One of the innovative features of the T-Clipsis the removable, slidable battery tray (at left), which makes access quick and simple. Note the hatch magnets. The completed T-Clips(above) is both eye-catching and attractive with its vivid color scheme.
Flying
Field assembly of the T-Clips is very quick, with only two nylon wing bolts to tackle. Simple battery access is a key selling point on the model. The easily removable (yet completely inconspicuous) hatch allows you to get to the sliding battery tray. There is plenty of room for most 4S batteries of up to around 5,000 mAh in size, although with this large a pack the T-Clips will likely end up on the nose-heavy end of the c.g. spec- trum. My 3,700 mAh pack seemed to be the perfect size, with some wiggle room on the tray to experiment with a few different placements.
After giving the T-Clips one last inspec- tion I taxied onto the runway. Because of the short coupled nature of the airframe, I found ground handling on our paved strip to be on the sensitive side, with a slight tendency to ground loop. Some rudder expo and an ad- justment on my tailwheel to remove some slop remedied this. Time to line her up and get in some flight time! With my ever-patient wife/flight photog- rapher, Jenn, behind the lens, I throttled up and was in the air quickly. After gaining
some altitude I found that the T-Clips need- ed only a few clicks of aileron trim for hands- off, level flight. While trying to get in as many photo passes as the waning sunlight would allow, I also wrang the T-Clips out. On low rates I found it to be nice and tame, with no bad habits to speak of. Stalls were nearly nonexistent, with a slight drop of the nose being the only indicator. My center of gravity felt slightly aft, which is perfect for my tastes. A more conservative c.g. would re- ally turn the airframe into a near-trainer. Flipping on my high rates, the T-Clips turned into a whole new airplane. Suddenly it felt as if I was flying a 3D bird. First I tried both inside and outside snaps, which the T- Clips performed with gusto and blistering speed. Flat spins were revealed to be alarm- ingly tight and fast, and I quickly found my- self forgetting that I was flying a high-wing, semi-symmetrical craft. There is more than enough rudder control for field-long knife edges. Everything you would think that the T-Clips couldn’t do based on its appearance, it can do (and then some).
My power setup, which provides around 700 watts of power spinning a 14–7 prop,
provided unlimited vertical and excellent pullout performance from hovers. Speaking of hovering, the T-Clips is also extremely easy to get locked into one, with control re- maining positive throughout, partly thanks to the full-span ailerons.
After seven minutes of mixed flying, I brought the T-Clips in. Landing was just as effortless as the flying, as the T-Clips has excellent slow speed characteristics and a glide reminiscent of a trainer. Needless to say I was very impressed. Post-flight recharge indicated a few more minutes of flying were easily doable. As someone who has always been a fan of Sig (one of my most beloved models was an Astro Hog) I am very happy to see them back in a big way with a full line of new models. The T-Clips is not only of some of the high- est quality I have seen, but it also has so much factory-performed work done that I would easily consider it a “quick build” mod- el, easily going from box to blue in two evenings. This spectacular model not only captures the awesome look of the full-scale aircraft it emulates, but it also captures its aerobatic capabilities and excitement!
Your scribe's significant other shows off the T-Clips and its generous span prior to the maiden flight (at left). Yes, this is indeed a hover (above). With a power setup of around 700 watts, the T-Clipshas completely unlimited vertical performance and aerobatic ability. It is a total ball to fly!
FLYING MODELS 41
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