1 Charged Battery ID
If you have a bunch of battery packs you use over and over, knowing which ones are charged and which are not can get confusing. An easy way to identify packs is to place a small ID sticker on the packs after you charge them. Once you’ve used the pack for a flight, peel the sticker off so you’ll know it’s in need of a recharge.

2 Propeller Safety Tips
To prevent accidents, full-size aircraft are equipped with propellers that have brightly colored tips. Do the same with your model airplane propellers. Mask off the tips and spray on some bright yellow or white to make the prop tips more visible while it’s spinning. The finger you save might be your own!
 
3 Small Parts Sticker
When building (or repairing) a model, it is sometimes hard to place a wooden part properly inside a narrow fuselage. An easy way to do this is to use a sharp awl as a “part sticker.” Now, simply add glue to the part, stick it with the “part sticker” and guide it into position.

4 Emergency Screwdriver
It never fails that whenever you need a specific tool for the job, you’ll find that tool anywhere but where you need it. If you find yourself in need of a common, straight-blade screwdriver, you can always take a modeling blade and place it backwards in its handle. The exposed part of the blade can now be used to tighten that screw.

5 Throw-away Epoxy Mixing Pad
While mixing epoxy, use a pad of Post-It notes for the mixing surface. Then after applying the adhesive to the model, simply throw the used note away and you’re ready to mix some more adhesive. No clean up required.

6 Easy Control Surface Alignment

When you install and adjust your pushrods, it is better and easier to do if you lock your control surfaces in their neutral positions. Use a pair of coffee mixing sticks and a couple of clamping clothespins to keep the surfaces from moving.

7 Easy Clevis Keepers
If a clevis were to pop off one of your model’s control horns, you could lose control and crash. A simple and cheap way to prevent this from happening is to add a clevis keeper. Simply slice a thin section from some model fuel tubing and slip it over the clevis. It will act like an O-ring and keep the clevis securely in place without binding.

8 Handy Clamp
There are a hundred tasks in modeling during which you simply need a third hand. Soldering connectors to wire leads is a good example. In a pinch, you can use a pair of pliers with its handles wrapped with a rubber band. The pliers are heavy enough to act as a steady base and the rubber band provides enough clamping force to hold delicate items without damaging them.

9 Simple Building Board
You don’t need a complete building bench or table to build model airplanes; just use a straight piece of pine board. But to make it easier to insert pins to hold the wood parts in place while the glue dries, get some cheap Peel-n-Stick cork sheeting from a hardware store or a convenience shop and stick them to the building board. Place your plans on top and protect it with some clear kitchen wrap or wax paper. Should the cork get damaged or you get some glue on it, simply peel the cork away and replace it with a new piece.

10 Sheet Separator
If you build from plans or kits, you have to cover your model. Often, it is very difficult to separate the covering film from its backing sheet so you can iron it into place. The easiest way to do this is to apply strips of masking tape to each side and use them as pull tabs to separate the two thin layers of plastic.

The post 10 Field & Bench Tips appeared first on Model Airplane News.

Simple Crush Plate

Purchase Lucite at the hardware store and pick up a 1 1/4-inch hole cutter.  Use the hold cutter to cut out some Lucite 1 1/4-inch disks. Then use a drill press to cut out a 1/4-inch hole in the center of the disk. This large Lucite disk can be used with the wing retention bolt and it will not crush the trailing edge of the wing. Because the disk is transparent, it will be hardly visible when installed.

Cheap And Easy Wheel Chocks

A quick way to keep your plane in one spot is to use these wheel chocks made from 1/2-inch PVC pipe. You can vary the length of the side pieces to accommodate different sizes of wheels. Before gluing the final pieces, fill the assembly parts with sand.  You can make several of these for about $4 or $5 and a few minutes of your time.

Looking Good
Protect your aircraft’s cover scheme! Before you fuel it up, apply a thin coat of clear dope to the trim surfaces. This will also keep the trim from coming loose when you clean your aircraft.

Custom fit for your wing
Looking for a less expensive, effective and truly custom wing bag? Try Reflectix foil insulation that can be found at any hardware store. It is like bubble wrap with Mylar on both sides and comes on a roll.  Start by laying your wing on half of it and fold it over the top. Then, cut off the excess but leave a few inches around and a little extra for a fold over flap. Use a regular stapler, spaced as close as you can, to seal up the edges. You can staple the edges with the wing inside to give it a sung fit. Add handles made out of flat nylon cording purchased at a fabric store.

The post Favorite DIY Advice appeared first on Model Airplane News.

The post Rocky flies again! appeared first on Model Airplane News.

“Bernard H. Pietenpol pursued his dreams of flight from the ’20s through his passing in 1984. His dreams were of planes powered by auto engines that nearly everyone could afford to build and operate. He first flew Gnome, then Ford Model-T powered planes without success. When the Model-A was introduced, Bernie had the powerplant he needed. The Pietenpol Air Camper would carry two people and reach speeds of 70mph behind its 4-cylinder, water-cooled Ford auto engine.”

The photos shown here are of a replica that was based at the Ole Rhinebeck Aerodrome for years and was part of the weekend airshow. It is painted in the original colors as Bernard’s first prototype.

Born in the Great Depression years, the venerable Pietenpol Air Camper is perhaps the most famous of all early homebuilt designs. Pietenpol’s famous parasol met the needs of the lime and was designed to get off the ground, putt along slowly so its pilot and passenger could enjoy the local scenery and then return safely (and in one piece) back to earth.

Bernie used construction-grade lumber and many inexpensive, surplus WW I aircraft fittings and hardware to keep the Air Camper as affordable as possible. Pietenpol designed his own under-cambered airfoil (similar to the USA-27 airfoil) for the Air Camper, and to this day, it is still the preferred airfoil for those building modem-day examples of the Air Camper. Bernard Pietenpol published his plans for the aircraft in Modern Mechanics magazine and wrote several articles for it as well as for Popular Aviation magazine.

Click here for 3-view Drawing: Pietenpol Aircamper Note: be sure to select “Scale to Fit” when you print out the PDF drawings.

Plans for the original 2-seater parasol are still available from:

PIETENPOL FLYING FIELD – CHERRY GROVE MN.
Attn: Andrew C. Pietenpol
7203 IMPERIAL AVE S.
COTTAGE GROVE, MN 55016

Home Number (6 5 1) 459-3209 Email: Andrew.Pietenpol@Gmail.com
Email: BHP.AND.SONS.AIR.CAMPER.AIRCRAFT@GMAIL.com

The post Planes Worth Modeling — Pietenpol Air Camper appeared first on Model Airplane News.

Learning to fly is always easier and more fun with the aid of an experienced instructor. He will help you avoid those first few beginner mistakes and will help your airplane live a lot longer.

The Sportsman S+ RTF with SAFE Technology from Hobby Zone is one of the new generation trainer/sport fliers that comes with onboard stabilization. It makes learning to fly very easy.

For the first-time RC modeler, today is a great time for getting started in the hobby. The newest generation of easy-to-assemble, almost-ready-to-fly planes come in a wide variety of types and sizes. From electric-powered park fliers and microscale designs to your basic engine-powered, nitro-burning sport and trainer planes, the amount of work on the bench is minimal. Compared to the good old days, our newest RC planes aren’t very labor-intensive to assemble. Many even come out of the box completely ready to fly without any assembly required. “Plug and play” is a big part the hobby today, and it very easy to be successful. Really, the hardest part is deciding which model plane and radio system you want. Whether it has an electric power system or has an engine bolted to the firewall, once you decide on the airplane you like, you’ll need a flight plan to earn your RC wings. Let’s take a look at some of the basic techniques that you’ll need to know to be a successful RC pilot.

GETTING STARTED

If you are the social type who enjoys talking about RC planes as much as learning how to fly them, joining a local club is the way to go. Meeting monthly affords you the opportunity to get together with other like-minded RC addicts; it’s a lot like group therapy for the aviation minded. Clubs usually have a permanent flying field, and membership costs are relatively inexpensive compared to all the benefits you receive. Being a club member, you’ll quickly find out where local instructors hang out. The hobby is a great way to make new friends and to find useful hobby resources. Reading Model Airplane News is also a great way to start.

RADIO GEAR

One of the first tricks to learn deals with control reversal. When the airplane is headed toward you instead of flying away, left and right turns feel reversed. To level your wings, simply move the control stick toward the lower wingtip. This will keep you flying straight and level.

For the beginner, it’s best to start with a RTF (ready-to-fly) airplane that comes in a complete package, which includes everything you’ll need to fly your plane, including the radio. This way, there are no decisions to make and you know everything will work the way it is suppose to. For the modeler who is looking to stay in the hobby for the long haul, the purchase of a radio system is a good investment.

A standard full-house aileron-equipped plane requires four channels to operate. The basic controls are the throttle, rudder, elevator, and the ailerons. Once past the basics, you’ll want to think about adding more functions, such as flaps and possibly retractable landing gear, so a 6-channel radio system gives you flexibility for future development. Programmable computer radios are very popular because of the amount of adjustments and control mixing that you can do with the various channels. The basic features include dual rates and exponential, servo reversing, servo-travel adjustment, and basic mixing. Computer radios today are very affordable, so consider them a good investment for your future needs. Also, most radios systems come without servos; when you buy your radio, purchase separately the size, number, and type of servo that you’ll need for your particular model.

GROUND SCHOOL

Yes, a lot can be learned with the use of a good flight-simulator program, but nothing speeds your progress more than some quality time one-on-one with an instructor. Having someone help you avoid those first few common mistakes will not only speed your flight training but also help prevent you from having to buy two (or possibly three) replacement trainer planes before you solo.

During those first few flights, a training plan can be developed, with each of your flights having a specific goal. Building on what you’ve learned from previous flights allows you to move on after you master the basics. Learn to taxi around first, then after you and your instructor are comfortable with you controlling your plane on the ground, you can move on to the takeoff, straight and level flight, turning left and right, and flying at slow airspeeds. While on the ground, you’ll learn how to steer with the rudder and how to work the throttle smoothly. After you get the hang of it, you can start flying at low altitudes so that you can get used to flying in the traffic pattern. Then, you’ll begin working on your first few landing approaches.

Throughout the process, remember that this is all about having fun! If you begin to feel stress, tell your instructor and let him take over. You have to take a lot of little steps before you can run. A good tip is to always be aware of the wind direction and how it affects your airplane.

Buddy System

Modern buddy-box training systems have cut the cable between the two transmitters and are now wireless.

By far, the best way to learn how to fly is with a system called a buddy box. A buddy box uses a cable connected between the instructor’s transmitter and that of the student, but newer radios do the same thing wirelessly. The buddy box allows the instructor to take control of your airplane simply by releasing a spring-loaded switch. Should you get into trouble, your instructor can quickly correct the plane and give control back to you. Available from many radio manufacturers, buddy-box training systems are often available from RC airplane clubs.

Until you are signed off for solo RC flight, the instructor will control the model during takeoff and then will fly it up to a safe altitude before transferring flight control to your radio. Compared to using a single radio (where an instructor has to take the radio from the student’s hands to regain control), the buddy-box system is much easier and safer.

This is a typical RC airplane training traffic pattern. Always take off and land into the wind, and use throttle to control your climb and descent rates.

It is always best to train when the wind is calm or at least straight down the runway. This way, the plane will go where you point it.

To fly a straight path when there is a crosswind, you need to crab the airplane (using rudder) so that it faces slightly into the wind. The stronger the wind, the more you have to angle the the plane’s nose into the wind. Practicing this will quickly increase your piloting skills. Remember to keep the wings level.

FIRST FLIGHT

As you gain experience and start to anticipate your model’s needed corrections, the instructor will give you more and more stick time until you’re ready to solo. There’s nothing more exciting that to hear your instructor say, “Go ahead. Take ‘er off this time!”

Takeoffs are actually quite easy. Most trainers and beginner sport planes are designed to be stable, and when you fully advance the throttle, they will want to climb almost by themselves. Concentrate on maintaining a straight path, and apply throttle slowly. If the plane veers off course, correct with a touch of rudder (a little right is usually needed to keep going straight down the runway). As the model gets light on the wheels, pull back a little on the elevator stick; the model’s nose will come up, and the plane will become airborne. Keep the wings level with small aileron inputs, and let the model climb out at a shallow angle. Don’t let the model jump off the ground at a steep angle. Don’t panic—just ease off the elevator stick, and if necessary, apply a little down (push the stick forward slightly) to keep the model at a steady climb angle.

Your instructor will teach you to fly the traffic pattern, and as you improve, he will have you fly at low altitudes until he’s comfortable with your command of the plane. Without you actually knowing what’s going to happen, a good instructor will talk you through the landing pattern and get you lined up for your first attempts. He will remind you to control the airspeed with your elevator (model nose high or low) and adjust your descent rate with the throttle. Once you nail that very first landing, it will be only a matter of time before you solo and can fly unassisted.

BOTTOM LINE
Like anything else, to get really good at flying, you’ll need to practice and stay with it. It is an investment of time and effort. In the end, however, the satisfaction you’ll feel when you take off and land by yourself will be well worth the effort. You’ll be a properly trained RC pilot with the entire hobby to enjoy. Whether you want to fly warbirds, racers, or aerobatic airplanes, it all requires training and mastering the skills needed to be successful.

The post Pro Tips for First Flight Success appeared first on Model Airplane News.

Painting your model is the last bit of finishing and it’s the part most noticed. For great results use the same paint as used on full size airplanes. stits.com is the place to get the stuff. Poly Tone paint works great and is designed to work with the heat shrinkable Poly Fiber covering.

That big radial engine cowl reaaly benefits from a dummy engine installation. If you don’t have the cash for a Robart 4-stroke 7-cylinder radial engine, there are plenty of resin cast dummy engines that will hep cover up your RC gas engine. And the finer details like proper color, lifter rod tubes and spark plugs and wiring all add to the appearance.

So, you do have to get inside the airplane to work with and maintain the radio gear and linkages, so why not add functional cabin doors. These work great and give easy access to the internal parts. A removable cabin interior helps hide the RC hardware.

For the various RC radio gear and engine ignition switches placing them in a secluded area like here between the fuselage firewall and the engine cowling, greatly improves the model’s looks. They are just as accessible as they would be if you had just cut holes in the side of the fuselage and installed there there. Of course that ruins the scale looks of any airplane.

As with most Ziroli designs, the Staggerwing is designed to use the custom made Robart Staggerwing gear. Besides saving a ton of time and effort, the Robart gear work great and are very scale in appearance.

Those wheel also look great and are machined from aluminum.

The post Super-Scale Beechcraft Staggerwing appeared first on Model Airplane News.

While reading through an old issue of Model Airplane News, I came across an article about float-flying off water. It started me thinking about how much fun it would be to fly off snow with skis. First on my agenda was to pick some suitable subjects to modify for ski installation. That was the easy part, because my Stinson L-5 Sentinel and Cessna L-19 Bird Dog were just begging to get out of winter storage and be drafted back into service. They are both 1/4-scale tail-draggers and are very suitable for trudging through snow. After working out a few logistics, I cleared a spot on the drafting table and got started. My intent was to come up with a ski design that was simple, easy to build and would use up some of that “leftover” material we all seem to have lying around the shop.

SKI DESIGN
To get a better feel for the design requirements for skis, I took a quick look through some full-size aviation magazines for possible articles on winter flying. I came across an issue of the EAA magazine Sport Aviation. This particular issue had a short article about winter flying with skis. The article contained some neat color photos of two Piper J-3 Cubs on a snow-covered runway at a grass field. The J-3 is probably the most common aircraft that’s outfitted with different brands of skis, and this supplied me with a few ideas on designing a simple, yet effective, set of skis for my own 1/4-scale models.

After measuring the skis and fuselages of the Cubs in the photos, I calculated their comparative lengths, and used these figures to plan the dimensions of my skis. I then generated a rough draft of the full-size drawings for the 1/4-scale skis following the tried-and-true “That looks-about-right” formula (here’s to good old eyeball engineering!). The length of the skis would be approximately 50 percent of the fuselage length, and the axle pivot point would be at 30 to 40 percent of the ski length aft of the ski nose. For the width, I just picked a number that felt right.

MATERIALS
The materials I used for the skis are well-known by all modelers and, depending on the weight of your model, the skis can be made of 1/18, 3/16 or 1/4-inch-thick lite-ply or luane (the plywood material used to skin interior household doors). For models that weigh up to about 15 pounds, use 1/8-inch thick material. For models of 25 pounds or more, I recommend 1/4-inch-thick material (both the L-5 and L-19 are in the lower 20s, so I chose to use 1/4-inch thick lite-ply). I’ve found that metal skis generally mean trouble because snow really likes to stick to cold metal. Wooden skis seem to work better; but just be sure you sand the bottoms silky smooth, seal them well with polyester resin, polyurethane, or epoxy and then apply a good grade of wax. We’ve successfully used beeswax, as well as high-grade automotive paste wax. The wax will prevent the snow from sticking and also will allow the model to really slide across the snow.

Lay out the patterns on a flat piece of material and cut the outlines to shape. To get the nose of the ski to bend up and match the curve of the stiffener, a series of cuts is made across the skis top surface. These cuts are only 1/2 the material thickness deep and are only required in the nose area that needs to bend. This process is called “kerffing‚” and I simply used a utility knife to score these cuts. Just prior to bending this kerfed area, I also fill the cuts with glue so that when all the glue sets, this area will be nice and strong. The center stiffener and the two axle mounts are made of various types of plywood. For 1/4-scale models, the center stiffener is 1/2-inch thick, exterior grade, house-construction plywood, and the two axle mounts are 1/4-inch thick, aircraft plywood. I also like to add spacers to each side of the axle supports so that the final thickness is the same as the wheels that I use on that model. This makes the process of switching from wheels to skis and back again, very easy and fast.

The entire assembly is glued together with 20-minute epoxy and clamped in place to cure. After curing, all the areas are sanded and then coated with epoxy and sanded again. Next, they are painted with a couple of coats of paint and topped off with some clear polyurethane or epoxy.

FUSELAGE CONSIDERATIONS
 One of the neatest things about this design is the ease with which you can switch from wheels to skis. This is very important when you get that unexpected snowfall and last-minute calls from your flying buddies to meet them at the field. It will take only a few minutes to change from wheels to skis.

There is only one modification needed for the fuselage; two pairs of eyehooks need to be installed to act as attachment points for the cables. Install two in front of the landing gear, one on each side. Attach the skis, nose bungee and safety cable (more on these later) to these eyehooks ahead of the landing gear. The other two eyehooks go aft of the landing gear, (again, one on each side of the fuselage), the rear-extension limiting cables will be attached to these. To make these attachments sturdy, I simply epoxy some hardwood blocks inside the fuselage and permanently screw the eyehooks into place (see photos). I leave these in place all year long, so I do not have to make any changes when the weather makes an unexpected turn. I painted these eyehooks to match the fuselage and this way, they just get camouflaged and disappear very nicely.

SKI SETUP
To set up your skis properly, there are two basic, yet very important alignments to maintain.

Toe-in: The skis must be parallel to each other, as well as to the fuselage centerline (a function of the landing gear-axle toe-in adjustment).

Angle of attack: The skis’ angle of attack must be approximately 10 degrees positive while the aircraft is in flight (a function of the bungee and aft limiting-cable adjustments).

The nose bungee is big rubber bands that lift the tips of the skis. To limit how high the ski noses rise, you have to adjust the lengths of the rear-limiting cables. I like to make these adjustments on the workbench with the skis mounted on the axles (held in place with wheel collars) and the airplane’s tail propped up. To get the required 10 degrees of ski nose-up attitude, I keep the skis flat on the bench and then raise the tails that the plane’s nose is set at a flight attitude of negative 10 degrees. A stack of paint cans works very well here! If you’ve set everything up properly, when you lift the model off the bench, the bungee cords will lift the noses of the skis and make the aft limiting cable taut. When the model is placed on the ground, the aft cables should slacken and the skis should lie flat. It’s important that they also be able to pivot freely on the axles. As an added safety measure, I suggest you run a safety cable alongside the nose bungee. This cable is adjusted when the model is sitting on the ground in the normal “at rest” attitude. The safety cable is attached at the same spots as the bungee, yet at this attitude, this cable should be taut. The idea here is that in the event of a bungee failing, you do not want the ski to turn nose-down on you in flight as it makes for a very messy landing. To make it easy to attach the bungee cords and cables, I install line connectors or some other form of “quick-disconnect” device at the fuselage attachment points. Old control-line connectors work well and you might also find similar connectors in a fishing-tackle store.

To make it easier to remove the wheels from my models, I replace the usual wheel collars with cotter pins that go into small holes drilled through the end of the axles.

TIPS ON SNOW FLYING
 With all the shop work finished, now it’s time to head to the field. The toughest part is waiting for the snow and then having it arrive at just the right time, like on a Friday night so that Saturday can be a day at the field with nice fresh snow. I live on Long Island, NY, and we don’t usually get much snow, but last winter we had so much snow that it was difficult to get to the field! Regardless of how much snow we get, when we get an opportunity like this, the “Snow Bird Squadron” gets together and makes it to the field for some really great, off-ski flights.

When flying off snow, remember these tips:

• You’ll need to apply slightly more power to taxi. If you have no ski attached to the tail wheel, the rudder will also need a blast of power for turning.
• You’ll need more power for takeoff, and the skis will have to “plane” on the snow before you’ll be able to build up air speed. To overcome torque, apply the throttle gradually and smoothly and feed in the rudder as required (just as if you were flying off a green runway). You may need a bit more elevator to prevent the model from attempting to nose over, but once the speed builds up and the skis are “on plane” you’ll be able to release the elevator. When it’s equipped with skis, your model will not fly as fast because skis increase drag. When flying with wheels, don’t expect to pull up as steeply.
• Increase power during landings and use a slightly nose-high, three-point, or wheel-landing approach to keep the tips of the skis up. For short-field operations with my L-5, I particularly like the “I have arrived, three-point, plop-type” of landing. The fun part for me is just shooting touch-and-go’s one after another.

Using scale-snow skis is a really easy way to extend your flying season. Before heading out, make sure all your radio gear is up to snuff. Cold weather wreaks havoc with batteries, as well as people. Just dress warmly, you don’t want frostbitten ears, toes or flying thumbs and be sure to take along some hot coffee or hot chocolate. Oh yes, and sunglasses are definitely in order. Enjoy!

Here are all the wooden parts cut out for one set of skis (see text for details).

Closeup view of the kerf cuts and how they help to bend the nose up to match the curve of the center support.

All the parts glued and clamped in place to cure. Lead bars and clamps (and anything else that is heavy) aid the process.

Another means of  “clamping”  the assembly is to use anything from around the shop that is heavy such as a can of Bondo or old car parts.

Close up of the axle attachment area with filler pieces between the uprights and on the outsides to make the attachment area the same width as the wheel originally used. Note the cotter pin and washer. Very easy installation.

With fuselage propped up so the nose is slightly down you can see the rear attachment cable is taught and the front bungee stretched.

Same as photo 6 but fuselage attachment points can also be seen.

Roy Vaillancourt designed and built this 1/4-scale Stinson L-5. It weighs 21 pounds and is powered by a US-41 engine. Latex paint (but of course).

Roy Vaillancourt designed and built this 1/4-scale Stinson L-5. It weighs 21 pounds and is powered by a US-41 engine. Latex paint (but of course).

The post Easy Scratch-built Skis (fly off the snow!) appeared first on Model Airplane News.

The original engine casting is available from Nick Ziroli Plans and just like all other parts of a scale model, the finer details are what make it look realistic. So the first step is to produce a master part to cast. Of course, if you want to save time and effort, the Evolution 1/4-32 spark plugs ($13) for the Evolution gas engines from Horizon Hobby are perfect for a 1/3-scale part.

At the very least, it can be used as a guide for making your own less expensive copies.

So I started with an old burned out O.S. #8 glow plug and turned down the unneeded threads and I drilled out the coil. This is easy to do with any small shop machine lathe.

I then used a piece of acrylic plastic rod (from Michaels Craft Store), and I turned the top insulator to shape. I used a jeweler’s file and 400 grit sandpaper to smooth it and then I flipped it around in the lathe chuck and drilled out its base with a 3/32-inch drill bit so it would fit over the top of the glow plug.

With a couple drops of medium ZAP CA glue, I glued the insulator to the glow plug. Looks pretty convincing to me. Now it’s time to make a silicone mold of the master part.

Everything needed for making resin cast parts and silicone molds is readily available online. Check on www.Amazon.com. I prefer to use Amazing Casting Resin (www.moldputty.com), and Alumilite HS3 Silicone molding material. If you prefer to make a 2-part mold, you also need the mold release spray. For this simple technique, we’ll make a single piece mold, since the HS3 is very strong and flexible so it can really be stretched to release your part after it cures.

The Base of the silicone is thick but pourable and it has to be mixed with its catalyst. You mix it 1 part catalyst to 10 parts base (by volume or weight,) with the included measuring/mixing cups.

I use a digital gram scale to make the ratios precise. so for 28 grams (1 oz. of base) you would then pour in 2.8g of catalyst. The base is white and the catalyst is pink. Mix it very well so that there are no swirls of color in the mixture.

To make my mold making container, I simply use a drop of thick ZAP to tack glue the master to the center of one of my mixing cups. This makes for a quick and easy setup. You could also use smooth sheet plastic and a base and glue a box around your master.

Once your mold mixture is completely mixed through, gently pour it into the container. Do this with a steady stream poured in from high above. This helps eliminate bubbles in the silicone as it flows around and over your master.

The silicone takes about 18 to 24 hours to fully cure, but you have about an hour before it starts to setup. Here’s a tip for saving the relatively expensive materials. Should you not mix enough silicone to cover your master completely, (you should have at least a 1/4 inch over the top of it,) you can insert objects into the container to raise the level of the silicone. AA and AAA batteries are ideal for this. But make sure what ever you use, that it does not come in contact with your master piece. Now set the mixture aside, on a level surface and let the silicone cure fully.

So here you see the master part, which is easily removed from the mold after the mold has been removed from the container. Notice the container and the master are perfectly clean. Silicone only sticks to more silicone and to nothing else.

Even the batteries come out easily.

The casting resin is a much less critical mix. Both parts are mixed together 50:50 and you have about a minute or two to work with it. Use the included mixing cups and sticks and mix together for 30 seconds. Again mix until there are no visible swirls in the mixture.

Here the resin has been mixed together and is ready to pour into the opening in the top of the silicone mold. Notice I re inserted the batteries to ensure the mold isn’t deformed before pouring in the resin.

Very quickly, the resin with start to turn white as it cures. An unusual aspect of casting resin is that larger batches of it cure more quickly than smaller amounts. So, the left over material in the mixing cup will fire off in about 2 minutes. And the material in the mold will take somewhat longer to cure. This is because the chemical reaction is a thermal event, and the mixture gets hot to cause the resin to cure. The less resin, the longer it takes to cure.

Here you see the resin is still clear. Time in mold, 2 minutes.

After about 3 and a half minutes you see the center of the casting is starting to turn white.

Here it is after 5 minutes. It is still not opaque but getting close.

After about 15 minutes the casting is completely white and as you can see, if you stretch the mold, it easily separates from the inside of the mold. I use a pencil to tap the top of the casting while it is in the mold to see when it is hard. if the casting is still soft, you will leave slight indents on the outer surface of the casting. In about 20 minutes the part is hard enough to pull out of the mold.

(Tech Tip) Because heat is needed to cause the resin to cure, you can speed the process by preheating the mold. This can be done by placing your mold in a 175 degree heated oven for about 10 minutes. Then the resin casted part will cure more quickly.

So here is the resin casted part next to the master. As you can see it has the same smooth surface as the original part, straight out of the mold. It has the same exact details as the original part and after about a half hour, the cast part is fully hardened. You can easily drill it, cut and sand off the waste material and paint it. ZAP CA glue works great for gluing unpainted resin casted surfaces.

So here is the original resin casted part I made using an actual Evolution 1/4-32 spark plug as a master. I made several reproductions using a 2-piece mold.

Here’s the painted and detailed rotary engine with four spark plugs and ignition wires added. Subtle detailing is what scale RC is all about.

2-Parts Molds

Two piece molds are a little more involved to make but the basic techniques is the same. For 2-part molds, I recommend HS2 silicone molding material. It is slightly less stretchy and is more suited to this type of mold.

The technique requires making a molding box, (Lego Blocks work great), and then adding a 1/4 inch thick layer of modeling clay in the bottom of the box. You then press the master part into the clay so that half of it is exposed.

(Above) Here’s the finished casting with the mold haves opened.

Use the back of a paint brush handle to poke indents into the clay next to the part. These form keying nubs that help align the finished mold halves. After this you pour the first half of the silicone material into the box to cover the master. Once the silicone has fully cured, (24 hours,) flip the mold box over, and remove the clay.

Clean off any scrap clay from the master. Now spray on a healthy coat or two of mold release agent over the  silicone mold and replace the part in the mold. Make sure to completely cover the face of the silicone mold or the second half will stick to it sealing your part inside. Now mix and pour in the second half of the mold into the box and let cure overnight.

Separate the mold halves, remove the master and then, with a sharp X-Acto blade, cut in a pouring channel so you can pour in the resin. To cast a new part, tape the two mold halves together and place on a level surface with channel opening at the top. Mix and pour in your casting resin and the rest of the technique is the same as described earlier.

So there you have it, Resin Casting made, easy. Give it a try.

The post Resin Casting Scale Parts appeared first on Model Airplane News.

(Above) Here’s the old Triplane on the flightline several years ago at the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome.

Since the skid is a standard hardware store item, the first thing to do is to go find one and measure it so I could figure out how big the 1/3-scale handles would be.

After drawing out a typical axe handle with my CAD program, I printed it out and pasted the pattern onto some  3/8-inch thick straight grain poplar.

A few minutes on the band saw and it’s ready for the belt sander.

I never try to cut right to the line. Instead, I use my belt sander and sand the part to its final shape.

As you can see, the grain is nice and tight and fairly straight. Full-size axe handles are made from ash or hickory.

Poplar is difficult to shape with a razor plane, so to make quick work of the shaping process, I used a 1/4 round router bit. Easy and quick, but you got to watch your fingers.

It doesn’t take long to knock off the corners, but you have to make several passes on each side of the part.

After a little sanding the axe handles look pretty good.

A little spray-on polyurethane gives the poplar look that hardwood hickory appearance I was looking for.

Attachment Brackets

To make the attachment brackets scale like, and strong, I decided to make them from K&S Products’ brass sheet and tubing soldered together. I got the material from the local hobby shop. The actual attachment I am using 1/4 x 3/16 inch rare earth magnets. Magnets are really cheap. I got 20 from eBay for $6.

Using a fiber cut-off disk and a Moto-Tool, I cut two cups from the brass tubing and soldered them to the sheet straps. Soldering flux is the makes for a solid solder joint. That and lots of heat.

A regular clamping cloths pin  holds the parts securely together.

The solder flows into and around the sections of tubing and secures the cups that hold the magnets securely in place.

To allow the magnets sit flush inside the cups, I removed the built up fillet of solder inside the cups with a high speed metal cutter and my Moto-Tool.

Simple and strong in design I used two holes in each attachment bracket to secure them to the axe handles.

Here the brackets and magnets are screwed to the axe handles. Notice the brass tubes inserted into the handles behind the brackets. These will house the aft attachment magnets.

With the magnets installed, (I used ZAP thick CA glue,) I transferred the attachment points to the wingtip. Center the holes on the wingtip ribs/capstrips.

A sharpened length of brass tubing easily cuts holes in the wing for the mating magnets. This was by far the scariest part of the project.

Thick CA is added to the inside of the holes and then after the magnets are inserted, I wicked thin CA in around the magnets. The thin CA glue helps secure the magnets in place and binds the fabric covering to the underlying wood so it won’t later on come loose or wrinkle.

After the glue dries, the axe handle simply snaps into position because the magnets attract each other. It is important to properly position the north and south poles so they attract each other. A little painting comes next.

The straps are actually made from two layers of Hobbico 1/4-inch-wide black  pin striping tape with the ends glued down with thin CA. Then the brass was painted black, and the whole section is sprayed with clear polyurathane to seal everything up.

The finished job looks pretty good and is designed to easily “breaks away” or pivot and lay  down should the axe handles get bumped during a landing or a tip over. A little more weathering and the wingtip skids will be finished! Hmmm, maybe a little dried on mud at the tip…

Let’s Check under the Hood! https://www.modelairplanenews.com/blog/2014/01/22/scale-weathering-and-painting-making-a-ww1-rotary-engine-look-old/

The post RC Airplanes -Scale Wingtip Skids — The Triplane gets some Axe Handles appeared first on Model Airplane News.

LET’S GET STARTED
First of all, when holding your radio during your flight, it’s a good idea to have the “standard” position on all switches be “away” from you. Another way to say this is to have the switches located on the top of your transmitter toward the back of the case and those on the front of the transmitter toward their top position. Establishing this allows you to always return to your most comfortable flying parameters should your flight get on the edge of your control abilities for whatever reason.

EXPONENTIAL
Simply stated, exponential in our radios gives stick inputs a softer “feel” around the center of stick travel. The greater distance we move the stick away from center, the less effect any programmed expo has.  Expo works in concert with rate settings and is another piece of the puzzle in getting your radio controls exactly the way you want them.

Sneaking up on how much expo to use is a good way to do it if you’ve never tried it before.  Entering a 10% value would be a good start. You will hardly notice that amount of input on the bench or in the air.  But once you figure out the procedure for setting it, there’s no mystery about going into the menus and increasing it to +15 or +20, or even more. Some of the best pilots use +70 or more on expo to fly 3D.  Most sport flyers will and should be in the range of +20 to +40. The type of aircraft you fly will determine how much expo you should use, if any. Even trainer aircraft and novice fliers can use some expo to advantage.

Have no fear of exponential. The softer feel around stick center will make you a smoother flier; just don’t overdo it. For most helicopters, it’s a must. For most sport aircraft and sport fliers, it really helps a lot in advancing your flying skills.

DUAL RATES
Dual rates are one of the neat features of our modern radios. The elevator dual rate switch is usually in the upper left front corner of the transmitter; the aileron switch is in the upper right front corner; and the rudder switch, if you have one, is in the upper right top. The purpose of these switches is to establish a limited servo travel position when the switch is moved to either of its two positions. For example, the switch “away” from you might give 100% servo travel, and if you click it toward you, your dual rate setting might provide 70% travel of that same servo (surface).

Here’s a specific example. Let’s say you are flying a tail-dragger and that you need to input small amounts of rudder on takeoffs. You might program your standard position rudder rate at 70% of available rudder throw (the switch would be away from you, toward the back of the transmitter). Your second rate might be 100% (or even more) so that when you want to fly aerobatics, clicking the switch forward will give you almost double the throw on rudder. The result of this setup is that your ground handling and basic maneuvers will be very smooth on your standard setting, but your rudder authority for maneuvers will be very powerful on your high rate setting. The amount of travel that you set needs to be adjusted after flight experimentation. As you know, servo arm and surface horn length are also factors that control surface deflection amounts. Programming “rates” are the final step in tuning your aircraft to your liking.

Dual rates are not to be ignored!  This feature is an important component provided by our modern radios that make us smoother, more accomplished fliers. They are easy to program, and even the beginner-level transmitters sport dual rates. Top shelf radios have triple rates! Several radios can combine all rates on one switch.  In my opinion, that’s a really nice feature that might be used after[ITAL] you program individual rates/switches and get them where you want them. Then, one switch sets all three surfaces to do either high or low settings, or any combination you want.

MIXING
Mixing presents more of a challenge. It also requires more patience to get it the way we want it, but the effort is worth it.

Most modern radios feature mixing circuitry. Some radios even have pre-programmed mixes.  One of the examples of how mixing can help make you a better pilot is the knife-edge mix between rudder and elevator. Knife-edge flight is a very cool maneuver, and really cool when you don’t have to constantly input elevator to hold the plane in position as it flies down the flightline on its side! So how is this accomplished?

Let’s start by assuming you have the rate switch the way you want it. That means it’s set to hold the nose of your aircraft up a bit and level with the ground as the plane flies by you rolled over on its side. You might have fine-tuned your “normal” rate setting to achieve this. Now let’s get more specific. Let’s say you are at the field, and the wind is blowing right to left. You are going to fly your knife-edge maneuver from left to right, into the wind. You enter by giving the aircraft right aileron, making it bank to the right a quarter turn, and left rudder to hold up the nose.  All is going well at first, but in a second or two you see the nose of the plane going off line and pulling toward the canopy as you fly by. You need to correct with a bit of down-elevator. After a few passes, you get the feel of what is required to make the knife-edge look good. But you are constantly correcting, and the flyby looks ragged when you over/under-correct. The solution to this condition is a rudder/elevator mix.

What you need to do is program about 5% of down-elevator to automatically input into your aircraft when you hold rudder. Since you don’t want this to happen all the time when you use rudder, you put the mix on a switch on the transmitter. Now, just before entering knife-edge, you hit the switch, roll a quarter turn, and when you enter your rudder command, the elevator deflects downward to whatever value you have entered in the mixing program. Five percent is a good starting point, but it may take more or less, and sometimes it may even take a “negative” mix, meaning the plane was moving toward the landing gear, not the canopy.  In that case, you program up-elevator mixed with rudder. It sounds complicated, but it really isn’t.  The best advice is for you to read the manual that came with the radio, and try it on the bench, then out at the field.  I like to take some written notes also, so when I get to the field I can remember what I did, and how to add or subtract more input if necessary.

There are many mixes you can use. Flap/elevator is a common one, and so is aileron/spoilers.  Give mixing a try; like rates and expo, you are going to like it when you get it right.

Most important, any radio inputs or changes should be done by you, the modeler, owner, and flier of the radio and aircraft.  It’s OK and even preferred if someone with experience is looking over your shoulder, giving instructions or making suggestions, but don’t let them make the changes. Hands-on experience is a basic tenet of effective learning.

We have these features and many more in our radios. It might be time for you to give them a detailed look, with the goal of making your flying the best it can be.  Master your radio; don’t let it master you!

By Tony Ianucelli

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