Henry R. Carstens


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customer service


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FLYING MODELS (ISSN 0015-4849) Incorporating FLYING ACES and R/C Model Boating, is published monthly by Carstens Publications, Inc., 108 Phil Hardin Road, Fredon Township, Newton, New Jersey 07860. Phone: 973-383-3355. FAX: 973-383-4064. Visit our web site at www.flying-models.com, or e-mail us at: carstens@carstens-publications.com. Henry R. Car- stens, President; John A. Earley, Vice President, Phyllis Carstens, Secretary / Treasurer. Periodicals Postage paid at Newton, NJ 07860 and additional mailing offices.


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CONTRIBUTIONS: Articles and photographs are wel- come. Contributors are advised to keep a copy of man- uscripts and illustrations. When requested we will en- deavor to return all material in good condition if accompanied by return postage. FLYING MODELS as- sumes no responsibility for unsolicited material. Pay- ment is normally made upon publication. The contents of this magazine may not be reprinted without the written permission of the publisher.


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Contact Flying Modelsat (973) 383-3355 Voice, (973) 383-4064 FAX, or e-mail us at frankf@flying-models.com


o what exactly does EVX-48 mean? That, by the way, is the arcane title Jim Vigani bestowed on the R/C cre- ation he shares with us this month and you’ll see on page 18.


After Jim explained it, it made perfect sense. The “E” stands for experimental. The “V” stands for Vigani, and the “X”... well that ties into all those famous and infamous sto- ried “X” planes the Air Force and NASA have fielded down through the decades. The “48”? That’s almost self-explanatory since Jim fit the plane into a 48-inch wingspan. He is pretty active in designing both C/L and R/C planes. And there are more to come.


If you ever have the pleasure to meet him you’ll find that he has a quiet but very en- thusiastic curiosity about a lot of things. That may tie into his profession as a forensic engineer. Yeah, they really do exist. And thanks to his thoroughness, I think you’ll find his construction article about the EVX-48 enlightening. He’ll lead you on a trail of explanation to a model that is a pret- ty nice blend of creativity and more impor- tantly, a lot of fun to fly.


While speaking of fun, how about the re- view Eric Boehm has for us about the BMJR Turnaround 325? Brian Malin, the head honcho of BMJR, enlisted the help of Paul Bradley in bringing the Turnaround to fruition. Paul has gotten a very deserved reputation for both his freeflight and small R/C designs while Brian has his well-de- served recognition for some very high-qual- ity kits.


So, Eric, an ardent builder of freeflight planes has turned a little more towards R/C because he’s feeling a bit of age creeping in and can’t chase down those flyaways like he used to do. In the Turnaround he found a neat model that would raise the flying skills required a notch or two. So take a look at his report and see if this is a great combination for both building and flying.


If you’re looking to raise your flying skills a notch or two, or maybe even more, you might be pretty interested in Greg Moore’s report on the 25th Anniversary Arizona Jets. From the one time that I went there I found it a really enjoyable event to attend. The temperatures and low humidity were just the way I like them and that only increased the enjoyment of some superb models. At that time electric jets were inching their way to the far more reliable level they enjoy today. Greg found that electric jets comprised half of all the jet models present and all the jets—turbine or electric—dis- played the spectrum of the mushrooming of the jet models available. That’s a really healthy sign because jets were once the province of only those who could afford com- plex and costly systems.


That ain’t the case anymore because it seems there is an R/C jet for almost any cost level. That has opened modeling to a very welcome and healthy diversity.


Okay, diversity was just mentioned and


that’s a good segue into the review Larry Kruse presents this month about AirCore’s new module and line of modular models. The idea of using an interchangeable module between different models isn’t a new one. It’s been utilized off and on through the years to varying degrees of success. The Air- Core modules provide not only a very well- engineered core but over time will present a whole line of planes that can utilize them. Larry tells us about the module itself which has the receiver, servos, motor and ESC all integrated on a sturdy board. Then he relates how well they can transfer be- tween the Principle trainer and the P-51 Mustang now available from Hobbico. While the module is primarily designed for the coming AirCore line of models, I’ll bet that it will find favor with scratchbuilders who will successfully use it to create their own marriage of module and model. Keep an eye on this.


And finally in the feature department, there’s Pete Serafini’s review of a pretty unique plane, E-flite’s Carbon-Z Cub. It’s a large scale recreation of the CubCrafters Carbon Cub. Like the real plane E-flite put an emphasis on saving weight and according to Pete it results in a model with some spec- tacular performance. It didn’t take him long to really wring out the plane.


And as an added benefit a friend of his, Joe Siegel, owns a real Carbon Cub. Pete persuaded him to share some info about the plane and some pictures of it. I asked Pete very innocently one day where Joe flies his Carbon Cub and his reply was: “Anywhere he wants.” The pictures will illustrate that remark vividly.


There’s no question that FMhas some of best columnists around in a variety of sub- jects. This month there are two I’d like to single out for their importance and very practical use.


Stew Myers has been alternating the “Electric Flight” column with Don Belfort for quite a few years. Both do a great job. This month Stew presents us with one of the most lucid and practical explanations of Li- Po batteries. It isn’t just a bunch of theory. It’s a compact guide to how to charge them, take care of them, and evaluate them. Anyone who’s ever dealt with hot batter- ies, dead cells or those pesky puffed batter- ies needs to read his column this month and save it. It will prolong the life of those some- times very expensive power sources. More importantly it will offer guidance on how to safely handle them. This is valuable stuff. For over a year Dave Lockhart has de- tailed the construction of Yuri, the Europa Pro LT Pattern ship, in quest of the perfect Pattern plane. This series is a contemporary update of the Project Pattern series au- thored by Bob Hunt and Dean Pappas This month Dave discusses trim, stability, and pilot preference. Squarely aimed at competitors, there is a lot said that has plen- ty of value for any R/C pilot that relishes precision flying. –FRANK FANELLI


JANUARY 2014


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