The lightweight Factor 3D is parked next to another lightweight. The BRM Aero Bristell has an empty weight of just 750 pounds which allows it to be flown with the increasingly popular Sport Pilot license.
while handling it both during and after as- sembly. It would be significantly easier to hurt this airplane while transporting in your car or even carrying it than while aloft. A soft touch will go a long way to preserving this great airplane.
Flying
It was immediately apparent that based on the size of the main wheels and wheel pants, the Factor 3D would require a smooth, improved surface for taking off and landing. With its light weight and relatively big propeller, when it comes to runway choices, quality is far more important than quantity. Just 6 to 8 parking spaces will pro- vide ample distance. Because of the landing gear configuration, the Factor 3D sits at a relatively low angle of attack.
This has two side effects. First, it’s easy to plant the tail wheel on the runway be- fore the main gear while landing. Second, despite the abundance of power, the Factor 3D won’t claw its way into the air until the wings are at flying speed. With that said,
A good view of the generous control surfaces with the snow covered hills of Ringwood, New Jersey in the background. With the small wheels and wheel pants of the Factor 3D, flying from an asphalt runway is preferable.
the Factor 3D is very well behaved on the ground and doesn’t require any great skill to control.
With the recommended power system and a 10x4.5 propeller, the Factor 3D will gener- ate plenty of thrust at less than half throttle to hover and leave plenty of power in reserve to punch out. 3D flight is not my strong suit so when, on the maiden flight, the Factor 3D locked into a solid hover I was impressed! The controls felt very precise and responsive and never left me looking for more throw. I suspect the Futaba S3156 digital, metal gear servos contributed a noticeable amount to the solid “feel” of the airplane. On subsequent flights, I was more aggres- sive with the controls in an effort to coax out any sign of a bad habit. At one point, with the power off and the elevator as far up as it could go, the airplane just slowly descended in a nearly flat attitude and the wings stayed level. The Factor could perhaps be landed in this configuration with a well timed blip of the throttle.
The lines of this model suggest it has
more to offer than just 3D flying. Its slen- der wings and long, wide profile fuselage hint at precision aerobatics. Further evi- dence comes from the manual where it sug- gests three settings for control rates; Low, High, and 3D. While I am not a fan of dual rates, I tried the three settings and discov- ered three different airplanes. Perhaps the three position switch could be labeled: Sport Flyer, F3A and 3D. It is great fun do- ing graceful slow rolls or hesitation rolls, followed by a vertical pull and then just tumbling seemingly out of control after switching to 3D rates!
With low rates on the controls and in calm wind, the Factor 3D is quite easy to fly; however, it should not be considered by a novice pilot. Given the lightweight structure of the airplane and the huge control surfaces, any incapacity or neg- lect during the landing phase could result in significant damage. A pilot of interme- diate skill or better will have no trouble and will surely have great fun flying the Factor 3D.
Not much top rudder is required to keep the Factor 3Dflying on its side (at left). Add more and it can easily turn into a vertical climb. You can see where the transparent covering could be a little stealthy. Fortunately, the red makes up for it! With the power off and the elevator full up (above), the Factor 3Dslowly descends in a remarkably stable manner. All variations of aerobatics are great fun with this airplane.
FLYING MODELS 43
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