3DX Hobbies
Edge540 FlatFoilZ
A perfect blend of built-up strength with profile simplicity, produces an all out aerobatic performer!
By Frank Fanelli
AT A GLANCE Type:
PHOTO: PETE SERAFINI W 32
ith their full body profile foamies in their AirFoilZ line, 3DX Hobbies built a reputation for some great flying 3D planes that didn’t cost a bundle. The rigidity of those designs, plus a wing with a true air- foil, did a lot to stiffen up the AirFoilZ profile foamies, something lacking in so many pro- file foamies much in vogue then, and make the AirFoilZ planes maneuvers ever more crisp.
In more of a sport and economical vein, 3DX decided that a flat plate foamie could still be rigid enough to satisfy the yen for some all-out aerobatic tumbling. Enter the four planes in 3DX’s follow-on FlatFoilZ se- ries, the Extra 300, the Edge 540, the Lek- Trick, and the Stalker.
All four of these planes share a lot of com- mon design features with the older AirfoilZ series, but the one main difference is a flat, not an airfoil, wing. The newer line uses sheets of 6 and 3mm laser-cut for 90% of the
plane. The only non-foam items are a ply firewall, a strip of ¹⁄₈ × ¹⁄₄ balsa, some pushrods, and two ¹⁄₄-inch diameter, 26-inch long carbon fiber tubes. This last item, the carbon fiber tubes, serve as the spar for the wing and the stiffening spar for the fuse- lage. Each fits into a pre-cut slot on the fuse- lage core and the two wing panel cores. All of this arrives in a plastic sleeve.
One key element is missing from all the kits, a construction manual. But it won’t cost a penny since it’s readily available for download from the 3DX website www.3dx
hobbies.com. It’s thorough and nicely illus- trated. It also has all the necessary info to set up the plane.
So it’s time to build the Edge. As the intro- duction in the manual states this isn’t a hard plane to build as anyone who’s put together a profile C/L or R/C plane can attest. The only difference here is foam vs. balsa. But some fundamental building skills are need- ed, especially in the area of alignment.
Construction: Wing span: Wing area: Airfoil: Length: Weight:
Wing loading: Motor: ESC:
Battery: Radio:
R/C aerobatic and 3D foam
38 inches 320 sq. in. flat
35.5 inches 16 ounces
7.3 oz./sq.ft.
3DX 2212-10 brushless 30-amp
3S 1400 mAh Li-Po Manufacturer:
4-channel with 4 micro servos 3DX Hobbies
336 U.S. Highway 22 West, Green Brook, NJ 08812 888-317-8016
www.3dxhobbies.com AUGUST 2013
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