Sig Manufacturing’s
An airshow favorite that will be your next favorite sport scale aerobat!
By Chris Susicke PHOTOGRAPHY: JENNIFER SUSICKE I
f you are a long time flyer like myself who likes to keep track of “the biz,” you may have found yourself wondering what Sig Manufacturing has been up to in recent years. After a relatively quiet peri- od, the legendary manufacturer has come back in force with a lineup of impressive, quality models worthy of attention. One of those models, which we will focus on here, is the T-Clips.
Sig’s sport scale T-Clips is based on the full-scale clipped-wing Taylorcraft of the same name, flown by pilot Erik Edgren. This particular Taylorcraft, built in 1939, was heavily modified over the years and has wowed airshow audiences for decades with both its extreme precision aerobatic and hi- larious comedy routines. This, along with its striking red and black paint scheme, has made it a crowd favorite. Let’s see if Sig’s dedication to this aerobat stands up to its namesake.
After opening the box, first impressions of
the T-Clips are excellent. An immaculate covering job complements the flawless paint on the cowl, gear and wheel pants. All graphics are pre-applied. The bright red and black trim scheme is very eye catching, and had no wrinkles. Features seldom seen on
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most ARFs, including pre-marked control horn locations and a pre-drilled cowl, ensure a quick build. The airframe appears well built, but is also very light. This will no doubt pay off in the aerobatic department. Assembly on the T-Clips begins like that of most other ARFs, with the installation of the full-size aileron servos in the wing halves. This task is made much faster due to the covering over the servo openings being pre-cut for you. The large strip ailerons are hinged with standard CA hinges, followed by the installation of the control horns and pushrods.
Again, Sig makes your life easy by having the holes for the three control horn screws drilled for you. If you’ve built as many mod- els as I have, you’ll appreciate this. No more fiddling around trying to mark holes, or fighting to line up the horn plate on the oth- er side. The T-Clips’ wing halves are joined with an aluminum tube and an anti-rotation pin in the rear. Gluing them together is not re- quired, but it is optional. The fit of the wing halves is fairly tight and secure, so for now I decided to leave them as two pieces. With the wing now done, it can be set aside and the fuselage can be assembled.
AT A GLANCE Type:
Construction: Wing span: Wing area: Airfoil: Length: Weight:
Wing loading: Motor: ESC:
Battery: Radio:
Servos: Manufacturer:
R/C sport scale balsa and ply 60 inches 630 sq. in.
semi-symmetrical 43 inches
4.5–5 pounds 16.5–18.3 oz./sq.ft.
32 outrunner (500–800 watts) 60–75 amp
4S 3000 mAh Li-Po 4-channel
4 standard size
Sig Mfg. Co., Inc. 401-7 South Front Street Montezuma, IA 50171-0520 641-623-5154
www.sigmfg.com
DECEMBER 2013
T-Clips
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