Pilot’s Choice Product Review
The Mega Bat is fun to fly and has proven to be a durable model.
Flightline Hobby Mega Bat An easy-to-build-and-fly sport/combat model
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When you combine the creative mind of an award winner at The Toledo Show:
R/C Model Expo, and interesting material and assembly techniques, you are bound to have exciting results. John Hoover, of Flightline Hobby, is
a prolifi c designer, builder, and retailer who has served the aeromodeling community for decades. He wanted an easy-to-build, but rugged aircraft that could be used for sport fl ying and combat, so the Mega Bat was born. Made primarily from 1
/2
a round shape before gluing. Check the fi t of the rest of the foam parts and fi nd something heavy to hold the pieces in place. Protect your building surface with
-inch foam, it
is far from a typical fl at foamie because of the simple use of LE (leading edge) stock. I can attest to its durability. (More on that later.) I have built two Mega Bats and have refi ned the building process a bit. The four-piece foam wing and tail are
built “top up” as a fl at plate from the CNC-milled parts in the kit. The reason for building top up is to make it easy to clean up any excess epoxy from the top surface. This will be important when it comes to fi nishing. Begin by sanding the LEs of the triangular foam wing extension to
Photos by Joe Hass
waxed or parchment paper and lay the four wing and tail parts face up. Carefully apply epoxy to the edges of the foam, push the pieces together, and wipe off any excess epoxy. When the epoxy is set, epoxy the balsa wing LEs and TEs (trailing edges) in place. Both the LEs and TEs of the wing and tail should be placed at the bottom of the foam. Now fl ip the assembly over and, after roughing up the surface of the carbon- fi ber spars, push them completely into the grooves in the bottom of the wing. I used thin, foam-safe CA glue to secure the spars. Again, weigh down the assembly to make sure it stays straight. After the spars are secured, fl ip the
wing back over to transform the fl at foam-plate assembly into an airfoil shape. Measure 11 the LE and 11
/2 /2 inches back from inches forward from the
TEs of the ailerons and elevator. Apply low-tack tape to this line to serve as a
SPECIFICATIONS: TYPE: Sport/combat foamie wing
SKILL LEVEL: Intermediate builder/intermediate pilot WINGSPAN: 34.3 inches WING AREA: 350 square inches WEIGHT: 28 to 32 ounces PRICE: $59.99 INFO:
flightlinehobby.com
FEATURES: >> Quick build >> Durable and maneuverable >> Unique fi nishing options
sanding guide and gently sand away the foam to the tape line. Now is the perfect time to do a trial
fi t of the ailerons and elevator. I used CA hinges to make it easy. The kit includes a hardware package, so this is also a good time to drill holes for the control horns. The last thing to do on the wing is
to gently sand the foam to remove the printing from the foam manufacturing process. This is only necessary to obtain a uniform surface for fi nishing. Flip the wing over
so it’s bottom up and assemble the three
interlocking fuselage parts. The
fuselage sides are interlocked in the bottom of the wing.
The airfoil shape is sanded into the foam using low-tack tape as a guide.
42 PARK PILOT [WINTER 2016]
The completed fuselage of the Flightline Hobby Mega Bat shows the firewall and cheek cowls. Note the hatch opening.
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