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Retro R/C Sinbad The Sailor


With a model such as this, weight is the key to good performance. Jim chose the small 3.7 gram servos (above left) from Hobby Lobby International. They really are 3.7 grams, Jim checked, but they are labeled as 4 grams. Sinbad the


my Sinbad to look like one of those seen in the late 1940s so I covered the entire model with Coverlite Cream and used dark blue for the simple trim. It probably took longer to cover Sinbad than I had originally planned but the results were worth it.


Final assembly With covering out of the way, it was time


to get Sinbad assembled and give him some control. I used DuBro park flyer hinge mate- rial to hinge both the rudder and elevator, then attached the two light ply control horns. In an effort to save weight on the tail end, I again glued the tail surfaces with Titebond. Both the horizontal and the vertical stabiliz- er are keyed into that light ply skin that was installed earlier. This really aids in getting everything straight and true. The wind- screen is already cut and ready for installa- tion. As suggested in the instructions, you may want to heat the material up a bit to al- low it to curve nicely over the cockpit. For servos, I used a pair of 3.7-gram ser- vos purchased from Hobby Lobby Interna- tional www.hobbylobbyinternational.com. The receiver is a micro Futaba and the speed control is the Pixie 7P from Castle Cre- ations, both of which are available at www.towerhobbies.com. I searched high


Sailor shows off its retro trim scheme (above right). The dark blue contrasts nicely against the antique cream color. The blue trim was easily cut by making paper patterns and cutting them on top of the blue covering material.


and low for a small 2-cell Li-Po that would fit inside Sinbad’s nose. At a recent all elec- tric Fun-Fly in Rockford, Illinois, I came upon True R/C batteries. As luck would have it, they have a battery that is perfect for this model. The 2S 7.4V, 250 mAh Li-Po fits in the forward fuselage without any trimming required, and at just $10.00 a pack, they are a bargain. You can purchase this little pack at http://tinyurl.com/9frasln and other fine packs for your projects at True RC on-line at www.truerc.com.


Retro RC’s instructions do not tell you


where to put the receiver; I ended up in- stalling mine under the balsa ledge for the battery. With all the electronics in place, I next set up the pull-pull controls. Even the pull-pull material is included. My model came out slightly nose heavy and the nose heavy nature of the model was worse once I attached the optional ePod. Rather than add dead weight, I used a set of DuBro micro Park Flyer pushrods and connectors. This made a big improvement in my situation. Your results may vary. Next, Olive Oyl was slid up from the bottom of the fuselage and was secured with two wooden dowels glued through the fuselage and into the bottom section of the tow hook. Sinbad the Sailor was ready for its first voyage.


Flying


With everything ready to go, I did a quick look at the center of gravity. Even this is easy. Simply use a piece of string and tie it around the rear wing wire, place the wing on the fuse and pick it up by the string! This time my model was at a much better center of gravity. I first flew the model as a sailplane only. With the battery charged up, I set my rates at -20% expo on my Futaba 7C and the throws as far as I could get them deflected. A final check to make sure the control surfaces were in the de- sired direction and I was off. Initial flights were done as strictly a sailplane. The first launch was at eye level with a gentle toss. I was more than pleased to see Sinbad settle into a nice, long glide without any input. The second launch was a bit high- er over my head and a bit harder. The model flew a good distance before I added any con- trol input, just a slight amount of flair at the landing. I subsequently had fun the rest of the night in dead air, just tossing Sinbad and flying short hops. While weather here in East Central Illinois has prevented me from doing thus far, I have no doubt that Sinbad will be a great thermal hopper.


That same evening, I tested the model with the optional ePod. It was getting dark so my original intent was to just send Sin-


PHOTOS: ANGELA HAYNES


Olive Oyl is at the controls (above left) and ready for another voyage. The classic character doubles as a high start launch hook. The optional ePod adds the flexibility of powered flight (above right) without the need for a high start.


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Sinbad the Sailoris perfect for those days with little to no wind. Mid afternoon is the right time to go hunt for thermals or slowly buzz around the park on your lunch break.


MARCH 2013


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