With the wing mounted you can now add the cockpit parts that glue to the top of the wing center section. Eric slipped a piece of waxed paper (above left) between the added parts and the main fuselage to keep from accidentally
Power and control setup BMJR recommends motors up to the 180-
watt range. I selected the ElectriFly Rim- Fire 400 and their Silver Series 25-amp ESC. Matched with a 10–7 electric prop and 2200 mAh Li-Po battery this airplane should be capable of really zipping along. I used my trusty old Futaba 6-channel 2.4 GHz system with Futaba micro servos and receiver. This setup has never let me down but I may need to upgrade soon because it only has a 6-model memory. My fleet keeps growing and my flying skills are improving to the point where I’m not destroying models at the rate I used to.
Flying
Nothing like the little adrenaline rush one gets when you first advance the throttle on a new creation and take off on that maiden flight. The Turnaround 325 is one of those air- planes that really has the capability to thrill. Now this is not one of those 3D aerobatic numbers. This is designed for classic, shall we say, real airplane maneuvers. Personally, I have never had the interest in flying 3D be-
bonding things together. You do want to make sure the wing can be removed! The assembled bones shot (above right), prior to covering and radio installation, reveals a light and strong structure.
yond my computer flight simulator. I crash every time, not too much fun for this old guy. I want my models to fly like the real deal. You’ll find this airplane to be honest in the air. By that I mean it goes where you point it. The symmetrical airfoil and apparent neutral incidence angles make this one straightforward bird. This airplane also bal- anced as per plan right off the board. You’ll have sufficient adjustment by moving the battery forward or aft. There is a lot of space in the central fuselage for this since the ele- vator and rudder servos are mounted back in the tail.
My airplane weighed in at 27 ounces ready to fly, right in the center of the sug- gested weight requirements. Once again the word refined comes to mind. The inherent proportions of the design are perfection. With the c.g. as suggested on the plans the airplane is ready for any maneuver. My actual first flight was a bit scary. This is my first airplane that was truly designed as an acrobat. Like all tail draggers, a touch of right rudder was called for to counter the P-factor effect. The airplane popped off the
ground at half throttle and climbed out smoothly. It took just a few laps around the field to feel it out and get somewhat accus- tomed to its manners. Tiny control inputs are all that is required, smooth movements on the sticks are essential. After several lazy laps I throttled up and gained some altitude. I easily pulled loops and rolls and even a sloppy sort-of knife edge. This was not the fault of the design, but rather the pilot. Landing was the next white knuckle mo-
ment for me. If an airplane is not a floater I’m just bad at it. The light wing loading on this one will let you get away with slowing down quite a bit, but I found it best if I kept up a bit of speed and flew it towards the landing point. This airplane will make me a much better pi- lot than the floaters I have been flying. Overall I could not be happier with the Turnaround 325. Building the airplane is rewarding and flying it is thrilling. BMJR and Paul Bradley have a refined design that is truly a winner in my book. This one is des- tined to become a classic among those who still like the build and need something that will really make them better pilots.
PHOTOS: KATHY LLOYD BOEHM
The model was covered in 21st Century microlight with hand-cut MonoKote trim lettering and numbers (at left). Parts for lightweight balsa wheel pants are included in the kit but were left off due to the rough conditions at the author’s home field. Since the Turnaround 325is capable of fast, crisp maneuvers, it’s a good idea to choose good contrasting colors and a very different pattern for the underside (above, at left) so that visual orientation is not lost. Those trees (above) are deceptively farther away than this photo may lead one to believe but the Turnaround 325is designed for small field fun. It easily performs within the confines of Eric’s local ball field.
FLYING MODELS 37
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68