Megatech Nitro Air Strike RTF: Ready to fly in 15 minutes

Model Airplane News, Apr 2003 by Reid, Robert

FLIGHT TEST

Inside the box, you'll find an all-wooden trainer with wings, stabilizer and fin packed in plastic bags. The radio and engine are covered in bubble wrap and have been installed in the fuselage. The plane is covered with a heat-shrink plastic film to which the decals have already been affixed. A four-page instruction manual with 17 photos details the very simple assembly. According to the manual, the assembly should take 15 minutes; I did it in 20 (I spent 5 minutes reading the instructions!). The installed radio is an Airtronics VG 400 4-channel system with a 7-channel 92777Z receiver, battery, switch harness and four 94102 standard servos. The engine is Megatech's M-46 ABC with muffler.

ASSEMBLY

Very little assembly is involved; in fact, I spent more time removing the few wrinkles with my heat gun than I did actually building the model. The entire plane can be assembled without using tools because all of the components are attached with bolts and wing nuts.

Tail feathers and landing gear. The vertical fin has two factory-installed attachment bolts. You will need to insert these through the two holes in the horizontal stabilizer and then through the two holes in the stabilizer plate (at the rear of the fuselage) to pass through the fuselage to the bottom. Secure the fin/stabilizer with the included wing nuts, attach the pushrods to the elevator and rudder, and you're finished with the tail assembly. Wow; that took all of 2 minutes!

The next step is to attach the sturdy aluminum landing gear, to which the wheels are attached, to the underside of the fuselage. Turn the fuselage over, and insert the landing gear onto the three studs that protrude from the fuselage; then fasten it with the three wing nuts. That takes care of the gear.

Wing. I assembled the wing by joining the two wing panels to the laminated plywood-- aluminum wing spar that's fastened into place with wing bolts. A 1/4-inch alignment dowel at the trailing edge keeps everything straight. The holes for the wing bolts are on the bottom of the wing halves and are covered with film. You'll have to feel for the film and use a hobby knife to cut out an access hole. After I had assembled the wing, I noticed an 1/8-inch gap between the panels, so I covered it with a piece of trim tape.

The aileron servo comes mounted on the left panel, and the left pushrod has already been attached. The right aileron pushrod is zip-tied to the left one for shipping; I cut it loose with a pair of wire cutters (the only tool I used for the entire assembly) and attached it to the right aileron control horn.

Fuselage. Not much to do here; Megatech has already installed the servos and wooden pushrods for the elevator and rudder. You need only attach the clevis after you've attached the tail feathers. An Airtronics 7-channel receiver and flight battery pack comes already installed, wrapped in foam and held to the plywood tray with a zip-tie. The throttle servo comes installed, and the pushrod has been connected to the engine for you. Even the tank is securely fitted in the fuselage with the fuel lines attached to the engine and ready to go.

The wing dowels were not glued to the fuselage and tended to move around when the wing was not attached; I fastened them in permanently with some thin CA.

Powerplant. The power supply is a Megatech M-46 ABC ball-bearing engine. An 11x6 prop and spinner are included in the kit. I balanced the prop before I installed it and the spinner on the engine. I solicited the help of my grandson to hold the plane while I ran a few tanks of fuel through the engine, keeping it slightly rich to prevent it from running lean. I made the throttle trim tab and the engine kill switch, and then I tested my engine settings by stopping and starting the engine a number of times. When I had finished all of my testing, my grandson and I could hardly wait to test-fly the plane.

CONCLUSION

This is Megatech's first entry into the RTF, nitro-powered-aircraft market, and it has produced a good-looking, great flying trainer for inexperienced pilots. If you are looking for a trainer plane that you can get into the air quickly, with minimal building time, this is your plane. The Nitro Air Strike has stable flying characteristics and an ample power supply, and these will take you from beginning flights all the way to advanced aerobatics. Megatech has done all the work; all you have to do is go out and enjoy the sky. Airtronics (714) 978-1895; airtronics.net.

Megatech (210) 262-8500; megatech.com.

Performance Plus; a division of West Coast Fuels (909) 899-4856.