Author: Paul Bradley
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/02
Page Numbers: 102,103,104
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Small-Field Flying

Paul Bradley | [email protected]

The time to build a model airplane has never been better

THE DAYLIGHT HOURS are shorter, the outside temperatures are colder, and the wind is blowing. It must be building season, yeah!

For those of us who like to build, this time of year can be a lot of fun, even if we are not flying as much. I love building model airplanes, but I know that not everyone in the hobby shares that interest. I can certainly understand why.

The combination of compressed free time imposed by our current lifestyles and availability of good factory-built models puts building on a different plane (pun intended) than in past years of the model aviation hobby. That noted, at this point in the new year I would like to make a case for dabbling in the world of model airplane building.

We have some great resources to help us along the path of building our own models. For those who would like to experience assembling a balsa-based aircraft, one supplier that comes to mind is Mountain Models. The company recently introduced the Lucky Ace: a kit that I find especially appealing for small-field flying.

Mountain Models — Lucky Ace

The airplane's structure is designed with the first-time or low-time builder in mind. With a 40-inch wingspan and a flying weight of roughly 16 ounces, the Lucky Ace provides a nice reward to the builder in terms of excellent small-field aerobatic flying performance. See the source listing at the end of the column for Mountain Models' contact information.

Foam options — Steelhead Products

In addition to models based on balsa-wood structures, there are also some great resources for people who prefer to have their aircraft built with foam—especially the types of foam that are highly crash-damage resistant. A good resource for people who prefer foam is Steelhead Products. The company offers nice foam wing cores as well as full kits.

Steelhead Products has a nice foam kit that is perfect for new builders, new fliers, or someone wanting a platform for aerial photography. The Pushy Panther represents a good combination of easy-to-build features and relaxed flying. It has a 60-inch wingspan and a flying weight of roughly 25 ounces. Contact information for the company is provided in the source listing.

I could go on about the pleasures of building your own airplanes. If you currently don't build your aircraft and have even a slight interest in giving it a try, you will find some excellent resources that can take you to a successful and satisfying completed project.

Pat Tritle's new small-field designs

On the subject of building your own models, prolific designer and builder Pat Tritle continues to crank 'em out like a machine. He has two new offerings that are perfect for the small-field flier. Pat's recent designs have been in the larger range of the small-field spectrum. These airplanes are good for those of us who like one that is easier to handle during the building phase as well as easier to see while flying. The nice thing about Pat's larger aircraft is that they are lightweight and therefore still comfortable to fly in small-field venues.

Pat Tritle — Sprayer-inspired low-wing model

Please take a look at Pat's model inspired by an agricultural sprayer developed by a popular civil-aircraft manufacturer. The recurring design/image licensing issue prevents me from giving the aircraft company name.

Pat's nice low-wing model sports a 55-inch wingspan, yielding an area of 363 square inches. The flying weight is slightly more than 21 ounces, resulting in a wing loading of 8.5 ounces per square foot. That's fairly lightweight for a model of this size.

  • Motor: E-flite Park 450 (890 kV) outrunner brushless
  • Propeller: 11 x 7
  • Power: 2S (two-cell), 2170 mAh Li-Poly battery
  • Controls: ailerons, elevator, rudder, throttle, and flaps

Pat wrote a brief description of the sprayer model's flying qualities: "It turned out to be a really nice flier, and with the flaps down (20–45°) the model slows nicely. The big surprise is that the ailerons never get soft and require very little rudder input as there's practically no adverse yaw."

This model would be fun to fly at small-field venues. Pat is selling short kits of this design directly; see the source listing for contact information.

Pat Tritle — Gee Bee Model D (miniature)

Just when I'm starting to think Pat is spending all of his time on the larger airplanes, he comes along with a pleasing rendition of the Gee Bee Model D with a 32-inch wingspan. This is a nice addition to his vast collection of small-field designs.

  • Motor: 4900 kV Feigao brushless in a 4:1 GWS TPS gearbox
  • Propeller: GWS 8 x 6
  • Battery: 2S, 800 mAh Li-Poly
  • Flying weight: 8.6 ounces
  • Endurance: about 25 minutes on the 800 mAh pack

Pat: "In the air, the little Gee Bee is rock solid. It rolls into the turns very nicely and grooves through the turns effortlessly. Speedwise, the model is not what I would call fast, but looks scalelike in flight. In all, the honest and gentle flying qualities of the model were a very pleasant surprise."

This aircraft will be the subject of a construction article in Model Airplane News and kits will follow publication of the article. Pat will be designing other models of Golden Age racers in the same scale, offering opportunities for relaxed small-field pylon racing.

Boeing L-15 model — Bob Aberle and Aero Craft Ltd.

Something you don't see every day is a model of the Boeing L-15. This rather unusual observation aircraft was developed by Boeing in the late 1940s in the hope of gaining a military contract. Although that did not happen, Boeing did come up with a design that is almost perfect for the small-field scale modeler.

The L-15 was unusual in appearance and also featured flaperons. Many of us did not consider flaperons until modern-generation radios offered flaperon mixing. I don't know how many other full-scale airplanes use the ailerons for both roll control and flaps.

MA's Technical Editor Bob Aberle recognized the unique features of the Boeing L-15 and developed a nice model that is great for small-field flying, including indoor venues. The photo he provided shows off the airplane's unique look. It has a flying weight of 9.5 ounces with 150 square inches of wing area.

  • Motor: AXi 2204/54
  • Propeller: APC 7 x 4
  • Battery: 2S, 800 mAh Li-Poly

If you would like to duplicate Bob's neat Boeing L-15, a kit is coming from Aero Craft Ltd., the company that makes kits for Hobby Lobby. See the contact information at the end of the column.

Keystone Indoor Electric Fly (KIEF) and RC Micro World

While on the subject of models that work well indoors or outdoors, I would like to mention an event that took place in October 2008. This was the first of what should become a nice annual affair called the Keystone Indoor Electric Fly (KIEF).

Although it is called an indoor fly, it is held in a facility that may be larger than the outdoor small-field locations some of us use for flying. That facility is an inflated dome located in Muncy, Pennsylvania (approximately 8 miles from Williamsport, Pennsylvania).

Bob Aberle has written a great report on the event for the Internet-based publication RC Micro World. As a way of introducing people to this fine subscription-based publication, Bob's article is available to everyone. Reading the report requires Internet access. For anyone interested in the micro aspect of our hobby, I highly recommend subscribing to RC Micro World.

Micro brushless motors and Bob Selman's converter

I know that in the pages of MA, the world of micro RC flying is the realm of Joe Malinchak, but I want to mention an item that has caught my attention. The development of brushless motors for micromodels continues to drive size and weight lower. There is now a neat little outrunner that weighs a scant 0.6 gram.

When the motors get that small, you need extremely lightweight RC gear. Micro receivers that include a built-in motor speed control in a package weighing about a half gram have been available, but they were intended for small brushed motors. What about the emerging tiny brushless motors?

Bob Selman has developed a small converter that allows the tiny receivers intended for brushed motors to drive an external brushless speed control. This is a great development, since many micro-fliers have a good inventory of micro receivers for brushed motors. The converter also opens the door for using brushless motors with the new micro "brick" radio systems seen in RTF micro flyers.

Take a look at the photo Bob provided of his converted FF Thistle; you can barely see the converter—it is the speck between the receiver and the speed control. Nice work, Bob. His contact information follows this column.

I enjoy hearing from readers. My contact information is in the sources listing. MA

Sources

10201 Scarlet Oak Dr. Independence, KY 41051

Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.