The
West Calder & District Model Flying Club
Kyosho 40 ARTF trainer
by
David Gourley. 24/10/99
|
Wingspan |
1600mm (63") |
|
Length |
1270mm (50") |
|
Propulsion |
0.40 cu.inch (6.5cc) 2-stroke engine |
|
Control |
4 channel radio(rudder, elevator, throttle and aileron) |
|
Price |
£79 (less if mail order) |
|
Construction |
Steerable nose-wheel, Balsa/obechi fuselage, balsa/foam wings |
Notes on buying a Kyosho 40 high wing trainer
This model is easy on the pocket of the beginner due to the complete kit as supplied by Kyosho.
On opening the box I was pleasantly surprised to see fully covered wings, tail and fuselage, full undercarriage including wheels, all control linkages and all nuts, bolts & washers which are required to complete the plane. In fact, as the box states, all it takes to complete is an engine and 4 channel radio set.
The Build
As I am a novice in both building and flying I was looking for a model that could be put together with the minimum of modelling skills, and with this model I was not disappointed.
The explicit instructions detail step by step the simple construction procedure. These I followed to the letter with one exception i.e. the glueing steps were jumped.
As I purchased the kit last thing on a Thursday and wanted to fly it on the Saturday I was advised to glue
wings together, tail and fin to fuselage and elevator, rudder and ailerons. This was done on the Thursday evening. Here I encountered the only flaw in the kit- the plywood wing brace was far from a perfect V shape, more like a tick shape, however, ten minutes with some sandpaper rectified it and as stated everything else fitted perfectly.
Friday lunchtime, building started in earnest, I was determined to test the manufacturers' claim that the complete beginner could finish it in under ten hours.
Not to bore anyone with repetative building steps, at ten o'clock that evening (yes, I have an understanding wife) I was adjusting control linkages ready for its maiden flight next day.
The Flight
As previously stated I was not wishing to "pile in" my new creation due to my lack of flying experience.
Its maiden flight I entrusted to Douglas McLaren.
Dougie had already made minor adjustments prior to taking it up, but basically it was almost ready to fly after some ten to twelve hours construct time by a novice (just as it says on the box).
The Kyosho flew well with some minor aileron trim required but responsive to all commands. Perhaps a little twitchy for a complete beginner but if supervised by buddy box the learner should soon master this models' responses enough to get him/her through their bronze and to enjoy afterwards.
The Summary
An almost ready to fly model which is exactly as it says. The beginner can put it together in one day with
minimum tools i.e. sharp knife, allen(hex) keys ,long nose pliers and a small Phillips screwdriver.
Additional materials required are epoxy and super glues. Everything else is included (except engine and radio gear)
If you decide to go for this model, shop around. I purchased mine from Marionville Models for £79 and they would not reduce their price for club members. Various mail order companies offer it for £69.95
with free P&P for orders over &100 so if you buy an engine from them as well you will be cheaper than buying local.
Dave's pride and joy sitting on the runway at West Calder