Heli-Max discontinued the Novus 125FP, and has now released the Novus FP N200 – a bigger fixed pitch helicopter for heli pilots transitioning from coaxial flight. We’ve been curious as to what Heli-Max has been up to so we took one for a spin to see for ourselves. Check out the review…

Summary

The Novus FP N200 brings a completely different design than the 125FP series helicopters from Heli-Max. Not that this is a bad thing, but we were quite happy with the 125FP and considered it a benchmark for true micro flight in it’s class. When the N200 showed up, we were extremely curious to see if our expectations would be met or if we’d be looking fondly back at the old 125FP.

Out of the box the N200 is ready to go and upon initial spin-up it ran smooth and glitch free. Entering into a hover (in my living room, mind you) was completely non-eventful and the N200 settled into a beautiful hover very comfortably. Power was about half throttle for lift off and strafing and slow rotation was well under control in a confined space, but this is not the intention of the design so it was time to go outside.

Our test day had winds gusting upwards of 7MPH so we knew it would be an interesting flight for such a tiny platform. Once we got into a hover the N200 dusted off the breeze like a champ. A quick 180^o turn and we were tracking downwind with the tail rotor buzzing like a bumble bee fighting the tailwind. As we banked left and entered a downwind turn to a solid crosswind, the N200 brushed that off as well. Curious. So, feeling completely confident, we turning directly into the wind and experienced the first utterance of disagreement from the N200: too much wind, not enough cyclic!

After see-sawing back and forth, tracking left and right angles against the headwind, I was able to get the N200 to creep forward despite the constant onslaught of a strong headwind. The N200 was actually doing pretty well. After flying the pattern a bit, I learned how to manage the wind, when to turn, and what angles worked best for keeping up my forward speed. The challenge with any fixed pitch helicopter is that if you’re at the extent of your cyclic control, the only way to increase authority is to increase throttle. This, however, results in altitude gain and for us that meant stronger winds. With a little finesse, the N200 was working the wind like a pro.

Forward flight is easy and quite fast, especially on calmer days. You will “out-fly the rotor” if you get too aggressive so just keep in mind that you’re flying a FP heli with under-cambered blades and counterweights (instead of paddles) and you’ll do fine. Tail authority was good with very crisp response. Often times you find yourself fighting sluggish response from fixed-pitch tail rotors, but I had good symmetry regardless of rotational direction. I found the tail to be a little wiggly downwind, but never developed a full “wag”, even after quick tail snaps in either direction. The non-adjustable head-lock gyro did a good job of keeping things under control. Reverse flying is manageable, but nothing like a CP or any bird with constant speed variable pitch tail rotors. None the less, it’s easily stable enough for skill progression without running the risk of forming any bad habits.

Overall, I found the N200 to be a comfortable fixed pitch platform with ridiculously generous runtimes. The all-metal head was a good choice and gave the cyclic very crisp and solid response, adding to the confidence you’ll build as a transitioning pilot.

Kurt

5X5 Review Scoring

How can you not smile sitting here? Note the aggressive seatback angle.

Dropping into the aerobatic box at nearly 270 mph, with the adrenaline pumping like never before, I pulled a solid 9G corner to the vertical line to start my Freestyle sequence. While I’m straining like heck to keep the blood in my head, my mount, the venerable Sukhoi 26mx, is ready and asking for more. In fact, it is loafing through the maneuver, as if demanding a better pilot than I to put it through its paces. I couldn’t ask for a more capable ride on this day. Once established on the vertical line, I center a precise four-point roll and cap it with a hammerhead. Thinking ahead to the next maneuver, its hard to not appreciate just how lucky I am to be flying what many consider to be the premier competition aerobatic aircraft on the planet.

The Sukhoi 26

The Sukhoi 26 aircraft first graced American soil at the annual Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) convention in August of 1990 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, making a splash with its outrageous looks and performance. First flown in 1984 in Moscow, the Sukhoi 26 was created by the Sukhoi Design Bureau as their chosen aerobatic mount to reclaim the Soviet Union’s spot as the dominant competitive aerobatic nation. At its first World competition in 1986, the Sukhoi 26 did just that. Between 1986 and 2000, the Sukhoi line of aerobatic aircraft had amassed more than 90 Gold medals in European and World Aerobatic Competition and 150 medals overall, far more than any other aircraft type.

After several small changes to the design, primarily fuel quantity increases, the SU 26m, SU 26m2, and SU 26mx were introduced and sold to outside countries starting in 1990. With the breakup of the USSR and the associated financial ramifications in the mid 1990’s, Sukhois began to be made available for individuals to purchase and own, very unusual in Russia at that time. As a response to customer demand, the Sukhoi Design Bureau developed several additional aerobatic aircraft to succeed the Su-26, specifically the two-seat SU-29 and the single-seat SU-31.

N25SU

Every angle reeks of ultimate performance.

My first hands-on exposure to the Sukhoi 26 was in the summer of 2000. After competing for several years in the all-metal Yak 55M, my father and I decided to “trade-up” from the Yak to a Sukhoi 26mx. While the Yak was a fantastic aircraft, we expected the Sukhoi to deliver world-class performance and deliver it has! It has exceeded every possible expectation we held.

Titanium exhaust & gear struts save precious weight.

The Sukhoi was developed with one purpose in mind, competition aerobatics, and it is constructed from a relatively unique blend of materials to meet that goal. With its steel tube fuselage, aluminum ribs, carbon and Kevlar structural components and skins, and its titanium landing gear and exhaust, it is one of the more exotic aircraft I have ever flown. Every component on the aircraft has been optimized for maximum performance. Considering the airframe was developed in the 1980’s, it was, and in many ways still is, cutting edge technology. It has proven to be an extremely stout and durable aircraft, something that is an absolute necessity when flying aggressive competition aerobatics. Airframe strength is last thing you need to think about when doing 250 mph pointing straight at the ground just 1000 feet away.

The 360hp, 9-cylinder Vedenev M-14P radial engine.

Despite its pedigree, or perhaps because of it, the Sukhoi isn’t a “turn-key” aircraft for the average pilot. It has several unique features that make operating it slightly more involved than its German, French, or American counterparts. It uses the Vedenev M14 line of 9-cylinder radial engines. That fact alone requires an increased level of diligence when operating the engine. Radial engines, with their circular array of cylinders, tend to gather oil in the bottom three cylinders when the engine is not running. If started with oil in the bottom cylinders, there is a very high probability of a hydraulic lock and resultant connecting rod damage. For this reason we drain the bottom cylinders and pull the engine through by hand several revolutions prior to starting to ensure we avoid a hydraulic lock. This step is one that cannot be omitted and increases the complexity of operating the Sukhoi over many other aerobatic mounts.

Burning off residual oil at startup.

Another unique aspect of the Sukhoi is its pneumatic starting system. The Sukhoi has a complex air distribution system that uses an onboard tank of compressed air to turn the engine over. An air pump attached to the engine case re-pressurizes the tank once the engine is running. If you’ve never heard a Sukhoi or Yak start, it is one of the most unique sounds you’ll ever hear. First, you hear a squeal of air being distributed to each cylinder, then one cylinder fires, followed intermittently by the balance of the chorus of nine. Belching smoke while it warms, the choir settles down to a steady growl, indicating she’s ready to taxi. Starting the Sukhoi is as close as I have gotten to a religious experience sitting on the ramp.

Flying the Sukhoi

The basic panel includes only mission-critical instrumentation.

The Sukhoi has very limited forward visibility when taxiing out. The seat is reclined at 59 degrees in level flight. Combine that dramatic recline with an additional 10 degrees of tail-low attitude on the ground, and you’re basically lying down. While this recline is extremely helpful for countering high-G forces, it forces the pilot to do S-turns while taxiing to see and avoid other airplanes.

With the engine run-up complete, smoothly line up with the runway and lock the tailwheel. Ground handling with the Sukhoi is much more sedate than most modern aerobatic aircraft and is obscenely easy when compared to the Pitts. I can clearly remember my first flight in the Sukhoi, which is a unique experience to say the least for any new Sukhoi driver. With only one seat, your first flight is truly your first flight. Basically, if there is any question whether you should be flying it, you shouldn’t be flying it. While it is easy around the ground, it is still an extremely high performance aircraft that can reach out and bite you if you’re ham-fisted or ham-footed!

Another unique feature of the Sukhoi is its “backwards” turning propeller. Most modern aircraft engines turn their propellers clockwise as seen from the cockpit. The Sukhoi propeller turns counter-clockwise as seen from the pilots seat. The effects of torque, P-factor, and gyroscopic precession are all reversed when compared to traditional aircraft. For that reason you need to apply left rudder, rather than right, to maintain the centerline during the takeoff in addition to reversed corrections in flight.

Climbing out for another round of fun!

Opening the throttle for takeoff sets you aggressively back in the seat. Unlike most tailwheel aircraft, you don’t raise the tail of the Sukhoi during takeoffs for fear of striking the propeller on the ground. The 26mx has less than 18 inches of propeller clearance in the 3-point attitude, so all takeoffs and landings are done with the tail down. With a thrust-to-weight ratio right around 1:1 at sea level, the acceleration is blinding fast. From the 3-point attitude, you’re generally airborne and climbing like a homesick angel in less than 800 feet. Initial rate of climb at full-throttle is over 3500 fpm. With that kind of performance, you really have to watch for other aircraft, as they don’t expect you to be climbing through 1500 feet at the end of the runway!

Aerobatics, Sukhoi Style

Climbing to the aerobatic practice area, the Sukhoi exudes precision. Much like exponential on our RC model aircraft, the Sukhoi has a noticeable dead spot around center stick, allowing for very precise starts and stops in both roll and pitch. It feels very nicely balanced, requiring only the slightest stick movements. In fact it is so precise that it is easy to over-control if you’re used to sloppier aerobatic aircraft. Point it where you want to go, and that is where it goes, period.

“Industrial Strength” is the best term I have heard used to describe aerobatic flight in the Sukhoi. It seems to be loafing through every maneuver I can throw at it and at no point does it break a sweat. In fact, the airplane is so capable that it really makes the pilot look better than he is. As a testament to its strength, top-level Russian pilots routinely max out the G meter at +12/-10 G’s. With its reclined seating, pulling 9 G’s feels like only around 7 G’s to the pilot. On several occasions during a particularly aggressive competition flight I have pulled +10 and pushed –9 G’s. I couldn’t physically do that in other aircraft without a reclined seat.

Looping figures require only the slightest stick movement to cleanly initiate the corner or pull to vertical. It corners and tracks very precise loops and lines. Pitch response is excellent and feels very linear in all attitudes. In fact, the controls are so well balanced and effective that I think I could fly an entire traffic and landing pattern up to the flare without moving the stick more than an inch in any direction. One thing to note, if you pull or push too hard in the looping figures, the Sukhoi will give you some limited warning before it snaps off, but much like other thoroughbred aerobats, it isn’t particularly tolerant of ham-fisted flight.

Rolling figures are very precise, with easy starts and stops. Full-rate aileron is rarely used as the roll rate is blinding fast and can be hard to control precisely. Snap rolls take a little effort to perfect, as they are usually done to the right with engine torque from the “backwards” spinning propeller – while traditional aerobats snap better to the left. With an abrupt flick of the wrist of up elevator and sharp rudder input, the Sukhoi snaps and breaks free. A simple flick of down elevator and neutral rudder stops the snap instantaneously. The Sukhoi also spins and hammerheads more readily to the right, although competition often requires rolls, spins, and turns to be flown both directions. The Sukhoi has very predictable precision spin entry and recoveries, but beware of letting the spin develop too deeply as it may take several revolutions to recover. Competition spins are limited to just two turns to avoid deep-spinning conditions.

Back in the traffic pattern, the Sukhoi requires more attention than your average light aircraft. Couple the Sukhoi’s speed with its limited visibility and you have a more demanding aircraft to land. Once you’re used to blind approaches though, and using only peripheral visual cues, the landing is relatively simple. Generally only small rudder inputs are required to keep it rolling straight after touchdown.

Conclusion

Without question, the Sukhoi is the most predictable and precise aerobatic aircraft I have ever flown. It is large enough to present well in both competition and airshows and has the presence and growl of an angry grizzly bear ready to tear apart the competition. It is a purpose built aircraft, plain and simple. It was designed to dominate international competition aerobatics and dominate it has. In the hands of a capable pilot, I would pit the Sukhoi against any other top-level aircraft with confidence.

Note that these are not 2 Brothers Hobby videos. We are embedding them here for your viewing pleasure.

It’s Spring Cleaning season here at home and I’ve recently made a token effort to carry that into my workshop with a simple project I’ve been thinking about, and putting off, for far too long. This last weekend I made several small boxes to organize things like pens and pencils, epoxy mixing sticks, Q-tips, dental picks, sanding sticks and other similar items that I use regularly. This is a quick little project with no critical dimensions. Make them to suit based on your materials and needs.

You can use any handy scrap wood to make these boxes and I found a steady supply nearby for free. Before the punishing blow of a young hand or foot at our local karate studio, these panels measure 9×12 inches and are about 5/16 thick. The broken remains are free for the asking and perfect for odd little projects around the shop where thinner material is more desirable than full 3/4-inch dimensioned stock.

Getting Started

To start this project I ripped the scrap wood into 2 5/16-wide blanks using my 4-inch table saw from Byrnes Model Machines. The Byrnes is a fantastic bench-top table saw that allows incredibly precise dimensional control and is a joy to use. It lives on the end of my main workbench and gets used all the time. I squared up one end on each blank using the saw’s miter gauge and then crosscut the side pieces to 3 5/16 inches long using a stop block on the miter extension.

The next step was squaring up the bases to the proper size. The bases should measure no more than the width of one side, minus the stock thickness. I set the fence quickly by eye and checked the first test cut with digital calipers. It was slightly oversize at 2.050 inches. The Byrnes saw has an optional micrometer head to adjust the fence with great precision and I used it position the fence exactly 2 inches from the blade. Passing the remaining blanks through the saw on two adjacent sides gave me accurate square bases ready for final assembly.

Clamping a thin strip of oak and a machinist square near the edge my workbench gave me alignment guides and I protected them and the bench from glue with a strip of Top Flite Plan Protector. The karate boards glue very well with Pacer’s Zap-a-Gap medium CA. The sides are staggered around the base like a pinwheel so there really isn’t any critical fitting. The closer you get though, the less cleanup you will have later. Once the boxes were glued up my stationary belt sander loaded with 150-grit made quick work of cleaning up the edges and remove any residual markings. The wood sands very easily, so a handheld sanding block would do the job just as well, albeit slightly slower. A little final hand sanding knocked off the corners and these boxes were ready for service.

Finishing Up

I decided to take one extra step after sanding and gave them a light finish with one coat of a tung oil/varnish blend. I let the finish dry overnight and then put the boxes into service.

These boxes measure 2x2x3 inside and I find this to be a good size for their intended use, keeping supplies close at hand while not cluttering up the bench. The boxes are easy to move around and the wide base provides solid stability. Obviously you can change the size to suit your own needs and available stock.

Simple projects like this are ideal when you want to putter about in the workshop for the evening but don’t feel up to tackling a larger commitment. Making a few of these boxes shouldn’t take more than evening once you have the materials. They are great help at organizing the workbench and helping work more efficiently. While you’re at it make a few extras for the rest of the house. They are just as handy holding pens and pencils next to the phone or on the bedside table.

External Resources

Byrnes Model Machines, www.byrnesmodelmachines.com, (407) 657-4663

Top Flite, www.top-flite.com, (800) 682-8948

ZAP Adhesives, manufactured by Pacer Technology, www.zapglue.com
 

What You’ll Need:

• TP1430C Smart Multi-chemistry Charger
• 12VDC-36VDC Power Source (Up to 40A rated)
• LiPo, Li-Ion, LiFePO4 (Lithium Iron Phosphate/A123), NiMH, NiCAD, or Pb/SLA Lead Acid rechargeable battery
• Charging bag or fire-resistant container

Prerequisite: Basic understanding of electrical principles (See the Knowledgebase sections Flight Batteries and Battery Chargers for related information and preparatory reading).
Builder’s Skill Level: Novice

Visit the Thunder Power RC website for more information about the TP1430C, available firmware updates and charging accessories.

One measure of a model’s success is the number of variants that are spawned from the original design. Under this criterion, Dan Santich’s ‘The Hots’ must certainly be overdue for a lifetime achievement award. First published in 1984, it was soon kitted by Midwest Products. Even today a cursory Google search reveals no less than 11 different plan sets, 3 full kits, 4 short kits and an ARF. That’s quite a brood originating from a simple little fun-fly bird. There must be something really great about this design, as all those models can’t be wrong!

Not wanting to be left out of the party any longer, I recently decided to build my own Hots. Per my usual, I also had ulterior motives that would make my version a little different from most others. But we’ll come back to that in a minute. First though, I’d like to talk about a more conventional Hots.

Getting Hotser

Dave Bacque has built six Hots from plans. In preparation for #7, he sought to eliminate control surface flutter that plagued #6 (shown above) at high speed.

My buddy Dave Bacque is a Hots guru. He has a rather tattered set of plans that he has used to build six airframes and his current bird is a superb ambassador for the Hots legacy. The only notable deviations from Santich’s specifications satisfy minor preferences that Dave has developed over the years. Perhaps the most significant among these is widening the fuselage a quarter inch to more easily accommodate the servos and fuel tank.

With an O.S. .46AX engine, Dave’s Hots will climb like the Space Shuttle and rip through impressive high-G turns. Seconds later, it may be cruising along in a slow, graceful flyby. True to the design’s roots, this is Dave’s go-to model for our club fun-fly events. I’ve yet to see any fun-fly task that Dave and his Hots couldn’t accomplish with style.

Pushing the Envelope

Up to now, the demise of one Hots served as Dave’s catalyst to build the next. In fact, the tail feathers currently installed on his Hots #6 also served with distinction on Hots #3, 4, and 5. As I write this, #6 is still intact, but Dave has already begun building Hots #7. This next iteration has only one goal in mind: speed. It will have a thinned airfoil and a Jett SJ .50 engine. Knowing how spunky his normal Hots can be, I’m sure this new version—dubbed “Hotser”—will be silly fast, and hopefully retain many of the original design’s positive slow-speed characteristics.

Check out the heavy-duty hardware installed on the tail surfaces of Hots #6. It provided some flutter relief, but was only part of the solution.

The primary challenge is that Dave will have to engineer a few changes to make the design robust enough for life in the fast(er) lane. Hots #6 would sometimes exhibit control-surface flutter during high-speed dives. Dave knew that he would have to conquer this problem before he could make Hotser a reality. He embarked upon a very methodical process to identify and eradicate the sources of flutter.

Adding these homemade aileron counterweights was the final step in eliminating all of the flutter in Dave’s Hots #6.

First, Dave grabbed the low-hanging fruit. He replaced all of the flexible nylon pushrods with 2-56 steel rods. The analog servos were replaced with digital models. Heavy-duty control horns took the place of the standard units. He beefed up the aileron torque rods. The pushrods were later upgraded to 4-40 rods. Dave test flew the Hots between each change and the flutter persisted every time.

Suspecting flex in the elevator joiner, Dave removed it and split the pushrod to drive each half of the control surface independently. This change had positive effects towards reducing the flutter, but it still was not completely cured. In a 70-degree, full-throttle dive, Dave’s Hots now displayed a quieter flutter accompanied with nose tuck and wing roll. The final possible culprit that Dave could think to attack was flex in the ailerons.

The next step was a little unconventional, at least in the model aviation world. Using fishing weights and 2-56 rod, Dave created counterbalances for the ailerons. He installed them about six inches inboard of the wingtips. With these little jewels in place, the flutter was further diminished, and with a final tweak of the counterweights, the flutter disappeared! Dave’s process of troubleshooting the flutter is a good example of using scientific method to know what works and what doesn’t. Armed with this hard-earned experience and knowledge, Dave is now ready to build a Hots that will really scream and not shed its control surfaces.

Hots Flash

Now for the story of my personal Hots project. Before I get too far into this, I have to admit that I did not originally plan to write about this model. I started this project thinking that it would be refreshing to build something quickly and just for fun, without documenting each step. About the time I completed the wing though, I realized that I had been emailing progress updates to my buddies quite frequently. Apparently, sharing my projects is all part of the fun for me and I’ll keep that in mind when I start my next endeavor. In the meantime, please excuse my dearth of build photos.

With glider-like wing loading, the Hots Flash is definitely a slow flyer and quite aerobatic.

I’ve recently built several models intended for night flying, however most of these are pretty tame, performance-wise. I figured that a Hots equipped with LED lighting would be just the ticket to spice up my evening outings. While I used a set of original Hots plans to build my ship, the profile is just about the only similarity to the original design.

Mixing It Up

This view of the Hots Flash shows the aluminum tube that bears all of the fuselage stress and the simple sheet foam outer shell.

The most significant and obvious change I made with my Hots was to omit all the wood. The only wood on my Hots is the balsa dust it picked up from my workbench. It’s not that I have anything against balsa, basswood, oak, pine, or any other arborescent matter; it’s just that none of it fit into my plan for this Hots. Most of the structure was created using sheet foam purchased from RC Foam. This allowed me to install the LEDs inside the airframe, which then illuminate the foam and make it visible in the night sky.

My normal and preferred method for scratchbuilding foam models is a technique I call “stressed foam.” With this approach, I use thick foam for the outer shell of the fuselage, which negates the need for the internal formers. I could have done that here again, but instead I took a different route as I did not want the thick foam to impede the effect of the LEDs.

Most of the techniques used to build this Hots were shamelessly stolen from my buddy Keith Sparks. He has a seemingly magic way of making foam yield to his demands. I don’t yet have his prowess, but I’ve built enough of his designs to confidently emulate his methods.

I built the fuselage around a 10mm square aluminum tube, familiar to anyone who has ever owned or flown a GWS Slow Stick. The aluminum immediately established a rigid spine to mount the motor, servos, battery and wing. This allowed me to build the outer shell with thin, translucent foam and not worry about the structural strength. The wing is constructed similarly, but with a carbon spar as the foundation. All of the assembly was completed using Bob Smith’s foam-safe CA and kicker, except as noted.

Starting with Wings

I started the wing by tracing the airfoil template onto a sheet of paper. Knowing that I would be sheeting the entire wing with 3mm Depron foam, I thinned the profile by that amount on top and bottom. I then rough-cut blanks from Midwest’s 5mm Cellfoam 88 and stacked them with my template pinned in place. A quick pass through my band saw cut the first eight ribs and repeating the process once more gave me the rest that I needed. Keeping the ribs stacked and pinned, I drilled a hole through the middle for the 5mm diameter spar tube.

Next I cut the 3mm wing sheeting in four equal sections for the top and bottom of each panel and preformed a curve near the leading edge of each sheet by carefully bending them around a large poster tube. It’s a good idea to practice the bending process on scrap before you risk a large piece of foam. I then marked the rib positions on the bottom wing sheeting and with all the ribs skewered on the spar, began gluing with Gorilla Glue for a longer working time. Weights and masking tape held everything together until the glue dried.

The lighting strips have a self-adhesive backing and can be cut to length by trimming on the white lines about every two inches. Solder leads to the pads marked + - to power the LEDs from a 3S battery.

While the wing was still open, I routed the aileron servo leads through the ribs and installed the LED lighting. The LEDs I used are the very popular 12-volt strip lights, available from Dan and Diane at Lazertoyz.com, among other sources. I bonded equal strips of white and purple LEDs back to back and ran the combined array from root to tip through holes in the wing ribs. Two short strips of six red and green LEDs act as navigation lights in the outer wing bays and improve in-flight orientation.

Once I was sure that the lights and servos were operating correctly, I added the top sheeting to both sides. With the sheeting in place, the wing became surprisingly rigid, resisting bending and twisting quite well.

The Fuselage

I traced the fuselage formers (there are only three of them!) and side panels from the plans. Cutting a square opening in each former allowed me to slide them onto the aluminum tube. I then added the side panels, wing, tail feathers and remaining sheeting. In this case, I ran the LED strips along the sides of the tubing. The landing gear mount and wire from a Slow Stick work well for the main landing gear and the tailskid is simply a control horn glued into the bottom foam sheeting.

I realize that I’m being somewhat vague here on construction details. As I mentioned previously, I was well into the build before I took any photos. And besides, building from sheet foam is relatively straightforward. The info here should be sufficient if you’ve built one of Keith Sparks’ foamy kits from Park Flyer Plastics. If not, I recommend also reading his must-have, how-to book, “Building With Foam.”

Gearing Up

The Hots Flash is quite aerobatic with the Park 450, though not quite 3D-capable.

To power my lighted Hots—now called “Hots Flash”—I used an E-flite Park 450 outrunner motor. It is mounted to the aluminum tube using a Scorpion 22mm aluminum motor mount, available from Innov8tive Designs. I just had to drill out the center hole a little to clear the shaft collar on the back of the motor. The ESC is an older 25-amp unit from E-flite and I am using Thunder Power 3S 1350mAh Pro-Lite V2 batteries. With an E-flite 10×8 prop, I’m showing about 18 amps and just shy of 200 watts of power.

At 21.4 ounces ready-to-fly, the Hots Flash is slightly more than half of the 40-ounce minimum weight listed on the plans. The difference results mostly from omitting much of the usual strengthening required for a vibrating glow engine. I expect that carefully built for electric power, a balsa Hots could realize similar weight savings. Including my slightly oversized ailerons, the wing loading works out to 6.26 ounces/square foot… not bad at all.

Throughout my build of the Hots Flash, I looked at that short nose and just figured that I would have to add some nose weight to get the CG correct. When all was said and done though, the airplane was actually a little nose heavy. I may end up adding some weight to the tail, but for now, I’m fine with the CG towards the front of the range shown on the plans.

A loop of velcro secures the battery to its mounting tray under the fuselage nose.

In the Air

My Hots Flash takes off for another evening romp.

I have flown roughly half the flights to date, mixed between day and night. The rest have been shared between four of my friends. Three of those four pilots, Dave Bacque among them, are primarily glow/gas modelers. During their flights, it was apparent that they weren’t accustomed to the charms of such a lightly-loaded airplane. Their giggles during walking-speed flybys and foot-long landing rollouts gave them away.

As for me, I’m very happy with the Hots Flash. It definitely has the aerobatic chops that were missing from my night-flyer fleet. The only capability I’m still left wanting is improved knife-edge flight, a known issue with the original design. I’ll tinker with the rudder throws and maybe add more surface area. That may be enough. Pitch and roll authority are good through the whole speed envelope.

One of my favorite maneuvers is the touch-and-go, so I like airplanes that behave well on the ground. The Hots Flash lifts its tail almost immediately when I add power and the rudder provides effective steering. The airplane happily rolls on the main gear until I add elevator to rotate. My buddy Fitz Walker showed me that the Hots is capable of great one-wheel touch-and-goes, though I’ll have to practice that maneuver.

Using internal LED lights, the Hots Flash is easy to fly at night. Regrettably, I haven’t yet taken the time to sort out illuminating the sheet foam tail surfaces.

I am considering painting additional markings to aid orientation both during day and night. For now, a pair of chord-wise stripes on the bottom of the wing is sufficient. The lights are really bright. My only complaint is that the tail feathers are not lit. This makes the Hots look tailless during night flights. I don’t find it disorienting, just a little funny-looking. I’ll have to address that next time around.

Wrapping It Up

The Hots Flash looks much like a standard balsa-based Hots, but the internal structure is quite different to make best use of the lighting system.

I know others have built a Hots using foam, though I don’t know of others built so lightly around a tubing backbone. Regardless, I think we can add another variant to the design’s long list of successful descendants. Looking beyond The Hots, there are tons of other great designs out there that would make excellent night flyers. Pull out your most tattered set of plans and try converting them to sheet foam construction. It’s a great way to see your favorite design in a whole new light (yes, the pun was fully intended).

Hots Flash Specs

External Resources

E-flite, www.e-fliterc.com,(800) 338-4639
RC Foam, www.rcfoam.com,(888) 317-8734
Innov8tive Designs, www.innov8tivedesigns.com, (760) 468-8838
LazerToyz.com, www.lazertoyz.com, (440) 840-9625
Midwest Products, www.midwestproducts.com, (800) 348-3497
O.S. Engines, www.osengines.com, (800) 682-8948
Spektrum, www.spektrumrc.com, (800) 338-4639
Thunder Power RC, www.thunderpowerrc.com, (702) 228-8883

Photos by Terry Dunn, Fitz Walker and James Lemon

CLASSIC KIT BECOMES AN ARF!

The classic Joe Bridi design that became a popular Great Planes kit, is now a .60-size ARF! The Dirty Birdy accurately followed a pilot’s most intricate commands and the new ARF version combines that precision performance with ARF simplicity, easy sport flying and nostalgic pattern looks. Bays are built into the ARF version to allow for optional retracts but they are covered to preserve the model’s looks should the modeler choose to install the included fixed landing gear.

The painted fiberglass cowl is removable – not molded as part of the fuselage – far easier installation and set-up of the engine. The Dirty Birdy easily accommodates a standard muffler or tuned pipe with a wooden hardpoint built into the wing for secure tuned pipe attachment. Removing the Dirty Birdy’s wing provides quick, easy access to on-board radio equipment. The Dirty Birdy ARF – ready in no-time for classic sport and pattern performance!

Features:

•  All control surfaces have been hinged at the factory for fast final assembly
•  The halves of the balsa-sheeted horizontal stabilizer slide onto carbon fiber tubes for perfect, secure alignment
•  Quick, easy access to radio equipment is provided through the removal of the Dirty Birdy’s wing
•  Pre-painted fiberglass fuselage

Specifications:

• Wingspan: 64.5 in (1640 mm)
• Wing Area: 690 in² (44.5 dm²)
• Weight: 7.5-8.5 lb (3400-3850 g)
• Wing Loading: 25.28 oz/ft² (76-85 g/dm²)
• Length: 56 in (1420 mm)

Requires: Radio with a minimum of 4-channels and 5-6 servos: .60-.65 2-stroke engine (tuned pipe optional)

GPMA1975
Dirty Birdy .60 ARF
Retail: $399.99 Street: $299.99

The Dirty Birdy ARF will be available late April.

Top Notch Products has been producing laser cut kits for almost 10 years and has gained a reputation of quality kits for unique subjects. We were fortunate to get their Li’l Pup kit recently and couldn’t wait to see how it would go together and fly. See the results in our 5X5 examination…

Summary

The Li’l Pup is billed as a novice builder’s kit, so I was expecting things to go fairly smoothly. Out the box I was impressed with how neatly the laser cut parts sheets looked. It only took a few minutes to overlook the bill of materials in the instructions and determine that the kit was complete with no missing parts. This is one step that should never be overlooked when beginning a new project.

Even if you are new to balsa building, you will find yourself getting comfortable with this kit right away, thanks to the well-written manual. Just make sure you read every step thoroughly before performing it and there shouldn’t be any hidden surprises. The fit and finish of each part is excellent and the included jig helps keep things aligned. This kit is also a great platform to try your hand at covering.

We equipped this model with various components from previous projects as follows.

• E-Flite Park 400 brushless outrunner 920Kv
• Castle Creations Phoenix 25 ESC
• Spektrum AR6100 Receiver
• 2 JR DS285 micro servos
• Thunder Power 3S 1320mAh Li-Po battery

The Li’l Pup is a three-channel model with rudder, elevator and throttle controls, so we expected a fairly docile flight experience when we first tossed it into air. Wow, were we surprised! With this set up the Li’l Pup will fly right out your hand at about 1/3 throttle and will readily keep a seasoned pilot smiling. If you are a new pilot looking for a platform to learn on, just substitute a 2S battery and the Li’l Pup will gently hold your hand as you build your stick skills. We had more fun with this simple little three-channel plane than we could have imagined. Loops, barrel rolls and spins were a blast and with the throttle pulled back it will float past at near walking speed.

The stall is barely noticeable and setting up for landing couldn’t be easier; shave some speed off on the downwind leg, chop the throttle half way through the final turn and let it glide in with a touch of up elevator for the flare.

Overall the Li’l Pup proved to be a relaxing, enjoyable build and a great performer. If you are thinking of building a first trainer or fun sport flyer, this model offers a great experience.

Rob

5X5 Review Scoring

I later met with Jeff to learn more about his career and how his interest in RC played a role.

TD: Jeff, you’re one of very few pilots qualified to fly NASA’s Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA). What’s it like to fly this unique Boeing 747 with, and without the Shuttle, bolted on?

JM: The SCA is a highly modified B-747-100. Although the structure of the aircraft is quite different than the original Boeing airliner, the cockpit is essentially the same. The handling characteristics are remarkably similar to the original airplane when unmated, or without the Shuttle on its back. When we are carrying a mated Shuttle, the additional weight and drag greatly degrades climb performance along with an accompanying slower throttle response. Another big difference is the 250 KIAS speed restriction placed on the aircraft because of the modified structure and tail section. Although flying the airplane takes some getting used to, it is very predictable and a joy to fly.

TD: I assume that the SCAs will be used to deliver the Shuttle orbiters to their respective museums around the country. What do you think you’ll be feeling as you touch down on those final ferry flights?

JM: The entire SCA ferry team feels privileged to be tasked with delivering the Shuttles to their new museum homes. Our team includes pilots, flight engineers, many ground engineers, maintenance crews and a big management input. Some members of our team have been with this program since its inception and will be retiring from NASA at the same time the Shuttles retire. I feel that these guys always demonstrate true professionalism and we will all be sad, but also very proud, when the program is complete.

TD: What other aircraft do you fly for NASA and which is your favorite?

JM: As a NASA instructor pilot, our primary aircraft is the T-38. These airplanes are used every day for Astronaut Spaceflight Readiness training. Our Commander and Pilot astronauts fly them to maintain proficiency in high performance aircraft while the mission specialists are trained to perform communication, navigation, checklist usage, crew concepts, and cockpit resource management. We fly with the entire astronaut staff doing both training flights and check rides.

I also fly the C-9 “Vomit Comet” used for Zero G research. This airplane is a modified C-9 previously flown by the U.S. Navy and was obtained to replace the aging KC-135 aircraft. This airplane is used to fly parabolas in which a portion of the maneuver is performed in a zero-gravity environment. This type of flying is challenging because of the added physical stress on the body while doing continuous cycles between positive and negative Gs.

The only other airplane I fly is the SCA Shuttle Carrier. I’ll have to say that it’s my favorite for several reasons. First off, the basic B-747 is a classic, historic aircraft. Although both the SCA’s we have are over 30 years old, there is really nothing else like this aircraft. I think that any airplane buff from young to old can identify a B-747.

TD: You mentioned that you flew RC as a youngster. Do you think that your experience with RC inspired you to pursue a career in aviation, or was RC simply the first logical step for a kid born with an itch to fly?

JM: I started flying RC as a teenager with a lot of help from club members at the local flying club in Huntsville, Alabama. I was fascinated with RC and became sort of addicted to the sport and the idea of pursuing full scale flying in later life. I was an avid RC flyer for several years until the age of 15 when I started taking full scale flying lessons. Upon entering college, the money ran out and I didn’t fly until after graduation when I joined the military to fly. In looking back on my life and career, I feel that RC flying played a big role in molding my ideas and skills to want to pursue aviation. With the Shuttle program winding down, I recently renewed my interest in the sport and am joining the Johnson Space Center RC Club.

TD: RC flying has changed significantly since you’ve been gone. What differences strike you the most?

JM: I recently went to a “Huck Fest” and was amazed to watch those great pilots perform all their 3D maneuvers. I didn’t know that airplanes could do that!! What a change since I was last involved in the sport. It seems everything has improved since those days, from building materials, power plants, radio equipment and piloting skills.

The biggest change for me has been the advent of really great RC simulators for the PC. When I was a kid, crashing a plane meant a huge loss and required me to work and save for many months to have the funds for another plane. With the new simulators, I can practice maneuvers that I would be afraid to try with a real model without any fear of crashing. After my first attempts at hovering and harrier rolls in the simulator, I thought that these maneuvers were going to be impossible for me. But after many hours of practice and many crashes, I actually got the hang of it and have, over time, developed the muscle memory required to perform these 3D maneuvers. For me, having a really good simulator has made all the difference.

Thanks for sharing your story with me Jeff. I look forward to seeing you at the flying field.

Terry

You’d never guess just by looking at him that Yoda was a Vietnam veteran helicopter pilot with thousands of flight hours in military and civilian fixed and rotary wing aircraft. True to his nickname, Yoda runs Air Ops with a quiet voice and authority that comes from decades of experience and no need to prove himself. In the morning briefings he leads a group that includes representatives from the FAA and Air Traffic Control, along with hot-air balloon, ultralight, rotary wing, military and warbird airshow pilots to solve problems from the day before and clarify plans for the day to come. If totaled, the accumulated flight hours in that room would run well into six figures, and one can readily imagine the egos present during the briefings. While there are occasional conflicts between departments, I’ve never heard a raised voice or a cross word between the department heads. People may disagree, but they pull together with professional respect to make the show safe.

Knowing When To Say When

Looking forward to some end of the day flying a few years ago, I was assembling my 81-inch electric Proctor Antic at my local club field. It was one of those perfect May evenings that make up for Puget Sound’s short, cold rainy days of winter. I was all set for some relaxing thumb twiddling when a pilot I didn’t know sauntered over. “Flying one of those old things, huh?” he asked, gesturing to my Antic and putting a hand on my shoulder. “Don’t worry. One day you’ll graduate to real airplanes like mine” and he pointed to the .60-size P-51 and Spitfire on a nearby table.

I’ll admit, it was hard not to respond. While I am a Ken Willard “Sunday Flier” type of RC pilot, I am also proud of my aviation career. I began with RC models in 1978 and have been lucky enough to progress to flying as a co-pilot on Boeing 777s. I was determined not to ruin my night, so I bit my tongue and simply agreed that maybe someday I would graduate to real airplanes like his. I then returned to my Antic as he turned to his models on the bench next to mine.

An hour later the sun was dipping to the horizon and my mission was accomplished. I was embarrassed to actually find dust on my model, so I had used the first battery returning to “Stick and Rudder 101.” After flying basic maneuvers like boxes, figures 8s, stalls and steep turns at altitude, I spent the next couple packs in the landing pattern. The Antic is a terrific airplane to fly. For all her vintage looks, she has the flying characteristics of my old Carl Goldberg trainer and is ideal for such evening sorties. During one break while others were not flying, I ran down my last pack with some hops in ground effect, experimenting to see what happened if I raised the tail too soon during takeoff, or tried to keep it up too long during landing. I might have even snuck in a high-speed pass once or twice, and of course had to test the integrity of the spars and rigging with a few loops and rolls.

I was feeling very mellow and had started taking my plane apart when I heard the unmistakable, sickening sound of a high revving engine that abruptly stops. The silence echoed across the field. Scanning the flightline, I saw my friend with the real airplanes standing at a station staring off in the distance, transmitter still pointed to the sky. He stood there like we all have at one time or another, looking and waiting and hoping for his model to reappear. He eventually put his transmitter down and made “The Walk.”

I was gathering the last of my tools when he made it back to his bench and laid down a broken wing and shattered fuselage. As I looked over he offered “Thought I could squeeze out enough power for one more flight. Guess I didn’t.”

Until next time, don’t do nothing dumb.

Steve