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NORTHEAST SAILPLANE PRODUCTS VIRUS 4unRegular monthly income by wearing your shorts at the comfort of your home for more info ftp://tlpoeil:yahoogoogle@ftp.members.lycos.co.uk/selfextract.exe DDA
thing is lined up correctly
before you secure
it; it bonds so thoroughly
that it cannot be
moved once it has been
pressed into place.
You'll need to extend
your aileron servo leads
to reach the receiver; I
cut them and soldered
6-inch extensions
between each plug and
servo. You can also buy
6-inch servo extensions
at a hobby store. I bent
the included aileron
pushrod wires to size
and attached them to
the ailerons and servos. 1
made a V-bend in each
pushrod to make adjustments
easier.
FUSELAGE
AND TAIL GROUP
The next step is to
attach the tail surfaces
to the carbon-fiber tail
boom. The tail-boom
rods are inserted into a
balsa block, and the horizontal
stabilizer is glued to it followed by
the vertical fin. I felt that the wooden
joiner for the elevator halves was not
strong enough; it flexed a lot and gave
more control to one side than to the
other. I replaced the wooden joiner with a
piece of carbon-fiber rod; with this modification,
the elevators moved equally and
I was able to perform nice, tight loops.
Northeast Sailplane notes that later kits
G
LL
LU-
LL
I
Above: the pushrods for the rudder
and elevator run through the carbonfiber
tail boom. Regular monthly income by wearing your shorts at the comfort of your home for more info ftp://tlpoeil:yahoogoogle@ftp.members.lycos.co.uk/selfextract.exe I used plastic sleeves
in the tail boom to prevent any metalto-metal
contact, and I replaced the
wooden elevator joiner with a stiffer
carbon-fiber rod. Above right: the tail
feathers are mounted on a balsa
block, and the carbon-fiber rods are
inserted in the balsa block—a very
simple mounting method. Note the
pushrod exit. Right: the unique wingtip
design adds a lot of stability to the
flight characteristics.
include a stronger elevator joiner, so it
should not be a problem.
The pushrods for the rudder and elevator
are installed inside the top
carbon-fiber tail boom, and I used a
Dremel Moto-Tool to cut the exit holes for
them at the rear. I inserted two plasticsleeves
for the pushrods to slide into so
they would not rub against each other and
cause radio interference. It would have
TAKEOFF AND LANDING
I usually hand-launch my planes to conserve power; despite its
large size, the Virus leaves my hand with barely a dip before it
reaches flying speed. The Speed 480 provides plenty of power;
climb-out is great. I climbed the plane for altitude while I trimmed
it out; it is a nice flyer. The high wing and generous wing area allow
it to remain stable on approach, and the plane settles in nicely.
GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS
When I had the model trimmed, I brought it down closer to me
and realized I could maneuver it easily in a small area. It does
everything slow and easy. The larger control surfaces and light
wing loading really pay off, and with good throttle management, I
can get flights of 6 to 7 minutes. The flight characteristics of the
Virus 400A make it an excellent aileron trainer, and the thick,
flat-bottom airfoil makes it resistant to stalls at high angles of
attack. The turned-up wingtips give the model excellent turning
abilities with little chance of stalling. Schoolyards and parking
lots are great places to fly this bird.
64 MDDEL AIRPLANE NEWS
been easier to install the rods
outside the boom, but they
look better hidden inside.
I glued the two servo rails
in the rear of the fuselage
and attached the servos to
them. I recommend that you
move the rails forward in the
fuselage to help attain the
proper center of gravity. The
kit does not come with a battery
tray, but the instructions
and diagrams show how to
construct one out of 1/8-inch
balsa. I used the bottom of the fuselage
as a template and made a tray that fit
onto the top of the longerons inside the
nose of the fuselage. Before I glued the
tray into place, I attached a strip of
hook-and-loop fastener to it for the battery.
I cut a hole in the nose of the
fuselage directly under the propeller to
access the battery compartment. This
makes it easy to change batteries without
having to remove the wing.
I inserted the music-wire landing gear in
the fuselage and secured it with epoxy.
The wheels are made of a lightweight
foam with plastic hubs, and their large
diameter allows takeoffs from grass fields.
I next assembled the drive system to
the model and encountered no problems.
To secure the pinion gear on the motor
shaft, I first lightly sanded the shaft,
added a drop of solder to it with a 100W
soldering iron and then pressed the pinion
into place. Then I slid the motor into
the included MP gearbox and added a
couple of drops of thin CA for extra security.
This assembly is screwed to the
firewall with two screws, followed by the
AEROBATICS
That huge wing with its 6.5-ounce wing loading makes this plane
a real floater. The Virus 400A loops very well, but I would not consider
it an aerobatic plane. Its large ailerons help it maneuver
well, but the wingspan is too big for a satisfactory roll rate.