Worth a Closer Look
Saito FA-220A Engine
When it comes to maximizing power, there is no substitute for cubic inches. The trick is to add those cubes without adding too many ounces of weight.
Using the same one-piece, hemispherical-head design that gives all Saitos their power-to-weight ratios, the new FA-220A packs a full 2.2 cu. in. of combustion into a case that is barely bigger than that of most .180s.
Whether you're looking to power a 27% International Miniature Aerobatic Club model or a Giant Scale Cub, no other single-cylinder, four-stroke engine comes close to giving you this much displacement with so little weight.
The FA-220A weighs 42 ounces (with muffler). The recommended range of propellers is 17 x 12–20 x 8. Using an 18 x 8 APC propeller, this engine turns at 9,200 rpm.
This power plant is also available in the Golden Knight edition with gloss-black finish and gold-plated valve guides and covers.
The FA-220A four-stroke retails for $499.99, and the FA-220A four-stroke Golden Knight retails for $524.99.
Horizon Hobby Distributors: 4105 Fieldstone Rd., Champaign IL 61822; Tel.: (800) 338-4639; Web site: www.saitoengines.com
PT-17 Military Stearman ARF
Boeing's PT-17 Stearman was the primary US Army and Navy trainer during World War II, and it has enjoyed a thriving second career as a crop duster and air-show favorite.
Great Planes' new 1/4-scale ARF makes an ideal first biplane and assembles in as few as 12–15 hours!
It features a low parts count and a great deal of preassembly, meaning that it can be finished quickly.
The built-up balsa-and-plywood airframe arrives covered in five colors of MonoKote film. Details such as rivet decals and an easy-to-install replica radial engine add impressive realism. The dual cockpits feature vacuum-formed windscreen with painted frames, and they come complete with a pair of painted scale pilot figures.
The PT-17 has two ailerons installed in the lower wing halves which are operated by dual aileron servos; this simplifies installation and boosts precision and authority.
This model spans 71.5 inches on the top and 69.0 inches on the bottom, has a total wing area of 1,466 square inches, and weighs 14–15 pounds ready to fly. It requires a two- or four-stroke .91–1.20 cu. in. engine and a four-channel radio with five servos. It has a street price of $379.99.
Great Planes Model Distributors: Box 9021, Champaign IL 61826; Tel.: (800) 682-8948; Web site: www.greatplanes.com/airplanes/gpma1349.html
Icepoint
This is a radio-controlled, glow-powered, ARF Pattern/3-D aircraft for intermediate to advanced modelers/fliers. It was created to cater to the fliers who want a cost-effective alternative to the more expensive artistic Freestyle-type designs.
Its construction is of the traditional laser-cut, built-up balsa-and-plywood techniques. Building time is reduced since the one-piece wing is premounted, joined, and fiberglassed. The stabilizer is an adjustable two-piece design.
The Icepoint hovers and performs 3-D well, but you have the best of both worlds because it flies FAI with the best of them. This model's outstanding feature is that it is extremely light and offers superior knife-edge performance with little (if any) knife-edge coupling required. A YS 140 engine provides excellent unlimited vertical performance.
All control surfaces feature double bevels for increased throws. The factory-applied covering is Oracover with vinyl graphics. The wheel pants, belly pan, and cowl are made from fiberglass and come prepainted.
The model spans 77.5 inches, has a 1,100-square-inch wing area, and weighs 9–10 pounds ready to fly. It can be ready to fly in 10–12 hours.
It requires a .120–1.70 two-stroke or equivalent four-stroke engine (as noted, the YS 140 is an excellent choice), a minimum of a four-channel radio (computer radio recommended), and four high-torque servos for the control surfaces (five if you want one for elevator). Higher-torque servos may be needed for a pull-pull system.
The Icepoint has a street price of $479.95.
Ultra-RC, LLC.: 250 Old Marlton Pike, Medford NJ 08055; Tel.: (609) 714-0040; Web site: www.ultra-rc.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=29
Watt's Up Power Analyzer
Until recently there was one popular digital meter on the hobby market to aid the electric-power enthusiast. Now there are several to choose from, including RC Electronics, Inc.'s new Watt's Up digital watt meter and power analyzer.
The Watt's Up comes in a small plastic case (in several colors) and is approximately 3 inches long, 1 3/4 inches wide, and 1 3/4 inches thick.
This device has two sets of leads (14-gauge wire) exiting each side of the case. No connectors are provided; that job is up to you. The cables are marked "SOURCE" on the left side for the battery and "LOAD" on the right side, which is connected to your ESC or directly to your motor. Those connections must be reversed when checking charge current going into a battery (as explained in the instructions).
Looking at the LCD screen (which is 2 1/8 inches long and 9/16-inch high) you will see four parameters displayed. At the upper left is current (in amps), at the upper right is voltage, and at the lower right is the power (in watts).
At the lower left is the "Data Queue," which consists of five different readings that appear in sequence. Each one is displayed for a two-second interval. The five parameters shown in this sequence are "Ah" (amp-hours), "Wh" (watt-hours), "Ap" (peak amps), "Vrn" (minimum volts), and "WP" (peak watts). These items are a new feature for our digital meters.
The Watt's Up measures 0–100 amps (current) with a resolution of 0.01 A, 0.0–60.0 volts with a resolution of 0.01 V, 0–6500W (power) with a resolution of 0.1 W, 0–65 Ah, and 0–6500 Wh.
If measuring voltage less than 4.0, you must plug an external power source ranging from 4.0 to 60.0 volts into a connector on the left side of the meter. An easy way to do this is to use a four-cell Ni-Cd or NiMH RC receiver battery pack. This auxiliary power source will then allow the meter to read down to 0.0 volts.
You can find a complete (actually expanded) version of the Watt's Up instruction manual on the RC Electronics Web site. It covers the latest iteration—Version 2—of the meter and can be easily downloaded.
Bernard Cawley wrote an excellent 12-page review of Watt's Up Version 1, and it is posted on RC Groups at www.rcgroups.com/links/index.php?id=4675.
The Watt's Up's current price is $59.95 plus shipping.
RC Electronics, Inc.: 2980 E. Capital Expy, #50-194, San Jose CA 95148; Tel.: (408) 705-1980; Web site: www.rc-cars-planes.com
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
