This is how the Pilatus Porter looks upon delivery. IN LAST MONTH'S column I discussed writing an abbreviated product review, or "miniview," about the Pilatus Porter Almost Ready to Fly (ARF) imported by RC Plane Power of Rhode Island. The miniview is not a full-blown product review; instead, I'll focus on major points without getting into all the details. It would be impossible to do a complete review on a kit or ARF here; I am limited on words and photos. The Pilatus Porter has a good-size firewall that could accept a number of engine types, be they glow or gas, two-stroke or four-stroke. I will assume that readers know how to successfully install their own engines and make the necessary alterations to the cowl or firewall, so I won't discuss it here. Since last month's column, I am happy to report that I have successfully flown the Porter numerous times and am now prepared to write about this fascinating subject. Pilatus Porter History: Pilatus Aircraft Limited was founded in 1939 in a small town called Stans in central Switzerland. A technological breakthrough came in 1959 with the introduction of the Pilatus PC-6 Porter, which at that time was considered a revolutionary aircraft with unprecedented and outstanding short-takeoff-and-landing (STOL) qualities. The Pilatus PC-6 Porter (registration HB-FAN and serial number 337) made its maiden flight May 4. 1959, powered by a 340-horsepower piston engine. The Porter is a robust high-wing aircraft that is able to perform a wide range of missions. The first Turbo-Porter was tested in 1961. Today the long-nose aircraft is flown in more than 50 countries. More recently, the Pilatus Porter gained notoriety when one was flown in the movie Air America starring Mel Gibson. Air America —the Central Intelligence Agency's covert airline —did use a Porter in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. Pilatus ARF: ARFs have been around for many years. However, seeing ARF aircraft in the Giant Scale arena is a more recent phenomenon. These models are being manufactured in such diverse countries as Czechoslovakia and China. The Pilatus PC-6 Porter piston-engine version is manufactured in Czechoslovakia by S2G and imported by RC Plane Power of The model uses nose-gear-type setup for steerable tail wheel-very strong, easy to adjust for dead-on ground steering. The removable vertical stabilizer slides onto the fuselage using a metal tube and two guide pins for proper alignment. A shot of the Pilatus on the tarmac before initial flight. Rear view of the Pilatus before the first flight. On a low, slow pass with flaps deployed, it looks and flies great. Rhode Island. It is constructed from balsa and Lite Ply with foam-core wings and tail surfaces. The foam wings and tail are sheeted with obechi wood, which gives them great strength. All parts are professionally covered with white Oracover. This model is currently its only Giant Scale offering. The wingspan is 94'/2 inches (2,400mm), the length is 561/: inches (1,410mm), it weighs 13'/2 pounds (6,500g), and is designed to be powered by a 25-40cc engine. My choice for this model was the Fuji BT-32A 34cc gas engine distributed by Great Planes manufacturing. How It Arrives: The Pilatus is delivered in a large box. Packed neatly inside is a fuselage, two prehinged wing panels, a prehinged horizontal stabilizer, landing gear, a vertical stabilizer, a rudder, a fiberglass cowl, a canopy, a wing joiner tube, a pair of wing-support struts, pushrods, molded side windows. ABS servo covers for the wing, decals, and a hardware bag. Construction: The tail feathers are installed with only three screws. Two screws attach the horizontal stabilizer and one screw attaches the vertical stabilizer. This is a benefit; it makes transporting and constructing the Pilatus much easier. As I stated earlier, the ailerons, flaps, and elevator arrive already hinged. The manufacturer uses a clear-tape hinge that is applied to the upper and lower surfaces. The whole length of the movable surface is covered, leaving no air gap. This type of hinge material is a departure from conventional Giant Scale hinging techniques I am familiar with, but the flights I have made with the model have revealed no problems. I will continue to monitor the hinges with each flight. The fuselage has a large hatch on top that gives access to the roomy fuselage interior for installation of the servos for the elevator, rudder, and throttle. I used two '/t-scale Hitec 700-series servos: one to drive the elevator and the other to drive the tailwheel assembly and rudder. I used a standard Hitec HS-425BB servo for the throttle. Installing the steel pushrods is simple because the pushrod sleeves are factory-installed for the elevator, rudder, and tail-wheel steering. All that is left is to insert the pushrods. cut to length, and make the attachments to the servos and rear surfaces. I made Z-bends for the servo attachment side and soldered steel threaded 4-40 couplers to use with clevises for the elevator, rudder, and tail-wheel steering horns. The model comes with 2-56-size brass couplers, but I felt more comfortable using a more robust threaded coupler. The tail-wheel assembly is strong and resembles what you would find on the firewall of a 60-size model. The tail wheel is operated by using a nose-gear steering arm driven by a pushrod that exits the left side of the fuselage. What I like about this configuration is that you can make minor adjustments to achieve straight-ahead steering by a turn of the clevis. This system also allows for easy and exact tail wheel/rudder alignment. The main gear is attached to the fuselage by four straps. Two additional bolts attach the remaining landing-gear legs to the fuselage sides. The wing shape used for this model is listed by the manufacturer as a Clark Y. There are two round holes in each wing half that house the aileron and flap servos. I used Hitec HS-425BB servos to drive each aileron and flap. The manufacturer supplies an ABS servo tray/dish and accompanying ABS servo covers. I used the dish but not the cover. The wing servos were a bit more work to install than the fuselage servos. My favorite method, and the one 1 used here, was to make a hatch cover to which I attached the servo directly. I made a slit in the cover for the servo arm to protrude and screwed the cover right into the wing. The servo-lead access hole in the root rib was enlarged so that the servo connector could pass through. I found that there was a rib approximately eight to 10 inches past the root rib that also needed to have the servo-lead hole enlarged. Since I did not have a long-enough drill bit, I used a Vx-inch-diameter K&S brass tube with one end sharpened to drill out the inner rib. This worked perfectly, and I was able to install both servos quickly. I repeated the same steps on the other wing panel. When installing the flap servos, you must have the output arms facing the same direction unlike the aileron servos. Otherwise, you will need to use a servo-reversing device on one flap to correct the throw direction. As I discussed in last month's column. I used the Fuji BT-32A gas engine to power the Pilatus Porter. The firewall and cowl are large enough to accommodate this engine or almost any other engine type. I did have to cut a reveal in the firewall to accept the rear-mounted stock muffler. Hey. that's why they call this modeling! I used a Zinger 18x8 wood propeller and a Sullivan 3'/2-inch spinner. The wings are assembled to the fuselage in a standard manner; a metal tube is passed through the fuselage, then the wing halves are slid onto the tube joiner. A bolt is used to hold each wing panel tight against the fuselage. The wings are self-supporting at this point. Then you install the wing-support strut using two screws on each strut. A quick hookup of the aileron and flap servo wires, and you are ready to go. In the Air: The test flights were superb. The Pilatus tracks beautifully on the ground. The takeoff run was straight, and the tail lifted off the ground after some speed was attained. A bit of up-elevator sent the model airborne. After a couple of racetrack patterns I put the aircraft through its paces. Stall Turns, Wingovers, inverted flight, low-speed passes, high-speed passes, loops, and rolls were easy to perform. I passed the transmitter to four other fliers, and all were impressed with the model's flying qualities. After a few flights we used those large flaps to really slow the Porter on approach. On one takeoff we used half flaps, and the aircraft rolled out and lifted with no elevator input. The Fuji BT-32A performed flawlessly. All through the flights it didn't skip a beat: the transition was excellent, with plenty of power for this model. Thumbs-up for the solid construction, removable tail feathers, formed side window panels, landing gear and tail-wheel assembly, and gel-coated fiberglass cowling. The construction manual, ABS servo-cover parts, and hardware package need work. The Pilatus PC-6 Porter ARF is a great Scale model of which we should see more. You can have hours of fun flying the Porter, and one day you too can become an STOL expert. The Pilatus Porter ARF is $379.95. You can order your own by calling Brands Hobby at (401) 231-5380, faxing to (401) 231-1195, or writing to RC Plane Power, 2193 Mineral Spring Ave., North Providence RI 02911. You can visit the Web site at www.brandshobby.com to check out all the hobby offerings. Have a great flying season. See you next month! AM
Edition: Model Aviation - 2002/09
Page Numbers: 112, 113, 114
Edition: Model Aviation - 2002/09
Page Numbers: 112, 113, 114
This is how the Pilatus Porter looks upon delivery. IN LAST MONTH'S column I discussed writing an abbreviated product review, or "miniview," about the Pilatus Porter Almost Ready to Fly (ARF) imported by RC Plane Power of Rhode Island. The miniview is not a full-blown product review; instead, I'll focus on major points without getting into all the details. It would be impossible to do a complete review on a kit or ARF here; I am limited on words and photos. The Pilatus Porter has a good-size firewall that could accept a number of engine types, be they glow or gas, two-stroke or four-stroke. I will assume that readers know how to successfully install their own engines and make the necessary alterations to the cowl or firewall, so I won't discuss it here. Since last month's column, I am happy to report that I have successfully flown the Porter numerous times and am now prepared to write about this fascinating subject. Pilatus Porter History: Pilatus Aircraft Limited was founded in 1939 in a small town called Stans in central Switzerland. A technological breakthrough came in 1959 with the introduction of the Pilatus PC-6 Porter, which at that time was considered a revolutionary aircraft with unprecedented and outstanding short-takeoff-and-landing (STOL) qualities. The Pilatus PC-6 Porter (registration HB-FAN and serial number 337) made its maiden flight May 4. 1959, powered by a 340-horsepower piston engine. The Porter is a robust high-wing aircraft that is able to perform a wide range of missions. The first Turbo-Porter was tested in 1961. Today the long-nose aircraft is flown in more than 50 countries. More recently, the Pilatus Porter gained notoriety when one was flown in the movie Air America starring Mel Gibson. Air America —the Central Intelligence Agency's covert airline —did use a Porter in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. Pilatus ARF: ARFs have been around for many years. However, seeing ARF aircraft in the Giant Scale arena is a more recent phenomenon. These models are being manufactured in such diverse countries as Czechoslovakia and China. The Pilatus PC-6 Porter piston-engine version is manufactured in Czechoslovakia by S2G and imported by RC Plane Power of The model uses nose-gear-type setup for steerable tail wheel-very strong, easy to adjust for dead-on ground steering. The removable vertical stabilizer slides onto the fuselage using a metal tube and two guide pins for proper alignment. A shot of the Pilatus on the tarmac before initial flight. Rear view of the Pilatus before the first flight. On a low, slow pass with flaps deployed, it looks and flies great. Rhode Island. It is constructed from balsa and Lite Ply with foam-core wings and tail surfaces. The foam wings and tail are sheeted with obechi wood, which gives them great strength. All parts are professionally covered with white Oracover. This model is currently its only Giant Scale offering. The wingspan is 94'/2 inches (2,400mm), the length is 561/: inches (1,410mm), it weighs 13'/2 pounds (6,500g), and is designed to be powered by a 25-40cc engine. My choice for this model was the Fuji BT-32A 34cc gas engine distributed by Great Planes manufacturing. How It Arrives: The Pilatus is delivered in a large box. Packed neatly inside is a fuselage, two prehinged wing panels, a prehinged horizontal stabilizer, landing gear, a vertical stabilizer, a rudder, a fiberglass cowl, a canopy, a wing joiner tube, a pair of wing-support struts, pushrods, molded side windows. ABS servo covers for the wing, decals, and a hardware bag. Construction: The tail feathers are installed with only three screws. Two screws attach the horizontal stabilizer and one screw attaches the vertical stabilizer. This is a benefit; it makes transporting and constructing the Pilatus much easier. As I stated earlier, the ailerons, flaps, and elevator arrive already hinged. The manufacturer uses a clear-tape hinge that is applied to the upper and lower surfaces. The whole length of the movable surface is covered, leaving no air gap. This type of hinge material is a departure from conventional Giant Scale hinging techniques I am familiar with, but the flights I have made with the model have revealed no problems. I will continue to monitor the hinges with each flight. The fuselage has a large hatch on top that gives access to the roomy fuselage interior for installation of the servos for the elevator, rudder, and throttle. I used two '/t-scale Hitec 700-series servos: one to drive the elevator and the other to drive the tailwheel assembly and rudder. I used a standard Hitec HS-425BB servo for the throttle. Installing the steel pushrods is simple because the pushrod sleeves are factory-installed for the elevator, rudder, and tail-wheel steering. All that is left is to insert the pushrods. cut to length, and make the attachments to the servos and rear surfaces. I made Z-bends for the servo attachment side and soldered steel threaded 4-40 couplers to use with clevises for the elevator, rudder, and tail-wheel steering horns. The model comes with 2-56-size brass couplers, but I felt more comfortable using a more robust threaded coupler. The tail-wheel assembly is strong and resembles what you would find on the firewall of a 60-size model. The tail wheel is operated by using a nose-gear steering arm driven by a pushrod that exits the left side of the fuselage. What I like about this configuration is that you can make minor adjustments to achieve straight-ahead steering by a turn of the clevis. This system also allows for easy and exact tail wheel/rudder alignment. The main gear is attached to the fuselage by four straps. Two additional bolts attach the remaining landing-gear legs to the fuselage sides. The wing shape used for this model is listed by the manufacturer as a Clark Y. There are two round holes in each wing half that house the aileron and flap servos. I used Hitec HS-425BB servos to drive each aileron and flap. The manufacturer supplies an ABS servo tray/dish and accompanying ABS servo covers. I used the dish but not the cover. The wing servos were a bit more work to install than the fuselage servos. My favorite method, and the one 1 used here, was to make a hatch cover to which I attached the servo directly. I made a slit in the cover for the servo arm to protrude and screwed the cover right into the wing. The servo-lead access hole in the root rib was enlarged so that the servo connector could pass through. I found that there was a rib approximately eight to 10 inches past the root rib that also needed to have the servo-lead hole enlarged. Since I did not have a long-enough drill bit, I used a Vx-inch-diameter K&S brass tube with one end sharpened to drill out the inner rib. This worked perfectly, and I was able to install both servos quickly. I repeated the same steps on the other wing panel. When installing the flap servos, you must have the output arms facing the same direction unlike the aileron servos. Otherwise, you will need to use a servo-reversing device on one flap to correct the throw direction. As I discussed in last month's column. I used the Fuji BT-32A gas engine to power the Pilatus Porter. The firewall and cowl are large enough to accommodate this engine or almost any other engine type. I did have to cut a reveal in the firewall to accept the rear-mounted stock muffler. Hey. that's why they call this modeling! I used a Zinger 18x8 wood propeller and a Sullivan 3'/2-inch spinner. The wings are assembled to the fuselage in a standard manner; a metal tube is passed through the fuselage, then the wing halves are slid onto the tube joiner. A bolt is used to hold each wing panel tight against the fuselage. The wings are self-supporting at this point. Then you install the wing-support strut using two screws on each strut. A quick hookup of the aileron and flap servo wires, and you are ready to go. In the Air: The test flights were superb. The Pilatus tracks beautifully on the ground. The takeoff run was straight, and the tail lifted off the ground after some speed was attained. A bit of up-elevator sent the model airborne. After a couple of racetrack patterns I put the aircraft through its paces. Stall Turns, Wingovers, inverted flight, low-speed passes, high-speed passes, loops, and rolls were easy to perform. I passed the transmitter to four other fliers, and all were impressed with the model's flying qualities. After a few flights we used those large flaps to really slow the Porter on approach. On one takeoff we used half flaps, and the aircraft rolled out and lifted with no elevator input. The Fuji BT-32A performed flawlessly. All through the flights it didn't skip a beat: the transition was excellent, with plenty of power for this model. Thumbs-up for the solid construction, removable tail feathers, formed side window panels, landing gear and tail-wheel assembly, and gel-coated fiberglass cowling. The construction manual, ABS servo-cover parts, and hardware package need work. The Pilatus PC-6 Porter ARF is a great Scale model of which we should see more. You can have hours of fun flying the Porter, and one day you too can become an STOL expert. The Pilatus Porter ARF is $379.95. You can order your own by calling Brands Hobby at (401) 231-5380, faxing to (401) 231-1195, or writing to RC Plane Power, 2193 Mineral Spring Ave., North Providence RI 02911. You can visit the Web site at www.brandshobby.com to check out all the hobby offerings. Have a great flying season. See you next month! AM
Edition: Model Aviation - 2002/09
Page Numbers: 112, 113, 114
This is how the Pilatus Porter looks upon delivery. IN LAST MONTH'S column I discussed writing an abbreviated product review, or "miniview," about the Pilatus Porter Almost Ready to Fly (ARF) imported by RC Plane Power of Rhode Island. The miniview is not a full-blown product review; instead, I'll focus on major points without getting into all the details. It would be impossible to do a complete review on a kit or ARF here; I am limited on words and photos. The Pilatus Porter has a good-size firewall that could accept a number of engine types, be they glow or gas, two-stroke or four-stroke. I will assume that readers know how to successfully install their own engines and make the necessary alterations to the cowl or firewall, so I won't discuss it here. Since last month's column, I am happy to report that I have successfully flown the Porter numerous times and am now prepared to write about this fascinating subject. Pilatus Porter History: Pilatus Aircraft Limited was founded in 1939 in a small town called Stans in central Switzerland. A technological breakthrough came in 1959 with the introduction of the Pilatus PC-6 Porter, which at that time was considered a revolutionary aircraft with unprecedented and outstanding short-takeoff-and-landing (STOL) qualities. The Pilatus PC-6 Porter (registration HB-FAN and serial number 337) made its maiden flight May 4. 1959, powered by a 340-horsepower piston engine. The Porter is a robust high-wing aircraft that is able to perform a wide range of missions. The first Turbo-Porter was tested in 1961. Today the long-nose aircraft is flown in more than 50 countries. More recently, the Pilatus Porter gained notoriety when one was flown in the movie Air America starring Mel Gibson. Air America —the Central Intelligence Agency's covert airline —did use a Porter in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. Pilatus ARF: ARFs have been around for many years. However, seeing ARF aircraft in the Giant Scale arena is a more recent phenomenon. These models are being manufactured in such diverse countries as Czechoslovakia and China. The Pilatus PC-6 Porter piston-engine version is manufactured in Czechoslovakia by S2G and imported by RC Plane Power of The model uses nose-gear-type setup for steerable tail wheel-very strong, easy to adjust for dead-on ground steering. The removable vertical stabilizer slides onto the fuselage using a metal tube and two guide pins for proper alignment. A shot of the Pilatus on the tarmac before initial flight. Rear view of the Pilatus before the first flight. On a low, slow pass with flaps deployed, it looks and flies great. Rhode Island. It is constructed from balsa and Lite Ply with foam-core wings and tail surfaces. The foam wings and tail are sheeted with obechi wood, which gives them great strength. All parts are professionally covered with white Oracover. This model is currently its only Giant Scale offering. The wingspan is 94'/2 inches (2,400mm), the length is 561/: inches (1,410mm), it weighs 13'/2 pounds (6,500g), and is designed to be powered by a 25-40cc engine. My choice for this model was the Fuji BT-32A 34cc gas engine distributed by Great Planes manufacturing. How It Arrives: The Pilatus is delivered in a large box. Packed neatly inside is a fuselage, two prehinged wing panels, a prehinged horizontal stabilizer, landing gear, a vertical stabilizer, a rudder, a fiberglass cowl, a canopy, a wing joiner tube, a pair of wing-support struts, pushrods, molded side windows. ABS servo covers for the wing, decals, and a hardware bag. Construction: The tail feathers are installed with only three screws. Two screws attach the horizontal stabilizer and one screw attaches the vertical stabilizer. This is a benefit; it makes transporting and constructing the Pilatus much easier. As I stated earlier, the ailerons, flaps, and elevator arrive already hinged. The manufacturer uses a clear-tape hinge that is applied to the upper and lower surfaces. The whole length of the movable surface is covered, leaving no air gap. This type of hinge material is a departure from conventional Giant Scale hinging techniques I am familiar with, but the flights I have made with the model have revealed no problems. I will continue to monitor the hinges with each flight. The fuselage has a large hatch on top that gives access to the roomy fuselage interior for installation of the servos for the elevator, rudder, and throttle. I used two '/t-scale Hitec 700-series servos: one to drive the elevator and the other to drive the tailwheel assembly and rudder. I used a standard Hitec HS-425BB servo for the throttle. Installing the steel pushrods is simple because the pushrod sleeves are factory-installed for the elevator, rudder, and tail-wheel steering. All that is left is to insert the pushrods. cut to length, and make the attachments to the servos and rear surfaces. I made Z-bends for the servo attachment side and soldered steel threaded 4-40 couplers to use with clevises for the elevator, rudder, and tail-wheel steering horns. The model comes with 2-56-size brass couplers, but I felt more comfortable using a more robust threaded coupler. The tail-wheel assembly is strong and resembles what you would find on the firewall of a 60-size model. The tail wheel is operated by using a nose-gear steering arm driven by a pushrod that exits the left side of the fuselage. What I like about this configuration is that you can make minor adjustments to achieve straight-ahead steering by a turn of the clevis. This system also allows for easy and exact tail wheel/rudder alignment. The main gear is attached to the fuselage by four straps. Two additional bolts attach the remaining landing-gear legs to the fuselage sides. The wing shape used for this model is listed by the manufacturer as a Clark Y. There are two round holes in each wing half that house the aileron and flap servos. I used Hitec HS-425BB servos to drive each aileron and flap. The manufacturer supplies an ABS servo tray/dish and accompanying ABS servo covers. I used the dish but not the cover. The wing servos were a bit more work to install than the fuselage servos. My favorite method, and the one 1 used here, was to make a hatch cover to which I attached the servo directly. I made a slit in the cover for the servo arm to protrude and screwed the cover right into the wing. The servo-lead access hole in the root rib was enlarged so that the servo connector could pass through. I found that there was a rib approximately eight to 10 inches past the root rib that also needed to have the servo-lead hole enlarged. Since I did not have a long-enough drill bit, I used a Vx-inch-diameter K&S brass tube with one end sharpened to drill out the inner rib. This worked perfectly, and I was able to install both servos quickly. I repeated the same steps on the other wing panel. When installing the flap servos, you must have the output arms facing the same direction unlike the aileron servos. Otherwise, you will need to use a servo-reversing device on one flap to correct the throw direction. As I discussed in last month's column. I used the Fuji BT-32A gas engine to power the Pilatus Porter. The firewall and cowl are large enough to accommodate this engine or almost any other engine type. I did have to cut a reveal in the firewall to accept the rear-mounted stock muffler. Hey. that's why they call this modeling! I used a Zinger 18x8 wood propeller and a Sullivan 3'/2-inch spinner. The wings are assembled to the fuselage in a standard manner; a metal tube is passed through the fuselage, then the wing halves are slid onto the tube joiner. A bolt is used to hold each wing panel tight against the fuselage. The wings are self-supporting at this point. Then you install the wing-support strut using two screws on each strut. A quick hookup of the aileron and flap servo wires, and you are ready to go. In the Air: The test flights were superb. The Pilatus tracks beautifully on the ground. The takeoff run was straight, and the tail lifted off the ground after some speed was attained. A bit of up-elevator sent the model airborne. After a couple of racetrack patterns I put the aircraft through its paces. Stall Turns, Wingovers, inverted flight, low-speed passes, high-speed passes, loops, and rolls were easy to perform. I passed the transmitter to four other fliers, and all were impressed with the model's flying qualities. After a few flights we used those large flaps to really slow the Porter on approach. On one takeoff we used half flaps, and the aircraft rolled out and lifted with no elevator input. The Fuji BT-32A performed flawlessly. All through the flights it didn't skip a beat: the transition was excellent, with plenty of power for this model. Thumbs-up for the solid construction, removable tail feathers, formed side window panels, landing gear and tail-wheel assembly, and gel-coated fiberglass cowling. The construction manual, ABS servo-cover parts, and hardware package need work. The Pilatus PC-6 Porter ARF is a great Scale model of which we should see more. You can have hours of fun flying the Porter, and one day you too can become an STOL expert. The Pilatus Porter ARF is $379.95. You can order your own by calling Brands Hobby at (401) 231-5380, faxing to (401) 231-1195, or writing to RC Plane Power, 2193 Mineral Spring Ave., North Providence RI 02911. You can visit the Web site at www.brandshobby.com to check out all the hobby offerings. Have a great flying season. See you next month! AM
