The quality of detail moldings (above left) including panel lines, inspection access panels, and ribs on the control surfaces, help enhance other scale features like the cockpit, pilot, and instrument panel. Performance wise, the 10–6
mended range with an 1800 mAh battery all the way forward, but to get it to balance di- rectly (their emphasis) on the recommended point, approximately .75 ounce [21g] may be required in the nose.” The manual illus- trates the placement of the weight in the front of the cowl.
Somewhat surprisingly, I found it neces- sary to add exactly .75 ounce of weight to the nose to hit the target balance point, even though I was using the heavier 2200 mAh battery. Using stick-on weights placed at the very front inside the cowl, I dobbed them with a generous coat of clear silicone sealant to keep them from dislodging at some point in the future. I had some concerns about the cowl magnets being able to hold the addi- tional weight that far forward, but it has never been an issue and the cowl stays clamped as tightly to the fuselage as if the extra 3⁄4 ounce wasn’t even there.
Flight notes
Having seen the Tower Hobbies Corsairs of two of my club mates fly—and fly very well—I was not at all “antsy” about the maiden flight of the Hellcat. I enlisted the help of Paul Phillips, our club’s steady- handed go-to guy for the first flight so I
three-bladed prop (above right) is a good match, both from the standpoint of thrust and the scale looks. An aluminum collet and spinner nut hold everything to the motor shaft.
could man the camera for this review. Take- off was straight ahead and very abrupt as Paul discovered that the plane had more than ample “up” dialed into the elevator—so much so that it seemed wise to bring the plane back in and mechanically adjust the screw-lock connector on the elevator rather than press the limits of the transmitter trim button to get it in trim.
Once that was straightened out, the plane flew remarkably well and was extremely sol- id in all flight modes. Subsequent takeoffs were aided by the steerable tail wheel, but it didn’t take long for the tail to be in the air with the rudder performing the directional control. The effective rudder was also demonstrated in stall turns that were very smooth and satisfying. I suspect that anyone wanting to fly knife-edge with the plane would want to go to maximum rudder throw, however.
Loops were large and round at not much more than half elevator. Rolls could not be considered axial, but the rotation was fairly quick and could be accelerated by greater aileron throw. Bringing the plane to stall speed (which is very slow, by the way), showed no tendency to drop a wing in either direction and it just sort of mushed along
rather than having an abrupt break to a nose-down attitude.
My favorite part of the flight envelope is the landing. Landings tend to be the most critical part of any warbird flight, but the lit- tle Hellcat simply settles toward the runway as the throttle is reduced. Its large frontal area makes it rather “draggy”, so you do need to keep some power on and not cut the throttle totally until the plane has touched down smoothly. I don’t know how the plane flies and lands without the landing gear, but I would hazard a guess that there wouldn’t be much change. Not wanting to damage the nicely done three-tone paint scheme with belly landings has kept the wheels on my model!
In all, the Tower Hobbies Hellcat is a very solid performer, particularly at its price- point, and allows a modeler to scratch the warbird itch at a very reasonable cost. It has well-thought-out features and quality mate- rials that make putting it together a simple and enjoyable task. The foam airframe is well-designed for excellent flight character- istics and it is sturdy enough to take some knocking around. Like its full-scale counter- part, it will be appreciated as a welcome ad- dition to your WWII carrier-based fleet!
The Hellcat making its first landings—straight and level (above) with just a small amount of power applied to counter the “draggy” front end. The Hellcathas an aura of realism in all flight modes (at right). For those preferring retracted gear, the landing gear and large foam wheels can easily be removed for a wheels-up flight envelope and a belly landing. Details like panel lines, rivets, gun housings, the pilot, instrument panel, decals, engine cylinders and a three- bladed prop enhance the overall scale effect.
FLYING MODELS 29
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