Fortunately, for fans of micro
aircraft, the micro segment of our
hobby continues to grow at a fast
pace. We have so many wonderful
choices in RTF micro aircraft today—
from 3-D aerobatic models, to easy-tofly,
two-channel airplanes.
I enjoy flying all types. I like practicing
3-D to improve my flying skills, and
I also like to pilot my two-channel
airplanes that are slow and relaxing to
fly. I love to fly them just before dark,
when the wind is calm on a beautiful
summer day! It is a soothing experience.
I designed my Classroom Fighters for
Plantraco with this in mind, because I
wanted others to enjoy the experience.
A new two-channel RTF model called
the Nano-Micro Stick 75 recently was
released from Ares. Because I have
designed several different types of twochannel
models, I was excited to test the
model and see how it performed.
Ares Nano-Micro
Stick 75
The Nano-
Micro Stick 75 is
ready to fly and
the box includes
everything needed.
The two-channel
model is available
in green with
British markings,
or red with
German markings.
The attractive
model has a 12.4-
inch wingspan
and weighs 9
grams with the
supplied 30 mAh
1S 3.7-volt
LiPo cell. The
three-channel
2.4 GHz
transmitter
is a nice size and doubles as a battery
charger.
I have to compliment the
manufacturer; you can charge a spare
battery while flying! This nice feature
maximizes your flying time at the field.
To charge the cell, insert the battery into
the transmitter charge lead, making sure
the polarity is correct.
The battery and charge lead have
a small red circle to aid in alignment.
When connected, the transmitter
LED will glow solid yellow indicating
charging, and disappear when
completely charged. Turn on the
transmitter when you’re ready to fly, and
then connect the battery. The connector
also has a red circle to help prevent a
reverse-polarity connection.
The battery has a small magnet
that attaches to the battery support
and securely holds it in place. Test the
rudder for proper control and direction,
and lower the
throttle all the
way to arm
the ESC and ensure that the motor is
running smoothly. I was impressed after
powering up my model for the first
time; the geared motor-drive unit put
out some good power with the 30 mAh
LiPo cell.
Flying
I was patiently waiting for some calm
winds so I could test-fly the model,
and a nice day finally arrived. The
instruction manual recommends hand
launching the airplane for the first few
flights to become accustomed to its
flight characteristics, so I gave it a nice
toss into the light wind. The model
easily flew out of my hand and climbed
out with authority. I made some turns,
Figure Eights, climbs, and descents, using
the throttle to change altitude.
The wind had picked up and I climbed the Nano-Micro
Stick 75 to see what it could do. Surprisingly, I was able to
perform a round loop with the two-channel model. I gave it
full throttle and the model pitched up high into the wind. As
it went over the top, I reduced the throttle and it came around
the loop nicely and recovered. I also made some tight highspeed
turns.
The airplane makes nice takeoffs and landings from a hard
surface, requiring little ground to ROG. It is easy to y, and
should only take an experienced modeler a minute or two to
master. With a little guidance, a beginner could y the Nano-
Micro Stick 75 in a short amount of time.
My model ew great out of the box, with good slow-speed
characteristics. The instruction manual explains how to adjust
the wing position to move the CG for fast or slow ight.
Moving the wing backward will allow the aircraft to y faster
and handle a little wind when ying outside. Moving the wing
forward will allow the model to y slower, giving it a more
nose-high attitude. This is good for indoor ight in small areas.
The Ares Nano-Micro Stick 75 has a list price of $59.99 and
is available at HobbyTown USA stores nationwide.
Cindy’s Thoughts
“This model is really cute! I had no problems ying the
airplane. After a few ights, my husband ew his model against
mine, and we did some dog ghting in our front yard. You
can add a small streamer to the tail and try and cut off your
opponent’s streamer. I won’t tell you who won.”
JigTime Rascal 18
Fellow “Small-Field Flying” columnist, Paul Bradley, and his
brother, Ralph, have a wonderful website full of plans and
information about many different types of model aircraft. One
of his Web pages has a link to some great FF model designs
from the past, including the JigTime Rascal 18.
Top Flite produced the JigTime Rascal 18, along with several
other great all-balsa kits back in the 1950s and ’60s. I thought
it would be neat to build the model and convert it to micro
RC. Paul has graciously reproduced the airplane’s graphics so
they can be printed out onto balsa with an inkjet printer. He
explains the process of printing on balsa in a link on his site.
All you need is a printer that has a straight-through path.
My model was printed onto 1/32-inch balsa, and has a 17.5-
inch wingspan. Constructing the model was like a walk back
in time. I built several all-balsa, rubber band-powered FF
airplanes of this type when I was a boy.
The rst step was to cut out all of the parts using a #11
blade on my X-Acto knife. I then assembled the fuselage,
wings, and tail, using CA for most of the build. I wanted the
model to be as light as possible, so I used the ParkZone Vapor
brick, Vapor-geared motor-drive unit, and Vapor landing gear.
Finding the correct location and orientation of the RC gear
when converting FF models of this type can be challenging.
I had to vertically mount the brick because it was the only
way it would t into the narrow fuselage. I used a balsa block
as the mount, which I glued to the fuselage, and attached the
brick with some double-sided foam tape. I left the rear top
sheeting off the airplane until I installed the pushrods for the
elevator and rudder.
I mounted the Vapor motor/gear drive onto the model
using some Depron foam. I glued the motor to the mount
with a little downthrust and right thrust. I also left off the top
sheeting on the nose section for the rst few test ights, so I
could easily make any adjustments to the motor’s thrustline.
I mounted the Vapor landing gear by gluing the gear to a
block of Depron foam then I glued this to the bulkhead in
the fuselage. I wanted to make the wing removable to access
the brick for maintenance or adjustments. I installed magnets
on the wing at the rear center section then created a small
light-plywood mount with magnets to glue into the fuselage.
I magnetically attached the mount to the wing rst, added
some slow curing CA, and then positioned the wing onto the
fuselage.
After the glue dried, I removed the wing and added a
wooden dowel to the front of it, which matched a hole in
the front wing mount. The 1/32-inch balsa wings are thin and
flexible. The model needs the wing struts for strength and
to set the correct wing
incidence.
After constructing the
wing struts, I glued them
to the wings at the outer
rib location. Then I used
some Blenderm tape to
attach them to the fuselage at the
correct location. You can adjust the
wing incidence by moving the strut
attachment point on the fuselage as
necessary.
The completed three-channel model
weighed 18.5 grams ready to fl y, with
a 120 mAh LiPo cell. The model fl ew
well on the fi rst test fl ight. Only minor
adjustments to the thrust settings were
necessary. The controls were sensitive,
but after selecting the dual rates, they
were perfect for my taste. The Rascal
is not capable of any aerobatics—just
simple, fun fl ying. It has a cool look in
the air. It’s a sight from the past!
F2G-1 Super Corsair
I found some photos online of the
beautiful Goodyear F2G-1 Super
Corsair with a stunning paint scheme,
and I had to build one. I thought that it
would be an easy conversion from my
original 1/72-scale F4U design, but I had
to redraw a new fuselage and all of the
graphics.
The model uses the two-channel
Plantraco receiver and has a 7-inch
wingspan. It is constructed from
Durobatics foam, and uses the GB05
motor with a 20 mAh LiPo cell. It
weighs only 3.6 grams ready to fl y, and
will fl y for 6 to 8 minutes on a fully
charged battery.
Edition: Model Aviation - 2012/07
Page Numbers: 81,82,83
Edition: Model Aviation - 2012/07
Page Numbers: 81,82,83
Fortunately, for fans of micro
aircraft, the micro segment of our
hobby continues to grow at a fast
pace. We have so many wonderful
choices in RTF micro aircraft today—
from 3-D aerobatic models, to easy-tofly,
two-channel airplanes.
I enjoy flying all types. I like practicing
3-D to improve my flying skills, and
I also like to pilot my two-channel
airplanes that are slow and relaxing to
fly. I love to fly them just before dark,
when the wind is calm on a beautiful
summer day! It is a soothing experience.
I designed my Classroom Fighters for
Plantraco with this in mind, because I
wanted others to enjoy the experience.
A new two-channel RTF model called
the Nano-Micro Stick 75 recently was
released from Ares. Because I have
designed several different types of twochannel
models, I was excited to test the
model and see how it performed.
Ares Nano-Micro
Stick 75
The Nano-
Micro Stick 75 is
ready to fly and
the box includes
everything needed.
The two-channel
model is available
in green with
British markings,
or red with
German markings.
The attractive
model has a 12.4-
inch wingspan
and weighs 9
grams with the
supplied 30 mAh
1S 3.7-volt
LiPo cell. The
three-channel
2.4 GHz
transmitter
is a nice size and doubles as a battery
charger.
I have to compliment the
manufacturer; you can charge a spare
battery while flying! This nice feature
maximizes your flying time at the field.
To charge the cell, insert the battery into
the transmitter charge lead, making sure
the polarity is correct.
The battery and charge lead have
a small red circle to aid in alignment.
When connected, the transmitter
LED will glow solid yellow indicating
charging, and disappear when
completely charged. Turn on the
transmitter when you’re ready to fly, and
then connect the battery. The connector
also has a red circle to help prevent a
reverse-polarity connection.
The battery has a small magnet
that attaches to the battery support
and securely holds it in place. Test the
rudder for proper control and direction,
and lower the
throttle all the
way to arm
the ESC and ensure that the motor is
running smoothly. I was impressed after
powering up my model for the first
time; the geared motor-drive unit put
out some good power with the 30 mAh
LiPo cell.
Flying
I was patiently waiting for some calm
winds so I could test-fly the model,
and a nice day finally arrived. The
instruction manual recommends hand
launching the airplane for the first few
flights to become accustomed to its
flight characteristics, so I gave it a nice
toss into the light wind. The model
easily flew out of my hand and climbed
out with authority. I made some turns,
Figure Eights, climbs, and descents, using
the throttle to change altitude.
The wind had picked up and I climbed the Nano-Micro
Stick 75 to see what it could do. Surprisingly, I was able to
perform a round loop with the two-channel model. I gave it
full throttle and the model pitched up high into the wind. As
it went over the top, I reduced the throttle and it came around
the loop nicely and recovered. I also made some tight highspeed
turns.
The airplane makes nice takeoffs and landings from a hard
surface, requiring little ground to ROG. It is easy to y, and
should only take an experienced modeler a minute or two to
master. With a little guidance, a beginner could y the Nano-
Micro Stick 75 in a short amount of time.
My model ew great out of the box, with good slow-speed
characteristics. The instruction manual explains how to adjust
the wing position to move the CG for fast or slow ight.
Moving the wing backward will allow the aircraft to y faster
and handle a little wind when ying outside. Moving the wing
forward will allow the model to y slower, giving it a more
nose-high attitude. This is good for indoor ight in small areas.
The Ares Nano-Micro Stick 75 has a list price of $59.99 and
is available at HobbyTown USA stores nationwide.
Cindy’s Thoughts
“This model is really cute! I had no problems ying the
airplane. After a few ights, my husband ew his model against
mine, and we did some dog ghting in our front yard. You
can add a small streamer to the tail and try and cut off your
opponent’s streamer. I won’t tell you who won.”
JigTime Rascal 18
Fellow “Small-Field Flying” columnist, Paul Bradley, and his
brother, Ralph, have a wonderful website full of plans and
information about many different types of model aircraft. One
of his Web pages has a link to some great FF model designs
from the past, including the JigTime Rascal 18.
Top Flite produced the JigTime Rascal 18, along with several
other great all-balsa kits back in the 1950s and ’60s. I thought
it would be neat to build the model and convert it to micro
RC. Paul has graciously reproduced the airplane’s graphics so
they can be printed out onto balsa with an inkjet printer. He
explains the process of printing on balsa in a link on his site.
All you need is a printer that has a straight-through path.
My model was printed onto 1/32-inch balsa, and has a 17.5-
inch wingspan. Constructing the model was like a walk back
in time. I built several all-balsa, rubber band-powered FF
airplanes of this type when I was a boy.
The rst step was to cut out all of the parts using a #11
blade on my X-Acto knife. I then assembled the fuselage,
wings, and tail, using CA for most of the build. I wanted the
model to be as light as possible, so I used the ParkZone Vapor
brick, Vapor-geared motor-drive unit, and Vapor landing gear.
Finding the correct location and orientation of the RC gear
when converting FF models of this type can be challenging.
I had to vertically mount the brick because it was the only
way it would t into the narrow fuselage. I used a balsa block
as the mount, which I glued to the fuselage, and attached the
brick with some double-sided foam tape. I left the rear top
sheeting off the airplane until I installed the pushrods for the
elevator and rudder.
I mounted the Vapor motor/gear drive onto the model
using some Depron foam. I glued the motor to the mount
with a little downthrust and right thrust. I also left off the top
sheeting on the nose section for the rst few test ights, so I
could easily make any adjustments to the motor’s thrustline.
I mounted the Vapor landing gear by gluing the gear to a
block of Depron foam then I glued this to the bulkhead in
the fuselage. I wanted to make the wing removable to access
the brick for maintenance or adjustments. I installed magnets
on the wing at the rear center section then created a small
light-plywood mount with magnets to glue into the fuselage.
I magnetically attached the mount to the wing rst, added
some slow curing CA, and then positioned the wing onto the
fuselage.
After the glue dried, I removed the wing and added a
wooden dowel to the front of it, which matched a hole in
the front wing mount. The 1/32-inch balsa wings are thin and
flexible. The model needs the wing struts for strength and
to set the correct wing
incidence.
After constructing the
wing struts, I glued them
to the wings at the outer
rib location. Then I used
some Blenderm tape to
attach them to the fuselage at the
correct location. You can adjust the
wing incidence by moving the strut
attachment point on the fuselage as
necessary.
The completed three-channel model
weighed 18.5 grams ready to fl y, with
a 120 mAh LiPo cell. The model fl ew
well on the fi rst test fl ight. Only minor
adjustments to the thrust settings were
necessary. The controls were sensitive,
but after selecting the dual rates, they
were perfect for my taste. The Rascal
is not capable of any aerobatics—just
simple, fun fl ying. It has a cool look in
the air. It’s a sight from the past!
F2G-1 Super Corsair
I found some photos online of the
beautiful Goodyear F2G-1 Super
Corsair with a stunning paint scheme,
and I had to build one. I thought that it
would be an easy conversion from my
original 1/72-scale F4U design, but I had
to redraw a new fuselage and all of the
graphics.
The model uses the two-channel
Plantraco receiver and has a 7-inch
wingspan. It is constructed from
Durobatics foam, and uses the GB05
motor with a 20 mAh LiPo cell. It
weighs only 3.6 grams ready to fl y, and
will fl y for 6 to 8 minutes on a fully
charged battery.
Edition: Model Aviation - 2012/07
Page Numbers: 81,82,83
Fortunately, for fans of micro
aircraft, the micro segment of our
hobby continues to grow at a fast
pace. We have so many wonderful
choices in RTF micro aircraft today—
from 3-D aerobatic models, to easy-tofly,
two-channel airplanes.
I enjoy flying all types. I like practicing
3-D to improve my flying skills, and
I also like to pilot my two-channel
airplanes that are slow and relaxing to
fly. I love to fly them just before dark,
when the wind is calm on a beautiful
summer day! It is a soothing experience.
I designed my Classroom Fighters for
Plantraco with this in mind, because I
wanted others to enjoy the experience.
A new two-channel RTF model called
the Nano-Micro Stick 75 recently was
released from Ares. Because I have
designed several different types of twochannel
models, I was excited to test the
model and see how it performed.
Ares Nano-Micro
Stick 75
The Nano-
Micro Stick 75 is
ready to fly and
the box includes
everything needed.
The two-channel
model is available
in green with
British markings,
or red with
German markings.
The attractive
model has a 12.4-
inch wingspan
and weighs 9
grams with the
supplied 30 mAh
1S 3.7-volt
LiPo cell. The
three-channel
2.4 GHz
transmitter
is a nice size and doubles as a battery
charger.
I have to compliment the
manufacturer; you can charge a spare
battery while flying! This nice feature
maximizes your flying time at the field.
To charge the cell, insert the battery into
the transmitter charge lead, making sure
the polarity is correct.
The battery and charge lead have
a small red circle to aid in alignment.
When connected, the transmitter
LED will glow solid yellow indicating
charging, and disappear when
completely charged. Turn on the
transmitter when you’re ready to fly, and
then connect the battery. The connector
also has a red circle to help prevent a
reverse-polarity connection.
The battery has a small magnet
that attaches to the battery support
and securely holds it in place. Test the
rudder for proper control and direction,
and lower the
throttle all the
way to arm
the ESC and ensure that the motor is
running smoothly. I was impressed after
powering up my model for the first
time; the geared motor-drive unit put
out some good power with the 30 mAh
LiPo cell.
Flying
I was patiently waiting for some calm
winds so I could test-fly the model,
and a nice day finally arrived. The
instruction manual recommends hand
launching the airplane for the first few
flights to become accustomed to its
flight characteristics, so I gave it a nice
toss into the light wind. The model
easily flew out of my hand and climbed
out with authority. I made some turns,
Figure Eights, climbs, and descents, using
the throttle to change altitude.
The wind had picked up and I climbed the Nano-Micro
Stick 75 to see what it could do. Surprisingly, I was able to
perform a round loop with the two-channel model. I gave it
full throttle and the model pitched up high into the wind. As
it went over the top, I reduced the throttle and it came around
the loop nicely and recovered. I also made some tight highspeed
turns.
The airplane makes nice takeoffs and landings from a hard
surface, requiring little ground to ROG. It is easy to y, and
should only take an experienced modeler a minute or two to
master. With a little guidance, a beginner could y the Nano-
Micro Stick 75 in a short amount of time.
My model ew great out of the box, with good slow-speed
characteristics. The instruction manual explains how to adjust
the wing position to move the CG for fast or slow ight.
Moving the wing backward will allow the aircraft to y faster
and handle a little wind when ying outside. Moving the wing
forward will allow the model to y slower, giving it a more
nose-high attitude. This is good for indoor ight in small areas.
The Ares Nano-Micro Stick 75 has a list price of $59.99 and
is available at HobbyTown USA stores nationwide.
Cindy’s Thoughts
“This model is really cute! I had no problems ying the
airplane. After a few ights, my husband ew his model against
mine, and we did some dog ghting in our front yard. You
can add a small streamer to the tail and try and cut off your
opponent’s streamer. I won’t tell you who won.”
JigTime Rascal 18
Fellow “Small-Field Flying” columnist, Paul Bradley, and his
brother, Ralph, have a wonderful website full of plans and
information about many different types of model aircraft. One
of his Web pages has a link to some great FF model designs
from the past, including the JigTime Rascal 18.
Top Flite produced the JigTime Rascal 18, along with several
other great all-balsa kits back in the 1950s and ’60s. I thought
it would be neat to build the model and convert it to micro
RC. Paul has graciously reproduced the airplane’s graphics so
they can be printed out onto balsa with an inkjet printer. He
explains the process of printing on balsa in a link on his site.
All you need is a printer that has a straight-through path.
My model was printed onto 1/32-inch balsa, and has a 17.5-
inch wingspan. Constructing the model was like a walk back
in time. I built several all-balsa, rubber band-powered FF
airplanes of this type when I was a boy.
The rst step was to cut out all of the parts using a #11
blade on my X-Acto knife. I then assembled the fuselage,
wings, and tail, using CA for most of the build. I wanted the
model to be as light as possible, so I used the ParkZone Vapor
brick, Vapor-geared motor-drive unit, and Vapor landing gear.
Finding the correct location and orientation of the RC gear
when converting FF models of this type can be challenging.
I had to vertically mount the brick because it was the only
way it would t into the narrow fuselage. I used a balsa block
as the mount, which I glued to the fuselage, and attached the
brick with some double-sided foam tape. I left the rear top
sheeting off the airplane until I installed the pushrods for the
elevator and rudder.
I mounted the Vapor motor/gear drive onto the model
using some Depron foam. I glued the motor to the mount
with a little downthrust and right thrust. I also left off the top
sheeting on the nose section for the rst few test ights, so I
could easily make any adjustments to the motor’s thrustline.
I mounted the Vapor landing gear by gluing the gear to a
block of Depron foam then I glued this to the bulkhead in
the fuselage. I wanted to make the wing removable to access
the brick for maintenance or adjustments. I installed magnets
on the wing at the rear center section then created a small
light-plywood mount with magnets to glue into the fuselage.
I magnetically attached the mount to the wing rst, added
some slow curing CA, and then positioned the wing onto the
fuselage.
After the glue dried, I removed the wing and added a
wooden dowel to the front of it, which matched a hole in
the front wing mount. The 1/32-inch balsa wings are thin and
flexible. The model needs the wing struts for strength and
to set the correct wing
incidence.
After constructing the
wing struts, I glued them
to the wings at the outer
rib location. Then I used
some Blenderm tape to
attach them to the fuselage at the
correct location. You can adjust the
wing incidence by moving the strut
attachment point on the fuselage as
necessary.
The completed three-channel model
weighed 18.5 grams ready to fl y, with
a 120 mAh LiPo cell. The model fl ew
well on the fi rst test fl ight. Only minor
adjustments to the thrust settings were
necessary. The controls were sensitive,
but after selecting the dual rates, they
were perfect for my taste. The Rascal
is not capable of any aerobatics—just
simple, fun fl ying. It has a cool look in
the air. It’s a sight from the past!
F2G-1 Super Corsair
I found some photos online of the
beautiful Goodyear F2G-1 Super
Corsair with a stunning paint scheme,
and I had to build one. I thought that it
would be an easy conversion from my
original 1/72-scale F4U design, but I had
to redraw a new fuselage and all of the
graphics.
The model uses the two-channel
Plantraco receiver and has a 7-inch
wingspan. It is constructed from
Durobatics foam, and uses the GB05
motor with a 20 mAh LiPo cell. It
weighs only 3.6 grams ready to fl y, and
will fl y for 6 to 8 minutes on a fully
charged battery.
