Radio Control Aerobatics - 2008/09

Radio Control Aerobatics - 2008/09

Thank you, Kirk Gray. We'll miss you very much

Eric Henderson ([email protected])

We have lost a great RC Aerobatics (Pattern) pilot and competitor. I received a note from Bob Lee letting me know that Kirk Gray passed away June 1, 2008, from a heart attack.

I was shocked because he was only 41 years old. There is something wrong about people dying who are 20 years younger than you are; it's just not the natural order of things.

My wife and I loved watching Kirk fly in competition. He had an easygoing approach to the events. We were in the judges' chairs when he won the Nats. Kirk stood out there with his baseball cap on backward and feet apart, and then as casual as can be, he drew lines in the sky that were a sight to behold.

Kirk was a Florence, South Carolina, boy who loved fishing, hunting, and NASCAR. As he walked down the street, you would never guess from his quiet Southern demeanor that he represented the US several times as a member of the F3A (FAI RC Aerobatics) World Championships team.

Kirk will be missed in the world of Pattern. My most sincere condolences go out to his family. Although his services were held June 4, you can still send donations to the American Heart Association (address in the Sources section).

I searched my archives for an individual photo of Kirk, but he was always in a group of fellow competitors. The one I found shows him where he liked to be: at the top, competing with the best.

Pass-Port EP — Chip Hyde / Marcelo Colombo (review and builder notes)

Chip Hyde is a longtime AMA member, friend, and associate of Kirk's, who is still active and productive in the Pattern world. Todd Blose sent information about the latest Pattern design he has been putting together: an FAI model called the Pass-Port EP, designed by Chip Hyde and Marcelo Colombo of Argentina. It is intended for use in all F3A competition classes.

The Pass-Port comes in several forms to match individual budgets and competition flying levels. It is manufactured and sold exclusively through CA Model and its authorized dealers, and is sold in the U.S. by NetboxHobby.com.

Todd's synopsis of how the model goes together (edited and condensed):

Assembly and setup

• The plane went together with no real problems. Some attention is required to set and mount the servos for the split rudder; that took some time. Everything else went together very easily.
• Recommended starting incidence: +0.5° on the wings and 0° on the stabilizer.
• The center of gravity (CG) is on the center of the wing tube, though some pilots prefer the CG just forward of the tube.
• Motor installation: Todd used a nose-ring mount, which worked well for him.
• Typical build time: around four evenings (16–20 hours), depending on excitement and the version purchased.

Flight impressions and setup tweaks

• Todd reported the Pass-Port is rock solid and easily the best rolling plane he has flown; it performs rolling and knife-edge maneuvers with ease.
• He has about 100 flights on the plane and uses a few small mixes:
• 6% rudder → elevator mix
• 5% rudder → aileron mix
• Recommended reinforcement if using glow power: add an extra former behind the canopy and a crutch down the back of the fuselage to beef up the fuselage. The kit is built to be very light, so a YS engine could cause damage without added support.
• Weight with a YS 170 engine: 10 lb 6 oz (so you have some allowance to add structural strength).

Equipment Todd used

• Futaba 14MZ 2.4 FASST system with a 6014 receiver
• Futaba 9650 rudder and elevator servos
• Futaba BLS451 servos on the ailerons
• Hacker C50 XL14 motor system
• Two FlightPower 5350 5S Li-Poly batteries for the motor
• FlightPower 350 mAh Li-Poly for the receiver
• MK ball links on all servos
• MK tail wheel
• APC 20.4 x 14E propeller

Weights (Todd's reference)

• Pass-Port fuselage with canopy and chin cowl: 1,190 g
• Stabilizer halves: 92 g each
• Wing panels: 396 g each
• Rudder: 56 g
• Set of wheel pants: 35 g
• Sub-total (less gear and tubes): 2,257 g
• Grand total weight: 2,526 g

Todd's completed Pass-Port weighed 10 lb 15 oz (with Hyde mount and tail ring, one extra servo, and a 48-inch lead for the rudder). That included a pair of FlightPower Evo 5350 5S Li-Poly batteries for motor power. If you choose the standard rudder and a hard-mounted electric motor, your finished weight will be even lighter.

Versions and options

The Pass-Port is offered in three primary levels of completion:

• Kit
• Almost Ready-to-Cover (ARC)
• ARF

Within each level there are configuration options that vary by equipment supplied and final finishes. ARFs and preceding levels are packed in a wooden crate for added protection.

• Standard version (kit, ARC, and ARF):
• Fiberglass fuselage, wings, stabilizer, and rudder sheathed with 1.5 mm balsa
• Side force generators (SFGs)
• Plug-in wing and stabilizer
• Clear canopy, carbon landing gear
• 3 mm plywood formers and parts
• Firewall: 4 mm balsa with fiberglass fuselage floor in balsa/fiberglass
• Wing and stabilizer incidence regulator included
• As ARF: Oracover on wing and stabilizer; painted and lacquered fuselage

• Full version (kit, ARC, and ARF):
• Everything in Standard, plus carbon spinner, carbon-fiber wing and stabilizer tube, control horns with ball bearings, and full carry and cover bags

• Deluxe version:
• Full version plus carbon-fiber/Kevlar fuselage construction, honeycomb formers and parts, painted/lacquered or Oracover finishes on wings and stabilizers, and ultra-light wheels

CA Model provides a menu of available options to suit builders and flyers. Many pilots substitute or upgrade accessories and components—for example, upgrading to ball-bearing clevises and control horns.

Split rudder and Side Force Generators (SFGs)

• The Pass-Port is the first kit offering the option of a split or standard rudder and removable SFGs.
• Split rudder concept:
• When rudder input is given, only half the rudder moves; the other half stays straight, reducing rudder effectiveness around center.
• During Stall Turns, both halves move together.
• Implemented using two servos (one for each rudder half) run to separate channels and mixed in the transmitter (Todd used the Futaba 14MZ). A switch changes between split and solid rudder modes.
• The split rudder helps deaden rudder around center and allows SFGs to provide yaw characteristics similar to a biplane.
• A useful program capability is using the split rudder as a drag brake on long down-lines or final approach; it also invites creative programming for maneuvers such as spin entry.

• SFGs:
• Secured with two 4-40 screws through the wingtip; removing the screws allows the SFGs to be removed and the tip replaced.
• The SFGs assist in knife-edge flight and the knife-edge loop.
• The model requires very little rudder for rolling and knife-edge maneuvers.
• Removable SFGs give pilots the option to fly with or without them depending on flying style.

Questions and availability

If you have questions about the design, pricing, or availability, contact Luiz at Netbox Hobby: [email protected].

Till next time, fly long and fly often. — MA

Sources

• American Heart Association

181 E. Evans St., BTC Suite 200 Florence, SC 29501

• Netbox Hobby (NetboxHobby.com)

Phone: (305) 278-7601 www.netboxhobby.com [email protected]

• Todd Blose

www.toddblose.homestead.com

• Luiz at Netbox Hobby

[email protected]

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