Worth a Closer Look
PA 40 R Ultra Lite
In the past couple years, many CL aerobatics (stunt) competitors have moved toward somewhat smaller airplane designs. A 40-size stunt model typically has 600–650 square inches of wing area. Most .40-size competition engines used lately are built in large cases, making them difficult to package efficiently in the smaller models.
Many competitors use a carbon-fiber tuned pipe to augment the engine's power and to contour the power application to suit their particular needs. A rear-exhaust engine is almost a must-have to do this packaging properly in a stunt model. Up to this point, few small-case, rear-exhaust competition engines with the required power and characteristics have been available.
The new PA (Precision Aero) 40 R Ultra Lite—designed and manufactured by Randy Smith and Henry Nelson—has been developed from the inside out specifically for stunt use. It joins a line of successful Aero Products CL aerobatics engines.
This engine features a mildly timed AAC (aluminum piston in a chrome-plated aluminum liner) piston and liner, dual high-speed ball bearings, and a true venturi. It has multiple configurations available for a header muffler, tuned-pipe setups, or a rear can muffler. Each engine is hand-assembled, blueprinted, and balanced. The weight, without header, is just more than 8 ounces.
This engine was designed and developed to cover a range of airplane sizes from the 550-square-inch Ares-type classic stunt models to 660-square-inch modern-design stunters. It is extremely tunable, allowing appropriate power to be realized for either end of this design spectrum.
The PA 40 R Ultra Lite is $309.95 plus shipping.
- Aero Products: 980 Winnbrook Dr., Dacula, GA 30019
- Tel.: (678) 407-9376
- Web site: www.aeroproduct.net
In each installment of "Worth a Closer Look" we bring you new and interesting products from our industry. These write-ups are not press releases but short reviews written by the Model Aviation staff. In each instance the product or service is actually built, tested, flown, or used 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].
4D
The TufFlight 4D design includes a conventional tail and requires no mixing or computer radio. The high-impact plastic fuselage and full-flying vertical and horizontal stabilators give outstanding control for all 3-D maneuvers.
Weighing only 4.5 pounds with a 720-square-inch wing, this model will perform with your favorite .46 two-stroke or .72 four-stroke engine. Using a 4-inch-pitch propeller, you can hover the 4D at one-third to one-half throttle, which leaves plenty of thrust for "emergencies."
Available in a standard or deluxe kit (which includes all necessary hardware), the 4D employs no balsa and is quick to assemble. A detailed 44-page instruction manual outlines every step with popular "check this box" ease of construction.
- TufFlight Models Inc.: 5376 Amalfi Dr., Clay, NY 13041
- Tel.: (315) 698-8103
- Web site: www.tufflight.com
OV-10 Bronco ARF
Developed from the original design by Rich Uravitch, this model has been thoroughly flight-tested to ensure a high degree of success for the first-time multiengine giant-scale RC flier.
The Bronco package comes complete with all required hardware including engine mounts, fuel tanks, wheels, spinners, and control linkages. All airframe components are expertly precovered with iron-on film, and the canopy framing and cowlings are painted to match the film. Engine cowlings and the fuselage end caps are fabricated from fiberglass and are also painted to match the film covering.
The kit includes a prewired, ready-to-install servo harness made specifically for this design. No additional servo extensions or "Y" harnesses are required. The model is provided with a rugged, fixed-gear arrangement, but provisions for fitting retracts are built in. Air-operated retract systems, which can be retrofitted to completed airframes, are available.
The Bronco spans 80 inches, has a wing area of 1,215 square inches, and weighs 15–17 pounds. Power comes from two .46–.61 two-stroke engines, and a five-channel radio is required.
The OV-10 Bronco ARF is $439.95 plus shipping.
- ScaleTech Products: 7715 Industrial St., West Melbourne, FL 32904
- Tel.: (321) 727-8227
- Web site: www.hobbyhangar.com
Worth a Closer Look - 2004/09
Harrier 3D .90 ARF
Covered with genuine UltraCote and built from top-quality balsa and plywood similar to that found in Hangar 9 airplanes, Seagull's new Harrier 3D can easily perform sequence and 3-D-style aerobatics.
Solid harriers without wing rocking are a breeze, but the model's effortless performance of blenders, rolling circles, and especially torque rolls allows pilots to develop their aerobatic skills.
The Harrier 3D spans 60.5 inches, has a 948.6-square-inch wing area, and weighs 7–8 pounds ready to fly. Power comes from a .61–1.00 two-stroke or a .91–1.10 four-stroke engine. A four-channel radio with six servos is recommended.
- Horizon Hobby Distributors: 4105 Fieldstone Rd., Champaign, IL 61822
- Tel.: (800) 338-4639
- Web site: www.horizonhobby.com
- Price: $174.99
Streamer Pumps
This series of 12-volt field pumps is designed to give years of reliable service. They feature high flow rates (33 ounces per minute), a rugged gear-pump design, and wide fuel compatibility.
Unlike other pumps, Sullivan's feature an ultrasonically welded pump head to eliminate gasket leaks. Their direct-drive design prevents coupling failures for long life. They are easy to operate using a single, reversible on-off-on switch for fueling and defueling.
Streamer pumps are available for glow fuel (yellow) and for diesel fuel and smoke fluid (red).
- Sullivan Products: 1 North Haven St., Baltimore, MD 21224
- Tel.: (410) 732-3500
- Web site: www.sullivanproducts.com
MicroLux Drill Press
This variable-speed, heavy-duty miniature drill press is an affordable, high-quality power tool perfect for small drilling projects where precision is crucial.
The digital depth finder offers high accuracy, and the constant-torque speed control lets you select speeds from 0 to 5,000 rpm for the material you're drilling. It includes a low-runout 1/4-inch chuck and retails for $199.95.
- Micro-Mark: 340 Snyder Ave., Berkeley Heights, NJ 07922
- Tel.: (800) 225-1066
- Web site: www.micromark.com
Little Toni ARF
A variation of the Cosmic Wind, the Little Toni Formula 1 pylon racer was famous for decades, reaching 201.8 mph at the 1970 Miami Races.
Great Planes' ARF is just as exciting as an everyday flier or a capable racer—tracking solidly, turning quickly, and slowing gently for smooth, easy landings. Inside the painted fiberglass fuselage, the radio compartment provides ample room for onboard gear.
The model assembles in as few as 12–15 hours, thanks to balsa-sheeted, built-up balsa/plywood wing halves and tail surfaces covered with MonoKote. A clear canopy, decals, and hardware are supplied. The fiberglass wheel pants slip over the axles and are secured with two screws; this is approximately five minutes' work, with no drilling or epoxy required. A painted fiberglass cowl, formed and painted aluminum landing gear, and a scale aluminum spinner are included.
The Little Toni is legal for International Miniature Aircraft Association flying, with a 63-inch wingspan. It weighs 7.25–8.25 pounds, has a 775-square-inch wing area, a 21.5–24.5 ounces-per-square-foot wing loading, and is 56.5 inches long.
It requires a two-stroke .61 or four-stroke .91 engine and uses a four-channel radio with five servos.
- Great Planes Model Distributors: Box 9021, Champaign, IL 61826
- Tel.: (800) 682-8948
- Web site: www.greatplanes.com
- Street price: $269.99
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
