Micro-Flying — May 2008
Float-flying at the JR Indoor Festival
Joe Malinchak | [email protected]
At last year's JR Indoor Electric Festival held in Columbus, Ohio, I experienced my first successful water takeoff and landing with a micro aircraft. Fly RC editor Thayer Syme let me fly his beautiful Micro Drake II amphibian.
Thayer was inspired by Ken Willard's Drake II design that was featured in the September 1980 MA. He wanted to build the model around the great ParkZone Cessna 210 gear, so he scaled Ken's plans down to approximately one-third scale. This produced a model with a 15.75‑inch wingspan and a ready-to-fly weight of 17.5 grams.
The model is constructed mainly from 0.050 Durobatics foam. Thayer completed the airplane shortly before the event, so he didn't have much time for testing and trimming. However, after only a few minor adjustments, he had it flying beautifully off JR's indoor Spektrum Lake.
For me it was a thrill to fly a model this size off water, and even more thrilling that it was indoors. Thayer received the Best Micro Aircraft award for his outstanding model.
ParkZone equipment: Mixer/Reverser
Richard Cox of Arcox Engineering developed a new Mixer/Reverser for the Kyosho/ParkZone system. It allows for servo reversing, servo swapping, and elevon/V-tail mixing, permitting maximum flexibility for any airplane type.
The device mounts in the transmitter, so it adds no weight to the airborne system. All functions are set up from the transmitter without external switches. The settings are saved on power-down, so you don't have to reprogram them.
Richard recently upgraded the Mixer/Reverser to include a four-model memory. He sent me a sample to evaluate. Installation requires some basic soldering skills, but it is not difficult.
Pushing the limits: ultra-micro models
Not long ago, building a Peanut-size model that weighed only an ounce was an amazing accomplishment. Now we are building airplanes that weigh mere grams with 5‑inch wingspans or less. Expertly skilled modelers keep pushing the limits on what can be built.
Martin Newell is one of those people. He pushed the limit on size and weight, and he broke the seemingly impossible 0.5‑gram record. Martin's Shark has a 2.65‑inch wingspan and weighs 485 milligrams. Martin built two versions of the Shark. The lighter one uses Nick Leichty's new 27 MHz, 60‑milligram receiver. The 495‑milligram Shark uses Martin's own Starving Rabbit FHSS 60‑milligram receiver.
Each airplane uses a one‑phase brushless motor that weighs 45 milligrams, powering a 0.7 x 0.5‑inch carbon propeller. The airframe was constructed mostly from carbon rod and weighs only 60 milligrams.
What's new: Bob Selman Designs — Super Spoil Sport
Bob Selman Designs has added the Super Spoil Sport to its growing list of available kits. It is a great‑flying airplane designed by Gary Jones. It has a 13‑inch wingspan and weighs 20 grams ready to fly.
I had a chance to test-fly and evaluate a prototype. The model has good slow-speed characteristics, zippy performance, and can climb vertically with a freshly charged cell. The listed kit price is $25.
The company recommends the Plantraco 0.9‑gram three‑channel receiver; two MiniAct actuators; and the GWJ 7mm gearbox with the Blue SS motor. The Super Spoil Sport flies well with the MCF4027 propeller and offers good vertical performance with the MCF5030 propeller. However, the new Didel 120 x 90 mm carbon propeller may be the best choice. See the source listing for contact information.
New servos tested
I tested the new 0.8‑gram SmartServo RC‑1 in my 9‑inch‑wingspan Ultra Micro Bug. The power for this servo is via metallic artificial muscle fiber known as muscle wire. It has an advertised torque of 15 grams per cc. My servos weighed 1 gram each with connectors.
My Ultra Micro Bug is a smaller version of the great‑flying Bug from Lightflite. I enjoy flying the Bug so much that I had to build a micro version. I enlisted the help of a friend, Robert Guillot, who drew the design and did all the graphics for me. The model is made from 0.25 Durobatics foam and carbon rod.
The SmartServo worked well in this model; however, it is not really designed for an aerobatic airplane because it lacks the speed of a conventional servo. Even with the slow servo speed, I can still do loops and rolls. I think the new servo will be great for use in a micro sport or scale project that requires no aerobatic maneuvering.
I also tested the upgraded version of the 1.6‑gram Falcon Servo in my Ultra Micro Bug. This servo puts out 25 grams of torque and has new software that prevents the servo arm from running off the gear. The new version works well and gives the Ultra Micro Bug full aerobatic potential.
I tested both servos using the Plantraco servo receiver. They are available from Bob Selman Designs.
Keystone Indoor Electric Fly (KIEF)
The first scheduled KIEF was canceled because of a severe ice storm and the unfortunate collapse of the Playing Fields Sports Dome near Scranton, Pennsylvania. I am happy to report that KIEF is back on.
The event will take place October 18–19, 2008. The location has been changed to the Generations Sports Complex Dome in Muncy, Pennsylvania, near Williamsport. This facility is currently the largest air‑suspended dome in the country.
All‑night flying is planned for Saturday into Sunday, and a large flight area is dedicated for micro fliers. It should be a fun event for all types of indoor models.
For more information, see the KIEF website.
Sources
- Arcox Engineering
1336 N. Moorpark Rd. #236 Thousand Oaks, CA 91360 [email protected]
- Bob Selman Designs
(417) 358‑9521 www.bsdmicrorc.com
- Lightflite
- KIEF
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
