly suited to glued bits of fishing line and finished with
kit really brought back memories; when I got Proctor’s realistic structural approach, and Jim clear dope.
serious about aeromodeling some 30 years stained and finished the plywood to perfection. The Albatros is powered by a RimFire 65cc
motor on 12S 5000mAh cells, spinning a Xoar
25x12 prop. The all-up weight is a reasonable
29 pounds, and it flies in a beautifully scalelike
Jim Soucek’s gorgeous Albatros D.Va
was built from the Museum Scale Proctor manner. Although the Albatros looks
kit. With a 29-pound all-up weight and absolutely realistic, Jim took pains to make it a
generous power, the flight performance is practical flier too. Because of the close-fitting
impressively realistic. cowl, he mounted an aluminum fan on the
motor shaft for added cooling. For access to
the internals, he has only to pop the couplers
on the dummy cooling pipes to the upper-
wing radiator and the entire dummy engine
assembly and upper cowl lifts free. The flight
performance is flawless. After a series of low
photo passes, Ronnie showed off its nice slow
roll rate and then did some towering loops and
Immelmanns. The model looks as real in the
air as it does on the ground, and when Ronnie
greased the landing, there was applause the
length of the flightline.
ago, Proctor Enterprises was already famous The dummy engine is a

for its line of WW I–era “Museum Scale” kits. model in its own right.
These amazing models were so exacting in Jim says, “The wonderful
part of Proctor kits is
their attention to detail, down to scale control they’re all 100 percent
runs, flying wires, pulleys, and turnbuckles, scale. There may be two
that probably more were built for static or three thousand parts
display—sometimes left uncovered to show off in the kit—every nut bolt
the structure—than were actually completed and rivet—and you can
make it as scale as you
as flying models. In today’s ARF-intensive
want.” You can also see
world, I honestly didn’t know if they were still the cooling fan mounted
in production. Jim laughed and said, “Sure, they behind the spinner.
are! Proctor kits are just wonderful. You order
tailview0318.indd 66 11/21/17 4:56 PM

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EF 0318 Pgs 1 - 68 v1.indd 68 11/21/17 4:41 PM

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