Editors' picks 25 goodies, gadgets and gizmos we use every day

Model Airplane News, Aug 2003

The opportunity to exchange ideas and building techniques with fellow modelers is one of the things we enjoy most about our hobby. Each day at the office, we receive email, letters and phone calls from modelers who have a question or two on a variety of subjects. The topics range far and wide, but the most commonly asked question is: which support equipment and building tools are most used by the Model Airplane News editors? We thought it would be fun to give you an inside look at our offices so you can see what we really do use to build, fix and fly our models. We dug around and came up with 25 tools and accessories that we all use practically every day. We were very surprised at the wide range of stuff on our worktables. Take a look; you'll be surprised, too!

Sirius Charger

Don't leave home without it

A low battery can really ruin your day. Since we started using the Sirius Charge Pro, though, we haven't had a single battery failure. This automatic charger is simple to use; just hook it up to a 12V power source, connect your battery to the charger, and the charger does the rest. Since we're on the go a lot, the ability to charge flight packs on the way to the field is a big plus. Price-$129.95.

Great Planes Slot Machine

Motorized hinge slotting

Cutting hinge slots is a chore that always took an entire evening's work to accomplish. You had to sit there and slice away with a hobby knife for hours, just to make slots that probably needed to be adjusted when it was time to install the hinges. Since we started using the Great Planes Slot Machine, our slot-cutting time has been reduced to just a few minutes for an entire plane. Now, we just mark the hinge location on the control surfaces, hold the Slot Machine's motorized blades against the wood, switch the unit on and, in a couple of seconds, our slots have been cut cleanly, and the hinges fit perfectly with little (if any) adjustment. Price-$34.99 (w/cord); $54.99 (cordless).

Hangar 9 Fieldmate & Power Panel

Flightline buddies

We spend a lot of time building and writing about airplanes, and those tasks don't always allow us to accomplish other things, such as building a flight box. We needed one that wasn't too large and bulky yet was sturdy and big enough to hold the essentials needed on the flightline. We've used the Hangar 9 Fieldmate prebuilt flight box for more than a year now, and it has really fulfilled our needs nicely. It has room for an electric starter, screwdrivers and other commonly used tools. The box is factory-painted and has held up well during many outings; in fact, it looks as good as new! Combine the Fieldmate with Hangar 9's Deluxe Power Panel, and you'll have a great flightline duo. The power panel has reliably supplied power to our starter, glow igniter and other electrical accessories. We really like the built-in meter that shows how many amps the glow plug needs to light. Price-$39.95 (Fieldmate); $22.95 (Deluxe Power Panel).

Top Flite Smart Stripe

It's not only smart, but it's easy, too!

It's no secret around here that we like to cover our models with plastic heat-shrink covering. It goes on easily, and if repairs are needed, they can be accomplished quickly. The nice thing about plastic covering is that it can be cut to suit a great variety of trim schemes, and that's where Top Flite's Smart Stripe cutter comes into the picture. Before we begin covering our next project, we cut off 4 or 5 inches from the end of a roll to use on the cutter-no problems with color-matching here. The cutting machine uses no. 11 hobby blades for accurate cuts, and we can make precise strips that range from 1/16 inch to several inches wide that are long enough to suit any model we build. Price-$21.99.

Great Planes RealFlight

Fly virtually anywhere, anytime

Aren't flight simulators great? They allow you to practice new maneuvers or just get some stick time when you can't make it to your flying field. One of our favorite pastimes is to log virtual flight time on Great Planes' RealFlight R/C Simulator during our lunch breaks. With the wide variety of available add-ons, you can find just about any type of model you'd ever want to fly. For us, it's a great way to keep our flying skills sharp. Price-$229.99.

Slimline M1 Gas Pump system

Fill 'er up!

Around here, we fly and run a combination of glow- and gas-powered planes. This means that each fuel container must be compatible with nitro and gasoline. For our gas-model needs, we've found the Slimline M1 Gas Pump system to be just about perfect. The unit is self-contained and comes complete with all hardware and a manual pump that's gas-compatible. One-, 2.5-and 5-gallon jugs are available; the 1-gallon size keeps us going for a full day of action. Prices-$49.99 to $59.99.

Hobbico Builder's Cutting Mat

Preserve your work surface

If you build your models from kits, it's inevitable that the required cutting will score your work surface. Because some of us do our building here at the office, the worktables we use aren't like those in a typical workshop, so we need to protect them from the cuts and scrapes that sharp hobby blades can inflict. Hobbico's Builder's Cutting Mat is just the ticket. The mats come in three sizes and have helpful rulers printed right on them. Prices-$7.99 (12x18) to $21.99 (24x26).