The 8–6 propeller is held in place by an aluminum collet and steel nut covered by a plastic spinner and backplate (above left). As with all such friction fits, care must be taken to fully tighten the propeller by way of the collet and the steel nut. A small crescent wrench is the perfect tool. The author found it necessary to chamfer both ends of the carbon fiber wing rod (above center)
ing the rudder clevis to the innermost hole of the rudder control horn for additional throw. I must ashamedly admit that I missed that recommendation and didn’t change the link- age. The plane flew very well despite that omission, but I suspect any attempts at knife-edge flight would require that 1⁄8-inch difference in rudder throw.
As an added pre-flight note mentioned previously, the high-wing configuration balanced perfectly with no addition or shifting of weight once the battery was in- stalled, as did the low-wing version, al-
though the required balance point is a full 11⁄16 inch further back than that of the high- wing version. That’s a pretty impressive testimony to good engineering by the Fly- zone designers.
Flight performance
The only break in our weather here in Oklahoma in order to meet publication deadlines took place on a day with clear skies and winds of 10–12 miles per hour— not exactly ideal for maiden flights of small foam airplanes, but surprisingly acceptable, given how both versions of the plane flew. Once again, as he has so many times for re- views, fellow club member, Paul Phillips,
using an emery board so that it could slide into the molded wing tube channel. Details in the text. This photo (above right) shows the wing tube stop-screw at the top and the locking screw at the bottom. The 8-gram aileron servos are factory-installed, with the pushrod adjusted to correct length and the clevis attached to the control horn.
provided the steady hands for the review flight shots.
Starting in the high wing configuration,
the little plane took off easily into the wind, requiring just a touch of right rudder to keep it tracking straight. It showed more than ample power as Paul flew it around level at just above half throttle and then put it through its paces. All basic sport maneuvers were effortless and easy to accomplish, al- though rolls were more barrel-shaped than axial. The plane was very smooth through stall-turns, loops, and Immelmans—and did not appear to be affected at all by the wind, which was surprising for a lightweight foam model. Likewise, landing in the wind was uneventful as the plane came in exactly where it was pointed.
Switching to the low-wing configuration
was more of the same, except things hap- pened a little quicker, and rolls were breath- takingly quick and axial. The first time the low-wing plane was rolled, a collective “ooooh” came from the club members who had stayed around to watch. They all mar- veled how easily it handled and landed in the wind.
As we continued flight testing, the wind became more gusty and turbulent. At one
point a crosswind gust pushed the plane off- line causing the left hand wheel pant to catch the grass apron of the runway and bounce the plane back in the air momentar- ily. It went ahead and landed successfully and I never thought any more about it. How- ever, while taking out the battery to shut the plane off, I noticed that the leading edge of the landing gear plate had been pried up slightly, apparently in the bounce off the grass. A later injection of epoxy returned it to its original condition.
As test flights revealed, the little plane is surprising in its flight capabilities, mimick- ing the handling of a much larger model, particularly in its low-wing configuration. Even more surprising, there was not a sin- gle click of transmitter trim required in ei- ther configuration during test flights! It flew exactly as it was set up at the factory. Flyzone has been very successful, not only in morphing the trainer profile of the larger original Switch into a very attractive sport aerobatic plane, but providing a new set of challenges for the budding sport flyer. The Mini Switch is so much more than a smaller version of the original—and a welcome addi- tion to any sport flyer’s stable of “take-’em- out-of-the-car-and fly-’em” airplanes.
Three-quarter front views of both the high wing (at left) and low wing Mini Switch(above, at left) show its rakish lines as well as its similarities and differences. The applied decal color scheme shows up well in the air and complements the plane’s planform. The low-wing configuration on the left (above) has sportier looks, coupled with sportier aerobatic performance. In its high-wing configuration on the right, the plane was exceptionally stable and avoided being tossed around in substantial breezes during test flights.
FLYING MODELS 29
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