Worth a Closer Look - 2004/04

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].
Extra-Long Ultrasonic Cleaner
Micro-Mark’s Extra-
Long Ultrasonic
Cleaner’s millions of
microscopic bubbles
expanding and
collapsing 46,000 times
per second create a
mechanical scrubbing
action that thoroughly
but gently removes dirt,
grease, and debris, even
in hard-to-reach areas
and hidden cavities.
The extra-large 12-
inch-long by 4-inchwide
by 6-inch-deep tank holds a half gallon
of cleaning solution and puts 80 watts of
tough, grime-busting power to work on
everything from Radio Control (RC) engines
and model-train components to airbrushes,
eyeglasses, and more.
The Ultrasonic Cleaner includes a 10.625-
inch-long by 3-inch-wide by 2-inch-deep
stainless-steel cleaning basket, a plastic
cover, and an automatic shutoff switch. It
sells for $279.95.
Micro-Mark: 340 Snyder Ave., Berkeley Heights NJ 07922;
Tel.: (800) 225-1066; Web site: www.micromark.com
Blue Block Rust Inhibitor
Specifically
formulated to protect
glow engines from rust
and corrosion,
Evolution’s Blue Block
after-run oil prevents
potentially harmful
deposits from forming.
Adding a few drops after
every flight can
significantly lengthen
engine life.
Blue Block has a
street price of $4.99 and
comes in a completely
filled applicator bottle
that is packaged with a
full refill bottle, giving
modelers the most afterrun
oil for their money.
Horizon Hobby
Distributors: 4105
Fieldstone Rd., Champaign IL 61822; Tel.: (800) 338-4639; Web
site: www.horizonhobby.com
Thin Lube
If you have retracts or other
pneumatically operated systems
on your model, Thin Lube for
O-rings would be a handy
flight-box item for you.
Pneumatically operated
retractable landing gear and
door systems can develop
problems, especially if they are
allowed to sit unused for long
periods of time or experience a
change in climate. Thin Lube can rejuvenate the piston O-ring-tocylinder-
wall seal.
Inject 1 or 2cc of Thin Lube into a problem cylinder and cycle
it multiple times. Use a short piece of 1⁄16-inch-inside-diameter
pneumatic tubing to connect the syringe to the brass nipple on the
cylinder.
Each package includes an ounce of Thin Lube, a syringe, and
six inches of 1⁄16-inch tubing. The package sells for $8.95.
Bob Violett Models, Inc.: 3481 SR 419, Winter Springs FL
32708; Tel.: (407) 327-6333; Fax: (407) 327-5020; Web site:
www.bvmjets.com
Nitro Rascal ARF
The Nitro Rascal is yet another addition to Sig Manufacturing’s
popular Rascal line of Almost Ready to Flys (ARFs). As is its
electric-powered cousin, the Nitro Rascal is hand-assembled from
balsa and plywood and then covered using Oracover polyester film
in a classic two-color trim scheme.
The Nitro Rascal is 90% prebuilt, so assembly time is minimal
with a detailed, illustrated manual to guide you from box to field.
All major hardware is in the box; add your favorite .061-size
engine, and you’re off to the field.
This model is small enough to fly almost anywhere, yet large
enough to provide great flights. Find a thermal and sit back for a
long, leisurely flight. Give it a bit more throttle, and the Rascal
ARF will loop, roll, and even do a good job with inverted flight.
The Nitro Rascal has a wingspan of 49 inches, a wing area of
324 square inches, and weighs 19-20 ounces. It requires a .061-
.074 glow engine and a three-channel radio with three
microservos.
Sig Manufacturing Company: Box 520, Montezuma IA 50171;
Tel.: (641) 623-5154; Web site: www.sigmfg.com
April 2004 15
Proxxon FKS/E Super Table Saw
Building
model airplanes
can be a stressrelieving
pastime—right
up to the point
where you need a
piece of
equipment you
don’t have. Then
you have to
improvise and
adapt to make do
with the tools
you do have. Sometimes that can be less than enjoyable and
even unsafe.
Cutting balsa, plywood, and hardwood parts for your latest
beauty can be much easier if you have the proper equipment.
Scroll saws and coping saws have their place in the shop, but for
serious cutting chores you will eventually need more serious
cutting devices. The
FKS/E Super Table Saw
is such a tool.
This saw is designed
with an electronically
controllable cutting speed
of 4,400 to 6,800 rpm. It
has an adjustable cutting
depth and a tilting saw
blade for bevel cuts of up
to 45°. The work surface
(11.6 x 9.45 inches) is
machined for extreme accuracy and is fitted with a longitudinal
guide bar and a miter guide. These guides are rigid when set in
position, which is extremely important to ensure accurate work.
There is also a handy
pull-out table extension
with a built-in support leg
that is designed to handle
wider work.
Proxxon is extremely
safety conscious, and the
provided, illustrated
instruction manual goes
into great detail about safe
assembly, setup, and
operation of the Super
Table Saw. The carbide-tipped cutting blade is fitted with a
robust safety guard, and the cutting depth is adjustable from .04
to .875 inch.
The manufacturer strongly recommends mounting the saw on
a board that can be clamped securely to your bench. A diagram
for making this board and mounting screws are provided.
The saw-blade shaft runs in precision ball bearings, and in
operation the Super Table Saw is extremely smooth and stable.
All normal model-building materials, including plastics, can be
easily and accurately cut, and there is a blade-speed guide to
help you select the proper cutting speed for each material.
Can you get by without a cutting tool of this quality and
capability? Sure, but why would you want to?
The FKS/E Super Table Saw sells for $349.80.
Proxxon: 2555 Tate Blvd. SE, Hickory NC 28603; Tel.: (828)
326-0326; Fax: (828) 326-0325; Web site: www.proxxon.com/us
RealFlight Add-Ons 5
With Add-Ons 5, you
can expand your
RealFlight G2 or G2
Lite Simulator’s
capabilities. This add-on
software gives you 11
new airplanes, two new
helicopters, and three
new flying fields.
Each model’s shape
is created with a higher
polygon count—a
refinement that helps Add-Ons 5 capture the accurate shape of any
object, from the most subtle curves to the most complicated
contours. Surface textures offer more 3-D “depth” and authenticity
because they’re taken from life.
Flying sites benefit from the higher resolution, and models such
as the Jayhawk and the MD500E feature crisp, down-to-the-rivets
detail of the finest still photography.
Take RC flying indoors in the cavernous Blimp
Hangar, out to the old ball game with the Baseball Diamond, or
back to your favorite flying field. Every site is fun with one pilot
and even more exciting with two or more!
Of all the Add-Ons 5 package’s new capabilities, the
V-22 Osprey is arguably the most interesting. Using your InterLink
controller, you can control the
tilt of the twin rotors, giving you
the ability to hover and
maneuver the aircraft in tight
spaces, just as the full-scale
Osprey does.
Add-Ons Volume 5 is only
compatible with RealFlight G2
and G2 Lite software. It is not
compatible with the RealFlight
Classic, Deluxe, or RealFlight
NexSTAR Edition. This add-on CD-ROM has a $29.99 street price.
Great Planes Model Distributors: Box 9021, Champaign IL
61826; Tel.: (800) 682-8948; Web site: www.realflight.com MA