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ElectricFlight H


i Fliers. Planning to attend a fly- ing e-vent can be that extra push to keep you on track to complete a new project or repair to be part


of the action. Give it a try. It sure works for me!


E-Fest 2012 was held on February 11–12


hosted by Hobbico www.hobbico.com at the beautiful University of Illinois Armory Track & Field facility in Champaign, Illi- nois. The CD was Frank Noll. This was my first E-Fest and I had a great time. The out- side weather was in the low teens and windy which made the perfect flying conditions of the Armory a paradise. My compliments to the hard working teammates of Hobbico who worked tirelessly throughout the week- end, a schedule running from 7:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Takes a lot of work and Hobbico delivered for all that attended. The facility was set up to allow maximum


flight areas to keep everyone flying. Compe- tition events did not use the full flying area which allowed other flying to take place and most of the competition was held after 5:00 p.m. The events were as enjoyable for the crowd to view as for the pilots to participate in. A posted schedule allowed different types of aircraft time to safely put in some flights along with general open flying. There were plenty of e-vendors to let you see their newest offerings or stock up on supplies. I was pitted next to the AMA booth and en- joyed some great conversation with the staff members. Hobbico’s Make-It-Take-It glider area for


the kids, where they could assemble a glid- er themselves during the show, was a hit. A mass launch at the end of the day with all the kids out on the flying area was a Ko- dak moment. When a micro ARF airframe


PHOTOGRAPHY: DON BELFORT


wears out and a modeler is left with the electronics all sorts of neat scratchbuilds are possible. Sean Cassidy built a beautiful Vickers


Sean Cassidy’s Vickers Vimygets evaluated by the judges during the scale judging at E-Fest. Featherlight RC www.featherlightrc.com


Vimy which flew majestically. The Vickers was 1⁄18 scale with a wing span of 42 inches made from Depron® foam and painted with acrylic paints. The flying wires are func- tional as are the pull-pull control cables with a total weight of 6.75 ounces. Peter Sripol’s newest project was carved


from foam as a prototype micro EDF using a 30mm fan from Hobby King with a 10300 KV motor on a 2S 220 mAh Li-Po, electron- ics are from the Ultra Micro Striker. Peter did a great job flying this speedy little beast. Morris D. Russell brought a large collec-


tion of beautiful micro models which he flew throughout the weekend. His 12-inch span Constellation was powered by four Havoc micro helicopter tail rotor motors and props by a single 120 mAh Li-Po. Guidance was a Vapor brick for aileron, elevator and throt- tle and it sounded really good in flight! Flyzone/Great Planes www.greatplanes.


com had some interesting new products start- ing with their transmitter-ready series of models with the companion Any Link which allows many different brands and models of transmitters to be used via a simple connec- tion with the Any Link. Great Planes sent me an Any Link and Flyzone Playmate to try out for the show. My Futaba 7C worked per- fectly with the Any Link and Playmate from the first power up. The Playmate was so easy to fly the transmitter was passed around the micro area and everyone enjoyed the gentle flight characteristics. The new Great Planes F-86 Sabre EDF


Peter Sripol says foam and tape can always be counted on for designing and building something with performance. His prototype 30mm EDF flies on a 2S 220 mAh battery and is fast.


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has a 15-inch wing span and weighs 67 grams and is Any Link compatible. Powered by a Hyper Flow 30mm fan with an 11,500 KV inrunner brushless motor on a 2S pack. These were fast and could ROG with no problem. Everyone wanted one but I suggest making your first flights outdoors.


had a very lightweight cutaway EPP which was covered in mylar and carbon fiber rein- forcement. Their 3D designs flew amazingly slow and were highly acrobatic. See flight video on their site. Kits are available in var- ious stages of completion. Start making your plans to visit E-Fest next time; I plan to.


Project updates The Piper Tri-Pacer from Calvin’s Classic


Plans www.calvinsclassicplans.com as a glow model is suggested to weigh 12–14 pounds. In choosing a power system I like to aim a little over 100 watts per pound on scale projects, which had me in the 1,500 watt range. The scale prop size is 18 inches. Getting an idea of what motor you will choose can be confusing. Being able to reference motor data on multiple voltage and prop set-ups can be a real time saver and will steer you towards a successful test flight. Innovative Designs www.innov8tivedesigns.com carries the most extensive in/outrunner motor lines available in many winds complete with a very comprehensive listing of test data to let you choose the best setup possible. The Tri-Pacer will be powered with a


Cobra 41mm 305KV C-4130-20 from In- nov8tive Designs which can handle a vari- ety of 17- to 19-inch props on an 8S pack in the 45–55 amp range producing the needed wattage. The Cobra comes complete with all mounting hardware and is nicely finished. The Cobra runs smooth, confirming the specs from Innov8tive’s site. Innovative Designs has many offerings for


both sport and competition fliers. Their new line of Next Level Multi-Rotor Quad Copters come in 500 and 650 frame sizes. Tons of up- grades to customize your setup with oil filler shocks to protect your payload are available. Check out Lucien Miller’s, interesting dis- cussions on the www.AllThingsThatFly.com Power Systems Corner.


JUNE 2012


by don belfort You can reach Don Belfortat 8250 Twin Cove Court, West Chester, Ohio, 45069


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