MATT CHAPMAN started flying full-scale aircraft in 1979 and
has logged more than 14,000 hours of flying time, in addition to
his career as an American Airlines pilot. He began flying in
aerobatics competitions in 1984 and worked his way up to the
Unlimited class.
Matt held one of five slots on the US men’s Unlimited
Aerobatic Team in 1996 and 1998. He was the top-rankingFebruary 2006 67
The CAP’s look is unmistakable, and its aerobatic potential is
limited only by the pilot. It excels at snap and tumbling
maneuvers.
An O.S. FS-70 fits neatly inside fiberglass cowling, with only a
small part of the valve cover protruding. The needle valve can be
rotated to point up or down.
Kit contents show high-contrast bottom and top side of each wing panel. The clear
canopy is painted with a frame, and the plastic spinner matches the painted cowl.
Save aileron-servo and hardware installation
until after the wing halves are joined so the
wing will lay flat on the table. The CAP
requires a small amount of dihedral.
Photos courtesy the author
American pilot at the 1998 World Aerobatic Championships in
Slovakia and won a Bronze Medal. He has won the coveted
Hillard Trophy—awarded to the top-finishing US pilot at the
world championships—the International Aerobatic Club
championship trophy, and the Fon du Lac Cup.
Matt has more than 20 years of air-show experience and is a
member of CASPA: the Championship Air Show Pilots
Association. Most important, Matt participates in our hobby and
The horizontal stabilizer’s position is lower than scale to improve
knife-edge flight. Its extra thickness smoothes elevator feel and
ads drag to control downline airspeed.
The cover parts needed little covering touch-up. The controlsurface
hinge lines are crisply beveled, and the hinge slots are
precut.
68 MODEL AVIATION
The included 1/6-scale pilot bust is a nice touch. Notice the thin strip of covering removed
under the canopy outline for a strong adhesive bond.
The wing dihedral brace is three laminated
pieces of laser-cut light plywood. Gluing
them together before assembling the wing
makes the job easier.
Fiberglass wheel pants are molded with a plywood plate in the
mounting area for extra strength. The blind nuts are already in
place, so they just need bolted into position.
The instruction manual has templates for the O.S. 70 installation.
The template is aligned with center marks already scribed into the
firewall.
Manufacturer Specifications:
Type: Sport Scale aerobatic
Pilot skill level: Intermediate
Wingspan: 55.5 inches
Wing area: 562 square inches
Length: 52.5 inches
Weight: 6.75-7.5 pounds
Wing loading: 28-30 ounces per square foot
Engine: .46-.61 two-stroke or 52-72 four-stroke
Radio system: Four channels (minimum), five standard servos
Construction: Laser-cut-balsa-and-light-plywood airframe,
fiberglass cowl and wheel pants, plastic canopy, aluminum
landing gear
Covering/finish: MonoKote (including all splat graphics);
fuelproof paint for canopy frame, wheel pants, landing gear,
cowl
Price (street): $199.99
Test-Model Specifications:
Engine: O.S. FS-70 II Surpass
Propeller: APC 13 x 6
Radio equipment: Futaba 7CAP radio with five Futaba 3001
servos; 1100 mAh, 4.8-volt battery; one 6-inch extension; one
Y harness
Ready-to-fly weight: 6 pounds, 14.5 ounces
Wing loading: 28.3 ounces per square foot
Flight duration: Exceeds 10 minutes
Specifications
a member of Team Futaba.
The full-scale aircraft Great Planes has
modeled is the Matt Chapman CAP 580,
or—as I like to call it because of its
spectacular paint job—the CAP paint-ball
special. It has a wingspan of 24 feet, weighs
1,300 pounds, and has a top speed of 240
mph and a roll rate of 400° per second.
Great Planes has created two ARF
versions of this spectacular CAP 580 with
finishes that are as spectacular as that of
their full-scale counterpart. One model is 1/3
scale with a 99.5-inch wingspan, and the
other, the subject of this review, is a 46- to
70-size version with a 55.5-inch wingspan.
Each model has flight characteristics
that rival those of the full-scale aircraft. I
will write more about those later in this
article.
As is the case with most ARFs, you
must reshrink the covering in spots. If you
consider the extremes in temperature and
humidity these models experience in their
long journey from the Far East to our local
hobby supplier, it’s a wonder that the
covering is still on at all, let alone in such
remarkable shape with so few wrinkles. The
test model had minimal wrinkles in the
covering that I easily removed with a
covering iron and heat gun.
The first step in constructing the wing is
to hinge the ailerons to it. The method of
inserting a straight pin into the middle of
the hinge to center the aileron hinges in
their slots works well.
Push the pin into the center of the hinge
until the pin is against the wing. Do the
same for the other hinges in the aileron, and
then slide the aileron onto all the hinges.
Remove the pins and cyanoacrylate-glue
the hinges on one side, flip the wing panel
over, cyanoacrylate-glue the other side, and
you are finished installing the ailerons.
It’s time to install the aileron servos in
the wing panels and fish their electrical
leads through the wing panel using the
factory-installed pull strings. At this point
the manual instructs to install the aileron
horns and pushrods. It was necessary for me
to remove them from one side of the wing
so it would rest flat on the table during the
wing-joining process.
The next process is to epoxy the wing
halves together. The wing uses a plywood
joiner in the front and a dowel rod as a pin
to index the rear of the wing. These make
joining the halves simple. Dry-fit the wing
halves using the pin and the joining spar,
and you should have a perfect fit.
Set the wing half you left the servo out
of on a flat surface and weight it down.
Check the dihedral by measuring the height
of the opposite wingtip above the table. It
should be 3.375 inches at the center of the
LE tip.
If all is well, take the assembly apart and
apply 30-minute epoxy, reassemble, weight
it down, and recheck the measurements.
Use masking tape across the wing joint to
hold it together until the glue sets. Reinstall
the servo in the wing panel that was laying
on the table.
Install the wing-bolt mounting plate
after removing the covering from the area
where the plate is to be installed. Follow the
“Expert Tip” in the instruction manual for
removing the covering; it works well and
you may want to use it in the future. This
completes the wing construction.
For a model to fly with precision, it is
crucial that it be assembled with accurate
placement of the various control surfaces
with respect to the aircraft’s centerline. The
next step in the construction manual is
extremely important in this regard. It is an
excellent system to employ when
assembling any model.
If you follow the procedure exactly as
described in the manual, you will have a
great-flying aircraft that does exactly what
you tell it to do. It will also require a
minimum amount of trim on that initial
flight.
Mount the wing to the fuselage. I like to
have the aircraft sitting in a cradle at this
point. Insert the horizontal stabilizer into
the fuselage.
Measure the distance from the stabilizer
tip to the centerline of the fuselage on each
side; it should be the same. Measure the
distance from the TE of the wingtip to the
LE of the horizontal stabilizer tip on eachside, and make it the same. Recheck the
measurement from the horizontal stabilizer
tip to the fuselage centerline on each side
and make sure the measurements are still
the same. The idea is to have both sets of
numbers the same at the same time.
When you are satisfied with those
figures, glue the horizontal stabilizer in
place. Because of the solid construction
around the stabilizer pocket, I used thin
cyanoacrylate for this. Hinge the elevator
halves to the stabilizer using the same
hinging method you used on the ailerons.
Fit the vertical stabilizer in the slot
provided in the fuselage. Make sure it is
perpendicular to the horizontal stabilizer.
Remove the vertical stabilizer, spread a
slow-curing epoxy in the slot in the
fuselage, and reinstall the vertical
stabilizer, making sure it is still
perpendicular to the horizontal stabilizer.
Pin or tape the vertical stabilizer in place
until the glue sets.
Follow the instructions to install the
tail-wheel wire and bracket assembly, as
well as the rudder. Assemble the landing
gear to the fuselage per the instructions.
Remember to grind a flat spot on the axle
for the wheel-collar setscrew.
The method Great Planes uses on
several of its models to secure the wheel
pants is excellent. A piece of plywood is
laminated into the wheel pant when the
fiberglass is being laid up. The wheel pants
and the landing gear are predrilled for
mounting. The wheel pants even have
preinstalled blind nuts.
To mount the pant to the landing gear,
simply slip the pant over the wheel and
bolt it in place. No alignment is necessary.
I used one of the recommended engines
on the test model: the O.S. FS-70 II
Surpass. Installation using the instructions
was easy and precise. The firewall has
centering marks preinstalled and preset
right thrust and downthrust. The engine
mount provided with the kit also works
wonderfully.
Cut the engine-mount template from the
instruction manual and tape it in position
on the firewall using the factory-installed
guide marks. Drill the holes for the enginemount
mounting bolts at the indicated
positions. Install the blind nuts to the rear
of the firewall and install the engine
mount.
Set the engine on the mounts and slide
it the required distance from the firewall—
53/16 inches from the firewall to the thrust
washer—which is the perfect position for
good cowl alignment. Install the fuel tank
provided and the throttle servo and linkage
per the instructions.
Installing the cowl accurately can be
tricky on any model. It is necessary to cut
holes for the engine head, needle valve,
glow-driver access, and muffler, and have
them wind up in the right place. However,
there are a fewof the needle-valve hole.
Tape these strips in place on the
fuselage behind a line where the rear of
the cowling will be, to not interfere with
the cowl when it is slid in place. One strip
will go forward and over the top of the
engine head and glow-driver area, and the
other will go forward and over the top of
the needle valve.
Mark the shape of the cutout for the
engine head on one strip as well as the
glow-driver access hole. Cut the hole in
the strip for the engine head and glow
driver while it is taped to the fuselage.
Check the fit over the engine head and
glow driver. Mark the position of the hole
for the needle-valve hole on the other
strip, and make a hole in the strip at the
center of the needle valve.
Slip the cowling in place and allow the
templates to ride over the top of it (they
are still taped in place on the fuselage).
The templates will indicate the exact
location and shape of the engine-head
opening and the glow-driver access and
needle-valve holes on the cowling.
I installed the radio equipment exactly
as instructed in the manual. I used the
location for the receiver and battery pack
per the manual. The model balanced
perfectly on the specified CG. There is
more than ample room inside the fuselage
for the radio equipment and a large pair of
hands doing the installation.
The engine and radio installation were
well thought out on this model. The
receiver platform was designed to lock the
fuel tank in place. The internal plywood
parts have numerous lightening holes and
slots for the Velcro straps that hold the
receiver and battery pack in place.
The finish on the CAP is extremely
detailed, and the decal set adds the
finishing touch. It would take a great deal
of work, time, and patience to duplicate
this finish on a scratch-built aircraft.
Setup and Flying: I set the control throws
exactly as indicated in the instruction
manual. As I will discuss later, they
proved to be perfect. I set the radio up
with negative 18% exponential on all the
control surfaces, which allowed for a
comfortable first flight with the radio set
on high rate for all controls.
The test model’s initial flight, and
every one thereafter, was incredible. The
aircraft does everything you ask it to do
with precision and predictability. It
performs maneuvers ranging from Snap
Rolls to Four Point Rolls with ease.
Ground-handling characteristics are
terrific, with a slight tendency to nose over
if the grass is a bit too long. That happened
at our field when I tested the model.
The takeoff roll was nice and straight,
with a slight pressure on right rudder to
compensate for the engine torque. With
slight back pressure on the elevator control
when the aircraft was at rotation speed, it
lifted off gently and performed a gentle
climbout to altitude.
The model required little trim to fly
hands off; all it needed was a small amount
of right aileron trim. After a few loops
around the field to get a feel for the aircraft,
I decided to see what it could do.
I rolled the CAP to inverted to see how
much down-elevator was needed for
straight inverted flight. It flew as well
inverted as upright, with only slight
pressure on down-elevator.
I took the model vertical to see how the
FS-70 four-stroke would pull uphill and
learned that it would go vertical almost
without limitation. That engine turned out
to be a great choice for this application. At
the top of the climb I did a stall turn and
came back down the field into a Four Point
Roll, which this airplane handled with
precision.
The aircraft has a tremendous amount of
rudder authority. Although I haven’t tried it
yet, I think it may be capable of a knifeedge
loop. Knife-edge flight the length of
the field was no problem. I even did a
couple Lomcevaks.
After all that, it was time to try a
landing. On the day of the test flight there
was a slight crosswind. I cut the throttle to
half for the downwind and crosswind legs
of the approach, and I cut it to
approximately one-third when on final.
When over the threshold I cut the throttle to
idle. After the aircraft slowed and was
roughly 2 feet off the ground, I
progressively added up-elevator until the
CAP stalled into a beautiful three-point
landing.
A method I used on some of the
following flights was to bring the aircraft in
a little hot and let it touch down on the
mains, at the same time allowing the
elevator to go to neutral. Then I allowed the
friction of the runway to bleed off the
remaining airspeed. As the CAP slowed, I
fed in up-elevator to keep the tail on the
ground.
I recommend this aircraft to anyone who
enjoys Aerobatics or just hotdogging
around the sky. It is easy to assemble, looks
impressive, and is a ball to fly! MA
Paul L. Vliet
[email protected]
Manufacturer:
Great Planes Model Manufacturing
Company
Box 9021
Champaign IL 61822
(217) 398-8970
www.greatplanes.com
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/02
Page Numbers: 66,67,68,71,72,74
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/02
Page Numbers: 66,67,68,71,72,74
MATT CHAPMAN started flying full-scale aircraft in 1979 and
has logged more than 14,000 hours of flying time, in addition to
his career as an American Airlines pilot. He began flying in
aerobatics competitions in 1984 and worked his way up to the
Unlimited class.
Matt held one of five slots on the US men’s Unlimited
Aerobatic Team in 1996 and 1998. He was the top-rankingFebruary 2006 67
The CAP’s look is unmistakable, and its aerobatic potential is
limited only by the pilot. It excels at snap and tumbling
maneuvers.
An O.S. FS-70 fits neatly inside fiberglass cowling, with only a
small part of the valve cover protruding. The needle valve can be
rotated to point up or down.
Kit contents show high-contrast bottom and top side of each wing panel. The clear
canopy is painted with a frame, and the plastic spinner matches the painted cowl.
Save aileron-servo and hardware installation
until after the wing halves are joined so the
wing will lay flat on the table. The CAP
requires a small amount of dihedral.
Photos courtesy the author
American pilot at the 1998 World Aerobatic Championships in
Slovakia and won a Bronze Medal. He has won the coveted
Hillard Trophy—awarded to the top-finishing US pilot at the
world championships—the International Aerobatic Club
championship trophy, and the Fon du Lac Cup.
Matt has more than 20 years of air-show experience and is a
member of CASPA: the Championship Air Show Pilots
Association. Most important, Matt participates in our hobby and
The horizontal stabilizer’s position is lower than scale to improve
knife-edge flight. Its extra thickness smoothes elevator feel and
ads drag to control downline airspeed.
The cover parts needed little covering touch-up. The controlsurface
hinge lines are crisply beveled, and the hinge slots are
precut.
68 MODEL AVIATION
The included 1/6-scale pilot bust is a nice touch. Notice the thin strip of covering removed
under the canopy outline for a strong adhesive bond.
The wing dihedral brace is three laminated
pieces of laser-cut light plywood. Gluing
them together before assembling the wing
makes the job easier.
Fiberglass wheel pants are molded with a plywood plate in the
mounting area for extra strength. The blind nuts are already in
place, so they just need bolted into position.
The instruction manual has templates for the O.S. 70 installation.
The template is aligned with center marks already scribed into the
firewall.
Manufacturer Specifications:
Type: Sport Scale aerobatic
Pilot skill level: Intermediate
Wingspan: 55.5 inches
Wing area: 562 square inches
Length: 52.5 inches
Weight: 6.75-7.5 pounds
Wing loading: 28-30 ounces per square foot
Engine: .46-.61 two-stroke or 52-72 four-stroke
Radio system: Four channels (minimum), five standard servos
Construction: Laser-cut-balsa-and-light-plywood airframe,
fiberglass cowl and wheel pants, plastic canopy, aluminum
landing gear
Covering/finish: MonoKote (including all splat graphics);
fuelproof paint for canopy frame, wheel pants, landing gear,
cowl
Price (street): $199.99
Test-Model Specifications:
Engine: O.S. FS-70 II Surpass
Propeller: APC 13 x 6
Radio equipment: Futaba 7CAP radio with five Futaba 3001
servos; 1100 mAh, 4.8-volt battery; one 6-inch extension; one
Y harness
Ready-to-fly weight: 6 pounds, 14.5 ounces
Wing loading: 28.3 ounces per square foot
Flight duration: Exceeds 10 minutes
Specifications
a member of Team Futaba.
The full-scale aircraft Great Planes has
modeled is the Matt Chapman CAP 580,
or—as I like to call it because of its
spectacular paint job—the CAP paint-ball
special. It has a wingspan of 24 feet, weighs
1,300 pounds, and has a top speed of 240
mph and a roll rate of 400° per second.
Great Planes has created two ARF
versions of this spectacular CAP 580 with
finishes that are as spectacular as that of
their full-scale counterpart. One model is 1/3
scale with a 99.5-inch wingspan, and the
other, the subject of this review, is a 46- to
70-size version with a 55.5-inch wingspan.
Each model has flight characteristics
that rival those of the full-scale aircraft. I
will write more about those later in this
article.
As is the case with most ARFs, you
must reshrink the covering in spots. If you
consider the extremes in temperature and
humidity these models experience in their
long journey from the Far East to our local
hobby supplier, it’s a wonder that the
covering is still on at all, let alone in such
remarkable shape with so few wrinkles. The
test model had minimal wrinkles in the
covering that I easily removed with a
covering iron and heat gun.
The first step in constructing the wing is
to hinge the ailerons to it. The method of
inserting a straight pin into the middle of
the hinge to center the aileron hinges in
their slots works well.
Push the pin into the center of the hinge
until the pin is against the wing. Do the
same for the other hinges in the aileron, and
then slide the aileron onto all the hinges.
Remove the pins and cyanoacrylate-glue
the hinges on one side, flip the wing panel
over, cyanoacrylate-glue the other side, and
you are finished installing the ailerons.
It’s time to install the aileron servos in
the wing panels and fish their electrical
leads through the wing panel using the
factory-installed pull strings. At this point
the manual instructs to install the aileron
horns and pushrods. It was necessary for me
to remove them from one side of the wing
so it would rest flat on the table during the
wing-joining process.
The next process is to epoxy the wing
halves together. The wing uses a plywood
joiner in the front and a dowel rod as a pin
to index the rear of the wing. These make
joining the halves simple. Dry-fit the wing
halves using the pin and the joining spar,
and you should have a perfect fit.
Set the wing half you left the servo out
of on a flat surface and weight it down.
Check the dihedral by measuring the height
of the opposite wingtip above the table. It
should be 3.375 inches at the center of the
LE tip.
If all is well, take the assembly apart and
apply 30-minute epoxy, reassemble, weight
it down, and recheck the measurements.
Use masking tape across the wing joint to
hold it together until the glue sets. Reinstall
the servo in the wing panel that was laying
on the table.
Install the wing-bolt mounting plate
after removing the covering from the area
where the plate is to be installed. Follow the
“Expert Tip” in the instruction manual for
removing the covering; it works well and
you may want to use it in the future. This
completes the wing construction.
For a model to fly with precision, it is
crucial that it be assembled with accurate
placement of the various control surfaces
with respect to the aircraft’s centerline. The
next step in the construction manual is
extremely important in this regard. It is an
excellent system to employ when
assembling any model.
If you follow the procedure exactly as
described in the manual, you will have a
great-flying aircraft that does exactly what
you tell it to do. It will also require a
minimum amount of trim on that initial
flight.
Mount the wing to the fuselage. I like to
have the aircraft sitting in a cradle at this
point. Insert the horizontal stabilizer into
the fuselage.
Measure the distance from the stabilizer
tip to the centerline of the fuselage on each
side; it should be the same. Measure the
distance from the TE of the wingtip to the
LE of the horizontal stabilizer tip on eachside, and make it the same. Recheck the
measurement from the horizontal stabilizer
tip to the fuselage centerline on each side
and make sure the measurements are still
the same. The idea is to have both sets of
numbers the same at the same time.
When you are satisfied with those
figures, glue the horizontal stabilizer in
place. Because of the solid construction
around the stabilizer pocket, I used thin
cyanoacrylate for this. Hinge the elevator
halves to the stabilizer using the same
hinging method you used on the ailerons.
Fit the vertical stabilizer in the slot
provided in the fuselage. Make sure it is
perpendicular to the horizontal stabilizer.
Remove the vertical stabilizer, spread a
slow-curing epoxy in the slot in the
fuselage, and reinstall the vertical
stabilizer, making sure it is still
perpendicular to the horizontal stabilizer.
Pin or tape the vertical stabilizer in place
until the glue sets.
Follow the instructions to install the
tail-wheel wire and bracket assembly, as
well as the rudder. Assemble the landing
gear to the fuselage per the instructions.
Remember to grind a flat spot on the axle
for the wheel-collar setscrew.
The method Great Planes uses on
several of its models to secure the wheel
pants is excellent. A piece of plywood is
laminated into the wheel pant when the
fiberglass is being laid up. The wheel pants
and the landing gear are predrilled for
mounting. The wheel pants even have
preinstalled blind nuts.
To mount the pant to the landing gear,
simply slip the pant over the wheel and
bolt it in place. No alignment is necessary.
I used one of the recommended engines
on the test model: the O.S. FS-70 II
Surpass. Installation using the instructions
was easy and precise. The firewall has
centering marks preinstalled and preset
right thrust and downthrust. The engine
mount provided with the kit also works
wonderfully.
Cut the engine-mount template from the
instruction manual and tape it in position
on the firewall using the factory-installed
guide marks. Drill the holes for the enginemount
mounting bolts at the indicated
positions. Install the blind nuts to the rear
of the firewall and install the engine
mount.
Set the engine on the mounts and slide
it the required distance from the firewall—
53/16 inches from the firewall to the thrust
washer—which is the perfect position for
good cowl alignment. Install the fuel tank
provided and the throttle servo and linkage
per the instructions.
Installing the cowl accurately can be
tricky on any model. It is necessary to cut
holes for the engine head, needle valve,
glow-driver access, and muffler, and have
them wind up in the right place. However,
there are a fewof the needle-valve hole.
Tape these strips in place on the
fuselage behind a line where the rear of
the cowling will be, to not interfere with
the cowl when it is slid in place. One strip
will go forward and over the top of the
engine head and glow-driver area, and the
other will go forward and over the top of
the needle valve.
Mark the shape of the cutout for the
engine head on one strip as well as the
glow-driver access hole. Cut the hole in
the strip for the engine head and glow
driver while it is taped to the fuselage.
Check the fit over the engine head and
glow driver. Mark the position of the hole
for the needle-valve hole on the other
strip, and make a hole in the strip at the
center of the needle valve.
Slip the cowling in place and allow the
templates to ride over the top of it (they
are still taped in place on the fuselage).
The templates will indicate the exact
location and shape of the engine-head
opening and the glow-driver access and
needle-valve holes on the cowling.
I installed the radio equipment exactly
as instructed in the manual. I used the
location for the receiver and battery pack
per the manual. The model balanced
perfectly on the specified CG. There is
more than ample room inside the fuselage
for the radio equipment and a large pair of
hands doing the installation.
The engine and radio installation were
well thought out on this model. The
receiver platform was designed to lock the
fuel tank in place. The internal plywood
parts have numerous lightening holes and
slots for the Velcro straps that hold the
receiver and battery pack in place.
The finish on the CAP is extremely
detailed, and the decal set adds the
finishing touch. It would take a great deal
of work, time, and patience to duplicate
this finish on a scratch-built aircraft.
Setup and Flying: I set the control throws
exactly as indicated in the instruction
manual. As I will discuss later, they
proved to be perfect. I set the radio up
with negative 18% exponential on all the
control surfaces, which allowed for a
comfortable first flight with the radio set
on high rate for all controls.
The test model’s initial flight, and
every one thereafter, was incredible. The
aircraft does everything you ask it to do
with precision and predictability. It
performs maneuvers ranging from Snap
Rolls to Four Point Rolls with ease.
Ground-handling characteristics are
terrific, with a slight tendency to nose over
if the grass is a bit too long. That happened
at our field when I tested the model.
The takeoff roll was nice and straight,
with a slight pressure on right rudder to
compensate for the engine torque. With
slight back pressure on the elevator control
when the aircraft was at rotation speed, it
lifted off gently and performed a gentle
climbout to altitude.
The model required little trim to fly
hands off; all it needed was a small amount
of right aileron trim. After a few loops
around the field to get a feel for the aircraft,
I decided to see what it could do.
I rolled the CAP to inverted to see how
much down-elevator was needed for
straight inverted flight. It flew as well
inverted as upright, with only slight
pressure on down-elevator.
I took the model vertical to see how the
FS-70 four-stroke would pull uphill and
learned that it would go vertical almost
without limitation. That engine turned out
to be a great choice for this application. At
the top of the climb I did a stall turn and
came back down the field into a Four Point
Roll, which this airplane handled with
precision.
The aircraft has a tremendous amount of
rudder authority. Although I haven’t tried it
yet, I think it may be capable of a knifeedge
loop. Knife-edge flight the length of
the field was no problem. I even did a
couple Lomcevaks.
After all that, it was time to try a
landing. On the day of the test flight there
was a slight crosswind. I cut the throttle to
half for the downwind and crosswind legs
of the approach, and I cut it to
approximately one-third when on final.
When over the threshold I cut the throttle to
idle. After the aircraft slowed and was
roughly 2 feet off the ground, I
progressively added up-elevator until the
CAP stalled into a beautiful three-point
landing.
A method I used on some of the
following flights was to bring the aircraft in
a little hot and let it touch down on the
mains, at the same time allowing the
elevator to go to neutral. Then I allowed the
friction of the runway to bleed off the
remaining airspeed. As the CAP slowed, I
fed in up-elevator to keep the tail on the
ground.
I recommend this aircraft to anyone who
enjoys Aerobatics or just hotdogging
around the sky. It is easy to assemble, looks
impressive, and is a ball to fly! MA
Paul L. Vliet
[email protected]
Manufacturer:
Great Planes Model Manufacturing
Company
Box 9021
Champaign IL 61822
(217) 398-8970
www.greatplanes.com
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/02
Page Numbers: 66,67,68,71,72,74
MATT CHAPMAN started flying full-scale aircraft in 1979 and
has logged more than 14,000 hours of flying time, in addition to
his career as an American Airlines pilot. He began flying in
aerobatics competitions in 1984 and worked his way up to the
Unlimited class.
Matt held one of five slots on the US men’s Unlimited
Aerobatic Team in 1996 and 1998. He was the top-rankingFebruary 2006 67
The CAP’s look is unmistakable, and its aerobatic potential is
limited only by the pilot. It excels at snap and tumbling
maneuvers.
An O.S. FS-70 fits neatly inside fiberglass cowling, with only a
small part of the valve cover protruding. The needle valve can be
rotated to point up or down.
Kit contents show high-contrast bottom and top side of each wing panel. The clear
canopy is painted with a frame, and the plastic spinner matches the painted cowl.
Save aileron-servo and hardware installation
until after the wing halves are joined so the
wing will lay flat on the table. The CAP
requires a small amount of dihedral.
Photos courtesy the author
American pilot at the 1998 World Aerobatic Championships in
Slovakia and won a Bronze Medal. He has won the coveted
Hillard Trophy—awarded to the top-finishing US pilot at the
world championships—the International Aerobatic Club
championship trophy, and the Fon du Lac Cup.
Matt has more than 20 years of air-show experience and is a
member of CASPA: the Championship Air Show Pilots
Association. Most important, Matt participates in our hobby and
The horizontal stabilizer’s position is lower than scale to improve
knife-edge flight. Its extra thickness smoothes elevator feel and
ads drag to control downline airspeed.
The cover parts needed little covering touch-up. The controlsurface
hinge lines are crisply beveled, and the hinge slots are
precut.
68 MODEL AVIATION
The included 1/6-scale pilot bust is a nice touch. Notice the thin strip of covering removed
under the canopy outline for a strong adhesive bond.
The wing dihedral brace is three laminated
pieces of laser-cut light plywood. Gluing
them together before assembling the wing
makes the job easier.
Fiberglass wheel pants are molded with a plywood plate in the
mounting area for extra strength. The blind nuts are already in
place, so they just need bolted into position.
The instruction manual has templates for the O.S. 70 installation.
The template is aligned with center marks already scribed into the
firewall.
Manufacturer Specifications:
Type: Sport Scale aerobatic
Pilot skill level: Intermediate
Wingspan: 55.5 inches
Wing area: 562 square inches
Length: 52.5 inches
Weight: 6.75-7.5 pounds
Wing loading: 28-30 ounces per square foot
Engine: .46-.61 two-stroke or 52-72 four-stroke
Radio system: Four channels (minimum), five standard servos
Construction: Laser-cut-balsa-and-light-plywood airframe,
fiberglass cowl and wheel pants, plastic canopy, aluminum
landing gear
Covering/finish: MonoKote (including all splat graphics);
fuelproof paint for canopy frame, wheel pants, landing gear,
cowl
Price (street): $199.99
Test-Model Specifications:
Engine: O.S. FS-70 II Surpass
Propeller: APC 13 x 6
Radio equipment: Futaba 7CAP radio with five Futaba 3001
servos; 1100 mAh, 4.8-volt battery; one 6-inch extension; one
Y harness
Ready-to-fly weight: 6 pounds, 14.5 ounces
Wing loading: 28.3 ounces per square foot
Flight duration: Exceeds 10 minutes
Specifications
a member of Team Futaba.
The full-scale aircraft Great Planes has
modeled is the Matt Chapman CAP 580,
or—as I like to call it because of its
spectacular paint job—the CAP paint-ball
special. It has a wingspan of 24 feet, weighs
1,300 pounds, and has a top speed of 240
mph and a roll rate of 400° per second.
Great Planes has created two ARF
versions of this spectacular CAP 580 with
finishes that are as spectacular as that of
their full-scale counterpart. One model is 1/3
scale with a 99.5-inch wingspan, and the
other, the subject of this review, is a 46- to
70-size version with a 55.5-inch wingspan.
Each model has flight characteristics
that rival those of the full-scale aircraft. I
will write more about those later in this
article.
As is the case with most ARFs, you
must reshrink the covering in spots. If you
consider the extremes in temperature and
humidity these models experience in their
long journey from the Far East to our local
hobby supplier, it’s a wonder that the
covering is still on at all, let alone in such
remarkable shape with so few wrinkles. The
test model had minimal wrinkles in the
covering that I easily removed with a
covering iron and heat gun.
The first step in constructing the wing is
to hinge the ailerons to it. The method of
inserting a straight pin into the middle of
the hinge to center the aileron hinges in
their slots works well.
Push the pin into the center of the hinge
until the pin is against the wing. Do the
same for the other hinges in the aileron, and
then slide the aileron onto all the hinges.
Remove the pins and cyanoacrylate-glue
the hinges on one side, flip the wing panel
over, cyanoacrylate-glue the other side, and
you are finished installing the ailerons.
It’s time to install the aileron servos in
the wing panels and fish their electrical
leads through the wing panel using the
factory-installed pull strings. At this point
the manual instructs to install the aileron
horns and pushrods. It was necessary for me
to remove them from one side of the wing
so it would rest flat on the table during the
wing-joining process.
The next process is to epoxy the wing
halves together. The wing uses a plywood
joiner in the front and a dowel rod as a pin
to index the rear of the wing. These make
joining the halves simple. Dry-fit the wing
halves using the pin and the joining spar,
and you should have a perfect fit.
Set the wing half you left the servo out
of on a flat surface and weight it down.
Check the dihedral by measuring the height
of the opposite wingtip above the table. It
should be 3.375 inches at the center of the
LE tip.
If all is well, take the assembly apart and
apply 30-minute epoxy, reassemble, weight
it down, and recheck the measurements.
Use masking tape across the wing joint to
hold it together until the glue sets. Reinstall
the servo in the wing panel that was laying
on the table.
Install the wing-bolt mounting plate
after removing the covering from the area
where the plate is to be installed. Follow the
“Expert Tip” in the instruction manual for
removing the covering; it works well and
you may want to use it in the future. This
completes the wing construction.
For a model to fly with precision, it is
crucial that it be assembled with accurate
placement of the various control surfaces
with respect to the aircraft’s centerline. The
next step in the construction manual is
extremely important in this regard. It is an
excellent system to employ when
assembling any model.
If you follow the procedure exactly as
described in the manual, you will have a
great-flying aircraft that does exactly what
you tell it to do. It will also require a
minimum amount of trim on that initial
flight.
Mount the wing to the fuselage. I like to
have the aircraft sitting in a cradle at this
point. Insert the horizontal stabilizer into
the fuselage.
Measure the distance from the stabilizer
tip to the centerline of the fuselage on each
side; it should be the same. Measure the
distance from the TE of the wingtip to the
LE of the horizontal stabilizer tip on eachside, and make it the same. Recheck the
measurement from the horizontal stabilizer
tip to the fuselage centerline on each side
and make sure the measurements are still
the same. The idea is to have both sets of
numbers the same at the same time.
When you are satisfied with those
figures, glue the horizontal stabilizer in
place. Because of the solid construction
around the stabilizer pocket, I used thin
cyanoacrylate for this. Hinge the elevator
halves to the stabilizer using the same
hinging method you used on the ailerons.
Fit the vertical stabilizer in the slot
provided in the fuselage. Make sure it is
perpendicular to the horizontal stabilizer.
Remove the vertical stabilizer, spread a
slow-curing epoxy in the slot in the
fuselage, and reinstall the vertical
stabilizer, making sure it is still
perpendicular to the horizontal stabilizer.
Pin or tape the vertical stabilizer in place
until the glue sets.
Follow the instructions to install the
tail-wheel wire and bracket assembly, as
well as the rudder. Assemble the landing
gear to the fuselage per the instructions.
Remember to grind a flat spot on the axle
for the wheel-collar setscrew.
The method Great Planes uses on
several of its models to secure the wheel
pants is excellent. A piece of plywood is
laminated into the wheel pant when the
fiberglass is being laid up. The wheel pants
and the landing gear are predrilled for
mounting. The wheel pants even have
preinstalled blind nuts.
To mount the pant to the landing gear,
simply slip the pant over the wheel and
bolt it in place. No alignment is necessary.
I used one of the recommended engines
on the test model: the O.S. FS-70 II
Surpass. Installation using the instructions
was easy and precise. The firewall has
centering marks preinstalled and preset
right thrust and downthrust. The engine
mount provided with the kit also works
wonderfully.
Cut the engine-mount template from the
instruction manual and tape it in position
on the firewall using the factory-installed
guide marks. Drill the holes for the enginemount
mounting bolts at the indicated
positions. Install the blind nuts to the rear
of the firewall and install the engine
mount.
Set the engine on the mounts and slide
it the required distance from the firewall—
53/16 inches from the firewall to the thrust
washer—which is the perfect position for
good cowl alignment. Install the fuel tank
provided and the throttle servo and linkage
per the instructions.
Installing the cowl accurately can be
tricky on any model. It is necessary to cut
holes for the engine head, needle valve,
glow-driver access, and muffler, and have
them wind up in the right place. However,
there are a fewof the needle-valve hole.
Tape these strips in place on the
fuselage behind a line where the rear of
the cowling will be, to not interfere with
the cowl when it is slid in place. One strip
will go forward and over the top of the
engine head and glow-driver area, and the
other will go forward and over the top of
the needle valve.
Mark the shape of the cutout for the
engine head on one strip as well as the
glow-driver access hole. Cut the hole in
the strip for the engine head and glow
driver while it is taped to the fuselage.
Check the fit over the engine head and
glow driver. Mark the position of the hole
for the needle-valve hole on the other
strip, and make a hole in the strip at the
center of the needle valve.
Slip the cowling in place and allow the
templates to ride over the top of it (they
are still taped in place on the fuselage).
The templates will indicate the exact
location and shape of the engine-head
opening and the glow-driver access and
needle-valve holes on the cowling.
I installed the radio equipment exactly
as instructed in the manual. I used the
location for the receiver and battery pack
per the manual. The model balanced
perfectly on the specified CG. There is
more than ample room inside the fuselage
for the radio equipment and a large pair of
hands doing the installation.
The engine and radio installation were
well thought out on this model. The
receiver platform was designed to lock the
fuel tank in place. The internal plywood
parts have numerous lightening holes and
slots for the Velcro straps that hold the
receiver and battery pack in place.
The finish on the CAP is extremely
detailed, and the decal set adds the
finishing touch. It would take a great deal
of work, time, and patience to duplicate
this finish on a scratch-built aircraft.
Setup and Flying: I set the control throws
exactly as indicated in the instruction
manual. As I will discuss later, they
proved to be perfect. I set the radio up
with negative 18% exponential on all the
control surfaces, which allowed for a
comfortable first flight with the radio set
on high rate for all controls.
The test model’s initial flight, and
every one thereafter, was incredible. The
aircraft does everything you ask it to do
with precision and predictability. It
performs maneuvers ranging from Snap
Rolls to Four Point Rolls with ease.
Ground-handling characteristics are
terrific, with a slight tendency to nose over
if the grass is a bit too long. That happened
at our field when I tested the model.
The takeoff roll was nice and straight,
with a slight pressure on right rudder to
compensate for the engine torque. With
slight back pressure on the elevator control
when the aircraft was at rotation speed, it
lifted off gently and performed a gentle
climbout to altitude.
The model required little trim to fly
hands off; all it needed was a small amount
of right aileron trim. After a few loops
around the field to get a feel for the aircraft,
I decided to see what it could do.
I rolled the CAP to inverted to see how
much down-elevator was needed for
straight inverted flight. It flew as well
inverted as upright, with only slight
pressure on down-elevator.
I took the model vertical to see how the
FS-70 four-stroke would pull uphill and
learned that it would go vertical almost
without limitation. That engine turned out
to be a great choice for this application. At
the top of the climb I did a stall turn and
came back down the field into a Four Point
Roll, which this airplane handled with
precision.
The aircraft has a tremendous amount of
rudder authority. Although I haven’t tried it
yet, I think it may be capable of a knifeedge
loop. Knife-edge flight the length of
the field was no problem. I even did a
couple Lomcevaks.
After all that, it was time to try a
landing. On the day of the test flight there
was a slight crosswind. I cut the throttle to
half for the downwind and crosswind legs
of the approach, and I cut it to
approximately one-third when on final.
When over the threshold I cut the throttle to
idle. After the aircraft slowed and was
roughly 2 feet off the ground, I
progressively added up-elevator until the
CAP stalled into a beautiful three-point
landing.
A method I used on some of the
following flights was to bring the aircraft in
a little hot and let it touch down on the
mains, at the same time allowing the
elevator to go to neutral. Then I allowed the
friction of the runway to bleed off the
remaining airspeed. As the CAP slowed, I
fed in up-elevator to keep the tail on the
ground.
I recommend this aircraft to anyone who
enjoys Aerobatics or just hotdogging
around the sky. It is easy to assemble, looks
impressive, and is a ball to fly! MA
Paul L. Vliet
[email protected]
Manufacturer:
Great Planes Model Manufacturing
Company
Box 9021
Champaign IL 61822
(217) 398-8970
www.greatplanes.com
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/02
Page Numbers: 66,67,68,71,72,74
MATT CHAPMAN started flying full-scale aircraft in 1979 and
has logged more than 14,000 hours of flying time, in addition to
his career as an American Airlines pilot. He began flying in
aerobatics competitions in 1984 and worked his way up to the
Unlimited class.
Matt held one of five slots on the US men’s Unlimited
Aerobatic Team in 1996 and 1998. He was the top-rankingFebruary 2006 67
The CAP’s look is unmistakable, and its aerobatic potential is
limited only by the pilot. It excels at snap and tumbling
maneuvers.
An O.S. FS-70 fits neatly inside fiberglass cowling, with only a
small part of the valve cover protruding. The needle valve can be
rotated to point up or down.
Kit contents show high-contrast bottom and top side of each wing panel. The clear
canopy is painted with a frame, and the plastic spinner matches the painted cowl.
Save aileron-servo and hardware installation
until after the wing halves are joined so the
wing will lay flat on the table. The CAP
requires a small amount of dihedral.
Photos courtesy the author
American pilot at the 1998 World Aerobatic Championships in
Slovakia and won a Bronze Medal. He has won the coveted
Hillard Trophy—awarded to the top-finishing US pilot at the
world championships—the International Aerobatic Club
championship trophy, and the Fon du Lac Cup.
Matt has more than 20 years of air-show experience and is a
member of CASPA: the Championship Air Show Pilots
Association. Most important, Matt participates in our hobby and
The horizontal stabilizer’s position is lower than scale to improve
knife-edge flight. Its extra thickness smoothes elevator feel and
ads drag to control downline airspeed.
The cover parts needed little covering touch-up. The controlsurface
hinge lines are crisply beveled, and the hinge slots are
precut.
68 MODEL AVIATION
The included 1/6-scale pilot bust is a nice touch. Notice the thin strip of covering removed
under the canopy outline for a strong adhesive bond.
The wing dihedral brace is three laminated
pieces of laser-cut light plywood. Gluing
them together before assembling the wing
makes the job easier.
Fiberglass wheel pants are molded with a plywood plate in the
mounting area for extra strength. The blind nuts are already in
place, so they just need bolted into position.
The instruction manual has templates for the O.S. 70 installation.
The template is aligned with center marks already scribed into the
firewall.
Manufacturer Specifications:
Type: Sport Scale aerobatic
Pilot skill level: Intermediate
Wingspan: 55.5 inches
Wing area: 562 square inches
Length: 52.5 inches
Weight: 6.75-7.5 pounds
Wing loading: 28-30 ounces per square foot
Engine: .46-.61 two-stroke or 52-72 four-stroke
Radio system: Four channels (minimum), five standard servos
Construction: Laser-cut-balsa-and-light-plywood airframe,
fiberglass cowl and wheel pants, plastic canopy, aluminum
landing gear
Covering/finish: MonoKote (including all splat graphics);
fuelproof paint for canopy frame, wheel pants, landing gear,
cowl
Price (street): $199.99
Test-Model Specifications:
Engine: O.S. FS-70 II Surpass
Propeller: APC 13 x 6
Radio equipment: Futaba 7CAP radio with five Futaba 3001
servos; 1100 mAh, 4.8-volt battery; one 6-inch extension; one
Y harness
Ready-to-fly weight: 6 pounds, 14.5 ounces
Wing loading: 28.3 ounces per square foot
Flight duration: Exceeds 10 minutes
Specifications
a member of Team Futaba.
The full-scale aircraft Great Planes has
modeled is the Matt Chapman CAP 580,
or—as I like to call it because of its
spectacular paint job—the CAP paint-ball
special. It has a wingspan of 24 feet, weighs
1,300 pounds, and has a top speed of 240
mph and a roll rate of 400° per second.
Great Planes has created two ARF
versions of this spectacular CAP 580 with
finishes that are as spectacular as that of
their full-scale counterpart. One model is 1/3
scale with a 99.5-inch wingspan, and the
other, the subject of this review, is a 46- to
70-size version with a 55.5-inch wingspan.
Each model has flight characteristics
that rival those of the full-scale aircraft. I
will write more about those later in this
article.
As is the case with most ARFs, you
must reshrink the covering in spots. If you
consider the extremes in temperature and
humidity these models experience in their
long journey from the Far East to our local
hobby supplier, it’s a wonder that the
covering is still on at all, let alone in such
remarkable shape with so few wrinkles. The
test model had minimal wrinkles in the
covering that I easily removed with a
covering iron and heat gun.
The first step in constructing the wing is
to hinge the ailerons to it. The method of
inserting a straight pin into the middle of
the hinge to center the aileron hinges in
their slots works well.
Push the pin into the center of the hinge
until the pin is against the wing. Do the
same for the other hinges in the aileron, and
then slide the aileron onto all the hinges.
Remove the pins and cyanoacrylate-glue
the hinges on one side, flip the wing panel
over, cyanoacrylate-glue the other side, and
you are finished installing the ailerons.
It’s time to install the aileron servos in
the wing panels and fish their electrical
leads through the wing panel using the
factory-installed pull strings. At this point
the manual instructs to install the aileron
horns and pushrods. It was necessary for me
to remove them from one side of the wing
so it would rest flat on the table during the
wing-joining process.
The next process is to epoxy the wing
halves together. The wing uses a plywood
joiner in the front and a dowel rod as a pin
to index the rear of the wing. These make
joining the halves simple. Dry-fit the wing
halves using the pin and the joining spar,
and you should have a perfect fit.
Set the wing half you left the servo out
of on a flat surface and weight it down.
Check the dihedral by measuring the height
of the opposite wingtip above the table. It
should be 3.375 inches at the center of the
LE tip.
If all is well, take the assembly apart and
apply 30-minute epoxy, reassemble, weight
it down, and recheck the measurements.
Use masking tape across the wing joint to
hold it together until the glue sets. Reinstall
the servo in the wing panel that was laying
on the table.
Install the wing-bolt mounting plate
after removing the covering from the area
where the plate is to be installed. Follow the
“Expert Tip” in the instruction manual for
removing the covering; it works well and
you may want to use it in the future. This
completes the wing construction.
For a model to fly with precision, it is
crucial that it be assembled with accurate
placement of the various control surfaces
with respect to the aircraft’s centerline. The
next step in the construction manual is
extremely important in this regard. It is an
excellent system to employ when
assembling any model.
If you follow the procedure exactly as
described in the manual, you will have a
great-flying aircraft that does exactly what
you tell it to do. It will also require a
minimum amount of trim on that initial
flight.
Mount the wing to the fuselage. I like to
have the aircraft sitting in a cradle at this
point. Insert the horizontal stabilizer into
the fuselage.
Measure the distance from the stabilizer
tip to the centerline of the fuselage on each
side; it should be the same. Measure the
distance from the TE of the wingtip to the
LE of the horizontal stabilizer tip on eachside, and make it the same. Recheck the
measurement from the horizontal stabilizer
tip to the fuselage centerline on each side
and make sure the measurements are still
the same. The idea is to have both sets of
numbers the same at the same time.
When you are satisfied with those
figures, glue the horizontal stabilizer in
place. Because of the solid construction
around the stabilizer pocket, I used thin
cyanoacrylate for this. Hinge the elevator
halves to the stabilizer using the same
hinging method you used on the ailerons.
Fit the vertical stabilizer in the slot
provided in the fuselage. Make sure it is
perpendicular to the horizontal stabilizer.
Remove the vertical stabilizer, spread a
slow-curing epoxy in the slot in the
fuselage, and reinstall the vertical
stabilizer, making sure it is still
perpendicular to the horizontal stabilizer.
Pin or tape the vertical stabilizer in place
until the glue sets.
Follow the instructions to install the
tail-wheel wire and bracket assembly, as
well as the rudder. Assemble the landing
gear to the fuselage per the instructions.
Remember to grind a flat spot on the axle
for the wheel-collar setscrew.
The method Great Planes uses on
several of its models to secure the wheel
pants is excellent. A piece of plywood is
laminated into the wheel pant when the
fiberglass is being laid up. The wheel pants
and the landing gear are predrilled for
mounting. The wheel pants even have
preinstalled blind nuts.
To mount the pant to the landing gear,
simply slip the pant over the wheel and
bolt it in place. No alignment is necessary.
I used one of the recommended engines
on the test model: the O.S. FS-70 II
Surpass. Installation using the instructions
was easy and precise. The firewall has
centering marks preinstalled and preset
right thrust and downthrust. The engine
mount provided with the kit also works
wonderfully.
Cut the engine-mount template from the
instruction manual and tape it in position
on the firewall using the factory-installed
guide marks. Drill the holes for the enginemount
mounting bolts at the indicated
positions. Install the blind nuts to the rear
of the firewall and install the engine
mount.
Set the engine on the mounts and slide
it the required distance from the firewall—
53/16 inches from the firewall to the thrust
washer—which is the perfect position for
good cowl alignment. Install the fuel tank
provided and the throttle servo and linkage
per the instructions.
Installing the cowl accurately can be
tricky on any model. It is necessary to cut
holes for the engine head, needle valve,
glow-driver access, and muffler, and have
them wind up in the right place. However,
there are a fewof the needle-valve hole.
Tape these strips in place on the
fuselage behind a line where the rear of
the cowling will be, to not interfere with
the cowl when it is slid in place. One strip
will go forward and over the top of the
engine head and glow-driver area, and the
other will go forward and over the top of
the needle valve.
Mark the shape of the cutout for the
engine head on one strip as well as the
glow-driver access hole. Cut the hole in
the strip for the engine head and glow
driver while it is taped to the fuselage.
Check the fit over the engine head and
glow driver. Mark the position of the hole
for the needle-valve hole on the other
strip, and make a hole in the strip at the
center of the needle valve.
Slip the cowling in place and allow the
templates to ride over the top of it (they
are still taped in place on the fuselage).
The templates will indicate the exact
location and shape of the engine-head
opening and the glow-driver access and
needle-valve holes on the cowling.
I installed the radio equipment exactly
as instructed in the manual. I used the
location for the receiver and battery pack
per the manual. The model balanced
perfectly on the specified CG. There is
more than ample room inside the fuselage
for the radio equipment and a large pair of
hands doing the installation.
The engine and radio installation were
well thought out on this model. The
receiver platform was designed to lock the
fuel tank in place. The internal plywood
parts have numerous lightening holes and
slots for the Velcro straps that hold the
receiver and battery pack in place.
The finish on the CAP is extremely
detailed, and the decal set adds the
finishing touch. It would take a great deal
of work, time, and patience to duplicate
this finish on a scratch-built aircraft.
Setup and Flying: I set the control throws
exactly as indicated in the instruction
manual. As I will discuss later, they
proved to be perfect. I set the radio up
with negative 18% exponential on all the
control surfaces, which allowed for a
comfortable first flight with the radio set
on high rate for all controls.
The test model’s initial flight, and
every one thereafter, was incredible. The
aircraft does everything you ask it to do
with precision and predictability. It
performs maneuvers ranging from Snap
Rolls to Four Point Rolls with ease.
Ground-handling characteristics are
terrific, with a slight tendency to nose over
if the grass is a bit too long. That happened
at our field when I tested the model.
The takeoff roll was nice and straight,
with a slight pressure on right rudder to
compensate for the engine torque. With
slight back pressure on the elevator control
when the aircraft was at rotation speed, it
lifted off gently and performed a gentle
climbout to altitude.
The model required little trim to fly
hands off; all it needed was a small amount
of right aileron trim. After a few loops
around the field to get a feel for the aircraft,
I decided to see what it could do.
I rolled the CAP to inverted to see how
much down-elevator was needed for
straight inverted flight. It flew as well
inverted as upright, with only slight
pressure on down-elevator.
I took the model vertical to see how the
FS-70 four-stroke would pull uphill and
learned that it would go vertical almost
without limitation. That engine turned out
to be a great choice for this application. At
the top of the climb I did a stall turn and
came back down the field into a Four Point
Roll, which this airplane handled with
precision.
The aircraft has a tremendous amount of
rudder authority. Although I haven’t tried it
yet, I think it may be capable of a knifeedge
loop. Knife-edge flight the length of
the field was no problem. I even did a
couple Lomcevaks.
After all that, it was time to try a
landing. On the day of the test flight there
was a slight crosswind. I cut the throttle to
half for the downwind and crosswind legs
of the approach, and I cut it to
approximately one-third when on final.
When over the threshold I cut the throttle to
idle. After the aircraft slowed and was
roughly 2 feet off the ground, I
progressively added up-elevator until the
CAP stalled into a beautiful three-point
landing.
A method I used on some of the
following flights was to bring the aircraft in
a little hot and let it touch down on the
mains, at the same time allowing the
elevator to go to neutral. Then I allowed the
friction of the runway to bleed off the
remaining airspeed. As the CAP slowed, I
fed in up-elevator to keep the tail on the
ground.
I recommend this aircraft to anyone who
enjoys Aerobatics or just hotdogging
around the sky. It is easy to assemble, looks
impressive, and is a ball to fly! MA
Paul L. Vliet
[email protected]
Manufacturer:
Great Planes Model Manufacturing
Company
Box 9021
Champaign IL 61822
(217) 398-8970
www.greatplanes.com
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/02
Page Numbers: 66,67,68,71,72,74
MATT CHAPMAN started flying full-scale aircraft in 1979 and
has logged more than 14,000 hours of flying time, in addition to
his career as an American Airlines pilot. He began flying in
aerobatics competitions in 1984 and worked his way up to the
Unlimited class.
Matt held one of five slots on the US men’s Unlimited
Aerobatic Team in 1996 and 1998. He was the top-rankingFebruary 2006 67
The CAP’s look is unmistakable, and its aerobatic potential is
limited only by the pilot. It excels at snap and tumbling
maneuvers.
An O.S. FS-70 fits neatly inside fiberglass cowling, with only a
small part of the valve cover protruding. The needle valve can be
rotated to point up or down.
Kit contents show high-contrast bottom and top side of each wing panel. The clear
canopy is painted with a frame, and the plastic spinner matches the painted cowl.
Save aileron-servo and hardware installation
until after the wing halves are joined so the
wing will lay flat on the table. The CAP
requires a small amount of dihedral.
Photos courtesy the author
American pilot at the 1998 World Aerobatic Championships in
Slovakia and won a Bronze Medal. He has won the coveted
Hillard Trophy—awarded to the top-finishing US pilot at the
world championships—the International Aerobatic Club
championship trophy, and the Fon du Lac Cup.
Matt has more than 20 years of air-show experience and is a
member of CASPA: the Championship Air Show Pilots
Association. Most important, Matt participates in our hobby and
The horizontal stabilizer’s position is lower than scale to improve
knife-edge flight. Its extra thickness smoothes elevator feel and
ads drag to control downline airspeed.
The cover parts needed little covering touch-up. The controlsurface
hinge lines are crisply beveled, and the hinge slots are
precut.
68 MODEL AVIATION
The included 1/6-scale pilot bust is a nice touch. Notice the thin strip of covering removed
under the canopy outline for a strong adhesive bond.
The wing dihedral brace is three laminated
pieces of laser-cut light plywood. Gluing
them together before assembling the wing
makes the job easier.
Fiberglass wheel pants are molded with a plywood plate in the
mounting area for extra strength. The blind nuts are already in
place, so they just need bolted into position.
The instruction manual has templates for the O.S. 70 installation.
The template is aligned with center marks already scribed into the
firewall.
Manufacturer Specifications:
Type: Sport Scale aerobatic
Pilot skill level: Intermediate
Wingspan: 55.5 inches
Wing area: 562 square inches
Length: 52.5 inches
Weight: 6.75-7.5 pounds
Wing loading: 28-30 ounces per square foot
Engine: .46-.61 two-stroke or 52-72 four-stroke
Radio system: Four channels (minimum), five standard servos
Construction: Laser-cut-balsa-and-light-plywood airframe,
fiberglass cowl and wheel pants, plastic canopy, aluminum
landing gear
Covering/finish: MonoKote (including all splat graphics);
fuelproof paint for canopy frame, wheel pants, landing gear,
cowl
Price (street): $199.99
Test-Model Specifications:
Engine: O.S. FS-70 II Surpass
Propeller: APC 13 x 6
Radio equipment: Futaba 7CAP radio with five Futaba 3001
servos; 1100 mAh, 4.8-volt battery; one 6-inch extension; one
Y harness
Ready-to-fly weight: 6 pounds, 14.5 ounces
Wing loading: 28.3 ounces per square foot
Flight duration: Exceeds 10 minutes
Specifications
a member of Team Futaba.
The full-scale aircraft Great Planes has
modeled is the Matt Chapman CAP 580,
or—as I like to call it because of its
spectacular paint job—the CAP paint-ball
special. It has a wingspan of 24 feet, weighs
1,300 pounds, and has a top speed of 240
mph and a roll rate of 400° per second.
Great Planes has created two ARF
versions of this spectacular CAP 580 with
finishes that are as spectacular as that of
their full-scale counterpart. One model is 1/3
scale with a 99.5-inch wingspan, and the
other, the subject of this review, is a 46- to
70-size version with a 55.5-inch wingspan.
Each model has flight characteristics
that rival those of the full-scale aircraft. I
will write more about those later in this
article.
As is the case with most ARFs, you
must reshrink the covering in spots. If you
consider the extremes in temperature and
humidity these models experience in their
long journey from the Far East to our local
hobby supplier, it’s a wonder that the
covering is still on at all, let alone in such
remarkable shape with so few wrinkles. The
test model had minimal wrinkles in the
covering that I easily removed with a
covering iron and heat gun.
The first step in constructing the wing is
to hinge the ailerons to it. The method of
inserting a straight pin into the middle of
the hinge to center the aileron hinges in
their slots works well.
Push the pin into the center of the hinge
until the pin is against the wing. Do the
same for the other hinges in the aileron, and
then slide the aileron onto all the hinges.
Remove the pins and cyanoacrylate-glue
the hinges on one side, flip the wing panel
over, cyanoacrylate-glue the other side, and
you are finished installing the ailerons.
It’s time to install the aileron servos in
the wing panels and fish their electrical
leads through the wing panel using the
factory-installed pull strings. At this point
the manual instructs to install the aileron
horns and pushrods. It was necessary for me
to remove them from one side of the wing
so it would rest flat on the table during the
wing-joining process.
The next process is to epoxy the wing
halves together. The wing uses a plywood
joiner in the front and a dowel rod as a pin
to index the rear of the wing. These make
joining the halves simple. Dry-fit the wing
halves using the pin and the joining spar,
and you should have a perfect fit.
Set the wing half you left the servo out
of on a flat surface and weight it down.
Check the dihedral by measuring the height
of the opposite wingtip above the table. It
should be 3.375 inches at the center of the
LE tip.
If all is well, take the assembly apart and
apply 30-minute epoxy, reassemble, weight
it down, and recheck the measurements.
Use masking tape across the wing joint to
hold it together until the glue sets. Reinstall
the servo in the wing panel that was laying
on the table.
Install the wing-bolt mounting plate
after removing the covering from the area
where the plate is to be installed. Follow the
“Expert Tip” in the instruction manual for
removing the covering; it works well and
you may want to use it in the future. This
completes the wing construction.
For a model to fly with precision, it is
crucial that it be assembled with accurate
placement of the various control surfaces
with respect to the aircraft’s centerline. The
next step in the construction manual is
extremely important in this regard. It is an
excellent system to employ when
assembling any model.
If you follow the procedure exactly as
described in the manual, you will have a
great-flying aircraft that does exactly what
you tell it to do. It will also require a
minimum amount of trim on that initial
flight.
Mount the wing to the fuselage. I like to
have the aircraft sitting in a cradle at this
point. Insert the horizontal stabilizer into
the fuselage.
Measure the distance from the stabilizer
tip to the centerline of the fuselage on each
side; it should be the same. Measure the
distance from the TE of the wingtip to the
LE of the horizontal stabilizer tip on eachside, and make it the same. Recheck the
measurement from the horizontal stabilizer
tip to the fuselage centerline on each side
and make sure the measurements are still
the same. The idea is to have both sets of
numbers the same at the same time.
When you are satisfied with those
figures, glue the horizontal stabilizer in
place. Because of the solid construction
around the stabilizer pocket, I used thin
cyanoacrylate for this. Hinge the elevator
halves to the stabilizer using the same
hinging method you used on the ailerons.
Fit the vertical stabilizer in the slot
provided in the fuselage. Make sure it is
perpendicular to the horizontal stabilizer.
Remove the vertical stabilizer, spread a
slow-curing epoxy in the slot in the
fuselage, and reinstall the vertical
stabilizer, making sure it is still
perpendicular to the horizontal stabilizer.
Pin or tape the vertical stabilizer in place
until the glue sets.
Follow the instructions to install the
tail-wheel wire and bracket assembly, as
well as the rudder. Assemble the landing
gear to the fuselage per the instructions.
Remember to grind a flat spot on the axle
for the wheel-collar setscrew.
The method Great Planes uses on
several of its models to secure the wheel
pants is excellent. A piece of plywood is
laminated into the wheel pant when the
fiberglass is being laid up. The wheel pants
and the landing gear are predrilled for
mounting. The wheel pants even have
preinstalled blind nuts.
To mount the pant to the landing gear,
simply slip the pant over the wheel and
bolt it in place. No alignment is necessary.
I used one of the recommended engines
on the test model: the O.S. FS-70 II
Surpass. Installation using the instructions
was easy and precise. The firewall has
centering marks preinstalled and preset
right thrust and downthrust. The engine
mount provided with the kit also works
wonderfully.
Cut the engine-mount template from the
instruction manual and tape it in position
on the firewall using the factory-installed
guide marks. Drill the holes for the enginemount
mounting bolts at the indicated
positions. Install the blind nuts to the rear
of the firewall and install the engine
mount.
Set the engine on the mounts and slide
it the required distance from the firewall—
53/16 inches from the firewall to the thrust
washer—which is the perfect position for
good cowl alignment. Install the fuel tank
provided and the throttle servo and linkage
per the instructions.
Installing the cowl accurately can be
tricky on any model. It is necessary to cut
holes for the engine head, needle valve,
glow-driver access, and muffler, and have
them wind up in the right place. However,
there are a fewof the needle-valve hole.
Tape these strips in place on the
fuselage behind a line where the rear of
the cowling will be, to not interfere with
the cowl when it is slid in place. One strip
will go forward and over the top of the
engine head and glow-driver area, and the
other will go forward and over the top of
the needle valve.
Mark the shape of the cutout for the
engine head on one strip as well as the
glow-driver access hole. Cut the hole in
the strip for the engine head and glow
driver while it is taped to the fuselage.
Check the fit over the engine head and
glow driver. Mark the position of the hole
for the needle-valve hole on the other
strip, and make a hole in the strip at the
center of the needle valve.
Slip the cowling in place and allow the
templates to ride over the top of it (they
are still taped in place on the fuselage).
The templates will indicate the exact
location and shape of the engine-head
opening and the glow-driver access and
needle-valve holes on the cowling.
I installed the radio equipment exactly
as instructed in the manual. I used the
location for the receiver and battery pack
per the manual. The model balanced
perfectly on the specified CG. There is
more than ample room inside the fuselage
for the radio equipment and a large pair of
hands doing the installation.
The engine and radio installation were
well thought out on this model. The
receiver platform was designed to lock the
fuel tank in place. The internal plywood
parts have numerous lightening holes and
slots for the Velcro straps that hold the
receiver and battery pack in place.
The finish on the CAP is extremely
detailed, and the decal set adds the
finishing touch. It would take a great deal
of work, time, and patience to duplicate
this finish on a scratch-built aircraft.
Setup and Flying: I set the control throws
exactly as indicated in the instruction
manual. As I will discuss later, they
proved to be perfect. I set the radio up
with negative 18% exponential on all the
control surfaces, which allowed for a
comfortable first flight with the radio set
on high rate for all controls.
The test model’s initial flight, and
every one thereafter, was incredible. The
aircraft does everything you ask it to do
with precision and predictability. It
performs maneuvers ranging from Snap
Rolls to Four Point Rolls with ease.
Ground-handling characteristics are
terrific, with a slight tendency to nose over
if the grass is a bit too long. That happened
at our field when I tested the model.
The takeoff roll was nice and straight,
with a slight pressure on right rudder to
compensate for the engine torque. With
slight back pressure on the elevator control
when the aircraft was at rotation speed, it
lifted off gently and performed a gentle
climbout to altitude.
The model required little trim to fly
hands off; all it needed was a small amount
of right aileron trim. After a few loops
around the field to get a feel for the aircraft,
I decided to see what it could do.
I rolled the CAP to inverted to see how
much down-elevator was needed for
straight inverted flight. It flew as well
inverted as upright, with only slight
pressure on down-elevator.
I took the model vertical to see how the
FS-70 four-stroke would pull uphill and
learned that it would go vertical almost
without limitation. That engine turned out
to be a great choice for this application. At
the top of the climb I did a stall turn and
came back down the field into a Four Point
Roll, which this airplane handled with
precision.
The aircraft has a tremendous amount of
rudder authority. Although I haven’t tried it
yet, I think it may be capable of a knifeedge
loop. Knife-edge flight the length of
the field was no problem. I even did a
couple Lomcevaks.
After all that, it was time to try a
landing. On the day of the test flight there
was a slight crosswind. I cut the throttle to
half for the downwind and crosswind legs
of the approach, and I cut it to
approximately one-third when on final.
When over the threshold I cut the throttle to
idle. After the aircraft slowed and was
roughly 2 feet off the ground, I
progressively added up-elevator until the
CAP stalled into a beautiful three-point
landing.
A method I used on some of the
following flights was to bring the aircraft in
a little hot and let it touch down on the
mains, at the same time allowing the
elevator to go to neutral. Then I allowed the
friction of the runway to bleed off the
remaining airspeed. As the CAP slowed, I
fed in up-elevator to keep the tail on the
ground.
I recommend this aircraft to anyone who
enjoys Aerobatics or just hotdogging
around the sky. It is easy to assemble, looks
impressive, and is a ball to fly! MA
Paul L. Vliet
[email protected]
Manufacturer:
Great Planes Model Manufacturing
Company
Box 9021
Champaign IL 61822
(217) 398-8970
www.greatplanes.com
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/02
Page Numbers: 66,67,68,71,72,74
MATT CHAPMAN started flying full-scale aircraft in 1979 and
has logged more than 14,000 hours of flying time, in addition to
his career as an American Airlines pilot. He began flying in
aerobatics competitions in 1984 and worked his way up to the
Unlimited class.
Matt held one of five slots on the US men’s Unlimited
Aerobatic Team in 1996 and 1998. He was the top-rankingFebruary 2006 67
The CAP’s look is unmistakable, and its aerobatic potential is
limited only by the pilot. It excels at snap and tumbling
maneuvers.
An O.S. FS-70 fits neatly inside fiberglass cowling, with only a
small part of the valve cover protruding. The needle valve can be
rotated to point up or down.
Kit contents show high-contrast bottom and top side of each wing panel. The clear
canopy is painted with a frame, and the plastic spinner matches the painted cowl.
Save aileron-servo and hardware installation
until after the wing halves are joined so the
wing will lay flat on the table. The CAP
requires a small amount of dihedral.
Photos courtesy the author
American pilot at the 1998 World Aerobatic Championships in
Slovakia and won a Bronze Medal. He has won the coveted
Hillard Trophy—awarded to the top-finishing US pilot at the
world championships—the International Aerobatic Club
championship trophy, and the Fon du Lac Cup.
Matt has more than 20 years of air-show experience and is a
member of CASPA: the Championship Air Show Pilots
Association. Most important, Matt participates in our hobby and
The horizontal stabilizer’s position is lower than scale to improve
knife-edge flight. Its extra thickness smoothes elevator feel and
ads drag to control downline airspeed.
The cover parts needed little covering touch-up. The controlsurface
hinge lines are crisply beveled, and the hinge slots are
precut.
68 MODEL AVIATION
The included 1/6-scale pilot bust is a nice touch. Notice the thin strip of covering removed
under the canopy outline for a strong adhesive bond.
The wing dihedral brace is three laminated
pieces of laser-cut light plywood. Gluing
them together before assembling the wing
makes the job easier.
Fiberglass wheel pants are molded with a plywood plate in the
mounting area for extra strength. The blind nuts are already in
place, so they just need bolted into position.
The instruction manual has templates for the O.S. 70 installation.
The template is aligned with center marks already scribed into the
firewall.
Manufacturer Specifications:
Type: Sport Scale aerobatic
Pilot skill level: Intermediate
Wingspan: 55.5 inches
Wing area: 562 square inches
Length: 52.5 inches
Weight: 6.75-7.5 pounds
Wing loading: 28-30 ounces per square foot
Engine: .46-.61 two-stroke or 52-72 four-stroke
Radio system: Four channels (minimum), five standard servos
Construction: Laser-cut-balsa-and-light-plywood airframe,
fiberglass cowl and wheel pants, plastic canopy, aluminum
landing gear
Covering/finish: MonoKote (including all splat graphics);
fuelproof paint for canopy frame, wheel pants, landing gear,
cowl
Price (street): $199.99
Test-Model Specifications:
Engine: O.S. FS-70 II Surpass
Propeller: APC 13 x 6
Radio equipment: Futaba 7CAP radio with five Futaba 3001
servos; 1100 mAh, 4.8-volt battery; one 6-inch extension; one
Y harness
Ready-to-fly weight: 6 pounds, 14.5 ounces
Wing loading: 28.3 ounces per square foot
Flight duration: Exceeds 10 minutes
Specifications
a member of Team Futaba.
The full-scale aircraft Great Planes has
modeled is the Matt Chapman CAP 580,
or—as I like to call it because of its
spectacular paint job—the CAP paint-ball
special. It has a wingspan of 24 feet, weighs
1,300 pounds, and has a top speed of 240
mph and a roll rate of 400° per second.
Great Planes has created two ARF
versions of this spectacular CAP 580 with
finishes that are as spectacular as that of
their full-scale counterpart. One model is 1/3
scale with a 99.5-inch wingspan, and the
other, the subject of this review, is a 46- to
70-size version with a 55.5-inch wingspan.
Each model has flight characteristics
that rival those of the full-scale aircraft. I
will write more about those later in this
article.
As is the case with most ARFs, you
must reshrink the covering in spots. If you
consider the extremes in temperature and
humidity these models experience in their
long journey from the Far East to our local
hobby supplier, it’s a wonder that the
covering is still on at all, let alone in such
remarkable shape with so few wrinkles. The
test model had minimal wrinkles in the
covering that I easily removed with a
covering iron and heat gun.
The first step in constructing the wing is
to hinge the ailerons to it. The method of
inserting a straight pin into the middle of
the hinge to center the aileron hinges in
their slots works well.
Push the pin into the center of the hinge
until the pin is against the wing. Do the
same for the other hinges in the aileron, and
then slide the aileron onto all the hinges.
Remove the pins and cyanoacrylate-glue
the hinges on one side, flip the wing panel
over, cyanoacrylate-glue the other side, and
you are finished installing the ailerons.
It’s time to install the aileron servos in
the wing panels and fish their electrical
leads through the wing panel using the
factory-installed pull strings. At this point
the manual instructs to install the aileron
horns and pushrods. It was necessary for me
to remove them from one side of the wing
so it would rest flat on the table during the
wing-joining process.
The next process is to epoxy the wing
halves together. The wing uses a plywood
joiner in the front and a dowel rod as a pin
to index the rear of the wing. These make
joining the halves simple. Dry-fit the wing
halves using the pin and the joining spar,
and you should have a perfect fit.
Set the wing half you left the servo out
of on a flat surface and weight it down.
Check the dihedral by measuring the height
of the opposite wingtip above the table. It
should be 3.375 inches at the center of the
LE tip.
If all is well, take the assembly apart and
apply 30-minute epoxy, reassemble, weight
it down, and recheck the measurements.
Use masking tape across the wing joint to
hold it together until the glue sets. Reinstall
the servo in the wing panel that was laying
on the table.
Install the wing-bolt mounting plate
after removing the covering from the area
where the plate is to be installed. Follow the
“Expert Tip” in the instruction manual for
removing the covering; it works well and
you may want to use it in the future. This
completes the wing construction.
For a model to fly with precision, it is
crucial that it be assembled with accurate
placement of the various control surfaces
with respect to the aircraft’s centerline. The
next step in the construction manual is
extremely important in this regard. It is an
excellent system to employ when
assembling any model.
If you follow the procedure exactly as
described in the manual, you will have a
great-flying aircraft that does exactly what
you tell it to do. It will also require a
minimum amount of trim on that initial
flight.
Mount the wing to the fuselage. I like to
have the aircraft sitting in a cradle at this
point. Insert the horizontal stabilizer into
the fuselage.
Measure the distance from the stabilizer
tip to the centerline of the fuselage on each
side; it should be the same. Measure the
distance from the TE of the wingtip to the
LE of the horizontal stabilizer tip on eachside, and make it the same. Recheck the
measurement from the horizontal stabilizer
tip to the fuselage centerline on each side
and make sure the measurements are still
the same. The idea is to have both sets of
numbers the same at the same time.
When you are satisfied with those
figures, glue the horizontal stabilizer in
place. Because of the solid construction
around the stabilizer pocket, I used thin
cyanoacrylate for this. Hinge the elevator
halves to the stabilizer using the same
hinging method you used on the ailerons.
Fit the vertical stabilizer in the slot
provided in the fuselage. Make sure it is
perpendicular to the horizontal stabilizer.
Remove the vertical stabilizer, spread a
slow-curing epoxy in the slot in the
fuselage, and reinstall the vertical
stabilizer, making sure it is still
perpendicular to the horizontal stabilizer.
Pin or tape the vertical stabilizer in place
until the glue sets.
Follow the instructions to install the
tail-wheel wire and bracket assembly, as
well as the rudder. Assemble the landing
gear to the fuselage per the instructions.
Remember to grind a flat spot on the axle
for the wheel-collar setscrew.
The method Great Planes uses on
several of its models to secure the wheel
pants is excellent. A piece of plywood is
laminated into the wheel pant when the
fiberglass is being laid up. The wheel pants
and the landing gear are predrilled for
mounting. The wheel pants even have
preinstalled blind nuts.
To mount the pant to the landing gear,
simply slip the pant over the wheel and
bolt it in place. No alignment is necessary.
I used one of the recommended engines
on the test model: the O.S. FS-70 II
Surpass. Installation using the instructions
was easy and precise. The firewall has
centering marks preinstalled and preset
right thrust and downthrust. The engine
mount provided with the kit also works
wonderfully.
Cut the engine-mount template from the
instruction manual and tape it in position
on the firewall using the factory-installed
guide marks. Drill the holes for the enginemount
mounting bolts at the indicated
positions. Install the blind nuts to the rear
of the firewall and install the engine
mount.
Set the engine on the mounts and slide
it the required distance from the firewall—
53/16 inches from the firewall to the thrust
washer—which is the perfect position for
good cowl alignment. Install the fuel tank
provided and the throttle servo and linkage
per the instructions.
Installing the cowl accurately can be
tricky on any model. It is necessary to cut
holes for the engine head, needle valve,
glow-driver access, and muffler, and have
them wind up in the right place. However,
there are a fewof the needle-valve hole.
Tape these strips in place on the
fuselage behind a line where the rear of
the cowling will be, to not interfere with
the cowl when it is slid in place. One strip
will go forward and over the top of the
engine head and glow-driver area, and the
other will go forward and over the top of
the needle valve.
Mark the shape of the cutout for the
engine head on one strip as well as the
glow-driver access hole. Cut the hole in
the strip for the engine head and glow
driver while it is taped to the fuselage.
Check the fit over the engine head and
glow driver. Mark the position of the hole
for the needle-valve hole on the other
strip, and make a hole in the strip at the
center of the needle valve.
Slip the cowling in place and allow the
templates to ride over the top of it (they
are still taped in place on the fuselage).
The templates will indicate the exact
location and shape of the engine-head
opening and the glow-driver access and
needle-valve holes on the cowling.
I installed the radio equipment exactly
as instructed in the manual. I used the
location for the receiver and battery pack
per the manual. The model balanced
perfectly on the specified CG. There is
more than ample room inside the fuselage
for the radio equipment and a large pair of
hands doing the installation.
The engine and radio installation were
well thought out on this model. The
receiver platform was designed to lock the
fuel tank in place. The internal plywood
parts have numerous lightening holes and
slots for the Velcro straps that hold the
receiver and battery pack in place.
The finish on the CAP is extremely
detailed, and the decal set adds the
finishing touch. It would take a great deal
of work, time, and patience to duplicate
this finish on a scratch-built aircraft.
Setup and Flying: I set the control throws
exactly as indicated in the instruction
manual. As I will discuss later, they
proved to be perfect. I set the radio up
with negative 18% exponential on all the
control surfaces, which allowed for a
comfortable first flight with the radio set
on high rate for all controls.
The test model’s initial flight, and
every one thereafter, was incredible. The
aircraft does everything you ask it to do
with precision and predictability. It
performs maneuvers ranging from Snap
Rolls to Four Point Rolls with ease.
Ground-handling characteristics are
terrific, with a slight tendency to nose over
if the grass is a bit too long. That happened
at our field when I tested the model.
The takeoff roll was nice and straight,
with a slight pressure on right rudder to
compensate for the engine torque. With
slight back pressure on the elevator control
when the aircraft was at rotation speed, it
lifted off gently and performed a gentle
climbout to altitude.
The model required little trim to fly
hands off; all it needed was a small amount
of right aileron trim. After a few loops
around the field to get a feel for the aircraft,
I decided to see what it could do.
I rolled the CAP to inverted to see how
much down-elevator was needed for
straight inverted flight. It flew as well
inverted as upright, with only slight
pressure on down-elevator.
I took the model vertical to see how the
FS-70 four-stroke would pull uphill and
learned that it would go vertical almost
without limitation. That engine turned out
to be a great choice for this application. At
the top of the climb I did a stall turn and
came back down the field into a Four Point
Roll, which this airplane handled with
precision.
The aircraft has a tremendous amount of
rudder authority. Although I haven’t tried it
yet, I think it may be capable of a knifeedge
loop. Knife-edge flight the length of
the field was no problem. I even did a
couple Lomcevaks.
After all that, it was time to try a
landing. On the day of the test flight there
was a slight crosswind. I cut the throttle to
half for the downwind and crosswind legs
of the approach, and I cut it to
approximately one-third when on final.
When over the threshold I cut the throttle to
idle. After the aircraft slowed and was
roughly 2 feet off the ground, I
progressively added up-elevator until the
CAP stalled into a beautiful three-point
landing.
A method I used on some of the
following flights was to bring the aircraft in
a little hot and let it touch down on the
mains, at the same time allowing the
elevator to go to neutral. Then I allowed the
friction of the runway to bleed off the
remaining airspeed. As the CAP slowed, I
fed in up-elevator to keep the tail on the
ground.
I recommend this aircraft to anyone who
enjoys Aerobatics or just hotdogging
around the sky. It is easy to assemble, looks
impressive, and is a ball to fly! MA
Paul L. Vliet
[email protected]
Manufacturer:
Great Planes Model Manufacturing
Company
Box 9021
Champaign IL 61822
(217) 398-8970
www.greatplanes.com