Flyzone AirCore

Fly a fleet of aircraft with a single Power Core Written by Joe Haas Photos by the author. Read the entire feature in the March 2014 issue of Model Aviation.
What do a high-wing replica of a Cessna 195 configured as an RC trainer, and a P-51 Mustang painted as Miss America have in common? Plenty if they are part of the new AirCore lineup of small foam aircraft from Flyzone. This latest offering will make flying small RC aircraft easier and more affordable. The AirCore fleet has some exciting things in common. Magnetically attached wings and hatches are obvious, but what makes these aircraft so neat is the Power Core system that houses everything electronic in one easy-to-install unit. That’s right, everything—brushless motor, ESC, receiver, and three servos—all on a plastic frame that is retained in the airframe by powerful, rare earth magnets.

The brushless motor has a propeller adapter that allows the propeller to snap loose if it makes contact with a solid object.

The aileron servo (upside down), and the rudder and elevator servo make up the Power Core.

The Principle

The Principle is a three-channel trainer with a remarkable resemblance to a classic Cessna 195. The airframe’s assembly consists of simply snapping in the landing gear to the bracket in the bottom of the fuselage and securing the wing with the built-in magnets. The pushrods and tail surfaces are preinstalled. The top of the cowl is held in place with magnets and gives you access to install the Power Core and the battery. The Power Core has more than enough thrust to fly the Principle. Resist the temptation to use full throttle for hand launching, or takeoff. If you are taking off from the ground, slowly advance the throttle. I found that the Principle is the most fun at half throttle or less.

The Miss America

The Miss America P-51 adds ailerons, so there is an additional step when attaching the wing. Make sure that the aileron pushrod guides in the fuselage are clear and gently position the aileron pushrods into the guides as you snap the wing into place. The top of the fuselage, all the way to the rear of the canopy, comes off to make installing the Power Core even easier. The landing gear—complete with gear doors—snaps into the bottom of the wing. If you have access to a hard surface or even artificial turf, use the landing gear. The P-51’s takeoff and landing performance was improved with the gear bent slightly forward. Going easy on the throttle makes takeoffs a breeze. You will be off of the ground at less than half throttle. The machine is fully aerobatic. Inverted flight requires significant down-elevator input. All of the typical warbird maneuvers are easily achieved. At full throttle, the Miss America becomes a racer burning up the indoor or outdoor skies.

The Power Core is securely installed into the Miss America P-51 airframe. The connection point for the rudder and elevator servos to the pushrods can be seen attached by rare earth magnets.

Although the Miss America and Principle are similar in size, their flight characteristics differ. Both use the same electronics and power system, but the P-51 sports ailerons.

Video Interview

Conclusion

The AirCore lineup has eight great airplanes with more offerings on the way. The ability to move the Power Core between airframes in less than a minute and fly a different model is amazing! The recommended battery is a good choice and provides reasonable flight times before a pit stop is required. If you’re looking for some variety among your fleet, give AirCore aircraft a try. You will have a blast! Read the entire feature in the March 2014 issue ofModel Aviation.

SPECIFICATIONS

Principle Wingspan: 22 inches Length: 17.8 inches Weight: 3.4 ounces P-51 Miss America Wingspan: 22 inches Length: 19 inches Weight: 4.1 ounces

Pluses

• Nice mix of aircraft from which to choose. • Modular system makes it easy to swap equipment from airframe to airframe. • Good flight performance.

Minuses

• Gear needed to be bent slightly forward. • Aileron guides needed to be cleared out.