78 MODEL AVIATION
THE TWIST 3D 40 ARF is advertised as
an exciting 40-size airplane that is capable
of sport and extreme 3-D performance and
an excellent, unintimidating fun flier to
putter with on the weekends.
For convenient storage and transport to
the flying field, the wing was designed to
be removed quickly. The tail-mounted
servos offered short and stiff linkages. And
the Twist could easily be adapted to
electric power, using a Hacker brushless
motor and the installation instructions
provided.
First Impressions: The Twist was
constructed from sturdy, lightweight balsa
and plywood, and it came precovered in a
bold yellow UltraCote trim scheme with
contrasting magenta and purple UltraCote
trim. It incorporated deep bevels on the
control surfaces for extreme 3-D throw and
had counterbalanced rudder and elevators
to help provide plenty of aerobatic thrills.
A complete hardware package was
included with the kit. With the exception
of glue (cyanoacrylate and epoxy), a radio,
P r o d u c t R e v i e w Tom Sullivan
E-mail: [email protected]
Hangar 9 Twist 3D 40 ARF
Pros:
• 90% prebuilt out of the box.
• All parts were precovered/prepainted.
• Removable, one-piece wing.
• All hardware was supplied (including
wheels and tank).
• Instructions were included for
mounting glow or electric power
plants.
• No wrinkles in the covering.
Cons:
• Had to enlarge holes in engine mount
to attach to firewall.
• Except for the throttle pushrod, none
of the supplied threaded metal
pushrods were even close to the right
length. Some were off by more than six
inches!
• Holes predrilled in elevator for the
elevator-joiner wire were not straight.
They required adjusting the bend on the
wire to align the elevator halves.
Into the air the first time, there was clearly sufficient power to get out of trouble in a
hurry. The Twist will climb straight up for miles at half throttle.
an engine, and a propeller, everything else
was supplied. Most of the hardware was of
good quality, but as you’ll see throughout
the review, there were a couple of small
problems. The pushrods were a bigger
problem.
Completing the kit was a 40-page,
photo-illustrated instruction manual. It
spelled out each step quite well, and I
found no problems with it. Everything was
properly covered, and it answered all
questions I might have had during
construction.
Construction: This started with installing
the stabilizer and vertical fin in the
fuselage. To make sure everything was
aligned, the wing was temporarily mounted
and used as a guide for measuring
Once finished, the review airplane weighed 5.3 pounds ready to fly. Even using the big
Saito 82 four-stroke engine, the CG was right on the money!
distances and making sure all was straight. After everything was
aligned, I made sure to cut away the covering to give a wood-towood
bond for the glue to grab onto.
Then I mounted all of the control surfaces. The kit included
cyanoacrylate-type hinges throughout. A nice feature was that all
slots for these hinges were precut.
Also, holes for the elevator-joiner wire and the tail-wheel wire
were predrilled (even though the instruction manual instructed the
modeler to drill those holes). The holes in the elevator halves were
not drilled straight and required that the elevator-joiner wire be
bent to allow these halves to line up as they should have.
It was time to install the engine. Horizon included one of its
new Saito 82 four-strokes to use with the
Twist, which was at the top end of the
manufacturer’s recommendations. No
doubt that it would be more than enough
power to put the model into orbit. Normally
I would have chosen something in the
middle of the range of recommendations—
a 61 four-stroke or so—but I was going to
bolt on the 82 and see what would happen!
A couple of problems cropped up here.
First, each half of the engine mount needed
the holes enlarged where the firewall bolts
would go through. That wasn’t a big deal,
but you would probably need to do the
same.
Second, it was obvious that the Twist
was set up for a 40-ish engine; everything
was lined up for the pushrod to be mounted
on the starboard side. These holes were
predrilled, and the manual instructed to use
The Twist will make you look like a 3-D pilot! Shift the CG back
and you’ll be hovering, performing Harriers, and more.
The model was nimble at low power settings. Inverted or upright,
you’ll have ample control for even the lowest maneuvers.
All servos were mounted fairly close to the control surfaces to
ensure that the pushrods had no play in them.
Although it wasn’t overkill, the Saito that
Horizon supplied for the review was on
the verge of being too much power!
Fuselage modifications made to use the
Saito took a few minutes with a rotary tool
and a couple modifications inside.
The radio compartment was narrow, but it had plenty of room for
the throttle servo, receiver, and battery.
With the one-piece wing and low parts count, the review model
was a quick build. It took roughly five hours to assemble.
January 2005 79
Photos by the author
them for the throttle-pushrod installation.
However, the Saito changed everything.
The throttle pushrod needed to be moved to
the port side, and a bit of modification was
needed to make everything fit. (The engine
mounts needed a slight amount of
trimming, and a small part of the fuselage
sheeting needed to be removed and
trimmed to allow the carburetor arm to
rotate freely.)
I assembled the supplied fuel tank next.
All hardware, along with fuel lines to
extend to the engine’s carburetor and
muffler, were included, which was a
pleasant surprise. The only thing about
installing the fuel tank was that I needed a
bit of foam to take up the space between
the walls of the fuselage and the tank.
The radio installation was fairly
straightforward. The Twist required five
standard servos; I used JR 537s, which fit
the precut holes perfectly.
The elevator and rudder servos were
mounted far back on the fuselage, giving a
short, slop-free pushrod connection.
However, I needed a couple of 12-inch
servo-lead extensions to make up for the
distance. There were two aileron servos
mounted on the underside of the wing. I
had to use the old weight-on-a-string trick
to get the wires through the wing, but that
was fairly easy.
Once all the servos were mounted, I
installed the supplied control linkages and
pushrod hardware. All of the control horns
were mounted using the typical three-screw
layout, and I had to drill all the holes for
this.
This was where the biggest problem
came to light. With the exception of the
throttle pushrod, none of the others were
anywhere close to the right length. The
aileron pushrods were short by more than 2
inches, and the elevator and rudder
pushrods were short by more than 6 inches!
I had no choice but to substitute these
threaded rods for some Du-Bro threaded
rods, which solved the problem.
The last thing to mention in the radio
installation is that the Twist’s fuselage had
a preinstalled nylon tube through which to
push the radio antenna. That’s a great
feature, and it should be built into any
airplane. It enables you to hide the antenna
through the fuselage and keep it out of
harm’s way.
Finishing Touches: To complete the
Twist, I assembled and mounted the
landing gear and tail wheel. I glued the
canopy into place, and the model was
almost ready to go.
With everything completed, the review
aircraft weighed 5.3 pounds ready to fly.
Not bad considering that was on the low
end of the recommended weight range and
there was a monster power plant mounted
in the nose. Another surprise was that the
Twist’s CG came in at 4.5 inches back
from the wing LE. The manual called for it
to be 4-5 inches, so it was right on target.
Flying: After a good night’s charge and a
last-minute review of all the details, it was
time for the Twist’s first flight. With it
fueled up and a range check completed, I
applied the starter and the engine came to
life.
Taxiing was simply not a problem with
the Twist. Even through somewhat tall
grass, the Saito pulled the model with no
troubles. I used a three-blade propeller
with the Saito 82 to give a bit of extra
ground clearance. Small airplanes and
large propeller diameters usually don’t
work, so anytime I have the chance to
reduce the probability of a problem, I take
it.
Lining up into the wind, I slowly
applied the throttle and the takeoff run was
underway. The Twist rocketed down the
runway and was off in no time. The Saito
82 provided more than enough power.
After a few trim passes and a couple of
minutes to get used to the airplane, it was
time for some low photo passes. The Twist
was extremely predicable and easy to fly.
Even when throttling back to 20% power,
there was more than enough to maintain
altitude and perform some low-level
aerobatics. With the photos out of the way,
it was time to see what this model could
do.
Under full throttle, the Twist was a
rocket. It had tons of speed and great
performance. Aerobatics were no problem;
Loops, Snaps, Rolls, etc. were done with
authority. Kicking the rates into high
revealed a roll rate that made me dizzy just
watching it.
Kicking in the rudder for knife-edge did
bring out a good amount of adverse yaw.
Although it was controllable, it surprised
me at first. Be prepared to do a great deal
of course correction with the aileron and
elevator.
Slowing the Twist for its first landing
showed that the controls were incredibly
effective—right up until stall. On low rates
with low power settings, the model
demonstrated stable slow-speed
characteristics and gentle stalls.
During subsequent flights, I turned the
Twist loose and found it to be a
maneuvering machine. Although I wouldn’t
categorize it as a true “3-D” design, it was
able to do most of the extreme
maneuvers—and many of them pretty well.
The light wing loading and oversized
control surfaces allowed for incredible 3-D
maneuvers. From hovers to Harriers and
knife-edge loops to climbing flat spins, the
Twist handled almost any aerobatic
maneuver I threw its direction. With the
Saito 82, this airplane was able to run tight
10-foot loops and, unlike some fun-fly
airplanes, handled full-throttle high-speed
runs. It hovered and Torque Rolled down to
head high.
The Twist 3D 40 ARF was a nice flier. I’m
not sure if I would have made the Saito 82
my first choice; something more in the 61-
65 range would have been a better match.
However, I never wanted for power, and
the Saito did a great job of holding the
model wherever I decided to go with it.
On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being the
best), I would rate the Twist a strong 8.5.
There were a few minor things to clear up
while I was building it, but once it was up
in the air, I forgot all about them and had a
ball. MA
Specifications:
Wingspan: 47.75 inches
Wing area: 748 square inches
Length: 48.5 inches
Recommended weight: 5.0-6.0 pounds
Model’s ready-to-fly weight: 5.3 pounds
Recommended engine: .40-.46 two-stroke
or 56-82 four-stroke
Engine used: Saito 82 (Horizon Hobby
supplied it for the review.)
Recommended radio: Four channels with
five servos
Radio used: JR 6102 transmitter, R770S
receiver, and five JR 537 servos
Construction: Balsa and plywood built-up
wing, fuselage, control surfaces
Manufacturer/Distributor:
Horizon Hobby Inc.
4105 Fieldstone Rd.
Champaign IL 61822
(877) 504-0233
www.horizonhobby.com
Street price: $99.99
Products used in review:
JR 8103 radio system, Saito 82 four-stroke
engine:
Horizon Hobby Inc.
13 x 6 Master Airscrew three-blade
propeller:
Windsor Propeller Co., Inc.
Box 250
Rancho Cordova CA 95741
www.masterairscrew.com
Vortech 2.25-inch spinner:
Dave Brown Products
4560 Layhigh Rd.
Hamilton OH 45013
www.dbproducts.com
12-inch threaded pushrods, R/C Protective
Foam Rubber:
Du-Bro Products
Box 815
Wauconda IL 60084
www.dubro.com
Edition: Model Aviation - 2005/01
Page Numbers: 78,79,80,82
Edition: Model Aviation - 2005/01
Page Numbers: 78,79,80,82
78 MODEL AVIATION
THE TWIST 3D 40 ARF is advertised as
an exciting 40-size airplane that is capable
of sport and extreme 3-D performance and
an excellent, unintimidating fun flier to
putter with on the weekends.
For convenient storage and transport to
the flying field, the wing was designed to
be removed quickly. The tail-mounted
servos offered short and stiff linkages. And
the Twist could easily be adapted to
electric power, using a Hacker brushless
motor and the installation instructions
provided.
First Impressions: The Twist was
constructed from sturdy, lightweight balsa
and plywood, and it came precovered in a
bold yellow UltraCote trim scheme with
contrasting magenta and purple UltraCote
trim. It incorporated deep bevels on the
control surfaces for extreme 3-D throw and
had counterbalanced rudder and elevators
to help provide plenty of aerobatic thrills.
A complete hardware package was
included with the kit. With the exception
of glue (cyanoacrylate and epoxy), a radio,
P r o d u c t R e v i e w Tom Sullivan
E-mail: [email protected]
Hangar 9 Twist 3D 40 ARF
Pros:
• 90% prebuilt out of the box.
• All parts were precovered/prepainted.
• Removable, one-piece wing.
• All hardware was supplied (including
wheels and tank).
• Instructions were included for
mounting glow or electric power
plants.
• No wrinkles in the covering.
Cons:
• Had to enlarge holes in engine mount
to attach to firewall.
• Except for the throttle pushrod, none
of the supplied threaded metal
pushrods were even close to the right
length. Some were off by more than six
inches!
• Holes predrilled in elevator for the
elevator-joiner wire were not straight.
They required adjusting the bend on the
wire to align the elevator halves.
Into the air the first time, there was clearly sufficient power to get out of trouble in a
hurry. The Twist will climb straight up for miles at half throttle.
an engine, and a propeller, everything else
was supplied. Most of the hardware was of
good quality, but as you’ll see throughout
the review, there were a couple of small
problems. The pushrods were a bigger
problem.
Completing the kit was a 40-page,
photo-illustrated instruction manual. It
spelled out each step quite well, and I
found no problems with it. Everything was
properly covered, and it answered all
questions I might have had during
construction.
Construction: This started with installing
the stabilizer and vertical fin in the
fuselage. To make sure everything was
aligned, the wing was temporarily mounted
and used as a guide for measuring
Once finished, the review airplane weighed 5.3 pounds ready to fly. Even using the big
Saito 82 four-stroke engine, the CG was right on the money!
distances and making sure all was straight. After everything was
aligned, I made sure to cut away the covering to give a wood-towood
bond for the glue to grab onto.
Then I mounted all of the control surfaces. The kit included
cyanoacrylate-type hinges throughout. A nice feature was that all
slots for these hinges were precut.
Also, holes for the elevator-joiner wire and the tail-wheel wire
were predrilled (even though the instruction manual instructed the
modeler to drill those holes). The holes in the elevator halves were
not drilled straight and required that the elevator-joiner wire be
bent to allow these halves to line up as they should have.
It was time to install the engine. Horizon included one of its
new Saito 82 four-strokes to use with the
Twist, which was at the top end of the
manufacturer’s recommendations. No
doubt that it would be more than enough
power to put the model into orbit. Normally
I would have chosen something in the
middle of the range of recommendations—
a 61 four-stroke or so—but I was going to
bolt on the 82 and see what would happen!
A couple of problems cropped up here.
First, each half of the engine mount needed
the holes enlarged where the firewall bolts
would go through. That wasn’t a big deal,
but you would probably need to do the
same.
Second, it was obvious that the Twist
was set up for a 40-ish engine; everything
was lined up for the pushrod to be mounted
on the starboard side. These holes were
predrilled, and the manual instructed to use
The Twist will make you look like a 3-D pilot! Shift the CG back
and you’ll be hovering, performing Harriers, and more.
The model was nimble at low power settings. Inverted or upright,
you’ll have ample control for even the lowest maneuvers.
All servos were mounted fairly close to the control surfaces to
ensure that the pushrods had no play in them.
Although it wasn’t overkill, the Saito that
Horizon supplied for the review was on
the verge of being too much power!
Fuselage modifications made to use the
Saito took a few minutes with a rotary tool
and a couple modifications inside.
The radio compartment was narrow, but it had plenty of room for
the throttle servo, receiver, and battery.
With the one-piece wing and low parts count, the review model
was a quick build. It took roughly five hours to assemble.
January 2005 79
Photos by the author
them for the throttle-pushrod installation.
However, the Saito changed everything.
The throttle pushrod needed to be moved to
the port side, and a bit of modification was
needed to make everything fit. (The engine
mounts needed a slight amount of
trimming, and a small part of the fuselage
sheeting needed to be removed and
trimmed to allow the carburetor arm to
rotate freely.)
I assembled the supplied fuel tank next.
All hardware, along with fuel lines to
extend to the engine’s carburetor and
muffler, were included, which was a
pleasant surprise. The only thing about
installing the fuel tank was that I needed a
bit of foam to take up the space between
the walls of the fuselage and the tank.
The radio installation was fairly
straightforward. The Twist required five
standard servos; I used JR 537s, which fit
the precut holes perfectly.
The elevator and rudder servos were
mounted far back on the fuselage, giving a
short, slop-free pushrod connection.
However, I needed a couple of 12-inch
servo-lead extensions to make up for the
distance. There were two aileron servos
mounted on the underside of the wing. I
had to use the old weight-on-a-string trick
to get the wires through the wing, but that
was fairly easy.
Once all the servos were mounted, I
installed the supplied control linkages and
pushrod hardware. All of the control horns
were mounted using the typical three-screw
layout, and I had to drill all the holes for
this.
This was where the biggest problem
came to light. With the exception of the
throttle pushrod, none of the others were
anywhere close to the right length. The
aileron pushrods were short by more than 2
inches, and the elevator and rudder
pushrods were short by more than 6 inches!
I had no choice but to substitute these
threaded rods for some Du-Bro threaded
rods, which solved the problem.
The last thing to mention in the radio
installation is that the Twist’s fuselage had
a preinstalled nylon tube through which to
push the radio antenna. That’s a great
feature, and it should be built into any
airplane. It enables you to hide the antenna
through the fuselage and keep it out of
harm’s way.
Finishing Touches: To complete the
Twist, I assembled and mounted the
landing gear and tail wheel. I glued the
canopy into place, and the model was
almost ready to go.
With everything completed, the review
aircraft weighed 5.3 pounds ready to fly.
Not bad considering that was on the low
end of the recommended weight range and
there was a monster power plant mounted
in the nose. Another surprise was that the
Twist’s CG came in at 4.5 inches back
from the wing LE. The manual called for it
to be 4-5 inches, so it was right on target.
Flying: After a good night’s charge and a
last-minute review of all the details, it was
time for the Twist’s first flight. With it
fueled up and a range check completed, I
applied the starter and the engine came to
life.
Taxiing was simply not a problem with
the Twist. Even through somewhat tall
grass, the Saito pulled the model with no
troubles. I used a three-blade propeller
with the Saito 82 to give a bit of extra
ground clearance. Small airplanes and
large propeller diameters usually don’t
work, so anytime I have the chance to
reduce the probability of a problem, I take
it.
Lining up into the wind, I slowly
applied the throttle and the takeoff run was
underway. The Twist rocketed down the
runway and was off in no time. The Saito
82 provided more than enough power.
After a few trim passes and a couple of
minutes to get used to the airplane, it was
time for some low photo passes. The Twist
was extremely predicable and easy to fly.
Even when throttling back to 20% power,
there was more than enough to maintain
altitude and perform some low-level
aerobatics. With the photos out of the way,
it was time to see what this model could
do.
Under full throttle, the Twist was a
rocket. It had tons of speed and great
performance. Aerobatics were no problem;
Loops, Snaps, Rolls, etc. were done with
authority. Kicking the rates into high
revealed a roll rate that made me dizzy just
watching it.
Kicking in the rudder for knife-edge did
bring out a good amount of adverse yaw.
Although it was controllable, it surprised
me at first. Be prepared to do a great deal
of course correction with the aileron and
elevator.
Slowing the Twist for its first landing
showed that the controls were incredibly
effective—right up until stall. On low rates
with low power settings, the model
demonstrated stable slow-speed
characteristics and gentle stalls.
During subsequent flights, I turned the
Twist loose and found it to be a
maneuvering machine. Although I wouldn’t
categorize it as a true “3-D” design, it was
able to do most of the extreme
maneuvers—and many of them pretty well.
The light wing loading and oversized
control surfaces allowed for incredible 3-D
maneuvers. From hovers to Harriers and
knife-edge loops to climbing flat spins, the
Twist handled almost any aerobatic
maneuver I threw its direction. With the
Saito 82, this airplane was able to run tight
10-foot loops and, unlike some fun-fly
airplanes, handled full-throttle high-speed
runs. It hovered and Torque Rolled down to
head high.
The Twist 3D 40 ARF was a nice flier. I’m
not sure if I would have made the Saito 82
my first choice; something more in the 61-
65 range would have been a better match.
However, I never wanted for power, and
the Saito did a great job of holding the
model wherever I decided to go with it.
On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being the
best), I would rate the Twist a strong 8.5.
There were a few minor things to clear up
while I was building it, but once it was up
in the air, I forgot all about them and had a
ball. MA
Specifications:
Wingspan: 47.75 inches
Wing area: 748 square inches
Length: 48.5 inches
Recommended weight: 5.0-6.0 pounds
Model’s ready-to-fly weight: 5.3 pounds
Recommended engine: .40-.46 two-stroke
or 56-82 four-stroke
Engine used: Saito 82 (Horizon Hobby
supplied it for the review.)
Recommended radio: Four channels with
five servos
Radio used: JR 6102 transmitter, R770S
receiver, and five JR 537 servos
Construction: Balsa and plywood built-up
wing, fuselage, control surfaces
Manufacturer/Distributor:
Horizon Hobby Inc.
4105 Fieldstone Rd.
Champaign IL 61822
(877) 504-0233
www.horizonhobby.com
Street price: $99.99
Products used in review:
JR 8103 radio system, Saito 82 four-stroke
engine:
Horizon Hobby Inc.
13 x 6 Master Airscrew three-blade
propeller:
Windsor Propeller Co., Inc.
Box 250
Rancho Cordova CA 95741
www.masterairscrew.com
Vortech 2.25-inch spinner:
Dave Brown Products
4560 Layhigh Rd.
Hamilton OH 45013
www.dbproducts.com
12-inch threaded pushrods, R/C Protective
Foam Rubber:
Du-Bro Products
Box 815
Wauconda IL 60084
www.dubro.com
Edition: Model Aviation - 2005/01
Page Numbers: 78,79,80,82
78 MODEL AVIATION
THE TWIST 3D 40 ARF is advertised as
an exciting 40-size airplane that is capable
of sport and extreme 3-D performance and
an excellent, unintimidating fun flier to
putter with on the weekends.
For convenient storage and transport to
the flying field, the wing was designed to
be removed quickly. The tail-mounted
servos offered short and stiff linkages. And
the Twist could easily be adapted to
electric power, using a Hacker brushless
motor and the installation instructions
provided.
First Impressions: The Twist was
constructed from sturdy, lightweight balsa
and plywood, and it came precovered in a
bold yellow UltraCote trim scheme with
contrasting magenta and purple UltraCote
trim. It incorporated deep bevels on the
control surfaces for extreme 3-D throw and
had counterbalanced rudder and elevators
to help provide plenty of aerobatic thrills.
A complete hardware package was
included with the kit. With the exception
of glue (cyanoacrylate and epoxy), a radio,
P r o d u c t R e v i e w Tom Sullivan
E-mail: [email protected]
Hangar 9 Twist 3D 40 ARF
Pros:
• 90% prebuilt out of the box.
• All parts were precovered/prepainted.
• Removable, one-piece wing.
• All hardware was supplied (including
wheels and tank).
• Instructions were included for
mounting glow or electric power
plants.
• No wrinkles in the covering.
Cons:
• Had to enlarge holes in engine mount
to attach to firewall.
• Except for the throttle pushrod, none
of the supplied threaded metal
pushrods were even close to the right
length. Some were off by more than six
inches!
• Holes predrilled in elevator for the
elevator-joiner wire were not straight.
They required adjusting the bend on the
wire to align the elevator halves.
Into the air the first time, there was clearly sufficient power to get out of trouble in a
hurry. The Twist will climb straight up for miles at half throttle.
an engine, and a propeller, everything else
was supplied. Most of the hardware was of
good quality, but as you’ll see throughout
the review, there were a couple of small
problems. The pushrods were a bigger
problem.
Completing the kit was a 40-page,
photo-illustrated instruction manual. It
spelled out each step quite well, and I
found no problems with it. Everything was
properly covered, and it answered all
questions I might have had during
construction.
Construction: This started with installing
the stabilizer and vertical fin in the
fuselage. To make sure everything was
aligned, the wing was temporarily mounted
and used as a guide for measuring
Once finished, the review airplane weighed 5.3 pounds ready to fly. Even using the big
Saito 82 four-stroke engine, the CG was right on the money!
distances and making sure all was straight. After everything was
aligned, I made sure to cut away the covering to give a wood-towood
bond for the glue to grab onto.
Then I mounted all of the control surfaces. The kit included
cyanoacrylate-type hinges throughout. A nice feature was that all
slots for these hinges were precut.
Also, holes for the elevator-joiner wire and the tail-wheel wire
were predrilled (even though the instruction manual instructed the
modeler to drill those holes). The holes in the elevator halves were
not drilled straight and required that the elevator-joiner wire be
bent to allow these halves to line up as they should have.
It was time to install the engine. Horizon included one of its
new Saito 82 four-strokes to use with the
Twist, which was at the top end of the
manufacturer’s recommendations. No
doubt that it would be more than enough
power to put the model into orbit. Normally
I would have chosen something in the
middle of the range of recommendations—
a 61 four-stroke or so—but I was going to
bolt on the 82 and see what would happen!
A couple of problems cropped up here.
First, each half of the engine mount needed
the holes enlarged where the firewall bolts
would go through. That wasn’t a big deal,
but you would probably need to do the
same.
Second, it was obvious that the Twist
was set up for a 40-ish engine; everything
was lined up for the pushrod to be mounted
on the starboard side. These holes were
predrilled, and the manual instructed to use
The Twist will make you look like a 3-D pilot! Shift the CG back
and you’ll be hovering, performing Harriers, and more.
The model was nimble at low power settings. Inverted or upright,
you’ll have ample control for even the lowest maneuvers.
All servos were mounted fairly close to the control surfaces to
ensure that the pushrods had no play in them.
Although it wasn’t overkill, the Saito that
Horizon supplied for the review was on
the verge of being too much power!
Fuselage modifications made to use the
Saito took a few minutes with a rotary tool
and a couple modifications inside.
The radio compartment was narrow, but it had plenty of room for
the throttle servo, receiver, and battery.
With the one-piece wing and low parts count, the review model
was a quick build. It took roughly five hours to assemble.
January 2005 79
Photos by the author
them for the throttle-pushrod installation.
However, the Saito changed everything.
The throttle pushrod needed to be moved to
the port side, and a bit of modification was
needed to make everything fit. (The engine
mounts needed a slight amount of
trimming, and a small part of the fuselage
sheeting needed to be removed and
trimmed to allow the carburetor arm to
rotate freely.)
I assembled the supplied fuel tank next.
All hardware, along with fuel lines to
extend to the engine’s carburetor and
muffler, were included, which was a
pleasant surprise. The only thing about
installing the fuel tank was that I needed a
bit of foam to take up the space between
the walls of the fuselage and the tank.
The radio installation was fairly
straightforward. The Twist required five
standard servos; I used JR 537s, which fit
the precut holes perfectly.
The elevator and rudder servos were
mounted far back on the fuselage, giving a
short, slop-free pushrod connection.
However, I needed a couple of 12-inch
servo-lead extensions to make up for the
distance. There were two aileron servos
mounted on the underside of the wing. I
had to use the old weight-on-a-string trick
to get the wires through the wing, but that
was fairly easy.
Once all the servos were mounted, I
installed the supplied control linkages and
pushrod hardware. All of the control horns
were mounted using the typical three-screw
layout, and I had to drill all the holes for
this.
This was where the biggest problem
came to light. With the exception of the
throttle pushrod, none of the others were
anywhere close to the right length. The
aileron pushrods were short by more than 2
inches, and the elevator and rudder
pushrods were short by more than 6 inches!
I had no choice but to substitute these
threaded rods for some Du-Bro threaded
rods, which solved the problem.
The last thing to mention in the radio
installation is that the Twist’s fuselage had
a preinstalled nylon tube through which to
push the radio antenna. That’s a great
feature, and it should be built into any
airplane. It enables you to hide the antenna
through the fuselage and keep it out of
harm’s way.
Finishing Touches: To complete the
Twist, I assembled and mounted the
landing gear and tail wheel. I glued the
canopy into place, and the model was
almost ready to go.
With everything completed, the review
aircraft weighed 5.3 pounds ready to fly.
Not bad considering that was on the low
end of the recommended weight range and
there was a monster power plant mounted
in the nose. Another surprise was that the
Twist’s CG came in at 4.5 inches back
from the wing LE. The manual called for it
to be 4-5 inches, so it was right on target.
Flying: After a good night’s charge and a
last-minute review of all the details, it was
time for the Twist’s first flight. With it
fueled up and a range check completed, I
applied the starter and the engine came to
life.
Taxiing was simply not a problem with
the Twist. Even through somewhat tall
grass, the Saito pulled the model with no
troubles. I used a three-blade propeller
with the Saito 82 to give a bit of extra
ground clearance. Small airplanes and
large propeller diameters usually don’t
work, so anytime I have the chance to
reduce the probability of a problem, I take
it.
Lining up into the wind, I slowly
applied the throttle and the takeoff run was
underway. The Twist rocketed down the
runway and was off in no time. The Saito
82 provided more than enough power.
After a few trim passes and a couple of
minutes to get used to the airplane, it was
time for some low photo passes. The Twist
was extremely predicable and easy to fly.
Even when throttling back to 20% power,
there was more than enough to maintain
altitude and perform some low-level
aerobatics. With the photos out of the way,
it was time to see what this model could
do.
Under full throttle, the Twist was a
rocket. It had tons of speed and great
performance. Aerobatics were no problem;
Loops, Snaps, Rolls, etc. were done with
authority. Kicking the rates into high
revealed a roll rate that made me dizzy just
watching it.
Kicking in the rudder for knife-edge did
bring out a good amount of adverse yaw.
Although it was controllable, it surprised
me at first. Be prepared to do a great deal
of course correction with the aileron and
elevator.
Slowing the Twist for its first landing
showed that the controls were incredibly
effective—right up until stall. On low rates
with low power settings, the model
demonstrated stable slow-speed
characteristics and gentle stalls.
During subsequent flights, I turned the
Twist loose and found it to be a
maneuvering machine. Although I wouldn’t
categorize it as a true “3-D” design, it was
able to do most of the extreme
maneuvers—and many of them pretty well.
The light wing loading and oversized
control surfaces allowed for incredible 3-D
maneuvers. From hovers to Harriers and
knife-edge loops to climbing flat spins, the
Twist handled almost any aerobatic
maneuver I threw its direction. With the
Saito 82, this airplane was able to run tight
10-foot loops and, unlike some fun-fly
airplanes, handled full-throttle high-speed
runs. It hovered and Torque Rolled down to
head high.
The Twist 3D 40 ARF was a nice flier. I’m
not sure if I would have made the Saito 82
my first choice; something more in the 61-
65 range would have been a better match.
However, I never wanted for power, and
the Saito did a great job of holding the
model wherever I decided to go with it.
On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being the
best), I would rate the Twist a strong 8.5.
There were a few minor things to clear up
while I was building it, but once it was up
in the air, I forgot all about them and had a
ball. MA
Specifications:
Wingspan: 47.75 inches
Wing area: 748 square inches
Length: 48.5 inches
Recommended weight: 5.0-6.0 pounds
Model’s ready-to-fly weight: 5.3 pounds
Recommended engine: .40-.46 two-stroke
or 56-82 four-stroke
Engine used: Saito 82 (Horizon Hobby
supplied it for the review.)
Recommended radio: Four channels with
five servos
Radio used: JR 6102 transmitter, R770S
receiver, and five JR 537 servos
Construction: Balsa and plywood built-up
wing, fuselage, control surfaces
Manufacturer/Distributor:
Horizon Hobby Inc.
4105 Fieldstone Rd.
Champaign IL 61822
(877) 504-0233
www.horizonhobby.com
Street price: $99.99
Products used in review:
JR 8103 radio system, Saito 82 four-stroke
engine:
Horizon Hobby Inc.
13 x 6 Master Airscrew three-blade
propeller:
Windsor Propeller Co., Inc.
Box 250
Rancho Cordova CA 95741
www.masterairscrew.com
Vortech 2.25-inch spinner:
Dave Brown Products
4560 Layhigh Rd.
Hamilton OH 45013
www.dbproducts.com
12-inch threaded pushrods, R/C Protective
Foam Rubber:
Du-Bro Products
Box 815
Wauconda IL 60084
www.dubro.com
Edition: Model Aviation - 2005/01
Page Numbers: 78,79,80,82
78 MODEL AVIATION
THE TWIST 3D 40 ARF is advertised as
an exciting 40-size airplane that is capable
of sport and extreme 3-D performance and
an excellent, unintimidating fun flier to
putter with on the weekends.
For convenient storage and transport to
the flying field, the wing was designed to
be removed quickly. The tail-mounted
servos offered short and stiff linkages. And
the Twist could easily be adapted to
electric power, using a Hacker brushless
motor and the installation instructions
provided.
First Impressions: The Twist was
constructed from sturdy, lightweight balsa
and plywood, and it came precovered in a
bold yellow UltraCote trim scheme with
contrasting magenta and purple UltraCote
trim. It incorporated deep bevels on the
control surfaces for extreme 3-D throw and
had counterbalanced rudder and elevators
to help provide plenty of aerobatic thrills.
A complete hardware package was
included with the kit. With the exception
of glue (cyanoacrylate and epoxy), a radio,
P r o d u c t R e v i e w Tom Sullivan
E-mail: [email protected]
Hangar 9 Twist 3D 40 ARF
Pros:
• 90% prebuilt out of the box.
• All parts were precovered/prepainted.
• Removable, one-piece wing.
• All hardware was supplied (including
wheels and tank).
• Instructions were included for
mounting glow or electric power
plants.
• No wrinkles in the covering.
Cons:
• Had to enlarge holes in engine mount
to attach to firewall.
• Except for the throttle pushrod, none
of the supplied threaded metal
pushrods were even close to the right
length. Some were off by more than six
inches!
• Holes predrilled in elevator for the
elevator-joiner wire were not straight.
They required adjusting the bend on the
wire to align the elevator halves.
Into the air the first time, there was clearly sufficient power to get out of trouble in a
hurry. The Twist will climb straight up for miles at half throttle.
an engine, and a propeller, everything else
was supplied. Most of the hardware was of
good quality, but as you’ll see throughout
the review, there were a couple of small
problems. The pushrods were a bigger
problem.
Completing the kit was a 40-page,
photo-illustrated instruction manual. It
spelled out each step quite well, and I
found no problems with it. Everything was
properly covered, and it answered all
questions I might have had during
construction.
Construction: This started with installing
the stabilizer and vertical fin in the
fuselage. To make sure everything was
aligned, the wing was temporarily mounted
and used as a guide for measuring
Once finished, the review airplane weighed 5.3 pounds ready to fly. Even using the big
Saito 82 four-stroke engine, the CG was right on the money!
distances and making sure all was straight. After everything was
aligned, I made sure to cut away the covering to give a wood-towood
bond for the glue to grab onto.
Then I mounted all of the control surfaces. The kit included
cyanoacrylate-type hinges throughout. A nice feature was that all
slots for these hinges were precut.
Also, holes for the elevator-joiner wire and the tail-wheel wire
were predrilled (even though the instruction manual instructed the
modeler to drill those holes). The holes in the elevator halves were
not drilled straight and required that the elevator-joiner wire be
bent to allow these halves to line up as they should have.
It was time to install the engine. Horizon included one of its
new Saito 82 four-strokes to use with the
Twist, which was at the top end of the
manufacturer’s recommendations. No
doubt that it would be more than enough
power to put the model into orbit. Normally
I would have chosen something in the
middle of the range of recommendations—
a 61 four-stroke or so—but I was going to
bolt on the 82 and see what would happen!
A couple of problems cropped up here.
First, each half of the engine mount needed
the holes enlarged where the firewall bolts
would go through. That wasn’t a big deal,
but you would probably need to do the
same.
Second, it was obvious that the Twist
was set up for a 40-ish engine; everything
was lined up for the pushrod to be mounted
on the starboard side. These holes were
predrilled, and the manual instructed to use
The Twist will make you look like a 3-D pilot! Shift the CG back
and you’ll be hovering, performing Harriers, and more.
The model was nimble at low power settings. Inverted or upright,
you’ll have ample control for even the lowest maneuvers.
All servos were mounted fairly close to the control surfaces to
ensure that the pushrods had no play in them.
Although it wasn’t overkill, the Saito that
Horizon supplied for the review was on
the verge of being too much power!
Fuselage modifications made to use the
Saito took a few minutes with a rotary tool
and a couple modifications inside.
The radio compartment was narrow, but it had plenty of room for
the throttle servo, receiver, and battery.
With the one-piece wing and low parts count, the review model
was a quick build. It took roughly five hours to assemble.
January 2005 79
Photos by the author
them for the throttle-pushrod installation.
However, the Saito changed everything.
The throttle pushrod needed to be moved to
the port side, and a bit of modification was
needed to make everything fit. (The engine
mounts needed a slight amount of
trimming, and a small part of the fuselage
sheeting needed to be removed and
trimmed to allow the carburetor arm to
rotate freely.)
I assembled the supplied fuel tank next.
All hardware, along with fuel lines to
extend to the engine’s carburetor and
muffler, were included, which was a
pleasant surprise. The only thing about
installing the fuel tank was that I needed a
bit of foam to take up the space between
the walls of the fuselage and the tank.
The radio installation was fairly
straightforward. The Twist required five
standard servos; I used JR 537s, which fit
the precut holes perfectly.
The elevator and rudder servos were
mounted far back on the fuselage, giving a
short, slop-free pushrod connection.
However, I needed a couple of 12-inch
servo-lead extensions to make up for the
distance. There were two aileron servos
mounted on the underside of the wing. I
had to use the old weight-on-a-string trick
to get the wires through the wing, but that
was fairly easy.
Once all the servos were mounted, I
installed the supplied control linkages and
pushrod hardware. All of the control horns
were mounted using the typical three-screw
layout, and I had to drill all the holes for
this.
This was where the biggest problem
came to light. With the exception of the
throttle pushrod, none of the others were
anywhere close to the right length. The
aileron pushrods were short by more than 2
inches, and the elevator and rudder
pushrods were short by more than 6 inches!
I had no choice but to substitute these
threaded rods for some Du-Bro threaded
rods, which solved the problem.
The last thing to mention in the radio
installation is that the Twist’s fuselage had
a preinstalled nylon tube through which to
push the radio antenna. That’s a great
feature, and it should be built into any
airplane. It enables you to hide the antenna
through the fuselage and keep it out of
harm’s way.
Finishing Touches: To complete the
Twist, I assembled and mounted the
landing gear and tail wheel. I glued the
canopy into place, and the model was
almost ready to go.
With everything completed, the review
aircraft weighed 5.3 pounds ready to fly.
Not bad considering that was on the low
end of the recommended weight range and
there was a monster power plant mounted
in the nose. Another surprise was that the
Twist’s CG came in at 4.5 inches back
from the wing LE. The manual called for it
to be 4-5 inches, so it was right on target.
Flying: After a good night’s charge and a
last-minute review of all the details, it was
time for the Twist’s first flight. With it
fueled up and a range check completed, I
applied the starter and the engine came to
life.
Taxiing was simply not a problem with
the Twist. Even through somewhat tall
grass, the Saito pulled the model with no
troubles. I used a three-blade propeller
with the Saito 82 to give a bit of extra
ground clearance. Small airplanes and
large propeller diameters usually don’t
work, so anytime I have the chance to
reduce the probability of a problem, I take
it.
Lining up into the wind, I slowly
applied the throttle and the takeoff run was
underway. The Twist rocketed down the
runway and was off in no time. The Saito
82 provided more than enough power.
After a few trim passes and a couple of
minutes to get used to the airplane, it was
time for some low photo passes. The Twist
was extremely predicable and easy to fly.
Even when throttling back to 20% power,
there was more than enough to maintain
altitude and perform some low-level
aerobatics. With the photos out of the way,
it was time to see what this model could
do.
Under full throttle, the Twist was a
rocket. It had tons of speed and great
performance. Aerobatics were no problem;
Loops, Snaps, Rolls, etc. were done with
authority. Kicking the rates into high
revealed a roll rate that made me dizzy just
watching it.
Kicking in the rudder for knife-edge did
bring out a good amount of adverse yaw.
Although it was controllable, it surprised
me at first. Be prepared to do a great deal
of course correction with the aileron and
elevator.
Slowing the Twist for its first landing
showed that the controls were incredibly
effective—right up until stall. On low rates
with low power settings, the model
demonstrated stable slow-speed
characteristics and gentle stalls.
During subsequent flights, I turned the
Twist loose and found it to be a
maneuvering machine. Although I wouldn’t
categorize it as a true “3-D” design, it was
able to do most of the extreme
maneuvers—and many of them pretty well.
The light wing loading and oversized
control surfaces allowed for incredible 3-D
maneuvers. From hovers to Harriers and
knife-edge loops to climbing flat spins, the
Twist handled almost any aerobatic
maneuver I threw its direction. With the
Saito 82, this airplane was able to run tight
10-foot loops and, unlike some fun-fly
airplanes, handled full-throttle high-speed
runs. It hovered and Torque Rolled down to
head high.
The Twist 3D 40 ARF was a nice flier. I’m
not sure if I would have made the Saito 82
my first choice; something more in the 61-
65 range would have been a better match.
However, I never wanted for power, and
the Saito did a great job of holding the
model wherever I decided to go with it.
On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being the
best), I would rate the Twist a strong 8.5.
There were a few minor things to clear up
while I was building it, but once it was up
in the air, I forgot all about them and had a
ball. MA
Specifications:
Wingspan: 47.75 inches
Wing area: 748 square inches
Length: 48.5 inches
Recommended weight: 5.0-6.0 pounds
Model’s ready-to-fly weight: 5.3 pounds
Recommended engine: .40-.46 two-stroke
or 56-82 four-stroke
Engine used: Saito 82 (Horizon Hobby
supplied it for the review.)
Recommended radio: Four channels with
five servos
Radio used: JR 6102 transmitter, R770S
receiver, and five JR 537 servos
Construction: Balsa and plywood built-up
wing, fuselage, control surfaces
Manufacturer/Distributor:
Horizon Hobby Inc.
4105 Fieldstone Rd.
Champaign IL 61822
(877) 504-0233
www.horizonhobby.com
Street price: $99.99
Products used in review:
JR 8103 radio system, Saito 82 four-stroke
engine:
Horizon Hobby Inc.
13 x 6 Master Airscrew three-blade
propeller:
Windsor Propeller Co., Inc.
Box 250
Rancho Cordova CA 95741
www.masterairscrew.com
Vortech 2.25-inch spinner:
Dave Brown Products
4560 Layhigh Rd.
Hamilton OH 45013
www.dbproducts.com
12-inch threaded pushrods, R/C Protective
Foam Rubber:
Du-Bro Products
Box 815
Wauconda IL 60084
www.dubro.com