electric flight uk - British Electric Flight Association

ELECTRIC FLIGHT U.K.
ISSUE No. 70 AUTUMN 2002
THE MAGAZINE OF THE
BRITISH ELECTRIC
FLIGHT ASSOCIATION
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Electric Flight - U.K.
Issue 70 - Autumn 2002
"To Encourage and Further all Aspects of Electric Model Flight in
the British Isles and Elsewhere" - B.E.F.A. Constitution
CONTENTS
BEFA Committee 2002/3 ......................... 4
Chairman's Chatter ................................. 5
Current Lines ......................................... 5
New-2-U ................................................. 6
Phoenix Fly-In ...................................... 13
The Airco D.H.2 - Part 3 ....................... 20
Porz Scale Weekend ............................. 21
TLC from your TLO .............................. 26
Readers' Models .................................. 29
Meet the Airtimers ............................... 34
Chorus Gull Electric Conversion .......... 41
BEFA Wordsearch ................................
A Different “FlexiFlyer” ........................
Electro Acro-Wotto ..............................
Batch SpaRCS Colerne E-Fly 2002 .......
Killer - Diller .........................................
Progress Report on BEFA League ........
For Sale / Wanted .................................
Event Calendar .....................................
New to Electric Flight? Start Here ........
Advertisers Index .................................
47
49
50
52
60
62
64
66
68
70
Cover Photo: This photograph is of the Pilatus Porter of John Ella. This is an
own design and has a wing span of 60” (1.52m), an area of 576 sq. in (37.2dm2)
and weighs 6 lbs. (2.7kg). It is powered by an Astro 15G with Master Airscrew
Electric 11” x 9” wooden propeller on 12 Sanyo RC-2400 cells. It features working
flaps and sprung undercarriage. More details on pages 31 and 32.
NEXT ISSUE. The copy date for the Winter 2002 issue is 15th November 2002,
with the magazine due for publication by 1st January 2003.
DISCLAIMER
B.E.F.A. and Electric Flight U.K. wish to point out that the content, techniques
and opinions expressed in this magazine are those of the individual authors and
do not necessarily represent the views of either the Editor of this magazine or
B.E.F.A. and its committee. All reasonable care is taken in the preparation and
compilation of the magazine, but B.E.F.A. and its committee cannot be held liable
for any error or omission in the content of this magazine or any subsequent
damage or loss arising howsoever caused.
To allow proper appreciation of the photographs used, colour copies of them will
be posted on the B.E.F.A. website after publication of this magazine. If you can,
check them out at www.befa.org.uk
E.F.-U.K.
3
BEFA Committee 2002/3
Chairman
Robert Mahoney
123 Lane End Road, High Wycombe, Bucks. HP12 4HF
EMail:
Secretary
robert_mahoney@hotmail.com
Peter Turner
37 Church Street, Horsley, Derbyshire. DE21 5BQ
Email:
Membership Secretary
David Andrews
2 Gainsborough Road, Kibworth Harcourt, Leicester. LE8 0SG
Email:
Treasurer
peter@alport.fsnet.co.uk
david@kibworth.fsnet.co.uk
Roger Winsor
14 Butler Gardens, Market Harborough, Leics. LE16 9LY
Email:
rogerwinsor@breathemail.net
Editor EF-UK
Jan Bassett
111 Plantagenet Chase, Yeovil, Somerset. BA20 2PR
Tel. 01935 472743, E-mail: jan.bassett@electric-flight.org.uk
Production Editor
Brian Boughton
'Red Roofs', Vicarage Road, Thetford, Norfolk. IP24 2LH
Events Co-ordinator
Terry Stuckey
31 Dysart Avenue, Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey. KT2 5QZ
Competition Secretary
David Beavor
34 Chestnut Close, Brampton, Huntingdon, Cambs.
Midlands Representative
Roger Winsor, details as Treasurer
Northern Representative
Bob Smith, details as Secretary.
Southern Representative
Dave Chinery
251 Station Road, Hayes, Middx. UB3 4JD
South West Representative Jan Bassett, details as Editor EF-UK
Indoor & Free-Flight Rep.
Gordon Tarling
87 Cowley Mill Road, Uxbridge, Middx. UB8 2QD
Email:
Technical Liaison Officer
Alan Bedingham
17 Highcliffe Close, Wickford, Essex. SS11 8JZ
Email:
Public Relations Officer
gordon.tarling@ntlworld.com
bbba18333@blueyonder.co.uk
Dave Perrett
10 High Lees, Sharnford, Leicester. LE10 3PW
Tel: 01455 272297, Email: d.l.perrett@btinternet.com
Webmaster
Jan Bassett, details as Editor EF-UK - (www.befa.org.uk)
Please enclose an SAE with all correspondence to the committee.
4
E.F.-U.K.
Chairman’s Chatter
Welcome to the autumn issue of your E.F.-U.K. Magazine. If you came to one of
our fly-ins this year, you may have heard me talk about the NEW "A" and "B"
electric thermal tests. I did ask for comments as to having one or both of the tests
as a prerequisite to fly at any of our event's in the near future. As I write this I
have received a big fat zero re comments! What now, Well I think we must give you
a last change to comment and talk on this. So at the Tech. Workshop I will ask
you, the members, what should we do re "A" and "B".
As you now Dave Beavor and I are very hot on safety re the flight line! If you were
at the end of the Middle Wallop event this year you would have seen Dave prevent
a possible mid air crash with a full size! This says the job of flight line marshal is
there for your safety and others, and not to spoil your fun in flying your models!
At our last committee meeting our Treasurer Roger Winsor said he will be stepping
down at the next AGM. The committee and I would like to thank Roger for all his
hard work over the years that he has been our Treasurer.
Now that means that we are looking for someone to come forward from the
membership to fill the gap on the committee! If you feel you can do the job! Please
talk to me ASAP. That's all for now so KEEP THE WATTS UP
Robert Mahoney
Current Lines
from the Editor
This is another fairly thin issue due to the small amount of content received. If
this continues, we may have to consider alternatives for the future. I would really
like to thank all those few that supply articles and information because without
them I’d have an impossible job. The bottom line is “no content - no magazine”.
As it stands today, I have nothing held over for the next issue as I needed to
include everything I had just to make the 72 pages of this magazine. You don’t
have to be a good writer to send in details of your models or articles.
One of the subjects that most find interesting is Electric conversion of kits or
plans (i.c., PSS or whatever). If you’ve converted a design that flies really well,
please let me and everyone know what you’ve done.
I’ll continue to add bits to my Airco D.H.2 as I find time, but it is getting more and
more difficult. Hopefully there will be more details of events (including indoor) for
the next issue and possibly some feedback from the Tech. Workshop.
Please do keep the articles / photographs coming in.
Jan
E.F.-U.K.
5
New-2-U
A Brief Round-up of New Items of Interest
Recently introduced by Beeline Models is FTF sheet and Depron sheet in a ‘strange’
Dark Green colour.
FTF Sheet
This is a slightly heavier, more durable material than Depron. In appearance it
has a smoother surface with a slight sheen on it. FTF is well suited to larger
indoor and outdoor “Park Fly” models.
An advantage of FTF is that a range of colours is available, they are Black,
White, Yellow, Gold, Blue and Green. This eliminates the need to paint the finished
model in many instances. This material is easily formed by heating to about 90
degrees centigrade and allowing to cool.
It is available in 3 and 4mm thicknesses and the sheet size is 500 x 700 mm. The
price is £4.00 / sheet or a pack of 5 sheets for £17.50 + £2.50 P&P (colours to
choice).
Depron Sheet
Also available is the well known Depron sheet very suitable for lightweight indoor
models where low overall weight is an advantage. Easily cut with sharp knife or
scalpel. “Airfoil” sections can be formed by gently rubbing over a rounded worktop
edge or by heat forming. Usually only available in White, but they we have a
strange Dark Green colour-ideal for Olive Drab scale schemes.
Available in 2, 3 and 6 mm thicknesses all in either full (1m x 700 mm) or half
(500 x 700 mm) sheets. The prices for full sheets are £4.00, £5.00 and £6.00 per
sheet for 2, 3, and 6 mm thickness respectively, plus £6.30 P&P for special delivery.
The prices for single half sheets are all half the full sheet cost. Alternatively,
packs of 5 half sheets are £9.00, £11.50 and £13.50 respectively, plus £3.00 P&P.
Painting FTF and Depron
Both materials accept acrylic and Humbrol enamel paints. The recommended
method is to use Humbrol enamel paint sprayed on by a basic airbrush. First
prepare the material by very lightly “dusting” an even coat of base or matt white,
thinned approximately 50/50 with White Spirit - DO NOT THIN WITH
CELLULOSE THINNERS. When fully dry (preferably 24 hours), apply one or
two equally thinned coats of the final colour required.
More information
Beeline Models sell a range of indoor / park flyer models and equipment. Contact
them on 01782 502866 for a fully illustrated information pack, or find more
information at www.beelinemodels.com
6
E.F.-U.K.
The first of three new
offerings from Hitec is
the CG-340 charger. This is 4 to 16
cell charger for use with NiCd or
NiMH cells. The charge rate
manually adjustable between 0.2 to
1.5A for 4 or 5 NiCd (or 4 to 16
NiMH) cells and between 0.2 to 3A
for 6 to 16 NiCd cells. It features
Delta-Peak cut-off, “No false peak”
circuitry, auto shut-off (at 2 hours)
and adjustable NiCd trickle current.
It is rated for an input voltage
between 9.0V and 13.9V. It is available in the UK now and the retail price is
around £30, which seems reasonable for a 16 cell charger.
The Hitec HS-5125MG is
described as a Digital SuperSlim wing servo. Being only 10 mm (0.4”) thick
and 30 mm (1.2”) wide and 34 mm (1.3”) high
it is pretty slim. It features a 3 pole motor and
dual ball bearings. For a small servo it has a
torque of 42 oz. in. at 4.8V and 49 oz. in. at 6V,
and speeds of 0.17s and 0.13s per 60° travel
respectively. They claim it has an “unbreakable”
MP gear train and is offered with a metal control
horn. It is also programmable using the Hitec
programming unit available separately. Despite all these features it only weighs
around 25g (0.88 oz.), making it suitable for small high-speed models. The retail
price is likely to be around £50 when available.
The final offering from Hitec is the HS5245MG high torque digital mini servo.
This servo measures 32 x 17 x 31 mm (1.3” x 0.7” x 1.2”)
and weighs 32g (1.12 oz.). The torque figures are impressive
at 61 oz. in. and 76 oz. in. at 4.8V and 6V respectively.
Often the high torque variant servos are slow, but not this
one at is still manages 0.15s or 0.12s for 60°. With a custom
designed programmable digital circuit and Hitec’s unique
Alumite/MP gear train technology the HS-5245MG is ideal
for applications that call for a small lightweight, high speed,
high torque servo. Again it is offered with a metal output
arm, and features dual ball bearings and a 3-pole motor. It doesn’t seem to be
available in the UK yet, but it is expected to retail at about £42.
E.F.-U.K.
7
In case you missed it, Aveox have just revised their small brushless motor range.
They have replaced the 1000 series with
the 2700 series (27/13/4 shown left).
These are sensorless motors, with 1/8”
(3.17mm) hardened steel output shafts
and rated for 50000+ RPM. They are
28 mm diameter and are available with
three magnet lengths (13, 26 and 39
mm), giving overall lengths of 39 to 78
mm and weights between 81g and 161g.
As usual, each is available in several
different winds. Another bonus is they
are intended to be lower cost.
Replacing the 1400 series motors are the
3600 series, which are again sensorless.
Available with four different magnet
lengths of 15, 24, 30 and 38 mm and
each with 4 different windings. They are
all 36 mm diameter and are fitted with
a hardened steel 5 mm diameter output
shaft (Yes - Aveox have gone metric with
this motor). Again this series is rated
to 50000+ RPM, is more efficient,
lighter and cheaper than the 1400 series.
To compliment the new motors,
Aveox have introduced a new range
of sensorless controllers. All are
opto-coupled and feature brake and
over temperature cut-off. The ‘L’
versions additionally feature BEC.
The SL-18 is rated at 40A
continuous current and for between
6 and 10 cells. The SH-18 is similar
with a 35A continuous rating for 10
to 30 cells. They have also launched the SL-48 (6 - 16 cells, 45 - 60A), the SH-48
(10 - 30 cells, 40A) and the SH-96 (10 - 30 cells, 100A).
All feature DIP switch programming for: brake, timing, and start mode. They
also have intelligent self adjust teaching for RX signal. They will not accept a full
throttle position until they have accepted a stop position.
UK prices have not been notified yet, but they should be cheaper than the previous
models. More details are available from www.aveox.com and UK prices and
availability should be available from West London Models.
8
E.F.-U.K.
Above is the recently introduced Robbe Airliner. The wing span is approximately
1.2m (47”), the wing area 28.9 dm2 (450 sq. in.) and the flying weight is around
1.25kg (2¾ lb.). The kit comes supplied with two Power 400 motors, propellers,
suppression and hardware. All components are moulded from a “tough” foam. It
is intended for use with either a 7 or 8 cell Sub-C packs.. Retails for about £92.
Below, in a similar vein, is the Robbe Concorde. This has a 0.8m (31¼”) span, a
wing area of 24 dm2 (372 sq. in.) and a flying weight of 1.07 kg (21/3 lb.). It also
comes with the same motor package as the Airliner, and its intended for 7 or 8 cell
KR-1400AE packs or a 7 cell Sub-C pack. The retail price is around £85.
E.F.-U.K.
9
Robbe have also brought out an electric Robinson R-22 helicopter. This is a midsize helicopter intended to bridge the gap between the micro and full-size helicopters.
It has a rotor diameter of 0.81m (32”) and a flying weight of approximately 1.1 kg
(2.4 lb.). It features collective pitch, roll, pitch, tail rotor and motor controls and
has a 120° 3-point swashplate (see middle and right photographs below).
The mechanical system is of simple construction and consists of a combination of
materials such as aluminium, carbon and special plastics, to combine rigidity
with minimum weight. It features a 2-stage main gearbox with 18:1 reduction
ratio, plus a variable motor mount to accommodate different ratios. Additionally,
an integral freewheel is fitted for auto-rotation landings. The tail rotor is shaft
driven for fast, accurate tail rotor response.
The intended battery is an 8 cell pack of 2400mAh Sub-C cells. The retail price in
the UK is unknown, but the recommended price is just under 300 Euros.
10
E.F.-U.K.
The first new model from Wattage is the
Crazy 8 EP Sport Plane. It is a four
channel, built-up electric aerobatic
airplane built specifically for flying in
small parks or fields. When set up with
a standard four channel radio the Crazy8 is a stable flyer, yet capable of most
aerobatics. To get the most out of the
Crazy-8 they recommend using a radio
system with mixing capabilities. Because the Crazy-8 uses two aileron servos, you
will be able to mix flaperons and spoilerons with up and down elevator to make an
extreme 3D flying machine - all in your local park or soccer field! The Crazy 8 has
a span of 31.6” (0.8 m) and a wing area of 270 sq. in. (17.4 dm2). Flying weight is
stated as between 24 and 30 oz. (680 - 850g). It is recommended that 7 to 8 A size
cells (e.g. 800AR) are used with a motor of between 120 and 160W, so a geared 480
motor should be excellent. The kit price is around £63.
The next offering is the Wattage Sukhoi
SU-31M, which is described as the
perfect answer for those with flying
experience who want high performance
in a small, fully aerobatic, electric
powered model! It is based the Wattage
Sporty airframe, and 31 features their
new high performance 370 motor with
matching gearbox. Flown with an 8-cell battery AAA 800mAH pack, it will have
all the power you need. Simple ROG (rise off ground) takeoffs are easy and
aerobatics are phenomenal. The retail prices is expected to be around £55.
Final the unusual Clancy Aviation Turbo Bee also distributed
by Wattage. It can take off from the ground with the optional
drop-off landing gear. This lowers the flying weight and clean
aerodynamics allow surprisingly high speeds and amazing slow
and predictable low speed handling. The Turbo Bee uses an APC
8” x 6” "E" prop cut-down to fit the 4¼” duct rather than a fan.
The covered airframe weighs around
10.4 oz. (300g) with 2 x HS-55 servos
installed. Countless hours were spent
developing the Turbo Bee because they
wanted good ground take-off ability and
jet-like performance on an affordable
motor. Recommended are a Speed 400
6V motor and an 8 cell 2/3 A size pack.
Span 40¼” (102 cm), area 440 sq. in.
(28.4 dm2). Price likely to be around £65.
E.F.-U.K.
11
A new series of brushless motors
recently introduced by Plettenberg was
the Freestyle. The name is intended to
stand both for the concept and for the
application of this motor. They
conceived this motor series from scratch
and have developed new brushless
motors techniques in the process.
The motor is a fairly conventional
interior runner, but with a much larger
diameter rotor and 14 poles, making
large torques possible. They also claim
that the new technology gives improved
maximum efficiency.
The Freestyle motors weigh only 75g and have a low RPM/V figure and high
torque for Parkflyer and Slowflyer. This also use direct drive, negating the noise
and losses of a gearbox for these light models. The motor is fitted with a 5mm
titanium shaft and propeller driver.
It is available in two winds, the Freestyle 20 and the Freestyle 24 (shown above).
Both types are intended for 6 to 10 cells and maximum efficiency of up to 88% are
claimed.
Typical performance figures (from Plettenberg tests) are:
Freestyle 20 - KV = 1338 RPM/V, IO = 0.4A, RM = 55m-ohm
Graupner Slimprop 8” x 6”
8.5V
13.6A
9100 RPM
84%
APC Slowfly 9” x 4.7”
8.4V
13.4A
9140 RPM
84%
Freestyle 24 - KV = 1067 RPM/V, IO = 0.3A, RM = 78m-ohm
Graupner Slimprop 8” x 6”
8.6V
8.2A
7680 RPM
85%
APC Slowfly 9” x 4.7”
8.6V
9.5A
7080 RPM
85%
APC Slowfly 10” x 4.7”
8.5V
11.5A
6630 RPM
75%
Also available is a rear bulkhead mounting ring
(shown right). This is fitted to the model’s bulkhead
and then the motor is attached to the mount.
Both motors have a list price of 129 Euros, which
seems a good price especially when you don’t need a
gearbox.
The recommended controller for both motors is the
Schulze Future 18be, which retails for around £75.
12
E.F.-U.K.
Phoenix MFC All Electric Fly-In
& Bar-B-Que - Sunday August 18th 2002
Review by Andy McQuat.
The weekend had finally arrived and the forecast for East Anglia is a showery
Saturday (it was bright and sunny), and a dry bright Sunday with some cloud.
The Sunday turned out to be a little overcast but warm and bright with light
southerly winds straight down the strip ....excellent!
I was a bit late turning up (due to the damned night shift on the Saturday) but
there were plenty of people meandering about and an assortment of interesting
and unusual models scattered around the pits....... and I could smell the delicious
aromas of the Bar-B-Que wafting across the field, this left me two choices......
A. Have a look around at the visiting models and their pilots ....... or
B. Get a burger, and have a look around at the visiting models and their pilots
........... ‘nuff said!
With a Cheeseburger in one hand and my digital camera in the other, off I trekked.
The first thing to catch my eye was this beautiful scale Ryan NYP “Spirit Of St
Louis” owned and flown by BEFA chairman Robert Mahoney. The model is scaled
from the 1927 Ryan NYP (New York-Paris) of Charles Lindbergh that was the
E.F.-U.K.
13
first plane to fly from New York to Paris. Research by Robert discovered that the
plane’s builders Ryan Airways Inc was owned by B.F. Mahoney .... nothing like
having a family link!!!. Built from the K&W kit and converted to electric power by
Robert. The Kit has a 112" (2.85m) wingspan and is 64 inches (1.63m) long.
Power comes from an Aveox 1415/2Y motor and Aveox controller running on 21
Sanyo RC-2400 cells and an 1800mah receiver pack driving a Robbe 17” x 8” wood
propeller through a Robbe Planeta 3.77:1 gearbox. Servo’s are Multiplex Profi
3BB FET with a Futaba dual conversion receiver. Covering is silver SolarTex. All
up weight (inc. batteries) comes out at 26lb 9oz (12kg) ...... and she flies with
grace and presence!
There were some sleek looking electric gliders to be seen including this striking
red and white “Sonata E”
14
E.F.-U.K.
and also this sleek model.
Also giving a good display was our own Norman Seal with his Consolidated B24D Liberator. Norman's B-24D is scratch built from the Robin Fowler plan and
has a span of 60" (1.52m). The model is based on KG928, 'M' for Mother of RAF
178 Squadron, which flew from Amendola in Italy 1943/44. Power is delivered by
7 Sanyo SCR1700's through a Ripmax Xtra 50A ESC to 4 standard Graupner
Speed 400 6V motors wired in parallel driving Cox 5” x 3½” 3-bladers. Two standard
servos power ailerons and elevators with a GWS 8 channel mini receiver.
Undercarriage is "plug in" for static use only.
It is beautifully covered in SolarTex and the decals are home made using a PC and
the JetCal system. All up weight is 3lb 4oz (1.5kg) including batteries. It did fly
well and the sound of those four 400's spinning adds an airborne aura to the
flight! All too soon it was time to bring her in before the batteries let go, and she
E.F.-U.K.
15
gently eased herself onto the smooth Phoenix grass. Awesome! Norman and his
B-24D came a respected 2nd in the scale competition, pipped to the post (or should
that be trophy) by Robert with his Ryan NYP.
Thanks to the BEFA for the donation of the competition trophies.
An interesting and unusual addition to the day was an F/A-18 Hornet powered by
a 480 Electric ducted fan.
Built and flown by Graham Chilvers of GCM Designs Norwich. Graham say's
that as the electric motors and ducted fans get more efficient the F/A-18 just keeps
getting better. Launched from a bungee and ramp set up the take off is pretty
impressive with a steady climb out
and an "electric roar" (if that's the
best way to describe it). Low
passes and basic aerobatics are no
problem and the 30" span F/A-18
puts in a good turn of speed to
boot. Powered by 10 cells flight
time is just about 4½ minutes, but
it is an exciting 4½ minutes that
captures everybody's attention.
The 'all moving' elevon' tailplanes
are a nice touch keeping moving
parts to a minimum and the
airframe aerodynamically clean.
16
E.F.-U.K.
Graham also had a nice DH88 Comet powered by 2 Speed 400 motors. With a span
of 42" (1.05m) and a traditional balsa/ply construction it was very light at about
30oz (850g) all up. Geoffrey de Havilland built the DH88 Comet in 1934 to enter
the England-Australia air race for the MacRobertson Trophy. This Red Comet
named "Grosvenor House", won it.
It's just a shame that Graham hadn't put any decals on his planes, don't get me
wrong, they were finished to a high standard and well covered, but decals would
have shown them off just that bit better
Robert Mahoney's Glider on finals.......
E.F.-U.K.
17
...... and being recovered ....... after winning the AULD (All Up, Last Down)
competition!
Talking of the AULD Duration competition there were even a couple of Twin Jets
mixing it with the electric-gliders, all in the name of fun!
Well, time was ticking away and I felt the need for a second burger and a cuppa. At
£1.50 for a burger and 30p for a cup of tea could you blame me.
18
E.F.-U.K.
Service with a smile at the burger stall, Jaqui, Theresa and Lesley doing a fine job
of keeping all refreshed, who say's 'her indoors' can't get involved.
Some of the guy's taking it easy between flights (waiting for someone to assemble
the Red Barons)
All in all, a good day was had by all.
This is the first Electric Event the Phoenix MFC have held, and as they say:
"from many a small acorn a mighty oak will grow".
Next year should be bigger and better.
Watch this space.
E.F.-U.K.
19
The Airco D.H.2 - Part 3
by Jan Bassett
It’s been quite a while since Part 2, mainly due to extremely busy flying season
and editing this magazine. Anyway, I finally found time to do a little more on my
Airco D.H.2. I’ve made most of the fuselage shell (below), which will, be covered
with ‘Antique’ SolarTex and then painted the final colour. The structure is made
to be fairly light, but to retain the original struts and have strength where required.
The motor mount is 1/8” plywood with a large ligthening hole in the base. The
bottom of the mount will become the extended spar for the lower mainplanes. Also
shown is the loosely installed Aveox 1406/4Y and Monster Box with 5:1 ratio and
to the right the 4-bladed 15” x 12” scale propeller. Due to the dummy motor that
is to be fitted, a long extension shaft is necessary. The rear bearing is to be supported
by a ‘top hat’ extension piece which is shown floating in mid air.
I’ve test run the motor setup on the bench to help determine the best type and
number of cells. The results were:
8 Sanyo RC-2000
11.8A
8.4V
2150 RPM
10 Panasonic 2000 NiMH
17.6A
12.0V
2800 RPM
12 Panasonic 2000 NiMH
22.0A
14.2V
3200 RPM
The draught even on 10 cells is impressive, I wish I could measure static thrust as
it would be interesting to compare. It is interesting to note that the cell count to
RPM figure for this setup is almost identical to that of the Astro 40 with Superbox.
However, the Aveox weighs about half as much. It will also idle at about 350 RPM
pulling 0.3A and you can even have it stuttering like the real thing if the throttle
trim is just right. It will also stay steady at 100 RPM, but that’s just too slow.
That’s all for now, hopefully I can get the fuselage near to completion for the next
issue - see you soon.
20
E.F.-U.K.
Porz Scale Weekend
by Brian Lawrence
The Porz club have organised a scale weekend event for many years, and members
from the Luton club have often visited it. Porz is a suburb of Cologne, a bit like
Barnet (Editor: Whatever that’s like).
The flying field is south of the city, on the flood plain of the Rhine. All the countryside
is dead flat, with fields separated by narrows roads and areas of small trees.
The club site is very well equipped, with a large clubhouse with power, a telephone,
running water and even a play area for small children.The flying field is over
200m long by about 90m wide, with only one flying restriction over the golf course
off to one side (Editor: thankfully the playing area for big children is much larger!).
Additionally, there are no houses within half a mile of the site. The event is very
well prepared by the club. There is a barbecue and beer stand open on both days,
and the ladies sell tea or coffee and fattening home-made cakes.
Although this is a i.c. power club there have been an increasing number of electric
models on show during the weekend. Some of the details of this years electric
models are given below. I know that some details are missing, but I couldn’t
always find the pilot.
The excellent clubhouse with some spectators watching a model
E.F.-U.K.
21
This is a Boeing 247, a competitor of the Douglas DC-3, however, it was not
commercially successful. The colour scheme is blue and white, with an excellent finish.
The appearance in flight was very good, if a little fast. The model was designed and built
by Bernd Dirkling. The wing span is 2.5m (98”) and it weighs 10 kg (22 lbs.). It is
powered by a pair of Plettenberg 320/4/7 motors on 48 x Sanyo RC-2400 cells. It is
fitted with retracting undercarriage and the flight time is 5 to 6 minutes.
22
E.F.-U.K.
This 1/4 scale Bleriot XI was built from the David Boddington kit a few years ago, and
one of two at the event. Both flew at a nice slow pace and a steady speed. The Wing span
is 2.6m (102”) and weigh 9 kg (20 lbs.). The power train is a Plettenberg HP500/40/9
with a 20” x 14” propeller on 2 x 22 RC-2400 cells, giving 5400 RPM at 48A. The flight
time is between 7 and 8 minutes.
Continued overleaf
uzzflight
167 Duffield Road, Derby. DE22 1AJ
Telephone: 01332 601693
Email:
pete@buzzflight.co.uk
Website:
www.buzzflight.co.uk
Hummingbird
the definitive control-line trainer - ideal for youngsters
Deluxe Kit - complete with motor, propeller, prop. adapter, spinner, wheels, balsa,
u/c wire, control-line / power wire, on-off switch, battery connectors, sundries,
building instructions & full-size plan, bellcrank and control handle. The only
other items needed are the covering and a 12v 7AH battery. £39.99 + £2.50 P&P.
Standard Kit - contains balsa, u/c wire, control-line / power wire, on-off switch,
battery connectors, sundries, building instructions & full-size plan, bellcrank and
control handle. Again the covering and a 12v 7AH battery are not included. £24.99
+ £2.50 P&P.
Plans & Instructions - £7.99 including P&P, add £5.99 for control-line / power
wire and switch. Please contact us for Overseas prices.
Please make cheques payable to Buzzflight and allow 14 days for delivery.
E.F.-U.K.
23
Another unusual model was this Junkers D.1., single seat fighter. This was a late WW1
design that saw only limited production. It has the typical corrugated skin, which has
been reproduced on the model using corrugated packing paper (all over!). It has an all
moving rudder, and a scale radiator, which was made using a heater from a VW Golf.
When flying it had a very scale appearance. The wing span is 2.56m (101”) and the
flying weight is 8.4 kg (18½ lbs.). The power is provided by an Aveox 1412/5Y, with a
home-made double reduction belt drive (ratio 5.06:1). The battery pack is 30 x RC-2400
cells and puts 30A into the 24” x 10” propeller (3500 RPM). Flight time 6 minutes.
24
E.F.-U.K.
This EDF Tornado was designed and built by Guna Leonhardt. Take-off was by a long
bungee, straight from the grass. The flight was fast and smooth, and the model looked
easy to handle. It is 1.31m (51½”) span and weighs 2.1 kg (4.6 lbs.). It is powered by 2
Mega Brushless motors running on 9 Sanyo RC-2400 cells. Flight time is 6 minutes, a
distinct improvement over the 4 minutes that Speed 480 motors gave.
E.F.-U.K.
25
TLC from Your TLO
by Alan Bedingham
I thought you might like to see some of the technical queries I've had and the
answers I've given, even if it is just a glorious opportunity for you to hurl abuse
because I got it wrong! Our esteemed editor Jan agrees, so here goes. (That man
at the back who's muttering 'Jan will do anything for copy' can leave the room
right now.)
Dick Godden and Brian Malham both
asked about the lead acid batteries we
use for field charging, so this would seem
to be a good one to start with. They've
both had disappointing results using
leisure batteries that don't seem to give
anywhere near the sort of Ah (Ampere
hour) rating they were expecting.
First of all, a leisure battery is intended
to supply caravans and the like with
power for lights and fridges and things,
so they're designed to provide relatively
low currents for long periods and tolerate being left to run flat by forgetful people
who're doing whatever it is they do in caravans. The rated capacity reflects this,
so a 75Ah leisure battery will indeed deliver, say, 7.5A for 10 hours. At the end it
will be totally flat, showing no volts at all under load. It won't mind this sort of
treatment, but it will suffer if you leave it flat for more than a few days.
If you had a fast charger that would work at these very low voltages, then it is
possible to get the rated Ah capacity out of a leisure battery. (There is one American
charger that is notorious for doing this, and sometimes destroying itself in the
process) You can't with most modern electric flight chargers because they won't
let you discharge the battery below around 10 to 11V, partly to protect their own
circuitry, and partly to make sure that those of you who still use the battery on
your car for charging have half a chance of getting it started at the end of a day's
flying. Been there, done that, still recovering from the hernia I got push starting
the thing on my own!
Leisure batteries are not designed to be used to start cars, the internal construction
is different to tolerate deep discharge. This makes their impedance relatively high,
which means that if you draw current, the voltage will drop, stop and the voltage
will bounce back up again. Also, unlike NiCds, the voltage gradually drops as the
battery is discharged. In fact, you can measure the open circuit voltage of any
lead acid battery and it will give you a pretty good indication of it’s state of
charge, see the table overleaf.
26
E.F.-U.K.
So you will get to a point in the day's flying when you plug your flight battery in
for a charge, the voltage drops and the charger starts complaining. If you reduce
the charge current you can maybe get one more charge because the voltage isn't
being pulled down so much.
You will only get around half of the rated capacity of a leisure battery before this
happens. What I did with my first leisure battery was to hook up a headlamp bulb
drawing around 8A and just leave it till the bulb went out, this took nearly ten
hours, so the 75Ah rating was about right. My charger won't let the battery get to
below 10V, the best I could get was around 40Ah before the charger started
complaining.
Car batteries are different, they're designed to be physically rugged and tolerate
high current draw, particularly when starting an engine at low temperatures,
which is why they are no longer rated in Ah.
They're rated in CCA (Cold Cranking Ability), which is the number of Amps a
battery can support for 30 seconds at a temperature of -18°C before the battery
voltage drops to 7.2V. Back in the days when car batteries were rated in Ah, it
always used to puzzle me why a 40Ah car battery was the same size as a 75Ah
leisure battery, now I know.
I also have to say that my experience of leisure battery durability is somewhat
less than impressive. I've had three so far, one died just out of warranty, one
dropped to around 20Ah while still in warranty and was replaced, the replacement
one had a cell go down just after the warranty period ended! It seems there must
be a reason why you can't get a longer warranty than two years for them.
I think now is the time to explode one of the myths of electric flight - you will not
kill an ordinary car battery by using it for electric flight. What car batteries don't
like is deep discharge or being left partially charged.
Nowadays, you won't be able to deep discharge a car battery, because your charger
won't let you, so that problem is out of the way. Leaving a car battery partially
charged is not good for it, so you will have to get into a routine of always charging
it up when you get back from flying, preferably with a charger that has a cut off
E.F.-U.K.
27
system. I also religiously charge mine up every Friday night, especially during
the winter when I'm not doing much flying, because lead acids (like NiCds) self
discharge and will go flat all on their own eventually.
The battery I've been using since February 2001 is a Lucas 089/4 rated at 590A
CCA which came with a 4 year warranty and is about the same size as my old
75Ah leisure battery. Testing by running charge/discharge cycles on a 14 cell pack
(it managed six) indicates 40Ah of useable capacity, enough for a day's flying.
I have to say, the man in the car spares shop looked a little mystified when I asked
for a battery about this big (holding my hands out) and didn't care what car it was
for! I explained what I was going to use it for and asked him if that would affect
the warranty - "no mate, I just give you another one and send the old one back".
Looks like I'm set for the next four years.
So what are the alternatives? A small petrol generator will set you back the best
part of £400 and still need a lead acid buffer battery, wind generators will only
give enough Amps at wind speeds I don't want to fly in, solar panels that give the
current we need would be large and cost a fortune. Looks like we're stuck with
humping dirt great batteries around until clubs go all electric and have their own
generator at the field. Yeah, I know, in my dreams!
How can you get more flying without lugging a huge battery around? What I do is
charge all the flight packs at home before I go flying and top them up at the field.
You just have to get used to the looks from 'er indoors when you pad about in
your jim-jams before breakfast setting everything up! I do this with the car battery
charger hooked up to the lead acid battery, keeping it topped up so that it loses
hardly any charge by the time I'm ready to go out.
This is safe, your electric flight charger will not see any more voltage than it is
designed for. Hooking an electric flight charger direct to the car battery charger
won't work, the voltage out of cheap chargers can reach over 20V, and (worse) has
a large AC component which will wreak havoc with your expensive toy.
Having the lead acid battery in circuit acts as a damper (a battery can be regarded
as a very large capacitor) ensuring that the nasty AC ripple voltages from the
simple transformer/rectifier in the car battery charger can't get to the flight pack
charger.
There is a body of opinion that says that topping up a pre-charged pack at the
field will not give optimum performance and I suspect this is true, but, since I
don't fly F5B, I'll live with the first flight being perhaps a little shorter.
Quirky, fragile, heavy things, lead acid batteries, I just wish I could get hold of a
ten cell 40Ah NiCd for a reasonable price.
Next time, I'll be talking about some motor queries I've had.
Don't let the smoke out!
28
E.F.-U.K.
Readers' Models
Your chance to show the members your model(s).
Firstly some details
of three models from
Robin Andrew.
Top is a 6 ft (1.8m)
span Tipsy S2 of
1948. It is powered
by a Graupner Ultra
2007 motor on 15
cells, and has a flying
weight of 5 lbs. 2 oz.
(2.3 kg). The colour
scheme is white with
red top decking.
Next is a 6 ft (1.8m)
span Miles Magister
of which nearly 1300
were built between
1937 & 1941. Power
is from a Kontronik
motor & concentric
box on 15 cells giving
a flying weight of 5lbs
(2.5kg) . The colour
scheme is yellow
overall, dark blue
rudder, plus red,
white and blue fin
markings.
Bottom is a 68”
(1.7m) span Chiltern
powered by a Phasor
45/3 motor with 11”
x 5½” APC propeller
and 14 cells. The
flying weight is 5 lb.
6 oz. (2.5 kg). The
colour scheme is red
and black.
E.F.-U.K.
29
Next are details of three models from John Ella.
Firstly he includes details of a recent twin conversion he has completed to a
Galaxy Aerojet. He says that having previously owned and flown an Aerojet powered
by a 540 motor he knew the design was sound and flying qualities good. This lead
him to the decision to make another one as a twin. To streamline the nose it was
faired using block balsa. The nacelles were built up from balsa and liteply, being
simply glued to the underside of the flat-bottomed wing using contact adhesive.
The wires for the motors (wired in parallel) were embedded into the foam wing
before fitting the leading edge strip. In the photograph (above) the top cowls of
the nacelles have been left off until after the first flight to allow easy access. It is
intended to simply tack glue them in place once any tinkering is completed. The
model was finished using tissue and dope, and topped off with Halfords acrylic car
body spray. The whole project has taken John four years from start to finish, and
it’s not even flown yet. This was mainly due to commitments in other areas (Editor:
I know the feeling). John is sure that any reasonable modeller could complete the
task in a few weeks. During ground testing, John considered that the 2 Speed 400
6V motors, with Mini-Olympus belt-drives and APC 8” x 8” propellers, didn’t
produce enough thrust on 7 cells., so he is awaiting a 8 cell pack of CP-1700s (4/
5 Sub-C) as 8 RC-2400s were much better but won’t fit. Span is 48” (1.2m), weight
48 oz. (1.35 kg). Current draw will be about 20A, giving 56W/lb.
30
E.F.-U.K.
Above is John’s Serenade. He says he tried hard to save weight with lightening
holes in the tail surfaces, micro RX, micro servos, etc. The finished all-up weight
is 29 oz. (.82 kg), where the kit quotes 36 to 40 oz. The covering is a mixture of
transparent and opaque SolarFilm. The motor run time is approx. 11 minutes so
really long flights are possible.
Below is John’s own design 60” (1.5m) span sport scale (stand-off - way off) Pilatus
Porter. The urge to build this one stemmed from having built a 48” span OS25
powered design from a Radio Modeller plan in the ‘80s. John loved it’s flying
characteristics and it’s quirky appearance has always appealed to him. He say’s
he knows it is ugly in most peoples’ eyes but he likes it and that’s reason enough
for him to build one! Plus, finding room for the RX, servos and flight battery is
never going to be a problem in a fuselage that spacious. It took John about 5
months of intermittent building to complete the model. Attempts at weight saving
were not too successful, despite the fuselage only having 1/16” balsa sides and 1/
E.F.-U.K.
31
16” balsa doublers up front, and the flying weight is 96 oz. (2.7 kg). It has an
Astro 15G (2.33:1) fitted and is powered by 12 Sanyo RC-2400 cells. The current
draw is approximately 26A with the current Master Airscrew Electric wooden 11”
x 9” propeller, giving a fairly low power loading of 57 W/lb. It is fitted with
functional sprung undercarriage and flaps. To date it has only had one brief proving
flight and John says he needs to experiment with the propeller choice to achieve
that elusive optimization of positive take-off, good cruise and reasonable duration.
32
E.F.-U.K.
This is the Editor’s Easy-Jet, built from the free plan in the April 2002 issue of
RCM&E, with additional notes in the May 2002 issue. It is a 40” (1m) span model,
with a wing area of 274 sq. in (17.7 dm2). To provide a little more power than the
specified Speed 400 6V motors, it is fitted with 2 Multiplex Permax 450 Turbo
motors. These are currently fitted with 7” x 4” APC propellers, which have been
cut down to 6” diameter. These motors are a lot heavier, but will take 20A each if
necessary. Due to the pusher arrangement and the large holes in the front of the
optional ABS nacelles, plenty of cooling air is forced over the brushes.
Due to it requiring separate control linkages for each elevator half, I decided to fit
separate servos for each surface. This allows the elevators to be mixed to ailerons
to give ‘taileron’ control. This function can be disabled using a switch on the TX,
and the increase in roll rate is noticeable when the mix is enabled.
The ailerons each have their own servo as on the plan giving the option of flaperons.
It is set-up with flap to aileron (flaperon) mixing, elevator to flaperon mixing (for
aerobatics) and flaperon to elevator mixing to correct flap induced pitch. It is also
fitted with the optional rudder servo, which really does produce nice stall turns
when deflected at about 45°. With all these options, the flying weight with 8 RC2000 cells is 3 lb. 5¾ oz. (1.5kg). This gives a wing loading of 28.3 oz. / sq. ft. (86
g/dm2), which is rather high for a smallish model. Despite this is, it only dips very
slightly from a reasonable hand launch, even in nil wind conditions.
It really does ‘scoot’ around the sky and performs very pleasing aerobatics (the
rolls are even axial). I would recommend it to anyone looking to build a cheap
sport model. As mentioned the nacelles are available from Nexus, as is a CNC
wood kit and the plan if you missed it.
E.F.-U.K.
33
Meet the Airtimers
by Tony Long
The Airtimer is a 44" (112cm) span lightweight cabin plane powered by a basic
‘400’ motor. It will take-off from realistically short grass and cruise around at low
throttle under easy and accurate control.
It is absolutely ideal for ‘close in’ flying and looks really good purring down the
patch at around eye-level. As somebody observed, “it does to order all those things
you wished your first Ajax would do - but almost never did”.
OK - so what makes an Airtimer different from any other ‘cabin plane’?
1. It is designed to pack away into a really small box - the sort of box you could
easily be forgiven for not remembering you had in the boot.
2. It has an extremely flexible and resilient carbon fibre undercarriage which,
besides being very light, makes a huge difference to performance both on departure
and arrival.
3. It has an unusual dowel-free method of wing fixing.
The original Airtimer Mk 3 in orange and white
34
E.F.-U.K.
A front view of the Airtimer Mk 3
4. It uses a flat-bottom quick-to-build airfoil combined with a down-tilted trailingedge as a sort of permanent ‘flap’ (as an alternative to the packing up required for
an under-cambered section).
5. The undercarriage is mounted directly to the battery hatch cover, which is
retained by breakable pegs. Together with a ramp at the front of the battery box,
this offers a ‘quick way out’ for the pack as well as very easy loading.
The plan, prepared at the request of John Brinkler, should be easy to follow, if not
expertly drawn. However, the following notes may be helpful, particularly in regard
to the undercarriage which, to my mind, is the ‘best bit’.
Fuselage
This is the time-honoured open framework slab-sider, but using hardwood corner
longerons. To make construction really easy. I complete the battery box, the front
and rear formers and ply-laminated nose former first. If these are accurately made
then joining the fuselage sides is both quick and square. Note: At this stage it is
worth trial-fitting the gearbox to the nose former, which is tricky to do in the a
completed airframe.
Wing
Entirely balsa construction, except that the trailing edge is slotted, but not glued
during assembly. Before the tip is fitted, the wing is placed flat on a sheet of 1/16"
(1.6mm) balsa with the trailing edge overhanging. The trailing edge is then pushed
down to form a slight angle and cyano’d. A little sanding will be needed, and extra
care when covering to preserve the ‘flap’ effect.
E.F.-U.K.
35
36
E.F.-U.K.
E.F.-U.K.
37
For anyone interested in building an “Airtimer”, full size copies of this plan are available from Tony Long.
He can be contacted on telephone number 01926 854582 - mostly on windy days.
The Arimter Mk 3 from below, with the battery box and hatch / undercarriagre mount.
Tailplane & Fin
These are separate and detachable. Combined with lightweight snakes and small
plastic clevises which can readily be ‘slipped off’, the fixing system on the plan is
well tried and effective. There is one crucial detail, however, concerning the
transverse 1/16" (1.6mm) ply plate at the base of the fin. The joint here is rather
scanty and is best made with Epoxy, spread around a bit (if you’ll forgive the
technical jargon).
Hingeing is to taste, but if tape is used for the elevator it is advisable to leave a
gap in the middle to minimise the ‘snip-snap’ effect as the tailplane flexes.
The Undercarriage
I do not like wire undercarriages. They often bend - and stay bent - without
offering much shock absorption and they are certainly ‘not like real’. Indeed, if I
could not have worked out a really effective alternative, then the Airtimer would
never have been built.
Stage 1 - Make a (14swg / 2mm) sheet aluminium pattern as detailed on the plan.
Then bend it where marked to form a dummy u/c with a track of 8.7" (22cm). The
axles should be turned slightly in so as to sit roughly square under load.
38
E.F.-U.K.
Stage 2 - Set the dummy upright on a flat board. For this I use large blocks of
balsa from a ‘bargain pack’ and double-sided tape. Note: the end (axle) bends
should be, say, 1/2" (12mm) clear of the board to allow for ‘brushing-off’ of the
epoxy / carbon. Ensure everything is rigid enough to work on.
Stage 3 - Cover the top surface and edges with brown plastic parcel tape - a very
effective release material.
Stage 4 - Cut the carbon weave to size (I have used it both as tape and from a
sheet). This, candidly, is the trickiest part of the job because of its extreme tendency
to fray. My method is to outline the shape required in narrow (7.5mm) Sellotape
and then to cut the piece about 1/8" (3mm) oversize.
This leaves a narrow band of Sellotape to hold the weave in place and it is ground
off when the job is finally cleaned up. As to the shape in question, the carbon cloth
pieces should be to the full template with just a little ‘spare’ at the axle ends. If
that is too wasteful, each ‘leg’ can be cut separately provided a really good overlap
is allowed from on the top.
My ‘recipe’, working from the parcel tape upwards, is as follows:
1 sheet plain typing paper cut 1/8" (3mm) oversize.
2 layers of carbon cloth overall.
1 layer carbon cloth at each of the 4 bends as a reinforcing doubler.
2 further layers of carbon cloth overall.
1 further sheet of typing paper cut to the finished size with the margins
lined in black marker pen (to serve as a guide when cleaning up).
Stage 5 - Make up a pot of slow cure epoxy resin (I use Fibretech flow lotion).
Using a disposable brush, coat the pattern and add the layers of material ensuring
that plenty of resin is stippled into the weave at each stage. The result will look a
bit shaggy round the edges, but don’t despair. (NB: some epoxy is also needed for
the battery hatch).
Stage 6 - After 24 hours the undercarriage may be carefully prised off the pattern
and then cleaned up using a metal cutting disc - following the guidelines on the
paper. Note: it is essential to wear an industrial grade face mask (or respirator)
for this job.
The hope is that you will have ended up with an undercarriage weighing less than
0.7 oz (20g). So far I have used M2.5 x 20mm bolts for the axles, but these can
bend and I plan to change to M3 bolts.
The wheels used are a 2" (50mm) diameter black plastic ‘balloon’ pattern bought
on the free-flight stand for 35p. Due to running on the screw thread, they eventually
need bushing, but should last quite a while without..
E.F.-U.K.
39
Finally - the Hardware
I recommend a Speed 400 motor with a Graupner FG 1.85:1 gearbox. To keep the
nose slim, I cut the flanges off the gearbox and mount it directly on to the nose
former (hence the need for laminated ply). The propeller used is the Graupner
Slim Prop 9" x 5".
I used a Kontronik Sun 1000 (BEC) speed controller and the RX was a very light
Jeti RX4. The servos used were Hitec HS-81.
My usual power pack is a 7 cell Sanyo KR-1000AAU (AA size) pack, although the
battery box (and the aeroplane) will take Sanyo 700AR’s. There is also space for
weight-trimming or an eighth cell, although I’ve never felt the need for that.
I use this set-up for the three Airtimers I have flying (see photograph below) and
I have found no combination that works better. The one variation is between 7.2v
and 6v motors, the latter providing a little more ‘pep’ if the grass is a bit long.
My chosen covering for these models, and some a good deal bigger, is Airspan
(which I prefer to Lightspan).
Again, for anyone interested in building an Airtimer, I can arrange for a full-size
plan. I am found on 01926 854582, mostly on windy days.
(Editor: If you do build an “Airtimer” please let me have details and a photograph
for inclusion in EF-UK).
The Mk 3 (left in orange), Mk 2 (middle - red) and Mk 1 (right - blue) “Airtimers”.
40
E.F.-U.K.
Chorus Gull - An Electric Conversion
by Trevor Hewson
This model is a semi scale rendering of the Percival Mew Gull and appeared as a
free plan in the February 2002 edition of RCM&E.
As presented, the plan is for a .40 - .61 (6.5 - 10 cc) sized engine (although the
review model used a .90! (15 cc)) and has a quoted all up weight of 7¾lb (3.5 kg).
For a 61½” (1.56m) span model, this seemed to me somewhat heavy and I was
surprised to read that it apparently flew well at this weight. Looking at the plan,
it was hard to see how it could weigh so much (a lot of noseweight, perhaps?) and
I convinced myself that, even with 16 - 20 cells on board, an electric version
should still be well within that weight limit.
I contemplated various power options and the longer I thought about it, the more
expensive the preferred option became! Eventually I came back down to earth and
the recently repaired Aveox 1406/4Y, sitting on the bench doing nothing, was
chosen. Decision made, I ordered an Modelair-Tech belt drive, bought a load of
balsa wood and cleared a space on the workbench.
Wings
Apart from thinning down the spars and using laminated rather than sheet balsa
for the wing tips, there wasn't a lot to be changed in the wing. I used 1/16" balsa
for the ribs and cut lightening holes in the ribs and the aileron cores, but beyond
The wing centre section
E.F.-U.K.
41
that, it was really a case of using light wood - one of the benefits of converting a
plan rather than a kit. The 1/8" ply servo mounts were omitted and the servos
mounted through the ribs The ply doublers around the undercarriage mounting
blocks were also thinned - hopefully not too much.
Fuselage (part 1)
Lots more scope for change here: Practically all components were thinned down
at least one size, and all formers aft of the leading edge were made from balsa
rather than Liteply. A top hatch was also sketched in behind the firewall on the
basis that the battery would probably have to go somewhere here. Using the
published dimensions of the gearbox, I was able to establish that the firewall
could be relocated further forward (which gave a bit more flexibility over battery
location) so I cut out a pair of fuselage sides and built just enough of the fuselage
to be able to attach the wing as an alignment reference. The tail end was then
pulled together and work started from that end, awaiting delivery of the gearbox.
The nose section,, showing the belt-drive / motor mounting, prior to sheeting
Tail
On my DC3 I fitted the rudder and elevator servos under the tailplane and it
seemed a good idea to do the same with the Gull. The only snag was that I couldn't
work out a neat access hatch arrangement. One thing led to another and before I
knew it, I had talked myself into making the tail surfaces detachable. This of
course led to much head scratching and complication, but the final arrangement
works well and I don't think it has negated all the weight saving.
42
E.F.-U.K.
The solid sheet tailplane and elevator were of course replaced with built up
components, the fin and rudder being built more or less as per plan. Because the
rudder is attached both to the fin and the lower fuselage, it has to be removed
before the tail and fin can be lifted off. Pinned hinges were therefore used. Fin/
tailplane fairings are 1/16" sheet rather than shaped block.
The completed tail end
Fuselage (part 2)
With the tail end sorted out, the rear fuselage was sheeted in with 1/16" balsa,
until I came to a couple of things that I usually put off for as long as possible - the
cockpit canopy and the wing fairings. Time to take a few more photos and consider
what to do next.
From this point, the construction order was a little unusual. With the gearbox
still delayed, the flying surfaces were covered and, yes, the wing fairings and
canopy had to be tackled. I even made a start on the spats. However, I couldn't
find any suitably slim wheels, so I opted to make my own by the method Mike
Payne described at the 2001 BEFA AGM.
At this point I was offered the loan of a demo model of the gearbox (thanks,
Gordon) so that I could get on with building the front end of the Gull. The MAT
belt drive gearbox is made for beam mounting and also has holes for bulkhead
mounting. After much thought, I went for a combination of both. The gearbox is
mounted onto a bulkhead and this is firmly linked to the original firewall by two
beams which fit snugly against the gearbox, but are not actually attached to it.
E.F.-U.K.
43
The fuselage during construction
This arrangement enables the top of the fuselage, forward of the access hatch, to
be fixed, a small detachable lower cowling giving access to the motor and gearbox.
For the moment, the beams are not glued in position - just in case a change in
powerplant is needed at some point. The picture shows the general arrangement.
The top of the nose section was planked in with 2.5mm balsa to blend in with the
aluminium spinner, and the lower fuselage sheeted in up to the mounting bulkhead.
A 'chin cowl' was then made out of 6mm balsa and a hole was cut in the bottom of
the fus behind the wing. (Sorry, I seem to have had a metric moment, there).
With the fuselage complete and covered, and just the cockpit to fit out, the gearbox
eventually arrived. This gave me the impetus to find and fit a pilot, finish off the
instrument panel and do a power test.
Power Limits
Reading the instructions for the MAT gearbox, I realised that there was a 20,000
motor rpm limit on the belt drive. The next step was to look at the Aveox web site
to see what the current draw would be at 20,000rpm on 16 cells. The answer was
about 27amps. On the face of it this seemed quite reasonable, but Aveox say that,
at this cell count, the motor should only be propped to draw 18amps at full throttle
for sport use. At this current, the 20,000rpm limit is well and truly blown, even
on the ground and, once the model gets moving things will only get worse. First
priority though, was to check out the model so a 13 x 8 Master Airscrew prop was
fitted, which gave a static maximum current draw of just under 24 amps, turning
at 6,200rpm. with the 3.6:1 gear ratio, this equates to 22,320 motor rpm, so care
would be needed with the throttle!
44
E.F.-U.K.
At this point, the model was complete apart from the spats and trousers. So, as a
way of putting off this job a little longer, I opted to fly the model on the grounds
that I could at least check out whether any adjustment to the forward rake of the
undercarriage was needed.
First Flights
After all the usual checks, the Gull was lined up and the throttle opened. The tail
came up pretty well immediately and it was easy to keep straight. Once airborne,
I eased back on the throttle and the model continued to climb steadily. It was very
pitch stable (the marked cg is indeed a bit on the conservative side) and no elevator
trim adjustment was needed. It did though need a good bit of left aileron trim,
which was a bit of a puzzle. Once trimmed, the model handled well but, when the
throttle was opened, there was a rough note to the motor which I suspect was the
belt protesting at the overspeeding. As a result, apart from a gentle half throttle
roll, no aerobatics were tried. Landing was uneventful and, all in all, first
impressions were of a well-mannered aeroplane. A second flight was pretty much
a repeat of the first, so it was back home to sort out the powerplant, the aileron
trim - and the spats and trousers.
The finished Chorus Gull looking very resplendant in gloss red with black trim
Finishing Touches
After checking out the lateral balance, I was forced to the conclusion that the
need for aileron trim must be down to the wing, even though various people had
eyed it up at the field and pronounced it to be straight. With the wing inverted on
E.F.-U.K.
45
the bench (It still had the u/c legs on at this stage), careful measurement did
indeed reveal a slight twist, so there followed some complicated gymnastics with
one wingtip gripped between my feet, the centre between my knees, one hand
twisting the other tip and the other hand weilding the heat gun. It was at this
point that any worries I may have had about overdoing the lightening of the
structure were quashed - this is a very stiff wing! However, after a while, I convinced
myself I had effected some improvement so it was off to the model shop to buy a
selection of 14inch props. - and then build those dreaded spats and trousers.
Take Two
With a 14 x 10 Zinger wooden prop, the static rpm came down to 5,500 (equivalent
to a motor rpm of 19,800) and the current draw went up to just over 27amps. This
is something like the setup I would like to end up with. However I took pity on the
motor at the last minute and dropped down to a 14 cell pack which gave....... well,
exactly the same in fact! Admittedly the 14 cell 2400 pack was fresh off the charger
but this does perhaps indicate that my 1700mAh 16 cell packs are beginning to
show their age. With the 14 cell 2400mAh pack on board, the model weighs in at
a shade under 6lb, complete with spats. The performance with this setup is pretty
sprightly, large loops being possible from level flight. The need for aileron trim
seems to have gone away, so my wing warping session clearly achieved something.
At present I have the timer set to 7m 30s, plus taxiing out and back, so maybe the
motor isn't working too hard after all. Time will tell.
I am well pleased with this project so far and will fly the model for a while in this
configuration. If I do eventually feel the need for more power, it is nice to know
that the model is currently 28oz below the weight of the i.c. prototype!
Specification:
Span
Wing Area
Weight
Wing Loading
Motor / Gearbox
Battery
Propeller
Static Performance
Calculated Thrust
61½ in.
1.56 m
600 sq. in.
38.7 dm2
6 lb. 0 oz.
2.7 kg
23.0 oz. / sq. ft.
70.3 g / dm2
Aveox 1406/4Y + Modelair-Tech 3.6:1 belt drive
14 x Sanyo RC-2400 cells
Zinger 14” x 10”, wooden
5300 RPM @ 27A, giving about 70 W / lb.
4 lb. 7 oz.
2.0 kg
More pictures can be found at http://members.aol.com/tjhewson/, including
the Mike Payne-style wheels.
If you missed the free plan in RCM&E, copies are available from Nexus for £8.00
+ £0.98 P&P. The plan can be ordered aniline at www.modelflying.co.uk, or by
telephone on 01353 654422.
46
E.F.-U.K.
BEFA Word Search
Something a little different this issue. Find all the listed words and read down
for a hidden message. The first correct answer received by the Editor, address
on page 4, will win a prize.
ACTRO
ELECTRIC
MABUCHI
ROBBE
AMPS
FANFARE
MAXCIM
SANWA
ASTROFLIGHT
KONTRONIK
MICROMOLD
SCHULZE
AVEOX
KYOSHO
MULITPLEX
VOLTS
BUZZFLIGHT
MEGA
PLETTENBERG
WATTS
E.F.-U.K.
47
A different “FlexiFlyer”
by Bernie Winters
After reading the Jan’s article on the “FlexiFlyer” in the Spring 2002 issue, and
as I had built and flown a full-size hang-glider in 1975 (with about 100 flights
logged, all be it top to bottom of the hill as the standard Rogallo wing has a glide
slope of only about 4 to 1), I just had build a “FlexiFlyer” as I’m too old to fly the
full size now. I’m glad I did, it is BRILLIANT, and so slow and stable, in fact even
on the test flight.
Photograph taken whilst flying it on the test flight..
I photographed it whilst flying it, and on the 2nd flight I caught it as it came into
land. Now I don’t even go on to the field to take-off, I just take-off and land by the
car in a 40 ft car park.
Trying to get up with the big boys It will fly around your ears, or open the throttle
and let it climb until almost out of sight. Close
the throttle and gently glide back to have a tour
around the car park.
You can see by the photograph that I’ve added
an extra servo to give me pitch control. It now
turns on a sixpence, give it full left or right and
pull the nose up (as we did on the full-size) and
it will turn almost within it’s own length.
48
It can’t do aerobatics, but it’s interesting to see
just what you can get away with, without
E.F.-U.K.
breaking anything - not even the bank.
The wing / sail plastic sheet was donated courtesy of my local garden centre, I
bought a bag of compost and they gave me a large sheet to cover the car boot
carpet. This was just the right size, without a join - nothing high-tech , but it
works.
I rise at about 5:30am during the summer months, look out of the bedroom window,
and if I see that the Poplar trees are not fluttering - I’m at the football pitch / park
by about 6am - The advantages of being retired.
So there you have it, what can I say. This is the model if you want an indoor /
outdoor flyer that you will be flying in small areas you won’t believe. It is a
modellers model of the now out of date standard Rogallo wing, compared to the
modern design of Rogallo wing.
Other than the additional servo (for pitch control), 1/4” spars instead of 1/8” the
model is standard. The equipment is a GWS motor, GWS ICS100 5A controller,
Hitec Feather RX, 2 Hitec HS-55 servos. Add to this a bit of balsa, cheap plastic
sheet and you have the slowest indoor flyer you have ever seen, I think.
I also built the “And-Now” from the same issue. This flies OK, but it needs a bit
of tweaking as I am not too happy flying it. Perhaps it’s me, but after 6 flights
nothing has broken, so it must be good.
The original plan is available from Jan Bassett, address page 4, for £5 incl. P&P.
Showing the additional servo for pitch control - and it works.
E.F.-U.K.
49
Electro Acro-Wotto
by Ray Donno
I had been looking for a model that would be suitable for use in taking 'B'
achievement scheme certificate. In my local model shop, I found a part built ARTF
World Models Sukhoi 30 which seemed to me to be a suitable model. Having
completed assembly of the model and flown it, I was not convinced that it was the
right model for me as it had a few nasty vices. But on the basic flying side of the
model, I had cracked the motor, gearbox and propeller settings, for the equipment
that I had, to satisfaction.
So the model was sold on to a 'wet' flyer. What now I think. I had been considering
the Acro-Wot before I saw the Sukhoi, as it seemed a good candidate, so I purchased
a deluxe kit at Sandown Park. Paul Cook had already done his conversion of the
Acro-Wot with a review in Electric Flight International, but I did not have the
same motor as he had used, so I used the same I had proven worked in the Sukhoi.
The weight and size was similar to the Sukhoi and MotoCalc and ElectriCalc both
seemed happy with my set-up. A telephone call was made to Chris Foss before I
started the build to make sure that any alterations I was going to make would not
cause any weakness in the model. All OK so far, so on to the build with the
following alterations:
The wing was lightened as per the Wot-4 wing.
The tailplane was replaced by a built-up one using 1/4" x 1/2" (6mm x 12mm)
balsa in a zig-zag pattern to the plan view of the original.
The kit fin and all the rest of the kit was used unaltered.
I used individual servos for each aileron, enabling the used of flaps, flaps
coupled to elevator, and the landing setting on my JR X-3810 transmitter.
A hole was cut in the bulkhead to allow cooling air to pass over the batteries
and speed controller, with a 2½" (65mm) air exit hole cut in the bottom of
the rear fuselage just in front of the tail wheel fixing plate.
A top hatch was made between the rear of the cowl and the front of the
canopy and fixed with ply tangs and a small screw. This allows easy
replacement of the battery packs without having to remove the wing.
The radio equipment used for the model is:
JR X-3810 transmitter with PCM NER-649S receiver,
15 Sanyo RC-2000 cells
Max µ35C-21 Speed Controller, using BEC
Maxcim brushless MaxN32-13D motor
Superbox (17T pinion) ratio 3.53:1
Bolly Clubman 11½" x 7" Australia propeller
Servos - 2x SD200 on aileron, 2x Hitec HS-225MG for elevator & rudder.
50
E.F.-U.K.
Specification:
Flying Weight
98 oz. (fuselage 46 oz., wing 20 oz., cells 32 oz.)
Current
35A peak
Power
Peak 630W, dropping to 575W ( 0.8 HP)
This set-up gives ample power for ROG (Run Off Ground) on our grass strip at ¾
throttle within 20' (6m). Climb out can be very brisk, and what I like most (my
favourite model) is the fully aerobatic flight times between 6 and 10 minutes
depending on how much I throw it around.
All in all it was a delight to build, and a delight to fly. Chris has had a good model
for several years, why had I waited so long to own one? I had many enquires as to
'was this a one-off special designed for electric flight only', and my fellow modellers
could not believe that an electric powered Acro-Wot could perform as well with as
much power for manoeuvres as any i.c. powered ones being used in our Club.
I normally only fly for myself, but on one occasion the fliers present all landed and
watched whilst I flew the model. A nice gesture and at least I could hear the motor
running! Comments were nothing but praise for the model, and a little bit for me.
The model, which I call my Acro-Wot 'Electro', is number 40 on my electric models
built list, all constructed since my conversion to electric power in September 1997,
although I started 'wet' RC models in 1965.
The Acro-Wot Electro
E.F.-U.K.
51
Colerne E-Fly 2002
by Jan Bassett
On 8 September 2002, the Bath SpaRCS again organised a fly-in at their Colerne
Site. As you should be able to see from the photographs, the main feature of the
site are the immaculate runways. This year they even managed to organised superb
weather, with a light southerly breeze, broken cumulus clouds and plenty of
sunshine. Many thanks to all at Bath SpaRCS for their hard work.
Unfortunately Bath SpaRCS were informed, the following day, that someone had
stolen some flight safety posters from Air Traffic Control. This is rightly viewed
very badly by the RAF and reflects on us all. Occurrences like these sour relations
with the people whose goodwill and trust we rely on to use MoD land. The selfish,
and thoughtless, actions of one person could so easily cause the loss of use of such
an excellent site. Fortunately, this time, it hasn’t come to that. However, it is
likely that we won’t be allowed access to the Air Traffic Control building, and
therefore the toilets, in future.
Enough of the doom and gloom, on to the models:
At the top (background) of the photograph below is David’s Dragon Fly vintage
model, built from the John Pond plan. It has an 83” (2.1m) span, a 6 sq. ft.
(55.7dm2) area and weighs 9 lb. (4.1kg). It is powered by a Astro 40G (ratio 1.63:1)
with a Kavan 11” x 7¾” propeller and 20 RC-2000 cells.
In the foreground below is the Consolidated Catalina of Terry Mitchel.
52
E.F.-U.K.
Here are 2 shots of Gordon Whitehead’s 1/9th scale MiG 15, which was scratch
built also entirely from balsa with a flying weight of about 6¾ lb. It is fitted with
a Schuebeler DS51 fan with a Plettenberg 220/30/A45 P4 motor plus Schulze 55bo
controller and powered by 22 CP-1700 cells. It is complete with retracts, which
really do look good. ROG seems effortless and it has phenomenal power available
giving an excellent flight performance.
E.F.-U.K.
53
This is another of Gordon Whitehead’s models, a 1/5th scale scratch built de
Havilland Tiger Moth. A Maxcim ‘Y’ motor, 5:1 Monster box, 16” x 10” APC E
prop and 20 RC-2000 cells provide the oomph.
This is the Comet 4c of Chris Golds. It is 86” (2.2m) span and has a wing area of
7.7 sq. ft. (71.5 dm2). It is powered by 4 direct drive 400 motors, in pusher
configuration, running on 10 Sanyo RC-3000H cells. It features retracts and flaps
54
E.F.-U.K.
and weighs about 7½ lbs. (3.4kg). The finish is really good and in flight it is very
authentic looking, helped by the light wing loading. The photograph below is of
the Comet in flight over Colerne.
E.F.-U.K.
55
Two photographs of the Rafale of Kevin Saunders, and was built from the AeroNaut kit, with modified ducting. It is fitted with 2 home made 90mm (3.5”) carbonfibre fan units. Power is provided by 2 Hacker B50 26L brushless motors and 27
cells. It is also fitted with Eurokit retracts. Flying weight is approx. 9 lbs. ROG is
really smooth and it has plenty of power for really good flight performance. The
flight duration is also good, even after taxing out to the strip (above).
56
E.F.-U.K.
A new one for me, Kevin Saunders’ flying Thunderbird 2! This is 24” (0.6m) span
squashed-scale model is powered by an Astro 02 brushless motor on 7 Sanyo
600AE cells and a Günther propeller. Motor, Elevator and Aileron control with a
Gyro on aileron to help improve the stability. It even has a Thunderbird 2 sound
effect chip ... “Thunderbird are go!”. Below is Kevin’s Wattage F22 Raptor. Kevin
has replaced the supplied motor with a direct drive Mega brushless motor, but
other than that it is standard. Flies really well at walk pacing and upwards.
E.F.-U.K.
57
This is the SIAI-Marchetti SM.79 of Lynn Walters. It was scratch built, some time
ago, using mostly balsa with blue foam top decking and nacelles, and is 66” (1.66m)
span. Lynn decided to use the Graupner Ju-52 motor pack , which contains 3
Speed 400 motors, propellers and scale looking propeller adapters. Whilst, the
propellers are not scale for the SM.79, but look much better than sport versions
would. It is normally powered by 7 RC-2000 cells, but Lynn does no occasion use
8 cells. The battery fits in the external fuel tank shown in the photograph below.
58
E.F.-U.K.
Above is Bob Partington with his Hawker Tempest, built from the Ron Daniels
(Canada) kit. It is 45½” (1.16m) span and weighs around 58 oz. (1.64kg). It is
powered by an AXI 2820/10 brushless motor, 11” x 7” propeller and 10 RC-2400
cells. The flight performance is really good with a fast top speed and lots of power.
Below is the BAC TSR2 of Terry Mitchel. It is an electric conversion of the Jeremy
Collins plan, which has been lightened. Instead of the original separate ailerons
and elevator, Terry has modified it to have tailerons. It has a WeMoTec 480 fan
with Kontronik BL480-33 brushless motor, Kontronik 55 Beat controller and 14
CP-1700 cells. This gives approx. 2 lb. (9N) of thrust for a 3¾ lb. (1.7kg) model.
E.F.-U.K.
59
"KILLER - DILLER"
by John Norman
In my article, "Experiments with Alternative Modelling Materials" (published in
E.F.-U.K. issue 65, page 18), I described two of my "cardboard creations". One of
them, the twin 400 powered "T-T", had not been flown.
I can now report that it flies really well, handling very much like an i.c. powered
aileron trainer - but sounding much nicer (Editor: and much quieter). So far a six
cell 1200 mAh NiCd pack (weighing 10 oz.) and a 10 cell 1000 mAh Nickel Metal
Hydride (NiMH) pack (weighing 7.3 oz.) have been used.
The original Fleet controller I had fitted would not work properly with the green
NiMH cells. The problem was that the power cut-off operated as soon full throttle
was applied. It was changed to a Multiplex Pico Duo (Part No. 75024), which
works fine with these green NiMH cells.
I think this is because the Multiplex controller has a "low voltage guard". The
green NiMH cells I use do drop in voltage alarmingly during discharge.
I also include details and photograph of my latest bit of paperwork -"Killer - Diller".
This also runs off green NiMH cells with a Multiplex Pico 400 controller. The
pack used consists of eight AAA Varta cells of 700 mah capacity. The pack, which
weighs 3.75 oz, gives plenty of power and good duration.
“Driller - Killer”, a simple but effective design
60
E.F.-U.K.
The details of “Killer - Diller” are:Wing Span:
34 in.
Wing Chord:
6 in.
Wing Area:
204 sq. in.
Wing Section:
Semi-symmetrical
Fuselage length:
22”
Weight:
14.75 oz. without power pack
18.5 oz. with pack.
Controls:
Ailerons (Spoilerons)
Elevator
Throttle
Motor:
Multiplex Permax 400, 6 volt
Propeller:
Robbe 5” x 3” folder
Battery Pack:
8 cell, Varta AAA 700mAh NiMH cells
Current draw:
11A
Power:
approximately 70W
My only concern is that the green NiMH cell packs may not last very long. They
get very hot and are clearly not intended to discharge at 11 Amps, even if only for
short bursts.
To conclude I am so pleased with "Killer - Diller" that I’m planning a slightly
refined MK II, and I’m saving cornflakes packets for the covering!
“Killer - Diller” about to be launched
E.F.-U.K.
61
Progress Report on the
BEFA League 2002
by Dave Perrett
From the previous reports in this magazine most of you will know that BEFA
runs a league competition for electric gliders at various locations around the
country. There are two classes, one for Speed 400 motors (E400) and one for any
other motors (Electroslot) both using a maximum of seven cells. The aim of the
competition is to fly for a total of twelve minutes (including the motor run) and to
land as close as you can to a located spot. You can switch the motor on and off but
for no longer than a total of one minute and thirty seconds in the 400 class and
for one minute in the other or unlimited class. Three rounds are flown for the 400
class and five for the unlimited class. You may recharge the battery between rounds
in the 400 class but the five rounds in the other class must be flown on a single
charge. Easy enough-or maybe not!!!
Having described what it is all about I will try to give you an impression of what
has taken place at the events that have taken place so far this year;
1. Pillerton Hersey - 28th April
For the past year or two Pillerton seems to have been dogged by bad weather for
our April meeting. Despite the dire weather forecast several regulars and a few
new faces tuned up eager to return to combat. For once, the forecast was all too
correct and the contest was called off. Happily however John Lewthwaite invited
us up to his farmhouse where we had a coffee and a pleasant chat.
2. Leicester - 19th May
Dave Andrews provided us with a new location for our league events and what a
splendid site it turned out to be .If you could hit a tree in this one you would need
to be nearly out of sight. The weather was equally good if a little windy. The
breeze took Steve Mettam’s 400 model so far downwind that he just managed to
get back to the field after exhausting every bit of his battery. It was a pleasant
leisurely meeting enjoyed by all of those that had made the trip.
3. Leamington - 2nd June
Another good day weather wise except that the wind was coming from over the
school buildings. This created quite a bit of turbulence and you could be in difficulty
if you flew fairly low over them. A fair mixture of results but Tony Brindle once
again showed us he was the one to beat
4. Middle Wallop - 6th July
This was the first day of the two-day BEFA meeting and we flew on restricted
frequencies at a sensible distance from the Fly for Fun fliers. Middle Wallop must
62
E.F.-U.K.
be the finest model flying location in this country and the weather was superb.
Whenever I have been there it has been windy but not on this occasion. Unhappily
the entry was poor, particularly for the open class. However (apart from me who
crashed my 400 model) I think everyone enjoyed it, particularly the full size fly
past by a d.H. Beaver and an assortment of helicopters
5. Nationals, Spittalgate - 25th August
This was the best attended event of the year so far. The weather remained overcast
and we had a fairly long shower at midday. Not a lot of wind and very few thermals.
The sailplanes of the F3J boys on the other side of the field plodded upwind and I
saw few signs of them making thermal turns.
Our flying was much the same but remarkably most of the 400 class recorded
maximum times and your landing bonus proved to be vital. Indeed, of a potential
best score of 3000, seven fliers achieved more than 2900 (Is it time to change our
motor run time again!!?)
I must applaud Bob West who is new to the league this year. Shortly before the
Nationals he had both models and equipment stolen from his car yet still managed
to turn up with a 400 model and do well.
Thanks also to Bob Smith who ran the event very effectively without even the
incentive of flying in it
The first three BEFA members in each event were as follows:
E 400
Leicester
Leamington
Middle Wallop Nationals
1st
Trevor Grey
Tony Brindle
Trevor Grey
Dave Chinery
2nd
Bob West
Dave Perrett
Bob Smith
Tony Brindle
3rd
Dave Taylor
Steve Mettam
Dave Taylor
Dave Perrett
Electroslot
1st
Dave Perrett
Tony Brindle
Dave Perrett
Tony Brindle
2nd
Dave Andrews
Dave Andrews
Stan Rose
Rod Holmes
3rd
Dave Taylor
Stan Rose
Trevor Grey
Steve Mettam
Those are the events so far, with two (maybe three) to run .The best three in each
class is still wide open. Details of model specifications, the remaining comps. and
the full results so far, are on the web site. Why not come along and join us.
The comps. are friendly, fairly low key affairs where, if nothing else, you can hone
your skills. Models need not necessarily be high-tech. Several people have turned
up this year with traditional built up models and have done well
There is a great deal of satisfaction in making a long thermal flight but if you can
do it in competition then that satisfaction is greatly enhanced. Try it and see!!
E.F.-U.K.
63
FOR SALE / WANTED
Member's Sales & Wants
For Sale on behalf of the estate of the late Sqn Ldr Ken Wood, MBE. All reasonable
offers considered as his daughter mainly wants them to go to a good home. The
models are all fully built and shipping would be difficult. Delivery and/or viewing
can be arrange at any of the BEFA fly-ins. All have been statically tested and are
fully functional. For more details (or digital photographs), contact Jan Bassett on
01935 472743 or email jan.bassett@electric-flight.org.uk:
• Graupner Electro-UHU (1.9m span version) with SpeedGear 500 2.8:1,
Graupner 12” x 10” folding propeller, Fleet FPS-24A speed control, Micron
Mini Rx, 2 x Futaba S133 servos. Only requires a 7 cell Sub-C pack to fly.
• Graupner Electro-UHU (1.6m span version) with SpeedGear 500 2.8:1,
Graupner 12” x 10” folding propeller, Fleet FPS-24A speed control, µ6Rx,
2 x Futaba S133 servos. Only requires a 7 cell Sub-C pack to fly.
• Goldberg Electra powered sailplane with modified nose shape (78” span
single-piece wing of 663 sq.in.). Fitted with 1x Hitec HS-80 and 1x Futaba
S143 servos. The motor mounting tube is designed for a Keller 22/12
motor, but would fit a Speed 600 motor & compact gearbox with little or
no modification. Covered in SolarFilm, the fuselage, fin and wing centre
panels are red, with the tailplane, elevator and rudder in white and yellow
outboard panels on the wings. Intended for 7 Sub-C cells, but would take
8x Sub-C or 10x 4/5 Sub-C.
• Goldberg Electra powered sailplane with modified nose shape (78” span
single-piece wing of 663 sq.in.). Fitted with Keller 22/12 motor, Graupner
10” x 6” folding propeller, Fleet FPS-24A speed control, Micron Mini Rx
and 2x Fleet FPS-18 mini servos. Covered overall in Fibafilm with the
fuselage, elevator & rudder in white and the wings, tailplane & fin in red.
Intended for 7 Sub-C cells, but would take 8x Sub-C or 10x 4/5 Sub-C.
For Sale by Eric Cable, the following motors which are boxed and unflown.
Contact Eric on telephone 01935 478974 (Yeovil).
• Plettenberg HP 200/20/12 motor - £75
• Astro 05 FAI, 6 turn motor, geared 2.2:1 - £95
• LRP Super 400 - £25
For Sale by Dave Chinery, a Aveox 1406-2Y and controller - £120 ono. Contact
him on 020 8573 4687 or at email DavidDchinery@aol.com
64
E.F.-U.K.
For Sale by Neil Stainton, telephone him on 01926 314011 or email at
neil@tailormadesoftware.com
• New Aveox 27/26/2Y high efficiency motor - £79
• An Aveox F16FMR competition / hot sports brushless motor including
integral 3.7:1 gearbox (see photograph below). Also included (not shown)
is a matching Aveox L160 60A controller - £185
• New Mega AC brushless n22/30/4 motor. 10-30 cells, max 40A - £65
• New Jeti 40-3P brushless controller - £63
• New Jeti 70-3P brushless controller - £79
• Ceto 35Mhz receiver with 2 WES Technik 2.4g servos and JMP 6A ESC
(see photograph below). Complete weight of Rx / ESC / servo brick is 10g.
Rx xtal not included - £75
• 2 x WES Technik 2.4g servos - £32 each
Aveox F16FMR brushless motor
CETO RX, 2 WES servos & JMP ESC
Wanted by the Editor (contact details on page 4) any of the following:
• Articles
• Photographs of models (with dimensions & equipment installed please).
All photographs will be returned after publication (unless you specify otherwise).
• New items of interest for inclusion in this magazine
Requests for inclusion in the For Sale & Wanted pages can be made by email, post
or by telephone, to the Editor using the contact details on page 4. Entries can also
be submitted on-line from the For Sale & Wanted page on the BEFA website at
www.befa.org.uk
If you wish to have pictures included with your entry, post photograph prints, or
email graphic files, to the Editor.
Adverts will be included in both E.F.-U.K. and on the BEFA Website unless
instructed otherwise.
E.F.-U.K.
65
Electric Flight Calendar
If you would like details of your event to appear in these pages please send full
details to the Editor, contact details on page 4.
Dates, times and, even, locations of events can change at the last minute. You are
strongly advised to check on events with the given contacts before setting out on
a long journey to any event. You are asked to please check with the organisers of
non-BEFA events for their requirements.
All BEFA flying events require proof of BMFA or equivalent insurance
to fly. Additionally, all models must have been satisfactorily test flown
prior to the BEFA event to fly - no test flights on the day. BEFA has not set
qualifications to fly at our events. All that is expected is basic flying competency,
no BMFA certificates are required to fly.
October 2002
5th
BMFA Northern Area Indoor fly-in. The first of this years
Northern Area Indoor Fly-ins, and at a new venue this year - The
Brooksbank School, Victoria Road, Elland (J24 M62, Blackley New
Road 1 mile, right into Victoria Road, right into Linden Road). Flying
between 2pm & 6pm, all frequencies (TX pennant mandatory). Proof
of BMFA insurance essential. The CD reserves the right to ground
unsuitable models. Low key flying slots for Aerobatic, Scale, Slowfly,
and Helicopter. No free flight or I/C. Sub 400 motors only. Soft shoes
must be worn in the hall. No Smoking. Pilots £5 for any number of
models, spectators £1 (free parking). For more details contact John
Thompson, on 01924 515595 or at j.thompson3@ntlworld.com
November 2002
2nd
BMFA Northern Area Indoor fly-in. See 5th October 2002 for
information on the event, prices and contact details.
3rd
BEFA Technical Workshop at The Royal Centre, Royal Leamington
Spa, Warks. The long established BEFA Technical Workshop returns
for another year.
The format will be the same as that used in recent years, with the
doors opening at 10am for entry to the Traders’ Fair. There will be
usual three talks on various subjects. Unfortunately we can’t confirm
the subjects at the time of going to press as they are still being
finalised. We will also be running a raffle for various prizes donated
to the BEFA.
The Bring & Buy stand will be present and items can be deposited
from 9am, with sales starting at 10am when the main doors open. If
you wish to deposit items with the Bring & Buy stand, it is a lot
66
E.F.-U.K.
easier (especially for us) if you bring a pre-completed registration
form with you. Copies of the Bring & Buy registration form are
available to download from the BEFA website, or can be obtained
from the Editor by sending an S.A.E. tothe address on page 4.
Tickets will be available on the door at £8 each, or advance tickets
can be purchased at a reduced price of £6 each. Applications for
advance tickets are to be sent to Gordon Tarling (address on page 4)
with an S.A.E. Cheques to be made payable to B.E.F.A. Please allow
sufficient time for the tickets to reach you.
December 2002
7th
BMFA Northern Area Indoor fly-in. See 5th October 2002 for
information on the event, prices and contact details.
January 2003
11th
BMFA Northern Area Indoor fly-in. See 5th October 2002 for
information on the event, prices and contact details.
February 2003
1st
BMFA Northern Area Indoor fly-in. See 5th October 2002 for
information on the event, prices and contact details.
March 2003
1st
BMFA Northern Area Indoor fly-in. See 5th October 2002 for
information on the event, prices and contact details.
9th
BEFA Annual General Meeting at the Royal Centre, Royal
Leamington Spa, Warks. This will be the usual format of Traders’
Fair and Bring & Buy opening at 10am, followed by the AGM starting
at 1:30pm. The Bring & Buy stand will close promptly at 1pm to
allow it to be cleared prior to the start of the AGM. As usual we will
be running a raffle for various prizes donated to the BEFA by the
Traders’. More information in the next issue.
Roger Winsor is standing down as Treasurer and formal nominations
are sought for this post. All nominations must be submitted in writing
to the Secretary, address on page 4, and require a proposer and
seconder that are BEFA members.
July 2003
27th
Bath SpaRCS Fly-In at Colerne. Just to let you note it in your
diaries, more information to follow.
For last minute information on BEFA events, check out the events list onthe
BEFA website at www.befa.org.uk
E.F.-U.K.
67
NEW TO ELECTRIC FLIGHT?
START HERE . . . . .
You may be taking up Electric Flight for the first time, you may be converting
from another discipline. Whatever your situation, help and advice is available.
BEFA has prepared an information sheet which details further sources of
information which you may find useful when just joining the hobby. To receive a
copy, please send a Stamped Addressed Envelope (SAE) to Robert Mahoney, address
on page 4.
BEGINNER'S GUIDE
A Beginner’s Guide to Electric Flight is available, which explains many of the
'Mysteries' of Electrics’ and will, hopefully, set you off on the right foot. Please
send £3.00, per copy required, to The Editor of EF-UK at the address on page 4.
Please add £1.00 extra for overseas postage and remit in Sterling, cheques payable
to BEFA.
TECHNICAL HELP SERVICE
Technical help is now available again for the use of all members. We regret that
no telephone service is available, but all questions in writing (or email) will be
answered by our new Technical Liaison Officer (TLO). Please refer your queries
to our TLO, to the postal or email address on page 4. Please ensure that you
include an SAE for a reply.
CONNECTIONS SERVICE
Requests are frequently received from members who wish to be put in contact
with other members living in the same area. The easiest method of doing this is
to place a free 'wanted' advert in the classified section of this magazine.
Alternatively, a request may be made IN WRITING to the Membership Secretary
who is allowed to divulge such information to members ONLY. Please supply as
much information about your location as possible and please remember to include
an SAE for your reply.
B.E.F.A. MEMBERSHIP
Membership of the Association is open to all members of the BMFA. Those who
are not members of our national controlling body may only subscribe to EF-UK
with no other benefits of membership. Overseas members are very welcome and
will be classed as full members if they belong to their own national controlling
body.
CONTACT
For full details, please send an SAE to the Membership Secretary (address on page
4) requesting a membership application form. Those with Internet access may
visit the B.E.F.A. website at http://www.befa.org.uk, where you will find all the
membership application form & information you should require.
68
E.F.-U.K.
MAIL ORDER MODEL SUPPLY
GOLD PLUGS Ideal for Speed 400/600
2mm plug 75p; cuts into two giving one plug/socket
2mm solder socket 43p. 2mm plug and a 2mm socket £1.15
Lightweight 2mm plug and socket 55p; Max 15A motor current draw
Spares. 2mm light plug 40p. 2mm light socket 20p
Pack of red/black shrink: 3.2mm or 4.8mm 50p
GOLD PLUGS 600 or larger motor
4mm plug 90p; cuts into plug/socket. Very low resistance
4mm hollow plug and a separate 4mm solder socket £1.15
Spares. 4mm hollow plug 85p. 4mm solder socket 43p
Lightweight 4mm plug and socket 75p; Max motor current 35A suggested
Spares. 4mm light plug 55p. 4mm light socket 25p
Pack of red/black shrink: 6.4mm £1.25: 4.8mm 75p
Providing that you bear in mind the suggested amp ratings all the 2mm and 4mm plugs are
interchangeable. All fit any of the same size.
EXTRA FLEXIBLE WIRE. 0.5mm2, 129 strands, Max 10A, 35p/metre
Red or Black or White. Park Flyers etc. or servo extensions.
EXTRA FLEXIBLE WIRE
Supplied in packs of 1 metre of red and 1 metre of black, i.e. 2 metres of wire
0.75mm2, 196 strands; ideal for weight saving, Max 15A, £1.00/pack
1.00mm2, 258 strands; ideal for weight saving for speed 400, Max 19A, £1.40/pack
1.50mm2, 378 strands; ideal for speed 400, £2.00/pack
4mm2, 1036 strands; £3.50/pack
SILICONE INSULATED WIRE. Pack of 1 metre of red and 1 metre of black
1.5mm2, 378 strands. £2.50
2.5mm2, 651 strands. £3.00
All wire can be cut off the roll, in longer lengths if required.
CELL HEATSHRINK metre lengths
25mm 50p; suits single AAA or AA cells or any same size
48mm 75p; suits single sub C cells/sticks or packs of dumpy 600
65mm 85p; suits 1700 or 2000 packs, also RC oblong sticks etc.
94mm 95p; suits double deck packs (1700 etc.)
All sizes layflat width, supplied in clear. 48mm available in opaque blue also.
WIRE HEATSHRINK metre lengths
1.6mm 50p; 2.4mm 60p; 9.5mm £1.00. Black only
3.2mm 75p; 4.8mm 80p; 6.4mm 95p. All in red or black.
ALL ORDERS PLUS POSTAGE: 60p UK; £1.10 Europe; £1.70 World
M. E. DONKIN, 37 WYDALE ROAD, OSBALDWICK, YORK, YO10 3PG
Tel/Fax 01904 414738. Mobile 0771 202 8329.
E-mail: michael@moms63.freeserve.co.uk or modelsupply@netscapeonline.co.uk
All messages - an attempt will be made to contact you. (I work shifts)
Computer faxes must send start signal before my fax will respond!
E.F.-U.K.
69
B.E.F.A. Sales
BEFA Round, Coloured Rub-down Decals - 50p each
BEFA 2000' Millennium Decals - £1.00 each
Back Issues of EF-UK - No's 38, 39, 40, 41, 43, 44, 47, 48, 49, 51 to 63 (inclusive)
at £1.00 each for BEFA members, or £2.00 each to non-members. Issues 64, 65,
66, 67 and 68 are also available to BEFA members at £3.00 each, or £5.00 each to
non-members. These prices include UK P&P, overseas rates on application.
Please Note these are the ONLY back issues still available.
EF-UK Index. A comprehensive index of EF-UK from issue 28 to 59 is available
by sending a £1 coin to cover copying and postage cost.
Binders:- are available to hold eight issues of Electric Flight U.K. Produced in
dark blue with gold lettering on the spine, these cost £4.50 each including U.K.
postage. Please add £1 for European postage and £2 for Worldwide postage.
Sweat Shirts & Tee-Shirts: Stock of these is now almost all gone - please
contact Robert Mahoney regarding remaining stock, sizes and prices.
Please send all orders to Robert Mahoney at the address on page 4.
PLEASE REMIT IN STERLING ONLY,
WITH ALL CHEQUES MADE PAYABLE TO B.E.F.A.
Advertisers Index
BEFA Sales .................................................................. 70
Buzzflight .................................................................... 23
E-Zone ...............................................Inside Front Cover
Fanfare ............................................... Inside Back Cover
BEFA For Sale / Wanted .............................................. 64
Mail Order Model Supply............................................ 69
Traplet ............................................. Outside Back Cover
E.F.-U.K. advertising rates are £20 per full page, £10 per half page, per issue.
Please contact the Editor for further information.
70
E.F.-U.K.
– MAIL ORDER –
SPORTS ELECTRIC FLIGHT
FANS AND GEARBOXES
www.fanfare.f9.co.uk
GEARBOXES
FANS
Morley ‘Jet Elec’ Fan .............................. £15.00
Adaptors for
480 & 410 motors .................................... £3.00
WeMoTec MiniFan 480 .......................... £28.00
MidiFan for 540’s, 600’s 930’s .............. £38.00
MOTORS
WEP Turbo 10 ........................................ £55.00
Speed 500 E Race ................................. £14.00
Speed 600 8.4v BB SP .......................... £15.00
Speed 600 8.4v Race ............................ £18.00
Speed 650 9.6v BB Race ...................... £33.00
Speed 700 ............................................. £22.00
Neodym ..................................... £38.00
RE 380 / Rocket 400 ................................ £4.50
Speed 480 PB .. £14.00 BB ................ £19.00
Pro 400 ............... £5.00 Pro 480 .......... £6.00
Master Airscrew 2.5, 3, 3.5:1 ............... £16.00
TAB Inline 2.65 540/600’s .................... £40.00
TAB Inline 2.08 & 3.05 480’s ............. £40.00
TAB Inline 2.1 700’s .............................. £50.00
Mini Olympus ....... £8.00 Olympus ...... £12.00
MOTORS / GEARBOXES
MFA 2.5:1 N.I.L. with 540 ...................... £21.00
Speed 400 FG3 ..................................... £17.00
SpeedGear 400 4:1 Inline ...................... £32.00
SpeedGear 480 3.45:1 .......................... £46.00
SpeedGear 500 2.8:1 ............................ £40.00
SpeedGear 600 2.8:1 ............................ £41.00
SpeedGear 700 2.7:1 9.6v .................... £60.00
SpeedGear 700 Neo .............................. £78.00
Mini-Olympus & RE380 .......................... £12.00
Olympus & 540 ...................................... £19.00
Robbe 410/35/45 ................................... £36.00
MAXCIM BRUSHLESS
Max Neo 13Y 1430 rpm/v ................... £160.00
Max Neo 13D 2470 rpm/v .................... £160.00
21 Cell Controller ................................. £140.00
25 Cell Controller ................................. £180.00
Superbox 1.6 to 4.28:1 ......................... £50.00
Monsterbox 4 to 6.8:1 .......................... £60.00
Motor Mount ........................................... £12.00
CHARGERS
Speed 1 Pulse / Pk
Det 4-8 cells ........................................... £25.00
Speed Ex Digital
as above with discharge ...................... £55.00
Simprop 25 cell .................................... £100.00
PROPS
M.A. Folding
12x8 ............... £12.50
15x12 ............. £13.50
M.A. Wood Electric
10x6/10x8 ........ £3.75
11x7/11x9 ........ £4.00
12x8/12x10 ...... £4.25
13x8/13x10 ...... £4.50
Carbon Folders
7x4 ................... £6.00
(Perkins)
8x4.5 ................ £6.00
11x8 ................. £9.00
Slimprops 8x4, 8x6, 9x5, 9x6 .............. £3.50
APC Electric
6” - 12” dia. .............. £4.00
(full range available) 13 ” - 18” dia. ..... £5 to £10
Selection of Graupner & Aeronaut
folding & fixed props.
Wheels, Wire, Servos, Fuses, Caps,
Powerpole, 4mm & 2mm gold conns.
FANFARE • 18 HILLSIDE ROAD • TANKERTON • WHITSTABLE • KENT • CT5 3EX
‘Sports Electric’ Helpline - Phone / Fax: (01227) 771331 - E-mail: john.swain1@virgin.net
Now online at - www.fanfare.f9.co.uk