Focal Point
Electric Kadet
Bill Jones (351 Braeloch Rd. N., Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada V1W 4J2; e-mail: [email protected]) built his Sig Kadet LT-25 kit for electric power and made several modifications.
Instead of the .25–.32 cu. in. two-cycle glow engine suggested for the model, he installed a Scorpion 3026-12 motor, a Castle Creations Phoenix 80 ESC and a separate 10 amp CC-BEC. The airplane is flown with an APC 14 x 7E propeller and is powered by a Thunder Power four-cell, 4200 mAh battery. The model's all-up weight is 4.7 pounds, which works out to 96 watts per pound—more than adequate for spirited flight and basic aerobatic maneuvers.
During construction, the main wing dihedral was reduced to 3° rather than the specified 6°, making the plane more agile. It is covered in MonoKote with hand-cut MonoKote trim. The plane now has more than 40 flights on it, has no bad habits, and is a true pleasure to fly.
Lil' Delta
Raina Pintamo holds the Lil' Delta that John Hoover (2874 Beland, Keego Harbor, MI 48320; e-mail: [email protected]) created by using a ParkZone P-51 Mustang motor and gearbox.
The model spans 14 inches and weighs 32 grams. A Spektrum 6400 receiver plus a 1.5-gram linear servo gives the airplane full four-channel control. The landing gear is from a ParkZone Vapor.
The airframe is made from 2-mm Depron with a 2-mm foam step across the high point of the top of the wing. The model is a very solid micro flyer and really grooves along the indoor soccer arena we fly at.
Rufe
R. Lynn Hendry (840 Grelle Ave., Lewiston, ID 83501; e-mail: [email protected]) converted an A6M5 Zero (a Global ARF by Vinh Quang R/C Models) to this "Rufe" floatplane per Guillow's kit 507.
The Rufe center float and sponsons came out very well with the scale-up effort, he wrote. The finished airplane weighs 7 pounds, 4 ounces. The wingspan is 62 inches, with an overall length of 45 inches. The model uses an Evolution .46 engine and a remote glow igniter. Engine and static tests have been completed. Control is via an Airtronics 2.4 GHz radio.
Convair XFY-1
Bob Shadroui (2060 Marilyn St., Clearwater, FL 33765; e-mail: [email protected]) built his XFY-1 Pogo VTOL from blue foam and his plans.
The model was finished with two coats of liquid sheeting and paint. A Himax contra-rotating motor system provides power with an 11 x 8 tractor and a 12 x 6 pusher propeller. The control system is assisted by an FMA Direct Co-Pilot II. The XFY-1 spans 30 inches and reaches a height of 42 inches when sitting on its tail.
The wing loading was quite high and it was hard to launch by hand. The plane did have two successful flights, which included vertical hover, but after several crashes the project was abandoned.
Super F-18
Larry K. Laughlin (8640 Shoup Rd., Colorado Springs, CO 80908; e-mail: [email protected]) assembled this turbine-powered F/A-18 Super Hornet that he originally acquired as a "deluxe primer kit" through BVM Models.
A JetCat Titan SE engine provides plenty of thrust. Larry logged more than 90 flights and even won a contest with the model while it was still in primer gray. He eventually finished it with Windexbase and clear-coat automotive paint in January 2010, nearly duplicating the Australian RAAF Hornet 20th-anniversary paint scheme. Graphics are from Aeroloft.com.
The F/A-18 weighs almost 36 pounds and spans 68 inches. Larry flies with his JR10X/Weatronic system, three Duralite Li-Ion battery packs, and piles of high-end JR servos.
It's plenty sexy while sitting on the ground; however, when flying it's got an amazing look while in circuit at slow flight, with flaps and gears down, carrying 75% thrust to land. She's a real heartthrob.
Photo by Dan Brunson.
Joined Tip Tandem Wing
Paul Stahlhuth (3599 Stockwood Way, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762; e-mail: [email protected]) began developing Joined Tip Tandem Wing (JTTW) designs after retiring from the aerospace industry in 1991. Those include slope soarers, hi-start gliders, and electric-powered models.
The JTTW shown spans 55 inches and weighs 51 ounces. An E-flite Park 450 outrunner motor, a 1350 mAh battery, and a Castle Creations ESC provide power. The elevator spans the inner half of the forward wing, and full-span ailerons on the aft wing are coupled to semispan ailerons on the tips of the forward wing. The rudder is coupled with the nose gear.
I have developed a reliable CG location for these tandem wing designs and the joined tips provide torsional rigidity for lightweight high aspect ratio wings, Paul wrote. They are easy to fly, even with my 83-year-old thumbs. This plane wants to thermal and floats through landings.
Original Scorpion
Larry Dudeck (74 Bragg Ct., Williamsville, NY 14221; e-mail: [email protected]) built this sport-scale F-89 Scorpion from his own design.
It features all-balsa construction with pink foam for the nose and canopy. The wingspan is 50 inches, and the Clark Y airfoil has 434 square inches of surface. Covering is silkspan and UltraCote.
The model is powered by twin ME480 electric ducted fans driven by HET 3W brushless motors and powered by a four-cell, 3300 mAh Li-Poly battery. Servos are Hitec HS-81s with a Berg four-channel receiver.
The Scorpion was designed for bungee launch and took about 125 hours to build, which included the drawing of the plans, he wrote.
One-Night 28
Tony Loomis (23 Overlook Dr., Ridgefield, CT 06877; e-mail: [email protected]) built his One-Night 28 from Peck-Polymers.
Stick-and-tissue model aircraft have been a love of mine since I was a kid, he wrote. I also like technology and can remember wishing I had enough money to afford even a primitive RC system. Now technology has moved ahead to the point where RC and stick-and-tissue can be easily combined.
The model uses a Spektrum AR4600 receiver, and Tony employed leftovers from his ParkZone Sukhoi Su-26m to provide a motor. Flights are gentle with rubber-power-like climb and glide. He also has a rubber propeller and nose block so that soon he will try rubber-powered R/C.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
