Ideas for mounting a digital camera in your model and taking in-air photos
February 2006 103
? Frequently Asked Questions Bob Aberle | [email protected]
Also included in this column:
• Where to find basic electricflight
information
• Mounting adapters for
electric motors
Don Bousquet holds his aerial-photography design Demoiselle Photographique. It weighs
less than 30 ounces total and has logged close to 10,000 photos.
The unique forward-looking mount for Don’s Olympus D630 digital camera on his
Demoiselle Photographique.
Double-click on that word, and that
information, along with any related photos,
will appear.
Let’s start!
Q181: “I have seen references recently to
modelers who are taking excellent digital
photographs from their RC aircraft. I think
I have a pretty good idea how to do this, but
I’m not sure as to the selection of an
appropriate camera nor do I have a feel for
the size aircraft required to do the job.
“As so many people ask you, can you
point me in the right direction?”
A181: At the September 2005 Northeast
Electric Aircraft Technology (NEAT) Fair
noted New England cartoonist and longtime
electric-power flier Don Bousquet showed
up with his new “camera plane.” He calls it
the “Demoiselle Photographique” because
it has the appearance of a Demoiselle. He
chose that design because he could place
the camera in a forward position with an
unobstructed view.
This aircraft employs a modified Mini-
Telemaster wing (at 400 square inches of area
and spanning 57 inches). The total all-up
weight with the camera is only 29 ounces.
THIS IS THE 23rd monthly column in
which I will try to give you the best
possible answers to questions you have
written or E-mailed to me. Each new
inquiry has a sequential number for
identification purposes.
Because publication space is limited,
part of this month’s material will be
published here, and you can find the
column in its entirety on the AMA Web
site at www.modelaircraft.org/mag/faq
/index.asp. All questions and answers are
posted there.
Once the material is posted to the Web
site, you must access particular questions
and answers by subject matter or
categories. This is done to help you retrieve
data for particular subjects. When you call
up a question, it reads “Answer … ”
104 MODEL AVIATION
The front page of MA’s Sport Aviator Web page. Along the left side is the index for all the
material posted to this site.
Don uses an E-flite 400/920 KV
outrunner brushless motor; a 20-amp EFlite
ESC; an APC 10 x 3.8E propeller; a
Kokam three-cell, 910 mAh Li-Poly
battery; and a JR radio with a total of five
servos. The motor current is 14 amps and
the power input is 156 watts.
Don has successfully used the Pentax
Optio and Olympus D630 digital cameras.
They are relatively inexpensive, light in
weight, and small in size. The camera is set
for the “landscape” function that focuses at
infinity (long distances). An extra RC servo
presses down on the shutter release.
Most of these cameras require that you
press the shutter release halfway down,
wait for it to focus, then continue pressing
until the shutter goes off. Since this camera
is preset to infinity, the servo need only
make one positive thrust to activate the
shutter.
Unlike the film cameras the digital
types allow you to take many pictures
during the course of a single flight. Don
claims that he has taken more than 10,000
aerial photos to date.
Don has made a business of his aerial
photography. Local realtors, architects,
and builders seek his service to enhance
their businesses. From what I hear,
payment is great because the alternative of
using full-scale aircraft can be extremely
expensive.
The accompanying photos show Don
and his airplane, a close-up of his forwardfacing
camera, and an aerial photo he took
at the NEAT Fair. If there is enough
interest in this airplane and the camera
techniques, it may be possible to talk Don
into writing an article for MA. Please let us
know your thoughts about that.
Digital aerial photography from RC
models is becoming popular throughout the
country. Recently I noticed an
advertisement by a company that supplies a
full system, including the camera, the
mount, and the means of activating the
shutter.
I tried searching for that source but
couldn’t find it. If someone from that
company reads this, please E-mail me with
the info and I will be happy to include it in
a future column.
Q182: “I am a beginner to this RC hobby
and would like to start with electric power
because of its many advantages (like it is
both clean and quiet). I’m at a loss as to
how to start. What is involved and how am
I supposed to select the right power system
for my models?”
A182: I must receive approximately a
dozen E-mails and/or letters each week
asking these same basic types of questions.
The first place to start is with the
manufacturers and distributors that make
and sell all the necessary electric-power
components. It is hoped that their
marketing and sales forces are trained and
available to help you as a beginner.
Kirk Massey has been providing an
overall service to electric-power beginners
for the last 20 years or more. He operates
as New Creations R/C in Willis, Texas,
and prefers to be reached by telephone; his
number is (936) 856-4630.
One of my many jobs as MA technical
editor is to provide the educational
information about our hobby for the
benefit of “rank beginners,” as they are
often called. Getting more people
interested in our hobby is a major goal of
the entire AMA staff. Toward that end I
write this column to allow you to write in
with your specific questions.
However, a first-time modeler needs a
“system approach” to the learning process.
In 2004 and early into 2005 I wrote 10
installments for MA’s “From the Ground
Up” series. In those articles I described in
logical order the aircraft, the power
The Demoiselle Photographique took this photo at the 2005 NEAT Fair. The clarity and
detail are amazing, especially considering that the camera was inexpensive.
February 2006 105
Hillman nylon spacers and long screws move the electric motor
forward after the original glow engine has been removed.
Bob constructed a 1/4 plywood box to extend the AXI motor out
from the original firewall of this converted Taxi Cup II.
Greg Covey employed a PVC-pipe adapter and long screws to
produce another variation in a motor conversion mount.
systems, and the radio systems. Then I wrote about model
assembly and flying.
I even published a simple design I called the Scratch-One that
would allow you to construct your first model from raw materials
(not a kit). That entire 10-part series can be found at
www.modelaircraft.org/mag/FTGU/Part1/index.html.
In addition to that series I wrote the two-part feature “Selecting
Electric Power Systems” which was published in the April and
May 2005 issues of MA. For your convenience these two articles
have been posted to MA’s Sport Aviator (SA) online magazine,
which you can access at www.masportaviator.com.
On the SA home page the “Menu” index along the left side
will lead you to many detailed product reviews, many of which
have never been published in MA. Since there is no lead time for
Web sites, these reviews are current in content and cover new
products and features. In addition, these articles are not restricted
to fit publication space. Many details are included that might be
edited out in magazine format.
My two-part article about selecting motors is in the “Flight-
Tech” section of the Menu. You can access it directly at
www.masportaviator.com/ah.asp?CatID=2&ID=76. Also in the
Flight-Tech section is the article “Safety Considerations for
Electrical Powered Flight.”
One of the most important aspects of teaching a beginner to
enjoy our hobby involves the education or training process. One of
the biggest problems with this is not having everything in one
place and needing to continually search the Internet or look up
back issues of MA.
The suggestion has been made that all training articles
intended for a rank beginner be placed on a single CD-ROM or
DVD and sold or given out with new AMA memberships. This
idea is still in its planning stage, but please write in and tell us if
you like the suggestion!
Q183: “I recently bought a large ARF kit that was intended for a
glow-fueled engine. I realized after removing the supplied engine
mount that my electric motor couldn’t be directly mounted to that
same firewall. The propeller would never “get out” of the cowl. So
some type of spacer was necessary to move the electric motor out
from the firewall.
“I’ve seen some scheme concerning how to do this, but was
wondering if you have any specific ideas on this subject?”
A183: With all the new balanced-cell Li-Poly battery chargers and
devices coming onto the market, flying larger and heavier RC
aircraft with electric power is becoming popular. Many who have
flown parking lot-size models with new, efficient brushless motors
and lightweight/high-capacity Li-Poly batteries are starting to go
back to the big models of years ago.
Flying a “big” RC model is a great thrill. Many modelers are
purchasing large glow-engine-powered ARFs and then converting
them to electric power. As the reader pointed out, most motor
installations will require an adapter that moves the motor forward
from the original firewall.
I recently reviewed the Hobby Lobby/Graupner Taxi Cup II: a
600-square-inch, 6-pound ARF. The article has been posted to the
product-review section of Sport Aviator.
Hobby Lobby’s instructions recommended to use the Hillmantype
nylon spacers and long screws as an adapter. The company
now offers these spacers on its Web site and catalog. I decided to
build my own plywood box as a spacer, which allowed the battery
pack to be placed inside the box and well forward, to better
balance the model.
FMA Direct’s new marketing director Greg Covey developed
another interesting motor adapter. He uses a PVC adapter that is
sold at home-improvement stores such as The Home Depot and
Lowe’s. It is identified as a PVC 3/4-inch adapter (Sch 40) D-2466
(item C435007). In addition to it, you will need four long screws. I
think the photo I included tells the entire story.
I’m sure that more suggestions will follow after readers see
these three ideas. Let’s hear from you innovative people! MA
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/02
Page Numbers: 104,105,107
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/02
Page Numbers: 104,105,107
Ideas for mounting a digital camera in your model and taking in-air photos
February 2006 103
? Frequently Asked Questions Bob Aberle | [email protected]
Also included in this column:
• Where to find basic electricflight
information
• Mounting adapters for
electric motors
Don Bousquet holds his aerial-photography design Demoiselle Photographique. It weighs
less than 30 ounces total and has logged close to 10,000 photos.
The unique forward-looking mount for Don’s Olympus D630 digital camera on his
Demoiselle Photographique.
Double-click on that word, and that
information, along with any related photos,
will appear.
Let’s start!
Q181: “I have seen references recently to
modelers who are taking excellent digital
photographs from their RC aircraft. I think
I have a pretty good idea how to do this, but
I’m not sure as to the selection of an
appropriate camera nor do I have a feel for
the size aircraft required to do the job.
“As so many people ask you, can you
point me in the right direction?”
A181: At the September 2005 Northeast
Electric Aircraft Technology (NEAT) Fair
noted New England cartoonist and longtime
electric-power flier Don Bousquet showed
up with his new “camera plane.” He calls it
the “Demoiselle Photographique” because
it has the appearance of a Demoiselle. He
chose that design because he could place
the camera in a forward position with an
unobstructed view.
This aircraft employs a modified Mini-
Telemaster wing (at 400 square inches of area
and spanning 57 inches). The total all-up
weight with the camera is only 29 ounces.
THIS IS THE 23rd monthly column in
which I will try to give you the best
possible answers to questions you have
written or E-mailed to me. Each new
inquiry has a sequential number for
identification purposes.
Because publication space is limited,
part of this month’s material will be
published here, and you can find the
column in its entirety on the AMA Web
site at www.modelaircraft.org/mag/faq
/index.asp. All questions and answers are
posted there.
Once the material is posted to the Web
site, you must access particular questions
and answers by subject matter or
categories. This is done to help you retrieve
data for particular subjects. When you call
up a question, it reads “Answer … ”
104 MODEL AVIATION
The front page of MA’s Sport Aviator Web page. Along the left side is the index for all the
material posted to this site.
Don uses an E-flite 400/920 KV
outrunner brushless motor; a 20-amp EFlite
ESC; an APC 10 x 3.8E propeller; a
Kokam three-cell, 910 mAh Li-Poly
battery; and a JR radio with a total of five
servos. The motor current is 14 amps and
the power input is 156 watts.
Don has successfully used the Pentax
Optio and Olympus D630 digital cameras.
They are relatively inexpensive, light in
weight, and small in size. The camera is set
for the “landscape” function that focuses at
infinity (long distances). An extra RC servo
presses down on the shutter release.
Most of these cameras require that you
press the shutter release halfway down,
wait for it to focus, then continue pressing
until the shutter goes off. Since this camera
is preset to infinity, the servo need only
make one positive thrust to activate the
shutter.
Unlike the film cameras the digital
types allow you to take many pictures
during the course of a single flight. Don
claims that he has taken more than 10,000
aerial photos to date.
Don has made a business of his aerial
photography. Local realtors, architects,
and builders seek his service to enhance
their businesses. From what I hear,
payment is great because the alternative of
using full-scale aircraft can be extremely
expensive.
The accompanying photos show Don
and his airplane, a close-up of his forwardfacing
camera, and an aerial photo he took
at the NEAT Fair. If there is enough
interest in this airplane and the camera
techniques, it may be possible to talk Don
into writing an article for MA. Please let us
know your thoughts about that.
Digital aerial photography from RC
models is becoming popular throughout the
country. Recently I noticed an
advertisement by a company that supplies a
full system, including the camera, the
mount, and the means of activating the
shutter.
I tried searching for that source but
couldn’t find it. If someone from that
company reads this, please E-mail me with
the info and I will be happy to include it in
a future column.
Q182: “I am a beginner to this RC hobby
and would like to start with electric power
because of its many advantages (like it is
both clean and quiet). I’m at a loss as to
how to start. What is involved and how am
I supposed to select the right power system
for my models?”
A182: I must receive approximately a
dozen E-mails and/or letters each week
asking these same basic types of questions.
The first place to start is with the
manufacturers and distributors that make
and sell all the necessary electric-power
components. It is hoped that their
marketing and sales forces are trained and
available to help you as a beginner.
Kirk Massey has been providing an
overall service to electric-power beginners
for the last 20 years or more. He operates
as New Creations R/C in Willis, Texas,
and prefers to be reached by telephone; his
number is (936) 856-4630.
One of my many jobs as MA technical
editor is to provide the educational
information about our hobby for the
benefit of “rank beginners,” as they are
often called. Getting more people
interested in our hobby is a major goal of
the entire AMA staff. Toward that end I
write this column to allow you to write in
with your specific questions.
However, a first-time modeler needs a
“system approach” to the learning process.
In 2004 and early into 2005 I wrote 10
installments for MA’s “From the Ground
Up” series. In those articles I described in
logical order the aircraft, the power
The Demoiselle Photographique took this photo at the 2005 NEAT Fair. The clarity and
detail are amazing, especially considering that the camera was inexpensive.
February 2006 105
Hillman nylon spacers and long screws move the electric motor
forward after the original glow engine has been removed.
Bob constructed a 1/4 plywood box to extend the AXI motor out
from the original firewall of this converted Taxi Cup II.
Greg Covey employed a PVC-pipe adapter and long screws to
produce another variation in a motor conversion mount.
systems, and the radio systems. Then I wrote about model
assembly and flying.
I even published a simple design I called the Scratch-One that
would allow you to construct your first model from raw materials
(not a kit). That entire 10-part series can be found at
www.modelaircraft.org/mag/FTGU/Part1/index.html.
In addition to that series I wrote the two-part feature “Selecting
Electric Power Systems” which was published in the April and
May 2005 issues of MA. For your convenience these two articles
have been posted to MA’s Sport Aviator (SA) online magazine,
which you can access at www.masportaviator.com.
On the SA home page the “Menu” index along the left side
will lead you to many detailed product reviews, many of which
have never been published in MA. Since there is no lead time for
Web sites, these reviews are current in content and cover new
products and features. In addition, these articles are not restricted
to fit publication space. Many details are included that might be
edited out in magazine format.
My two-part article about selecting motors is in the “Flight-
Tech” section of the Menu. You can access it directly at
www.masportaviator.com/ah.asp?CatID=2&ID=76. Also in the
Flight-Tech section is the article “Safety Considerations for
Electrical Powered Flight.”
One of the most important aspects of teaching a beginner to
enjoy our hobby involves the education or training process. One of
the biggest problems with this is not having everything in one
place and needing to continually search the Internet or look up
back issues of MA.
The suggestion has been made that all training articles
intended for a rank beginner be placed on a single CD-ROM or
DVD and sold or given out with new AMA memberships. This
idea is still in its planning stage, but please write in and tell us if
you like the suggestion!
Q183: “I recently bought a large ARF kit that was intended for a
glow-fueled engine. I realized after removing the supplied engine
mount that my electric motor couldn’t be directly mounted to that
same firewall. The propeller would never “get out” of the cowl. So
some type of spacer was necessary to move the electric motor out
from the firewall.
“I’ve seen some scheme concerning how to do this, but was
wondering if you have any specific ideas on this subject?”
A183: With all the new balanced-cell Li-Poly battery chargers and
devices coming onto the market, flying larger and heavier RC
aircraft with electric power is becoming popular. Many who have
flown parking lot-size models with new, efficient brushless motors
and lightweight/high-capacity Li-Poly batteries are starting to go
back to the big models of years ago.
Flying a “big” RC model is a great thrill. Many modelers are
purchasing large glow-engine-powered ARFs and then converting
them to electric power. As the reader pointed out, most motor
installations will require an adapter that moves the motor forward
from the original firewall.
I recently reviewed the Hobby Lobby/Graupner Taxi Cup II: a
600-square-inch, 6-pound ARF. The article has been posted to the
product-review section of Sport Aviator.
Hobby Lobby’s instructions recommended to use the Hillmantype
nylon spacers and long screws as an adapter. The company
now offers these spacers on its Web site and catalog. I decided to
build my own plywood box as a spacer, which allowed the battery
pack to be placed inside the box and well forward, to better
balance the model.
FMA Direct’s new marketing director Greg Covey developed
another interesting motor adapter. He uses a PVC adapter that is
sold at home-improvement stores such as The Home Depot and
Lowe’s. It is identified as a PVC 3/4-inch adapter (Sch 40) D-2466
(item C435007). In addition to it, you will need four long screws. I
think the photo I included tells the entire story.
I’m sure that more suggestions will follow after readers see
these three ideas. Let’s hear from you innovative people! MA
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/02
Page Numbers: 104,105,107
Ideas for mounting a digital camera in your model and taking in-air photos
February 2006 103
? Frequently Asked Questions Bob Aberle | [email protected]
Also included in this column:
• Where to find basic electricflight
information
• Mounting adapters for
electric motors
Don Bousquet holds his aerial-photography design Demoiselle Photographique. It weighs
less than 30 ounces total and has logged close to 10,000 photos.
The unique forward-looking mount for Don’s Olympus D630 digital camera on his
Demoiselle Photographique.
Double-click on that word, and that
information, along with any related photos,
will appear.
Let’s start!
Q181: “I have seen references recently to
modelers who are taking excellent digital
photographs from their RC aircraft. I think
I have a pretty good idea how to do this, but
I’m not sure as to the selection of an
appropriate camera nor do I have a feel for
the size aircraft required to do the job.
“As so many people ask you, can you
point me in the right direction?”
A181: At the September 2005 Northeast
Electric Aircraft Technology (NEAT) Fair
noted New England cartoonist and longtime
electric-power flier Don Bousquet showed
up with his new “camera plane.” He calls it
the “Demoiselle Photographique” because
it has the appearance of a Demoiselle. He
chose that design because he could place
the camera in a forward position with an
unobstructed view.
This aircraft employs a modified Mini-
Telemaster wing (at 400 square inches of area
and spanning 57 inches). The total all-up
weight with the camera is only 29 ounces.
THIS IS THE 23rd monthly column in
which I will try to give you the best
possible answers to questions you have
written or E-mailed to me. Each new
inquiry has a sequential number for
identification purposes.
Because publication space is limited,
part of this month’s material will be
published here, and you can find the
column in its entirety on the AMA Web
site at www.modelaircraft.org/mag/faq
/index.asp. All questions and answers are
posted there.
Once the material is posted to the Web
site, you must access particular questions
and answers by subject matter or
categories. This is done to help you retrieve
data for particular subjects. When you call
up a question, it reads “Answer … ”
104 MODEL AVIATION
The front page of MA’s Sport Aviator Web page. Along the left side is the index for all the
material posted to this site.
Don uses an E-flite 400/920 KV
outrunner brushless motor; a 20-amp EFlite
ESC; an APC 10 x 3.8E propeller; a
Kokam three-cell, 910 mAh Li-Poly
battery; and a JR radio with a total of five
servos. The motor current is 14 amps and
the power input is 156 watts.
Don has successfully used the Pentax
Optio and Olympus D630 digital cameras.
They are relatively inexpensive, light in
weight, and small in size. The camera is set
for the “landscape” function that focuses at
infinity (long distances). An extra RC servo
presses down on the shutter release.
Most of these cameras require that you
press the shutter release halfway down,
wait for it to focus, then continue pressing
until the shutter goes off. Since this camera
is preset to infinity, the servo need only
make one positive thrust to activate the
shutter.
Unlike the film cameras the digital
types allow you to take many pictures
during the course of a single flight. Don
claims that he has taken more than 10,000
aerial photos to date.
Don has made a business of his aerial
photography. Local realtors, architects,
and builders seek his service to enhance
their businesses. From what I hear,
payment is great because the alternative of
using full-scale aircraft can be extremely
expensive.
The accompanying photos show Don
and his airplane, a close-up of his forwardfacing
camera, and an aerial photo he took
at the NEAT Fair. If there is enough
interest in this airplane and the camera
techniques, it may be possible to talk Don
into writing an article for MA. Please let us
know your thoughts about that.
Digital aerial photography from RC
models is becoming popular throughout the
country. Recently I noticed an
advertisement by a company that supplies a
full system, including the camera, the
mount, and the means of activating the
shutter.
I tried searching for that source but
couldn’t find it. If someone from that
company reads this, please E-mail me with
the info and I will be happy to include it in
a future column.
Q182: “I am a beginner to this RC hobby
and would like to start with electric power
because of its many advantages (like it is
both clean and quiet). I’m at a loss as to
how to start. What is involved and how am
I supposed to select the right power system
for my models?”
A182: I must receive approximately a
dozen E-mails and/or letters each week
asking these same basic types of questions.
The first place to start is with the
manufacturers and distributors that make
and sell all the necessary electric-power
components. It is hoped that their
marketing and sales forces are trained and
available to help you as a beginner.
Kirk Massey has been providing an
overall service to electric-power beginners
for the last 20 years or more. He operates
as New Creations R/C in Willis, Texas,
and prefers to be reached by telephone; his
number is (936) 856-4630.
One of my many jobs as MA technical
editor is to provide the educational
information about our hobby for the
benefit of “rank beginners,” as they are
often called. Getting more people
interested in our hobby is a major goal of
the entire AMA staff. Toward that end I
write this column to allow you to write in
with your specific questions.
However, a first-time modeler needs a
“system approach” to the learning process.
In 2004 and early into 2005 I wrote 10
installments for MA’s “From the Ground
Up” series. In those articles I described in
logical order the aircraft, the power
The Demoiselle Photographique took this photo at the 2005 NEAT Fair. The clarity and
detail are amazing, especially considering that the camera was inexpensive.
February 2006 105
Hillman nylon spacers and long screws move the electric motor
forward after the original glow engine has been removed.
Bob constructed a 1/4 plywood box to extend the AXI motor out
from the original firewall of this converted Taxi Cup II.
Greg Covey employed a PVC-pipe adapter and long screws to
produce another variation in a motor conversion mount.
systems, and the radio systems. Then I wrote about model
assembly and flying.
I even published a simple design I called the Scratch-One that
would allow you to construct your first model from raw materials
(not a kit). That entire 10-part series can be found at
www.modelaircraft.org/mag/FTGU/Part1/index.html.
In addition to that series I wrote the two-part feature “Selecting
Electric Power Systems” which was published in the April and
May 2005 issues of MA. For your convenience these two articles
have been posted to MA’s Sport Aviator (SA) online magazine,
which you can access at www.masportaviator.com.
On the SA home page the “Menu” index along the left side
will lead you to many detailed product reviews, many of which
have never been published in MA. Since there is no lead time for
Web sites, these reviews are current in content and cover new
products and features. In addition, these articles are not restricted
to fit publication space. Many details are included that might be
edited out in magazine format.
My two-part article about selecting motors is in the “Flight-
Tech” section of the Menu. You can access it directly at
www.masportaviator.com/ah.asp?CatID=2&ID=76. Also in the
Flight-Tech section is the article “Safety Considerations for
Electrical Powered Flight.”
One of the most important aspects of teaching a beginner to
enjoy our hobby involves the education or training process. One of
the biggest problems with this is not having everything in one
place and needing to continually search the Internet or look up
back issues of MA.
The suggestion has been made that all training articles
intended for a rank beginner be placed on a single CD-ROM or
DVD and sold or given out with new AMA memberships. This
idea is still in its planning stage, but please write in and tell us if
you like the suggestion!
Q183: “I recently bought a large ARF kit that was intended for a
glow-fueled engine. I realized after removing the supplied engine
mount that my electric motor couldn’t be directly mounted to that
same firewall. The propeller would never “get out” of the cowl. So
some type of spacer was necessary to move the electric motor out
from the firewall.
“I’ve seen some scheme concerning how to do this, but was
wondering if you have any specific ideas on this subject?”
A183: With all the new balanced-cell Li-Poly battery chargers and
devices coming onto the market, flying larger and heavier RC
aircraft with electric power is becoming popular. Many who have
flown parking lot-size models with new, efficient brushless motors
and lightweight/high-capacity Li-Poly batteries are starting to go
back to the big models of years ago.
Flying a “big” RC model is a great thrill. Many modelers are
purchasing large glow-engine-powered ARFs and then converting
them to electric power. As the reader pointed out, most motor
installations will require an adapter that moves the motor forward
from the original firewall.
I recently reviewed the Hobby Lobby/Graupner Taxi Cup II: a
600-square-inch, 6-pound ARF. The article has been posted to the
product-review section of Sport Aviator.
Hobby Lobby’s instructions recommended to use the Hillmantype
nylon spacers and long screws as an adapter. The company
now offers these spacers on its Web site and catalog. I decided to
build my own plywood box as a spacer, which allowed the battery
pack to be placed inside the box and well forward, to better
balance the model.
FMA Direct’s new marketing director Greg Covey developed
another interesting motor adapter. He uses a PVC adapter that is
sold at home-improvement stores such as The Home Depot and
Lowe’s. It is identified as a PVC 3/4-inch adapter (Sch 40) D-2466
(item C435007). In addition to it, you will need four long screws. I
think the photo I included tells the entire story.
I’m sure that more suggestions will follow after readers see
these three ideas. Let’s hear from you innovative people! MA