Worth a Closer Look - 2004/05

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, 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 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]
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 writeups
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].
GWS C-130
It seems as
though 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 on either
model as of this
writing, but all
information should
be available from
GWS’s US
distributor—Horizon Hobby—by the time you read this.
Horizon Hobby Distributors: 4105 Fieldstone Rd., Champaign
IL 61822; Tel.: (800) 338-4639; Web site: www.horizonhobby.com
Retractable Hobby Knife
You’ve probably heard about “building
a better mousetrap.” Thinking along
those lines might be the reason
why Edjer has 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 you
with 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]
This month’s installment will be a bit different. It will be devoted to some of the new items featured at the 2004 AMA Convention.
In this limited space we can’t show everything, but following are a few new products that caught our eyes.
Rare Bear ARF
Turning heads at
the Ace Hobby
Distributors booth
was this 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 fivechannel
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 site: www.acehobby.com
May 2004 15
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 site: 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 eyecatching
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.
Ace Hobby Distributors: 2055 Main St., Irvine CA 92614; Tel.:
(800) 322-7121; Web site: www.acehobby.com MA
Piper PA-18 Super Cub ARF
Dave Patrick Models’ latest offering is this true 1⁄4-scale Piper
PA-18 Super Cub. No corners were cut or figures were 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
precovered 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 the unique,
semisymmetrical design. When flying scalelike, it gives plenty of lift
but keeps the nose pitch-up to a minimum when dialing in the flaps.
When flying a more aerobatic routine, the design works surprisingly
well. You won’t need to hold much down-elevator in inverted
maneuvers to keep the Cub level!
Another place where this Super
Cub stands out is in the small
details. Wing struts with scale
fittings, a functional shockabsorbing
landing gear, and a
complete high-quality hardware
package are included.
To round out the Cub, there are
features such as 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 site:
www.davepatrickmodels.com