Within the last two years, Durafly has released an impressive variety of exciting warbird models. With electric retracts, lighting systems, scale multibladed propellers, and flaps all standard features, these foam composition models pack plenty of value in the box. Roll back the calendar a decade or so, and one will find that most airplane kits were manufactured using balsa and light plywood.
Durafly has added a new product line that solely features wood composition kits called the Balsa Series.
The first model from Durafly to be graced with this new moniker is a 965mm wingspan Ryan 10e STA(M). It includes a preinstalled electric brushless power system and four factory-installed Hextronik HXT900 9-gram servos.
The Durafly Balsa Series Ryan is based on the 1930s-era Ryan monoplane, an aircraft that featured two open cockpits in tandem and a metal semimonocoque fuselage. The letters “STA” were an acronym for “Sport Trainer-Aerobatic,” with the “M” designating it as a military version. The STA-M variant of the Ryan featured wider cockpits, which allowed parachute-clad pilots easier access into and out of the airplane. A provision to mount a machine gun was also included the STA-M variant.
According to Durafly, the company’s rendition of the Ryan is specifically identifiable as the YPT-16. The YPT-16 variants were notable because they were the first monoplanes ever ordered by the U.S. Army Air Corps (USAAC). Eventually, more than 1,000 of these airplanes went into service in the USAAC, U.S. Air Force, and U.S. Navy.
First Impressions
The Durafly STA(M) Ryan is covered in a period-accurate, brightly colored yellow and silver-gray color scheme, with USAAC roundel graphics included in the box. The rudder features a vivid, alternating red-and-white stripe design.
A lightweight composite cowl is painted silver-gray and perfectly matches the covering used on the fuselage. Four exhaust pipes protrude from the lower right side of the cowl, a testimony to the fact that the full-scale airplane was powered by a Menasco air-cooled, four-cylinder in-line engine.
This model is identified as a Plug and Fly kit, which means that the only other items that the builder must acquire are a minimum four-channel radio system and a 3S 2,200 mAh LiPo battery. I recommend a different battery and will discuss it more later.
All servos are included and preinstalled, and so is a brushless power system. The Hextronik HXT900 9-gram servos (four) in this model are a favorite of mine because of their dependability and price.
Construction
The first order of business when unpacking a new kit is to inventory the parts and give the assembly manual a quick review. I was pleased to find that Durafly includes not one, but two, 10 x 6 propellers in the box. All of the components were nicely enclosed in sealed plastic bags and were abundantly padded with pieces of thick, white foam.
The 20-page assembly manual is brief because the bulk of the work was completed at the factory. Large photographs clearly illustrate the steps required to assemble the model, while the text that accompanies the photos is terse and, at times, vague.
I noticed a few wrinkles in the covering, mainly in the solid balsa stabilizers, and made sure it was tight and tidy.
The crux of assembling this quick-building kit includes gluing the two wing halves together, attaching the fixed main gear, installing the 10 x 6 propeller and spinner, and gluing the horizontal and vertical stabilizers in place.
It is also necessary to route the metal rudder and elevator pushrods into the flexible pushrod sleeves that are factory installed in the fuselage. I found that the elevator pushrod would slightly bind up, inhibiting the elevator from returning to neutral when the stick was released. I think that the factory may have bent the pushrod sleeve into too tight of a radius at the aft end of the fuselage. A little graphite rubbed on the metal pushrod helped minimize the binding.
I used five-minute epoxy to glue the two wing halves together. A short, composite construction wing spar/joiner adds strength to the union. The wing does not feature flaps and they are not offered as an option.
Durafly installs the ailerons, the aileron servos, and the pushrods at the factory. The elevator and rudder are prehinged and preattached to the stabilizers. All control horns are also factory installed.
The assembly manual suggests using thin CA adhesive when gluing the tail surfaces in place, but I opted to use epoxy. With its more controllable viscosity, it is worth the additional cure time. Thin CA tends to run and I did not want to risk spoiling the bright covering scheme.
I dry fitted these components in place in the provided slots at the aft end of the fuselage to check that they were perpendicular and parallel to the rest of the airframe. There was no need to sand the slots because the empennage fit correctly out of the box.
The spatted, fixed landing gear assembly sliped into slotted hardwood blocks in the wing and was secured with the included gear straps. Before installing the propeller, it must be reamed out so it will slip over the threaded propeller adapter.
I had an extra Tactic TR624 six-channel 2.4 GHz SLT-compatible receiver on my bench and decided to use it in the Ryan. This allowed me to use the new Tactic TTX650 transmitter—an attractively featured and affordable 20-model memory transmitter.
Final assembly involves applying the included squadron/aircraft numerical designation and the USAAC roundels. No pilot figures are included in the kit.
Total time to get the airframe assembled was less than two hours. The final part of assembly involved the rigging wires. Durafly includes precut lengths of thin, black elastic cordlike material, but the number of included pieces did not align with the number required to make the model match the one shown on the box artwork. Additionally, I found working with the cording cumbersome and frustrating. I instead decided to use some slightly thicker, non-elastic cording from a local craft shop.
My technique for installing it involved inserting the screw into the model and driving it in until it was almost fully seated. I then looped the cording around the screw and carefully tightened the screw the rest of the way. A drop or two of medium CA secured the cording to the screw.
Installing the rigging wires doubled the assembly time, but omitting them would be tantamount to flying a biplane with only one wing in place. The rigging wires are an integral and iconic part of aircraft from this era and they enhance the model’s appearance.
Flying
Durafly provides recommended control throws in the user manual. The recommended CG is listed as 55mm rear of the wing’s LE. Although the recommended battery is a 3S 2,200 mAh pack, I prefer to keep my electric aircraft as light as possible and decided to try to use a 3S 1,800 mAh LiPo. I hit the recommended CG with no problem, although I had to position the battery all the way forward in the provided space. Some hook-and-loop material was all that was required to hold it in place.
My Ryan’s all-up weight came in at 29 ounces ready to fly. This is a few ounces lighter than the number in the Durafly specifications, which is expected given my choice to use a smaller battery pack. But lighter is always better when flying electric aircraft!
Aircraft common to this era are often configured in such a way that ground handling can be challenging. The main landing gear on the Durafly Ryan recreates the narrow spacing of the gear on the full-scale aircraft, although the tail moment is slightly longer than other models of the era. I conducted a radio range check, made a final verification of the control surfaces, and it was time for the maiden flight!
The Ryan started down the gravel runway as I slowly rolled into the throttle. I was surprised to find that the tracking was spot on, with no need to keep my rudder fingers on high alert. After letting the speed slightly build, I eased the monoplane skyward with a small application of elevator.
I trimmed in a fair amount of down-elevator to get the Ryan to fly hands off at half throttle. A few clicks of right aileron, and I had the Ryan in the groove. It did not take me long to notice that the Ryan favors a little rudder application to guide its tail through the corners.
My first flights typically involve plenty of photo passes, made at a moderate throttle setting. The Ryan was content to cruise around the pattern at mid-stick and looked every bit the part of a 1930s vintage aircraft. The color scheme pops in the blue sky!
I decided to explore the upper half of the throttle stick. I was surprised by the intensity of its performance when the throttle is pushed to the full on position. Yowza! This Ryan has a wild side! Give it the nod and the aircraft will go straight up and then some.
Although I doubt that the original Menasco “four banger” could generate this much oomph in the full-scale Ryan, the NTM brushless outrunner is capable of pulling this model through the skies with a vengeance.
I had fun racing the Ryan around the skies and found that it is a capable aerobat. Inverted flight was easy, with only a touch of elevator required to keep the nose from falling through. The Ryan was happy to slice down the center of the field in knife-edge, with the power of the 1,100 Kv motor more than making up for the small rudder. I guess Durafly decided that if the company was going to call its model a “STA” version, it better have enough power to proudly wear that label!
With my transmitter signaling the need to return to the runway, I slowed the Ryan and entered the pattern in the downwind leg. My first approach saw the aircraft clinging too much of its airspeed, so I added a small amount of throttle and went around for a second attempt. With slightly more airspeed scrubbed, my second landing approach saw the airplane come across the numbers at a more appropriate speed.
Keeping the throttle a few clicks above the off position allowed the Ryan to slowly sink toward the runway on its own. I dropped the throttle and carefully feathered in up-elevator until the aircraft reluctantly settled in on its main gear. Although I found landing to be fairly easy, it requires the skillset and active throttle management that is commensurate to tail-dragger aircraft.
On the way home from the field that day, I stopped at my local hobby shop with the intent of finding a pilot figure for this model. Jake’s Performance Hobbies in Rohnert Park, California, maintains an amazing inventory of airplanes and replacement parts. I seldom leave empty handed, and this time was no exception.
Lurking at the bottom of the stack of replacement pilot figures was a ParkZone Albatros pilot—his goggled face and white scarf were a perfect fit for the Ryan. I used a razor saw to cleanly trim a little off the bottom of his bust. With a few dabs of hot glue locking him in place in the rear cockpit, my Durafly Ryan looks even better!
Conclusion
Those with intermediate level piloting skills should enjoy the challenges offered by this model. Whether you prefer flying in a scalelike manner or enjoy ripping and tumbling across the skies at speed, the Durafly Ryan will not disappoint. The included power system possesses a broad performance envelope and can easily accommodate both flying styles.
Opt for the recommended 3S 2,200 mAh flight battery and you will enjoy potentially longer flight durations. Drop back to a 3S 1,800 mAh as I did and you may notice improved slow-speed performance and a lower stall speed because of decreased wing loading.
Although the included rigging required more patience than I could muster, the balance of the assembly can be quickly and easily completed. I would prefer that a pilot figure, (or in this case figures), be included in the box, but acquiring the ParkZone Albatros pilot helped me forgive Durafly for its omission.
This first release in the Durafly Balsa Series does not disappoint! The quality, fit, and finish are nice, and the in-flight performance is satisfying and versatile. Encore, encore, Durafly!
