Batteries and chargers for micro/indoor RC fliers
? Frequently Asked Questions Bob Aberle | [email protected]
Also included in this column:
• Vintage RC aircraft
• Mountain Models’ handlaunched
gliders
The ParkZone battery charger is intended to handle only a singlecell,
70 mAh Li-Poly. Connectors used on this battery and charger
are proprietary to Horizon Hobby.
A Sirius Charge Lithium offers more flexibility with one-, two-, or
three-Li-Poly-cell packs at discrete charge currents of 100-1500 mA.
It requires 12 VDC power input.
The Didel Bicha dual-output Li-Poly charger
from Bob Selman Designs provides
selectable charge currents of 10-150 mA
and is powered by four AA alkaline cells.
Micro/indoor RC models use small two-cell and single-cell Li-Poly batteries. Few packs
these sizes are balance-charging capable. Be careful with your choice of battery chargers.
July 2009 77
PLEASE WRITE IN with your questions,
since that is the only way we can keep this
column format going. When referring to
published Qs-and-As (for follow-ups),
provide the number as a reference.
References to addresses and Web sites are
now placed in a group, separate from the text,
at the end of this column under “Sources.”
Q404: “I’ve read a lot about Li-Poly batteries,
on how to size them for a specific application
and the best and safest way to charge them.
But I see more and more concentration on
1000 to 5000 mAh cells and their companion
high current chargers for medium to large
aircraft.
“In my case I fly 15 gram on up to 2-ounce
micro aircraft. As I see it the technology is a
lot different. Can you set the stage for our
micro world?”
A404: Most of the things you are looking for
have been featured in John Worth’s RC Micro
07sig3.QXD 5/26/09 10:23 AM Page 77
World Webzine. When you subscribe, you
gain access to all previous issues from the
start, in May 2005. But I’ll steer you to the
batteries and chargers that most micro-fliers
use.
Bob Selman has emerged from years of
micro-flying to become the primary source of
supply for everything including micro
aircraft, RC systems, motors, ESCs, batteries,
chargers, and building supplies. He operates
as Bob Selman Designs in Carthage,
Missouri.
Most of the traditional Li-Poly battery
suppliers offer cells and packs starting at
roughly 300 mAh rated capacity. The average
micro-flier will use packs up to
approximately 250 mAh but might go down
to as low as 10 mAh capacity for an aircraft
weighing maybe 10 grams.
I’m flying a 4.2-ounce model using a twocell,
250 mAh Li-Poly battery that I
purchased from Lazertoyz. It is one of the
few batteries this size that comes with a node
connector, which enables balanced charging
of the two cells. By using an adapter cable, I
can balance-charge this pack on my FMA
Direct Cellpro 4s charger.
I’ve also used two-cell packs, also rated at
250 mAh capacity, from Bob Selman
Designs, that do not have node connectors. In
that case, I can’t use the Cellpro 4s.
For one or two Li-Poly cells from 150
mAh down to 10 mAh, I use the Didel Bicha
dual-output Li-Poly charger from Bob
Selman Designs. This unit is powered from
four AA-size alkaline batteries and has two
outputs for charging two packs (or batteries)
at the same time. At $38, it is an excellent
buy.
Nick Leichty of Micro Flier Radio has
several small chargers available via his Web
site. I also use Peak Electronics’ Sirius
Charge Lithium unit that can charge one, two,
and three cells at discrete currents of 100 up
to 1500 mA. This charger will give you
slightly more flexibility on the higher end of
the capacity.
You cannot balance-charge the battery
with the Selman, Leichty, or Sirius charger.
There is no provision for a node connector,
and the battery pack probably wouldn’t have
the mating half either. But at this point, with
two cells of such low capacity, you should
wonder if you have to worry about balanced
78 MODEL AVIATION
Left: Early RC Models sells the popular ’60s-era Phoenix V as a
modern laser-cut kit. The company has many vintage RC kits, so
you can enjoy old models without having to cut parts.
Below: Hobby Lobby sells an ARF version of the popular Phill
Kraft Kwik Fli Mk III. The author was impressed by flights of this
electric conversion at the NEAT Fair.
Mountain Models gave out these laser-cut P-51 replica hand-launched gliders at the
NEAT Fair. They were fun, flew amazingly well, and kept the children happy.
07sig3.QXD 5/26/09 10:52 AM Page 78
charging. And balancing is unnecessary with a
single cell.
The popular Horizon Hobby ParkZone
micro RTFs, such as the Cessna, Citabria,
Ember, and Vapor, use a single 70 mAhcapacity
Li-Poly cell. It is charged with a
companion charger that comes with the
airplane. That unit has a fixed level that is
suitable for that particular 70 mAh battery. As
does the Selman charger, it operates from four
AA alkaline cells.
Many modelers are going to highercapacity
cells for these ParkZone models.
Selman has single cells rated at 90 mAh, 130
mAh, and even higher. They can be purchased
with connectors that mate with the ParkZone
RTFs.
So there are many possibilities. But
remember that many of the standard Li-Poly
chargers cannot handle cells of this extremely
low capacity.
One other comment I heard recently is that
with all the flying you can do with the
ParkZone RTFs, you are constantly having to
replace the nonrechargeable batteries in the
Selman and ParkZone chargers. A solution is to
buy four AA 2300 mAh NiMH cells and a
companion charger. Having two sets, of four
each, of these cells at your flying site should
provide enough flying for one session.
A recent article on RCGroups showed how
you can modify the ParkZone charger to accept
a 6-volt wall wart charger. With that approach,
you will need AC power at your flying site.
When using the Sirius charger, you need a 12-
volt power supply that runs off of 115 VAC.
The final choice basically depends on your
flying habits. If you have other questions
involving micro/indoor RC flying, I would like
to hear from you.
Q405: “I started flying RC models back in the
early fifties at the time the FCC granted us that
first RC license free channel on 27.255 MHz.
Looking back now there were so many great
RC kits and designs in the period from 1950 on
up till almost 1970. I’d like to revisit some of
these airplanes but have no hope of locating
any remaining kits and no longer have the
ambition to scratch build from raw balsa. Got
any suggestions?”
A405: The first thing I would do is join the
Vintage R/C Society, if you haven’t already.
This AMA SIG has an excellent bimonthly
newsletter and sponsors many vintage fly-ins
throughout the year. The newsletter alone will
give you many suggestions for starting out. Go
to the group’s Web site to obtain details.
The Vintage R/C Society kind of bridges
the gap between the Society of Antique
Modelers and the vintage FF and CL factions. I
guess a good range for vintage RC is
approximately 1950 until roughly 1970.
You won’t find many vintage RC kits
laying around. And if you did, their condition
might not be conducive to constructing models.
Fortunately, new companies deal with
present-day kits of vintage RC models. These
kits offer modern laser-cutting techniques
combined with cyanoacrylate cements and
iron-on covering, and building today is much
easier than it was in the early 1950s.
A few years ago, Bob Harris started Early
RC Models. The company still goes by that
name, but Bob sold it to Wing Manufacturing
in 2006. I looked up the Web site and found a
load of kits for some of the most popular
vintage RC designs.
A partial list, to whet your appetite,
includes the Phoenix V, Live Wire Champ,
Esquire, Falcon 56, Senior Falcon, H-Ray, Jr.
Falcon, Jr. Skylark, and the Lightning Bug.
The site lists all available kits and includes
other interesting items such as customer
photos, links to related areas, dealers, and
electric conversions that customers have
performed.
Building laser-cut-part kits that include all
the necessary material ought to save a great
deal of time. However, for those who want to
experience the thrills of their first RC aircraft
again but don’t have time to construct such
models, ARF versions are turning up on the
hobby market.
Hobby Lobby now carries an ARF version
of Phill Kraft’s famous Kwik Fli Mk III. It has
a 60-inch span, 660 square inches of wing area,
and a flying weight of 6.75 pounds. It is set up
for .46 glow-engine power.
I saw one of the Kwik Fli Mk III ARFs at
the NEAT [Northeast Electric Aircraft
Technology] Fair (September 2008) that had
been converted to electric power. I witnessed a
flight during which it did all the maneuvers that
would have been expected in international RC
aerobatic competitions in the late 1960s and
early 1970s. I suspect we will see more vintage
RC ARFs in the near future.
Q406: “At the recent NEAT Fair, Mountain
Models was giving out laser cut hand launched
gliders in the shape of a P-51 Mustang. They
flew great and my children had a wonderful
time flying them. I’d like to get more, can they
be purchased?”
A406: I couldn’t agree with you more. Even
the SEFLI [Silent Electric Flyers of Long
Island] club members flew these little aircraft
throughout the weekend. It took only minutes
to assemble the models with cyanoacrylate
glue.
Brian Eberwein of Mountain Models can
tell you whether or not these gliders can be
purchased in quantities for club use. You may
have to persuade him to allow you to. MA
Sources:
RC Micro World
www.cloud9rc.com
Bob Selman Designs
(417) 358-9521
www.bsdmicrorc.com
Lazertoyz
(440) 840-9625
http://lazertoyz.ncweb.net
Micro Flier Radio
(941) 377-9808
www.microflierradio.com
Peak Electronics
(800) 532-0092
www.siriuselectronics.com
ParkZone charger modification on RCGroups:
www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?p
=10678285
Vintage R/C Society
www.vintagercsociety.org
Early RC Models
(269) 665-9630
www.earlyrcmodels.com
Hobby Lobby International
(866) 933-5972
www.hobby-lobby.com
Mountain Models
(719) 630-3186
www.mountainmodels.com
80 MODEL AVIATION
07sig3.QXD 5/26/09 10:25 AM Page 80
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/07
Page Numbers: 77,78,80
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/07
Page Numbers: 77,78,80
Batteries and chargers for micro/indoor RC fliers
? Frequently Asked Questions Bob Aberle | [email protected]
Also included in this column:
• Vintage RC aircraft
• Mountain Models’ handlaunched
gliders
The ParkZone battery charger is intended to handle only a singlecell,
70 mAh Li-Poly. Connectors used on this battery and charger
are proprietary to Horizon Hobby.
A Sirius Charge Lithium offers more flexibility with one-, two-, or
three-Li-Poly-cell packs at discrete charge currents of 100-1500 mA.
It requires 12 VDC power input.
The Didel Bicha dual-output Li-Poly charger
from Bob Selman Designs provides
selectable charge currents of 10-150 mA
and is powered by four AA alkaline cells.
Micro/indoor RC models use small two-cell and single-cell Li-Poly batteries. Few packs
these sizes are balance-charging capable. Be careful with your choice of battery chargers.
July 2009 77
PLEASE WRITE IN with your questions,
since that is the only way we can keep this
column format going. When referring to
published Qs-and-As (for follow-ups),
provide the number as a reference.
References to addresses and Web sites are
now placed in a group, separate from the text,
at the end of this column under “Sources.”
Q404: “I’ve read a lot about Li-Poly batteries,
on how to size them for a specific application
and the best and safest way to charge them.
But I see more and more concentration on
1000 to 5000 mAh cells and their companion
high current chargers for medium to large
aircraft.
“In my case I fly 15 gram on up to 2-ounce
micro aircraft. As I see it the technology is a
lot different. Can you set the stage for our
micro world?”
A404: Most of the things you are looking for
have been featured in John Worth’s RC Micro
07sig3.QXD 5/26/09 10:23 AM Page 77
World Webzine. When you subscribe, you
gain access to all previous issues from the
start, in May 2005. But I’ll steer you to the
batteries and chargers that most micro-fliers
use.
Bob Selman has emerged from years of
micro-flying to become the primary source of
supply for everything including micro
aircraft, RC systems, motors, ESCs, batteries,
chargers, and building supplies. He operates
as Bob Selman Designs in Carthage,
Missouri.
Most of the traditional Li-Poly battery
suppliers offer cells and packs starting at
roughly 300 mAh rated capacity. The average
micro-flier will use packs up to
approximately 250 mAh but might go down
to as low as 10 mAh capacity for an aircraft
weighing maybe 10 grams.
I’m flying a 4.2-ounce model using a twocell,
250 mAh Li-Poly battery that I
purchased from Lazertoyz. It is one of the
few batteries this size that comes with a node
connector, which enables balanced charging
of the two cells. By using an adapter cable, I
can balance-charge this pack on my FMA
Direct Cellpro 4s charger.
I’ve also used two-cell packs, also rated at
250 mAh capacity, from Bob Selman
Designs, that do not have node connectors. In
that case, I can’t use the Cellpro 4s.
For one or two Li-Poly cells from 150
mAh down to 10 mAh, I use the Didel Bicha
dual-output Li-Poly charger from Bob
Selman Designs. This unit is powered from
four AA-size alkaline batteries and has two
outputs for charging two packs (or batteries)
at the same time. At $38, it is an excellent
buy.
Nick Leichty of Micro Flier Radio has
several small chargers available via his Web
site. I also use Peak Electronics’ Sirius
Charge Lithium unit that can charge one, two,
and three cells at discrete currents of 100 up
to 1500 mA. This charger will give you
slightly more flexibility on the higher end of
the capacity.
You cannot balance-charge the battery
with the Selman, Leichty, or Sirius charger.
There is no provision for a node connector,
and the battery pack probably wouldn’t have
the mating half either. But at this point, with
two cells of such low capacity, you should
wonder if you have to worry about balanced
78 MODEL AVIATION
Left: Early RC Models sells the popular ’60s-era Phoenix V as a
modern laser-cut kit. The company has many vintage RC kits, so
you can enjoy old models without having to cut parts.
Below: Hobby Lobby sells an ARF version of the popular Phill
Kraft Kwik Fli Mk III. The author was impressed by flights of this
electric conversion at the NEAT Fair.
Mountain Models gave out these laser-cut P-51 replica hand-launched gliders at the
NEAT Fair. They were fun, flew amazingly well, and kept the children happy.
07sig3.QXD 5/26/09 10:52 AM Page 78
charging. And balancing is unnecessary with a
single cell.
The popular Horizon Hobby ParkZone
micro RTFs, such as the Cessna, Citabria,
Ember, and Vapor, use a single 70 mAhcapacity
Li-Poly cell. It is charged with a
companion charger that comes with the
airplane. That unit has a fixed level that is
suitable for that particular 70 mAh battery. As
does the Selman charger, it operates from four
AA alkaline cells.
Many modelers are going to highercapacity
cells for these ParkZone models.
Selman has single cells rated at 90 mAh, 130
mAh, and even higher. They can be purchased
with connectors that mate with the ParkZone
RTFs.
So there are many possibilities. But
remember that many of the standard Li-Poly
chargers cannot handle cells of this extremely
low capacity.
One other comment I heard recently is that
with all the flying you can do with the
ParkZone RTFs, you are constantly having to
replace the nonrechargeable batteries in the
Selman and ParkZone chargers. A solution is to
buy four AA 2300 mAh NiMH cells and a
companion charger. Having two sets, of four
each, of these cells at your flying site should
provide enough flying for one session.
A recent article on RCGroups showed how
you can modify the ParkZone charger to accept
a 6-volt wall wart charger. With that approach,
you will need AC power at your flying site.
When using the Sirius charger, you need a 12-
volt power supply that runs off of 115 VAC.
The final choice basically depends on your
flying habits. If you have other questions
involving micro/indoor RC flying, I would like
to hear from you.
Q405: “I started flying RC models back in the
early fifties at the time the FCC granted us that
first RC license free channel on 27.255 MHz.
Looking back now there were so many great
RC kits and designs in the period from 1950 on
up till almost 1970. I’d like to revisit some of
these airplanes but have no hope of locating
any remaining kits and no longer have the
ambition to scratch build from raw balsa. Got
any suggestions?”
A405: The first thing I would do is join the
Vintage R/C Society, if you haven’t already.
This AMA SIG has an excellent bimonthly
newsletter and sponsors many vintage fly-ins
throughout the year. The newsletter alone will
give you many suggestions for starting out. Go
to the group’s Web site to obtain details.
The Vintage R/C Society kind of bridges
the gap between the Society of Antique
Modelers and the vintage FF and CL factions. I
guess a good range for vintage RC is
approximately 1950 until roughly 1970.
You won’t find many vintage RC kits
laying around. And if you did, their condition
might not be conducive to constructing models.
Fortunately, new companies deal with
present-day kits of vintage RC models. These
kits offer modern laser-cutting techniques
combined with cyanoacrylate cements and
iron-on covering, and building today is much
easier than it was in the early 1950s.
A few years ago, Bob Harris started Early
RC Models. The company still goes by that
name, but Bob sold it to Wing Manufacturing
in 2006. I looked up the Web site and found a
load of kits for some of the most popular
vintage RC designs.
A partial list, to whet your appetite,
includes the Phoenix V, Live Wire Champ,
Esquire, Falcon 56, Senior Falcon, H-Ray, Jr.
Falcon, Jr. Skylark, and the Lightning Bug.
The site lists all available kits and includes
other interesting items such as customer
photos, links to related areas, dealers, and
electric conversions that customers have
performed.
Building laser-cut-part kits that include all
the necessary material ought to save a great
deal of time. However, for those who want to
experience the thrills of their first RC aircraft
again but don’t have time to construct such
models, ARF versions are turning up on the
hobby market.
Hobby Lobby now carries an ARF version
of Phill Kraft’s famous Kwik Fli Mk III. It has
a 60-inch span, 660 square inches of wing area,
and a flying weight of 6.75 pounds. It is set up
for .46 glow-engine power.
I saw one of the Kwik Fli Mk III ARFs at
the NEAT [Northeast Electric Aircraft
Technology] Fair (September 2008) that had
been converted to electric power. I witnessed a
flight during which it did all the maneuvers that
would have been expected in international RC
aerobatic competitions in the late 1960s and
early 1970s. I suspect we will see more vintage
RC ARFs in the near future.
Q406: “At the recent NEAT Fair, Mountain
Models was giving out laser cut hand launched
gliders in the shape of a P-51 Mustang. They
flew great and my children had a wonderful
time flying them. I’d like to get more, can they
be purchased?”
A406: I couldn’t agree with you more. Even
the SEFLI [Silent Electric Flyers of Long
Island] club members flew these little aircraft
throughout the weekend. It took only minutes
to assemble the models with cyanoacrylate
glue.
Brian Eberwein of Mountain Models can
tell you whether or not these gliders can be
purchased in quantities for club use. You may
have to persuade him to allow you to. MA
Sources:
RC Micro World
www.cloud9rc.com
Bob Selman Designs
(417) 358-9521
www.bsdmicrorc.com
Lazertoyz
(440) 840-9625
http://lazertoyz.ncweb.net
Micro Flier Radio
(941) 377-9808
www.microflierradio.com
Peak Electronics
(800) 532-0092
www.siriuselectronics.com
ParkZone charger modification on RCGroups:
www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?p
=10678285
Vintage R/C Society
www.vintagercsociety.org
Early RC Models
(269) 665-9630
www.earlyrcmodels.com
Hobby Lobby International
(866) 933-5972
www.hobby-lobby.com
Mountain Models
(719) 630-3186
www.mountainmodels.com
80 MODEL AVIATION
07sig3.QXD 5/26/09 10:25 AM Page 80
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/07
Page Numbers: 77,78,80
Batteries and chargers for micro/indoor RC fliers
? Frequently Asked Questions Bob Aberle | [email protected]
Also included in this column:
• Vintage RC aircraft
• Mountain Models’ handlaunched
gliders
The ParkZone battery charger is intended to handle only a singlecell,
70 mAh Li-Poly. Connectors used on this battery and charger
are proprietary to Horizon Hobby.
A Sirius Charge Lithium offers more flexibility with one-, two-, or
three-Li-Poly-cell packs at discrete charge currents of 100-1500 mA.
It requires 12 VDC power input.
The Didel Bicha dual-output Li-Poly charger
from Bob Selman Designs provides
selectable charge currents of 10-150 mA
and is powered by four AA alkaline cells.
Micro/indoor RC models use small two-cell and single-cell Li-Poly batteries. Few packs
these sizes are balance-charging capable. Be careful with your choice of battery chargers.
July 2009 77
PLEASE WRITE IN with your questions,
since that is the only way we can keep this
column format going. When referring to
published Qs-and-As (for follow-ups),
provide the number as a reference.
References to addresses and Web sites are
now placed in a group, separate from the text,
at the end of this column under “Sources.”
Q404: “I’ve read a lot about Li-Poly batteries,
on how to size them for a specific application
and the best and safest way to charge them.
But I see more and more concentration on
1000 to 5000 mAh cells and their companion
high current chargers for medium to large
aircraft.
“In my case I fly 15 gram on up to 2-ounce
micro aircraft. As I see it the technology is a
lot different. Can you set the stage for our
micro world?”
A404: Most of the things you are looking for
have been featured in John Worth’s RC Micro
07sig3.QXD 5/26/09 10:23 AM Page 77
World Webzine. When you subscribe, you
gain access to all previous issues from the
start, in May 2005. But I’ll steer you to the
batteries and chargers that most micro-fliers
use.
Bob Selman has emerged from years of
micro-flying to become the primary source of
supply for everything including micro
aircraft, RC systems, motors, ESCs, batteries,
chargers, and building supplies. He operates
as Bob Selman Designs in Carthage,
Missouri.
Most of the traditional Li-Poly battery
suppliers offer cells and packs starting at
roughly 300 mAh rated capacity. The average
micro-flier will use packs up to
approximately 250 mAh but might go down
to as low as 10 mAh capacity for an aircraft
weighing maybe 10 grams.
I’m flying a 4.2-ounce model using a twocell,
250 mAh Li-Poly battery that I
purchased from Lazertoyz. It is one of the
few batteries this size that comes with a node
connector, which enables balanced charging
of the two cells. By using an adapter cable, I
can balance-charge this pack on my FMA
Direct Cellpro 4s charger.
I’ve also used two-cell packs, also rated at
250 mAh capacity, from Bob Selman
Designs, that do not have node connectors. In
that case, I can’t use the Cellpro 4s.
For one or two Li-Poly cells from 150
mAh down to 10 mAh, I use the Didel Bicha
dual-output Li-Poly charger from Bob
Selman Designs. This unit is powered from
four AA-size alkaline batteries and has two
outputs for charging two packs (or batteries)
at the same time. At $38, it is an excellent
buy.
Nick Leichty of Micro Flier Radio has
several small chargers available via his Web
site. I also use Peak Electronics’ Sirius
Charge Lithium unit that can charge one, two,
and three cells at discrete currents of 100 up
to 1500 mA. This charger will give you
slightly more flexibility on the higher end of
the capacity.
You cannot balance-charge the battery
with the Selman, Leichty, or Sirius charger.
There is no provision for a node connector,
and the battery pack probably wouldn’t have
the mating half either. But at this point, with
two cells of such low capacity, you should
wonder if you have to worry about balanced
78 MODEL AVIATION
Left: Early RC Models sells the popular ’60s-era Phoenix V as a
modern laser-cut kit. The company has many vintage RC kits, so
you can enjoy old models without having to cut parts.
Below: Hobby Lobby sells an ARF version of the popular Phill
Kraft Kwik Fli Mk III. The author was impressed by flights of this
electric conversion at the NEAT Fair.
Mountain Models gave out these laser-cut P-51 replica hand-launched gliders at the
NEAT Fair. They were fun, flew amazingly well, and kept the children happy.
07sig3.QXD 5/26/09 10:52 AM Page 78
charging. And balancing is unnecessary with a
single cell.
The popular Horizon Hobby ParkZone
micro RTFs, such as the Cessna, Citabria,
Ember, and Vapor, use a single 70 mAhcapacity
Li-Poly cell. It is charged with a
companion charger that comes with the
airplane. That unit has a fixed level that is
suitable for that particular 70 mAh battery. As
does the Selman charger, it operates from four
AA alkaline cells.
Many modelers are going to highercapacity
cells for these ParkZone models.
Selman has single cells rated at 90 mAh, 130
mAh, and even higher. They can be purchased
with connectors that mate with the ParkZone
RTFs.
So there are many possibilities. But
remember that many of the standard Li-Poly
chargers cannot handle cells of this extremely
low capacity.
One other comment I heard recently is that
with all the flying you can do with the
ParkZone RTFs, you are constantly having to
replace the nonrechargeable batteries in the
Selman and ParkZone chargers. A solution is to
buy four AA 2300 mAh NiMH cells and a
companion charger. Having two sets, of four
each, of these cells at your flying site should
provide enough flying for one session.
A recent article on RCGroups showed how
you can modify the ParkZone charger to accept
a 6-volt wall wart charger. With that approach,
you will need AC power at your flying site.
When using the Sirius charger, you need a 12-
volt power supply that runs off of 115 VAC.
The final choice basically depends on your
flying habits. If you have other questions
involving micro/indoor RC flying, I would like
to hear from you.
Q405: “I started flying RC models back in the
early fifties at the time the FCC granted us that
first RC license free channel on 27.255 MHz.
Looking back now there were so many great
RC kits and designs in the period from 1950 on
up till almost 1970. I’d like to revisit some of
these airplanes but have no hope of locating
any remaining kits and no longer have the
ambition to scratch build from raw balsa. Got
any suggestions?”
A405: The first thing I would do is join the
Vintage R/C Society, if you haven’t already.
This AMA SIG has an excellent bimonthly
newsletter and sponsors many vintage fly-ins
throughout the year. The newsletter alone will
give you many suggestions for starting out. Go
to the group’s Web site to obtain details.
The Vintage R/C Society kind of bridges
the gap between the Society of Antique
Modelers and the vintage FF and CL factions. I
guess a good range for vintage RC is
approximately 1950 until roughly 1970.
You won’t find many vintage RC kits
laying around. And if you did, their condition
might not be conducive to constructing models.
Fortunately, new companies deal with
present-day kits of vintage RC models. These
kits offer modern laser-cutting techniques
combined with cyanoacrylate cements and
iron-on covering, and building today is much
easier than it was in the early 1950s.
A few years ago, Bob Harris started Early
RC Models. The company still goes by that
name, but Bob sold it to Wing Manufacturing
in 2006. I looked up the Web site and found a
load of kits for some of the most popular
vintage RC designs.
A partial list, to whet your appetite,
includes the Phoenix V, Live Wire Champ,
Esquire, Falcon 56, Senior Falcon, H-Ray, Jr.
Falcon, Jr. Skylark, and the Lightning Bug.
The site lists all available kits and includes
other interesting items such as customer
photos, links to related areas, dealers, and
electric conversions that customers have
performed.
Building laser-cut-part kits that include all
the necessary material ought to save a great
deal of time. However, for those who want to
experience the thrills of their first RC aircraft
again but don’t have time to construct such
models, ARF versions are turning up on the
hobby market.
Hobby Lobby now carries an ARF version
of Phill Kraft’s famous Kwik Fli Mk III. It has
a 60-inch span, 660 square inches of wing area,
and a flying weight of 6.75 pounds. It is set up
for .46 glow-engine power.
I saw one of the Kwik Fli Mk III ARFs at
the NEAT [Northeast Electric Aircraft
Technology] Fair (September 2008) that had
been converted to electric power. I witnessed a
flight during which it did all the maneuvers that
would have been expected in international RC
aerobatic competitions in the late 1960s and
early 1970s. I suspect we will see more vintage
RC ARFs in the near future.
Q406: “At the recent NEAT Fair, Mountain
Models was giving out laser cut hand launched
gliders in the shape of a P-51 Mustang. They
flew great and my children had a wonderful
time flying them. I’d like to get more, can they
be purchased?”
A406: I couldn’t agree with you more. Even
the SEFLI [Silent Electric Flyers of Long
Island] club members flew these little aircraft
throughout the weekend. It took only minutes
to assemble the models with cyanoacrylate
glue.
Brian Eberwein of Mountain Models can
tell you whether or not these gliders can be
purchased in quantities for club use. You may
have to persuade him to allow you to. MA
Sources:
RC Micro World
www.cloud9rc.com
Bob Selman Designs
(417) 358-9521
www.bsdmicrorc.com
Lazertoyz
(440) 840-9625
http://lazertoyz.ncweb.net
Micro Flier Radio
(941) 377-9808
www.microflierradio.com
Peak Electronics
(800) 532-0092
www.siriuselectronics.com
ParkZone charger modification on RCGroups:
www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?p
=10678285
Vintage R/C Society
www.vintagercsociety.org
Early RC Models
(269) 665-9630
www.earlyrcmodels.com
Hobby Lobby International
(866) 933-5972
www.hobby-lobby.com
Mountain Models
(719) 630-3186
www.mountainmodels.com
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