Hangar 9 Ultra Stick ARF

Model Airplane News, Aug 2000 by Post, Roger Jr

MODEL AIRPLANE NEWS

FIELD & BENCH

REVIEW

Expand your flying capabilities

At a past Weak Signals hobby expo in Toledo, OH, I had an opportunity to chat with Eric Meyers of Horizon Hobby Distributors. We spoke about the use of multi-servo wing setups for powered aircraft and how control mixing could expand a model's flight possibilities. Most of our conversation concerned coupling flap and aileron control for faster roll rates and other applications such as "crow configuration" controlled by the throttle stick. Interesting thoughts, but to take advantage of these unusual control setups, a spedaily designed model would be needed. The Hangar 9" R&D staff must have heard what Eric said because the newest addition to the Ultra Series-the Ultra Stick ARF-is just what the doctor ordered!

With its 76-inch wingspan, the Ultra Stick is big for a sport model. It is designed to expand the flight capabilities of the model and its pilot; when set up for quad-flap-control mixing and powered by a Saito* 1.80 4-stroke engine, the Ultra Stick is simply a blast to fly!

SPECIFICATIONS

Model: Ultra Series Ultra Stick ARF

Manufacturer: Hangar 9/Horizon Hobby Inc.

Type: sport aerobatic

Wingspan: 76 in.

Wing area: 1,165 sq. in.

Weight: 11 Ib., 5 oz.

Wing loading: 22.25 oz./sq. ft.

Airfoil: symmetrical

Length: 605/a in.

Engine req'd.: 1.08 to 1.35 2-stroke; 1.20 to 1.80 4-stroke; Zenoah G23 gas

Engine used: Saito 1.80 4-stroke

Propeller used: APC 16x8

Radio req'd.: 4 to 7 channels w/4 to 7 JR* 517 (or better) servos

Radio used: JR 10X

List price: 8249.95

Features: 90-percent prebuilt ARF construction, Goldberg Ultracote covering; top-quality hardware package; good instruction manual with computer programming tips; pre-applied decals; flap/aileron mixing; standard 4-channel radio with a Y-harness can be used.

Comments: assembling the wing was the most pleasurable ARF experience ever; a perfect fit! With the quad-flap, control-surface setup, the Ultra Stick has unlimited flight possibilities. The slow speed that it can attain will allow even a novice to enjoy this model.

Hits

* Perfectly matched wing roots and shaped wing joiner,

* Computer radio setup guide in manual.

* Excellent, complete hardware package.

* Ailerons and flaps on wing for an expanded flight regime.

Misses

* Lack of servo-extension-guide tubes in wing.

* Vertical fin tab that goes into the fuselage slot could be longer.

INSIDE THE BOX

Did I mention that even the box is big? The kit includes the wing halves with prehinged ailerons, optional flap/aileron parts for quadflap configuration, the fuselage and tail surfaces. A complete hardware package is also included and is comprised of preformed landing gear, wheels, fuel tank, tailwheel assembly and all the necessary screws, nuts, bolts, motor mounts, linkages, etc., to hook things up. There is also an excellent instruction manual featuring concise text and clear photos. The manual contains many helpful hints and a 36-page guide for programming computer radios QR and Futaba) for quad-flap setup. The model is made of plywood and balsa, and the main components come 90-percent built and covered with Goldberg's* Ultracote. All the hardware is heavy-duty, and the aluminum landing gear is 3/16-inch thick.

Editor's note: three batches of the Ultra Stick kits were produced. The first two batches had solid tail feathers, excluded the built-up horizontal stabilizer and tended to be tail-heavy. The current-and all future-versions have lightening holes cut into the tail feathers to lessen this tail-heavy condition.

ASSEMBLY

After reading the instructions thoroughly, I inspected the main pieces; the overall quality was good, but I used a covering iron to seal the edges a little better. While the model sat during the assembly process, wrinkles developed in the covering, but a heat gun took care of that.

Wing. First, you need to decide which configuration you want to build; I chose the quad-flap setup. Because the wing is symmetrical, it can be a bit confusing which panel is the right or left half. The big decal (pre-applied) goes on the bottom of the wing; at this time, it is also helpful to cut out the aileron/flap servo openings in the bottom of the wing.

Trial-fit the ailerons and flaps to ensure that they are oriented correctly, and then CA the hinges permanently into place. The wing roots matched perfectly, and the wing joiner didn't require any shaping or sanding; consequently, joining the wing halves was the easiest job in the entire assembly process, and the best match I have ever seen on an ARF. While the wing-joint epoxy cured overnight, I proceeded with some of the fuselage steps.

Fuselage. I applied sixminute epoxy to the firewall for fuelproofing; then, for added strength, I applied CA to the servo tray. For further fuelproofing, I applied CA to the exposed wood areas of the wing saddle. To cushion the wing, I attached thin, stick-- on foam strips to each side of the wing saddle.

Next, I assembled the fuel tank and installed all the radio gear except the battery, which I installed later to aid in balancing the model. Last, I assembled and attached the landing gear, attached the engine and installed the throttle-- pushrod tube.