FOCAL POINT
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Extra 540
Tom Bauer’s (Spokane, Washington; email: tjbauer@gmail.com) Twisted Hobbys EPP-foam Extra 540, which is schemed in Castrol Aviation colors, is shown flying off of the beach near low tide at Hood Canal in Union, Washington. The model is powered by a Tunningy 2730-1500 brushless outrunner motor on a 2S 500 mAh LiPo battery and 9 x 4.8 propeller. Tom rewound the motor with 24-gauge magnet wire after one of the leads broke off. The overall weight is 7.8 ounces.
Tom stated that it is 3D capable with crisp control response. He flies it through the winter in Spokane. “If I am at a bigger field or it is a windy day, I swap in an 8 x 3.8 propeller and a 3S 500 mAh LiPo. This really boosts the speed, and you have to turn quickly to keep it in sight.” His wife took the picture from the porch of their house.
RCM B-42 to B-42A Mixmaster
George Lumpkins (Katy, Texas; email: golumpk@swbell.net), a member of the Bayou City Flyers in Katy, is known by his club members for coming up with “interesting” projects. “Somehow” the B-42 came to his attention, but it wasn’t a kit or an ARF, so he found a set of B-42 plans through the AMA Plans Service (plans number MA978). However, a small-field flyer would not do for George, so he had it blown up to 40%, yielding a 49-inch wingspan.
The single motor was upgraded to a contrarotating system using a CRM2413 1,300 Kv motor. Three SMC 3C 2,200 mAh batteries power it in parallel, along with four Hobbywing 30-amp ESCs, two APC 9 x 6 propellers (one standard and one reverse), and UMX Me 262 nacelles with two 7,000 Kv 30mm EDFs on the wing. One Hobby Eagle three-axis gyro was added for good luck. It features fully functional flaps, and a 3 x 4-inch radio-controlled bomb bay was added. It is all controlled by a Futaba radio system. He also added a VIFLY Beacon airplane finder, “just in case.”
George wrote that it flies better than before, but the retracts might be challenging because they are unusual on this airplane.
1905 Wright Flyer
Dan Lowenstein (Mill Valley, California; email: d.lowenstein@comcast.net) is a member of the Liberty Flyers R/C Club in Petaluma, California. Every year, he brings out the 1905 Wright Flyer that he built from a Radical RC kit. The model weighs 60 ounces and features 68-inch Depron wings equipped with servo-driven wing warping for control, along with rudder and canard functionality.
The airplane is powered by two EMAX XA2212/980 Kv outrunner motors, each spinning 10 x 4.5 propellers, and is fueled by a 3,300 mAh 35C 11.1-volt LiPo battery. Dan added several detailed elements, including a 3D-printed engine, gas tank, pulley mechanisms, and instruments, as well as a near-scale model of Orville Wright. To reduce the doll’s weight, Dan hollowed out much of the body. Takeoffs are accomplished with the help of a custom-built dolly, which features wheels that respond to rudder control for precise handling on the ground.
Dan describes flying the airplane as thrilling. “It’s a slow and graceful flyer but also challenging to control—if the power isn’t managed correctly, it can drop quickly, which is expected given that the model represents one of the earliest examples of powered flight.” One of the model’s first flights can be viewed at www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9vO8UhKPEw&t.
Balsa USA Phaeton II
Joe Pasciutti (Southington, Connecticut; email: joe.pasciutti@gmail.com) provided a photo of his 52-inch wingspan Balsa USA Phaeton II. Powered by an O.S. 46AXII engine with an open cowling, it is covered in True Red UltraCote with iron-cross vinyl decals. Control is with a RadioMaster five-channel system and Hitec servos. The pilot bust is repurposed and includes an oxygen mask that was usually not needed for World War I biplanes.
Joe belongs to the Central Connecticut Radio Control Club in Farmington, Connecticut. He said that he recently restarted the RC model airplane hobby with ARFs; the Phaeton II is the first that he has recently built. “The Balsa USA kit was excellent, and the included full-size prints and laser-cut components made the build straightforward,” he said. “The plane flies great and gets a lot of attention in our club. A friend and fellow RC enthusiast helped me get into the hobby and I am really enjoying it.”
A 1/5-Scale Fw 190
Jeff Fiscus (Portsmouth, Rhode Island; email: fwjeff@ymail.com) isn’t sure whether he would call this a rebuild or a new project. “It is my second Fw 190 in fifth scale; the first was lost to pilot error, but it served as a donor for many of the parts used in this model,” he wrote.
Predominantly based on Dave Platt plans, the Fw 190 was modified for scale operating retracts that Jeff built with 3D-printed aluminum, carbon fiber, and CNC-machined aluminum parts. It is powered by a DLE 60cc twin engine that just barely fits in the cowling and allows a three-blade propeller to turn in flight. Because of the large engine, nose weight was not needed, but a few ounces were added, just in case, for the first flights. The radio gear is all Futaba, and the retracts are driven by Actuonix actuators. The pilot is from Best Pilots, and the canopy and cockpit were scratch-built.
Jeff stated that, as of his writing in September 2024, the model had four flights on it and flew smoothly and stably.
Dave West MiG-7 Combat Airplane
Edward Starling (Waipahu, Hawaii; email: wabbi@juno.com) sent in a photo of 12-year-old AMA Youth member, Aiden Rogers, of Kailua, Hawaii. Aiden is holding a 1/12-scale Dave West MiG-7 Combat airplane that was built and donated to him by several members of the Kawainui Combat Fliers group at the Kawainui Model Airplane field on Oahu.
The aircraft was built from plans that were available on various internet sites. A few of the members noticed Aiden’s interest in watching the pick-up Combat rounds that are flown every Saturday at the field and volunteered to build Aiden his own aircraft. He got his first streamer cut about a week after flying with the club and, within a couple of months, was an ace pilot! Edward wrote that Aiden stays really busy flying different types of airplanes every week.
Grand Illusion
Mark M. Owens’ (Crestview, Florida; email: woodknotworkshop@cox.net) build was inspired by a Horten XVc 2.7-meter prototype build thread that he found on RCGroups years ago. He later came across a build thread for an Illusion sailplane. He set out to convert it into a modern-day electric sailplane flying wing. “I was able to track down the plans for this sailplane on the AMA website, and I also tracked down an article in the November 1972 Flying Models magazine, where the author shared some building instructions, which came in handy.”
The build took roughly six months. Several modifications were made, including the wing, which was originally one piece then broken down into three pieces. Mark also built the fiberglass center pod using a plug and mold he created from scratch; it houses the motor, ESC, battery, and receiver. The servos were placed in each wing section, which plug into the center section. The model is powered and controlled with an AXI 2220/20 Long V2 motor, a JETI Advance 30 Pro SB ESC, a JETI 3S 30C 1,800 mAh battery, two Hitec HS-65MG servos, and a Hitec Optima 6 Lite receiver.
Mark’s first flight attempt was a nosedive into the ground. “I didn’t quite get the center of gravity right,” he stated. “The second attempt was a repeat of the first. The third time was a charm; the toss went well, and then I gave full power and up it went. I had to give full-up trim to keep it level, but once I got it settled in, it was smooth sailing. It was well worth the build.” He renamed the model Grand Illusion.
Aerospaz KYM Blue Angels Pattern Airplane
The Blue Angels Classic Pattern airplane that Robert Fish (Paulden, Arizona; email: akmotov@pacbell.net) built is from an Aerospaz KYM kit. It is all-wood construction with MonoKote covering. Electric power is by a BadAss 3530-700Kv motor from Inno8tive Designs, guided by a Spektrum DX18 radio and KingMax servos with electric retracts. It took approximately 200 hours to build. The weight is 8 pounds, 11 ounces, ready to fly, utilizing a 6S 6,000 mAh LiPo battery.
Robert stated that the flight performance and handling are flawless from this legendary design.
