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

Model Airplane News, Aug 2003

21st Century Sealing Iron

The heat is on!

When you cover an airplane with heat-shrink film, you need a covering iron that's easy to maneuver into tight areas and-most important-that accurately holds its temperature. The 21st Century Sealing Iron that we use in the office is a few years old now, and it still works as though it was brand new. What more can you say about a product that's as faithful as Old Yeller? Price-$36.99.

Hangar 9 Micro Digital Tach

Pocket-size engine-tuning tool

We've learned that having a tachometer on hand to tune our engines for a photo session is essential for reliable performance. After all, the last thing we need is for the engine to falter during a photo pass-not good! For reliable performance, you need a reliable tach, and Hangar 9's Micro Digital Tach has served us well. It's small, and the LCD screen is easy to read-even in bright sunlight. We've dropped the tach a few times on hard surfaces such as concrete, and like a Timex watch, it just keeps on ticking. Price-$27.99.

Great Planes Ballwrench Sets

Torque it down

Ball drivers are among the most indispensable tools on our workbench. An Allen wrench often isn't long enough, or it can't reach the bolt you want to tighten because it's placed at an awkward angle. We always have two Great Planes Ballwrench sets on our workbench-one standard and one metric. They're long, can reach many tight spots and, with their hardened, heat-treated steel tips, they'll last for many years. Price-$13.99 (standard); $11.99 (metric).

PFM Adhesive

Stick to it

If ever an adhesive had a million and one uses, it's PFM. It will stick anything to just about anything else. We've used PFM to affix plastic to balsa, repair cracks in fiberglass and even to plug leaky glow-fuel tanks. It sets up in about 30 minutes, so it's awfully handy for field repairs. PFM is a one-part adhesive, so it's ready to use at a moment's notice, and it's also non-toxic and nonflammable. Price-$12.90.

FMA Supernova

A familiar star still shines

We've listed the Supernova among our favorite chargers for the better part of two years now, but until another unit that offers as many features and is as easy to use for the price comes along, we're not going to stop using it-or praising it! When something needs charging in the office, the Supernova gets the call; it handles everything from tiny micro-flyer Ni-Cds and NiMHs to giant, 12V, lead-acid batteries. It's fully automatic, so most charging requires nothing more than the push of a button. We have yet to experience a problem with it, and aside from lithium cells, we haven't encountered a charging task it can't handle. Price-$128.50.

Thunder Tiger CarryMaster

Keep it all together

Don't you hate it when you get that nagging sensation that you've forgotten something, and you're already halfway to the field? About the only thing worse is getting to the field and finding out that what you forgot is something you can't fly without! That's why we love the CarryMaster from Thunder Tiger; the molded case has pockets for the included fuel pump, glow starter, heavy-duty starter and 12V gel-cell to power them. The set also includes a 4-way wrench, a 3-liter fuel cell, recoil fuel tubing and chargers for the gel-cell and glow starter. You can tell at a glance whether anything is missing, and it all fits neatly in the case for transportation to the field. This one is a keeper. Price-$99.