POWERUP 4.0
New Products That Are Worth a Closer Look
The POWERUP 4.0 system allows you to turn simple paper airplanes into RC models.
The Dragon airframe looks amazing and flies surprisingly well. It is made with colorful laminated paper, making it waterproof.
POWERUP Toys also offers a more traditional balsa airframe designed by Nighthawk Gliders.
TERRY DUNN shared his review of the POWERUP 4.0. Here is what he had to say:
Several years ago, I reviewed the POWERUP 3.0, a system that transformed simple paper airplanes into RC models. Yes, you read correctly: RC paper airplanes! Although it had some limitations, I found it to be a fun and versatile product. POWERUP Toys has now released the POWERUP 4.0 system, with several updates and improvements over the previous version.
The core of the POWERUP 4.0 is a module weighing merely 16.3 grams. It contains all of the electronic bits necessary for small-scale controlled flight. This includes a rechargeable LiPo battery, Bluetooth receiver, stabilizing gyro, and two electric motors for propulsion. When combined with a simple clip-on airframe and the POWERUP 4.0 app on your smart phone, you’re ready to fly.
POWERUP 4.0 is a two-channel system, giving you throttle and yaw control. Where the previous version utilized a single motor for propulsion and a small rudder for yaw, this updated variant uses differential thrust from the two motors for both propulsion and yaw. I have found the new system to be much more effective.
There is a wide variety of paper airplane designs that can be used with the POWERUP 4.0 module. These airframes can be folded using the provided colorful templates or your own paper. Online videos guide you through every step of folding each design.
POWERUP Toys has also partnered with other companies to introduce compatible airframes that are made with alternative materials. Flite Test contributed three designs that are built with foamboard. Nighthawk Gliders created a more traditional balsa airframe. There is even a flying dragon that is constructed of waterproof, laminated paper. POWERUP Toys offers several bundles that include multiple airframes and accessories such as lights, spare propellers, and landing gear.
Flying with the POWERUP 4.0 app is different from the joystick transmitters that experienced modelers are used to. You control the throttle by sliding your thumb on the screen and tilting the phone in the direction that you want the airplane to turn. I got the hang of it after some practice. Calm conditions are best, but some of these models also perform well in a light breeze.
I was able to test the POWERUP 4.0 with all of the available airframes. I am still shocked by how well the folded paper models fly. It’s like science fiction. My only gripe is that they are short-lived. A few rough landings or dew on the grass will make a paper model “war weary.” Time to fold another one!
The Flite Test foamboard airframes are tough and fly well. I really enjoy the EZBug because it is very maneuverable. I am able to fly it in my front yard while slaloming trees. I found the Tornado Updraft balsa model to be the most stable of all the airframes. It needs a little more room to fly, so I go to a local park. My favorite of all of the airframes is the Dragon. It is relatively easy to fly and it looks fantastic in the air!
Although the off-the-shelf airframe offerings provide a lot of choices, the options become limitless when you create your own designs. You can fold or build airframes from your imagination and clip them onto the module to see how well they work. You can also easily observe how changes to the airframe affect flight performance. It’s like having your own personal flight-testing lab.
The adult version of me thinks that this kind of geeky stuff is a lot of fun with which to experiment. The kid version of me would have gone absolutely bananas with a setup like this. If you know a kid (or adult) who is fascinated by flying machines, a POWERUP 4.0 will feed their craving. Prices start at $59.99, depending on the version selected.
New Products From the Modeler’s Mall
P-NUT @ $63 + S&H from BMJR Models
Tel.: (321) 432-8460; website: www.bmjrmodels.com
BMJR’s latest kit, the P-NUT, is a Dave Platt-designed P-30. Dave commented about his inspiration for the model: “I have recently gotten back into Rubber Free Flight as my main area of modeling interest, and looking through some files of airfoils, I found the B-8356-b. Designed originally for Wakefield and Nordic, this section shows good potential for a low-rate-of-sink power model. P-30, with a 150-sq. in. area, seemed the best fit for a design using this airfoil. The name? Well, P is for P-30, and NUT is the first thing I thought of that goes with P.”
Dave’s model came in at 46 grams with Asuka tissue. BMJR’s prototype was 57 grams with a Polyspan fuselage and E-Z tissue. Balancing and trimming presented no issues.
Dave prefers a short motor at 14 inches, with tension on the propeller (no sag) to provide a fast, high-power climb with a floating glide, as advertised. Each modeler has, of course, their own preference, and motor peg relocation is not a problem.
RDX1200 AC/DC Multi-Function Smart Charger @ $79.99 + S&H from Hitec RCD
Tel.: (858) 748-6948; website: www.hitecrcd.com
Hitec’s new, economically priced RDX1200 AC/DC Multi-Function Smart Charger is a compact and versatile charger that is designed to speedily charge battery packs and meet the diverse needs of the entire RC community.
Perfect for use at home or on the go, this state-of-the-art AC/DC charger features a compact, durable design, a user-friendly intuitive interface, and a bright LCD screen, as well as terminal voltage control, a smart ventilation fan, and a capacity cut-off limit. It is easy to configure for all common battery chemistries while ensuring safe and efficient charging.
The RDX1200 offers a full 100 watts of power when charging from 120-volts AC and up to 200 watts with a DC supply. It also features balance, standard, storage, and discharge modes for all lithium battery chemistries to help maximize the performance of your batteries and their lifespans.
Raven @ $199.95 + S&H from Old School Model Works
Tel.: (513) 755-7494; website: www.oldschoolmodels.com
Old School Model Works introduces its latest kit release, the Raven. It’s fast when you want it to be, slow when you need it to be, and always stylin’!
The design is inspired by Terry Dunn’s Very Light Jet design that was published years ago in Fly RC magazine. Although the original design was a simple, foam park flyer, it had great lines that were reminiscent of the very light jets that Cirrus, Sonex, and others produce.
The Raven’s size is based around a 64mm electric ducted-fan (EDF) system, mounted right up top in the airflow channel of the fuselage. From there, Terry’s design was reworked, with landing gear being added and the fuselage being reengineered to have a removable wing section. With a wingspan of 47.25 inches and a weight of 3.5 to 4 pounds ready to fly, the model features a shorter-than-expected takeoff roll, a wide flight envelope, surprising aerobatic capabilities, and controllability. Even at very low speeds, you’ll always feel that you have control.
A four-channel radio with V-tail mixing, five 30-plus inch-ounce mini servos, a 64mm 12-blade EDF power unit, 60-plus-amp ESC, and 4S LiPo battery are recommended to tear up the sky.
