Piccole Ali

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2009 Piccole Ali – Stra’ (Venezia) - Italia

AEROMODELLO RADIOCOMANDATO

RADIO CONTROL MODEL

CAP 10 MUDRY

VQ MODEL CAP 10 ARF 60 RC

Apertura alare / Wing span: 1500 mm

MOTORE A SCOPPIO / GAS POWER

2-Tempi / 2-Stroke: 0.61 – 0.75 ci

4-Tempi / 4-Stroke: 0.70 ci

MOTORE ELETTRICO / ELECTRIC POWER

KV 610-720

Produttore / Manufacturer: Distribuito in Italia da:

www.vqmodel.com www.piccoleali.it

www.piccoleali.it …passione pronta al volo !

2009 Piccole Ali – Stra’ (Venezia) - Italia

Il CAP 10 Mudry è un addestratore acrobatico biposto costruito nel 1970 e rimasto in produzione fino al2007. L’aero fu sviluppato dal Piel Super Emeraude e fu designato CP100. Il prototipo del CAP 10 eseguì ilprimo volo nel Agosto del 1968 e fu successivamente modificato nella variante CAP 10B con superfici dicoda riviste. Il CAP 10 versione B era costruito in legno mentre la versione “C” ha la struttura alare portantein carbonio. Il motore è un Lycoming AEIO-360 ad iniezione da 180 HP, completamente lubrificato anche involo rovescio.

Il CAP 10 è uno degli addestratori acrobatici di maggior successo nel mondo, circa 2000 aerei erano ancoraoperativi verso la fine dell’anno 2000 ed è stato l’aero scuola di due generazioni di campioni.

Il modello

Se siete neofiti del volo acrobatico non c’è niente di meglio del VQ CAP-10 ARF per iniziare ad allenarsi. Sevolete migliorare le Vostre capacità di esecuzione delle figure acrobatiche, il CAP-10 Vi offre tutte lepossibilità di diventare un asso grazie alla precisione nelle risposte ai comandi e alle doti di volo che Vifaranno presto prendere confidenza con le figure più impegnative. Se siete già degli assi delleacrobazie…beh, il divertimento è assicurato!

Il kit riproduce con cura e precisione una bellissima livrea di sicuro effetto estetico che esalterà le Vostreacrobazie!

Caratteristiche del modelloCostruzione tradizionale in balsa e compensato delle migliori qualitàNaca motore e carenatura ruote in fibra di vetro dipinte di fabbricaSuperficie di controllo già incernierate di fabbricaAccattivante rivestimento realizzato con film vinilico prestampato riproducente il velivolo “Midi-PyreneesVoltige”Cabina pilota dettagliataPratico vano batteria (utile in caso di motorizzazione elettrica)Libretto d’istruzioni passo-passo

Caratteristiche tecniche – VQ Model CAP-10 ARF 60 RCApertura alare 1500 mmLunghezza fusoliera 1200 mmSuperficie alare 33.2 dm

2

PesoMotore a combustione interna 2-tempi / .61 - .75 ci 4-tempi / .90 ci

Motorizzazione elettrica Brushless Outrunner

KV/RPM-V 610 o equivalente

60A-80A Brushless controller

LiPo 4500 mAh – 6S

Radio 4-5 canali 4-5 servi

Accessori inclusiCarrelli principali carenati e carrello di codaRuoteSupporto serviCastello motoreSerbatoioPacchetto hardware completo

Non inclusoOgiva in alluminio, motore, servi, colla e tubo miscela

Prodotti correlati

Motore AST S61Alls RC

Motore FS91AR RC

Visitate il negozio online / Visit our website: www.piccoleali.it oppure scriveteci a / contact us at:info@piccoleali.com

www.piccoleali.it …passione pronta al volo !

2009 Piccole Ali – Stra’ (Venezia) - Italia

VQ MODEL CAP 10 ARF 60 RC

Aeromodello Radiocomandato / Radio Contro Model

FROM WWW.RCGROUPS.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=863828

INTRODUCTION

To my way of thinking, there are two modelingsubjects which best represent the quintessentialmodel airplane: One is WWII warbirds, and theother is high-performance, aerobatic air showplanes like the Cap-10B.

After all, if you're going to roll, tumble, loopand/or spin, why not do it with a model whoseprototype does those very things on a regularbasis at air shows all over the world? Enter one ofthe latest models from Vinh Quang Model andGlobal Hobby, the VQ Model Cap-10B .60.

You may recall my assembly adventures with thissame company's .40-sized P-51D. After thatreview was published here, Global Hobby'sproduct developer Mike Greenshields worked as aliaison between the company and I to directly andimmediately discuss my suggestions for improvingthe quality of both model and documentation. I'mhonored to report that the good folks at VQ tookall of my suggestions to heart and areimplementing them as necessary in all futureproduction runs of their models, many of whichseem to have been implemented on this verymodel. That's real customer service from both VQand Global and that's why I'm so proud to presentthis review.

The prototype, built by France's Avions Mudry &Cie., now Apex Aircraft, first flew in 1970. Thecurrent model, the Cap-10C, is still in productiontoday. A total of more than 300 Caps have beenbuilt primarily as air show aircraft, but some Capshave found their way into the military fleets ofseveral countries for use as trainer aircraft,including that of its home country. The name is anacronym for "Constructions AéronautiquesParisiennes." Power for the Cap comes from theUSA in the guise of a fuel-injected, 180-horsepower Lycoming AEIO-360.

VQ produces their Cap in two trim schemes. The"pink" scheme, with its French civil aviation ID of F-GAUH, is based on an actual aircraftowned and flown by a French aeronautics club. The "red" scheme which denotes thestandard factory livery is the subject of this review and is similar to the pink scheme, but itsregistration of F-GDIN is that of a full-scale Cessna 152; those of you who feel guilty aboutadding incorrect decals to a scale subject need not worry in this case.

Let's begin!

Wingspan: 59" (1.5m)

Wing area: 511 sq. in. (330 sq. cm)

Weight: 112.9 oz. (3.2kg)

Length: 47" (1.205m)

Center of gravity: 2.9" - 3" back from the LE ofthe wing (75 - 78mm)

Servos: Cirrus CS601BB standard forailerons and flaps; Hitec HS-311 standard for elevator,rudder and throttle (31311S)

Transmitter: Futaba 6EX "FASST" spreadspectrum (FUTK6900,transmitter and receiveronly)

Receiver: Futaba R606FS (FUTL7635,discontinued)

Receiver battery: HydriMax Ultra 6.0v2000mAh NiMH flat pack(HCAM6351)

Enginerequirements:

.58 - .61 two-stroke glow/.70- .91 four-stroke glow

Engine as tested: Magnum XLS .61A two-strokeglow (210770); Magnum XLPitts-style muffler (279945)

Fuel as tested: Byron's 15% nitro/18% oil

Propeller as tested: APC 12x7, DU-BRO 3"spinner

Manufacturer: Vinh Quang Model

Catalog numbers: VQA034 (red), VQA035(pink)

Available from: Hobby People

Listprice/suggested

selling price (USD):

$309.99/$199.99

KIT CONTENTS

Big box on a big coffee table. The box art isattractive if just a bit strange, especially with

the poorly translated English.

Here's the sight which awaits you just beneaththe box top. It looks a bit haphazard, but no

parts were damaged.

The wing halves were shipped in a single bagand separated by sheets of decal backing

paper. Worked fine.

The fuselage poses with the pushrods right outof the package.

You'll find your new Cap-10B packaged in a fairly attractive box featuring photos of bothtrim schemes, and while the box itself is nice and thick, the lid isn't; mine tore as I removedthe box from its shipping carton.

Another thing you'll notice is the box art's mangled English which seems to be a directtranslation from the alternate French text resulting in some rather strange syntax, not tomention a few misspellings. I don't speak French, so I can't vouch for that text's accuracy.Some badly translated English (no French at all) continues throughout the manual. I'vesuggested that VQ take advantage of their fairly new partnership with Global Hobby andelectronically forward future manuals and box art for proofreading. In marketing, perceptionis reality and this beauty deserves the best possible presentation.

Seems logical that the seats and floorboardcame packed in the place they'd eventually

wind up anyway.

Here are the hardware package and canopy.That hardware package isn't as jumbled as it

looks. Everything is in its own Ziploc bag.

Both versions of the VQ Model Cap-10B .60 include:

Precovered and almost fully sheeted fuselage Precovered three-piece wing with preinstalled ailerons and flaps secured with three-

piece nylon hinges Precovered tail and rudder Precovered horizontal stabilizer and elevator Vacuformed or fiberglass scale details including PVC seats, PVC strut fairings and

fiberglass wheel pants Full hardware package including plastic wheels with foam tires Fuel tank Spinner Decal sheet Fiberglass engine cowl

You will need:

.58 - .61 two-stroke or .70 - .91 four-stroke aircraft engine Propeller (manual recommends 12x6 - 12x7 for two-stroke, 12x7 - 14x6 for four-

stroke) Optional Pitts-style muffler Optional aluminum spinner Minimum five-channel computerized aircraft radio with seven standard servos Fuel based on your engine's requirements 4.8v or 6.0v receiver battery of 1500mAh capacity or better Two 6" servo extension leads for the aileron servos, three if mounting the throttle servo

to the firewall Two optional 6" servo extension leads plugged into your receiver to facilitate connecting

and disconnecting the ailerons and flaps One 12" servo extension lead for the rudder servo Y-harness for the flap servos Y-harness if combining both aileron servos into a single channel Great Planes or DU-BRO pushrod clamps (optional but highly recommended) Medium diameter silicone fuel tubing Foam sheeting for receiver and fuel tank CA and epoxy Basic assembly tools Basic field equipment

Like the P-51D before it, the Cap-10B came carefully and securely packaged. The hardwaremay look like a jumbled mess at first glance, but I can assure you from experience that it isnot; the hardware comes packaged and organized in individual Ziploc-style bags.

A neat bundle straight from the box showingthe rudder, horizontal stabilizer, elevator,

assembly manual and just below the manual,the decal sheets.

One beautifully finished fiberglass cowlawaiting its unwrapping. The black and whitehalves lined up almost perfectly with those on

the fuselage.

Front of unwrapped cowl. This was clearlyhand-wrapped but done well.

VQ Model is unique among ARF manufacturers in their use of preprinted graphics overheavy-duty, adhesive-backed vinyl covering film. This gives the benefits of a low decalcount and no chance of the graphics lifting off the covering over time. However, the thickvinyl is susceptible to temperature changes when new and will relax when exposed tosunlight; you'll need to frequently expose the components to outside temperature in orderto acclimate the covering.

That covering is ironed over subassemblies which really mean business. The controlsurfaces and horizontal stabilzer are solid wood, hinged not with "credit card" CA hinges butwith three-piece nylon hinges. This is also the first ARF I've ever completed which had bothailerons and flaps securely installed from the factory.

ASSEMBLY

Wing

We begin by attaching the dihedral joiners to the center section of the wing. The manualrecommends a test fit before securing everything with thirty-minute epoxy. A pair of 7mmwooden dowels are used to locate the front of the completed wing and need to protrude10mm. You'll have to drill out the holes, but not too much. These dowels should be areasonably snug fit.

The very first subassembly you'll complete isthe wing center section. Those holes betweenmy thumb are the ones I drilled for the servoleads. I hadn't cleaned them up at this point.

You may also have to drill holes for the servo leads. They're shown in the illustrations, butmy center section didn't have any. Should you need to drill holes as I did (see the photo),do so carefully since that's some rather soft balsa skinning that certer section. Use an X-Acto to square the openings as illustrated in the manual. It'll make it a lot easier to pass theplugs through later.

The manual shows the use of preinstalled "fishing lines" for the servo leads, but my kit hadnone and it seems they aren't necessary. You'll have no trouble fishing the lines throughlater on.

This is where I took some time to admire the craftsmanship of this model. All of the ribs ofboth wings and center section were either laser-cut balsa, plywood or hardwood and all fittogether beautifully.

The aileron servos are next and, like those used on the P-51D, are Cirrus CS601BB ball-bearing standard servos. These servos are not only among the smoothest and mostpowerful standard servos on the market, they're a tremendous bargain at less than US$10each through Hobby People. Start by trimming the covering from around the servo mountwith an X-Acto. Attach a 6" servo extension to the servo lead; I suggest securely wrappingthe connection with electrical tape to prevent separation. Run the plug out through thecenter section and mount the aileron servo in its cradle per the manual. I opted to use someDU-BRO socket head servo screws in lieu of the hardware supplied with the servos; it's justeasier and faster to use socket heads and their built-in washers evenly spread the loadacross the mounting ferrules and bushings. They also look great. Remove the flap servomounting plate, run it the short distance necessary to the end of the wing and out the samehole as the aileron lead. Repeat for the other side. When the leads are through, mix upsome more thirty-minute epoxy and join each wing to the center section. The result is asolid, well-aligned unit with greatly improved construction over that of the P-51D with itstoo-soft sheeting.

Installing the aileron pushrods and horns is a straightforward task; just remember to useshort lengths of fuel line over the clevises as a safety precaution not mentioned in themanual. Chuck a 5/64" (2mm) drill bit in your pin vise, drill the necessary holes per theinstructions and take a moment to use that drill to ream the holes in the horns. Use an X-Acto to open up the holes in the backing plates ever so slightly. Use the enclosed 2x20mmscrews; they're a perfect fit unlike those in the P-51D which proved to be too short.

On the other hand, get a couple of 2-56 pushrods and clevises for the flaps and their hiddenservos. Here's where I ran into my first minor glitches.

Start by removing the covering over the slots which the pushrods will pass through andremove the preinstalled servo mounting plates. When mounting the flap servos to thepreinstalled wooden blocks on the wing's servo panels, don't mount the servo all the wayagainst the underside of that panel; you won't be able to reinstall it later. Instead, mountthe servos (which in this case are two more Cirrus CS601 servos) as close to the top of theblocks as possible, but beware: Use your pin vise to drill pilot holes for the mountingscrews. Otherwise, you're guaranteed to crack the mounting block. I found that out thehard way, but a bit of work with the pin vise and some CA and I was back in business, thatis, until I tried to bend the pushrods. No dimensions are given, so it became a matter oftrial and error which came at the cost of all four short pushrods included with the model.When bent too far, they snapped like twigs. Some DU-BRO 2-56 pushrods from mygrooveyard of mangled monoplanes were bent to fit and cut to length. Basically, I bent therods nearly 90 degrees behind the threads and another near-90 degree bend about thewidth of the servo in the opposite direction. The manual cautions you that one of the servosis a "revert servo.” I assumed a servo reversing harness was necessary, and I happened tohave one on hand, but it wasn't; both flaps moved in the proper direction when joined via aY-harness, but quite a bit of bending and rebending was necessary to get everything towork right due to the aforementioned lack of dimensions and a non-scale drawing.

I opted to use the mix of Great Planes and DU-BRO pushrod clamps I had on hand. Themanual says you'll need to purchase clamps, but there are some packaged with the model.Sadly, these are of the type which utilize a threaded, knurled nut and a drop of CA to retainthe clamp to the servo arm. Perhaps it's just me, but I don't trust these types of clamps.For those of you more comfortable with z-bends, so much the better. I've never had aproblem using clamps, but they do require some occasional inspection for wear and a quicksnugging up with an allen wrench.

Newly assembled wing photographed on myformal dining room table to give you an idea

about the size of this plane.

Front view of the assembled wing prior to myremounting of the wheel pants.

Installation of the fixed landing gear with their PVC and fiberglass fairings completes thewing. Trimming the PVC strut fairings isn't particularly difficult, but you're left with virtuallyno surface on which to CA the halves together. Once you do, slip the wheel pants andmounting plates over the axles and check the enclosed foam wheels for proper fit. Minewere too tight, but the #2 Phillips screwdriver I had on the bench was just the thing toream out the holes. We'll have to see how the foam tires hold up after exposure to fuel.Some really good news: The enclosed wheel collars are a vast improvement over thosewhich VQ provided with the P-51D with no tendency for the setscrew to strip out.

The plywood blocks which are meant to be used as the mounts for the wheel pantsimmediately began delaminating when I tried to screw down the first of the wheelpants...and this was after I drilled pilot holes with the pin vise. Nevertheless, there wasenough bite to "keep the pants up" as it were. Some CA was used to reinforce the wood andall was well, at least for the time being.

Somehow, the other wheel fairing just didn't seem to fit the right way. No wonder: The topopenings were different sizes...and even in slightly different locations. Even the overalldimensions between the left and right sides were off.

It could also be a lot stronger as I discovered later. The slightest bumps tore the screws andblocks right off. This is an easy fix; simply remove the blocks, drill through both the pantsand mounts and run a 6-32 x 3/8 machine screw and nut through, securing the nuts with adab of threadlocking compound. Be careful not to overtighten the bolts. As it is, you'll hearsome protesting from the fiberglass, but the threadlocking compound will hold the nuts inplace without the need to overtighten anything. Save yourself some frustration later on anddo this at the onset. I've already discussed the issue with Global Hobby who in turn haspromised to bring this to the attention of the factory.

Left wheel pant/fairing assembly before mymodification. Note the thin, delaminating

plywood. Also note that while the flap servosare hidden, the aileron servos are not.

Right wheel pant/fairing before modification.The vast difference between the left and rightsides made a difference in where I drove the

screws.

Fuselage

Work on the fuselage begins with installing the engine, but before you do, take a momentonce again to admire the workmanship. VQ Model has done an exemplary job with this unit.The fuselage is fully sheeted except for some stringers on the turtle deck. Take a look at thephotos to see what I mean. Just be careful of the stringers. I managed to crack threeslightly while fitting the wing, but some thin CA wicked in with a short length of extensiontubing saved the day.

They've also greatly improved their documentation. Installing the engine on the P-51D wasa study in frustration, resulting in an improperly mounted engine. Not so with this manual.

Like the P-51D, the bulkhead has the thrust angle built in, making the Cap-10B a natural forconversion to electric power. There's plenty of room behind it for a big li-po pack. Scribeddraft lines on the front of the bulkhead make it easy to line up the strong, glass-filled nylonmounts. The manual is explicit in how every possible engine and muffler combination shouldbe mounted.

Here's a tip: It isn't mentioned in the manual, and I found it down in the box too late to beable to take advantage of it, but included is a terrific little laser-scribed wooden templatewhich will greatly simplify the installation.

Front view of the firewallshowing the offset and laser-

scribed alignment lines.

You're even given the choice of mounting the throttle servo next to the engine or in theservo tray to help with the CG; I originally elected to mount a Hitec HS-311 standard servonext to the engine per the manual, figuring that a servo mounted this far forward wouldoffset the one mounted in the tail for the rudder and that any CG issues could beaccomplished by moving the battery and/or receiver Yes, there are four possible mountinglocations, one on either side of the firewall and one on either side of the elevator servodepending on your choice of engine and configuration. How cool is that? Jumping ahead, Ican tell you that I experienced some problems due to the rather short throw between servoand carburetor; even with a greatly shortened leftover Sullivan Gold-N-Cable cable insteadof a pushrod, I had some problems with binding, not to mention serviceability. Adjusting thecable required removal of the fuel tank and just trying to get the servo and its arm in an outof the opening just wasn't worth the hassle. I wound up moving the servo back to its placeon the servo tray. Much better. I now had far better control of the throttle. With the cable, itproved impossible to shut off the engine during its break-in without carefully placing myfinger over the carb throat. It would prove to be a benefit later since the finished modelbalanced slightly nose-heavy anyway.

Although it's possible to use a standard muffleron the Cap, save yourself the hassle of having

to carve away large sections of cowl andfuselage and get one of these beauties right at

the onset.

The freshly installed Magnum XLS with its Pittsmuffler awaiting its glow plug, carb, fuel tank

and servo.

Dressed engine less its fuel tank; note thenarrow, stretched factory fuel tube connecting

the needle to the carb. The servo was laterrelocated to the servo tray.

The incredible-looking siliconedual exhausts in place on theMagnum Pitts muffler. This

muffler is a perfect match forthis engine and airframe. Notrimming of the pipes was

required.

Getting back on track, the manual suggests holding the engine and mounts together,aligning the mounts to the bulkhead and to temporarily attach the mounts to the bulkheadin preparation for drilling the 11/64" mounting holes. Instead, I found that holding just theupper mount to the Magnum XLS .61A (itself reviewed here at RC Power) allowed me tocenter both the mount and the engine's centerline. I varied just a bit in my choice ofmounting hardware, electing to use four DU-BRO 4x25 allen head bolts in conjunction withthe factory washers and blind nuts.

Speaking of the manual, there's also a slight issue regarding the hole which must be drilledfor the throttle pushrod. The place it shows is incorrect. It does show the proper placementof the hole for a four-stroke.

Once both mounts were in, I noticed that they weren't perfectly square with one anotherdue to the the mounts themselves not being square where they contact the bulkhead. Theyweren't off by much, so all it really took was gently squeezing the mounts together whenmarking the holes for the engine mounting hardware.

Don't bother trying to use those enclosed bolts to bolt the engine to the mounts. They'retoo short.

Off to the hardware store for some stainless steel 6-32x1.25" Allen bolts, some #6 washersand lock washers and some 6-32 nuts. On went the engine with no further problems.

Installing the cowl, propeller and spinner is next, but if your engine is new (like mine), thisis a good time to forego the cowl, jump ahead a few steps, install the fuel tank and break inyour engine if you haven't done so on the bench. Get yourself a good 3" spinner whileyou're at it. An inexpensive 2" spinner which doesn't come close to complementing thequality of this model is included, one more suitable for a park flyer or a .40 nitro plane, nordoes it fit; it's far too small an affair to use with the recommended 12x7 prop, and I canonly guess that it was packed by mistake. I'm pleased to announce that the spinner found anew home in front of another plane of mine which had a damaged spinner. The DU-BRO 3"spinner I used needed some carving to clear the APC prop as it was. I've outlined the cowlinstallation a little later on.

One of these things is not like the other. The 2"spinner on the left was the one supplied withthe model. The assembly on the right is what

wound up being used.

If you do elect to break your engine in while mounted to the fuselage, mount the wing withthe enclosed nylon bolts to keep oil out of the inside. Use a stand of suitable width; this isextremely important and I discovered the hard way that my Ernst Ultra-Stand was toonarrow. The balsa skin along the front half of the belly is very thin and easily broken as Idiscovered. The torque of the big Magnum actually tried to push the top of the standthrough the bottom of the plane. Fortunately, the damage was minimal and easily fixed bycarefully pushing the wood back out with the handle of a screwdriver, applying thin CA withthe help of an extension tube and ironing the covering back down.

The wing and fuselage meet for the first timejust prior to the first start-up of the new

engine.

Big plane, big engine. Both dwarf the 11x7break-in prop.

Looking as if it needs little more than thecanopy and cowl for completion, the Cap-10Bis instead serving as a break-in stand. The fun

will come later at this very field.

The Magnum XLS .61A at speed during thecompletion of the break-in process. Thank

goodness for those steel braces on either sideof the wing! Otherwise, this plane wouldn't

have stopped until it reached LA!

Tail

Installing the tail starts with the horizontal stabilizer. As is the case with most ARFs, you'llneed to remove the covering from the empennage with a sharp, new X-Acto. Unwrap thestabilzer, and remove the preinstalled elevator halves. They aren't glued in, so they'll slideright out. Here's where I noticed another nice detail on the part of VQ: The hinges are firmlyglued to the elevator halves, meaning you won't have to worry about alignment problemswith them when you do install the elevators.

The rest of the installation is typical. I installed the wing per the manual, measured 11 1/2"from the edges of the stab to the top of the tail and 33" from the topmost cowl mountingblock back to the same edges.

We move on to the control horns which seem to be shown in the drawings as not squaringup with the elevator surfaces, which is how I elected to do it since the pushrods exit at anangle a bit too close to the elevators. Mounting the horns is as before with the ailerons andflaps.

The tailwheel and its PVC aerodynamic fairing are next. The screws used to mount thetailwheel bracket seemed a bit short, so I used a bit of CA to secure everything. This iswhere I found another neat little touch not shown in the manual: There's a tab below thebend in the wire which serves to spread the load more than just the wire itself could do.Again, another nice touch, but one which required a great bit of opening of the tail toaccept. Likewise the slots on the tail for the prehinged rudder. Lots of carving wasnecessary before the hinges would fit.

The completed tail section showing thetailwheel bracket and the prototypically correct

aerodynamic fairing.

Adding the rudder made for a real visual treat, by the way. It added both overall length andgrace and I don't mind saying that this is becoming one of the most beautiful model planesI've ever had the opportunity to assemble.

The rudder servo, pushrod and horn go in next, completing the tail section. My parts binyielded another DU-BRO pushrod since I'd destroyed all of the short factory rods trying tobend them for the flaps. There's a preinstalled fishing line for the servo lead, but don'tforget to attach and secure a 12" extension first. Complete the tail with the installation ofthe elevator servo and its triple clamp which actuates the elevator pushrods. This is anexcellent idea which I encountered in the P-51D. It eliminates a joining wire at the rear andallows for fine tuning the alignment of both elevator halves.

For safety, I slipped some short lengths of fuel tubing over each of the clevises as I'd donewith the wing before calling it a day.

The next day, off I went to the club field to complete the engine break-in. It created quite abuzz, even with a couple of the regulars who fly giant scale. The time spent outside had theadded benefit of acclimating the covering.

Completion

If you haven't yet installed the fuel tank, now's the time and do take a moment to install apiece of 1/4" foam rubber between the rear of the tank and the nearest bulkhead to help

hold it in place. Otherwise, all that's holding it is the rubber stopper. I'd learn later on thatthis is a necessary step, but one not covered in the manual. I'd installed it less the foam inorder to break in the engine and I once again have to give VQ Model credit for theirthoughtful pre-bending of the vent tube. Another thoughtful touch is the fact that thepressure line from the muffler connects to a nipple on the tank itself, leaving a third,unused hole in the stopper for an extra tube, line and clunk to drain the tank via a secondfuel dot should you wish to. Mine came out at this time in order to install a DU-BRO Kwik-Fill fueling valve (catalog number 334) on the cowl and to relocate the throttle servo. Makesure that you plug the filler line if you use the DU-BRO valve or something similar. Iplugged it internally with a screw screwed into a short piece of fuel line before replacing it.This setup would later prove to work just fine.

I also installed the cowl itself, using the old trick of using strips of masking tape over themounting blocks and fuselage, measuring back one inch from the center of the block anddrawing a line between that spot and the fuselage. Measure the distance back from the glowplug and high-speed needle and do the same thing, marking the cowl at those spots onceit's installed. The included 2x20mm mounting screws are called for for attaching the cowl.Deviating ever so slightly, those allen head servo screws I'd used throughout the model justso happened to be 2x20mm and they not only look terrific, they'll make future engineaccess a lot easier. I got the hole for the glow plug on the money, but I was off just a hairfor the high-speed needle due to slight, unnoticed interference from the top of the needleitself. Illustrations suggest different openings which need to be made depending on themuffler setup. My use of a Magnum Pitts muffler meant all I had to do was to open up thebottom rear of the cowl to clear the silicone exhaust pipes. I installed the prop and spinnerand the front of the plane was finished.

Top view of the firewall showing the engineoffset and cowl mounting blocks. Not muchroom for error where those mounting blocks

are concerned.

Temporarily mounted cowl showing myMasking tape method for the proper placement

of the screws. Worked like a charm.

Right side view of the cowl prior to the drillingof the mixture screw and glow plug holes. I

hated drilling into such a nice piece!

Top of cowl; the strip of masking tape on theleft shows a distance of 11cm from the markon the tape to the location of the hole for the

mixture screw.

The cockpit floor and seats are next, the former attaching via four 2x10mm screws. Theseats are next and attach with a bit of CA. Be careful: There are a definite top and bottomto the seats, but this may not be apparent at first. I installed mine with the longer sideserving as the back, applying the CA to the surface with the injection marks. The undersideof that floor makes a great place to mount a flat battery pack, and so I did with the help ofsome Velcro. No recommendation is made regarding the capacity of the battery, but withseven standard servos onboard, I went with a HydraMax 6.0v 2000mAh flat pack. I installedthe receiver as well, wrapping it in foam and attaching it to the servo tray with some zipties. There's no mention as to the location of a receiver power switch and there seems to bean opening on the servo tray where I mounted the receiver, but I didn't see the point of aninternally mounted switch. A heavy-duty JR deluxe switch harness (JRPA001) was mountedto the left side of the plane next to the receiver. It's larger than the standard Futaba switchI'd planned on using, but the extra insurance of a top-quality switch such as this offsets theaesthetics, which really aren't bad.

Trimming the canopy can be done with ordinary scissors if you don't have Lexan scissors.Die-cut stickers are provided for the frame as well as clear instructions, but I discoveredthat some were too short. No problem; some extra sticker material cut to fit solved theproblem nicely, but that's another detail that VQ Model really should address sooner insteadof later. It all goes back to perception of quality. As far as alignment of the canopy isconcerned, it aligns well and the manual shows it in the proper position in relationship tothe full-scale Cap-10, unlike the box art which shows the canopy too far back. Checkagainst online photos of the full-scale plane to see what I mean.

Installation of the cowling decals and any optional sponsor decals complete the assembly ofthe Cap. If you have the red version as I do, be careful to install the starburst decals intheir proper orientation. All three should tilt forward with the longer of the two blackstarbursts on the top. The manual simply shows the starbursts already installed, but neitherthe picture nor the decal sheet really show which decal goes where. They're also way tooshiny for my taste. The sponsor decals are not, but a couple are printed slightly out ofregister. You may opt to trim around the starbursts with a good, sharp X-Acto, removingthe shiny clear part.

I based my decal choice on the most tasteful photo on the VQ website, opting for theprototypical "CAP 10" decal on the tail, the Lycoming and Champion decals near the cowland the Michelin decals on the wheel pants. That Lycoming decal is one that's off-register,but it doesn't look all that bad once applied.

Finally, you're at step 32, the CG and control range setup. The range values are given inboth US and metric, but the US values are almost silly. It's far easier to set up the flaps for20mm of throw as opposed to 51/64", isn't it?

Now all we need is a pilot! I may have to mock up somecontrol wheels before long.

This is where a computer radio is necessary since the ailerons call for an up throw of 15mmand a down throw of 10mm. Problem: The flaps on my Futaba 6EX are on channel six. Sotoo is the flaperon function which would have allowed me to assign each servo its ownchannel. Solution: 15mm of throw in both directions since both ailerons are on channel one.Flaps and elevators are set to 20mm of throw, the rudder at between 45 and 50mm and theCG from 75 to 78mm back from the leading edge of the wing. No matter what part of theworld you live in, ignore the US measurements. Few rulers I know of measure 25/64",19/32" and the like. There isn't a suggestion of exponential value, but I went with 30% as astarting point on the low rate setting to soften what I felt would be some very livelyresponse. This proved to be a near-perfect setting during the test flights. On the high rateside, I increased the expo as well as the throws by five percent. A quick check of the CGwhich is at the forward edge of the black simulated pilot and passenger steps showed thatthe CG was pretty close to right on the money with a slight nose-heavy attitude.

This was also my first opportunity to see the completed model. All I can say is: Stunning.Simply stunning. This is one of the most beautiful model aircraft I've ever seen.

FLYING

Basics

As has been the case with my previous reviews, I recruited Dan Metz, president of theCoachella Valley Radio Control Club, to give the Cap-10B the once-over and fly the maidenand was he ever impressed with the looks and the overall construction of this model.Impressed as well were some other flyers on hand.

Some engine starting problems immediately manifested themselves, but once the cowl andprop were removed and the engine test-run without the cowl or spinner in place, the culpritturned out to be the needle valve block-off plug on the side of the carb which was visiblyloose while the engine was running. Once that was tightened back down, zoom! The fueltank had popped loose from its hole in the firewall during this time, so we used some papertowels and a discarded sleeve from a Starbucks coffee cup to temporarily secure the tank inplace until I could do a proper fix, which came about later in the aforementioned form of asheet of 1/4" foam rubber between a bulkhead and the rear of the tank. A quick low-powerrange check of the radio and of the control throws and we were ready.

This is the very first beauty shot of the completed Cap-10B, and she really is a beauty. The relaxed covering on

the wings corrected itself within a few minutes.

Pilot-eye beauty shot, Oh, to have been able to hitch aride on this plane!

Left side beauty shot showing the cowl-mounted DU-BRO filler valve, the JR heavy-duty power switch and

the Cirrus rudder servo.

Taking Off and Landing

With Dan at the controls, the flaps down and the nose pointed into the wind, the Capstreaked down the runway and was airborne inside of thirty feet (10m) thanks to the flapsas well as a rather brisk headwind which almost made the flaps unnecessary.

To say he was impressed was an understatement.

All it needed for hands-off straight and level flight was a couple of clicks of right aileron.We're talking fast straight and level as well, which I estimated at around 85 mph (140km/h) at full throttle with an engine on its first flight since break-in.

Overall flight characteristics looked to be on par with some of the finest ARFs on the markettoday. Dan has a lot of years of RC flight to his credit, so when someone like that makes astring of enthisiatic comments on a model's performance, you take those comments at facevalue and beyond. Even with standard servos, the Cap was locked down and absolutelypredictable. Dan had also commented on the Cap's impressive axial stability. Simply put,banking the wings resulted in a clean turn or roll with no discernible drop in altitude or theneed to overcompensate with elevator. Nor was much elevator required for inverted flight.Since the Cap balanced a bit nose heavy, he wasn't surprised at having to add a bit ofelevator, especially since it wanted to climb under acceleration during normal flight. Unlike aYak, Extra, Sukhoi and the like, the Cap-10B has some dihedral which may have played apart. There appears to be a lot less wing loading here than meets the eye; I honestlythought that the thing would have been a flying brick given the relatively short wingspan.Thank goodness for the flaps; they really do their job. Quite well, I might add. A slow,"dirty" fly-by with the flaps down was so slow that I was certain that it would tip stall andcrash, but if anything, the Cap actually wanted to climb even at what was basically a slowjogging speed.

Dan gunned the throttle, raised the flaps and put the Cap through some basic aerobaticmanuevers which I've outlined below, all of which were near-flawless. Loops required a bitmore rudder than he would have liked, but the culprit turned out to be slightly misalignedelevator halves. Landings were equally impressive. The flaps give plenty of lift, resulting inan elliptical-winged aerobat which glides in like a trainer. Frankly, it lands like no modelplane of this type has a right to. I was certain it would tip stall at some point prior to thatfirst flight, but I needn't have been concerned. His landing was one of the smoothest I'dever seen with only a slight bounce from the foam tires and if we had an audience, they'dhave been yelling and clapping their approval. Even he was surprised at how well it landed.

After a quick double-check of the control surfaces and a quick wipedown of the underbellyand it was my turn.

Ground handling was great with my only concern being that the foam tires had clearlysoaked up some fuel or oil based on the tracks they left, but nothing prepared me for justhow great this bird would fly once it got in the air. Once more the Cap faced the wind, Ibrough up the throttle and it was off into a clear desert sky.

It turns out that Dan had every reason to be impressed. I was expecting a tail heavy, tip-stalling handful of an airplane; it was the first time I had preflight butterflies in a long time.Unlike the ridiculously nose-heavy P-51D which required nearly three ounces of extraweight at the tail, the Cap-10B was just nose-heavy enough to fly perfectly without theneed for extra weight. I was very glad at this point that I relocated the throttle servo andused a plastic spinner instead of the aluminum one recommended online.

I'd overcompensated with a bit too much up elevator on takeoff which almost sent the Capvertical, but I was able to keep things under control. Within mere seconds, I felt as if I'dbeen flying this plane for years. I'd expected it to be difficult to fly, but the overallperformance was simply stellar; VQ's own website claims that the Cap-10B is suitable forbeginning aerobatic pilots and I believe them. The recommended control throws made forenthusiastic response while the 30% expo kept that enthusiasm in check. I tried some basicvictory rolls, some good old loop-the-loops and a couple of Immelmann turns and the Capresponded in kind with only the slightest course deviation in the loops due to the misalignedelevator. Just flying straight and level around the pattern was tremendous fun. At no timedid I feel as if I were wrestling the controls just to keep it in the air.

Sadly, I had to cut that first flight of mine short before trying the high rates since we hadn'trefueled it before I took off. I lowered the flaps, scrubbed off some of the Cap's considerablespeed on final and in she came for a glass-smooth, three-point landing, perhaps among thebest I'd ever done and possibly better than Dan's since I didn't bounce it on the mains.Even the act of lowering the flaps had very little effect on the Cap at speed, causing littlemore than a bit of upward thrust. The landing was a bit too fast since Dan had shut off theengine by using the trim instead of the throttle cutoff and though we thought we'd correctedit, the big Magnum .61 was still idling, well, just a bit too fast. Other than that, it was easilyone of the most enjoyable flights I'd ever experienced. I taxied back to the flight line whileresetting the throttle trim and gave the Cap the once-over. The only evidence it had flownother than some oil and a bit of desert dust was that of foam rubber dust from the visiblyworn tires. Low-bounce rubber tires are definitely in this plane's future.

Subsequent and more relaxed flights a few days later were just as wonderful. I was moreaggressive still with the Cap; about the only weakness I found was in the verticalperformance, at least with a 12x7 prop. It was very good, but far from unlimited. I left itnose up until it stalled and the stall was graceful and controllable. Just beautiful. If you gowith the same setup as I, you'll find that the vertical performance is nearly unlimited solong as you don't nose it up ninety degrees.

Rolls were astonishingly graceful given how well the axial control is.

My first landing sure must have been better than average since my subsequent landings,while very good, exhibited the same bounce from the mains that Dan experienced. In fact,just taxiing to the runway caused the tail to bounce on the slightest bump. Once in the air,this plane wants to fly and comes in hot even at a slow idle and with extended flaps. Result:The slightest contact with the runway bounced the plane back in the air a good ten inches,taking two or three bounces and most of the runway to bring it to a stop.

Aerobatics/Special Flight Performance

Given the fact that this is a model of a fully aerobatic air show plane, it should come as nosurprise to learn that pretty much any non-3D aerobatic manuevers you care to try shouldbe a few flicks of the sticks away.

What was so impressive was the fact the Cap did them so well and so effortlessly. Thecombination of a well-balanced airframe coupled with a high-revving, big-block two-strokemake for some of the most enjoyable sport flying you'll ever do. All that shattered theillusion of watching a full-scale Cap in action was the empty pilot's seat.

To recap, Dan was careful on that first flight, limiting his aerobatic manuevers to basic rollsand loops. One thing was immediately apparent: The Magnum XLS .61A is a perfect matchfor the Cap, effortlessly pulling it into huge, magnificent loops.

I was slightly more aggressive, putting the Cap through loops, victory rolls, Immelmannturns, stall turns and inverted flight once I got a feel for the controls. All were as easilyperformed as on a simulator. Although I hadn't tried anything beyond those basics on thatfirst flight, I can tell you that a couple of half Cubans came off without a hitch on its nextflights a few days later; I generally like to get about seven or eight flights on a model beforeI really cut loose, but this inspires so much confidence I may just have to bang stickssooner than later. As a sport scale plane, it isn't set up nor does it seem to be intended for3D flight, but rather scale-like aerobatics.

Control surface alignment is critical for accuracy, so be extra careful in aligning themproperly.

If you're new to aerobatics, I can think of no better way to build confidence than by flyingthis model.

Is This For a Beginner?

No, since it has none of the self-righting, slow-responding and comparatively slow-flyingcharacteristics of a trainer. The Cap-10B is a very stable model, but everything happensreally, really fast in comparison to a trainer and it'll go exactly where you tell it to. A pilotwith little or no experience might put this model in an attitude that he or she might not beable to recover from. The manual also assumes that one has modeling experience. Anintermediate pilot considering taking the step from simply boring holes in the sky tolearning aerobatic maneuvers will have a fun time learning them with this model. I see noreason why this fine model couldn't be used to teach aerobatic skills to experienced pilotsvia a buddy box setup.