Dads: Direct Aileron Driver System
THE DIRECT AILERON DRIVER (DAD) is a simple, practical, and effective way to move ailerons that eliminates all external clutter and offers a host of other features and advantages. The concept is exceptionally simple. A wire, with an upright bend up front, extends chordwise to the hinge line, where it makes a horizontal bend that slips into a slot in the aileron. The chordwise section is mounted so it can rotate; as the upright is arced laterally by a pushrod, the wire in the slot arcs up and down to deflect the aileron.
The July 1993 issue featured the full-size Jouster. Here's a look at its little brother-the J2M.
THE JOUSTER Two-Meter (J2M) represents a dedicated effort to develop a small model particularly suited to precision/duration competition. Common techniques and materials keep it relatively simple and inexpensive. Even so, it is designed to utilize the broad capabilities of today's high-tech radios. Tow is steep and fast, and the zoom is long. It can cover a lot of sky quickly or slowly work a low thermal. Stall characteristics are gentle, and it is highly maneuverable. It can safely descend straight down with flaps, and landing control is excellent.
Buzzbat
This 5-ft. Slope Soarer can be easily and quickly built. It can not only tear across the sky on high-speed runs, but it can perform many aerobatic maneuvers with only two-channel controls. Inside and outside loops and spins, extended inverted flight, horizontal and vertical rolls, inside and outside tight vertical turns, blistering dives with abrupt pullouts, high-speed passes, and all kinds of showy flight are duck soup for it. The design is distinctive and racy in appearance. It is rugged, highly functional, and especially clean. Not a single nut, bolt, screw, dowel, rubberband, horn, or pushrod hangs out. Even the ailerons can be gapless.
Atrix
IT WAS THE DRAWING of Stu Blanchard's Calypso 6 F3B design in the August 1985 issue of Model Aviation that inspired the Atrix. That explains the similar appearance, but unlike the Calypso, the Atrix has been designed for traditional competition, its wing a D-box with a flat-bottomed Eppler for easiest building and full-range flaps to assist with launch, flight trim, and precision landings. Long differential ailerons help in low-speed turns. The fuselage is a simple ply box with balsa added to taper to an oval cross section.
