Tuesday, March 19, 2024
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Wing-Tips

Choosing and Setting up your first 3D Plane

Skies are blue, winds are low so let's jump right in and look at some important characteristics of an appropriate, first 3D aerobatic plane

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Starting your 3D Aerobatic Journey on the right foot

I remember with great clarity the first time I saw a competent 3D pilot in action, performing wild tumbles and inverted harriers and hovering within inches of the ground. My jaw hit the floor and my concept of this hobby changed forever.

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“Blind” Transmitter Knob

I like to use flaperons or spoilers on my models but don’t like to look away while flying to see if I have the correct knob or to check its position. My transmitter has a dial for channel six, and it is very …

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Easy Alignment For Mounting Fins

I often read about using triangles or squares to align the fin while gluing it in place. What I’ve never seen is how to get around the contours of the fuselage or prevent glue from squeezing out. I glued pieces of …

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No More Glue Drips

Whenever you are using epoxy for assembling large sections of a model, like joining the horizontal tail to the fuselage, put some low tack masking tape on each side of the joint. Wipe up the epoxy that squeezes out with denatured alcohol. If …

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Lightweight Switches

I have used dress snaps as lightweight switches for many years. By soldering a wire to the rim of each half, you only have to press the two parts together to get a problem-free connection. You can attach one side to the …

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Stop That Roll

Wing Tips: Stop That Roll

The classic technique to keep your modeling knife from rolling off your bench is to use the triangular “pen grips” available at most office supply stores. Unfortunately, that won’t help you late at night when you have a …

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Cleaner Servo Cutouts

When cutting out the sections of covering for the fitment of your servos, instead of cutting a rectangle shape to match the servo, cut a simple X instead and then slide the servo into the servo bay. As you push the servo into the fuselage or wing, the fabric goes with it and gets pushed neatly inside with the back of the servo, leaving no nasty fabric edges where you have cut the rectangle area out.

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EZ Transmitter Case

Most new RC transmitters are delivered in a cardboard box with a form-fitting foam insert. I throw away the box and make an easy transmitter case using the insert. Just fasten plastic packing or duct tape all the …

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Save That Paint

Need to mix up that perfect batch of paint, thinned just so for your brush or next air brush job? Or perhaps now that the model is finished you want to store any leftover for future touch ups …

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Balancing Foamies

Recently I had to balance a foamie glider. Taping lead or coins to the plane always looks a bit crude. This time I balanced the plane using the tape method, but then took it a little farther. When …

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