98 MODEL AVIATION
The DiddleBug sets a modeling standard
Small-Field Flying Paul Bradley | [email protected]
Also included in this column:
• Plantraco gear opens the door
to a micro-RC-assist FF world
• Tres Wright offers Stealth-E
plans
• Pat Tritle’s Cessna AGwagon
due out as a Dumas kit
Dave Blum has led the way in applying the Bill Stevens DiddleBug
design platform to simple Scale models.
Dave’s Chipmunk takes full advantage of the DiddleBug concept
and retains all of its good flying qualities.
Using Plantraco gear it is possible to convert an existing FF model
to RC without performing major surgery.
Magnetic actuators are added externally as demonstrated by
Ralph Bradley with the author’s already built FF Luscombe.
OCCASIONALLY a design idea or
approach will come along that creates a
framework for many other models to follow.
As you look back at the history of this hobby,
a number of instances come to mind.
In the competitive engine-powered FF
arena, the first designer to create a highthrustline
model influenced a large number of
designers who followed suit with their
creations. How about the use of flaps on CL
Precision Aerobatics (Stunt) models? The
designer who did that first set the stage for
nearly every CL Stunt model that followed.
In the RC world, one approach that strikes
me as a platform-changing design innovation
is the strip aileron. Before they came onto the
scene, models sporting ailerons used layouts
similar to those of full-scale airplanes.
Someone came up with the idea of strip
ailerons and the world of sport RC models
changed forever.
There are many other examples, but I
think you get the idea. You know I’m going
somewhere with this line of thought.
In the world of small-field flying, we have
a set of parameters that tends to govern the
emerging designs. The equipment and
materials available to the designer today
provide an almost limitless canvas for the
next killer design.
Those designs, though, need to live in
spaces that can place some real constraints on
April 2006 99
It was easy for Ralph to remove a section of the fuselage and
mount the receiver and battery on the bottom.
The Stealth-E, which was shown in the June 2005 column, is now
available as a low-cost, laser-cut kit.
The Pat Tritle-designed Cessna AGwagon is a combination of lightweight construction
and great flying qualities that will be kitted by Dumas.
the flight envelope. We want the models to
have good flying qualities in a smaller venue
and generally deliver a satisfying flying
experience. Those reading this can probably
name a number of models they would
nominate as their favorite small-field flyer
that delivers on the criteria I have mentioned.
I know one modeler who can name such a
model and has recognized that aircraft as
setting the stage for a complete design
platform: Dave Blum of Cary, North
Carolina.
Dave is a skilled designer and builder. I
had the opportunity to showcase some of his
models in the November 2002 column.
While most of the models Dave owns and
flies are his own design, he also builds and
flies airplanes by other designers. One such
model is the Bill Stevens/Stevens
AeroModel-designed DiddleBug (see the
source listing at the end of the column).
That model is the epitome of a simple,
fun-filled small-field flyer. Not overlooked
by the Dave’s keen eye, the DiddleBug
incorporates some design features that are
suitable for transfer to other small-field
models.
Its platform is characterized by several
distinguishing features. The fuselage is a full
three-dimensional affair, but the bottom is
left open to gain easy access to the
equipment mounted inside. The servos are
mounted so that the control arms are outside
the fuselage. I know that is not uncommon
for sport models, but the combination of that
mounting scheme and the open bottom
makes a simple, easy-to-adjust control
system.
The DiddleBug also uses a unique wing
structure that is reminiscent of a lightweight
rubber-powered FF airplane. The model is a
perfect size for small-field flying, with a
wing area that is approximately 100 square
inches and a flying weight of slightly less
than 3 ounces.
These features yield a model that is fun to
fly indoors or outdoors in confined spaces.
Dave’s forté is Scale, and he translated
the core design features of the DiddleBug to
some simple, eye-catching, nice-flying Scale
models. The resulting aircraft offer the same
flying qualities of the DiddleBug with the
bonus of resembling a full-scale airplane.
Dave provided a few photos of his
Chipmunk done up in the DiddleBug-style
platform. It is so striking that a number of
people who frequent the Internet-based
discussion group called the E Zone
(www.ezonemag.com) have followed Dave’s
lead and developed their own DiddleBugstyle
Scale models.
These airplanes use the inexpensive GWS
LPS drive system and a two-cell 250 mAh
Li-Poly battery pack for power. As
demonstrated by the Internet group, almost
any Scale subject can be nicely rendered in
the DiddleBug platform. My hat is off to Bill
Stevens for his DiddleBug design and to
Dave Blum for leading the way in adapting
that great platform to some excellent smallfield
Scale models.
A few columns back I mentioned the
wonderful new micro equipment that has
been introduced by Plantraco. Dave Robelen
has also featured the company’s equipment in
his “Micro-Flying” column.
You may recall that the Plantraco receiver
weighs less than 1 gram and that the system
operates on 900 MHz. The operating
frequency allows for short antennae and its
light weight opens the door to adding radio
control to a wonderful array of subjects.
As you may have surmised by some of
my comments, I am a FF modeler at heart.
My association with FF throughout the
years—I won’t say just how many—has
introduced me to many excellent modelairplane
designs.
Many of those designs are intended for
rubber power and are ideal candidates for
Until recently, converting the models
often involved making them bigger to
accommodate the radio and power-system
gear. The integration of the radio-control
equipment also required careful planning
during the construction of the model.
Equipment such as that being offered by
Plantraco has forever changed the world of
FF-to-RC conversions—at least for the
smaller subjects. The small size, light
weight, and easy actuator hookup of the new
gear lets us convert almost any small rubberpowered
FF model.
Not only that, but you can do the
conversion on models that are already built.
There is no need to go through a big process
for making the equipment fit in your chosen
subject.
To demonstrate this point my brother
Ralph elected to convert one of my alreadybuilt
Top Flite Jigtime model reproductions.
He chose the Luscombe, which had been
flown many times as a rubber-powered FF
model. The task was to add a Plantraco setup
without performing major surgery.
Our analysis suggested that the converted
model would have minimal weight gain
when the rubber motor and propeller were
eliminated. The result of the project is shown
in the photos.
The flight-control components were
attached to the outside of the model. The
magnetic actuator is connected to the
receiver by thin magnet wire, which made
the installation easy. The magnet wire was
hidden by the printed lines on the model. A
single, small 90 mAh Li-Poly battery is held
in place on the bottom of the fuselage by two
tiny magnets. The only surgery was to
remove a section of the fuselage bottom to
install the motor.
At first glance you are hard pressed to tell
that the Luscombe had become an RC
model. Flying weight before conversion,
with a loop of 1/8-inch rubber for power, was
18 grams. After the conversion the flying
weight is 20 grams. Since the weight gain
was small, the model flies the way it did in
FF form. The only difference is that we can
keep it from hitting the walls of our indoor
flying site and it can stay in the air much
longer per flight.
The conversion Ralph did to the Jigtime
Luscombe could be applied equally well to
the many other lightweight FF models
available. For those who dabble in that form
of our hobby, take a look in your hangar.
You are bound to have subjects that would
be perfect candidates.
This gives a new definition to ARF RC
modeling. Source information for the
Plantraco gear and the magnetic battery
connector is provided at the end of this
column.
Stealth-E is now a kit. You may recall a
picture in the June 2005 column showing the
lovely daughters of Tres Wright holding his
little ducted-fan small-field flyer called the
Stealth-E. Tres was generous enough to offer
plans to readers who had an interest in the
model. I received word from him that a nice,
inexpensive, laser-cut kit is now available
from Littlebirdz (see the source listing for
details).
In case you don’t remember the original
picture of the model, I have included an
updated one. The Stealth-E is the model in
the background with the interesting zebra
stripes. The model in the foreground is
another design that may show up as a kit in
the not-too-distant future.
The Stealth-E uses the GWS EDF-40
ducted-fan unit. With a wingspan of 18
inches and a flying weight of roughly 3
ounces, it is a real performer on either the
GWS brushed motor or one of the drop-in
replacement brushless-fan turners.
Referring to new products, the good friend
of all small-field fliers—Pat Tritle—has
another new design nearly ready to be
released by Dumas. This time around Pat has
selected the workhorse Cessna AGwagon as
the subject of another nice-looking and greatflying
small-field model. One look at the
photo Pat supplied is definitely enough to get
some “I-want-one-of-those” juices flowing.
Pat’s designs are a wonderful
combination of lightweight construction and
great flying qualities. It sports a 40-inch
wingspan and a flying weight of 8.2 ounces.
That weight includes a two-cell, 1320 mAh
Li-Poly battery pack and a GWS IPS geared
motor with a 4:1 ratio that turns an 8 x 6
electric propeller.
Another great work, Pat. Please keep
them coming.
Once again we have reached the end of this
installment. If you have a project you would
like to share, I can be reached at the E-mail
address shown in the column header or via
regular mail at 32238 Spinnaker Run,
Magnolia TX 77354. MA
Sources:
DiddleBug:
Stevens AeroModel
1528 S. Nevada Ave.
Colorado Springs CO 80906
(719) 393-0830 (Monday-Friday 10 a.m.-5
p.m. Mountain Standard Time)
www.stevensaero.com
Stealth-E kit:
Littlebirdz
203 Jonathans Way
Suffolk VA 23434
(757) 831-9053
www.littlebirdz.com
Plantraco micro radio system:
Bob Selman Designs
9054 Gum Rd.
Carthage MO 64836
(417) 358-9521 (after 6 p.
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/04
Page Numbers: 98,99,100
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/04
Page Numbers: 98,99,100
98 MODEL AVIATION
The DiddleBug sets a modeling standard
Small-Field Flying Paul Bradley | [email protected]
Also included in this column:
• Plantraco gear opens the door
to a micro-RC-assist FF world
• Tres Wright offers Stealth-E
plans
• Pat Tritle’s Cessna AGwagon
due out as a Dumas kit
Dave Blum has led the way in applying the Bill Stevens DiddleBug
design platform to simple Scale models.
Dave’s Chipmunk takes full advantage of the DiddleBug concept
and retains all of its good flying qualities.
Using Plantraco gear it is possible to convert an existing FF model
to RC without performing major surgery.
Magnetic actuators are added externally as demonstrated by
Ralph Bradley with the author’s already built FF Luscombe.
OCCASIONALLY a design idea or
approach will come along that creates a
framework for many other models to follow.
As you look back at the history of this hobby,
a number of instances come to mind.
In the competitive engine-powered FF
arena, the first designer to create a highthrustline
model influenced a large number of
designers who followed suit with their
creations. How about the use of flaps on CL
Precision Aerobatics (Stunt) models? The
designer who did that first set the stage for
nearly every CL Stunt model that followed.
In the RC world, one approach that strikes
me as a platform-changing design innovation
is the strip aileron. Before they came onto the
scene, models sporting ailerons used layouts
similar to those of full-scale airplanes.
Someone came up with the idea of strip
ailerons and the world of sport RC models
changed forever.
There are many other examples, but I
think you get the idea. You know I’m going
somewhere with this line of thought.
In the world of small-field flying, we have
a set of parameters that tends to govern the
emerging designs. The equipment and
materials available to the designer today
provide an almost limitless canvas for the
next killer design.
Those designs, though, need to live in
spaces that can place some real constraints on
April 2006 99
It was easy for Ralph to remove a section of the fuselage and
mount the receiver and battery on the bottom.
The Stealth-E, which was shown in the June 2005 column, is now
available as a low-cost, laser-cut kit.
The Pat Tritle-designed Cessna AGwagon is a combination of lightweight construction
and great flying qualities that will be kitted by Dumas.
the flight envelope. We want the models to
have good flying qualities in a smaller venue
and generally deliver a satisfying flying
experience. Those reading this can probably
name a number of models they would
nominate as their favorite small-field flyer
that delivers on the criteria I have mentioned.
I know one modeler who can name such a
model and has recognized that aircraft as
setting the stage for a complete design
platform: Dave Blum of Cary, North
Carolina.
Dave is a skilled designer and builder. I
had the opportunity to showcase some of his
models in the November 2002 column.
While most of the models Dave owns and
flies are his own design, he also builds and
flies airplanes by other designers. One such
model is the Bill Stevens/Stevens
AeroModel-designed DiddleBug (see the
source listing at the end of the column).
That model is the epitome of a simple,
fun-filled small-field flyer. Not overlooked
by the Dave’s keen eye, the DiddleBug
incorporates some design features that are
suitable for transfer to other small-field
models.
Its platform is characterized by several
distinguishing features. The fuselage is a full
three-dimensional affair, but the bottom is
left open to gain easy access to the
equipment mounted inside. The servos are
mounted so that the control arms are outside
the fuselage. I know that is not uncommon
for sport models, but the combination of that
mounting scheme and the open bottom
makes a simple, easy-to-adjust control
system.
The DiddleBug also uses a unique wing
structure that is reminiscent of a lightweight
rubber-powered FF airplane. The model is a
perfect size for small-field flying, with a
wing area that is approximately 100 square
inches and a flying weight of slightly less
than 3 ounces.
These features yield a model that is fun to
fly indoors or outdoors in confined spaces.
Dave’s forté is Scale, and he translated
the core design features of the DiddleBug to
some simple, eye-catching, nice-flying Scale
models. The resulting aircraft offer the same
flying qualities of the DiddleBug with the
bonus of resembling a full-scale airplane.
Dave provided a few photos of his
Chipmunk done up in the DiddleBug-style
platform. It is so striking that a number of
people who frequent the Internet-based
discussion group called the E Zone
(www.ezonemag.com) have followed Dave’s
lead and developed their own DiddleBugstyle
Scale models.
These airplanes use the inexpensive GWS
LPS drive system and a two-cell 250 mAh
Li-Poly battery pack for power. As
demonstrated by the Internet group, almost
any Scale subject can be nicely rendered in
the DiddleBug platform. My hat is off to Bill
Stevens for his DiddleBug design and to
Dave Blum for leading the way in adapting
that great platform to some excellent smallfield
Scale models.
A few columns back I mentioned the
wonderful new micro equipment that has
been introduced by Plantraco. Dave Robelen
has also featured the company’s equipment in
his “Micro-Flying” column.
You may recall that the Plantraco receiver
weighs less than 1 gram and that the system
operates on 900 MHz. The operating
frequency allows for short antennae and its
light weight opens the door to adding radio
control to a wonderful array of subjects.
As you may have surmised by some of
my comments, I am a FF modeler at heart.
My association with FF throughout the
years—I won’t say just how many—has
introduced me to many excellent modelairplane
designs.
Many of those designs are intended for
rubber power and are ideal candidates for
Until recently, converting the models
often involved making them bigger to
accommodate the radio and power-system
gear. The integration of the radio-control
equipment also required careful planning
during the construction of the model.
Equipment such as that being offered by
Plantraco has forever changed the world of
FF-to-RC conversions—at least for the
smaller subjects. The small size, light
weight, and easy actuator hookup of the new
gear lets us convert almost any small rubberpowered
FF model.
Not only that, but you can do the
conversion on models that are already built.
There is no need to go through a big process
for making the equipment fit in your chosen
subject.
To demonstrate this point my brother
Ralph elected to convert one of my alreadybuilt
Top Flite Jigtime model reproductions.
He chose the Luscombe, which had been
flown many times as a rubber-powered FF
model. The task was to add a Plantraco setup
without performing major surgery.
Our analysis suggested that the converted
model would have minimal weight gain
when the rubber motor and propeller were
eliminated. The result of the project is shown
in the photos.
The flight-control components were
attached to the outside of the model. The
magnetic actuator is connected to the
receiver by thin magnet wire, which made
the installation easy. The magnet wire was
hidden by the printed lines on the model. A
single, small 90 mAh Li-Poly battery is held
in place on the bottom of the fuselage by two
tiny magnets. The only surgery was to
remove a section of the fuselage bottom to
install the motor.
At first glance you are hard pressed to tell
that the Luscombe had become an RC
model. Flying weight before conversion,
with a loop of 1/8-inch rubber for power, was
18 grams. After the conversion the flying
weight is 20 grams. Since the weight gain
was small, the model flies the way it did in
FF form. The only difference is that we can
keep it from hitting the walls of our indoor
flying site and it can stay in the air much
longer per flight.
The conversion Ralph did to the Jigtime
Luscombe could be applied equally well to
the many other lightweight FF models
available. For those who dabble in that form
of our hobby, take a look in your hangar.
You are bound to have subjects that would
be perfect candidates.
This gives a new definition to ARF RC
modeling. Source information for the
Plantraco gear and the magnetic battery
connector is provided at the end of this
column.
Stealth-E is now a kit. You may recall a
picture in the June 2005 column showing the
lovely daughters of Tres Wright holding his
little ducted-fan small-field flyer called the
Stealth-E. Tres was generous enough to offer
plans to readers who had an interest in the
model. I received word from him that a nice,
inexpensive, laser-cut kit is now available
from Littlebirdz (see the source listing for
details).
In case you don’t remember the original
picture of the model, I have included an
updated one. The Stealth-E is the model in
the background with the interesting zebra
stripes. The model in the foreground is
another design that may show up as a kit in
the not-too-distant future.
The Stealth-E uses the GWS EDF-40
ducted-fan unit. With a wingspan of 18
inches and a flying weight of roughly 3
ounces, it is a real performer on either the
GWS brushed motor or one of the drop-in
replacement brushless-fan turners.
Referring to new products, the good friend
of all small-field fliers—Pat Tritle—has
another new design nearly ready to be
released by Dumas. This time around Pat has
selected the workhorse Cessna AGwagon as
the subject of another nice-looking and greatflying
small-field model. One look at the
photo Pat supplied is definitely enough to get
some “I-want-one-of-those” juices flowing.
Pat’s designs are a wonderful
combination of lightweight construction and
great flying qualities. It sports a 40-inch
wingspan and a flying weight of 8.2 ounces.
That weight includes a two-cell, 1320 mAh
Li-Poly battery pack and a GWS IPS geared
motor with a 4:1 ratio that turns an 8 x 6
electric propeller.
Another great work, Pat. Please keep
them coming.
Once again we have reached the end of this
installment. If you have a project you would
like to share, I can be reached at the E-mail
address shown in the column header or via
regular mail at 32238 Spinnaker Run,
Magnolia TX 77354. MA
Sources:
DiddleBug:
Stevens AeroModel
1528 S. Nevada Ave.
Colorado Springs CO 80906
(719) 393-0830 (Monday-Friday 10 a.m.-5
p.m. Mountain Standard Time)
www.stevensaero.com
Stealth-E kit:
Littlebirdz
203 Jonathans Way
Suffolk VA 23434
(757) 831-9053
www.littlebirdz.com
Plantraco micro radio system:
Bob Selman Designs
9054 Gum Rd.
Carthage MO 64836
(417) 358-9521 (after 6 p.
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/04
Page Numbers: 98,99,100
98 MODEL AVIATION
The DiddleBug sets a modeling standard
Small-Field Flying Paul Bradley | [email protected]
Also included in this column:
• Plantraco gear opens the door
to a micro-RC-assist FF world
• Tres Wright offers Stealth-E
plans
• Pat Tritle’s Cessna AGwagon
due out as a Dumas kit
Dave Blum has led the way in applying the Bill Stevens DiddleBug
design platform to simple Scale models.
Dave’s Chipmunk takes full advantage of the DiddleBug concept
and retains all of its good flying qualities.
Using Plantraco gear it is possible to convert an existing FF model
to RC without performing major surgery.
Magnetic actuators are added externally as demonstrated by
Ralph Bradley with the author’s already built FF Luscombe.
OCCASIONALLY a design idea or
approach will come along that creates a
framework for many other models to follow.
As you look back at the history of this hobby,
a number of instances come to mind.
In the competitive engine-powered FF
arena, the first designer to create a highthrustline
model influenced a large number of
designers who followed suit with their
creations. How about the use of flaps on CL
Precision Aerobatics (Stunt) models? The
designer who did that first set the stage for
nearly every CL Stunt model that followed.
In the RC world, one approach that strikes
me as a platform-changing design innovation
is the strip aileron. Before they came onto the
scene, models sporting ailerons used layouts
similar to those of full-scale airplanes.
Someone came up with the idea of strip
ailerons and the world of sport RC models
changed forever.
There are many other examples, but I
think you get the idea. You know I’m going
somewhere with this line of thought.
In the world of small-field flying, we have
a set of parameters that tends to govern the
emerging designs. The equipment and
materials available to the designer today
provide an almost limitless canvas for the
next killer design.
Those designs, though, need to live in
spaces that can place some real constraints on
April 2006 99
It was easy for Ralph to remove a section of the fuselage and
mount the receiver and battery on the bottom.
The Stealth-E, which was shown in the June 2005 column, is now
available as a low-cost, laser-cut kit.
The Pat Tritle-designed Cessna AGwagon is a combination of lightweight construction
and great flying qualities that will be kitted by Dumas.
the flight envelope. We want the models to
have good flying qualities in a smaller venue
and generally deliver a satisfying flying
experience. Those reading this can probably
name a number of models they would
nominate as their favorite small-field flyer
that delivers on the criteria I have mentioned.
I know one modeler who can name such a
model and has recognized that aircraft as
setting the stage for a complete design
platform: Dave Blum of Cary, North
Carolina.
Dave is a skilled designer and builder. I
had the opportunity to showcase some of his
models in the November 2002 column.
While most of the models Dave owns and
flies are his own design, he also builds and
flies airplanes by other designers. One such
model is the Bill Stevens/Stevens
AeroModel-designed DiddleBug (see the
source listing at the end of the column).
That model is the epitome of a simple,
fun-filled small-field flyer. Not overlooked
by the Dave’s keen eye, the DiddleBug
incorporates some design features that are
suitable for transfer to other small-field
models.
Its platform is characterized by several
distinguishing features. The fuselage is a full
three-dimensional affair, but the bottom is
left open to gain easy access to the
equipment mounted inside. The servos are
mounted so that the control arms are outside
the fuselage. I know that is not uncommon
for sport models, but the combination of that
mounting scheme and the open bottom
makes a simple, easy-to-adjust control
system.
The DiddleBug also uses a unique wing
structure that is reminiscent of a lightweight
rubber-powered FF airplane. The model is a
perfect size for small-field flying, with a
wing area that is approximately 100 square
inches and a flying weight of slightly less
than 3 ounces.
These features yield a model that is fun to
fly indoors or outdoors in confined spaces.
Dave’s forté is Scale, and he translated
the core design features of the DiddleBug to
some simple, eye-catching, nice-flying Scale
models. The resulting aircraft offer the same
flying qualities of the DiddleBug with the
bonus of resembling a full-scale airplane.
Dave provided a few photos of his
Chipmunk done up in the DiddleBug-style
platform. It is so striking that a number of
people who frequent the Internet-based
discussion group called the E Zone
(www.ezonemag.com) have followed Dave’s
lead and developed their own DiddleBugstyle
Scale models.
These airplanes use the inexpensive GWS
LPS drive system and a two-cell 250 mAh
Li-Poly battery pack for power. As
demonstrated by the Internet group, almost
any Scale subject can be nicely rendered in
the DiddleBug platform. My hat is off to Bill
Stevens for his DiddleBug design and to
Dave Blum for leading the way in adapting
that great platform to some excellent smallfield
Scale models.
A few columns back I mentioned the
wonderful new micro equipment that has
been introduced by Plantraco. Dave Robelen
has also featured the company’s equipment in
his “Micro-Flying” column.
You may recall that the Plantraco receiver
weighs less than 1 gram and that the system
operates on 900 MHz. The operating
frequency allows for short antennae and its
light weight opens the door to adding radio
control to a wonderful array of subjects.
As you may have surmised by some of
my comments, I am a FF modeler at heart.
My association with FF throughout the
years—I won’t say just how many—has
introduced me to many excellent modelairplane
designs.
Many of those designs are intended for
rubber power and are ideal candidates for
Until recently, converting the models
often involved making them bigger to
accommodate the radio and power-system
gear. The integration of the radio-control
equipment also required careful planning
during the construction of the model.
Equipment such as that being offered by
Plantraco has forever changed the world of
FF-to-RC conversions—at least for the
smaller subjects. The small size, light
weight, and easy actuator hookup of the new
gear lets us convert almost any small rubberpowered
FF model.
Not only that, but you can do the
conversion on models that are already built.
There is no need to go through a big process
for making the equipment fit in your chosen
subject.
To demonstrate this point my brother
Ralph elected to convert one of my alreadybuilt
Top Flite Jigtime model reproductions.
He chose the Luscombe, which had been
flown many times as a rubber-powered FF
model. The task was to add a Plantraco setup
without performing major surgery.
Our analysis suggested that the converted
model would have minimal weight gain
when the rubber motor and propeller were
eliminated. The result of the project is shown
in the photos.
The flight-control components were
attached to the outside of the model. The
magnetic actuator is connected to the
receiver by thin magnet wire, which made
the installation easy. The magnet wire was
hidden by the printed lines on the model. A
single, small 90 mAh Li-Poly battery is held
in place on the bottom of the fuselage by two
tiny magnets. The only surgery was to
remove a section of the fuselage bottom to
install the motor.
At first glance you are hard pressed to tell
that the Luscombe had become an RC
model. Flying weight before conversion,
with a loop of 1/8-inch rubber for power, was
18 grams. After the conversion the flying
weight is 20 grams. Since the weight gain
was small, the model flies the way it did in
FF form. The only difference is that we can
keep it from hitting the walls of our indoor
flying site and it can stay in the air much
longer per flight.
The conversion Ralph did to the Jigtime
Luscombe could be applied equally well to
the many other lightweight FF models
available. For those who dabble in that form
of our hobby, take a look in your hangar.
You are bound to have subjects that would
be perfect candidates.
This gives a new definition to ARF RC
modeling. Source information for the
Plantraco gear and the magnetic battery
connector is provided at the end of this
column.
Stealth-E is now a kit. You may recall a
picture in the June 2005 column showing the
lovely daughters of Tres Wright holding his
little ducted-fan small-field flyer called the
Stealth-E. Tres was generous enough to offer
plans to readers who had an interest in the
model. I received word from him that a nice,
inexpensive, laser-cut kit is now available
from Littlebirdz (see the source listing for
details).
In case you don’t remember the original
picture of the model, I have included an
updated one. The Stealth-E is the model in
the background with the interesting zebra
stripes. The model in the foreground is
another design that may show up as a kit in
the not-too-distant future.
The Stealth-E uses the GWS EDF-40
ducted-fan unit. With a wingspan of 18
inches and a flying weight of roughly 3
ounces, it is a real performer on either the
GWS brushed motor or one of the drop-in
replacement brushless-fan turners.
Referring to new products, the good friend
of all small-field fliers—Pat Tritle—has
another new design nearly ready to be
released by Dumas. This time around Pat has
selected the workhorse Cessna AGwagon as
the subject of another nice-looking and greatflying
small-field model. One look at the
photo Pat supplied is definitely enough to get
some “I-want-one-of-those” juices flowing.
Pat’s designs are a wonderful
combination of lightweight construction and
great flying qualities. It sports a 40-inch
wingspan and a flying weight of 8.2 ounces.
That weight includes a two-cell, 1320 mAh
Li-Poly battery pack and a GWS IPS geared
motor with a 4:1 ratio that turns an 8 x 6
electric propeller.
Another great work, Pat. Please keep
them coming.
Once again we have reached the end of this
installment. If you have a project you would
like to share, I can be reached at the E-mail
address shown in the column header or via
regular mail at 32238 Spinnaker Run,
Magnolia TX 77354. MA
Sources:
DiddleBug:
Stevens AeroModel
1528 S. Nevada Ave.
Colorado Springs CO 80906
(719) 393-0830 (Monday-Friday 10 a.m.-5
p.m. Mountain Standard Time)
www.stevensaero.com
Stealth-E kit:
Littlebirdz
203 Jonathans Way
Suffolk VA 23434
(757) 831-9053
www.littlebirdz.com
Plantraco micro radio system:
Bob Selman Designs
9054 Gum Rd.
Carthage MO 64836
(417) 358-9521 (after 6 p.