Model Airplane News #10
Welcome to this issue of the Plane Talk newsletter.
It has been a little while since the last newsletter due to some other priorities that came up that took a lot of my time. So I've got a bit of catching up to do - including notifying the winners of the monthly competition for the free RC trainer given away each month. Subscribers need to check their e-mail to see if there's a request in there for your surface mail address! You never know, it could be you.
Among the items that got postpones was the survey to ask what you wanted to know about electric flyers for the next ebook. Keep an eye out for that because I want to be sure to answer any and all questions you might have. If you just can't wait then drop me an email with your question and I will add it to the list of answers required.
And I'm still cooking up an offer for you to grab the best video about large model airplanes that you can lay your hands on. The UK Large Model Association is the largest in the world and produces some stunning models. I'm shortly going to have for you a one hour, cinema quality DVD of their most recent season - and maybe the back catalogue as well going back to 2000. So keep your eyes peeled for that.
In this issue you will also find:
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Featured Article - 14 Ways To Take Your Model Airplane Home
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Review - The Firebird Phantom
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Pit Lane Humour
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News Roundup
Featured Article
14 Ways To Take Your Model Airplane Home.
There are lots of things you will be told you should do when flying your model airplane, plus lots more you should not do. Here are 14 of the most important that will ensure that both you and your model make it home in one piece.
1. Despite all the precautions you might take including following all the tips given to you here you just never know what might go wrong. So it is a good idea to keep a first-aid kit handy at the flying field and around your working area at home, just in case.
2. You may consider wearing eye protection both when out flying and even when working on building a kit. Flying bits of propeller or crash debris when out flying or even splashes of glue, model material and power tool parts can all cause painful, personal damage.
3. A small fire extinguisher is advisable when working with glow or gas models as well as when charging batteries.
4. Hearing protection. This should be used with some thought. Yes, you want to protect your hearing when working close to some noisy, rotating, machinery but you also want to be able to hear what is going on around you at the flying field.
5. Possibly the most important piece of advice. Never rush yourself when it comes to getting your plane up in the air.
6. 2 stroke engines deliver high RPM and 4 strokes are characterized by more punchy torque. So don’t imagine that a few human fingers are going to get in their way too much. You would be amazed at how many ?yers get in too much of a hurry and, without thinking, reach through a whirling propeller to adjust the needle valve. Many people have lost fingers this way.
The same thing goes for the area alongside any rotating propeller. A propeller can fail catastrophically if it has been damaged or indeed for other reasons. When it fails it is likely to disintegrate and at high rpm the pieces will travel far and fast in the plane of the propeller. That means if you draw a line from one tip of the propeller to the other – then extend it out on all sides. So this should always be an area that both you and any spectators should stay away from both for your own airplane and from your friends who may be working on their planes in the pit area alongside you.
7. For electric models, an electric motor does not stall so it will continue to try to rotate even if it is obstructed. So if the propeller is stopped by some obstruction and you remove the obstruction then the prop is going to rotate again in a flash and if your fingers are in the way you will get a painful whack and even parts removed from your fingers. Treat any electric motor still connected to its main battery as being ‘live’ and dangerous.
8. Never point your plane in the direction of people in the pits. While this might sound like common sense, you would be surprised at how many times this happens. The plane should always be pointed away from people and toward the ?ight line. Stay oriented. Always fly your airplane in front of you. Do not fly behind yourself so you have to swivel around to watch your plane and lose track of the location of the flight line and pits.
9. Make sure the engine can be completely shut down using the transmitter. This requires you to set the throttle linkage up properly so the throttle is able to go below a high idle.
10. It is important to remind yourself that each time a mechanical adjustment is made to the throttle you need to ensure the plane is being held very securely. Many modelers make up restraining yokes they can dig into the ground with two padded forks sticking upwards on either side of the fuselage and just in front of the horizontal stabilizers. That way they can roll the model forward so the stabilizers are up against the padded forks and the model cannot move any further forward while they have both hands available for any adjustments or tests they need to make. The alternative, of course, is a helpful friend.
11. When you start the engine, make doubly sure the throttle is working as it should, and that you can shut the engine down with the transmitter, the way it is intended to be done.
12. After you have started the engine and the propeller is spinning around, move behind it whenever possible. You never know when your restraining forks or your friend may fail in their task. It has been known.
13. When things go wrong while you are flying, get into the habit of assuming that nothing is going to work. So you want flying speed and that means getting the nose down so you can glide. Even if you have power from the engine, ease off the throttle anytime you run into control problems. Remember, you don’t need engine power for your model to fly. You have tested that your model will glide, but you do need flying speed and you won’t get that with the nose pointed upwards. Flying speed gives you control, the most important requirement, if you’ve had an engine failure and as long as you have control and stay above stalling speed you’ll have more time to determine and ?x the problem. Otherwise half throttle is usually more than enough as you are learning to fly.
14. Unfortunately, crashes happen. Bad ones can do significant damage both to your airplane and your wallet, so they’re best avoided if at all possible. If you can see that a crash has become inevitable then try to minimize the damage by stopping the engine. This can minimize the damage to the engine and prop. This is especially important with electric motors which will continue to draw power even when the shaft is stopped leading to damage to the motor, controller and/or battery, all of which could be avoided by switching it off before the prop is obstructed by violent contact with the ground!
While these tips can help you learn how to fly safely and with confidence, crashes will still happen. So understand that routine maintenance and repairs, fixing (and sometimes trashing) planes and replacing parts as you go, is just a normal part of the game, and is to be expected. Remember, you are not going to make mistakes. What seems like a mistake is really just another lesson! Usually, the bigger and more expensive the lesson the quicker you will learn not to repeat it and less likely you are to repeat the mistake.
Review
The Firebird Phantom
Introduction
HobbyZone has had a lot of success in the RTF electric plane market. They designate their starter planes as Zone 1 planes, no experience needed. HobbyZone also has Zone 2 planes, which are intended for pilots who have mastered the Zone 1 planes or are starting with the help of a coach or instructor. Then there are the Zone 3 planes for pilots looking to advance their skills further.
The Firebird Phantom is one of the newest HobbyZone planes. It is classified as a Zone 1 plane. Unlike some other members of the Firebird series, which are easy to fly two channel planes, the Firebird Phantom is a three-channel plane, which gives the pilot more control, especially in the wind.
The Phantom sports fully proportional rudder, elevator and throttle controls. The plane's V tail configuration helps keep the tail away from damage that can be caused by dragging in the grass or hitting the ground on less than perfect landings.
To help the new pilot, HobbyZone incorporates a feature called ACT or Anti Crash Technology, which uses sensors on the plane to monitor the plane's flight path. If ACT senses that the plane is in a bad flying attitude that could lead to a crash it will take over temporarily to get the plane back to a safer flying attitude. I will report on my test of ACT later in the review.
Specifications
Kit Name: Firebird Phantom
Price: $59.99
Wingspan: 29.75 inches
Flying Weight as tested: 8.5 ounces
Motor: 180 class
Battery used: 7-cell 300mAh NiMH
ESC/Receiver used: HobbyZone Integrated
Servos: HobbyZone 3 wire servos
Radio equipment: 3 channel FM with ACT
Rated Range – 1300 feet
what you'll need:
Nothing! it's all in the box!
Assembly
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How it's packed |
Out of the box |
Assembled |
The Phantom comes as a very complete package. There is nothing extra needed to get the plane in the air. The package includes a fully assembled plane with all electronics installed. The tail is mounted and can remain so when you put it back in the box. When you remove the plane you insert the landing gear, and you mount the wing with rubber bands. The plane is now fully assembled.
Note that the Phantom uses conventional push rods to operate the tail surfaces rather than the fish line controls that were used on earlier HobbyZone planes. This method should hold its settings much better than the earlier versions. This is a nice enhancement to the Firebird family design.
A 3 channel fully proportional FM 27 MHz transmitter is included, as are transmitter batteries. The package includes one seven cell 300 MAh battery and a DC battery charger that plugs into the power port in your car. There is also an AC adapter that allows you to charge the Phantom’s batteries in the house.
While I reviewed the manual, I put the battery on charge to get it up to full power. The charger has a variable dial and the manual suggests setting the charger to 300 MA for the first few charges. This is covered on pages 3 and 4 of the manual. I think it should be safe to charge at 400 MA once the battery packs are broken in, but testing over time will tell me if they packs take a full charge at this rate. If you want to use another peak charger that you already own, HobbyZone sells a charging lead so you can attach these packs to your charger. I often have two chargers running when I am actively flying, so having a second charger available will help me keep my Phantom in the air.
Whether you are a new pilot or an experienced pilot, I recommend you read the manual thoroughly so you can take full advantage of all the features of the plane, the transmitter and the other components included in the box. The manual is very complete and well illustrated. It includes tips on learning to fly, how to take advantage of the ACT system and tips on repairs. There is also a video CD included that can be played in most computers and DVD players. If the CD does not start automatically in your player, look for the little instruction sheet that is included in the package with the CD for tips.
Read the Flying Report and rest of the review…
Pit Lane Humour
No jokes this time but if you've got a few minutes to spare and feel the need for a laugh then try this.
News Roundup
Learning to Fly
- - some practical application of various pieces of advice common when learning to fly.
By Robert Ross(Robert Ross)
I spent the morning teaching a good mate and his dad to fly (model aircraft that is). Being fresh in my mind I thought I'd share some tips to try and make RC flying easier - particularly for the beginner. …
Cool Engineering - http://cooleng.blogspot.com/
Mattel and Toy Recalls - Lead Paint - Apology
By Steve Lombardi
… they bear specified cautionary labeling, are certain agricultural and industrial coatings, touch-up coatings for appliances and lawn and garden equipment, graphic arts coatings, and certain coatings for powered model aircraft. …
Des Moines Personal Injury Lawyer - http://desmoines.injuryboard
Applying a Flat Coat to a Hasegawa Scale Model Aircraft
- Can't help but agree with the viewer's comment below. More online video's like this would be really useful for many modellers as they learn different techniques.
By KyivHomeless
Great video! Very helpful and interesting!
Scale plastic model kits - http://t4besttime.blogspot.com/
Scalextric Turns 50 Years Old!
By modelaircraft
50 years ago the first Scalextric car (then called Scalex) powered by an electric motor was launched. Along with model aircraft kits, Scalextric was my introduction into the scale modelling world. Happy Birthday Scalextric! …
Strap-on stealth jetplane pack developed for special forces
- Yes, we've seen stuff about this before but it still remains fascinating.
Register - London,England,UK
Spelco will apparently fit small turbojets - of a type apparently used in model aircraft - to the Gryphon next year, and Jelitko says he's looking forward …
Thanks for reading..
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