84 MODEL AVIATION
AS WE ENTER the flying season I thought it would be nice to look
at some new kits that have been introduced or are being readied for
the market. I would love to say I am on top of everything that is in
the works, but that is not the case. Based on what I am aware of, it
looks as though 2007 will be another good year for new kits and
related products for the small-field flier.
A few columns back I featured some products from Acme Aircraft
Company. You may remember the nice Beech D-18 kit. The force
behind Acme—Schuyler (Sky) Greenawalt—has recently introduced
a new addition to his growing line of laser-cut kits: a nice 33-inchspan
Beechcraft Bonanza V-35. Look at the photos to get your
cravings started.
With a flying weight in the 10- to 11-ounce range and a 175-
square-inch wing, the Bonanza is a perfect small-field model. Power
comes from a brushless Himax HC2212-1180 or the equivalent and
a three-cell Li-Poly battery pack.
The recommended
propeller is a threeblade
6 x 4, and the
control functions
include rudder,
elevator, ailerons,
and throttle. The
model reportedly
handles basic
aerobatics quite
nicely on the
suggested power
New kits from Acme Aircraft Company, Dumas Products, and Littlebirdz
Small-Field Flying Paul Bradley | [email protected]
Also included in this column:
• Small-field models based on
components from Spin Master
Aero Aces
• An easy-to-make instrument
panel
Acme Aircraft Company has introduced a nice kit for a 33-inch
V35 Bonanza. Photo by Ian Anderson.
Four-year-old Logan Wright is holding dad’s LoLo that is available
in kit form from Littlebirdz.
The author used Aero Ace components to create this 18-gram
North American B-25 backyard flyer.
Pat Tritle’s 42-inch de Havilland Rapide, soon to be released as a
Dumas kit, will draw attention at the field!
setup. See the source listing at the end for
contact information.
The photo of the Acme Bonanza came
from Ian Anderson. He does excellent
studio and action model photography. Ian is
located in the San Francisco Bay area and
can be reached at [email protected].
No edition of this column would be complete
without a peek at a new Pat Tritle design. As
usual he has been busy turning out new
models. Many of his designs end up as
Dumas kits, such as the one featured this
month.
The beautiful de Havilland Rapide model
sports a wingspan of 42 inches with a total
area of 300 square inches. It is intended for
two GWS IPS drives (3.5:1) turning 7 x 6
propellers with a two-cell, 1320 mAh Li-Poly
pack.
The total flying weight is only 13.7
ounces, so the Rapide is a real floater. That
makes it perfect for the small-field venue.
You don’t see the Rapide modeled as often as
other subjects, so it will surely turn heads at
your field.
If scale models are not what you enjoy, this
new kit offering may light your fire. Another
name you have seen in past columns is Tres
Wright. He designed those neat little pocket ducted-fan jets that are
now offered in kit form by David Dufrene of Littlebirdz. Tres’ latest
creation goes from the small, fast-moving jet layout to a much more
relaxed flier in the spirit of an old-time FF power model.
Shown in the photos is the LoLo held by Tres’ son Logan. The
name for the model comes from Logan’s nickname. While not based
on any past design, the LoLo has all the character and lines of an oldtimer.
The wingspan is 30 inches and the model’s flying weight is 6.8
ounces.
Power comes from a GWS S1 gear drive (4.14:1) driven by a twocell,
830 mAh Li-Poly battery pack. The overall equipment
complement is a GWS receiver and GWS Pico servos. That package is
right on the mark for a nice, relaxed small-field flier. Source
information is provided at the end of the column.
Inexpensive RTF RC models have come of age in the form of the
Spin Master Air Hogs Aero Ace series. For roughly the past year these
models have been available to the consumer through the toy retailers. It
would be hard not to have come across one, seen one flown, flown one
yourself, or heard some discussion of them.
April 2007 85
Another Aero Ace-based backyard flier by the author is a Beech D-18. Graphics were
applied to the balsa with an ink-jet printer.
This illustrates the author’s method for making simple but
convincing instrument panels.
Instrument panels in the author’s 44-inch Tritle Tiger Moth were
made with the method described in the text.
Costing $30 or less, it is no wonder why the Aero Ace models
have become so popular. For that price you get an electric-powered,
radio-controlled model airplane that is complete and ready to go
right out of the box.
Not only is the price remarkable, but they fly well. I can’t tell
you how many experienced modelers I have seen flying an Aero
Ace and grinning the whole time.
What is appealing is that they can be flown in compact spaces.
Back yards, small school gyms, and even large living rooms are
suitable for the Aero Ace models.
Made from foam and weighing 19-24 grams, the models aren’t
hurt when they bang into a solid object. I can’t begin to imagine how
many have been sold and have delivered a taste of the world of RC
model airplane flying to people who otherwise would not have such
a nice experience in their lives.
The key to the Aero Ace series’ success is a simple, no-hassle
control system. There are no moving surfaces with associated
mechanical complexity. The differential thrust of two motors
mounted in a pusher configuration provides yaw control. Pitch
control is handled with throttle—clean and simple.
The design of each series variant
incorporates positive angular difference
between the flying surfaces and relatively
low-aspect-ratio wings. That combination
allows the model to have good yaw control
through the differential thrust arrangement.
The only downside to this setup is that
the models fly in a nose-up attitude and tend
to be easily upset if there is much air
movement. It reminds me of flying a tailheavy
model.
I have to confess to succumbing to the
Aero Ace movement myself after watching
others enjoying them at our local indoor
flying venue. When I purchased mine I
found two basic configurations: one is a
little biplane and the other has a jetlike form
similar to the military F-22 Stealth fighter.
Based on what I had heard about each
variant, I purchased one of each. The jet
version is the heavier of the two and has
motors that are slightly longer for more
power. Both come with a Li-Poly flight
battery that is recharged from the included
27 MHz transmitter.
After flying mine a few times I decided I
had to be a modeler and do my own airframe
for the Aero Ace guts. As I mentioned, I was
not completely happy with the nose-up, tailheavy
feel of the stock Aero Ace models. I
have also had a long-standing desire to do a
micro twin.
These two forces of nature conspired to
send me to my workshop to see if I could
transplant the Aero Ace gear to a twin-motor
airframe that had flying characteristics more
in line with our traditional model airplanes.
The results were an Aero Ace Beech D-18
and a North American B-25.
I was not sure what to expect. I decided
to do the Beech at a wingspan of 14 inches
and the B-25 at 16 inches. That placed the
wing area near the value of each host Aero
Ace. I used balsa that had graphics applied
via my trusty ink-jet printer as the structural
material. Photos of the finished models are
included.
The only modification required to the
source components was to reverse the
propellers and switch them between motors.
The motors are counter-rotating so torque
reactions are minimal.
The flying weight of each model came in
at 18 grams. That was slightly less than the
original Aero Aces aircraft and proved to be
a problem. Surprisingly they were actually
too light. The throttle range of the Aero Ace
is limited and the lowest setting would still
produce a climb. Both Aero Ace transplants
fly great but require a constant left-hand turn
to control the climb. I need to make new
ones that are a bit larger so the added drag
and weight will allow easier altitude control.
One other factor I encountered with this
project was a much larger turning radius.
The higher-aspect-ratio wings placed more
wing area outboard of the motors. That,
combined with much less positive pitch,
reduced the effectiveness of the differential
thrust yaw control. The models still turn
fine, but not quite as tight as in the original
form.
I like the flying characteristics of the
morphed models better than the originals,
and they will still fly in my back yard.
Given the large number of Aero Aces in the
hands of experienced model airplane
builders, I would suspect that many others
have also played Dr. Frankenstein and
transplanted the equipment from the original
commercial product to their own creation. If
so, send in a few photos to share with us.
Since many are coming out of the main
building season this time of year, I’ll share
something with you that came about during
the completion of my Pat Tritle 44-inch
Tiger Moth. The Tiger Moth is a twin opencockpit
airplane. That means that in addition
to needing pilot figures, it also needs
instrument panels. You can’t look into the
open cockpit of a scale model and not see
some form of an instrument panel.
There are many ways of making
instrument panels. For a serious Scale
model, the process can be quite involved.
The Tritle Tiger Moth is a fun-scale model
and I did not want to commit the time to
serious instrument panels.
After thinking about the task for a while
I came up with a solution that I would like
to share with you. I’m sure it is not original,
but it worked well for my purposes and did
not require much time or effort.
As many of you probably know by now,
the Internet can be a fantastic resource for
the model airplane builder. It can supply a
wealth of aircraft-related photos, and I
decided to dip into that resource.
I quickly found a number of shots of
full-scale Tiger Moth instrument panels.
The only problem was that none was
directly face on, so they could not be scaled
to the model.
A light then went on and I decided to see
if I could locate photos of individual aircraft
instruments. Sure enough, they were
available via the Internet.
Using the photos of the real panels as a
guide, I drew a basic panel outline with
associated instrument openings for the
model. That step is common for any model
instrument-panel fabrication.
I placed a scaled copy of the individual
instrument photos in their respective
locations on the panel. The instrument
photos were not cropped to their exact
outlines, but only enough to allow them to
fit in the designated panel space. The basic
panel drawing was used to create a graphic
overlay similar to a “real” panel overlay for
a serious model instrument panel.
I placed the overlay on the panel outline
containing the instrument photos and had an
instrument panel for the Tiger Moth. I
printed the graphic on photo paper, cut it
out, and glued it in place.
When standing next to the model and
looking inside, you can’t tell immediately
that the instrument panels are simply printed
graphics. This process might be just the
ticket for one of your future projects that
needs a simple yet convincing instrument
panel.
Here we are once again at the end. As
always, don’t be bashful about sending in a
picture or two of your latest project. In
addition to the E-mail address in the
column header, you can reach me via
regular mail at 32238 Spinnaker Run,
Magnolia TX 77354. MA
Sources:
33-inch Beech Bonanza:
Acme Aircraft Company
[email protected]
www.acme-aircraft.com
LoLo:
Littlebirdz
203 Jonathans Way
Suffolk VA 23434
(757) 831-9053
[email protected]
www.littlebirdz.com
Edition: Model Aviation - 2007/04
Page Numbers: 84,85,86,88
Edition: Model Aviation - 2007/04
Page Numbers: 84,85,86,88
84 MODEL AVIATION
AS WE ENTER the flying season I thought it would be nice to look
at some new kits that have been introduced or are being readied for
the market. I would love to say I am on top of everything that is in
the works, but that is not the case. Based on what I am aware of, it
looks as though 2007 will be another good year for new kits and
related products for the small-field flier.
A few columns back I featured some products from Acme Aircraft
Company. You may remember the nice Beech D-18 kit. The force
behind Acme—Schuyler (Sky) Greenawalt—has recently introduced
a new addition to his growing line of laser-cut kits: a nice 33-inchspan
Beechcraft Bonanza V-35. Look at the photos to get your
cravings started.
With a flying weight in the 10- to 11-ounce range and a 175-
square-inch wing, the Bonanza is a perfect small-field model. Power
comes from a brushless Himax HC2212-1180 or the equivalent and
a three-cell Li-Poly battery pack.
The recommended
propeller is a threeblade
6 x 4, and the
control functions
include rudder,
elevator, ailerons,
and throttle. The
model reportedly
handles basic
aerobatics quite
nicely on the
suggested power
New kits from Acme Aircraft Company, Dumas Products, and Littlebirdz
Small-Field Flying Paul Bradley | [email protected]
Also included in this column:
• Small-field models based on
components from Spin Master
Aero Aces
• An easy-to-make instrument
panel
Acme Aircraft Company has introduced a nice kit for a 33-inch
V35 Bonanza. Photo by Ian Anderson.
Four-year-old Logan Wright is holding dad’s LoLo that is available
in kit form from Littlebirdz.
The author used Aero Ace components to create this 18-gram
North American B-25 backyard flyer.
Pat Tritle’s 42-inch de Havilland Rapide, soon to be released as a
Dumas kit, will draw attention at the field!
setup. See the source listing at the end for
contact information.
The photo of the Acme Bonanza came
from Ian Anderson. He does excellent
studio and action model photography. Ian is
located in the San Francisco Bay area and
can be reached at [email protected].
No edition of this column would be complete
without a peek at a new Pat Tritle design. As
usual he has been busy turning out new
models. Many of his designs end up as
Dumas kits, such as the one featured this
month.
The beautiful de Havilland Rapide model
sports a wingspan of 42 inches with a total
area of 300 square inches. It is intended for
two GWS IPS drives (3.5:1) turning 7 x 6
propellers with a two-cell, 1320 mAh Li-Poly
pack.
The total flying weight is only 13.7
ounces, so the Rapide is a real floater. That
makes it perfect for the small-field venue.
You don’t see the Rapide modeled as often as
other subjects, so it will surely turn heads at
your field.
If scale models are not what you enjoy, this
new kit offering may light your fire. Another
name you have seen in past columns is Tres
Wright. He designed those neat little pocket ducted-fan jets that are
now offered in kit form by David Dufrene of Littlebirdz. Tres’ latest
creation goes from the small, fast-moving jet layout to a much more
relaxed flier in the spirit of an old-time FF power model.
Shown in the photos is the LoLo held by Tres’ son Logan. The
name for the model comes from Logan’s nickname. While not based
on any past design, the LoLo has all the character and lines of an oldtimer.
The wingspan is 30 inches and the model’s flying weight is 6.8
ounces.
Power comes from a GWS S1 gear drive (4.14:1) driven by a twocell,
830 mAh Li-Poly battery pack. The overall equipment
complement is a GWS receiver and GWS Pico servos. That package is
right on the mark for a nice, relaxed small-field flier. Source
information is provided at the end of the column.
Inexpensive RTF RC models have come of age in the form of the
Spin Master Air Hogs Aero Ace series. For roughly the past year these
models have been available to the consumer through the toy retailers. It
would be hard not to have come across one, seen one flown, flown one
yourself, or heard some discussion of them.
April 2007 85
Another Aero Ace-based backyard flier by the author is a Beech D-18. Graphics were
applied to the balsa with an ink-jet printer.
This illustrates the author’s method for making simple but
convincing instrument panels.
Instrument panels in the author’s 44-inch Tritle Tiger Moth were
made with the method described in the text.
Costing $30 or less, it is no wonder why the Aero Ace models
have become so popular. For that price you get an electric-powered,
radio-controlled model airplane that is complete and ready to go
right out of the box.
Not only is the price remarkable, but they fly well. I can’t tell
you how many experienced modelers I have seen flying an Aero
Ace and grinning the whole time.
What is appealing is that they can be flown in compact spaces.
Back yards, small school gyms, and even large living rooms are
suitable for the Aero Ace models.
Made from foam and weighing 19-24 grams, the models aren’t
hurt when they bang into a solid object. I can’t begin to imagine how
many have been sold and have delivered a taste of the world of RC
model airplane flying to people who otherwise would not have such
a nice experience in their lives.
The key to the Aero Ace series’ success is a simple, no-hassle
control system. There are no moving surfaces with associated
mechanical complexity. The differential thrust of two motors
mounted in a pusher configuration provides yaw control. Pitch
control is handled with throttle—clean and simple.
The design of each series variant
incorporates positive angular difference
between the flying surfaces and relatively
low-aspect-ratio wings. That combination
allows the model to have good yaw control
through the differential thrust arrangement.
The only downside to this setup is that
the models fly in a nose-up attitude and tend
to be easily upset if there is much air
movement. It reminds me of flying a tailheavy
model.
I have to confess to succumbing to the
Aero Ace movement myself after watching
others enjoying them at our local indoor
flying venue. When I purchased mine I
found two basic configurations: one is a
little biplane and the other has a jetlike form
similar to the military F-22 Stealth fighter.
Based on what I had heard about each
variant, I purchased one of each. The jet
version is the heavier of the two and has
motors that are slightly longer for more
power. Both come with a Li-Poly flight
battery that is recharged from the included
27 MHz transmitter.
After flying mine a few times I decided I
had to be a modeler and do my own airframe
for the Aero Ace guts. As I mentioned, I was
not completely happy with the nose-up, tailheavy
feel of the stock Aero Ace models. I
have also had a long-standing desire to do a
micro twin.
These two forces of nature conspired to
send me to my workshop to see if I could
transplant the Aero Ace gear to a twin-motor
airframe that had flying characteristics more
in line with our traditional model airplanes.
The results were an Aero Ace Beech D-18
and a North American B-25.
I was not sure what to expect. I decided
to do the Beech at a wingspan of 14 inches
and the B-25 at 16 inches. That placed the
wing area near the value of each host Aero
Ace. I used balsa that had graphics applied
via my trusty ink-jet printer as the structural
material. Photos of the finished models are
included.
The only modification required to the
source components was to reverse the
propellers and switch them between motors.
The motors are counter-rotating so torque
reactions are minimal.
The flying weight of each model came in
at 18 grams. That was slightly less than the
original Aero Aces aircraft and proved to be
a problem. Surprisingly they were actually
too light. The throttle range of the Aero Ace
is limited and the lowest setting would still
produce a climb. Both Aero Ace transplants
fly great but require a constant left-hand turn
to control the climb. I need to make new
ones that are a bit larger so the added drag
and weight will allow easier altitude control.
One other factor I encountered with this
project was a much larger turning radius.
The higher-aspect-ratio wings placed more
wing area outboard of the motors. That,
combined with much less positive pitch,
reduced the effectiveness of the differential
thrust yaw control. The models still turn
fine, but not quite as tight as in the original
form.
I like the flying characteristics of the
morphed models better than the originals,
and they will still fly in my back yard.
Given the large number of Aero Aces in the
hands of experienced model airplane
builders, I would suspect that many others
have also played Dr. Frankenstein and
transplanted the equipment from the original
commercial product to their own creation. If
so, send in a few photos to share with us.
Since many are coming out of the main
building season this time of year, I’ll share
something with you that came about during
the completion of my Pat Tritle 44-inch
Tiger Moth. The Tiger Moth is a twin opencockpit
airplane. That means that in addition
to needing pilot figures, it also needs
instrument panels. You can’t look into the
open cockpit of a scale model and not see
some form of an instrument panel.
There are many ways of making
instrument panels. For a serious Scale
model, the process can be quite involved.
The Tritle Tiger Moth is a fun-scale model
and I did not want to commit the time to
serious instrument panels.
After thinking about the task for a while
I came up with a solution that I would like
to share with you. I’m sure it is not original,
but it worked well for my purposes and did
not require much time or effort.
As many of you probably know by now,
the Internet can be a fantastic resource for
the model airplane builder. It can supply a
wealth of aircraft-related photos, and I
decided to dip into that resource.
I quickly found a number of shots of
full-scale Tiger Moth instrument panels.
The only problem was that none was
directly face on, so they could not be scaled
to the model.
A light then went on and I decided to see
if I could locate photos of individual aircraft
instruments. Sure enough, they were
available via the Internet.
Using the photos of the real panels as a
guide, I drew a basic panel outline with
associated instrument openings for the
model. That step is common for any model
instrument-panel fabrication.
I placed a scaled copy of the individual
instrument photos in their respective
locations on the panel. The instrument
photos were not cropped to their exact
outlines, but only enough to allow them to
fit in the designated panel space. The basic
panel drawing was used to create a graphic
overlay similar to a “real” panel overlay for
a serious model instrument panel.
I placed the overlay on the panel outline
containing the instrument photos and had an
instrument panel for the Tiger Moth. I
printed the graphic on photo paper, cut it
out, and glued it in place.
When standing next to the model and
looking inside, you can’t tell immediately
that the instrument panels are simply printed
graphics. This process might be just the
ticket for one of your future projects that
needs a simple yet convincing instrument
panel.
Here we are once again at the end. As
always, don’t be bashful about sending in a
picture or two of your latest project. In
addition to the E-mail address in the
column header, you can reach me via
regular mail at 32238 Spinnaker Run,
Magnolia TX 77354. MA
Sources:
33-inch Beech Bonanza:
Acme Aircraft Company
[email protected]
www.acme-aircraft.com
LoLo:
Littlebirdz
203 Jonathans Way
Suffolk VA 23434
(757) 831-9053
[email protected]
www.littlebirdz.com
Edition: Model Aviation - 2007/04
Page Numbers: 84,85,86,88
84 MODEL AVIATION
AS WE ENTER the flying season I thought it would be nice to look
at some new kits that have been introduced or are being readied for
the market. I would love to say I am on top of everything that is in
the works, but that is not the case. Based on what I am aware of, it
looks as though 2007 will be another good year for new kits and
related products for the small-field flier.
A few columns back I featured some products from Acme Aircraft
Company. You may remember the nice Beech D-18 kit. The force
behind Acme—Schuyler (Sky) Greenawalt—has recently introduced
a new addition to his growing line of laser-cut kits: a nice 33-inchspan
Beechcraft Bonanza V-35. Look at the photos to get your
cravings started.
With a flying weight in the 10- to 11-ounce range and a 175-
square-inch wing, the Bonanza is a perfect small-field model. Power
comes from a brushless Himax HC2212-1180 or the equivalent and
a three-cell Li-Poly battery pack.
The recommended
propeller is a threeblade
6 x 4, and the
control functions
include rudder,
elevator, ailerons,
and throttle. The
model reportedly
handles basic
aerobatics quite
nicely on the
suggested power
New kits from Acme Aircraft Company, Dumas Products, and Littlebirdz
Small-Field Flying Paul Bradley | [email protected]
Also included in this column:
• Small-field models based on
components from Spin Master
Aero Aces
• An easy-to-make instrument
panel
Acme Aircraft Company has introduced a nice kit for a 33-inch
V35 Bonanza. Photo by Ian Anderson.
Four-year-old Logan Wright is holding dad’s LoLo that is available
in kit form from Littlebirdz.
The author used Aero Ace components to create this 18-gram
North American B-25 backyard flyer.
Pat Tritle’s 42-inch de Havilland Rapide, soon to be released as a
Dumas kit, will draw attention at the field!
setup. See the source listing at the end for
contact information.
The photo of the Acme Bonanza came
from Ian Anderson. He does excellent
studio and action model photography. Ian is
located in the San Francisco Bay area and
can be reached at [email protected].
No edition of this column would be complete
without a peek at a new Pat Tritle design. As
usual he has been busy turning out new
models. Many of his designs end up as
Dumas kits, such as the one featured this
month.
The beautiful de Havilland Rapide model
sports a wingspan of 42 inches with a total
area of 300 square inches. It is intended for
two GWS IPS drives (3.5:1) turning 7 x 6
propellers with a two-cell, 1320 mAh Li-Poly
pack.
The total flying weight is only 13.7
ounces, so the Rapide is a real floater. That
makes it perfect for the small-field venue.
You don’t see the Rapide modeled as often as
other subjects, so it will surely turn heads at
your field.
If scale models are not what you enjoy, this
new kit offering may light your fire. Another
name you have seen in past columns is Tres
Wright. He designed those neat little pocket ducted-fan jets that are
now offered in kit form by David Dufrene of Littlebirdz. Tres’ latest
creation goes from the small, fast-moving jet layout to a much more
relaxed flier in the spirit of an old-time FF power model.
Shown in the photos is the LoLo held by Tres’ son Logan. The
name for the model comes from Logan’s nickname. While not based
on any past design, the LoLo has all the character and lines of an oldtimer.
The wingspan is 30 inches and the model’s flying weight is 6.8
ounces.
Power comes from a GWS S1 gear drive (4.14:1) driven by a twocell,
830 mAh Li-Poly battery pack. The overall equipment
complement is a GWS receiver and GWS Pico servos. That package is
right on the mark for a nice, relaxed small-field flier. Source
information is provided at the end of the column.
Inexpensive RTF RC models have come of age in the form of the
Spin Master Air Hogs Aero Ace series. For roughly the past year these
models have been available to the consumer through the toy retailers. It
would be hard not to have come across one, seen one flown, flown one
yourself, or heard some discussion of them.
April 2007 85
Another Aero Ace-based backyard flier by the author is a Beech D-18. Graphics were
applied to the balsa with an ink-jet printer.
This illustrates the author’s method for making simple but
convincing instrument panels.
Instrument panels in the author’s 44-inch Tritle Tiger Moth were
made with the method described in the text.
Costing $30 or less, it is no wonder why the Aero Ace models
have become so popular. For that price you get an electric-powered,
radio-controlled model airplane that is complete and ready to go
right out of the box.
Not only is the price remarkable, but they fly well. I can’t tell
you how many experienced modelers I have seen flying an Aero
Ace and grinning the whole time.
What is appealing is that they can be flown in compact spaces.
Back yards, small school gyms, and even large living rooms are
suitable for the Aero Ace models.
Made from foam and weighing 19-24 grams, the models aren’t
hurt when they bang into a solid object. I can’t begin to imagine how
many have been sold and have delivered a taste of the world of RC
model airplane flying to people who otherwise would not have such
a nice experience in their lives.
The key to the Aero Ace series’ success is a simple, no-hassle
control system. There are no moving surfaces with associated
mechanical complexity. The differential thrust of two motors
mounted in a pusher configuration provides yaw control. Pitch
control is handled with throttle—clean and simple.
The design of each series variant
incorporates positive angular difference
between the flying surfaces and relatively
low-aspect-ratio wings. That combination
allows the model to have good yaw control
through the differential thrust arrangement.
The only downside to this setup is that
the models fly in a nose-up attitude and tend
to be easily upset if there is much air
movement. It reminds me of flying a tailheavy
model.
I have to confess to succumbing to the
Aero Ace movement myself after watching
others enjoying them at our local indoor
flying venue. When I purchased mine I
found two basic configurations: one is a
little biplane and the other has a jetlike form
similar to the military F-22 Stealth fighter.
Based on what I had heard about each
variant, I purchased one of each. The jet
version is the heavier of the two and has
motors that are slightly longer for more
power. Both come with a Li-Poly flight
battery that is recharged from the included
27 MHz transmitter.
After flying mine a few times I decided I
had to be a modeler and do my own airframe
for the Aero Ace guts. As I mentioned, I was
not completely happy with the nose-up, tailheavy
feel of the stock Aero Ace models. I
have also had a long-standing desire to do a
micro twin.
These two forces of nature conspired to
send me to my workshop to see if I could
transplant the Aero Ace gear to a twin-motor
airframe that had flying characteristics more
in line with our traditional model airplanes.
The results were an Aero Ace Beech D-18
and a North American B-25.
I was not sure what to expect. I decided
to do the Beech at a wingspan of 14 inches
and the B-25 at 16 inches. That placed the
wing area near the value of each host Aero
Ace. I used balsa that had graphics applied
via my trusty ink-jet printer as the structural
material. Photos of the finished models are
included.
The only modification required to the
source components was to reverse the
propellers and switch them between motors.
The motors are counter-rotating so torque
reactions are minimal.
The flying weight of each model came in
at 18 grams. That was slightly less than the
original Aero Aces aircraft and proved to be
a problem. Surprisingly they were actually
too light. The throttle range of the Aero Ace
is limited and the lowest setting would still
produce a climb. Both Aero Ace transplants
fly great but require a constant left-hand turn
to control the climb. I need to make new
ones that are a bit larger so the added drag
and weight will allow easier altitude control.
One other factor I encountered with this
project was a much larger turning radius.
The higher-aspect-ratio wings placed more
wing area outboard of the motors. That,
combined with much less positive pitch,
reduced the effectiveness of the differential
thrust yaw control. The models still turn
fine, but not quite as tight as in the original
form.
I like the flying characteristics of the
morphed models better than the originals,
and they will still fly in my back yard.
Given the large number of Aero Aces in the
hands of experienced model airplane
builders, I would suspect that many others
have also played Dr. Frankenstein and
transplanted the equipment from the original
commercial product to their own creation. If
so, send in a few photos to share with us.
Since many are coming out of the main
building season this time of year, I’ll share
something with you that came about during
the completion of my Pat Tritle 44-inch
Tiger Moth. The Tiger Moth is a twin opencockpit
airplane. That means that in addition
to needing pilot figures, it also needs
instrument panels. You can’t look into the
open cockpit of a scale model and not see
some form of an instrument panel.
There are many ways of making
instrument panels. For a serious Scale
model, the process can be quite involved.
The Tritle Tiger Moth is a fun-scale model
and I did not want to commit the time to
serious instrument panels.
After thinking about the task for a while
I came up with a solution that I would like
to share with you. I’m sure it is not original,
but it worked well for my purposes and did
not require much time or effort.
As many of you probably know by now,
the Internet can be a fantastic resource for
the model airplane builder. It can supply a
wealth of aircraft-related photos, and I
decided to dip into that resource.
I quickly found a number of shots of
full-scale Tiger Moth instrument panels.
The only problem was that none was
directly face on, so they could not be scaled
to the model.
A light then went on and I decided to see
if I could locate photos of individual aircraft
instruments. Sure enough, they were
available via the Internet.
Using the photos of the real panels as a
guide, I drew a basic panel outline with
associated instrument openings for the
model. That step is common for any model
instrument-panel fabrication.
I placed a scaled copy of the individual
instrument photos in their respective
locations on the panel. The instrument
photos were not cropped to their exact
outlines, but only enough to allow them to
fit in the designated panel space. The basic
panel drawing was used to create a graphic
overlay similar to a “real” panel overlay for
a serious model instrument panel.
I placed the overlay on the panel outline
containing the instrument photos and had an
instrument panel for the Tiger Moth. I
printed the graphic on photo paper, cut it
out, and glued it in place.
When standing next to the model and
looking inside, you can’t tell immediately
that the instrument panels are simply printed
graphics. This process might be just the
ticket for one of your future projects that
needs a simple yet convincing instrument
panel.
Here we are once again at the end. As
always, don’t be bashful about sending in a
picture or two of your latest project. In
addition to the E-mail address in the
column header, you can reach me via
regular mail at 32238 Spinnaker Run,
Magnolia TX 77354. MA
Sources:
33-inch Beech Bonanza:
Acme Aircraft Company
[email protected]
www.acme-aircraft.com
LoLo:
Littlebirdz
203 Jonathans Way
Suffolk VA 23434
(757) 831-9053
[email protected]
www.littlebirdz.com
Edition: Model Aviation - 2007/04
Page Numbers: 84,85,86,88
84 MODEL AVIATION
AS WE ENTER the flying season I thought it would be nice to look
at some new kits that have been introduced or are being readied for
the market. I would love to say I am on top of everything that is in
the works, but that is not the case. Based on what I am aware of, it
looks as though 2007 will be another good year for new kits and
related products for the small-field flier.
A few columns back I featured some products from Acme Aircraft
Company. You may remember the nice Beech D-18 kit. The force
behind Acme—Schuyler (Sky) Greenawalt—has recently introduced
a new addition to his growing line of laser-cut kits: a nice 33-inchspan
Beechcraft Bonanza V-35. Look at the photos to get your
cravings started.
With a flying weight in the 10- to 11-ounce range and a 175-
square-inch wing, the Bonanza is a perfect small-field model. Power
comes from a brushless Himax HC2212-1180 or the equivalent and
a three-cell Li-Poly battery pack.
The recommended
propeller is a threeblade
6 x 4, and the
control functions
include rudder,
elevator, ailerons,
and throttle. The
model reportedly
handles basic
aerobatics quite
nicely on the
suggested power
New kits from Acme Aircraft Company, Dumas Products, and Littlebirdz
Small-Field Flying Paul Bradley | [email protected]
Also included in this column:
• Small-field models based on
components from Spin Master
Aero Aces
• An easy-to-make instrument
panel
Acme Aircraft Company has introduced a nice kit for a 33-inch
V35 Bonanza. Photo by Ian Anderson.
Four-year-old Logan Wright is holding dad’s LoLo that is available
in kit form from Littlebirdz.
The author used Aero Ace components to create this 18-gram
North American B-25 backyard flyer.
Pat Tritle’s 42-inch de Havilland Rapide, soon to be released as a
Dumas kit, will draw attention at the field!
setup. See the source listing at the end for
contact information.
The photo of the Acme Bonanza came
from Ian Anderson. He does excellent
studio and action model photography. Ian is
located in the San Francisco Bay area and
can be reached at [email protected].
No edition of this column would be complete
without a peek at a new Pat Tritle design. As
usual he has been busy turning out new
models. Many of his designs end up as
Dumas kits, such as the one featured this
month.
The beautiful de Havilland Rapide model
sports a wingspan of 42 inches with a total
area of 300 square inches. It is intended for
two GWS IPS drives (3.5:1) turning 7 x 6
propellers with a two-cell, 1320 mAh Li-Poly
pack.
The total flying weight is only 13.7
ounces, so the Rapide is a real floater. That
makes it perfect for the small-field venue.
You don’t see the Rapide modeled as often as
other subjects, so it will surely turn heads at
your field.
If scale models are not what you enjoy, this
new kit offering may light your fire. Another
name you have seen in past columns is Tres
Wright. He designed those neat little pocket ducted-fan jets that are
now offered in kit form by David Dufrene of Littlebirdz. Tres’ latest
creation goes from the small, fast-moving jet layout to a much more
relaxed flier in the spirit of an old-time FF power model.
Shown in the photos is the LoLo held by Tres’ son Logan. The
name for the model comes from Logan’s nickname. While not based
on any past design, the LoLo has all the character and lines of an oldtimer.
The wingspan is 30 inches and the model’s flying weight is 6.8
ounces.
Power comes from a GWS S1 gear drive (4.14:1) driven by a twocell,
830 mAh Li-Poly battery pack. The overall equipment
complement is a GWS receiver and GWS Pico servos. That package is
right on the mark for a nice, relaxed small-field flier. Source
information is provided at the end of the column.
Inexpensive RTF RC models have come of age in the form of the
Spin Master Air Hogs Aero Ace series. For roughly the past year these
models have been available to the consumer through the toy retailers. It
would be hard not to have come across one, seen one flown, flown one
yourself, or heard some discussion of them.
April 2007 85
Another Aero Ace-based backyard flier by the author is a Beech D-18. Graphics were
applied to the balsa with an ink-jet printer.
This illustrates the author’s method for making simple but
convincing instrument panels.
Instrument panels in the author’s 44-inch Tritle Tiger Moth were
made with the method described in the text.
Costing $30 or less, it is no wonder why the Aero Ace models
have become so popular. For that price you get an electric-powered,
radio-controlled model airplane that is complete and ready to go
right out of the box.
Not only is the price remarkable, but they fly well. I can’t tell
you how many experienced modelers I have seen flying an Aero
Ace and grinning the whole time.
What is appealing is that they can be flown in compact spaces.
Back yards, small school gyms, and even large living rooms are
suitable for the Aero Ace models.
Made from foam and weighing 19-24 grams, the models aren’t
hurt when they bang into a solid object. I can’t begin to imagine how
many have been sold and have delivered a taste of the world of RC
model airplane flying to people who otherwise would not have such
a nice experience in their lives.
The key to the Aero Ace series’ success is a simple, no-hassle
control system. There are no moving surfaces with associated
mechanical complexity. The differential thrust of two motors
mounted in a pusher configuration provides yaw control. Pitch
control is handled with throttle—clean and simple.
The design of each series variant
incorporates positive angular difference
between the flying surfaces and relatively
low-aspect-ratio wings. That combination
allows the model to have good yaw control
through the differential thrust arrangement.
The only downside to this setup is that
the models fly in a nose-up attitude and tend
to be easily upset if there is much air
movement. It reminds me of flying a tailheavy
model.
I have to confess to succumbing to the
Aero Ace movement myself after watching
others enjoying them at our local indoor
flying venue. When I purchased mine I
found two basic configurations: one is a
little biplane and the other has a jetlike form
similar to the military F-22 Stealth fighter.
Based on what I had heard about each
variant, I purchased one of each. The jet
version is the heavier of the two and has
motors that are slightly longer for more
power. Both come with a Li-Poly flight
battery that is recharged from the included
27 MHz transmitter.
After flying mine a few times I decided I
had to be a modeler and do my own airframe
for the Aero Ace guts. As I mentioned, I was
not completely happy with the nose-up, tailheavy
feel of the stock Aero Ace models. I
have also had a long-standing desire to do a
micro twin.
These two forces of nature conspired to
send me to my workshop to see if I could
transplant the Aero Ace gear to a twin-motor
airframe that had flying characteristics more
in line with our traditional model airplanes.
The results were an Aero Ace Beech D-18
and a North American B-25.
I was not sure what to expect. I decided
to do the Beech at a wingspan of 14 inches
and the B-25 at 16 inches. That placed the
wing area near the value of each host Aero
Ace. I used balsa that had graphics applied
via my trusty ink-jet printer as the structural
material. Photos of the finished models are
included.
The only modification required to the
source components was to reverse the
propellers and switch them between motors.
The motors are counter-rotating so torque
reactions are minimal.
The flying weight of each model came in
at 18 grams. That was slightly less than the
original Aero Aces aircraft and proved to be
a problem. Surprisingly they were actually
too light. The throttle range of the Aero Ace
is limited and the lowest setting would still
produce a climb. Both Aero Ace transplants
fly great but require a constant left-hand turn
to control the climb. I need to make new
ones that are a bit larger so the added drag
and weight will allow easier altitude control.
One other factor I encountered with this
project was a much larger turning radius.
The higher-aspect-ratio wings placed more
wing area outboard of the motors. That,
combined with much less positive pitch,
reduced the effectiveness of the differential
thrust yaw control. The models still turn
fine, but not quite as tight as in the original
form.
I like the flying characteristics of the
morphed models better than the originals,
and they will still fly in my back yard.
Given the large number of Aero Aces in the
hands of experienced model airplane
builders, I would suspect that many others
have also played Dr. Frankenstein and
transplanted the equipment from the original
commercial product to their own creation. If
so, send in a few photos to share with us.
Since many are coming out of the main
building season this time of year, I’ll share
something with you that came about during
the completion of my Pat Tritle 44-inch
Tiger Moth. The Tiger Moth is a twin opencockpit
airplane. That means that in addition
to needing pilot figures, it also needs
instrument panels. You can’t look into the
open cockpit of a scale model and not see
some form of an instrument panel.
There are many ways of making
instrument panels. For a serious Scale
model, the process can be quite involved.
The Tritle Tiger Moth is a fun-scale model
and I did not want to commit the time to
serious instrument panels.
After thinking about the task for a while
I came up with a solution that I would like
to share with you. I’m sure it is not original,
but it worked well for my purposes and did
not require much time or effort.
As many of you probably know by now,
the Internet can be a fantastic resource for
the model airplane builder. It can supply a
wealth of aircraft-related photos, and I
decided to dip into that resource.
I quickly found a number of shots of
full-scale Tiger Moth instrument panels.
The only problem was that none was
directly face on, so they could not be scaled
to the model.
A light then went on and I decided to see
if I could locate photos of individual aircraft
instruments. Sure enough, they were
available via the Internet.
Using the photos of the real panels as a
guide, I drew a basic panel outline with
associated instrument openings for the
model. That step is common for any model
instrument-panel fabrication.
I placed a scaled copy of the individual
instrument photos in their respective
locations on the panel. The instrument
photos were not cropped to their exact
outlines, but only enough to allow them to
fit in the designated panel space. The basic
panel drawing was used to create a graphic
overlay similar to a “real” panel overlay for
a serious model instrument panel.
I placed the overlay on the panel outline
containing the instrument photos and had an
instrument panel for the Tiger Moth. I
printed the graphic on photo paper, cut it
out, and glued it in place.
When standing next to the model and
looking inside, you can’t tell immediately
that the instrument panels are simply printed
graphics. This process might be just the
ticket for one of your future projects that
needs a simple yet convincing instrument
panel.
Here we are once again at the end. As
always, don’t be bashful about sending in a
picture or two of your latest project. In
addition to the E-mail address in the
column header, you can reach me via
regular mail at 32238 Spinnaker Run,
Magnolia TX 77354. MA
Sources:
33-inch Beech Bonanza:
Acme Aircraft Company
[email protected]
www.acme-aircraft.com
LoLo:
Littlebirdz
203 Jonathans Way
Suffolk VA 23434
(757) 831-9053
[email protected]
www.littlebirdz.com