Indholdsfortegnelse for February 2023 i Model Airplane News

THE HEAVYWEIGHTS Everybody loves big, scale warbirds: they look and sound like their full-scale brothers and always wow the crowd. In most every RC pilot’s journey, there comes a time when you want one of your very own—it’s inevitable. You can get started fairly quickly with an Almost Ready to Fly (ARF) model, and there a ton of terrific ARF options out there. You may also choose to build a big bird from plans, a kit, or assemble a composite ARF. But before you start on your giant-scale journey, there are a few things to know. These larger aircraft typically weigh significantly more and have much higher wing loadings than typical RC planes, and these factors require honed piloting skills. In this issue, longtime Model Airplane News contributor Rich Uravitch…

AT A GLANCE Model: Rafale 64mm Manufacturer: FMS Model (fmsmodel.com) Wingspan: 42 in. Pilot skill level: Intermediate Time to assemble: 10 minutes Power req’d: 4S 2200-2600mAh LiPo Radio req’d: 6-channel Price: $199.99 Packed with scale details uncommon in a jet this size and with a high-performance, 4S 11-blade electric-ducted-fan power system installed, this 64mm Rafale is a terrific option for intermediate pilots. It comes molded out of EPO with panel lines and with the NATO Tiger Meet scheme decals applied. As a plug-and-play model, all servos, linkages, and power system are installed along with the addition of an FMS Reflex V2 gyro, which is preloaded with the model’s settings. All the required hardware for assembly is included, so you simply use the foam-safe glue of your choice to install the…

No matter how careful you are, accidents and hard landings are a normal—if disappointing—part of the hobby. There’s no reason, however, to trash your foam crash! This article will show you how to get back into the air with very little effort. You also can save some cash by repairing your bent bird instead of buying new parts or an entirely new airplane. WHAT’S NEEDED You’ll need a hobby knife with sharp replacement blades, some masking tape, a sanding bar with medium sandpaper (100 to 150 grit), and some fine 220-grit sandpaper. For glue, you’ll need 15-minute two-part epoxy, foam-safe CA adhesive, and foam-safe accelerator. Denatured alcohol is good for cleaning the surface of the foam and for cleaning up excess epoxy from repairs. REMOVING DENTS STEP 1 STEP 2…

A 15th anniversary gift from Matt’s wife, this 800mm size Huey is built from a Roban kit from Motion RC. Matt built a test rig to fly the mechanics and get the bugs out prior to installing in the fuselage. After reading the Robert Mason novel “Chicken Hawk,” Matt knew he had to finish the Huey in First Air Calvary livery. PILOT PROJECT OF THE MONTH SPEEDY PETE E-4 Mark Sirianni, Kane, Pennsylvania Another in the line of “Pete” models designed by Mark is the “Speedy Pete,” a 42-inch-span model that is 43 inches long and weighs in at 42-ouces. The Speedy Pete uses an electric power system with a Hacker motor and reportedly flies very well. The Pete series of designs are named after Mark’s son. GICOLOR Francisco Reifschneider,…

Every pilot knows that flying an RC plane in a straight line and making a textbook, picture-perfect procedure turn is easier said than done! In this article, David Scott, the founder and flight instructor for 1st U.S. R/C Flight School as well as a full-size aerobatic pilot, shares his invaluable insights. When most people learn to drive a car, they work hard to keep the car going straight. This is mostly due to holding in the steering wheel corrections too long and trying to “steer” the car straight. Yet, after a while we’re able to keep the car straight with very little effort. The reason is that we develop an appreciation for the fact that most deviations can be corrected with a simple little nudge upon the wheel, and we’re…

Jets are cool. Get one out and set it up and you generally get the immediate attention of your fellow modelers and most spectators. If you want to take that cool to the next level, you can make the step up to a turbine-powered jet. Turbine jet flying is considered by many as the pinnacle of the hobby and the wide variety of models in many sizes of jets available attests to the popularity of what may be the fastest growing segment of the hobby. When you’re ready to take your flying to the next level, you need to learn a new skill set and like any other skill it will require both practice and some qualified assistance. When I picked up turbine jet flying several years ago, I felt…

The Standard J-1 was a primary trainer used by the Army Air Service from 1917 to 1918. The J-1 was developed from the earlier Sloan and Standard H series, designed by Charles Healey Day. A total of 1,601 J-1s were built. The J-1 was a large airplane with a wingspan of 43 feet, 10 inches and a flying weight of 2,100 pounds. The majority of the J-1s built were equipped with the Hall-Scott 4-cylinder 90hp inline engine. Though similar in appearance to the Curtiss Jenny, the J-1 was an entirely different airplane. It’s been said that the Jenny was easier to fly than the J-1, and due to the unreliable Hall-Scott engine and a propensity to catch fire while airborne, the J-1 never caught on. But after the War, many…

TAPERED SCREWS No matter how precisely you think you’ve drilled your holes in your model airplane, when it’s time to screw in bolts and other threaded fasteners that center up with the internal threads it is best to use a Dremel tool or bench grinder to taper the front end of the screw. This allows the fastener to self-center so that the threads don’t bind. I use this on cowl and other screws that are hard to get perfectly lined up. Tony Lively, Jacksonville, Florida INDEXING MARKS Even though you make a habit of using thread-locker on bolts, use a Sharpee marker to put index marks on critical bolts like engine mounts. Bolts in high-vibration areas should be checked regularly, and this is a great way to get a quick…

For many scale modelers, warbirds have the edge in popularity. It’s hard not to get pumped by Mustangs, Thunderbolts, Spitfires, Hellcats, and Me-109s. Although we generally don’t put them into the category, Panthers, F-86s, F-100s, and F-15s fit here also. Models of this type are generally larger, weigh more, and have higher wing loadings than other types, and require an awareness of what these factors mean when flying. It is here where “giant-sizing” our scale warbirds can provide benefits; bigger really does fly better! WHAT TO EXPECT Higher wing loadings are not all bad; they reduce the tendency of the model to be easily disturbed by wind gusts and makes landing approaches more predictable and precise. Once the rate of descent is established, it is easily controlled by the application…

It’s no surprise that Tim Dickey’s beautiful 1/4-scale Fairchild PT-23 has placed in the top spots at the AMA Scale Nationals, the NASA Championships, the Scale Masters, and Top Gun. It’s a beautifully executed aircraft, with precision scale details from its scale propeller to the pinked edging on its rudder. And when Tim starts up its radial four-stroke engine, everyone stops what they’re doing to see it fly. I caught up with Tim to learn more about what drives him to create scale models like this one and to get more details on his incredible 26-month build. Model Airplane News: How long have you been flying RC? Tim Dickey: I flew control-line as a kid, and I’ve been flying RC for about eight years. I’ve been competing in scale for…

Based in Switzerland, Flyability has been a dominant manufacturer of drones specialized for indoor and confined-space inspection since its original Elios took the $1 million prize in the United Arab Emirates’ “Drones for Good” competition in 2015. While it inaugurated an entirely new venue for drone operations, the original Elios was a handful for pilots. To ensure that it could keep flying after brushing up against an obstacle or even maintaining physical contact with the surface of a structure, the fairly conventional quadcopter was enclosed within an entirely unconventional carbon-fiber cage, which could rotate around the aircraft in three axes. This unique configuration made it possible for the aircraft to “roll” along floors, ceilings and walls. In the hands of a skilled pilot—a very skilled pilot—it could be invaluable for…