Flying High With Electric Power! The Ampeer ON-LINE! June 2004 The Club Newsletter of the Electric Flyers Only, Inc AMA Charter 2354 Walled Lake, MI, USA Editor: Ken Myers Fly the Future - Fly Electric!

President:	Vice-President:	Secretary/Treasurer:
Ken Myers	Richard Utkan	Rick Sawicki
1911 Bradshaw Ct.	240 Cabinet	5089 Ledgewood Ct. W.
Walled Lake, MI 48390	Milford, MI 48381	Commerce Twp., MI 48382
(248) 669-8124	(248) 685-1705	248.685.7056
Board of Directors:	Board of Directors:	Ampeer Editor
David Stacer	Jack Lemon	Ken Myers
16575 Brookland Blvd.	8908 Sandy Ridge Dr.	1911 Bradshaw Ct.
Northville, MI 48167	White Lake, MI 48386	Walled Lake, MI 48390
248.924.2324	248.698.4683	248.669.8124
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The Next Meeting: Date: Saturday, June 12 Time: 10:00 a.m. Place Midwest R/C Society 5 Mi. Rd. Flying Field

What's In This Issue?
Li'l Poke	Blue Fan-Fold Saucer	Fancy Foam Models	New Electric RC Kits from D.C.R.C.	EasyStar Review: Another Point of View
Herr Star Cruiser and Aqua Star	Power for a Piece O'Cake	More on JIS Screwdrivers	B26 Marauder	Micro Jet "Tuck Under"
Upcoming Indoor Nats Here in Waterford, MI	Upcoming "Keith Shaw Birthday Electric Fun Fly	Li-Poly SR Batteries X-250	Upcoming Events	Send Ken email

Li'l Poke From Dick Corby sales@altacom.us Hi Ken:      Thanks for the info on the Li-Poly batteries. I still plan on being careful as I can to be sure and not burn my house, car or airplanes down.      I am attaching an image of the Li'l Poke that I have just gotten finished, and test flown. It was an experience to get it to this point to say the least.      I was hoping to get an aircraft that could be flown in the local park, and maybe once I get used to it, it might do that. But the recommended power setup, even with Li-Poly batteries, and in the correct range weight would not fly without a really good running hand launch, and even then was less than satisfactory.      I also made some modifications to the kit; bolt on wings, stiffer landing gear, lightly sheeted tail feathers to prevent warping and beefed up the firewall. Never know when I might plant the prop, and hate to have the firewall rip out when I do. Which has happened to me on Rare occasions. :)      I finally ended up with a Graupner Speed 400, swinging a 7x4 prop to get it to go. This has given it a bit more speed and definition to the flying. It no longer is sluggish, and takes off from the ground in about 20-30 ft. And now it is a lot more fun to fly.      For those interested, I have the entire project in video no my website at www.altacom.us/p171.htm. I have also dug out some of the old videos of the planes listed and put them in Windows Media format as well.      Love your monthly information, and look forward to it each month. Thanks, Dick Corby Las Vegas Nevada Return to "What's In This Issue?" Blue Fan-Fold Saucer From Ron Fikes srfikes@earthlink.net Ken,      Here is a site for my latest, a 16" diameter fan-fold saucer. Fun and easy to build, share it with your group... Ron Fikes Palo Alto, CA www.geocities.com/srfikes2001/BPSbluefoam.html Return to "What's In This Issue?" Fancy Foam Models From Mike Hammel mycamel@cox.net Photo of the Cap 232 from their Web site      Mike introduced me to their Web site at www.fancyfoam. According to information posted on the site;      "These lightweight R/C airplanes are the new trainers for experienced R/C pilots. If you can't torque roll, but would like to or if you are afraid to practice those 3D maneuvers close to the ground, these planes are for you. When you do crash (and you will!), there is little to no damage. Most Fancy Foam Models weigh around 12.5 oz., ready to fly! Flight times range from 12 to 24 minutes (with the Himax brushless motor), depending on throttle management. With the light wing loading and the extreme control throws, these little aerobats will sharpen your skills like no other plane."      "They have an Edge 540, Cap 232 and Extra 300L, as well as accessories to go with them. Return to "What's In This Issue?" New Electric RC Kits from D.C.R.C. From: crc@molalla.net      I received the following and it is presented for informational purposes only. KM D.C.R.C. Electric R.C. Just for the fun of flying www.dcrcradiocontrol.com      Are you looking for an aerobatic electric that won't break the bank? And fly with the gear out of your stick plane. How about one that will fly with a GWS 300 and NiCad's and it has to perform the rolls, inside & outside loops and spins like the big boys, but inside a baseball diamond and it has to take off and land like a trainer oh yah don't forget, it has to bounce for those not so perfect landings. Don't have a lot of time to build? The construction is so simple it takes no more then one night.      This was the discussion we had at DCRC when we decided to kit The Basic Aerobatic Trainer (B.A.T.) which also applies to the EPP fuselage and construction of this exceptional aircraft. Its performance and durability will quickly make it one of your all time favorites.      It's great for those lunch hour flights or at the park on your way home from work. And if that isn't enough we are introducing something new for when you're just looking for something different to have fun with. The Phat-Boys P-51 it has all. The same qualities of the B.A.T. (EPP fuselage and a one night build) but with a twist or maybe we should say a Scrunch. See The Flight Video at www.dcrcradiocontrol.com      The Phat-Boyz are designed as a flying wing and to my surprise is one of the most forgiving airplanes that I have ever flown, gentle is the only way to describe the landings. But with its combat wing roots and P-51 look it is just that a combat worthy wing.      All on a Cheap 300 geared GWS motor and an 8 cell 500ma. NiCad battery Both kits come with a very complete hardware package and decals.      For a limited time only we are offering the B.A.T. or the Phat-51 for 29.99+ $5.25 S/H inside the Continental U.S.      If you order 4 or more shipped to the same address in the U.S. the shipping is FREE So mix them up any combination of the B.A.T. or the Phat-51 you like. And contact us at ( crc@molalla.net ) for this special limited time deal.      And don't forget the F-117. AMA fell in lust with its flight performance and stated in its revue that it is now his favorite plane. Return to "What's In This Issue?" EasyStar Review: Another Point of View From Mike Forrester      I read your review, and while I did not find a problem with it I think you should check out the RC Groups threads and see how much excitement this plane is generating among beginners and veterans alike. You may not share the enthusiasm, but it is bringing new people into the hobby, or providing a means for them to stay, by getting an aircraft they can be successful with, unlike many of the beginner RTFs out there. As a journalist, you should put your own preferences aside, and report.      Here is a link to the thread which has three parts and over 1100 total entries, in just a few months (started Aug. 2003). http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=1975286#post1975286      I wasn't aware that I gave the EasyStar RTF a bad review. I stated what I learned about the RTF version from using it. I was reasonably sure I did put my preferences aside and report. I think it is a very good plane for its purpose. It had/has some shortcomings, and I reported them. Some have been fixed, as I've noted. Others I may never know about until I see another kit. KM Return to "What's In This Issue?" Herr Star Cruiser and Aqua Star From Ricardo N Jorge rrnjorge@uol.com.br Hi Ken, greetings from Brazil      Although not an active builder and flyer anymore, let me submit my impressions about the Herr Star Cruiser conversion I did a couple of years ago.      This is, from the beginning, a great electric kit. It was built as per instructions with the only modification being the firewall, which was modified to accept a Speed 400 with 4:1 planetary gearbox. I just cut a hole big enough for the motor to pass trough and glued two one inch 1/4 x 1/4 spruce sticks at the 4 and 8 hour positions and secured the motor with nylon straps.      I used 8 to 10 cells, 600AEs at the time, a 20-amp controller and a 9x6 slow flyer prop.      Take offs from paved runaways are as easy as any tricycle-gear trainer and so are the landings. Any rudder/elevator maneuvers can be done with power to spare with the 10-cell setup and it will even soar if there are any thermals available.      I've also tried modifying the wings to add ailerons and the plane becomes even more fun than it originally was.      For its ease of construction and wonderful flight characteristics I give it five stars.      I've also converted the AquaStar. It was built as per plans except the engine pod. Instead of the profile one that came with the kit, I've made a box only large and long enough to accept the Astro 020 Brushless and its controller, swinging a 6x3 prop.      I've used 7 cell 500AR packs, with excellent results. The original pod must be cut allowing enough clearance for the prop and the motor "nacelle" is secured to it with 2 1/4 inch balsa triangles glued to either side and then glued to the nacelle.      I've never flown it out of water, as R/C planes were not allowed near or above the ponds we have nearby, but it flies very well, even with the wing floaters on, being able to soar.      Well these were my last planes. I had to move to an apartment, with no room for my building and flying gear since 2002, but some day I'll be back, always impressing the glow guys with the quiet and clean electric models. Regards Ricardo N Jorge Return to "What's In This Issue?" Power for a Piece O' Cake From Merle Davies mp_davies@netzero.net Hi Ken,      At the Waterford Dome "Indoor Nationals - 2003" I purchased a completely built airplane. It is a Dynaflite "Piece O' Cake" with plans. The Fuselage structure, less landing gear weighs about 7 oz....Wing about 9 oz Total = 16 oz. Wingspan 72", Area 573 sq.in., Weight Listed 24 oz. This model frame must have been lightened for electric.      Could you or an EFO member suggest a choice of several motors - Direct / Geared, ESC, and Ni-Cad Battery Pack equipment for a good flight performance?      A geared "Speed 600/05" system like the Master Airscrew 2.5:1 Electric Flight Pack will do for a motor. The battery pack can be made up of 6 Sanyo Ni-Cad CP-2400 cells or 6 Gold Peak NiMH 3300, should you find NiMH cells acceptable. My ESC preference would be an Astro Flight 215D or Castle Creations Pegasus-35P. An airborne radio system like the Hitec 555 receiver and a pair of HS-81 servos would be fine. Expect the finished RTF weight to be about 40 ounces. It should fly just fine and for quite a long time with decent throttle management. KM      At "Michigan Cloud Busters" Friday Indoor Fly - Rubber, long time member Paul Bradley from Texas visited with us. He is writer of Model Aviation articles on "Small Field Flying", and is in need of reader input for his column. Perhaps some of your readers could assist. Please e-mail him at bradleyp@ix.netcom.com.      I sent the above information off to Merle and he came back with the following. KM      Your response DID NOT include a propeller size.....and would "Magnetic Mayhem" Geared be TOO HOT a motor combination for the model.      In the above recommendation I assumed the Master Airscrew 12x8 prop provided with the Master Airscrew system. Any 7-cell "Speed 600", buggy motor or "05" motor with gearing will work fine on this plane. The prop should draw about 25-28 amps static. The larger the gearing ratio, the larger the prop can be. With this plane, that's not a bad idea, as it is not a "speedy" plane. I would imagine the Magnetic Mayhem geared somewhere near 3:1 using seven cells would require a 11 or 11.5 inch prop and around a 6 pitch. I like the Master Airscrew regular wood props. The most important thing is to get the amp draw in the range I've mentioned. KM Return to "What's In This Issue?" More on JIS Screwdrivers From Ross Jones RossWJones@Comcast.net      Last month I had some info on these useful tools. Ross followed up with the following information and a photo. KM      The main difference between Phillips (ANSI) and Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS) Phillips is that the slot on the JIS is slightly narrower, interfering with the proper fit of the Phillips. There is a slight taper difference in the point, but by all other measures they are the same. With the narrower "teeth" on the JIS, it just fits right in to the fastener perfectly - much as you would see with a metric hex fastener, when used with a metric (rather than SAE) hex driver!      One should have these JIS drivers on hand as they never know when they will run into a JIS Fastener. They turn up in expected and unexpected places - like the servo hatch cover screws I bought from a RTL Fastener...      On RC Universe, I offer them for $16.00 per set of four SHIPPED. Return to "What's In This Issue?" B26 Marauder From Mark Rittinger mrittinger70@hotmail.com Ken,      Here are a few pictures of my newest design, the Speed 400 Martin Marauder, one of my favorite ships of all time.      I had always been a little apprehensive about doing the Widowmaker because of its complex form, but when one of my customers mentioned he had been a tail gunner on one, I figured now was as good a time as ever to design and build one.      He provided me several photos of his bird, "Miss Arkansas", and several stories to work with. After finding a decent three view online, I drew out some rough drawings and began contemplating how to best build this ship.      I thought I would give foam a try for building the cigar shaped fuselage and nacelles. They were cut from sections of pink foam, and glued to a 3/32-balsa spine. Each section has about 1/2" wall thickness. The fuselage and nacelles are covered in 0.6 oz glass cloth, sanded, then covered in HVAC thin aluminum foil from Harbor Freight. This is the same stuff as a well-known foil model covering but a lot cheaper.      The wing is simple flat bottom affair, with stressed skin and covered directly with the foil, no glassing. Surprisingly, the foil sticks very well to bare smooth balsa, and even removes wood when pulled off.      Control surfaces are covered in silver MonoKote with the "Ribs" simulated with thin strips of the covering foil. It presents a good representation of the real thing.      Power is two 7.2-volt Speed 400 motors, with 2.5:1 Master Airscrew gearboxes, 8x8 Megatech 4 blade flying props, on a Castle Creations 35 ESC/BEC, fed by 8 1100 HE Ni-MH cells use in parallel.      Range was checked on the ground, and the covering seemed to present no issues.      The first flight was, admittedly, VERY hairy. The surface deflection was too much on the short-coupled ship, and the CG was a bit aft. After swapping out radios for one with ATV, and shifting the battery forward 1/2", it was flown for the first time with success. It is now a smooth flying, very scale looking ship. Roy was very happy to see "His" bird in the air, and said it brought back many memories of sitting between the Pilot and Co-Pilot when coming in really hot after a flak-filled Berlin bombing run....      If you are note familiar with Mark's many great designs, check out the plans sections of Quiet Flyer, Model Airplane News and the Ezone Magazine (www.ezonemag.com). You can also purchase some of them directly from him. Here's info from a follow-up email that includes the plans he has and his address. KM      I have for the Speed 400 - the Mohawk, Whirlwind, Me262, Neptune, Invader, Mitchell, Python, P51, Mosquito, and Black Widow, and for the geared Magnetic Mayhem P51 "A,B,C,D, Reno", P40, Ki61 and soon Me109 plans. Marauder plans will be forthcoming.      All plans are $23.00 each, $20.00 each when ordering more than one, postage included in the US. Mark Rittinger 14431 12 Mile Rd Apt C Warren, Mi 48088 Return to "What's In This Issue?" Micro Jet "Tuck Under" From: Azarr azarr@ecubedrc.com      In the May issue of the Ampeer, "March Meeting", I reported on a discussion we were having as to why the "tuck under" on launch of the Micro Jet. I visited the Multiplex USA site and found the following KM:      "Micro-Jet FAQ      Question: My Micro-Jet dives into the ground after I launch it.      Answer: The Micro-Jet is a high performance plane (fast) with relatively high wing loading. It is suggested in the manual that when launching your Micro-Jet use approx. 2 to 3 degrees of "up" Elevon. This is done with a specific "launch" flight mode or with a couple of clicks of "up" trim.      After launching, this added trim should be removed by selecting a "level" or "normal" flight mode or trimmed down to achieve level flight under power.      Remember to always launch your plane directly "into" any wind or breeze.      The Micro-Jet may also be the first "flying wing" many users have ever flown. One characteristic of all flying wings is to have the trailing edge of the wing, in the case of the Micro-Jet, the Elevons, reflexed up. Be sure to follow the directions and carry the appropriate amount of up reflex in your Micro-Jets Elevons."      Azarr sent along the following KM:      FWIW, on the Pico Jet Combat (big brother of the Micro Jet) it was necessary to use full up trim on launch to get it up on the step. It appeared to be a thrust line problem rather than a CG problem. I ended up using a "start" switch on my transmitter that gave a bunch of up for takeoff and then could easily be taken out.      It was an interesting condition, you could see the moment flying speed was obtained; there was a visible "jump" as the plane went from barely flying to getting on the step. Return to "What's In This Issue?" Upcoming Indoor Nats Here in Waterford, MI 2nd ANNUAL NIRAC CHAMPIONSHIPS Oakland Yards Sports Dome, 5328 Highland Rd, Waterford, MI June 4,5,6 Competition events and Open flying Schedule: Friday 1:00 PM - 6:00 PM Open flying, Scale static Judging, registration and briefing. Saturday 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM Competition rounds, open flying, Banquet at 5:00PM Sunday 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM Competition rounds, open flying, Awards EVENTS: 1 - Sport Scale as per AMA rules. Maneuvers to be modified as needed to fit building. Note: pilot figures will be required in models during flights 2 - Old Timer Climb and Glide 3 - Cargo 4 - Racing 5 - AMA #627 Duration Note: Maximum battery 4 X 50 mAh Ni-Cd cells. In the interest of time, these models will be flown two at a time, frequencies permitting. 6 - R/C Glider      Complete event rules may be found on the NIRAC website www.nirac.org, or by contacting the CD, Dave Robelen CD: Dave Robelen Route 4 Box 369 Farmville, VA 23901 Aplusfarm@hovac.com (434) 392-3451      Entry fee $15:00 single event, $25:00 more than one event      Please contact the CD if planning to enter. No fees will be collected before the event Return to "What's In This Issue?" You are invited to attend the... "Keith Shaw Birthday party Electric Fun Fly" June 5 & 6, 2004 At the Balsa Butcher's Flying site in Coldwater Michigan - (see map below) Contest Director: Dave Grive - E-mail: grifesd@yahoo.com or Phone: 517.279.8445 - Please e-mail or call with any questions

The Flying Field will be open Friday, June 4 for early arrivals Saturday June 5 hours are from 9 a.m. 'til 5 p.m. Sunday hours are form 9 a.m. 'til 3 p.m. Landing Fee is $10 for the weekend. Directions Quincy is approximately 4.5 miles east of I-69. Clizbe Road is approximately 1.6 miles east of Quincy. The Flying site is approximately 1.5 miles south of US-12 on the west side of Clizbe Road. Places to Stay Holiday Inn Express 517.279.0900, Red Roof In 517.279.1199, Econo-Lodge 517.278.4501, Ramada Inn 517.278.2017 All except Econo-Lodge are located near I-69 & US-12. Econo-Lodge is on the west side of Coldwater. Return to "What's In This Issue?" Li-Poly SR Batteries X-250 From Michael Prager mprager@magnaplateca.com      I built the SR Batteries X-250 last year, all stock components (including SR "motor-gearbox-10 cell 550mah battery"). All up weight 24.5 oz. Plane flew well but, with those barn door ailerons at the back of a Clark y airfoil, it was very pitch sensitive to speed. Trim for speed X and then fly faster, the nose pitches up, fly slower, nose pitches down. I performed two modifications, 1: remove ailerons, add a 1Ú4" cap at back of wing and then cut out 2 ailerons. Yes, there is additional wood needed to do this, but, not much extra weight and HS-55's fit inside the wings, 1 for each aileron. 2. Changed battery pack to a Thunderpower LiPo 2100mAh 3s1p (4.5 oz)      What a difference! Ready to fly weight is 22.5 oz and flight time went from 7-10 minutes up to 22-25 minutes! Plane flies very well and people now call me a frequency hog, as in I have been up long enough and other people want to fly! (music to any electric pilot's ears) Return to "What's In This Issue?"

To Reach Ken Myers, you can land mail to the address at the top of the page. My E-mail address is: KMyersEFO@aol.com
EFO WEBsite: http://members.aol.com/KMyersEFO/