Micro-Flying - 2008/03

The new columnist shares the history of his passion for tiny models
March 2008 97
Also included in this column:
• The Walkera HM-4#3 RTF
helicopter
Micro-Flying Joe Malinchak | [email protected]
The author’s 5-year-old F6F, powered
by a Gasparin 2.6 motor, may have
been the first 1/72-scale flying RC
model!
The author’s CO2-powered, 1/72-scale Corsair was built after his F6F Hellcat. Each
weighs slightly less than 5 grams.
Henry Pasquet set a duration record of 1 hour, 59 seconds with this model on August
25, 2007.
AS I CONTEMPLATED what to write
about for my first “Micro-Flying” column,
I couldn’t help but reflect on my history
with micro RC and why I enjoy it so much.
Back in my college days in the mid-
1980s, my friends and I started an RC
club, the Little Riddle Flyers, at the
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
campus in Prescott, Arizona. It was a great
club and we enjoyed flying our models at
the many RC fun-fly events held
throughout the year.
It was at one of these events that I
witnessed my first micro RC model fly. I
was at the One Eighth Air Force Fly-In
that was held in Phoenix every year,
watching the flightline, when I saw a
beautiful 30-inch-span Stinson Reliant
doing low passes up and down the field. I
was in awe!
After his flight I asked the builder the
usual number of questions people ask
about a model they like. What radio
system, engine, and covering material are
you using? What is the weight and wing
loading, and how long will it fly? I drove
the man crazy with all my questions!
He told me the model used the Cannon
radio. It was the world’s most lightweight
RC system available at the time. The four-
03sig4.QXD 1/25/08 8:11 AM Page 9798 MODEL AVIATION
Cindy Malinchak flies Rick Ruijsink’s model at the 2007 NEAT
(Northeast Electric Aircraft Technology) Fair.
The new four-channel RTF Walkera HM-4#3 fixed-pitch
helicopter has an 8-inch rotor span and weighs only 45.5 grams.
The Walkera HM-4#3 uses only one 400 Li-Poly battery for
power and is a nice-flying indoor micro helicopter.
Cindy Malinchak’s first model in 1998 was this single-channel,
Peanut Scale Peck-Polymers Nesmith Cougar.
channel receiver and the servos weighed 1/2 ounce each, and the
four-cell Ni-Cd pack weighed 1 ounce. I was amazed by this system
and had to own one.
After checking my college bank account, I ordered the Cannon.
I figured I could cut down on my food for the next month without
affecting my budget.
In what aircraft would I install this system? I wanted something
impressive for my next trip down to Phoenix. While looking at
some new foam FF kits at my local hobby shop, I found my
airplane.
A company called Bentom had 19-inch-span models that I
thought would work perfectly! I started with the P-51 and installed
the Cannon receiver, two servos, and added a Cox Tee Dee .020
engine.
To my amazement the model flew perfectly right out of my
hand! It was fairly fast but manageable, and it had the power to
roll and loop. Now I had something worthy to fly at the One
Eighth Air Force Fly-In.
My friends and I traveled to the next event in force. I flew the
P-51 and a 19-inch-span Spitfire I built from the same FF series.
Everyone was impressed with the little models, and I was hooked
on micro RC.
I started thinking even bigger (or smaller) on a large scale! I
wanted to build something even better. I decided to build a smallscale,
30-inch-span B-17 from a Sterling FF kit. I used the thennewly
released G-Mark .03 engine with throttle control.
I completed the model in time for the next event, but I did not
have time to test it. The show organizers were willing to let me fly
during the halftime demonstration, and I agreed to if I could get all
the engines running. I had trouble, so I did not attempt to fly it.
Because of engine problems I never did manage a successful
flight with the model. The standing joke with my friends
throughout the years was “have you flown the B-17 yet?” I still
have the airplane, and someday I plan to install some new micro
outrunner motors and get it flying.
My next big development came many years later. I attended the
Westchester Radio AeroModelers’ (WRAM) Show and met John
Worth. He was displaying the new CETO receiver and actuator.
I was blown away by this new system and couldn’t wait to
experiment with it. Electrics were too heavy at the time, so I went
to a power source I had played with in the past. I found my
collection of Telco CO2 motors I had used in some FF models.
I constructed a balsa test model that flew well enough but
lacked power. I started searching for better motors, and the quest
03sig4.QXD 1/25/08 8:13 AM Page 98March 2008 99
GET MORE OUT OF YOUR FLYING!
Tired Of Just Boring Holes In The Sky?
Want To Raise Your Piloting Skills To The Next Level?
Like Getting The Best Performance From Your Plane?
Then:
Flying Precision Aerobatics Is For You!
The National Society of Radio Controlled Aerobatics is an AMA Special Interest Group
dedicated to improving sport flying and promoting aerobatic competition.
NSRCA; 211 Airport Road
Endicot, NY 13760
Join the thousands of Precision Aerobatic R/C pilots across the country
who are improving their piloting skills, learning how to make their
aircraft fly better and having a great time doing it.
Learn more at: www.nsrca.org
led me to my good friend Henry Pasquet.
Henry was experienced with CO2 motors
and had made an informative video of some
of the models he flew with the Brown CO2
line. I called him, and he told me everything
I needed to know to get the best
performance out of this power source.
Henry and I kept pushing our models to
new limits in size and weight. He was going
smaller and lighter, and I was doing smallscale
models. We couldn’t believe it when
we broke the 13-inch-span, Peanut-size
barrier!
My next goal was 1/72 scale. I thought,
“Wouldn’t it be neat if I could get a 1/72-
scale RC model to fly?”
I had seen a FF model made from wall
foam that Mark Denham of England built. I
ordered some material from him and
designed a 1/72-scale F6F Hellcat. I knew
that the F6F would be a good choice for this
project. I used the new 1-gram Gasparin 2.6
CO2 motor, Nick Leichty’s receiver, and a
30-milligram actuator that Fritz Mueller
made for me.
The Hellcat weighed 5 grams and, to my
surprise, flew beautifully! I believe it was
the world’s first 1/72-scale flying model.
Today I am still pushing the limits on
my micro RC models. I enjoy designing
new airplanes and the challenge it takes to
get them to fly well. My wife, Cindy, who
has supported my modeling efforts
throughout the years, also enjoys building
and flying micro RC airplanes.
She wanted to know what I saw in this
hobby and went with the “if you can’t beat
them, join them” approach. She asked me if
she could build a model of her own.
Cindy’s first RC aircraft was a 13-inchspan,
CO2-powered Peck-Polymers Nesmith
Cougar. It was single-channel and weighed
less than an ounce. The model looked great
and flew beautifully.
She flew the Cougar at the S.M.A.L.L.
(Small Model Airplane Lovers League) Fly-
In in 1998 and won the Flying Ace award
with her first RC airplane. She finally
understood why I love modeling so much.
The fun in building and flying models and
the great friends we have made throughout
the years make this one great hobby!
What’s New? The HM-4#3 four-channel,
fixed-pitch, micro RC helicopter from
Walkera comes out of the box ready to fly.
It has a 180mm rotor span and weighs 45.5
grams.
I am a big fan of the Micron helicopter
from Precision Heli. The HM-4#3 is even
smaller and uses only one 400 Li-Poly cell.
It is not for beginners, but anyone with
some fixed-pitch helicopter time can handle
it. My model flew great right from the box;
however, I did balance the tail blade and
lubed all the ball links and bearings.
The helicopter has a few weak spots.
The rotor head is somewhat fragile and the
motors run on the hot side. I ordered some
extra parts to keep mine flying. You can
find the HM-4#3 in the United States for
roughly $108. MA
03sig4.QXD 1/25/08 8:24 AM Page 99