SUCCESS ON A WING & A PRAYER
New Products that are
Worth a Closer Look
MEMBERS OF THE Jefco Aeromod’elers of Denver were looking for a special way to commemorate the club’s 60th anniversary. They decided to produce a short run of hard-cover books to share its history. An excerpt from the first page shares information regarding its contents:
“This 60-year commemorative book traces the club’s multiple efforts to find and build a flying field, including details of finding, securing the property, obtaining certification, and building the ‘field of dreams’ at Chatfield State Park—one of the finest RC fields in the country.
“In addition, pages covering annual club events, education, training, and safety initiatives, plus a gallery of members and their aircraft through the years give a complete picture of the past and current member activities.”
It goes on to state that the book was a 3-year project. Throughout its 40 or so pages, readers are introduced to the club’s founders and are taken through its 60-year journey. Quotes, a club timeline, and plenty of photos fill the pages. It is clear that the Jefco Aeromod’elers has some builders in its membership after reading this quote by Dewitt Haynes Jr.: “The only difference between a good airplane and a bad airplane is sandpaper.”
The club printed enough copies for its members, with a small number of extra copies that could be given out by the club. A copy was sent to us at the AMA.
This is what one club did to share its colorful history. Your club might want to consider something similar to this.
New Products from the Modeler’s Mall
Sunday Fighter (German) @ $165.95+ S&H from Old School Model Works
7414 Burton Dr., Liberty Township OH 45044; Tel.: (513) 755-7494; website: www.oldschoolmodels.com
There’s a bit of Fokker or Heinkel, or even a touch of early Messerschmitt, in this Sunday Fighter, so Old School Model Works refers to it as the Heimschmitt! The original Sunday Fighters were the brainchild of Ken Willard in the early 1970s. They were popular, small, .049-powered, three-channel models. Old School Model Works has taken the idea and enlarged and reengineered the aircraft to be as fun to build as it is to fly.
It’s fast but not too fast, maneuverable but not tricky, and is a snap to build because of the interlocking design. It builds straight and true with parts that align properly with minimal fuss or tools. The wings are removable for transport, storage, and access to the extra-large cabin area so that the builder has easy access to install nearly any brand of radio and control linkages. A hatch in the front covers the battery/fuel tank compartment, which easily handles 3S LiPo battery packs or 6-ounce fuel tanks.
A .20 to .30 glow engine can be mounted on the side, inverted, or even upright with a little modification, or an equivalent-size electric motor can be mounted with the included motor box that helps properly place the motor. Go old-school with three-channel control or opt for four-channel control for functional ailerons.
Having a dog-fight and evading with snap rolls into spins, Immelmann turns, and a loop, the German Sunday Fighter airplane might just be the most fun you’ve had in a long time.
E-flite UMX Night Vapor RTF or BNF Basic @ $99.99-$129.99 + S&H from Horizon Hobby
4105 Fieldstone Rd., Champaign IL 61822; Tel.: (800) 338-4639; website: www.horizonhobby.com/e-flite/
The E-flite UMX Night Vapor is back with a stronger airframe and customizable LED lighting, plus AS3X and SAFE Select technologies! It’s more fun than ever, whether indoors or outdoors, day or night!
The stronger, reinforced airframe handles collisions better when flying indoors in large rooms, garages, gyms, and other suitable spaces, or outdoors in calm conditions. The factory-installed, user-selectable LED lights make it easy to personalize the look of your UMX Night Vapor and have the ability to change between different color options to fly day and night.
The UMX Night Vapor RTF includes a transmitter, battery, and charger to get you quickly airborne. The BNF Basic helps you lower costs by using your own compatible Spektrum transmitter, battery, and charger. Both versions are 100% factory assembled and equipped with exclusive Spektrum AS3X to smooth out the effects of wind and turbulence and optional-use SAFE Select technology to offer pitch and bank angle limits with automatic self-leveling.
Pirãna Super PNP @ $199.99 + S&H from Flex Innovations
313 Seaboard Ave Unit B, Venice FL 34285; Tel.: (866) 310-3539; website: www.flexinnovations.com
Revolutionizing flying wing performance, the Pirãna is an extraordinary aircraft from Flex Innovations that stands above the crowd! Sharing some key aesthetics with Le Mans prototype cars, it also mirrors their performance!
Designed by F3A and 3D world champion Quique Somenzini, the Pirãna has a wide flight envelope from slow to high speed and offers crazy aerobatic maneuvers. The new 6S 22-volt LiPo battery power system offers more power and flight time, while the FT Aura 5 Lite Advanced Flight Control System enhances flight without feeling intrusive.
Launch Assist helps provide worry-free hand launches, and Level Assist (6-Axis) can be configured without a computer, adding great assistance for newer pilots and limiting bank and pitch angles so that the aircraft cannot be overcontrolled. It also returns the aircraft to level flight when the controls are restored to neutral.
An APC 6.5 x 6.5 propeller is included, while the fins and wing are removable to allow the Pirãna to easily be disassembled into a compact package. Air brakes can also be configured without a computer for additional fun.
With a Potenza 20L 1,200 Kv motor, FPV-ready nose, two DS17 servos and two DS12 servos preinstalled, and custom control horns, the Pirãna is available in two colors. A serial receiver, LiPo battery, and five-plus-channel computer radio are recommended for completion.
