Why does it have to be this complicated? If I had a dollar for every time Ive heard that question asked by fliers who are trying to match electric power systems with airframes, Id be a rich man. In the glow and gas world, the process is pretty simple: just pick an engine at or around the top end of the recommended range and one of the few props listed on its data sheet, and youre good to go.

I've been a sport modeler for 30 years. Along the way, I have discovered some simple techniques for making hatches. Here are a few that I've relied on. Given the expansion of onboard widgets of all kinds, you just may find yourself wanting some hatches to better access electrical connections and components on any brand of ARF. First, let's look at how the designers at Goldberg and Great Planes paved the way, and then we'll look at a very simple magnetic hatch you can build in 20 minutes.

This month I will discuss how I overhaul a basic two-stroke glow engine. I will be disassembling an O.S. .46 SF, cleaning the various parts, doing an inspection and replacing the bearings before reassembling and test running the engine. The techniques shown are applicable to any brand of engine.

Anderson Powerpoles are among the safest, most reliable and most useful of all connectors for electric- powered airplanes. They are easy to disconnect (you won’t damage your plane pulling them apart), expose no live metal contacts and do not require soldering. Here, we will discuss additional key installation tips and tricks that, until now, have been known only to the “experts.”

HABU is a tribal word that loosely translates to “Holy crap, Batman, did you see this?” And that is what I said to the guys in the shop when I first opened the box. But, I digress. If you seek a great looking, hot performing and fun to put together electric ducted fan jet, with unheard of performance, this Habu 32 is the bird for you. It came from the design team at Horizon Hobby/EFlite, headed by none other than David Payne, you know, Kim’s significant other. If you’ve been chomping at the bit for a step up from their original “foamy” version, it is here. Yes, it is more expensive; yes, it takes about 30 hours to assemble, and yes, it will definitely help prepare you for hotter EDFs, such as the BVM Electra, EDF Bandit or perhaps any turbine sport jet you may see in your modeling future.

Hangar 9's Twin Otter is a scale replica of the USAF's UV-18B's, the military version of the DeHavilland DHC-6. The US Air Force Academy uses three of these twins for their cadet parachuting program.

HABU is a tribal word that loosely translates to “Holy crap, Batman, did you see this?” And that is what I said to the guys in the shop when I first opened the box. But, I digress. If you seek a great looking, hot performing and fun to put together electric ducted fan jet, with unheard of performance, this Habu 32 is the bird for you. It came from the design team at Horizon Hobby/EFlite, headed by none other than David Payne, you know, Kim’s significant other. If you’ve been chomping at the bit for a step up from their original “foamy” version, it is here. Yes, it is more expensive; yes, it takes about 30 hours to assemble, and yes, it will definitely help prepare you for hotter EDFs, such as the BVM Electra, EDF Bandit or perhaps any turbine sport jet you may see in your modeling future.

INSTRUCTIONS: FireFox Browser Click on the resolution link below the the wallpaper you want to install When the image loads in your browser, click the RIGHT mouse button over the image and select “Set As Desktop Background…” The …