100 MODEL AVIATION
[aglenn54@gmail.com]
Radio Control Aerobatics Albert and A.C. Glenn
Also included in this column:
• How to prepare for the
AMA Nats
• Choice aircraft for indoor
Extreme Flight’s 2-meter Vanquish
This will be one of the color-scheme
options for Extreme Flight RC’s new 2-
meter Vanquish, shown on the redesigned
smaller Vanquish.
This is one of the other color schemes for the 2-meter Vanquish, which will be
available in glow- and electric-powered versions.
THIS MONTH WE will have a short
review of Extreme Flight RC’s new
release. We will also go into more depth
about preparing for a national competition
such as the AMA Nats.
In addition, we’ll throw out, for your
consideration, a couple of indoor RC
Aerobatics (Pattern) designs to fly during
the cold months some of us have ahead.
Because of a time conflict, we will
continue with Bryan Hebert’s trimming
methods in a following issue.
After a few years of talk and speculation,
Extreme Flight RC’s 2-meter Vanquish is
finally here—and it arrived with a bang!
The model comes with a beautiful
covering scheme that will catch many eyes
at the field.
It also arrives fully loaded with
everything you need to complete the
airplane, minus radio equipment and
engine setup. The Vanquish includes a
beautiful set of carbon-fiber landing gear
and wheel pants, and all arms and clevises
needed for completion are supplied.
This airplane is designed to be sold in
both a glow- and an electric-powered
version. The former beautifully accepts the
short-pipe setup from Hatori. The
Vanquish weighs 10.25 to 10.75 pounds,
depending on whether you build it with
electric or glow power.
I did a lot of the preliminary Vanquish
testing with Cameron Smith in Cummings,
Georgia. We spent nearly three days
putting the airplane through every
sequence, from Sportsman to F3A (FAI
Pattern), and on to Unlimited IMAC
(International Miniature Aerobatic Club).
The model excelled in every aspect of
Pattern and will be a great item to add to
your hangar for next season. And with an
introductory cost of $650 plus shipping
and handling, it comes in at a great price
point.
The Vanquish is well equipped to win
any sequence that it is set to fly. I look
forward to future developments from
Chris Hinson. For more information about
the 2-meter Vanquish, contact Chris or
Curtis at Extreme Flight RC.
—A.C.
I have attended approximately six AMA
Nats contests since I have been flying
precision Aerobatics. Throughout those
years, I have come up with a set of
guidelines to follow when preparing for
this contest.
In a previous column, I suggested
keeping track of your equipment and
flights in a journal. Now I’ll go into more
detail about how I get ready for the Nats.
I am unable to fly until the early to late
parts of April, because school is in
session. I usually start the season by
making sure that both of my airplanes are
ready to perform. I replace everything on
them that has more than a season of wear,
to make sure that I have perfect
equipment.
I strive to complete at least 400 flights
between April and when I head to the Nats
in July. I am able to accomplish this solely
by having my equipment working
flawlessly throughout the summer. It
might seem like a lot of flights in a short
period of time, but it is achievable if you
stay focused on your ultimate goal.
I usually fly in the morning and in the
afternoon each day. During the morning
session, I strive to make eight to 10
flights. If you have two airplanes prepared
for the day and fly back-to-back, you
should be able to knock out that amount of
flights in three hours.
Within those flights, I break down the
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Champion Jason Noll; the Blender,
designed by 2008 E-TOC Champion
Andrew Jesky; and the Osiris, which
Andrew also designed.
The Vrolet is designed for a slowpaced
Pattern sequence and incorporates
the Noll CV (constant velocity) Brakes,
which help to slow it in down-line
attitudes. Jason has been developing the
model throughout the years since indoor
flying started. It costs roughly $70,
depending on whether you get it milled
or not, and weighs 4-5 ounces.
Andrew Jesky won the 2008 E-TOC
with the Blender, and he has put
considerable time and effort into its
design. It’s a well-balanced indoor flier
that looks quite a bit smaller than the
Vrolet. The Blender is great for anyone
who wants to get serious about indoor
Pattern.
The Osiris seems to be the best bet
for indoor Pattern. It hit the market and
has taken it by storm.
This model flies exceedingly well;
you can basically point it anywhere, in
any attitude, and it will fly as straight as
an arrow. It’s a true snapping airplane,
which is the big debate nowadays in
indoor Pattern.
All of these kits are available in
beautiful color schemes created by the
corresponding designers. Each model
includes all hardware needed for
completion—minus the electronics,
which you can buy as a package deal
from Fancy Foam Models. MA
—Albert
Sources:
Extreme Flight RC
(770) 887-1794
www.extremeflightrc.com
Fancy Foam Models
(620) 221-0008
www.fancyfoam.com
National Society of Radio Controlled
Aerobatics
www.nsrca.org
first three maneuvers in the sequence,
because those set the tone for the rest of
your sequence. By doing this, you’re
better able to set the flow for the next
maneuvers. If your model gets too close
in or too far out, it can mess up the
following items in the sequence.
When I’m finished with the morning
flights, I go home and check the
airplanes to try to make sure I don’t
have problems with them at the flying
field in the afternoon session. Once I
have taken care of the rest of my daily
duties, I head back out to the field at 5:30
or 6:00 and try to accomplish five flights
before the bugs attack.
During this session, I concentrate
more on the whole sequence. I
incorporate what I learned from the
morning flights on positioning for the
first three maneuvers and continue
through the routine.
Because I fly F3A, my training is a bit
different from that in the lower classes
because I have to learn two sequences
and perfect them before leaving for the
Nats. After I get the Preliminary routine
down, I fly the Finals sequence for a
couple days, to get the gist of how to
perform it. After that, I begin to fly
half and half in the morning,
between the Preliminary and Finals
pattern.
—A.C.
By the time this column comes out, we
will be well into the indoor Pattern
season. I want to spend a little time
on this kind of flying and mention a
few suitable designs.
One of the key parts of indoor Pattern
is having a light aircraft to fly so you can
maneuver around the gym or whatever
type of indoor facility you use. The new
thing has been milling airplanes, to save
as much weight as possible.
A company that is known for its
outstanding work with indoor Pattern
foamies is Fancy Foam Models. It has
produced such models as the Vrolet
biplane, designed by 2006 Electric
Tournament of Champions (E-TOC)
The Jason Noll-designed Vrolet features
revolutionary Noll CV Braking, which
helps control dive speed. Fancy Foam
Models sells the foamies shown on this
page.
Seth Arnold won the 2009 E-TOC flying
the new Osiris: an Andrew Jesky design. It
has excellent snap performance qualities.
The Blender incorporates a couple of
braking devices that designer Andrew
Jesky uses to deliver slow-paced flight for
indoor precision.
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