Welcome to the
SUNCOAST MODEL FLYERS Inc.
Radio Control Flying At Coolum On The Sunshine Coast - Queensland, Australia
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Accessories
Once you have bought your aircraft, engine and radio, there are all sorts of other goodies you can buy. Some you will need right away and some you can wait a bit until you get over the cost of the initial setup.
The Essential Goodies Power Source You will need a glow driver. As the name suggests it gives the glow plug the initial glow until the engines is running. Power panels are the most common way of doing this. They are powered off a 12v battery (Gel Cell or Car/Bike battery) They will also power your starter motor and your fuel pump. Expect to pay around the $60 for one of these. If you can't afford a power panel you can get LARGE 1.5v batteries that last a while, or what is called a 'hot stick'. This is a 'C' cell nicad and glow plug connector all in one. They are very handy but do not last too long before you have to recharge them. Glow Plug Connector You will need a glow plug connector. This goes between your power source and the top of your glow plug. Expect to pay around $9 for one of these. Fuel Container This can be any container that holds at least one litre. Any less and you won't be having many flights. A metal can or thick plastic bottle is ideal. If you are not getting a fuel pump you will need a 'squeeze bottle' so you can fill the fuel tank in the aircraft. Fuel Pump You don't HAVE to have one of these but it makes life a lot easier. There are two types, manual and electrical. Expect to pay around $20 for your manual pump and around $30 for an electric one. If you don't buy a pump at least get a 'Squeeze Bottle' so you can fill the tank in your aircraft. The pumps do not come with plastic tubing so you will also need at least a metre or so. Expect to pay around $4 per metre. Battery Checker Many people do not class this as an essential but I think it is. With a battery checker you can check the state of the batteries in your aircraft. They put on the correct amount of load to give an accurate status of your batteries. You don't need one for your transmitter as they are built in. If you are fiddling around with your model on the ground for a while or have had a few flights you never know what state your batteries are in. Nicads are funny things, they give a constant output for a certain time and then go flat almost immediately. A normal 'Dry Cell' goes flat gradually. New nicads don't give of their best until they have been charged and discharged a few times (cycling). It its very reassuring to know that your batteries still have enough power in them to continue operating the model. It's up to you... you can always borrow one off someone at the flying field for a while. Expect to pay around $50 for your checker. Plug Spanner This is to remove or tighten your glow plug. You don's have to have the flash job from the hobby shop, and simple cheap 8mm socket and T wrench will do the job. Expect to pay around $6 for the flash job. Good Hat, Sunglasses & Sunscreen It's imperative that you get yourself a good hat and a decent pair of sunglasses. With aero modeling you are always out in the open looking up at the big bright sky, and you can get seriously burnt. Most people carry a small tube/bottle of sunscreen in their flight box. Overcast days can be worse then bright sunny days. Rubber Bands Most trainers and sports models have their wings held on with rubber bands. The bands that come in many of the kits are a bit loose and when you double them over they seem very tight. Get yourself a packet of No.64 rubber bands from your local stationer, they fit most models that you will come across. After you have bought them make a hole in the packet and chuck in a good dose of talk powder or baby powder, it will stop them going dry and they will last for years.
Nice To Have Goodies Starter Motors Some people see a starter as an essential item but you don't HAVE to have it. Old school modelers flick their engines by hand, safe modelers use a starter. You don't have to have a starter motor to be safe, you can always use a 'Chicken Stick', this is a piece of dowel or something similar that you can use to flick the motor over with. As glow plug engines always have the glow running they quite often backfire, if your fingers are anywhere near the prop and you get wacked it hurts like hell. Be careful using a starter motor, if the motor has a piston full of fuel it will hydraulic and the starter motor can snap the conrod or do other damage. Constant pushing against the front bearings doesn't help them either. Having said that... almost everybody uses them. Expect to pay around $50 for your starter. You will need a 12v power source to drive it. Spare Prop It's handy to have a spare prop in your box of goodies. When you are learning it is easy to nose the model over and you can break you prop. It's a real pain if you have to pack up just because you broke a prop. Spare Glow Plug Glow plugs are funny things, they can last for years or seconds. A blown plug is a common occurrence and it is handy to have a spare in your box. Super Glue/Epoxy Glue It's always hand to have a little bottle of super glue (Cyanoacrylate, commonly called Cyno) or 5 minute epoxy in your flight box. Things are always coming loose or falling off models and more often than not a drop of glue saves the day. Cyno goes hard in the bottle if left in the sun so keep any eye on it. Keeping it in the fridge will make it last for ages.
Luxury Goodies Tachometer Tuning your motor for maximum revs with a taco can be handy bit is a real luxury. Leave this for later. Expect to pay around $50 for a taco. Field Charger These are great to have to top up your batteries at the field. Field charges come in various type ranging from your basic resistor type up to the scientific reflex and pulse charging jobs. The are not cheap, anything worth it's salt will start at around $100. Don't use the cheap ones as they tend to hammer your batteries. Transmitter Case It's a good idea to keep your transmitter in some sort of case. It stops it getting knocked around during transportation and keeps the sun and dust off it. You can buy the flash jobs for about $75. The simple cases you get from discount stores are quite sufficient.
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