Category Archives: Equipment

Hot Wire Cutter

I’ve wanted to build a hot wire cutter for quite a while but have been too nervous about the electric part of it. Well, I’m finally biting the bullet. I’m starting with this – – a vintage Louis Marx Model … Continue reading

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Scotch Heavy-Duty Fasteners

Scotch Heavy-Duty Fastener is the only Velcro-type fastener I use on my planes. It’s very strong; I’ve never lost a camera or battery in flight and, in fact, they stayed attached thru some pretty surprising crashes.  

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New calipers

For the past few years, I’ve been making do with a cheap, Imperial caliper but no more. I just got in my new digital vernier calipers from HobbyKing. At the price – 13 bucks – they’re probably not the most … Continue reading

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Custom tool – screw eye driver

I’ve used tiny, brass-plated screw eyes on several of my planes. The eye gives me a nice anchor point for flying wires. However, they are a major PITA to screw in and out of the struts. Frustrated with turning them … Continue reading

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Silver cases

I bought some new field cases for my RC gear. One was actually sold as a pistol case, the other as a fishing tackle box. I hated the green colors on the tackle box, and the pistol case – pure … Continue reading

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Watt meter

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

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Digital Scale

For weighing my planes and parts, I use a Blade digital scale, for which I paid about $9. It is sometimes a PITA to get the plane balanced over the scale and then a bigger PITA to read the display which … Continue reading

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HatCam

I like to take video of my planes in flight, but I usually don’t have anyone with me who can operate a camera. My solution – and certainly not an original one – is the ‘HatCam.’ All my cameras are … Continue reading

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My Aerial Camera Collection

Here’s a photo of my current collection of R/C cameras. I mount these on my planes – and sometimes on my hat – to record aerial videos. The cameras weigh about 17 grams apiece, including the “Velcro.” 1,3 and 4 … Continue reading

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Best $2 I ever spent

This little guy is a LiPo battery voltage meter I purchased from HobbyKing. Although not extremely accurate – it might be off by a hundredth of a volt or two – I’ve found it indispensable in the field for checking … Continue reading

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