Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/03
Page Numbers: 14,15

Worth a Closer Look
14 MODEL AVIATION
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].
de Havilland D.H.2
The D.H.2 was de Havilland’s second design for the British
Aircraft Manufacturing Company. The rear-facing pusher propeller
allowed for a forward-facing machine gun before the synchronized
gun was invented.
This Kavan foam Fun Scale Almost Ready-to-Fly D.H.2 kit
features parts constructed from lightweight, durable foam and
vacuum-formed plastic with lightweight balsa parts. Then it is
factory-painted as shown.
The D.H.2 is equipped with a scalelike pull-pull control
mechanism for rudder and elevator control. It also includes a Plug
& Fly Speed 400 electric motor, a propeller, scale decals, a
complete hardware package, and an illustrated assembly manual.
The model spans 33.8 inches, has a wing area of 380 square
inches, and weighs 19-20 ounces ready to fly. It requires a sevencell,
600 mAh Ni-Cd battery to power the included Speed 400
motor and a three-channel radio with two microservos. The retail
price is $185.99.
Sig Manufacturing Company: Box 520, Montezuma IA 50171;
Tel.: (641) 623-5154; Web site: www.sigmfg.com
Aluminum Propeller Adapters
Electric power
systems are
popular these days,
but what do you do
if you want to hop
yours up? You’ll
probably need a
propeller adapter
to mate your new,
more powerful
motor with a highperformance
propeller.
Maxx Products
has a new line of
CNC (Computer
Numeric Code)-
machined aluminum propeller adapters that fit a wide variety of
motors, including Speed 280, 370, 400, 480, 500, and 600;
Cobalt 05, 15, and 20; and even larger brushless motors with
gearboxes.
These adapters range in price from $4.50 to $8.
Maxx Products International: 815 Oakwood Rd. Unit D, Lake
Zurich IL 60047; Tel.: (847) 438-2233; Web site:
www.maxxprod.com
CA Release
If you have used
cyanoacrylate adhesives,
there have probably been
times when the
unexpected has happened;
maybe you glued your
fingers together or got
this adhesive in your
hinges when you were
installing them.
CA Release is an
interesting barrier cream
that is formulated to keep
cyanoacrylate and other
adhesives from sticking
things together that you
don’t want stuck. It also keeps you from getting stuck to yourself
or to your project if you apply it to your hand before you start
working.
The CA Release is available in 1-ounce bottles for $4.50.
Craft & Hobby Creations: 37751 Jerome Dr., Sterling Heights
MI 48312; Tel.: (586) 446-9357; Web site: www.wideopenwest.com/
~mmc9892
Mad Dog ARF
Get ready to blast
the skies with this
fast-building, funflying
model from
Kavan. The Mad Dog
comes out of the box
virtually assembled. It
is made from tough
Flexit foam (which
is similar to EPP
[expanded polypropylene]).
The one-piece fuselage, wing, and tail sections come out of the
box ready to go, which drastically reduces building time. The control
surfaces (rudder, elevator, and ailerons) are molded as an integral part
of the wing surface.
Each kit contains a complete hardware package, a decal sheet, and
an illustrated assembly manual designed to get you in the air fast.
The Mad Dog can be assembled as electric-powered,
nitromethane-powered, or a Slope Soarer by using the appropriate
power mount system (which is available separately).
It spans 36.2 inches, has a wing area of 332 square inches, and
requires a four-channel radio with three microservos. The Mad Dog’s
retail price is $215.99.
Sig Manufacturing Company: Box 520, Montezuma IA 50171;
Tel.: (641) 623-5154; Web site: www.sigmfg.com
March 2004 15
lift in a stall so that the
wing remains level and
you can stay in control.
SpeedBrakes Training
Flaps limit speed so your
model doesn’t move
faster than you can think
and react. You might appreciate them most while approaching
the runway for landing; they slow the model and increase
stability at the same time. (The SpeedBrakes are removable.)
The manual contains step-by-step instructions on how to
upgrade the NexSTAR Select into a four-channel airplane by
adding operational flaps or dual ailerons. Mounts are already
built into the wing, beneath the covering, for the additional
servos needed to control them.
The SnapGear system provides a strong landing gear, and you
can install it in seconds! You “snap” the extra-thick aluminum
gear into a nylon mount
already installed in the
fuselage. It locks into
place but can be removed
by simply pressing a
release pin.
Another trick that the
NexSTAR Select
incorporates is the Active
Flight Stabilization (AFS)
system, which consists of
special sensors mounted
on the bottom of the fuselage
that send information about the
model’s orientation to its radio
receiver. You still have priority
control of the NexSTAR
whenever you move the
transmitter sticks, but when you
don’t know what to do, release
the sticks—the AFS comes to
the rescue!
As if all of the preceding
weren’t enough, also included
is the RealFlight NexSTAR Edition RC Flight Simulator that lets
you practice flying even when you’re not at the airfield.
For complete details about the NexSTAR Select system,
including videos of many of the features, visit the Web site. The
complete system’s street price is $419.95.
Great Planes Model Distributors: Box 9021, Champaign IL
61826; Tel.: (800) 682-8948; Web site:
www.hobbiconexstar.com MA
NexSTAR Select
It seems as if everywhere you look
there are manufacturers with trainer designs.
Most follow a similar formula: 40-60 size, tricycle
gear, high wing, high-lift airfoil, and almost ready to fly
or ready to fly out of the box.
At first glance, the Hobbico NexSTAR Select may look
like yet another trainer, but it includes a few
new patent-pending tricks that Hobbico
claims will give you strong odds for success!
The NexSTAR Select comes fully
assembled, fully equipped, and is flight-ready
in approximately 20 minutes. The large 681⁄2-inch
wingspan makes the model easy to see and follow in
the sky.
Power is provided by a preinstalled O.S. .46 FXi
engine that comes with a needle-valve limiter that holds settings
within the optimal range, preventing accidental overadjustment.
The engine rides on an IsoSmooth engine mount which isolates
the airframe and onboard radio gear from vibration.
Control is via a preinstalled
four-channel Futaba SkySport
radio system which not only
includes a trainer port for
buddy-box use at the field but
includes standard radio
components that can be used in
more sophisticated models
when you’re ready to step up.
You might be thinking that
the NexSTAR Select sounds
like a few other models out
there, but read on.
Integrated into the
NexSTAR’s design is the
PivotFlex wing-mounting system. Many trainers’ wings are
attached with rubber bands so they can “pop off” in a crash and
avoid severe damage.
Some other wings
bolt on for speed and
simplicity. NexSTAR’s
unique PivotFlex
system has the
advantages of both.
The wing fastens
quickly and securely
with one nylon bolt.
A rubber retainer and
pivoting channel
absorb the minor jolts
of normal use. In
more serious mishaps, the wing can separate from the fuselage
and escape the full force of impact.
Trainer-airplane wings typically have flat-bottom airfoils.
It’s such standard practice that few manufacturers give it a
second thought, but Hobbico did and designed a new wing that
has a unique, researched shape that features two different
airfoils. The unique combination improves efficiency and lift for
greater stability at all speeds—especially at the slow speeds at
takeoff and landing.
If flying speeds slow so much that the main wing cannot
produce lift, an airplane “stalls,” rolling to one side and possibly
spinning out of control. These leading-edge “wing droops” are
another special NexSTAR safety net; they continue to provide
Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/03
Page Numbers: 14,15

Worth a Closer Look
14 MODEL AVIATION
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].
de Havilland D.H.2
The D.H.2 was de Havilland’s second design for the British
Aircraft Manufacturing Company. The rear-facing pusher propeller
allowed for a forward-facing machine gun before the synchronized
gun was invented.
This Kavan foam Fun Scale Almost Ready-to-Fly D.H.2 kit
features parts constructed from lightweight, durable foam and
vacuum-formed plastic with lightweight balsa parts. Then it is
factory-painted as shown.
The D.H.2 is equipped with a scalelike pull-pull control
mechanism for rudder and elevator control. It also includes a Plug
& Fly Speed 400 electric motor, a propeller, scale decals, a
complete hardware package, and an illustrated assembly manual.
The model spans 33.8 inches, has a wing area of 380 square
inches, and weighs 19-20 ounces ready to fly. It requires a sevencell,
600 mAh Ni-Cd battery to power the included Speed 400
motor and a three-channel radio with two microservos. The retail
price is $185.99.
Sig Manufacturing Company: Box 520, Montezuma IA 50171;
Tel.: (641) 623-5154; Web site: www.sigmfg.com
Aluminum Propeller Adapters
Electric power
systems are
popular these days,
but what do you do
if you want to hop
yours up? You’ll
probably need a
propeller adapter
to mate your new,
more powerful
motor with a highperformance
propeller.
Maxx Products
has a new line of
CNC (Computer
Numeric Code)-
machined aluminum propeller adapters that fit a wide variety of
motors, including Speed 280, 370, 400, 480, 500, and 600;
Cobalt 05, 15, and 20; and even larger brushless motors with
gearboxes.
These adapters range in price from $4.50 to $8.
Maxx Products International: 815 Oakwood Rd. Unit D, Lake
Zurich IL 60047; Tel.: (847) 438-2233; Web site:
www.maxxprod.com
CA Release
If you have used
cyanoacrylate adhesives,
there have probably been
times when the
unexpected has happened;
maybe you glued your
fingers together or got
this adhesive in your
hinges when you were
installing them.
CA Release is an
interesting barrier cream
that is formulated to keep
cyanoacrylate and other
adhesives from sticking
things together that you
don’t want stuck. It also keeps you from getting stuck to yourself
or to your project if you apply it to your hand before you start
working.
The CA Release is available in 1-ounce bottles for $4.50.
Craft & Hobby Creations: 37751 Jerome Dr., Sterling Heights
MI 48312; Tel.: (586) 446-9357; Web site: www.wideopenwest.com/
~mmc9892
Mad Dog ARF
Get ready to blast
the skies with this
fast-building, funflying
model from
Kavan. The Mad Dog
comes out of the box
virtually assembled. It
is made from tough
Flexit foam (which
is similar to EPP
[expanded polypropylene]).
The one-piece fuselage, wing, and tail sections come out of the
box ready to go, which drastically reduces building time. The control
surfaces (rudder, elevator, and ailerons) are molded as an integral part
of the wing surface.
Each kit contains a complete hardware package, a decal sheet, and
an illustrated assembly manual designed to get you in the air fast.
The Mad Dog can be assembled as electric-powered,
nitromethane-powered, or a Slope Soarer by using the appropriate
power mount system (which is available separately).
It spans 36.2 inches, has a wing area of 332 square inches, and
requires a four-channel radio with three microservos. The Mad Dog’s
retail price is $215.99.
Sig Manufacturing Company: Box 520, Montezuma IA 50171;
Tel.: (641) 623-5154; Web site: www.sigmfg.com
March 2004 15
lift in a stall so that the
wing remains level and
you can stay in control.
SpeedBrakes Training
Flaps limit speed so your
model doesn’t move
faster than you can think
and react. You might appreciate them most while approaching
the runway for landing; they slow the model and increase
stability at the same time. (The SpeedBrakes are removable.)
The manual contains step-by-step instructions on how to
upgrade the NexSTAR Select into a four-channel airplane by
adding operational flaps or dual ailerons. Mounts are already
built into the wing, beneath the covering, for the additional
servos needed to control them.
The SnapGear system provides a strong landing gear, and you
can install it in seconds! You “snap” the extra-thick aluminum
gear into a nylon mount
already installed in the
fuselage. It locks into
place but can be removed
by simply pressing a
release pin.
Another trick that the
NexSTAR Select
incorporates is the Active
Flight Stabilization (AFS)
system, which consists of
special sensors mounted
on the bottom of the fuselage
that send information about the
model’s orientation to its radio
receiver. You still have priority
control of the NexSTAR
whenever you move the
transmitter sticks, but when you
don’t know what to do, release
the sticks—the AFS comes to
the rescue!
As if all of the preceding
weren’t enough, also included
is the RealFlight NexSTAR Edition RC Flight Simulator that lets
you practice flying even when you’re not at the airfield.
For complete details about the NexSTAR Select system,
including videos of many of the features, visit the Web site. The
complete system’s street price is $419.95.
Great Planes Model Distributors: Box 9021, Champaign IL
61826; Tel.: (800) 682-8948; Web site:
www.hobbiconexstar.com MA
NexSTAR Select
It seems as if everywhere you look
there are manufacturers with trainer designs.
Most follow a similar formula: 40-60 size, tricycle
gear, high wing, high-lift airfoil, and almost ready to fly
or ready to fly out of the box.
At first glance, the Hobbico NexSTAR Select may look
like yet another trainer, but it includes a few
new patent-pending tricks that Hobbico
claims will give you strong odds for success!
The NexSTAR Select comes fully
assembled, fully equipped, and is flight-ready
in approximately 20 minutes. The large 681⁄2-inch
wingspan makes the model easy to see and follow in
the sky.
Power is provided by a preinstalled O.S. .46 FXi
engine that comes with a needle-valve limiter that holds settings
within the optimal range, preventing accidental overadjustment.
The engine rides on an IsoSmooth engine mount which isolates
the airframe and onboard radio gear from vibration.
Control is via a preinstalled
four-channel Futaba SkySport
radio system which not only
includes a trainer port for
buddy-box use at the field but
includes standard radio
components that can be used in
more sophisticated models
when you’re ready to step up.
You might be thinking that
the NexSTAR Select sounds
like a few other models out
there, but read on.
Integrated into the
NexSTAR’s design is the
PivotFlex wing-mounting system. Many trainers’ wings are
attached with rubber bands so they can “pop off” in a crash and
avoid severe damage.
Some other wings
bolt on for speed and
simplicity. NexSTAR’s
unique PivotFlex
system has the
advantages of both.
The wing fastens
quickly and securely
with one nylon bolt.
A rubber retainer and
pivoting channel
absorb the minor jolts
of normal use. In
more serious mishaps, the wing can separate from the fuselage
and escape the full force of impact.
Trainer-airplane wings typically have flat-bottom airfoils.
It’s such standard practice that few manufacturers give it a
second thought, but Hobbico did and designed a new wing that
has a unique, researched shape that features two different
airfoils. The unique combination improves efficiency and lift for
greater stability at all speeds—especially at the slow speeds at
takeoff and landing.
If flying speeds slow so much that the main wing cannot
produce lift, an airplane “stalls,” rolling to one side and possibly
spinning out of control. These leading-edge “wing droops” are
another special NexSTAR safety net; they continue to provide