Part two of the Stratus review by guest columnist Gordie Meade
[[email protected]]
Radio Control Helicopters Ray Stacy
“THE STRATUS kit comes with the
twin-boom struts with the plastic ball ends,
familiar to all the Fury fliers, which are
very easy to build and install. To
maximize the rigidity of the tailboom, I
chose to use the boom struts used on the
XL Pro IIK, which have machined
aluminum ends. Since they are not
designed for use on this model, I had to
‘persuade’ the machined ends to provide a
little more angle than stock for the Pro.
“After J.B. Welding the ends on and
allowing time for them to cure completely,
I placed the machined end in a vise and
carefully increased the angle so that they
aligned correctly with the bottom plate of
the Stratus and the bottom of the boom
clamp—not the side. By moving the
mounting to the bottom of the clamp we
maximize the angle of the strut and
minimize the flex of the clamp, making the
most rigid but lightest-weight tailboom we
can.
“If you decide to do this, be very
careful, as it is easy to break the struts
right outside the aluminum ends, thus
ruining the strut. For most applications,
the plastic end struts would work fine and
may actually be a little lighter—a
consideration if the model is going to be
tail-heavy.
“I have flown the Tempest FAI rotor head, designed by World
Champion Cliff Hiatt, on all my contest models for the last few
years and really have grown to love it. It has adjustable flybar
mixing ratios from .6:1 all the way to .9:1, which is my choice.
“Miniature Aircraft offers O-ring dampeners from 50
durometer (very soft) to 90 durometer (very hard) to adjust the
feel of the head to suit each pilot. For FAI I require the softer
ones.
“Depending on the season and ambient
temperature, I use either 50 durometer or a
combination of 50-60. This allows the use
of a low head speed for hovering, around
1,450 rpm if we choose, without any
bumping, and using quite a bit of
noncorrecting delta.
“Delta is a term we use for an offset
blade pitch arm input. If the link connects
to the pitch arm at exactly the center of the
head block, it would have no delta at all. If
you move the link ahead or behind the
center of the head, when the solid axle
experiences an input, that will very
slightly increase or decrease the pitch in
the blade.
“If the blade flaps up and the delta
causes the pitch in the blade to decrease,
we call it correcting or positive delta. If
the blade pitches up and the delta causes
the blade pitch to increase, we call it
noncorrecting or negative delta.
“The combination that I use has been
pretty well explored over the last couple
The 4000 mAh Duralite batteries are mounted on the extended tray with an extra 2 ounces
of lead for ballast. The gyro is located inside the old tail-rotor-control-servo position.
This absolutely beautiful tail assembly comes standard with the FAI version of the
Miniature Aircraft Stratus. Its all-metal design is among the lightest ever made.
of years. I am very comfortable with it, so it was a no-brainer for
me to install it on the Stratus.
“One change on this Stratus from all my other models with
this head is that the block is now machined as one piece, not the
two pieces I was familiar with. I checked the runout on this head
block and found it to be spot on, better than any of my other
heads, so this is a plus.
“I have been using 720mm symmetrical blades weighing 195
grams or so for the last two or three years. Curtis Youngblood has
August 2006 129
08sig5.QXD 6/23/06 12:39 PM Page 129introduced a new line of rotor blades, the Radix, and I prevailed
upon him for a set to use for testing.
“Since they have been designed for heavy 3-D, the weight is
only 185 grams, which is very light for my style of FAI flying but
heavy enough to determine the characteristics of the blades. When
production gets caught up with the demand for the new blades, he
has plans on doing some F3C-weight blades—195-205 grams.
“I completed the actual mechanical construction of the model
and sat down with the radio to begin setup. I am using the Futaba
14MZ which has 2048 resolution and a really good CCPM program
that is very adjustable to keep the swashplate both tracking
smoothly through all positions of collective and still through all
cyclic movements.
“When you get all this dialed in, it makes an amazing difference
in how the model performs. It takes some time to get it all right, but
it is certainly worth the effort in the performance of the model.
“Take the time now to get as many CCPM interactions out of the
model as you can. There are two types of interactions that can
occur: pitch to cyclic and cyclic to pitch. The trick is to make the
swashplate sit level through all collective applications and to make
the swashplate not move vertically in cyclic applications.
“The 14MZ has a built-in program to do that. Other radios
require program mixes to accomplish the same thing.
“The Stratus’s control geometry is pretty good as far as
minimizing interaction mechanically, but taking the time to remove
as much control interaction as you possibly can electronically is
time well spent, as there is a significant performance gain to be had.
“Trimming the model for F3C flight is a very time-consuming
and labor-intensive process. I balance the model roughly by hangingthe model from the flybar and having it
settle just a touch nose-down, but final trim
is done by checking the model in hover.
“With the swashplate absolutely level I
hover the model and see what trim it needs.
If it wants to back up, I add nose weight. It
if requires back trim, I either remove nose
weight (ideal) or add tail weight.
“My Stratus with the rear-mounted tailrotor
servo tends to be very neutral or even
a bit tail-heavy. Miniature Aircraft makes a
longer battery tongue (part 00000L) that
allows you to move the battery (the
heaviest piece of radio gear) forward for
balance. I use the Duralite 4000 mAh Li-
Ion batteries, which are comparatively
lightweight, so I need about 2 ounces of
additional weight to get the model to
balance correctly.
“Keeping the back end of the model
light is important, so I use the lightest, but
still rigid, fins I can find. Saving an ounce
in the back of the model removes 4 ounces
or more in the front, which keeps the
model light. When the model, with threequarters
of a tank of fuel, picks up and hovers with zero fore-aft
trim, I am satisfied and move on to forward flight.
“The FAI schedules require that the model roll well and pitch
smoothly, and I have found that the swashplate needs to be as level
as possible in all flight conditions for that to happen. The Stratus
FAI tends to want to nose over at high speed, so we normally use a
slightly larger than standard horizontal fin, which helps hold the tail
down.
“The particular fins on my models are prototype fins that have
slots milled in and we can add or remove area by covering or
uncovering the slots. By varying the area of the horizontal fin we
can adjust how much the model climbs or noses over at high speed.
“By keeping the swashplate as level as we can, performance
upright and inverted is similar and the model is very neutral. With
just the normal default servo throws, I can get over 22° of
collective, from -10° to +12°, with no difficulty and still have
available servo throw for maximum cyclic deflection.
“Even with the relatively heavy flybar paddles I use, the cyclic
rates are pretty quick and do not require excessive control
deflection. I am using only plus/minus 5° of cyclic in forward flight
and only plus/minus 21/2° in hover.
“Since the Stratus has more weight lower in the main frames, the
vertical CG of the model is fairly high compared to the Tempest and
Fury, which makes the model very neutral on the roll axis so it is
very easy to get an axial roll in either direction with very little
collective change.
“The 7:91 gear ratio means I can turn a fairly high head speed—
1,850-2000 rpm—in forward flight and still maintain a reasonable
motor rpm. If I hover at 1,450 rpm or so the motor is loaded, runsvery smoothly, and is moderately fuelefficient.
I can get about 14 to 15 minutes out
of the standard tank.
“The Stratus comes with the ‘fuel magnet’
clunk for the tank, which is an ingenious little
device that has foam surrounding the clunk
that manages to draw every last drop of fuel
in the tank so you get maximum run time per
tank.
“I am not currently running a header tank
with this setup since I can use all the
available fuel in the tank, and that means I
have enough fuel to get through a contest
flight with just a minimum of fuel remaining.
“I was very pleased with the kit and had
only a few minor problems. The kit came
with the correct gearing for the 7:91 gear
ratio but 7:75 clutch plates. I was missing a
couple of star washers used to mount the tailrotor
pushrod guides but had a couple in my
field box.
“I also found a minor problem in the two
bolts used to attach the blade grips, which
were 6mm long instead of the 5mm specified
in the instructions. When I fully tightened
them, the bolt bottomed out on the blade axle
and bound it up. I milled 1 millimeter off the
bolts and it was fine.
“I also found a couple of typographical
errors in the manual, but nothing that would
cause incorrect assembly, so that shouldn’t be
a problem. One phone call to Miniature
Aircraft and the correct parts were on the
way.
“I suspect that my parts problems were
mainly because I asked for some substitutions
from the normal kit, like metal tail-rotor
grips, FAI rotor head, rear-mounted tail-rotor
servo, and 30-size skids, so a couple missing
parts is not surprising, as parts were being
pulled out of the plastic bags and replaced.
“The current fuel tank is an interim part—
basically a bottle that fits in the hole and
holds fuel. Miniature Aircraft has designed a
custom tank for the Stratus that fits in the
existing space, holds 22 ounces of fuel, has
molded-in indentions for Velcro retaining
straps, and has a molded-in vent fitting.
When installed, it sits neatly in the frame
opening and stays completely inside the
canopy.
“It will also have a molded indent in the
bottom of the tank for an alignment bushing
that holds the tank in place in the lower frame
plate. Hopefully the new tank will be
available before the 2006 US Nats.
“I am just now getting my primary model
in trim for the contest season. It normally
takes me about 60 flights to get a model
ready to compete with, which is why F3C
guys hate to crash. Besides the time for repair
and replacement of parts, the trimming
process must start all over and is very time
consuming.
“I really like the light weight of this
model in aerobatics, and while I would prefer
a little more weight for hovering in the wind,
I think the gain upstairs more than offsets the
loss in hover and with the huge rotor disk
using 720mm blades, the model autorotates
like a feather.
“The model drives vertically very well
August 2006 131
and does large, round loops. The rotor head
does a good job of holding the model
cyclically in one place while hovering in the
wind, but the light weight of the model makes
it a little bouncy collectively in a gusty wind.
“I have adjustable collective volume on a
knob in my 14MZ that allows me to steepen
or flatten the pitch curve in hover, to better
compensate for the wind. Now if I could just
get my thumbs to work as well as the Stratus
does.”
About the Guest Author: At 58 years of age,
Gordie Meade currently teaches advanced
mathematics at the laboratory school at
Florida State University. His first modeling
experience was at age 8, when he built several
rubber-powered stick-and-tissue models. He
progressed through the Cox CL models to Fox
.35-powered CL Precision Aerobatics and CL
Combat models.
After receiving his undergraduate degree
from the University of Florida, he bought his
first RC model at age 22: a Jensen Ugly Stik
with a Veco .61 engine and an Orbit fourchannel
radio. Gordie has since flown and
competed in RC Aerobatics, RC Pylon
Racing, RC Scale, and RC Soaring, and he is
a League of Silent Flight Level IV pilot.
Gordie started flying RC helicopters in
1988 with a GMP Competitor. He began
competing in Class II helicopters in 1992,
winning the US Nats in Lubbock, Texas, in
1994 and progressing through Class III to
FAI F3C. He has been in the top 10 in F3C
at the US Nats and in the top five at the US
F3C Team Trials.
Gordie authored the current AMA Class
I, II, and III rules, and he has a proposal
pending to update the AMA helicopter rules
for 2007. He is an AMA CD and Leader
Member, and he is the District V
representative on the AMA Helicopter
Contest Board. MA
enthusiasts and stop cluttering the MA
magazine with so many electric topics? Or
let’s represent all aspects equally.
It quite frankly has reached the point to
where I do not anticipate the delivery of my
MA magazine anymore because there is not
much in it for me. I have had many electric
pilots try to tell me the pros and cons from
gas and electrics. I say quit trying to convert
me and let me enjoy the aspect of the hobby
I love.
Terry Adair
Houston, Texas
Aren’t we carrying this electric thing a
little far? I wonder if this is not the
precursor to the AMA attempting to come
up with a tiered membership to satisfy the
park flyers?
If so, I protest in the strongest manner. If
not, then why the major push for the
electric-powered models? I know, they are
supposed to be the wave of the future, but
the majority of those who fly them do not
even know what the AMA is, much less
have a desire to join.
I am in favor of having a balanced
publication. Please do not lean too hard in
the E-direction.
William Hurt
Leesburg, Florida
Simulators as Learning Tools
I saw in the “Aero Mail” section of the
May Model Aviation the comment about
having a column on computer simulators.
I have been a member of AMA for a
while, but I have not been able to fly on my
own because of lack of people to help me
learn. I have been looking into clubs in my
area, but it is kind of difficult to find
somebody who will spend the time to teach
me. I do not blame anybody since it is a
hard commitment.
I have heard that simulators can help
significantly, but as the reader pointed out,
it is difficult to pick one that will really help
and more if it is from an inexperienced guy.
I think it will be really beneficial to learn
more about simulators for experienced guys
to stay active as the article points out, but
also for new ones who are in my situation or
just trying to get into the hobby.
Carlos de Olaguibel
Round Rock, Texas
Wanted: Friends of Bill Moore
I was pleased to read your coverage of
the 2006 Southwest Regionals Free Flight
contest [in the June MA]. This brought back
remembrances of our good friend William
“Bill” Moore.
I first met Bill in about 1994 while he
lived in Taft, California. We attended
several Free Flight meets in his hometown
and nearby field. His mantel in Taft was
covered with trophies from previous AMA
Champs wins.
Not only was Bill a champion in Free
Flight competition, but his “other” life
included work in South America searching
for diamonds and gold. He was well
qualified for this, with a Ph.D from Tulane
University in geology.
Bill gradually had to give up Free Flight
competition because of macular
degeneration. He then suffered a stroke in
the late 1990s but recovered sufficiently to
move to Arizona with his family. He died in
1999. I would like to meet friends of
William Moore. Please contact my E-mail at
[email protected]. MA
Floyd Carter
Eugene, Oregon
Aero Mail
Continued from page 7
08sig5.QXD 6/23/06 12:58 PM Page 131
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/08
Page Numbers: 129,130,131
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/08
Page Numbers: 129,130,131
Part two of the Stratus review by guest columnist Gordie Meade
[[email protected]]
Radio Control Helicopters Ray Stacy
“THE STRATUS kit comes with the
twin-boom struts with the plastic ball ends,
familiar to all the Fury fliers, which are
very easy to build and install. To
maximize the rigidity of the tailboom, I
chose to use the boom struts used on the
XL Pro IIK, which have machined
aluminum ends. Since they are not
designed for use on this model, I had to
‘persuade’ the machined ends to provide a
little more angle than stock for the Pro.
“After J.B. Welding the ends on and
allowing time for them to cure completely,
I placed the machined end in a vise and
carefully increased the angle so that they
aligned correctly with the bottom plate of
the Stratus and the bottom of the boom
clamp—not the side. By moving the
mounting to the bottom of the clamp we
maximize the angle of the strut and
minimize the flex of the clamp, making the
most rigid but lightest-weight tailboom we
can.
“If you decide to do this, be very
careful, as it is easy to break the struts
right outside the aluminum ends, thus
ruining the strut. For most applications,
the plastic end struts would work fine and
may actually be a little lighter—a
consideration if the model is going to be
tail-heavy.
“I have flown the Tempest FAI rotor head, designed by World
Champion Cliff Hiatt, on all my contest models for the last few
years and really have grown to love it. It has adjustable flybar
mixing ratios from .6:1 all the way to .9:1, which is my choice.
“Miniature Aircraft offers O-ring dampeners from 50
durometer (very soft) to 90 durometer (very hard) to adjust the
feel of the head to suit each pilot. For FAI I require the softer
ones.
“Depending on the season and ambient
temperature, I use either 50 durometer or a
combination of 50-60. This allows the use
of a low head speed for hovering, around
1,450 rpm if we choose, without any
bumping, and using quite a bit of
noncorrecting delta.
“Delta is a term we use for an offset
blade pitch arm input. If the link connects
to the pitch arm at exactly the center of the
head block, it would have no delta at all. If
you move the link ahead or behind the
center of the head, when the solid axle
experiences an input, that will very
slightly increase or decrease the pitch in
the blade.
“If the blade flaps up and the delta
causes the pitch in the blade to decrease,
we call it correcting or positive delta. If
the blade pitches up and the delta causes
the blade pitch to increase, we call it
noncorrecting or negative delta.
“The combination that I use has been
pretty well explored over the last couple
The 4000 mAh Duralite batteries are mounted on the extended tray with an extra 2 ounces
of lead for ballast. The gyro is located inside the old tail-rotor-control-servo position.
This absolutely beautiful tail assembly comes standard with the FAI version of the
Miniature Aircraft Stratus. Its all-metal design is among the lightest ever made.
of years. I am very comfortable with it, so it was a no-brainer for
me to install it on the Stratus.
“One change on this Stratus from all my other models with
this head is that the block is now machined as one piece, not the
two pieces I was familiar with. I checked the runout on this head
block and found it to be spot on, better than any of my other
heads, so this is a plus.
“I have been using 720mm symmetrical blades weighing 195
grams or so for the last two or three years. Curtis Youngblood has
August 2006 129
08sig5.QXD 6/23/06 12:39 PM Page 129introduced a new line of rotor blades, the Radix, and I prevailed
upon him for a set to use for testing.
“Since they have been designed for heavy 3-D, the weight is
only 185 grams, which is very light for my style of FAI flying but
heavy enough to determine the characteristics of the blades. When
production gets caught up with the demand for the new blades, he
has plans on doing some F3C-weight blades—195-205 grams.
“I completed the actual mechanical construction of the model
and sat down with the radio to begin setup. I am using the Futaba
14MZ which has 2048 resolution and a really good CCPM program
that is very adjustable to keep the swashplate both tracking
smoothly through all positions of collective and still through all
cyclic movements.
“When you get all this dialed in, it makes an amazing difference
in how the model performs. It takes some time to get it all right, but
it is certainly worth the effort in the performance of the model.
“Take the time now to get as many CCPM interactions out of the
model as you can. There are two types of interactions that can
occur: pitch to cyclic and cyclic to pitch. The trick is to make the
swashplate sit level through all collective applications and to make
the swashplate not move vertically in cyclic applications.
“The 14MZ has a built-in program to do that. Other radios
require program mixes to accomplish the same thing.
“The Stratus’s control geometry is pretty good as far as
minimizing interaction mechanically, but taking the time to remove
as much control interaction as you possibly can electronically is
time well spent, as there is a significant performance gain to be had.
“Trimming the model for F3C flight is a very time-consuming
and labor-intensive process. I balance the model roughly by hangingthe model from the flybar and having it
settle just a touch nose-down, but final trim
is done by checking the model in hover.
“With the swashplate absolutely level I
hover the model and see what trim it needs.
If it wants to back up, I add nose weight. It
if requires back trim, I either remove nose
weight (ideal) or add tail weight.
“My Stratus with the rear-mounted tailrotor
servo tends to be very neutral or even
a bit tail-heavy. Miniature Aircraft makes a
longer battery tongue (part 00000L) that
allows you to move the battery (the
heaviest piece of radio gear) forward for
balance. I use the Duralite 4000 mAh Li-
Ion batteries, which are comparatively
lightweight, so I need about 2 ounces of
additional weight to get the model to
balance correctly.
“Keeping the back end of the model
light is important, so I use the lightest, but
still rigid, fins I can find. Saving an ounce
in the back of the model removes 4 ounces
or more in the front, which keeps the
model light. When the model, with threequarters
of a tank of fuel, picks up and hovers with zero fore-aft
trim, I am satisfied and move on to forward flight.
“The FAI schedules require that the model roll well and pitch
smoothly, and I have found that the swashplate needs to be as level
as possible in all flight conditions for that to happen. The Stratus
FAI tends to want to nose over at high speed, so we normally use a
slightly larger than standard horizontal fin, which helps hold the tail
down.
“The particular fins on my models are prototype fins that have
slots milled in and we can add or remove area by covering or
uncovering the slots. By varying the area of the horizontal fin we
can adjust how much the model climbs or noses over at high speed.
“By keeping the swashplate as level as we can, performance
upright and inverted is similar and the model is very neutral. With
just the normal default servo throws, I can get over 22° of
collective, from -10° to +12°, with no difficulty and still have
available servo throw for maximum cyclic deflection.
“Even with the relatively heavy flybar paddles I use, the cyclic
rates are pretty quick and do not require excessive control
deflection. I am using only plus/minus 5° of cyclic in forward flight
and only plus/minus 21/2° in hover.
“Since the Stratus has more weight lower in the main frames, the
vertical CG of the model is fairly high compared to the Tempest and
Fury, which makes the model very neutral on the roll axis so it is
very easy to get an axial roll in either direction with very little
collective change.
“The 7:91 gear ratio means I can turn a fairly high head speed—
1,850-2000 rpm—in forward flight and still maintain a reasonable
motor rpm. If I hover at 1,450 rpm or so the motor is loaded, runsvery smoothly, and is moderately fuelefficient.
I can get about 14 to 15 minutes out
of the standard tank.
“The Stratus comes with the ‘fuel magnet’
clunk for the tank, which is an ingenious little
device that has foam surrounding the clunk
that manages to draw every last drop of fuel
in the tank so you get maximum run time per
tank.
“I am not currently running a header tank
with this setup since I can use all the
available fuel in the tank, and that means I
have enough fuel to get through a contest
flight with just a minimum of fuel remaining.
“I was very pleased with the kit and had
only a few minor problems. The kit came
with the correct gearing for the 7:91 gear
ratio but 7:75 clutch plates. I was missing a
couple of star washers used to mount the tailrotor
pushrod guides but had a couple in my
field box.
“I also found a minor problem in the two
bolts used to attach the blade grips, which
were 6mm long instead of the 5mm specified
in the instructions. When I fully tightened
them, the bolt bottomed out on the blade axle
and bound it up. I milled 1 millimeter off the
bolts and it was fine.
“I also found a couple of typographical
errors in the manual, but nothing that would
cause incorrect assembly, so that shouldn’t be
a problem. One phone call to Miniature
Aircraft and the correct parts were on the
way.
“I suspect that my parts problems were
mainly because I asked for some substitutions
from the normal kit, like metal tail-rotor
grips, FAI rotor head, rear-mounted tail-rotor
servo, and 30-size skids, so a couple missing
parts is not surprising, as parts were being
pulled out of the plastic bags and replaced.
“The current fuel tank is an interim part—
basically a bottle that fits in the hole and
holds fuel. Miniature Aircraft has designed a
custom tank for the Stratus that fits in the
existing space, holds 22 ounces of fuel, has
molded-in indentions for Velcro retaining
straps, and has a molded-in vent fitting.
When installed, it sits neatly in the frame
opening and stays completely inside the
canopy.
“It will also have a molded indent in the
bottom of the tank for an alignment bushing
that holds the tank in place in the lower frame
plate. Hopefully the new tank will be
available before the 2006 US Nats.
“I am just now getting my primary model
in trim for the contest season. It normally
takes me about 60 flights to get a model
ready to compete with, which is why F3C
guys hate to crash. Besides the time for repair
and replacement of parts, the trimming
process must start all over and is very time
consuming.
“I really like the light weight of this
model in aerobatics, and while I would prefer
a little more weight for hovering in the wind,
I think the gain upstairs more than offsets the
loss in hover and with the huge rotor disk
using 720mm blades, the model autorotates
like a feather.
“The model drives vertically very well
August 2006 131
and does large, round loops. The rotor head
does a good job of holding the model
cyclically in one place while hovering in the
wind, but the light weight of the model makes
it a little bouncy collectively in a gusty wind.
“I have adjustable collective volume on a
knob in my 14MZ that allows me to steepen
or flatten the pitch curve in hover, to better
compensate for the wind. Now if I could just
get my thumbs to work as well as the Stratus
does.”
About the Guest Author: At 58 years of age,
Gordie Meade currently teaches advanced
mathematics at the laboratory school at
Florida State University. His first modeling
experience was at age 8, when he built several
rubber-powered stick-and-tissue models. He
progressed through the Cox CL models to Fox
.35-powered CL Precision Aerobatics and CL
Combat models.
After receiving his undergraduate degree
from the University of Florida, he bought his
first RC model at age 22: a Jensen Ugly Stik
with a Veco .61 engine and an Orbit fourchannel
radio. Gordie has since flown and
competed in RC Aerobatics, RC Pylon
Racing, RC Scale, and RC Soaring, and he is
a League of Silent Flight Level IV pilot.
Gordie started flying RC helicopters in
1988 with a GMP Competitor. He began
competing in Class II helicopters in 1992,
winning the US Nats in Lubbock, Texas, in
1994 and progressing through Class III to
FAI F3C. He has been in the top 10 in F3C
at the US Nats and in the top five at the US
F3C Team Trials.
Gordie authored the current AMA Class
I, II, and III rules, and he has a proposal
pending to update the AMA helicopter rules
for 2007. He is an AMA CD and Leader
Member, and he is the District V
representative on the AMA Helicopter
Contest Board. MA
enthusiasts and stop cluttering the MA
magazine with so many electric topics? Or
let’s represent all aspects equally.
It quite frankly has reached the point to
where I do not anticipate the delivery of my
MA magazine anymore because there is not
much in it for me. I have had many electric
pilots try to tell me the pros and cons from
gas and electrics. I say quit trying to convert
me and let me enjoy the aspect of the hobby
I love.
Terry Adair
Houston, Texas
Aren’t we carrying this electric thing a
little far? I wonder if this is not the
precursor to the AMA attempting to come
up with a tiered membership to satisfy the
park flyers?
If so, I protest in the strongest manner. If
not, then why the major push for the
electric-powered models? I know, they are
supposed to be the wave of the future, but
the majority of those who fly them do not
even know what the AMA is, much less
have a desire to join.
I am in favor of having a balanced
publication. Please do not lean too hard in
the E-direction.
William Hurt
Leesburg, Florida
Simulators as Learning Tools
I saw in the “Aero Mail” section of the
May Model Aviation the comment about
having a column on computer simulators.
I have been a member of AMA for a
while, but I have not been able to fly on my
own because of lack of people to help me
learn. I have been looking into clubs in my
area, but it is kind of difficult to find
somebody who will spend the time to teach
me. I do not blame anybody since it is a
hard commitment.
I have heard that simulators can help
significantly, but as the reader pointed out,
it is difficult to pick one that will really help
and more if it is from an inexperienced guy.
I think it will be really beneficial to learn
more about simulators for experienced guys
to stay active as the article points out, but
also for new ones who are in my situation or
just trying to get into the hobby.
Carlos de Olaguibel
Round Rock, Texas
Wanted: Friends of Bill Moore
I was pleased to read your coverage of
the 2006 Southwest Regionals Free Flight
contest [in the June MA]. This brought back
remembrances of our good friend William
“Bill” Moore.
I first met Bill in about 1994 while he
lived in Taft, California. We attended
several Free Flight meets in his hometown
and nearby field. His mantel in Taft was
covered with trophies from previous AMA
Champs wins.
Not only was Bill a champion in Free
Flight competition, but his “other” life
included work in South America searching
for diamonds and gold. He was well
qualified for this, with a Ph.D from Tulane
University in geology.
Bill gradually had to give up Free Flight
competition because of macular
degeneration. He then suffered a stroke in
the late 1990s but recovered sufficiently to
move to Arizona with his family. He died in
1999. I would like to meet friends of
William Moore. Please contact my E-mail at
[email protected]. MA
Floyd Carter
Eugene, Oregon
Aero Mail
Continued from page 7
08sig5.QXD 6/23/06 12:58 PM Page 131
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/08
Page Numbers: 129,130,131
Part two of the Stratus review by guest columnist Gordie Meade
[[email protected]]
Radio Control Helicopters Ray Stacy
“THE STRATUS kit comes with the
twin-boom struts with the plastic ball ends,
familiar to all the Fury fliers, which are
very easy to build and install. To
maximize the rigidity of the tailboom, I
chose to use the boom struts used on the
XL Pro IIK, which have machined
aluminum ends. Since they are not
designed for use on this model, I had to
‘persuade’ the machined ends to provide a
little more angle than stock for the Pro.
“After J.B. Welding the ends on and
allowing time for them to cure completely,
I placed the machined end in a vise and
carefully increased the angle so that they
aligned correctly with the bottom plate of
the Stratus and the bottom of the boom
clamp—not the side. By moving the
mounting to the bottom of the clamp we
maximize the angle of the strut and
minimize the flex of the clamp, making the
most rigid but lightest-weight tailboom we
can.
“If you decide to do this, be very
careful, as it is easy to break the struts
right outside the aluminum ends, thus
ruining the strut. For most applications,
the plastic end struts would work fine and
may actually be a little lighter—a
consideration if the model is going to be
tail-heavy.
“I have flown the Tempest FAI rotor head, designed by World
Champion Cliff Hiatt, on all my contest models for the last few
years and really have grown to love it. It has adjustable flybar
mixing ratios from .6:1 all the way to .9:1, which is my choice.
“Miniature Aircraft offers O-ring dampeners from 50
durometer (very soft) to 90 durometer (very hard) to adjust the
feel of the head to suit each pilot. For FAI I require the softer
ones.
“Depending on the season and ambient
temperature, I use either 50 durometer or a
combination of 50-60. This allows the use
of a low head speed for hovering, around
1,450 rpm if we choose, without any
bumping, and using quite a bit of
noncorrecting delta.
“Delta is a term we use for an offset
blade pitch arm input. If the link connects
to the pitch arm at exactly the center of the
head block, it would have no delta at all. If
you move the link ahead or behind the
center of the head, when the solid axle
experiences an input, that will very
slightly increase or decrease the pitch in
the blade.
“If the blade flaps up and the delta
causes the pitch in the blade to decrease,
we call it correcting or positive delta. If
the blade pitches up and the delta causes
the blade pitch to increase, we call it
noncorrecting or negative delta.
“The combination that I use has been
pretty well explored over the last couple
The 4000 mAh Duralite batteries are mounted on the extended tray with an extra 2 ounces
of lead for ballast. The gyro is located inside the old tail-rotor-control-servo position.
This absolutely beautiful tail assembly comes standard with the FAI version of the
Miniature Aircraft Stratus. Its all-metal design is among the lightest ever made.
of years. I am very comfortable with it, so it was a no-brainer for
me to install it on the Stratus.
“One change on this Stratus from all my other models with
this head is that the block is now machined as one piece, not the
two pieces I was familiar with. I checked the runout on this head
block and found it to be spot on, better than any of my other
heads, so this is a plus.
“I have been using 720mm symmetrical blades weighing 195
grams or so for the last two or three years. Curtis Youngblood has
August 2006 129
08sig5.QXD 6/23/06 12:39 PM Page 129introduced a new line of rotor blades, the Radix, and I prevailed
upon him for a set to use for testing.
“Since they have been designed for heavy 3-D, the weight is
only 185 grams, which is very light for my style of FAI flying but
heavy enough to determine the characteristics of the blades. When
production gets caught up with the demand for the new blades, he
has plans on doing some F3C-weight blades—195-205 grams.
“I completed the actual mechanical construction of the model
and sat down with the radio to begin setup. I am using the Futaba
14MZ which has 2048 resolution and a really good CCPM program
that is very adjustable to keep the swashplate both tracking
smoothly through all positions of collective and still through all
cyclic movements.
“When you get all this dialed in, it makes an amazing difference
in how the model performs. It takes some time to get it all right, but
it is certainly worth the effort in the performance of the model.
“Take the time now to get as many CCPM interactions out of the
model as you can. There are two types of interactions that can
occur: pitch to cyclic and cyclic to pitch. The trick is to make the
swashplate sit level through all collective applications and to make
the swashplate not move vertically in cyclic applications.
“The 14MZ has a built-in program to do that. Other radios
require program mixes to accomplish the same thing.
“The Stratus’s control geometry is pretty good as far as
minimizing interaction mechanically, but taking the time to remove
as much control interaction as you possibly can electronically is
time well spent, as there is a significant performance gain to be had.
“Trimming the model for F3C flight is a very time-consuming
and labor-intensive process. I balance the model roughly by hangingthe model from the flybar and having it
settle just a touch nose-down, but final trim
is done by checking the model in hover.
“With the swashplate absolutely level I
hover the model and see what trim it needs.
If it wants to back up, I add nose weight. It
if requires back trim, I either remove nose
weight (ideal) or add tail weight.
“My Stratus with the rear-mounted tailrotor
servo tends to be very neutral or even
a bit tail-heavy. Miniature Aircraft makes a
longer battery tongue (part 00000L) that
allows you to move the battery (the
heaviest piece of radio gear) forward for
balance. I use the Duralite 4000 mAh Li-
Ion batteries, which are comparatively
lightweight, so I need about 2 ounces of
additional weight to get the model to
balance correctly.
“Keeping the back end of the model
light is important, so I use the lightest, but
still rigid, fins I can find. Saving an ounce
in the back of the model removes 4 ounces
or more in the front, which keeps the
model light. When the model, with threequarters
of a tank of fuel, picks up and hovers with zero fore-aft
trim, I am satisfied and move on to forward flight.
“The FAI schedules require that the model roll well and pitch
smoothly, and I have found that the swashplate needs to be as level
as possible in all flight conditions for that to happen. The Stratus
FAI tends to want to nose over at high speed, so we normally use a
slightly larger than standard horizontal fin, which helps hold the tail
down.
“The particular fins on my models are prototype fins that have
slots milled in and we can add or remove area by covering or
uncovering the slots. By varying the area of the horizontal fin we
can adjust how much the model climbs or noses over at high speed.
“By keeping the swashplate as level as we can, performance
upright and inverted is similar and the model is very neutral. With
just the normal default servo throws, I can get over 22° of
collective, from -10° to +12°, with no difficulty and still have
available servo throw for maximum cyclic deflection.
“Even with the relatively heavy flybar paddles I use, the cyclic
rates are pretty quick and do not require excessive control
deflection. I am using only plus/minus 5° of cyclic in forward flight
and only plus/minus 21/2° in hover.
“Since the Stratus has more weight lower in the main frames, the
vertical CG of the model is fairly high compared to the Tempest and
Fury, which makes the model very neutral on the roll axis so it is
very easy to get an axial roll in either direction with very little
collective change.
“The 7:91 gear ratio means I can turn a fairly high head speed—
1,850-2000 rpm—in forward flight and still maintain a reasonable
motor rpm. If I hover at 1,450 rpm or so the motor is loaded, runsvery smoothly, and is moderately fuelefficient.
I can get about 14 to 15 minutes out
of the standard tank.
“The Stratus comes with the ‘fuel magnet’
clunk for the tank, which is an ingenious little
device that has foam surrounding the clunk
that manages to draw every last drop of fuel
in the tank so you get maximum run time per
tank.
“I am not currently running a header tank
with this setup since I can use all the
available fuel in the tank, and that means I
have enough fuel to get through a contest
flight with just a minimum of fuel remaining.
“I was very pleased with the kit and had
only a few minor problems. The kit came
with the correct gearing for the 7:91 gear
ratio but 7:75 clutch plates. I was missing a
couple of star washers used to mount the tailrotor
pushrod guides but had a couple in my
field box.
“I also found a minor problem in the two
bolts used to attach the blade grips, which
were 6mm long instead of the 5mm specified
in the instructions. When I fully tightened
them, the bolt bottomed out on the blade axle
and bound it up. I milled 1 millimeter off the
bolts and it was fine.
“I also found a couple of typographical
errors in the manual, but nothing that would
cause incorrect assembly, so that shouldn’t be
a problem. One phone call to Miniature
Aircraft and the correct parts were on the
way.
“I suspect that my parts problems were
mainly because I asked for some substitutions
from the normal kit, like metal tail-rotor
grips, FAI rotor head, rear-mounted tail-rotor
servo, and 30-size skids, so a couple missing
parts is not surprising, as parts were being
pulled out of the plastic bags and replaced.
“The current fuel tank is an interim part—
basically a bottle that fits in the hole and
holds fuel. Miniature Aircraft has designed a
custom tank for the Stratus that fits in the
existing space, holds 22 ounces of fuel, has
molded-in indentions for Velcro retaining
straps, and has a molded-in vent fitting.
When installed, it sits neatly in the frame
opening and stays completely inside the
canopy.
“It will also have a molded indent in the
bottom of the tank for an alignment bushing
that holds the tank in place in the lower frame
plate. Hopefully the new tank will be
available before the 2006 US Nats.
“I am just now getting my primary model
in trim for the contest season. It normally
takes me about 60 flights to get a model
ready to compete with, which is why F3C
guys hate to crash. Besides the time for repair
and replacement of parts, the trimming
process must start all over and is very time
consuming.
“I really like the light weight of this
model in aerobatics, and while I would prefer
a little more weight for hovering in the wind,
I think the gain upstairs more than offsets the
loss in hover and with the huge rotor disk
using 720mm blades, the model autorotates
like a feather.
“The model drives vertically very well
August 2006 131
and does large, round loops. The rotor head
does a good job of holding the model
cyclically in one place while hovering in the
wind, but the light weight of the model makes
it a little bouncy collectively in a gusty wind.
“I have adjustable collective volume on a
knob in my 14MZ that allows me to steepen
or flatten the pitch curve in hover, to better
compensate for the wind. Now if I could just
get my thumbs to work as well as the Stratus
does.”
About the Guest Author: At 58 years of age,
Gordie Meade currently teaches advanced
mathematics at the laboratory school at
Florida State University. His first modeling
experience was at age 8, when he built several
rubber-powered stick-and-tissue models. He
progressed through the Cox CL models to Fox
.35-powered CL Precision Aerobatics and CL
Combat models.
After receiving his undergraduate degree
from the University of Florida, he bought his
first RC model at age 22: a Jensen Ugly Stik
with a Veco .61 engine and an Orbit fourchannel
radio. Gordie has since flown and
competed in RC Aerobatics, RC Pylon
Racing, RC Scale, and RC Soaring, and he is
a League of Silent Flight Level IV pilot.
Gordie started flying RC helicopters in
1988 with a GMP Competitor. He began
competing in Class II helicopters in 1992,
winning the US Nats in Lubbock, Texas, in
1994 and progressing through Class III to
FAI F3C. He has been in the top 10 in F3C
at the US Nats and in the top five at the US
F3C Team Trials.
Gordie authored the current AMA Class
I, II, and III rules, and he has a proposal
pending to update the AMA helicopter rules
for 2007. He is an AMA CD and Leader
Member, and he is the District V
representative on the AMA Helicopter
Contest Board. MA
enthusiasts and stop cluttering the MA
magazine with so many electric topics? Or
let’s represent all aspects equally.
It quite frankly has reached the point to
where I do not anticipate the delivery of my
MA magazine anymore because there is not
much in it for me. I have had many electric
pilots try to tell me the pros and cons from
gas and electrics. I say quit trying to convert
me and let me enjoy the aspect of the hobby
I love.
Terry Adair
Houston, Texas
Aren’t we carrying this electric thing a
little far? I wonder if this is not the
precursor to the AMA attempting to come
up with a tiered membership to satisfy the
park flyers?
If so, I protest in the strongest manner. If
not, then why the major push for the
electric-powered models? I know, they are
supposed to be the wave of the future, but
the majority of those who fly them do not
even know what the AMA is, much less
have a desire to join.
I am in favor of having a balanced
publication. Please do not lean too hard in
the E-direction.
William Hurt
Leesburg, Florida
Simulators as Learning Tools
I saw in the “Aero Mail” section of the
May Model Aviation the comment about
having a column on computer simulators.
I have been a member of AMA for a
while, but I have not been able to fly on my
own because of lack of people to help me
learn. I have been looking into clubs in my
area, but it is kind of difficult to find
somebody who will spend the time to teach
me. I do not blame anybody since it is a
hard commitment.
I have heard that simulators can help
significantly, but as the reader pointed out,
it is difficult to pick one that will really help
and more if it is from an inexperienced guy.
I think it will be really beneficial to learn
more about simulators for experienced guys
to stay active as the article points out, but
also for new ones who are in my situation or
just trying to get into the hobby.
Carlos de Olaguibel
Round Rock, Texas
Wanted: Friends of Bill Moore
I was pleased to read your coverage of
the 2006 Southwest Regionals Free Flight
contest [in the June MA]. This brought back
remembrances of our good friend William
“Bill” Moore.
I first met Bill in about 1994 while he
lived in Taft, California. We attended
several Free Flight meets in his hometown
and nearby field. His mantel in Taft was
covered with trophies from previous AMA
Champs wins.
Not only was Bill a champion in Free
Flight competition, but his “other” life
included work in South America searching
for diamonds and gold. He was well
qualified for this, with a Ph.D from Tulane
University in geology.
Bill gradually had to give up Free Flight
competition because of macular
degeneration. He then suffered a stroke in
the late 1990s but recovered sufficiently to
move to Arizona with his family. He died in
1999. I would like to meet friends of
William Moore. Please contact my E-mail at
[email protected]. MA
Floyd Carter
Eugene, Oregon
Aero Mail
Continued from page 7
08sig5.QXD 6/23/06 12:58 PM Page 131