May 2011 85
I WAS STILL unwinding from a
wonderful weekend at the Keystone Indoor
Electric Fly (KIEF) in October, and the JR
Indoor Electric Festival was right around
the corner! It can be challenging to fit
several of these wonderful RC events so
close together into your schedule, but I just
had to make the JR gathering.
The only saving grace was that after
many months of preparation I had most of
my new models ready. So my wife, Cindy,
and I packed the car for the eight-hour
journey to Columbus, Ohio.
With an indoor water runway and
separate areas for micro, 3-D, and open
flying, the JR event has something for
everyone. I enjoy flying off of Spektrum
Lake each year. I wanted to build a new
model with floats but ran out of time.
However, I did have time to design a
new set of floats for my Night Vapor. My
previous design worked, but the model
would take off only if it had some speed
from a touch-and-go landing.
I made the new floats from 1/2-
millimeter Depron, and they worked
beautifully. They are slightly longer and
thinner, to save weight.
Taking a friend’s advice, I added a
larger flat piece to the bottom of the front
area of the floats. This not only provided a
little more buoyancy, but also allowed them
to function as snow skis as well!
One of the highlights of the JR event
was the ParkZone air races, in which
great-flying ParkZone Ultra Micro T-28
Joe Malinchak Micro-Flying | [email protected]
The 2010 JR Indoor Electric Festival
Those who flew the author’s Night Vapor on floats off of
Lake Spektrum at the JR Indoor Electric Festival had a
ball. Joe designed a new set of floats made from 1/2-
millimeter Depron foam for this year’s event.
A highlight of the JR event is the ParkZone air races. This year the
contestants used 10 great-flying ParkZone T-28 Trojans, which were
raffled off to the participants afterward.
Also included in this column:
• New E-flite UMX Extra 300
• Cartoon-scale Dr.I livingroom
flyer
• Dan Baird’s single-phase
brushless motors
Bind-N-Fly (BNF) aircraft were used. The
models were customized with numbers
and graphics for good visibility for the
judges.
Each contestant was given a randomly
selected T-28 to use with his own
transmitter. The wonderful thing about this
contest was that you did not have to win the
race to win the event. After the final race on
Sunday, all 10 of the airplanes were raffled
off to the participating pilots!
Congratulations to the air race winners.
In first place was James Haley, second
place went to Joe Smith, and Mark Stermer
finished third.
Another fun event that was held
throughout the weekend was the Force RC
helicopter contest, in which participants
were issued models to test and fly. The
helicopters featured the Force battling
system, which allows you to use infrared
signals to shoot down your opponents’
aircraft.
All of the models took off at the same
time, and the last one in the air was the
winner. The winner of each event was given
an Force RC RTF.
Higher Plane Productions was in
attendance, making some great videos of
the JR Indoor Electric Festival. They were
shot in high definition and are available for
immediate download from the Higher Plane
Web site.
The videographers even captured some
wonderful footage of my 1/72-scale MiG-15
and my 4-inch-wingspan Great Lakes.
Please see the company’s Web site for more
information.
The new Ultra Micro eXtreme (UMX)
Extra 300 3D BNF is impressive! Designed
by Seth Arnold, an Electric Tournament of
Champions champ, this model features
lightweight construction techniques that
allow it to be flown almost anywhere.
The completely ready-to-fly Extra 300
arrives in an attractive box that also
functions as a carrying/storage case. It
comes with a 150 mAh Li-Poly cell,
charger, and optional side force generators.
All you need is a four-channel or more
DSM2-compatible transmitter.
The Extra uses the same proven 8.5mm
coreless brushed motor and Spektrum
AR6400L DSM2 Ultra Micro Receiver/
ESC that is used in the Ultra Micro 4-Site.
With a 16.8-inch wingspan and a flying
05sig3x.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 3/23/11 9:53 AM Page 85
Below: The author’s two-channel, 4.5-inchspan
cartoon-scale Dr.I is powered by Dan
Baird’s 440-milligram single-phase brushless
motor and weighs 1.94 grams ready to fly.
The model will easily do figure eights in a
small area and fly for three to four minutes
on a 10 mAh Li-Poly cell.
weight of 32.5 grams, this UMX model is a
capable 3-D performer.
Seth used a foam skeleton airframe to
save as much weight as possible, and it is
reinforced in several locations with carbon
rod, to help protect it from crashes. The
covering is micro-thin film in a vibrant color
scheme.
I had first seen the Extra fly at the JR
event, in the hands of Seth, David Payne,
and several other master 3-D pilots.
Watching them effortlessly fly the aircraft in
the micro areas of the dome impressed me.
After I saw that, I was excited to try it for
myself!
When the box arrived at my door, it took
me only a few minutes to bind the model to
my DX7 transmitter and take it outside for a
test hop. The Extra manual included the
recommended dual rates and exponential
settings.
As I was writing this in January, it was
extremely cold with lots of snow in
Northeast Pennsylvania, but I was not going
to let that stop me from flying. Within a few
minutes I was comfortably doing all of the
3-D maneuvers I could. I found the model
easy to fly, with a nice feel to it.
Then I took it inside my house and had
fun hovering around the living room. I think
it is a great model to use to practice
hovering in the comfort of your home. Flight
time is roughly four to eight minutes with
the included 150 mAh Li-Poly cell.
This UMX Extra 300 3D is a welcome
addition to E-flite’s growing line of BNF
models. It is recommended for intermediateto
advanced-skill-level pilots. Please see the
Horizon Hobby Web site for more
information.
My quest for the ultimate living-room flyer
continues. After seeing my friend Gordon
Johnson’s cartoon-scale Dr.I triplane fly at
KIEF, I started thinking about how cool a
micro version of his design would be.
Gordon kindly sent me a copy of his plans,
so I shrunk them and added some graphics
and details I created in Adobe Illustrator.
I had just received a beautiful new
geared 440-milligram single-phase brushless
motor from Dan Baird to test. It and a 115-
milligram Rabbit receiver seemed like a
good combination for success!
I carefully hand-cut the lightweight
skeleton airframe from Durobatics foam and
covered it with 0.9 micron Poly Micro film,
available from Indoor Model Supply
through A2Z Corp. I reinforced the structure
in several spots with 0.3mm carbon rod.
I made the propeller using a plastic
material I purchased from Micro Flier
Radio. It has a neat brown appearance,
resembling a World War I propeller, and it
performs well.
The completed Dr.I spans 4.5 inches and
weighs 1.94 grams ready to fly with a 350-
milligram Full River 10 mAh Li-Poly cell.
The model flies beautifully and will easily
do figure eights in my living room.
I am now designing a cartoon-scale
Sopwith Camel to complement the
triplane. I should have more information
about it in my next column.
Dan Baird continues to amaze with
his progress in developing the perfect
power plant for micro RC indoor
airplanes. He has a new technique
of hand-winding the motor coil,
which allows a tighter air gap
between the magnet and coil for
more power. It also makes the
process of building the motor much
easier.
Dan recently discovered that using
Below: Electric Tournament
of Champions Champ Seth
Arnold designed the UMX
Extra 300, which is a
wonderful micromodel. He
used a skeleton airframe to
save weight. At 32.5 grams
ready to fly, it is a capable 3-
D performer.
Above: The author found the
16.8- inch-wingspan UMX
Extra 300 easy to fly, with a
nice feel. It is a great model
to use to practice hovering in
your living room.
Dan Baird continues to develop
more efficient single-phase
brushless motors. His 440-milligram
single-magnet unit (L) puts out
more than 2 grams of thrust, and
his two-magnet motor weighs only
490 milligrams and produces more
than 3 grams of thrust using the
3222 carbon propeller.
Above: The new E-flite UMX Extra 300 3D
BNF includes a 150 mAh Li-Poly cell and
charger and arrives in a nice protective
storage box that also functions as a
carrying case. All you need to fly is a fourchannel
or more DSM2-compatible
transmitter.
May 2011 87
05sig3x.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 3/23/11 10:00 AM Page 87
two magnets increased the power even
more. It runs approximately 2,000 rpm
faster than a 4mm pager motor, at half the
weight with less current draw!
He sent me a new two-magnet motor,
geared at my request, with the same
gearing as the Plantraco GB05. I was
blown away by the performance of the new
unit.
The 440-milligram single-magnet
geared motor is 16.1 ohms and puts out 2
grams of thrust with a 3222 Plantraco
carbon propeller. The two-magnet motor
weighs only 490 milligrams, is 10.6 ohms,
and produces more than 3 grams of thrust
with the 3222 carbon propeller.
I used a Full River 20 mAh Li-Poly cell
for my tests. The two-magnet, single-phase
power plant outperforms the GB05, weighs
300 milligrams less, and draws less current.
It is amazing!
Visit the WestKnoxRC Web site to
learn how Dan makes these wonderful
motors and see them run. MA
Sources:
JR Indoor Electric Festival
www.jriefestival.com
Higher Plane Productions
1525 Acadia St.
Durham NC 27701
www.higherplaneproductions.com
Horizon Hobby
(800) 338-4639
www.horizonhobby.com
A2Z Corp.
(877) 754-7465
www.a2zcorp.us
WestKnoxRC
www.westknoxrc.com
88 MODEL AVIATION
Why Pay a Dollar
for just 4 Screws?
W e h a v e t h e h a r d w a r e y o u n e e d
at a fraction of retail!
Order today at:
www.rtlfasteners.com
or call 800-239-6010
708 Battlefield Blvd South #107
Chesapeake, VA 23322
05sig3x.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 3/23/11 10:01 AM Page 88
Edition: Model Aviation - 2011/05
Page Numbers: 85,87,88
Edition: Model Aviation - 2011/05
Page Numbers: 85,87,88
May 2011 85
I WAS STILL unwinding from a
wonderful weekend at the Keystone Indoor
Electric Fly (KIEF) in October, and the JR
Indoor Electric Festival was right around
the corner! It can be challenging to fit
several of these wonderful RC events so
close together into your schedule, but I just
had to make the JR gathering.
The only saving grace was that after
many months of preparation I had most of
my new models ready. So my wife, Cindy,
and I packed the car for the eight-hour
journey to Columbus, Ohio.
With an indoor water runway and
separate areas for micro, 3-D, and open
flying, the JR event has something for
everyone. I enjoy flying off of Spektrum
Lake each year. I wanted to build a new
model with floats but ran out of time.
However, I did have time to design a
new set of floats for my Night Vapor. My
previous design worked, but the model
would take off only if it had some speed
from a touch-and-go landing.
I made the new floats from 1/2-
millimeter Depron, and they worked
beautifully. They are slightly longer and
thinner, to save weight.
Taking a friend’s advice, I added a
larger flat piece to the bottom of the front
area of the floats. This not only provided a
little more buoyancy, but also allowed them
to function as snow skis as well!
One of the highlights of the JR event
was the ParkZone air races, in which
great-flying ParkZone Ultra Micro T-28
Joe Malinchak Micro-Flying | [email protected]
The 2010 JR Indoor Electric Festival
Those who flew the author’s Night Vapor on floats off of
Lake Spektrum at the JR Indoor Electric Festival had a
ball. Joe designed a new set of floats made from 1/2-
millimeter Depron foam for this year’s event.
A highlight of the JR event is the ParkZone air races. This year the
contestants used 10 great-flying ParkZone T-28 Trojans, which were
raffled off to the participants afterward.
Also included in this column:
• New E-flite UMX Extra 300
• Cartoon-scale Dr.I livingroom
flyer
• Dan Baird’s single-phase
brushless motors
Bind-N-Fly (BNF) aircraft were used. The
models were customized with numbers
and graphics for good visibility for the
judges.
Each contestant was given a randomly
selected T-28 to use with his own
transmitter. The wonderful thing about this
contest was that you did not have to win the
race to win the event. After the final race on
Sunday, all 10 of the airplanes were raffled
off to the participating pilots!
Congratulations to the air race winners.
In first place was James Haley, second
place went to Joe Smith, and Mark Stermer
finished third.
Another fun event that was held
throughout the weekend was the Force RC
helicopter contest, in which participants
were issued models to test and fly. The
helicopters featured the Force battling
system, which allows you to use infrared
signals to shoot down your opponents’
aircraft.
All of the models took off at the same
time, and the last one in the air was the
winner. The winner of each event was given
an Force RC RTF.
Higher Plane Productions was in
attendance, making some great videos of
the JR Indoor Electric Festival. They were
shot in high definition and are available for
immediate download from the Higher Plane
Web site.
The videographers even captured some
wonderful footage of my 1/72-scale MiG-15
and my 4-inch-wingspan Great Lakes.
Please see the company’s Web site for more
information.
The new Ultra Micro eXtreme (UMX)
Extra 300 3D BNF is impressive! Designed
by Seth Arnold, an Electric Tournament of
Champions champ, this model features
lightweight construction techniques that
allow it to be flown almost anywhere.
The completely ready-to-fly Extra 300
arrives in an attractive box that also
functions as a carrying/storage case. It
comes with a 150 mAh Li-Poly cell,
charger, and optional side force generators.
All you need is a four-channel or more
DSM2-compatible transmitter.
The Extra uses the same proven 8.5mm
coreless brushed motor and Spektrum
AR6400L DSM2 Ultra Micro Receiver/
ESC that is used in the Ultra Micro 4-Site.
With a 16.8-inch wingspan and a flying
05sig3x.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 3/23/11 9:53 AM Page 85
Below: The author’s two-channel, 4.5-inchspan
cartoon-scale Dr.I is powered by Dan
Baird’s 440-milligram single-phase brushless
motor and weighs 1.94 grams ready to fly.
The model will easily do figure eights in a
small area and fly for three to four minutes
on a 10 mAh Li-Poly cell.
weight of 32.5 grams, this UMX model is a
capable 3-D performer.
Seth used a foam skeleton airframe to
save as much weight as possible, and it is
reinforced in several locations with carbon
rod, to help protect it from crashes. The
covering is micro-thin film in a vibrant color
scheme.
I had first seen the Extra fly at the JR
event, in the hands of Seth, David Payne,
and several other master 3-D pilots.
Watching them effortlessly fly the aircraft in
the micro areas of the dome impressed me.
After I saw that, I was excited to try it for
myself!
When the box arrived at my door, it took
me only a few minutes to bind the model to
my DX7 transmitter and take it outside for a
test hop. The Extra manual included the
recommended dual rates and exponential
settings.
As I was writing this in January, it was
extremely cold with lots of snow in
Northeast Pennsylvania, but I was not going
to let that stop me from flying. Within a few
minutes I was comfortably doing all of the
3-D maneuvers I could. I found the model
easy to fly, with a nice feel to it.
Then I took it inside my house and had
fun hovering around the living room. I think
it is a great model to use to practice
hovering in the comfort of your home. Flight
time is roughly four to eight minutes with
the included 150 mAh Li-Poly cell.
This UMX Extra 300 3D is a welcome
addition to E-flite’s growing line of BNF
models. It is recommended for intermediateto
advanced-skill-level pilots. Please see the
Horizon Hobby Web site for more
information.
My quest for the ultimate living-room flyer
continues. After seeing my friend Gordon
Johnson’s cartoon-scale Dr.I triplane fly at
KIEF, I started thinking about how cool a
micro version of his design would be.
Gordon kindly sent me a copy of his plans,
so I shrunk them and added some graphics
and details I created in Adobe Illustrator.
I had just received a beautiful new
geared 440-milligram single-phase brushless
motor from Dan Baird to test. It and a 115-
milligram Rabbit receiver seemed like a
good combination for success!
I carefully hand-cut the lightweight
skeleton airframe from Durobatics foam and
covered it with 0.9 micron Poly Micro film,
available from Indoor Model Supply
through A2Z Corp. I reinforced the structure
in several spots with 0.3mm carbon rod.
I made the propeller using a plastic
material I purchased from Micro Flier
Radio. It has a neat brown appearance,
resembling a World War I propeller, and it
performs well.
The completed Dr.I spans 4.5 inches and
weighs 1.94 grams ready to fly with a 350-
milligram Full River 10 mAh Li-Poly cell.
The model flies beautifully and will easily
do figure eights in my living room.
I am now designing a cartoon-scale
Sopwith Camel to complement the
triplane. I should have more information
about it in my next column.
Dan Baird continues to amaze with
his progress in developing the perfect
power plant for micro RC indoor
airplanes. He has a new technique
of hand-winding the motor coil,
which allows a tighter air gap
between the magnet and coil for
more power. It also makes the
process of building the motor much
easier.
Dan recently discovered that using
Below: Electric Tournament
of Champions Champ Seth
Arnold designed the UMX
Extra 300, which is a
wonderful micromodel. He
used a skeleton airframe to
save weight. At 32.5 grams
ready to fly, it is a capable 3-
D performer.
Above: The author found the
16.8- inch-wingspan UMX
Extra 300 easy to fly, with a
nice feel. It is a great model
to use to practice hovering in
your living room.
Dan Baird continues to develop
more efficient single-phase
brushless motors. His 440-milligram
single-magnet unit (L) puts out
more than 2 grams of thrust, and
his two-magnet motor weighs only
490 milligrams and produces more
than 3 grams of thrust using the
3222 carbon propeller.
Above: The new E-flite UMX Extra 300 3D
BNF includes a 150 mAh Li-Poly cell and
charger and arrives in a nice protective
storage box that also functions as a
carrying case. All you need to fly is a fourchannel
or more DSM2-compatible
transmitter.
May 2011 87
05sig3x.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 3/23/11 10:00 AM Page 87
two magnets increased the power even
more. It runs approximately 2,000 rpm
faster than a 4mm pager motor, at half the
weight with less current draw!
He sent me a new two-magnet motor,
geared at my request, with the same
gearing as the Plantraco GB05. I was
blown away by the performance of the new
unit.
The 440-milligram single-magnet
geared motor is 16.1 ohms and puts out 2
grams of thrust with a 3222 Plantraco
carbon propeller. The two-magnet motor
weighs only 490 milligrams, is 10.6 ohms,
and produces more than 3 grams of thrust
with the 3222 carbon propeller.
I used a Full River 20 mAh Li-Poly cell
for my tests. The two-magnet, single-phase
power plant outperforms the GB05, weighs
300 milligrams less, and draws less current.
It is amazing!
Visit the WestKnoxRC Web site to
learn how Dan makes these wonderful
motors and see them run. MA
Sources:
JR Indoor Electric Festival
www.jriefestival.com
Higher Plane Productions
1525 Acadia St.
Durham NC 27701
www.higherplaneproductions.com
Horizon Hobby
(800) 338-4639
www.horizonhobby.com
A2Z Corp.
(877) 754-7465
www.a2zcorp.us
WestKnoxRC
www.westknoxrc.com
88 MODEL AVIATION
Why Pay a Dollar
for just 4 Screws?
W e h a v e t h e h a r d w a r e y o u n e e d
at a fraction of retail!
Order today at:
www.rtlfasteners.com
or call 800-239-6010
708 Battlefield Blvd South #107
Chesapeake, VA 23322
05sig3x.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 3/23/11 10:01 AM Page 88
Edition: Model Aviation - 2011/05
Page Numbers: 85,87,88
May 2011 85
I WAS STILL unwinding from a
wonderful weekend at the Keystone Indoor
Electric Fly (KIEF) in October, and the JR
Indoor Electric Festival was right around
the corner! It can be challenging to fit
several of these wonderful RC events so
close together into your schedule, but I just
had to make the JR gathering.
The only saving grace was that after
many months of preparation I had most of
my new models ready. So my wife, Cindy,
and I packed the car for the eight-hour
journey to Columbus, Ohio.
With an indoor water runway and
separate areas for micro, 3-D, and open
flying, the JR event has something for
everyone. I enjoy flying off of Spektrum
Lake each year. I wanted to build a new
model with floats but ran out of time.
However, I did have time to design a
new set of floats for my Night Vapor. My
previous design worked, but the model
would take off only if it had some speed
from a touch-and-go landing.
I made the new floats from 1/2-
millimeter Depron, and they worked
beautifully. They are slightly longer and
thinner, to save weight.
Taking a friend’s advice, I added a
larger flat piece to the bottom of the front
area of the floats. This not only provided a
little more buoyancy, but also allowed them
to function as snow skis as well!
One of the highlights of the JR event
was the ParkZone air races, in which
great-flying ParkZone Ultra Micro T-28
Joe Malinchak Micro-Flying | [email protected]
The 2010 JR Indoor Electric Festival
Those who flew the author’s Night Vapor on floats off of
Lake Spektrum at the JR Indoor Electric Festival had a
ball. Joe designed a new set of floats made from 1/2-
millimeter Depron foam for this year’s event.
A highlight of the JR event is the ParkZone air races. This year the
contestants used 10 great-flying ParkZone T-28 Trojans, which were
raffled off to the participants afterward.
Also included in this column:
• New E-flite UMX Extra 300
• Cartoon-scale Dr.I livingroom
flyer
• Dan Baird’s single-phase
brushless motors
Bind-N-Fly (BNF) aircraft were used. The
models were customized with numbers
and graphics for good visibility for the
judges.
Each contestant was given a randomly
selected T-28 to use with his own
transmitter. The wonderful thing about this
contest was that you did not have to win the
race to win the event. After the final race on
Sunday, all 10 of the airplanes were raffled
off to the participating pilots!
Congratulations to the air race winners.
In first place was James Haley, second
place went to Joe Smith, and Mark Stermer
finished third.
Another fun event that was held
throughout the weekend was the Force RC
helicopter contest, in which participants
were issued models to test and fly. The
helicopters featured the Force battling
system, which allows you to use infrared
signals to shoot down your opponents’
aircraft.
All of the models took off at the same
time, and the last one in the air was the
winner. The winner of each event was given
an Force RC RTF.
Higher Plane Productions was in
attendance, making some great videos of
the JR Indoor Electric Festival. They were
shot in high definition and are available for
immediate download from the Higher Plane
Web site.
The videographers even captured some
wonderful footage of my 1/72-scale MiG-15
and my 4-inch-wingspan Great Lakes.
Please see the company’s Web site for more
information.
The new Ultra Micro eXtreme (UMX)
Extra 300 3D BNF is impressive! Designed
by Seth Arnold, an Electric Tournament of
Champions champ, this model features
lightweight construction techniques that
allow it to be flown almost anywhere.
The completely ready-to-fly Extra 300
arrives in an attractive box that also
functions as a carrying/storage case. It
comes with a 150 mAh Li-Poly cell,
charger, and optional side force generators.
All you need is a four-channel or more
DSM2-compatible transmitter.
The Extra uses the same proven 8.5mm
coreless brushed motor and Spektrum
AR6400L DSM2 Ultra Micro Receiver/
ESC that is used in the Ultra Micro 4-Site.
With a 16.8-inch wingspan and a flying
05sig3x.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 3/23/11 9:53 AM Page 85
Below: The author’s two-channel, 4.5-inchspan
cartoon-scale Dr.I is powered by Dan
Baird’s 440-milligram single-phase brushless
motor and weighs 1.94 grams ready to fly.
The model will easily do figure eights in a
small area and fly for three to four minutes
on a 10 mAh Li-Poly cell.
weight of 32.5 grams, this UMX model is a
capable 3-D performer.
Seth used a foam skeleton airframe to
save as much weight as possible, and it is
reinforced in several locations with carbon
rod, to help protect it from crashes. The
covering is micro-thin film in a vibrant color
scheme.
I had first seen the Extra fly at the JR
event, in the hands of Seth, David Payne,
and several other master 3-D pilots.
Watching them effortlessly fly the aircraft in
the micro areas of the dome impressed me.
After I saw that, I was excited to try it for
myself!
When the box arrived at my door, it took
me only a few minutes to bind the model to
my DX7 transmitter and take it outside for a
test hop. The Extra manual included the
recommended dual rates and exponential
settings.
As I was writing this in January, it was
extremely cold with lots of snow in
Northeast Pennsylvania, but I was not going
to let that stop me from flying. Within a few
minutes I was comfortably doing all of the
3-D maneuvers I could. I found the model
easy to fly, with a nice feel to it.
Then I took it inside my house and had
fun hovering around the living room. I think
it is a great model to use to practice
hovering in the comfort of your home. Flight
time is roughly four to eight minutes with
the included 150 mAh Li-Poly cell.
This UMX Extra 300 3D is a welcome
addition to E-flite’s growing line of BNF
models. It is recommended for intermediateto
advanced-skill-level pilots. Please see the
Horizon Hobby Web site for more
information.
My quest for the ultimate living-room flyer
continues. After seeing my friend Gordon
Johnson’s cartoon-scale Dr.I triplane fly at
KIEF, I started thinking about how cool a
micro version of his design would be.
Gordon kindly sent me a copy of his plans,
so I shrunk them and added some graphics
and details I created in Adobe Illustrator.
I had just received a beautiful new
geared 440-milligram single-phase brushless
motor from Dan Baird to test. It and a 115-
milligram Rabbit receiver seemed like a
good combination for success!
I carefully hand-cut the lightweight
skeleton airframe from Durobatics foam and
covered it with 0.9 micron Poly Micro film,
available from Indoor Model Supply
through A2Z Corp. I reinforced the structure
in several spots with 0.3mm carbon rod.
I made the propeller using a plastic
material I purchased from Micro Flier
Radio. It has a neat brown appearance,
resembling a World War I propeller, and it
performs well.
The completed Dr.I spans 4.5 inches and
weighs 1.94 grams ready to fly with a 350-
milligram Full River 10 mAh Li-Poly cell.
The model flies beautifully and will easily
do figure eights in my living room.
I am now designing a cartoon-scale
Sopwith Camel to complement the
triplane. I should have more information
about it in my next column.
Dan Baird continues to amaze with
his progress in developing the perfect
power plant for micro RC indoor
airplanes. He has a new technique
of hand-winding the motor coil,
which allows a tighter air gap
between the magnet and coil for
more power. It also makes the
process of building the motor much
easier.
Dan recently discovered that using
Below: Electric Tournament
of Champions Champ Seth
Arnold designed the UMX
Extra 300, which is a
wonderful micromodel. He
used a skeleton airframe to
save weight. At 32.5 grams
ready to fly, it is a capable 3-
D performer.
Above: The author found the
16.8- inch-wingspan UMX
Extra 300 easy to fly, with a
nice feel. It is a great model
to use to practice hovering in
your living room.
Dan Baird continues to develop
more efficient single-phase
brushless motors. His 440-milligram
single-magnet unit (L) puts out
more than 2 grams of thrust, and
his two-magnet motor weighs only
490 milligrams and produces more
than 3 grams of thrust using the
3222 carbon propeller.
Above: The new E-flite UMX Extra 300 3D
BNF includes a 150 mAh Li-Poly cell and
charger and arrives in a nice protective
storage box that also functions as a
carrying case. All you need to fly is a fourchannel
or more DSM2-compatible
transmitter.
May 2011 87
05sig3x.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 3/23/11 10:00 AM Page 87
two magnets increased the power even
more. It runs approximately 2,000 rpm
faster than a 4mm pager motor, at half the
weight with less current draw!
He sent me a new two-magnet motor,
geared at my request, with the same
gearing as the Plantraco GB05. I was
blown away by the performance of the new
unit.
The 440-milligram single-magnet
geared motor is 16.1 ohms and puts out 2
grams of thrust with a 3222 Plantraco
carbon propeller. The two-magnet motor
weighs only 490 milligrams, is 10.6 ohms,
and produces more than 3 grams of thrust
with the 3222 carbon propeller.
I used a Full River 20 mAh Li-Poly cell
for my tests. The two-magnet, single-phase
power plant outperforms the GB05, weighs
300 milligrams less, and draws less current.
It is amazing!
Visit the WestKnoxRC Web site to
learn how Dan makes these wonderful
motors and see them run. MA
Sources:
JR Indoor Electric Festival
www.jriefestival.com
Higher Plane Productions
1525 Acadia St.
Durham NC 27701
www.higherplaneproductions.com
Horizon Hobby
(800) 338-4639
www.horizonhobby.com
A2Z Corp.
(877) 754-7465
www.a2zcorp.us
WestKnoxRC
www.westknoxrc.com
88 MODEL AVIATION
Why Pay a Dollar
for just 4 Screws?
W e h a v e t h e h a r d w a r e y o u n e e d
at a fraction of retail!
Order today at:
www.rtlfasteners.com
or call 800-239-6010
708 Battlefield Blvd South #107
Chesapeake, VA 23322
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