It's been another busy month (isn't it always?). I went to a funfly here in New Zealand and got some SAB 600 blades to try on my Voyager and I'm really happy with the result. The blades are heavier than the 3D MS blades I had on it and so auto much better. It has made me much more enthusiastic about the Voyager now and so it's getting more flying time.

Voyager Rebuild
I realized the Voyager had cracked one of it's frames down by the engine mount which meant it was going to have to be fully stripped down. Having just finished doing a rebuild on the Vigor, I wasn't really keen to do the whole operation again with the Voyager, but it needed to be done. With assistance from Sharon who cleaned all the bits as I was pulling them off, I managed to strip and rebuild the machine in three nights.
Was a good chance to inspect everything like bearings, pushrods and servo wires. Everything was fine, but I replaced the mast bearings and the spiral wrap on the servo leads anyway.

I've also installed the OS 60B carb that I used to have on my old 91 SX-H on the 50 which also has a Muscle Pipe. I really like what the carb has done for the engine, really smoothed it out and made it much easier to live with. It will now sit and idle and transition cleanly. Others who I have talked to have spoken of huge increases in power which I haven't really noticed, but I'm still very happy with the exercise.
Apparently the 50 size Muscle Pipe II will be out shortly and I'm looking forward to getting a piece of that action going on the Voyager. Hopefully it will be a bit lighter than the existing MP1.

Electronics Servicing
Last month I wrote about how I'd rebuilt the CS giving it a bit of a renovation. During this I sent the electronics away to get checked out. I'd actually been tossing up whether to even bother given that I couldn't see anything wrong with the stuff, but decided I would anyway as I already had a spare flying set for a Vigor lying around (GY601, PCM RX, 3 x 9252's).
I got my stuff back the other day with a list of what had been done. To my surprise, two of the servos needed work, one needed a new pot, gearset and case while another just needed a new case. The receiver was 'retuned' (or whatever you call it) to bring it closer to it's stated frequency. The 601 and 9251 had been inspected, but apparently there wasn't a lot they can do with these so did what they could and sent it back to me. The bill for the work came in at NZ$400 (US$230 or so) which when you think about NZ$1600 worth of radio gear is probably not too bad for piece of mind.
This just really highlights the need to get your equipment checked on a regular basis, when you think about it NZ$400 is only a small (emphasis on small) Vigor crash so it's well worth it.

2003 F3C World Championships
Within the next month the 2003 F3C World Champs will be held in Noto, Japan. Aaron Williams New Zealand will once again be competing and representing New Zealand and I wish the best of luck to him and all the competitors involved in the event. I hope you all have a fun and successful time!
To keep abreast of developments in the event, keep an eye on the Official Website.

Pilot Locator
The Pilot Locator has continued to grow in popularity since the last newsletter with it still rating second most popular section of littlerotors.com. Make sure your details are up-to-date! The pilot locator can be found at www.littlerotors.com/findapilot/

Market
The Buy/Sell Market has been growing also. It should be noted that this section will accept postings from all over the world, not just New Zealand. List your items free of charge! See the market at www.littlerotors.com/market/

Articles this issue are:

Pilot Profile - Dwight Schilling
Dwight Schilling is one of Kyosho's leading pilots in the US and another member of the American F3C team attending the World Championships in Japan. Click here

Toolbox Essentials
Buying the helicopter and radio is just a start, you need all the support gear to keep your new toy running. Here's what I use. Click here

Feel free to contact me at simon@littlerotors.com at any time.

Si