Author: Joe Malinchak
Edition: Model Aviation - 2010/05
Page Numbers: 78,79,80
,
,

Micro-Flying

Joe Malinchak | [email protected]

The 2009 JR Indoor Electric Festival

The JR Indoor Electric Festival is a favorite event of mine. I was still winding down from the NEAT (Northeast Electric Aircraft Technology) Fair and the Keystone Electric Indoor Fly, so I was not sure I would make it to the 2009 JR event in November. Somehow I was able to get the time off from work, so I had no excuse — I had to go. Fortunately, I had most of my models ready from the previous events. I only had to repair a few airplanes and build one new one.

One thing that sets the JR event apart from others is the indoor water runway; Spektrum Lake adds to the fun. I had made a set of floats for Cindy’s (my wife’s) Vapor, but I did not have time to install them before the show. At the event I enlisted the help of a couple of friends, Bob Selman and Ken Spencer.

I wanted the Vapor’s floats to be removable, so Bob came up with the idea of using carbon rod in the shape of an “X” and a small rubber band to hold the rod to the fuselage. I had the idea to tape the front wheels to the floats, and Ken did the installation work for me. We had also added an LED tape system from XeroGear, which added a few grams. We were unsure if this setup on floats would work, but we were excited to try it.

The model ended up flying great. It took off from the water with no problems and was lots of fun to fly. We were having so much fun with Cindy’s model that she kept asking when she could fly it off the water. You can see the Vapor fly at the video link in the Sources section.

It was entertaining to watch the wonderful variety of floatplanes take off and land. One of the most unusual models was a surfer dude — it flew well and looked neat over the water runway.

Demonstrations and new models

The team from Horizon Hobby demonstrated the company’s new micro RC models. The new E-flite Ultra-Micro 4-Site biplane was the biggest hit. This RTF can perform 3-D maneuvers directly out of the box on a brushed-motor setup.

I watched the designer, David Payne, wring out his model. I stood next to him as he performed beautiful rolling Harriers on the deck and almost every other 3-D maneuver. David is a great designer and an outstanding pilot. He won the Best New Product award for the Ultra-Micro 4-Site. The 15.2-inch-span model is available in both Bind-N-Fly (BNF) and Plug-N-Play versions.

The BNF is a good value because it includes two 150 mAh Li-Poly cells and the new Celectra four-port Li-Poly charger. I received my Ultra-Micro 4-Site BNF in the mail right before my deadline for this column. It was a cold winter day with a slight breeze, but I wasn’t going to let that stop me from trying the new airplane.

It took only seconds to bind the model with my Spektrum DX7 transmitter, check the controls, and head outside. I wanted to see how the 4-Site would perform out of the box, with no exponential or programming. I was pleasantly surprised — it flew beautifully with little trim correction. I did a quick hover followed by rolls, loops, and knife-edge flight. This biplane has a nice, light feel. I was impressed.

Another new model that looked nice at the JR event was the ParkZone Piper Cub. It has an 18.2-inch wingspan and weighs only 24 grams. The model has some nice scale details and should be a favorite for casual flying.

ParkZone P-51 air races

Another highlight of the JR event was the ParkZone P-51 air races. Contestants were given randomly selected stock airplanes to fly; they were test-flown and trimmed before the event. A total of 40 pilots signed up to race, and the top two from each heat advanced to the next round.

The P-51s had to take off from the ground at the start. This was a good idea because it minimized midairs that can occur with hand launches and made the races a bit more challenging. I had a ball flying in this event and put a few flights on my P-51 at home to practice.

I normally like to fly without dual rates, but at the fly-in it was recommended to use them with the stock transmitter. I should have listened; I had trouble keeping my model level for the first few laps. David Payne won this well-organized competition. The great thing about it is that you did not have to place to win — every pilot was given a raffle ticket and had a one-in-four chance of receiving one of the 10 P-51 RTFs that were flown in the race.

BSD Micro RC and Jet Mite

Bob Selman of BSD Micro RC flew his great-performing, ducted-fan-powered Jet Mite. It has a 9-inch wingspan and weighs 17 grams. He used a Plantraco receiver that was converted to Hip-Hop, a Full River 90 mAh cell battery, and the ducted fan from an Air Hogs Jet Scream model.

Bob was also a vendor at the show, exhibiting his growing line of micro RC airplanes and equipment. BSD Micro RC continues to be a prime source for micro RC gear.

The JR Indoor Electric Festival is a wonderful event. The dates for the 2010 edition are November 5–7. Mark your calendars!

MA

Sources

Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.