October, 2002 - RC Soaring Digest - RCSoaring.com
October, 2002 - RC Soaring Digest - RCSoaring.com
October, 2002 - RC Soaring Digest - RCSoaring.com
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the best at the contests I do fly in. The<br />
Milan is available from:<br />
Hobby Club<br />
P.O. Box 6004<br />
San Clemente, California, 92674<br />
949/425-1362<br />
www.hobbyclub.<strong>com</strong><br />
3) Manta-Ray & BD-5<br />
Cavazos Sailplane Designs has a<br />
couple of models that catch my eye.<br />
First off is the Manta-Ray, a big 76"<br />
span EPP slope flying wing. It’d be fun<br />
to outsize some of the other EPP flying<br />
wings on the slope. CSD also have a<br />
great looking slope scale/electric<br />
powered BD-5 model. With a fiberglass<br />
fuselage and foam core wings,<br />
this looks like a very nice model to find<br />
under the tree on Christmas morning.<br />
Page 6<br />
Cavazos Sailplane Designs<br />
909/485-0674<br />
www.rcglider.<strong>com</strong><br />
4) Radio Carbon Art’s Videos<br />
Two of their latest releases, “Endless<br />
Lift 3” and “Secrets of Thermal <strong>Soaring</strong>,”<br />
look to be the perfect videos to<br />
pop into the VCR when it’s too cold<br />
and windy outside to fly.<br />
Radio Carbon Art<br />
P.O. Box 2311, Corvallis, Oregon,<br />
97339<br />
541/752-9661<br />
www.radiocarbonart.<strong>com</strong><br />
Dave Garwood likes:<br />
1) Hangar 9 AeroPeak field<br />
charger<br />
We have many field chargers available<br />
but this little gem has three sterling<br />
advantages: AC/DC operation, low<br />
cost, and simple operation. It receives<br />
power from both 120 AC volt house<br />
current as well as a 12 volt DC car<br />
battery. It has only two buttons (select<br />
1 amp or 4 amp charge rate, and start)<br />
and no programming needed, and it’s<br />
inexpensive. It’s designed to charge a<br />
4-5 cell receiver battery pack at one<br />
amp, and a 6-7 cell motor pack at 4<br />
amps. I’ve been using one for about<br />
four months with excellent performance<br />
and no problems - not even a<br />
blown fuse. Hangar 9 AeroPeak field<br />
charger Horizon Hobby $39.99:<br />
www.horizonhobby.<strong>com</strong><br />
2) Hitec Focus III Single Stick<br />
AM radio set & Hitec Focus<br />
III Single Stick FM radio set<br />
An extension of the successful singlestick<br />
Focus II transmitter, the Focus III<br />
egonomically designed 3-channel<br />
transmitters add a proportional third<br />
channel for motor speed control, and<br />
mixing (CHs 1 and 2) for elevon or V-<br />
tail. This makes the transmitter an<br />
excellent fit for flying-wing slope<br />
planes (which need elevon mixing) as<br />
well as electric aircraft. They <strong>com</strong>e in<br />
sets with receiver and choice of servos.<br />
The AM version needs alkaline batteries<br />
or an aftermarket Ni-Cad batteries<br />
and wall charger upgrade; the FM<br />
version <strong>com</strong>es with Ni-Cads and wall<br />
charger.<br />
(DFR note - go for the NiCd FM<br />
version with the double tuned receiver.<br />
The Feather Rx is neat for<br />
indoors but will have range/interference<br />
problems when flying with a<br />
group out doors.)<br />
Hitec Focus III Single Stick AM radio<br />
set $74.99 & Hitec Focus III Single Stick<br />
FM radio set $84.99:<br />
www.hitecrcd.<strong>com</strong><br />
3) FMS R/C flight simulator<br />
(DNR note - Dave recently sent a<br />
note about <strong>RC</strong> flight simulators and, in<br />
particular, a new one out there that’s<br />
freeware but may require some<br />
accessories and other low cost items.<br />
There are different versions of the<br />
program available. Dave is using FMS<br />
ver 2.0 beta 7, and the planes need to<br />
be made for that version to run without<br />
problems.)<br />
A <strong>com</strong>puter <strong>RC</strong> flight simulator can<br />
<strong>com</strong>e in handy when training a new<br />
pilot, or for entertaining yourself when<br />
snow is falling outside. There are four<br />
or so <strong>com</strong>mercial <strong>RC</strong> flight sims<br />
available, and FMS Flying Model<br />
Simulator can be downloaded for free.<br />
There are several developers in several<br />
countries working on the sim and<br />
making planes for it. At least 200<br />
planes are downloadable, including<br />
well-known models, warbirds, jets,<br />
and a Pterodon. Gliders are supported<br />
including winch launch, hand launch,<br />
and slope. I’ve spent three days with<br />
the program, flying from the keyboard<br />
while waiting for my connector cable<br />
to arrive to fly with a transmitter. The<br />
FMS program is available from:<br />
http://n.ethz.ch/student/mmoeller/<br />
fms/index_e.html<br />
Matt Clement makes the cables ($21),<br />
and his site links to more than a dozen<br />
sites where planes can be downloaded.<br />
Tom Nagel also highlighted the SIM<br />
and Matts cables but notes that the<br />
FMS program des not appear to be<br />
<strong>com</strong>patible with Windows XP:<br />
http://fms1.mattclement.<strong>com</strong>\<br />
One of the most prolific plane developers<br />
is:<br />
http://homepage2.nifty.<strong>com</strong>/<br />
logic_wizard/fms_e.htm<br />
Gordy Stahl proposes:<br />
1) EPP wing<br />
Cool cheap and easy to build EPP<br />
wing - maybe try out the Highlander<br />
mentioned a bit further down this<br />
article.<br />
R/C <strong>Soaring</strong> <strong>Digest</strong>
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