R/C Rascal

Model Airplane News, May 2001 by Simpson, Jim

MODEL AIRPLANE NEWS FIELD & BENCH REVIEW

igic Sunday flyer electric or glow

When I first saw the RlC Rascal from Sig Mfg., I knew I had to have one. This is a beautiful aircraft-but you can see that for yourself. The shape of the airfoil, with its elliptical wingtips, gives the Rascal a Stinson-- like look, and the transparent panels show off the construction of the craft. Details such as "no step" and "no push" decals, fuel-tank caps and a landing light complete the image and give this sport plane a nice, polished, semi-scale look. But the real story is that the Rascal flies even better than it looks. It's plenty fast and nimble yet very controllable at slower speeds. That by itself should be enough to motivate you during the building/covering steps, but when you discover just how easy this plane is to build, there is no way you'll be able to resist.

FLIGHT PERFORMANCE

* TAKEOFF AND LANDING The plane hand-launches easily into a realistic climb-out to pattern attitude. I also tried lifting off from our rough dirt field; takeoff was picture-perfect This little plane accelerates rapidly, tracks straight and lifts off automatically because of the tail-dragger configuration and resultant wing angle of attack. It continued to accelerate in the climb and dared me to try some aerobatics. When it is time to land, just fly the standard rectangular traffic pattern; when you are lined up on final and you're sure you have the runway made, slowly pull the throttle control to idle and slowly feed in a little up-elevator so the plane slows without climbing. This changes the attitude and makes 3-point landings a cinch.

HIGH-SPEED PERFORMANCE High-speed performance is exciting. Of course, it's no pylon racer, but close-in, fast passes elicit 'Wow!"s from flying buddies every time. Loops from high-speed passes can be surprisingly large, and rolls are crisp.

* LOW-SPEED PERFORMANCE

Low-speed performance takes a while to get into. This plane is sleek, and it takes a slow, steady application of "up" to slow it down. Once slowed, it is still very stable but seems to drop the right wing on stalling. Recovery is immediate; it simply flies out of the stall with little drama.

& AEROBATICS Aerobatics start with the basic loop and roll, both of which the Rascal does well. A lot of the rest are some form or combination of these basic maneuvers. The Rascal rolls just fine with rudder only because the dihedral angle is right on. Now, when we combine the rudder and elevator commands with throttle control and timing, we can do some pretty amazing things, such as snap rolls. From high-speed level flight, pull straight up, then give it full right rudder, hold up-elevator and count the vertical snap rolls. After it stops and falls (stalls), it drops into a spin. Inverted flight is best done by flying straight toward yourself then pulling up into an Immelmann, but do not roll over on the top. Just push in a lot of down-elevator, and fly away from yourself. And by the way: left is still left, even when you're upside-down.

SPECIFICATIONS Model: R/C Rascal

Manufacturer: Sig Mfg. Co. Inc. Type: classic sport plane Wingspan: 49 in.

Wing area: 324 sq. in. Weight: 20 to 24 oz. (electric version with 7-cell 600mAh pack); 18 to 20 oz. (glow version)

Wing loading: 10.2 oz./sq. ft. Length: 321/2 in.

Radio req'd: 3-channel (rudder, elevator, throttle) Power req'd: Speed 400 w/gear-drive unit (electric version); .049 to .07ci (glow version)

Power used: Maxx Speed 400 with a Graupner 2.33:1 gear drive

Speed control: Viper Model Products Micro Demon 52 ESC w/BEC

Prop: APC 9x6E List price: $79.95

Features: laser-cut balsa and ply parts, windshield material, ABS wheel pants, preformed landing gear, complete accessories package, detailed decal sheet, full-size rolled plan and illustrated construction manual. Comments: this plane has classic looks and fantastic performance. The bottom hatch allows easy access for batteries, and there is plenty of room up front for either gas or electric power. Most of all, the Rascal is fun to build and even more fun to fly.

HITS High-quality laser-cut balsa and ply.

Complete parts package.

Scale look.

Flies great.

MISSES Early kits had minor misalignment of laser-cut parts (Sig has replacement parts).

CONSTRUCTION Inside, you'll find the construction manual, plan, decal sheet, windshield material and an accessories package that contains all the necessities-bolts, nuts, screws, tubing and hinges. Beneath all this is a stack of sheet wood with laser tracks outlining all the balsa and plywood parts. All the cutting and fitting work has already been done for you; the time and effort you save on this alone make this kit a bargain.

I found the order of construction to be very sensible, and I recommend that you follow it exactly; try to avoid the temptation to modify and/or "beef up" your plane. Having said that, let me share a few tips to help you avoid problems (just don't ask me how I know). I also recommend that you hang on to the unused portions of the balsa and plywood sheets that contain the laser-cut parts; if you wish to use the window technique shown in the artwork on the box, you will find them handy when you cut the covering material.