A speed 400 park flyer the Mega Pepper

Model Airplane News, Aug 2000 by Robelen, Dave

Before I list all of this new machine's wonderful features, I'll ask you some questions: are you looking for a hot stunt machine to bore holes in the sky and impress the troops with your awesome skills? Well, then you had better keep looking; Mega Pepper would bore you to tears and maybe even embarrass you. How about that burning desire to do numerous snap rolls and spins, especially down low? Forget it. Perhaps you are looking for the perfect beginner's project; well, try again.

Are you still with me? OK. I could call the Mega Pepper a park flyer and be completely correct without really saying much. The fact is, very few categories completely describe this unique new machine. What actually makes it so special? It can't he the style: this layout has been around since the 1 J60s. li,lectric RC planes are hardly new, either; even 3-- channel, low-wing models go way back.

The special thing about this model is the way its ingredients are blended together. The low-wing layout provides a degree of smoothness in turbulence and excellent ground handling in crosswinds that are hard to km.rt. Designs such as the Pronto and Playmate, along with many others, have demonstrated that the rudder can control a low-wing model just fine, thank you; in fact, a 3-channel model with rudder control generally handles better when flying near maximum lift than one equipped with ailerons. The convenience of electric power has been amply demonstrated. Finally, its efficient airfoil combined with its light wing loading make it downright easy to fly the Mega Pepper.

Equipped with a Speed 400 motor and a 7-cell battery, the Mega Pepper is unusually capable. How about a 4-foot takeoff roll in calm conditions? No sweat. Thirty-- minute flights with a 500mAh battery are a piece of cake; you can fly a complete flight without leaving a 100-foot cube of sky. One of my favorite flight routines when I'm alone is just shooting touchand-go's. Mega Pepper usually completes at least 15 circuits on one charge.

The equipment required is really quite reasonable; the motor is certainly priced right, and the prop and gearbox are economical, too. At first, I was a little put off by the Mini-Olympus gearbox because of roughness in the gears, but I had already bought it, so I resolved to fix it. It turns out that there is a fairly critical alignment between the two gears where it will run plenty smooth. You just have to fiddle with it to position the gears for best results. The Graupner* 9x5 Slim prop does a fine job; however, you can get the same results from other wooden 9x4 props that you might have handy.

Be sure to get a battery rated for high current and rapid charging: this is not the place for bargain hunting. I use the Jeti* 10 microprocessor ESC, which is OK, but I wish it would taper off the power at the end of a charge instead of suddenly just shutting off the motor. Check around and see what is available. Almost any RC gear will fit the Mega Pepper, but I enjoy the lightness of the microservos, and they are ample for the task. A couple of FMA* S-80s would be a fine choice.

So, if you are still with me, get out the tools, and let's get on with it.

CONSTRUCTION

Because the Mega Pepper is such a docile flyer, I will try to go into a little detail, in case you are new to scratch-building. There are endless variations in balsa, so do a little selective picking. Start with the wing TE material. Look for a very straight sheet of wood-all your choices should be free of warps-that is stiff across the sheet as well as along its length. This sheet should also be a little heavier than average. The sheets for the fuselage sides and ribs should be as light as you can find while still feeling stiff. The stock for sheeting the top and bottom of the fuselage can be the very lightest. The tail sheets should be a light grade without warps. Choice of the rest of the stock is less crucial, so go to it.

Rather than cutting out a few pieces at a time, go ahead and make a "kit" by first cutting out all the parts. After you have cut the ribs to shape, stack them and sand away any irregularities. Slice out the various wing-strip parts, and shape the TE to the wedge shape shown on the plan. Make patterns as needed, cut out the rest of the parts and set them aside.

Wing. Be very sure that your board is flat, and then cover the plan with wax paper. Pin the TE strips down, being sure to block up the front with the 3/32-inch shims. The LE goes down next, using the wing ribs to set the exact spacing from the TE. Glue all the ribs into place and note the tilt of the two center ribs. Now glue in the gussets at the rear of each rib. When the glue has dried, fit and glue all of the top spars into place along with the wingtips. Flip the wing panels over and install the webbing and bottom spar. Go over both panels with a sanding block and shape the LE. Check the fit of the center ribs and sand carefully until the panels fit together with the proper dihedral, then glue them together. I used CA to fasten the fiberglass around the wing center, including the bottom spar and rib seam. This is really important for adequate strength!