The Planes I Fly
A video slideshow of my plane photos (click on icon)
[A Photo Slideshow of my planes]
Photos by Matt Dyer & Joe Gilbert
Aventura Twin  The Aventura Twin was the first seaplane I flew during the summer of 2004. Purchased from Hobby Lobby, it was an ARF and the building instructions were absolutely horrible! I was able to find a review on the Internet and that helped some. The large plastic windshield is held in place with transparent tape to keep the water out during taxiing. It is a very nice flying twin and can perform very nice splash n' gos. The ailerons are configured as flaperons and I lower them for a bit more lift on takeoff. It does help. Wing span: 43" Area: 333.5 sq.in. Wing loading:17.1oz/sqft. Wing Cube Loading: 11.24 AUW with two Prolites is 39.6 ozs. It is powered by Speed 400 6 volt brushed motors, 6x4 props, with a 30 amp FMA ESC. Batteries are now two Thunder Power Prolite 2S1P 2100 mah or Extreme 2S1P 2200 mah Lipos in parallel. Max current is 26.8 amps and 198 watts on a bench test with the eLogger. 6.74 watts/oz - 107.88 watts/lb. AR6000 receiver is used in this plane. HS-81 servos are used throughout. JR11X radio for control. [Video Here] |
Superstar EP
 My Hobbico Superstar EP started life as a three channel electric powered trainer with a Speed 600 motor with Nicd batteries. This was my first balsa ARF after learning to fly - really still learning! - with a 40" foam Global Mini Blue Max. It is easy and relaxing to fly and I still enjoy it - particularly on skis. It has since been converted to 5 channels with ailerons (separate servos) and a brushless motor. I have also added a steerable tailwheel and replaced the original landing gear. These changes made it even more enjoyable. I have many many flights on this plane. A friend of mine crashed and destroyed his Superstar EP so I decided to remove my radio gear and give him this plane. I have been flying this plane since the summer of 2004! Wing span: 48.75" Area: 400 sq.in. Wing loading:13.7oz/sqft. Wing Cube Loading: 8.21 AUW is 38 ozs. Powered by a HiMax HC3510-1100, 9x5.5 prop, a CC Phoenix 25, TP 3S1P 2100mah Prolite Lipo. Max current is 19 amps and 198 watts. 5.21 watts/oz - 83.37 watts/lb. AR6000 receiver is used in this plane. HS-81s are used for the ailerons and standard servos for the rudder and elevator. JR X9303 radio for control. [Video Here] |
Bonnie 20
 This is another Hobby Lobby ARF I purchased in 2004. I flew it from wheels for the first four months before I added floats to fly from snow. Once I finally got the setup so that it wasn't too erratic in flight (the elevator had too much throw!), it became a nice flying land and float plane. I had Art Aube add a better set of floats and that made all the difference in water handling. It takes only about 10 mins to go from floats to wheels. The ailerons are configured as flaperons and I lower them for a bit more lift on takeoff. It does help. Wing span: 55" Area: 422 sq.in. Wing loading: 25.9 oz/sqft. Wing Cube Loading: 15.15 AUW is 76 ozs (w/floats). It is powered by an Axi 2820/10 brushless motor, MA 10x6E prop, a Jeti 40 ESC, and two 3S1P batteries in parallel. Max current is 38 amps and 370 watts. 4.87 watts/oz - 77.89 watts/lb. AR7000 receiver is used in this plane. HS-81s are used for all functions except the rudder and that uses a standard servo, a TS-53. JR 11X radio for control. [Float Video Here] [Video Here] |
AquaStar
 This SIG Aquastar was my first kit plane built in 2005! It ended up as a very relaxing flyer both from snow and water. I have flown for up to 24 mins using a TP 1320 battery. A great winter flyer. Wing span: 42.5" Area: 245 sq.in. Wing loading: 11 oz/sqft. Wing Cube Loading: 8.43 AUW is 18.7 ozs. Powered by a Himax 2808-0980 Brushless, a MA 7x4-3 blade prop, a CC Phoenix 10, TP 3S1P 1320 mah Lipo. Max current is 7.2 amps and 80.2 watts. 4.29 watts/oz - 68.62 watts/lb. AR6100 receiver is used in this plane. HS-55 servos are used for the rudder and elevator. Previously, I used HS-81s but they are overkill for this model. JR 11X radio for control. |
Seamaster
   This ACE Seamaster ARF is a great flying boat. Easy to fly and very aerobatic if desired! Our group of float flyers have just about adopted this as the standard and we have quite a group flying them. One of this years new Seamaster flyers, Matt Dyer, has an electric version - the blue one on the left side. Two additional flyers have joined this group since the above photo. Powered by an OS 46 AX with a APC 11x6 prop, AR7000 receiver is used in this plane. HS-325HBs used for the rudder and ailerons, HS-475HB for the elevator, and TS-53 for the throttle. Sold the above Seamaster in August '08 and just finished an electric version. Mine is very similar to Matt's. Maiden flight on 9-14-08 at Pattees Pond. Flew very well and I am pleased. The ESC failed after a recent wet flight and has been replaced with a CC Phoenix ICE 75. Flew very well on test flight at Pattees Pond on Oct 17, 2010. Wing span: 59.5" Area: 725 sq.in. Wing loading: 24.9 oz/sqft. Wing Cube Loading: 11.11 AUW is 125.5 ozs. Powered by a Rimfire 42-60-600 Brushless, a MA 13x8.5 prop, a CC Phoenix ICE 75, 2 x Turnigy 5S1P 2200 mah Lipos in parallel. Max current is 58.4 amps and 1122 watts. Max RPM 8239. Max Temp 130 F. 1.79 Amp Hrs used for a 9 min flight. (actual flight data from the ESC). 8.94 watts/oz - 143 watts/lb. AR7000 receiver is used in this plane. HS-475HB servos are used for the rudder and elevator and a HS-325HB servo for the ailerons. JR 11X radio for control. [Video Here] |
Drake II
 It was designed by Ken Willard (as was the Seamaster) in 1980 and I build this from plans in 2006. My inspiration was seeing Dick Lahaye fly his glow version. My first plane from plans. It has turned out to be a very nice seaplane and I have a lot of flights on it. I have since gone and built two Depron versions. one a 36" and the other a 26". Wing span: 48" Area: 384 sq.in. Wing loading: 15 oz/sqft. Wing Cube Loading: 9.21 AUW is 40.1 ozs. Powered by an AXI 2808/12, a MA 7x4 - 3 bladed prop, a CC Phoenix 25, and TP 3S1P 2100 mah Prolite Lipos. Max current is 23 amps and 237 watts. 5.91 watts/oz - 94.56 watts/lb. AR7000 receiver is used in this plane. HS-81 servos are used throughout. JR 11X radio for control. Winter Lily Pond Pattees Pond (YouTube) [Video Here] [Video Here] [Video Here] |
Hobbico Nexstar
 Purchased in the summer of '07 for the express purpose of being set up as a float plane. I had Art Aube install a set of his floats after a number of test flights on wheels. I configured it with the flaps on a single servo. This plane weights almost nine pounds fueled up. I removed half of the dihedral and added a ventral fin and that made it a great flyer. Sold this float plane in Sept '08. This was my last glow powered aircraft as I migrate to all electric. Powered by an OS 52 FS with a APC 12x5 prop, it is a fantastic performer for splash n' gos! AR7000 receiver is used in this plane. HS-325HB servos are used for all except for one HS-322 for the throttle. JR X9303 radio for control. [Video Here] |
Grumman G-73 Mallard
 This is a K&A Models kit I purchased in the spring of 2007 and started building in the fall of '07. It has a fiberglass hull and a sheeted foam wing. It has a 50" Wing span and weighs 52 ozs. I had to use two of the batteries just to balance the CG. I had several flights off snow and one off water. Presently has too much down thrust in motors and pulls a lot of water into the props. Steering is by throttle differential. This model is painted with Apple Barrel Acrylic. My first paint job! Art Aube repaired the wing after its meeting with a tree! After refinishing, Wayne White did a test flight for me at the Vern Duckworth Memorial Float Fly on July 20 and the results are not pleasing. It still sucks water into the props when attempting to take off. And it doesn't fly well once airborne. Redid the motor mounts to eliminate the down thrust. Added some lead in the bow and used only one TP Extreme 3S1P 2200 mah to reduce to weight by several ounces. After test flights on Pattees Pond, the problem with water getting into the props still exists. I had less trouble flying the plane than before but it still is not a pleasure to fly. It appears it needs to have the spray rails installed on the front half of the hull to keep the bow wave out of the props. Sad to say, I no longer have this plane. After the last crash this past winter, I decided not to repair it and gave the basic airframe to another club member. Maybe he will repair and resurrect it. Wing span: 50" Area: 319 sq.in. Wing loading: 23.47 oz/sqft. Wing Cube Loading: 15.77 AUW is 52 ozs. Powered by twin Axi 2208/20 Silver, MA 6x4 - 3 blade props - 1 is a pusher for counter-rotating porps, CC Thunderbird 18 ESCs, a CC BEC set for 5.5 volts, and a TP Extreme V2 3S1P 2200 mah in parallel. Max current is 32.96 amps and 380 watts. 7.31 watts/oz - 116.92 watts/lb. AR9000 receiver is used in this plane. HS-81s are used for the rudder and elevator and HS-56 servos for the ailerons. JR X9303 radio for control. Takeoff from snow Float Flying [Video Here] [Video Here] |
Depron Drake II 36  Decided to give Depron a try and selected a Drake II for a start. Reduced the plans to give me a WS of 36". Worked out very well. Hull is fiberglassed with 3/4 oz cloth and Minwax Polycrylic. It is a great flyer! Handles a light breeze very well. Five channel (ailerons on separate channels) using a AR6000 Spektrum Receiver and JR X9303 2.4 radio. I have quite a few flights on it now and am very pleased with this seaplane. It flys as well as my original Drake II or maybe even better. Wing span: 35.5" Area: 209.5 sq.in. Wing loading: 12.4 oz/sqft. Wing Cube Loading: 10.26 AUW is 18 ozs. Power is a BP Hobbies A2208-14, a MA 6x4 - 3 blade prop, a Castle Creations Thunderbird 18 ESC, TP 1320 3S1P Prolite Lipo. Max current is 8.67 amps and 97 watts. 5.39 watts/oz - 86.22 watts/lb. HS-45 servos in the wing and HS-56 for rudder and elevator. JR 11X radio for control. [Video Here] [Lily Pond Video] |
Depron Drake II 26
 Another Depron Drake II. This one has a 26" WS and weights just under 10 ozs. It has a mix of 3mm and 6mm Depron with a basswood spar. Float spar is light ply and carbon fiber rods. Hull is fiberglassed with 3/4 oz cloth and Minwax Polycrylic. It is a 3 channel plane and handles well as long as you don't try to make turns too close to the water when landing. You then will have one of the floats in the water and spin it around! The hatch fell on the floor and my wife ran over it so I will scratch this plane and salvage the components when time permits. Scraped this plane on 3-3-10 Wing span: 25.5" Area: 150 sq.in. Wing loading: 9.41 oz/sqft. Wing Cube Loading: 9.22 AUW is 9.8 ozs. Power is a BP Hobbies A2208-12, a MA 5x3 - 3 blade prop, CC Thunderbird 9 ESC, and a Electrifly 640 3S1P Lipo. Max current is 8.08 amps and 91.4 watts. 9.33 watts/oz - 149.22 watts/lb. AR6100 receiver is used in this plane. HS-55 servos are used. JR X9303 radio for control. Taxi Test Takeoff [Video Here] [Video Here] |
Cessna 195
 A Top Notch Products kit built in the spring of '07. A very nice kit. 48" WS and AUW of 40 ozs. I also built the scale floats but without a ventral fin - or other extra fin area, it is a nightmare to fly from water. Nice flying from wheels. Wing span: 48" Area: 383 sq.in. Wing loading: 14.8oz/sqft. Wing Cube Loading: 9.11 AUW is 39.5 ozs. Powered by an Eflight Park 480-1020, MA 10x6 prop, TP 3S1P 2100 mah Prolite, and a CC Phoenix 25. Max current is 23.25 amps and 252 watts. 6.38 watts/oz - 102.08 watts/lb. AR7000 receiver is used in this plane. HS-65 servos are used throughout. JR 11X radio for control. [Video Here] |
LT-25e  
   
A very nice LT-25e built for me by Art Aube in Skowhegan, Maine. It has a sheeted foam wing and lite balsa construction designed with electric power in mind. Art also added flaps for me and a battery hatch just forward of the windshield. This is a wonderful flying aircraft and presently just about my favorite land based plane. Flys equally well from skis and wheels. A GREAT slow flyer! I covered the model with PolyCover and the color scheme shows up great in the air. My previous favorite plane was my tried and true LT-40 powered by a Magnum 52 FS. While I miss the sound of the FS, this is now my primary land based model. This model I can fly year round and I never flew glow in the winter. Update: November '09. Built a "Glider Rider" for the LT-25 so it can be used to carry gliders aloft. Changed battery to a TP 4S1P 3850 and prop to a MA 11x6. Takes about 2 mins to carry a glider to about 350' and land the LT-25. Get four launches per charge that uses approx 2400 mah. Update Dec 09: Had the misfortune to lose perspective after launching a glider and managed to crash the plane. The front portion of the fuselage was damaged but Art Aube repaired it by cutting out the bad sections and adding in new pieces of balsa. I refinished it and it looks good. The wing had some dings just behind the leading edge, mainly on the right wing. Took a hot iron and that took out much of the dings. Recovered that area and it looks quite good. Replaced the receiver just in case. Upgraded the ESC to a Castle Creations Phoenix ICE Lite 50 with a built in switch mode BEC. Also now trying a APC 11x5.5 prop to reduce the load on the system while running at full throttle while carrying aloft a glider. With a new Turnigy 4S1P 4000 mah battery, it will generate 489 watts static. Presently awaiting a test flight. Made the first test flights on Jan 5th and all went well. More flights carrying sailplanes on Jan 16th and no trouble. Still a great flying plane! Wing span: 63" Area: 724 sq.in. Wing loading: 14.6 oz/sqft. Wing Cube Loading: 6.55 AUW is 73.8 ozs. Powered by an Axi 2826/12, APC 10x5 Prop, TP 5S1P 2200 Extreme, and a CC Phoenix 35 ESC with a Dimension Eng Sport BEC set for 6 volts. Max current is 31 amps and 570 watts. 7.72 watts/oz - 123.58 watts/lb. AR7000 receiver is used in this plane. HS-85MG are used for the rudder and elevator. One HS-81 is used for the flaps and HS-81MG servos are used for the ailerons. JR 11X radio for control. [Video Here] [Video of Glider Launch Here] |
Eflight DHC-2 Beaver
 I purchased this Eflight ARF in the spring of '08 and made its maiden flight soon thereafter. A very nice detailed 25 size plane and flys very well. I have flown with both skis and wheels. I did replace the wheels with Skylite 3.5 wheels. AUW is about 75 ozs. Wing span: 68" Area: 565 sq.in. Wing loading: 19.12 oz/sqft. Wing Cube Loading: 9.65 AUW is 75 ozs. Powered by an Axi 2826/12, MA 11x7 prop, Turnigy 4S1P 3600 mah, CC Phoenix 45 ESC, and a CC BEC set for 5.5 volts. Max current is 40.3 amps and 608 watts. 8.11 watts/oz - 129.71 watts/lb. AR7000 receiver is used in this plane. HS-82MG servos are used in the wing for ailerons and flaps. HS-225MG servos are used for the rudder and elevator. JR 11X radio for control. [Video Here] |
Seawind EP
 Purchased in the fall of '07, flys nice but I tend to lose perspective easily. The orange helps. Not one of my favorite planes! Update Dec 09: Sold this model without the electronics. Wing span: 39.5" Area: 234 sq.in. Wing loading: 13.1oz/sqft. Wing Cube Loading: 10.28 AUW is 21.3 ozs. Powered by a Great Planes Rimfire 28-30-950, a GP 8x6.5 prop, a CC Thunderbird 18 ESC, and a TP 3S1P 1320 mah Prolite Lipo. Max current is 11.5 amps and 130 watts. 6.10 watts/oz - 97.65 watts/lb. AR6100 receiver is used in this plane. HS-55 servos used for all functions. JR X9303 radio for control. [Video Here] |
Hobby Lobby Miss2
 I purchased this Old Timer style plane in May of '07 after watching Matt Dyer fly his Playboy. It is a ARF from Hobby Lobby and assembly was quite easy. Just a 3 channel plane but fun and relaxing to fly. Maybe this year it will get skis as originally intended! Wing span: 54" Area: 395 sq.in. Wing loading: 9.8 oz/sqft. Wing Cube Loading: 5.94 AUW is 27 ozs. Powered by a Axi Gold 2212/20, a MA 7x4 - 3 blade prop, CC Thunderbird 18 ESC, and a TP 3S1P 2100 mah Prolite. Max current is 12.9 amps and 152 watts. 5.63 watts/oz - 90.07 watts/lb. AR6000 receiver is used in this plane. HS-81 servos are used. JR 11X radio for control. |
Cermark Lil' Banchee A nice flying light weight 3D type plane. This model can handle a lot of wind and I fly it when the others stay on the ground. Very easy to handle and fun to fly. I have many many flights on this plane. It gets skis in the winter months. I put together the second one - had a spare ready! - this week as the original was getting a bit worn but still very flyable. I moved the Cermark motor to the new one and installed a HiMax 2812-0850 on the original. Everything is just about the same and they both perform very well. Banchee No. 1 scraped on 3-3-10 Just getting too worn! Wing span: 31" Area: 317 sq.in. Wing loading: 7.4 oz/sqft. Wing Cube Loading: 5.02 AUW is 16.4 ozs. Powered by a CEM 2812-0860 or HiMax 2812-0850, a APC 10x4.7 Slo Flyer prop, CC Phoenix 25 ESC or Thunderbird 18, and a TP 3S1P 1320 mah Prolite. Max current is 12.1 amps and 125 watts on original plane. 7.26 watts/oz - 116.10 watts/lb. AR6000 receiver is used in the original plane and a AR6100 in the new plane. HS-55 servos are used for all functions. JR 11X radio for control. |
Herr Little Extra I purchased this plane in '07 and originally powered it with the HiMax 2812-0850 and it flew "OK". But just recently needed that particular motor to power my older Banchee as noted above. Just happened to have the new BP Hobbies motor sitting here so ran it up on Motocalc to see how it would perform and was pleased by the results. The smaller diameter prop is better for the plane as I really didn't have enough ground clearance with the older one (9"). Test flew it today, Aug 5, for a short flight and was pleased with the results. A much better performer now. Can even do a respectable knife edge on high rates! Wing span: 36.6" Area: 344 sq.in. Wing loading: 10.47 oz/sqft. Wing Cube Loading: 6.77 AUW is 25 ozs. Powered by a BP A2212-10, a MA 7x4 E prop, CC Thunderbird 18 ESC, and a TP 3S1P 2100 mah Prolite. Max current is 14.5 amps and 161 watts. 6.44 watts/oz - 103.04 watts/lb. AR6000 receiver is used in the plane. Spektrum S-75 servos are used for all functions. JR 11X radio for control. [Video Here] |
Parkzone Vapor Purchased this indoor flyer in Nov 08 after watching Matt Dyer fly his at the Anson Indoor session. Flew for the first time on Veterans Day at the same location. The plane excels at slow high alpha flight and is a real pleasure to fly and watch. Highly recommended! Now also am flying the new Night Vapor! I purchased the Bind and Fly version and I use it with my Spektrum JR X9303 transmitter. My longest flight so far is 12 mins and have no idea how long it could go. [Video Here] |
Ultrafly Radix-3D
 Purchased this plane several years ago and it just been sitting there! Since we fly indoors twice monthly during the fall and spring, I decided to give it a try. After assembly and talking to my flying buddies that fly 3-D indoors, they felt the wing loading was too much so I added a third wing panel between the fuse sides and the struts. This added almost 75 sq. ins and it appears to work fine. It does give the plane a slightly high alpha attitude due to the added lift. It uses about 140 - 150 mah for about 5 min flights. I have since removed the added wing panel and started flying the plane outside when there is little wind. It is great for rolling circles even in a confined space such as I have where I camp during the summer. Wing span: 28.3" Area: 387.9 sq.in. Wing loading: 2.85 oz/sqft. Wing Cube Loading: 1.73 AUW is 7.67 ozs. Powered by a Little Screamers brushless, a GWS 8x4 prop, CC Thunderbird 9 ESC, and a TP 3S1P 350 mah Prolite V2. Max power is 66 watts. 8.6 watts/oz - 137.68 watts/lb. AR6100 receiver is used in the plane. GWS Pico servos are used for the tail group and a BMS-306 for the ailerons. JR 11X radio for control. [Video Here] [Video Here] |
Ultrafly Outrage
(Matt Dyer Photos) Another Ultrafly that has been sitting here for over two years and finally decided to put it together. This is not an indoor flyer as it weighs too much. Unlike the Radix which is all sheet foam, this plane has a full molded foam fuselage that comes in two halves. After the test flights at the field, I am very pleased with the performance. Just have to be sure to land on the paved runway otherwise, I expect the landing gear will take a beating! Sold plane Jan 2012 Wing span: 28.3" Area: 338 sq.in. Wing loading: 5.53 oz/sqft. Wing Cube Loading: 3.62 AUW is 13 ozs. Powered by a Ultrafly Frio-10 brushless, a APC 9x3.8 prop, CC Phoenix 25 ESC, and a TP 3S1P 1320 mah Prolite. Max amps is 12.88 and max power is 139 watts. 10.69 watts/oz - 171.08 watts/lb. AR6100 receiver is used in the plane. HS-55 servos are used for all functions. JR 11X radio for control. |
Goldberg Gentle Lady
(Mounted on Bob's Kadet for launch) Purchased this sailplane from another club member several years ago but never did anything with it until Bob Chapman decided to use his Kadet Sr. to launch sailplanes. I had a bit of repair to do to the horiz stab and elevator and install my electronics. Had its maiden flight on Dec 6, 08 and flew fantastic! Really enjoy this aspect of the hobby. Got in either 9 or 10 flights today. Wing span: 78.3" (2m) Area: 663 sq.in. Wing loading: 7 oz/sqft. Wing Cube Loading: 3.29 AUW 32.5 ozs. Battery is a 4 cell 1450 NiMh. AR6200 receiver used and HS-422 Servos. JR X9303 radio for control. |
Midwest Essence 2M Sailplane
 
 A Midwest die cut kit sailplane purchased from Art's Hobbies and built with the V-Tail option in Dec 08 - Jan 09. Fuselage is covered with Monocoat and tail group with a mix of Polycover and Ultracoat. Wing is a mix of Monocoat, Ultracoat, and Polycover. Maiden flight on 2-1-09 and all went well. Very nice flying sailplane. Launch system is Bob Chapman's Kadet Sr. and it works nice. Glad I built it with the V tail as that looks a bit different. Do need to add some "color" to the bottom of the wing so it will stand out better in an overcast sky. Wing Span: 78.5 (2M) Area: 670 sq. in. Wing Loading: 6.53 oz/sqft. Wing Cube Loading: 3.03 AUW: 30.4 ozs. Battery is a 4 cell 1500 NiMh. AR500 receiver. HS-81 Servos. JR X9303 radio for control. [Video Here] |
Glassair HLG
 Purchased this sailplane ARF from Art's Hobbies. It is a discontinued item from Sig. It is covered with Litespan. Maiden flight on 2-1-09 and flew very well. Another nice flying sailplane. Looks nice in the air. Launch system is Bob Chapman's Kadet Sr. and it works nice. Sold without electronics in Nov 2010 Wing Span: 58.2" Area: 418 sq. in. Wing Loading: 4.82 oz/sqft. Wing Cube Loading: 2.83 AUW: 14 ozs. Battery is a 4 cell 700 NiMh. AR500 receiver. HS-65HB Servos. DX7 radio for control. [Video Here] |
Budget RC Arrow
 (Matt Dyer Photo) A new indoor F3P/3D Biplane designed by Robert Youens with some unique construction methods. Some of the strength- rigidity comes from using Kevlar thread instead of carbon fiber. Not difficult to build Successful test flights were made in Anson on 1-23-09. It performs very well and will be even better after I gain more experience with this type of flying. Definitely is easier to fly than the Radix-3D. The power system is more than adequate. 4.5 minute flights were using approx 220-250 mah from the batteries. I have since reduced the timer to 4 minutes to be more conservative with the batteries. Started on Arrow 2 in mid October '09. Used Spektrum AR6300 receiver and Spektrum DSP60J servos. However, found that these servos have a problem when used on lite 3D foam aircraft ailerons. They "chatter" to the point they seem to be shaking the plane apart. Replaced the aileron servo with a BMS-306 servo. This model is using a Hacker A10-9L, Thunderbird 6 ESC, and an APC 8x3.8 SF prop generating 52.8 watts at 8.2 amps on the same TP 2S1P 350 Prolite V2. Test flew the plane on Oct 30 and feel it performs better that my original. Scraped Arrow #1 on 3-3-10. Just plain worn out!! Arrow # 3 already test flown. It is the newer version. Arrow 3 worn out (Jan 2011) and I gave it to another member with the servos. Arrow #4 & #5 built. Have test flown #4. I been testing some newer, cheaper motors, the Suppo 2204-14 and the Turnigy 2204-14. As far as I can see, they are the same. Also appear the same as the BP Hobbies A2204-19. Just different names. They work very well and I have had no issues using three of them so far. Performance is fine although I haven't connected to my eLogger to find exact specs. Also am using Rhino 360 Lipo packs and they are fine also. Wing span: 27.5" Area: 385 sq.in. Wing loading: 2.17 oz/sqft. Wing Cube Loading: 1.33 AUW is 5.8 ozs. Powered by a Hacker A10-9L brushless, a 8x3.8 prop, CC Thunderbird 6 ESC, and a TP 2S1P 350 mah Prolite V2. Max amps is 7.42 and max power is 51.27 watts. 8.84 watts/oz - 141.43 watts/lb. AR6100 receiver is used in the plane. BMS-303 servos are used for the tail group and a BMS-306 for the ailerons. JR X9303 radio for control. [YouTube Video] |
Seamaster II
 A new seaplane presently under construction. Purchased from Art's Hobbies - he built five of them this fall from Ken Willard's original plans with his own light weight methods! It has a sheeted foam wing. The weight as I received from Art is 24 ozs! Mine is built for electric power. I will finish from this point, building my own hatch, battery platforms, and final finishing. Similar to my LT-25E I purchased from Art. Successful test flight on 4-19-09 at Pattees Pond with Bob Chapman at the controls. Other than fine tuning the control throws, all went well. Very pleased! The plane will perform a very respectable knife edge with little coupling. Had to replace the TP Extremes V2s with Turnigy 2200 mah packs. Huge difference in power! Now pull 38.29 amps and generate 598 watts on a static test. The TP packs produced enough power originally to power the plane just fine. All my TP Extreme V2 packs are now simply no good for much of anything. Wing span: 48" Area: 426 sq.in. Wing loading: 17.85 oz/sqft. Wing Cube Loading: 10.38 AUW is 52.8 ozs. Powered by a BP A2820-6 brushless, a Tornado 8x6-3 prop, CC Phoenix 45 ESC, and 2 TP 2S1P 2200 Extremes in series. Max amps is 26 and max power is 332 watts. 6.29 watts/oz - 100.61 watts/lb. AR600 receiver is used in the plane. HS-82BB servos used for rudder & elevator and HS-85MG servos are used for ailerons. JR 11X radio for control. [Video Here] |
Millennium RC MicroSSX Biplane
 After noticing this kit from Millennium RC in one of the forums I follow, I decided to give it a try. Very nice laser cutting and assembly is easy. Covered with Coverlite Microlite which is very light weight and a bit "tender" when applying. This kit took a backseat while I finished the Arrow. Maiden flight on 2-25-09. While, that is the first successful maiden flight. Had too much upthrust in the motor mount. Still very erratic in flight. Slowly dialing down the control throws. Not exactly fun to fly yet! Wing span: 21.5" Area: 240 sq.in. Wing loading: 3.66 oz/sqft. Wing Cube Loading: 2.84 AUW is 6.1 ozs. Powered by a Hacker A10-12S brushless, a GWS 6x3 prop, Hacker X-5 ESC, and a TP 2S1P 350 mah Prolite V2. Max amps is 6.9 and max power is 50 watts. 8.20 watts/oz - 131.15 watts/lb. AR6100 receiver is used in the plane. BMS-303 servos are used for the tail group and a BMS-306 for the ailerons. JR 11X radio for control. |
Budget RC FW190 Combat Fighter
 Purchased several of these foam combat planes from BudgetRC. Several other club members have foam combat planes and I wanted to join in the fun. Construction is EPP foam except for the side stiffeners and they are Depron. All surfaces are painted with various water based acrylic paints. Maiden flight on Feb 22 at the KVMA field. Throttled up and released from right hand at about a 20 deg up angle and it just flew out of my hand without issue! Needed a couple clicks of aileron trim and that was it. Has a decent climb rate but certainly is not over powered! The color scheme worked out very well in the air! Looks like it is ready for combat! Three flights used from 115 mah to 152 mah for up to a 5 minute flight. Increased the prop from a 8x4.3 to 9x4.7 and power increased from 31 watts to 35 with a TP 2S1P 350 mah Prolite V2. Now over 100 watts/lb. These are bench test numbers using the Eagle Tree eLogger. 6-17-09 Tested with new TP 2S1P 480 Prolite V2 and now AUW is 5.8 ozs, max amps is 5.68 and watts is 43.3. About 119 watts/lb. Quite an improvement. Will test fly with this configuration now. Wing span: 28" Area: 154 sq.in. Wing loading: 5.42 oz/sqft. Wing Cube Loading: 5.24 AUW is 5.8 ozs. Powered by a Turnigy 2211-1300 brushless, a GWS 9x4.7 prop, Castle Creations TB 6 ESC, and a TP 2S1P 480 mah Prolite V2. Max amps is 5.68 and max power is 43.3 watts. 7.47 watts/oz - 119.45 watts/lb. AR6100 receiver is used in the plane. Dymond D47 servos are used for the elevator and ailerons. No rudder is implemented. JR 11X radio for control. |
Budget RC Hornet Not a difficult plane to build but as the instructions on the web site mention, it is for experienced builders. Basic instructions can be downloaded and there are several nice videos that are helpful to watch before you begin. Maiden flight on 8-25-09. Needed a lot of trim adjust but flew very well after it was trimmed. Sold without electronics in Nov 2010 Wing span: 33.4" Area: 342 sq.in. Wing loading: 4.63 oz/sqft. Wing Cube Loading: 3.01 AUW is 11 ozs. Powered by a Ultrafly B/06/12 brushless, a APC 9x3.8 prop, Castle Creations TB 18 ESC, and a TP 3S1P 730 mah Prolite V2. Max amps is 16.2 and max power is 179.8 watts (static test with eLogger), 16.35 watts/oz - 261.53 watts/lb. AR6100 receiver is used in the plane. Dymond D47 servos are used for the ailerons. BMS306 servos are used for the rudder and elevator. JR X9303 radio for control. [Video Here] |
Budget RC ULD Another new foam 3D plane from Budget RC. Made from EPP and Depron. Flown just a few times so far. Knife Edge flight needs NO rudder, in fact, you might have to add a bit of opposite rudder at times. Still experimenting to find just the right trim and CG settings. Now trimmed out and flies a great knife edge without any rudder! Knife edge loops easy even for me! Sold without electronics in Nov 2010 Wing span: 29" Area: 460 sq.in. Wing loading: 4.19 oz/sqft. Wing Cube Loading: 2.35 AUW is 13.4 ozs. Powered by a BP Hobbies 2410-8T 4Y (TowerPro) brushless, a GWS 10x4.7 prop, Castle Creations TB 18 ESC, and a TP 3S1P 730 mah Prolite V2. Max amps is 11.5 and max power is 130.7 watts (static test with eLogger), 9.75 watts/oz - 156 watts/lb. AR6100 receiver is used in the plane. Hitec HS-55 servo is used for the ailerons. BMS306 servos are used for the rudder and elevator. JR X9303 radio for control. |
SIG Riser
 Purchased this kit last year and just finally built it this fall. Still awaiting test flight. Three test flights made on Jan 16th and all went well. Do have give the rudder a bit more throw. Now have about ten more flights and am very pleased with the results. Nice and visible in the air. It's a keeper! Wing span: 78" Area: 620 sq.in. Wing loading: 5.95 oz/sqft. Wing Cube Loading: 2.87 AUW is 25.6 ozs. Battery is a 4 cell 1500 NiMh. AR500 receiver is used in the plane. Hitec HS-81 servos are used for the rudder and elevator. JR X9303 radio for control. |
SIG LT-25
 Decided to build this kit after the Dec 09 incident with my LT-25e. It is now ready for the test flight as soon as we get some weather decent enough for such activity. Test flights on Feb 23, '10. Needed a few clicks of down otherwise flew very well. Perfect stall, just drops the nose. Flies very slow if desired. A floater! Plenty of power with the Turnigy battery but less so with the older TP but still flies very well with it. Trimmed it to fly with just rudder/throttle so I could take an in-flight photo but still kind of high! Very pleased with this aircraft. Wing span: 63" Area: 724 sq.in. Wing loading: 14.8 oz/sqft. Wing Cube Loading: 6.56 AUW is 74.2 ozs. Powered by an Turnigy Aerodrive SK4240-750, Wood 11x7 Prop, TP 4S1P 3850 Extreme or Turnigy 4S1P 4000, and a CC Phoenix 35 ESC with a Dimension Eng Sport BEC set for 6 volts. Max current is 29.68 amps and 471 watts. 6.35 watts/oz - 101.56 watts/lb. AR7000 receiver is used in this plane. HS-225BB are used for the rudder and elevator. 2ea HS-81MG servos are used for the ailerons. JR 11X radio for control. [Skis Video Here] [Video Here] |
Multiplex Parkmaster This plane was recommended to me by several club members so I finally decided to get one. It is a great flyer and does a beautiful knife edge and it is very easy to do knife edge loops with. Like it so far. Wing span: 37.8" Area: 450 sq.in. Wing loading: 6.08 oz/sqft. Wing Cube Loading: 3.44 AUW is 19 ozs. Powered by a Hacker A20-20L, APC 10x4.7 Prop, TP 3S1P 1350 Prolite V2, and a CC Phoenix 25 ESC. Max current is 22.7 amps and 250 watts. 11.58 watts/oz - 185.26 watts/lb. AR6000 receiver is used in this plane. HS-65MG are used for the rudder and elevator. 2ea HS-65HB servos are used for the ailerons. JR 11X radio for control. |
SIG LT-40
 Purchased this ARF for the purpose of creating an electric powered plane that can carry up to 100" gliders aloft. The LT-25 does a great job with 2M gliders but 100" makes it difficult to control. Several test flights have been made both with gliders and without. Presently tail heavy with a glider rider mounted so have to resolve that issue. Remounted the motor a bit more forward and modified the "Glider Rider" so the CG is much better. Wing span: 70" Area: 900 sq.in. Wing loading: 19.2 oz/sqft. Wing Cube Loading: 7.68 AUW is 120 ozs. (without glider rider) Powered by an Rimfire 42-60-480 , MA 13x8-3 blade Prop, Turnigy 2 x 5S1P 2200 (in parallel), and a CC Phoenix ICE 50 ESC. Max current is 29.68 amps and 690 watts. 6.35 watts/oz - 92 watts/lb. JR R921 receiver is used in this plane. HS-325HB are used for the rudder and elevator. 2ea HS-85MG servos are used for the ailerons and 2ea HS-81MG are used for the flaps. JR 11X radio for control. |
Multiplex Fun Cub
  Another plane highly recommended by flying buddies. I have it assembled just about ready for the test flight. The floats are on backorder but I hope this will be a great float plane. Maiden flights on 10-10-10 at the KVMA field. Flew very well. Plenty of power. Didn't need any trim adjustments! Much fun to fly. Climb high over field, dive at field with full flaps, and level at last minute. Comes down VERY slow! Installed a set of HobbyZone floats for powder snow flying. They work great! A very fun plane to fly. Highly recommended! Very nice flying from water also. Wing span: 55.1" Area: 588 sq.in. Wing loading: 8.18 oz/sqft. Wing Cube Loading: 4.05 AUW is 33.4 ozs. Powered by a Eflight Park 480-910, MA 11x6 Prop, TP 3S1P 2100 Prolite V2, a CC Phoenix 35 ESC, and CC BEC set at 5.5 volts. Max current is 27.4 amps and 309 watts. 9.25 watts/oz - 148 watts/lb. AR7000 receiver is used in this plane. HS-65MG are used for the rudder and elevator. 2ea HS-65HB servos are used for the ailerons. 2ea HS-55 servos are used for the flaps. JR 11X radio for control. [Video Here] [Float Video Here] |
Ultrafly Cessna 182
 Purchased this ARF from Vern's sale. He had started to assemble it and the fuselage was glued together and the firewall installed. I assembled it with the thick wing for slower flight. (It comes with two wings - a second thinner wing for more aerobatic flight). It can be assembled with either nose gear or as a tail-dragger and I decided on the second option. It has plenty of power with the components I used. A 9 to 10 minute flight uses less than 600 mah from the batteries. Three test flights on Nov 12 and only needed one click of down. Very nice slow flyer! I am sure it will be great on skies and floats. More flights on Nov 13 and is indeed a very nice slow flyer. Glad I finally assembled it. Added home made skis - great flyer. Changed to GWS floats for deeper snow. They added 2.8ozs and work great!! Decided to paint the floats grey and add some black details so they look better. Still flies very slowly and looks great on floats. A definite winner!! Wing span: 43" Area: 323 sq.in. Wing loading: 8.92 oz/sqft. Wing Cube Loading: 5.95 AUW is 20 ozs. Powered by a Rimfire 28-30-950, APC 9x4.7 Prop, TP 3S1P 1350 Prolite V2, a CC Thunderbird 18 ESC. Max current is 12.2 amps and 140 watts. 7.0 watts/oz - 112 watts/lb. AR6000 receiver is used in this plane. HS-55 servos are used for the rudder and elevator. Turnigy TG9 servos are used for the ailerons. JR 11X radio for control. [Video Here] [Float Video Here] |
Tricopter
 My latest project! Saw these in the Aerial Photography forum on RCGroups and thought it would be a nice platform for photos and videos. Bob Chapman and I built two, one for each of us. It is going to take me a long time before I put a camera on mine! Bob is very experienced flying helis and he does a great job with his as the video will prove! I added extra crash protection on mine until I get proficient flying. It will be quite a while! Slowly getting better with it. Much more comfortable flying. Ordered two sets of gear from Hobbycity and RCTimer. Each Tricopter uses 4ea 401B AVCS Digital Head Lock Gyro, 1 digital servo for Yaw control, three BL2830/14 750kv motors, three 18 amp ESCs, and a UBEC for electronics power. The motors spin 10x4.7 GWS props. They are quite responsive with the power available! On three recent flights with mine, it used between 850 and 1250 mah for a eight minute flight. According to my Eagletree eLogger, they generate 353 watts using 32.4 Amps from a 3S1P 2200 mah Lipo on a static test. Actual test hovering on mine is about 175 watts. AUW is 32.8 ozs. [Video Here] [Video Here] [Video of Bob's Here] [Bob's Indoors at GLT] |
KKMulticopter Quad+
 Purchased this kit from KKMulticopter in Korea. Assembled in one day's time. Made the first flights indoors at the Garret/Schenck School indoor flying session. Made four flights of around 5+ minutes. All went well after a bit of trimming. There are 4 brushless Flycam925 motors controlled by HK 20 ESCs all controlled by the special KKMulticopter blue PCB running firmware for a quad+ configuration. Props are APC 10x4.7 with two pusher and two regular props. AR600 receiver and 11X transmitter. No special configuration used on the radio, just a regular ACRO configuration, as the PCB does all the control necessary. AUW is 27.2 ozs. No specs on power yet but hovers at 1/2 throttle. The four flights used 550 to 700 mah from the 3S 2200 Lipo packs. [Indoor Video Here] [Video Here] |
KKMulticopter Blueboard Tricopter
 Purchased a KKMulticopter Blueboard controller with firmware for a tricopter. Built a second tricopter essentially the same as my original. Setup is much easier with this controller than with discrete components. Just select a standard aircraft configuration in the transmitter and the controller does all the mixing required. I found the new one is more stable without any adjustments. The controller also has some nice safety features for arming and disarming using transmitter stick positions. 1 HS-82MG servo for Yaw control, three RCTimer BL2830/14 750kv motors with 18 amp ESCs, and a UBEC for electronics power. The motors spin 10x4.5 RCTimer props with a pusher on the left arm. They are quite responsive with the power available! AUW is 31.6 ozs with a 3S1P 2200 Lipo battery. It hovers at 1/2 throttle. AR600 receiver used. [Video Here] |
Multiplex Mentor
 Purchased this plane from a flying buddy that had a lot vibration in the motor and didn't want to spend more time solving the issue. I finally made a new motor mount from 1/4 ply and that solved most of the issue. Added floats and this is a great plane on floats! Much fun!! Wing span: 64.2" Area: 697 sq.in. Wing loading: 13.31 oz/sqft. Wing Cube Loading: 5.95 AUW is 64.4 ozs. Powered by a Himax C3528-1000, MA 11x6 Prop, 3S1P 3000 Lipo, a BL54 ESC (CC). Max current is 46.4 amps and 521 watts. 8 watts/oz - 129 watts/lb. AR7000 receiver is used in this plane. Multiplex Servos come with this RR plane. JR 11X radio for control. Floats add 18.4 ozs. [Video Here] |
Great Planes Syncro
 Purchased this Ducted Fan powered plane to use for aerial photography. Comes with two wings, one glider type and another for aerobatics. Only assembled the glider wing so far. This is my first DF model. Made test flights at KVMA. Flew very well with two clicks down trim. Plenty of power!! Assembled the aerobatic wing using HS-55 servos. Very aerobatic with this wing!!! Wing span: 55.5" Area: 400 sq.in. Wing loading: 9.36 oz/sqft. Wing Cube Loading: 6.05 AUW is 26 ozs. Powered by a Electrifly 24-33-4040 Inrunner, 56mm EDF, 3S1P 2200 Lipo, a CC Phoenix 25 ESC. Max current is 21.4 amps and 245.5 watts. 9.44 watts/oz - 151 watts/lb. AR600 receiver is used in this plane. Hitec HS-56HB servos for ailerons and HS-65HB servos for rudder and elevator. JR 11X radio for control. [Video Here] [Video Here] [Video Here] |
Clancy Aviation Baby Bee
 Purchased this little jewel when I started flying in 2004 but it wasn't a great performer with Nimh batteries and a geared 180 brushed motor. So it has been sitting on top of a cabinet since '05 gathering dust. Decided to update it with a brushless motor and see how it flew. Used the motor from the MicroSSX Bipe as I never had much luck with that. A world of difference! Very nice little flyer now. Wing span: 22.5" Area: 175 sq.in. Wing loading: 6.25 oz/sqft. Wing Cube Loading: 5.67 AUW is 7.6 ozs. Powered by a Hacker A10-12S brushless, a GWS 6x3 prop, Hacker X-5 ESC, and a TP 2S1P 480 mah Prolite V2. Max amps is 6.9 and max power is 50 watts. 6.58 watts/oz - 105 watts/lb. 6 Ch. Orange Spektrum compatible receiver is used in the plane. Hitec HS-55 servos are used for the tail group. JR 11X radio for control. [Video Here] |
NitroPlanes Super Senior
 Purchased this clone of a SIG Kadet Senior after seeing the success Bob Chapman had with his carrying sailplanes aloft. Has no trouble with 2 or 3 meter sailplanes. He has a OS 70 FS but I no longer have any glow stuff and decided to give a RCGS 15cc gas engine a try. Very pleased with the results so far. Getting close to one gal of fuel burned and still running well. Carried quite a few sailplanes aloft without issue. It seems to be on par with Bob's OS 70 FS powered version. But cheaper to operate. Wing Span: 80" Area: 1180 sq in. Wing loading: 18.21 oz/sqft. Wing Cube Loading: 6.36 AUW is 149.2 ozs Tail group servos: Hitec HS-475HB, Throttle: HS-425BB, Ailerons: HS-325HB Two 5 Cell NiMh 2000 mah batteries, one for receiver and one for ignition. Each has its own switch and charge socket. JR921 Receiver and one satellite receiver on long extension mounted near rudder. Ignition has a Smart-Fly Fiber Optic switch to control ignition power. [Video Here] |
Great Planes PBY Catalina
 Purchased this from a friend that had flown it several times and was leaving the area. The only change so far was to add differential throttle control as the video will demonstrate. It flies a bit faster than I would like but not too bad. Still have to work on my splashdowns! Removed the receiver and ESCs and installed in the Twinstar. Will sell the PBY. Wing span: 53.5" Area: 395 sq.in. Wing loading: 13.11 oz/sqft. Wing Cube Loading: 10.96 AUW is 49.8 ozs. Powered by 2 x Rimfire 28-30-960 Outrunners, 3S1P 3000 Lipo, 2 x Thunder Tiger 20 ESC. Max current is 25.5 amps and 294 watts. 5.9 watts/oz - 94.46 watts/lb. BR6000 receiver is used in this plane.(BR6000 has failsafe on all channels to ensure both throttle channels shut down if necessary) Hitec HS-55 servos for ailerons and Futaba S3114 servos for rudder and elevator. JR 11X radio for control. [Video Here] |
Blade 120 SR Purchased this small helicopter last winter spent a lot of time flying it since, mostly indoors with some flights outdoors on calm evenings. Took a while to learn but it paid off when I started to build and fly my Tricopters. I have over 75 flights to date. And it can take a beating! I have bounced it off the walls and floor and have yet to replace any parts. Excellent, well built little helicopter. |
Sky Bench Aerotech Big Bird
 Framed up this laser cut sailplane kit in the spring of 2011 and finally finished it this fall. Test flights on Nov 26 went very well. Very pleased with the results. Carried aloft by my Super Senior without issue. Wing span: 100" Area: 820 sq.in. Wing loading: 7.59 oz/sqft. Wing Cube Loading: 3.18 AUW is 43.2 ozs. AR500 receiver is used in this plane. Receiver battery is a 4 cell 2000 mah NiMh. Hitec HS-81 servos used for rudder and elevator. HS-55 servos used for the spoilers. JR 9303 radio for control. [Video Here] |
Parkzone Radian
 Decided I wanted to try a powered sailplane so I could spend time soaring when no one else was available to assist with launches. I wanted only a three channel plane to keep the weight as low as possible. Reviews were very good so picked up this plane. It only weighs 26 ozs RTF! Only my Riser weighs less! I can launch with my RH holding the transmitter and left the plane. Had a chance to test fly on Dec 2nd and 3rd. Very impressed. Has plenty of power to get to altitude in about 30 secs. Actually, more power than needed. Half throttle is adequate for climb out! I am going to try using a smaller battery to reduce the weight even more. I tried a TP730 Prolite V2 battery and it climbs without any issues. Several launches with this battery and it used less than 300 mah. It reduces the weight to 24.6 ozs. Reduces the loading: Wing loading: 5.61 oz/sqft. Wing Cube Loading: 2.68 So far, I have 21 "climb to altitude" then soar flights. Takes about 30 secs with power at approx 50%. Wing span: 78.7" Area: 632 sq.in. Wing loading: 5.92 oz/sqft. Wing Cube Loading: 2.83 AUW is 26 ozs. AR500 receiver is used in this plane. PKZ 480 motor. 30 Amp Pro SB ESC. Folding 9.75x7.5 propeller. Parkzone PKZ1060 servos used for rudder and elevator. Battery is 3S1P TP1350 Prolite V2. JR 9303 radio for control. [Video Here] [Video Here] |
Multiplex Twinstar
 (Photos I took of a previous owners flights) (New Photos) Purchased from a flying buddy that got it from another buddy! I used the receiver and ESCs from the PBY as I don't really care for that seaplane. The receiver is already configured for throttle differential steering and there is no water rudder at the moment so that will help. Should really be nice for flying from snow. Works very well on the water also. I included a video of it being flown by its previous owner. New one on snow and a float flying video that contains some footage of the Twinstar. Wing span: 56" Area: 665 sq.in. Wing loading: 10.18 oz/sqft. Wing Cube Loading: 4.74 AUW is 47 ozs. Powered by 2 x BL2217/9 Outrunners, 3S1P 2200 Lipo, 2 x Thunder Tiger 20 ESC. Max current is 29 amps and 340 watts. 7.23 watts/oz - 115 watts/lb. BR6000 receiver is used in this plane.(BR6000 has failsafe on all channels to ensure both throttle channels shut down if necessary) E-flight EFLRDS75 servos for ailerons, rudder and elevator. JR 11X radio for control. [Video Here] [Video Here] [Video Here] |
Blade mQX Quad
Got this flying machine as soon as available. Have been very impressed with my Blade 120SR and I am equally impressed with this quad. I fly it in the quad 'X' configuration but can also be flown in a '+' configuration. I got seven flights on my first day with it. Many flights now. Had one motor go bad, ordered a replacement and had it installed and tested 10 mins after I received it. I find it is quite stable. Give it a shove and that will show how stable it is. Quite impressive. [Video Here] |
DJI Naza Flame Wheel
 Just purchased this ARF. Comes with everything needed except receiver and battery. Easy to assemble and a bit harder to configure using the PC. Mainly just trying to understand what is required but very helpful information on RCGroups. Made the first flight outside and managed to climb a bit high and hit a tree branch but only damage was to break one prop. They use special props but I was able to ream one out to size and use. Also comes with a set of smaller size props and they seem to work fine also. First impressions are the aircraft is very stable in the Attitude mode (as compared to manual) and maintains a decent stable level flight. Mounted my FlyCamOne HD and got a bit of video. Not too much "jello". Also has a nice autoland feature in case of low battery and can be invoked by the transmitter. Impressed so far with the Naza flight controller. Changed to a AR7000 receiver and set up failsafe so it will autoland in case of loss of radio control. Flew indoors with the GoPro attached and video is very good. Flew a short flight outside with the GoPro and took a few photos. Not bad except the fisheye effect on photos. Added a camera mount with landing gear. Also set camera for 60 fps and video is very good. This is an exceptional flying machine AUW is 35.4 ozs as compared to the KKMulticopter Quad that weighs 29.0 ozs. Stable indoor flight takes about 14 amps and 140 watts with GoPro onboard and about 120watts without the camera. With mount and landing gear and GoPro, it weights 44 ozs. Spektrum AR7000 receiver. JR 11X radio for control. [Video Here] [Video Here] [Video Here] |
Naza Wood Quadcopter Built up this quad using same wood material used on the tricopters. Poplar from Lowes. Used the same motors and ESCs from the tricopters. They work very well. Also purchased a Naza flight controller for this quad. It flies very well. Just as good as the Flame Wheel F450. Very pleased with the results. Motors are RCTimer BL2830/14 750kv motors, RCTimer 18 amp ESCs. Using 3S1P 2200 Lipos. Weights 45.4 ozs RTF with GoPro Hero 2. Hovers on 140 - 150 watts without the camera. [Video Here] [Video Here] |
Mid-Star 40
 Purchased this scratch built model from the Art Aubé collection. He built it in 2008 and it was powered by a 46 glow engine. I converted it to electric and made the first test flight on April 13, 2012. Plenty of power. Nice flyer although hard for me to see due to colors. May put some stripes on bottom of the wing. Wing span: 64.5" Area: 630 sq.in. Wing loading: 17.19 oz/sqft. Wing Cube Loading: 8.22 AUW is 75.2 ozs. Powered by an Turnigy Aerodrive SK4240-750, Wood 11x6 Prop, Turnigy 4S1P 3600, and a CC Phoenix ICE 50 ESC. Max current is 28.7 amps and 423 watts. 5.63 watts/oz - 90 watts/lb. RPM is 9259. AR600 receiver is used in this plane. Futaba servos are used for the rudder, elevator, and ailerons. JR 11X radio for control. |
Special Thanks to Matt Dyer for many of the photos and videos available on this web site!
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