ElectricFlight I
t’s the indoor flying season again and there have been some very interesting new ARF releases. Horizon Hobby brought out the ParkZone Ultra Micro
Series Mini Vapor in time for X-mas. Gor- don Johnson has done his usual excellent analysis of this model shown in the table on the next page. This 8.7-inch span model weighs 9 grams. The motor, receiver, and battery have been pared down from those in use on the Vapor. The 30 mAh battery re- quires a lower battery charging rate than the 300 mAh one used on other UMX mod- els. This 70 mAh charger is readily identi- fied by a pigtail to the connector. The wing loading is a little less than that of the regular Vapor and the minimum fly- ing speed is only a little less, however the smaller wing span allows much tighter turns. It truly is a living room flyer. Adding a second wing to double the wing area in an effort to reduce stall speed did not improve the performance. However, replac- ing the 125–29mm prop with a 120–90 very flexible fiberglass prop and a GWJ Univer- sal Prop Saver for 1.0mm output shafts from
http://www.bsdmicrorc.com did. The prop saver eliminates damage to the prop shaft as well as the prop. The original performance was not bad, but with the new prop it is spectacular. I suspect the prop is flexible enough to flatten out at higher rpm. Quarter throttle produces a normal take off. Half throttle with a fresh charge results in a vertical climb to the rafters. Loops, rolls, and other extreme ma- neuvers are possible. The Mini Vapor is available in a RTF version with a transmit- ter or a BNF version which will bind to any DSM2 transmitter. At low power it’s a nice easy-to-fly trainer. The Ares Nano-Micro Stick 75, available exclusively from Hobby Town, is another lightweight flier at 9 grams with a 12.4-inch span. This is a two-channel model with a
by stew meyers You can reach Stew Meyers at 8304 Whitman Drive, Bethesda, Maryland 20817, or via e-mail at
stew.meyers@
verizon.net
PHOTOGRAPHY: STEW MEYERS Pete Schumann’s fleet of WWI models—all use ParkZone components.
rudder actuator and geared 6–10mm motor and a 80–55mm prop.
Since there is no elevator control, depend- ing on where the 30 mAh battery is placed, the c.g. will determine the flying speed. With a freshly charged battery, about a quarter throttle setting will produce a nice gentle takeoff. Full power results in a zoom climb. The Stick 75 can’t be slowed down to hang on the prop like the Mini Vapor can since there is no elevator control. With moderate throttle settings it cruises very well and is easy to fly. A gentle increase in power will result in a gentle climb and re- ducing power will result in a glide. It is a very good trainer for a beginner to sort out the complications of figuring out which way to turn with the model flying towards and away from himself without being concerned with elevator control.
The model is available in a RTF version with a transmitter and a WOT version (With Out Transmitter) and in two color schemes. The charger is built into the transmitter. The battery connector is the same as those used on the ParkZone models and the Mini
Vapor charger is suitable to charge it. How- ever, the battery has a different shape and is magnet rather than hook and loop fastener mounted and isn’t exactly interchangeable. Hobby Town recently made available the
Ares Tiger Moth 75 Nano-Micro model, a semi-scale model of the classic DH.82 Tiger Moth weighing 14 grams with a 11.4-inch span. The airframe design uses magnets and interlocking parts for easy maintenance and repairs without glue. Even the motor/ receiver module is held by a magnet. This 3- channel, 3-in-1 control unit weighs 5 grams and uses a magnetic actuator for the rudder and a servo for the elevator with an ESC controlling a built-in 6–15mm geared motor. The prop is the same 80–55mm prop used on the Stick 75. The magnet mounted battery is a 50 mAh Li-Po with the standard ParkZone type connector. Again the Tiger Moth is available in a RTF version with a transmitter and a WOT version. The transmitter that comes with the Stick 75 will work with the WOT ver- sion. If one of these Ares 2.4 GHz transmit- ters is bound to one plane, it must be re-
Ares Stick 75 with battery mount modified (above) to use #8 rubber band to hold battery so a Mini Vapor battery can be used. 30 mAh batteries from Ares and ParkZone (at right). Note different shapes; they both weigh 1.5 grams. Seen in the center is the Ares 3-in-1 5-gram brick used in the Tiger Moth. You can see the mount magnet under the motor. Below the Ares 3-in-1 brick is the 50 mAh battery used with Tiger Moth.
52 JANUARY 2013
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