The radio compartment on the Sbach looks pretty barren with just two Hitec HS-82MGs and a Futaba R617FS (above left). Your humble scribe’s beautiful
in the near future, especially if I have to ever remove it again.
I tested my power system with an APC 12x8E prop and produced 760 watts of pow- er at 48 amps. I was very happy with these numbers. Since my Sbach came out on the lighter end of the weight spectrum at 3.5 pounds ready to fly, that meant that I had over 200 watts per pound on tap! Finally, it was time to hit the flying field!
After one last check, I taxied onto the
paved runway. The Sbach handles very well on the ground and tracked straight. The first takeoff was effortless, with very little rudder correction needed. With all that power avail- able, I quickly gained some altitude and got a feel for its handling. Exactly zero trim was needed for level, hands-off flight. The maiden flight day was extremely windy, but despite this and the aft CG the Sbach was still fairly easy to handle. I spent that first flight mostly getting better acquainted with the Sbach and making a few photo passes. Landing in the
(and patient) wife/flight photographer, Jennifer, shows off the completed Sbach (above right) on a cold, blustery day.
windy conditions was challenging, but be- cause of the large control surfaces, I got the Sbach back on the ground with no problem. On subsequent flights I really got to enjoy
what the Sbach does best, and that is aero- batics. Being so short-coupled, it excels at insanely fast snaps and tumbles. Knife edge flight requires very little rudder input and there is nearly no tendency for tucking. Per- sonally, I am a huge fan of both upright and inverted flat spins, with the blender being a favorite maneuver. The Sbach performs these with gusto. Hovering was achieved at about one-third throttle with my power set- up, with tons on tap for those “get out of trouble” moments. The Sbach also does great harriers, both upright and inverted, with very little wing rock. Since my trans- mitter has triple rates, I use the recom- mended low and high rates, with absolute max throw as the third. As with any aero- batic plane, throws can be tweaked and cus- tomized for your flying style.
When I’m not in an adrenaline-seeking mode, I just flip to sport rates and practice some precision flying. Despite the short tail, the Sbach tracks like an arrow. The Hitec HS-82MG servos offer plenty of pre- cision for crisp point rolls and slow rolls. The thin, fully-symmetrical airfoil lends the Sbach neutrality in the air at nearly any orientation and also allows it to be quite fast.
The SIG Sbach is a great “jack of all trades” type aircraft. With the swap of a battery and the flip of a switch, it can jump from mild to wild and test your abilities as a pilot. Capable of every crazy maneuver in the book, it can also be toned down to make an excellent third aircraft for a newer pilot. The vibrant trim scheme ensures that the Sbach stands out both on the flight line and in the air. SIG has added yet another win- ner to their line of new aircraft, which are of exceptional quality and fly just as great as they look!
SIG’s Sbach is capable of every 3D maneuver out there. The Sbach settles into a stable, manageable hover (at left). Nearly 800 watts of power offers ballistic pull out power. Despite the gusty maiden-flight day, the Sbach still felt solid enough to do a few harrier passes (above). This plane is a total blast to fly!
FLYING MODELS 49
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