and I was impressed with its performance.
I have built a few airplanes using
actuators for aileron control, with limited
success. The main problem I had was
getting enough power out of the actuator for
the required aileron deflection.
Today, thanks to more powerful magnets
and advances in actuator construction, we
have actuators that can do the job. I received
one to test from my friend, Robert Guillot.
He constructed a powerful actuator for
ailerons using the Plantraco NanoAct and two
1mm x 2mm N50 magnets. The magnets just
fit into the actuator and move freely for
maximum force.
Robert used this
actuator in his greatflying,
three-channel,
1/72-scale P-51.
The key to
success is not only
with the actuator,
but also with the
linkage. Everything
must move
smoothly and be
adjusted for the
proper aileron
deflection.
Nick Leichty
currently sells a
600-milligram
actuator that can
produce as much as
6 grams of force and
is perfect for aileron
control. He is also
AT THE 2007 NEAT (Northeast Electric
Aircraft Technology) Fair, I had the
opportunity to fly Nick Leichty’s micro
Acrobat three-channel model that featured
two aileron in-hinge actuators for positive
aileron control. It was the first model I had
operated that actually flew well using
actuators to power the
ailerons. It rolled effortlessly,
November 2009 95
Joe Malinchak Micro-Flying | [email protected]
Actuators for aileron control
Also included in this column:
• Micro Staggerwing
• Plantraco’s 1/72-scale Bf 109
• ParkZone’s Sukhoi Su-26m
These two 600-milligram actuators can
produce up to 6 grams of force. They are
perfect for micro aerobatic airplanes and
are available from Micro Flier Radio.
Nick Leichty’s three-channel micro
Acrobat uses two in-hinge actuators to
power the ailerons.
Above: This is D.C Enterprises’ tiny,
powerful, new 0.6-gram brushless motor.
The author used this small customized
NanoAct actuator to power his
Staggerwing’s ailerons.
Left: The author built his four-channel, 5.5-
inch-span Staggerwing from printed
Durobatics foam. It flies great with the 0.6-
gram brushless motor.
11sig3.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/25/09 9:49 AM Page 95
selling an RTF version of the micro
Acrobat! Please see his Web site—Micro
Flier Radio—for more information.
I received a sample of a beautiful new 0.6-
gram brushless motor from D.C.
Enterprises: the company that makes the
Mighty Midget line of motors. This
incredible power plant, which you can order
from BSD Micro RC, can produce more
than 5.8 grams of thrust at 360 mA (3.5
volts). What really excited me was the fact
that I could run this motor on one 30 mAh
Full River Li-Poly cell.
At that point I had a super power plant, a
strong actuator, and a four-channel Rabbit
receiver that Martin Newell made for me.
Then I had to decide what model to build
that would be worthy of this fantastic gear!
I had planned on constructing a micro
version of the late Scott Christensen’s
Staggerwing; I thought it would be a nice
tribute to him. The last time Scott and I
spoke, I told him I was going to shrink his
design to 5 or so inches. I was going to add
color and graphics to his plans in Adobe
Illustrator.
Then I decided to look at the Fiddlers
Green Staggerwing to get some ideas. After
doing so, I decided to use it, because the
graphics looked great and I needed to save
time. The only major change I made to the
Fiddlers design was to use a one-piece top
wing. I also changed the trim color from
green to blue, using Adobe Illustrator.
The model is constructed from 0.025-
inch Durobatics foam. I printed the graphics
on the foam using the technique I described
in my column in the July 2009 MA. I
normally use a one-sided wing on an
airplane this size, to save weight, but I opted
to use a full-surface wing, hoping it would
give me better aileron control.
I connected the top and bottom ailerons
of each wing using a small piece of carbon
rod and thread as a hinge material. I
originally tried using small magnets in
each aileron, with wire connecting them.
This idea would have worked great, but I
was not getting enough power from the
actuator.
The completed Staggerwing spans 5.5
inches, weighs 4.7 grams, and flies for as
long as four minutes on the Full River 30
mAh Li-Poly cell. I used a Micro Invent
MBC1 brushless ESC. I cut the wires down
on the ESC and soldered them directly to
the motor and receiver to save weight.
The model performed beautifully on the
first flight. I could make smooth turns with
the ailerons, but unfortunately they don’t
have the power to roll the airplane over.
Maybe I am asking too much from this
little aircraft, but it’s fun to push the limits
of what can be accomplished.
Plantraco has released the production
version of my 1/72-scale Bf 109 design. It
has a 5.5-inch wingspan and weighs only
2.7 grams ready to fly. The two-channel
model is easy to fly indoors or outdoors in
calm winds.
96 MODEL AVIATION
The author could not resist using this shot of the great-flying new 15.8-inch-span, fourchannel
ParkZone Sukhoi and the appropriate nose art on his cousin’s full-scale Pitts.
The new twochannel,
1/72-scale Bf
109 from Plantraco
f l ies great and
weighs only 2.7
grams!
The GWS 5043 propeller and GWJ
propeller saver are available form BSD
Micro RC. They improve the ParkZone
Sukhoi’s performance. (Bob Selman photo.)
It uses a 4mm coreless motor with a
32mm direct-drive propeller. Flight times
are typically six to eight minutes with a
fresh 20 mAh Li-Poly cell.
It is fun to dogfight this model with the
1/72-scale Plantraco Spitfire. Please visit the
Plantraco Web site for more information.
The new 15.8-inch-span, four-channel
ParkZone Sukhoi Su-26m, distributed by
Horizon Hobby, is a giant leap forward in
micro RTFs. It weighs only 1.1 ounces and
features Bind-N-Fly DSM2 technology.
I couldn’t wait to test this model. The
day I received it in the mail, I was like a kid
on Christmas. I had the 110 Li-Poly battery
charged and the model bound to my DX7
transmitter soon after opening the box!
I had read the reviews and talked to a
few friends about the Sukhoi’s performance.
Most had told me that it had a forward CG
problem and lacked power in vertical
maneuvers. Knowing this, I moved the
battery back as far as possible in the mount
11sig3.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/25/09 9:49 AM Page 96
and dialed in up-elevator trim for the first
flight. It was slightly windy, but I was not
going to let that stop me from flying.
I was impressed with the way the
model flew right out of the box. It was
doing nice, crisp rolls, spins, inverted
flight, snap rolls, and even loops on a
freshly charged cell. It did feel a bit noseheavy,
but I corrected that with a little
more nose up-trim. The airplane also
lacked some vertical performance, but
this is an incredible RTF.
I am sure that many people will
modify the Sukhoi and convert it to use a
micro brushless motor. That is fine, but I
found a much cheaper and easier way to
improve this model’s performance: by
changing the propeller. The correct one
can make all the difference in an
airplane’s flying.
The GWS 5043 propeller greatly
improves the Sukhoi’s vertical
performance and is a simple modification
to install. I used the GWJ 1.5mm
propeller saver that is available from BSD
Micro RC. It merely screws onto the shaft.
The combination of the GWS 5043
propeller and GWJ adapter weighs 1.7
grams. Surprisingly, this is lighter than the
2-gram weight of the supplied propeller and
spinner. MA
Sources:
Micro Flier Radio
(941) 377-9808
http://microflierradio.com
D.C. Enterprises
www.microbrushless.com
BSD Micro RC
www.bsdmicrorc.com
Fiddlers Green
Box 6045
Apache Junction AZ 85278
www.fiddlersgreen.net
Horizon Hobby
(800) 338-4639
www.horizonhobby.com
Plantraco MicroFlight
(306) 955-1836
www.plantraco.com
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/11
Page Numbers: 95,96,97
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/11
Page Numbers: 95,96,97
and I was impressed with its performance.
I have built a few airplanes using
actuators for aileron control, with limited
success. The main problem I had was
getting enough power out of the actuator for
the required aileron deflection.
Today, thanks to more powerful magnets
and advances in actuator construction, we
have actuators that can do the job. I received
one to test from my friend, Robert Guillot.
He constructed a powerful actuator for
ailerons using the Plantraco NanoAct and two
1mm x 2mm N50 magnets. The magnets just
fit into the actuator and move freely for
maximum force.
Robert used this
actuator in his greatflying,
three-channel,
1/72-scale P-51.
The key to
success is not only
with the actuator,
but also with the
linkage. Everything
must move
smoothly and be
adjusted for the
proper aileron
deflection.
Nick Leichty
currently sells a
600-milligram
actuator that can
produce as much as
6 grams of force and
is perfect for aileron
control. He is also
AT THE 2007 NEAT (Northeast Electric
Aircraft Technology) Fair, I had the
opportunity to fly Nick Leichty’s micro
Acrobat three-channel model that featured
two aileron in-hinge actuators for positive
aileron control. It was the first model I had
operated that actually flew well using
actuators to power the
ailerons. It rolled effortlessly,
November 2009 95
Joe Malinchak Micro-Flying | [email protected]
Actuators for aileron control
Also included in this column:
• Micro Staggerwing
• Plantraco’s 1/72-scale Bf 109
• ParkZone’s Sukhoi Su-26m
These two 600-milligram actuators can
produce up to 6 grams of force. They are
perfect for micro aerobatic airplanes and
are available from Micro Flier Radio.
Nick Leichty’s three-channel micro
Acrobat uses two in-hinge actuators to
power the ailerons.
Above: This is D.C Enterprises’ tiny,
powerful, new 0.6-gram brushless motor.
The author used this small customized
NanoAct actuator to power his
Staggerwing’s ailerons.
Left: The author built his four-channel, 5.5-
inch-span Staggerwing from printed
Durobatics foam. It flies great with the 0.6-
gram brushless motor.
11sig3.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/25/09 9:49 AM Page 95
selling an RTF version of the micro
Acrobat! Please see his Web site—Micro
Flier Radio—for more information.
I received a sample of a beautiful new 0.6-
gram brushless motor from D.C.
Enterprises: the company that makes the
Mighty Midget line of motors. This
incredible power plant, which you can order
from BSD Micro RC, can produce more
than 5.8 grams of thrust at 360 mA (3.5
volts). What really excited me was the fact
that I could run this motor on one 30 mAh
Full River Li-Poly cell.
At that point I had a super power plant, a
strong actuator, and a four-channel Rabbit
receiver that Martin Newell made for me.
Then I had to decide what model to build
that would be worthy of this fantastic gear!
I had planned on constructing a micro
version of the late Scott Christensen’s
Staggerwing; I thought it would be a nice
tribute to him. The last time Scott and I
spoke, I told him I was going to shrink his
design to 5 or so inches. I was going to add
color and graphics to his plans in Adobe
Illustrator.
Then I decided to look at the Fiddlers
Green Staggerwing to get some ideas. After
doing so, I decided to use it, because the
graphics looked great and I needed to save
time. The only major change I made to the
Fiddlers design was to use a one-piece top
wing. I also changed the trim color from
green to blue, using Adobe Illustrator.
The model is constructed from 0.025-
inch Durobatics foam. I printed the graphics
on the foam using the technique I described
in my column in the July 2009 MA. I
normally use a one-sided wing on an
airplane this size, to save weight, but I opted
to use a full-surface wing, hoping it would
give me better aileron control.
I connected the top and bottom ailerons
of each wing using a small piece of carbon
rod and thread as a hinge material. I
originally tried using small magnets in
each aileron, with wire connecting them.
This idea would have worked great, but I
was not getting enough power from the
actuator.
The completed Staggerwing spans 5.5
inches, weighs 4.7 grams, and flies for as
long as four minutes on the Full River 30
mAh Li-Poly cell. I used a Micro Invent
MBC1 brushless ESC. I cut the wires down
on the ESC and soldered them directly to
the motor and receiver to save weight.
The model performed beautifully on the
first flight. I could make smooth turns with
the ailerons, but unfortunately they don’t
have the power to roll the airplane over.
Maybe I am asking too much from this
little aircraft, but it’s fun to push the limits
of what can be accomplished.
Plantraco has released the production
version of my 1/72-scale Bf 109 design. It
has a 5.5-inch wingspan and weighs only
2.7 grams ready to fly. The two-channel
model is easy to fly indoors or outdoors in
calm winds.
96 MODEL AVIATION
The author could not resist using this shot of the great-flying new 15.8-inch-span, fourchannel
ParkZone Sukhoi and the appropriate nose art on his cousin’s full-scale Pitts.
The new twochannel,
1/72-scale Bf
109 from Plantraco
f l ies great and
weighs only 2.7
grams!
The GWS 5043 propeller and GWJ
propeller saver are available form BSD
Micro RC. They improve the ParkZone
Sukhoi’s performance. (Bob Selman photo.)
It uses a 4mm coreless motor with a
32mm direct-drive propeller. Flight times
are typically six to eight minutes with a
fresh 20 mAh Li-Poly cell.
It is fun to dogfight this model with the
1/72-scale Plantraco Spitfire. Please visit the
Plantraco Web site for more information.
The new 15.8-inch-span, four-channel
ParkZone Sukhoi Su-26m, distributed by
Horizon Hobby, is a giant leap forward in
micro RTFs. It weighs only 1.1 ounces and
features Bind-N-Fly DSM2 technology.
I couldn’t wait to test this model. The
day I received it in the mail, I was like a kid
on Christmas. I had the 110 Li-Poly battery
charged and the model bound to my DX7
transmitter soon after opening the box!
I had read the reviews and talked to a
few friends about the Sukhoi’s performance.
Most had told me that it had a forward CG
problem and lacked power in vertical
maneuvers. Knowing this, I moved the
battery back as far as possible in the mount
11sig3.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/25/09 9:49 AM Page 96
and dialed in up-elevator trim for the first
flight. It was slightly windy, but I was not
going to let that stop me from flying.
I was impressed with the way the
model flew right out of the box. It was
doing nice, crisp rolls, spins, inverted
flight, snap rolls, and even loops on a
freshly charged cell. It did feel a bit noseheavy,
but I corrected that with a little
more nose up-trim. The airplane also
lacked some vertical performance, but
this is an incredible RTF.
I am sure that many people will
modify the Sukhoi and convert it to use a
micro brushless motor. That is fine, but I
found a much cheaper and easier way to
improve this model’s performance: by
changing the propeller. The correct one
can make all the difference in an
airplane’s flying.
The GWS 5043 propeller greatly
improves the Sukhoi’s vertical
performance and is a simple modification
to install. I used the GWJ 1.5mm
propeller saver that is available from BSD
Micro RC. It merely screws onto the shaft.
The combination of the GWS 5043
propeller and GWJ adapter weighs 1.7
grams. Surprisingly, this is lighter than the
2-gram weight of the supplied propeller and
spinner. MA
Sources:
Micro Flier Radio
(941) 377-9808
http://microflierradio.com
D.C. Enterprises
www.microbrushless.com
BSD Micro RC
www.bsdmicrorc.com
Fiddlers Green
Box 6045
Apache Junction AZ 85278
www.fiddlersgreen.net
Horizon Hobby
(800) 338-4639
www.horizonhobby.com
Plantraco MicroFlight
(306) 955-1836
www.plantraco.com
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/11
Page Numbers: 95,96,97
and I was impressed with its performance.
I have built a few airplanes using
actuators for aileron control, with limited
success. The main problem I had was
getting enough power out of the actuator for
the required aileron deflection.
Today, thanks to more powerful magnets
and advances in actuator construction, we
have actuators that can do the job. I received
one to test from my friend, Robert Guillot.
He constructed a powerful actuator for
ailerons using the Plantraco NanoAct and two
1mm x 2mm N50 magnets. The magnets just
fit into the actuator and move freely for
maximum force.
Robert used this
actuator in his greatflying,
three-channel,
1/72-scale P-51.
The key to
success is not only
with the actuator,
but also with the
linkage. Everything
must move
smoothly and be
adjusted for the
proper aileron
deflection.
Nick Leichty
currently sells a
600-milligram
actuator that can
produce as much as
6 grams of force and
is perfect for aileron
control. He is also
AT THE 2007 NEAT (Northeast Electric
Aircraft Technology) Fair, I had the
opportunity to fly Nick Leichty’s micro
Acrobat three-channel model that featured
two aileron in-hinge actuators for positive
aileron control. It was the first model I had
operated that actually flew well using
actuators to power the
ailerons. It rolled effortlessly,
November 2009 95
Joe Malinchak Micro-Flying | [email protected]
Actuators for aileron control
Also included in this column:
• Micro Staggerwing
• Plantraco’s 1/72-scale Bf 109
• ParkZone’s Sukhoi Su-26m
These two 600-milligram actuators can
produce up to 6 grams of force. They are
perfect for micro aerobatic airplanes and
are available from Micro Flier Radio.
Nick Leichty’s three-channel micro
Acrobat uses two in-hinge actuators to
power the ailerons.
Above: This is D.C Enterprises’ tiny,
powerful, new 0.6-gram brushless motor.
The author used this small customized
NanoAct actuator to power his
Staggerwing’s ailerons.
Left: The author built his four-channel, 5.5-
inch-span Staggerwing from printed
Durobatics foam. It flies great with the 0.6-
gram brushless motor.
11sig3.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/25/09 9:49 AM Page 95
selling an RTF version of the micro
Acrobat! Please see his Web site—Micro
Flier Radio—for more information.
I received a sample of a beautiful new 0.6-
gram brushless motor from D.C.
Enterprises: the company that makes the
Mighty Midget line of motors. This
incredible power plant, which you can order
from BSD Micro RC, can produce more
than 5.8 grams of thrust at 360 mA (3.5
volts). What really excited me was the fact
that I could run this motor on one 30 mAh
Full River Li-Poly cell.
At that point I had a super power plant, a
strong actuator, and a four-channel Rabbit
receiver that Martin Newell made for me.
Then I had to decide what model to build
that would be worthy of this fantastic gear!
I had planned on constructing a micro
version of the late Scott Christensen’s
Staggerwing; I thought it would be a nice
tribute to him. The last time Scott and I
spoke, I told him I was going to shrink his
design to 5 or so inches. I was going to add
color and graphics to his plans in Adobe
Illustrator.
Then I decided to look at the Fiddlers
Green Staggerwing to get some ideas. After
doing so, I decided to use it, because the
graphics looked great and I needed to save
time. The only major change I made to the
Fiddlers design was to use a one-piece top
wing. I also changed the trim color from
green to blue, using Adobe Illustrator.
The model is constructed from 0.025-
inch Durobatics foam. I printed the graphics
on the foam using the technique I described
in my column in the July 2009 MA. I
normally use a one-sided wing on an
airplane this size, to save weight, but I opted
to use a full-surface wing, hoping it would
give me better aileron control.
I connected the top and bottom ailerons
of each wing using a small piece of carbon
rod and thread as a hinge material. I
originally tried using small magnets in
each aileron, with wire connecting them.
This idea would have worked great, but I
was not getting enough power from the
actuator.
The completed Staggerwing spans 5.5
inches, weighs 4.7 grams, and flies for as
long as four minutes on the Full River 30
mAh Li-Poly cell. I used a Micro Invent
MBC1 brushless ESC. I cut the wires down
on the ESC and soldered them directly to
the motor and receiver to save weight.
The model performed beautifully on the
first flight. I could make smooth turns with
the ailerons, but unfortunately they don’t
have the power to roll the airplane over.
Maybe I am asking too much from this
little aircraft, but it’s fun to push the limits
of what can be accomplished.
Plantraco has released the production
version of my 1/72-scale Bf 109 design. It
has a 5.5-inch wingspan and weighs only
2.7 grams ready to fly. The two-channel
model is easy to fly indoors or outdoors in
calm winds.
96 MODEL AVIATION
The author could not resist using this shot of the great-flying new 15.8-inch-span, fourchannel
ParkZone Sukhoi and the appropriate nose art on his cousin’s full-scale Pitts.
The new twochannel,
1/72-scale Bf
109 from Plantraco
f l ies great and
weighs only 2.7
grams!
The GWS 5043 propeller and GWJ
propeller saver are available form BSD
Micro RC. They improve the ParkZone
Sukhoi’s performance. (Bob Selman photo.)
It uses a 4mm coreless motor with a
32mm direct-drive propeller. Flight times
are typically six to eight minutes with a
fresh 20 mAh Li-Poly cell.
It is fun to dogfight this model with the
1/72-scale Plantraco Spitfire. Please visit the
Plantraco Web site for more information.
The new 15.8-inch-span, four-channel
ParkZone Sukhoi Su-26m, distributed by
Horizon Hobby, is a giant leap forward in
micro RTFs. It weighs only 1.1 ounces and
features Bind-N-Fly DSM2 technology.
I couldn’t wait to test this model. The
day I received it in the mail, I was like a kid
on Christmas. I had the 110 Li-Poly battery
charged and the model bound to my DX7
transmitter soon after opening the box!
I had read the reviews and talked to a
few friends about the Sukhoi’s performance.
Most had told me that it had a forward CG
problem and lacked power in vertical
maneuvers. Knowing this, I moved the
battery back as far as possible in the mount
11sig3.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/25/09 9:49 AM Page 96
and dialed in up-elevator trim for the first
flight. It was slightly windy, but I was not
going to let that stop me from flying.
I was impressed with the way the
model flew right out of the box. It was
doing nice, crisp rolls, spins, inverted
flight, snap rolls, and even loops on a
freshly charged cell. It did feel a bit noseheavy,
but I corrected that with a little
more nose up-trim. The airplane also
lacked some vertical performance, but
this is an incredible RTF.
I am sure that many people will
modify the Sukhoi and convert it to use a
micro brushless motor. That is fine, but I
found a much cheaper and easier way to
improve this model’s performance: by
changing the propeller. The correct one
can make all the difference in an
airplane’s flying.
The GWS 5043 propeller greatly
improves the Sukhoi’s vertical
performance and is a simple modification
to install. I used the GWJ 1.5mm
propeller saver that is available from BSD
Micro RC. It merely screws onto the shaft.
The combination of the GWS 5043
propeller and GWJ adapter weighs 1.7
grams. Surprisingly, this is lighter than the
2-gram weight of the supplied propeller and
spinner. MA
Sources:
Micro Flier Radio
(941) 377-9808
http://microflierradio.com
D.C. Enterprises
www.microbrushless.com
BSD Micro RC
www.bsdmicrorc.com
Fiddlers Green
Box 6045
Apache Junction AZ 85278
www.fiddlersgreen.net
Horizon Hobby
(800) 338-4639
www.horizonhobby.com
Plantraco MicroFlight
(306) 955-1836
www.plantraco.com