electric flight uk - British Electric Flight Association

ELECTRIC FLIGHT U.K.
ISSUE No. 68 SPRING 2002
THE MAGAZINE OF THE
BRITISH ELECTRIC
FLIGHT ASSOCIATION
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Electric Flight - U.K.
Issue 68 - Spring 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 Addresses ................. 4
Chairman's Chatter ............................... 5
Current Lines ......................................... 5
New-2-U ................................................ 6
Report on the 2002 AGM ...................... 7
Your New Techie ................................. 10
Hints & Tips ........................................ 11
F.F.X. Park Fighter .............................. 12
Non-rechargeable Lithium Cells ......... 16
Readers' Models .................................. 18
The Ramoser VarioPROP .................... 21
Ron Fikes’ FlexiFlyer Review ............. 25
Introducing the T-IFO ......................... 30
“And Now?” - Free Plan ..................... 34
TorqueMax LRK DIY Brushless ......... 39
Pillerton Hersey 2001 Fly-In ............... 49
Foamworks Fokker D VII - Part 1 ...... 51
For Sale ................................................ 56
Event Calendar .................................... 59
New to Electric Flight? Start Here ...... 68
BEFA Sales .......................................... 70
Advertisers Index ................................ 70
Cover Photo: This photograph is of the Editor’s (late) dH 98 Mosquito, finished
as the prototype TR33 variant. If your not familar with the TR33, it was a Torpedo
Reconnaisance version for the Royal Navy, and later production models featured
folding wings. The model’s span is 71” (1.8m), wing area 735 sq. in. (47.4dm2)
and weight 12 lb. 4 oz. (5.55kg) ready to fly. Power was from 2 Astropower Leisure
(Australia) ND-10 motors (12-14 cell wind) running in parallel, through 2 Gordon
Tarling Micro-Star 40 speed controllers, on 16 RC-2000 cells and Master Airscrew
Wood 12” x 8” propellers. I have recently scraped it as it broke it’s back, when it
flipped over in long grass after a failed take-off attempt.
NEXT ISSUE. The copy date for the Sunmer 2002 issue is 1 June 2002, with the
magazine due for publication by 1 July 2002.
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.
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
peter@alport.fsnet.co.uk
David Andrews
2 Gainsborough Road, Kibworth Harcourt, Leicester. LE8 0SG
Email:
Treasurer
Roger Winsor
14 Butler Gardens, Market Harborough, Leics. LE16 9LY
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
bbba18333@blueyonder.co.uk
Dave Perrett
10 High Lees, Sharnford, Leicester. LE10 3PW
Tel:
Webmaster
gordon.tarling@ntlworld.com
01455 272297,
Email:
d.l.perrett@btinternet.com
Jan Bassett, details as Editor EF-UK.
Please enclose an SAE with all correspondence to the committee.
4
E.F.-U.K.
Chairman’s Chatter
Welcome to a new seasons flying and another issue of the Association’s magazine.
As your Chairman, I would like to welcome four new members to the committee.
Firstly, Dave Andrews has taken over the Membership Secretary job as a full
member of the committee. Peter Turner is the Secretary, Dave Perrett the Public
Relations Officer (PRO) and Alan Bedingham the Technical Liaison Officer (TLO)
respectfully. These last three are to be co-opted by the committee for a year at
the next committee meeting. This is probably the first time that all the committee
posts have been filled in the history of the BEFA.
Some of you may know or not that I was the membership secretary for over 11
years! And via this column I would like to thank all committee members past
and present, who have helped me over the years.
As you will see later in this issue the event’s pages are fuller than before! If you
have an event that is not in the list please let Jan know so we can get it on our
web pages.
That’s all for now so KEEP THE WATTS UP!
Robert Mahoney
Current Lines
from the Editor
This, my 4 issue, has been the hardest to produce as little information was
submitted, and I had to generate quite a lot of the content myself. The majority
of the articles relate to indoor flying, which is not surprising considering it’s
popularity and recent the weather.
th
Unfortunately John Brinkler is unable to continue as the Editor’s Assistant,
and I’d like to thank John for his work over the past issues.
During these issues, we have moved to much more of the magazine being passed
to the printer electronically. This is partly because about half of the photographs
supplied to me are from digital cameras. I have also been scanning the prints
supplied and passing the raw & edited images to the printers, helping to reduce
the workload for the printers. Whilst we had a few minor problems initially, I
hope that everyone is now happy with the content and quality.
This issue was delayed very slightly so that reports from the AGM could be
included. This also allowed the inclusion of Membership Renewal form in the
centre pages. Please remember that the form should be sent to David Andrews
in his new role of Membership Secretary.
Jan
E.F.-U.K.
5
New-2-U
A Brief Round-up of New Items of Interest
The above is the new Hummingbird electric control line model from Buzzflight, which
was introduced on 31st January 2002.
The Hummingbird is 400mm (15½”) span, powered by a direct drive Speed 400
motor, and is a slab-sided, no-frills, little cutie. One of the key points is that the
battery is worn by the pilot (usually on their back in a haversack), so the model
doesn’t carry the weight of the pack. It is flown on 6m (19½’) lines using a 7Ah
12v Lead-Acid Gel cell, so extremely long running times are possible between
charges. This makes flying indoor a reality given a large enough hall.
Flick the switch, as many circuits as you want on the ground, a slow raise of the
arm and presto! Or if the nerves are trembling, switch off to regain composure.
Once airborne, lower the arm and she’s back on the ground, motor still at full
bore ready to go again, or switch off to bring to rest. Certainly a stable flight
pattern and a gentle response to the controls has been achieved. As a trainer, she
exceeded the designers expectations. A sports model she’s not, but guess what is
coming off the drawing board next?
For kit / plan options, price information and contact details, see the advertisement
on page 55.
6
E.F.-U.K.
Report on the 2002 AGM
by Bob Smith
This is a brief outline of the proceedings and outcome of the 11th BEFA Annual
General Meeting held at 1.30 pm on Sunday 10th March 2002 at the Royal Spa
Centre, Leamington Spa. The report follows the pattern adopted over recent
years and is intended as an aide memoir both for those who were not present
and perhaps for those who were.
The initial business of the meeting was straightforward and covered the minutes
of the 10th AGM, Officer's reports, etc. The first major item was the setting of
membership subscriptions.
The proposal from the Treasurer and the Committee was based upon a £1 increase
to the rates and this was accepted by the meeting. The new subscriptions will
therefore be £20 for UK members, £22 Europe, and £26 remaining Overseas.
The meeting also agreed to the reappointment of Mr M W Gibson as Auditor for
the 2002/2003 year.
There were no formal motions for the meeting and the business moved to the
election of Officers. All those retiring committee members who were offering
themselves for re-election were elected as follows:
Terry Stuckey was re-elected as Events Co-ordinator.
Jan Bassett was re-elected EF-UK Editor.
Robert Mahoney was re-elected as Chairman.
Gordon Tarling was re-elected Free Flight & Indoor representative.
This still left several vacancies to be filled on the committee and consideration of
these commenced with the post of Membership Secretary. A formal nomination
with proposer and seconders had been received for this post and David Andrews
was duly elected.
Unfortunately the remaining positions had not received formal nominations,
however, there were several volunteers from the floor. In these circumstances it
was agreed that the following persons would be submitted to the next Committee
meeting to be co-opted for the year to March 2003.
Peter Turner as Secretary
Dave Perrett as Public Relations Officer
Alan Bedingham as Technical Liaison Officer
With these co-options the committee will be complete for the first time in several
years. This will help to reduce the workload of the other committee members,
who have been sharing the work of the vacant jobs.
E.F.-U.K.
7
The meeting then moved on to the presentation of the Associations awards for
the 2001 season:
a)
The QFI Trophy - The committee had decided that no significant
technical advances had been observed during 2001, and that therefore
the award would not be presented this year.
b)
The Exide/ Drydex trophy was awarded to Robin Fowler for his
Liberator model. Unfortunately he was not present at the meeting to
collect the trophy.
c)
BEFA Electroslot League
Winner
Bob Smith
Second
Dave Perrett
Third
Stan Rose
Bob Smith (left) being awarded the Shield and trophy for winning both the ElectroSlot
and E400 competitions by Robert Mahoney.
d)
8
BEFA E400 League
Winner
Bob Smith
Second
Dave Perrett
Third
Stephen Mettam.
E.F.-U.K.
Dave Perrett collecting the combined prize for second place in the ElectroSlot and
E400 competitions
Stan Rose collecting his award for coming Third in Electroslot
Unfortunately Stephen Mettam was unable to be present at the AGM to collect
his award for Third place in E400.
The meeting was concluded with a general discussion of association activities.
E.F.-U.K.
9
Your New Techie
by Alan Bedingham
Those of you at who were at the Annual General Meeting will know that I agreed
to be co-opted on to the committee as your new Technical Liaison Officer. I
thought it might be a good idea to tell you a little about me and how I can
(hopefully) help you.
Talking to Stephen Mettam one day, he told me that the typical EFI reader was,
how shall I put this, somewhat older than average, so I fit the profile nicely
being rather grey in the hair department and retired. Best job I've never had!
My training was as a mechanical engineer and career development courses have
qualified me in computing and electronics, interests I still have.
I've been playing with model aeroplanes since I was a schoolboy and got into
electrics way back in 1975. I actually flew in the second Radio Modeller electric
fly in and still have the tee-shirt which, for some strange reason, is a little tight
around the middle - must have shrunk in the wash.
The 1200mah cells and a lack of decent motors and propellers meant that this
experiment was put on hold until around seven years ago when I got interested
again one wet and windy winter and had another go.
After some false starts, I began to get quite good performance, but boy, how
things have changed in even those few years! Cells are up to 3000mah for almost
the same weight as the old 1200mah, there's a bewildering choice of motors and
APC (and others) have worked their magic on propeller design.
I now fly only electric models and all but a few of my glow motors have been sold
on, the ones I've kept for sentimental reasons sit in their boxes and never get
run. I mix it with glow models on equal terms and other club members don't
have to make any allowance for me at all. Well, not quite true, they have to put
up with me whinging about the noise they're making!. The only difference is
shorter flight times, but I'm sure even that will change when Lithium Ion cells
get cheaper.
Since most electric modellers are in the minority at their club, the background
of knowledge that the glow modellers can take advantage of simply isn't there.
This is where I hope I can help, I've built and flown all kinds of electric models
and I've already made most of the mistakes! Plus modern computer programs
are available to run through the options and help you end up with an aeroplane
that flies well.
These programs have to be used with some care as they obey the basic rule of
computing that I learned a very long time ago:
GIGO - Garbage In, Garbage Out.
10
E.F.-U.K.
As a full size glider pilot (Ed. - I’m sure that should be sailplane as there aren’t
many full-size gliders), I had to learn basic aerodynamics and about energy
management to get my cross-country qualification and this has led to an interest
in that subject too.
I now know enough to be able to design and build
aeroplanes that I know will work, not always as well
as I'd hoped, but at least they fly.
If I can't answer your question, then I have a good
library of books that I can refer to which is why I
would prefer you to write to me rather than 'phone,
it gives me time to have a think and look things up.
Email will get a quicker response than snail mail,
especially if you don't send an SAE for your answer!
(Ed. Always include an SAE with your postal requests
if you want a postal response).
By the way, if dealers or manufacturers want to lend
me new goodies to review for EF-UK, I'd be happy to
do that as well, it all helps to build up the knowledge
base. Be warned though, I'll speak as I find!
You will find my contact details on page 4, ask away!
Alan Bedingham
Hints & Tips
A new occasional feature allowing the sharing of hints,
tips and useful knowledge with the members.
The first hint is supplied by John Thompson, PRO Northern Area BMFA, and is
a simple method to make plastic wheel retaining washers for indoor models.
First find a suitable sheet of plastic, which can be from numerous sources
including ice cream or Chinese takeaway containers.
Next, make suitable small hole to suit the axle wire, one way is to use a sharpened
off-cut of the axle wire to be used.
Then using an office hole punch, remove the cover from the bottom, which collects
the punchings. Insert the plastic until one of the axle holes is central in the
Punch hole, and punch out your washer.
A spot of medium or thick Cyanoacrylate adhesive will hold it in place on your
axle. Thin Cyanoacrylate can be used but be careful it doesn’t wick through and
glue the wheel to the axle.
If you have any useful tips, send them to the Editor at the address on page 4.
E.F.-U.K.
11
F.F.X Park Fighter
by Ian Savage
This is an extract from the heading page supplied with the kit from SERIOUSLY
FUN MODELS of Scarborough, Ontario, Canada.
“The ‘fun factor X Park Fighter’ series are not to be confused with the
many slower ‘Park flyer’ type aircraft. These models are fast and nimble
and can be flown in tight spaces but are nor meant for beginners.”
I first read of this range of models offered by SFM in the September 2001 issue of
EFI. As I have a brother living near SFM, I asked him to call up Ken Manuel and
see if he could pick up one of his kits for me. This he did, and Ken very kindly repacked the kit so it could be exported as "carry on luggage", I duly received the
kit about the end of December when my brother came to England for a business/
travel trip.
The contents of the kit
comprise of pink foam,
some balsa, plywood,
hardware & glass cloth.
There are even two
motor fixing screws and
washers. The balsa and
ply are CNC cut, and the
foam is very neatly hot
wire cut.
The fuselage in supplied
in two parts, with a
balsa crutch already
bonded the whole length
(57cm) of the fuselage.
The kit contents
I fitted two 9g servos, a GWS receiver (less case), a Schulze slim-18be ESC , and
a 400 size 6v motor. There is room for 14/16g servos, but not standard size .....
think small and the lower weight will pay dividends in the flight performance.
The Specs, are :
Wingspan: 31 inches (81cm)
Wing section: Clark Y, 12%
Wing area: 156 sq. in. (10dm2)
Weight : 16-17 oz (455-480g) depending on cell size.
12
Wing loading: 14 oz. per sq. ft. (42.7g/dm2) (my model)
E.F.-U.K.
There are 9 A4 pages of information and instructions, including three essential
drawings. The shaping of the fuselage is left to the builder, but the wings are
already shaped. Once the ply tips are glued on the underside, the shape of the
wing tip is achieved by cutting the foam to the outline of the ply.
The model that I had ordered
was the Zero A6M2, but after
sanding the fuselage to a nice
rounded shape, the radial
cowling was getting to look
more oval than I had wanted,
so as the fin/rudder looked
more Italian than anything
else, I figured that a Macchi
type, or even the very similar
Fiat G55 with their inline
water-cooled engine was
Is it a Mistsubishi Zero?
perhaps the way to go ..... and
I think that the colour schemes of the aircraft of that period operating in the
Mediterranean theatre look more interesting to my eyes. The canopy on the
Zero is nearly the size of a small greenhouse, so this was sliced back, but to me
the end result looks a little like a Hurricane ..... but this is not an F4C scale job.
Once the wing panels are
epoxied together, and the
carbon fibre rod bonded
into the slot at the leading
edge, the ailerons marked
and cut, and the servo
torque rods installed.
A quick sand over, and the
0.63 oz. glass cloth is cut
and laid over the wing.
Lacquer is then brushed in
(any good quality foam safe
Or a Fiat G55?
lacquer will do, but I used
HSB system, which is ideal). About 30-40 minutes later the edges are ready for
trimming and sanding.
The pink foam is now a whole lot tougher and "ding" proof ..... and still light. The
fuselage gets the same treatment. I applied two layers under the nose area as I
did not feel it needed the ply skid that is supplied for the rough flying fields.
Painting followed once the wing and stab/fin were epoxied in place. I used B&Q
paint tester pots, and then applied the panel lines with a white marker pen, with
a light blue acrylic paint to the underside. All unit numbers, national emblem
E.F.-U.K.
13
and insignia were hand
painted ..... this completes
the airframe in the "looks"
department.
The stab is slid into the slot I
have cut between two hole
markers. There is a 2°
incidence on the stab, and
the nose former is fitted
allowing for the slight
amount of right and down
thrust of the Speed 400 fitted.
I changed the wire supplied
for the elevator control for
Or a Hawker Hurricane?
the next lighter gauge , as I
figured that with the short nose moment of this model, I was going to need
lightness at the tail. I hate to have to add weight in the nose, unless that weight
is working for a living. I had also fitted the aileron servo further forward then
the drawings showed , but as it is very near to the CofG point, I would think that
it does not make a great deal of difference to the balance.
I made up a pair of exhaust stubs from balsa that also duct air into the rear end
bell of the 400 motor, plus a 12mm hole under the spinner for more cooling air,
(the motor and ESC can never have too much). I soldered the ESC to the motor,
a flux ring was fitted, and an 8” x 4” Zingali prop cut down to 6 inches completed
the parts required in the "go" department.
The lightest 7 cell pack I had was fitted as far forward as possible. These 600AE's
got the balance point about where it is shown on the drawing. The GWS RX has
a long aerial, 650 mm of it, hang out of the rear of this model. Later I will fit one
of the Jeti RX's as they
have a much shorter
aerial. Also the Sermos
connectors are a little on
the chunky side for such
a small model.
FLYING
Onto the scales and the
AUW ready to go and
fuelled up was 15oz
(435g) ..... looking very
good. So now all that was
required, was some good
14
The under-wing markings
E.F.-U.K.
weather. After the wind and rain had blown through Hampshire, a good day
arrived, so with two fully charged packs and the range check completed, I launched
it into a very light wind into a darkening sky.
No nasty surprises, and a fairly fast climb out, no trim adjustments needed, but
very twitchy with the aileron responses. I had set up the rates with about 60% of
maximum movement on the low rate, but this was still too sensitive for me, so a
circuit or three was flown while I was trying to get used to the agility of this very
neat, and fast model.
After a few minutes of this excitement, I felt I was not going to tame this little
ship with my modest flying abilities unless I bought it in for some much needed
adjustment to the aileron rates. So it was bought into wind, and the landing was
slow enough but at the very edge of the patch, the fixed prop just caught on a
tussock of rough grass and pulled the motor former half off..
Back in the workshop (well....dining room table) I epoxied the ply motor former/
bulkhead back on the face of the foam, and with a touch of paint it all looked just
fine. For the next outing , I fitted a 6” x 4” folder, this combined with the aileron
adjusted to the recommended 3/16 of an inch (5mm). had the balance point a
little rearward than it should be ..... Hmm should I risk it? I heaved it into a very
brisk wind, climb-out was just as strong as the first flight, but the folding prop is
lighter than the very stiff Zingali, and this resulted in the nose pitching up, so a
click of down had it flying well but the wind was having it his way, and before I
knew it the FFX was well down wind ..... so a landing was called.
A little lead in the nose,
if I stick with the folder,
and wait for a calmer
day ..... I think. I look
forward to those still
summer evenings flying
CAP with other club
mates ..... in the
meantime if you do not
fancy rolling your own,
there is a P51, P40, and
a BF109 in the current
catalogue and I am
informed that a FW190,
and a Yak 7, and maybe
a P39 and a Hurricane
Mk 2 will soon break
cover..
Ready to Fly
More is on the range of models is available from the virtual home of Seriously
Fun Models at http://webhome.idirect.com/~manuel
E.F.-U.K.
15
Non-Rechargeable Lithium
Cells & Park Flyers
by Dick Comber
Having had trouble with two types of the rechargeable lithium cells, in spite of
sticking closely to the voltage and current limits, I decided to try some of the
(Panasonic Power Photo Lithium) non-rechargeable lithium cells in my GWS
Stik and GWS Tiger Moth.
Tom Herr reported in RC Microflight, November 1999, flying a 3.5 - 4 ounce
model with three CR2 3V lithium cells rated at 750mAh for 1 hour 47 minutes
but landed the model only because the TX battery might not hold out.
Under the batteries section, 7DayShop.com lists Panasonic "Power" Photo
Lithium cells. The CR2 cells (750mAh) are £8.75 for 6, and the larger CR123
cells (1400mAh) are £7.19 for 6. Postage and packing is £1.95 if you order less
than 50 items or spend less then £100.
Both these cells are 3V and they are packed individually in blisters. Buying 3
packs of 6 CR123 batteries (18 cells) from 7DayShop.com means that the cost,
including postage and packing, is approximately £1.30 per cell. Prices on a number
of Internet sites are very competitive and a lower price could possibly be found.
Panasonic Power Photo Lithium CR123
Panasonic PowerPhoto Lithium CR2
Identical Panasonic lithium CR123 cells are available from local supermarkets
and DIY stores at around £7 each. They are therefore more than 5 times the
7DayShop.com price. This price difference sounds crazy; is someone trying to
rip us off? Anyway, at the lower price these non-rechargeable cells become a
much more reasonable option, and ultimately whether they are worth it or not
depends on the length of flights.
I had three partly used Panasonic CR2 cells. I made a holder for them by sawing
up holders intended for AA cells and gluing the pieces on to a piece of lite ply. We
don’t usually use cells in spring-loaded holders for our flight packs as the
resistance is too high, however, for low currents they can be effective enough.
16
E.F.-U.K.
Each CR2 cell weighs 11g (0.39 oz.) and the total weight of the three cells in their
holder weighed 46g (1.62 oz.).
I took the Stik out on a winter’s day that was really not suitable for Stiks – there
was too much gusty wind. But it flew around for a few minutes and then decided
it wanted to land. The cells were very slightly warm to touch. At home some time
later the voltage was 8.96V.
The larger CR123 cells weigh 18g (0.63 oz.) each. They should have a lower
internal resistance than the CR2 cells and so could be much more appropriate
for a Stik and should be able to fly it for much longer. I soldered a pack of 3 x
CR123 cells without overheating them and it showed 9.78V. I flew the Stik for a
short while outdoors but the wind got up and I landed. Later the Stik flew indoors
with the same 3 cells, but one of my soldered joints came apart – I hadn’t used
the right flux. Luckily the plane was not damaged. I re-soldered the pack and
had another 15 minute outdoor flight, again in poor “Stik” weather.
Information on these cells can be seen at www.panasonic–batteries.com and
data sheets for them can be downloaded from www.panasonic.com under
Industrial Solutions, Batteries: OEM & Industrial, OEM, Lithium.
Whether flying with these cells represents good value for money depends on the
length of flights, and this remains to be discovered. The Panasonic web site says
these cells are available in boxes of 100 and 200, and they may well be cheaper
still per cell. If anyone discovers a retail source, please let us know.
Additional notes from the Editor:
Discharge curves are not often given, but I managed to find one of the CR-V3p
battery. This is a 2 cell pack, with the cells in parallel, each cell having very
similar capacity to the CR123A.
The output voltage of Lithium batteries drops very rapidly as the temperature
reduces. For example the voltage under a 1A load is about 2.65V at +20°C, but
drops to about 2.40V at -10°C. It is extremely important that the 3V Lithium
cells are not discharged below 2.0V - they can catch fire.
E.F.-U.K.
17
Readers' Models
Your chance to show the members your model(s).
To allow proper appreciation of the models, colours copies of these photographs
will be posted on the BEFA website a short while after publication of the magazine.
If you can, check them out at www.befa.org.uk
This was submitted by Mr R H Fowler’s and is his latest model. It is a BrittonNorman Trislander in Aurigny Air Services livery, which he saw in Guernsey
over 10 years ago. This photograph was taken prior to fitting the tail decals, and
it still lacked a pair of main wheels.
It spans 80” (2m) and as well as the basic 4 channels it features flaps, navigation
lights and landing lights (which automatically turn on once the flaps pass 1/2
extension).
Power comes from 3 Speed 600 motors, which turn 8” x 6” (20 x 15cm) propellers.
A separate ESC is used is used for tail motor which runs from 7 x 1700 NiCds,
while the wing motors run off 8 x 1700 NiCds.
This set-up flies the model, which weighs 9lb 3oz (4.2kg), for 4 to 5 minutes. He
reports that the model flies like it is on rails and that he can’t remember being so
calm after a first flight.
He also adds that the plan is to be published in RCMW.
18
E.F.-U.K.
Two Twin-Jets from Martyn Lea in Russian camouflage schemes. On the left is what he
calls the MiG29, which is a standard build with 2 x standard Speed 400 motors running
on 8 cell 2400 mAh packs. The one on the right he calls a SU27, which is a modified
build with 2 x speed 480 BB Race motors run on 10 Cell 2400 mAh packs.
Another offering from Martyn Lea, this time two Pico-Jet Combat’s. Both run on Speed
480 motors and 8 cells, with one slightly modified to resemble a Vulcan. All of the paint
jobs on his aircraft have been done by hand using normal household emulsion paint,
mixed to his specification by my local DIY shop. All you need is a small sample pot at
about £1.99 per colour. All are finished with a cover of Varnish - Matt, Satin or Gloss.
E.F.-U.K.
19
Martyn Lea, again, with his Multiplex Cargo finished as a B17-B. It's a standard build
with 4 x Speed 400 and the optional gearbox's. It runs on 8 cell 2400 mAh or 3000 mAh
packs. He has added Guns and a ball turret (although none on top - yet).
This could be your model. Please post prints, or send high quality digital files to the
Editor. Please include as much information on the model & equipment as possible.
20
E.F.-U.K.
The Ramoser varioPROP
by Jan Bassett
The varioPROP by Ramoser Technik+Design is a range of variable pitch
propellers that will fulfil most pilots’ requirements. The hubs are available in
two sizes:
6A
The hub is approximately 16 mm diameter, 27.5 mm overall length and it
is available for shaft sizes of 2.3, 3.0, 3.17 or 4.0 mm diameter. The pitch
range is adjustable between 2.5” and 6.0” and blade diameters available
range from 5.6” to 9.0”. These hubs are currently • 19 (~£12) each.
8B
The hub is approximately 22.5mm diameter, 35 mm overall length and it
is available for shafts with either a 3.17, 4.0, 5.0 or 6.0 mm diameter. The
pitch range is adjustable between 3.0” and 10.0” and blade diameters range
from 7.9” to 12.4”. These hubs are currently • 28 (~£18) each.
Left to right: Two 2-bladed 8B hubs with 9.7” and 10.4” Scale Optic blades,
and a 3-bladed 6A hub with 9.0” Slow-Fly blades.
E.F.-U.K.
21
Both hub sizes are available in 2, 3 or 4-bladed designs and there are 3 different
blade shapes (Scale Optic, Slow-Fly (6A only) & High Speed). Both hub assemblies
can be configured for operation in either Tractor or Pusher modes, just by
reversing the adjustment Screw and Centre Body.
The dismantled 2-bladed 8B propeller. The hub components are:
Back Plate Centre Body Screw Front Plate Clamp
The propeller is supplied in component form with the buyer ordering whatever
parts needed to assemble the required propeller. The picture above illustratea
the components of a 2-bladed 8B system. The hub is supplied with a Pitch Gauge
(left) and an Allen key. The Pitch Gauge is marked with the blade pitch over the
useable range. The Allen key is used for the lock screw on the shaft and also
doubles up as a guide during pitch setting (see photograph on right).
The propeller hubs are supplied with concise but thorough instructions on
assembly and pitch setting and are written in German and English. Having
English instructions is a nice touch, but the drawings are that good that you
don’t really need words. The instructions also detail the method for determining
the maximum safe RPM that a propeller assembly can withstand.
The hubs also come complete with a set of very attractive decals in various sizes.
On the website (http://www.ramoser.de/home_e/home_e.html) these decals are
shown attached to the front of the blades, but I’m not sure about that.
A Spindock Screw (not shown) is also available to allow 2-part spinners, which
use a screw to hold the front of the spinner, to be fitted over the assembly. If you
don’t intend to fit oone of these spinners these are not required. Spindock screws
are • 3.40 (£2.10) and • 3.00 (£1.85) each for the 8B hub and 6A hub respectively.
22
E.F.-U.K.
Blades are available in the following diameters and types:
6A
High Speed
Slow-Fly
Scale Optic
5.6”, 5.8”, 6.0”, 6.2”, 6.5”,7.0” and 7.5”
7.1”, 8.0” and 9.0”
7.2”, 7.7” and 8.2”
8B
High Speed
Scale Optic
7.9”, 8.9”, 9.4”, 9.9” and 10.9”
9.7”, 10.4”, 11.9” and 12.4”
Blade prices are extremely good at • 1.10 (~£0.70) each for 6A blades and • 1.80
(~£1.10) each for 8B blades. The blades are extremely robust in construction,
but even if you break the occasional blade it’s cheaper than buying another fixed
pitch propeller.
Adjusting the pitch on a 2-bladed 8B hub
Adjustment the pitch is actually extremely easy. It is simply a matter of releasing
the front Clamp nut slightly and then inserting the Allen key into the hole in the
nose of the Clamp nut. A small screwdriver is inserted into the hole in the Front
Plate to adjust the screw setting Screw. Turning the Screw moves the Centre
Body and changes the pitch of the Blades. The Clamp is then resecured to lock
the Blades and prevent further movement. This locks the blade root between the
Front and Back Plates removing any load from the pitch arms that locate in the
Centre Body.
E.F.-U.K.
23
As with most things, “The proof is in the eating”. I therefore fitted the 3-bladed
6A propeller to a Hurricane 650 motor and ran it on 6 RC-2000 cells. I measured
Volts, Amps, RPM. The pitch was increased from 2.5” to 6.0” in 0.5” increments
and a table of results was recorded. I then calculated the propeller pitch speed,
which gives an idea of the useable speed range. The figures obtained were:
As can be seen, it became obvious that my choice of motor wasn’t ideal as it was
definitely overloaded at the top end.
It is also a little difficult to set the propeller to a precise pitch as it can move
slightly as you tighten the clamp screw. However, that isn’t a major problem for
the majority of cases. Adjusting the pitch is extremely easy and very smaller
adjustments can be made between flights / tests. The adjustment screw on the
6A hub has a range of approximately 6 turns, which approximates to about 0.6”
of pitch change per revolution of the screw - pretty fine.
Due to other commitments, it hasn’t been possible to fly a model with any of
these propellers. However, I expect them to perform extremely well.
I think the 2-bladed 6A hub with 3.0 mm bore and 9.0” slow-fly blades would be
an good partner for the GWS DX-A and DX-B motors.
If you want further information, contact:
Christian Ramoser
Ramoser Tecknik + Design
Haunwiesenstraße 16
86916 Kaufering
Germany
Telephone:
Fax:
email:
website:
24
+49 8191 7180
+49 8191 6762
christian.ramoser@t-online.de
www.ramoser.de/home_e/home_e.html
E.F.-U.K.
Ron Fikes’ FlexiFlyer
by Jan Bassett
First some history. This Rogallo design started out life as the “Insect” by Bill
Warner. This was a 14" (35cm) span rubber powered free flight design that was
published in the April 1970 issue of American Aircraft Modeler. Some 29 years
later Ron Fikes modified the design retaining rubber power, but with an increased
wing span of 21½” (55cm) and the addition of a tail fin and adjustable (copper
strip hinged) rudder.
The Revised Insect Design
The next stage of evolution, by Ron, was the MOOgallo, a 34¼” (87cm) span
version which reverted to the tailless design and was powered by a Speed 280
motor. This version was also radio controlled with directional control being
achieved by tilting the sail. This directional control mode relies on weight shift
in the same way as a hang-glider. The sail can only be tilted laterally so the pitch
attitude is controlled with motor power alone.
The FlexiFlyer is a direct derivative of the MOOgallo, intended to be much lighter
at half the flying weight. The gross sail area remains the same at 415 square
inches (26.8dm2), and because the sail is rigged to allow it to inflate, the effective
plan area is 375 square inches (24.2dm2). The instructions recommend using a
GWS Lite-Stick kit as the basis for the model, or alternatively a Pico-Stick kit
will do just as well.
E.F.-U.K.
25
The fuselage is extremely simple and is made using the main “stick” (from the
GWS kit) with a small amount of additional balsa. It is an extremely simple
design to construct and is built flat on the building board. The use of the “stick”
allows the motor to be fitted directly onto the mount in the same way as the LiteStick. The pylon frame is covered with tissue or light iron-on film, so I elected to
use red LiteSpan. I decided to be lazy and instead of laminating a skid from thin
balsa, I drilled a hole and inserted a piece of carbon fibre rod. A neat design
feature is that a cut-down cocktail stick is inserted into the top of the pylon
frame to make balancing the model a doddle.
The fuselage - the centre of the battery sits level with the rear of the pylon covering.
The sail is also quite straightforward, but a little more fiddly. Firstly you need a
40" x 24" (100cm x 60cm) piece of thin HDPE plastic sheet. The suggested material
is supermarket carrier bags (must be the thin “crinkly” type), and I had to join
three bags together to get a large enough sheet. Unfortunately the bigger the
bags get, the thicker the plastic tends to be. To make life easier, I’m trying to
source a supply of the film in large enough pieces, but no luck yet. Construction
is just a matter of taping the sheet down, marking everything out, cutting the 1/
8" (3mm) square bass strip to length (for the leading edges, keel & spreader) and
gluing all the bits together. The recommended glue is 3M N° 77 spray adhesive,
but any contact adhesive that doesn’t attack the plastic (or wood) can be used.
26
E.F.-U.K.
A keel plate from 1/8" (3mm) balsa is then added to the sail assembly to reinforce
the spreader / keel joint and give something to insert the hinges into. I decided to
modify the sail attachment to the fuselage so that it could be removed. I fitted 3
pin type hinges and made a long pin that runs through all three. Removal of the
sail is achieved by disconnecting the control pushrod and pulling the pin - a few
seconds work.
The single hinge pin running through the 3 hinges to allow quick disconnection
The sail pushrod is made from 1.3mm (0.050”) diameter carbon fibre rod with
20swg wire bound to the end. I fitted a quick disconnect at one end to assist in
removing the sail.
The suggested power unit is the ubiquitous GWS IPS motor (DX-A or DX-B)
with it’s standard 5.85:1 gearbox. This would be run on 6 or 7 cells and swing an
APC 8" x 6" (20cm x 15cm) slow-fly propeller. I decided that using 7 cells would
be preferable and that the GWS 9" x 4.7" (23cm x 12cm) indoor propeller would
be used as I had a number of these available. My standard pack is 7 Sanyo 110AE
NiCd cells, but 300mAh NiMH cells can also be used (although you might need
an extra cell to maintain a good power level). A Ripmax P-Xtra-05 Air speed
controller was used, which is rated for 5A continuous on 5 to 8 cells, and of
course has a BEC.
The radio gear wants to be as light as possible and therefore a Hitec REX 5+
receiver was used. I opted for a Hitec HS-55 servo to move the sail, but a smaller
servo could be used if you prefer. I decided that the weight increase was negligible
when compared to having twice as much torque available. The initial CofG is
adjusted by moving the battery pack so that the centre longeron (keel) of the
wing is horizontal.
E.F.-U.K.
27
The finished sail and control pushrod
My finished FlexiFlyer turned out at 5.4 ounces (153g), which is nearly an ounce
heavier than some. Some of this is due having the 7th cell and a removable sail,
but I think mostly due to the sail being of a slightly thicker plastic film and the
glue joints. Even at this weight the wing loading is less than 2.1 ounce / square
foot (5.6g/dm2), which makes it a real featherweight.
The first flight were entirely stress free with the model being extremely stable. I
did discover that I need more right thrust as I had to use all of the rudder trim to
keep it straight. It felt strange that the elevator stick does nothing - quite
unnatural really. However, it presents no problems and once I’d become
accustomed to it I had no problems in flight. Despite this, I still tend to pull back
to flare on landing - force of habit. All the flights so far have been conducted
outdoors and penetrating into wind can be tricky as the flying speed is low. I’m
sure that by adjusting the CofG, the flying speed and pitch response to power
can be changed. As set-up, the model has plenty of power available.
The FlexiFlyer flies very slowly and can turn fairly tightly. On the basis of this
flying in a reasonable size hall should be no problem, although I've not tried it.
Ron has now produced a design for a collapsible wing, which makes transport
much simpler. The standard 34¼" x 22" sail is very large and fragile. I really
must get around to making one. I also intend to experiment with different
propellers and battery packs, including my 3 cell 780mAh pack of Tadiran
(LiMn02) cells .
28
E.F.-U.K.
The completed FlexiFlyer
Copies of the FlexiFlyer plans and building notes are available from Jan Bassett
(the Editor) at a cost of £5.00 including post and packing, address on page 4.
If a source of plastic sheet for the sail is discovered, I will also try and make this
available. Contact Jan Bassett for price and availability.
E.F.-U.K.
29
Introducing the T-IFO
by John Stennard
As a teacher and model flyer I have always taken advantage of school facilities to
further my hobby and share it with pupils. Flyable spaces have included gyms,
hall, playgrounds, bus parks and playing fields! Over 15 years ago I was happily
flying my Whisper electric helicopter in the gym and was quickly hooked on RC
indoor flying. When indoor RC aircraft became more practical, I found the only
way forward in our 1 court gym was to build very small models of around 100g.
With micro-equipment, I am now easily flying 50/60g models on 3 or 4 x 110mAh
NiMH cells. These are really flying, not just doing circuits, for about 5 minutes.
Over 2 years ago I started writing the regular ‘Light Flight’ feature for RCMW,
and have spent many happy hours at flying events around the country. I have
noticed that many modellers find indoor RC flying challenging, even in 4-court
halls. In many cases this is because they were trying to fly unsuitable models.
When Dan Kreigh introduced the IFO & Mini-IFO these models filled an aerobatic
gap, but what was still lacking was a good basic trainer. This gap has now been
very successfully filled by a new design from Dan, the T-IFO (Trainer-IFO).
Almost all electric flyers know the IFO & Mini-IFO. I am not going to review the
T-IFO in detail, only highlight new features that make it a super indoor trainer.
OLD DESIGN, NEW FEATURES.
The T-IFO is the same size and shape as the IFO and is basically constructed in
an identical manner, but from heavier carbon fibre (c/f) rod. The c/f rod joints
are all bound with Kevlar thread and glued with CA. This makes for an
exceptionally tough and resilient framework.
The first main difference to the original design is that the trailing edge C/F rod
is in two pieces. The rods are joined in the centre with a piece of plastic tube.
Using a length of Kevlar thread across the wing from tip to tip the 'wing' ends up
with a generous amount of dihedral. This makes the model ultra stable in flight.
The T-IFO uses rudder and elevator control, which is very effective.
Through a piece of clever design, the all-moving fin incorporates a rubber band
'spring' effect and also gives tail skid steering. As designed, the u/c legs can be
rotated to enable the model to fold flat for transportation. I modified this by
gluing and binding 2 pieces of tube in an X to the fuselage rod. The legs then
plug into the tubes and are secured with a wire cross brace.
On offer is an alternative Ripstop polyester covering in several different colours.
Both coverings are easy to apply using Evostick Impact adhesive. The Ripstop
covering is much more durable than the standard film and doesn’t stretch. The
covering should not be heat shrunk, or you might distort the model.
30
E.F.-U.K.
Two new ideas are the servo mounting method and control linkages. The servos
push onto two c/f rods that are spaced to line up with the mounting grommets.
These are then held in place with a piece of strip wood that is glued across the
servos as can be seen in the photograph below.
The receiver, servo and battery mountings
The control linkages use heat shrink tubing, with a length of this linking the c/f
pushrod and c/f 'horn' at right angles (see picture overleaf). When fixed with a
drop of CA it forms a simple, effective and tough linkage.
ELECTRIFICATION
The T-IFO is designed around the GWS motor unit. This popular unit is now
being sold in many different guises. The BB and carbon brushed types are the
best to use. The unit just plugs onto a wooden mount allowing quick and easy
motor changes. I've tried the 9.7:1, the 7:1 and the 5.85:1 versions. All work well
but I eventually settled for the 5.85:1 with a 9” x 4.7” (23cm x 12cm) propeller.
This combo gives a more instant burst of power if a wall is heading your way!
Radio - any micro RX, 9g servos and a 5A ESC. In fact, just remove everything
from your Pico-Stick and put it in a T-IFO! Dan suggests a 150mAh NiCd battery
pack, but I have been getting excellent results from either a 550 or 720mAh
NiMH pack. The wing area is that large that the additional weight makes little
difference. Overlander, tell me that the 550mAh pack will soon become 650mAh
which is good news. These packs will give up to ten minutes of flying time.
E.F.-U.K.
31
The heatshrink control linkages (rudder pushrod just visible through the covering)
TESTING TIMES
Since it’s first flight the T-IFO has been great fun to fly. It can be flown in a onecourt gym or hall, but really comes into its own in a bigger space. With the twin
wheel u/c the ground handling is excellent and the model, with or without the
dihedral, is very stable in flight.
It is a superb aircraft for indoor limbo and spot landing competitions. I'm sure it
will fly well outdoors in fairly calm weather. The handling qualities, wide speed
range, agility and toughness make this a perfect aircraft for situations where a
number of models are being flown together in a limited air space.
I made a few minor modifications. These include adding a tail wheel to the skid
and extending the battery mounting c/f rods. I extended these using some tough
control rod 'snake' inner tube.
I have already looped the T-IFO fairly easily and flown it in the pitch dark in the
hall. I just used two forward facing bright clear lights of the 6v ‘grain of wheat’
size. These are connected directly to the motor pack and do not seem to affect
the flight duration.
I obtained a second T-IFO for a novice flyer friend, and by the end of the first
evening he was managing circuits and figure-eights in our four-court hall. During
the evening he had numerous wall and floor strikes but managed to avoid the
ceiling! He took the T-IFO home undamaged.
32
E.F.-U.K.
The completed T-IFO ready to fly (with optional Ripstop Polyester covering)
HOW TO GET ONE
The T-IFO is available exclusively direct from Dan Kreigh of Wild R/C Inc. (P.O.
Box 962 Mojave, CA 93502-0962 U.S.A.) for around $70, including the Ripstop
covering and Airmail shipping. Or check out the IFO web site at www.flyifo.com
The T-IFO in the air
E.F.-U.K.
33
“And Now?”
This month, we've included a free plan of the "And Now". This is a truly stunning
little model, indoors or out. You get exciting performance indoors on just 7 x
120mAh NiCds, and it will perform well in a 10 knot (5m/s) outdoors with 8
cells. The model draws a great deal of attention from general public and modellers
alike. The model is based on 3mm (1/8") Depron sheet, which is a very dense
foam. This provides the best balance between flexibility and rigidity.
The model can be considered to be a natural evolution from the Pico/Lite-Stick
as most of the hardware can be reused. It is probably one of the few planes that
you can fly in your backyard without annoying the neighbours.
The model was originally called "Und_Nu?", design by Michael Bohm (for Speed
280) and discovered by David Theunissen on the “Team Klaustrophobia” website
(http://bund.unisport.etc.tu-bs.de/~modellflug/klaustrophobia/klaust.htm).
David has included a few improvements to the original brilliant design.
An “And Now” as built by Trevor Hewson
The fuselage is based on the previously mentioned Pico-Stick, which is about as
light and simple as you can get. With the Depron flying surfaces, it only takes
around two hours to build, and is extremely robust. The “And Now” does not
require the latest hi-tech motors and is a model that is hard to beat.
How many planes are you prepared to roll inverted at 3 feet (90cm) off the deck
(without having a heart attack)? It flies well inverted, hands-off if you get the
reflex on the ailerons 'just right'. It also loops, bunts, rolls, stall turns, in fact it
34
E.F.-U.K.
basically does everything in the book, just as Michael Bohm intended.
At a flying weight of only 6 ounces (170g) and a wing area of 277 squares inches
(17.9dm2), it has a wing loading of only 3.1 ounce / square foot (9.5g/dm2).
The GWS Pico-Stick deluxe motor (DX-A or DX-B) or Multiplex 150BB (with
5.66:1 or 7:1 gearbox) are best. The GWS standard motor will work, but it is not
as good being less powerful and less efficient. The carbon brushed version also
works well, but does seem to take a while to run in and they cost more.
The above motors draw a little over 2A on 8 cells when using the GWS 10" x 4.7"
(25cm x 12cm) propeller, but does not get too hot even after 7 minute flights.
Alternatively propellers include the GWS 9" x 7" (23cm x 18cm), the GWS 11" x
4.7" (28cm x 12cm) or the APC 9" x 7" (23cm x 18cm).
An “And Now” built by David Theunissen during his talk at the last Tech. Workshop
David uses 8 cell packs of either 120mAh NiCd cells or 300mAh NiMH cells with
Schulze 08 speed controller. The receiver is a GWS R-4P (½ length aerial) and
the control surfaces are operated by 2 Hitec HS-50 servos.
The plan is shown in reduced format, but it is not necessary to enlarge it (unless
you want to) as all the dimensions can be scaled from it. Modellers with access to
the Internet can download a copy of the plan in .PDF, .GIF or .DXF format from
www.flyelectric.ukgateway.net/indoor.htm
E.F.-U.K.
35
The underside showing the spar and equipment installation
Building (and repairs) can be completed using a foam-friendly Cyanoacrylate
Adhesive (CA) such as "Odorless Zap". To speed up the curing of the CA, "Grip"
CA activator can be used as it is also foam-friendly.
A number of derivatives have also been created from the design. These include a
biplane with swept wings, float planes, and clipped wing versions (even down to
300mm span). Seems like you can do pretty much anything with the design.
The recommended Depron sheets are available from a number of sources, which
in the UK usually includes:
Gordon Tarling, Cowley Mill Road, Uxbridge, Middlesex. UB8 2QD
Telephone / Fax 01895 251551, email gordon.tarling@ntlworld.com
website: www.gordontarling.co.uk
Sams Models, The Chapel, Sandon, Buntingford, Herts. SG9 0QJ
Telephone 01763 287606 or email aeroplanes@samsmodels.demon.co.uk
website: www.samsmodels.demon.co.uk
Additional information and photographs on the “And Now” and other models
can be seen on Trevor Hewson’s site (http://members.aol.com/tjhewson/).
The Team Klaustrophobia website also includes some other indoor design that
look extremely good, the GeeBee R2 look especially interesting.
If you build the “And Now” please send details and a photograph to the Editor,
contact details on page 4.
38
E.F.-U.K.
TorqueMax LRK
Do-It-Yourself Brushless motor
This piece was compiled from several articles on the Internet
If you want to build this motor you will need a metal turning lathe, or at least
access to one, and be reasonably proficient in it’s use. It is not enough to just be
able to make things round, especially in the bearing areas where some precision
is required. Some of the parts are also are available commercially.
The name TorqueMax was selected as the goal was to maximise motor torque.
The LRK was determined from the designer, Christian Lucas, the elektroModell
author, Ludwig Retzbach and the lathe specialist, Emil Kuerfuss.
Motor Concepts
With each motor size, one tries to achieve as high an efficiency as possible, which
is a product of torque and RPM. It is important that as little of the battery power
is transferred into heat, and how little depends on the system efficiency. However,
physical laws are hard to tamper with, and a step forward in one direction can
mean a step back in another.
The motor design presented has a 14-pole external rotor. This together with the
12-pole stator means you get a high overlap at all points during rotation (a small
distance between poles means a strong pulling power). The unusually high
number of poles gives high torque with few windings, which means low specific
RPM and a lower internal resistance. The motor gives you not only a high power
to weight (W/kg) but also a prominent torque per weight (Nm/kg). The efficiency
of this DIY motor is not substantially lower than commercially built motors,
and you gain the ability to spin much bigger propellers direct drive. Tests on the
prototype, with propellers of known power consumption (Aeronaut CAM Carbon
series), measured efficiency just below 80%, but with a broad maximum.
The stator is based on 12 winding metal stampings as used by several commercial
motor suppliers. However, a winding is only made on every other stator arm,
The components of the TorqueMax LRK motor
E.F.-U.K.
39
reducing the number of windings and making the task much easier. This also
helps make the TorqueMax compact and reduces the weight. The prototypes had
a weight of only 128g (4.5oz.) and they were designed for a power output of
450W, however, they have survived 550- 600W and were still surprisingly cool.
The finished prototrpe TorqueMax LRK brushless motor
In the design presented, the propeller is mounted directly on the front of the
rotor and does not use an adapter. The propeller hole needs to be enlarged to
10mm and 2 x 3mm drive holes added. For folding propellers, the centre yoke
needs to be modified in the same way.
This is not considered to be an optimal version of the motor. It is possible to save
weight in several places without losing stability. The prototype TorqueMax LRK
(320/12-17) motor design shown above weighs 119g (4.2oz.). If you really want
to save weight, consider milling out the end plates, using a hollow shaft or
changing some of the aluminium parts to composites.
Motor Theory
As it is now possible to buy almost anything commercially, it only makes sense
to build you own if you can tailor the design to your own requirements. The
calculations required to tailor a motor are usually quite complicated, but a
40
E.F.-U.K.
A lightened version with milled out back plate
simplified method developed by Christian Lucas is presented here.
The power (F) from the magnetised pole on the rotating magnet is proportional
to the magnetic flux (B) in the air gap and the area of iron (A) and equals:
F = A x 4B2
For the Neodym magnets, assuming that B = 1T, gives a force of 4N/cm2. As only
65% of the inner surface of the rotor will be covered in magnets (otherwise the
individual poles would be too close), we will assume that we have a force of just
0.65 x 4N/cm2 = 2.6N/cm2. A sample model with a 32mm stator diameter (giving
r = 1.6cm) and 10mm magnet length (l = 1cm) has the following area:
A=2xpxrxl=2
x
3.142 x 1.6cm x 1cm = 10.05cm2
The force in the air gap is thus:
F = 10.05cm2
x
2.6N/cm2 = 26.1N
The rotational moment of the motor for a 16mm stator radius is calculated:
M=F
x
r = 26N
x
0.016m = 0.42Nm
Theoretically this torque can be produced at max load at any running RPM.
Using figures published by Aeronaut for their CAM Carbon series propellers, a
9½" x 5" propeller would require a torque of 0.42Nm to rotate at 15287RPM.
This is a lot of power when you consider that this motor weighs the same as a
Speed 480 motor. For these motors, with efficiency and safety in mind, it is
recommended to stay below 15000RPM.
Assembling the Stator
Putting the stator and windings together is challenging, but it would boring if it
were not. For optimum performance the stator should consist of many thin metal
plates. The number is decided by the desired length and by the magnet length
E.F.-U.K.
41
available. For this motor type the stator pack thickness should not exceed 70% of
it's diameter (L/D < 0.7).
The stator blades, with a 5mm diameter hole, are stacked onto the steel shaft
and bonded together with Loctite 601. Once completed the sharp edges are
removed with a needle file to help prevent shorting of the windings later. It is
also important that an insulating layer is provided between the winding and the
stator. This can be a dried layer of thick Cyanoacrylate adhesive or an insulating
foil or tape such as Kapton. Even with this protective layer, it is essential to
check for short circuits, using an ohmmeter, after completing the windings.
Determining the number of Turns of wire on the Windings
As for all electric motors, the nominal running voltage is determined by the
number of turns and the wire diameter used in the windings. This is best found
by an empirical method. Wind a single winding of say 10 turns onto one of the
stator arms and assemble the motor.
Fit the shaft into to the chuck of a drilling machine and run at a medium speed.
Check the RPM with your tachometer (put suitable reflective marks on the rotor
as necessary) and AC voltage with a voltmeter. This voltage should be doubled as
there will be 2 windings in series and add 15 to 20% for losses. For example, if
you get a measured voltage of 3V, the motor would nominally be a 7V motor.
From this a 7-cell motor would need 10 turns per winding, and a 14-cell motor
would need 20 turns per winding, etc.
Winding the coils
Despite considerable practice, winding coils is not one of the author's favourite
pastimes. It should also be noted that you really need complete isolation when
winding coils as any distractions can make you lose count. From the motor
An example of a completed set of windings and rotor assembly.
42
E.F.-U.K.
current's point of view, it is not important that the coils look good. As the coils do
not rotate, it is also not important mechanically. In the interests of efficiency, it
does not hurt if at least the first layer of windings lay neatly side by side. This job
takes time and gives you sore fingers, but you will be rewarded.
For this size of motor, a wire with a polyamide lacquer insulation to take
temperatures up to 250°C has proven to be a good choice. The prototype motors
were wound with 17 and 20 turns of 0.654mm (~22swg) wire. A winding of 7
turns double wound, in parallel, was tried. The best copper density was always
to be had with a single thicker wire, however, wires thicker than this are difficult
to wind neatly. The best solution is to try a winding and see how it goes.
Schematic diagram of the 12-pole Stator Winding
To explain the above schematic, each coil is connected in series with the one
directly opposite, the second one being wound in the other direction (to get one
magnetic north & one magnetic south). The interconnecting wires must not be
too tight and they must not interfere with the rotor or backplate.
For motors designed for very low voltages, it is possible to connect the coils in
parallel but watch the direction of flow. Instead of the triangle (delta) connection
of the three coil groups shown below, it is possible to use a star (Y) connection
that lowers the RPM/V by a factor of 1.73.
Assembling the Motor
In principle the assembly of the components is shown in the drawings. First the
completed Stator and aluminium Spacer Ring are bonded to the 5mm Steel Shaft.
The rear Mounting Disc is fitted and retained by a grub screw so it can be removed
in the future.
The Magnets are bonded to the Rotor Ring with Cyanoacrylate adhesive, or
preferably Loctite 326 and activator 7649. Note that the magnets only touch the
Rotor Ring at their edges.
It is important that the magnets are fitted at a constant spacing and that they
are aligned accurately in the axial direction. One can use a paper measuring
tape around the circumference of the Rotor (as shown overleaf) to maintain the
spacing, these are often available from DIY outlets. Also use a 90° jig from pliable
plastic to maintain the axial alignment. Any other option is to use a block
E.F.-U.K.
43
The Stator assembly with
alternate arms insulated.
Use of a paper ruler to
ensure accruate spacing
of the magnets
The completed Rotor Ring
with all magnets aligned at
one end.
especially made for aligning the Magnets. One version is shown in the photograph
at the bottom of the page. These can also be purchased, normally in plastic, for
certain motor designs. These obviously have to be made to suit the Rotor Ring
and Magnets to be used.
The preferred magnets are those between 5 and 6mm wide and with a thickness
of 2.0 to 2.5mm. The thickness depends on the diameter of the iron ring used for
the Rotor Ring and the aluminium Rotor End Plate. The design is intended to
have a 0.5mm air gap. If 6mm side magnets are used, it wouldn’t hurt to increase
the air gap by 0.1 to 0.2mm on both sides. Doing this, you lose some torque, but
the iron loses (by increasing RPM) can be a lot lower.
If the desired magnet length is not available, smaller pieces can be joined together
in a row. It is even possible to cut the magnets, but that job is not much fun.
It is advisable to mark the North and South poles of the magnets before use.
This is most easily achieved by linking side by side so that they all lie with the
same polarity. Then put a mark on the edge at one end of each with a coloured
marker pen. The magnets are mounted with N and S poles alternating.
An aluminium magnet alignment block
44
E.F.-U.K.
The motor almost finished
The Rotor Ring and Rotor End Plate are bond together like the magnets. The
Ballraces do not have to be bonded in, provided their seating is accurately
machined and they are pressed in. Obviously, it is easier to change them if they
are not glued in place.
A standard method of identifying motors using the Stator diameter (to 0.1mm)
and length (to 1mm) has been adopted. Thus the Stator of an LRK355/24 (or
LRK355-24) will 35.5mm diameter and 24mm in length.
Where to get Parts
Magnets and Stator Plates and other components are available from a number
of suppliers. Two of these are:
Torcman
Klaus Kraft electronic, Oberberghofstraße 61, 89134 Blaustein, Germany
Telephone +49-7304-961020
website: www.torcman.de
Flyware Modelltechnik
Wendelhofstrasse 6, 78120 Furtwangen, Germany
Telephone +49-7723-91035, Fax +49-7723-91038
website: www.flyware.de
Both these suppliers also supply assembled motors and complete kits of parts for
the latest LRK 350 series motors. Between these 2 suppliers, stator lengths of
10, 12, 15, 20, 25 and 28mm are available, for power levels of 150 to 800W.
Two commercial versions of the LRK350 design.
On the left is the Flyware Modelltecknik LRK350-25 which has blue ends, and
on the right is the slightly larger LRK350-28 from Torcman with gold ends.
The Flyware kits include the Magnets, Stator Plates, Stator Bushes, Front and
Rear Plates, Rotor Ring, Shaft and Bearings. The Torcman kits additionally
contain Stator Insulators, Screws and 40g of wire.
E.F.-U.K.
45
Over the following pages, a parts list and the necessary drawings are provided
for the LRK355/24. If you want to vary the length of Magnets used, you will have
to change the length of the Stator Pack and Rotor Ring by the same amount.
If you wish to utilise the some of the commercial components of the LRK350
motor, you will need to make changes to some of the sizes.
LRK355/24 Parts List
Qty
Description / Material
1
Backplate - Aluminium, see drawing for dimensions
1
Shaft - Ground Steel Rod ø5.0mm x 62mm long
1 set
Stator Plates - 24mm thick, approximately 80 plates required
1
Spacer - Aluminium ø12mm x 5.0mm with ø5.0mm bore
2
Bearing Shims - Steel, ø7mm O.D. x ø5.0mm I.D. x 0.2mm to
0.5mm thick
14
Neodym Magnets - 24mm long x 5mm x 2mm
1
Rotor Ring - Iron, ø42.5mm O.D. x ø40.5mm I.D. x 32mm long
1
Rotor Plate - Aluminium, see drawing for dimensions
1
Retaining Ring - Aluminium, see drawing for dimensions
2
M3 x 3mm grub screws
Loctite 326, activator and solder as required.
Component & Assembly Drawings
46
E.F.-U.K.
When the parts are all assembled, the finished motor will appear similar to the
illustration below. The propeller is pushed over the Retaining Ring and is screwed
directly to the front of the Rotor Ring using M3 screws.
More information is available on the Internet, one interesting site can be found
at: www.aerodesign.de/peter/2001/LRK350/index_eng.html
These is also a very useful discussion group dedicated to the TorqueMax LRK
motors at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lrk-torquemax
Finally, overleaf you find an exploded view of the LRK355/24 assembly.
If you are inspired to make your own TorqueMax LRK motor, please send details
and photographs to the Editor, details on page 4.
E.F.-U.K.
47
48
E.F.-U.K.
Pillerton Hersey 2001 Fly-In
by Robin Andrew
I was heartened to see 39 cars arrive on a day with poor looking weather. We
actually got away with only a few spots of rain for 10 minutes, although the air
at the landing patch was very bumpy.
Some people were so keen to enjoy themselves that they had a frying pan, in the
rear of their car, cooking sausages and bacon. People kept walking up and down
just to smell the fry-up.
Lots of lightweight, smaller, vintage models were present, but they were kept on
the ground for safety.
A good demonstration of how to fly aerobatics with a scale model was flown by
David Chinery, and manoeuvres included inverted circles and bunts. He was
awarded the scale cup for his scratch built Zlin 525 (below), which coped well
with the difficult conditions.
A very well powered (Astro 40) red biplane was flown later by Neil Stainton and
it was heavy enough to ignore the gusty wind. The flights kept going all day,
including the All-Up-Last-Down, which was eventually won by Les Smith
(photograph overleaf).
E.F.-U.K.
49
Other trophies were awarded to Alan Bedingham, who demonstrated prophanging from a vertical climb from the take-off using a model powered by a
Phasor brushless motor.
Richard Jones was awarded the EDF prize for his dH110 Sea Vixen.
Dave Chinery won another award for his lovely flying of a large P-51 Mustang.
Mark Christianson won the prize for being the youngest competitor.
The final trophy went to Richard Few for his aerobatic flying.
Many thanks to farmer John Lewthwaite for a nice day out, Cheers
Robin Andrew
Alan Bedingham
collecting the Stunt
Flying Shield
Mark Christianson Youngest Competitor
Award
Richard Jones
EDF Prize
Winner
50
E.F.-U.K.
Foamworks Fokker D VII - Part 1
by Jan Bassett
I first saw this semi-scale model on the Internet and was impressed by its use of
the equipment normally found in a Lite-Stick or Pico-Stick. It use the GWS DXA motor and propeller, a 7 cell 270mAh pack, speed controller and 2 sub-miniature
servos for rudder / elevator control.
It has a wing span of 31” (79cm), a wing area of 298 sq. in. (19.2dm2), and an
overall length of 26” (66cm). At a flying weight of around 9.5 oz. (270g), the wing
loading is 4.6 oz. / sq. ft. (14.1g/dm2). Importantly, the wing cube loading is only
3.2, which is well inside the glider category. The large wing area is achieved by
increasing the chord of the wings above scale, but it isn’t that noticeable.
The aircraft foam contents of the kit
The kit comes in an extremely robust cardboard box, so there was almost no
chance of anything being damaged in transit. The foam parts are all pre-shaped
to a large extent. The wings are cut to aerofoil shape and shaped to plaqn outline.
All the other parts are almost completely finished, just requiring the removal of
the fine whiskers of foam and rounding of the aerofoil edges.
E.F.-U.K.
51
To fit in the box, the 2 fuselage sides are each in two pieces and the wings are
both in three pieces. A nice feature is that the fuselage sides are marked so that
you know which two pieces join together to make a side panel.
Also in the box is all the wood required and a set of plastic mouldings for engine
cover / hatch, machine guns, cowl and wheels. Also included are a piece of wire
mesh for the cowling aperture and almost all the other hardware required. The
moulding of the engine cover is really nice, with the Mercedes DIII engine
reproduced in a simplified (but effective) form. The rendition of the machine
guns is relatively poor, and I intend to produce some better looking guns using
balsa dowelling. The only hardware I had to buy were the control snakes.
The moulded plastic parts and incidence templates
The box also contained a pair of foam incidence templates for aligning the upper
& lower wings, which should make the job nice and easy. The instructions and
double sided drawing supplied are adequate and shouldn’t cause any problems
for the moderately experienced builder - anyway it isn’t a trainer model.
An optional item available, for a modest cost, is a pair of spoked wheels. I decided
that they looked good (see photograph on next page) and to have a set. I was not
disappointed because they are absolutely superb, and the quality and rigidity
are outstanding. It is almost impossible to twist the rim out of line with the hub,
despite the spokes appearing to be some kind of monofilament fishing line.
Additionally, they weigh 1.6 oz. a pair (13g), not bad for 27/8” (73mm) diameter
wheels. This also means they are under 1/2 the weight of the stock wheels.
52
E.F.-U.K.
2 7/8” (73mm) diameter lightweight spoked wheels
Construction is actually quite straightforward. One problem experienced was,
that due to a mistake in the production of the kit two of the wing panels were
slightly under length. It was easily rectified by shortening the other panels to
match, which should have little effect on performance. This fault was pointed
out to Keith “Sparky” Sparks of Foamworks and shouldn’t happen again. Having
rectified this fault, the wings were joined and the trailing edges scalloped using
the technique shown in the instructions. The fuselage assembly and fitting of
the motor and servos was totally uneventful. The motor is held in place by a
screw through to mounting stick to allow simple removal later on, if necessary.
The fuselage panels assembled and the wings joined and scalloped
E.F.-U.K.
53
The lower wing is then bonded onto the fuselage, making sure everything is
square. The cowling is glued in place, the cockpit opening cut and the engine
moulding cut to fit. It is now starting to look like an aircraft.
It starts to come together. Inset: The underside of the axle fairing.
Now the really tricky bit, what colour scheme to use. Have you every noticed
that the aircraft your modelling is extremely difficult to get information on? I
really had to scratch around for information on colour schemes for the D VII. I
found lots of information, but photographs were scarce and those I did find were
not good enough to determine the details.
I eventually bought a 1:72 scale plastic model kit of the D VII made by Revell.
The instructions for this included two colour schemes and had decals of the
lozenge camouflage most commonly used on the D VII. The lozenge pattern
consists of four colours of shapes, which are Ochre, Greenish Grey, Leaf Green
and Pink (see inset in photograph above).
I scanned the lozenge pattern into my PC and printed out a number of copies at
the correct size for the model. I then cut out the lozenges of one colour per sheet
to use as stencils. I started out by colouring the undercarriage axle fairing using
some water-based felt pens I had to hand. The result was quite pleasing, but it
took about 5 days for the pens to dry on the foam.
54
E.F.-U.K.
I decided that this was not acceptable and paint would have to be used. Down to
the local DIY store and raid the sample tins. I the used the same stencils and a
piece of dense foam to dab paint lightly on the surface. This produced an equally
good result which dried in an acceptable timescale, but weighs slightly more.
Fortunately the scheme picked only has the lozenge camouflage on the underside,
with the upper surfaces being mainly matt blue.
The completion of the model will have to wait for the next magazine as I still
haven’t finished building it.. However, if you want to get hold of this kit, or the
alternative SE5a kit, they are available from:
Electric Aero Modeling U.S.A.
Website:
www.eam.net/
email:
sales@eam.net
Mail Address:
P. O. Box 51, Lewisville, TX 75057, USA
Telephone
+1-972-436-5826
FAX
+1-972-219-7816
At the time of writing the article, the price was $49.95 per kit and 2 3/4” vintage
spoked wheels were $19.70 a pair. Shipping charges, VAT and Import Duty will
also have to be paid.
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.
55
FOR SALE / WANTED
Member's Sales & Wants
For Sale by Neil Stainton, telephone him on 01926 314011 or email at
neil@tailormadesoftware.com
• New un-run Mega AC brushless n22/30/4 6-30 cells, max 50A, Kv = 940
rpm/V, Rm=0.056R, Io=1.65A - £79
• Aveox F16 competition/hot hot sports brushless motor incl. integral 3.7:1
gearbox. 10-20 cells, max 80A, Kv=2000rpm/V, Rm=0.018R, Io=2.5A.
Good working condition but some abrasion to the blue cable's insulation
- £135 - photograph below
• Ceto 35Mhz receiver hard wired to two WES Technik 2.4g servos & JMP
6A ESC. Complete weight of RX/servo brick is 10g. RX xtal not incl.. £75 - photograph below
• ToyTronix blimp with 3 channel IR TX & RX - £35
Aveox F16FMR brushless motor
CETO RX, 2 WES servos & JMP ESC
For Sale by Steve Machin Brand new Aveox EZ30 "Sensored" Brushless
Controller £45.00. Contact Steve on email stephen.machin@cwcom.net or
mobile telephone 07976-926-915.
For Sale by Alan Illman, A Futaba Field Force 6 (6XA/6XH) transmitter boxed
and like new with the instruction manuals for £60. Contact Alan on email
AIanill@aol.com or telephone on 01565 653583.
For Sale by Gordon Tarling, an X-Models 'Little Star' glider. Complete with
AP29BB motor with Kruse 'Introgear' gearbox, Aeronaut 10 x 6 Folding Propeller,
Micro-Star 20BEC Motor controller, Futaba 3 channel receiver, 2 x JR341 servos
and 7 x 1000SCR battery pack. Little flown and all in excellent condition. Readyto-fly at £220 o.n.o. Contact Gordon Tarling - gordon.tarling@ntlworld.com
56
E.F.-U.K.
For Sale by Eric Cable, telephone 01935-478974 (Yeovil). All the motors are
boxed and unflown.
• PLETTENBERG HP200/20/12 motor - £75
• ASTRO 05 FAI, 6 turn motor, geared 2.2:1 - £95
• LRP Super 400 - £25
For Sale - Electric beginners outfit with brand new electro tutor kit, only rear
wing & fin built, complete with electric power train (motor, gearbox, batteries &
speed controller). Brand new unused JR XP652 computer radio set, which is
fully NiCd and complete with 4 servos. CSM v9.1 RC aeroplane & helicopter
simulator for PC with interface cable to suit the JR radio set. A truly complete
beginners outfit, all superb condition, genuine reason for sale. Worth around
£425, all brand new, price :- £250. Contact Tony Bryan at email address
anthony.bryan@ntlworld.com or telephone on 01455 446701 and leave a
message if unavailable.
For Sale by Pete Barrow, a Kruse Synchro 2500 Duo gearbox. Any reasonable
price considered. Contact Pete at petebarrow@hotmail.com or on telephone
him on 07946-657385.
For Sale by Jan Bassett is a Kavan Partenavia (photo below), being sold on
behalf of a friend who is emigrating. It is well built, hardly used & is complete
with two 480 motors, Günther prop’s, ESC, JR XP652 TX & charger, JR R600
RX, xtals and 4 Hitec HS-81MG servos. This model is an ideal trainer and will
take-off from grass unassisted. Just needs an 8 cell Sub-C pack & charger to fly.
Cost to buy new is over £330, sensible offers considered (will consider spliting).
Contact Jan at jan.bassett@electric-flight.org.uk or telephone on 01935 472743.
Kavan Partenavia
E.F.-U.K.
57
Wanted by B MacLeod an electric hovercraft kit or built model. Contact him by
email at b.macleod@talk21.com or telephone 01937-834949 (Yorkshire)
Wanted - a 4 channel radio gear with servos, batteries, charger etc. Any
information ring 01825 872752 East Sussex and ask for Chris.
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, by
post, or by telephone, to the Editor (contact details on page 4).
Adverts will be included in both E.F.-U.K. and on the Website unless instructed
otherwise.
Alternatively, you can submit a request on-line via the For Sale & Wanted page
on the BEFA website (www.befa.org.uk).
If you wish to have pictures included with your entry, post photograph prints, or
email graphic files, to the Editor.
E D L Plans
Specialists in Plans and Accessories for Electric Flight.
E D Leadley, 3 The Glade, York. YO31 1LA.
01904 422615
Email:- eric@edlplans.freeserve.co.uk
Why spend a fortune on ready builts when for a few pounds, for materials, you can have
the satisfaction of building your own flying model
16 plans to choose from, Scale, Sport, Aerobatic, Electroslot, E 400, Flying wings etc.
All proven fliers. Prices from £5.50 to £6.50 per plan incl. P&P.
Speed 400 motors - 6 and 7.2 volt – £6 incl. P&P
Collet type prop adapters, more accurate fitting than grub screw type
Shaft sizes:- 2.3, 3.17, 4.0, 5.0 and 6.0mm diameter – £ 3.20 incl. P&P
ROBBE 6” x 3.5” folding props for Speed 400 motors – £ 8 incl. P&P
COSMOTECH Speed 400 gearbox, weighs 30 grammes. Ratio 4.5:1 – £33 incl. P&P
Ask for cells, battery packs, heatshrink, braid and 1.5 & 2.5mm2 flexible battery wire.
If you want advice or information please contact me, if I cannot help you I usually know
a man who can (no obligation). Send SAE or Email for full details.
58
E.F.-U.K.
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 all change at the last minute. You
are strongly advised to check details 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.
April 2002
28th
BEFA Electroslot / E400 League Event at Pillerton Hersey. For
more information contact Dave Perrett on 01455 272297 or at
d.l.perrett@btinternet.com or Terry Stuckey, details on page 4.
May 2002
9th - 12th
Traunreuter Modellfliegerclub Electric Semi-Scale Meet at
their Zweckham site, near Traunreut, Bavaria, Germany. This is
the largest meeting in Southern Bavaria and the season opener in
Germany. The event also comprises night flying demo’s (Saturday
evening) and an official flight programme on the Sunday. They invite
interested pilots & spectators to this informal meeting. Flying is
possible on Thursday, but the event really gets started on Saturday.
Fee free flying with frequency control. Proof of insurance will be
required. Camping is possible on the site. For more information
contact Franz Stockinger at Franz.Stockinger@web.de or phone
on +49 08677 2157 or see their website at http://tmfc.webwide.de
12th
Bickley MFC all electric meeting, on their wonderful grass site
only 5 minutes from M25 junction 3 (near Dartford, Kent).
Admission by pre-booking only. For more information or to book,
check out the website at www.jantel98.freeserve.co.uk or contact
Terry Adams on 01293 820145 or email jantel98@yahoo.com
19th
BEFA Electroslot / E400 League Event at Leicester - a new site
approx. 10 E of Leicester. For more information contact David
Andrews on 0116 279 6403 or email david@kibworth.fsnet.co.uk
or Dave Perrett on 01455 272297 or d.l.perrett@btinternet.com
19th
Ebor E-Slot Little League Event No 1 in York area (venue TBC).
See entry on 21st July for more information.
E.F.-U.K.
59
May 2002 (continued)
26th
Blackpool and Fylde RCMS Electric Fly in at their Weeton
flying site near Blackpool. Electric models of all types and sizes
welcome, starts at 10am. All entrants must show proof of insurance
on the day, entry £4. Refreshments and barbecue available. Contact
Mark Conlin at mark@fatfrank.demon.co.uk or tel. 01253
782031 or see http://www.blackpoolmodelflyers.org.uk
June 2002
2nd
BEFA Electroslot / E400 League Event at Leamington. For more
information contact Dave Perrett on telephone 01455 272297 at
d.l.perrett@btinternet.com or Terry Stuckey, details on page 4.
2nd
Hayes & District MAC Royal Jubilee Electric Fly-In, Cranford
Country Park, Hayes, Middx. Entry off M4 J3 roundabout (see map
below). Flying follows the Pilots' Briefing at 10am and ends at 6pm.
35MHz on even channels only, including the new ones. Traders
welcome with no levy, and can commence set up from 8am. Fly-forfun plus informal Scale, Vintage & AULD comp’s. Possibly even a
Pico-Jet Pylon Race! Bring the family to enjoy the woodlands, river
& adventure playground. Toilets (including disabled) and
refreshments available in the park. Further details available from
Dave Chinery on 020-8573-4687 or at DavidDchinery@aol.com
Map to the
Hayes & District
M.A.C. Royal
Jubilee Fly-In.
Take the road
(shown white)
from M4 J3 into
Cranford Park.
9th
BEFA Norfolk Fly-In at RAF Sculthorpe, East of Kings Lynn,
about 2 miles NW of Fakenham - it’s not far from Little Scoring.
The 1st BEFA fly-in of the year and at a new venue for BEFA.
All the usual fun with Scale, Vintage and All-Up-Last-Down
competitions being held. Pilots briefing will be at 10am, for safety
reasons you don’t want to miss it (or you may not be allowed to fly).
Contact Robert Mahoney for more information, details on page 4.
16th
BMFA Southern Area Electric Fly-In at the Winchester MAC
site. See the poster on page 78 for more details.
60
E.F.-U.K.
23rd
Chester MFC “Roodee” All Electric Fly-In at the Chester Race
Course. Check out http://www.chestermodelflyingclub.co.uk/ or
contact Stuart Ord on telephone 01244 679368 or email
ss.c.ord@btinternet.com for more details.
23rd
11th International Cumulus E-Fly-In & LRK-TorqueMax
meeting at the Cumulus club, Nijmegen / Winssen, The Netherlands
(for the 2nd time in conjunction with a LRK-TorqueMax DIY
brushless meeting). More details can be obtained from their website
at http://home.hetnet.nl/~ronvans/ or from Ron van Sommeren,
email ron.van.sommeren@hetnet.nl or phone + 31 487 519483.
23rd
Ebor E-Slot Little League Event No 2 in York area (venue TBC).
See entry on 21st July for more information.
29th / 30th Wings & Wheels Model Spectacular 2002 at North Weald
Airfield, Nr. Epping, Essex. Please see the event advertisement on
page 77 for further details.
30th
Rolls-Royce MAC Electric / Vintage Fly-In at Hucknall Airfield,
near Nottingham (close to M1 Junction 26). Pilots & helpers only.
Proof of insurance & BMFA “A” certificate are required. For more
details Contact Neil Barnard on 01332 516192 or Barry Parkinson
on 0115 973 1954 for details.
July 2002
6th/7th
BEFA Fly-In at Middle Wallop, Near Andover, Hampshire.
One of the highlights of the year at this superb grass site. It will
follow the same format as last year’s event. E-Slot League event &
fun-flying on Saturday, followed by Scale, Vintage, All-Up-Last-Down
competitions and more fun-flying on Sunday.
Pilots briefing will be at 10am (both days), for safety reasons you
don’t want to miss it (or you may not be allowed to fly). Contact
Terry Stuckey for more information, details on page 4.
7th
Ebor Silent Flyers Fly-In on York Racecourse. Times 09:30am
to 5:00pm. No formal comps except AULD and possibly an AULD
for Vintage models. Informal competitions for Classes Scale, Vintage
and Sport. Models only have to fly to be eligible for judging. 1st, 2nd
& 3rd prizes in all classes. Contact Eric on 01904 422615 or
eric@edlplans.freeserve.co.uk
14th
BEFA Electroslot / E400 League Event at the BMFA East
Midlands Area Rally at Barkston Heath (subject to confirmation).
The precise details are unknown at present.
E.F.-U.K.
61
July 2002 (continued)
21st
BEFA Fly-In at North Leamington School, Leamington Spa.
All the usual fun with Scale, Vintage and All-Up-Last-Down
competitions being held. Pilots briefing will be at 10am, for safety
reasons you don’t want to miss it (or you may not be allowed to fly).
Contact Terry Stuckey for more information, details on page 4.
21st
Ebor E-Slot Little League Event No 3 in York area (venue TBC).
A series of 4 events in the York area. Prizes for each event each day
and for the best results 3 from the 4 days in each league. These
events have been planned to help beginners to electric competitions
to have-a-go, but are for old hands as well.
BARCS rules in the morning - 3 x 10 minute rounds, battery pack
10.25W/hr maximum (=No of cells x capacity (Ah), e.g. 8 x 1.25Ah
or 7 x 1.4Ah). Motor run in the 1st minute only.
BEFA rules in the afternoon - 5 x 12 minute rounds, battery pack a
maximum of 7 cells, maximum of 1 minute motor during the flight.
The use of the 2 sets of rules allows for plenty of flying with one
model and the opportunity to experience both sets of rules. Please
note that these events do not form part of the BEFA E-Slot leagues,
and will not count towards scores.
For more information, contact Barry Flude on 01904 782552 or email
BarryFlude@lineone.net or Mike Proctor on 01904 489386 or
mike@mproctor.demon.co.uk
August 2002
4th
BEFA Fly-In at Woburn Abbey (subject to confirmation).
The usual fun-fly with Scale, Vintage and All-Up-Last-Down
competitions. Pilots briefing will be at 10am, for safety reasons you
don’t want to miss it (or you may not be allowed to fly). There is
something for everyone to do at this superb site, so bring the whole
family. For further information contact Robert Mahoney, details on
page 4.
11th
Ebor E-Slot Little League Event No 4 in York area (venue TBC).
See entry on 21st July for more information.
11th
62
Furness Model Aircraft Society Electric Fly-in at the
Rakesmoor Lane flying site at Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria. Electric
models of all types and sizes welcome. Starts at 10am. All entrants
must show proof of insurance on the day. Entry £4. Contact –
Gary Knight. Tel 01229 467447 or email gary.knight@genie.co.uk
E.F.-U.K.
17th/18th
Greenacres MAC Electric Fun-Fly at Walsall Airport (Bosty
Lane, Aldridge, Walsall). There is no entrance fee for spectators,
but there will be charge per TX Frequency. Full TX Control with
TX signal monitoring. Toilets & Catering Facilities will be present.
Camping Facilities are available on site provided you book at least 1
week before the event. For more information & charges contact Peter
Hubbard on 01922 867908 or email hubbardp@blueyonder.co.uk
18th
BMFA Northern Area Electric Fly-In at Knavesmire, York.
See the poster on page 79 for more details.
18th
Phoenix MFC Electric Fly-In with BBQ at Pakefield, Lowestoft,
Suffolk. Events to include, AULD, Stand-off Scale and "Best Turned".
No fees. BMFA insurance required. For complete details contact
Tom Taylor at 01493 668555 or email tom.t.usn@lineone.net, also
club information available at www.phoenix-mfc.freeserve.co.uk
24th
BEFA Electroslot / E400 League Event at the BMFA Nationals.
The precise details are unknown at present.
September 2002
1st
North London RCMFC Electric Fly-In at Baldock, Herts.
8th
Bath SpaRCS All Electric Fly-in at RAF Colerne, Wiltshire.
Airfield site with grass & tarmac runways. No competitions. Proof
of BMFA membership necessary. Regret no facilities for spectators.
Pilots briefing 10:00. Contact Bob Partington Tel 01225 891441 or
bob.partington@ukonline.co.uk
15th
BEFA Electroslot / E400 League Event at York.
For more information contact Dave Perrett on 01455 272297 at
d.l.perrett@btinternet.com or Mike Proctor on 01904 489386 or
mike@mproctor.demon.co.uk
22nd
BEFA Electroslot / E400 League Event at Pillerton Hersey.
For more information contact Dave Perrett on 01455 272297 at
d.l.perrett@btinternet.com or Terry Stuckey, details on page 4.
22nd
The West Calder Aeromodellers Electric Fly-in. No entry fee,
all welcome. Tarmac and grass runways. SAA Bronze or BMFA "A"
and proof of insurance required. Further details at
www.modelclub.org or from tom.laird@wolfson.co.uk
TBC
BEFA Electroslot / E400 League Reserve Event at York.
Please note this event will only take place if insufficient events have
been completed. For more information contact Dave Perrett on 01455
272297 or at d.l.perrett@btinternet.com or Mike Proctor on
01904 489386 or mike@mproctor.demon.co.uk
E.F.-U.K.
63
64
E.F.-U.K.
E.F.-U.K.
65
66
E.F.-U.K.
ALAN FRY
29 BRAISWICK
CO4 5AU
ImporTekniK
17 YEARS YOUNG and still THE BEST
E.F.-U.K.
16 Cell Racing Pack
14 Cell Racing Pack
12 Cell Racing Pack
10 Cell Racing Pack
8 Cell Racing Pack
7 Cell Racing Pack
6 Cell Racing Pack
15 Cell Pack
12 Cell Pack
10 Cell Pack
8 Cell Pack
7 Cell Pack
6 Cell Pack
10x Single Cell
Single Cell
FULL PRICE LIST - LARGE (A4) S.A.E.
100 Page Information Pack
£3
Cheques Payable to “ALAN FRY” Please
Minimum Order £10
Minimum Postage usually £3
N.B. Mail Order
COLCHESTER
ESSEX
01206 852209
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, 52, 53, 54, 55,
56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 62 and 63 at £1.00 each for BEFA members, or £2.00 each to
non-members. Issues 64, 65, 66 and 67 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 .................................................................... 55
EDL ............................................................................. 58
E-Zone .............................................. Inside Front Cover
Fanfare ............................................... Inside Back Cover
ImporTekniK .............................................................. 67
Mail Order Model Supply............................................ 69
Traplet ............................................. Outside Back Cover
Wings & Wheels Model Spectacular ........................... 64
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
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
Master Airscrew 2.5, 3, 3.5:1 ..................
Superbox ................................................
TAB Inline 2.65 540/600’s ......................
TAB Inline 2.08 & 3.05 480’s ..............
TAB Inline 2.1 700’s ..............................
Mini Olympus ....... £8.00 Olympus .......
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
£16.00
£40.00
£40.00
£40.00
£50.00
£12.00
MOTORS
MFA 2.5:1 N.I.L. with 540 .......................
Speed 400 FG3 ......................................
SpeedGear 400 4:1 Inline .......................
SpeedGear 480 3.45:1 ............................
SpeedGear 500 2.8:1 ..............................
SpeedGear 600 2.8:1 ..............................
SpeedGear 700 2.7:1 9.6v ......................
SpeedGear 700 Neo ...............................
Mini-Olympus & RE380 ..........................
Olympus & 540 .......................................
Robbe 410/35/45 ....................................
£21.00
£17.00
£32.00
£46.00
£40.00
£41.00
£60.00
£78.00
£12.00
£19.00
£36.00
MAXCIM BRUSHLESS
PROPS
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 ........................... £35.00
Monsterbox 4 to 6.8:1 ............................ £50.00
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
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
8x4.5 ................. £6.00
11x8 .................. £9.00
Slimprops 8x4, 8x6, 9x5, 9x6 ................. £3.50
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