AirCore Modular Power System
The Principle is a three-channel high wing trainer configuration with very few parts (above left). All the control surfaces are pre-hinged, with all horns, clevises, and pushrods already installed and flight-ready. The wing and power module are held to the fuselage with magnets. The front of the Principle'swing is held to the fuselage with a hard plastic tab (above right) and the rear is held in place with two small magnets. All AirCore planes feature separately installed pinned nylon hinges (below left) mounted flush with the surfaces, an unusual
feature in planes of this type. Throw adjustments are handled using U-shaped bends in the pushrods. The tail wheel does not roll, but rather functions as a skid. As do all of the planes in the series, the Principlehas a pre-mounted cradle (below right) installed the full length of the fuselage to accept the power module. Magnets at the rear of the cradle and tabs and magnets at the front of the cradle keep the module in place, while at the same time allowing it to be easily removed.
nose pliers to seat the two magnet-tipped pushrods into guide brackets. The wings and the battery hatches are held in place us- ing a combination of magnets and tabs. All control surfaces are already connected and required no adjustments to make the planes flight-ready. Finally, plastic
slide
cradles run the length of the fuselage in both planes to accept the power core module. Af- ter the module is slid into position, there’s little to do other than snap a propeller in place, check the balance point, and check the control surfaces for correct movement. The first time I slid the power module into position in each of the planes, I found it a lit- tle “fussy” to get all mounting magnets, tabs, module pushrod magnets, and fuselage pushrod magnets aligned at the same time. However, by repetition of the process and poking around a little with needle-nose pliers and a small screw driver to help get every- thing in place, it was no longer a problem. The Principle is definitively a three-chan-
nel trainer with elevator, rudder and motor control. As the photos show, it is a “sorta- kinda-maybe” Cessna 195 look-alike with its high wing configuration and its rounded cowl, including rocker arm “cowl bumps”. The “Cathy II” Mustang, is a decidedly scale four-channel version of the classic WWII ship, complete with full ailerons, a clear canopy, excellent detailing and already ap- plied decals.
Both planes could be configured with and without landing gear. I chose the former be- cause I really like the way a plane looks
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The Principlebegins its first landing approach with a very stable, nose-down attitude. The high-wing design and flat-bottomed airfoil provide typical trainer-like flight characteristics, even in a model this small.
JANUARY 2014
when taking off from the ground. To me, simply tossing a model into the air subtracts significantly from its scale presence, not to mention dinging up the bottom of the fuse- lage when landing. However, those who like the looks of a Mustang with its gear retract- ed will opt not to install the slide-in wheel assemblies, and those who fly over grass surfaces may find it easier to land the Prin- ciple in the grass without its wire gear. One surprising feature of both planes was the hinging of the control surfaces. Usually,
with models at this price point, you would expect to see molded hinges set in place dur- ing the molding process. As the photos show, these planes have nylon pin hinges installed individually and flush mounted to their re- spective control surfaces. That is a real plus in terms of initial quality and longevity of the planes. Flyzone engineers did that very well.
The flight tests Because these planes are small (22-inch
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