Q349: “I WAS
assembling an ARF
model aircraft
recently and really
messed up the hinge
installation job. I
knew I should have
bought a model that
came with the hinges
already installed.
What can I do to
save this particular
aircraft and what can
I do to prevent this
kind of problem in
the future?”
A349: There have probably been many how-to articles about hinge
installation through the years. I know a couple tricks that may prove to
be helpful, but first I have to save my reader friend from the problem
he has created for himself.
If your hinges are out of alignment or at an angle or you get glue in
the hinge joint, the only thing to do is remove the problem hinge. The
easiest approach is to insert a knife blade at the hinge line and try to
break the glue free.
Depending on what kind of cement and what type of hinge were
used, it could still be a real problem. It gets even worse when several
hinges are involved on a single control surface, such as a long strip
aileron.
The worst-case scenario is that you will have to remove a chunk of
the aircraft structure and lift out the troublesome hinge. Then you
replace it with a new hinge and replace the “chunk” of the model.
After that you will have to re-cover or repaint that area. Any way you
look at it, your airplane will never look quite right again.
Fortunately most ARFs and RTFs come with the control-surface
Tricks for installing flat control-surface hinges
June 2008 89
? Frequently Asked Questions Bob Aberle | [email protected]
Also included in this column:
• Identifying brushless-motor
wire leads
• Adding a sound system to
model aircraft
• Vintage model-aircraft kits
and things
A reader improperly installed a hinge on an ARF, so it was at an
angle. When the cement dries, the only way to fix it is to cut out half
of the control surface and remove and reinstall the hinge.
Typical control-surface hinges. Top: nylon with metal pins. Klett
hinges (L, center) have removable pins; the Du-Bro has permanently
attached pin. Bottom: sheet plastic hinges include Sig Easy Hinge
(L), Sonic-Tronics Nifty Hinges.
When installing new metal-pin hinges, apply Vaseline at the hingepin
line first. Do not let the Vaseline get on the main hinge area.
After correcting the hinge position, Bob applied new cement and
replaced the control-surface section. He put Vaseline at the hinge
line to prevent the hinge from binding as the cement cured.
06sig3.QXD 4/24/08 10:41 AM Page 89
hinges already in place, but some don’t. And if you do your own
building, you should know some of the tricks that are easy to use.
For small parking-lot or indoor/micro-size aircraft, the best hinge I
have found is the Gapless Hinge Tape that SR Batteries sells. For the
larger parking-lot models, up to 6-8 pounds, I have successfully used
light hinges, which are a thin plastic sheet material. A couple of this
type are Sig Manufacturing’s Easy Hinges and Sonic-Tronics’ Nifty
Hinges.
Another popular hinge for the medium to larger models is the
nylon two-piece variety with a metal hinge pin. Du-Bro, Klett, and
several other manufacturers have been supplying this type of hinge for
years.
The metal pin on some of these hinges cannot be removed, while
removable pins (and cotter pins) are provided on others. The
removable-pin type is easy to cement in place, but you have to make
sure the locations on the aircraft and control surfaces match. More of
a problem occurs when using the hinges with the permanent pins.
Now for my tips. The biggest problem occurs when you try to
install a hinge in one step. You cut slots in both surfaces, push the
hinge into the slots until the two surfaces almost touch, and then apply
some cement.
With the light hinges you would generally use cyanoacrylate glue
and accelerator. For the nylon hinges with pins, epoxy is better. But in
either case, you should do one half of the hinge at a time.
For the light hinges, insert the hinge
halfway into the control surface and then
apply cyanoacrylate. As soon as the cement
cures, insert the other half of the hinge into
the slot cut in the aircraft. Push the surfaces
together so there is only a small gap
remaining. Work the surface up and down to
make sure everything moves freely. Then
apply cyanoacrylate a second time, at the
hinge line.
The biggest problem with hinge
installation is having the hinge shift position
at the time of insertion. Always make hinge
installation a two-step process.
When dealing with the nylon hinges with
pins, a problem is getting cement on the
hinge pin. Then when the cement cures, the
control surface can’t be moved. That may be
what happened to our reader friend.
To correct this situation I apply a small
amount of petroleum jelly (such as
Vaseline) on the hinge pin. Use it sparingly
and do this carefully. Then apply epoxy to
half of the hinge and insert it into the
control surface.
While the epoxy cures, keep moving the
other half of the hinge so it can’t get stuck
90 MODEL AVIATION
The nose section of Greg Covey’s aircraft has been fitted with the TBS Micro digital
sound system from AerosoundRC.com. You can clearly see the two speakers.
Wires exiting this Lazertoyz brushless outrunner were black. Bob
color-coded them with heat-shrink tubing, which will help when
connecting the motor and getting it to rotate in the correct
(desired) direction.
As with light hinges, install plastic sheet hinges in a two-step process.
This way, the hinge can’t move out of position during installation.
(with excess cement). After the cement cures, apply the epoxy to the
other half of the hinge and try to keep it away from the hinge pin that
is still coated with the petroleum jelly.
Insert the other half of the hinge in the slot in the aircraft and push
the surfaces together, leaving a small space (or gap) to allow for
surface movement. Keep moving the control surface while the cement
is curing to make sure it doesn’t “lock up” the hinge.
In either case, the trick is to do half the hinge at a time. With the
nylon-hinge-pin variety, use petroleum jelly (or Teflon grease) to
prevent the cement from clogging the pin. Following these simple
suggestions should make for a perfect hinge job every time.
Q350: “I know when hooking up a brushless electric motor that if the
motor runs in the wrong direction, exchanging any two (of the three)
lead wires will reverse the rotation. Several of my motors have three
wires, all black in color. I’ve got things mixed up several times. I
06sig3.QXD 4/24/08 10:42 AM Page 90
Why Take Chances?
Two things mark the difference between a great day at the field and
disaster. One is your radio batteries. Second is your fuel.
Having the right fuel for your glow engine is as simple as making
sure the SIG label is on your bottle. Each gallon of SIG fuel is custom
blended in our own fuel production facility, insuring freshness and
consistency time after time.
Only the highest quality ingredients go into SIG fuel. Ingredients
like 99.9% pure methanol, racing quality nitromethane, top of the line
castor oil, and premium Klotz racing lubricants. All are specially
blended to withstand the rigors of today’s two and four stroke model
engines.
With over thirty-five different blends, you’ll find the formula right
for your engine and your flying style. Each gallon is clearly marked
with the nitro and oil content, taking the guesswork out of flying.
So why take chances. Go with the fuel flown by Champions for
years.
SIG MANUFACTURING COMPANY, INC.
P.O. Box 520 • Montezuma, Iowa 50171-0520
Web Site: www.sigmfg.com • Phone: (641)623-5154
Champion
4-Stroke
10 & 15% Nitro
16% Lubrication
Champion
All Castor
5, 10, & 15% Nitro
20 & 25% Castor
4-Stroke
Synthetic
10 & 15% Nitro
18% Lubricants
Champion
Helicopter
15 & 30% Nitro
22 & 24%
Lubricants
Champion
2-Stroke
FAI, 5, 10, 15, 25,
& 35% Nitro
20% Lubricants
Syn Plus
5, 10, & 15% Nitro
SG-7™ Additive
Q351: “I saw a reference recently to a sound
system that can be added to scale model
aircraft to make them sound like the real
thing. I know in this day and age we are
always looking for quiet power, like better
muffler systems and electric power. Is this
concept for real?”
A351: At first I was surprised to hear about
this new system. But it does have merit when
it comes to Scale model aircraft. I won’t take
sides in this concept; my only purpose is to
make you aware of the product.
AerosoundRC.com designed and
manufactures the product. This is a German
company, and Thomas Benedini perfected
the system. The device is the TBS Micro
Digital Sound System. Its primary purpose is
to add scalelike engine sounds to electricpowered
scale model aircraft, but it could be
added to any type of aircraft.
Greg Covey, a noted electric-power flier
and author, has written a comprehensive
article about the application of this system,
and it is posted on the RCUniverse forum. If
you have any interest in this kind of system, I
urge you to read Greg’s article.
Q352: “I’m an old free flight modeler who
still gets a kick out of tracking down
interesting vintage model aircraft. I look for
articles, old kits, plans, photos, you name it.
This isn’t exactly a question, but I was
wondering if you saw the Web site for
Collect Air.”
A352: I encourage these “sort-of” questions
because they allow me to share information
with readers.
I’m not sure who maintains the Web site,
but it kept my attention for hours. It was like
having a model-aviation museum on the
Internet. The site has information about
vintage model kits, both the flying and solid
(display) variety, but it goes way beyond
that. Start at the home page, which contains
an index of all the material and an extensive
links section that refers to all kinds of related
material.
I thank my reader friend for bringing this
to our attention. MA
Sources:
Radical RC
(937) 256-7727
www.radicalrc.com
SR Batteries
(631) 286-0079
www.srbatteries.com
Greg Covey’s TBS Micro digital soundsystem
review:
RCUniverse
www.rcuniverse.com/magazine/article_displ
ay.cfm?article_id=908
CollectAir
(805) 560-1323
www.collectair.com/Model_Airplanes.html
realize this isn’t a major problem, but I’d like
to know how you handle this type situation.”
A350: Several times I’ve swapped two wires
and found the motor still running in the same
direction. Then I realized that with no color
identification, I thought I had swapped the
wires but hadn’t.
When I have a motor with all the same
color wire, I use small pieces of colored heatshrink
tubing. It takes only two pieces; you
can leave one wire the original color. I buy
various heat-shrink tubing sizes and colors
from Dave Thacker of Radical RC when I’m
at trade shows.
06sig3.QXD 4/24/08 11:34 AM Page 92
Edition: Model Aviation - 2008/06
Page Numbers: 89,90,92
Edition: Model Aviation - 2008/06
Page Numbers: 89,90,92
Q349: “I WAS
assembling an ARF
model aircraft
recently and really
messed up the hinge
installation job. I
knew I should have
bought a model that
came with the hinges
already installed.
What can I do to
save this particular
aircraft and what can
I do to prevent this
kind of problem in
the future?”
A349: There have probably been many how-to articles about hinge
installation through the years. I know a couple tricks that may prove to
be helpful, but first I have to save my reader friend from the problem
he has created for himself.
If your hinges are out of alignment or at an angle or you get glue in
the hinge joint, the only thing to do is remove the problem hinge. The
easiest approach is to insert a knife blade at the hinge line and try to
break the glue free.
Depending on what kind of cement and what type of hinge were
used, it could still be a real problem. It gets even worse when several
hinges are involved on a single control surface, such as a long strip
aileron.
The worst-case scenario is that you will have to remove a chunk of
the aircraft structure and lift out the troublesome hinge. Then you
replace it with a new hinge and replace the “chunk” of the model.
After that you will have to re-cover or repaint that area. Any way you
look at it, your airplane will never look quite right again.
Fortunately most ARFs and RTFs come with the control-surface
Tricks for installing flat control-surface hinges
June 2008 89
? Frequently Asked Questions Bob Aberle | [email protected]
Also included in this column:
• Identifying brushless-motor
wire leads
• Adding a sound system to
model aircraft
• Vintage model-aircraft kits
and things
A reader improperly installed a hinge on an ARF, so it was at an
angle. When the cement dries, the only way to fix it is to cut out half
of the control surface and remove and reinstall the hinge.
Typical control-surface hinges. Top: nylon with metal pins. Klett
hinges (L, center) have removable pins; the Du-Bro has permanently
attached pin. Bottom: sheet plastic hinges include Sig Easy Hinge
(L), Sonic-Tronics Nifty Hinges.
When installing new metal-pin hinges, apply Vaseline at the hingepin
line first. Do not let the Vaseline get on the main hinge area.
After correcting the hinge position, Bob applied new cement and
replaced the control-surface section. He put Vaseline at the hinge
line to prevent the hinge from binding as the cement cured.
06sig3.QXD 4/24/08 10:41 AM Page 89
hinges already in place, but some don’t. And if you do your own
building, you should know some of the tricks that are easy to use.
For small parking-lot or indoor/micro-size aircraft, the best hinge I
have found is the Gapless Hinge Tape that SR Batteries sells. For the
larger parking-lot models, up to 6-8 pounds, I have successfully used
light hinges, which are a thin plastic sheet material. A couple of this
type are Sig Manufacturing’s Easy Hinges and Sonic-Tronics’ Nifty
Hinges.
Another popular hinge for the medium to larger models is the
nylon two-piece variety with a metal hinge pin. Du-Bro, Klett, and
several other manufacturers have been supplying this type of hinge for
years.
The metal pin on some of these hinges cannot be removed, while
removable pins (and cotter pins) are provided on others. The
removable-pin type is easy to cement in place, but you have to make
sure the locations on the aircraft and control surfaces match. More of
a problem occurs when using the hinges with the permanent pins.
Now for my tips. The biggest problem occurs when you try to
install a hinge in one step. You cut slots in both surfaces, push the
hinge into the slots until the two surfaces almost touch, and then apply
some cement.
With the light hinges you would generally use cyanoacrylate glue
and accelerator. For the nylon hinges with pins, epoxy is better. But in
either case, you should do one half of the hinge at a time.
For the light hinges, insert the hinge
halfway into the control surface and then
apply cyanoacrylate. As soon as the cement
cures, insert the other half of the hinge into
the slot cut in the aircraft. Push the surfaces
together so there is only a small gap
remaining. Work the surface up and down to
make sure everything moves freely. Then
apply cyanoacrylate a second time, at the
hinge line.
The biggest problem with hinge
installation is having the hinge shift position
at the time of insertion. Always make hinge
installation a two-step process.
When dealing with the nylon hinges with
pins, a problem is getting cement on the
hinge pin. Then when the cement cures, the
control surface can’t be moved. That may be
what happened to our reader friend.
To correct this situation I apply a small
amount of petroleum jelly (such as
Vaseline) on the hinge pin. Use it sparingly
and do this carefully. Then apply epoxy to
half of the hinge and insert it into the
control surface.
While the epoxy cures, keep moving the
other half of the hinge so it can’t get stuck
90 MODEL AVIATION
The nose section of Greg Covey’s aircraft has been fitted with the TBS Micro digital
sound system from AerosoundRC.com. You can clearly see the two speakers.
Wires exiting this Lazertoyz brushless outrunner were black. Bob
color-coded them with heat-shrink tubing, which will help when
connecting the motor and getting it to rotate in the correct
(desired) direction.
As with light hinges, install plastic sheet hinges in a two-step process.
This way, the hinge can’t move out of position during installation.
(with excess cement). After the cement cures, apply the epoxy to the
other half of the hinge and try to keep it away from the hinge pin that
is still coated with the petroleum jelly.
Insert the other half of the hinge in the slot in the aircraft and push
the surfaces together, leaving a small space (or gap) to allow for
surface movement. Keep moving the control surface while the cement
is curing to make sure it doesn’t “lock up” the hinge.
In either case, the trick is to do half the hinge at a time. With the
nylon-hinge-pin variety, use petroleum jelly (or Teflon grease) to
prevent the cement from clogging the pin. Following these simple
suggestions should make for a perfect hinge job every time.
Q350: “I know when hooking up a brushless electric motor that if the
motor runs in the wrong direction, exchanging any two (of the three)
lead wires will reverse the rotation. Several of my motors have three
wires, all black in color. I’ve got things mixed up several times. I
06sig3.QXD 4/24/08 10:42 AM Page 90
Why Take Chances?
Two things mark the difference between a great day at the field and
disaster. One is your radio batteries. Second is your fuel.
Having the right fuel for your glow engine is as simple as making
sure the SIG label is on your bottle. Each gallon of SIG fuel is custom
blended in our own fuel production facility, insuring freshness and
consistency time after time.
Only the highest quality ingredients go into SIG fuel. Ingredients
like 99.9% pure methanol, racing quality nitromethane, top of the line
castor oil, and premium Klotz racing lubricants. All are specially
blended to withstand the rigors of today’s two and four stroke model
engines.
With over thirty-five different blends, you’ll find the formula right
for your engine and your flying style. Each gallon is clearly marked
with the nitro and oil content, taking the guesswork out of flying.
So why take chances. Go with the fuel flown by Champions for
years.
SIG MANUFACTURING COMPANY, INC.
P.O. Box 520 • Montezuma, Iowa 50171-0520
Web Site: www.sigmfg.com • Phone: (641)623-5154
Champion
4-Stroke
10 & 15% Nitro
16% Lubrication
Champion
All Castor
5, 10, & 15% Nitro
20 & 25% Castor
4-Stroke
Synthetic
10 & 15% Nitro
18% Lubricants
Champion
Helicopter
15 & 30% Nitro
22 & 24%
Lubricants
Champion
2-Stroke
FAI, 5, 10, 15, 25,
& 35% Nitro
20% Lubricants
Syn Plus
5, 10, & 15% Nitro
SG-7™ Additive
Q351: “I saw a reference recently to a sound
system that can be added to scale model
aircraft to make them sound like the real
thing. I know in this day and age we are
always looking for quiet power, like better
muffler systems and electric power. Is this
concept for real?”
A351: At first I was surprised to hear about
this new system. But it does have merit when
it comes to Scale model aircraft. I won’t take
sides in this concept; my only purpose is to
make you aware of the product.
AerosoundRC.com designed and
manufactures the product. This is a German
company, and Thomas Benedini perfected
the system. The device is the TBS Micro
Digital Sound System. Its primary purpose is
to add scalelike engine sounds to electricpowered
scale model aircraft, but it could be
added to any type of aircraft.
Greg Covey, a noted electric-power flier
and author, has written a comprehensive
article about the application of this system,
and it is posted on the RCUniverse forum. If
you have any interest in this kind of system, I
urge you to read Greg’s article.
Q352: “I’m an old free flight modeler who
still gets a kick out of tracking down
interesting vintage model aircraft. I look for
articles, old kits, plans, photos, you name it.
This isn’t exactly a question, but I was
wondering if you saw the Web site for
Collect Air.”
A352: I encourage these “sort-of” questions
because they allow me to share information
with readers.
I’m not sure who maintains the Web site,
but it kept my attention for hours. It was like
having a model-aviation museum on the
Internet. The site has information about
vintage model kits, both the flying and solid
(display) variety, but it goes way beyond
that. Start at the home page, which contains
an index of all the material and an extensive
links section that refers to all kinds of related
material.
I thank my reader friend for bringing this
to our attention. MA
Sources:
Radical RC
(937) 256-7727
www.radicalrc.com
SR Batteries
(631) 286-0079
www.srbatteries.com
Greg Covey’s TBS Micro digital soundsystem
review:
RCUniverse
www.rcuniverse.com/magazine/article_displ
ay.cfm?article_id=908
CollectAir
(805) 560-1323
www.collectair.com/Model_Airplanes.html
realize this isn’t a major problem, but I’d like
to know how you handle this type situation.”
A350: Several times I’ve swapped two wires
and found the motor still running in the same
direction. Then I realized that with no color
identification, I thought I had swapped the
wires but hadn’t.
When I have a motor with all the same
color wire, I use small pieces of colored heatshrink
tubing. It takes only two pieces; you
can leave one wire the original color. I buy
various heat-shrink tubing sizes and colors
from Dave Thacker of Radical RC when I’m
at trade shows.
06sig3.QXD 4/24/08 11:34 AM Page 92
Edition: Model Aviation - 2008/06
Page Numbers: 89,90,92
Q349: “I WAS
assembling an ARF
model aircraft
recently and really
messed up the hinge
installation job. I
knew I should have
bought a model that
came with the hinges
already installed.
What can I do to
save this particular
aircraft and what can
I do to prevent this
kind of problem in
the future?”
A349: There have probably been many how-to articles about hinge
installation through the years. I know a couple tricks that may prove to
be helpful, but first I have to save my reader friend from the problem
he has created for himself.
If your hinges are out of alignment or at an angle or you get glue in
the hinge joint, the only thing to do is remove the problem hinge. The
easiest approach is to insert a knife blade at the hinge line and try to
break the glue free.
Depending on what kind of cement and what type of hinge were
used, it could still be a real problem. It gets even worse when several
hinges are involved on a single control surface, such as a long strip
aileron.
The worst-case scenario is that you will have to remove a chunk of
the aircraft structure and lift out the troublesome hinge. Then you
replace it with a new hinge and replace the “chunk” of the model.
After that you will have to re-cover or repaint that area. Any way you
look at it, your airplane will never look quite right again.
Fortunately most ARFs and RTFs come with the control-surface
Tricks for installing flat control-surface hinges
June 2008 89
? Frequently Asked Questions Bob Aberle | [email protected]
Also included in this column:
• Identifying brushless-motor
wire leads
• Adding a sound system to
model aircraft
• Vintage model-aircraft kits
and things
A reader improperly installed a hinge on an ARF, so it was at an
angle. When the cement dries, the only way to fix it is to cut out half
of the control surface and remove and reinstall the hinge.
Typical control-surface hinges. Top: nylon with metal pins. Klett
hinges (L, center) have removable pins; the Du-Bro has permanently
attached pin. Bottom: sheet plastic hinges include Sig Easy Hinge
(L), Sonic-Tronics Nifty Hinges.
When installing new metal-pin hinges, apply Vaseline at the hingepin
line first. Do not let the Vaseline get on the main hinge area.
After correcting the hinge position, Bob applied new cement and
replaced the control-surface section. He put Vaseline at the hinge
line to prevent the hinge from binding as the cement cured.
06sig3.QXD 4/24/08 10:41 AM Page 89
hinges already in place, but some don’t. And if you do your own
building, you should know some of the tricks that are easy to use.
For small parking-lot or indoor/micro-size aircraft, the best hinge I
have found is the Gapless Hinge Tape that SR Batteries sells. For the
larger parking-lot models, up to 6-8 pounds, I have successfully used
light hinges, which are a thin plastic sheet material. A couple of this
type are Sig Manufacturing’s Easy Hinges and Sonic-Tronics’ Nifty
Hinges.
Another popular hinge for the medium to larger models is the
nylon two-piece variety with a metal hinge pin. Du-Bro, Klett, and
several other manufacturers have been supplying this type of hinge for
years.
The metal pin on some of these hinges cannot be removed, while
removable pins (and cotter pins) are provided on others. The
removable-pin type is easy to cement in place, but you have to make
sure the locations on the aircraft and control surfaces match. More of
a problem occurs when using the hinges with the permanent pins.
Now for my tips. The biggest problem occurs when you try to
install a hinge in one step. You cut slots in both surfaces, push the
hinge into the slots until the two surfaces almost touch, and then apply
some cement.
With the light hinges you would generally use cyanoacrylate glue
and accelerator. For the nylon hinges with pins, epoxy is better. But in
either case, you should do one half of the hinge at a time.
For the light hinges, insert the hinge
halfway into the control surface and then
apply cyanoacrylate. As soon as the cement
cures, insert the other half of the hinge into
the slot cut in the aircraft. Push the surfaces
together so there is only a small gap
remaining. Work the surface up and down to
make sure everything moves freely. Then
apply cyanoacrylate a second time, at the
hinge line.
The biggest problem with hinge
installation is having the hinge shift position
at the time of insertion. Always make hinge
installation a two-step process.
When dealing with the nylon hinges with
pins, a problem is getting cement on the
hinge pin. Then when the cement cures, the
control surface can’t be moved. That may be
what happened to our reader friend.
To correct this situation I apply a small
amount of petroleum jelly (such as
Vaseline) on the hinge pin. Use it sparingly
and do this carefully. Then apply epoxy to
half of the hinge and insert it into the
control surface.
While the epoxy cures, keep moving the
other half of the hinge so it can’t get stuck
90 MODEL AVIATION
The nose section of Greg Covey’s aircraft has been fitted with the TBS Micro digital
sound system from AerosoundRC.com. You can clearly see the two speakers.
Wires exiting this Lazertoyz brushless outrunner were black. Bob
color-coded them with heat-shrink tubing, which will help when
connecting the motor and getting it to rotate in the correct
(desired) direction.
As with light hinges, install plastic sheet hinges in a two-step process.
This way, the hinge can’t move out of position during installation.
(with excess cement). After the cement cures, apply the epoxy to the
other half of the hinge and try to keep it away from the hinge pin that
is still coated with the petroleum jelly.
Insert the other half of the hinge in the slot in the aircraft and push
the surfaces together, leaving a small space (or gap) to allow for
surface movement. Keep moving the control surface while the cement
is curing to make sure it doesn’t “lock up” the hinge.
In either case, the trick is to do half the hinge at a time. With the
nylon-hinge-pin variety, use petroleum jelly (or Teflon grease) to
prevent the cement from clogging the pin. Following these simple
suggestions should make for a perfect hinge job every time.
Q350: “I know when hooking up a brushless electric motor that if the
motor runs in the wrong direction, exchanging any two (of the three)
lead wires will reverse the rotation. Several of my motors have three
wires, all black in color. I’ve got things mixed up several times. I
06sig3.QXD 4/24/08 10:42 AM Page 90
Why Take Chances?
Two things mark the difference between a great day at the field and
disaster. One is your radio batteries. Second is your fuel.
Having the right fuel for your glow engine is as simple as making
sure the SIG label is on your bottle. Each gallon of SIG fuel is custom
blended in our own fuel production facility, insuring freshness and
consistency time after time.
Only the highest quality ingredients go into SIG fuel. Ingredients
like 99.9% pure methanol, racing quality nitromethane, top of the line
castor oil, and premium Klotz racing lubricants. All are specially
blended to withstand the rigors of today’s two and four stroke model
engines.
With over thirty-five different blends, you’ll find the formula right
for your engine and your flying style. Each gallon is clearly marked
with the nitro and oil content, taking the guesswork out of flying.
So why take chances. Go with the fuel flown by Champions for
years.
SIG MANUFACTURING COMPANY, INC.
P.O. Box 520 • Montezuma, Iowa 50171-0520
Web Site: www.sigmfg.com • Phone: (641)623-5154
Champion
4-Stroke
10 & 15% Nitro
16% Lubrication
Champion
All Castor
5, 10, & 15% Nitro
20 & 25% Castor
4-Stroke
Synthetic
10 & 15% Nitro
18% Lubricants
Champion
Helicopter
15 & 30% Nitro
22 & 24%
Lubricants
Champion
2-Stroke
FAI, 5, 10, 15, 25,
& 35% Nitro
20% Lubricants
Syn Plus
5, 10, & 15% Nitro
SG-7™ Additive
Q351: “I saw a reference recently to a sound
system that can be added to scale model
aircraft to make them sound like the real
thing. I know in this day and age we are
always looking for quiet power, like better
muffler systems and electric power. Is this
concept for real?”
A351: At first I was surprised to hear about
this new system. But it does have merit when
it comes to Scale model aircraft. I won’t take
sides in this concept; my only purpose is to
make you aware of the product.
AerosoundRC.com designed and
manufactures the product. This is a German
company, and Thomas Benedini perfected
the system. The device is the TBS Micro
Digital Sound System. Its primary purpose is
to add scalelike engine sounds to electricpowered
scale model aircraft, but it could be
added to any type of aircraft.
Greg Covey, a noted electric-power flier
and author, has written a comprehensive
article about the application of this system,
and it is posted on the RCUniverse forum. If
you have any interest in this kind of system, I
urge you to read Greg’s article.
Q352: “I’m an old free flight modeler who
still gets a kick out of tracking down
interesting vintage model aircraft. I look for
articles, old kits, plans, photos, you name it.
This isn’t exactly a question, but I was
wondering if you saw the Web site for
Collect Air.”
A352: I encourage these “sort-of” questions
because they allow me to share information
with readers.
I’m not sure who maintains the Web site,
but it kept my attention for hours. It was like
having a model-aviation museum on the
Internet. The site has information about
vintage model kits, both the flying and solid
(display) variety, but it goes way beyond
that. Start at the home page, which contains
an index of all the material and an extensive
links section that refers to all kinds of related
material.
I thank my reader friend for bringing this
to our attention. MA
Sources:
Radical RC
(937) 256-7727
www.radicalrc.com
SR Batteries
(631) 286-0079
www.srbatteries.com
Greg Covey’s TBS Micro digital soundsystem
review:
RCUniverse
www.rcuniverse.com/magazine/article_displ
ay.cfm?article_id=908
CollectAir
(805) 560-1323
www.collectair.com/Model_Airplanes.html
realize this isn’t a major problem, but I’d like
to know how you handle this type situation.”
A350: Several times I’ve swapped two wires
and found the motor still running in the same
direction. Then I realized that with no color
identification, I thought I had swapped the
wires but hadn’t.
When I have a motor with all the same
color wire, I use small pieces of colored heatshrink
tubing. It takes only two pieces; you
can leave one wire the original color. I buy
various heat-shrink tubing sizes and colors
from Dave Thacker of Radical RC when I’m
at trade shows.
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