Hangar 9 Taylorcraft

Written by Tom Sullivan As featured on page 49 in the February 2013 issue of Model Aviation. As featured in the Model Aviation tablet app. SPECIFICATIONS Model type: Semiscale BNF Skill level: Intermediate builder/intermediate pilot Wingspan: 80.5 inches Wing area: 1150 square inches Airfoil: Semisymmetrical Length: 63.6 inches Weight: 14 to 14.5 pounds Power system: Zenoah 26cc gas engine (included) Radio: Six-channel radio Price: $1,279.99 TEST-MODEL DETAILS Engine: Zenoah 26cc gas engine (included) Propeller: 16 x 6 Evolution Radio system: Spektrum DX18 radio, Spektrum AR8000 receiver (included), six Spektrum A6000 digital servos (included), five-cell NiMH receiver battery (included) Ready-to-fly weight: 14.25 pounds Flight duration: 25 minutes PLUSES Quick assembly. No gluing necessary. The only adhesive used is a small amount of silicone to secure the landing gear fairings. All radio equipment is factory installed. The engine is included. It’s not premounted, but it bolts on quickly. All hardware and accessories are provided, including the propeller and spinner. The cabin door provides easy access to the interior of the fuselage. Two-piece, plug-in wing with aluminum wing tube. Clever engineering allows the entire tail section to mount to the fuselage using only four bolts. MINUSES Positioning of the engine ignition cutoff switch. Vertical fin struts snapped in flight. A pilot figure is included, but it’s too big for this model. ABRIDGED ARTICLE Occasionally I’m asked for a recommendation of a first model for someone new to gas power. There are several ARFs out there that will work nicely, but figuring out what engine to match up to them isn’t always the easiest choice. The Taylorcraft Bind-n-Fly (BNF) from Hangar 9 looks to be the answer to this question. Although it’s not quite ready to fly, most of the work is done for you and it even includes a Spektrum flight pack and Zenoah G-26 engine. The clipped-wing Taylorcraft is a great subject. Because it’s a Scale model, it grabs my interest right away. What’s more, it is also modeled after a specific full-scale model (N-number N6115 created by Jim Moss). The full-scale Taylorcraft makes a great air show performer, with stable and forgiving flight characteristics. Let’s put this Taylorcraft together and get it airborne!

A high amount of preassembly at the factory leads to a low parts count for the Taylorcraft. Everything you see here bolts together in just a few hours.

This Taylorcraft certainly isn’t a one-trick pony. On low rates, it’s a great trainer. On high rates, it becomes a high-energy aerobat. It’s an eye-catching, Fun Scale, IMAA-legal model.

Included with the kit is the Zenoah G-26. All of the holes are predrilled and the fuel lines are preinstalled, so installation is a snap.

A nice design touch is this functional cabin door on the starboard side. It provides easy access to the radio, as well as the hidden, internal wing bolts.

When completed, the Hangar 9 Taylorcraft BNF came in at 14.25 pounds ready to fly. You can go from the opening the box to a completed model in approximately two hours.

There is plenty of room inside the cabin. Everything you see here comes preinstalled, including the control hardware. A floor, where the seat and pilot are mounted, is included to cover the radio area.

The entire tail assembly bolts to the fuselage, and then is held in place with few support struts. Note the great checkerboard covering on the underside of the stabilizer and also on the wing.

The only problem I encountered was the failure of the vertical fin struts. Both broke in the same spot because the thin metal could not handle the engine vibration. I ground off the stock connector and replaced it with a crimp-on-style electrical connector. The piece is virtually identical and is made from much thicker stock. They were soldered in place, and then painted.

The stabilizer halves slip into place using a system similar to removable stabilizers on larger aerobatic models. Two rods pass through the vertical fin to align the halves. Everything is held in place with four bolts.