Mini
Scale ASW 24!
| FVK 'Mini' ASW 24 - A Personal View. |
I
first saw this cute little 64" span 'ARTF' model at the BARCS soaring
market in December 2001, and instantly fell in love!The model comes with a good quality white glass fibre fuselage, with the elevator pushrod wire pre-fitted. The canopy is pre-cut, and is taped on to the fuz.
The wings are balsa-veneered white foam, and are pre-finished in white Oracover, which is also used to hinge the already cut out and covered ailerons. The tailplane and rudder are balsa sheet items, and are also pre-covered in white Oracover.
One of the best points of this model is that the C.G. position is already set out for you, as the model balances on the glass fibre wing joiner rod (a great idea!). The wing panels also have the incidence pins, joiner tubes and servo wire tunnel, pre-done for you too.
The tailplane is mounted on top of the fin with a single nylon bolt, which works well. Even if you tighten it, it can still r
otate.
So I decided to use a small piece of double-sided tape to stop it moving
around. The elevator is held in place with a single strip of "Diamond
Tape".The rudder is mounted to the rudderpost, by conventional hinges. No rudder pushrod is supplied, but the instruction sheet does mention the use of a closed-loop system. But I preferred to use a single steel pushrod, which works very well.
The radio installation is pretty straight forward, although you do have to supply the mounting hardware yourself. This is a sensible idea, as some manufacturers still include inferior fittings in their kits, which only get thrown away!
The radio gear I used, were a pair of Multiplex MS-X2 servos on elevator and rudder respectively, and a pair of Hitec HS-55's in the wings. The Receiver is a Multiplex Pico 4/5, and power is supplied by a SuperRonik 600mAh Ni-Mh 2/3AA battery.
The
maiden flight took place in May 2002, in what was less than ideal conditions!
The wind was a pretty constant 25mph, with intermittent rain showers! All
up, this model is very light, and I was reluctant to test fly her. But all
the same, I decided to go for it!The ASW24 was launched, and to my surprise, she flew straight and level before finding a small bit of lift. Considering the blow, she was very smooth in flight. The C.G. was spot on, which helped with the first flight nerves! The maiden flight was cut short to 5 mins, as another rain shower approached. The following landing was an uneventful, even though our flying site is known for turbulent rotor on landing.
The elevator and rudder are responsive, but the ailerons (being quite narrow) do tend to let the model down. They're OK for normal flight, with a little rudder mixed in. But rolls need a bit of speed and height, as they are quite barrely.
That aside, this is a lovely looking, compact model that thermals really well. Flight performance is quite fast. Away from the slope, she gives you the impression that your flying a much larger 2m model, she's that smooth!
When I travel to different slopes, I usually get a lot of comments about her looks! A very nice little model.
The electric version is suitable for speed 400 motors or the new 280
sized Brushless motors. This semi scale model is delivered completely
covered with the decals already applied. The ASW 24 is available with
an electric fuselage.
The FVK 'Mini' ASW 24 is available from:
Brian Anderson
Email: brian.anderson@onyxnet.co.uk
Tel: 0191 3887649
FVK Modell Web Site: www.fvk.de
| Technical Details - FVK 'Mini' ASW 24 | |
| UK Distributor | Brian Anderson |
| Aircraft Type: | Semi Scale Glider/Electric Glider |
| RRP | 155 Euro (£106 approx) + p&p |
| Wingspan | 64 Inches |
| Wing Section | MH-32 |
| Wing Area | 19.8 dmē |
| Flying Weight |
Glider:
from 450 g |
| Number of Channels: | 3/5 Channel Radio |
| Control Functions: | Rudder, Elevator, Ailerons, Aileron Braking, Optional Electric Motor |
| Construction | Glass Fibre Fuselage, Foam/Veneer Wings |
| Likes | Dislikes |
|
|
Please
mention 'Flying Sites' when contacting
Brian Anderson
| Info Panel |
|
FVK
'Mini'
ASW 24 UK Distributor: Brian Anderson |
| Comments: This is a lovely looking, compact model that thermals really well |
| Price: £106 (approx) + p&p |
| See Technical Details Below |