RADIO CONTROL GIANTS 2003/07

July 2003 97
DURING WORLD War I and since, the developed nations of the
world have exploited the use of bombers in every conceivable
configuration for many specialized missions. Before and during
World War II, the Germans and Japanese relied on the use of twinengine
bombers almost exclusively, while Britain and the United
States formed a medium (twin-engine) and heavy (four-engine)
bomber force.
When one looks back to the development and use of threeengine
bombers, only one nation stands out: Italy. Italy’s Air
Force, the Regia Aeronautica, used the three-engine bombers
successfully built by Savoia-Marchetti (SIAI) and Cantieri Riuniti
Sal Calvagna, 1335 Broadway Ave., Holbrook NY 11741; E-mail: [email protected]
RADIO CONTROL GIANTS
The ACE R/C Dual Digital Variable Charger offers variable
adjustable output for all sizes of battery packs.
The Sirius Electronics SuperTest Cycler will give you an accurate
digital reading of your battery’s capacity.
Rod and Janet Johnson of i4c Products of Tulsa, Oklahoma, offer
unique and innovative solutions to modelers’ needs.
The CANT Z.1007bis Alcione Bidereva has a 90-inch wingspan. The original aircraft flew as a bomber in WW II.
98 MODEL AVIATION
dell’Adriatico (CRDA), especially in the Mediterranean region.
Many examples of Allied and Axis medium and heavy
bombers have been reproduced as Radio Control (RC) models,
and especially RC Giants, but finding a kit of one of Italy’s threeengine
bombers has been as difficult as spotting the elusive Loch
Ness Monster—but not anymore!
Phil and Tony of Internet-RC are the United States distributors
of the Mantua Model Group, including the Aviomodelli line of
premier RC model airplane kits and Almost Ready-to-Fly aircraft
(ARFs). Aviomodelli offers a 90-inch-wingspan CANT Z.1007bis
Alcione (kingfisher) Bideriva (twin-tail) bomber kit.
This kit consists of Fome-Cor-sheeted outer wing panels and
laser-cut light plywood and balsa parts. It comes with fuel tanks,
hardware, nonretractable landing gear, wheels, ABS engine
cowlings, pushrods, and almost everything else one would need to
complete the model.
The only things not included are the engines, the radio system,
This is a look at the framework of the CANT Z. The Aviomodelli
kit contains laser-cut light plywood and balsa parts.
This view of the CANT Z engine nacelle shows the nonretractable
landing gear and wheels included in the kit.
and paint to finish the model. The kit even includes insignia and
decals for the Fascist and post-armistice Italian Air Force. The
CANT Z Alcione requires three .46 two-stroke glow engines or
the equivalent.
For more information about the CANT and other Aviomodelli
RC aircraft, call Phil and Tony at (602) 347-1600, write to them at
Box 31189, Phoenix AZ 85046, or visit their Web site at
www.internet-rc.com.
Keep an eye on future RC Giants columns as I build my own
Aviomodelli CANT Z bomber model.
A number of nice people have shared our hobby/sport throughout
the years. Some have come up with a better way to do things or
July 2003 99
invented products that other modelers
would be thrilled to own.
Such is the case with Rod and Janet
Johnson of i4c Products. For a lack of
better words, they have some “neat stuff”
available for modelers, especially for those
who build and fly larger models.
Rod tells me that it all started in 1972
when, as a pilot for a small oil company, he
moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma. This was the
same year that he acquired his first RC
model and became a member of the Tulsa
Glue Dobbers. Since then he has flown
many types of full-scale and RC aircraft.
In 1995 Rod decided to start i4c
Products, and it has grown into a full-time
job for him and several others in the Tulsa
area. Most of the products the company
sells are made in Tulsa. Rod does the
research and development and product
testing while Janet handles the sales and
computer end of the business.
Because it is a small company, they use
a hands-on approach to each product they
develop to ensure quality control and the
flexibility to change as needed. Rod adds
that customers often provide the inspiration
for products, including the new V-Tach
onboard tachometer.
The V-Tach is actually two meters in
one. It is a 30-20,000 rpm, 16-bit,
microprocessor-controlled tachometer with
peak rpm recall and a 0- to 20-volt digital
voltmeter with .01-volt resistance. When
the Hall effect sensor detects motion, the
unit automatically switches to rpm mode,
allowing peak-engine rpm recording.
During flight, the V-Tach stores the
peak rpm. When the engine is turned off
after landing, the peak rpm will be
displayed for 10 seconds, then it will switch
back to voltmeter mode. The V-Tach is
powered by a 9-volt battery and turns on
when the receiver is turned on. No external
power switch is needed.
Another i4c offering is the C-Volt: an
onboard, self-contained, digital batteryvoltage
monitor. The unit is able to read +4
volts to +18 volts to the nearest 10 millivolts,
weighs only 1⁄2 ounce, and draws less than 3
milliamps of current. The unit is reversepolarity
protected and comes with a JR,
Futaba, or Airtronics connector.
The C-Volt plugs directly into the
receiver in any unused channel. When the
transmitter and receiver on your model are
on, moving the servos will show the loaded
battery voltage. The C-Volt also comes in an
aluminum-case version.
The Isolator allows mechanical isolation
of the servo battery power from the receiver
power. It eliminates glitches caused by long
servo extensions and heavy-duty servos by
isolating servo power and receiver power.
The Isolator is approximately the size of a
standard receiver and weighs only 12 ounces.
The i4c company also features the
Loaded Battery Tester: a device that puts
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100 MODEL AVIATION
pack, you should slow-charge it at 100
mAh for 14-16 hours to achieve a full
charge. That will help promote
longevity.
I’m not saying that you can’t fastcharge
your receiver or transmitter
battery pack. Of course you can! I am
just saying that you should usually
slow-charge your battery packs.
Charging at the 10% rate will not harm
your battery packs, especially if you
leave them on charge for longer than
14-16 hours.
Most of us take our models to the
field, make a few flights, and have no
idea how much capacity remains in the
pack when we get home. If you use the
10% rule, you can still charge your pack
overnight and not hurt the battery pack.
Flying should be fun and as
uncomplicated as possible. This method
of charging your battery packs is the
simplest. Since I have many differentcapacity
receiver packs, I want to use a
charger that has a variable output. The
Ace R/C Dual Digital Variable Charger
(DDVC) has two outputs that are
adjustable in 5 mAh increments starting
with 5 mAh and ending with 500 mAh.
This unit gives me the flexibility I need
for all of my battery packs.
Now that you have the charging
down, what about cycling? The only
real way you can check the performance
and capacity of any battery pack is to
charge and cycle it. Regardless of what
the battery label reads, the only true
way to know the capacity is to cycle it.
You should cycle your battery pack a
few times a year so that you are aware
of your pack’s performance. Any
battery pack that cycles out to less than
80% of its rated capacity should be
replaced.
I like to use the Sirius SuperTest
Cycler. It is accurate and does not
require any external power source. Set
the unit for 4-, 5-, or 8-cell operation,
and set the discharge switch to 250
mAh. It will give you an accurate
digital reading of your battery’s
capacity.
There are many units on the market
today that can charge and cycle your
packs. Some units do both. There are
chargers/cyclers that are easy to use and
ones that are more complicated. You
should choose one that you are
comfortable using, and you should
primarily slow-charge your receiver and
transmitter battery packs.
This brings us to the end of another RC
Giants column. If you have a specific
topic you would like to see here, send me
an E-mail or mail a letter to the address at
the top of the column.
If you have an RC Giant that you are
particularly proud of, send me some
photos and a description and I will do my
best to include them in a future column.
See you on the flightline. MA
your battery under load and allows you to
see the results. There are three different
loads for battery packs, ranging from 600
to 5000 mAh. It plugs into the charging
jack on the aircraft or directly into the
battery. It has an easy-to-read Liquid
Crystal Display with digital accuracy to
1⁄100 volt.
The model engine Compression Gauge
allows you to test the compression of your
model’s engine. Each gauge comes with
adapters that fit glow engines and sparkplug
adapters for gas engines. You can
also use it to determine the condition of
used engines when buying and selling.
This company offers unique and
innovative solutions to aeromodelers’
problems. To see all of the merchandise,
visit the company’s Web site at
www.i4cproducts.com. You may write to
i4c at 6924 E. 92nd, Tulsa OK 74133 or
call (918) 492-9425.
If you see the i4c Products booth at
one of the major hobby shows throughout
the country, make it a point to stop by and
say hello to Rod and Janet.
Last month I wrote about how to
determine what size Ni-Cd receiver
battery is appropriate for your RC Giant
model. This month I want to write about
how to charge and care for your receiver
and transmitter batteries.
You should primarily slow-charge your
receiver and transmitter packs at the 10%
rate. If you are using a 1000 mAh battery