Radio-control airplanes, says expert Jan Cici, take hundreds of hours to build -- and can be wrecked in a matter of seconds. So what makes them so popular as a hobby? That question is probably impossible to answer, but today's celebrity knows the attraction of these authentic miniature aircraft. Javy Lopez, catcher for the Atlanta Braves, first became interested in radio-controlled airplanes as a child in his native Puerto Rico. Back then, watching the small aircraft arcing through the sky, he thought they looked so hard to fly that he never imagined actually owning one. Nowadays, however, flying RC aircraft is his hobby of choice, his way of relaxing when he's not on the road with the team -- in fact, he says he can compare the feeling he gets when he's flying one of his planes to a grand slam! Beyond the sheer enjoyment of flying, Lopez has two compelling reasons for pursuing his hobby: his two sons, Kelvin and Javier (left to right, figure A). Because he is required to devote so much of his time to baseball, he wants to spend what free time he has with the boys while they're still young. Even though they're not old enough to fly the planes themselves, they enjoy helping their dad with his hobby, and the hours spent together allow some precious father-and-sons bonding time. When Lopez is at home, he turns to Serge Lavigne, the president of the Cobb County Radio-Control Modelers Club, with any technical questions that arise. Today he needs help tweaking his latest engine for maximum performance. The engine has an 11/4 propeller, which, Jan Cici explains, refers to the length (11) and the pitch (4) of the prop. The higher the pitch, the higher the top speed; conversely, a propeller with a lower pitch has higher torque and higher RPM (revolutions per minute), resulting in better aerobatic performance. Cici explains that you should first check the motor: if it's two-bladed, set the tachometer to two-bladed, and check the RPM (either at low-, full- or mid-range) to see what RPM the motor is producing (figure B). Lopez's tachometer reports what his engine is producing a respectable 11,000 RPM, but he wants more. He tries a propeller with less pitch (figure C) to increase the RPM; this increases the RPM to 12,000, and the plane is ready to fly! Here are some tips for flying RC aircraft from Cici: Always point the plane into the wind; a plane going into the wind has better lift than a crosswind. The craft when taking off always searches for incoming wind just like a "normal" (i.e., full-size) airplane. When the plane goes "dead-stick" (when the motor quits), bring it in as quickly as possible for a safe landing.
RESOURCES :
Making Radio-Controlled Boats
Model: 0713459867
Author: Graham Goodchild
Bob Violett Models (Radio-Control Jets)
Bob Violet Models (Radio-Control Jets)
Website: www.bvmjets.com
T-Maxx radio-control 4x4 truck by Traxxas
Traxxas®
Website: www.traxxas.com
The T-Maxx was featured on episode 104 and 303 of DIY's Radio Control Hobbies workshop.
HPI Racing radio-control products
HPI Racing
Swadlingcote, DerbyshireDE11 OEG
England
Website: www.hpiracing.com
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