The RimFire 32 bolted right into the motor mount using the holes provided (above left). Even the “T” nuts were pre-installed. The battery and ESC
It seems that Great Planes has replaced the original ³⁄₃₂-inch aluminum tubes with ⁵⁄₆₄- inch diameter plastic tubes. In any event, the plastic tubes worked out fine. I glued the tubes in place with hot melt glue on the in- side of the dummy engine. To get cooling air into the cowl, it’s neces-
sary to cut away the plastic between the en- gine cylinders. I did this using a sharp hob- by knife with the dummy engine supported on a 6mm thick piece of Depron® foam. This kept the plastic engine from flexing as I was cutting. The manual shows removing the plastic between the cylinders after the pushrod tubes are glued in place. However, I found it easier to cut the plastic away af- ter drilling the holes for the pushrod tubes but before inserting the tubes and gluing them in place. The other thing to be aware of is that the dummy engine is made from vacuum formed clear plastic sheet that has been painted black. During the drilling and cutting, the paint had a tendency to chip off, leaving areas of clear plastic showing. I simply re- painted the dummy engine with black acrylic paint before installing the pushrod tubes. As an added touch, I did some weath- ering on the cylinders with a bit of silver paint. This really brought the engine to life. With the assembly of the Mister Mulligan complete, it was time to check the c.g. An-
(above right) fit neatly in place on the well positioned mounts provided. Plenty of room in the battery hatch for battery options.
other great advantage of using the recom- mended components is that with everything in its place as shown in the manual, the c.g. was spot on. If there is anything I hate it’s adding lead to an airframe to make it bal- ance. A final setup of my radio to set the throws and adjust the flaps and the Mister Mulligan was ready to go. As with all the reviews I’ve done for FLY-
ING MODELS, I dashed off to theFMoffice to snatch the crew away from their boring of- fice work. It just wouldn’t be right if they didn’t take the maiden flight photos. Unlike most of the other maiden days I’ve
had when doing anFMreview, the weather for Mister Mulligan’s maiden was about per- fect; 58 degrees, sunny, with about a 5 mph wind. A power check showed 650 watts. That’s 118 watts per pound; a bit less than I hoped for considering the Mulligan’s rac- ing heritage, but surely enough for decent performance. After the obligatory range check and taxi
test, I pushed the throttle forward. The ROG was a bit quicker than I expected and the Mulligan wobbled a bit from side to side. Af- ter climbing to a safe altitude, I added a bit of right aileron and down elevator trim and everything settled down. The first thing I noticed is that the Mister Mulligan liked speed. The faster it flew, the better it tracked. However, with the eight-inch pitch
on the prop, top speed was limited and I found myself craving for more power. The good news is there is enough headroom in the motor to bump up the prop pitch and the watts. You just have to pay attention not to exceed max amps on your ESC. When flying with the flaps up, I had to
pay attention not to let the air speed drop too low as I found a tendency for a tip to drop. It is a race plane after all. However, with the flaps down, Mister Mulligan turned into a pussy cat. I set two positions on the flaps; about 15 degrees on mid flap, and about 40 degrees on full flap. Handling, with the flap in either position, was much more relaxed and landing with full flap was a delight. I set mid flap for my second take- off and the ROG was uneventful, just the way I like it. I would highly recommend that you make the flaps functional as it re- ally expands the flight envelope. However, if you decide to go with the fixed flap op- tion, I suggest building in just a bit of down flap. In keeping with its heritage, ElectriFly’s
Mister Mulligan looks and flies like a race plane. He’s a bit touchy if you don’t keep the speed up, but mild mannered with the flaps down. Prop it for maximum speed and wow the crowds with a low pass along the flight line. Then drop the flaps and float in for a perfect landing. How much fun is that!
Jim connects the power just before Mister Mulligan’s maiden flight (above left). The magnetically held windshield doubles as the battery
FLYING MODELS
hatch. A few inches above the tarmac (above right), Mister Mulligan settles in for a smooth landing. The functional flaps make landing a breeze.
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