Author: Eric Henderson
Edition: Model Aviation - 2007/05
Page Numbers: 102,103,104
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Radio Control Aerobatics

Eric Henderson eric.henderson@comcast.net

News about YS parts availability

For all you YS engine fans out there, YS Parts and Service has a new address and phone number. Richard Verano sent the information about the recent move. The new contact information is:

  • YS Parts and Service
  • 1370 Porter Dr., Minden, NV 89423
  • Tel.: (775) 267-9252
  • Fax: (775) 267-9690

Richard added that the company has received a large shipment of new parts and is ready for your “winter service” requests.

Quique Somenzini and Oxai

Quique Somenzini’s website (www.somenzini.com) announced that he will be cooperating with Oxai starting in 2007. Quique will join fellow Oxai co-partners Giichi Naruke, Wolfgang Matt, Roland Matt, and Mr. Suzuki. They believe this combination of world-competition-level expertise and experience will provide the best possible designs for future top-performing F3A aircraft for their customers. You can access Quique’s site or call (937) 629-0339 for more information.

Oxai Astral-XXc (Troy Newman)

Troy Newman has been building and flying the new Oxai version of the Astral-XXc. The Astral-XXc (XX custom version) is produced by Oxai RC under license from Naruke Hobby Japan. It is almost identical to the XX Plus that Sean McMurtry flew at the 2006 Nats.

Construction and finish:

  • The Astral-XXc is constructed as an almost all-wood model with some molded parts, such as a composite canopy. Sean McMurtry’s Naruke-built model came with a clear canopy.
  • From a design standpoint, the Astral-XXc differs slightly in the tail from the Astral-XX Plus. Giichi Naruke’s personal model used a 6° anhedral stabilizer; the Oxai version uses an 8° anhedral stabilizer.
  • The Oxai Models version was produced to meet Giichi Naruke’s standards. The model comes completely built and painted.
  • Because it is not a composite molded airplane, each model is hand-built using accurate fixture-assembly techniques. There are no mold-related seams to detract from the finish.
  • The airframe is a wood substructure that is fiberglassed and hand-painted/airbrushed. The wood produces an extremely stiff end product that resists twisting during high-G maneuvers or distortion when handled.
  • Light-plywood formers and balsa sheeting form the primary fuselage structure. A belly pan mounting area is built in as part of the wing. The belly pan attaches with two one-touch buttons near the firewall and two rear pins; a tongue-in-groove system aligns and retains it for its entire length, minimizing wear and preventing it from coming loose under engine vibration.
  • The one-piece wing makes for an extremely stiff, lightweight airframe.

Other features:

  • Troy is using a canard-style landing gear from Japan; it’s an optional upgrade that gives the model a distinctive, classy look.
  • Out of the crate the bare-framed Astral-XXc weighs 2,120 grams (4 lb 11 oz). Fully finished and ready to fly, the model weighs 4,536 grams (9 lb 15 oz), comfortably under the FAI 5-kg (11-lb) limit.

Power and radio:

  • Troy’s airplane is equipped with the YS 1.70DZ and a YS engine mount. The YS DZ uses the Hatori 821 muffler and 822 header for a quiet, smooth sound.
  • Guidance is via JR equipment: 10X transmitter, two 9411SA servos for ailerons, one 8611 servo for rudder, one 8411SA servo on the elevator, and a lightweight digital 3421SA servo for the throttle. (The SA suffix indicates nylon gears for tighter centering.)
  • A new JR synthesized R2000 receiver and a JR 2300 mAh, 4.8 V NiMH battery pack provide the radio link and power.
  • Central Hobbies hardware is used throughout (Teflon fuel fittings, MK clevis links, aluminum control horns).

Flight impressions:

  • Initial tests went extremely well. The model flew right off the assembly board with almost no trim changes; a half turn on the factory-set stabilizer adjuster removed a bit of elevator trim.
  • The CG location is exactly as specified by the factory. No rudder-to-knife-edge couple-correction mixes are needed. During knife-edge flight the rudder can be used as an elevator to perform a loop, lending balanced feel to rolling loops and rolling circles.
  • A small amount of down-elevator is mixed to activate at low throttle during long down-lines to keep the model diving straight as airspeed increases.

For more information about the Astral, contact:

Shinden (Bryan Hebert / Xtreme Composite)

In the same big-league RC Aerobatics (Pattern) category is a report on master builder Bryan Hebert, who has been active in post-Katrina central Louisiana. Brian Clemmons sent a photo of Bryan’s latest design: the Shinden. The model is manufactured by Xtreme Composite and imported by Bob Violett (www.bvmprops.com). This particular airplane was one of the first five imported, and Brian was very pleased with the quality of fit and finish.

Background and partnership:

  • Brian Clemmons and Bryan Hebert are longtime friends and fellow builders/pilots from Louisiana; their families are close and the two dads have been building and flying together for more than 19 years.
  • Brian has seen every Pattern model Bryan has designed and built and considers the Shinden the best yet. He says it has revived his competitive interest and become his favorite airplane to fly.

Design and intended use:

  • The Shinden was designed to accept state-of-the-art power plants, including high-end electric systems and YS 1.60DZ/1.70DZ engines; the friends are using the YS 1.60DZ.
  • One favorite maneuver is the horizontal figure eight with intrinsic half rolls (a difficult aerobatic move), which appears in FAI sequences—evidence the Shinden is built for complex competition patterns.

Construction and features:

  • Wingspan: 78 inches
  • Total wing area: 1,024 square inches
  • Molded composite fuselage, wings, and stabilizers.
  • All control surfaces are molded with centerline hinging to prevent built-in control offsets and come with molded top hinges.
  • Molded wing fairings reduce turbulence at the wing root.
  • Adjustable stabilizers and predrilled control-horn locations.
  • The model comes with a clear canopy and several painted-in-the-mold optional finishes; an all-white version is available for those who want to apply their own decals.

Weights (kit components as delivered to Brian):

  • Wing panels: 450 grams each
  • Stabilizer halves: 140 grams each
  • Fuselage (less landing gear and firewall; includes canopy): 2,520 grams

Expected ready-to-fly weight is approximately 10 lb 8 oz.

Production and kit availability:

  • X-treme Composite has the molds and rights to produce all composite versions of the Shinden.
  • Mike Hester of Custom Airframes of America (www.customairframes.com) will soon produce a wood, laser-cut kit version using composite canopies, chin, and nose pieces laid up by Raiko Potter. This offers a lower-cost or build-it-yourself alternative for pilots who prefer wood airframes.

For information or to inquire about the Shinden:

  • David Shulman, BVM Props: (407) 327-9944
  • Mike Hester, Custom Airframes (for future kit availability)

Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.