Worth a Closer Look
RC Engine Sound Kits
It's ironic that now we have exceptional electric-powered aircraft that are so silent, we want to add sound to them. If you want to hear a scale-sounding airplane rather than the whisper of a motor, Ram has three engine sound kits available.
Each kit consists of a circuit board and a 3-inch speaker and produces an acoustically recorded digital sound of a Merlin engine, a radial engine, or a typical lightplane engine. The system comes complete with a power switch, a servo-actuated control switch, and a speaker amplification box. Power input is 9 to 18 volts.
- Street price: $39.95
- Ram: 229 E. Rollins Rd., Round Lake Beach, IL 60073
- Tel.: (847) 740-8726
- Web site: www.ramrcandramtrack.com
Tensor 4D ARF
E-flite's new Tensor 4D ARF is an exciting foamy that won the first Electric Tournament of Champions last year. That contest's winner and Unlimited Aerobatics ace George Hicks is responsible for the model's revolutionary design.
Keys to the Tensor are its side-force generators, vertically oriented wing surfaces that generate lift in knife-edge flight, and low angles of sideslip to excel at slow knife-edge maneuvers. Extensive carbon-fiber wing and tail supports stabilize the structure, making it extraordinarily strong yet extremely lightweight.
- Wingspan: 27 inches
- Wing area: 393 sq in
- Ready-to-fly weight: 9.5 oz
- Recommended power: 370 outrunner brushless motor
- Radio: Four-channel radio with three submicro servos required
- Street price: $54.99
Horizon Hobby Distributors: 4105 Fieldstone Rd., Champaign, IL 61822 Tel.: (800) 338-4639 Web site: www.horizonhobby.com
Corby Starlet 70 ARF
The Corby Starlet is a scale model of the first post-war Australian-designed single-seater to fly. This ARF is a semiaerobatic sport airplane with all-wood construction. The fuselage uses spruce longerons and frames, sheeted with plywood. The wing is a single-piece structure with a solid laminated spar and built-up ribs; the remainder of the wing, including the ailerons, is open structure and covered with fabric.
Every attempt has been made to keep the model as scale as possible; only minor changes were made to enhance flying characteristics. The prototype model was flown with a Magnum XL-70RFS engine, which is a good match for this airplane.
- Span: 60.75 inches
- Wing area: 730 sq in
- Ready-to-fly weight: 6.5–7.5 lb
- Street price: $199.99
Global Hobby Distributors: 18480 Bandelier Cir., Fountain Valley, CA 92708 Tel.: (714) 963-0133 Web site: www.globalhobby.com
Gold Edition Piper Arrow II
The Piper Arrow II is as popular today as when it first came off the assembly line more than 30 years ago, a testament to its versatility and stable flight characteristics. Top Flite pays homage to this general-aviation staple with a Sport Scale kit that looks and flies identical to the full-scale Arrow. As with all Gold Edition models, this is an enjoyable assembly project with impressive dimensions that make it International Miniature Aircraft Association (IMAA)-legal.
All parts are CAD-designed to fit precisely. The wings, fuselage, and tail are fully sheeted balsa. Instead of strips or separate elevators, the Piper Arrow uses a ball-bearing pivot mechanism that moves the entire stabilizer up and down. A fixed landing gear is included, with instructions for optional retracts. A generous hardware package is provided.
- Span: 81 inches
- Wing area: 1,089 sq in
- Ready-to-fly weight: 12–14 lb
- Recommended power: two-stroke .60–.91 or four-stroke .91–1.20
- Radio: Six-channel radio with five to seven standard servos and one mini servo required
- Street price: $249.99 (should be available now)
Great Planes Model Distributors: Box 9021, Champaign, IL 61826 Tel.: (800) 682-8948 Web site: www.top-flite.com
RealFlight Generation 3
This system far exceeds previous simulators' two-dimensional "billboard" look. It's a living, breathing environment: trees sway in the background, clouds follow prevailing winds, glare varies with the sun's position, and background objects even reflect off the aircraft.
There are almost four dozen stock designs, including park flyers, 3-D aerobats, slope soarers, Reno racers, helicopters, and gliders—an aircraft to appeal to every modeler's tastes. World-class modelers put the flight performance of the new RealPhysics 3D engine through demanding tests and agree that aircraft on Generation 3 (G3) fly more realistically than ever. This simulator sets unprecedented standards for accuracy in exciting high-alpha (3-D) flight.
G3 includes an easier and more powerful Aircraft Editor with an almost infinite number of adjustable parameters. Any modifications a pilot makes are graphically represented on the wireframe model and reflected instantly on screen. As in real RC flying, you can shear a wing off an aircraft if careless; the simulated airplane will continue flight while accurately reflecting lost parts.
Instead of a single unchanging wind field, G3's TruFlo Wind Dynamics combines terrain shape, convection, macroturbulence, microturbulence, and more. The Virtual Flight Instructor (VFI) has been expanded with additional maneuvers for pilots of all skill levels—experienced fliers can learn high-alpha 3-D aerobatics from world-class pilots.
The InterLink Plus controller has been improved with a Multi-Mode feature, allowing modelers to connect an additional InterLink or a standard radio transmitter to the simulation. The InterLink Plus can also interface with most 4- to 10-channel FM or PPM-selectable radios that include a trainer jack.
There are many other features; look for a full review of G3 in an upcoming issue. For system requirements or additional information, visit the Web site.
- Street price: $219.99
Great Planes Model Distributors: Box 9021, Champaign, IL 61826 Tel.: (800) 682-8948 Web site: www.realflight.com
AeroKote
Sig has introduced a new pair of iron-on coverings: AeroKote and AeroKote-Lite. AeroKote-Lite weighs only 1.8 ounces per square yard, making it a good choice for small, lightweight airplanes. Both kinds come in 31.5 x 78.75-inch rolls—up to 25% more coverage than some other brands. They are extremely fuel-resistant and stable, which helps resist wrinkling. Their shrinking properties allow easy covering of wingtips and compound curves.
Each type is offered in 36 color choices, including opaques, transparents, pearls, and metallics.
- Retail price: $15.99–$20.99 per roll
Sig Manufacturing Company: Box 520, Montezuma, IA 50171 Tel.: (641) 623-5154 Web site: www.sigmfg.com
Aero-Pacs
Are you tired of building Scale projects from tiny, blurry prints? Airborne Media has introduced Aero-Pacs, a new line of scale documentation that shows all details, including rivets, panel lines, and nomenclature.
Each Aero-Pac is a digital library devoted to a specific aircraft—options include the CAP 231, P-51D, J-3 Cub, Pitts S-2C, Sukhoi Su-26, WACO WMF-5, and more. Pictures are shot with the latest digital technology, capturing detail not available from other sources. Because the files are digital, you can enlarge them on your computer screen, print enlargements or smaller copies with a color printer, and use them for final documentation.
Each Aero-Pac includes an eight-point walk-around, exterior and interior detail shots, close-ups, a three-view, and more. All wording (N-numbers, nomenclature, etc.) is shot close-up and head-on for easier duplication. Files are viewable in any up-to-date web browser and work on both Mac and PC systems.
- Price: Each Aero-Pac CD-ROM sells for $15.95
Airborne Media: 5655 David Pl., Fairfield, OH 45014 Tel.: (888) 829-4060 Web site: www.airbornemedia.com
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
