HANGAR 9 Edge 540

Model Airplane News, Nov 2004 by Reid, John, Sullivan, Dave, Davisson, Budd

Get the competitive edge

I have always been a big fan of the Edge 540, so when Hangar 9 unveiled its newest 33-percent Edge 540 at the last Toledo show, I knew I had to have one. When I was given a chance to review it, I couldn't say "Yes!" fast enough. This plane (like other large aerobatic planes from Hangar 9) was designed by veteran Tournament of Champions (TOC) pilot Mike McConville. The new Edge 540 will satisfy any pilot's need for a stable, fully 3D aerobat.

WHAT'S IN THE BOX?

Like other large-scale Hangar 9 kits, the Edge 540 arrived in two large boxes. One contained the balsa/plywood built-up wings and horizontal stabilizers; each component was individually bagged and secured with either packing tape or cardboard filler pieces. The other box contained the balsa/plywood built-up fuselage and rudder housed in separated divided compartments.

All of these components come expertly covered in a bright four-color scheme with Hangar 9 UltraCote covering. A painted fiberglass cowl, wheel pants, carbon-fiber landing gear, plastic smoked canopy, wing and stabilizer tubes, small hardware package, decal sheet and a 44-page manual are also included in the second box. To finish the model, you will have to provide radio gear, a 3.8 to 4.8ci engine, hardware, a smoke system (optional) and a pilot figure. I highly recommend that you buy Hangar 9's complete 1/3-scale hardware package (sold separately for $149.95) because the Edge 540's manual offers precise measurements and detailed instructions for using this hardware, and that makes assembly and set up all that much easier.

CONSTRUCTION

Before I began construction, I had to choose the powerplant I was going to install in this aerobatic beauty. I decided to go with a 3W gas engine from Cactus Aviation because of its outstanding performance, reliability and power. I fly at roughly 3,000 feet above sea level, where summertime temperatures are normally well over 100 degrees, and air density and heat affect the plane's performance. These two factors almost require a larger and more powerful engine to extract the full acrobatic benefits of this plane. I chose the 3W-106B2 because of its power and reliability, but keep in mind that when you select an engine that's more powerful than a kit's manufacturer recommends, you void the warranty. That's not to say that the Edge 540 can't handle the larger powerplant; it can. The pilot just needs to use proper throttle management to avoid putting undue stress on the plane.

I started my construction on the Edge 540 by removing all the wrinkles in the covering with a covering iron. I prefer to use a covering iron rather than a heat gun because it allows precise temperature control, and that prevents excessive shrinking-especially over the multicolored seams. I've sorted all of my hardware, and now I'm ready to begin assembly.

WING CONSTRUCTION I

Like its predecessor, the Extra 33OS, the Edge 540 incorporates two servos for each aileron because of its large control-surface area. For this reason, I selected JR DS 8411 digital servos for all of the control surfaces except the rudder because they have powerful torque (155 oz.-in.) and fast transit time (60 degrees in 0.16 second). I used a JR Matchbox on each aileron to make synchronizing the two servos for each control surface much easier. I shrink-tubed a servo extension to every servo and then routed the wires through the wing. After I had screwed in all the servos tightly, I followed the measurements outlined in the manual to position the control horns and pushrods. The ailerons are now hinged to the wing using the Robart hinge points. To prevent flutter and increase the control surfaces' effectiveness, it is extremely important that you seal all hinge gaps on planes of this size. The instructions outline how to use a 3-inch wide strip of UltraCote for this purpose. The strip is folded in half and ironed onto both sides of the bottom hinge line (wing and aileron).

The 3D servo arms, heavy-duty ball links, Pro-Links pushrods and heavyduty control horns provided in the optional hardware package made aileron installation and setup quite simple. When the servos were centered, I installed all the linkages to connect the servo arm to the control horn. By adjusting the Matchbox and Pro-Links, I was able to get the aileron servos working in unison very quickly.

ELEVATOR AND RUDDER

The horizontal stabilizer is designed to be removed easily to make the Edge 540 easier to transport and assemble at the field. The stabilizer halves plug into two rods that are inserted through the rear of the fuselage. To facilitate removal, the servo is installed inside the stabilizer, so when you remove the elevator, you just have to unplug the servo extension and not mess with the control linkage. After the servo lead has been routed through the exit hole, the servo is screwed into place and centered by being connected to the receiver. The elevator servo arm is now installed; I had to modify the pushrod opening a little to get the servo arm on the servo.