Worth a Closer Look
This month's installment will be a bit different. It is devoted to some of the new items featured at the 2004 AMA Convention. In this limited space we can't show everything, but the following are a few new products that caught our eyes.
GWS C-130
It seems the GWS design team never sleeps. The company has something new at every show, and the C-130 park flyer made its debut at Ontario. Although it's a preproduction model, it is close to what will be available.
The C-130 is 33.1 inches long, has a 44.1-inch wingspan, and weighs 14.1–17.6 ounces ready to fly. Power comes from four GWS EDP-50 systems.
Also on display was a new 747 prototype using four of the GWS fan systems. Pricing was not set as of this writing, but all information should be available from GWS's U.S. distributor—Horizon Hobby—by the time you read this.
- Horizon Hobby Distributors: 4105 Fieldstone Rd., Champaign, IL 61822; Tel: (800) 338-4639; Web: www.horizonhobby.com
Reproduction Hornet .049
The Hornet was a technical marvel in the 1940s. It was powerful, affordable, and built to last. In its day the Hornet set almost every record to be set. It featured a ball-bearing-supported crankshaft, a disc-type rotary valve, aluminum connecting rods, and ran at 14,000 rpm.
Woody Bartelt has made a reproduction of the Hornet—but in miniature. This new .049-sized engine captures the look and features of the original, right down to the ignition system and a miniature spark plug.
These Hornet reproductions are handmade, assembled by an expert, and checked carefully at the factory, giving you the most accurate reproduction possible.
A large selection of reproduction engines is available, including the Yellow Jacket .061, the Fox .059, the Dooling .06, the Super Atom .098, and more.
- Woody Bartelt: 3706 N. 33rd St., Galesburg, MI 49053; Tel/Fax: (616) 665-9693; E-mail: [email protected]
Rare Bear ARF
Turning heads at the Ace Hobby Distributors booth was a new ARF of the Rare Bear—a highly modified Grumman Bearcat, which is always a contender at the Reno pylon races.
This model comes complete with a fiberglass cowl and fuselage, a built-up wing and stabilizer covered with UltraCote, and an aluminum spinner. The wing is designed to accommodate retracts, but they are not included with the kit.
The Rare Bear spans 63 inches, is 55.5 inches in length, and weighs 8–9 pounds. Recommended power is a .60–.90 two-stroke or a 90–120 four-stroke. The recommended radio system is a five-channel with five servos.
No pricing was set as of this writing, but it should be available by the time you read this.
- Ace Hobby Distributors: 2055 Main St., Irvine, CA 92614; Tel: (800) 322-7121; Web: www.acehobby.com
Retractable Hobby Knife
You've probably heard about "building a better mousetrap." Thinking along those lines might be why Edjer developed a new twist on the traditional hobby knife.
When you're ready to use it, push down on the top button until the knife clicks into position, as you would to use a pen. Push the release button on the clip to retract the blade. This provides an easy way to carry a knife in a field box or pocket without endangering your fingers.
The retractable knife is $9. Replacement blades and knife sets are also available.
- Edjer Co.: Box 1775, Hemet, CA 92546; Tel: (909) 925-2344; E-mail: [email protected]
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 mini-reviews 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].
Piper PA-18 Super Cub ARF
Dave Patrick Models' latest offering is a true 1/4-scale Piper PA-18 Super Cub. No corners were cut or figures fudged; this model is exactly 1/4 scale. With a wingspan of 106 inches, it easily qualifies for any International Miniature Aircraft Association event.
The Super Cub comes assembled and recovered in Cub Yellow UltraCote, and a complete hardware package is included. The cowl, struts, and landing gear come prepainted in matching Cub Yellow.
The wing is a two-piece, plug-in design, which makes it easy to transport. The ailerons and flaps use offset, hidden hinges incorporated into each wing panel.
Among the things that make this Cub stand out is its unique semisymmetrical wing design. When flying scale-like, it gives plenty of lift but keeps nose pitch-up to a minimum when dialing in the flaps. When flying a more acrobatic routine, the design works surprisingly well. You won't need to hold much down-elevator in inverted maneuvers to keep the Cub level.
Other notable details include wing struts with scale fittings, a functional shock-absorbing landing gear, and a complete high-quality hardware package. Features also include hidden wing bolts to pull the wing panels snug to the fuselage, scale aluminum lift struts and fittings, scale enclosed flap horns, and a scale airfoil on the ailerons.
The PA-18 has a wing area of 1,600 square inches, a length of 72 inches, and it weighs 12–14 pounds (depending on the engine used). It requires a .90–1.50 glow engine or a 25cc gasoline power plant. A five-channel radio is recommended.
The Piper PA-18 ARF sells for $549.99.
- Dave Patrick Models: 1811 E. 400 North Rd., Milford, IL 60953; Tel: (815) 457-3128; Fax: (815) 457-2938; Web: www.davepatrickmodels.com
Futaba 7C Radios
Imagine seven channels and digital servo technology for virtually the same price as an intermediate-level airplane radio! Futaba's 7C series offers one more channel and much more versatility than a six-channel radio. It's nearly equal to the Futaba 9C system in sophistication but is much more affordable. It takes full advantage of digital servo technology.
The 7C signals the beginning of Futaba's move into total digital servo technology for its radios. This system comes equipped with the digital smoothness and metal-gear durability of the S3151 servo.
Toggle switches are positioned for access without the pilot having to take his or her thumbs off the sticks or eyes off the model. The switches are fully proportional and can be assigned to nearly any function.
Programming is easy with the new Dial-N-Key! It lets modelers find, select, and change functions with the ease of a computer mouse.
The Futaba 7C series has street prices ranging between $299.99 and $349.99, depending on the flight pack included with the transmitter.
- Great Planes Model Distributors: Box 9021, Champaign, IL 61826; Tel: (800) 682-8948; Web: www.futaba-rc.com
3D Spirit ARF
Ace Hobby's new Spirit is geared toward the 3-D pilot. It is easy to see that this ultralightweight ARF is completely built up. It comes covered in an eye-catching transparent yellow and transparent red scheme.
The 3D Spirit ARF has a wingspan of 53 inches, a length of 72.5 inches, and weighs 4–4.5 pounds. Recommended power is a .40–.46 two-stroke or a .54–.70 four-stroke. The recommended radio system is a four-channel with six servos.
No pricing was set as of this writing, but it should be released by the time you read this.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
