Worth a Closer Look
Roadkill Piper Cub
DJ Aerotech has created a niche in the backyard-flyer market with its Roadkill models. The company just introduced a new addition: the Piper J-3. The J-3 is a profile/stand-off scale design. All parts are laser-cut from high-quality balsa, with a few plywood parts to add strength in critical areas. The result is a fast-building kit that flies quite well. An experienced builder should be able to finish the J-3 in one or two evenings.
The kit comes complete with laser-cut wood parts, pushrod linkages, landing-gear parts, and an electric motor (with capacitor) and propeller. The builder need only provide a radio, battery, Battery Eliminator Circuit/Electronic Speed Control, glue, and a little time to build.
We estimate the flying speed of these docile machines at 10–15 mph at half throttle. Using a NiMH (Nickel Metal Hydride) battery pack, you should easily have four- to eight-minute flying sessions.
- Specifications:
- Wingspan: 29 inches
- Wing area: 121 square inches
- Ready-to-fly weight: 3.5 ounces
- Contact: DJ Aerotech, 719 Fisk St., Piqua, OH 45356; Tel.: (937) 773-6772; Web site: www.djaerotech.com
Aerobird RTF
Building on the super-simple Flight-Track control system that has introduced many to the world of radio control (RC) flying, the HobbyZone Aerobird adds the ability to control pitch as well as direction and power. This fully proportional three-channel control system opens the door for maneuvers such as steep turns and loops, and helps make the transition to larger RC airplanes.
The Aerobird’s foam wing and molded fuselage can be assembled in just a few minutes. Almost everything needed to get the model in the air is included: a single-stick transmitter, rechargeable battery pack, and a 120-volt DC fast charger that plugs into your car’s 12-volt accessory jack. An easy-to-follow manual and instructional video are included. All that’s needed is eight AA batteries for the transmitter.
- Specifications:
- Wingspan: 42 inches
- Weight (with battery): 16.1 ounces
- Flight time: 15 minutes
- Street price: $179.99
- Contact: Horizon Hobby Distributors, 4105 Fieldstone Rd., Champaign, IL 61822; Tel.: (800) 338-4639; Web site: www.horizonhobby.com
Triton DC Peak Charger
Great Planes has a new charger marketed under its ElectriFly brand. The Triton DC can charge Ni-Cd and NiMH batteries with peak-detection technology, as well as discharge and cycle, and features fully adjustable current rates. Unlike many chargers, this unit can handle up to 24 Ni-Cd or NiMH cells, and can also be used with Lithium-Ion and lead-acid batteries.
The Triton works with everything from small park flyers to large scale electrics, transmitter and receiver batteries, field batteries, and even RC-car batteries. It can charge packs consisting of:
- 1 to 24 Ni-Cd or NiMH cells
- 1 to 4 Lithium-Ion cells
- 6-, 12-, and 24-volt lead-acid batteries
The front panel has a large, two-line, 32-character LCD that is easy to read and displays a great deal of information designed for logical access. Up to 10 different battery configurations can be stored for instant recall. It also features adjustable peak-detection sensitivity and recalls data for up to 10 full cycles.
State-of-the-art programming combines simplicity and sophistication; the dial feature makes scrolling through menus simple. An optional battery-temperature monitor allows safe and accurate charging of heat-sensitive Lithium-Ion and NiMH batteries. Safety and protection features include visual and audible warning messages, overload and reverse-polarity protection, and more.
- Retail price: $199.99
- Contact: Great Planes Model Distributors, Box 9021, Champaign, IL 61826-9021; Tel.: (800) 682-8948; Web site: www.electrifly.com
In each installment of “Worth a Closer Look” we bring you new and exciting products from the industry. These write-ups are not press releases but mini-reviews written by the Model Aviation staff. In each instance the product or service is actually built, tested, flown, used, etc., to give you a firsthand account of how it performs. Some items are found by our staff; many are brought to our attention from outside sources. If you have a product or service that you feel might be “worth a closer look,” contact Model Aviation Aeromodeling Editor Bob Hunt at (610) 614-1747, or send an E-mail to closerlook@airbornemedia.com.
Irvine .39 ABC Engines
Engine sizes common today often differ from the "standard" displacements of a few years ago (e.g., .20, .40, .60, .90). Modern offerings frequently include sizes like .36, .46, .48, or .61. Sig has added a new displacement—the .39—with two new engines in its Irvine line: the .39 Aero ABC and the .39 Heli ABC.
Using state-of-the-art engineering and metallurgy, these new .39s create more power than a conventional .40, yet have sizes and weights comparable to some .30s.
- Aero .39:
- Power: 1.3 bhp at 18,000 rpm
- Weight: 13.5 ounces (with muffler)
- Heli .39:
- Power: 1.4 bhp at 18,000 rpm
- Weight: less than 11 ounces (ready to mount)
- Comparison: a typical .40 is about 1.2 bhp at 17,000 rpm and weighs 18.1 ounces (with muffler)
Both .39s utilize an ABC piston/cylinder assembly, dual ball bearings supporting the crankshaft, quick linear throttle response, an easy-to-adjust twin-needle carburetor, and a highly effective twin-chamber muffler to keep noise levels down (aircraft version).
If you need a bit more power in your 30- to 40-size airplane or helicopter, these Irvine engines may be the ticket.
- Retail prices: Aero .39 — $205.98; Heli .39 — $290.98
- Contact: Sig Manufacturing Co., Inc., Box 520, Montezuma, IA 50171-0520; Tel.: (641) 623-0215; Fax: (641) 623-3922; Web site: www.sigmfg.com
Evolution .45
The new Evolution .45 is more than just another engine; it incorporates an innovative combination of propeller and engine technology specifically designed for the beginner.
Each Evolution engine is test-run and tuned at the factory so a novice can easily get the engine running right out of the box. There's no break-in period and no fiddling with carburetor settings—just gas up and go.
The engine uses a specially designed three-blade propeller that provides superb climb performance and slower level-flight speeds at high power settings. It's quieter too—nearly 4 dB quieter than a typical 10 x 6 two-blade propeller.
Carburetor settings are limited to prevent relatively new pilots from making tuning mistakes. The rear needle valve provides safe, easy adjustments, and the glow plug protrudes away from the propeller, making starts safer by keeping the glow driver away from the spinning propeller.
The engine also has a unique crankshaft flywheel that improves idle by preserving momentum at low throttle settings.
- Street price: $79.99
Old Timer
Ahh, the good ol' days of carefree flying: piloting a no-frills styled model that didn't cost an arm and a leg to buy or build. Just you and your airplane on a lazy afternoon.
If you remember those days and want to recapture them, Great Planes has a new model that will take you there: the Old Timer. It has a clean, nostalgic profile of sport kits from the past but is upgraded with today's technology.
The all-wood parts are CAD-designed to interlock precisely, creating a strong, accurate airframe. The wing builds flat on the board in three easy sections and then is assembled. Because there are no ailerons, the Old Timer requires only three radio channels. Its large dimensions make it easy to track in the sky, and it is still small enough to fit into most automobiles for transporting.
Stylish covers encase the wire landing gear to enhance the airplane's looks. The ABS wheel pants speed up assembly by eliminating tedious shaping work.
- Specifications:
- Wingspan: 73 inches
- Wing area: 735 square inches
- Weight: 5–6 pounds
- Street price: $119.95
- Contact: Great Planes Model Distributors, Box 9021, Champaign, IL 61826-9021; Tel.: (800) 682-8948; Web site: www.hobbico.com
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
