Civilian to Warbird: Stencil How-To
Charging Multiple Packs
Lithium-polymer cells have revolutionized electric flight, but as any e-flier knows, LiPo charging and maintenance can be time consuming. For optimum service life, LiPos should be stored around 3.8 volts per cell, which creates a bottleneck for spur-of-the-moment flying, and recharging batteries at the field can be a chore when you’d rather be in the […]
Master Modeler Workshop: Masking & Spraying
Join one of the UK’s master modelers, Phil Noel of Pinnacle Aviation, as he preps, masks, and spray-paints a 1/4-scale MiG-15. Thanks to Pete and Dean Coxon for filming Phil as he explains his techniques so we can all pick up a few tips! Stay tuned for a video of Phil adding the silver coat […]
How to take great photos and video with your rotordrone
With the ever increasing popularity of drones and multi-rotors, aerial photography has gotten a big shot in the arm. Serious camera drones now outnumber your typical RC airplanes equipped with sport cameras to get that bird’s eye view. I have been flying several of the larger GPS equipped quadcopters and one of the newest is […]
Rudder Trimming
There is a certain order to trimming a plane and that can vary a little from pilot to pilot. Most pilots will concentrate on the elevator trimming first to keep the plane flying a level path. This is especially important if the plane wants to dive, then elevator trimming becomes the primary important trim for […]
Mastering Inverted Flight
Flying inverted can be tricky, but veteran pilot (and full-scale aerobatic instructor) Aaron Ham shows how it’s done in this video, which he made while reviewing the Aeroworks 30cc Ultimate Biplane. MAN Contributor Aaron Ham tweaks his engine before another inverted flight demo flight. One of the most important tricks is to figure out how much forward stick […]
Create a perfect fiberglass finish, part 3
A fiberglass finish not only looks scale, it’s wear-resistant and a great way to protect your model. In his first two articles, Rick Michelena detailed the steps to prep and fiberglass his warbird. In this third and final installment, he adds paint and details, including rivets, panel lines and even navigation lights. After spraying the […]
Create a perfect fiberglass finish
Here’s another how-to from veteran builder Rick Michelena. Enjoy! Do you have the desire to build a warbird or other scale project but desire something more than an iron-on finish? Are you unsure of the steps required in the process of finishing a radio-controlled airplane in fiberglass and paint? This article will give you the knowledge required […]
Create droppable wing tanks
In this how-to, Charles White uses lite-ply, green floral foam, fiberglass and resin to make external wing tanks fora 1/6-scale TBM Avenger. You can use this method to create many aircraft components, such as wing or centerline tanks, bombs and cowls. After competing at the Nats level in Pylon Racing for several years, I always enjoyed […]
Increase Battery Life
When it comes to electric aircraft, one of the key components is your battery pack. It is the only power source to keep your aircraft in the air, requires constant maintenance, and if not watched it will most likely be the first thing that needs to be replaced. But with the right care and careful […]
Master the Outside Snap Roll
Inside and outside snap rolls can add great excitement to your flying while opening up a whole new world of maneuver possibilities. Outside, or “negative,” snap rolls are accomplished by applying full (normal rate) down-elevator while at the same time cross-controlling the rudder and aileron. How does this work? The ailerons produce the same direction of […]
Create a perfect fiberglass finish, part 2
Last week, Rick Michelena shared the steps to prep your aircraft for a perfect fiberglass finish. In the second part of his three-part series, he begins the fiberglass work and gets the model ready for paint. Here are the simple items needed to produce a fiber-glass finish that will last for many years. You will […]
