Model Airplane News May 2022

GREAT GLIDERS A great way to expand your RC experience is with gliders. Powered and unpowered gliders and sailplanes are very efficient performers and a lot of fun to fly. From hand-launch and slope soaring, to winch launching and aerotowing, gliders cover the gambit in fun and functionality. In this month’s feature, “Great Gliders,” we highlight six of our favorite RC thermal hunters and include their specifications so you can quickly see what they have to off er. If you’ve been thinking of trying out gliders or sailplanes, this guide will help get you started. THE P LOOP RC and aerobatic expert Dave Scott shows how this “altitude changing” maneuver is performed and how best to use it. Though not a beginner move, his detailed illustrations show in detail how to fly the maneuver…

P-47D THUNDERBOLT Ricardo Mialdea, Puertollano, Ciudad Real, Spain This 1/5-scale, 85-inch-span warbird is built from a Top Flite Gold Edition kit. Ricardo and his building partner, 21-time Spanish champion Andrés Leoni, chose to replicate Major William Dunham’s “Bonnie” P-47D of the 348th Fighter Group. The model has fiberglass covering and is powered by a DLE-55 turning a Xoar 23x10 prop. Its scale details include a painted cockpit, dummy rotary engine, Warbird Pilots figure, and Robart pneumatic retracts. DIRTE BIRDE & HUMMINGBIRDE Mark Rittinger, Roseville, Michigan Mark scaled a Dirty Birdy 40 to a 45-inch span foam-wing model, DirtE BirdE, and a 32-inch-span foam-wing model, HummingbirdE. The DirtE BirdE is powered by an E-flite Power 15 motor and 4S LiPo and has E-flite electric retracts. The HummingbirdE is powered by a Radical RC inrunner and a…

WING PLACEMENT MARKS For sport models that have wings attached with rubberbands, you can quickly determine the center position for the wing with matching marks on the wing and the fuselage. Use a Sharpie and mark the centers of the fuselage at the front and rear of the wing saddle. Place the wing in position and measure to make sure the wing is centered and the left and right wing panels are of equal length. Now make matching marks on the leading and trailing edges. Now you can be sure the wing is properly positioned when you add the rubberbands. George Lewis, Cherry Hill, New Jersey PULL-TAB MAGNETIC HATCH A great way to secure a hatch cover is to use rare-earth magnets. One end has a tab or pin to secure in a former…

LEGEND HOBBY YAK-3U Th is 63-inch-span warbird features balsa and ply construction and a scale outline—including tail surfaces! Finished in Oracover, it also has a detailed cockpit with a painted pilot figure and a painted fiberglass cowl. If you’re looking for a home for a 20cc gas engine, this is it! It costs $400. legendhobby.com POWERBOX ATOM Using the same RC transmission as the popular CORE line of radios, the 18-channel Atom features an ultra-simple menu, 2048-bit resolution, a color touch screen, aluminum sticks with Hall sensors, four linear controls with Hall sensors, and much more! The Atom costs $1,875. chiefaircraft.com E-FLITE T-28 TROJAN 1.2M SMART Th is updated “full-house,” 3S and 4S compatible T-28 includes a specially tuned motor and a 70A Smart Lite speed control, so it can fly scale maneuvers as well as high-energy…

Electric power systems can be intimidating, and not everyone wants to understand watts, C ratings, charge rates, balancing etc. I love the tech, but some folks just want to fly. Wouldn’t it be great it we could just plug in a battery, and have it safely charged and balanced without worrying about burning down the garage? Sounds great? Keep reading. Spektrum Smart batteries, chargers, and speed controls are an evolution in technology. The onboard circuitry contained in the batteries brings us features not available on regular LiPos. The IC connectors feature a data cable that gives Smart devices access to a plethora of useful information as well as the ability to program certain features of the battery. When combined with a Smart charger and Avian speed control, the telemetry information available…

An excellent way to expand your RC envelope is gliders and sailplanes. Unpowered gliders are the least expensive having no power system. Powered sailplanes equipped with electric motors and folding propellers to minimize drag are very popular. Gliders and sailplanes can be as simple or as sophisticated as you like and are very efficient performers. Available as kits, ARFs and radio-ready versions, gliders and sailplanes are available for all budget levels. This guide highlights six of our favorites. FMS FOX The FMS 3000mm (118 inch) Fox is an eye-catching sailplane. It features FMS’s advanced screw-free snap design (except for prop assembly), which allows quick and easy assembly and breakdown for storage and transport. Powering the Fox is a Predator 4258-KV460 motor and a 60A speed control intended for a 6S 5000mAh LiPo…