Edition: Model Aviation - 2013/04
Page Numbers: 18,19,20,21
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CAN A WALRUS FLY? MAYBE!

Entertain the youngsters in your life and help out AMA by downloading an e-book onto your mobile device. The Basement, an Indianapolis digital design company, has created a children's e-book that can be downloaded for devices such as the iPad, iPhone, Nook, Kindle, and Android mobile devices.

Between March 1 and June 1, for each app downloaded, $1 will be donated to the AMA to aid in developing AeroLab2, a hands-on, inquiry-based workshop that supports Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education.

The e-book, titled Every Walrus Can Fly, is the story of a walrus pup named Royce who dreams of flying. Readers can follow the lovable walrus as he overcomes many obstacles in his quest to achieve his dream. It is written by Brian Phillips and produced and illustrated by The Basement.

This story, created for kids ages three and older, teaches youngsters about curiosity, perseverance, and the power of imagination. The playful cadence and the beautiful illustrations make this tale nearly come to life at the touch of a fingertip. The best part of the story is that it introduces kids to RC airplanes — maybe it will ignite the little pilot in a child you know.

Here's an excerpt from the story: "Royce noticed a plane and he figured out why. He said, 'I'm going to give imagination a try. I'll learn how to fly without leaving my feet and show all my friends that my dream is complete.'"

Check it out at www.everywalruscanfly.com. The app can be downloaded through the Apple iBookstore, the Amazon Kindle bookstore, Barnes & Noble's Nook bookstore, and Google Play Books at a cost of $3.82.

The Basement designed the AMA Flight School online learning website, launched in 2012 (www.amaflightschool.org), and the company won an American Advertising Federation ADDY Award for its work on this project.

The Basement: 9130 Otis Avenue, Second Floor, Indianapolis, IN 46216; Tel. (317) 352-5848; website: www.everywalruscanfly.com

ROUND ABOUT STORAGE

The product garnered much attention in the office, with people spinning it and talking about which items they would store in it. Several staff members have used the storage unit and report that the cups have continued to be hassle-free and provide secure storage. Jim shared that it has proven popular for use in car trailers.

Round About Storage: Box 301, Pipersville, PA 18947; Tel. (267) 261-0070; website: www.roundaboutstorage.com

PROTEK HELICOPTER SERVOS

Review by Greg Alderman

I had the opportunity to try the new ProTek R/C 250T Digital Ultra Hi-Torque Metal Gear Helicopter Cyclic Servo and its matching ProTek R/C 250S Digital Ultra Hi-Speed Helicopter Tail Servo, available from A Main Hobbies. I originally saw the A Main Hobbies team flying these servos at the 2012 International Radio Controlled Helicopter Association (IRCHA) Jamboree and was impressed with the performance. I became interested in trying a set for myself.

The first thing you notice when removing the servos from their shipping box is that these are not your ordinary plastic-cased servos. The entire case is made out of aluminum — it looks nice and serves as a heat sink to keep the coreless HV servo motor cool during operation. Also included is a metal, clamping-style double servo arm, which allows you to precisely align the servo arms without using the transmitter's or flybarless unit's subtrim feature.

Although these ProTek servos are nice to look at, a good servo needs to have the muscle and speed to control today's high-performance flybarless helicopters. The ProTek 250-series servos shine in this category.

  • ProTek 250T cyclic servo:
  • 0.09-second transit speed and 299 oz-in torque at 6.0 volts
  • 0.07-second transit speed and 369 oz-in torque at 7.4 volts
  • ProTek 250S tail servo:
  • 0.04-second transit speed and 103 oz-in torque at 6.0 volts
  • Rated up to 6.0 volts (use a step-down or dual-power bus voltage regulator if using in a high-voltage setup)

These servos are the standard 40mm size. I installed them in my Outrage Fusion 50 electric helicopter, which I often use as a test model. After installation it was quick to set up the servo arms at 90° using the double metal arms: align the arms with the bellcranks, tighten the cinch bolt, then install the set screw for added security. In less than five minutes I had perfectly aligned all four servos without multiple plastic arms or electronic subtrim.

What impressed me even more than the speed was how smoothly they moved and how little backlash the gear train had. After more than 50 flights on the servos, they remain installed in this heli. The Outrage Fusion 50 had a noticeably more "locked in" feeling in flight because of the small amount of backlash and the excellent centering of these ProTek servos.

Although not a performance issue, the tail servo "buzzes" as the flybarless unit initializes and occasionally when powered up on the ground. This is a normal reaction for servos with a very small dead band combined with minimal gear backlash. You can greatly reduce this by electronically increasing the tail servo dead band in the flybarless unit setup (if that feature is available).

Bottom line: with their attractive looks, strong specifications, and a street price of $114.99 for the cyclic servos and $85.99 for the tail servos, the ProTek R/C Digital Ultra Hi-Torque Metal Gear helicopter servos should become popular.

A Main Hobbies: 424 Otterson Dr., Ste. 160, Chico, CA 95928; Tel. (800) 705-2215; website: www.amainhobbies.com

SCORPION PORTABLE POWER STATION

  • Price: $56 + S&H
  • Seller: Innov8tive Designs, 1495 Poinsettia Ave., Ste. 144, Vista, CA 92081; Tel. (760) 468-8838; website: www.innov8tivedesigns.com

Innov8tive Designs introduces the Scorpion Portable Power Station. Providing backup power for portable devices that can be charged from standard 5-volt USB ports, it features a 5200 mAh LiPo battery that can be charged from any computer USB port or the charging cube used for smartphones or tablets.

  • Charges an iPhone up to three times and an Android up to two times; also charges tablets and small digital cameras.
  • Works well for single-cell 120 mAh to 500 mAh LiPo batteries used in micro airplanes, helicopters, and multirotors:
  • 120 mAh packs can be recharged up to ~40 times per full Power Station charge
  • 500 mAh packs can be charged up to ~10 times per full Power Station charge
  • Includes a user manual and micro USB cable.

JETI DUPLEX R6L / R6i / R5L / R5i 2.4 GHz RECEIVERS

  • Price: $65 + S&H
  • Seller: Esprit Model, 1240 Clearmont St. NE #12, Palm Bay, FL 32905; Tel. (321) 729-4287; website: www.espritmodel.com

The Duplex R6L/R6i/R5L/R5i are fully digital 2.4 GHz frequency-hopping radio receivers developed, designed, and manufactured by Jeti Model in the Czech Republic.

  • All are full-range receivers; R6i and R5i have shorter antennas intended for park flyers, indoor models, and 450-size helicopters.
  • R5 receivers were developed as five-channel units with an auxiliary port to be used as an add-on to R18, R14, R11, R9, and R7 receivers via the SAT port.
  • R5L and R5i effectively provide two receivers in one.
  • Full integration with Duplex telemetry sensors — up to 40 parameters can be observed in real time directly from the transmitter.
  • Using the JetiBox Profi (sold separately), data can be seen in parallel mode for valuable information.

SYNERGY E5 550-CLASS ELECTRIC HELICOPTER

The Synergy E5 is a "true" 550-class helicopter that can swing 550mm blades out of the box. Its large disk size provides stability for high-performance flying.

  • Reconfigurable: 6S 550-class, 12S 550-class, or stretchable into a 12S 600-class heli with existing parts.
  • Large battery compartment accepts many configurations; motor mount accepts various motor sizes.
  • Features:
  • 2mm carbon frames
  • 52mm inner frame width for multiple motor options
  • Carbon-fiber servo arms
  • Washout arm mounting integrated into the head block
  • Precision-machined Delrin Mod 1 helical main gear
  • Monster Mod 1.25 bevel gears and counter-gear tail-drive system
  • 10mm main shaft and 8mm head axle
  • Lower motor shaft bearing block and third main shaft bearing block
  • Setup includes direct servo-to-swash CCPM; kit includes breakaway canopy mounts and 12T and 14T pinions.

LEOPARD BRUSHLESS MOTORS

  • Price: $28.99–$83.99 + S&H
  • Seller: Altitude Hobbies, 1630 Sagewood Dr., Fort Collins, CO 80525; Tel. (970) 412-7303; website: www.altitudehobbies.com

Leopard Brushless Motors are built using advanced components and lightweight anodized aluminum alloy for durability and high-stress applications like 3-D performance.

  • Features:
  • Premium imported bearings and neodymium magnets
  • High efficiency, low running temperatures, and high overload capacity
  • Hand-wound with precision for excellent heat dissipation
  • Preinstalled bullet connectors
  • Accessory pack includes matching female bullet connectors for the ESC and an X-mount plate
  • Bolt-on threaded propeller adapter included for most motors; 2830 and 2835 sizes use a collet-style adapter

ARES GAMMA 370 PRO RFR

  • Price: $99.99 + S&H
  • Seller: HobbyTown USA, 1233 Libra Dr., Lincoln, NE 68512; Tel. (402) 434-5050; website: www.hobbytown.com

The Ares Gamma 370 Pro RFR (ready-for-receiver) is a larger micro/mini-class model for smooth and stable sport or aerobatic flying.

  • Durable, lightweight factory-assembled EPO foam airframe
  • Capable of basic and advanced four-channel maneuvers (four-point rolls, rolling circles, knife-edge)
  • Steerable tail wheel improves ground handling
  • Preinstalled: 370 brushless motor, 18A brushless ESC, and three 9g sub-micro servos
  • Requires a four-channel (or more) transmitter and receiver, plus a 2S 7.4V or 3S 11.1V 800–1300 mAh LiPo battery
  • Includes two propeller options for different battery sizes and an optional propeller saver

DUALSKY HORNET 460 QUADCOPTER

  • Price: $299.99 + S&H
  • Seller: 2DogRC; Tel. (800) 517-3810; website: www.2dogrc.com

The Dualsky Hornet 460 comes 90% preassembled with four premounted 200W Dualsky motors and four 22A Dualsky ESCs already wired and mounted.

  • Assembly: plug each leg to the control board and flight controller wires to the receiver
  • Three-axis flight control system custom-designed and optimized for this model
  • Preinstalled LED lights on the legs use different colors on the head and tail for easier orientation at night
  • Over 80 motors were tested to find the optimal combination for power and flight time using Dualsky XM2830CA-Hornet 830 Kv motors
  • Requires a transmitter, receiver, and a 1700–3300 mAh 11.1V battery

TACTIC ANYLINK ADAPTER CABLE FOR SPEKTRUM (DEANS MICRO)

  • Price: $2.99 + S&H
  • Seller: Hobbico, 3002 N. Apollo Dr., Suite 1, Champaign, IL 61822; Tel. (217) 398-8970; website: www.tacticrc.com

Tactic offers an AnyLink adapter cable with a Deans Micro connector for Spektrum transmitters.

  • Provides a Deans Micro connector for 2-cell LiPo or LiFe batteries with Deans Micro plugs
  • Offers a flexible, affordable alternative to TACM0005 cables with built-in LiFe batteries
  • Designed for DX4e, DX7s, DX8, DX10t, and DX18 transmitters and compatible with many other Spektrum and JR transmitters

PARKZONE ULTRA MICRO P-40 WARHAWK BIND-N-FLY

  • Price: $99.99 + S&H
  • Seller: Horizon Hobby, Inc., 4105 Fieldstone Rd., Champaign, IL 61822; Tel. (877) 504-0233; website: www.parkzone.com

The ParkZone Ultra Micro P-40 Warhawk recreates the WWII warbird with realistic details and modern stability features.

  • Equipped with AS3X (Artificial Stabilization—3-Axis) system
  • Realistic molded panel lines, three-blade propeller, gun and exhaust details, and Flying Tigers trim scheme
  • 15.8-inch wingspan
  • Preinstalled ParkZone DSM2/DSMx receiver/ESC/AS3X, 8.5mm brushed motor, removable landing gear, and steerable tail wheel
  • Includes a 1S 150 mAh LiPo battery and 1-cell DC charger
  • Requires a four-plus channel DSM2/DSMx transmitter

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