Electric Flight - February 2014

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ELECTRIC FLIGHT (USPS # 021-655; ISSN# 2159-0672) is published bimonthly by Air Age Media, 88 Danbury Road, Wilton, CT 06897 USA. Copyright 2013, all rights reserved. Periodicals postage permit paid at Wilton, CT and additional ofces. Canadian
Post Publications Mail Agreement No. 40008153. SUBSCRIPTIONS: Go to ModelAirplaneNews.com USA: call (800) 479-5849; Canada and elsewhere: call (386) 246-3323; fax (386) 447-2321. USA: $29 (1 year); Canada: $34 including GST (1 year); elsewhere:
$39 (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 Danbury Road, Wilton, CT 06897 USA; email: electricight@airage.com. We welcome 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: 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 06897 USA; (203) 431-9000; fax (203) 529-3010; sales@airage.com. CHANGE OF
ADDRESS: To make sure that you dont miss any issues, send your new address to Electric Flight, P.O. Box 420235, Palm Coast, FL 32142-0235 USA six weeks before you move. Please include an address label from a recent issue, or print the information exactly
as shown on the label. For faster service, go to ModelAirplaneNews.com and click on the customer service link. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Electric Flight, P.O. Box 420235, Palm Coast, FL 32142-0235 USA.
CONTENTS
Volume 13
Number 2
January 2014
56
32
38
6 | On the Web
8 | From the
Cockpit
10 | Airmail
12 | Shop Tips
14 | Current News
36 | AirAgeStore.com

Departments
ON THE COVER: Do you like your
aerobatic and sport ying a little on the
rugged side? With oats or tundra tires
attached, the new Carbon-Z Cub is the
bush plane for you. See page 18 for the
full story.

Features
22 Top 20 Field & Bench Guide
Editors picks for useful tools,
accessories, and gear
By the Electric Flight Crew
32 Pro Tips for a Perfect Finish
Its whats under the paint that makes the
dierence By Rob Caso
Pilot Reports
18 Exclusive! E-ite Carbon-Z Cub
A molded, giant-scale, aerobatic, bush plane
By Kevin Siemonsen
28 Duray Junior
Part of the Retro Series, this park yer is inspired
by yesteryear! By Gerry Yarrish
38 Taft Hobby Mini Trainer
Tis terric little park yer is the
perfect entry into RC By Larry Cooper
56 Flyzone Hadron
Tis ying wing is so much fun it ought to be illegal!
By Greg Gimlick
43 Special
Helicopter Section
44 Heli Talk: Light Em Up!
Equip your heli for night ight By Jim Ryan
48 2DogRC Dualsky Hornet 460
A quick, easy-to-assemble
quadcopter for any pilot By John Reid
52 Ares Chronos FP 110
Te perfect bird for moving beyond the coaxial
group of helicopters By John Reid
Columns
60 Custom Corner
How to Remove Old Covering
By John Reid
64 Aerobatics Made Easy
Fly an Extreme Slip to Landing
By John Glezellis
66 Tailview
3D Printing for Scale Detail
By John Reid
TOC_EF0314.indd 4 11/25/13 2:14 PM
full page.indd 1 11/21/13 3:06 PM
6 MORE FROM THIS ISSUE AT MODELAIRPLANENEWS.COM
On the Web
ModelAirplaneNews.com
WE WELCOME YOUR FEEDBACK! Please tell us what YOU want to see! Find us
online at ModelAirplaneNews.com, and on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Tumblr,
Instagram, or Pinterest. You can also always drop us a line at MAN@airage.com!
TECH TIP: DENT REMOVAL FAST FOAM FIXES
Dont trash that crash! It is very easy to repair your park yer, especially when
it is made of molded foam. Check out this quick and easy way to mend a
broken wing so the repair is all but invisible. Plus youll save some coin by not
purchasing a new wing.
PREMIUM SITE EXCLUSIVE:
ONLINE BUILD-ALONG
A great way to save weight in the tail of
your airplane, and maintain true to scale
details, is to install a pull-pull cable system
for your rudder. With basic tools and some
inexpensive supplies from the shing tackle
shop, youll have your rudder wagging in no
time. Head over to AirAgeStore.com to sign
up for the Premium Site. You dont want to
miss this story or any of our other exclusive
members-only content.
E-NEWSLETTER: GET IN THE KNOW
If you get our free weekly e-newsletter, youll remember Super Constellation: Biggest
ARF Ever. Tis giant-scale ARF airliner has a 169-inch span and the fuselage splits
in two for easier transport. If you dont receive our e-newsletter, sign up today at
ModelAirplaneNews.com youll be glad you did!
LIGHT UP THE NIGHT SKY
Want to extend your hours of RC operation? Ever think about
RC night ying? John Reid shows how easy it really is using
basic tools and some specialty products to light up the night
skies. Tere are lots of LED and high-intensity lighting systems
available today and John gives all the tips and tricks for ying
safely after dark.
On the Web 0314.indd 6 11/22/13 1:23 PM
EDITORIAL
Executive Editor Debra Cleghorn debrac@airage.com
Senior Technical Editor Gerry Yarrish gerryy@airage.com
West Coast Senior Editor John Reid johnr@airage.com
Deputy Managing Editor Katherine Pierpont
Copyeditor Suzanne Saunders
CONTRIBUTORS
Bob Aberle, Gary Allen, Jason Benson, Budd Davisson, Roy
Day, Don Edberg, Mike Gantt, Dave Garwood, Dave Gierke,
Greg Gimlick, John Glezellis, Henry Haffke, Aaron Ham, Sal
Iasilli, Clarence Lee, Jim Newman, Mark Rittinger, Jim Ryan,
David Scott, Jerry Smith, Quique Somenzini, Aaron Strietzel,
Faye Stilley, Michael Stroup, John Tanzer, Richard Thompson,
Craig Trachten, Paul Tradelius, Pat Tritle, Rich Uravitch, David
Vaught, Michael York, Nick Ziroli Sr.
ART
Creative Director Betty K. Nero
Art Director Kevin Monahan
DIGITAL MEDIA
Web Producer Holly Hansen
VIDEO/PHOTOGRAPHY
Photographers/Videographers Peter Hall,
Johnathan Henninger, Adam Lebenstein, Fredy Perojo
ADVERTISING
Advertising Director Mitch Brian 203.529.4609
Senior Account Executive Ben Halladay 203.529.4628
Sales Assistant Tracey Terenzi 203.529.4637
CONSUMER MARKETING
The Media Source,
a division of Source Interlink Companies, Inc.
MARKETING & EVENTS
Vice President, Marketing Laura Hagan
Associate Creative Director Leslie Costa
Production Assistant Paul Streeto
Event Manager Emil DeFrancesco
PUBLISHING
Group Publishers Louis V. DeFrancesco Jr.,
Yvonne M. DeFrancesco
88 Danbury Road
Wilton, CT 06897 USA
Email electricight@airage.com
Internet ModelAirplaneNews.com
Editorial ofces (203) 431-9000
Customer Service (800) 479-5849
For more ways to contact us, check
out our Reader Services page.
RCX.com
Magazine Publishers
of America
Printed in the USA
From the Cockpit
By Gerry Yarrish
Flaps down! Te
Carbon-Z Cub
comes in for a
short eld landing.
Hot New Heli Book!
Filled with advice from some of the hobbys
most experienced pros, RC Helicopter How-tos,
Volume 2 covers everything from building and
assembly basics to rst hovers and advanced
3D aerobatics. Knowledge is power and youll
be amazed at how quickly you progress while
avoiding common mistakes encountered by
every RC aviator. In no time at all, youll be
impressing your friends at the ying eld
and well on your way to becoming a better
helicopter pilot!
G
Basic hovering made easy
G
Advance ight techniques
G
Engine tuning
G
Radio setup tips
G
Building techniques
G
Hot 3D maneuvers
G
Assembly and maintenance tips
Digital &
hard copy
available at
AirAgeStore.com
$27.95
Everyone loves a Cub
Ive heard this statement for decades and it holds true for both full-size and RC airplanes.
The Piper Cub is the very definition of the form follows function mindset. Strength and
reliability combined into a simple, uncomplicated design is a proven formula for success.
In this issue, and featured on our cover, is the newest version of the popular Cub in the
form of E-flites Carbon-Z Cub. This molded park flyer plane is a combination of features
that will be appealing to many. It is based on the
full-size Carbon Cub from Cub Crafters and it is IMAA
legal, so giant-scale fliers will be happy. It is a sport-
scale bush plane, so it can operate from almost any
grass field with its large Tundra tires and functional
flaps for short takeoff and landing performance.
And, designed by Quique Somenzini, the Carbon-Z
Cub is surprisingly aerobatic. Featuring the AS3X
flight stabilization system, the Carbon-Z also has
the stability of a trainer, so you get the best of both
worlds.
BEST FOR FIELD AND BENCH
Also in this issue, we have our top picks for products, tools, and gear that will come in
handy both in the workshop and at your local flying field. To maximize your fun time and
hobby investment dollars, you need the right tools for the job. Check it out and you may
find something to add to your RC holiday wish list!
Mark Your Calendar!
RCX 2014 will take place on May
17-18 at the OC Fair & Event Center
in Costa Mesa, CA, and will oer more
outdoor activities than ever before!
To purchase tickets and for more
information on the ultimate radio
control show, check out RCX.com.
Editors_masthead0314.indd 8 11/25/13 9:35 AM
DOOLITTLE RAIDERS
U
Your January issue of Electric
Flight, with the B-25 Mitchell on the
cover, could not have come out at
a better time. As I am writing this,
I recently learned that the annual
Doolittle Raiders reunion just took
place at Wright Patterson AFB, right
here in Dayton, OH. Not only did it
happen this past weekend, but it
also was to be the very last reunion
because of the advanced ages of the
few remaining pilots. When I saw the
cover of your January issue, I had to
learn more about the model B-25.
Teres quite a bit of history associated
with this great-looking bomber.
Walter Wilcox, Dayton, OH
Walter, thanks for your email. We too are impressed
with the history of the B-25 and the Doolittle Raiders
who ew 16 of the bombers o the deck of the USS
Hornet aircraft carrier on April 18, 1942. Actually, the 71st
Doolittle Raiders Reunion was held April 17 in Fort Walton
Beach, FL. On November 9, three of the four remaining
raiders attended a nal reunion at the U.S. Air Forces
National Museum in Dayton, OH. Because of their old age,
it was determined to have the Raiders nally open their
vintage bottle of cognac and bring the annual reunion to
an end. Of the original 80 crew members led by Lt. Col.
Jimmy Doolittle, Lt. Col. Richard Cole, 98, Lt. Col. Edward
Saylor, 93, and Sta Sgt. David Tatcher, 92, raised their
engraved silver goblets and drank their toast to peace.
Because of health issues, the fourth surviving Raider, Lt.
Col. Robert Hite, 93, couldnt travel to Ohio. Hite is also
the last survivor of eight Raiders who were captured by
the Japanese after their raid. Te B-25 featured on our
January cover is from FMS and distributed by Diamond
Hobby, and is of a later model B-25 and is in the colors of
Panchito a modern-day airshow warbird. GY
MONSTER FLYING RAZOR
U
I was very impressed with your showcase of Dave
Perrones Fokker D.VIII in Tailview. I have seen several
electric-powered WW I models but Daves Flying Razor is
by far, the most elegant I have seen. If this is the caliber of
models that regularly show up at the NEAT Fair event, then
I will have to make the eort so attend one of these years.
I go to the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome in New York for their
RC event, but I have never attended NEAT.
Paul Duncan, Port Jeerson, NY
Paul, yes, indeed, the NEAT Fair is held each September
in the Catskill Mountains at the Peaceful Valley
Campgrounds near Downsville, NY. Tere are a lot of
amazing scale airplanes at the event, including giants like
Daves Fokker D.VIII. Youll also see all sorts of sport and
high-performance yers there, as well as indoor and night
ying. If you like impressive models of all types, the NEAT
Fair is the place to go to get your ll of electric-powered
excitement. GY
HELICOPTER HEAVEN
U
I am having an argument with an RC ying buddy that
the largest RC event is the annual IRCHA Jamboree. My
friend says its the Joe Nall Giant Scale Fly-In. Please set
the record straight for us.
Tomas Radcli, Spokane, WA
Hey, Tomas, we can remember thinking that an RC event
with more than 100 registered pilots was a big event.
However, with the growth of week-long super events like
the ones you mentioned, the registration numbers are
truly amazing. At the 2013 IRCHA Jamboree, some 1,132
pilots registered for the all-helicopter gathering at the
AMA ying facility in Muncie, IN. For the giant-scale guys,
the Joe Nall Fly-In is an RC mecca and this past year,
it drew some 1,200 registered pilots to the Triple Tree
Aerodrome in Woodru, SC. No doubt, both events grow
every year and with such impressive venues that are so
family friendly, RC-themed vacations are sure to remain
very popular. GY
Airmail
Email: electricight@airage.com | Mail: Airmail, Air Age Media, 88 Danbury Road, Wilton, CT 06897 USA
Get Talking on ModelAirplaneNews.com
In response to our recent Build to Win Contest post, you
guys denitely proved that RC model plans builders are still
going strong. Here are some of your comments.

Certainly an interesting concept. Rich Uravitch has provided a nice baseline
design. Paul Bradley

Looks like great fun! Downloading the plan now! Tank you! Francis

I think this is a GREAT idea! Jerry Festa

Im in. I need some clarication, though. How far can we deviate from the
plans? SF Tester

I love it. I was going to scratch-build a trainer but this is too cool to pass up.
Just saved the plans for printing. My woodworking shop is well-equipped so
here we go. Pics to follow. Bob Roskuski
WRITE TO US!
We welcome your
comments and
suggestions. Address
letters to Airmail,
Electric Flight, Air Age
Media, 88 Danbury Rd.,
Wilton, CT 06897-7337
USA; email electricight@
airage.com. Letters may
be edited for clarity and
brevity. We regret that,
owing to the tremendous
numbers of letters we
receive, we cannot
respond to every one.
Dave Perrone
shows o his
Flying Razor at the
NEAT Fair.
airmail.indd 10 11/22/13 12:45 PM
SEND IN YOUR IDEAS and if we pick your tip, well send you an Electric Flight baseball cap! You can
send in a photo or sketch describing your favorite shop trick to: Shop Tips, c/o Electric Flight, 88 Danbury Rd., Suite 2B, Wilton,
CT 06897 or email us at electricight@airage.com. Be sure to include your name and mailing address. Were sorry to say that due
to the number of hobby-related ideas we receive, we can neither acknowledge each one, nor return unused material.
Double-Sided Protection
When it comes to protecting RC electronics like receivers and battery packs, most
modelers wrap them with foam padding. However, vibration and/or G-force can
cause the electronics to slip out from the padding. A great way to secure the parts is
to wrap them with double-sided foam tape and then the foam padding.
Kevin Siemonsen, New Faireld, CT
Quick Mini Pushrod Guide
Take a plastic pinned hinge, remove the cotter pin, and then trim one hinge leaf as
shown. Inset and glue the section in the side of your foamie yer to support the wire
pushrod. Use exible glue like Pacer Formula 560 canopy glue, which sticks to plastic
and is foam-safe.
Wesley Phelps, Milton, FL
Drill Depth Gauge
Do you only need to drill to a certain depth in the wood parts of your model? Wrap
electrical tape around the bit two or three times (from the drill bit tip to the depth
you want to drill). Carefully drill the hole, and when you feel the tape come in contact
with the wood, you know its time to stop. Tis is especially useful when drilling hinge
pockets for Robart Hinge Points.
Whitney Philbrick, Nolensville, TN
Neat Holes
When it comes to producing neat, precise holes in your model for hardware like
switches, charge jacks, and even fueling dots, etc., its best to use a sharpened piece
of brass tube. Select a tube thats the appropriate diameter and use a sharp hobby
blade to bevel the inside edge until you produce a thin, sharp outer edge. Ten use
some ne 320-grit sandpaper to further sharpen the tube by twisting the tube
while its wrapped in the sandpaper. Tis produces a very sharp edge that easily cuts
through balsa and iron-on covering. Place the cutter where you want the hole, press
down, and give it a few twists. Tats it quick and easy.
Aaron Ham, Sherman, CT
Shop Tips_0314.indd 12 11/22/13 2:05 PM
Current News
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN ELECTRIC RC
Estes Proto X
Tis is the smallest commercially available quad weve ever seen. Weighing in at less than a half
ounce, this tiny yer is still plenty of fun! It has built-in LEDs and comes with a 2.4GHz radio,
100mAh battery, charge cord, and spare blades; youll just need two AAA batteries! Te Proto X
costs $39.99. hobbico.com
Great Planes Escapade MX
Add a RimFire .46 brushless outrunner power system and
3350mAh battery, and this sport yer is ready to put on a
show! Tis 52-inch-span, built-up ARF has MonoKote covering,
aluminum landing gear, and berglass wheel pants, and assembly
is quick and glue-free! Te MX costs $139.99. greatplanes.com
ICARE Mini Motors
Equipped with built-in speed controls, JST
plugs, and curved magnets, these tiny
powerplants are ideal for light indoor models.
Te XM1812RTR-42 is perfect for 75-gram 3D
aerobats and the XM2212RTR-25 is intended
for 120- to 130-gram F3P pattern planes. Tey
costs $39 and $42, respectively. icare-rc.com
Hitec Battery Buzzer
Heres a lightweight, inexpensive solution
to protect your LiPo battery packs (and
your plane!). Tis $9.99 unit has a high-
pitch, low-voltage warning as well as LED
status; you program the threshold thats
right for you. hitecrcd.com
Hitec Maxima 6 &
9 Receivers
Designed to work with all Hitec
Generation 2 radios and digital servos,
these new full-range micro receivers
deliver high-resolution response and
reliability. Safety features include secure
hold and fail-safe functions. Te .23-
ounce Maxima 6 has a standard antenna
and costs $54.95; the .29-ounce Maxima
9 has a mini boosted omni-directional
antenna and costs $69.99. hitecrcd.com
Current News0314 CS4.indd 14 11/22/13 12:53 PM
SIG Mfg. Senior Sport
SIGs Kadet Senior has helped hundreds of pilots
earn their RC wings, and this new tail-dragger
version is sure to follow in its storied ight path.
Tis all-wood ARF comes with a berglass cowl
and wheel pants, magnetic top hatch, formed
aluminum landing gear, UltraCote covering, and a
two-piece wing with an aluminum wing tube joiner.
Te 78-inch-span plane requires a 500 to 800Kv
brushless outrunner. sigmfg.com
Nine Eagles Solo Pro Lama 290
Tis completely assembled package oers scale looks and killer
performance! Tis collective-pitch heli comes with its 3-axis gyro,
20-amp speed control, mixer, and receiver built into one unit! Te
18-inch-long heli also includes a 3S 1100mAh ight battery and has a
shaft-driven tail rotor. Its available in a red and yellow scheme or black
and green scheme. It costs $349.99 without a transmitter and its
$399.99 ready to y. towerhobbies.com
LaTrax Alias
With easy, fast, and expert ight modes, this
high-performance quad can take you from your
rst ight with auto-leveling to ips, rolls, and
twists! Tis virtually indestructible multirotor
comes with high-intensity LEDs for increased
night visibility and is available in blue, red, green,
or orange. It costs $149.95 and comes with a
6-channel 2.4GHz radio. latrax.com
Weekender Warbirds
Tese WW II warbirds have great looks and great ight characteristics!
Te 29.5-inch-span foam ARFs have fully assembled airframes with
installed servos and brushless motor systems. Each only requires a
4-channel radio system and 2S 1000mAh LiPo. Te P-51D, Corsair, and
Hawker Hurricane Mk IIB are just $119.99 each. hitecrcd.com
Current News0314 CS4.indd 16 11/22/13 12:53 PM
E-ite/Horizon Hobby
Carbon-Z Cub
By Kevin Siemonsen Photos by Peter Hall
Highlights
+
High quality with excellent t
and nish
+
Very broad ight envelope
with uncanny stability
+
Quick build
+
Optional oats
Gear Used
Radio: JR 12X (jrradios.com),
Spektrum AR635 AS3X sport radio
(spektrumrc.com)
Motor: E-ite BL50 (included)
(e-iterc.com)
Battery: E-ite 6S 3200 LiPo battery
pack
ESC: E-ite 60-amp speed control
(included)
Propeller: E-ite 15x5.5 (included)
Specications
Model: Carbon-Z Cub
Type: IMAA-molded foam bush plane
Manufacturer: E-ite (e-iterc.com)
Distributor: Horizon Hobby
(horizonhobby.com)
Wingspan: 85 in.
Length: 55.8 in.
Wing area: 1,100 sq./in.
Weight: 8.15 lb.
Wing loading: 17oz./sq. ft.
Radio reqd: 5-channel (rudder,
throttle, elevator, throttle, aps)
Power reqd: E-ite BL50 brushless
motor
Price: $399.99 (BNF Basic);
$379.99 (PNP)
Pilot Report
Cub Floatplane.indd 18 11/25/13 9:17 AM
MARCH 2013 19
E-ite/Horizon Hobby
Carbon-Z Cub
By Kevin Siemonsen Photos by Peter Hall
Te classic Piper J-3 Cub has been a longtime favorite in aviation as proven by the many variations
that exist today. Te full-size Carbon Cub from Cub Crafters drastically improved the basic Cub design
with modern lightweight manufacturing techniques and an increase in good ol fashioned horsepower.
With improved performance, the fun factor goes up exponentially. Just like the real thing, the Carbon-Z
Cub from E-ite has more punch than the traditional classic and is sure to please both the sport and
aerobatic RC pilot. As with most high-powered short eld airplanes, the Carbon-Z Cub is also a great
performer on the water.
Author Kevin Siemonsen assembles the
Carbon-Z Cub for its rst test ight. Field
assembly takes only minutes.
THE MODEL HAS A VERY WIDE SPEED
ENVELOPE AND IT DOES A SWEET SNAP ROLL
AND BEAUTIFUL FLAT SPINS.
Te ight conditions were turbulent during the test ight and it was
almost eerie how stable the Carbon-Z Cub was. It ies every bit as
good and more than the full-size plane, which I have been lucky enough to y. Just like the real
thing, it has great power-to-weight ratio and is nimble in the air.
GENERAL FLIGHT PERFORMANCE
Stability: Equipped with the AS3X ight stabilization system, the model has uncanny stability
when taking o and in ight. Blustery wind has little eect on it. It can cruise along like a
sport plane and slow to a crawl, especially when you lower the aps. When the aps are
fully deployed, there was a tendency to climb, and down-elevator trim is required and varies
slightly with the dierent batteries.
Tracking: Tracking is impressive to say the least. On the ground, taxiing is a piece of cake. I
used some rudder for coordinated turns, but besides that, its simply point and shoot!
Aerobatics: I was hesitant to get the Cub low and slow and inverted, but being designed
by Quique Somenzini, the Carbon-Z Cub is just a blast. Inverted ight is much more stable
than anticipated. Te model has a very wide speed envelope and it does a sweet snap roll
and beautiful at spins. Recovery is pretty much instantaneous. Loops and rolls are a walk in
the park with a manageable roll rate. As I mentioned, inverted performance is great. When I
pointed the Cubs nose up, I was surprised at how well it hovered with some surplus power to
spare.
Glide and stall performance: When coming in for landing, the Cub has amazing slow speed
capabilities. Tough very eective, the aps arent really required but add a lot of fun. Te rst
notch of aps gives a smooth and predictable sink rate. Te second notch produces a more
notable braking eect, and with full aps, its like throwing out a boat anchor! A little power is
required with aps unless youre in a very steep approach. Te AS3X system does an amazing
job with no notable pitch changes and solid stability even when ying at a crawl. When
pushed beyond its limits, the Carbon Cub will eventually stall. Tis is very tame and will simply
break straight ahead (with the wings level).
PILOT DEBRIEFING
Takeo rolls are brief and even shorter with aps. Te Cub has uncanny stability regardless
of airspeed, yet the AS3X gives full control authority when needed. Ive just crowned the
Carbon-Z Cub the best plane on the planet for shooting touch-and-gos. Its not often that
you nd a plane that will do 3D aerobatics, can sport y, has great short eld performance,
and can be in the air in an hour.
In the Air
UNIQUE FEATURES
Te Carbon-Z Cub comes as a Bind-N-Fly
(BNF) Basic package and everything needed to
get the plane ight ready is included in the box
except a ight battery pack and transmitter.
Included are the airframe, the landing gear,
over-size tundra tires (molded from tough
lightweight foam), a brushless motor, speed
control, digital servos, propeller, spinner, vortex
generator strips, hardware, detailed instruction
booklet, and 6-channel AS3X receiver. It also
comes as a Plug-N-Play version where you
supply your own receiver.
Te airplane is beautifully molded from
durable Carbon-Z-reinforced foam and has
painted-on color trim. Te fuselage has two
Molded hatches make access to the models interior
very easy. Te AS3X receiver can be seen here.
removable hatches. Te rear one is for radio
access and locks down with a screw, and the
front one, which has a convenient push-button
latch, allows for easy access to the battery
pack. Te vertical n is molded into the fuselage
and the horizontal stabilizer is removable and
has a carbon-ber spar. A pair of machine
screws on each side locks the stabilizer halves
into position. Te rudder is partly hinged and
just requires a few drops of CA once mated to
the vertical n. Te elevator, aps, and ailerons
are all fully hinged at the factory.
Te tail control surfaces have molded plastic
control arms that are an integral part of the
components. Te two-piece wing features a
MARCH 2013 21
Te molded vortex generators are scale (used on the full-size airplane) and help
improve slow speed performance.
Flap and aileron servos are mounted in the wing panel in front of the control sur-
faces, which produces short, slop-free control linkages.
pushrods are all factory installed. Te aps
and ailerons have their own servos but are not
plugged directly into the receiver. Te leads
plug into receptacles at the wing roots at the
top of the cabin area.
CONCLUSION
Te Carbon-Z Cub is the biggest airplane
to roll o the E-ite assembly line. Being a
PNP design, the Carbon-Z Cub is a real treat
because it is fully equipped and ready to y
in about an hour of assembly time. Tis was
also the rst time I ew using the built-in
AS3X 3-axis stabilization system and feeling it
command the control surfaces during gusts in
the air was great. Te Carbon-Z Cub is a great
plane that would be right at home in the hands
of any level RC pilot.
carbon-ber spar and functional lift struts.

Te struts install with cotter pins and tools
arent necessary. Te wire landing gear ts in
a channel in the bottom of the fuselage and
uses standard wheel collars to lock on the
biggest lightweight wheels I have ever seen!
Te tailwheel comes installed into the base of
the rudder.
Te E-ite BL50 brushless outrunner motor
comes in the kit and must be installed, and
the E-ite 60-amp brushless speed control is
installed at the factory. Te cowling ts snuggly
onto the fuselage and two small screws keep
it in place. Te included prop adaptor, plastic
spinner, and propeller conclude the power
system installation.
Te E-ite digital servos, Spektrum AS3X
6-channel receiver, and the majority of the
Cub Meets Water
Te optional E-ite oats are purpose-built for the Carbon-Z Cub. Tey are made of molded
foam and have inlaid plastic strips in high-wear areas. Te oats install just like the landing
gear, with the gear tting in channels in the fuselage. One oat has a built-in steering servo,
pushrod, and water rudder. Te servo hatch is sealed at the factory with only the servo lead
protruding. A rudder servo extension lead is needed to connect the oat steering servo to the
receiver.
With the single water rudder, the Carbon-Z Cub tracks wonderfully on the water. It gets
up immediately, needing only a little up-elevator to cleanly break it free from the waters
surface. With oats attached, ight characteristics are similar to the ground version, with
just a little more drag and weight. I ew the model with both a Tunder Power 6S 4350mAh
LiPo pack and a lighter E-ite 6S 3200mAh pack. Te lighter pack doesnt aect ight
characteristics much until aps are deployed. I needed to add down-elevator trim to
prevent the Cub from pitching up. Landing on oats is just as easy as on wheels and is
denitely more gratifying. Te landing approaches with the rst notch of aps were
sweet!
Im amazed at the
difference these shades make
while flying my RC planes. I dont think
I will ever fly without them again.
Gerry Yarrish, Electric Fight Senior Technical Editor
Vess Balance Rings
Once you get into the larger size
airplanes, balancing your propeller
becomes extremely important. Flying
your plane with an out-of-balance
condition causes unwanted vibrations
and puts extra wear and tear on your
airframe. A Vess Balance Ring is an
innovative tool for balancing giant-scale
props. CNC machined from aluminum, the
Balance Ring replaces your standard prop
washer and utilizes setscrews around the
perimeter to bring the prop into perfect
balance. $25-$27; vessaero.com
Fromeco DC-UP Mk II Cricket
Ever had the experience where you are ying aggressive
maneuvers and control feels momentarily sluggish? Tis is
a classic voltage dip symptom. You no longer have to worry
because Fromecos DC-UP Mk II Cricket will make sure your
voltage stays up. Its a ight system voltage stabilization
device designed to deliver power whenever there are high
current spikes and prolonged current draw. Te unit is
simple and easy to use just plug it into an open port on
your receiver. $35; fromeco.org
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Extreme Glare Sunglasses
Dont lose another model in the glare of the
sun! From the same guy that introduced
RC pilots to Zurich International sunglasses,
Extreme Glare sunglasses are for the pilot
who wears prescription shades. Owner
Bruce Holden can now produce stylish sunglasses with
various designer frames and manufacture distortion-free
shades with your own prescription. Several types of frames
and lens shading are available, and prices start at only $99
depending on the type of glasses and lenses you order.
z-xg.com
Top 20 Field Tools.indd 22 11/22/13 2:12 PM
MARCH 2014 23
Hitec X1 Touch Multi-Chemistry Charger
Tis impressive, cutting-edge charger is designed with ease of use and
portability in mind. Te X1 Touch, a 55-watt sensational charger, uses
an 11 to 18V DC power source or an internal AC power supply to provide
versatility to satisfy all RC pilots needs. Te high-resolution touchscreen
allows eortless data monitoring and retrieval, and its built-in internal cell
balancer and multiple safety functions provide ultra-reliable, rock-solid
performance. It can charge NiMH, NiCd, LiPo, LiFe, Li-Ion, and lead-acid
batteries, and the adjustable charge current rate provides .1 to 7 amps.
$99.99; hitecrcd.com
Du-Bro Tru-Spin Prop Balancer
Te Tru-Spin Prop Balancer is specially designed with a locking
cone to securely center and lock the propeller onto the balancing
shaft. Te balancing shaft is manufactured out of hardened material
and precision ground. Te friction-free aluminum support wheels
support the shaft and allow an amazing degree of accuracy. It
can be used for all sizes and weights of airplane and boat props,
spinners, heli rotor heads, and EDF jet fans. Each balancer comes
complete with easy-to-follow assembly and prop balancing
instructions. $37.28; dubro.com
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Get two or more RC modelers together and before you know it, there
will be a discussion about which tool, product, or accessory is the
best for a certain task or purpose. T e same holds true for editors
here in the o ce, so we came up with this guide to showcase the
top 20 whizbangs, gizmos, and doodads that we found useful in the
workshop and at the ying eld. Check it out and see if we picked any
of your favorites. By the Electric Flight Crew Photos by Peter Hall
Hitec
RCD Universal
Balancing Adaptor
Simplify all your charging and balancing chores with the Universal Balancing
Adapter from Hitec. Compatible with 2S to 6S LiPo packs, this all-in-one board
works with all Hitec X and H series of chargers and includes EH, TP, XH, and HP
balancing ports. It allows you to balance all
major brands of lithium battery packs while
charging, with no need for additional adaptors.
$15.99; hitecrcd.com
Single-Use ZAP Glue
ZAP CA adhesives from Pacer
Technologies are found on every
builders supply shelf. ZAP has noticed
that lots of bottles of glue get thrown
into the eld box (along with some
Zip Kicker) for quick eld repairs.
Now, a new single-use version of
Zap-A-Gap is available to help save
on space. Te handy .5-gram tubes
have a ne, self-piercing applicator
tip. Just twist it tightly into place and
the tube is ready to use. Packaged
in a ve-tube card, the new single-
use Zap-A-Gap should be in every
RC pilots eld box. zapglue.com
FIELD
&
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Futaba BR-3000
Battery Checker
Stay in the know when it comes to the condition
of your battery packs. Te Futaba BR-3000
checks the state of 2- to 7-cell LiFe, LiPo,
and Li-Ion packs with JST-XH connectors
and 4- to 7-cell NiCd and NiMH packs. Te
meter displays the packs total voltage
and remaining capacity on a bar graph
and in percentage. Voltage of each cell
of a lithium battery pack can also be
displayed. Te unit operates on the
power supplied by the connected
battery. $49.99; futaba-rc.com
Glo-Bee Intellitach Digital Tachometer
Distributed by Great Planes, the Glo-Bee Intellitach is an easy to use
tachometer with an easy to read digital readout (0 to 30,000rpm).
Adjustable for 2-, 3-, and 4-blade propellers, the tachometer also
has a memory function for comparing dierent propeller setups. (It
remembers the last three readings.) It shuts itself o after ve minutes
to save the batteries and the display ips up for comfortable reading
angles. $24.99; greatplanes.com
I use this battery checker to avoid
unhappy surprises when Im on the
flightline. Knowledge is power pun intended!
Debra Cleghorn, Electric Fight Executive Editor
RTL Fasteners
Hardware
Value Packs
When it comes to building and
assembling RC models, you are
always in need of good-quality hardware
that being nuts, washers, screws, and
bolts. RTL Fasteners is a great one-stop shopping
destination. From their Standard 84-piece Set Screw
Assortment with Organizer Box ($19.95) to all their high-
count value packs of hardware like the 50-count 2-56x1/2-
inch Stainless Steel Socket Head Cap Screw Set ($5.40);
50-count M5 Lock (split) Washer Set ($1.50); and 24-count
4-40 Hex Nuts Set ($1.40), RTL Fasteners hardware is a great
value when it comes to supplying your workshop with quality
fasteners. rtlfasteners.com
Hobbico Propeller Reamer
Constructed of hardened carbon steel, this Precision
Prop Reamer is ideal to enlarge holes in propellers and
spinner backplates. Unlike a drill bit, the Reamers design
perfectly centers it in the propeller attachment holes
and includes 1/4-, 5/16-, and 3/8-inch steps to size
the hole. With its removable T-handle, the Reamer
can also be used with a drill press for extra precision.
$14.99; hobbico.com
MARCH 2014 25
Eagle Tree Systems Guardian
Both novice and expert pilots alike can benet
from Eagle Trees Guardian 2D/3D stabilizer in
their aircraft. Te Guardian provides protection for
your investment, while making it easier to perform
advanced 3D maneuvers! If you are just learning 3D
aerobatics, the Guardian can help take out the fear
factor if you get into trouble. Just let go of the sticks
and the Guardian quickly brings your model back to
level ight. $74.99; eagletreesystems.com
Hangar 9 Angle Pro Digital Meter
Tis precision angle meter works on models of all types and
sizes. Te digital readout is accurate to 1/10 of a degree and
features a Zero-Out function to establish a level reference
setting. Available separately or as a complete 4-in-1 unit, the
Angle Pro can be used to accurately measure control throws,
incidences, and thrust angles. $55.99; hangar-9.com
SIG E-Pro Field Box
Specially designed for modelers who operate electric-
powered airplanes and helicopters, the E-Pro Field Box
provides a sturdy, portable work station you can take
anywhere. Teres plenty of room for extra battery packs,
tools, and spare parts. Constructed of ne-grade plywood,
the parts are laser-cut to assure an accurate t. A large
compartment houses a 12-volt power supply battery, and
banana plugs and wiring are included for quick connections.
Adjustable, cushioned cradles make working on your model
a piece of cake. Complete hardware and illustrated assembly
manual included. $86.99; sigplanes.com
WingTote Wing Bags
For traveling to RC events or for safe storage of your airplanes wings in
the workshop, these custom-made, padded tote bags come in a variety of
types and sizes to suit just about any type and size airplane you have even
biplanes. With strong zippers and Velcro straps to securely hold the wing
panels from shifting, these tote bags also feature reinforced carry straps for
easy transportation. Prices start at $59.99; wing-tote.com
ProTek RC Universal Radio Case
Te ProTek RC Universal Radio Case is an all-in-one solution to
protect your transmitter and can also protect transmitters you
buy in the future. Te case itself features a tough aluminum shell
and houses a
high-density
foam liner to
protect your
particular
transmitter.
Available
separately,
the replaceable
high-density
foam inserts
allow the case
to accommodate
a variety of
transmitters.
$49.99; protekrc.com
FIELD
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I purchased this stand to
work on one particular plane,
but once I got it, I found
that I was using it to hold
every single model that came
through my workshop.
John Reid,
Electric Fight Senior West Coast Editor
Robart Super Stand II
To be useful and popular with modelers, a product does not have
to be expensive. Tis fully adjustable molded foam workstand
from Robart Mfg. falls into the category. Keeping the model o the
workbench prevents hangar rash! Easy to assemble, the stand has
four adjustable support tabs and it is strong enough to support
giant scale airplanes while you work on it. $24.95; robart.com
Smart-Fly Digital Voltmeter
When it comes to the health and well-being of your plane,
nothing is as important as the voltage in your receivers
battery pack. Te Digital Voltmeter from Smart-Fly is a
quick and easy add-on to keep track of that voltage. It has
an operating range of from 4 to 16V and a very low power
consumption. With a 10-inch power lead (with JR connector),
you simply plug it into a spare channel on your receiver for a
constant readout of your batterys voltage. $34.95;
smart-y.com
Robart Paint Shaker
For scale modelers who use airbrushes to add the nest of details to their planes, the
quality and consistency of the paint is of extreme importance. Te airbrush can easily
clog or splatter the nish if your paint is not mixed properly. Enter the Hobby Paint
Shaker from Robart Mfg. Powered by a powerful electric motor, the unit is rated at
5000 spm (shakes per minute), and it has a sturdy paint bottle holder and retaining
strap. Available in a battery-operated version ($40.45) and a 110V version ($51.45),
the Hobby Paint Shaker makes quick work of any type of modeling paint. Spare
straps in a package of ve ($6.95) are also available. robart.com
TrakPower
Solder Station
Tis high-quality electronic
soldering unit delivers professional
results and dependable
performance for any hobby
application, from ne electronics to
heavy wire landing gear. It is a heavy-
duty, 60-watt design, and it heats up
quickly to the selected temperature, and
holds the settings to within 1.8 degrees F. Te
slender, insulated handle is comfortable to grip,
and the unit comes with a chisel point tip and a
ne pencil tip. Also included are a steady iron stand,
sponge, and vinyl wrap. $79.98; trakpowerusa.com
Duray
Junior
Part of the Retro Series,
this park yer is inspired
by yesteryear!
By Gerry Yarrish Photos by Peter Hall
Growing up in the early 1960s,
I was introduced to model
airplanes by my father at a
very young age. We built plenty
of stick and tissue free-ight
models from 5- and 10-cent
store kits, and I remember the
smell of the dope, Testors Model
Cement, and Ambroids quick
drying glue. I always had bits of
tissue paper and silkspan stuck
to my ngers. It wasnt until
several years later that I ew my
rst successful RC airplane.
My dads generation was
very active and there were
countless events and national
competitions to y the early
free-ight models at. In the days
before RC radios, these early
models relied on built-in stability
and the modelers skills in
properly trimming its wings and
tail surfaces. After only a 15- to
20-second engine run, the model
would glide back to Earth and
land on its wheels (hopefully).
Pilot Report
PR Durafly Junior.indd 28 11/25/13 10:50 AM
MARCH 2014 29
Gear used
Radio: Receiver: OrangeRx 6-channel
(hobbyking.com); four 9G HobbyKing
servos (installed)
Motor: Brushless outrunner (installed)
ESC: 30A (included)
Propeller: 7.5x6 (included)
Highlights
+
Easy assembly
+
Easy to y
+
Durable construction
Specications
Model: Retro Series Junior
Type: Vintage old-timer park yer
Manufacturer: Duray (duray.com)
Distributor: HobbyKing (hobbyking.com)
Wingspan: 43 in.
Wing area: 305.51 sq. in.
Weight: 32 oz.
Wing loading: 15.08 oz./sq. ft.
Length: 30.5 in.
Radio reqd.: 4-channel (rudder, elevator,
aileron, throttle)
Power reqd: 7.4V 30A
Price: $112.08
Te Junior easily ts into the trunk of
my compact car when fully assembled,
and with a fully charged pack already installed, it only took a few
seconds to get the Junior into the air. With its 7.25-inch propeller,
the stock setup does provide enough thrust to take o from the
ground, but the model is not over-powered and takes a good bit of
space to lift o. I found it much more e cient to simply power up
the model and hand-launch it with an easy overhand toss. Once
in the air, I trimmed the model for straight and level at about 2/3
power.
Stability: Like its predecessors, the Junior has ight stability to
spare. It would indeed make a great rst airplane as it is plenty
durable to be used as a trainer. Rudder authority is excellent and
very little elevator is needed once trimmed out.
Tracking: Te model tracks nicely, but really, with all the dihedral in
the wing, the ailerons are a nice touch but not really needed. You can
easily y the plane with rudder, elevator, and throttle alone. Tere
is a bit of adverse yaw when you put in a lot of aileron, so be sure to
coordinate your aileron with lots of rudder.
Aerobatics: With so much stability, the trade o is limited
maneuverability. Teres plenty of power for nice, easy loops and
you can climb and do wingovers. I did not spin the model but with all
the rudder authority, entry and recovery should not be any problem
at all.
Glide and stall performance: Te stall is very mild, and the Junior
recovers almost by itself with just a touch of power added and
the release of the up-elevator input. Landings are a piece of cake
and the model glides nicely with reduced power. Once the model
is down, it does not have any tendency to nose-over because
the landing gear is set so far forward, just like the older free-ight
models did. Of course, this is to protect the propeller.
PILOT DEBRIEFING
I really enjoyed ying the Junior, and I treated it like an RC-assisted
free-ight model. Once in the air, adjust the models power and
elevator trim so it ies and cruises around without climbing. Adjust
the rudder trim and try to get the model to y in a big lazy circle.
Use minimal control inputs and make slight throttle adjustments to
control climb. Trottle up a little to climb and throttle back a little to
descend. If you have to, use the controls to bring the model back
should the wind carry you away from the runway. Tis is how the
early RC models were own, and youll nd it quite rewarding to y
your model with minimal control stick inputs.
With modern radios and power systems, being successful with model
airplanes today is all but guaranteed. With models that combine early
free-ight model thinking with up-to-date radio and power equipment,
todays modelers can enjoy the best of both time periods.
Te new Junior park yer from Duray is just that. Part of the Retro
Series and distributed by HobbyKing, the Junior has all the visual cues of
one of my fathers stick-built, free-ight planes, with the durability and
controllability of any molded park yer. Glancing at some of the photos in
my fathers old scrapbook, the Junior reminds me of a modern version of
the Megows Quaker Flash. Lets take a closer look!
UNIQUE FEATURES
Molded from EPO foam, even close up the Junior looks like a stick-built
plane. Duray has added, under the paint, several dark strips that look
very much like a basic balsa wood structure. Even the typical scalloped
shape of the cloth-covered wings is precisely captured in the molded
foam structure. Te model has a classic cream and black paint scheme
and it looks like a pretty convincing silkspan nish while gliding up in the
air currents above the ying eld. Tough the wings are attached to the
fuselage with modern nylon bolts, the kit comes with large elastic bands
for a vintage look.
I TREATED IT LIKE AN RC
ASSISTED FREEFLIGHT
MODEL ... THIS IS HOW THE
EARLY RC MODELS WERE
FLOWN, AND YOULL FIND IT
QUITE REWARDING TO FLY
YOUR MODEL WITH MINIMAL
CONTROL STICK INPUTS.
Te radio compartment is located in the belly; its easy to replace and arm the
1300mAh battery pack.
MARCH 2014 31
Assembly takes only minutes and you can have the model completely
ready to go while the battery pack is on charge. All the servos (four 9g
servos), the motor, and the speed control come installed. Once the tail
and wing are secured into place, all you have to do is attach the control
linkage to the control horns. Tere is a small hinged hatch cover under
the fuselage that provides access to the battery compartment. Tis is
also where you install the receiver as all the servo leads and the ESC
lead terminate in this compartment. You can see the rudder and elevator
servos inside the cabin area, and youll attach the aileron servo leads in
the cabin before bolting the wing into place. Once the receiver and servos
are connected, all you have to do is install the included propeller and
attach the wire landing gear. Assembly time takes 10 minutes at most.
Te factory-installed brushless outrunner motor is housed in a nicely
molded plastic cowling and, in keeping with the old-timer look, the Junior
comes with a dummy engine cylinder installed on top of the engine cowling.
If you wanted to, you could also install the OrangeRx receiver with
3-axis stabilization. However, the servos plug into the top of the case and
it wouldnt t as nicely into place as the standard 6-channel receiver. Plus,
the Junior, with all its wing dihedral, is plenty stable without the electronic
stabilization.
BOTTOM LINE
If you want a taste of the early days of model aviation, or are just looking
for a rugged easy-to-y sport plane, then the Retro Series Junior from
Duray is for you. It only takes minutes to assemble and it practically ies
itself. Welcome to yesteryear! J
T
o get the Junior into the air, I installed the full-range,
6-channel OrangeRX receiver and bound it to the
ORX T-Six transmitter. Te full-range OrangeRX R615
receiver is very lightweight (only 9.8 grams), and it has servo
connection ports on the end of the case making it ideal for
small to medium sport planes where space is tight. Its a perfect
match for the ORX
T-Six transmitter
available from
Hobby King. Once
bound together,
this radio system
worked very
well and I had
complete control
of the Junior all of
the time. With a
receiver priced at
less than $6 and
the transmitter
having a street
price of less
than $65, this
has to be the
best deals for a
2.4GHz, 6-channel
programmable
radio system
anywhere.
Aordable Reliability
ORX T-SIX TRANSMITTER
Above: Te dummy engine
cylinder and plastic cowl-
ing give the Junior a real
spark ignition model
look.
Left: Te rubberbands are
just for show. Te wings
bolt securely into place.
Below: Te tail surfaces
easily screw into place.
Te control linkage is
already installed and only
has to be connected to the
control horns.
ONCE THE RECEIVER AND SERVOS ARE
CONNECTED, ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS INSTALL
THE INCLUDED PROPELLER AND ATTACH THE
WIRE LANDING GEAR. ASSEMBLY TIME TAKES
10 MINUTES AT MOST.
F
inishing a model airplane is usually thought of as the last two or three steps needed to
be done before your model is ready to y. In reality, no amount of nishing work during
the last few steps can make up for a poor building job. A proper nish should be your
ultimate goal throughout the entire building process, not just an afterthought thrown in
at the end. Te nishing process can often take longer than the initial framing out. My
most recent project was a Hall Bulldog and it required a high-gloss nish, so most of the work was
done in preparing the various model surfaces for paint. Building the Bulldog was almost a side show.
Generally, matte nishes are more forgiving when it comes to surface imperfections. Tey may be
seen under certain lighting conditions, but glossy nishes show everything and are very unforgiving.
I built the Bulldog using so-called conventional construction methods balsa sheeting for metal
areas and fabric covering over open framework plywood and balsa. No matter how hard you try, balsa
sheeting will eventually show grain due to expansion and contraction if it is lled and nished without
rst being stabilized. While there are other methods, I use berglass cloth and resin to stabilize
balsa surfaces. Although I have used both epoxy and polyester resin systems to a x berglass,
such methods can get heavy in a hurry. For my smaller and mid-size models, I have settled on using
water-based varnish (satin Minwax Polycrylic) to apply the berglass. Tis system does not yield as
hard of a surface as with a two-part resin, but it is close, and its a lot lighter. Te steps I employ after
the glass treatment rm up the surfaces even more.
Pro Tips for a Perfect Finish
Its whats under the paint that makes the dierence By Rob Caso
Whats needed?
Glue: Devcon epoxy, ZAP CA,
Titebond III (Aliphatic)
Fiberglass parts: ZAP
laminating epoxy, West
System epoxy, Fiberglass
Specialties
Paint: Randolph dope, Klass
Kote epoxy, Dupli-Color
primer, Krylon paint, Minwax
Polycrylic
Fiberglass cloth and chopped
strands: Fibre Glast
Filler: DAP spackle, Evercoat
2-part glazing putty, Bondo
glazing putty
Covering: SIG Koverall
Masking: 3M vinyl tape
About the
author
Rob Caso has been a Model
Airplane News contributor for
many years. He is an expert
scale RC model airplane
designer, builder, and pilot,
and has produced many
amazing electric-powered
airplanes, many of which
can be found in the Model
Airplane News Plans library
at AirAgeStore.com. Rob built
the Hall Bulldog to participate
in a special scale NEAT Fair
Air Racing Society event
at the recent NEAT Fair. Be
sure to read Final Approach
in the February 2014 issue of
Model Airplane News for more
information on his amazing
Bulldog racer.
HT Fiberglass.indd 32 11/25/13 10:04 AM
MARCH 2014 33
STEP 1: Te sheeted (skinned) areas of the model are rst sanded, lled, and
brushed with nitrate dope. I then sand the model again to prep it for the application
of 3/4-ounce berglass cloth. Te water in the Polycrylic does tend to warp and
do strange things to balsa, so always apply some dope rst to waterproof the
balsa.
STEP 2: No matter how hard you try, balsa also tends to atten over
unsupported areas. You can sand some of this out, but the skin may get too thin
over the underlying structure. So, ll the at spots with spackle to eliminate any
faceting that would easily be seen in a gloss nish.
STEP 3: Te procedure is the same for any size model on my small Bulldog,
the glass was applied once the fuselage was properly lled and rounded.
STEP 4 & 5: After glassing, brush on and sand o repeated coats of vinyl
spackle (mixed to a heavy cream consistency with a couple drops of Polycrylic
and water). When block sanding this o, do it at sweeping 45-degree angles,
going one way rst around the entire fuselage and then the other way so that the
sanding strokes wind up being at 90 degrees of each other.
STEP 6: Once you have achieved a level surface, whisk on a coat of thinned
Polycrylic to seal the surface and to check for waves and other imperfections.
STEP 7: After sanding again, I used an entire can of gray spray ller primer
(without sanding between coats) and then wet sanded it o all at once. Te primer
coat should begin to exhibit a sheen at this point.
STEP 8: Additional high spots will start to show through the primer any
additional sanding will run the risk of going through the glass. Te only answer
is more ller or primer. But the surface shown here is getting very close to being
done.
STEP 14: I used Klass Kote epoxy paint, which is heavy, but you dont need
much for it to cover. I assembled the model using temporary struts for the wings
and the rudder and elevator were positioned with sections of toothpick.
STEP 9: Tere seem to be llets everywhere on this model all the surface
junctions except for the stab/fuselage require careful lling and sanding to impart
not only a smooth transition, but also a level and even sheen.
STEP 10: For most of the lleting, I used a syringe loaded with a mix of
vinyl spackle, a couple of drops of Minwax Polycrylic, and a touch of water
for consistency. Te bead of ller is then smoothed with a nger, with any
excess to either side being wiped away with a damp cloth. Once sanded in
with progressively ne grades of paper, I then sealed the llet with thinned out
Polycrylic as the primer will dull unsealed areas.
STEP 11: I carefully covered the open area of the fuselage with a single piece
of Sigs Koverall and, for the covering to skin surface deviation, I then masked and
lled the area with red glazing putty.
STEP 12: I made a paint stand that was bolted to the model in place of the
rewall. It is critical to have proper xtures for the priming and painting processes.
STEP 13: If all this isnt enough, you now have to prime the fuselage with
white primer or at white paint as the red scheme will not cover gray or dark areas
properly.
MARCH 2014 35
Parting Shot Everyone has their own favorite technique for nishing. However, after
years of experimenting, I consistently use the methods described above for my smaller built-
up models. Tis, and all such similar nishing systems, represents a signicant commitment
in terms of time, eort, and materials, so make sure you know your subject before diving in.
When it comes to a beautiful, awless paint job, its whats under the nish that counts.
STEP 15: Flexible vinyl auto body tape was used to mask for the black and,
while I made templates to guide the tape for the wing and tail ashes, the fuselage
streaks were masked freehand. For the wing, I used the aileron bay to index the
wing ash template for all (four) surfaces. With epoxy applied to a proper base
surface, there is little risk of the masks pulling paint o the model.
STEP 16: Aluminum foil and auto body masking tape was used to mask the
general areas once the vinyl tape was positioned. All the fun is in the masking
shooting the color is almost anticlimactic. I wet sanded out any dust before
applying the second color.
STEP 17: Here is the nished open area of the fuselage.
Tech Tip: If you get dust in the nish, it may be wet sanded
out with progressively ner grades of sandpaper up to 2,500 grit
and then clear coated with Dupli-Color spray. To prep the covered
areas, I doped them a few times and then used Polycrylic to seal the
fabrics weave and lightly sanded between coats. Dont be shy here,
as you will get pinholes in the nish if you dont put on enough.
Te model was pinstriped by a
friend of mine who did one of
my motorcycles!
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aastore_EF0214 rev.indd 37 11/25/13 1:25 PM

Taft Hobby
Mini Trainer
Tis terric little park yer is the perfect entry into RC
By Larry Cooper Photos by John Reid
Te new Mini Trainer from Taft Hobby is a great little park yer designed to let a
beginner start ying very quickly right out of the box. It has sturdy foam construction
and includes almost everything you need to get it right into the air. Te kit comes with
all of the hardware necessary to complete the plane, all you add is a little epoxy to
secure the tail section and four AA batteries for the included transmitter. Te light color
and bright decals make the plane easy to see and keep track of its orientation. Te one-
piece wing simply bolts to the fuselage and misalignment is virtually impossible. All of
the servos, receiver, and the speed control are installed from the factory, so there is no
fooling about with electronics installation. Te nine-page instruction manual guides
the new user through every step of the process from assembly to ight, including some
very good tips for take o and landing.
Pilot Report
PR Taft Apprentice.indd 38 11/22/13 2:02 PM
MARCH 2014 39
Gear used
Radio: Transmitter, receiver and 3-servos (included)
Motor: BL2222 and 15-amp speed control (included)
Battery: 800mAh 7.4V 2-cell 30C LiPo (included)
Prop: 6X6 (included)
Highlights
+
Easy to assemble
+
Inexpensive
+
Easy to y
Specications
Model: Mini Trainer RTF 1M
Manufacturer: Taft Hobby Limited
(taft-hobby.com)
Distributor: Hobby People
(hobbypeople.net)
Type: Park yer
Length: 33.5 in.
Wingspan: 39.4 in.
Wing area: 236.4 sq. in.
Weight: 12.35 oz.
Wing loading: 7.53 oz./sq. ft.
Motor reqd: Brushless BL2222 (included)
Radio reqd: 4-channel (included)
Price: $139.99
Larry installs the
battery pack into
the Mini Trainer.
I WAS PLEASANTLY SURPRISED TO FIND
THAT BASIC AEROBATICS CAN EASILY BE
DONE WITH THIS PLANE
I live out in the desert and grass is scarce.
I usually y at dry lakes where the surface
is nice and at and level. Te Mini Trainer took o from the ground
in approximately 60 feet or so. It had plenty of power to climb up
to altitude and didnt have any nasty tendency to stall. Rolling up to
takeo speed, the plane tracked nice and straight and I didnt have
to compensate for prop torque or do any steering to keep it straight.
Once in the air, the plane levels out nicely and goes exactly where
you direct it. Being an experienced pilot, I gave my control surfaces
quite a bit of throw, so the plane responded quickly and positively
to all of my inputs. I had a very gentle breeze of around three miles
per hour on my maiden ight and it didnt aect the plane in the
slightest.
Stability: Te Mini Trainer is very stable in the air and on the ground
at all speeds.
Tracking: It tends to go right where you direct it and will stay on that
path, but being a small plane, it will need some correction for wind.
Aerobatics: Keep in mind that this is a trainer, intended for
beginners. With that said, I was pleasantly surprised to nd that
basic aerobatics can easily be done with this plane. Te ailerons
respond quickly and the plane can do rolls. Loops can be done as
well, just keep the plane high until you get used to its response.
Glide and stall performance: It had a smooth predictable glide on
landing and no nasty tendencies to stall in turns or on takeo. I put
it into some tight turns with the speed up and it had no tendency to
slip stall. Flying nice tight gure-8s is fun with the Mini Trainer!
PILOT DEBRIEFING
Te factory setting causes slow changes in elevation, which is
desirable for new pilots. Te instructions that come with the plane
give specic guidance for landing the plane. I allowed plenty of room
and lined up on the runway about a hundred yards out. I backed
the throttle down to about half and it settled into a nice predictable
path. As you near the ground, are the plane a little to let the tricycle
landing gear rear wheels touch rst. Trottle back and just let it roll
to a stop. Tats all there is to it!
In the Air
Initially, the new pilot should keep the control throws to the minimum
settings for a nice docile ight. Once prociency is achieved, you can set
the throws to the maximum and the Mini Trainer becomes a very agile and
responsive intermediate pilot plane. Te landing gear is wire construction
with plenty of strength and spring which allows the plane to absorb the
shock of rough landings without sustaining damage to the air frame. Te
kit includes an extra propeller, just in case you come in with the nose a
little low.
UNIQUE FEATURES
Te Mini Trainer takes very little work to get in the air. Te decals are
installed and give the plane a nished look. Assembling the Mini Trainer
is a piece of cake. It comes in three major sections; the fuselage, the
wing assembly, and the tail assembly. Te only bit of building required
is to mount the tail assembly to the fuselage. I chose to use ve-minute
epoxy to secure the tail section to the fuselage. Tere is a tab-and-slot
conguration, so you cant put the tail on crooked. Te mating surfaces
also ensure that the elevator remains level. All of the hinges and hardware
are installed from the factory, all you have to do is connect the control
Above: Te electronics all have been neatly installed into the fuselage. Te battery
just slides in at the front of the fuselage.
Below: Te motor comes installed from the factory with the cowl glued in place.
Te propeller and spinner are also installed.
MARCH 2014 41
Taft Hobby Mini Trainer
horns to the push rods. Of course, adjusting the pushrod length is required
to set the initial trim.
Te wing assembly comes with the ailerons all ready hinged to the
wing and the push rods are connected to the ailerons from the factory. I
had to lengthen my pushrods a bit to achieve trim, but it was very easy.
Te wing ts neatly to the fuselage and you need to feed the servo wire
through a little opening so it can be connected to the speed control.
Two screws hold the wing to the fuselage and the plane is rock solid. A
little cover on the bottom of the fuselage is held in place with a magnetic
latch. Open the cover and slide the battery all the way forward in the
fuselage. My plane required about an ounce and half of lead to achieve the
proper balance on the wing.
All of the electronics come installed and the only thing you need to
do is plug in the aileron. Te radio is already tuned to the receiver. Put
in the four double A batteries and switch it on. Ten plug in the battery
of the plane and you are almost ready to go. Te channel that controls
the rudder was reversed from the required setting, so I reset that to get
proper rudder movement.
Tere are switches on the face of the radio to reverse the controls, so
be careful to check them every time you turn on the plane.
Te motor is already mounted in the fuselage and the prop and spinner
are mounted as well. It really doesnt get much easier than this to get a
plane ready to y!
CONCLUSION
Tis plane is a breeze to build and a newbie will have no diculties getting
it right. All of the adjustments are minor and normal for any plane. I had
my plane ready to y in about 45 minutes and half of that was waiting for
the epoxy to dry. Te mating of the parts makes it simple and foolproof. If
you are mechanically challenged, this is the plane for you. J
I
ve been reviewing beginner
airplanes for a few years now. It is
always interesting to consider the
manufacturers ideas about entry-level
planes. Te best beginner planes share
some common characteristics. Tey tend
to be light and made of sturdy materials
like EPP foam that help minimize crash
damage. Early on, the planes came with
brushed motors and NiCd batteries. Tey
were often heavy and you never knew
if they would get o the ground or not.
Te Mini Trainer is a great example of
how far beginner planes have come in
the last ve years. It is light and sturdy
with power to spare. Te construction
materials can take a beating and the
performance can be enhanced as the
newbies skill level improves.
Te cost of getting into the hobby has
also decreased considerably. My rst
plane, with the transmitter, electronics,
battery packs, and battery charger cost
me about $800. In stark contrast, the
Mini Trainer comes with all of that and
is almost completely built to boot. At
$159, it is an incredibly aordable avenue
into the hobby. You go to the store, buy
one box and some AA batteries, and
within an hour, you are ready to y. My
rst kit took me about eight hours to
assemble and I had epoxy all over the
place. Installing the electronics was a bit
of a mystery and servo reversing took
three wise men and a team of German
scientists to gure out.
YOU KIDS HAVE IT MADE!
Above: Te controls for the ailerons come installed
and mine only needed a minor adjustment.
Below: Te pushrods just need to be adjusted for
length and snapped into place.
Te landing gear are
spring steel and just
snap into place in the
provided slots of the
fuselage.
Te wing is
held in place
with two
screws.
MARCH 2014 43
Helicopter Section
SPECIAL
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44 Heli Talk: Light Em Up!
Equip your heli for night ight
By Jim Ryan
48 2DogRC Dualsky
Hornet 460
A quick, easy-to-assemble quadcopter for any
pilot By John Reid
52 Ares Chronos FP 110
Te perfect bird for moving beyond the coaxial
group of helicopters By John Reid
Heli Opener_0314.indd 43 11/25/13 9:25 AM
Heli Talk: Light Em Up!
Equip your heli for night ight By Jim Ryan
RCers love novelty anything to make ying a little dierent. Float ying,
aerotow, aerial video; all these add variety, but one of my favorites is night
ying. Teres something absolutely magical about ying in the dark. My
eorts with night ying go back nearly 20 years, starting with spotlights,
then Cyalume light sticks and nally LEDs. Back then, I was fascinated by
the night helicopter demos presented by Howard Kendall at the MidAmerica
Electric Flies in Ann Arbor. Howard was a pioneer in night 3D, and his
beautiful lighting system and smooth pattern-inuenced ying style made
for an awesome display. Tis was all years before I started ying helicopters,
but I thought it was incredibly cool.
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Heli night ying has become a thriving niche
in the sport, with the best 3D pilots crafting
routines in which their lighting systems are
choreographed to music. Its very impressive,
but maybe a little beyond most of us. Tat said,
when my local ying buddies started getting
together for foamie night ying, I decided I
needed to get my helicopters into the act!
I spent a weekend setting up my old reliable
Align T-Rex 450SE for night ying, and I was
hooked from the rst ight. Night ying with
helis is even more fun than xed-wing ying.
With the eect of the lighted blades, night
helis are a big crowd-pleaser, and ironically, the
lighting system can make orientation easier in
than in daylight. Lets look at how to convert a
heli for night ight.
Night helis look terric, and ying in the
dark is an absolute blast. Tis T-Rex 450
was converted to night ops in a weekend
using readily available products.
Heli Talk0314.indd 44 11/22/13 1:08 PM
MARCH 2014 45
LET THERE BE LIGHT!
Te following is by no means a comprehensive
summary of lighting systems, but rather a
simple nuts and bolts approach to getting a
night heli into the air. Well talk about simple
lighting systems and provide some tips on
making it all work. For our demo subject, well
start with a Century Heli Swift NX, an aordable
550-class machine with a simple structure and
5S power. Te durable Swift is a good candidate
for night ops, and its plain blow-molded canopy
should look great with internal lighting. Tere
are several technologies available to us, with
the most popular being glow wire and LEDs.
Glow Wire. Glow wire is electroluminescent
wire that glows like neon. Te wire remains cool,
and it can be used to outline features on your
heli for a very nifty eect. Tere are a couple
of catches: First, it requires a special driver
essentially a low-wattage 120V AC inverterto
make the wire glow, and this high-frequency
driver should be kept isolated from your
receiver. Second, glow wire has a nite lifespan,
and the higher the frequency, the faster the
wire starts to dim. Tat said, the overall eect
is very cool, and many night iers nd it well
worth the little extra work.
LED Strips. Te other popular lighting option
is LED strips. I prefer LEDs because theyre
inexpensive, reliable, and simple to set up.
Power consumption is modest, and todays
LEDs are really bright. So for this project well
focus on LED strips for most of the lighting.
CARE AND FEEDING FOR LEDS
I want to keep this discussion accessible, but
a few electronic basics are necessary. An LED,
or Light Emitting Diode, is a semiconductor
that will glow when current ows through it in
the proper direction (diodes are like one-way
valves). Te diode produces a given forward
voltage drop (generally in the 2.2 to 3.0 volts
range) and draws a nominal current (typically
20 to 30 milliamps).
LEDs have a fairly narrow voltage sweet
spot: too low and they wont light at all, and too
much and theyll burn up. But in their correct
voltage range LEDs will provide dependable
Te Swift NX from Century Heli is a good candidate for a night machine; its inexpensive and tough, and the
blow-molded canopy makes internal lighting practical.
Te LED strips are cut to length and
secured in place with their self-
adhesive backing. If you ever need
re-position them, 3Ms VHB transfer
adhesive is made to order. For the
Swift, the strips were mounted on
support bars to light the canopy
internally.
Heli Talk0314.indd 45 11/22/13 1:08 PM
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light for years.
Te self-adhesive LED strips well be using
are designed to run on 12 volts essentially a
3S LiPo pack. To do this, the LEDs are wired in
series in blocks of three, with a resistor added
to obtain the correct voltage drop. Te resistors
value is carefully selected to protect the LEDs
from a fully charged pack and yet keep them
lit to the very end of the ight. Tese blocks of
three are linked in parallel to make long strips.
Because theyre wired in parallel, you can have
as many blocks as you like, and the LEDs will all
light uniformly. Its really ingenious when you
stop to think about it.
Strips of LEDs can be installed wherever you
like on your heli, and then you can link them all
together like a daisy chain. Its a good idea to
have a couple of chains in your lighting system
so that a single broken wire wont take the
whole system down.
POWER OPTIONS
Now, I said the LED strips well be using are
designed to run on 12 volts. Tats great for
3S helis like my T-Rex 450, but what about
our bigger 5-cell Swift? Tere are a number
of options for supplying power to your LED
system:
Direct 12 Volt. If your heli is running a 3S LiPo
pack, you can simply tap power directly o
the main battery connector. I always include
a JST connector in the wiring harness so I can
disconnect the lights for day ying or for bench
maintenance.
Center-Tapped Battery. Another option that
allows you to use the main battery is to center
tap the battery so that the LED system
receives the requisite 12 volts. Tis can be easily
accomplished by wiring a female balancing
connector to pull power from pins 1 and 4. In
theory, this means the rst 3 cells in the pack
will be drained faster than the others, but the
LEDs pull so little current this really isnt much
of a worry if you dont y your battery to the
point of depletion and balance charge your
packs between ights.
Split Battery Tap. If your heli is running a 6S
ight battery, you can do a variation on the
center tap by wiring a balancing connector
so that cells 1 thru 3 and 4 through 6 power
dierent sections of the light system. With this
scheme all cells see about the same load, and
the eective current drain is cut in half. Tis
same approach can be applied to 12S systems.
Voltage Regulator. While a little more
expensive to implement, a programmable
voltage regulator or high-output BEC is
probably the ideal solution. If your regulator can
be programmed for 12 volts itll reliably power
the LEDs with no special maintenance required.
Separate Lighting Battery. Finally, you can
simply install a separate 3-cell LiPo pack to
power the lights. Even a small pack in the
500mAh range will provide several ights worth
of power, and the only down side is that you
have another battery to charge and maintain.
All these power options are relatively simple to
set up and highly reliable. Which you choose will
depend on your helis particular power system
and your personal preference.
After scraping the solder pads until theyre clean and bright, pre-tin the pads and the wire leads. You can then
touch-solder them together with a ne tip. A hobby knife is helpful for holding the wire in place while soldering.
For berglass canopies the LED strips should be
applied on the outer surface. Small holes are drilled
at the ends of the strips so the wires can be routed
internally, and a JST connector is glued to the upper
rear edge with PFM or similar elastomeric glue.
Heli Talk0314.indd 46 11/22/13 1:08 PM
MARCH 2014 47
LETS GET STARTED
Before you start plastering LED strips all over
your heli, take a little time to plan things out.
Two important considerations are the overall
visual eect you want to obtain and of course,
the need to maintain orientation in pitch
darkness. Like the nav lights on a full-scale
aircraft, I like to put red LEDs on the left side
of the tail boom and green on the right. A little
farther forward I install blue or white LEDs on
the bottom of the boom. Tis not only gives
an additional visual cue, but LEDs shining
downward give you a clear reference for height
above ground level. Also, the heli oating along
on a bright pool of light looks very cool!
LED strips on the landing skids also enhance
visual appeal. Te ideal if your heli is big enough
is to make your own skid pipes with clear or
tinted Lexan tubing and slip the LEDs inside.
Tis looks very sharp and helps protect the
lighting from dewy grass.
I apply my main attention to the canopy. On
my T-Rexs berglass canopy I applied three
strips of LEDs: blue down the center and yellow
along each side. Tese are connected with a
Y-harness inside the nose, with very small
holes drilled to route the wires to the LED strips.
Secure a JST connector inside the back lip of
the canopy with PFM or other exible adhesive
so that its easy to connect in the dark.
Te LED strip down the center of your
canopy is a great visual reference; on a nose-in
approach you can precisely gauge heading
depending on whether the line curves to the
left or right. I always use dierent colors up
front than at the tail so theres no chance of
confusing the two.
For the Swift I adopted a dierent approach.
Since its blow-molded canopy cries out for
internal lighting, I made a curved frame from
laminated 1/64-inch plywood to hold a light
strip inside the canopy. Farther back I installed
bars of .060 G10 berglass to support more
light strips without interfering with the cyclic
servos. Te result looks very cool and makes
the heli really easy to see.
SOLDER CONNECTIONS
While its ne work, soldering ne-gauge
wire between the various LED strips is
straightforward. Be sure to observe correct
polarity, as LEDs will only allow current to ow
in one direction. Use a hobby knife to scrape
the solder pads on the LED strips so theyre
nice and bright. Pre-tin the pads and the
very tips of your wires and then solder them
together. If your eyes are like mine, you may
nd a magnifying visor helpful, but its really not
dicult. Keep linking the strips together until
you have everything lit up.
UNTIL NEXT TIME
Tis takes care of the lighting up the main
airframe. Add a set of commercial night blades,
and youre ready to go ying. By all means, do
your rst night ights at dusk in a large space
to give yourself a chance to get used to the
look of the heli, but I think youll nd orientation
surprisingly easy.
Tere are several options for commercial
night blades, but in my next column well take
a look at making your own LED blades to add
a further individual touch your night bird. Until
then, take on the night!
While some night iers like to light up their helis like

Las Vegas, even a few simple LED strips look good
and provide more than enough visual cues for safe
night ying. You may be surprised how easy night
ying can be.
White LEDs on the bottom of the boom not only
gives an additional visual cue, but also a clear
reference for height above ground level.
Heli Talk0314.indd 47 11/22/13 1:08 PM
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2DogRC
Dualsky Hornet 460
A quick, easy-to-assemble quadcopter for any pilot
By John Reid
Specications
Model: Hornet 460
Manufacturer: Dualsky
Distributor: 2DogRC.com
Type: Quadcopter
Height: 4.34 in.
Rotor span: 18.11 in.
Weight: 25.75 oz.
Motor reqd: Included
Radio reqd: Any 5-channel radio
Price: $299.99
Highlights
+
Quick build
+
Well-labeled and well-
marked parts
+
Easy-to-follow instructions
Gear Used
Radio: DX18QQ, Spektrum
AR6210 receiver
(spektrumrc.com)
Motor: 4 Dualsky XM2830CA
Hornet, ESC 4 Dualsky
XC22A-Hornet (2dogrc.com)
Battery: 3-cell 2200mAh Mad
Dog LiPo (2dogrc.com)
Prop: 9x4.7 SF (included)
Q
uadcopters keep hitting hobby store shelves and continue to
be a growing segment of our hobby. Tere is a good reason
for that they are easy to y, you can add a camera and have
an eye in the sky, and you can y just about anywhere. After
assembling a number of quads, I have to say that the 2DogRC
Dualsky Hornet 460 is one of the easiest to assemble and get up in the air
quickly. Most of the unit is reinforced plastic parts with some carbon-ber
reinforcement pieces at key points (center section and arms).
Te motor arms are assembled out of the box with the motors and speed
controls already installed and hooked up. Te instructions are very clear,
precise, and easy to follow, and all the parts are packaged in boxes and
bags that are well marked for each step. Te motor arms are well marked
in the box so you know which go in the front and which go in the back. Tis
is important because of the rotation of the motors. Te arms also have two
dierent-colored LED lights around the edge to make orientation and night
ying easier. Overall, this is a very easy aircraft to put together and just
about as easy to y. I would even say that a new pilot could easily build and
y the Dualsky Hornet 460.
2Dog RC Hornet Quad.indd 48 11/22/13 1:12 PM
MARCH 2014 49
Right: Here is the Hornet
460 on the ground in the
proper orientation, white
blades in front, black blades
in the rear.
Left: Te author with
the Dualsky Hornet 460
hovering in front for the
camera.
UNIQUE FEATURES
If you take all the parts out to examine them, be
sure to set them back in the same box. Using the
labeling on the box will make assembling the quad
a little easier. Te rst step is to install a landing
gear to each arm. Te screws and bolts on this
kit are rather tight and will require a good-tting
Phillips screwdriver to avoid stripping out the
heads. I ended up using the largest screwdriver
that would still t in the holes. Next, I started
screwing in each of the arms, which required
four small screws each. Each arm slides onto the
base ange, so there is a good connection before
locking it into place with the four screws. Be sure
to slide the correct arm into the bottom case
slot, just match up the number on the base slot
with the number on the arm. Te numbers on the
arms are located on the bottom. However, dont
look for numbers. Instead, depending on the arm
you are looking at, there are dots marked on each
arm ranging from one to four dots.
Now the cables can be connected from the
mainboard to the ight controller and receiver.
Tere are four plug ports on the main board for
the cables and jumper. Te largest plug (cable
A) connects into port A on the mainboard with
one of its plugs going into the C-port. Again, all of
these cables, and plugs on the cables, are clearly
marked and identied. Te two jumpers are
switches for the LEDs on each of the arms, each
jumper making a connection between two arms.
Te four plugs on cable A are now plugged into
the four speed control slots on the Dualsky Flight
Controller. Ten the other three cables that came
with the Hornet 460 are plugged into the receiver
and ight controller. Again, all the plugs are color
coded, so there is no doubt about where they go.
Te only decision I had to make was which layout
to use for the placement of the receiver and the
controller. Tey can go on the bottom plate or
the top plate, so I went with the top plate in order
to have access to them if I need to adjust them
later on.
Te last step was to install the props: black in
the rear and white in the front, making sure of
the location for the normal and reversed props
(there is one of each in both colors). Next, add the
blue canopy and instal the battery pack on the
bottom.
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CONCLUSION
Tere really is very little building to be done to
get this quad ying. It can easily be completed
in one evening. If you can see colors and follow
simple directions, you will not have any issues
putting this bird together. Once at the ying
eld, you should not have any issue getting the
Hornet 460 in the air and ying it around. It is a
very stable bird, but pilots who are new to quad
ying should seek the help of an experienced
quad pilot for the rst ight.
Smile, Youre
On Camera
One of the things that quadcopters
do well is become a ying platform for
photography and video. So, it only made
sense to get the Dualsky Hornet GoPro
mount. Tis kit includes the mount
made from G10 material and the bolts
and nuts to install the mount to the
center section. Tere are also some rubber grommets that are used to help reduce vibration from
the quad or jelly eect from the quad during videos.
Te unit itself is very easy to install and the only tricky part is getting the rubber grommets
in, but I found that using an old screwdriver (one that is not sharp) helped to get them in without
tearing them up. You could also use some petroleum jelly to make it easier for them to slip in. I
was very pleased at the results of this mount and how solid the video looks. Tere are two ways
to mount the GoPro: either under or over the center section. Mounting it under will keep the props
out of your images, but does put the GoPro close to the ground. I left my canopy o, but if you
want to put it back on you will need to make your own measurements and cuts on it to make it t.
Overall, this mount is a great addition to your Hornet 460 for only $24.99.
From start to nish, it took just about an hour to have
the Hornet 460 ready for ight.
I decided to have both the controller and the receiver
on the top tier of the unit to allow for easy access.
Tere are three ight rates on
the Hornet 460. Te default is for
hovering and slow ight, the middle rate is for fast ight and
sport ying, and the high rate is for extreme ight and ips!
During my rst ight at my local ying eld, which has a
nice asphalt runway, the Hornet 460 was set on low rates.
However, afterwards I was able to take o this bird from dirt,
grass, and the roof of my car. Takeo was very uneventful,
and even during the very rst ight the Hornet pulled straight
up and needed very little correction to keep it on track. Once
we got it in a hover, it needed very little stick movement to
keep it on track. After a little hovering, it was time for forward
ight and the Hornet did not disappoint. It was easy to y and
maneuver around while ying forward. When it came time to
land, I found it very easy to bring the Hornet around and pull
it up for an stress-free landing. Because of the solid landing
gears, I couldnt help but bounce it a little on the pavement.
Landing on the grass and dirt made for a softer landing. I think
I just need a little more time on the sticks to grease in the
landings on pavement.
Stability: Stability is great! On low rates this bird is solid in the air and will stay in
one spot with hands o the transmitter.
Tracking: It is very eortless to guide the Hornet in a straight line right down the
runway. Once in forward ight, I had no problem guiding it all around the ying
eld.
Aerobatics: Absolutely, just ip the rates to high and you can ip this bird from
side to side and front to back. Hard angle turns are easy to pull o on high rates.
Glide and stall performance: No such thing with quads; they all glide like bricks.
PILOT DEBRIEFING
Tis is a great second quad for anyone. Te price is right and it is solid and
stable in the air. Te only reason I would not recommend this as your rst bird
is because of all the plastic parts, which give this a great look, but I am not so
sure how it would handle the inevitable beating a new pilot would give to his
rst quad. Once you get a handle on landing and ying, then head to 2DogRCs
website, pick up a Dualsky Hornet 460, and go have some fun.
In the Air
SPE CI AL
HE L I COPT E R
SE CT I ON
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Ares
Chronos
FP 110
Te perfect bird for moving beyond
the coaxial group of helicopters
By John Reid
Specications
Model: Chronos FP 110
Manufacturer: Ares
Distributor: HobbyTown
(hobbytown.com)
Type: Beginner helicopter
Length: 11.6 in.
Height: 4.3 in.
Main Rotor: 11.6 in.
Weight: 3.2 oz.
Motor reqd: Included
Radio reqd: Included
Price: $99.99
Highlights
+
Easy to get into the air
+
Durable
+
Very easy to y
Gear Used
Radio: 4-channel (included)
Motor: N40 (installed)
Battery: 500mAh 1S 3.7V LiPo
G
etting into ying helicopters can be rather intimidating. Tere are all kinds of
moving parts and your thumbs have to master a whole new learning curve.
I have some experience with quadcopters and I know that they have just
about the same control setup as helicopters, so that should cut down the
time it takes me to learn. When I got the Ares Chronos FP110 in for review,
I knew that this was the helicopter for me. It is an ultra-micro size bird, which I can y in
the house, and because its so small, it will bounce and not get destroyed when it crashes.
As a newbie helicopter pilot, I am sure there will be a number of crashes in my future. Te
Chronos box read, Te ideal helicopter for pilots looking to advance from coaxial helis or
quadcopters! Tis described me and my abilities perfectly, so I knew it was meant to be.
Ares Chronos.indd 52 11/25/13 10:02 AM
MARCH 2014 53
Ares
Chronos
FP 110
Te perfect bird for moving beyond
the coaxial group of helicopters
By John Reid
Another advantage of the Chronos is the
advanced xed-pitch and self-stabilizing
rotor head design. Tis bird oers the agility
of a single-rotor heli along with the stability
of a coaxial platform, which should make it
easier for me to learn the more advance ight
that is associated with most helicopters. Te
packaging is designed for store shelves and all
the parts are encased inside a Styrofoam case.
Te Chronos FP110 comes with the helicopter
fully assembled, a transmitter, battery pack,
battery charger, small Phillips screwdriver, extra
main blades and tail rotor, six AA batteries for
the transmitter, and a nice 29-page manual.
It is very clear that this design is made for the
beginner helicopter pilot.
UNIQUE FEATURES
Tis bird comes complete and fully assembled,
and according to the manual, it is ight-tested
at the factory. So, the rst thing I did was get
the battery on the charger, and because it
comes partially charged, it should only take 30
to 40 minutes. Tis gave me some time to read
the manual, which includes a good amount of
information for the new pilot.
Te rst part of the manual covers an
overview of the Ares M4LPH transmitter that
comes with the helicopter. After checking out
the switches, I discovered it had a proportional
mix trimmer knob, something I never had to
worry about on plane transmitters. On the
other side of the transmitter was a dual-rate
button, something I was familiar with. Te rest
of the layout on the transmitter was identical
to the plane transmitters Im used to. Te
Here is my instructor, Joe
Aguilar demonstrating the
Chronos FP 110 stability.
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proportional mix trimmer knob is used to adjust
the amount of mixing between the main and tail
motors. Tis allows ne-tuning the rudder trim
to help prevent the nose of the helicopter from
drifting to the left or right when in a hover or
while climbing or descending.
Te next section covered the control sticks
and their eects on the helicopter when moved.
Much of the controls are the same as ying an
airplane at least once it gets moving. During
hovering mode, the helicopter reacts just like
the quadcopters I have been playing with, so it
should be no problem. By the time I was done
reading about the controls, the battery charging
was nished. Now the fun can begin!
Te transmitter is turned on rst. I set the
throttle to low stick and made sure all of the
trims were centered so there would not be any
surprises at takeo. Te battery is held in the
front with some hook-and-loop fastener, and
a strip of this is wrapped around the battery
and battery bracket for added support. Once
connected, you need to leave the Chronos
FP110 alone and not move it until the gyro has
calibrated. Once calibrated, the gyro will now
know when the helicopter is level and will try to
keep the helicopter in this position during the
ight. An LED light blinks during the initialization
process, and when that LED glow is a solid red,
the control unit is initialized, armed, and ready
for ight. Now I can lock the canopy onto the
frame at its three contact points, which provide
very good support for the canopy. Te Chronos
is now ready to be moved to an open area where
I can start my rst helicopter ight.
CONCLUSION
What I like about the Chronos FP110 is that
there is really no assembly, except installing the
battery and canopy, which doesnt take long
at all. Once I got it in the air, it was very easy to
control and I found it to be the perfect rst choice
for my introduction to the world of helicopters. If
you want to step into the rotor world like I did, this
bird is a good choice for your rst ight.
I took my Chronos FP110 out to my local ying

eld for my rst ight with it, but I could have
just done it in my backyard. I chose the ying eld so I could solicit one
of our helicopter experts to help me and watch over me during my rst
ight. I was able to y from and land back on our paved runway, but you
can take o from any smooth surface. I found out later that the Chronos
would get snagged on carpet indoors (even short ones), but ying o of
wood or tile oors was no problem.
Before taking o, I performed the motor control test to make sure
everything was turning in the correct direction. I just raised the throttle
stick high enough to get the rotor and tail rotor spinning. I made sure
they were both spinning in the correct directions and then conrmed
that the tail rotor responded to the proper rudder stick inputs. Next, I
took the helicopter up to about eye level and kept the tail toward myself
so all of the stick movements would move the helicopter in the same
direction. Once there, I used the trim tab to keep the heli from drifting. If
it went left or right, I trimmed with the ailerons, and if it drifted forward
or backward, I used the elevator trim. If it wanted to yaw left or right,
that was taken out with the proportional mix trimmer knob.
Stability: Because this is a beginner helicopter, it needs to be stable
and it is. When I ran into a problem, all I did was center the sticks, and if
there was enough altitude, it would level out into a at hover.
Tracking: Once the Chronos is moving along in forward ight, you can get
it to track rather well. I was able to consistently duplicate gure 8s and
have the crossing point right in front of me at the same height.
Aerobatics: Tis is really more of a trainer helicopter and isnt really set
up for aerobatics, but you can get it to do pirouettes, horizontal gure
8s, and other simple maneuvers.

PILOT DEBRIEFING
Tis is a great learning helicopter because it can bounce o things it hits
without suering any damage. It is also small enough to y in the house
and the battery lasts a good 6 to 7 minutes. For beginners like myself,
the Chronos FP 110 is a good helicopter that can be used in conjunction
with a larger helicopter for ying at the eld. I use the Chronos so I can
y indoors everyday and outside on nice days with little or no wind. Give
one a try.
In the Air
Learning to Fly
One of the tools I like to use when learning a new maneuver, or in this
case learning to y a new type of aircraft, is a ight simulator. Te
RealFlight simulators have a number of helicopters in the lineup of
aircraft available, and it is easy to nd one that closely resembles the
Chronos FP110. Before ying my Chronos, I picked a small helicopter from
the group of helicopters available and practiced hovering with it on the
simulator. Once I felt comfortable hovering with the nose out, I tried it
on the real helicopter, and to my surprise, it was remarkably similar. So
much so that I could easily keep the helicopter hovering in one spot for
the entire length of the battery charge. While the battery was recharging,
I went back to the simulator and practiced ying the helicopter by moving
it from side to side while still keeping the nose out. Again, when I got to
the real machine, it duplicated exactly what I learned on the simulator. I
found it rather easy to hover and move the helicopter to the right, then
hover again and move the helicopter back over to the left, and hover
again. Once the helicopter was back on the charger, I was again practicing
on the simulator this time forward ight. By continuing to practice this
way, within an hour I was able to y my Chronos FP 110 around the living
room without running into anything and my ying skills improved rather
quickly. Te next time you want to learn a new maneuver, master a new
type of plane, or just learn how to y helicopters or quads, start on a ight
simulator.
1/4H.indd 1 9/24/13 12:33 PM
1/2V.indd 1 9/24/13 12:41 PM
LIKE.
FOLLOW.
JOIN.
Flyzone
Hadron
Tis ying wing is so
much fun it ought to be
illegal!
By Greg Gimlick
When you hear the name
Hadron, you might think of
the super collider in Europe, or
if youre a scientic type, you
might think of the denition,
which is a class of subatomic
particles composed of quarks
that take part in a strong
interaction. Te strong
interaction portion of that
certainly describes this model!
Te Flyzone Hadron may look
like a mild delta wing airplane,
but dont be fooled: it can be
as docile as you wish or as
wild as a loose atomic particle.
Construction is AeroCell foam
with decals pre-applied to give it
a military jet look. All electronics
are installed so assembly is
quick. My Tx-R version came
with a receiver, 3S LiPo pack,
and balancing charger, so
only a compatible transmitter
is required (I used my Tactic
TTX650). Tis is nice setup for
pilots who are experienced with
low wing, aileron-equipped
planes.
Pilot Report
PR Electrifly Hadron.indd 56 11/22/13 1:56 PM
MARCH 2014 57
Gear used
Radio: Tactic TTX650 transmitter
(tacticrc.com), receiver, three mini
servos, one high-torque mini servo
installed
Motor: 35-36-2200Kv brushless
motor & 40A speed control
(installed), ElectriFly 11.1V 2200mAh
LiPo
Prop: Pusher (installed)
Specications
Model: Hadron
Manufacturer: Flyzone
(yzoneplanes.com)
Distributor: Great Planes
(greatplanes.com)
Type: Vectored thrust delta ying wing
Wingspan: 33.5 in.
Wing area: 408 sq. in.
Weight: 31 oz.
Wing loading: 11 oz./sq. ft.
Power incld: 35-36-2200Kv
brushless motor
Radio reqd: 6-channel
Price: $279.99 (Tx-R)
Reviewer Greg Gimlick says,
Tis is an absolutely cool plane.
Te guys at the eld beg me to
at-spin it!
Highlights
+
Nice-quality AeroCell construction
+
Great ight characteristics
+
Two power setups by changing pack
and prop
+
Flight-ready in an hour
Te installed 35-36-2200Kv brushless
motor provides plenty of power using
either the 3S and 6x5 prop setup or the 4S and 5x5 setup. Hand
launches are easy and you can do them yourself, but I recommend
having a helper do it for the rst few ights while you learn the
characteristics of the plane. I used all the recommended control
throws and expo recommendations, which suited my style just
ne. For my rst hand launches on my own, I dialed in a tiny bit of
up-elevator to ensure an initial climb before I got my hand back on
the sticks. It probably isnt necessary, but it might help if youre
concerned about the rst launch. I test-ew it with low rates, full
power, and no thrust vectoring on the launch. Within a few seconds,
I set it for high rates and full vectoring, but unless Im going to do
extreme aerobatics, I leave it on the low-rate settings.
Stability: Using the recommended throws and CG setting, the
delta is nice and stable. Tere is a lot of room to adjust the battery
position and you can move the CG back to the point where it
becomes very lively and a lot less stable. Dial it in to your ying
style.
Tracking: It tracked beautifully right from the start. Te rudder is
eective during the launch and if you have thrust vectoring active,
it is very eective, so be careful. Landing approaches can be slow
if you desire by using a high-alpha prole and power, but normal
landings are easy too. Te fuselage is reinforced on the bottom for
easy belly landings without damage.
Aerobatics: WOW! Tis is what this delta was designed for and it
doesnt disappoint. A delta usually isnt known for knife-edge, but
this one will do it and do so with gusto using full thrust vectoring
and rudder mix. Loops, rolls, and inverted ight are all staples and
the power is there whether you use 3S or 4S.
Glide and stall performance: With the recommended CG, stalls are
gentle enough and easy to recover from. Move the CG aft and the
stall becomes more abrupt, but still controllable. Te wing loading is
light and glide performance is nice and stable. It will really slow down
if you want it to.
PILOT DEBRIEFING
Tis thing is a ball! It hand-launches easily and has the power to
pretend its a little hotliner, or you can slow it down and y it around
like a docile delta. With the three-position switch controlling the
thrust vector and rudder choices, it can quickly change from a mild
yer to a wild yer. Te at spins will get everyones attention and
put a smile on your face too. We have a winner!
In the Air
UNIQUE FEATURES
Te list of great features would have to start with the fact this delta wing
will do a knife-edge! Since deltas are inherently lacking in yaw authority,
you may wonder how thats even possible, but this gem has thrust
vectoring mixed to the rudder. Te setup allows you to have only rudder
with no vectoring, full vectoring with rudder, or full vectoring and no
rudder. You wont believe whats possible when you use full vectoring and
rudder!
Te next feature is the ability to y it on 3S or 4S by swapping the
prop (props for both setups are included). Tere is plenty of room in the
fuselage for various battery sizes, so changing between the two setups
only takes a minute to change the prop. On 4S, this is no beginners plane,
but you advanced pilots will have a ball.
Assembly only takes about an hour and most of that will be spent
linking your radio and doing the programming. Put your battery on the
charger when you start building so it will be ready when youre done.
Its that fast! Te primary assembly consists of screwing the vertical
Tese are all the parts
ready for assembly in
less than an hour.
Heres a close up of the drive
mechanism for the lateral thrust
vectoring.
IT HAS THE POWER TO PRETEND ITS A LITTLE
HOTLINER OR YOU CAN SLOW IT DOWN AND
FLY IT AROUND LIKE A DOCILE DELTA
MARCH 2014 59
Flyzone Hadron
stab onto the turtle deck, which is then
screwed onto the fuselage. All the blind
nuts are pre-installed and all hardware is
provided.
Battery packs are restrained with a
hook-and-loop fastener glued to the bottom of the fuselage and one-
wrap hook-and-loop straps around the pack. Te straps will go around
the carbon-ber rod in the bottom of the fuselage, and two straps are
recommended if youre going to really explore the extreme capabilities of
the plane.
Programming the radio is a simple task because of the extensive
instruction manual. Mine was even easier because I used the Tactic TTX650
and page 11 of the instructions laid out the exact settings to get everything
working together. If youre using a dierent transmitter and an AnyLink
Lets talk at spins: youve never own
something that will at spin like this!
Tere are several ways to enter a at
spin, but with the Hadron, there is an
instant method I love. Its easiest and
fastest if you use high rates, but it will do
it on low rates too. Try these steps:
1. Select high rates on elevator and
aileron.
2. Activate the switch for full thrust
vectoring and rudder.
3. Execute a vertical climb.
4. Simultaneously push the rudder/
throttle to the top left and aileron/eleva-
tor to the top right (opposite top corners).
5. It will instantly go into a at spin.
6. Relax the aileron/elevator to neutral.
7. Continue to hold full left rudder.
8. Trottle can be adjusted to accelerate
or slow the spin.
9. Recover by applying rudder opposite
of the spin.
10. Be prepared for it to recover inverted
... sometimes!
With practice you can reduce throttle,
adjust rudder to stop the spin and then
apply opposite rudder and throttle to
change the direction of the spin while
adjusting with opposite aileron and
elevator. It will spin upright or inverted
and Ill admit there are times Im not
sure which is going to happen, but its so
much fun, it has to be experienced.
MASTER THE FLAT SPIN
device, the instructions are thorough enough to make that task a cinch.
CONCLUSION
Tis little delta is just too cool! Open the box, put the battery on the
charger, spend an hour assembling the plane, and youre ready to y. Not
just y, but force the sky into submission with the radical maneuvers
possible with thrust vectoring and great power! My only suggestion is
that you get several batteries for it because youre not going to want to
wait for a charge after the rst ight.
Te turtle deck un-
screws and the vertical
n is bolted on with two
screws.
Te turtle deck is in place
with six screws and the
control rod connected to the
rudder.
Te front of the fuselage
houses the battery and
has plenty of room for
adjustment.
By John Reid
How to Remove
Old Covering
Custom Corner
I
have nally decided to take the leap and recover a
brand- new ARF in a dierent color scheme. I have
good friends who get planes and recover them
and say that compared to building from scratch,
recovering ARFs saves them work and time. So, armed
with some tips and words of wisdom, I decided to try this
out and take you along for the ride. In our next issue I
will show you how to lay out and recover the ARF with
a brand-new color scheme. In the nal installment I will
show you how to make and add some markings and
panel lines. Everything I am going to do on this plane will
involve UltraCote covering including the scale details
and markings. For this re-cover I will be using the blue-
nose version of Hangar 9s P-51D Mustang 60 ARF. Tis
.60-size Mustang is the perfect-size electric plane and
the kit also has a large top hatch, which should make
changing battery packs rather easy. Tis plane comes
with the panel lines already scribed in the covering, so
I wanted to take advantage of that. I was very nervous
about taking a terric-looking plane with a great
covering job and removing all of it, but it was the only
way I can get the color scheme I wanted. Tis should be
fun, so lets get started!
1
Here are some of the tools I used for removing the covering. First is a pair
of at-nosed pliers to grip the covering when removing it. I also needed two
dierent tweezers to perform the same function as the pliers when grabbing
smaller bits of covering. I had a hobby knife to lift up the edges of the covering to
get the process started. A heat gun that was capable of reaching some very high
temperatures was very helpful in shrinking and pulling back the covering, making it
easy to use the other tools to remove it.
2
Because this plane already had all the panel lines inscribed on it, I thought
I might want to add them back in on my nished plane. Before starting the
removal process, I took photos of all the parts as a reference for later on
when I may want to draw them back onto my color scheme.
PICK A COLOR
Te rst step in any project was to decide on a new color scheme. I wanted a plane
that no one else would have something dierent. For that reason I decided to go
with a captured plane color scheme. During the war, all sides would capture enemy
aircraft and paint them in their colors. Tis is how the U.S. learned what the Zero was
capable of doing in a dogght. Te captured Zero helped our pilots learn how to beat it
in the air. I settled on a Mustang that was captured by the Nazis and painted with their
insignias. Te odds were that no one else was going to have this same plane at my
ying eld and it would be unique. I ordered the UltraCote in the correct colors and got
started on removing the covering from my plane.
Custom Corner 0314.indd 60 11/22/13 1:01 PM
MARCH 2014 61
3
Te easiest way to remove the covering is by using a heat gun to get
the covering hot and loosen up the heat-activated glue on the back. To
accomplish this, I set the heat gun to its hottest setting; on most guns,
closing the vents on the back to the smallest opening will make the air hotter.
4
Using the heat gun set on high, I pointed it at a seam and overheated the
material until it started shrinking and melting so that the corner came up.
When I am shrinking down covering on a new plane, I try not to leave the
heat gun on any area too long just to prevent this from happening now I am
doing this on purpose! Once I had a large enough piece to grab with the tweezers, I
removed the heat.
5
Using the tweezers, I pulled up the covering as I continued to heat up the
covering. Be careful of the heat coming o that gun! I made sure to heat
up the sides at the seam line so I could pull up the covering in a single piece.
When you have the correct amount of heat, the covering will be very easy to
pull up. If you are having trouble pulling up the covering, get the gun closer to the
covering and edges.
6
When I had a large enough piece to hold onto, I grabbed it with my hand and
pulled. Notice that I had the front of the heat gun pointing away from my
hand always be aware of the direction of that hot air, as it will not take
very long for that super-heated air to burn your skin. On seams that extend around
the sides for more than 1/8 inch, I like to heat and pull them up before working on
the at surface, as I did on this rudder.
7
It is very easy to know when you have enough heat on the covering; it will
pull up with very little eort. If you are having any areas where it is not
coming up easily, just hold the heat gun on that spot for a little longer. You
should be able to pull o the whole piece each time like I did on this rudder.
8
Once the covering is removed, I am very careful about how I handle the
parts. Laying them down on a soft surface such as soft foam will keep them
safe. I used the antiskid shelving material that you can buy at any local store
to prevent any damage to the pieces. It is thin, soft, and the parts dont shift around
on it. If any parts do sustain some damage, theyll have to be repaired before adding
the new covering.
FINAL THOUGHTS Another quick tip to keep in mind with regard to the heat gun is that it can get to well over 400, so always be aware of where it is
pointing when it is on. Be careful around any plastic parts that are on the plane, such as the wheel wells in this P-51, because the plastic parts can melt rather
quickly. A melted plastic part means more work for me before applying my new covering. Tis model also had some strong magnets holding down the canopy
hatch. High heat can easily damage the magnets holding power, so keep the heat gun away from any magnets that are already installed in your plane.
I found this whole process much easier and quicker to do than I thought it would be, and now I am looking forward to adding the new covering. Be sure to
check out the next installment of Custom Corner where I will be creating a German-captured P-51 color scheme with UltraCote to this great Hangar 9 P-51D
Mustang.
9
When you have duplicates of the same piece such as the horizontal
stabilizer and elevators, it is best to mark one pair of them like I did here.
When I cover the stabilizer and elevators, I will do them as paired pieces.
Tis will ensure that the hinge points will remain lined up and matching. Because
these parts will be done in yellow UltraCote covering, I made the marks very
light and in a spot where they will not be noticed. I know from past experience
that darker markings will show through the yellow covering, so be careful when
marking your parts. Its always a good idea to locate the part ID number/letters in a
hidden or non-conspicuous area.
10
Here are all my parts with the covering removed, ready for the new
color scheme. Tis was also a good time to check all the glue joints; if
any should need some reinforcement or additional glue, I will usually
apply it at this time. I read about some glue joint issues on this plane online, but
Im happy to say that must have all been taken care by the manufacturer because
everything checked out ne on my bird. With just a light sanding and wiping down
with the tack cloth, my new plane will be ready for the new covering!
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1/3S.indd 1 3/13/13 10:53 AM
1/6H.indd 1 5/7/13 10:02 AM
1/3V.indd 1 9/25/13 11:04 AM
STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP
Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation (Required by 39 U.S.C. 3685). 1. Title of Publication: Electric Flight. 2. Publication
no.: 021-655. 3. Date of Filing: October 1, 2013. 4. Frequency of Issue: Bimonthly. 5. Number of Issues Published Annually: 6. Annual
Subscription Price: $29. 7. Complete Mailing Address of Known Ofce of Publication: 88 Danbury Rd., Wilton, CT 06897-7452. Complete
Mailing Address of Headquarters or General Business Ofce of Publisher: Same. 9. Full Names and Complete Mailing Address of
Publisher, Editor, and Managing Editor: Publisher: Louis V. DeFrancesco, 88 Danbury Rd., Wilton, CT 06897-7452. Editor: Debra Cleghorn,
88 Danbury Rd., Wilton, CT 06897-7452. Managing Editor: None. 10. Owners: Louis V. DeFrancesco and Yvonne M. DeFrancesco, 88
Danbury Rd., Wilton, CT 06897-7452. 11. Known Bondholders, Mortgages, and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding 1 Percent or
More of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages or Other Securities: None. 12. Does not apply. 13. Publication Name: Electric Flight. 14. Issue
Date for Circulation Data Below: November 2013. 15. Extent and Nature of Circulation: Average Number of Copies Each Issue During
Preceding 12 Months: A. Total Number of Copies (Net Press Run): 79,400. B. Paid and/or Requested Circulation. (1) Paid/Requested
Outside-County Mail Subscriptions Stated on Form 3541: 25,935 (2) 0 (3) Sales Through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors and Counter
Sales: 14,803 (4) 0. C. Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation: 40,738. D. Free Distribution by Mail, Samples, Complimentary and Other
Free: (1) 1,078 (2) 0 (3) 0. (4) Free Distribution Outside the Mail: 2,523. E. Total Free Distribution: 3,601. F. Total Distribution: 44,339. G.
Copies Not Distributed: 35,061. H. Total: 79,400. I. Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation: 92%. Actual Number of Copies of Single
Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date. A. Total Number of Copies (Net Press Run): 72,375. B. Paid and/or Requested Circulation. (1)
Paid/Requested Outside-County Mail Subscriptions Stated on Form 3541: 24,137 (2) 0 (3) Sales Through Dealers and Carriers, Street
Vendors and Counter Sales: 14,115 (4) 0. C. Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation: 38,252. D. Free Distribution by Mail, Samples,
Complimentary and Other Free: (1) 1,962 (2) 0 (3) 0. (4) Free Distribution Outside the Mail: 2,210. E. Total Free Distribution: 4,172. F. Total
Distribution: 42,424. G. Copies Not Distributed: 29,951. H. Total: 72,375. Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation: 90% This Statement
of Ownership will be printed in the March 2014 issue of this publication. I certify that the statements made by me above are correct and
complete. Yvonne DeFrancesco, Publisher.
Aerobatics Made Easy
A
t the 1994 Tournament of Champions in Las Vegas, NV, I saw
an extreme slip to landing performed by David Von Linsowes
giant-scale Extra 300S during his freestyle program it was
choreographed to music with the engine o! Ever since that
ight, this maneuver has caught my eye. You dont often see an aircraft
slip in the yaw axis while the ight path is parallel with the runway during
landing!
However, executing the extreme side slip to landing requires a pilot
to be comfortable with using rudder as well as cross-controlling rudder
and aileron input. It is important to understand the balance of these two
inputs, as all airplanes respond to control inputs in a dierent manner. If
too much rudder and/or aileron are used to perform the extreme slip, the
pilot may become overwhelmed when his aircraft performs a variation of
the negative snap roll. After all, the commands are similar!
Lets take a look at my personal rate and exponential setup on my
Extreme Flight 48-inch Laser EXP and cover all of the steps necessary
to perform this stunt with nesse. Tis airplane is the perfect example
aircraft as it was designed to excel at both precise and extreme
maneuvers. It exhibits docile slow-speed ight characteristics and has
strong rudder authority, especially when equipped with the included
side-force generators, which increase the side area of the model and
increase the airplanes rudder authority.
BEFORE WE BEGIN
When you are going to y the extreme slip to landing, a lot of control
throw on the elevator and aileron control surfaces are not needed. Rather,
the low-rate settings supplied by the planes manufacturer should suce.
On the other hand, a fair amount of rudder deection should be used as
the amount of rudder deection will determine the slip angle that you can
achieve in ight.
On my Laser EXP, I have about 15 degrees of elevator and aileron
deection and about 30 degrees of rudder deection. To make the
airplane more precise, especially when giving small corrections,
exponential is a must! Exponential softens how the airplane responds
to a certain control input. For example, during the side slip, the pilot
will command large amounts of rudder deection. When making small
corrections with rudder and feeding more rudder input in to increase the
slip angle, it is benecial if the aircraft isnt sensitive in yaw inputs, making
its ight appear erratic. With the rates mentioned earlier, I use about
25% exponential on the aileron and elevator surfaces and about 40%
exponential on the rudder.
EXTREME SLIP TO LANDING OVERVIEW
Like all landings, this one is no dierent. You should perform a downwind
leg, turn on to base, and turn on to nal so the aircraft is traveling into the
wind. At that point, line up with the runway. To initiate the slip, a slight
amount of aileron will bank the aircraft about 15 degrees in roll, and
opposite rudder input should will cause the aircraft to slip in the yaw axis.
As soon as the slip has begun, you will need to balance aileron and
rudder to keep a constant slip in motion. In addition, use elevator and
Fly an
Extreme Slip
to Landing
End your ight with style
By John Glezellis Illustrations by FX Models
AS SOON AS THE SLIP HAS BEGUN,
YOU WILL NEED TO BALANCE
AILERON AND RUDDER TO KEEP A
CONSTANT SLIP IN MOTION.
EXIT: At the end of ight, use
rudder to keep rollout straight.
throttle to keep a constant descent and to bring the aircraft to a three-
point landing. Before the aircraft touches the ground, though, release
rudder and aileron inputs to stop the slip and to straighten out. Stopping
the slip before the are is key so both main wheels touch down at the
same time. Done properly, the airplane will track straight down the
runway and the side load on the landing gear will be reduced.
Now, lets simplify matters and divide this exciting landing into four
steps.
STEP 1. Begin by lining the aircraft up with the runway, traveling into the
wind. In this example, the landing will be from right to left, and the aircraft
will be rolled to the left so that the top of the model is visible during the
approach. Apply a small amount of left aileron to bank the wings of the
aircraft and follow that input with right rudder to establish a slip angle.
STEP 2. Once some rudder has been applied, youll need to increase
the amount of up-elevator to keep a constant descent angle. Also, use
throttle to keep up the speed of the aircraft. Using too much rudder will
greatly decrease the speed of the aircraft, but the speed of the airplane
also depends on the descent angle.
STEP 3. Keep the nose of the aircraft down slightly and remember to
balance rudder and aileron input accordingly. Using too much aileron and
AeroEZ_Slip Landing.indd 64 11/22/13 12:41 PM
MARCH 2014 65
ENTRY: Enter in straight and
level ight into the wind.
rudder input at the same time can result in a negative snap roll variant!
Keep the bank angle limited, but add rudder input as needed to keep a
graceful slip.
STEP 4. As the airplane approaches the runway, decrease the slip angle
by releasing rudder input and correct the bank angle of the wings with
the ailerons. Add power as needed to keep the speed of the aircraft up
and perform a are. Te best manner to approach this portion of the
maneuver is to wait until the last moment before touchdown.
1
Roll left and apply right
rudder to establish slip.
2
Increase elevator back
pressure to maintain
consistent descent rate.
3
Maintain slip angle
with balanced aileron
and rudder input.
4
Near touchdown,
decrease slip angle
and add power as needed
to are.
Tese are the basic control inputs that are needed in performing this
exhilarating maneuver. However, this type of landing is not only a crowd-
pleaser; its also benecial during an emergency situation like a motor failure.
Occasionally, a motor will fail forcing the pilot to land downwind as the airplane
may not be high enough to actually make a lap and turn into the wind. At that
point, the pilot should line the aircraft up with the runway and perform a side slip
to drop altitude and airspeed if the airplane is traveling faster than desired. As
the aircraft approaches the runway, the pilot can level the aircraft out, release
rudder and aileron and perform a are for the perfect emergency approach.
FINAL THOUGHTS
You have now learned the fundamentals behind the extreme slip to landing.
Tis move is a true head-turner, but can also prove advantageous in an
emergency situation like the motor failure mentioned earlier. Remember,
though, that practice pays o as this can be quite a challenging maneuver
to execute properly. Control input amounts will dier from one airframe to
another, and you should familiarize yourself with how your aircraft reacts to
rudder and aileron inputs and observe how your aircraft responds at a safe
altitude. Te most important step is to properly balance rudder and aileron
inputs to establish the most extreme side-slip landing. Above all else, always
remember to have fun.
Rudder input is
very important for
establishing a slip.
AeroEZ_Slip Landing.indd 65 11/22/13 12:41 PM
3D Printing
for Scale Detail
Tailview
By John Reid
How did you learn about using 3D
printing for scale aircraft parts?
3D printing is something that
weve used at my work for some
time, so its something Ive been
aware of for a number of years.
But, it wasnt until I saw a friend
of mine make a wheel hub for
one of his projects that I came
to realize that there were places
out there now that have made
this an aordable process. So,
as an experiment, I created my
own wheel hub for my mirage
to see what the cost would be
and how long the process would
take. I was pleasantly surprised
to learn that it was inexpensive
with a quick turnaround. What
makes it accessible are websites
like shapeways.com that allow
aordable printing in all sorts of
dierent mediums.
What are the limitations on the
scale parts that can be made by
3D printing?
Te primary limitation is how well
all modelers. Te most dicult
part is creating the solid CAD
model that is required to print
from. Tere are a number of
free CAD modeling software
packages out there, plus I know
that Shapeways has its own free
program that is available as well.
Obviously, it does take some time
to learn the software, but with
time it gets easier. Also, folks like
Randy Hu from Distinctive Scale
Te latest in printing technology is a new breed of 3D printing, and it is
something that keeps popping up in the news just about every week.
Tis technology allows you to print parts one layer at a time; however,
these pieces are three dimensional and can be used afterwards. Now
the RC modeler can make realistic scale parts for his or her aircraft
using 3D printers and there are a number of companies now oering
this service to RC modelers. We got a chance to sit down and talk with
Chris Wolfe of Jet Hangar Hobbies, Inc., who had an outstanding scale
Mirage jet. He added some extra scale detail by having some scale 3D
parts made for it.
Models, LLC are willing to help. He
helped me with the CAD modeling
of the turkey feather exhaust
for my Mirage. Hes worked with
some of the top scale competitors
out there to develop detail parts,
as well as dummy engines and
prototype landing gear, for their
aircraft.
Is 3D printing expensive?
It depends on the material, but
overall, I would say that its very
aordable. If you start dealing
with materials other than the
ABS plastics (yes, you can print
metals!), the price can increase
dramatically. Tat being said,
its still pretty remarkable its as
aordable as it is. For the parts I
had printed for my Mirage, which
were the highest-quality ABS
plastic print, the cost was $3.49
per cubic centimeter.
Do you think you will be using 3D
printing again on future models?
Absolutely! I can see any number
of possibilities for scale detailing
using 3D printing. Tough this
technology isnt necessarily new,
only within the last few years has
it become truly aordable, and it
will only get better. Tis opens
any number of possibilities and
uses for our models, which is
really exciting. It will be fun and
interesting to see how things
progress in the future.
you can create the 3D model of

what you want to print. Otherwise,
the printers can make very
intricate parts and pieces. Its
incredible, really! As long as the
proper thicknesses are there for
the strength of the part, anything
is possible.
Is something like this available to
all modelers?
Yes, this is absolutely available to
Left: Te afterburners (AB) turkey feathers fresh from the printer, which shows the translucent ABS plastic. Right: Te painted
part really highlights all of the ne details. It was painted with Alclad paints with various colored washes used to get a realistic
look. Te AB LEDs add to the realism in ight.
Chris' EDF Mirage doing what it does best. Te 3D printed details really add
to the overall realism of the aircraft. Upper right: Chris placed fourth overall
in Expert at the latest Scale Master's Championships with this plane; here
he is adjusting the t of the afterburners' turkey feathers.
tailview0314.indd 66 11/22/13 2:07 PM
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