Laser-cutting and engraving services
from Laser Arts, PMB112, 445C E.
Cheyenne Mt. Blvd., Colorado Springs
CO 80906; Tel.: (719) 576-7379; Web
site: http://members.aol.com/laserartco.
Laser-cutting and engraving
services are available for individual
modelers, model organizations, and
small manufacturers of model and
hobby products.
Laser Arts is dedicated to
providing quality work at affordable
prices. Services allow the scratchbuilder
the opportunity to create
wood and plastic parts that rival the
quality of those found in the most
expensive kits.
Laser-cutting can produce parts with
a level of accuracy that is impossible to
obtain with handmade parts. Material
waste is dramatically reduced, and
parts are infinitely repeatable.
Laser Arts has been serving the
Radio Control modeling community
since 1994.
Composite Mini A-10 @ $159.95 from
Electric Jet Factory, 8929 N. Ferber,
Tucson AZ 85742; Tel.: (520) 579-5609;
Web site: www.ElectricJetFactory.com.
Following the laser-cut, 41-inchspan
Mini A-10 is the Composite Mini
A-10, which includes the lightweight
epoxy/fiberglass fuselage, laser-cut
balsa tail surfaces, wire-cut foam
wings and sheeting, and vacuumformed
wheel covers and engine
nacelles.
The power package can be two
Electric Jet Factory EDF 400 Turbo
units or two WeMoTec Mini Fan 480
with Speed 480 BB motors, minimum.
The standard controls are aileron,
elevator, and throttle.
Rise-Off-Ground, hand-launch,
and bungee-launch abilities are
possible. Robart 1⁄2A retracts,
flaperons, and rudders are viable
options, with a variety of speed
control and battery configurations for
maximum use of this airframe.
Air system service kits from Robart
Manufacturing., Inc., 625 N. 12th St.,
St. Charles IL 60174; Tel.: (630) 584-
7616; E-mail: [email protected].
As does any piece of equipment
that has moving parts, your air
system needs periodic maintenance
to keep it functioning properly.
Few flying sites have the luxury of
paved ramps, taxiways, or runways;
that means your airplane is operating in
a dirty environment, and dirt, sand, and
even moisture cause wear and,
ultimately, failure.
Robart recommends periodic
maintenance to keep your system
reliable and operating at peak
efficiency, and the service kits provide
everything you need—even the grease.
The 195S (standard kit) has
everything you need to service a
tricycle gear set: three 3⁄8-bore air
cylinders, a control valve (standard
or VR), the fill chuck, fill port, and
check valve.
The 195L (large kit) has
everything to service three 1/2-bore
and one 3⁄8-bore air cylinders, the
control valve (standard or VR), fill
chuck, fill port, and check valve.
The 195G (giant kit) has
everything to service three 5⁄8-bore
and one 3⁄8-bore air cylinders, the
control valve (standard or VR), fill
chuck, fill port, and check valve.
Check and service your gear once a
year, and keep a spare kit in your flight
box. See your hobby dealer today.
Bob Palmer Thunderbird kit @
$99.99 from Brodak Manufacturing,
100 Park Ave., Carmichaels PA
15320; Tel.: (724) 966-2726; Fax:
(724) 966-5670; E-mail:
[email protected].
The Thunderbird is one of Bob
Palmer’s long line of outstanding
designs, and is recognized for its
overall excellence.
Bob used his Thunderbird designs
to win two National Championships,
and many years of trial and error
have gone into improving each facet
of the model’s design. This airplane
is a pleasure to build and is exciting
to fly in Classic competition.
The Thunderbird kit features highquality
engineering, top-quality
materials, and attention to detail. Each
kit is checked for quality.
The model has a 54-inch wingspan,
569 square inches of wing area, and
an overall length of 381⁄2 inches. The
design will accommodate .35 to .46
engines, depending on your
preference. The upright engine design
makes it easy to start.
The kit includes a set of full-size
plans, which covers two large sheets,
and illustrated step-by-step assembly
instructions that include many helpful
building tips. To help builders achieve
maximum accuracy, drawings of the
built-up fuselage design are
complemented by detailed notations
on the plans.
As with all Brodak kits, the
Thunderbird includes select AAA
balsa. Also included are a formed
landing gear, a clear molded canopy,
die-cut plywood doublers, die-cut ribs,
a Brodak heavy-duty nylon bellcrank, a
leadout wire kit, a weight box,
adjustable leadouts, and a full
hardware package.
Bob Palmer’s Thunderbird is
Brodak kit CLB-53, available through
hobby shops.
M o d e l e r ’ s M a l l
Manufacturers who wish to have their products considered for inclusion in this department should send information and a photo, if possible,
to the editorial office of Model Aviation. These reviews are composed from such information, and do not imply an endorsement of the products.
February 2001 139
140 M ODEL AVIATION
Rally of Giants 2000 @ $19.95 +
$3.25 from SKS Video Productions,
85 Pine Rd., Abbottstown PA 17301;
Tel.: (800) 988-6488 US or (717) 259-
7193; Fax: (717) 259-6379; E-mail:
scott@sksvideo; Web page:
www.sksvideo.com.
This year’s Rally was held on the
grounds of the R/C Aviation Country
Club in Hebron, Ohio. SKS Video and
Propwash Video Productions pooled
their talents, to bring you this production
featuring top coverage of this top event.
More than 200 pilots were in attendance,
and there were countless spectators. From
a field of more than 250 superb model
aircraft, this video includes the best.
The program contains many pilot
interviews, in-depth static segments,
and exciting flight footage. Onboard
cameras were even mounted on two
models, for some extreme aerials.
Run time is two hours.
MDS MkII mufflers from Horizon Hobby,
Inc., 4105 Fieldstone Rd., Champaign IL
61822; Tel.: (217) 355-9511; Web site:
www.horizonhobby.com.
The MkII series of mufflers is the
answer if you are looking for a lighter,
quieter, smaller muffler to fit tight
installations.
With the internal baffle system
that reduces noise levels from one to
three decibels compared to previous
designs, each MkII muffler features a
two-piece-case design that allows
you to rotate the position of the
exhaust outlet 360°.
A large overlap prevents leakage
where the front and rear muffler halves
meet, and a pressure tap is
preinstalled.
The mufflers are available for
$15.95 and $17.95.
MDS is exclusively distributed by
Horizon Hobby, Inc.
Flight-training manual @ $24.95 (+
$2 with color cover) from 1st U.S.
R/C Flight School, Box 212,
Shawano WI 54166; Tel.: (715) 524-
2985; E-mail: [email protected];
Web site: www.frontiernet.net/~rcfs.
Each year, more than half of the 1st
U.S. R/C Flight School’s classes are
dedicated to prior enrollees returning
for aerobatic training.
A system of Sport Aerobatic Flight
Training has been developed through
these classes, to maximize each
person’s practice time while
establishing habits to keep their
Radio Control pilot experience
forever new, increasingly satisfying,
and more fun!
It’s common for those new to
aerobatics to feel oblivious to all that is
going on when they try to learn from
watching others.
These aerobatic programs break
down and tutor the advancing pilot to
view aerobatic maneuvers as made
up of and performed as a series of
base steps, and that which
demonstrates aerobatic prowess is
continually rearranging those steps.
The 1st U.S. R/C Flight School has
finalized the second book in its series
of result-based accelerated flight
training programs. Those essential
building blocks have been
systematically assembled into the
DAS System of Sport Aerobatics,
involving Loops, Rolls, Immelmanns,
Cuban 8s, Reverse Cuban 8s, and 4-
Point and 8-Point Rolls.
Using more than 150 illustrations
and Key Points to Remember, each
maneuver is “built” in its fundamental
form to facilitate success, routine,
and a sense of being ahead of the
airplane.
Once each maneuver has become
routine, the effort initially taken to
accomplish each maneuver—then
dramatically lessened—can be
redirected toward adding refinements
and/or new maneuvers forming the
base of aerobatics fundamentals to
build upon!
Postage-paid US orders only.
MasterCard™ and Visa® are
accepted.
RAF S.E.5a Windsock Datafile
from Wise Owl Worldwide
Publications, 1926 S. Pacific Coast
Hwy., Suite 204, Redondo Beach
CA 90277-6145; Tel.: (310) 944-
5033; Fax: (310) 944-9963; E-mail:
[email protected].
This 46-page volume contains
historical text, black-and-white
photos, three pages of Scale
drawings, four pages of color-andmarkings,
and many close-up photos
of the S.E.5a’s cockpit, wing
structure, gun installation, etc.
This Datafile is $32 postpaid
($34.64 for California residents).
M o d e l e r ’ s M a l l
Manufacturers who wish to have their products considered for inclusion in this department should send information and a photo, if possible,
to the editorial office of Model Aviation. These reviews are composed from such information, and do not imply an endorsement of the products.
Bob Palmer’s Original Smoothie @
$95.99 from Brodak Manufacturing
and Distributing Company, Inc., 100
Park Ave., Carmichaels PA 15320;
Tel.: (724) 966-2726.
Brodak Manufacturing announces the
release of Bob Palmer’s Original
Smoothie—an innovative design that was
significantly ahead of its time when it was
originally produced in the early 1950s.
This model set standards for design
when it was unveiled in 1951. One of
the first designs with flaps, it became
an instant favorite. Since then,
thousands of enthusiasts have built
and flown this airplane.
When the Original Smoothie was first
kitted by Veco, the kits had inaccurate
drawings and parts. Brodak’s new
release features the correct design, as
drawn by Bob Palmer. It’s a versatile
design that can be flown Old-Time,
Classic, or modern.
Bob Palmer’s Original Smoothie
features high-quality engineering, topquality
materials and attention to detail.
Each kit is individually checked for
completeness and quality.
The model spans 52 inches, and has
a 540 square-inch wing area and an
overall length of 361⁄2 inches. The
design will accommodate .20-.40
engines, depending on your preference.
The Original Smoothie includes a set
of full-size plans, which covers two large
sheets, and illustrated step-by-step
assembly instructions that include many
helpful building tips.
To help builders achieve maximum
accuracy in construction, drawings of
the built-up fuselage design are
complemented by detailed design
notations on the plans.
The Original Smoothie kit includes
select AAA balsa, a formed landing gear,
a clear molded canopy, die-cut plywood
doublers, die-cut ribs, a Brodak heavyduty
nylon bellcrank, a leadout wire kit, a
weight box, and a full hardware package.
Bob Palmer’s Original Smoothie is
Brodak kit CLB-52, available through
hobby shops.
All-In-One Prop Wrench from Robart
Manufacturing, Box 1247, St.
Charles IL 60174.
Is your flight box weighing you down?
Can’t seem to find the right wrench?
Tired of loosing your tools in the grass?
The All-In-One Prop Wrench can
solve all those problems and more.
This tool has inch and metric sizes,
replacing 12 standard wrenches.
The all-in-one design helps end
flight-box clutter, its large size is easy to
see and hard to lose, the thin profile
works on all types of prop nuts—use two
for jam-nut applications—and it’s extra
long for extra torque.
The All-In-One Prop Wrench is heattreated
tough and plated for long life.
Ask for it (Robart #430) at your dealer.
Aces High air-combat simulator from
HiTech Creations, (817) 251-1540;
Fax: (817) 251-6731; E-mail:
[email protected]; Web
site: www.hitechcreations.com.
HiTech Creations has released a
new version of Aces High—the popular
multiplayer World War II air-combat
simulator played on the Internet.
The update, Version 1.04, is the
third one since its commercial debut
earlier this year. Each version has
brought more features, airplanes,
vehicles, and improvements.
“We’re very excited about the
improvements we’ve made in this new
version,” said HiTech Creations CEO
and founder Dale Addink. “Player
response to this latest version has
been overwhemingly positive. I’ve even
found myself flying a lot more lately
and enjoying it more than ever.”
The new features of Version 1.04
include a padlock view system, an
enhanced flight-control trim system,
and improved flight modeling.
The airplanes and vehicles now
total 30, including the Lancaster Mk
III (Great Britain’s definitive WW II
heavy bomber), a Ju 88A-4 (the
workhorse medium bomber of the
Luftwaffe), and the 3.7cm Flakpanzer
IV Ostwind (a Panzer IV converted to
anti-aircraft use).
Through its strategy of continuous
updates and improvements, HiTech
Creations keeps Aces High fresh for
existing players while adding extra
appeal for new users.
The next version has entered
development, and will feature the
addition of player-controlled aircraft
carrier task forces and naval aircraft.
Aces High is available as a free
download, and eight-person multiplayer
support is incorporated in the front-end.
For “massively” multiplayer flying, a
monthly subscription is required after a
free two-week trial period.
For more about Aces High or HiTech
Creations, please visit the Web site.
JMP gear and door sequencer @
$89.95 from Jet Model Products, 211 N.
Mullen Rd., Belton MO 64012; Tel.:
(816) 331-0356; Fax: (816) 331-3930;
Web site: www.jetmodelproducts.com.
Mini-microprocessor technology
provides precise gear and door timing.
The sequencer signals to two JR-321
servos when and how far to move the
JMP gear and door valves.
Two programs are contained, and
doors remain open or closed after
gear extension. The unit plugs into
any fifth channel.
The sequencer’s dimensions are 1.9 x
1.3 x .75 inches, and it weighs 23 grams.
M o d e l e r ’ s M a l l
Manufacturers who wish to have their products considered for inclusion in this department should send information and a photo, if possible,
to the editorial office of Model Aviation. These reviews are composed from such information, and do not imply an endorsement of the products.
February 2001 141
142 M ODEL AVIATION
Electronic “Add-On” @ $39.95 from
Nelson Hobby Specialties, 2900 SW
Cornelius Pass Rd., #762 Hillsboro
OR 97123; Tel.: (503) 259-8899; Fax:
(503) 645-1492.
This new line of electronic
accessories improves the
performance, reliability, and safety of
Radio Control aircraft.
The first electronic Add-On to be
offered is a Fail Safe throttle device
that provides an automatic reduction of
engine throttle or shut-off if the
receiver experiences interference, or if
there is a transmitter failure.
This device is specifically designed
to operate with PFM (FM) Futaba, JR,
and Hitec radios, which do not have
any type of fail-safe option.
This unit can be installed and set up
in a few minutes—even at the flying
field. Units are prewired, and are
available now as item number is
ESM23.
Specifications: size, 13⁄4 x 11⁄4 x 3⁄4
inches; weight, .632 ounces;
construction, plastic box; connections
via lead with plug (included) and
sockets wired for Futaba/JR/HiTec
radios; supply voltage, 2.5 volts to 10
volts DC; supply current,
approximately 9 mA plus servo current
at 4.8 volts; and output follows input
except during fail-safe operation when
signal width is adjustable between 1
and 2 mS in 6.25% steps.
(Futaba and JR servos’ positive
leads are red. Futaba’s negative lead
is black and the JR negative lead is
brown. The Futaba signal lead is white
and the JR signal lead is orange.)
Plans for wood flight box @ $14.95
from Tony Eilers, 619 W. 7th St.,
Waterloo IA 50702.
Many modelers are also
woodworkers. If you are one of these
people, these plans are for you.
This original design is constructed
of oak, walnut, maple, and cherry
wood. The measurements are 241⁄8 x
101⁄2 x 151⁄2 inches tall. The drawers
are 121⁄2 inches wide.
Both ends are enclosed with lids,
and one end holds the power panel.
The other end holds fuel, with plenty of
room for other stuff.
This box will not look cluttered,
because everything but the remote is
covered. The plans have pictures to
help with the step-by-step instructions.
Sukhoi Su-31 Almost Ready to Fly
(ARF) from Sig Manufacturing, 401-7
S. Front St., Montezuma IA 50171-
0520; Tel.: (641) 623-5154; Fax: (641)
623-3922; Web site:
www.sigmfg.com.
The Russian Sukhoi has always
been feared in aerobatic competitions.
The Su-31 is the latest all-out design
from the Sukhoi Design Bureau. It
delivers maximum performance with
minimal fuss, and all the punch of the
original in a size for your flying field.
Using a 2.4 cubic-inch gas engine,
the Su-31 breaks ground cleanly and
reaches for the sky. It does knife-edge
flight, rolls, loops, etc. It’s light on the
sticks, yet aggressive throughout the
pattern. Hover or go through the
wildest 3-D aerobatic moves, which
would be a nightmare for most
airplanes.
Low-speed characteristics are
gentle, making landings a dream.
Since the servos mount close to the
control surfaces, you can assure
precise, rock-solid response.
This ARF is hand-assembled of the
finest balsa and plywood, using the
latest computer-aided drafting
techniques, and it’s covered with
Goldberg UltraCote® in a unique trim
scheme.
There is also a complete heavyduty
hardware package from American
manufacturers and a fully illustrated
assembly manual that will get your
model into the air quickly.
The Su-31 is item #SIGRC81ARF.
Recommended engines are 1.50-
2.10 two-stroke glow, 1.80-2.70 fourstroke
glow, and 2.4 gas.
Specifications: wingspan, 763⁄4
inches; wing area, 1,152 square
inches; weight, 13-14 pounds; length,
66.9 inches; and the required radio is a
four-channel with six servos.
Plastic Fantastic kit from Protech,
(352) 796-1985—shop, (352) 688-4043;
E-mail: mso@atlantic.
This new Control Line kit is unique,
because it is part Coroplast™ and part
foam, and is held together with plywood.
It replaces the Kiss-24.
It flies well, bounces, and can be built
in one hour or less. The Plastic
Fantastic only has five pieces.
Power for the model can be Cox
or Norvel, and it can’t be hurt by
Combat or by kids.
The price is two for $35, with Brodak
hardware, post-paid in the US and PR.
A Radio Control version will be out soon
for the Thunder Tiger 07.
The kit is also available through
Brodak Manufacturing,
www.brodak.com.
M o d e l e r ’ s M a l l
Manufacturers who wish to have their products considered for inclusion in this department should send information and a photo, if possible,
to the editorial office of Model Aviation. These reviews are composed from such information, and do not imply an endorsement of the products.
