Pilot’s Choice Product Review
The Maxford USA Gamma handles well in the air and on the ground. The bottom half of the wheel spats is held on by magnets and can easily be removed for flying from grass.
Maxford USA Northrop Gamma Embrace early aviation with this interesting model
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The Northrop Gamma from Maxford USA is an ARF model in the company’s
Golden Age of Aviation series of aircraft. There are two decal sets provided to choose from—the Sky Chief or the Polar Star. I chose the Polar Star because of the full-scale aircraft’s fame for being the first airplane to fly over Antarctica. I also liked the looks of the two-seat canopy versus the one seater. The full-scale Polar Star arrived
just shy of its intended destination by 25 miles. The explorers survived and eventually the airplane was recovered. Today it is kept in the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. The Northrop Gamma is built of
light plywood and balsa and comes precovered. A couple of packages are offered with the ARF. You can get the Rx-R (Receiver-Ready) package for an additional $64, or the brushless combo for an additional $146. I am using the brushless combo, which
includes a Uranus 25-amp ESC and a Uranus-28309 brushless outrunner motor. I like the combo because it will fit well. No modification was necessary to fit the electric motor and propeller assembly into the cowl. After installing the power system, four
9-gram servos are all it takes to get this beautiful 40-inch wingspan model to come alive. The recommended power system brings the model’s all-up weight to roughly 1 pound, 12 ounces with a 1,300 mAh LiPo battery—well within Park Pilot Program guidelines. Assembly is no problem for anyone
who has some building experience. The manual is clear and to the point. It leaves no stone unturned in the way of tips and proper order. Tasks such as centering the servos before they are installed and using long enough servo leads or extensions for the ailerons are well-received reminders of the order of things. Fitting the parts and ensuring everything is in the right place is a good idea before final assembly. In my
Photos by Ryan Ramsey
case, I needed to do a couple of simple things differently, such as switching the elevator and rudder pushrods. I also turned the servos in a way to ensure I was making the most out of the length of the control rods. These are the types of things you can discover with a dry fit and remedy. The manual recommends having
two 12-inch extensions available for the aileron servos. I opted to use some long lead servos that I had and a short Y connector. That way, all of my connections are within the fuselage and easily reached. The precovered pieces help keep assembly time to a minimum. The only gluing necessary is the tail surfaces and the canopy. The one-piece fuselage and center
wing portion make for an exquisite- looking fillet and wing fit. Simply slide the wing panels over the spar and cover the seam with the provided trim tape. Two-part spats are a super neat touch. The bottom half of the wheel spats is connected via rare earth magnets, which
This is how everything comes out of the box. Maxford USA provides two decal sets that allow the aircraft to look like a Sky Chief or a Polar Star.
38 PARK PILOT [WINTER 2016]
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