WORLD MODELS: Zero G.S., THE

Model Airplane News, Mar 2004 by Hampton, Scott, Davisson, Budd

Fearson WW II fighter in giant scale

The Japanese Zero is arguably one of the most recognizable planes in aviation history. Infamous for the strategic role it played in the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Zero-with the unmistakable sun emblazoned on its wing-had the power to strike fear in the hearts of enemy pilots worldwide. Today, the Zero remains just as notable, but now, as one of the most-often-replicated planes in the modeling industry. The new 1.60-size Zero from The World Models is a well-built, high-quality tribute to an aviation icon; it's sure to grab just as much attention as its full-size counterpart.

IN THE BOX

This giant beauty comes in one of the most complete packages that I've ever seen. In addition to a fiberglass fuselage, the Zero features nicely covered, built-up balsa wings and tailpieces. The two-piece wing is detachable, as is the stabilizer. Additional features include hinged flaps, an elevator bellcrank, an anti-vibration engine mount and installed, spring-loaded, retractable landing gear. A scale plastic spinner, a painted fiberglass cowl, canopy and pilot and a complete set of hardware round out this all-around excellent package. An optional drop tank is also available; of course, I chose to include it on my model.

The Zero requires a 1.60 2-stroke engine, a 6-channel radio and nine servos. I decided to power mine with a Moki 2.10 2-stroke, and I used a combination of Hitec and Airtronics radio equipment for control.

ASSEMBLY

Wing. Most of the work on the wing is already done! I first made sure that all of the hinges were securely glued into place and moved freely, and then I began the assembly process with the installation of the flap and aileron servos.

The aileron servo panels come already drilled, so I began by gluing the mounting blocks into place with 30-minute epoxy. When the epoxy dries, mount the servos to the blocks, and run the servo wires through the wing. Connecting the aileron servos requires the use of a 24-inch Y-harness; two 12-inch Y-harnesses are required for the flaps and retracts. I used standard Airtronics 94102 servos for the flaps and ailerons and Hitec metal-geared HS-75BB servos for the retracts. I secured the aileron servo trays to both sides of the wing using the provided screws.

Next, I installed the flap servos following the same procedure as I used for the aileron servos. Everything fit beautifully in the wing. I then installed the control horns for the flaps and ailerons; the kit provides a very nice set of control horns-perfect for a plane of this size. After I installed the pushrods, I turned on the radio and checked for smooth movement.

When I was satisfied with the operation of the control surfaces, it was time to connect the retractable landing gear. The landing gear and pushrods come installed in the wings; you simply have to mount the retract servos in the wing and connect them to the servo arms. Because the retract servos are on top of the wings, two pieces of MonoKote are provided to cover the holes.

With the retracts completed, it was time to join the wing halves. The provided joiner tubes fit perfectly in both halves. A nice set of L-brackets is provided to secure the halves together. Installing the L-brackets was a bit time-consuming; drilling the necessary holes requires a steady hand. Once you've bolted the halves together, the wing is complete; it takes only a couple of hours.

Engine installation. The holes in the firewall are already drilled out, so I test-fit the Moki 2.10 to the fuselage, and I found that it fit just fine. The engine mount is a neat, vibration-free system. You can mount the engine upright or sideways simply by rotating the engine mount; thrust angles will not be affected. I installed the blind nuts in the back of the firewall and tacked them down with some CA. I then marked and drilled out the holes on the engine mount and mounted the Moki on the firewall. Using a Pitts-style muffler, everything fit perfectly; even the throttle pushrod hole matched up.

I installed the throttle servo and the fuel tank next. I assembled the fuel tank and slid it into place. I packed foam around it and secured it with a balsa brace that I glued into place just behind the tank. For this plane, I decided to use three lines in the fuel tank: feed, fill/drain and vent. I hooked up the feed line to the carburetor, and after installing the cowl, I connected the vent and fill/drain lines.

I used an Airtronics 94102 standard servo for the throttle. I glued the servo tray into place with 5-minute epoxy then mounted the servo to the tray. There is plenty of room inside the fuselage to do all the work you need. I ran the control rod through the firewall, attached it to the throttle arm on the carburetor and then connected it to the servo arm. all of the pushrod material is provided for this step.

With the engine installation complete, it was time to install the cowl. This is the neatest part of this ARF. The Zero comes with a clear, 3D cowl to serve as a template; make all of the necessary cuts in the 3D cowl, then simply transfer them to the main cowl. 1 first attached the aluminum plates to the cowl and then marked all of the locations where I would make cuts. When I was happy with the fit of the template, I transferred it to the main cowl. I then cut out all of the holes on the main cowl and transferred the aluminum plates. With the cowl installed, I mounted the prop and spinner.