It's "Buyers' Guide" Time!

Model Airplane News, Aug 2005 by Cleghorn, Debra

PARK AND BACKYARD FLYERS, SPORT PLANES, ENGINES, RADIOS, GIANT-SCALE aerobats, motors, hardware, gear ... you name it, you'll find it in our special "Buyers' Guide" section in this issue. With 86 pages of the latest planes and products-including a huge park-flyer section-the 2005 "Buyers' Guide" is a valuable resource you'll want to keep handy throughout the year. More than 600 listings are organized into product categories, so it's easy to find exactly what you need, and manufacturer and distributor information is included at the end of the guide. This special section starts on page 99.

When was the last time you cleaned your engine? At the field, dirt, dust, bits of grass and even water can all find their way onto-and into!-your powerplant. This month, engine expert Dave Gierke details easy ways to clean your engine at the field so you can make certain that this debris doesn't gunk up your engine. Dave also shares some at-home maintenance tips to remove varnish buildup (which can affect your engine's ability to cool down). Follow his simple steps, and you'll keep your engine running right.

Electric motor systems continue to offer more power and performance, and we have a special report on a plane that may be the biggest electric yet! This 46-percent-scale Hangar 9 Ultimate is powered by four Hacker motors harnessed by an Inner Demon gear drive and with four 6450mAh Li-poly packs. This powerful setup allows the Ultimate to hover at less than ½ throttle! Don't miss the inside story on page 70.

If you spend most of your time in the workshop cutting out and sanding ribs, you'll definitely appreciate Roy Day's quick and easy way to make perfect ribs every time. Whether you're building a straight or tapered wing, Roy's method is guaranteed to speed wing construction. And when you've completed your model, how about dressing up the cockpit a bit? "Scale Techniques" guest columnist Charlee Smith shares his advice on creating a beautifully detailed cockpit using ordinary household items. Check it out on page 204.

Our featured construction article this month, the Mini Ultimate Biplane, is another winner from designer Pat Tritle's workshop. With standard "stick-and-tissue" construction and a variety of suitable electric powerplants available, the Mini Ultimate is a fun, inexpensive build that will surely turn heads wherever it's flown.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to fill out last month's reader survey. We rely on your feedback to help us continue to provide the feature articles and reviews that you enjoy. We always welcome your letters and email: write to us at 100 East Ridge, Ridgefield, CT 06877-4606 USA, or email man@airage.com. We look forward to hearing from you.

Debra Cleghorn

Executive Editor