Q344: “I read your Q/A #316 concerning
the use of Li-Poly batteries in RC
transmitters. I recognize that allowing the
battery voltage to fall too low will ruin that
type battery. But a technically inclined
friend of mine just mentioned a new Sanyo
battery type that might have application for
our RC systems. I believe it is known as
‘Eneloop.’ What can you tell us about
this?”
A344: The new Sanyo Eneloop cells are
AA in size and, if I got my info correct,
have a capacity of 2000 mAh. They are
charged the same way NiMH cells are.
But it is the Eneloop cells’
characteristics that make them interesting
and applicable to our RC systems. I could
see them as being well suited to our RC
transmitters, but I’m sure they could be
used in a four-cell configuration for
airborne use as well.
The Eneloop cells come ready for use.
At the time of purchase they are fully
charged and can be put into service
immediately.
Their primary feature is that they
maintain their stored energy for
exceptionally long periods of time.
Therefore, you can return from flying,
charge your pack, and then let it sit until
you are ready to fly the next time.
I gather that the Eneloops maintain a
full or close to full charge for months. So if
you want an RC transmitter battery, or
even your airborne pack, to be ready
whenever you get the urge to fly, it will be
waiting for you.
The average cell price is approximately
$4 (each). An eight-cell transmitter pack
for $32 isn’t much more than a regular
NiMH pack and probably less than a threecell
Li-Poly pack.
Pete Rissman, an AMA member,
informed me that he purchases packs of
individual Eneloop cells from Amazon.com
and then makes his own packs. He also
informed me that Robotic Power Solutions offers premade packs.
I haven’t pursued any of this yet, but I wanted readers to know
about this supposedly new battery technology. Be aware that
several battery experts don’t think there is anything special about
these cells.
Most recently I learned that Eneloop cells are now available in
AAA size, with a stated capacity of 800 mAh. This might prove to
be interesting for four-cell airborne battery packs.
Q345: “I’ve heard you refer many times to two different electric
power motor selection programs, namely Moto-Calc and Electri-
Calc. In fact, MA Electric Columnist, Greg Gimlick, in the
December 2007 issue, described the basic Moto-Calc program in
depth. Both of these programs must be purchased, although for a
very reasonable price.
Sanyo Eneloop battery cells
May 2008 81
? Frequently Asked Questions Bob Aberle | [email protected]
New Sanyo Eneloop battery cells can be
substituted for Ni-Cd and NiMH cells.
The beauty of these is that they have
extremely long charge retention.
Clothespins
attached to a scrap of
wood become a holder when
soldering a wire to an electrical connector
pin. This frees both hands to hold the solder and
soldering iron.
A print screen of Diversity Model Aircraft’s free motor-selection program. It is basic yet
easy to use and worth looking up and trying.
Also included in this column:
• Electric-power motor-selection
programs
• Soldering techniques
• Downloadable micro aircraft
plans and templates
• Nylon ties for attaching landinggear
struts
05sig3.QXD 3/25/08 11:45 AM Page 81
“I’ve heard that there are some
‘freeware’ programs available that can do
close to the same job. Can you tell me
how I could access such programs?”
A345: I can refer you to three “freeware”
programs that can help with motor
selection. A problem with any of those
programs is that they don’t have all the
data for every motor, propeller, or battery
pack, but you can add your own
information. If you have several programs,
you can “jump around” to find one with
the data you need.
The other thing I’ve learned is that the
programs you purchase are quite detailed
in format. In many cases they provide
more data than is really necessary, and
that adds to the complexity of the
selection process.
A free program I use a lot is provided by
Diversity Model Aircraft, which has been
supplying batteries for our hobby use for
many years. In this instance you don’t need to
download the program; it is there every time
you call up the Web site. I have it stored in
my PC under “Favorites.”
I found this program to be easy to use.
You select the motor, propeller, and battery, and then you can
make changes in any parameter until you are able to “fly” your
aircraft.
I also found a downloadable freeware program from France, but it
isn’t exactly easy to get into. When the home page comes up, go to
“Moteurs.” Then select “MM_Calc_v212 (zip) english version.” From
there you are on your own. I found this program somewhat difficult to
use, but I have read about many successes with it on several of the
model forums.
A freeware program from Germany that you can download is the
Drive Calculator. All you do is select the English version and proceed
with the download.
I use the purchased ElectriCalc program along with the Diversity
Models freeware. You can also read my two-part article about motor
selection that is posted to the Sport Aviator AMA webzine.
Q346: “In a column several months back you talked about soldering
irons and soldering techniques. One of the problems I’ve had is
running out of hands when attempting to solder wire to connector pins.
Got any ideas?”
82 MODEL AVIATION
Paul Bradley revived this rubber-powered FF Rascal 18 from the 1950s. His templates
can be ink-jet-printed directly onto thin balsa sheeting.
A closer look shows how four nylon ties were used to attach this
two-piece landing gear to a small stick model.
Nylon electrical cable ties can be used to attach landing-gear
struts to parking lot-size and indoor model aircraft.
Paul Bradley’s Piper Vagabond, for
which he offers PDF plans, assembly
instructions, and printable templates.
05sig3.QXD 3/25/08 11:45 AM Page 82
A346: Marshall Smith, an AMA member,
came up with an idea that requires only two
clothespins mounted to a board or a scrap
piece of balsa. An accompanying photo tells
the story.
A clothespin grips the wire, and another
clothespin holds the connector. You
position the wire so that it is touching the
connector pin. Then your hands are free to
hold the soldering iron and the solder.
Q347: “Over the past year or two I’ve seen
references to micro size model aircraft
whose full size plans could be downloaded
from the internet and then printed in color
directly on to balsa sheeting. I’m sorry to
say that I lost track of the reference sources.
Can you get me back on track?”
A347: Several modelers use this kind of
technique; one is MA’s “Small-Field
Flying” columnist, Paul Bradley. He and his
brother, Ralph, maintain an interesting Web
site that is broken down into three
categories: FF models (primarily rubber
powered), electric-powered RC models, and
“Ralph’s Micro R/C Models.”
It’s going to take you awhile to go
through this entire site. It features building
techniques, reference material, and links to
related sites.
Paul has come up with reproductions of
some of the old 1950s Top Flite Jigtime
models and the Carl Goldberg sheet-balsa,
rubber-powered FF aircraft. Any of those
designs could easily be converted to micro
indoor electric-powered models.
Paul has developed a technique that uses
an ink-jet printer to print in color directly
onto 1/32 balsa. You can download plans and
templates from the Web site. He included
this information in one of his columns
several years ago. It would be worth going
back to look for it. In a sense, what Paul
does with balsa is what Fiddlers Green is
doing with paper, as I explained in last
month’s column.
Q348: “One of the problems I have when
building parking lot and indoor RC aircraft
is attaching the landing gear strut wires. Du-
Bro offers nylon landing gear straps (No.
238-B) and several other distributors sell ‘J’
bolts, but generally the smallest diameter
wire these straps and bolts can handle is 1/8-
inch diameter. That’s still much too big for
my application. What does a person do with
1/16-inch (.062) diameter wire landing
gears?”
A348: I found a simple solution for this.
Common nylon ties you can purchase in
large quantities from home-improvement
stores, such as The Home Depot, can do the
job.
For our parking lot and indoor aircraft,
nylon ties measuring roughly 4 inches in
length by 3/32 inch wide will prove to be
most helpful. The photos included with
this column will help explain how you use
these ties.
Cut slots in the balsa or plywood
fuselage structure. The nylon ties wrap
around the wire and anchor it to a firm
crosspiece, which is generally made from
spruce or basswood. Cut the excess tie
length after you have pulled it tight.
You can just cut off the tie if you choose
to remove the landing gear. It can be easily
replaced when you remount the landing
gear.
I used this technique in two recent micro
designs; they were the subjects of
construction articles featured in the January
and February 2008 issues of the RC Micro
World online magazine. One model is a
stick trainer I call the “Mita,” and the other
is a 75%-size Profile Dakota bipe.
I also use those nylon ties for their
original purpose: keeping bundles of wires
tied into neat cables. With the new 2.4 GHz
spread spectrum radios, it is important that
you dress up the cabling inside your aircraft.
Loose or scattered wiring can affect these
systems’ radio range.
Please write in with your questions because
that is the only way we can keep this column
format going. When referring to previous
Q/As (for follow-ups), provide the number
as a reference. MA
Sources:
Diversity Model Aircraft motor-selection
program
(858) 693-8188
http://brantuas.com/ezcalc/dma1.asp
Drive Calculator
www.drivecalc.de/
French motor-selection program
http://electrofly.free.fr/download.php?lng=fr
Paul and Ralph Bradley’s Model Airplane
Page
www.parmodels.com/
Robotic Power Solutions
(502) 525-2964
www.battlepack.com
Sanyo Eneloop batteries
www.eneloopusa.com/
“Selecting Electric Power Systems” by Bob
Aberle
www.masportaviator.com/ah.asp?CatID=2&
ID=76
www.masportaviator.com/ah.asp?CatID=2&
ID=77
84 MODEL AVIATION
05sig3.QXD 3/25/08 11:47 AM Page 84
Edition: Model Aviation - 2003/05
Page Numbers: 81,82,84
Edition: Model Aviation - 2003/05
Page Numbers: 81,82,84
Q344: “I read your Q/A #316 concerning
the use of Li-Poly batteries in RC
transmitters. I recognize that allowing the
battery voltage to fall too low will ruin that
type battery. But a technically inclined
friend of mine just mentioned a new Sanyo
battery type that might have application for
our RC systems. I believe it is known as
‘Eneloop.’ What can you tell us about
this?”
A344: The new Sanyo Eneloop cells are
AA in size and, if I got my info correct,
have a capacity of 2000 mAh. They are
charged the same way NiMH cells are.
But it is the Eneloop cells’
characteristics that make them interesting
and applicable to our RC systems. I could
see them as being well suited to our RC
transmitters, but I’m sure they could be
used in a four-cell configuration for
airborne use as well.
The Eneloop cells come ready for use.
At the time of purchase they are fully
charged and can be put into service
immediately.
Their primary feature is that they
maintain their stored energy for
exceptionally long periods of time.
Therefore, you can return from flying,
charge your pack, and then let it sit until
you are ready to fly the next time.
I gather that the Eneloops maintain a
full or close to full charge for months. So if
you want an RC transmitter battery, or
even your airborne pack, to be ready
whenever you get the urge to fly, it will be
waiting for you.
The average cell price is approximately
$4 (each). An eight-cell transmitter pack
for $32 isn’t much more than a regular
NiMH pack and probably less than a threecell
Li-Poly pack.
Pete Rissman, an AMA member,
informed me that he purchases packs of
individual Eneloop cells from Amazon.com
and then makes his own packs. He also
informed me that Robotic Power Solutions offers premade packs.
I haven’t pursued any of this yet, but I wanted readers to know
about this supposedly new battery technology. Be aware that
several battery experts don’t think there is anything special about
these cells.
Most recently I learned that Eneloop cells are now available in
AAA size, with a stated capacity of 800 mAh. This might prove to
be interesting for four-cell airborne battery packs.
Q345: “I’ve heard you refer many times to two different electric
power motor selection programs, namely Moto-Calc and Electri-
Calc. In fact, MA Electric Columnist, Greg Gimlick, in the
December 2007 issue, described the basic Moto-Calc program in
depth. Both of these programs must be purchased, although for a
very reasonable price.
Sanyo Eneloop battery cells
May 2008 81
? Frequently Asked Questions Bob Aberle | [email protected]
New Sanyo Eneloop battery cells can be
substituted for Ni-Cd and NiMH cells.
The beauty of these is that they have
extremely long charge retention.
Clothespins
attached to a scrap of
wood become a holder when
soldering a wire to an electrical connector
pin. This frees both hands to hold the solder and
soldering iron.
A print screen of Diversity Model Aircraft’s free motor-selection program. It is basic yet
easy to use and worth looking up and trying.
Also included in this column:
• Electric-power motor-selection
programs
• Soldering techniques
• Downloadable micro aircraft
plans and templates
• Nylon ties for attaching landinggear
struts
05sig3.QXD 3/25/08 11:45 AM Page 81
“I’ve heard that there are some
‘freeware’ programs available that can do
close to the same job. Can you tell me
how I could access such programs?”
A345: I can refer you to three “freeware”
programs that can help with motor
selection. A problem with any of those
programs is that they don’t have all the
data for every motor, propeller, or battery
pack, but you can add your own
information. If you have several programs,
you can “jump around” to find one with
the data you need.
The other thing I’ve learned is that the
programs you purchase are quite detailed
in format. In many cases they provide
more data than is really necessary, and
that adds to the complexity of the
selection process.
A free program I use a lot is provided by
Diversity Model Aircraft, which has been
supplying batteries for our hobby use for
many years. In this instance you don’t need to
download the program; it is there every time
you call up the Web site. I have it stored in
my PC under “Favorites.”
I found this program to be easy to use.
You select the motor, propeller, and battery, and then you can
make changes in any parameter until you are able to “fly” your
aircraft.
I also found a downloadable freeware program from France, but it
isn’t exactly easy to get into. When the home page comes up, go to
“Moteurs.” Then select “MM_Calc_v212 (zip) english version.” From
there you are on your own. I found this program somewhat difficult to
use, but I have read about many successes with it on several of the
model forums.
A freeware program from Germany that you can download is the
Drive Calculator. All you do is select the English version and proceed
with the download.
I use the purchased ElectriCalc program along with the Diversity
Models freeware. You can also read my two-part article about motor
selection that is posted to the Sport Aviator AMA webzine.
Q346: “In a column several months back you talked about soldering
irons and soldering techniques. One of the problems I’ve had is
running out of hands when attempting to solder wire to connector pins.
Got any ideas?”
82 MODEL AVIATION
Paul Bradley revived this rubber-powered FF Rascal 18 from the 1950s. His templates
can be ink-jet-printed directly onto thin balsa sheeting.
A closer look shows how four nylon ties were used to attach this
two-piece landing gear to a small stick model.
Nylon electrical cable ties can be used to attach landing-gear
struts to parking lot-size and indoor model aircraft.
Paul Bradley’s Piper Vagabond, for
which he offers PDF plans, assembly
instructions, and printable templates.
05sig3.QXD 3/25/08 11:45 AM Page 82
A346: Marshall Smith, an AMA member,
came up with an idea that requires only two
clothespins mounted to a board or a scrap
piece of balsa. An accompanying photo tells
the story.
A clothespin grips the wire, and another
clothespin holds the connector. You
position the wire so that it is touching the
connector pin. Then your hands are free to
hold the soldering iron and the solder.
Q347: “Over the past year or two I’ve seen
references to micro size model aircraft
whose full size plans could be downloaded
from the internet and then printed in color
directly on to balsa sheeting. I’m sorry to
say that I lost track of the reference sources.
Can you get me back on track?”
A347: Several modelers use this kind of
technique; one is MA’s “Small-Field
Flying” columnist, Paul Bradley. He and his
brother, Ralph, maintain an interesting Web
site that is broken down into three
categories: FF models (primarily rubber
powered), electric-powered RC models, and
“Ralph’s Micro R/C Models.”
It’s going to take you awhile to go
through this entire site. It features building
techniques, reference material, and links to
related sites.
Paul has come up with reproductions of
some of the old 1950s Top Flite Jigtime
models and the Carl Goldberg sheet-balsa,
rubber-powered FF aircraft. Any of those
designs could easily be converted to micro
indoor electric-powered models.
Paul has developed a technique that uses
an ink-jet printer to print in color directly
onto 1/32 balsa. You can download plans and
templates from the Web site. He included
this information in one of his columns
several years ago. It would be worth going
back to look for it. In a sense, what Paul
does with balsa is what Fiddlers Green is
doing with paper, as I explained in last
month’s column.
Q348: “One of the problems I have when
building parking lot and indoor RC aircraft
is attaching the landing gear strut wires. Du-
Bro offers nylon landing gear straps (No.
238-B) and several other distributors sell ‘J’
bolts, but generally the smallest diameter
wire these straps and bolts can handle is 1/8-
inch diameter. That’s still much too big for
my application. What does a person do with
1/16-inch (.062) diameter wire landing
gears?”
A348: I found a simple solution for this.
Common nylon ties you can purchase in
large quantities from home-improvement
stores, such as The Home Depot, can do the
job.
For our parking lot and indoor aircraft,
nylon ties measuring roughly 4 inches in
length by 3/32 inch wide will prove to be
most helpful. The photos included with
this column will help explain how you use
these ties.
Cut slots in the balsa or plywood
fuselage structure. The nylon ties wrap
around the wire and anchor it to a firm
crosspiece, which is generally made from
spruce or basswood. Cut the excess tie
length after you have pulled it tight.
You can just cut off the tie if you choose
to remove the landing gear. It can be easily
replaced when you remount the landing
gear.
I used this technique in two recent micro
designs; they were the subjects of
construction articles featured in the January
and February 2008 issues of the RC Micro
World online magazine. One model is a
stick trainer I call the “Mita,” and the other
is a 75%-size Profile Dakota bipe.
I also use those nylon ties for their
original purpose: keeping bundles of wires
tied into neat cables. With the new 2.4 GHz
spread spectrum radios, it is important that
you dress up the cabling inside your aircraft.
Loose or scattered wiring can affect these
systems’ radio range.
Please write in with your questions because
that is the only way we can keep this column
format going. When referring to previous
Q/As (for follow-ups), provide the number
as a reference. MA
Sources:
Diversity Model Aircraft motor-selection
program
(858) 693-8188
http://brantuas.com/ezcalc/dma1.asp
Drive Calculator
www.drivecalc.de/
French motor-selection program
http://electrofly.free.fr/download.php?lng=fr
Paul and Ralph Bradley’s Model Airplane
Page
www.parmodels.com/
Robotic Power Solutions
(502) 525-2964
www.battlepack.com
Sanyo Eneloop batteries
www.eneloopusa.com/
“Selecting Electric Power Systems” by Bob
Aberle
www.masportaviator.com/ah.asp?CatID=2&
ID=76
www.masportaviator.com/ah.asp?CatID=2&
ID=77
84 MODEL AVIATION
05sig3.QXD 3/25/08 11:47 AM Page 84
Edition: Model Aviation - 2003/05
Page Numbers: 81,82,84
Q344: “I read your Q/A #316 concerning
the use of Li-Poly batteries in RC
transmitters. I recognize that allowing the
battery voltage to fall too low will ruin that
type battery. But a technically inclined
friend of mine just mentioned a new Sanyo
battery type that might have application for
our RC systems. I believe it is known as
‘Eneloop.’ What can you tell us about
this?”
A344: The new Sanyo Eneloop cells are
AA in size and, if I got my info correct,
have a capacity of 2000 mAh. They are
charged the same way NiMH cells are.
But it is the Eneloop cells’
characteristics that make them interesting
and applicable to our RC systems. I could
see them as being well suited to our RC
transmitters, but I’m sure they could be
used in a four-cell configuration for
airborne use as well.
The Eneloop cells come ready for use.
At the time of purchase they are fully
charged and can be put into service
immediately.
Their primary feature is that they
maintain their stored energy for
exceptionally long periods of time.
Therefore, you can return from flying,
charge your pack, and then let it sit until
you are ready to fly the next time.
I gather that the Eneloops maintain a
full or close to full charge for months. So if
you want an RC transmitter battery, or
even your airborne pack, to be ready
whenever you get the urge to fly, it will be
waiting for you.
The average cell price is approximately
$4 (each). An eight-cell transmitter pack
for $32 isn’t much more than a regular
NiMH pack and probably less than a threecell
Li-Poly pack.
Pete Rissman, an AMA member,
informed me that he purchases packs of
individual Eneloop cells from Amazon.com
and then makes his own packs. He also
informed me that Robotic Power Solutions offers premade packs.
I haven’t pursued any of this yet, but I wanted readers to know
about this supposedly new battery technology. Be aware that
several battery experts don’t think there is anything special about
these cells.
Most recently I learned that Eneloop cells are now available in
AAA size, with a stated capacity of 800 mAh. This might prove to
be interesting for four-cell airborne battery packs.
Q345: “I’ve heard you refer many times to two different electric
power motor selection programs, namely Moto-Calc and Electri-
Calc. In fact, MA Electric Columnist, Greg Gimlick, in the
December 2007 issue, described the basic Moto-Calc program in
depth. Both of these programs must be purchased, although for a
very reasonable price.
Sanyo Eneloop battery cells
May 2008 81
? Frequently Asked Questions Bob Aberle | [email protected]
New Sanyo Eneloop battery cells can be
substituted for Ni-Cd and NiMH cells.
The beauty of these is that they have
extremely long charge retention.
Clothespins
attached to a scrap of
wood become a holder when
soldering a wire to an electrical connector
pin. This frees both hands to hold the solder and
soldering iron.
A print screen of Diversity Model Aircraft’s free motor-selection program. It is basic yet
easy to use and worth looking up and trying.
Also included in this column:
• Electric-power motor-selection
programs
• Soldering techniques
• Downloadable micro aircraft
plans and templates
• Nylon ties for attaching landinggear
struts
05sig3.QXD 3/25/08 11:45 AM Page 81
“I’ve heard that there are some
‘freeware’ programs available that can do
close to the same job. Can you tell me
how I could access such programs?”
A345: I can refer you to three “freeware”
programs that can help with motor
selection. A problem with any of those
programs is that they don’t have all the
data for every motor, propeller, or battery
pack, but you can add your own
information. If you have several programs,
you can “jump around” to find one with
the data you need.
The other thing I’ve learned is that the
programs you purchase are quite detailed
in format. In many cases they provide
more data than is really necessary, and
that adds to the complexity of the
selection process.
A free program I use a lot is provided by
Diversity Model Aircraft, which has been
supplying batteries for our hobby use for
many years. In this instance you don’t need to
download the program; it is there every time
you call up the Web site. I have it stored in
my PC under “Favorites.”
I found this program to be easy to use.
You select the motor, propeller, and battery, and then you can
make changes in any parameter until you are able to “fly” your
aircraft.
I also found a downloadable freeware program from France, but it
isn’t exactly easy to get into. When the home page comes up, go to
“Moteurs.” Then select “MM_Calc_v212 (zip) english version.” From
there you are on your own. I found this program somewhat difficult to
use, but I have read about many successes with it on several of the
model forums.
A freeware program from Germany that you can download is the
Drive Calculator. All you do is select the English version and proceed
with the download.
I use the purchased ElectriCalc program along with the Diversity
Models freeware. You can also read my two-part article about motor
selection that is posted to the Sport Aviator AMA webzine.
Q346: “In a column several months back you talked about soldering
irons and soldering techniques. One of the problems I’ve had is
running out of hands when attempting to solder wire to connector pins.
Got any ideas?”
82 MODEL AVIATION
Paul Bradley revived this rubber-powered FF Rascal 18 from the 1950s. His templates
can be ink-jet-printed directly onto thin balsa sheeting.
A closer look shows how four nylon ties were used to attach this
two-piece landing gear to a small stick model.
Nylon electrical cable ties can be used to attach landing-gear
struts to parking lot-size and indoor model aircraft.
Paul Bradley’s Piper Vagabond, for
which he offers PDF plans, assembly
instructions, and printable templates.
05sig3.QXD 3/25/08 11:45 AM Page 82
A346: Marshall Smith, an AMA member,
came up with an idea that requires only two
clothespins mounted to a board or a scrap
piece of balsa. An accompanying photo tells
the story.
A clothespin grips the wire, and another
clothespin holds the connector. You
position the wire so that it is touching the
connector pin. Then your hands are free to
hold the soldering iron and the solder.
Q347: “Over the past year or two I’ve seen
references to micro size model aircraft
whose full size plans could be downloaded
from the internet and then printed in color
directly on to balsa sheeting. I’m sorry to
say that I lost track of the reference sources.
Can you get me back on track?”
A347: Several modelers use this kind of
technique; one is MA’s “Small-Field
Flying” columnist, Paul Bradley. He and his
brother, Ralph, maintain an interesting Web
site that is broken down into three
categories: FF models (primarily rubber
powered), electric-powered RC models, and
“Ralph’s Micro R/C Models.”
It’s going to take you awhile to go
through this entire site. It features building
techniques, reference material, and links to
related sites.
Paul has come up with reproductions of
some of the old 1950s Top Flite Jigtime
models and the Carl Goldberg sheet-balsa,
rubber-powered FF aircraft. Any of those
designs could easily be converted to micro
indoor electric-powered models.
Paul has developed a technique that uses
an ink-jet printer to print in color directly
onto 1/32 balsa. You can download plans and
templates from the Web site. He included
this information in one of his columns
several years ago. It would be worth going
back to look for it. In a sense, what Paul
does with balsa is what Fiddlers Green is
doing with paper, as I explained in last
month’s column.
Q348: “One of the problems I have when
building parking lot and indoor RC aircraft
is attaching the landing gear strut wires. Du-
Bro offers nylon landing gear straps (No.
238-B) and several other distributors sell ‘J’
bolts, but generally the smallest diameter
wire these straps and bolts can handle is 1/8-
inch diameter. That’s still much too big for
my application. What does a person do with
1/16-inch (.062) diameter wire landing
gears?”
A348: I found a simple solution for this.
Common nylon ties you can purchase in
large quantities from home-improvement
stores, such as The Home Depot, can do the
job.
For our parking lot and indoor aircraft,
nylon ties measuring roughly 4 inches in
length by 3/32 inch wide will prove to be
most helpful. The photos included with
this column will help explain how you use
these ties.
Cut slots in the balsa or plywood
fuselage structure. The nylon ties wrap
around the wire and anchor it to a firm
crosspiece, which is generally made from
spruce or basswood. Cut the excess tie
length after you have pulled it tight.
You can just cut off the tie if you choose
to remove the landing gear. It can be easily
replaced when you remount the landing
gear.
I used this technique in two recent micro
designs; they were the subjects of
construction articles featured in the January
and February 2008 issues of the RC Micro
World online magazine. One model is a
stick trainer I call the “Mita,” and the other
is a 75%-size Profile Dakota bipe.
I also use those nylon ties for their
original purpose: keeping bundles of wires
tied into neat cables. With the new 2.4 GHz
spread spectrum radios, it is important that
you dress up the cabling inside your aircraft.
Loose or scattered wiring can affect these
systems’ radio range.
Please write in with your questions because
that is the only way we can keep this column
format going. When referring to previous
Q/As (for follow-ups), provide the number
as a reference. MA
Sources:
Diversity Model Aircraft motor-selection
program
(858) 693-8188
http://brantuas.com/ezcalc/dma1.asp
Drive Calculator
www.drivecalc.de/
French motor-selection program
http://electrofly.free.fr/download.php?lng=fr
Paul and Ralph Bradley’s Model Airplane
Page
www.parmodels.com/
Robotic Power Solutions
(502) 525-2964
www.battlepack.com
Sanyo Eneloop batteries
www.eneloopusa.com/
“Selecting Electric Power Systems” by Bob
Aberle
www.masportaviator.com/ah.asp?CatID=2&
ID=76
www.masportaviator.com/ah.asp?CatID=2&
ID=77
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