Radio Control Giants
Sal Calvagna [[email protected]]
The Thor ignition power expander
WELCOME BACK. Winter's here and the holidays are behind us. After a season of flying, it's time for maintenance, repairs, and new projects. This column will feature a couple of nicely done RC giants and product information that applies to our larger aircraft.
42 Percent Products sells some innovative items for giant-scale models. One of its latest offerings is the Thor ignition power expander.
The Thor was designed for use with gasoline-powered ignition engines to eliminate the separate ignition battery and ignition switch. It regulates the voltage to the ignition module with either a 5-volt or a selectable 6-volt setting, both of which can deliver as much as 5 amps—enough to operate any ignition system.
With the Thor installed, you can control ignition cutoff from your transmitter using any open channel in the receiver. This unit has an onboard fail-safe that cuts power to the ignition module upon loss of radio signal and uses diode isolation for glitch-free performance.
The Thor includes an LED power light on a 12-inch, 20-gauge lead for easy mounting.
All of the company's products are covered by a lifetime warranty. To check out the Thor or any of the other offerings, visit the 42 Percent Products website.
Pioneer Valley RC Club assists Civil Air Patrol
Roy Thompson and a group of aeromodelers from the Pioneer Valley RC Club (PVRCC) in Westfield, Massachusetts, stepped up to assist the local Civil Air Patrol (CAP) group. Following is a note from Roy.
"About two years ago the CAP contacted the PVRCC for assistance in building an RC model with their cadets. They had already purchased a Top Flite Cessna 182 kit and an OS .61 engine to power it. It was their intent to use this model as the cadets' first-time build project and have them learn to fly on it.
"Fortunately they listened to our recommendations and instead we helped the cadets build a pair of Great Planes PT-40 trainer kits. We now have two successful seasons flying with them. Our trainer build/fly project with the CAP was highlighted in the AMA District I news section of the September 2009 issue of Model Aviation magazine.
"While the trainer build was underway the club also agreed to take on the C-182 kit as a side project. The completed model is equipped with a Spektrum DX-7 radio and an O.S. .61FX engine, and it has operable flaps on the 81-inch-span wing.
"Covering is MonoKote with matching LustreKote paint and emulates the red-white-blue color scheme of the CAP's full-size aircraft. Lettering and insignia are derived from digital photos and printed on self-adhesive vinyl.
"Due to time constraints and the complexity of the kit, construction took place in two different locations. The fuselage was assembled by fellow PVRCC members Dan Sears, Gene Paulson, and Andy Peters at Dan's home. Construction of the tail and wing, radio and engine installation, covering, painting, and final assembly were accomplished in my shop.
"The model was finished in September and formally presented to the CAP in October 2010. The CAP plans to use this model for display at several of their upcoming events and we will eventually fly it with them."
One photo was taken during the presentation to CAP officers, and another shows all of the cadets. Not shown is build member Andy Peters, who was away on military duty at the time.
What a great success story for the CAP cadets, the PVRCC, and model aviation. Thanks to this dedicated group of AMA members, aeromodeling is now part of these cadets' lives. Maybe—just maybe—we will have a new crop of modelers to preserve our hobby.
Thank you, gentlemen.
Michael Gross's FunAero Albatros D.III
Two photos this month feature Michael Gross's 65-inch-wingspan Albatros D.III from FunAero RC. The wings are covered with Solartex material, and the fuselage is planked with 1/16" balsa. The all-up weight is close to 10 pounds.
Originally designed for a .60–.90 two-stroke glow engine, Mike converted the model to electric. The power system includes an ElectriFly 120 brushless outrunner motor, Castle Creations Phoenix Ice BEC, a 100-amp controller, and two three-cell 3700 mAh Polyquest battery packs run in series.
Since there would be no fuel residue on the Albatros, Michael painted it with Tamiya sprays and stained the fuselage using Minwax and a clear polyurethane finish.
It took him six months to complete the D.III. It has plenty of power to jump off the ground and makes flights exceeding 10 minutes. Mike reports that the airplane is very easy to control and has no bad habits.
For more information about this FunAero RC kit, visit the company's website.
German pilots such as Manfred von Richthofen and Ernst Udet made the full-scale D.III famous. Although von Richthofen—the Red Baron—was killed while flying a Fokker Dr.I triplane, he made most of his kills in an Albatros.
The D.III sported the same monocoque, plywood-skinned fuselage as its predecessors—the D.I and the D.II. However, the D.III featured the sesquiplane wing configuration similar to the Nieuport 11 and 17, meaning the lower wing was less than half the area of the upper wing. Unlike the D.II, the D.III's upper wing was lengthened while the lower wing had a reduced chord and a single main spar.
However, like the Nieuport, the D.III's lower wing suffered from twisting under aerodynamic loads because the main spar on the lower wing was too far back. Pilots were advised not to perform steep dives at high speeds in the aircraft.
Although that problem plagued the D.III (and the later D.V), it was still pleasant to fly and offered superior climb, maneuverability, and downward visibility compared with its predecessors.
Vibra-TITE adhesives
Many of our large models operate in high-vibration environments because most are powered by big single-cylinder gas engines. Although we take appropriate measures and use products to counter vibration problems, Vibra-TITE has several products that can assist with reliable operation of our aircraft.
Vibra-TITE is one of the world's market leaders in anaerobics, cyanoacrylates, epoxies, and ultraviolet technologies. Its products include threadlockers, thread sealants, retaining compounds, liquid gasketing, antiseize lubricants, accelerators, activators, and more—many useful to aeromodelers.
Anaerobic adhesives, by definition, remain liquid until they are isolated from oxygen in the presence of metal ions such as iron or copper. When an anaerobic adhesive is sealed between a nut and a bolt on a threaded assembly, it rapidly cures to form a tough crosslinked plastic with tenacious adhesion to many metals.
The adhesive usually provides high shear strength. When used to lock threaded assemblies together, anaerobic adhesives prevent fasteners from loosening and corroding, maintain proper clamping force, and offer controlled torque for removing the assembly. Anaerobic adhesives harden in minutes at room temperature and fully cure within 24 hours.
A typical nut-and-bolt assembly has as little as 15% metal-to-metal contact. A few drops of liquid threadlocker fill the remaining air voids between the thread roots and cure to a thermoset plastic, creating a unitized assembly until you want it to come apart.
These adhesives offer high torque strength, good temperature resistance, rapid curing, easy dispensing, and good vibration resistance.
Threadlockers are available in low-, medium-, and high-strength formulations, and most are color-coded for strength: purple and blue represent low- and medium-strength grades, while green and red represent high-strength grades.
No threadlocker is permanent. Low- and medium-strength varieties can be disassembled with common hand tools at room temperature; high-strength types can be removed following direct exposure to temperatures of about 450°F.
When applying threadlocking adhesives, wet the total length of the thread engagement area. For through-hole nut-and-bolt assemblies, apply threadlocker only where the nut and bolt will meet when the assembly is fully tightened—only adhesive between the threads will cure.
For blind-hole assemblies such as capscrews, apply threadlocker to the bolt and into the bottom of the hole. If you apply adhesive only to the bolt, air pressure can force the liquid threadlocker to escape as the bolt is torqued down, resulting in an insufficient amount of threadlocker and possible assembly failure.
For information about where to purchase these supplies, call Vibra-TITE or visit their website. The site features complete technical information, including material safety data sheets and technical data sheets for all products.
That’s all for this installment. If the winter months have you grounded, why not start a new modeling project? It’s the perfect time!
Sources
- 42 Percent Products
(916) 821-2635 www.42-percent-products.com
- FunAero RC
(803) 499-5487 www.funaero.com
- Vibra-TITE
(800) 521-2663 www.vibra-tite.com
- International Miniature Aircraft Association
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
