Author Archives: Mark

How can I get started in RC, and what does it cost?

Posted on June 30, 2012 by Mark

Like most sports, hobbies and avocations, R/C flying can cost anywhere from a little to more that folks like you and me can imagine ever spending on a sport, hobby or avocation. The good news is you can be up … Continue reading →

Posted in FAQs and Tips, R/C Planes, RC Chat | 2 Comments

What does a motor’s kV number mean?

Posted on June 29, 2012 by Mark

What does kV mean? Simply put, kV is just a measure of the speed with which the motor turns. (Less simply put, kV is the “unloaded RPM of the motor at 1 volt.”) Let’s look at a 1000kV motor. Its rating … Continue reading →

Posted in FAQs and Tips | Comments Off

Flying Wires for my GWS Tiger Moth 400

Posted on June 29, 2012 by Mark

I was so happy with the way the flying wires turned out on my Pico Tiger Moth, that I installed a similar mod on my 400. I replaced the stock screws on the interplane struts with 5/16″ brass screw eyes for the … Continue reading →

Posted in Biplanes & Triplanes, Custom & Modified, My Planes, R/C Planes | Leave a comment

Pico Moth Landing Gear

Posted on June 28, 2012 by Mark

I was very disappointed in my first attempt at landing fear for my new Pico Tiger Moth, using J-B Weld and wire wrapping. As you can see, it was a bit of a sloppy mess. I was sure I could … Continue reading →

Posted in Biplanes & Triplanes, Building, Custom & Modified, My Planes, R/C Planes | 2 Comments

Il Diavolo Rosso – GWS Pico Tiger Moth

Posted on June 20, 2012 by Mark

This is my GWS Pico Tiger moth, Il Diavolo Rosso or, “The Red Devil.” It is my third Tiger Moth. It sports a number of mods including full strip ailerons, top and bottom; brushless motor; flying wires and tail braces; … Continue reading →

Posted in Biplanes & Triplanes, Custom & Modified, My Fleet, My Planes, R/C Planes | 7 Comments

My Three Moths

Posted on June 20, 2012 by Mark

Here are my three Tiger Moths: 38″ GWS Tiger Moth 400 (top, yellow); 32″ GWS Pico Tiger Moth (bottom right, red); 26″ scratch-built blue foam Tiger Moth (bottom left, blue).

Posted in Biplanes & Triplanes, Custom & Modified, My Planes, R/C Planes | 1 Comment

Bye-bye, Champ

Posted on June 18, 2012 by Mark

I let my son-in-law fly my Champ a yesterday and he proclaimed it about the best time he’d ever had. I have too many planes, anyway, and the Champ rarely got any excercise so I pulled off the stock decals, … Continue reading →

Posted in R/C Planes | Leave a comment

Pico Tiger Moth Build

Posted on June 11, 2012 by Mark

I love biplanes, especially Tiger Moths. This is my 3rd Tiger Moth build. This one is from a GWS Pico Tiger Moth kit (slope glider version). I’m adding full-strip ailerons on both sets of wings, and planning on using a 1700kV … Continue reading →

Posted in Biplanes & Triplanes, Build Threads, Building, Custom & Modified, My Planes, R/C Planes | 4 Comments

Watt meter

Posted on June 8, 2012 by Mark

This is the Watt meter I use. It only goes to 100 Amps, but that’s more than adequate for the smaller planes I fly. If you’re custom building or customizing, a Watt meter is an essential tool for measuring the … Continue reading →

Posted in Building, Equipment | Leave a comment

Jesse’s Hot Rod – light Stryker

Posted on June 5, 2012 by Mark

I built a light Stryker for my son-in-law’s birthday, as part of my ongoing, nefarious plan to suck more people into R/C flying. I love the light Stryker: it’s medium fast, agile, forgiving and relatively crash-proof. It’s built on a … Continue reading →

Posted in Building, Custom & Modified, R/C Planes | 1 Comment

Hot Rod – Light Stryker build

Posted on June 5, 2012 by Mark

I’m building a lightweight Stryker for my son-in-law. It’ll be his first plane; we’ll see how that goes. This one is along the lines of my other light Strykers – small Blue Wonder motor, 10A ESC, 2″ balsa elevons and … Continue reading →

Posted in Build Threads, Building, Custom & Modified, R/C Planes | 1 Comment

Stryker fin template

Posted on May 31, 2012 by Mark

If you’re looking to build your own Stryker, here’s a handy template for cutting the fins. The full size image is 120ppi. The scale at bottom right shows one inch square.

Posted in Building, Custom & Modified | Leave a comment