Download TAKE THIS LARGE- SCALE SAILPLANE SOARING - rc

REVIEW
HANGAR 9 ASW 20
SYNOPSIS
The ASW 20 is in stock at
horizonhobby.com. So do not
wait one minute if you wanting an
affordable, superb soaring scale
glider. Get everything you need at
the Horizon site too, and you’ll have
it built in about 16 hours. Importantly,
you will get hours of soaring for
this model, that is if you set it up as
recommended in the instruction
manual. Hangar 9 has done an
outstanding job of manufacturing a
capable soaring sailplane.
The only thing that I would change
is for Hangar 9 offer an optional pilot
figure. For our review model, we
used a well-worn pilot that still had
his “ticket” but had been grounded in
Gene’s shop. He did good!
At the 2015 Yakima Aerotow event,
I had only about four flights on the
model. The model tows super well —
you just keep the wings flat and let it
follow the tug.
Off tow, each flight of this model
delivered soaring performance
that pleased me. During one flight
I climbed it to an altitude that
challenged my visibility, with other
pilots saying that they could no longer
see it. To get it down I simply opened
the flaps to their 80-degree position
and pointed the models nose down
at about an 80-degree angle. The
ASW 20 came out of the sky without
any tendency to over speed or get
near control surfaces flutter speed.
Back down at about 1000 feet it was
a joy to put the model thru some
aerobatics, which included loops,
split-S, inverted flight, and tight circles.
Again, the model just delivered!
Deploying the flaps again
and pointing the nose down at a
45-degree angle brought the glider to
within rotation altitude. By just easing
the nose of the model up, it bled off
speed nicely to make superb landings
after each flight.
SPECIFICATIONS
uncoupled to the ailerons, which I
think is the way to get the best flight
performance from a sailplane.
The next day at Eagle Butte, the
wind conditions were light, but even
still I was able to soar the model well.
Over the back side of the hill, in the
landing zone area, I worked a couple
of thermals to get the model to well
over 3,000 feet above launch altitude,
maybe even higher. Afterwards, it
was time to pass the transmitter
around and let some other pilots fly it.
They liked the model’s handling and
soaring capabilities too.
DISTRIBUTOR
The model is quite well done with its scale detailing quite
close to that of the full-scale aircraft. The SG 1202 airfoil
provides good lift-over-drag for super soaring.
Horizon Hobby
4105 Fieldstone Road
Champaign, IL 61822
Phone: 217-352-1913
Horizonhobby.com
Scale : 1/3.14
Materials : Balsa / carbon /
fiberglass / foam
Wingspan : 185.5 in. (4.70 m)
Length : 89.5 in. (2.74 m)
Wing area : 1623.0 in.2 (104.7 dm2)
Weight : 19.5 lb (8.8 kg)
Wing loading : 27.5 – 29 oz/ft2
Wing tube length : 27 in. (685 mm)
Wing tube OD : 0.625 in. (16 mm) solid
carbon
Airfoil : SG1202
Transmitter : 9-channel recommended
Receiver battery : 2 - 4000-mAh LiPo
Servos : 7 sailplane, 6 electric
Motor : Power 60B 470Kv
Motor battery : 5000-mAh 6S 22.2-volt
30C LiPo
ASSEMBLY
GENE
Hangar 9’s instruction
manual is well written and
organized. If you follow the manual,
assembly will be straightforward.
I recommend you use a checkoff
procedure though so you do not miss a
critical step.
You’ll want to start with installing
the servos in the wings. The servos
get attached to the plywood servo
covers. The covers get hardwood blocks
glued to them. The servos are screwed
to the blocks. You must make certain
the blocks are glued securely to the
plywood covers. The manual calls out
5-minute epoxy, but I recommend using
15-minute, with clamps to hold the
blocks fast while the epoxy cures. You
will also use 15-minute epoxy to fasten
the control horns in their respective
control surfaces. Be certain to measure
the positions of the servos relative
to the control horns so the control
rods run true to the horns. I had to
adjust one of the servos on its cover
to achieve good alignment of the rod.
Also, center the servos for the ailerons
and flaps before installation. They
must provide the proper differential as
well as maximum flap deflection.
The elevator’s servo mounts in
the vertical fin. The procedure is
documented well in the manual in
photos and words. However, I suggest
you be absolutely certain you use the
proper length on the servo’s control
horn. Be certain to secure the servos’
connection between the lead and its
extension. Note the servo arm will be
attached as you mount the elevator to
the top of the vertical fin — at least
that was easiest for me.
The fuselage comes with the
plywood servo tray factory installed
and the rudder servo is easy to install
in it. You will, however, need to make
up the pull-pull cables that drive the
rudder. Make absolutely certain you
get them taunt, without any excess
slack. You want the rudder to stay
centered and respond to control inputs
without hysteresis. Then too, make
certain the control horns are properly
installed in the rudder, with equal
distances on both sides.
In the pod of the fuselage, you’ll
simply bolt the electric-powered
retract in position. If you have
outfitted the model with high-voltage
servos the retract must use a voltage
regulator. It is as simple as plug and
play. The gear doors use four plastic
hinges, two per side. The hinges’ center
lines must be set back from the doors’
openings so the door will open out and
away from the opening, which makes
for smooth gear operation both open
and close.
The releasable tow hook servo
is also easy to install. You only need
to screw it into its respective place
in the fuselage’s plywood servo tray.
You’ll need to fasten the linkage to
the hook too, but that is easy. What is
important is making certain that when
you program the transmitter the hook
opens full and closes completely, which
means you must adjust the servos
travel volume appropriately.
I mounted the two LiPo battery
packs up front as shown in the
accompanying photos, just behind the
release’s servo. They are held in place
by hook-n-loop material, with the hook
side getting fastened to the plywood
with cyanoacrylate glue. I used two
strips per battery.
The Spectrum AR9110 DSMX
receiver was fastened to the side of the
fuselage with hook-n-loop material. As
is shown in the photos, the receivers
satellites were positioned around the
fuselage to provide the best signal
diversity. The receiver’s switch was
mounted on the rudder’s servo tray for
ease of access. That’s it. Done.
ESC : 80-amp min.
Propeller : 16 × 10 folder
Spinner : 1.77 in. (45 mm)
Colors : White (U870), True Red
(U866)
Flaps : Yes
The result of this aerotow was getting the opportunity to soar the model
to “speck” altitude. The flaps make dethermalling the model easy when
they are deployed to about 80 degrees.
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RC SPORT FLYER . JULY 2015
The ASW 20 is designed to accept electric spoilers, but honestly you don’t
need them if you use full-flap deflections for landing. However, the
spoilers will provide more scale-like landings approaches.
twitter.com/rcsportflyer
Retract : Electric-powered optional
Price : $999.99 (HAN4955)
rc-sportflyer.tumblr.com
CONTROL THROWS
AILERONS
ELEVATOR
RUDDER
Low (Up/Down)
.83 /.4 in.
.5 / .35 in.
1.4 / 1.4 in.
High (up/down)
.90 / .47 in.
.6 / .4 in.
1.6 / 1.6 in.
Expo %
30
20
15
Center of Gravity 3.75 – 4.125 in. behind leading edge of wing at root
FLAPS
Landing (down)
1.6 in.
Speed (up)
0.8 in.
Cruise
0.0 in.
Thermal (down)
0.2 in.
RC-SF.COM
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