Worth a Closer Look
DA-50-R Engine
For years Desert Aircraft’s engines have been designed for 35%-and-larger models. Now the company has a new engine that should prove quite popular with pilots of smaller models.
The DA-50-R was shown for the first time at AMA Convention 2003 in Pasadena, California. This engine weighs a mere 3 pounds and develops upward of five horsepower.
The DA-50-R was designed using modern tools and techniques, including 3D CAD and stereolithography. The result is an engine that swings a 22 x 10, 23 x 10, or 24 x 8 propeller and is a perfect power plant for 14- to 18-pound models.
Accessories and pricing:
- DA-50-R engine: $549
- Muffler: $69
- Tuned canister muffler: $149
- Muffled tuned pipe: $195
Desert Aircraft 140 South Camino Seco, Suite #418, Tucson, AZ 85710-4487 Tel.: (520) 772-0607 Web site: www.desertaircraft.com
Transmitter Tray
Another new item at the AMA Convention was from RC Trayman USA. The Transmitter Tray is rugged, well built, and CNC (Computer Numerical Control)-machined from aluminum. It comes about 90% assembled out of the box and requires just a few minutes of assembly and adjustment. Weighing 1 1/4 pounds, the tray is quite light but incredibly strong.
Almost every facet of the tray is adjustable — from the angle of the shoulder brackets to the width and height of the tray. When you’re finished flying, remove your transmitter, loosen one screw, and the tray folds flat for easy storage.
Each tray is anodized in a rich red color, which not only makes it look great but also protects the finish from oxidation.
The Transmitter Tray sells for $110. Also available are several accessories:
- Extensions
- Mounting kits
- Hardware kits
RC Trayman USA 7021 Mary Ellen Ave., North Hollywood, CA 91605 Tel.: (818) 982-5518 Web site: www.rctraymanusa.com
Model Aircraft Monthly
If you’re an active scale modeler, a scale wanna-be, or a full-scale aircraft enthusiast, there is a new monthly magazine you might want to get your hands on. Model Aircraft Monthly is dedicated to providing hard-to-find details of full-scale aircraft.
Each edition is packed with coverage. Volume 1, Issue 11 (November 2002) covers:
- Albatros C.III
- Grumman F-4F
- Bugatti Type 100
- Australian F/A-18 Hornets
- de Havilland D.H.9, D.H.9A, and Hornet
- Fairey Gannet AEW.3
- Focke-Wulf Fw 190
There is also a center pull-out section providing three-views, profiles, and cross-sections of the Curtiss SB2C Helldiver. Everything you’ll need to accurately reproduce these models is shown in vivid color. The F-4F coverage alone comprises more than 20 full-color photos showing cockpit, fuselage, engine, landing gear, and folding wing details.
Each issue also covers the latest aviation-book releases and includes an Internet guide to the latest aviation and modeling sites.
Model Aircraft Monthly is published by Sam Publications in the United Kingdom and is available by subscription from its web site or from Barnes & Noble (www.bn.com).
Sam Publications Media House, 21 Kingsway, Bedford, UK, MK42 9BJ Tel.: +44 (0)8707 333 373 Fax: +44 (0)8707 333 744 E-mail: [email protected] Web site: www.sampublications.com
In each installment of “Worth a Closer Look” we bring you new and exciting products from our industry. These write-ups are not press releases but are minireviews written by the Model Aviation staff. In each instance the product or service is actually built, tested, flown, or used to give you a firsthand account of how it performs.
We have found some of these items on our own, but many have been brought to our attention from outside sources. If you have a product or service that you feel might be “worth a closer look,” contact Model Aviation Aeromodeling Editor Bob Hunt at (610) 614-1747, or send an E-mail to [email protected].
Voltmeter-Tachometer
It doesn't seem that long ago when radio-control flying was done more by gut feelings and intuition. With the rapid shrinking of electronics, we are in an age when every part of our hobby can be monitored.
i4C has introduced a small electronic device that serves a dual purpose: giving you in-flight monitoring and feedback before and during your model's flight.
The Voltmeter-Tachometer includes an LCD readout that can be inconspicuously mounted on your model.
- As a voltmeter, the display shows your receiver pack's voltage at rest and under load, making it easy to see if the pack is properly charged and safe to fly.
- The tachometer gives a readout of your engine's rpm and remembers the engine's top rpm during the flight, which can be recalled once the model has landed. The rpm is measured via a sensor system that requires a small magnet to be mounted in the backplate of the model's spinner.
The Voltmeter-Tachometer retails for $79.
i4C 6924 E. 92nd, Tulsa, OK 74133-5318 Tel.: (918) 492-9435 Web site: www.i4cproducts.com
Lost Squadron Apparel
Although it might not be T-shirt weather yet, it's not too early to start thinking about what you'll be wearing to the flying field and club meetings this year. Lost Squadron offers a wide variety of hats and T-shirts.
Shirts are available in many colors and feature aircraft such as:
- P-51 Mustang
- P-38 Lightning
- P-40 Warhawk
- B-17 Flying Fortress
- F2G Super Corsair
- A6M Zero
- T-33
- Spitfire
- F/A-18
All shirts are made from soft, sturdy, preshrunk 100% cotton. The designs are screen-printed with special inks that are soft, breathable, and long-lasting.
The Lost Squadron baseball caps feature P-38 or P-51 designs and are available in black, blue, and khaki. Both designs are embroidered front and back and have fasteners selected for comfort.
Pricing:
- Shirts: $16 to $48 (sizes from small children to adult XXL)
- Baseball caps: $20
Lost Squadron Box 670, Tougaloo, MS 39174-0670 Tel.: (888) 977-5678 Web site: www.lostsquadron.com
Lancair ES ARF
Great Planes' Almost Ready-to-Fly (ARF) version of the Lancair ES captures many attributes of the full-scale aircraft. In as little as 15–20 hours, this kit assembles into a realistic sport-scale airplane featuring attention-getting details such as upswept wingtips, tinted windows, and fuselage panel lines.
Features:
- Aluminum spar joins the horizontal stabilizers, which are easily removed and reattached for transport.
- Durable tricycle landing gear with supplied fairings matches the style of the full-scale Lancair ES.
- All three wheel pants are lightweight fiberglass and come prepainted to match the color scheme.
- Built-up, all-wood wing equipped with ailerons and flaps.
- Flaps allow the model to slow well for landings.
Specifications:
- Wingspan: 80 inches (International Miniature Aircraft Association-legal)
- Wing area: 690 sq in
- Weight: 8½–9 lb
- Wing loading: 28–30 oz/sq ft
Recommended power and radio:
- Engine: two-stroke .61–.75 or four-stroke .91
- Radio: five-channel with seven standard servos
Street price: approximately $299.99
Great Planes Model Distributors Box 9021, Champaign, IL 61826-9021 Tel.: (800) 682-8948 Web site: www.hobbico.com
Webra 1.45 Engine
Webra has been a leader in high-performance engines for Pattern and International Miniature Aerobatic Club competition. The new Webra 1.45 aircraft engine offers a superb thrust-to-weight ratio and incorporates an integral fuel pump that ensures fuel flow at any altitude.
For ultimate performance and control, Webra offers an optional electronic onboard mixture control (sold separately).
Pricing:
- Webra 1.45 engine: $399.99 (street price)
- Optional active mixture control: $82.99
Horizon Hobby Distributors 4105 Fieldstone Rd., Champaign, IL 61822 Tel.: (800) 338-4639 Web site: www.horizonhobby.com
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
