One neat package! All the contents of the kit (above left) are rolled and protected inside the instructions, parts and plan sheets. While there are no “step-by-step” instructions, the plans and parts sheets are easy to follow, and make part identification easy. The builder needs only to supply the micro “brick”
Retro RC is one of several smaller compa- nies that over the past few years have been offering small, laser-cut designs intended to utilize the Spektrum AR 6400 radio technol- ogy. According to their website, “Retro RC’s mission is to design, manufacture and sell high-quality model aircraft kits which will appeal to newcomers and old hands alike. We specialize in retro-looking designs and recreations of classic models from the golden age of modeling, the 1930s and 40s.” Their Radio Flash is a scaled-up version of the 1930s Phantom Flash ROG rubber freeflight design. With a wingspan of 24 inches and the flying weight of 30 grams, the Flash is perfectly suited for indoor venues. However, in calm to very light wind, it can be enjoyed outdoors as well. At first glance, the Flash appears to be a very simple design, and I didn’t think it would take too long to complete, and I was correct. Overall building time was in the 2- or 3-evening range, and that was going slow. If you have all your radio and motor parts available, one could easily complete this kit in an evening, or Sunday afternoon. I was intrigued to see how it would perform in comparison to the other lightweight micro designs with which I had experience. So, let’s get started! The Radio Flash is packaged in a clear plastic bag, which seems to have become the norm for the micro kits available today. In- side the package you will find several sheets of laser-cut balsa, basswood, and plywood parts, a plastic bag of pushrods and miscel- laneous parts, and a roll of Esaki tissue, all
receiver and motor combo taken from one of today’s many micro offerings. The laser-cut sheets (above right) are laid out for display. Other than a few “stubborn” pieces, the laser-cutting is very good. All the balsa, ply, and basswood parts are neatly labeled in their respective sheets or bundles.
rolled in three sheets of paper that make up the plans and basic instructions. There are no step-by-step building instructions. One of the sheets has three-view drawings showing the placement of parts, and general building notes. The second is actually full size plans on which one can build the struc- ture if so desired. The back of this sheet shows the layout of the parts on the Esaki tissue for the covering process. The last sheet shows all the parts in their laser-cut positions with labels, and the templates for the landing gear and tail skid wires. The builder only needs to supply the re- ceiver brick and motor/gear box and battery. For this project, I used a brick and motor gear box harvested from a ParkZone Champ, but one could use any of the brushed motor combos found in a ParkZone Sukhoi, Polecat, or other similar models. The balsa in the kit is very high quality, and the parts are all laser-cut from thicker stock, which makes it easier for a novice to handle. Gussets are engineered into each wing and tail component joint, making the balsa structure self jigging. One can build over the full size plans, but it is not required. As for me, if given the opportunity to build over plans or not, I always use the plans. I would highly recommend building over the plans for a beginner.
While the laser-cutting for my kit was good overall, a few of the parts required a lit- tle more “coaxing” to be removed from their sheets. Since I have not had the pleasure of building or handling other Retro RC kits, I can’t say that this is normal, or maybe just a
misadjustment on this cutting run. In any case, the quality of the laser-cutting is still vastly superior to a die-cut kit, and all the parts fit perfectly.
The tail structures are all balsa and the wing is balsa and basswood. The parts go to- gether very easily and in a very short time you will have all these structures complete. Just make sure you build a left and right wing half! Also, take your time on the wing center section joint to make sure you get the correct dihedral angle.
The fuselage is laser-cut from basswood. Two balsa pieces are added to the nose where the landing gear/motor mount attach- es for more gluing area and strength. The wing mounts are simple balsa/ply sandwich- es with small dowels for the wing hold down. A single rubber band holds the wing in posi- tion. The kit supplies a length of rubber that one must tie into a loop for the hold down. However, I found it easier to grab a #16 rub- ber band from my supplies for this purpose. The landing gear has four main parts and also makes up the box for the motor mount. Tabs and slots allow for easy alignment of these parts for assembly. Just make sure they are squared up properly before gluing. The motor mount is 1⁄32-inch ply that is de- signed to fit the ParkZone gear boxes. It slides into slots of the front and rear landing gear parts.
Care needs to be taken here to make sure you orient the motor mount correctly. It has right thrust cut into it, and if you install it upside down, you will have the opposite! I opted to not glue my mount in until I was in-
To save space, and fit all the plans on one sheet, the left and right wing plans are printed one over the other. One can only build one wing half at a time over the plans. Here, the left wing (above left) is pinned in place over the plan and is ready for thin CA. One does not need to build over the plans due to the perfect fit of the
FLYING MODELS
parts. However, if you don’t, make sure you build a left anda right wing half! The tail feathers (above right) are all pinned, and glued. Once removed from the plan, check the joints and retouch any that may need a bit more thin CA. Sand both sides gently, and round the edges for a nice smooth surface for the tissue.
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