Carl Goldberg EP Falcon
JAY SMITH
48 MODEL AVIATION
Photos by the author
completed when they come out of the box.
The biggest decision the builder has to
make, outside of what equipment to use, is
whether or not to reinforce the wing for
outdoor flying. If desired, this is done by
applying the fiber-reinforced tape in two strips
on the bottom of the wing as well as installing
the plastic wing center doubler.
Since the aircraft is so light and I wanted
the added flexibility of flying outdoors as well
as indoors, I opted for the reinforced wing.
Assembly is simple and straightforward,
thanks to the well-detailed manual with
pictures of every step in the build process. I
will touch on a few things I really liked, as
well as some minor deviations that I made.
Assembly:Mounting the elevator and rudder
servos couldn’t have been easier using one of
the two balsa servo trays included with the kit.
This allows for almost any microservo to fit
without modification.
Mounting the aileron servo, depending on
which kind you use, might require a little
attention. I used a Futaba S3114 and needed to
do a bit of work to install the offset aileron
servo arm and mount the servo in the wing.
In the case of the offset servo arm, which
was provided with the model, the center hole
was slightly smaller than the servo horn
spindle. I used an X-Acto knife to open the
hole slightly, to allow the horn to fit tightly
against the offset arm.
The Futaba servo did not fit in the servo
tray in the wing and required a small amount
of the plastic to be removed. A combination of
a Dremel and jeweler’s file easily made the
modification.
If you are using a Futaba radio system, be
MY FIRST RC airplane was a Carl Goldberg
Eagle 2 built from a kit. At approximately the
same time, another Carl Goldberg kit—the
Falcon 56, which was a follow-up to the
Falcon Jr.—was quite popular, Only a kid at
the time, I remember the Falcon 56 well but
never had the opportunity to own or fly one.
Fortunately some of the Goldberg line of
aircraft is making a comeback under the name
“Carl Goldberg Classics.” The first release in
the series is the Falcon EP ARF, which
combines what was great about the Falcon line
into an easy-building, electric-powered model
made from Pro-Formance foam.
Some who remember the Falcon line of
aircraft from the 1960s and 1970s might
question why it was released in foam and not
balsa; the following from the Carl Goldberg
website does a great job of explaining the
intent of the release.
“Introduced in 1962, the Goldberg Falcon
was a mainstay at the flying field—becoming
the plane that took countless numbers of R/C
pilots from the beginning stages into basic
aerobatics.
“The Falcon has now been re-engineered
with today’s technology, including foam
construction and brushless electric power. But
the Falcon’s classic profile and gentle flight
characteristics are just like you remember
them ... only better.”
As is often the case these days, I was
amazed at the completeness of this model as I
took the parts out of the box for inspection. All
control surfaces are prehinged and all control
horns are preinstalled. Even the linkages,
allowing for only one aileron servo, are
A new take
on a classic design
Top: The level of completeness out of the
box makes assembling this model quick
and painless.
Above: A single servo controls the ailerons
with use of the included offset servo arm.
The double-duty Falcon functions well indoors and outdoors,
and it can be used as a trainer or a relaxing flier.
06sig2.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 4/21/11 12:53 PM Page 48
June 2011 49
Left: The receiver, battery, and ESC can
be easily accessed on the bottom of the
aircraft. The author used blue painter’s
tape to mark the CG.
Below: Two servo trays are provided, to
allow for added flexibility in servos used for
the rudder and elevator.
Specifications
Pluses and Minuses
Test-Model Details
The large rudder has no problems turning
the airplane, with slight elevator to keep it
level. Ailerons are also effective in turns, and a
combination of both makes them perfect.
The Falcon EP doesn’t like to stall. Full upelevator,
throttle off, while pointed into the
wind provides a nice, slow rate of descent. If
the nose does drop, it is only slightly and the
model immediately goes back into glide mode.
Like the bird it’s named after, this airplane
wants to fly. The low wing loading allows it to
slow nicely for landing, with no surprises. It
will execute a beautiful three-point landing
with no trouble.
I enjoy holding in just a tad of up-elevator
and landing on the mains, and letting the
aircraft roll out a few feet before releasing the
elevator, allowing the nose wheel to touch
down. Keep in mind that until the nose wheel
is planted on the ground, you won’t have much
in the way of ground steering.
If the original Falcon 56 flew anything
close to how the Falcon EP does, I can
understand why it has been a popular choice
for RC pilots throughout the years. MA
Jay Smith
[email protected]
Manufacturer/Distributor:
Great Planes Model Manufacturing
Box 9021
Champaign IL 61826
(217) 398-8970
www.carlgoldbergproducts.com
The completed Falcon, with wing reinforcements for outdoor flight,
came in at 9.2 ounces and performs well with the recommended
equipment.
sure to reverse the throttle channel and
confirm correct motor rotation before
installation. The RimFire 250 is easy to mount
to the firewall with the included 2mm x 8mm
washer-head Phillips screws.
The ElectriFly 8-amp ESC simply plugs
into the motor leads using preinstalled bullet
connectors and is held in place inside the
fuselage with Velcro. The ESC even has a
Dean’s Micro connector installed to match the
one on the recommended battery, so no
soldering is required.
I deviated slightly from the manual
regarding marking the CG location on the
bottom of the wing. Inside the back page of
the manual was a template for marking the
three recommended CG locations onto the
wing with a felt-tipped pen.
Since I didn’t want permanent lines, I
simply stuck two small pieces of blue painter’s
tape to the wing and then marked the CG on
the tape. Once balanced, the tape was easy to
remove.
Using the manufacturer’s recommended
equipment, the CG fell on the middle line,
which was marked. The recommended CG
was perfect!
Although the manual did a great job of
providing both low and high rates, I left my
throws with the travel they had mechanically
when set up per the manual.
The Falcon came in at 9.2 ounces ready to
fly with the wing reinforcements and supplied
300 mAh battery. I was originally concerned
about the flight time I would have with the
battery, but I have been able to get as much as
eight minutes in the air.
Flying: The weather conditions haven’t
provided the calm conditions that this model
deserves, but it has held up well in the 8-10
mph winds in which it has been flown.
Thanks to its tricycle landing gear, with
nose wheel steering, the Falcon handles nicely
on the ground. Pointed into the wind, the
takeoff run is fewer than 10 feet and doesn’t
even require rudder correction.
Once airborne you will find that the model
has plenty of power, allowing for a reasonable
climb angle and consecutive loops that can be
done from level flight.
Model type: RC trainer ARF
Skill level: Beginner builder; beginner
pilot
Wingspan: 37 inches
Wing area: 286 square inches
Length: 30 inches
Weight: 8.5-10.0 ounces
Wing loading: 4.3-5.0 ounces/square
foot
Power system: 90-120 watts
Radio: Four channels with three servos
Construction: Pro-Formance foam
with plastic details
Price: $69.99
+•
Level of completeness out of the box.
• Provisions for indoor or outdoor flight.
• Sturdy tricycle landing gear.
• Wing attached with rubber bands
for simple removal.
• Easy access to battery and electronics. -•
Aileron servo requires a bit of additional
work to mount.
• Wing saddle might need to be lightly
sanded if the plastic wing center
doubler is used.
Power: ElectriFly RimFire 250
outrunner motor, 8-amp ESC
Battery: ElectriFly two-cell,
300 mAh Li-Poly
Propeller: APC 8 x 3.8 Slow Flyer
Radio system: Futaba 8FG transmitter,
Futuba R6004FF FASST receiver,
three Futaba S3114 servos,
one 3-inch servo extension
Ready-to-fly weight: 9.2 ounces
Flight duration: 6-8 minutes
06sig2.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 4/21/11 12:55 PM Page 49
Edition: Model Aviation - 2011/06
Page Numbers: 48,49
Edition: Model Aviation - 2011/06
Page Numbers: 48,49
Carl Goldberg EP Falcon
JAY SMITH
48 MODEL AVIATION
Photos by the author
completed when they come out of the box.
The biggest decision the builder has to
make, outside of what equipment to use, is
whether or not to reinforce the wing for
outdoor flying. If desired, this is done by
applying the fiber-reinforced tape in two strips
on the bottom of the wing as well as installing
the plastic wing center doubler.
Since the aircraft is so light and I wanted
the added flexibility of flying outdoors as well
as indoors, I opted for the reinforced wing.
Assembly is simple and straightforward,
thanks to the well-detailed manual with
pictures of every step in the build process. I
will touch on a few things I really liked, as
well as some minor deviations that I made.
Assembly:Mounting the elevator and rudder
servos couldn’t have been easier using one of
the two balsa servo trays included with the kit.
This allows for almost any microservo to fit
without modification.
Mounting the aileron servo, depending on
which kind you use, might require a little
attention. I used a Futaba S3114 and needed to
do a bit of work to install the offset aileron
servo arm and mount the servo in the wing.
In the case of the offset servo arm, which
was provided with the model, the center hole
was slightly smaller than the servo horn
spindle. I used an X-Acto knife to open the
hole slightly, to allow the horn to fit tightly
against the offset arm.
The Futaba servo did not fit in the servo
tray in the wing and required a small amount
of the plastic to be removed. A combination of
a Dremel and jeweler’s file easily made the
modification.
If you are using a Futaba radio system, be
MY FIRST RC airplane was a Carl Goldberg
Eagle 2 built from a kit. At approximately the
same time, another Carl Goldberg kit—the
Falcon 56, which was a follow-up to the
Falcon Jr.—was quite popular, Only a kid at
the time, I remember the Falcon 56 well but
never had the opportunity to own or fly one.
Fortunately some of the Goldberg line of
aircraft is making a comeback under the name
“Carl Goldberg Classics.” The first release in
the series is the Falcon EP ARF, which
combines what was great about the Falcon line
into an easy-building, electric-powered model
made from Pro-Formance foam.
Some who remember the Falcon line of
aircraft from the 1960s and 1970s might
question why it was released in foam and not
balsa; the following from the Carl Goldberg
website does a great job of explaining the
intent of the release.
“Introduced in 1962, the Goldberg Falcon
was a mainstay at the flying field—becoming
the plane that took countless numbers of R/C
pilots from the beginning stages into basic
aerobatics.
“The Falcon has now been re-engineered
with today’s technology, including foam
construction and brushless electric power. But
the Falcon’s classic profile and gentle flight
characteristics are just like you remember
them ... only better.”
As is often the case these days, I was
amazed at the completeness of this model as I
took the parts out of the box for inspection. All
control surfaces are prehinged and all control
horns are preinstalled. Even the linkages,
allowing for only one aileron servo, are
A new take
on a classic design
Top: The level of completeness out of the
box makes assembling this model quick
and painless.
Above: A single servo controls the ailerons
with use of the included offset servo arm.
The double-duty Falcon functions well indoors and outdoors,
and it can be used as a trainer or a relaxing flier.
06sig2.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 4/21/11 12:53 PM Page 48
June 2011 49
Left: The receiver, battery, and ESC can
be easily accessed on the bottom of the
aircraft. The author used blue painter’s
tape to mark the CG.
Below: Two servo trays are provided, to
allow for added flexibility in servos used for
the rudder and elevator.
Specifications
Pluses and Minuses
Test-Model Details
The large rudder has no problems turning
the airplane, with slight elevator to keep it
level. Ailerons are also effective in turns, and a
combination of both makes them perfect.
The Falcon EP doesn’t like to stall. Full upelevator,
throttle off, while pointed into the
wind provides a nice, slow rate of descent. If
the nose does drop, it is only slightly and the
model immediately goes back into glide mode.
Like the bird it’s named after, this airplane
wants to fly. The low wing loading allows it to
slow nicely for landing, with no surprises. It
will execute a beautiful three-point landing
with no trouble.
I enjoy holding in just a tad of up-elevator
and landing on the mains, and letting the
aircraft roll out a few feet before releasing the
elevator, allowing the nose wheel to touch
down. Keep in mind that until the nose wheel
is planted on the ground, you won’t have much
in the way of ground steering.
If the original Falcon 56 flew anything
close to how the Falcon EP does, I can
understand why it has been a popular choice
for RC pilots throughout the years. MA
Jay Smith
[email protected]
Manufacturer/Distributor:
Great Planes Model Manufacturing
Box 9021
Champaign IL 61826
(217) 398-8970
www.carlgoldbergproducts.com
The completed Falcon, with wing reinforcements for outdoor flight,
came in at 9.2 ounces and performs well with the recommended
equipment.
sure to reverse the throttle channel and
confirm correct motor rotation before
installation. The RimFire 250 is easy to mount
to the firewall with the included 2mm x 8mm
washer-head Phillips screws.
The ElectriFly 8-amp ESC simply plugs
into the motor leads using preinstalled bullet
connectors and is held in place inside the
fuselage with Velcro. The ESC even has a
Dean’s Micro connector installed to match the
one on the recommended battery, so no
soldering is required.
I deviated slightly from the manual
regarding marking the CG location on the
bottom of the wing. Inside the back page of
the manual was a template for marking the
three recommended CG locations onto the
wing with a felt-tipped pen.
Since I didn’t want permanent lines, I
simply stuck two small pieces of blue painter’s
tape to the wing and then marked the CG on
the tape. Once balanced, the tape was easy to
remove.
Using the manufacturer’s recommended
equipment, the CG fell on the middle line,
which was marked. The recommended CG
was perfect!
Although the manual did a great job of
providing both low and high rates, I left my
throws with the travel they had mechanically
when set up per the manual.
The Falcon came in at 9.2 ounces ready to
fly with the wing reinforcements and supplied
300 mAh battery. I was originally concerned
about the flight time I would have with the
battery, but I have been able to get as much as
eight minutes in the air.
Flying: The weather conditions haven’t
provided the calm conditions that this model
deserves, but it has held up well in the 8-10
mph winds in which it has been flown.
Thanks to its tricycle landing gear, with
nose wheel steering, the Falcon handles nicely
on the ground. Pointed into the wind, the
takeoff run is fewer than 10 feet and doesn’t
even require rudder correction.
Once airborne you will find that the model
has plenty of power, allowing for a reasonable
climb angle and consecutive loops that can be
done from level flight.
Model type: RC trainer ARF
Skill level: Beginner builder; beginner
pilot
Wingspan: 37 inches
Wing area: 286 square inches
Length: 30 inches
Weight: 8.5-10.0 ounces
Wing loading: 4.3-5.0 ounces/square
foot
Power system: 90-120 watts
Radio: Four channels with three servos
Construction: Pro-Formance foam
with plastic details
Price: $69.99
+•
Level of completeness out of the box.
• Provisions for indoor or outdoor flight.
• Sturdy tricycle landing gear.
• Wing attached with rubber bands
for simple removal.
• Easy access to battery and electronics. -•
Aileron servo requires a bit of additional
work to mount.
• Wing saddle might need to be lightly
sanded if the plastic wing center
doubler is used.
Power: ElectriFly RimFire 250
outrunner motor, 8-amp ESC
Battery: ElectriFly two-cell,
300 mAh Li-Poly
Propeller: APC 8 x 3.8 Slow Flyer
Radio system: Futaba 8FG transmitter,
Futuba R6004FF FASST receiver,
three Futaba S3114 servos,
one 3-inch servo extension
Ready-to-fly weight: 9.2 ounces
Flight duration: 6-8 minutes
06sig2.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 4/21/11 12:55 PM Page 49