In this segment, Chris Chianelli takes a look at some tiny RC Desktop Rovers (TM). He then shows how to assemble park flyers that are equipped with sonic guns, allowing them to "shoot each other down" in mid-flight.
Desktop-Rovers Desktop Rovers by Plantraco (figure A) move by means of tank-style treads and provide great relief from the tedium of sitting at your desk. - If you have two rovers, you can use them to do battle against each other (figure B). The radio transmitter has controls to steer the vehicle and move it backward and forward. The rover can rotate in its tracks by operating the left and right treads in opposing directions.
- Each rover is equipped with a tiny laser light (and accompanying sound effects), which is also fired via the radio transmitter. When one rover is laser-tagged enough times by its opponent, it is rendered temporarily immobile.
- The tiny robotic rovers can even be outfitted with optional minuscule lipstick cameras (figure C), which provide a "rover's eye view," transmitting some pretty terrifying images to a connected video monitor (figure D).
Fighterbirds (TM ) with Sonic Weapons Hobby Zone Fighterbirds from Horizon Hobbies are park flyers with a distinctive twist: each is equipped with a sonic gun. This allows two of these planes to do battle with one another in the air. When one fighter is "struck" by the sonic blast from the weaponry of its opponent, the target plane's engine becomes momentarily disengaged, causing the plane to crash -- unless it has sufficient altitude to achieve a midair recovery. Here's how to assemble and prep one of these exciting RC flyers. Important: This demonstration shows basic instructions for assembly and operation of this particular park flyer. There are variations in assembly for each particular model. Read and carefully follow the manufacturer's instructions that come with yours, whether it is this particular model or another. Additional information about assembly as well as running, troubleshooting and fine-tuning the model can be found in the manufacturer's instructions.
- The Fighterbird kit comes with the fuselage and wing assemblies already prebuilt, and an assortment of decals (figure E).
- The kit also comes with snap-on landing gear, heavy rubber bands for attaching the wing (figure F), a radio transmitter and a battery charger.
- The battery (figure G) is recharged by plugging the charger into a car's cigarette lighter.
- Each plane comes with a sonic gun (figure H) that is installed on the plane and used for midair combat.
- The decals are precut. Simply peel them off of the backing and place them carefully on the plane's surface. Stick the decal in its middle, then smooth it from the center outward to avoid formation of wrinkles and bubbles (figure I).
- Once you've applied the decals, install the landing gear, which simply snaps into a precut groove on the bottom of the fuselage (figure J).
- After the landing gear is installed, attach the wing to the fuselage. The center-dot on the wing should line up with the centerline of the fuselage. Once it's properly lined up, attach the wing with two of the rubber bands provided in the kit (figure K), fastening one on either side of the wing.
- Use two more rubber bands to form a crisscross pattern as shown to attach the wing securely (figure L).
- The sonic gun attaches to the bottom of the fuselage (figure M). The power cable plugs into a power-supply on the side of the plane.
- Once charged, the on-board battery is installed in the cockpit area, where it connects to a power line (figure N).
- Once the wing is installed and the battery is charged and in place, the fighter is ready to fly (figure O). The throttle control on the radio transmitter is also used to engage the sonic gun on the aircraft. A "stricken" aircraft is indicated by a high, shrill sound. At the same time, the engine of the stricken plane stops working for about 10 seconds, causing the plane to crash -- unless it has gained considerable altitude and the operator can pull off a quick rescue maneuver.
In the segment that follows, Chianelli gives some flying tips for these RC fighters and also flies a stealth-bomber replica.
RC Tip: Radio transmitters are not interchangeable between RC aircraft and other RC models. The decal on the transmitter (figure P) indicates whether the radio is designed using a frequency suitable for RC aircraft or for RC surface vehicles (cars, boats, trucks, etc).
RESOURCES :
RC Modeler magazine
RC Modeler magazine
Sierra Madre, CA 91025
Fax: 626-355-1476
Website: www.rcmagazine.com
Hobby Zone Fighterbird RC park-flyer
Horizon Hobby
Website: www.horizonhobby.com
RC Desktop Rovers
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