Hangar 9 Ultra Stick ARF

Model Airplane News, Aug 2000 by Post, Roger Jr

I would prefer to have a longer tab on the vertical fin so that when it is placed in the slot in the rear of the fuselage, its bottom meets the top of the horizontal stabilizer. This change would provide a more rigid attachment of the vertical fin.

When the epoxy cures, attach the control horns and hook up the pushrods. If you use powerful servos, you may find that you'll need to use pushrod exit guides to help stabilize the pushrods. I used the Klett* large-size guides, and they dampened the pushrod vibration that resulted from a snap of the TX stick.

To balance the Ultra Stick, I had to place the battery pack under the fuel tank, move the receiver all the way forward and add 5 ounces of Prather* stick-- on weights to the engine mount. I also used the aft point of the CG range as the main balance point.

With the servo subtrims set to zero, check to see whether the servo arms (except the throttle) are 90 degrees to the servo case. If they aren't, try to place the servo ann(s) on the gear spline closest to 90 degrees, then use the subtrims to center them. Before you adjust the mix programs, mechanically center each surface by hand. Now you can attach the four control-surface linkages to the wing servos and to the ailerons and flaps. At this point, follow the instructions for your particular JR transmitter. They are written extremely well and are quite thorough in their coverage. The only non JR TX listed is the Futaba SUA/S; if you have a different brand, you'll need to refer to your owner's manual to set up the many features that are possible with the Ultra Stick's quad-flap setup.

With my JR 10X, I was able to set up a reverse crow configuration (flaps up; ailerons down, but no elevator trim) when the flap-mix landing switch was pushed forward. I can't wait to see what that does when the Ultra Stick is in inverted flight.

CONCLUSION

Well, that's all there is to it. The Ultra Stick goes together rather quickly, and you should be able to complete it within two or three days. Modelers who have some ARF building experience will find it easy to assemble. Intermediate and advanced pilots will find this model a pleasure to fly, and the model's sheer size makes it easy to see as it traverses the sky. Have fun!

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