Ultrafly Cessna 182 ARF

 

The Tower Hobbies catalog designates this Ultrafly “CESSNA-182” as a “Park Flyer ARF”. At 323 square inches wing area, an estimated total weight of 27 ounces and powered by a geared SPEED-400 electric motor, this aircraft is on the upper end of what we would call a “Park Flyer”. You probably could fly it in a park or schoolyard, but my feeling is that you really should be flying this aircraft at a regular RC flying site (like a club field!).

However, the Aerobird Swift does meet all the aircraft requirements of the Academy of Model Aeronautics’ (AMA) Park Pilot Program. The aircraft weighs less than 2 pounds (the Program’s upper weight limit) and has a level top speed under 60 mph (the Program’s upper speed limit). For complete Park Pilot aircraft details, follow this link. But it is definitely a “second” airplane, not a basic trainer.

The AMA Park Pilot Program offers non-AMA members the opportunity to become AMA members at a much reduced cost. Park Pilot membership includes a great magazine “Park Pilot”, $500,000 personal liability insurance, $2.5 million liability insurance for the flying field owner (see insurance details) and membership in the world’s largest sport aviation association – the AMA. For complete information and details about Park Pilot membership, just click here.

 
Photo 1    Photo 2

The CESSNA-182 is an ARF (almost ready-to-fly) model constructed entirely of molded expanded bead foam. This particular foam will not accept any of the CA type instant cements. All assembly work should be done using the “foam cement” supplied with the kit, with a water-based white glue or with 5 minute epoxy cement (which is what I used throughout my entire assembly). The foam and white cement take considerable time to dry (cure) making the assembly a somewhat lengthy process. The 5-minute epoxy lets you continue assembly at an even pace, without having to wait too long between each step.

 
Photo 3    Photo 4
 
Photo 5    Photo 6

As the above photos illustrate, the CESSNA-182 is a very complete ARF kit that includes the basic foam aircraft, a set of scale like decals to dress up the model, a variety of hardware including wheels, landing gear, a steer-able nose gear, control rods, hinges, clevises, wheel collars, plywood firewall, molded plastic cowl, spinner and a molded plastic battery box.

Photo 7

In addition, the CESSNA-182 is provided with a SPEED-400 size (actually called a Falcon-400) electric motor with a 3/1 gear drive (photo 7). The items you must purchase separately include a motor battery, electric motor speed controller (ESC) with a BEC, an RC system with 3 to 5 mini-servos and a battery charger. Tower Hobbies is presently selling the CESSNA-182 ARF kit for $79.99. The number of servos required will vary with the configuration that you select. I used two aileron servos (one in each wing panel), along with an elevator and rudder servo. That makes a total of four servos. The ESC provides the motor throttle control. Provisions are made for in-board flaps, which is an option, but would require a fifth servo.

 
Photo 8    Photo 9

One unique feature of this CESSNA-182 is that it is supplied with two sets of wings (photo 8). One wing is designated for beginner pilots and has a relatively thick airfoil section, which provides more lift and slows the plane down in flight. A second wing is recommended for the advanced flyer and has a thinner airfoil section. When using this thinner wing, you are advised to go to more battery cells in your pack, which will increase the motor current as well as motor power (wattage!). With the thinner wing section and increased power you will be able to do some more advanced maneuvers like, rolls and inverted flight. One thing I want to point out right at the beginning is the fact that the two different wings look very similar in appearance. They aren’t marked, but there is a slight difference in the center section molding. Please take note of photo 9 to make sure you properly identify both types of wings.

The assembly manual that is provided is quite detailed and arranged in a logical order. But I wouldn’t kid you on the amount of time it took to complete the assembly process. There are many detailed steps and it will take some time. I’d say I logged almost a week (five days) to get from the kit box to the flying field. That’s a lot quicker than kit building or scratch building from plans. Be patient when assembling this CESSNA and you will be rewarded.

Assembling The Cessna

 
Photo 10    Photo 11

The very first step involves cementing a 5 MM nut into a molded plastic wing hold down brace. This is the only time you are told to use CAA adhesive. Since the fuselage consists of two halves or shells, you must install the elevator and rudder control rod tubes at this time (photo 10). It is an easy job at this point. But once the fuselage sides are joined together, control rod installation could be tedious. So do it now and you will save a lot of effort later. Just prior to actually joining the fuselage sides, you must install the rear wing hold down brace with that 5 MM nut (photo 11) Epoxy half of the brace in one side.

 
Photo 12     Photo 13

Next, I applied a small amount of Vaseline into the nut (photo 12). This will prevent the epoxy from getting inside the threads of the nut. By doing this, you won’t end up with a plugged hole later on. After the sides are cemented together, you can epoxy the plywood firewall in place (photo 13). There is a front and back to this firewall so make sure you have it oriented properly.

Photo 14

At this point it is a good idea to install all the fuselage decals (photo 14). It is much easier to do at this point, without the tail feathers in place. Keep in mind that the decals run forward on to the molded plastic cowl. I forgot that point and you will note that fact in my final photos.

 
Photo 15    Photo 16

Select which of the two wing panels you want to use at this time. I started with the “Beginner” or thick airfoil section because I felt that would be the most popular choice with newer pilots. Join the two panels at the center section using epoxy cement, holding everything in place with some strips of masking tape (photo 15). Next remove the pre-cut ailerons from both wing panels (photo 16).

Photo 17

Follow the detailed instructions and install the aileron hinges using epoxy cement. I also installed both aileron control horns at this point, just prior to inserting the hinges on the wing panel side. The final step is to add a fiberglass reinforcement rod in a groove on the bottom side of the wing (photo 17). This is also epoxied in place and imparts considerable extra strength to the wing structure (an excellent idea!).

 
Photo 18      Photo 19

The wing is held onto the fuselage with a plastic bracket at the leading edge and a 5 MM metal bolt at the trailing edge (photo 18). A plastic trim piece at the trailing edge prevents that bolt from pulling through the structure (photo 19). The forward wing hold down bracket consists of two pieces that are attached to the fuselage, with a third piece that attaches to the wing leading edge.

Photo 20

The wing bracket then, sort of, plugs into holes in the fuselage bracket. It is easy to mount, leaving the wing snug on the fuselage (photo 20). Using this method you don’t have to resort to wing hold down rubber bands. Another nice feature is that the battery is accessed from the bottom of the fuselage. As such you don’t have to remove the wing after every flight to charge or swap battery packs.

 
Photo 21    Photo 22

Tail feathers are next, and again, it is a simple job but takes some time. Prior to the actual assembly you will have to cut out the two elevators and the rudder (photo 21). Again I installed both the rudder and elevator control horns at this time. The rudder can be hinged next to the vertical fin and put aside. Insert the stabilizer into the slot at the rear of the fuselage (photo 22).

Photo 23

Align the stab with respect to the wing (which you can temporarily attach to the fuselage). A wire joiner must be used to connect both elevator halves so that they move in unison. This step is a little tricky since you must insert the hinged elevators halves into the stab and at the same time insert the wire joiner. Be careful not to get any cement on the hinge line because it can easily bind up your controls. The last thing you do is insert the vertical fin/rudder into the slot provided at the top, rear of the fuselage (photo 23). Again, align this surface with respect to the wing and epoxy it in place.

 
Photo 24     Photo 25

At this point I installed the molded plastic battery box at the bottom of the fuselage. The back end of this box has a slot for the main landing gear wire (photo 24). All three wheels require the installation of metal hubs. They are then slipped on to the wire main landing gear and nose gear struts and held in place with the provided wheel collars (photo 25).

Photo 26

The nose gear strut must be assembled to the nose gear bracket along with the steering arm. Place a “Z” bend on one end of a control rod and pass that rod up inside the plastic sleeve (photo 26). That rod will run from the nose gear steering arm back to the rudder servo output arm. Then, when you operate the aircraft rudder, the nose wheel will turn in the same direction to steer the Cessna while it is on the ground. Make sure the rudder and nose wheel turns match.

 
Photo 27    Photo 28

A certain amount of assembly work is required for the motor gear drive. The directions are clear and the process is simple. A metal shaft is first inserted into a ball bearing and then into a molder plastic gear mount/retainer. The shaft is held in place with a tiny “E” washer (photo 27). Be careful not to lose this washer since it is not easy to come by a replacement. The large black spur gear gets pressed on to the metal shaft. Then, the brass pinion gear is installed on to the motor shaft (photo 28). The motor is then all set.

 
Photo 29    Photo 30

A square piece of hardwood provides a simple motor mount. Part of this wooden rail is inserted into the square hole in the firewall and as far back as it will go. You coat this stick ahead of time with epoxy cement (photo 29). The remainder of the rail protrudes out the front of the plywood firewall. Before attaching the motor in place, you should prepare the molded plastic cowl. Trim the outside edges and cut out all the openings in the front. This is necessary so that cooling air passes through the motor while in flight. Slip the prop adapter on to the motor shaft (photo 30).

Then slip the motor on to the square stick. Position the plastic cowl and make sure that the prop adapter shaft protrudes out just enough to allow space for the prop spinner and prop. The cowl is held in place with four sheet metal screws, two on each side. When everything is spaced properly, remove the cowl and install one small sheet metal screw through the motor into the square stick. That will hold it in place, yet it is still easy to remove the motor, even at the flying field, when necessary (photo 31).

Photo 31

I placed Anderson Power Pole (APP) connectors on the ends of the red and black wires exiting from the motor. These wires get inserted into the hole in the center of the firewall. The wires pass back into the area, just above the battery box, where you plug the connectors into the motor side of your ESC.

Radio, Engine and Setup

For RC equipment, I chose components from Hitec RCD because I already had a new Hitec OPTIC-6 transmitter in my possession and a Spectra synthesized module that allows me to “dial up” any of our 50 RC aircraft channels on the 72-73 MHz band. For a receiver, I got a Hitec HFS-05MG single conversion FM 5 channel receiver that weighs only 0.7 ounce. Along with that I purchased a total of four Hitec HS-81 micro servos that provide 36 in. oz of torque, yet weigh only 0.6 ounce each (photo 32).

 
Photo 32     Photo 33

I used two of these servos for the ailerons (one in each wing). That required a “Y” type cable harness to connect two servos to the single aileron port on the receiver. A 6 inch aileron extension cable was also necessary. Two other HS-81 servos were used, one for the elevator and one for the rudder (and steer-able nose gear). For throttle control, I had a 20 amp (brushed motor) ESC on hand that included a BEC circuit (photo 33). With a BEC you need only the one battery pack to run both the electric motor as well as the RC system.

Photo 34

Both aileron servos fit into cavities already molded into each foam wing panel. A little trimming of the foam is necessary to make them fit in these “pockets” (photo 34). Double sided tape holds each of these two servos firming in place. I used the supplied (short length) control rods placing “Z” bends on one end to attach the rod to the servo output arm. The other end of the rod is threaded and accepts one of the supplied plastic clevises. The clevis attaches the rod to the aileron control horn on each aileron. The clevis can be threaded in or out as a means of adjusting the length of the control rod.

Photo 35

Get both ailerons perfectly level (neutral) and temporarily hook up you receiver to make sure they work in the correct direction. When you have the servo direction verified, run the servo cables in the channels or groves cut into the foam panel. Both servo cables are routed towards the center of the wing where they plug into the “Y” harness. To hold the cables in the groves, I used lengths of strapping tape, which is white in color and blends in with the white foam (photo 35). I also used an aileron extension cable from the “Y” harness to the aileron port on the RC receiver located in the top, center section of the fuselage.

The instructions also tell you how to install on-board operating flaps. This will require an extra servo. The flaps are essentially marked out on the wing panels. You only have to cut them out (as you do the ailerons) doing the hinging, and install a control linkage. I chose not to add this feature on my review model. But rest assured all the necessary hardware is provided and the flap installation job is relatively easy. However, you will be adding additional weight to the model.

 
Photo 36      Photo 37

For the rudder and elevator servo I added two pieces of 1/8 X 1/4 spruce sticks to act as servo rails. Both servos were attached to these rails using the mounting screws provided with the servos (photo 36). On the elevator servo I installed a DuBro EZ connector to the outside hole of the output arm. For the rudder servo I installed another DuBro EZ connector on the inner most hole to accept the steering control rod coming from the nose gear steering arm or tiller. The outer most hole in the output arm is for the rudder control rod, again using a “Z” bend for this connection.

At the tail surface end, both the elevator and rudder control rods terminate into the supplied clevises. This allows you to rotate the clevis in or out to adjust the control surface positions. The receiver was attached with double sided tape to the front portion of the RC compartment (photo 37). Plug the servo connectors into the receiver. Also plug the servo connector lead from the ESC into the throttle port of the receiver. The aileron port gets the aileron extension cable. I installed APP connectors on the remaining two wires coming out of the ESC. These connectors will be accessible through the battery box and will connect to the battery pack (photo 38).

Photo 38

Matching Motor, Battery and Prop

Since I chose to fly with the beginners (thick wing section) the instructions recommended an APC 10 X 4.7 SF prop and an 8 cell 1000 mAh NiMH battery pack. I happened to have an 8 cell 950 mAh KAN type NiMH pack and chose to use it. For information that type pack is available from Dynamo Electrics but Tower also offers both the eight cell pack recommended for the beginner’s wing and the 10-cell pack for advanced flying. You do not have to modify the battery box using the Tower batteries.

These same Dynamo Electrics cells are now rated and offered at 1050 mAh capacity. My particular 8 cell 950 mAh KAN cell pack weighed exactly 6.3 ounces with connectors. Unfortunately, these cells were a little thicker than the AA size cells originally intended for this battery box. I happened to like the battery box and so modified it a little to accept the thicker cells in my pack. All I did was remove the three bottom plastic supports. Then I cut out two pieces of pink foam (photo 38A) and cemented them in place to prevent the battery from floating around inside the fuselage. By doing this I can still remove the battery box cover and easily access the battery for charging purposes without having to remove the wing.

The instruction booklet provided some interesting information on the use of the thinner wing section for advanced flyers. There is a table included showing motor current, voltage and power (watts) for both 8 cell and 10 cell battery packs and an assortment of prop sizes.

I started with the Beginners (thick section) wing and followed the recommendation of using the APC 10 X 4.7 SF prop and an 8 cell battery pack. Using that combination I measured 11.7 amps, 8.75 volts (under load), 103 watts and 5500 rpm. The instruction manual table had values lower than what I came up with: Notably 9.3 amps, 7.5 volts, 68 watts and 5000 rpm. My feeling is that the high quality “KAN” type NiMH batteries that I used can handle substantial loads with much less of a voltage drop than the more ordinary variety of NiMH cells. The bottom line is my “KAN” batteries produced much higher current and power.

Everything so far is fine! But then the instruction booklet goes on to suggest that you use a 10 cell battery pack and an APC 8 X 8E prop when employing the thinner wing section (advanced flyers wing). I tried this combination and found that it produced the following parameters: 18 amps motor current, 12.16 voltage under load, 210 watts and 7200 rpm. This extra power would certainly make the CESSNA-182 lively in flight and would improve the capability for doing many more maneuvers. At the same time you will be carrying the weight of two extra battery cells. But I would caution you that at 18 amps motor current you are way beyond the upper limits of a SPEED-400 size electric motor.

I still felt committed to experiment with a different prop and the slightly larger 10 cell battery pack. Almost by accident I came up with an APC 9 X 4.5E prop. That prop, on a 10 cell NiMH battery pack produced these parameters: motor current 13 amps, 12.17 volts, 162 watts and 8200 rpm. The two extra battery cells brought the Cessna total weight to 28.3 ounces. This worked out to a rather high 5.72 watts/ounce. Using the thin section (or advanced) wing and that power factor provided some excellent maneuvers with the Cessna. Still, if you do go to this higher power configuration (and thinner wing) I would caution you not to fly the entire time at full power (maximum motor current). Try to throttle back a lot during each flight. Otherwise your motor may be short lived! Of course, the alternative to all of this is to select a brushless motor and go to Li-Poly batteries to save weight, yet provide more capacity (more flying time).

 
Photo 39    Photo 40

Flight performance (with the thick/beginner wing) was even better than I had expected. At 26.7 ounces and 11.9 oz/sq. ft. wing loading, the Cessna still performed quite well. I fly from a grass field, so attempting a take-off from the ground proved useless. The small wheels and thin wire landing gears need a paved surface to make easy take-offs.

Photo 41

However, hand launching proved easy for both Tom Hunt and me. You hold the Cessna in one hand and the transmitter in the other. It takes nothing more than a gentle throw to get it in the air. Photo 41 shows Tom getting ready to launch the Ultrafly Cessna.

After launching, we found that we could quickly throttle back to ¾ to ½ throttle and still easily maintain altitude. With the thick wing, loops are possible, but you will have to dive the Cessna a little to gain some speed. It won’t comfortably loop from level flight. Rolls were possible, but it did take some coordinated rudder along with aileron control to make it happen. A roll maneuver might not be that easy for a beginner. My Cessna ended up slightly nose heavy with the 6.3 ounce battery pack sitting right inside the battery box. I didn’t attempt to correct his situation.

Photo 42

The good news is that with that forward CG position, it is almost impossible to stall the Cessna in flight. We reduced power and applied full up elevator and eventually the Cessna will sag off and start to descend. But it never stalled outright. It just kept going straight ahead. So a new pilot making landing approaches is going to love this extra margin of safety in flight. This will be an excellent trainer for the beginner learning to shoot landings as a solo RC pilot.

 
Photo 43    Photo 44

For information, my final control surface movements were as follows: ailerons 3/8 inch either side of neutral, elevator 5/8 inch either side and rudder 3/4 inch either side of neutral. My 8 cell 950 mAh KAN type NiMH battery pack was able to provide 6 to 8 minutes of flying time when throttling back a lot during the flight. The pack isn’t that expensive and is easily accessed from the bottom of the fuselage, without having to remove the wing. So having several battery packs to swap around will add considerably to your flying time at a single flying session.

 
Photo 45     Photo 46

TECHNICAL HIGHLIGHTS

Model type: CESSNA-182 ARF SPEED-400 electric basic trainer and/or advanced trainer, expanded construction

Manufacturer: Ultrafly

Distributed by: Tower Hobbies

Features: Cessna is provided with two sets of wings, a thick section (airfoil) for beginners and thin section for advanced flyers

Type of control: four channel function of the ailerons, elevator, rudder (with steer-able nose gear) and motor throttle.

Wing Area: 323 square inches, Wing Span: 43 inches, Length: 33 inches

Total Weight: 26.7 ounces (with 8 cell battery)

Wing Loading: 11.9 oz/sq. ft.

Motor: Falcon SPEED-400 ferrite, with 3/1 gear drive

Prop: APC 10 X 4.7 SF

Prop RPM: 5500

Battery: 8 cell 950 mAh “KAN” type NiMH (6.3 ounces)

Motor Current: 11.7 amps (at start on full charge)

Motor Voltage: 8.75 (under load)

Motor Power: 103 watts

Watts/Ounce: 3.9

Expected motor run time: 6-8 minutes, depending on throttle settings used.

Radio System Used: Hitec-RCD Optic-6 transmitter with Spectra synthesized module, Hitec HFS-05MG single conversion FM five channel receiver, four Hitec HS-81 micro servos and a 20 amp electric motor speed controller with BEC.

Control Throw: Aileron: +/- 3/8 inch, Elevator: +/- 5/8 inch, Rudder: +/- 3/4 inch

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