Worth a Closer Look - 2003/12

Worth a Closer Look
14 MODEL AVIATION
Iwata Spray Guns
There are more ways than
ever to apply a finish to a
model airplane. Iron-on finishes
are fast, simple, and look great,
but there is something extra
special about a painted model.
As with applying film
finishes, the secrets to an
outstanding job are good
materials, good technique,
and great application equipment.
We recently acquired a set of three
Iwata spray devices from Iwata-Medea,
Inc., and we couldn’t wait to give them a
try on a new model. Iwata is world famous for
its line of precision airbrushes, high-volume,
low-pressure (HVLP) spray guns, and lowvolume,
low-pressure (LVLP) spray
guns.
Most modeling spray guns
of the past have operated on
fairly high pressure to mix and
spray the fluid onto the model. A
good job can be achieved using
such equipment, but it takes a
special touch to prevent overspray
problems on adjacent areas to the
ones you are painting.
The low-pressure Iwata guns require you
to use a bit more thinner than with other types, but the payoff is a
much smoother finish with little or no overspray problems.
High-pressure guns tend to put too much material on the
surface being painted,
and for us that means a
higher amount of finish
weight. The Iwata
HVLP and LVLP guns
shoot on a thin and
opaque coat, yielding
less weight and a more
flexible paint film.
We used the Iwata
LVLP LPH-100 gun
with a 1.4-millimeter
tip to apply our dopebased
filler coat, then
we switched to the much smaller and lighter Iwata HVLP LPH-50
miniature spray gun for the base color coats and the large trimcolor
areas. Both guns feature adjustable position gravity feed
cups. We applied the smaller areas of color trim with the Iwata
Revolution BCR airbrush.
The two larger spray guns feature three knobs that allow
extremely precise adjustment of the material, pattern, and pressure.
We were able to quickly determine exactly what adjustments were
needed to suit the areas being painted, and we found a comfort
level with the guns almost right away.
Included with each gun is a comprehensive, illustrated
instruction sheet containing an exploded view of the gun,
operating instructions, and tips on achieving a great job. It also
includes a troubleshooting section that helps you quickly identify
and fix any normal problem. A complete section on maintenance
and cleaning is provided.
We painted two models using the Iwata guns and Revolution
Wright Flyer ARF
On December 17, 1903, Orville
and Wilbur Wright achieved the first
sustained, manned flight of a
powered, heavier-than-air craft.
Based on the Wrights’ famous
airplane, Great Planes has released a
park flyer-size model which can be
ready for takeoff in less than two
hours.
The kit comes with two 250-size
motors, gear drives, electronic speed
control, a seven-cell 300 mAh NiMH
battery pack, and two propellers.
Kit components consist of a
lightweight plastic framework, foam
wings, and stiff, shock-absorbing
carbon-fiber primary fuselage struts. Most parts snap into place
and are secured with easy-to-use strut caps. Injection-molded wing
struts hold the wing in the correct shape, which helps you speed
through the assembly process.
Aileron servos are installed facing down, which positions the
linkages on the underside of the model—and preserves its realistic
looks.
The Wright Flyer park flyer has a 31.375-inch wingspan,
weighs 11.6 ounces ready to fly, and has a street price of $89.99. It
requires a three-channel radio with a microreceiver and two
microservos.
Great Planes Model Distributors: Box 9021, Champaign IL
61826; Tel.: (800) 682-8948; Web site: www.greatplanes.com
airbrush, and we are proud of the results. We are very pleased with
our new and professional spray equipment.
As with any type of spray painting, please be sure to wear at
least a charcoal filter mask, and always spray in a well-ventilated
area.
Iwata-Medea, Inc.: Box 14397, Portland OR 97293; Tel.: (503)
253-7308; Fax: (503) 253-0721; E-mail: [email protected];
Web site: www.medea-artool.com
In each installment of “Worth a Closer Look” we do our best to
bring you new and exciting products from our industry. These
write-ups are not press releases, but are actually minireviews
written by the Model Aviation staff. In each instance the product or
service is actually built, tested, flown, used, etc. 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].
December 2003 15
It flew fast and smooth with the recommended throws. Rolls
were axial and smooth, and big loops required a little dive to
gain speed before entry. The airplane had a jet look and feel,
and it seemed happy with large, smooth maneuvers. The control
throws can be set up for more movement, making rolls faster
than the eye can follow, but some of this airplane’s elegance is
lost in the process.
Landing approaches were flat and fast. Power was cut over
the end of the flying field, and as the ground approached,
elevator was gradually increased until full up was held just at
touchdown.
This is a great little airplane and an excellent value. It has
excellent flying qualities at high and medium speeds and will
delight the builder and pilot. It is not a slow flyer and is not for
the beginner. It requires an experienced pilot who is
comfortable with high-speed flight and aileron control. It also
requires quite an arm if you want to hand launch.
The Micro-Jet spans 26 inches, is 23.6 inches long, and has a
wing area of 201 square inches. It weighs 15.9 ounces and sells
for $54.99.
Multiplex USA, Inc.: 12115 Paine St., Poway CA 92064;
Tel.: (858) 748-6948; Web site: www.multiplexusa.com MA
Micro-Jet
The Multiplex Micro-Jet is an allmolded-
foam, double-delta-wing airplane
that looks like it is going Mach 1 when
it’s sitting on the ground. This is
accomplished with a small parts count.
There is nothing inside the model but
space for a receiver, Electronic Speed
Control (ESC), and flight battery, which is
all you have to add to make the model
flyable.
There are five foam parts: the wing,
two vertical tails, the canopy, and the
battery cover. The ailerons and hinges are
molded with the wing and work very well.
For convenience we recommend that
you disassemble the instruction manual
(which is in several languages) so that
instructions are next to the numbered
illustrations that go with them.
There are limited instructions, but very
few things need to be done to assemble the
model. If you read through and understand the instructions before
you start building, the Micro-Jet can easily be assembled in one
evening.
We used a Futaba FP-R148DF receiver, a Great Planes 10-amp
ESC, two Hitec HS-55 servos, and an eight-cell 500 mAh Ni-Cd
battery. The instructions call for a seven-cell 500 mAh Ni-Cd pack
with a flying weight of 450 grams, but our eight-cell Ni-Cd added
only 10 grams to the finished weight.
Research on the Internet indicated that the airplane was
difficult to hand launch, and we agree. Since the foam feels
slippery, we added some sandpaper in the built-in grips to help
with a steady hand launch. We also added a finger notch in a
comfortable position to help throw the airplane.
The first attempts at a hand launch gave nothing more than a
nice, fast, powered landing approximately 30 feet away. To help,
we turned to a bungee-launch setup of roughly 20 feet of
approximately 3⁄16-inch surgical tubing.
After cutting and installing a plywood launch hook, we pointed
the Micro-Jet into the wind (which was blowing roughly 6 mph)
and positioned it flat on the grass with 15-18 pounds of pull on the
bungee. The ESC was armed and the airplane was released.
The takeoff was almost perfect. At approximately four feet of
altitude, with sufficient flying speed, the motor was turned on and
the airplane was off to a great flight. The Micro-Jet was almost in
perfect trim.