Introduction to Parking Lot Flying - 2004/06

I WOULD SUSPECT that most RC modelers have heard
the terms “parking lot flying,” “backyard flying,” or
“schoolyard flying” in the past few years. Some may
wonder how these types differ from regular RC flying.
They really aren’t different when you consider the aircraft
involved and the radio control systems that go in them.
The primary differences are where the aircraft are flown
and the fact that they are basically small models
employing modest power levels.
As I proceed through this presentation I’ll just refer to
parking lot flying, but it will be assumed that I also mean
backyard and schoolyard flying. All three types of flying
sites are clearly different from a regulation club-sponsored
RC flying site. Club fields, as they are generally known,
are situated in relatively remote locations where engine
noise becomes less of a factor. The open spaces also
provide ample opportunity to fly much larger aircraft in a
safe manner.
As the name implies, parking lot flying is what we
might also call “close-in” flying. It might be on any large
parking lot in any populated area. An advantage is that you
don’t have to travel very far to fly. A shorter distance to
the flying site means more opportunities to go flying.
Quiet electric power also permits early morning and early
evening, calm-weather flying without bothering or
upsetting the local population.
Parking lot flying offers you the chance to easily
involve your entire family in a sport and hobby that is
educational and entertaining.
The Safety Considerations: As with all good things,
there can still be disadvantages. With parking lot flying,
you must be careful of the surrounding areas. Keep clear
of vehicles, houses, and people. To cope with these
potential safety problems, parking lot fliers are by
necessity small and employ relatively low-power motors.
To be “environmentally friendly,” most parking lotsize
aircraft are powered by clean and quiet electric
motors. However, small-displacement glow-fueled engines
can be used successfully, provided that the engine noise
doesn’t become a factor for those nearby.
Another safety aspect is that “regular size” models and
“parking lot-size” models use the same RC channels (or
frequencies). This means that one faction could easily
interfere with the other if the two types of flying are done
in close proximity to one another.
A three-mile separation from control points (location of
the transmitters) is generally sufficient to prevent
interference. However, even that fact has been subject to
much recent debate, and I only mention it as a point of
reference.
Because of the possibility of interference, parking lot
fliers should be especially aware of local established flying
fields. The best way to determine this possibility is to
contact a local hobby-shop owner or seek out a local
organized RC club and talk to the members.
There is also the chance that a parking lot flyer, if close
enough, might interfere with a backyard or schoolyard
flyer. With quiet electric motors, it won’t always be
48 MODEL AVIATION
Introduction to
Watt-Age Lite Stick (GWS Pico Stick) is
one of the most popular parking lot flyers.
Wing, tail surfaces are molded from thin
Styrofoam sheets. Fuselage is hardwood
stick, with RC equipment hanging off it.
Sig Bristol Scout has 300-square-inch
wing area, weighs roughly 11 ounces, is
powered by 180-size motor geared 4.4:1.
Little assembly work required and realistic
in flight.
Sig JN-4 Jenny has 285 square inches
of wing area, weighs approximately 10.5
ounces, and has a respectable wing
loading of slightly more than 5
ounces/square foot.
ARFs
For some time we have been trying to come up with an adequate and me
06sig2.QXD 3/24/04 3:24 pm Page 48
June 2004 49
Parking Lot Flying by Bob Aberle
obvious if someone is flying in the
adjacent parking lot (or a private
home’s large back yard). Preventing
all types of interference would be
virtually impossible, so the best
solution is to be alert, ask around, and
keep your eyes open for other RC
fliers.
The Definitions: For some time we
have been trying to come up with an
adequate and meaningful definition of
a “parking lot flyer.” Generally,
everyone with a relatively small
airplane wants to be included.
Common sense dictates that there
must be a weight and power limit
when it comes to flying in close-in
environments. To that end, 16 ounces
total model weight seems to be the
current acceptable figure. Most of the
popular parking lot models average 7-
14 ounces.
At 16 ounces you are almost into
the Speed 400-size motor. Most of us
who use parking lot-size models agree
that Speed 400 flying should be done
at a regulation flying site such as those
maintained by local clubs that are
sanctioned (chartered) by AMA.
That being the case, the largest
sensible motor that parking lot fliers
employ should be Speed 280 or 300
size, which generally runs up to an
approximately 30-watt power level.
That size includes some of the new,
tiny, brushless motors such as the
Hacker B-20 series, the AstroFlight
010/020, and others.
The final consideration for a
parking lot flyer is its wing loading.
The thinking is to limit the wing
loading to 8 ounces per square foot of
wing area. Take the typical and
extremely popular Watt-Age Lite Stik
(also known as the GWS Pico Stick);
at 238 square inches and 8 ounces
average weight, the resulting wing
loading works out to 4.8 ounces/square
foot. A Sig Manufacturing Jenny has a
wing area of 285 square inches and
weighs roughly 10 ounces. This
biplane’s wing loading is 5
ounces/square foot. These moderatesize
and -weight models yield an
equally moderate wing loading.
If I were to power the popular
Radical RC Verti-Go 3D (a vertical-
Above: Bob Aberle and his grandson Hayden
Parkes fly Bob’s SR Batteries Bantam Bipe. Bruce
Parkes photo. Top: Megatech Merlin RTF uses
equivalent Speed 300-size geared motor. It comes
assembled with motor system and RC system
installed.
o
New Hacker USA Ultimate biplane is
highly maneuverable. It has 420
square inches of wing area, spans
30 inches, employs a Hacker B-20-
26S, 4:1 brushless motor with
Hacker MAS 18-3P ESC. Battery
pack is Thunder Power Li-Poly 3S
1320 mAh.
Balsa Products Butterfly constructed
from carbon rods and iron-on
covering. Fuselage is hollow carbon
tube. At almost 350 square inches
wing area and less than 5 ounces total
weight, it has 2-ounce/square-foot
wing loading. Truly a “slow flyer”!
nd meaningful definition of a “parking lot flyer.”
06sig2.QXD 3/24/04 3:24 pm Page 49
maneuver “E-3D” design) with a Hacker B-
20 brushless motor, the total weight might be
14 ounces. At 280 square inches of wing
area, that’s a wing loading of 7.2
ounces/square foot, which is close to my
suggested limit. Although that model can be
quite fast, it can be slowed considerably for
its vertical maneuvering.
On the other hand, consider an 80-squareinch
model that is powered by a brushless
010 motor and weighs approximately 10
ounces. That works out to 18 ounces/square
foot of loading, and that airplane is capable
of speeds in excess of 60 mph! That is
exactly the kind of airplane I would not like
to see flown in a parking lot. Get my drift?
I used this example to show why I think
the wing-loading limitation is also very
important to help categorize a parking lot
flyer. If you are used to flying a real “hot”
airplane, you may not agree with me on this
point.
The Models: Now you know about the
safety concerns and have a reasonable
definition of a parking lot flyer that takes into
consideration weight, size, and power. But
what kind of aircraft should the beginner try?
As with any kind of model today, be it glow
fueled, electric, gas, etc., there are RTFs,
ARFs, those built from kits, and those built
from published plans.
There aren’t very many in the RTF
category, but that will eventually change, I’m
sure. The popular RTF that first comes to
mind is the Merlin, which Megatech Inc.
distributes. The Merlin includes the complete
motor and RC system, already installed in the
model. You attach the wings, charge the
battery (battery and charger are even
supplied), and fly it. It is almost at my upper
limit of 16 ounces, but at 511 square inches
of wing area, the resulting wing loading is
still only 4.9 ounces/square foot.
The Merlin will also slow to the point
where you can practically walk underneath it
as it flies. So if you don’t care about building
or assembling and only want to learn to fly,
this might be the airplane for you.
The most common and popular type of
model for parking lot flying is the ARF.
These models take on many forms. Some are
balsa-wood, built-up structures that are
covered for you, and others are made from
expanded foam molded parts. In most cases
you have to join the wing panels and attach
the tail surfaces. Many ARFs come with
prehinged control surfaces, which can save a
lot of time. You usually have to install the
electric motor system (motor, battery, and
speed controller) and the RC system,
including the all-important servos.
Probably the most famous ARF parking
lot flyer is the Watt-Age Lite Stik (GWS
Pico Stick). It has a foam wing and tail with a
stick fuselage. The radio equipment and
battery literally just “hang out”! It is
inexpensive, easy to assemble, and easy to fly.
There is also a larger version called the Slow
Stick, which uses the same design and
construction. It employs a Speed 300-size
geared motor. I will try to mention as many
ARF suppliers as possible at the end of this
article.
Although they are not as popular as ARFs,
quite a few parking lot-flyer kits are available.
Kits give you the added pleasure of building a
complete aircraft. Many of the kits now on the
market include laser-cut parts that feature true
precision. This allows for easy assembly in a
minimum amount of time.
One of the nicest kits I’ve assembled in a
50 MODEL AVIATION
Kits Plans
Todd Long Models’ new Attitude. “E-3D”
vertical-maneuver-capable model has big
390-square-inch wing, is powered by
Mega brushless motor, but still weighs
only 11-13 ounces!
SR Bantam Bipe is Bob’s favorite parking
lot flyer. It has a standard GWS IPS-A
motor and weighs just more than 9
ounces. It can fly fast and slow and is
maneuverable. At bottom is uncovered
framework.
Bob’s original-design Microball will be
an MA construction article. You buy
plans from a magazine, buy materials,
then cut everything out and assemble it.
This model weighs roughly 6 ounces and
has approximately 100-square-inch wing.
Twin fins give it that F-14 look!
Bob holds reduced-size replica of his
first RC model from 1953: a Guillow’s
Trixter Beam. He condensed it to roughly
175 square inches. It has geared 280-size
motor and weighs close to 11 ounces. It
was published last year in Backyard
Flyer.
Radical RC’s Verti-Go 3D has 285-squareinch
wing area, weighs 14 ounces, has
wing loading of slightly less than 8
ounces/square foot. This is close to Bob’s
limit for a parking lot flyer. Power is
Hacker B-20-26S geared 4.4:1.
06sig2.QXD 3/24/04 3:27 pm Page 50
June 2004 51
Bantam Bipe’s power-system components (top left to bottom):
GWS standard IPS-A motor, SR Batteries seven-cell 150 mAh Ni-
Cd battery pack, Jeti JES-050 ESC with 5-amp current rating,
GWS 9 x 4.7 propeller.
Left: Hacker USA B-20-26S brushless motor with 4:1 planetary
gearbox. Right: Companion Jeti JES 06-3P (6-amp) brushless
ESC. This system can handle models weighing 11 to roughly 16
ounces. High efficiency and long operating life does cost more!
Typical precision-made AstroFlight 010 geared brushless motor
can generally handle models of roughly 10 ounces total weight. It
is small and lightweight!
For standard ferrite-type small motors, 1⁄6-ounce Jeti JES-50 5-
amp ESC with BEC can’t be beat—especially at less than $30.
These popular battery packs can be used for parking lot flyers.
Top to bottom: six-cell 280 mAh NiMH; seven-cell packs of 350
NiMH (L) and 280 NiMH (R); two eight-cell packs—600 mAh NiMH
cells on left and 280 NiMH cells on right; SR Batteries seven-cell
150 mAh Ni-Cd pack. NiMH packs shown are from Balsa Products.
Popular, inexpensive GWS parking lot motors. Left: the
smallest—the LPS series—several of which use N-20-size motor.
Center: standard-size 180 motor called the IPS series. Right:
Speed 300 motor for EPS series. Most of these small, geared
motors are $20 or less!
Castle Creations makes excellent ESCs for standard and
brushless motors. Top: Pixie-14 is now available in tiny 20-amp
version. Bottom: Pixie-7P is the most popular. It has 7-amp rating
and can be programmed for several cutoff points depending on
the battery you use.
Photos courtesy the author except as noted.
06sig2.QXD 3/24/04 3:31 pm Page 51
long time is the Bantam, designed by Larry
Sribnick of SR Batteries, Inc. It is available as
a biplane (two wings) and a monoplane. With
380 square inches of wing area, a weight of
9.4 ounces, and a wing loading of 5.9
ounces/square foot, the biplane is a perfect
parking lot flyer. The combination of
excellent kit engineering and super detailed
assembly instructions make this one of my
favorites.
In addition to slow-flying sport models,
we are now seeing many so-called verticalmaneuver,
“E-3D”-type airplanes. These
particular park flyers generally sport the
small-size brushless motors. A good such kit
is the new Radical RC Verti-Go 3D. Another
is the Attitude, designed and kitted by Todd
Long of Todd’s Models Inc.
The last category of models is the kind
built using published full-size plans.
Construction articles are published regularly
in the various model-aircraft magazines. You
purchase the plans and then buy the necessary
materials. You have to cut out your own parts
before you begin the assembly process. I’ve
included photos of several of my recently
published designs.
Take your pick. Buy it ready to fly or
almost ready to fly and do a little assembly
work. If you want to enjoy building as well as
flying, try a kit. If you want to really “roll
your own,” try building from plans or from
scratch.
There are literally hundreds of model
aircraft designed for parking lot flying that
can meet any or all of your personal
requirements. (There are slow models, fast
models, aerobatic models, pylon racers,
powered sailplanes, RC hand-launched
gliders, scale models, semiscale models, you
name it!)
The Power Systems: The GWS electric
motor systems are popular for parking lot
flying because there is a wide variety, in size
and in the various gear reduction ratios
offered. These systems are inexpensive,
ranging from $10 to $20. GWS also provides
a big variety of its orange propellers that
complement all the gear drives.
One of the biggest problems associated
with the GWS line of small ferrite electric
motors is that the shipping wrapper is
identified but the motor is not. Many times
52 MODEL AVIATION
RC-system components for parking lot flyer. Left: FMA Direct M5
dual-conversion five-channel FM receiver weighs less than .4
ounce! Right: FMA Direct PS20 submicroservos, which weigh .19
ounce each! Bob flies models weighing 3.5 ounces total using
these components.
Typical complete parking lot flyer RC system and electric power
system. At top are two Balsa Products submicro Blue Bird
servos. To left is GWS R-4P micro receiver; to right is GWS IPS-A
motor; to right of that is GWS propeller. Just below motor is
seven-cell 280 mAh NiMH battery pack; to left of battery is typical
ESC. There are many combinations you could use for your model.
Global/Watt-Age PF-12 Park Flyer AC/DC Peak Charger can
charge four to 12 Ni-Cd or NiMH cells at selectable currents from
250 to 2000 mA. It can handle most batteries used for parking lot
flying, ranging from 150 to approximately 1000 mAh capacity.
You must use a peak detect charger!
Hitec Super-Slim (L) is another excellent dual-conversion
receiver. Hitec HS-50 submicroservos (R) have been around for
several years. They work well, and the price is right!
Hitec Electron 6 dual FM conversion receiver is popular on 10- to
16-ounce models. It features reliable operation.
06sig2.QXD 3/24/04 3:34 pm Page 52
54 MODEL AVIATION
I’ve removed a GWS motor from its bubble
wrap and quickly installed it in a model.
When I discarded the wrapper, I discarded
the motor identification. I’m hoping that the
people at GWS read this and make an effort
to correct this problem.
Balsa Products, Horizon Hobby, and
Maxx Products International are the primary
GWS motor suppliers in the US. For parking
lot application, the largest motor we would
be interested in is GWS’s EPS series, which
uses a Speed 300-size motor. You would use
a motor this size for approximately 12- to 16-
ounce model weights.
The midrange IPS series was GWS’s
initial offering, and one of these is sold with
the Lite Stik. The motor size is similar to a
180 and is capable of flying models from
roughly 5 to 12 ounces.
The smallest and newest variety is the
GWS LPS series, which uses a shorter-length
motor than the 180—more like an N-20. This
is for 3- to 5-ounce models—the lower-end
weight being more for indoor RC (a category
I will discuss next month).
There is also a variety of small-size
(approximately 280 power) brushless motors
which are available from Hacker USA,
AstroFlight, Phasor, Mega, and Razor. These
brushless motors need a special speed
controller. The combination of a geared
brushless motor and companion ESV can
cost between $150 and $200.
Brushless motors’ advantages are their
power output for a given weight, much
higher operating efficiency, and without
brushes to wear out they can provide
excellent performance for many years.
The Speed Controllers: Equally important
to the electric motor is the device used to
control it. The electric motor speed controller
(ESC) actually takes the place of a throttle
servo. A good ESC will provide full linear
motor speed control from the off position all
the way up to full throttle.
Most ESCs also include a battery
eliminator circuit, or BEC, that allows you to
share the motor battery with your RC system.
That means only one battery pack is required
on the aircraft. Most BECs work between six
and 10 Ni-Cd or NiMH cells and two or three
cells with Li-Poly. Almost everyone I know
who is flying a parking lot model will
employ a BEC-equipped ESC to save the
extra weight.
The other important parameter associated
with ESCs is their maximum continuous
current rating. The smaller motors, such as
the GWS IPS (180 series), run approximately
2-21⁄2 amps current and, as such, can easily
get away with a 5-amp rated ESC. The larger
GWS EPS (300) run 5 or 6 amps, so an ESC
with an 8- to 10-amp current rating would be
more appropriate.
One of my favorite ESCs for parking lot
flying is the Castle Creations Pixie-7P. It is
unique because you can select four different
voltage cutoff levels from the single unit.
Programming this cutoff does take a little
patience, but the feature is still available. In
practice, many of my models run out of
power before the voltage cutoff is reached;
the airplane will be on the ground before the
cutoff operates.
There are many sources for these ESCs,
such as Castle Creations, FMA Direct,
Hobby Lobby International, Horizon Hobby,
Tower Hobbies/Great Planes, and more.
The Batteries: Until recently, the most
popular type of batteries used for parking lot
flying were six-, seven-, and eight-cell packs
of Ni-Cd or NiMH cells with capacities
ranging from 150 mAh upward of 600-720
mAh. But in recent months there has been
much progress with the newly introduced Li-
Poly battery cells.
Li-Poly cells require a special charger and
they have certain safety requirements. For a
complete understanding of these batteries,
including the safety precautions, please see
my article “Introduction to Lithium-Polymer
Batteries” in the May 2004 MA.
Because of that lengthy and complete
explanation of the Li-Poly batteries, this
article will deal only with the traditional Ni-
Cd and NiMH cells. Refer also to articles in
MA’s “From The Ground Up” series—
specifically “Introduction to Electric Power”
in the July 2003 issue and “Battery Basics” in
the October 2003 issue.
You can purchase battery packs and
individual cells from such companies as
Balsa Products, Batteries America, Dymond
Since 1948 Fox Manufacturing
Company has been producing
high quality model airplane
engines, glow plugs and other
accessories. Fox has become a
name modelers can trust when
it comes to durability, power,
and performance at an
affordable price. (479) 646-1656
Fax (479) 646-1757
5305 Towson Avenue
Fort Smith, AR 72901
www.foxmanufacturing.com
email: [email protected]
06sig2.QXD 3/24/04 3:35 pm Page 54
56 MODEL AVIATION
Modelsport, Hobby Lobby International,
Maxx Products International, New Creations
R/C, SR Batteries Inc., Radical RC, and many
others.
In general, these battery packs can be
selected to provide five- to 10-minute flight
times per charge. You can resort to a field fast
charger to get in a few flights during one
flying session. If you want to log many
flights, purchase several identical battery
packs and keep swapping them from flight to
flight.
The Battery Chargers: My article
“Introduction to Electric Power” (in the July
2003 issue) contains a great deal of good,
detailed information about battery charging.
The key item to buy from the start is a peak
detect type charger. In the article I referenced
the Global/Watt-Age PF-12 Park Flyer
AC/DC Peak Charger; for $49.95, it is an
excellent unit. The PF-12 can charge four to
12 Ni-Cd or NiMH cells at selectable currents
from 250 to 2000 mA. It can handle most
batteries used for parking lot flying ranging in
capacity from 150 to roughly 1000 mAh.
There are other, more expensive chargers
that offer even more features. Sources for
peak detect battery chargers include
AstroFlight, Dymond Modelsport, FMA
Direct, Great Planes/Tower Hobbies, MRC,
and more.
The RC Systems: Parking lot flyers generally
need lighter-weight RC equipment. If you
have a park flyer that is supposed to weigh 7
ounces ready to fly, you can’t employ a radio
system that weighs 8 ounces by itself.
Therefore, you have to select RC receivers
and servos that are small and extremely light.
For a receiver, I like to see dualconversion
circuitry; it makes for a sensitive
and selective unit that is usually more immune
to outside interference and other modelergenerated
interference.
I currently use the FMA Direct M5 the
most. It weighs less than 0.4 ounce and is
conveniently available on all the 72 MHz RC
channels and the six-meter (50 MHz)
channels for use by licensed Amateur Radio
Service operators. There are other receivers
that work quite well, such as the dualconversion
Hitec Electron 6 and several
single-conversion receivers, such as the Berg
and the JR.
For servos, you want the submicro variety.
One of the smallest is the FMA Direct PS20,
at 5.3 grams (.19 ounce). It is a fully
proportional, feedback servo—not a magnetic
actuator. Another microservo is the Hitec HS-
50, at 5.6 grams (.20 ounce).
Other small servos are offered by Balsa
Products, Dymond Modelsport, GWS, Hobby
People, JR/Horizon, Maxx Products, and
others. A new 1.5-gram servo will be on the
market soon, but you are going to have to pay
for that miniaturization.
RC receivers have a characteristic wire
antenna that is roughly 40 inches long exiting
the case. Such a long wire trailing from such a
small aircraft looks ridiculous. To help this
situation, Azarr of E Cubed R/C has
developed a series of reduced-size receiver
antennas. You lose approximately 15% of the
normal radio range, but the antenna is only
roughly 7 inches long. It has become popular
with park flyers.
The Connectors: RC systems come with
their own connectors, most of which
interchange easily from brand to brand. Just
follow the manufacturer’s directions and take
particular note of what the wire color coding
means for each manufacturer.
GWS supplies a two-pin connector on all
of its motors. Most modelers today resort to a
permanent connection between the motor
terminals and the ESC; you solder the wires
together, and it stays that way until you move
the motor to another aircraft. On the battery
side of the ESV you will need some type of
connector. For the most part, it will be your
responsibility to install that connector set.
On the larger Speed 300-size motors with
current levels upward of 5-7 amps, you would
be wise to use the time-honored Anderson
Power Pole (APP) connectors. These were
also identified as Sermos connectors, after
John Sermos who marketed them for years.
Connectors capable of the same current levels
are the Deans Ultra type (a heavy-duty
connector), the Deans four-pin (you double
up—two pins to one wire), and the
AstroFlight Zero Loss.
You can use any of the preceding, but if
06sig2.QXD 3/24/04 3:35 pm Page 56
58 MODEL AVIATION
you mix and match brands, you will have to
come up with connector adapters to let you
attach one cable to another.
When you get down to the 1- to 3-amp
motor current, the popular connector today is
the JST (red body). Each comes with roughly
a 6-inch length of red and black wire already
installed. These connectors work well, but
don’t try to push them beyond the 3-amp
rating or they will melt.
Sources of connectors include Balsa
Products, Batteries America, Maxx Products
International, New Creations R/C, and
Radical RC.
The Flying Considerations: Even though
you can go out to a parking lot, a school yard,
or your own back yard if it is large enough,
you still need to get with other RC modelers.
Setting up an aircraft for the first time and
making those initial flights can be much
easier if you have others there to help. If your
model gets away from you, you will be
thankful to have extra help on hand. Heaven
forbid you stick your hand in the propeller;
having a helper get you the necessary aid is
important.
Choosing your flying site is another
important consideration. Don’t pick a parking
lot that is half filled with cars. Don’t pick a
school yard when school is in session. Don’t
fly in your back yard and end up driving the
neighbor’s dog crazy! Try to pick safe
locations and avoid other known model
flying sites. Don’t take the attitude that it’s
always the “other guy’s” problem.
When you do fly at an organized flying
site or at a club field, make sure you know
what type of frequency control, frequency
board, frequency pins, etc. are employed, and
follow those procedures carefully. Also make
sure your RC transmitters have identifying
channel-number placards attached to their
antennas.
Even when flying in a parking lot with a
couple other local fliers, make sure you
determine what frequencies they are using
before you turn on your transmitter.
Remember that it is possible to cause
interference a mile away or at your own
flying site. Use common sense!
I recommend that you join AMA—not
only to receive this fine magazine, but to
benefit from its supplemental insurance
program.
There are three regular MA columnists
who are involved with electric power and
parking lot flyers. Bob Kopski’s monthly
“RC Electrics” column covers electric power
in general and touches on parking lot flying.
In alternating months, Dave Robelen’s
“Micro-Flying” column covers indoor RC
and parking lot flying and Paul Bradley’s
“Small-Field Flying” column covers parking
lot and backyard flying. I highly recommend
these columnists.
I also suggest that you read other
magazines, such as the Air Age publication
Backyard Flyer, which specializes in this
type of model aircraft, and Quiet Flyer,
which concentrates on electric power and
sailplane operations.
Not to sound too commercial, but
approximately two years ago I wrote the
book Getting Started in Backyard Flying. It
covers basically everything I have written
about in this article, but in considerably more
depth. It is available from AMA, Tower
Hobbies, Balsa Products, and the publisher’s
Web site at www.rcstore.com/rs/general/
books.asp.
There are two very important forums
operated as free services to electric modelers.
They involve daily exchanges of information,
test results, opinions, etc. What has been the
primary site for years is the E Zone; you can
sign up at www.ezonemag.com/. The other is
the Air Age-sponsored Small Flyers Net
(SFRC). To subscribe, E-mail sfrcrequest@
airage.com.
In the next chapter I will take you down one
more step in size to the world of indoor RC
flying. Until then! MA
Bob Aberle
[email protected]
Manufacturers/distributors of parking lotsize
models (RTFs, ARFs, kits):
Air Craft
www.aircraft-world.com
Balsa Products, LLC
www.balsapr.com
Bill Griggs Models
www.griggsmodels.com
Diversity Model Aircraft
www.flydma.com
DJ Aerotech
www.djaerotech.com
Dumas Products Inc.
www.dumasproducts.com
Dymond Modelsport
www.rc-dymond.com
Edge RC
www.edgerc.com
Global Hobby Distributors
www.globalhobby.com
Grand Wing Servo Co. (GWS)
www.gws.com.tw
Graupner
www.graupner.com
Great Planes Model Manufacturing Co.
www.greatplanes.com
Herr Engineering
www.iflyherr.com
Hobby Club
www.hobbyclub.com
Hobby Lobby International
www.hobby-lobby.com
06sig2.QXD 3/24/04 3:35 pm Page 58
Hobby People
www.hobbypeople.net
Horizon Hobby Inc.
www.horizonhobby.com
House of Balsa
www.houseofbalsa.com
Megatech International
www.megatech.com
Modelair-Tech
www.modelairtech.com
Mountain Models
www.mountainmodels.com
New Creations R/C
www.newcreations-rc.com
Northeast Sailplane Products
www.nesail.com
Peck-Polymers
www.peck-polymers.com
Radical RC
www.radicalrc.com
Sig Manufacturing Co. Inc.
www.sigmfg.com
SR Batteries, Inc.
www.srbatteries.com
Todd’s Models
www.toddsmodels.com
Tower Hobbies
www.towerhobbies.com
Manufacturers of supporting products and
components:
Air Age Media
www.airage.com
Anderson Power Pole connectors
See New Creations R/C and Radical RC
60 MODEL AVIATION
• NEW! High Performance Engine Kits
• Designed to Resolve Your “Leakage” problems
• Specially designed Rubber Seals for “Optimum” Performance
• Also Available as a Ceramic Hybrid Bearing
• High Performance Polymite Retainers
• Additionally we offer a full range of wheel bearings, and full replacement kits, for
all makes of R/C cars & trucks in: Econo (standard), Green Seals and Ceramics
• Information available on our website: www.bocabearings.com
1500 SW 30th Ave., Suite #3 • Boynton Beach, FL 33426
Toll Free Phone: 800-332-3256 • Toll Free Fax: 800-409-9191
Email: [email protected]
STOP
Leaks!
AstroFlight Inc.
www.astroflight.com
Batteries America
www.batteriesamerica.com
Berg receivers (RC Direct)
www.rc-direct.com
Castle Creations
www.castlerc.com
Deans connectors
See Batteries America and Radical RC
E Cubed R/C (Azarr)
www.azarr.com
FMA Direct
www.fmadirect.com
Hacker USA Inc.
www.hackerbrushless.com
Hitec RCD Inc.
www.hitecrcd.com
JR Remote Control systems
see Horizon Hobby Inc.
Mega brushless motors
see Modelair-Tech
Model Rectifier Corporation (MRC)
www.modelrectifier.com
Phasor brushless motors
see Hobby Lobby International
Quiet Flyer magazine
www.quietflyer.com
Razor brushless motors (The Electric Flight
Store)
www.e-flight.co.uk
www.WirelessVideoCameras.com
Airborne Video Systems
06sig2.QXD 3/24/04 3:35 pm Page 60

I WOULD SUSPECT that most RC modelers have heard
the terms “parking lot flying,” “backyard flying,” or
“schoolyard flying” in the past few years. Some may
wonder how these types differ from regular RC flying.
They really aren’t different when you consider the aircraft
involved and the radio control systems that go in them.
The primary differences are where the aircraft are flown
and the fact that they are basically small models
employing modest power levels.
As I proceed through this presentation I’ll just refer to
parking lot flying, but it will be assumed that I also mean
backyard and schoolyard flying. All three types of flying
sites are clearly different from a regulation club-sponsored
RC flying site. Club fields, as they are generally known,
are situated in relatively remote locations where engine
noise becomes less of a factor. The open spaces also
provide ample opportunity to fly much larger aircraft in a
safe manner.
As the name implies, parking lot flying is what we
might also call “close-in” flying. It might be on any large
parking lot in any populated area. An advantage is that you
don’t have to travel very far to fly. A shorter distance to
the flying site means more opportunities to go flying.
Quiet electric power also permits early morning and early
evening, calm-weather flying without bothering or
upsetting the local population.
Parking lot flying offers you the chance to easily
involve your entire family in a sport and hobby that is
educational and entertaining.
The Safety Considerations: As with all good things,
there can still be disadvantages. With parking lot flying,
you must be careful of the surrounding areas. Keep clear
of vehicles, houses, and people. To cope with these
potential safety problems, parking lot fliers are by
necessity small and employ relatively low-power motors.
To be “environmentally friendly,” most parking lotsize
aircraft are powered by clean and quiet electric
motors. However, small-displacement glow-fueled engines
can be used successfully, provided that the engine noise
doesn’t become a factor for those nearby.
Another safety aspect is that “regular size” models and
“parking lot-size” models use the same RC channels (or
frequencies). This means that one faction could easily
interfere with the other if the two types of flying are done
in close proximity to one another.
A three-mile separation from control points (location of
the transmitters) is generally sufficient to prevent
interference. However, even that fact has been subject to
much recent debate, and I only mention it as a point of
reference.
Because of the possibility of interference, parking lot
fliers should be especially aware of local established flying
fields. The best way to determine this possibility is to
contact a local hobby-shop owner or seek out a local
organized RC club and talk to the members.
There is also the chance that a parking lot flyer, if close
enough, might interfere with a backyard or schoolyard
flyer. With quiet electric motors, it won’t always be
48 MODEL AVIATION
Introduction to
Watt-Age Lite Stick (GWS Pico Stick) is
one of the most popular parking lot flyers.
Wing, tail surfaces are molded from thin
Styrofoam sheets. Fuselage is hardwood
stick, with RC equipment hanging off it.
Sig Bristol Scout has 300-square-inch
wing area, weighs roughly 11 ounces, is
powered by 180-size motor geared 4.4:1.
Little assembly work required and realistic
in flight.
Sig JN-4 Jenny has 285 square inches
of wing area, weighs approximately 10.5
ounces, and has a respectable wing
loading of slightly more than 5
ounces/square foot.
ARFs
For some time we have been trying to come up with an adequate and me
06sig2.QXD 3/24/04 3:24 pm Page 48
June 2004 49
Parking Lot Flying by Bob Aberle
obvious if someone is flying in the
adjacent parking lot (or a private
home’s large back yard). Preventing
all types of interference would be
virtually impossible, so the best
solution is to be alert, ask around, and
keep your eyes open for other RC
fliers.
The Definitions: For some time we
have been trying to come up with an
adequate and meaningful definition of
a “parking lot flyer.” Generally,
everyone with a relatively small
airplane wants to be included.
Common sense dictates that there
must be a weight and power limit
when it comes to flying in close-in
environments. To that end, 16 ounces
total model weight seems to be the
current acceptable figure. Most of the
popular parking lot models average 7-
14 ounces.
At 16 ounces you are almost into
the Speed 400-size motor. Most of us
who use parking lot-size models agree
that Speed 400 flying should be done
at a regulation flying site such as those
maintained by local clubs that are
sanctioned (chartered) by AMA.
That being the case, the largest
sensible motor that parking lot fliers
employ should be Speed 280 or 300
size, which generally runs up to an
approximately 30-watt power level.
That size includes some of the new,
tiny, brushless motors such as the
Hacker B-20 series, the AstroFlight
010/020, and others.
The final consideration for a
parking lot flyer is its wing loading.
The thinking is to limit the wing
loading to 8 ounces per square foot of
wing area. Take the typical and
extremely popular Watt-Age Lite Stik
(also known as the GWS Pico Stick);
at 238 square inches and 8 ounces
average weight, the resulting wing
loading works out to 4.8 ounces/square
foot. A Sig Manufacturing Jenny has a
wing area of 285 square inches and
weighs roughly 10 ounces. This
biplane’s wing loading is 5
ounces/square foot. These moderatesize
and -weight models yield an
equally moderate wing loading.
If I were to power the popular
Radical RC Verti-Go 3D (a vertical-
Above: Bob Aberle and his grandson Hayden
Parkes fly Bob’s SR Batteries Bantam Bipe. Bruce
Parkes photo. Top: Megatech Merlin RTF uses
equivalent Speed 300-size geared motor. It comes
assembled with motor system and RC system
installed.
o
New Hacker USA Ultimate biplane is
highly maneuverable. It has 420
square inches of wing area, spans
30 inches, employs a Hacker B-20-
26S, 4:1 brushless motor with
Hacker MAS 18-3P ESC. Battery
pack is Thunder Power Li-Poly 3S
1320 mAh.
Balsa Products Butterfly constructed
from carbon rods and iron-on
covering. Fuselage is hollow carbon
tube. At almost 350 square inches
wing area and less than 5 ounces total
weight, it has 2-ounce/square-foot
wing loading. Truly a “slow flyer”!
nd meaningful definition of a “parking lot flyer.”
06sig2.QXD 3/24/04 3:24 pm Page 49
maneuver “E-3D” design) with a Hacker B-
20 brushless motor, the total weight might be
14 ounces. At 280 square inches of wing
area, that’s a wing loading of 7.2
ounces/square foot, which is close to my
suggested limit. Although that model can be
quite fast, it can be slowed considerably for
its vertical maneuvering.
On the other hand, consider an 80-squareinch
model that is powered by a brushless
010 motor and weighs approximately 10
ounces. That works out to 18 ounces/square
foot of loading, and that airplane is capable
of speeds in excess of 60 mph! That is
exactly the kind of airplane I would not like
to see flown in a parking lot. Get my drift?
I used this example to show why I think
the wing-loading limitation is also very
important to help categorize a parking lot
flyer. If you are used to flying a real “hot”
airplane, you may not agree with me on this
point.
The Models: Now you know about the
safety concerns and have a reasonable
definition of a parking lot flyer that takes into
consideration weight, size, and power. But
what kind of aircraft should the beginner try?
As with any kind of model today, be it glow
fueled, electric, gas, etc., there are RTFs,
ARFs, those built from kits, and those built
from published plans.
There aren’t very many in the RTF
category, but that will eventually change, I’m
sure. The popular RTF that first comes to
mind is the Merlin, which Megatech Inc.
distributes. The Merlin includes the complete
motor and RC system, already installed in the
model. You attach the wings, charge the
battery (battery and charger are even
supplied), and fly it. It is almost at my upper
limit of 16 ounces, but at 511 square inches
of wing area, the resulting wing loading is
still only 4.9 ounces/square foot.
The Merlin will also slow to the point
where you can practically walk underneath it
as it flies. So if you don’t care about building
or assembling and only want to learn to fly,
this might be the airplane for you.
The most common and popular type of
model for parking lot flying is the ARF.
These models take on many forms. Some are
balsa-wood, built-up structures that are
covered for you, and others are made from
expanded foam molded parts. In most cases
you have to join the wing panels and attach
the tail surfaces. Many ARFs come with
prehinged control surfaces, which can save a
lot of time. You usually have to install the
electric motor system (motor, battery, and
speed controller) and the RC system,
including the all-important servos.
Probably the most famous ARF parking
lot flyer is the Watt-Age Lite Stik (GWS
Pico Stick). It has a foam wing and tail with a
stick fuselage. The radio equipment and
battery literally just “hang out”! It is
inexpensive, easy to assemble, and easy to fly.
There is also a larger version called the Slow
Stick, which uses the same design and
construction. It employs a Speed 300-size
geared motor. I will try to mention as many
ARF suppliers as possible at the end of this
article.
Although they are not as popular as ARFs,
quite a few parking lot-flyer kits are available.
Kits give you the added pleasure of building a
complete aircraft. Many of the kits now on the
market include laser-cut parts that feature true
precision. This allows for easy assembly in a
minimum amount of time.
One of the nicest kits I’ve assembled in a
50 MODEL AVIATION
Kits Plans
Todd Long Models’ new Attitude. “E-3D”
vertical-maneuver-capable model has big
390-square-inch wing, is powered by
Mega brushless motor, but still weighs
only 11-13 ounces!
SR Bantam Bipe is Bob’s favorite parking
lot flyer. It has a standard GWS IPS-A
motor and weighs just more than 9
ounces. It can fly fast and slow and is
maneuverable. At bottom is uncovered
framework.
Bob’s original-design Microball will be
an MA construction article. You buy
plans from a magazine, buy materials,
then cut everything out and assemble it.
This model weighs roughly 6 ounces and
has approximately 100-square-inch wing.
Twin fins give it that F-14 look!
Bob holds reduced-size replica of his
first RC model from 1953: a Guillow’s
Trixter Beam. He condensed it to roughly
175 square inches. It has geared 280-size
motor and weighs close to 11 ounces. It
was published last year in Backyard
Flyer.
Radical RC’s Verti-Go 3D has 285-squareinch
wing area, weighs 14 ounces, has
wing loading of slightly less than 8
ounces/square foot. This is close to Bob’s
limit for a parking lot flyer. Power is
Hacker B-20-26S geared 4.4:1.
06sig2.QXD 3/24/04 3:27 pm Page 50
June 2004 51
Bantam Bipe’s power-system components (top left to bottom):
GWS standard IPS-A motor, SR Batteries seven-cell 150 mAh Ni-
Cd battery pack, Jeti JES-050 ESC with 5-amp current rating,
GWS 9 x 4.7 propeller.
Left: Hacker USA B-20-26S brushless motor with 4:1 planetary
gearbox. Right: Companion Jeti JES 06-3P (6-amp) brushless
ESC. This system can handle models weighing 11 to roughly 16
ounces. High efficiency and long operating life does cost more!
Typical precision-made AstroFlight 010 geared brushless motor
can generally handle models of roughly 10 ounces total weight. It
is small and lightweight!
For standard ferrite-type small motors, 1⁄6-ounce Jeti JES-50 5-
amp ESC with BEC can’t be beat—especially at less than $30.
These popular battery packs can be used for parking lot flyers.
Top to bottom: six-cell 280 mAh NiMH; seven-cell packs of 350
NiMH (L) and 280 NiMH (R); two eight-cell packs—600 mAh NiMH
cells on left and 280 NiMH cells on right; SR Batteries seven-cell
150 mAh Ni-Cd pack. NiMH packs shown are from Balsa Products.
Popular, inexpensive GWS parking lot motors. Left: the
smallest—the LPS series—several of which use N-20-size motor.
Center: standard-size 180 motor called the IPS series. Right:
Speed 300 motor for EPS series. Most of these small, geared
motors are $20 or less!
Castle Creations makes excellent ESCs for standard and
brushless motors. Top: Pixie-14 is now available in tiny 20-amp
version. Bottom: Pixie-7P is the most popular. It has 7-amp rating
and can be programmed for several cutoff points depending on
the battery you use.
Photos courtesy the author except as noted.
06sig2.QXD 3/24/04 3:31 pm Page 51
long time is the Bantam, designed by Larry
Sribnick of SR Batteries, Inc. It is available as
a biplane (two wings) and a monoplane. With
380 square inches of wing area, a weight of
9.4 ounces, and a wing loading of 5.9
ounces/square foot, the biplane is a perfect
parking lot flyer. The combination of
excellent kit engineering and super detailed
assembly instructions make this one of my
favorites.
In addition to slow-flying sport models,
we are now seeing many so-called verticalmaneuver,
“E-3D”-type airplanes. These
particular park flyers generally sport the
small-size brushless motors. A good such kit
is the new Radical RC Verti-Go 3D. Another
is the Attitude, designed and kitted by Todd
Long of Todd’s Models Inc.
The last category of models is the kind
built using published full-size plans.
Construction articles are published regularly
in the various model-aircraft magazines. You
purchase the plans and then buy the necessary
materials. You have to cut out your own parts
before you begin the assembly process. I’ve
included photos of several of my recently
published designs.
Take your pick. Buy it ready to fly or
almost ready to fly and do a little assembly
work. If you want to enjoy building as well as
flying, try a kit. If you want to really “roll
your own,” try building from plans or from
scratch.
There are literally hundreds of model
aircraft designed for parking lot flying that
can meet any or all of your personal
requirements. (There are slow models, fast
models, aerobatic models, pylon racers,
powered sailplanes, RC hand-launched
gliders, scale models, semiscale models, you
name it!)
The Power Systems: The GWS electric
motor systems are popular for parking lot
flying because there is a wide variety, in size
and in the various gear reduction ratios
offered. These systems are inexpensive,
ranging from $10 to $20. GWS also provides
a big variety of its orange propellers that
complement all the gear drives.
One of the biggest problems associated
with the GWS line of small ferrite electric
motors is that the shipping wrapper is
identified but the motor is not. Many times
52 MODEL AVIATION
RC-system components for parking lot flyer. Left: FMA Direct M5
dual-conversion five-channel FM receiver weighs less than .4
ounce! Right: FMA Direct PS20 submicroservos, which weigh .19
ounce each! Bob flies models weighing 3.5 ounces total using
these components.
Typical complete parking lot flyer RC system and electric power
system. At top are two Balsa Products submicro Blue Bird
servos. To left is GWS R-4P micro receiver; to right is GWS IPS-A
motor; to right of that is GWS propeller. Just below motor is
seven-cell 280 mAh NiMH battery pack; to left of battery is typical
ESC. There are many combinations you could use for your model.
Global/Watt-Age PF-12 Park Flyer AC/DC Peak Charger can
charge four to 12 Ni-Cd or NiMH cells at selectable currents from
250 to 2000 mA. It can handle most batteries used for parking lot
flying, ranging from 150 to approximately 1000 mAh capacity.
You must use a peak detect charger!
Hitec Super-Slim (L) is another excellent dual-conversion
receiver. Hitec HS-50 submicroservos (R) have been around for
several years. They work well, and the price is right!
Hitec Electron 6 dual FM conversion receiver is popular on 10- to
16-ounce models. It features reliable operation.
06sig2.QXD 3/24/04 3:34 pm Page 52
54 MODEL AVIATION
I’ve removed a GWS motor from its bubble
wrap and quickly installed it in a model.
When I discarded the wrapper, I discarded
the motor identification. I’m hoping that the
people at GWS read this and make an effort
to correct this problem.
Balsa Products, Horizon Hobby, and
Maxx Products International are the primary
GWS motor suppliers in the US. For parking
lot application, the largest motor we would
be interested in is GWS’s EPS series, which
uses a Speed 300-size motor. You would use
a motor this size for approximately 12- to 16-
ounce model weights.
The midrange IPS series was GWS’s
initial offering, and one of these is sold with
the Lite Stik. The motor size is similar to a
180 and is capable of flying models from
roughly 5 to 12 ounces.
The smallest and newest variety is the
GWS LPS series, which uses a shorter-length
motor than the 180—more like an N-20. This
is for 3- to 5-ounce models—the lower-end
weight being more for indoor RC (a category
I will discuss next month).
There is also a variety of small-size
(approximately 280 power) brushless motors
which are available from Hacker USA,
AstroFlight, Phasor, Mega, and Razor. These
brushless motors need a special speed
controller. The combination of a geared
brushless motor and companion ESV can
cost between $150 and $200.
Brushless motors’ advantages are their
power output for a given weight, much
higher operating efficiency, and without
brushes to wear out they can provide
excellent performance for many years.
The Speed Controllers: Equally important
to the electric motor is the device used to
control it. The electric motor speed controller
(ESC) actually takes the place of a throttle
servo. A good ESC will provide full linear
motor speed control from the off position all
the way up to full throttle.
Most ESCs also include a battery
eliminator circuit, or BEC, that allows you to
share the motor battery with your RC system.
That means only one battery pack is required
on the aircraft. Most BECs work between six
and 10 Ni-Cd or NiMH cells and two or three
cells with Li-Poly. Almost everyone I know
who is flying a parking lot model will
employ a BEC-equipped ESC to save the
extra weight.
The other important parameter associated
with ESCs is their maximum continuous
current rating. The smaller motors, such as
the GWS IPS (180 series), run approximately
2-21⁄2 amps current and, as such, can easily
get away with a 5-amp rated ESC. The larger
GWS EPS (300) run 5 or 6 amps, so an ESC
with an 8- to 10-amp current rating would be
more appropriate.
One of my favorite ESCs for parking lot
flying is the Castle Creations Pixie-7P. It is
unique because you can select four different
voltage cutoff levels from the single unit.
Programming this cutoff does take a little
patience, but the feature is still available. In
practice, many of my models run out of
power before the voltage cutoff is reached;
the airplane will be on the ground before the
cutoff operates.
There are many sources for these ESCs,
such as Castle Creations, FMA Direct,
Hobby Lobby International, Horizon Hobby,
Tower Hobbies/Great Planes, and more.
The Batteries: Until recently, the most
popular type of batteries used for parking lot
flying were six-, seven-, and eight-cell packs
of Ni-Cd or NiMH cells with capacities
ranging from 150 mAh upward of 600-720
mAh. But in recent months there has been
much progress with the newly introduced Li-
Poly battery cells.
Li-Poly cells require a special charger and
they have certain safety requirements. For a
complete understanding of these batteries,
including the safety precautions, please see
my article “Introduction to Lithium-Polymer
Batteries” in the May 2004 MA.
Because of that lengthy and complete
explanation of the Li-Poly batteries, this
article will deal only with the traditional Ni-
Cd and NiMH cells. Refer also to articles in
MA’s “From The Ground Up” series—
specifically “Introduction to Electric Power”
in the July 2003 issue and “Battery Basics” in
the October 2003 issue.
You can purchase battery packs and
individual cells from such companies as
Balsa Products, Batteries America, Dymond
Since 1948 Fox Manufacturing
Company has been producing
high quality model airplane
engines, glow plugs and other
accessories. Fox has become a
name modelers can trust when
it comes to durability, power,
and performance at an
affordable price. (479) 646-1656
Fax (479) 646-1757
5305 Towson Avenue
Fort Smith, AR 72901
www.foxmanufacturing.com
email: [email protected]
06sig2.QXD 3/24/04 3:35 pm Page 54
56 MODEL AVIATION
Modelsport, Hobby Lobby International,
Maxx Products International, New Creations
R/C, SR Batteries Inc., Radical RC, and many
others.
In general, these battery packs can be
selected to provide five- to 10-minute flight
times per charge. You can resort to a field fast
charger to get in a few flights during one
flying session. If you want to log many
flights, purchase several identical battery
packs and keep swapping them from flight to
flight.
The Battery Chargers: My article
“Introduction to Electric Power” (in the July
2003 issue) contains a great deal of good,
detailed information about battery charging.
The key item to buy from the start is a peak
detect type charger. In the article I referenced
the Global/Watt-Age PF-12 Park Flyer
AC/DC Peak Charger; for $49.95, it is an
excellent unit. The PF-12 can charge four to
12 Ni-Cd or NiMH cells at selectable currents
from 250 to 2000 mA. It can handle most
batteries used for parking lot flying ranging in
capacity from 150 to roughly 1000 mAh.
There are other, more expensive chargers
that offer even more features. Sources for
peak detect battery chargers include
AstroFlight, Dymond Modelsport, FMA
Direct, Great Planes/Tower Hobbies, MRC,
and more.
The RC Systems: Parking lot flyers generally
need lighter-weight RC equipment. If you
have a park flyer that is supposed to weigh 7
ounces ready to fly, you can’t employ a radio
system that weighs 8 ounces by itself.
Therefore, you have to select RC receivers
and servos that are small and extremely light.
For a receiver, I like to see dualconversion
circuitry; it makes for a sensitive
and selective unit that is usually more immune
to outside interference and other modelergenerated
interference.
I currently use the FMA Direct M5 the
most. It weighs less than 0.4 ounce and is
conveniently available on all the 72 MHz RC
channels and the six-meter (50 MHz)
channels for use by licensed Amateur Radio
Service operators. There are other receivers
that work quite well, such as the dualconversion
Hitec Electron 6 and several
single-conversion receivers, such as the Berg
and the JR.
For servos, you want the submicro variety.
One of the smallest is the FMA Direct PS20,
at 5.3 grams (.19 ounce). It is a fully
proportional, feedback servo—not a magnetic
actuator. Another microservo is the Hitec HS-
50, at 5.6 grams (.20 ounce).
Other small servos are offered by Balsa
Products, Dymond Modelsport, GWS, Hobby
People, JR/Horizon, Maxx Products, and
others. A new 1.5-gram servo will be on the
market soon, but you are going to have to pay
for that miniaturization.
RC receivers have a characteristic wire
antenna that is roughly 40 inches long exiting
the case. Such a long wire trailing from such a
small aircraft looks ridiculous. To help this
situation, Azarr of E Cubed R/C has
developed a series of reduced-size receiver
antennas. You lose approximately 15% of the
normal radio range, but the antenna is only
roughly 7 inches long. It has become popular
with park flyers.
The Connectors: RC systems come with
their own connectors, most of which
interchange easily from brand to brand. Just
follow the manufacturer’s directions and take
particular note of what the wire color coding
means for each manufacturer.
GWS supplies a two-pin connector on all
of its motors. Most modelers today resort to a
permanent connection between the motor
terminals and the ESC; you solder the wires
together, and it stays that way until you move
the motor to another aircraft. On the battery
side of the ESV you will need some type of
connector. For the most part, it will be your
responsibility to install that connector set.
On the larger Speed 300-size motors with
current levels upward of 5-7 amps, you would
be wise to use the time-honored Anderson
Power Pole (APP) connectors. These were
also identified as Sermos connectors, after
John Sermos who marketed them for years.
Connectors capable of the same current levels
are the Deans Ultra type (a heavy-duty
connector), the Deans four-pin (you double
up—two pins to one wire), and the
AstroFlight Zero Loss.
You can use any of the preceding, but if
06sig2.QXD 3/24/04 3:35 pm Page 56
58 MODEL AVIATION
you mix and match brands, you will have to
come up with connector adapters to let you
attach one cable to another.
When you get down to the 1- to 3-amp
motor current, the popular connector today is
the JST (red body). Each comes with roughly
a 6-inch length of red and black wire already
installed. These connectors work well, but
don’t try to push them beyond the 3-amp
rating or they will melt.
Sources of connectors include Balsa
Products, Batteries America, Maxx Products
International, New Creations R/C, and
Radical RC.
The Flying Considerations: Even though
you can go out to a parking lot, a school yard,
or your own back yard if it is large enough,
you still need to get with other RC modelers.
Setting up an aircraft for the first time and
making those initial flights can be much
easier if you have others there to help. If your
model gets away from you, you will be
thankful to have extra help on hand. Heaven
forbid you stick your hand in the propeller;
having a helper get you the necessary aid is
important.
Choosing your flying site is another
important consideration. Don’t pick a parking
lot that is half filled with cars. Don’t pick a
school yard when school is in session. Don’t
fly in your back yard and end up driving the
neighbor’s dog crazy! Try to pick safe
locations and avoid other known model
flying sites. Don’t take the attitude that it’s
always the “other guy’s” problem.
When you do fly at an organized flying
site or at a club field, make sure you know
what type of frequency control, frequency
board, frequency pins, etc. are employed, and
follow those procedures carefully. Also make
sure your RC transmitters have identifying
channel-number placards attached to their
antennas.
Even when flying in a parking lot with a
couple other local fliers, make sure you
determine what frequencies they are using
before you turn on your transmitter.
Remember that it is possible to cause
interference a mile away or at your own
flying site. Use common sense!
I recommend that you join AMA—not
only to receive this fine magazine, but to
benefit from its supplemental insurance
program.
There are three regular MA columnists
who are involved with electric power and
parking lot flyers. Bob Kopski’s monthly
“RC Electrics” column covers electric power
in general and touches on parking lot flying.
In alternating months, Dave Robelen’s
“Micro-Flying” column covers indoor RC
and parking lot flying and Paul Bradley’s
“Small-Field Flying” column covers parking
lot and backyard flying. I highly recommend
these columnists.
I also suggest that you read other
magazines, such as the Air Age publication
Backyard Flyer, which specializes in this
type of model aircraft, and Quiet Flyer,
which concentrates on electric power and
sailplane operations.
Not to sound too commercial, but
approximately two years ago I wrote the
book Getting Started in Backyard Flying. It
covers basically everything I have written
about in this article, but in considerably more
depth. It is available from AMA, Tower
Hobbies, Balsa Products, and the publisher’s
Web site at www.rcstore.com/rs/general/
books.asp.
There are two very important forums
operated as free services to electric modelers.
They involve daily exchanges of information,
test results, opinions, etc. What has been the
primary site for years is the E Zone; you can
sign up at www.ezonemag.com/. The other is
the Air Age-sponsored Small Flyers Net
(SFRC). To subscribe, E-mail sfrcrequest@
airage.com.
In the next chapter I will take you down one
more step in size to the world of indoor RC
flying. Until then! MA
Bob Aberle
[email protected]
Manufacturers/distributors of parking lotsize
models (RTFs, ARFs, kits):
Air Craft
www.aircraft-world.com
Balsa Products, LLC
www.balsapr.com
Bill Griggs Models
www.griggsmodels.com
Diversity Model Aircraft
www.flydma.com
DJ Aerotech
www.djaerotech.com
Dumas Products Inc.
www.dumasproducts.com
Dymond Modelsport
www.rc-dymond.com
Edge RC
www.edgerc.com
Global Hobby Distributors
www.globalhobby.com
Grand Wing Servo Co. (GWS)
www.gws.com.tw
Graupner
www.graupner.com
Great Planes Model Manufacturing Co.
www.greatplanes.com
Herr Engineering
www.iflyherr.com
Hobby Club
www.hobbyclub.com
Hobby Lobby International
www.hobby-lobby.com
06sig2.QXD 3/24/04 3:35 pm Page 58
Hobby People
www.hobbypeople.net
Horizon Hobby Inc.
www.horizonhobby.com
House of Balsa
www.houseofbalsa.com
Megatech International
www.megatech.com
Modelair-Tech
www.modelairtech.com
Mountain Models
www.mountainmodels.com
New Creations R/C
www.newcreations-rc.com
Northeast Sailplane Products
www.nesail.com
Peck-Polymers
www.peck-polymers.com
Radical RC
www.radicalrc.com
Sig Manufacturing Co. Inc.
www.sigmfg.com
SR Batteries, Inc.
www.srbatteries.com
Todd’s Models
www.toddsmodels.com
Tower Hobbies
www.towerhobbies.com
Manufacturers of supporting products and
components:
Air Age Media
www.airage.com
Anderson Power Pole connectors
See New Creations R/C and Radical RC
60 MODEL AVIATION
• NEW! High Performance Engine Kits
• Designed to Resolve Your “Leakage” problems
• Specially designed Rubber Seals for “Optimum” Performance
• Also Available as a Ceramic Hybrid Bearing
• High Performance Polymite Retainers
• Additionally we offer a full range of wheel bearings, and full replacement kits, for
all makes of R/C cars & trucks in: Econo (standard), Green Seals and Ceramics
• Information available on our website: www.bocabearings.com
1500 SW 30th Ave., Suite #3 • Boynton Beach, FL 33426
Toll Free Phone: 800-332-3256 • Toll Free Fax: 800-409-9191
Email: [email protected]
STOP
Leaks!
AstroFlight Inc.
www.astroflight.com
Batteries America
www.batteriesamerica.com
Berg receivers (RC Direct)
www.rc-direct.com
Castle Creations
www.castlerc.com
Deans connectors
See Batteries America and Radical RC
E Cubed R/C (Azarr)
www.azarr.com
FMA Direct
www.fmadirect.com
Hacker USA Inc.
www.hackerbrushless.com
Hitec RCD Inc.
www.hitecrcd.com
JR Remote Control systems
see Horizon Hobby Inc.
Mega brushless motors
see Modelair-Tech
Model Rectifier Corporation (MRC)
www.modelrectifier.com
Phasor brushless motors
see Hobby Lobby International
Quiet Flyer magazine
www.quietflyer.com
Razor brushless motors (The Electric Flight
Store)
www.e-flight.co.uk
www.WirelessVideoCameras.com
Airborne Video Systems
06sig2.QXD 3/24/04 3:35 pm Page 60

I WOULD SUSPECT that most RC modelers have heard
the terms “parking lot flying,” “backyard flying,” or
“schoolyard flying” in the past few years. Some may
wonder how these types differ from regular RC flying.
They really aren’t different when you consider the aircraft
involved and the radio control systems that go in them.
The primary differences are where the aircraft are flown
and the fact that they are basically small models
employing modest power levels.
As I proceed through this presentation I’ll just refer to
parking lot flying, but it will be assumed that I also mean
backyard and schoolyard flying. All three types of flying
sites are clearly different from a regulation club-sponsored
RC flying site. Club fields, as they are generally known,
are situated in relatively remote locations where engine
noise becomes less of a factor. The open spaces also
provide ample opportunity to fly much larger aircraft in a
safe manner.
As the name implies, parking lot flying is what we
might also call “close-in” flying. It might be on any large
parking lot in any populated area. An advantage is that you
don’t have to travel very far to fly. A shorter distance to
the flying site means more opportunities to go flying.
Quiet electric power also permits early morning and early
evening, calm-weather flying without bothering or
upsetting the local population.
Parking lot flying offers you the chance to easily
involve your entire family in a sport and hobby that is
educational and entertaining.
The Safety Considerations: As with all good things,
there can still be disadvantages. With parking lot flying,
you must be careful of the surrounding areas. Keep clear
of vehicles, houses, and people. To cope with these
potential safety problems, parking lot fliers are by
necessity small and employ relatively low-power motors.
To be “environmentally friendly,” most parking lotsize
aircraft are powered by clean and quiet electric
motors. However, small-displacement glow-fueled engines
can be used successfully, provided that the engine noise
doesn’t become a factor for those nearby.
Another safety aspect is that “regular size” models and
“parking lot-size” models use the same RC channels (or
frequencies). This means that one faction could easily
interfere with the other if the two types of flying are done
in close proximity to one another.
A three-mile separation from control points (location of
the transmitters) is generally sufficient to prevent
interference. However, even that fact has been subject to
much recent debate, and I only mention it as a point of
reference.
Because of the possibility of interference, parking lot
fliers should be especially aware of local established flying
fields. The best way to determine this possibility is to
contact a local hobby-shop owner or seek out a local
organized RC club and talk to the members.
There is also the chance that a parking lot flyer, if close
enough, might interfere with a backyard or schoolyard
flyer. With quiet electric motors, it won’t always be
48 MODEL AVIATION
Introduction to
Watt-Age Lite Stick (GWS Pico Stick) is
one of the most popular parking lot flyers.
Wing, tail surfaces are molded from thin
Styrofoam sheets. Fuselage is hardwood
stick, with RC equipment hanging off it.
Sig Bristol Scout has 300-square-inch
wing area, weighs roughly 11 ounces, is
powered by 180-size motor geared 4.4:1.
Little assembly work required and realistic
in flight.
Sig JN-4 Jenny has 285 square inches
of wing area, weighs approximately 10.5
ounces, and has a respectable wing
loading of slightly more than 5
ounces/square foot.
ARFs
For some time we have been trying to come up with an adequate and me
06sig2.QXD 3/24/04 3:24 pm Page 48
June 2004 49
Parking Lot Flying by Bob Aberle
obvious if someone is flying in the
adjacent parking lot (or a private
home’s large back yard). Preventing
all types of interference would be
virtually impossible, so the best
solution is to be alert, ask around, and
keep your eyes open for other RC
fliers.
The Definitions: For some time we
have been trying to come up with an
adequate and meaningful definition of
a “parking lot flyer.” Generally,
everyone with a relatively small
airplane wants to be included.
Common sense dictates that there
must be a weight and power limit
when it comes to flying in close-in
environments. To that end, 16 ounces
total model weight seems to be the
current acceptable figure. Most of the
popular parking lot models average 7-
14 ounces.
At 16 ounces you are almost into
the Speed 400-size motor. Most of us
who use parking lot-size models agree
that Speed 400 flying should be done
at a regulation flying site such as those
maintained by local clubs that are
sanctioned (chartered) by AMA.
That being the case, the largest
sensible motor that parking lot fliers
employ should be Speed 280 or 300
size, which generally runs up to an
approximately 30-watt power level.
That size includes some of the new,
tiny, brushless motors such as the
Hacker B-20 series, the AstroFlight
010/020, and others.
The final consideration for a
parking lot flyer is its wing loading.
The thinking is to limit the wing
loading to 8 ounces per square foot of
wing area. Take the typical and
extremely popular Watt-Age Lite Stik
(also known as the GWS Pico Stick);
at 238 square inches and 8 ounces
average weight, the resulting wing
loading works out to 4.8 ounces/square
foot. A Sig Manufacturing Jenny has a
wing area of 285 square inches and
weighs roughly 10 ounces. This
biplane’s wing loading is 5
ounces/square foot. These moderatesize
and -weight models yield an
equally moderate wing loading.
If I were to power the popular
Radical RC Verti-Go 3D (a vertical-
Above: Bob Aberle and his grandson Hayden
Parkes fly Bob’s SR Batteries Bantam Bipe. Bruce
Parkes photo. Top: Megatech Merlin RTF uses
equivalent Speed 300-size geared motor. It comes
assembled with motor system and RC system
installed.
o
New Hacker USA Ultimate biplane is
highly maneuverable. It has 420
square inches of wing area, spans
30 inches, employs a Hacker B-20-
26S, 4:1 brushless motor with
Hacker MAS 18-3P ESC. Battery
pack is Thunder Power Li-Poly 3S
1320 mAh.
Balsa Products Butterfly constructed
from carbon rods and iron-on
covering. Fuselage is hollow carbon
tube. At almost 350 square inches
wing area and less than 5 ounces total
weight, it has 2-ounce/square-foot
wing loading. Truly a “slow flyer”!
nd meaningful definition of a “parking lot flyer.”
06sig2.QXD 3/24/04 3:24 pm Page 49
maneuver “E-3D” design) with a Hacker B-
20 brushless motor, the total weight might be
14 ounces. At 280 square inches of wing
area, that’s a wing loading of 7.2
ounces/square foot, which is close to my
suggested limit. Although that model can be
quite fast, it can be slowed considerably for
its vertical maneuvering.
On the other hand, consider an 80-squareinch
model that is powered by a brushless
010 motor and weighs approximately 10
ounces. That works out to 18 ounces/square
foot of loading, and that airplane is capable
of speeds in excess of 60 mph! That is
exactly the kind of airplane I would not like
to see flown in a parking lot. Get my drift?
I used this example to show why I think
the wing-loading limitation is also very
important to help categorize a parking lot
flyer. If you are used to flying a real “hot”
airplane, you may not agree with me on this
point.
The Models: Now you know about the
safety concerns and have a reasonable
definition of a parking lot flyer that takes into
consideration weight, size, and power. But
what kind of aircraft should the beginner try?
As with any kind of model today, be it glow
fueled, electric, gas, etc., there are RTFs,
ARFs, those built from kits, and those built
from published plans.
There aren’t very many in the RTF
category, but that will eventually change, I’m
sure. The popular RTF that first comes to
mind is the Merlin, which Megatech Inc.
distributes. The Merlin includes the complete
motor and RC system, already installed in the
model. You attach the wings, charge the
battery (battery and charger are even
supplied), and fly it. It is almost at my upper
limit of 16 ounces, but at 511 square inches
of wing area, the resulting wing loading is
still only 4.9 ounces/square foot.
The Merlin will also slow to the point
where you can practically walk underneath it
as it flies. So if you don’t care about building
or assembling and only want to learn to fly,
this might be the airplane for you.
The most common and popular type of
model for parking lot flying is the ARF.
These models take on many forms. Some are
balsa-wood, built-up structures that are
covered for you, and others are made from
expanded foam molded parts. In most cases
you have to join the wing panels and attach
the tail surfaces. Many ARFs come with
prehinged control surfaces, which can save a
lot of time. You usually have to install the
electric motor system (motor, battery, and
speed controller) and the RC system,
including the all-important servos.
Probably the most famous ARF parking
lot flyer is the Watt-Age Lite Stik (GWS
Pico Stick). It has a foam wing and tail with a
stick fuselage. The radio equipment and
battery literally just “hang out”! It is
inexpensive, easy to assemble, and easy to fly.
There is also a larger version called the Slow
Stick, which uses the same design and
construction. It employs a Speed 300-size
geared motor. I will try to mention as many
ARF suppliers as possible at the end of this
article.
Although they are not as popular as ARFs,
quite a few parking lot-flyer kits are available.
Kits give you the added pleasure of building a
complete aircraft. Many of the kits now on the
market include laser-cut parts that feature true
precision. This allows for easy assembly in a
minimum amount of time.
One of the nicest kits I’ve assembled in a
50 MODEL AVIATION
Kits Plans
Todd Long Models’ new Attitude. “E-3D”
vertical-maneuver-capable model has big
390-square-inch wing, is powered by
Mega brushless motor, but still weighs
only 11-13 ounces!
SR Bantam Bipe is Bob’s favorite parking
lot flyer. It has a standard GWS IPS-A
motor and weighs just more than 9
ounces. It can fly fast and slow and is
maneuverable. At bottom is uncovered
framework.
Bob’s original-design Microball will be
an MA construction article. You buy
plans from a magazine, buy materials,
then cut everything out and assemble it.
This model weighs roughly 6 ounces and
has approximately 100-square-inch wing.
Twin fins give it that F-14 look!
Bob holds reduced-size replica of his
first RC model from 1953: a Guillow’s
Trixter Beam. He condensed it to roughly
175 square inches. It has geared 280-size
motor and weighs close to 11 ounces. It
was published last year in Backyard
Flyer.
Radical RC’s Verti-Go 3D has 285-squareinch
wing area, weighs 14 ounces, has
wing loading of slightly less than 8
ounces/square foot. This is close to Bob’s
limit for a parking lot flyer. Power is
Hacker B-20-26S geared 4.4:1.
06sig2.QXD 3/24/04 3:27 pm Page 50
June 2004 51
Bantam Bipe’s power-system components (top left to bottom):
GWS standard IPS-A motor, SR Batteries seven-cell 150 mAh Ni-
Cd battery pack, Jeti JES-050 ESC with 5-amp current rating,
GWS 9 x 4.7 propeller.
Left: Hacker USA B-20-26S brushless motor with 4:1 planetary
gearbox. Right: Companion Jeti JES 06-3P (6-amp) brushless
ESC. This system can handle models weighing 11 to roughly 16
ounces. High efficiency and long operating life does cost more!
Typical precision-made AstroFlight 010 geared brushless motor
can generally handle models of roughly 10 ounces total weight. It
is small and lightweight!
For standard ferrite-type small motors, 1⁄6-ounce Jeti JES-50 5-
amp ESC with BEC can’t be beat—especially at less than $30.
These popular battery packs can be used for parking lot flyers.
Top to bottom: six-cell 280 mAh NiMH; seven-cell packs of 350
NiMH (L) and 280 NiMH (R); two eight-cell packs—600 mAh NiMH
cells on left and 280 NiMH cells on right; SR Batteries seven-cell
150 mAh Ni-Cd pack. NiMH packs shown are from Balsa Products.
Popular, inexpensive GWS parking lot motors. Left: the
smallest—the LPS series—several of which use N-20-size motor.
Center: standard-size 180 motor called the IPS series. Right:
Speed 300 motor for EPS series. Most of these small, geared
motors are $20 or less!
Castle Creations makes excellent ESCs for standard and
brushless motors. Top: Pixie-14 is now available in tiny 20-amp
version. Bottom: Pixie-7P is the most popular. It has 7-amp rating
and can be programmed for several cutoff points depending on
the battery you use.
Photos courtesy the author except as noted.
06sig2.QXD 3/24/04 3:31 pm Page 51
long time is the Bantam, designed by Larry
Sribnick of SR Batteries, Inc. It is available as
a biplane (two wings) and a monoplane. With
380 square inches of wing area, a weight of
9.4 ounces, and a wing loading of 5.9
ounces/square foot, the biplane is a perfect
parking lot flyer. The combination of
excellent kit engineering and super detailed
assembly instructions make this one of my
favorites.
In addition to slow-flying sport models,
we are now seeing many so-called verticalmaneuver,
“E-3D”-type airplanes. These
particular park flyers generally sport the
small-size brushless motors. A good such kit
is the new Radical RC Verti-Go 3D. Another
is the Attitude, designed and kitted by Todd
Long of Todd’s Models Inc.
The last category of models is the kind
built using published full-size plans.
Construction articles are published regularly
in the various model-aircraft magazines. You
purchase the plans and then buy the necessary
materials. You have to cut out your own parts
before you begin the assembly process. I’ve
included photos of several of my recently
published designs.
Take your pick. Buy it ready to fly or
almost ready to fly and do a little assembly
work. If you want to enjoy building as well as
flying, try a kit. If you want to really “roll
your own,” try building from plans or from
scratch.
There are literally hundreds of model
aircraft designed for parking lot flying that
can meet any or all of your personal
requirements. (There are slow models, fast
models, aerobatic models, pylon racers,
powered sailplanes, RC hand-launched
gliders, scale models, semiscale models, you
name it!)
The Power Systems: The GWS electric
motor systems are popular for parking lot
flying because there is a wide variety, in size
and in the various gear reduction ratios
offered. These systems are inexpensive,
ranging from $10 to $20. GWS also provides
a big variety of its orange propellers that
complement all the gear drives.
One of the biggest problems associated
with the GWS line of small ferrite electric
motors is that the shipping wrapper is
identified but the motor is not. Many times
52 MODEL AVIATION
RC-system components for parking lot flyer. Left: FMA Direct M5
dual-conversion five-channel FM receiver weighs less than .4
ounce! Right: FMA Direct PS20 submicroservos, which weigh .19
ounce each! Bob flies models weighing 3.5 ounces total using
these components.
Typical complete parking lot flyer RC system and electric power
system. At top are two Balsa Products submicro Blue Bird
servos. To left is GWS R-4P micro receiver; to right is GWS IPS-A
motor; to right of that is GWS propeller. Just below motor is
seven-cell 280 mAh NiMH battery pack; to left of battery is typical
ESC. There are many combinations you could use for your model.
Global/Watt-Age PF-12 Park Flyer AC/DC Peak Charger can
charge four to 12 Ni-Cd or NiMH cells at selectable currents from
250 to 2000 mA. It can handle most batteries used for parking lot
flying, ranging from 150 to approximately 1000 mAh capacity.
You must use a peak detect charger!
Hitec Super-Slim (L) is another excellent dual-conversion
receiver. Hitec HS-50 submicroservos (R) have been around for
several years. They work well, and the price is right!
Hitec Electron 6 dual FM conversion receiver is popular on 10- to
16-ounce models. It features reliable operation.
06sig2.QXD 3/24/04 3:34 pm Page 52
54 MODEL AVIATION
I’ve removed a GWS motor from its bubble
wrap and quickly installed it in a model.
When I discarded the wrapper, I discarded
the motor identification. I’m hoping that the
people at GWS read this and make an effort
to correct this problem.
Balsa Products, Horizon Hobby, and
Maxx Products International are the primary
GWS motor suppliers in the US. For parking
lot application, the largest motor we would
be interested in is GWS’s EPS series, which
uses a Speed 300-size motor. You would use
a motor this size for approximately 12- to 16-
ounce model weights.
The midrange IPS series was GWS’s
initial offering, and one of these is sold with
the Lite Stik. The motor size is similar to a
180 and is capable of flying models from
roughly 5 to 12 ounces.
The smallest and newest variety is the
GWS LPS series, which uses a shorter-length
motor than the 180—more like an N-20. This
is for 3- to 5-ounce models—the lower-end
weight being more for indoor RC (a category
I will discuss next month).
There is also a variety of small-size
(approximately 280 power) brushless motors
which are available from Hacker USA,
AstroFlight, Phasor, Mega, and Razor. These
brushless motors need a special speed
controller. The combination of a geared
brushless motor and companion ESV can
cost between $150 and $200.
Brushless motors’ advantages are their
power output for a given weight, much
higher operating efficiency, and without
brushes to wear out they can provide
excellent performance for many years.
The Speed Controllers: Equally important
to the electric motor is the device used to
control it. The electric motor speed controller
(ESC) actually takes the place of a throttle
servo. A good ESC will provide full linear
motor speed control from the off position all
the way up to full throttle.
Most ESCs also include a battery
eliminator circuit, or BEC, that allows you to
share the motor battery with your RC system.
That means only one battery pack is required
on the aircraft. Most BECs work between six
and 10 Ni-Cd or NiMH cells and two or three
cells with Li-Poly. Almost everyone I know
who is flying a parking lot model will
employ a BEC-equipped ESC to save the
extra weight.
The other important parameter associated
with ESCs is their maximum continuous
current rating. The smaller motors, such as
the GWS IPS (180 series), run approximately
2-21⁄2 amps current and, as such, can easily
get away with a 5-amp rated ESC. The larger
GWS EPS (300) run 5 or 6 amps, so an ESC
with an 8- to 10-amp current rating would be
more appropriate.
One of my favorite ESCs for parking lot
flying is the Castle Creations Pixie-7P. It is
unique because you can select four different
voltage cutoff levels from the single unit.
Programming this cutoff does take a little
patience, but the feature is still available. In
practice, many of my models run out of
power before the voltage cutoff is reached;
the airplane will be on the ground before the
cutoff operates.
There are many sources for these ESCs,
such as Castle Creations, FMA Direct,
Hobby Lobby International, Horizon Hobby,
Tower Hobbies/Great Planes, and more.
The Batteries: Until recently, the most
popular type of batteries used for parking lot
flying were six-, seven-, and eight-cell packs
of Ni-Cd or NiMH cells with capacities
ranging from 150 mAh upward of 600-720
mAh. But in recent months there has been
much progress with the newly introduced Li-
Poly battery cells.
Li-Poly cells require a special charger and
they have certain safety requirements. For a
complete understanding of these batteries,
including the safety precautions, please see
my article “Introduction to Lithium-Polymer
Batteries” in the May 2004 MA.
Because of that lengthy and complete
explanation of the Li-Poly batteries, this
article will deal only with the traditional Ni-
Cd and NiMH cells. Refer also to articles in
MA’s “From The Ground Up” series—
specifically “Introduction to Electric Power”
in the July 2003 issue and “Battery Basics” in
the October 2003 issue.
You can purchase battery packs and
individual cells from such companies as
Balsa Products, Batteries America, Dymond
Since 1948 Fox Manufacturing
Company has been producing
high quality model airplane
engines, glow plugs and other
accessories. Fox has become a
name modelers can trust when
it comes to durability, power,
and performance at an
affordable price. (479) 646-1656
Fax (479) 646-1757
5305 Towson Avenue
Fort Smith, AR 72901
www.foxmanufacturing.com
email: [email protected]
06sig2.QXD 3/24/04 3:35 pm Page 54
56 MODEL AVIATION
Modelsport, Hobby Lobby International,
Maxx Products International, New Creations
R/C, SR Batteries Inc., Radical RC, and many
others.
In general, these battery packs can be
selected to provide five- to 10-minute flight
times per charge. You can resort to a field fast
charger to get in a few flights during one
flying session. If you want to log many
flights, purchase several identical battery
packs and keep swapping them from flight to
flight.
The Battery Chargers: My article
“Introduction to Electric Power” (in the July
2003 issue) contains a great deal of good,
detailed information about battery charging.
The key item to buy from the start is a peak
detect type charger. In the article I referenced
the Global/Watt-Age PF-12 Park Flyer
AC/DC Peak Charger; for $49.95, it is an
excellent unit. The PF-12 can charge four to
12 Ni-Cd or NiMH cells at selectable currents
from 250 to 2000 mA. It can handle most
batteries used for parking lot flying ranging in
capacity from 150 to roughly 1000 mAh.
There are other, more expensive chargers
that offer even more features. Sources for
peak detect battery chargers include
AstroFlight, Dymond Modelsport, FMA
Direct, Great Planes/Tower Hobbies, MRC,
and more.
The RC Systems: Parking lot flyers generally
need lighter-weight RC equipment. If you
have a park flyer that is supposed to weigh 7
ounces ready to fly, you can’t employ a radio
system that weighs 8 ounces by itself.
Therefore, you have to select RC receivers
and servos that are small and extremely light.
For a receiver, I like to see dualconversion
circuitry; it makes for a sensitive
and selective unit that is usually more immune
to outside interference and other modelergenerated
interference.
I currently use the FMA Direct M5 the
most. It weighs less than 0.4 ounce and is
conveniently available on all the 72 MHz RC
channels and the six-meter (50 MHz)
channels for use by licensed Amateur Radio
Service operators. There are other receivers
that work quite well, such as the dualconversion
Hitec Electron 6 and several
single-conversion receivers, such as the Berg
and the JR.
For servos, you want the submicro variety.
One of the smallest is the FMA Direct PS20,
at 5.3 grams (.19 ounce). It is a fully
proportional, feedback servo—not a magnetic
actuator. Another microservo is the Hitec HS-
50, at 5.6 grams (.20 ounce).
Other small servos are offered by Balsa
Products, Dymond Modelsport, GWS, Hobby
People, JR/Horizon, Maxx Products, and
others. A new 1.5-gram servo will be on the
market soon, but you are going to have to pay
for that miniaturization.
RC receivers have a characteristic wire
antenna that is roughly 40 inches long exiting
the case. Such a long wire trailing from such a
small aircraft looks ridiculous. To help this
situation, Azarr of E Cubed R/C has
developed a series of reduced-size receiver
antennas. You lose approximately 15% of the
normal radio range, but the antenna is only
roughly 7 inches long. It has become popular
with park flyers.
The Connectors: RC systems come with
their own connectors, most of which
interchange easily from brand to brand. Just
follow the manufacturer’s directions and take
particular note of what the wire color coding
means for each manufacturer.
GWS supplies a two-pin connector on all
of its motors. Most modelers today resort to a
permanent connection between the motor
terminals and the ESC; you solder the wires
together, and it stays that way until you move
the motor to another aircraft. On the battery
side of the ESV you will need some type of
connector. For the most part, it will be your
responsibility to install that connector set.
On the larger Speed 300-size motors with
current levels upward of 5-7 amps, you would
be wise to use the time-honored Anderson
Power Pole (APP) connectors. These were
also identified as Sermos connectors, after
John Sermos who marketed them for years.
Connectors capable of the same current levels
are the Deans Ultra type (a heavy-duty
connector), the Deans four-pin (you double
up—two pins to one wire), and the
AstroFlight Zero Loss.
You can use any of the preceding, but if
06sig2.QXD 3/24/04 3:35 pm Page 56
58 MODEL AVIATION
you mix and match brands, you will have to
come up with connector adapters to let you
attach one cable to another.
When you get down to the 1- to 3-amp
motor current, the popular connector today is
the JST (red body). Each comes with roughly
a 6-inch length of red and black wire already
installed. These connectors work well, but
don’t try to push them beyond the 3-amp
rating or they will melt.
Sources of connectors include Balsa
Products, Batteries America, Maxx Products
International, New Creations R/C, and
Radical RC.
The Flying Considerations: Even though
you can go out to a parking lot, a school yard,
or your own back yard if it is large enough,
you still need to get with other RC modelers.
Setting up an aircraft for the first time and
making those initial flights can be much
easier if you have others there to help. If your
model gets away from you, you will be
thankful to have extra help on hand. Heaven
forbid you stick your hand in the propeller;
having a helper get you the necessary aid is
important.
Choosing your flying site is another
important consideration. Don’t pick a parking
lot that is half filled with cars. Don’t pick a
school yard when school is in session. Don’t
fly in your back yard and end up driving the
neighbor’s dog crazy! Try to pick safe
locations and avoid other known model
flying sites. Don’t take the attitude that it’s
always the “other guy’s” problem.
When you do fly at an organized flying
site or at a club field, make sure you know
what type of frequency control, frequency
board, frequency pins, etc. are employed, and
follow those procedures carefully. Also make
sure your RC transmitters have identifying
channel-number placards attached to their
antennas.
Even when flying in a parking lot with a
couple other local fliers, make sure you
determine what frequencies they are using
before you turn on your transmitter.
Remember that it is possible to cause
interference a mile away or at your own
flying site. Use common sense!
I recommend that you join AMA—not
only to receive this fine magazine, but to
benefit from its supplemental insurance
program.
There are three regular MA columnists
who are involved with electric power and
parking lot flyers. Bob Kopski’s monthly
“RC Electrics” column covers electric power
in general and touches on parking lot flying.
In alternating months, Dave Robelen’s
“Micro-Flying” column covers indoor RC
and parking lot flying and Paul Bradley’s
“Small-Field Flying” column covers parking
lot and backyard flying. I highly recommend
these columnists.
I also suggest that you read other
magazines, such as the Air Age publication
Backyard Flyer, which specializes in this
type of model aircraft, and Quiet Flyer,
which concentrates on electric power and
sailplane operations.
Not to sound too commercial, but
approximately two years ago I wrote the
book Getting Started in Backyard Flying. It
covers basically everything I have written
about in this article, but in considerably more
depth. It is available from AMA, Tower
Hobbies, Balsa Products, and the publisher’s
Web site at www.rcstore.com/rs/general/
books.asp.
There are two very important forums
operated as free services to electric modelers.
They involve daily exchanges of information,
test results, opinions, etc. What has been the
primary site for years is the E Zone; you can
sign up at www.ezonemag.com/. The other is
the Air Age-sponsored Small Flyers Net
(SFRC). To subscribe, E-mail sfrcrequest@
airage.com.
In the next chapter I will take you down one
more step in size to the world of indoor RC
flying. Until then! MA
Bob Aberle
[email protected]
Manufacturers/distributors of parking lotsize
models (RTFs, ARFs, kits):
Air Craft
www.aircraft-world.com
Balsa Products, LLC
www.balsapr.com
Bill Griggs Models
www.griggsmodels.com
Diversity Model Aircraft
www.flydma.com
DJ Aerotech
www.djaerotech.com
Dumas Products Inc.
www.dumasproducts.com
Dymond Modelsport
www.rc-dymond.com
Edge RC
www.edgerc.com
Global Hobby Distributors
www.globalhobby.com
Grand Wing Servo Co. (GWS)
www.gws.com.tw
Graupner
www.graupner.com
Great Planes Model Manufacturing Co.
www.greatplanes.com
Herr Engineering
www.iflyherr.com
Hobby Club
www.hobbyclub.com
Hobby Lobby International
www.hobby-lobby.com
06sig2.QXD 3/24/04 3:35 pm Page 58
Hobby People
www.hobbypeople.net
Horizon Hobby Inc.
www.horizonhobby.com
House of Balsa
www.houseofbalsa.com
Megatech International
www.megatech.com
Modelair-Tech
www.modelairtech.com
Mountain Models
www.mountainmodels.com
New Creations R/C
www.newcreations-rc.com
Northeast Sailplane Products
www.nesail.com
Peck-Polymers
www.peck-polymers.com
Radical RC
www.radicalrc.com
Sig Manufacturing Co. Inc.
www.sigmfg.com
SR Batteries, Inc.
www.srbatteries.com
Todd’s Models
www.toddsmodels.com
Tower Hobbies
www.towerhobbies.com
Manufacturers of supporting products and
components:
Air Age Media
www.airage.com
Anderson Power Pole connectors
See New Creations R/C and Radical RC
60 MODEL AVIATION
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• Designed to Resolve Your “Leakage” problems
• Specially designed Rubber Seals for “Optimum” Performance
• Also Available as a Ceramic Hybrid Bearing
• High Performance Polymite Retainers
• Additionally we offer a full range of wheel bearings, and full replacement kits, for
all makes of R/C cars & trucks in: Econo (standard), Green Seals and Ceramics
• Information available on our website: www.bocabearings.com
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Toll Free Phone: 800-332-3256 • Toll Free Fax: 800-409-9191
Email: [email protected]
STOP
Leaks!
AstroFlight Inc.
www.astroflight.com
Batteries America
www.batteriesamerica.com
Berg receivers (RC Direct)
www.rc-direct.com
Castle Creations
www.castlerc.com
Deans connectors
See Batteries America and Radical RC
E Cubed R/C (Azarr)
www.azarr.com
FMA Direct
www.fmadirect.com
Hacker USA Inc.
www.hackerbrushless.com
Hitec RCD Inc.
www.hitecrcd.com
JR Remote Control systems
see Horizon Hobby Inc.
Mega brushless motors
see Modelair-Tech
Model Rectifier Corporation (MRC)
www.modelrectifier.com
Phasor brushless motors
see Hobby Lobby International
Quiet Flyer magazine
www.quietflyer.com
Razor brushless motors (The Electric Flight
Store)
www.e-flight.co.uk
www.WirelessVideoCameras.com
Airborne Video Systems
06sig2.QXD 3/24/04 3:35 pm Page 60

I WOULD SUSPECT that most RC modelers have heard
the terms “parking lot flying,” “backyard flying,” or
“schoolyard flying” in the past few years. Some may
wonder how these types differ from regular RC flying.
They really aren’t different when you consider the aircraft
involved and the radio control systems that go in them.
The primary differences are where the aircraft are flown
and the fact that they are basically small models
employing modest power levels.
As I proceed through this presentation I’ll just refer to
parking lot flying, but it will be assumed that I also mean
backyard and schoolyard flying. All three types of flying
sites are clearly different from a regulation club-sponsored
RC flying site. Club fields, as they are generally known,
are situated in relatively remote locations where engine
noise becomes less of a factor. The open spaces also
provide ample opportunity to fly much larger aircraft in a
safe manner.
As the name implies, parking lot flying is what we
might also call “close-in” flying. It might be on any large
parking lot in any populated area. An advantage is that you
don’t have to travel very far to fly. A shorter distance to
the flying site means more opportunities to go flying.
Quiet electric power also permits early morning and early
evening, calm-weather flying without bothering or
upsetting the local population.
Parking lot flying offers you the chance to easily
involve your entire family in a sport and hobby that is
educational and entertaining.
The Safety Considerations: As with all good things,
there can still be disadvantages. With parking lot flying,
you must be careful of the surrounding areas. Keep clear
of vehicles, houses, and people. To cope with these
potential safety problems, parking lot fliers are by
necessity small and employ relatively low-power motors.
To be “environmentally friendly,” most parking lotsize
aircraft are powered by clean and quiet electric
motors. However, small-displacement glow-fueled engines
can be used successfully, provided that the engine noise
doesn’t become a factor for those nearby.
Another safety aspect is that “regular size” models and
“parking lot-size” models use the same RC channels (or
frequencies). This means that one faction could easily
interfere with the other if the two types of flying are done
in close proximity to one another.
A three-mile separation from control points (location of
the transmitters) is generally sufficient to prevent
interference. However, even that fact has been subject to
much recent debate, and I only mention it as a point of
reference.
Because of the possibility of interference, parking lot
fliers should be especially aware of local established flying
fields. The best way to determine this possibility is to
contact a local hobby-shop owner or seek out a local
organized RC club and talk to the members.
There is also the chance that a parking lot flyer, if close
enough, might interfere with a backyard or schoolyard
flyer. With quiet electric motors, it won’t always be
48 MODEL AVIATION
Introduction to
Watt-Age Lite Stick (GWS Pico Stick) is
one of the most popular parking lot flyers.
Wing, tail surfaces are molded from thin
Styrofoam sheets. Fuselage is hardwood
stick, with RC equipment hanging off it.
Sig Bristol Scout has 300-square-inch
wing area, weighs roughly 11 ounces, is
powered by 180-size motor geared 4.4:1.
Little assembly work required and realistic
in flight.
Sig JN-4 Jenny has 285 square inches
of wing area, weighs approximately 10.5
ounces, and has a respectable wing
loading of slightly more than 5
ounces/square foot.
ARFs
For some time we have been trying to come up with an adequate and me
06sig2.QXD 3/24/04 3:24 pm Page 48
June 2004 49
Parking Lot Flying by Bob Aberle
obvious if someone is flying in the
adjacent parking lot (or a private
home’s large back yard). Preventing
all types of interference would be
virtually impossible, so the best
solution is to be alert, ask around, and
keep your eyes open for other RC
fliers.
The Definitions: For some time we
have been trying to come up with an
adequate and meaningful definition of
a “parking lot flyer.” Generally,
everyone with a relatively small
airplane wants to be included.
Common sense dictates that there
must be a weight and power limit
when it comes to flying in close-in
environments. To that end, 16 ounces
total model weight seems to be the
current acceptable figure. Most of the
popular parking lot models average 7-
14 ounces.
At 16 ounces you are almost into
the Speed 400-size motor. Most of us
who use parking lot-size models agree
that Speed 400 flying should be done
at a regulation flying site such as those
maintained by local clubs that are
sanctioned (chartered) by AMA.
That being the case, the largest
sensible motor that parking lot fliers
employ should be Speed 280 or 300
size, which generally runs up to an
approximately 30-watt power level.
That size includes some of the new,
tiny, brushless motors such as the
Hacker B-20 series, the AstroFlight
010/020, and others.
The final consideration for a
parking lot flyer is its wing loading.
The thinking is to limit the wing
loading to 8 ounces per square foot of
wing area. Take the typical and
extremely popular Watt-Age Lite Stik
(also known as the GWS Pico Stick);
at 238 square inches and 8 ounces
average weight, the resulting wing
loading works out to 4.8 ounces/square
foot. A Sig Manufacturing Jenny has a
wing area of 285 square inches and
weighs roughly 10 ounces. This
biplane’s wing loading is 5
ounces/square foot. These moderatesize
and -weight models yield an
equally moderate wing loading.
If I were to power the popular
Radical RC Verti-Go 3D (a vertical-
Above: Bob Aberle and his grandson Hayden
Parkes fly Bob’s SR Batteries Bantam Bipe. Bruce
Parkes photo. Top: Megatech Merlin RTF uses
equivalent Speed 300-size geared motor. It comes
assembled with motor system and RC system
installed.
o
New Hacker USA Ultimate biplane is
highly maneuverable. It has 420
square inches of wing area, spans
30 inches, employs a Hacker B-20-
26S, 4:1 brushless motor with
Hacker MAS 18-3P ESC. Battery
pack is Thunder Power Li-Poly 3S
1320 mAh.
Balsa Products Butterfly constructed
from carbon rods and iron-on
covering. Fuselage is hollow carbon
tube. At almost 350 square inches
wing area and less than 5 ounces total
weight, it has 2-ounce/square-foot
wing loading. Truly a “slow flyer”!
nd meaningful definition of a “parking lot flyer.”
06sig2.QXD 3/24/04 3:24 pm Page 49
maneuver “E-3D” design) with a Hacker B-
20 brushless motor, the total weight might be
14 ounces. At 280 square inches of wing
area, that’s a wing loading of 7.2
ounces/square foot, which is close to my
suggested limit. Although that model can be
quite fast, it can be slowed considerably for
its vertical maneuvering.
On the other hand, consider an 80-squareinch
model that is powered by a brushless
010 motor and weighs approximately 10
ounces. That works out to 18 ounces/square
foot of loading, and that airplane is capable
of speeds in excess of 60 mph! That is
exactly the kind of airplane I would not like
to see flown in a parking lot. Get my drift?
I used this example to show why I think
the wing-loading limitation is also very
important to help categorize a parking lot
flyer. If you are used to flying a real “hot”
airplane, you may not agree with me on this
point.
The Models: Now you know about the
safety concerns and have a reasonable
definition of a parking lot flyer that takes into
consideration weight, size, and power. But
what kind of aircraft should the beginner try?
As with any kind of model today, be it glow
fueled, electric, gas, etc., there are RTFs,
ARFs, those built from kits, and those built
from published plans.
There aren’t very many in the RTF
category, but that will eventually change, I’m
sure. The popular RTF that first comes to
mind is the Merlin, which Megatech Inc.
distributes. The Merlin includes the complete
motor and RC system, already installed in the
model. You attach the wings, charge the
battery (battery and charger are even
supplied), and fly it. It is almost at my upper
limit of 16 ounces, but at 511 square inches
of wing area, the resulting wing loading is
still only 4.9 ounces/square foot.
The Merlin will also slow to the point
where you can practically walk underneath it
as it flies. So if you don’t care about building
or assembling and only want to learn to fly,
this might be the airplane for you.
The most common and popular type of
model for parking lot flying is the ARF.
These models take on many forms. Some are
balsa-wood, built-up structures that are
covered for you, and others are made from
expanded foam molded parts. In most cases
you have to join the wing panels and attach
the tail surfaces. Many ARFs come with
prehinged control surfaces, which can save a
lot of time. You usually have to install the
electric motor system (motor, battery, and
speed controller) and the RC system,
including the all-important servos.
Probably the most famous ARF parking
lot flyer is the Watt-Age Lite Stik (GWS
Pico Stick). It has a foam wing and tail with a
stick fuselage. The radio equipment and
battery literally just “hang out”! It is
inexpensive, easy to assemble, and easy to fly.
There is also a larger version called the Slow
Stick, which uses the same design and
construction. It employs a Speed 300-size
geared motor. I will try to mention as many
ARF suppliers as possible at the end of this
article.
Although they are not as popular as ARFs,
quite a few parking lot-flyer kits are available.
Kits give you the added pleasure of building a
complete aircraft. Many of the kits now on the
market include laser-cut parts that feature true
precision. This allows for easy assembly in a
minimum amount of time.
One of the nicest kits I’ve assembled in a
50 MODEL AVIATION
Kits Plans
Todd Long Models’ new Attitude. “E-3D”
vertical-maneuver-capable model has big
390-square-inch wing, is powered by
Mega brushless motor, but still weighs
only 11-13 ounces!
SR Bantam Bipe is Bob’s favorite parking
lot flyer. It has a standard GWS IPS-A
motor and weighs just more than 9
ounces. It can fly fast and slow and is
maneuverable. At bottom is uncovered
framework.
Bob’s original-design Microball will be
an MA construction article. You buy
plans from a magazine, buy materials,
then cut everything out and assemble it.
This model weighs roughly 6 ounces and
has approximately 100-square-inch wing.
Twin fins give it that F-14 look!
Bob holds reduced-size replica of his
first RC model from 1953: a Guillow’s
Trixter Beam. He condensed it to roughly
175 square inches. It has geared 280-size
motor and weighs close to 11 ounces. It
was published last year in Backyard
Flyer.
Radical RC’s Verti-Go 3D has 285-squareinch
wing area, weighs 14 ounces, has
wing loading of slightly less than 8
ounces/square foot. This is close to Bob’s
limit for a parking lot flyer. Power is
Hacker B-20-26S geared 4.4:1.
06sig2.QXD 3/24/04 3:27 pm Page 50
June 2004 51
Bantam Bipe’s power-system components (top left to bottom):
GWS standard IPS-A motor, SR Batteries seven-cell 150 mAh Ni-
Cd battery pack, Jeti JES-050 ESC with 5-amp current rating,
GWS 9 x 4.7 propeller.
Left: Hacker USA B-20-26S brushless motor with 4:1 planetary
gearbox. Right: Companion Jeti JES 06-3P (6-amp) brushless
ESC. This system can handle models weighing 11 to roughly 16
ounces. High efficiency and long operating life does cost more!
Typical precision-made AstroFlight 010 geared brushless motor
can generally handle models of roughly 10 ounces total weight. It
is small and lightweight!
For standard ferrite-type small motors, 1⁄6-ounce Jeti JES-50 5-
amp ESC with BEC can’t be beat—especially at less than $30.
These popular battery packs can be used for parking lot flyers.
Top to bottom: six-cell 280 mAh NiMH; seven-cell packs of 350
NiMH (L) and 280 NiMH (R); two eight-cell packs—600 mAh NiMH
cells on left and 280 NiMH cells on right; SR Batteries seven-cell
150 mAh Ni-Cd pack. NiMH packs shown are from Balsa Products.
Popular, inexpensive GWS parking lot motors. Left: the
smallest—the LPS series—several of which use N-20-size motor.
Center: standard-size 180 motor called the IPS series. Right:
Speed 300 motor for EPS series. Most of these small, geared
motors are $20 or less!
Castle Creations makes excellent ESCs for standard and
brushless motors. Top: Pixie-14 is now available in tiny 20-amp
version. Bottom: Pixie-7P is the most popular. It has 7-amp rating
and can be programmed for several cutoff points depending on
the battery you use.
Photos courtesy the author except as noted.
06sig2.QXD 3/24/04 3:31 pm Page 51
long time is the Bantam, designed by Larry
Sribnick of SR Batteries, Inc. It is available as
a biplane (two wings) and a monoplane. With
380 square inches of wing area, a weight of
9.4 ounces, and a wing loading of 5.9
ounces/square foot, the biplane is a perfect
parking lot flyer. The combination of
excellent kit engineering and super detailed
assembly instructions make this one of my
favorites.
In addition to slow-flying sport models,
we are now seeing many so-called verticalmaneuver,
“E-3D”-type airplanes. These
particular park flyers generally sport the
small-size brushless motors. A good such kit
is the new Radical RC Verti-Go 3D. Another
is the Attitude, designed and kitted by Todd
Long of Todd’s Models Inc.
The last category of models is the kind
built using published full-size plans.
Construction articles are published regularly
in the various model-aircraft magazines. You
purchase the plans and then buy the necessary
materials. You have to cut out your own parts
before you begin the assembly process. I’ve
included photos of several of my recently
published designs.
Take your pick. Buy it ready to fly or
almost ready to fly and do a little assembly
work. If you want to enjoy building as well as
flying, try a kit. If you want to really “roll
your own,” try building from plans or from
scratch.
There are literally hundreds of model
aircraft designed for parking lot flying that
can meet any or all of your personal
requirements. (There are slow models, fast
models, aerobatic models, pylon racers,
powered sailplanes, RC hand-launched
gliders, scale models, semiscale models, you
name it!)
The Power Systems: The GWS electric
motor systems are popular for parking lot
flying because there is a wide variety, in size
and in the various gear reduction ratios
offered. These systems are inexpensive,
ranging from $10 to $20. GWS also provides
a big variety of its orange propellers that
complement all the gear drives.
One of the biggest problems associated
with the GWS line of small ferrite electric
motors is that the shipping wrapper is
identified but the motor is not. Many times
52 MODEL AVIATION
RC-system components for parking lot flyer. Left: FMA Direct M5
dual-conversion five-channel FM receiver weighs less than .4
ounce! Right: FMA Direct PS20 submicroservos, which weigh .19
ounce each! Bob flies models weighing 3.5 ounces total using
these components.
Typical complete parking lot flyer RC system and electric power
system. At top are two Balsa Products submicro Blue Bird
servos. To left is GWS R-4P micro receiver; to right is GWS IPS-A
motor; to right of that is GWS propeller. Just below motor is
seven-cell 280 mAh NiMH battery pack; to left of battery is typical
ESC. There are many combinations you could use for your model.
Global/Watt-Age PF-12 Park Flyer AC/DC Peak Charger can
charge four to 12 Ni-Cd or NiMH cells at selectable currents from
250 to 2000 mA. It can handle most batteries used for parking lot
flying, ranging from 150 to approximately 1000 mAh capacity.
You must use a peak detect charger!
Hitec Super-Slim (L) is another excellent dual-conversion
receiver. Hitec HS-50 submicroservos (R) have been around for
several years. They work well, and the price is right!
Hitec Electron 6 dual FM conversion receiver is popular on 10- to
16-ounce models. It features reliable operation.
06sig2.QXD 3/24/04 3:34 pm Page 52
54 MODEL AVIATION
I’ve removed a GWS motor from its bubble
wrap and quickly installed it in a model.
When I discarded the wrapper, I discarded
the motor identification. I’m hoping that the
people at GWS read this and make an effort
to correct this problem.
Balsa Products, Horizon Hobby, and
Maxx Products International are the primary
GWS motor suppliers in the US. For parking
lot application, the largest motor we would
be interested in is GWS’s EPS series, which
uses a Speed 300-size motor. You would use
a motor this size for approximately 12- to 16-
ounce model weights.
The midrange IPS series was GWS’s
initial offering, and one of these is sold with
the Lite Stik. The motor size is similar to a
180 and is capable of flying models from
roughly 5 to 12 ounces.
The smallest and newest variety is the
GWS LPS series, which uses a shorter-length
motor than the 180—more like an N-20. This
is for 3- to 5-ounce models—the lower-end
weight being more for indoor RC (a category
I will discuss next month).
There is also a variety of small-size
(approximately 280 power) brushless motors
which are available from Hacker USA,
AstroFlight, Phasor, Mega, and Razor. These
brushless motors need a special speed
controller. The combination of a geared
brushless motor and companion ESV can
cost between $150 and $200.
Brushless motors’ advantages are their
power output for a given weight, much
higher operating efficiency, and without
brushes to wear out they can provide
excellent performance for many years.
The Speed Controllers: Equally important
to the electric motor is the device used to
control it. The electric motor speed controller
(ESC) actually takes the place of a throttle
servo. A good ESC will provide full linear
motor speed control from the off position all
the way up to full throttle.
Most ESCs also include a battery
eliminator circuit, or BEC, that allows you to
share the motor battery with your RC system.
That means only one battery pack is required
on the aircraft. Most BECs work between six
and 10 Ni-Cd or NiMH cells and two or three
cells with Li-Poly. Almost everyone I know
who is flying a parking lot model will
employ a BEC-equipped ESC to save the
extra weight.
The other important parameter associated
with ESCs is their maximum continuous
current rating. The smaller motors, such as
the GWS IPS (180 series), run approximately
2-21⁄2 amps current and, as such, can easily
get away with a 5-amp rated ESC. The larger
GWS EPS (300) run 5 or 6 amps, so an ESC
with an 8- to 10-amp current rating would be
more appropriate.
One of my favorite ESCs for parking lot
flying is the Castle Creations Pixie-7P. It is
unique because you can select four different
voltage cutoff levels from the single unit.
Programming this cutoff does take a little
patience, but the feature is still available. In
practice, many of my models run out of
power before the voltage cutoff is reached;
the airplane will be on the ground before the
cutoff operates.
There are many sources for these ESCs,
such as Castle Creations, FMA Direct,
Hobby Lobby International, Horizon Hobby,
Tower Hobbies/Great Planes, and more.
The Batteries: Until recently, the most
popular type of batteries used for parking lot
flying were six-, seven-, and eight-cell packs
of Ni-Cd or NiMH cells with capacities
ranging from 150 mAh upward of 600-720
mAh. But in recent months there has been
much progress with the newly introduced Li-
Poly battery cells.
Li-Poly cells require a special charger and
they have certain safety requirements. For a
complete understanding of these batteries,
including the safety precautions, please see
my article “Introduction to Lithium-Polymer
Batteries” in the May 2004 MA.
Because of that lengthy and complete
explanation of the Li-Poly batteries, this
article will deal only with the traditional Ni-
Cd and NiMH cells. Refer also to articles in
MA’s “From The Ground Up” series—
specifically “Introduction to Electric Power”
in the July 2003 issue and “Battery Basics” in
the October 2003 issue.
You can purchase battery packs and
individual cells from such companies as
Balsa Products, Batteries America, Dymond
Since 1948 Fox Manufacturing
Company has been producing
high quality model airplane
engines, glow plugs and other
accessories. Fox has become a
name modelers can trust when
it comes to durability, power,
and performance at an
affordable price. (479) 646-1656
Fax (479) 646-1757
5305 Towson Avenue
Fort Smith, AR 72901
www.foxmanufacturing.com
email: [email protected]
06sig2.QXD 3/24/04 3:35 pm Page 54
56 MODEL AVIATION
Modelsport, Hobby Lobby International,
Maxx Products International, New Creations
R/C, SR Batteries Inc., Radical RC, and many
others.
In general, these battery packs can be
selected to provide five- to 10-minute flight
times per charge. You can resort to a field fast
charger to get in a few flights during one
flying session. If you want to log many
flights, purchase several identical battery
packs and keep swapping them from flight to
flight.
The Battery Chargers: My article
“Introduction to Electric Power” (in the July
2003 issue) contains a great deal of good,
detailed information about battery charging.
The key item to buy from the start is a peak
detect type charger. In the article I referenced
the Global/Watt-Age PF-12 Park Flyer
AC/DC Peak Charger; for $49.95, it is an
excellent unit. The PF-12 can charge four to
12 Ni-Cd or NiMH cells at selectable currents
from 250 to 2000 mA. It can handle most
batteries used for parking lot flying ranging in
capacity from 150 to roughly 1000 mAh.
There are other, more expensive chargers
that offer even more features. Sources for
peak detect battery chargers include
AstroFlight, Dymond Modelsport, FMA
Direct, Great Planes/Tower Hobbies, MRC,
and more.
The RC Systems: Parking lot flyers generally
need lighter-weight RC equipment. If you
have a park flyer that is supposed to weigh 7
ounces ready to fly, you can’t employ a radio
system that weighs 8 ounces by itself.
Therefore, you have to select RC receivers
and servos that are small and extremely light.
For a receiver, I like to see dualconversion
circuitry; it makes for a sensitive
and selective unit that is usually more immune
to outside interference and other modelergenerated
interference.
I currently use the FMA Direct M5 the
most. It weighs less than 0.4 ounce and is
conveniently available on all the 72 MHz RC
channels and the six-meter (50 MHz)
channels for use by licensed Amateur Radio
Service operators. There are other receivers
that work quite well, such as the dualconversion
Hitec Electron 6 and several
single-conversion receivers, such as the Berg
and the JR.
For servos, you want the submicro variety.
One of the smallest is the FMA Direct PS20,
at 5.3 grams (.19 ounce). It is a fully
proportional, feedback servo—not a magnetic
actuator. Another microservo is the Hitec HS-
50, at 5.6 grams (.20 ounce).
Other small servos are offered by Balsa
Products, Dymond Modelsport, GWS, Hobby
People, JR/Horizon, Maxx Products, and
others. A new 1.5-gram servo will be on the
market soon, but you are going to have to pay
for that miniaturization.
RC receivers have a characteristic wire
antenna that is roughly 40 inches long exiting
the case. Such a long wire trailing from such a
small aircraft looks ridiculous. To help this
situation, Azarr of E Cubed R/C has
developed a series of reduced-size receiver
antennas. You lose approximately 15% of the
normal radio range, but the antenna is only
roughly 7 inches long. It has become popular
with park flyers.
The Connectors: RC systems come with
their own connectors, most of which
interchange easily from brand to brand. Just
follow the manufacturer’s directions and take
particular note of what the wire color coding
means for each manufacturer.
GWS supplies a two-pin connector on all
of its motors. Most modelers today resort to a
permanent connection between the motor
terminals and the ESC; you solder the wires
together, and it stays that way until you move
the motor to another aircraft. On the battery
side of the ESV you will need some type of
connector. For the most part, it will be your
responsibility to install that connector set.
On the larger Speed 300-size motors with
current levels upward of 5-7 amps, you would
be wise to use the time-honored Anderson
Power Pole (APP) connectors. These were
also identified as Sermos connectors, after
John Sermos who marketed them for years.
Connectors capable of the same current levels
are the Deans Ultra type (a heavy-duty
connector), the Deans four-pin (you double
up—two pins to one wire), and the
AstroFlight Zero Loss.
You can use any of the preceding, but if
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58 MODEL AVIATION
you mix and match brands, you will have to
come up with connector adapters to let you
attach one cable to another.
When you get down to the 1- to 3-amp
motor current, the popular connector today is
the JST (red body). Each comes with roughly
a 6-inch length of red and black wire already
installed. These connectors work well, but
don’t try to push them beyond the 3-amp
rating or they will melt.
Sources of connectors include Balsa
Products, Batteries America, Maxx Products
International, New Creations R/C, and
Radical RC.
The Flying Considerations: Even though
you can go out to a parking lot, a school yard,
or your own back yard if it is large enough,
you still need to get with other RC modelers.
Setting up an aircraft for the first time and
making those initial flights can be much
easier if you have others there to help. If your
model gets away from you, you will be
thankful to have extra help on hand. Heaven
forbid you stick your hand in the propeller;
having a helper get you the necessary aid is
important.
Choosing your flying site is another
important consideration. Don’t pick a parking
lot that is half filled with cars. Don’t pick a
school yard when school is in session. Don’t
fly in your back yard and end up driving the
neighbor’s dog crazy! Try to pick safe
locations and avoid other known model
flying sites. Don’t take the attitude that it’s
always the “other guy’s” problem.
When you do fly at an organized flying
site or at a club field, make sure you know
what type of frequency control, frequency
board, frequency pins, etc. are employed, and
follow those procedures carefully. Also make
sure your RC transmitters have identifying
channel-number placards attached to their
antennas.
Even when flying in a parking lot with a
couple other local fliers, make sure you
determine what frequencies they are using
before you turn on your transmitter.
Remember that it is possible to cause
interference a mile away or at your own
flying site. Use common sense!
I recommend that you join AMA—not
only to receive this fine magazine, but to
benefit from its supplemental insurance
program.
There are three regular MA columnists
who are involved with electric power and
parking lot flyers. Bob Kopski’s monthly
“RC Electrics” column covers electric power
in general and touches on parking lot flying.
In alternating months, Dave Robelen’s
“Micro-Flying” column covers indoor RC
and parking lot flying and Paul Bradley’s
“Small-Field Flying” column covers parking
lot and backyard flying. I highly recommend
these columnists.
I also suggest that you read other
magazines, such as the Air Age publication
Backyard Flyer, which specializes in this
type of model aircraft, and Quiet Flyer,
which concentrates on electric power and
sailplane operations.
Not to sound too commercial, but
approximately two years ago I wrote the
book Getting Started in Backyard Flying. It
covers basically everything I have written
about in this article, but in considerably more
depth. It is available from AMA, Tower
Hobbies, Balsa Products, and the publisher’s
Web site at www.rcstore.com/rs/general/
books.asp.
There are two very important forums
operated as free services to electric modelers.
They involve daily exchanges of information,
test results, opinions, etc. What has been the
primary site for years is the E Zone; you can
sign up at www.ezonemag.com/. The other is
the Air Age-sponsored Small Flyers Net
(SFRC). To subscribe, E-mail sfrcrequest@
airage.com.
In the next chapter I will take you down one
more step in size to the world of indoor RC
flying. Until then! MA
Bob Aberle
[email protected]
Manufacturers/distributors of parking lotsize
models (RTFs, ARFs, kits):
Air Craft
www.aircraft-world.com
Balsa Products, LLC
www.balsapr.com
Bill Griggs Models
www.griggsmodels.com
Diversity Model Aircraft
www.flydma.com
DJ Aerotech
www.djaerotech.com
Dumas Products Inc.
www.dumasproducts.com
Dymond Modelsport
www.rc-dymond.com
Edge RC
www.edgerc.com
Global Hobby Distributors
www.globalhobby.com
Grand Wing Servo Co. (GWS)
www.gws.com.tw
Graupner
www.graupner.com
Great Planes Model Manufacturing Co.
www.greatplanes.com
Herr Engineering
www.iflyherr.com
Hobby Club
www.hobbyclub.com
Hobby Lobby International
www.hobby-lobby.com
06sig2.QXD 3/24/04 3:35 pm Page 58
Hobby People
www.hobbypeople.net
Horizon Hobby Inc.
www.horizonhobby.com
House of Balsa
www.houseofbalsa.com
Megatech International
www.megatech.com
Modelair-Tech
www.modelairtech.com
Mountain Models
www.mountainmodels.com
New Creations R/C
www.newcreations-rc.com
Northeast Sailplane Products
www.nesail.com
Peck-Polymers
www.peck-polymers.com
Radical RC
www.radicalrc.com
Sig Manufacturing Co. Inc.
www.sigmfg.com
SR Batteries, Inc.
www.srbatteries.com
Todd’s Models
www.toddsmodels.com
Tower Hobbies
www.towerhobbies.com
Manufacturers of supporting products and
components:
Air Age Media
www.airage.com
Anderson Power Pole connectors
See New Creations R/C and Radical RC
60 MODEL AVIATION
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STOP
Leaks!
AstroFlight Inc.
www.astroflight.com
Batteries America
www.batteriesamerica.com
Berg receivers (RC Direct)
www.rc-direct.com
Castle Creations
www.castlerc.com
Deans connectors
See Batteries America and Radical RC
E Cubed R/C (Azarr)
www.azarr.com
FMA Direct
www.fmadirect.com
Hacker USA Inc.
www.hackerbrushless.com
Hitec RCD Inc.
www.hitecrcd.com
JR Remote Control systems
see Horizon Hobby Inc.
Mega brushless motors
see Modelair-Tech
Model Rectifier Corporation (MRC)
www.modelrectifier.com
Phasor brushless motors
see Hobby Lobby International
Quiet Flyer magazine
www.quietflyer.com
Razor brushless motors (The Electric Flight
Store)
www.e-flight.co.uk
www.WirelessVideoCameras.com
Airborne Video Systems
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