Business end of the Nieuport 17 (above left) showing the faux Le Rhone rotary engine around the 250 brushless outrunner. “Dry brush” application of
tion was that there was nothing to block it from going too far forward and impacting the faux rotary engine. So I fabricated and installed a simple end tray to the forward side of the motor and servo mounting struc- ture made from .032 aluminum sheet and secured to the front face with some CyA and two small screws. It has worked great and survived three mid-airs with other aircraft at the local e-fly festival. The final improvement was to install alu-
minum tube bushings into the main wheels supplied in the kit. Having worked with vac- u-form wheels on freeflight rubber models I was well aware of their fragile nature when subjected to a lot of hard use. I opened up the mounting holes, maintaining alignment so the wheel would run true and then in- stalled the bushing tubes with epoxy. I found that the piano wire used in this kit for the landing gear was not a standard size and that I had to open up the bore in the alu- minum tube by gently reaming it out after the epoxy had cured. This operation was done very gently by hand until the bushing had a nice slip fit on the wire axle and would spin freely. When completed the wheels were secured using the plastic retainers supplied in the kit. So far I have not chosen a pilot as I have
some silvery grey plastic model paint adds no real weight yet dramatically enhances realism. The completed model (above right) ready for Dawn Patrol.
not found one to my taste and light enough for the job. For now the model flies at its cur- rent very light stock finished kit weight less flight battery of 7.21 ounces with an undis- rupted airflow over the tail surfaces. Maybe some day I will find the time to carve a spe- cial pilot out of balsa and paint it, but right now I’m having too much fun flying the plane the way it is. Flying characteristics of this model are
very relaxing and enjoyable. With the wings properly rigged and the trims set for straight and level flight at about one-third throttle on the transmitter, the model will make long straight transits of the field on a calm day, thumbs off the transmitter sticks. It is no wonder that the scale F/F fraternity had been building examples of this aircraft and the Nieuport 11 for years. Because there are no ailerons on the stock
kit the only rolls you will be doing will be snaps with the rudder, but with the dihedral they may look a bit sloppy. The model climbs well at even two-thirds throttle and takeoff from a grassy field is a matter of a short run and a couple of bumps and it is clawing its way into the air. I used a bit of up elevator during takeoff to keep the skid digging into the ground to keep the plane straight. You will also want to make sure all take-
offs are directly into the wind with this one. Just like its full size counterpart it can ground loop easily. Most takeoffs have been uneventful and carefree and the first flights were hand launched for additional peace of mind. Hand launch with this light slow fly- er is also about as easy as it gets. In many ways it is so close to my K.I.S.S in perfor- mance that it is almost scary. The wing ar- eas are about the same, both fly nicely at about one-third throttle and are very docile in their flying characteristics The Nieuport 17 has more drag with the fuselage, but is also a bit lighter. The K.I.S.S. will fly about 25 minutes on
the 720 mAh battery while the Nieuport usually only manages about 17 minutes at best for the same style of flying. So the K.I.S.S. gets the nod for pure efficiency. It is hard to believe that it also looks exactly like a WW I French fighter plane, an additional bonus. Quite a tribute to a fine old pioneer- ing French aircraft company, one particu- larly known for its pre-WWI monoplanes of very clean and elegant design. In the final analysis, even though I often
prefer to design and fly my own model air- planes and derive great satisfaction from do- ing so, this kit has been a very refreshing and enjoyable change for me. The model is very light at 7.21 ounces without flight bat- tery and is both stable and enjoyable to fly. The assembly and modifications I made to the kit were not too complex and the entire experience was a very enjoyable one. I would not hesitate to do it all over again in an in- stant (with the exception of the original kit thread rigging experience). The final model is very pleasing to the eye
The big payoff. Model flying majestically overhead. Hands off the transmitter long enough to grab the camera and get a picture as the model cruises by straight and level. Bliss.
FLYING MODELS
and draws great interest from others wher- ever I take it and fly it. It does not need a lot of embellishment to make the “Scale” il- lusion complete. With those large wheels it can take off from a close mowed lawn or sod field in a very realistic manner for an evening’s patrol in winds up to 12 mph and lands easily in a short distance. I have not had this much enjoyment out of a kit-built plane in years and I hope to maintain this model in my stable for years to come with any luck. It is a real sweetheart and I nev- er regretted this impulse buy for even a second.
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